cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilization of Healthcare Resources by HIV-Positive Children in the United States: A National Perspective.

OBJECTIVE We characterized and estimated the cost of inpatient hospital utilization by US pediatric patients who tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). METHODS The 2012 Kids' Inpatient Database was analyzed to provide a descriptive assessment of national inpatient hospital utilization. We analyzed a stratified probability sampling of 3.2 million pediatric hospital discharges weighted to 6.7 million national discharges. Descriptive statistics for hospital and patient characteristics were identified and binary variables were analyzed using the Student t test. The Kids' Inpatient Database is the largest available all-payer pediatric (20 years old and younger) inpatient care database in the United States, yielding national estimates of hospital inpatient stays. Children aged 17 years and younger were included in the study and conditions related to pregnancy and delivery. RESULTS We estimated that 1344 pediatric discharges were associated with an HIV diagnosis, totaling 10,704 inpatient days at a cost of $91 million. Among pediatric patients with HIV, 55% were African American, 20% were white, 15% were Asian/Pacific Islander, 8% were other races (including Hispanics and Native Americans), and 51% were female. Children who were HIV positive were more likely to have longer mean hospital stays, have higher mean hospital charges, be of a higher median age (8 years and older), have Medicaid insurance, come from lower-income families, be treated in urban teaching hospitals, and be more likely to die during hospitalization (P $63,000 compared with only 12% for children who were HIV positive. During hospitalization, at least one procedure was performed in 56.6% of children with HIV compared with 45.65% of hospitalized children without HIV. The most frequently observed diagnoses associated with children infected with HIV were gastrointestinal disorders, mental disorders, and bacterial infections and sepsis. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that pediatric patients who were HIV positive were significantly older, from lower-income areas, and members of minority groups. They underwent more procedures during hospitalization, incurred more than twice the total cost, stayed in the hospital twice as long, and had statistically higher in-hospital mortality than children who were HIV negative. As we continue to explore effective and judicious treatment options for patients who are HIV positive, our national estimates of resource utilization can be used to conduct a more detailed examination of current medical practices and specific patterns of diagnoses associated with HIV infection in the US pediatric population.
Compassion Meditation Training for Hospital Chaplain Residents: A Pilot Study

This study examines the effectiveness of incorporating compassion meditation training into a clinical pastoral education (CPE) curriculum to enhance compassion satisfaction and reduce burnout among...
Connections Between Light, Vision, and Microscopes

In this chapter I look at the historical development of our conceptions of light and our understanding of the human visual system and their connection to the development of microscopes. Microscopes are instruments that can be used to visualize objects that are not observable with the naked eye. How is our understanding of light and our knowledge of the structure and function of the human visual system related? How is the development of microscopes related to our understanding of light?
Is Third-Party Provided Travel Time Helpful to Estimate Freeway Performance Measures?

Transportation agencies monitor freeway performance using various measures such as VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled), VHD (Vehicle Hours of Delay), and VHT (Vehicle Hours Traveled). Public transportation agencies typically rely on point detector data to estimate these freeway performance measures. Point detectors, such as inductive loops cannot capture the travel time for a corridor, which can lead to inaccurate performance measure estimation. This research develops a hybrid method, which estimates of freeway performance measures using a mix of probe data from third-parties and data from traditional point detectors. Using a simulated I-210 model, the overall framework using multiple data sources is evaluated, and compared with the traditional point detector-based estimation method. In the traditional method, point speeds are estimated with the flow and occupancy values using the g-factors. Data from 5% of the total vehicle are used to generate the third-party vendor provided travel time data. The analysis is conducted for multiple scenarios, including peak and off-peak periods. Findings suggest that fusing data from both third-party vendors and point detectors can help estimate performance measures better, compared to the traditional method, in scenarios that have noticeable traffic demand on freeways.
Characteristics of Injuries Occurring During Cross-Country: A Report from the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network.

Context Cross-country is a popular sport activity, particularly in adolescent populations. Although epidemiologic investigations have provided insight into patient and injury characteristics associated with running injuries, little is known about how these injuries are managed at the point of care. Objective To describe injury and treatment characteristics of injuries sustained during cross-country. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting High school athletic training clinics within the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network. Patients or other participants Patient cases were included if the patient was diagnosed with an injury that occurred during interscholastic cross-country participation. All patients received usual care by an athletic trainer. Main outcome measure(s) We used summary statistics to describe injury (sex, age, participation level, time of injury, mechanism of injury, body part, injury type, diagnosis) and treatment (type, amount, duration, number of services) characteristics. Results Most cross-country injuries occurred to the lower extremity and were musculotendinous or ligamentous in nature. The most common injury types were sprain/strain (43.8%), tendinopathy (18.5%), and general pain (9.5%). Injured body parts and diagnoses were typically similar between sexes. The most frequently used treatment was therapeutic exercises or activities (28.7%), and patients received an average of 7.4 ± 17.4 total athletic training services during 5.5 ± 15.1 episodes of care over 27.8 ± 87.5 days. Conclusions Adolescent cross-country student-athletes frequently sustained non-time-loss injuries that required up to 1 month of treatment and management. These findings will generate awareness surrounding the role of athletic trainers in providing care for cross-country athletes.
Hematopoietic Cell Transplant for Myelofibrosis

Myelofibrosis (MF) can present as primary myelofibrosis (PMF) or evolve from polycythemia vera (PV) or essential thrombocythemia (ET). Regardless of the etiology, MF is characterized as a clonal stem cell disorder associated with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), resulting in a bone marrow stromal reaction that includes varying degrees of reticulin and collagen fibrosis and osteosclerosis. The median age at diagnosis of MF is 60–65 years. The clinical course is heterogeneous with a median life expectancy in nontransplanted patients ranging from less than 2 years to more than 10 years. MF frequently involves the spleen, resulting in massive splenomegaly, severe constitutional symptoms, a hypermetabolic state, and cachexia. Worsening cytopenias and increasing numbers of circulating blasts and eventually leukemic transformation commonly mark disease progression. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is currently the only treatment with proven curative potential for patients with MF. In the last decade, the numbers of patients undergoing HCT for MF have more than doubled as reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) and non-sibling donor sources have increased accessibility. The following chapter will review the staging systems and other disease and non-disease related risk factors that guide decision-making, as well as choice of donor sources and conditioning regimens, and post-transplant complications which contribute to outcomes following transplantation.
Mapping the concepts behind the contemporary liberalization of the use of force in international law

The Article starts by investigating the manner in which the prohibition to use force is being incrementally corroded. In particular, it argues that the evanescence of the rule expressed in Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter does not stem from a conscious disregard for the prohibition on the use force since most States still feel constrained by it. Instead, it is submitted that the disintegration of the prohibition on the use force results from a general striving for looser limitations on that prohibition. This phenomenon is construed here as a liberalization of the use of force. Once it has been established how the prohibition on the use of force is being liberalized, only then this Article engages in a study of its consequences for the international legal order.
The Paradox of Civil Rights

There is a curious duality in the status of civil rights in the United States: massive political support for antidiscrimination legislation but little economic evidence to show how or why it does any good. Initially, there is well nigh unanimous political support for the proposition that the antidiscrimination law as it applies to employment relations and elsewhere is an essential part of the legal firmament. The debates within legal and political circles only go to the question of implementation. The proposed Civil Rights Act of 1990,1 for example, takes it as a given that civil rights enforcement will and should remain at the top of the American political agenda. It then seeks to tighten the noose around those employers who wish to resist its commands by amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in order "to restore and strengthen" the civil rights laws.2 Both halves of this general injunction require special attention: in every area in which the bill seeks to "restore" the status quo ante by undoing the effects of several recent and more restrictive Supreme Court decisions,3 it also seeks to extend the reach of the Civil Rights Act beyond the prior Supreme Court case law. For example, section 4 of the proposed bill appears to extend the rules of proof in disparate impact cases, recently cut back in Wards Cove Packing Co. v. Atonio,4 far beyond their original scope in Griggs v. Duke Power Co.5 The bill not only restores the original business necessity test, but it
SIMULATION OF AIR AND EXHAUST FLOWS IN FOUR-STROKE TURBOCHARGED DIESEL ENGINES

A steady-state model for the flow of working fluid through a four-stroke Diesel engine and its turbocharger is presented. Methods of using engine operational data to evaluate cylinder volumetric efficiency, charge air cooler effectiveness, scavenging flow area, turbine nozzle area, and turbocharger turbine pulse factor are described and illustrated. The model under consideration can form part of a mathematical model for the computer simulation of engine and propulsive system transients.
Electrostatic Converter Design

Chapters 4 and 5 have dealt with piezoelectric converters. The direction will now change to the consideration of electrostatic converters. This chapter will deal with the modeling, design, and optimization of electrostatic converters. The following chapter will discuss the processing and fabrication of electrostatic converters. And finally, chapter 8 will cover test results.
Regulation of contractile protein gene expression in unloaded mouse skeletal muscle

Hindlimb unloading was performed on mice in an effort to study the regulation of contractile protein genes. In particular, the regulation of myosin heavy chain IIb was examined. During unloading, muscle fibers undergo a type conversion. Preliminary data from this study does not support the hypothesis that the fiber type conversion is due to an increase in promoter activity of fast isoform genes, such as myosin heavy chain IIb. The consequences of this finding are examined, with particular focus on other factors controlling gene regulation.
In vivo analysis of Nef’s role in HIV-1 replication, systemic T cell activation and CD4+ T cell loss

Nef is a multifunctional HIV-1 protein critical for progression to AIDS. Humans infected with nef(−) HIV-1 have greatly delayed or no disease consequences. We have contrasted nef(−) and nef(+) infection of BLT humanized mice to better characterize Nef’s pathogenic effects. Mice were inoculated with CCR5-tropic HIV-1JRCSF (JRCSF) or JRCSF with an irreversibly inactivated nef (JRCSFNefdd). In peripheral blood (PB), JRCSF exhibited high levels of viral RNA (peak viral loads of 4.71 × 106 ± 1.23 × 106 copies/ml) and a progressive, 75% loss of CD4+ T cells over 17 weeks. Similar losses were observed in CD4+ T cells from bone marrow, spleen, lymph node, lung and liver but thymocytes were not significantly decreased. JRCSFNefdd also had high peak viral loads (2.31 × 106 ± 1.67 × 106) but induced no loss of PB CD4+ T cells. In organs, JRCSFNefdd produced small, but significant, reductions in CD4+ T cell levels and did not affect the level of thymocytes. Uninfected mice have low levels of HLA-DR+CD38+CD8+ T cells in blood (1–2%). Six weeks post inoculation, JRCSF infection resulted in significantly elevated levels of activated CD8+ T cells (6.37 ± 1.07%). T cell activation coincided with PB CD4+ T cell loss which suggests a common Nef-dependent mechanism. At 12 weeks, in JRCSF infected animals PB T cell activation sharply increased to 19.7 ± 2.9% then subsided to 5.4 ± 1.4% at 14 weeks. HLA-DR+CD38+CD8+ T cell levels in JRCSFNefdd infected mice did not rise above 1–2% despite sustained high levels of viremia. Interestingly, we also noted that in mice engrafted with human tissue expressing a putative protective HLA-B allele (B42:01), JRCSFNefdd exhibited a substantial (200-fold) reduced viral load compared to JRCSF. Nef expression was necessary for both systemic T cell activation and substantial CD4+ T cell loss from blood and tissues. JRCSFNefdd infection did not activate CD8+ T cells or reduce the level of CD4+ T cells in blood but did result in a small Nef-independent decrease in CD4+ T cells in organs. These observations strongly support the conclusion that viral pathogenicity is mostly driven by Nef. We also observed for the first time substantial host-specific suppression of HIV-1 replication in a small animal infection model.
Assembly time optimization for PCB assembly

A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly task requires that a set of components be picked from their respective pickup locations and then be placed at their respective placement locations on the card being assembled. An automated assembly machine consists of a robotic arm which performs such an assembly task. The overall assembly time depends on two different decision variables: (i) the pickup locations of the components, and (ii) the sequence in which the pickup and placement of components is performed. In this paper we develop a technique based on integer programming to determine optimal values of both the decision variables. Since such a technique is computationally intractable, we also obtain near optimal solutions-that are computationally tractable-using the techniques of: (i) minimum weight matching for determining an optimal assignment of pickup locations, and (ii) traveling salesman problem for determining an optimum sequence of pickups and placements. Finally, we use simulations to compare the saving in overall assembly time using the techniques developed here and some of the techniques that are currently in use in industrial settings.
Predictive line queries for traffic prediction

The advances in communication and positioning device technologies have made it possible to track the locations of moving objects, such as vehicles equipped with GPS. As a result, a new series of applications and services have been commenced into people's life. One popular application is the real-time traffic system which provides current road condition and traffic jam information to commuters. To further enhance this location-based experience, this paper proposes an advanced type of service which can predict traffic jams so that commuters can plan their trips more effectively. In particular, traffic prediction is realized by a new type of query, termed as the predictive line query, which estimates the amount of vehicles entering a querying road segment at a specified future timestamp and helps query issuers adjust their travel plans in a timely manner. Only a handful of existing work can efficiently and effectively handle such queries since most methods are designed for objects moving freely in the Euclidean space instead of under road-network constraints. Taking the road network topology and object moving patterns into account, we propose a hybrid index structure, the RD-tree, which employs an R*-tree for network indexing and direction-based hash tables for managing vehicles. We also develop a ring-query-based algorithm to answer the predictive line query. We have conducted an extensive experimental study which demonstrates that our approach significantly outperforms existing work in terms of both accuracy and time efficiency.
Prestige, intrafirm tournaments and failure aversion in corporate decisions

The pervasive "tournament" style of organization is beneficial in that it allows shareholders to place the most talented managers in senior positions. We demonstrate that this benefit is achieved only at a cost: competition for promotions to prestigious positions induces excessive failure aversion among competing managers. Failure aversion emanates from the interaction between the huge rewards promised to the winning manager (the CEO) - the "winner-take-all" phenomenon - and the limited opportunities for managers to influence perceptions about their abilities. Failure aversion in turn corrupts corporate decisions, resulting in distorted project and effort choices. Importantly, it may not be possible to remove the resulting distortions through wage contracts as the organization architecture itself creates implicit contracts that constrain the efficacy of explicit compensation contracts.
Phenomenology of a nonstandard Higgs boson in W L W L scattering

In this paper we consider the phenomenology of a nonstandard Higgs boson in longitudinal gauge boson scattering. First, we present a composite Higgs model [based on an SU(4)/Sp(4) chiral-symmetry breaking pattern] in which there is a nonstandard Higgs boson. Then we explore, in a model-independent way, the phenomenology of such a nonstandard Higgs boson by calculating the leading one-loop logarithmic corrections to longitudinal gauge boson scattering. This calculation is done using the equivalence theorem and the Higgs boson is treated as a scalar-isoscalar resonance coupled to the Goldstone bosons of the SU(2)[sub [ital L]][times]Su(2)[sub [ital R]]/SU(2)[sub [ital V]] chiral symmetry breaking. We show that the most important deviation from the one-Higgs-doublet standard model is parametrized by one unknown coefficient which is related to the Higgs-boson width. The implications for future hadron colliders are discussed.
Nonlinear planetary wave reflection in the troposphere

[1] Forty-four years (1958–2001) of daily data from two re-analysis data sets are used to investigate the occurrence of nonlinear reflection from planetary wave breaking (PWB). PWB is manifested in the large-scale and rapid irreversible overturning of potential vorticity (PV) contours on isentropic surfaces in the upper troposphere. PWB takes place as a midlatitude wave train propagates equatorward toward a region of weak background zonal flow. As breaking occurs wave propagation is no longer possible. Linear theory predicts that wave activity will be absorbed in the wave-breaking region following the event. Our results show that almost a third of all PWB events result in nonlinear reflection rather than absorption. The signature of the reflected wave train arching northward and downstream into midlatitudes is very similar to that of nonlinear reflection seen in a hierarchy of modeling studies.
Correlation of insulin test studies and clinical results in a series of peptic ulcer cases treated by vagotomy.

Some years ago, a test procedure was developed in this laboratory, for differentiating vagal from completely vagotomized gastric pouches in dogs. This test was based on the secretory response following the induction of a suitable degree of insulin-induced hypoglycemia!. Subsequently, the procedure was adapted for use in patients with peptic ulcer2 to determine whether vagotomy was physiologically complete following apparently total anatomical interruption of the vagus nerves. It is generally accepted that the response depends on the stimulation of a gastric secretory center in the brain by the hypoglycemia, and the transmission of the resulting impulses via the vagi to the gastric mucosa. Considerable experimental evidence exists to indicate that complete division of the vagi in the dog eliminates this response, and that incomplete division fails to do so. For example, pouches constructed so as to preserve vagal innervation gave a positive response to insulin hypoglycemia, whereas those in which all intramural vagus fibers had been severed, failed to do so. It was also shown that such "vagal" pouches gave positive responses whether they retained almost the entire vagus supply, as in the type of pouch designed by us3, or only a small fraction of that innervation, as in the Pavlov pouch. In man, the evidence that complete division of the vagal trunks eliminates the response to hypoglycemia is not so conclusive as in dogs, in which the experimental methods are more precise. The latter is confused by the anatomical variations in vagus distribution about the lower esophagus, and possibly also by the existence of cholinergic fibers to the stomach which accompany its sympathetic innervation, the presence of which may be expected to give a positive insulin test despite complete vagotomy at the diaphragmatic level. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the frequency with which complete interruption of parasympathetic function in man, as measured by acid-secretory activity in the insulin test, resulted after vagotomy, and to correlate clinical findings and the results of the test. * Read at the Annual Meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association, June 3, 1949, Atlantic City, New Jersey. t This investigation was supported in part by a grant from The Altman Foundation of New York.
Current perspectives on β-receptor antagonists in the treatment of symptomatic ventricular dysfunction

Even though therapeutic advances have occurred, heart failure is still associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Digitalis, diuretics, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have proven effective, but in many patients still do not prevent progressive and debilitating heart failure. Many hormonal factors are involved, but two, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) axis and the autonomic nervous system, apparently are critical in the pathophysiology of progressive ventricular dysfunction. Pharmacologic suppression of the RAA system is associated with significant clinical benefit, suggesting that antagonism of sympathetic nervous activity with beta-receptor-blocking agents might also be efficacious. Major alterations of the autonomic nervous system are characteristic of heart failure, with excessive sympathetic activity one of the earliest adaptations to the condition, and important in promoting the heart failure state and the progression of ventricular dysfunction. Certain beta-antagonists administered by careful and slow up-titration from small starting dosages proved effective in small trials. Large-scale, randomized, placebo-controlled studies continue to document that beta-blockers improve ventricular function and symptoms, and preliminary results suggests mortality and morbidity reductions as well. Although intolerance to beta-antagonism does occur, the majority of patients can be successfully treated with these agents.
Knowledge building and concurrent engineering in manufacturing automation

Summary form only given, as follows. The author addresses modeling of the knowledge-building and project management processes in an advanced concurrent engineering project in manufacturing automation. The present work is based on 18 months of intensive field research in a US plant and with its Japanese equipment vendor. This research examined unfolding changes in core automation team integration, the partnership with the Japanese vendor, and overall project performance. A dual model is proposed for opposing styles of knowledge management: The first type is a constricting, funnel model, with early variety reduction and tight, staged control. This model fits a traditional Taylorist paradigm for division of labor and control of knowledge. The second type is a more chaotic fermentation vat model, characterized by continuous idea generation, tolerance for ambiguity, and emergent specification of details. These extremes (or Weberian ideal types) anchor the ends of a continuum of actual practice. The field data show the relevance of the dual model for conceptualizing a field of possibility against which a shift in the practical approach to managing knowledge resources occurs during the course of the project. >
Smart Surveys for Smart Phones: Exploring Various Approaches for Conducting Online Mobile Surveys via Smartphones*

Smart Surveys for Smart Phones: Exploring Various Approaches for Conducting Online Mobile Surveys via Smartphones*
Fiber-optic interconnect and component packaging for the next generation of aerospace platforms

The author first presents an overview of the requirements for data communication subsystems in modern, high-performance military aircraft and spacecraft, in order to put a perspective on the issues and challenges. The evolution of the needed fiber-optic components such as transmitters, receivers, and interconnection hardware is presented. This leads to a description of the state of the art in aerospace optoelectronic packaging, as it is practised at the Harris Corporation. The author concludes with a list of promising optical and optoelectronic technologies expected to be found in future avionic subsystems. >
Oil, human capital and diversification: the challenge of transition in the UAE and the Arab Gulf States

This research studies the labour and human capital dimensions of diversification and structural change in oil economies, with a focus on the case of the UAE and the Arab Gulf States. It examines how oil-driven development in the Gulf has resulted in entrenched patterns of employment and migration, which have forestalled efforts by these countries to transition into more sustainable, post-oil economies. Utilising a mixed methods approach based on secondary data analysis and a survey conducted with 300 firms, it studies how these distortions have evolved as the region has embarked on a number of major diversification efforts over the past four decades. Oil wealth has provided Gulf economies with the capital to create competitive new sources of economic growth, but the challenge remains sustainability: reproducing the labour force in non-oil industries locally.
Visualizing regional myocardial oxygenation changes with statistically optimal colormaps

Blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) MRI may be used for detecting myocardial oxygenation (MO) changes secondary to coronary artery stenosis. Under pharmacological stress, areas in the myocardium supplied by a stenotic coronary artery are hypointense relative to healthy regions. Visualizing these changes requires manual windowing. In this paper a method for automatic visualization of myocardial signal changes reflecting the regional variations in oxygenation is presented, using images obtained from a canine study under controlled conditions. The objective of this study is to overcome the rather subjective step of windowing by establishing an optimal colormap that permits visualization of statistical changes in signal intensities between healthy and pathological cases.
Piezoelectrically-induced ultrasonic lubrication by way of Poisson effect

It has been shown that the coefficient of dynamic friction between two surfaces decreases when ultrasonic vibra- tions are superimposed on the macroscopic sliding velocity. Instead of longitudinal vibrations, this paper focuses on the lateral contractions and expansions of an object in and around the half wavelength node region. This lateral motion is due to the Poisson effect (ratio of lateral strain to longitudinal strain) present in all materials. We numerically and experimentally investigate the Poisson-effect ultrasonic lubrication. A motor effect region is identified in which the effective friction force becomes negative as the vibratory waves drive the motion of the interface. Outside of the motor region, friction lubrication is observed with between 30% and 60% friction force reduction. A "stick-slip" contact model associated with horn kinematics is presented for simulation and analysis purposes. The model accurately matches the experiments for normal loads under 120 N.
Uninformative Parameters and Model Selection Using Akaike's Information Criterion

Abstract As use of Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) for model selection has become increasingly common, so has a mistake involving interpretation of models that are within 2 AIC units (ΔAIC ≤ 2) of the top-supported model. Such models are <2 ΔAIC units because the penalty for one additional parameter is +2 AIC units, but model deviance is not reduced by an amount sufficient to overcome the 2-unit penalty and, hence, the additional parameter provides no net reduction in AIC. Simply put, the uninformative parameter does not explain enough variation to justify its inclusion in the model and it should not be interpreted as having any ecological effect. Models with uninformative parameters are frequently presented as being competitive in the Journal of Wildlife Management, including 72% of all AIC-based papers in 2008, and authors and readers need to be more aware of this problem and take appropriate steps to eliminate misinterpretation. I reviewed 5 potential solutions to this problem: 1) report all model...
High Resolution Imaging of As-Grown Sapphire Surfaces

Surfaces of commercially grown edge-defined film-fed growth sapphire (EFG α-Al2O3) were studied in the electron microscope using both reflection electron microscopy (REM) and conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The as-grown sapphire surface, ostensibly $${\rm{\{ }}11\bar 20{\rm{\} }}$$ , was characterized by “rooftop” structures which were often locally periodic. These rooftop structures consisted of alternating $${\rm{\{ }}11\bar 20{\rm{\} }}$$ facets and additional facets inclined a few degrees. The crystallography of the surface facets was analyzed using REM imaging of bulk specimens, and trace analysis of back-thinned plan section TEM specimens. Surface roughness was measured by stylus profilometry. and these measurements were compared to the electron microscopy observations. Fine structural features parallel to $$ $$ directions were also observed in both REM and TEM experiments, and these were attributed to surface steps of atomic scales.
Tribe and Uymaq in Iran: a reply

James Reid's objections to my analysis of tribalism rests on his identification of tribalism with the "uymaq system" of early Safavid Iran. Thus, he includes under the rubric "tribalism" the entire ensemble of social, economic., and political relations dominated by a tribal khan and his family. He argues that during the sixteenth century "pastoral, agricultural, and even urban forms of production were subjected increasingly to the command of various families of chieftains, who controlled them for their own benefit."*1 Indeed, he is correct, for tribal leaders dominated villages and towns in one form or another throughout Iran until the twentieth century. However, because farmers, tradesmen and, artisans fell under the domination of the tribal khans, they did not necessarily become tribal.
Cancer stem cells and differentiation therapy.

Cancers arise from stem cells in adult tissues and the cells that make up a cancer reflect the same stem cell → progeny → differentiation progression observed in normal tissues. All adult tissues are
The Promise and Potential Pitfalls of a “Learning-Centered” Approach to Creative Social Inquiry: Lessons Learned from an Undergraduate Seminar on Authoritarianism through Literature and Film

Political science faculty have access to a wealth of innovative pedagogies thanks to a comprehensive literature on teaching and learning in the discipline and related fields. Yet, from among the hundreds of documented possibilities, how does one go about deciding which to incorporate into a given course? Few articles have much to say in response to this basic question, as most begin with a particular method, assignment, or assessment in mind and proceed from there. Drawing on the work of Fink (2003) and Wiggins and McTighe (2005), among others, I argue that, instead of taking the choice of activities as the starting point in course design, teachers—and, by extension, students—would be better served by first contemplating the desired results of the course and only thereafter devoting consideration to content and instructional methods. In making this claim, I reflect critically on my experience teaching a writing-intensive first-year seminar on comparative authoritarianism using “learning-centered” and “bac...
Comparing Legged Locomotion With a Sprung-Knee and Telescoping-Spring When Hip Torque is Applied

Legged locomotion has been a subject of study for many years. However, the role of the knee in whole-body dynamics of locomotion is not well understood, especially for non-conservative dynamics. Based upon a hip actuated Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum (Hip-actuated SLIP) model, we develop a more human-like, two-segment leg model with a pin-jointed springy knee, to see what effects a knee has in the context of an applied hip torque. Overall, we find that the governing equations for the two-segment (knee) version have a distinct structure when compared to the telescoping version of SLIP. The two-segment model with a knee spring influences forces acting on the mass center in a more complex way than a telescoping spring. While a wide variation of behavior is possible for the two-segment model, here we focus on comparing the dynamics for a special case when the knee spring resting angle is 90°. For this particular choice of resting knee angle we find that the knee version of actuated SLIP can have similar locomotion dynamics to the telescoping version of actuated SLIP. This result provides one explanation for how animals and robots with multi-segmented legs could produce overall center-of-mass dynamics that are similar to models with telescoping legs. Nonetheless, despite overall similarities for this special case, small differences in the stability of locomotion are still observed. In particular, we find that the knee version tends to be slightly more stable than the telescoping SLIP in terms of the allowable size of perturbations, while requiring higher input power.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Long-term changes in the material properties of brain-tissue at the implant-tissue interface

Objective. Brain tissue undergoes dramatic molecular and cellular remodeling at the implant–tissue interface that evolves over a period of weeks after implantation. The biomechanical impact of such remodeling on the interface remains unknown. In this study, we aim to assess the changes in the mechanical properties of the brain–electrode interface after chronic implantation of a microelectrode. Approach. Microelectrodes were implanted in the rodent cortex at a depth of 1 mm for different durations—1 day (n = 4), 10–14 days (n = 4), 4 weeks (n = 4) and 6–8 weeks (n = 7). After the initial duration of implantation, the microelectrodes were moved an additional 1 mm downward at a constant speed of 10 µm s−1. Forces experienced by the microelectrode were measured during movement and after termination of movement. The biomechanical properties of the interfacial brain tissue were assessed from measured force–displacement curves using two separate models—a two-parameter Mooney–Rivlin hyperelastic model and a viscoelastic model with a second-order Prony series. Main results. Estimated shear moduli using a second-order viscoelastic model increased from 0.5–2.6 kPa (day 1 of implantation) to 25.7–59.3 kPa (after 4 weeks of implantation) and subsequently decreased to 0.8–7.9 kPa after 6–8 weeks of implantation in 6 of the 7 animals. The estimated elastic modulus increased from 4.1–7.8 kPa on the day of implantation to 24–44.9 kPa after 4 weeks. The elastic modulus was estimated to be 6.8–33.3 kPa in 6 of the 7 animals after 6–8 weeks of implantation. The above estimates suggest that the brain tissue surrounding the microelectrode evolves from a stiff matrix with maximal shear and elastic modulus after 4 weeks of implantation into a composite of two different layers with different mechanical properties—a stiff compact inner layer surrounded by softer brain tissue that is biomechanically similar to brain tissue—during the first week of implantation. Tissue micromotion-induced stresses on the microelectrode constituted 12–55% of the steady-state stresses on the microelectrode on the day of implantation (n = 4), 2–21% of the steady-state stresses after 4 weeks of implantation (n = 4), and 4–10% of the steady-state stresses after 6–8 weeks of implantation (n = 7). Significance. Understanding biomechanical behavior at the brain–microelectrode interface is necessary for the long-term success of implantable neuroprosthetics and microelectrode arrays. Such quantitative physical characterization of the dynamic changes in the electrode–tissue interface will (a) drive the design and development of more mechanically optimal, chronic brain implants, and (b) lead to new insights into key cellular and molecular events such as neuronal adhesion, migration and function in the immediate vicinity of the brain implant.
(In)Visibility of the Enslaved Within Online Plantation Tourism Marketing: a Textual Analysis of North Carolina Websites

Tourism landscapes are constructed and marketed in selective ways that reaffirm long‐standing patterns of social power and inequality and thus influence whose histories and identities are remembered and forgotten. The purpose of this article is to conduct an analysis of plantation tourism marketing in North Carolina, measuring the degree to which the history of slavery and the enslaved are (in)visible within online promotional texts. Previous research has found that the slave experience is frequently ignored in promoting the Southern plantation, although the analysis of North Carolina has been limited in the past and no studies to date have examined the promotional images found on plantation websites. An analysis of 20 websites for historic plantations in North Carolina does not reveal a universal exclusion of the enslaved but it certainly shows an uneven treatment both in terms of the absolute number of textual references to slavery and the frequency of these references relative to other themes used in m...
Modular typestate checking in concurrent Java programs

In previous work we described a modular static analysis based on access permission annotations, which describe the ways in which a reference can be aliased, for preventing the improper use of object protocols in concurrent programs. That system was based on atomic blocks, a mutual exclusion primitive not yet in wide use. Now we extend that system to programs written using synchronized blocks, which are in wide use today. This system can verify concurrent programs without any concurrency-specific annotations.
Puberty and the emergence of gender differences in psychopathology

This paper briefly describes the findings and new directions from research conducted at Stanford University that seeks to understand the emergence of gender differences during adolescence in depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, which are collectively referred to as internalizing disorders. This program of research arose from an observed and general association between puberty and the emergence of gender differences in internalizing symptoms. More recently the effort has been to identify specific aspects of puberty (biological and psychosocial) that might confer a differential sensitivity to the development of internalizing problems in particular girls during puberty. Pubertal timing, hormonal changes, ethnicity, current or past victimization, and types of peer involvement are possible relevant factors; although no one factor alone is likely to account for the increased incidence of internalizing disorders in girls during early adolescence. Finally, it is argued that a more developmental understanding of the relationships among these factors and others is needed, fitting a developmental psychopathology framework and linking various theoretical perspectives together. Pubertal Status Versus Age in Predicting Psychopathology
Performance Analysis of III-V Materials in a Double-Gate nano-MOSFET

Nanoscale double-gate n-MOSFETs with silicon and III-V (GaAs and InAs) channels are studied using numerical simulation. The device structures are based on the ITRS 14 nm node (year 2020), and are simulated using the program nanoMOS, which utilizes the NEGF technique for treating ballistic electron transport in the channel. The effective masses used are obtained by extraction from the full band structure using the sp3d5s* empirical tight-binding method. This process returns effective mass values for all valleys which are far more accurate than bulk values for the ultra- thin-body MOSFET. The results indicate that for digital logic applications, III-V materials offer little or no performance advantage over silicon for ballistic devices near the channel length scaling limit.
Routine screening for psychosocial distress following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

The diagnosis and treatment of cancer is often associated with high levels of psychosocial distress, yet exploration of these issues is rarely included in routine oncologic care. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of screening for psychosocial distress after autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. A total of 80 adults were enrolled in Boston, MA, USA. Subjects completed self-administered assessments prior to hospital admission, at their first clinic visit after hospital discharge, and at 100 days post transplant. Assessments included validated instruments assessing psychosocial distress and quality of life (QOL). Elevated levels of anxiety and/or depression were detected in 55% of those providing pre-transplant assessments and were associated with compromised QOL. Post transplant screening was successfully performed in 69% of subjects and identified that 44% had symptoms of depression, anxiety or post traumatic stress disorder. Pre-transplant distress was associated with detection of distress after transplantation (81 vs 13%, P<0.0001). In summary, we detected high levels of distress in transplant patients using self-administered tools. Pre-transplant distress appears to be highly predictive of distress post transplant and is a feasible marker to target screening and intervention programs.
Generation of Monospecific Nanomolar Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors via a Chemical Genetic Approach

Selective protein kinase inhibitors are highly sought after as tools for studying cellular signal transduction cascades, yet few have been discovered due to the highly conserved fold of kinase catalytic domains. Through a combination of small molecule synthesis and protein mutagenesis, a highly potent (IC50 = 1.5 nM) and uniquely specific inhibitor (4-amino-1-tert-butyl-3-(1‘-naphthyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine) of a rationally engineered v-Src tyrosine kinase (Ile338Gly v-Src) has been identified. Both the potency and specificity of this compound surpass those of any known Src family tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The molecule strongly inhibits the engineered v-Src in whole cells but does not inhibit tyrosine phosphorylation in cells that express only wild-type tyrosine kinases. In addition, the inhibitor selectively disrupts transformation in cells that express the target v-Src. The structural degeneracy of kinase active sites should allow the same complementary inhibitor/protein design strategy to be widel...
The Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Pathway Enhances Smad3-stimulated Mesangial Cell Collagen I Expression in Response to Transforming Growth Factor-β1

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β has been associated with renal glomerular matrix accumulation. We previously showed that Smad3 promotes COL1A2 gene activation by TGF-β1 in human glomerular mesangial cells. Here, we report that the PI3K/Akt pathway also plays a role in TGF-β1-increased collagen I expression. TGF-β1 stimulates the activity of phosphoinositide-dependent kinase (PDK)-1, a downstream target of PI3K, starting at 1 min. Akt, a kinase downstream of PDK-1, is phosphorylated and concentrates in the membrane fraction within 5 min of TGF-β1 treatment. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 decreases TGF-β1-stimulated α1(I) and α2(I) collagen mRNA expression. Similarly, LY294002 or an Akt dominant negative construct blocks TGF-β1 induction of COL1A2 promoter activity. However, PI3K stimulation alone is not sufficient to increase collagen I expression, since neither a constitutively active p110 PI3K construct nor PDGF, which induces Akt phosphorylation, is able to stimulate COL1A2 promoter activity or mRNA expression, respectively. LY294002 inhibits stimulation of COL1A2 promoter activity by Smad3. In a Gal4-LUC assay system, blockade of the PI3K pathway significantly decreases TGF-β1-induced transcriptional activity of Gal4-Smad3. Activity of SBE-LUC, a Smad3/4-responsive construct, is stimulated by over-expression of Smad3 or Smad3D, in which the three C-terminal serine phospho-acceptor residues are mutated. This induction is blocked by LY294002, suggesting that inhibition of the PI3K pathway decreases Smad3 transcriptional activity independently of C-terminal serine phosphorylation. However, TGF-β1-induced total serine phosphorylation of Smad3 is decreased by LY294002, suggesting that Smad3 is phosphorylated by the PI3K pathway at serine residues other than the direct TGF-β receptor I target site. Thus, although the PI3K-PDK1-Akt pathway alone is insufficient to stimulate COL1A2 gene transcription, its activation by TGF-β1 enhances Smad3 transcriptional activity leading to increased collagen I expression in human mesangial cells. This cross-talk between the Smad and PI3K pathways likely contributes to TGF-β1 induction of glomerular scarring.
FAMILIAL MAMMARY TUMORS IN THE RABBIT : III. FACTORS CONCERNED IN THEIR GENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT

The clinical and pathological course of 25 mammary tumors in rabbits has been described. The antecedent breast history and morphology of the growths allowed a natural classification into two distinct types, one of which was distinguished by a preexisting cystic mastitis and a papillary structure, while the other originated in clinically normal mammary tissue and was characterized by an adenomatous structure. The two types of neoplasia occurred almost exclusively in two family groups and heredity played a fundamental role both in the occurrence of the tumors and in the determination of tumor type. Endocrine changes, comparable with those found in animals after long continued administration of estrogenic substances, occurred in tumor-bearing rabbits and it was inferred that the spontaneous growths represented a natural counterpart of the experimental induction of neoplasia with estrone.