cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 5 – Laser Components and Accessories

This chapter discusses various components and the different types of accessory equipments that are used either in laser fabrication or together with lasers, as part of a system designed for a particular application. Specific components used in laser fabrication include mirrors, polarizers, Q-switches, and harmonic generators. Infrared transmitting materials are used as lenses and windows for the infrared lasers. The mirrors that are mostly used in laser fabrication are the evaporated coatings consisting of multiple layers of dielectric materials, and the vacuum deposited on a transparent substrate. Almost all mirrors used in practical lasers are multilayer dielectric mirrors that can be very resistant to damage. These mirrors use the principle of interference to produce high values of reflectance. The multilayer dielectric mirrors are more durable than metallic mirrors, and these mirrors are commonly used with most lasers. The silicon dioxide/titanium dioxide multilayer stacks are widely used as laser mirrors in the visible spectrum. This chapter concludes by reviewing the accessory equipment often used with lasers in a system designed for a specific application. These equipments include: stable tables, focusing optics, detectors, modulators, beam deflectors, and scanners.
The Extent of Self-Defence against Terrorist Groups: For How Long and How Far?

The post-9/11 environment, in which states may use self-defense as an ongoing and overarching justification and construct for military operations, whether episodic or sustained in nature, against one or more non-state groups for more than fifteen years, poses challenges to the very concept of self-defense. In particular, the ongoing reliance on self-defense in locations and against groups not contemplated at the time of the initial incident triggering the right to self-defense raises essential questions about the extent of self-defense: how far can a state go when acting in self-defense — both in the geographical sense and in the sense of the legitimate aims of using force — and for how long does this right of self-defense last? In this era of extended campaigns against transnational terrorist groups, examination of such questions is essential to an understanding of self-defense and, therefore, an effective assessment of the legality of state action against such groups. This article explores the extent of self-defense, particularly in the context of a state using force in self-defense against one or more terrorist groups located in one or multiple locations outside the boundaries of the State. After brief foundational background, the article examines how differing conceptions of the legitimate aims of self-defense affect the extent of self-defense and addresses the consequences of an armed conflict paradigm for the parameters of self-defense. Finally, the article raises questions that naturally follow from a state's initial success in countering a terrorist group with armed force and pose new challenges for the self-defense analysis. For example, as a state's military operations damage a group's ability to operate, it will seek new bases from which to operate in different states or regions and it may splinter into multiple groups or reconstitute itself as one or more new groups. Along with the appearance of new groups inspired by or declaring allegiance to the original terrorist group, these developments require further analysis of whether the nature and extent of self-defense changes, and how, in light of the dynamic operational environment for counterterrorism.
The influence of bacteria on multitrophic interactions among plants, psyllids, and pathogen.

The recent emergence of several plant diseases caused by psyllid-borne bacterial pathogens worldwide (Candidatus Liberibacter spp.) has created renewed interest on the interaction between psyllids and bacteria. In spite of these efforts to understand psyllid association with bacteria, many aspects of their interactions remain poorly understood. As more organisms are studied, subtleties on the molecular interactions as well as on the effects of the bacteria on the psyllid host are being uncovered. Additionally, psyllid-borne bacterial phytopathogens can also affect the host plant, which in turn can impact psyllid physiology and behavior. Here, we review the current literature on different aspects of the influence of bacteria on multi-trophic interactions among plants, psyllids, and pathogen. We then highlight gaps that need to be addressed to advance this field which can have significant implications for controlling these newly emergent and other plant diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Structural performance of hybrid SPFs-LSL cross-laminated timber panels

Abstract The bending and shear performance of hybrid cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels made from Spruce-Pine-Fir (South) (SPFs) and laminated strand lumber (LSL) are examined. Four configurations of three-layer CLT were fabricated: all-SPFs control specimens, all-LSL specimens, hybrid specimens with SPFs faces and an LSL core, and hybrid specimens with LSL faces and an SPFs core. Bending tests were conducted to assess flexural strength and stiffness. Additionally, three-point bending tests were performed to assess shear performance. The incorporation of LSL in the core of CLT panels increased mean panel bending stress at failure by 23% through mitigation of rolling shear failure.
Abstract 4999: Stress, spiritual wellbeing and cancer risk among diverse racial faith-based communities: Elevated levels of stress proteomic biomarkers in breast cancer patients

Spiritual wellbeing is associated with decreased risk for cancer. Stress and depression are common among cancer patients and may be inversely associated with spiritual wellbeing. The purpose of the study is to examine if stress and depression as indicators of cancer risk are lower in a racially diverse faith-based community. Methods: 752 individuals from a faith-based community completed a behavioral assessment survey that mapped the current patterns of behavior in key categories that include: stress, depression, exercise and nutrition using the E-wellness platform FitThumb. To identify stress biomarkers in cancer patients we examined levels of stress serum proteomic biomarkers that were previously identified in our study by proteomic profiling using 2D-DIGEMS analysis and a subset of samples by shotgun LCMS technology. The serum proteomic study included serum samples from 15 African American breast cancer patients and 12 healthy controls who were from a faith-based community. Results: The behavioral assessment surveys that included 752 individuals who were racially diverse showed a low stress risk of 47.74% vs 8.24 % of high stress risk for chronic disease; and low depression risk of 85.11% vs 1.99% high risk for chronic disease. Elevated levels of stress and inflammatory serum proteomic biomarkers such as ceruloplasmin known to increase in stressed animals and humans; heptaglobin, apolipoproteins, and heat shock proteins were significantly elevated in breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls. Conclusions: Our results indicate that spiritual well-being is associated with significantly low stress and depression in a faith-based community regardless of race or ethnicity, posing a low risk for cancer as shown in previous Adventist Health Cohort studies. Future efforts will focus on validating and identifying panel of biomarkers from this cohort to gain insight into their role(s) in the mechanisms of stress hormones and cancer risk. Funded by Susan G Komen for the cure. Citation Format: Padma P. Tadi Uppala, Gretchen Krivak, Sherine Brown-Fraser, Dixon Anjejo, Alfredo Mejia, Dominique wakefield, Kumar Kolli. Stress, spiritual wellbeing and cancer risk among diverse racial faith-based communities: Elevated levels of stress proteomic biomarkers in breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4999. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4999
Explanations and Interactives Improve Subjective Experiences in Online Courseware

As online courses become more common, practitioners are in need of clear guidance on how to translate best educational practices into web-based instruction. Moreover, student engagement is a pressing concern in online courses, which often have high levels of dropout. Our goals in this work were to experimentally study routine instructional design choices and to measure the effects of these choices on students’ subjective experiences (engagement, mind wandering, and interest) in addition to objective learning outcomes. Using randomized controlled trials, we studied the effect of varying instructional activities (namely, assessment and a step-through interactive) on participants’ learning and subjective experiences in a lesson drawn from an online immunology course. Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Results showed that participants were more likely to drop out when they were in conditions that included assessment. Moreover, assessment with minimal feedback (correct answers only) led to the lowest subjective ratings of any experimental condition. Some of the negative effects of assessment were mitigated by the addition of assessment explanations or a summary interactive. We found no differences between the experimental conditions in learning outcomes, but we did find differences between groups in the accuracy of score predictions. Finally, prior knowledge and self-rated confusion were predictors of post-test scores. Using student behavior data from the same online immunology course, we corroborated the importance of assessment explanations. Our results have a clear implication for course developers: the addition of explanations to assessment questions is a simple way to improve online courses.
Protein molecular modeling techniques investigating novel TAB2 variant R347X causing cardiomyopathy and congenital heart defects in multigenerational family.

Background Haploinsufficiency of TAB2 is known to cause congenital heart defects and cardiomyopathy due to its important roles in cardiovascular tissue, both during development and through adult life. We report a sibling pair displaying adult-onset cardiomyopathy, hypermobility, and mild myopia. Our proband, a 39-year-old male, presents only with the above symptoms, while his 36-year-old sister was also notable for a ventricular septal defect in her infancy. Methods Whole-exome sequencing was utilized to identify the molecular basis of the phenotype found in two siblings. A molecular modeling technique that takes advantage of conformational sampling advances (Maxwell's demon molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo) were used to make a model of the mutant variant for comparative analytics to the wild-type. Results Exome sequencing revealed a novel, heterogeneous pathogenic variant in TAB2, c.1039 C>T (p.R347X), that was present in both individuals. This pathogenic variant removes just over half the residues from the TAB2 protein and severely impacts its functional ability, which we describe in detail. Conclusions Analysis of the proband's family showed a history of cardiomyopathy, but no congenital heart defects or connective tissue disease. We highlight the heterogeneity in phenotype of TAB2 pathogenic variants and confirm the pathogenicity of this new variant through neoteric protein modeling techniques.
Enduring Enchantment: Secularism and the Epistemic Privileges of Modernity

Common wisdom has it that secularism dominated the project of the second modernity (the Enlightenment) and ended with the enchanted world that the very rhetoric of secularism used to displace theology and to convert religion in a field of study. I argue that indeed secularism implanted its own secular enchantment in the very act of undermining theological and religious enchantment. Secular epis-temology took the place of theological epistemology in a double imperial move: it asserted secular epistemology over theological one in the internal history of the West; and discredited all non-Western epistemologies by inventing concepts such as tradition, myth, cosmologies, beliefs, etc. Secular epistemology created the new enchantment masked under the rhetoric of the irresistible and unavoidable progress of history and of (Western) idea of modernity.
Scientific content creation for web-based education

The web is here and here to stay. A majority of the educational community uses this powerful medium for information dissemination. This paper describes a software tool (USolver) that helps technical educators and trainers to rapidly create and deploy dynamic and interactive web pages, for web-based education. Live analytical content, such as on-line computation and dynamic plotting, are examples of features that may be vital for several technical educators, but is difficult to create. As a result, several authors of the scientific/engineering web pages have to take help of programmers, or learn tedious scripts/programming language or perhaps just post static web pages. USolver allows analytical contents like interactive calculations, interactive plotting, and dynamic unit conversions to be easily created and incorporated in web pages. This empowers the subject matter expert, who plays the key role in creating input for web-based topics or courses. The skills required are similar to those needed for word processing and spreadsheet analysis. The web page design process is visually driven. Web-based interactivity is afforded by incorporating form elements like text-boxes, radio buttons, check boxes, drop-down lists and command button.
Morphological Changes and Stress Redistribution in Osteoporotic Spine

Osteoporosis is characterized by a reduction in trabecular bone mass that results in vertebral fracture when increased stresses secondary to bone loss exceed the breaking strength of the vertebra. Non-uniform trabecular loss and adaptive changes in the cortical shell or bony endplate may compensate for, or accentuate, the mechanical effects of trabecular loss. Finite element techniques can be used to improve the diagnostic assessment of vertebral fracture risk in osteoporosis by examining relationships among the trabecular bone, cortical shell, and bony endplate. This paper reviews evidence for the contributions of the vertebral cortical shell, endplate, and posterior elements to the strength and fracture resistance of the vertebral body. It also presents a 3D finite element model of a lumbar motion segment that is used to calculate stress distributions in normal and osteoporotic vertebrae with variations in trabecular density, cortical shell thickness, and endplate thickness. The finite element modeling shows that the cortical shell takes 39% of the total axial load in normal vertebrae, while the posterior elements share 27%, and the trabeculae share 34%. With a 50% loss of trabecular mass, trabeculae share only 9% of the load, while cortical shell and posterior element contributions increase to 59% and 32%, respectively. A loss of bone in the vertebral body shifts loads to the posterior elements. These load shifts in osteoporotic vertebrae increase stresses on the cortical shell by 266% when two-thirds of the trabecular bone has been lost. If both trabecular and cortical bone are lost, cortical shell stresses quadruple. The maximum cortical stress occurred in the superior and anterolateral regions of the vertebral body, consistent with observations of wedge fractures in osteoporotic women. Loss of trabecular density or reduced cortical shell thickness can increase endplate stress more than seven times, significantly increasing the risk of endplate failure. Cortical thinning alone, without loss of trabecular mass or reduced endplate thickness will not reduce axial rigidity of the whole vertebra significantly, but will increase cortical bone stresses significantly.
Qualitative Overview of Population Neurodynamics

Publisher Summary The estimates of the number of neurons in a cubic millimeter of cortex range from 104 to 106 and from 103 to 105 for the number of synaptic connections on each dendritic tree. The typical sensory input for a conditioned stimulus is carried by a parallel array of an immeasurably large number of receptor axons and the motor outflow for a typical conditioned response, a fraction of a second later, is carried in parallel by an immeasurably large number of motor axons. The networks of model neurons are constructed by induction that represent the actions of a small subset of neurons on the implicit assumption that what the other (unobserved) neurons are doing during a perceptual act or a conditioned reflex is not important for the activity of the observed subset. This approach might be called statistical mechanics of brain function, comparable to the study of molecules in an ideal gas in terms of their kinetic energy, position, and collision rates.
The Disambiguation Prediction Effect.

ABSTRACTChildren tend to select a novel object rather than a familiar object when asked to identify the referent of a novel label. Current accounts of this so-called disambiguation effect do not ad...
Prediction of Complications, Readmission, and Revision Surgery Based on Duration of Preoperative Opioid Use: Analysis of Major Joint Replacement and Lumbar Fusion.

Background:Preoperative opioid use results in adverse outcomes and higher costs after elective surgery. However, duration thresholds for higher risk are not entirely known. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to determine the number and duration of preoperative opioid prescriptions in order to e
Building the Digitally Gated Community: The Case of Nextdoor

The neighborhood is a historic and contemporary site of the assertion of white racial and economic domination, particularly over Black people. Although there is strong evidence that whites continue to prefer racially segregated neighborhoods, fifty years of fair housing jurisprudence has made it more difficult to openly bar non-white residents. Among the many strategies used to protect white domination of residential space is the coordinated surveillance and policing of non-white people. In this paper, I show how Nextdoor, a neighborhood-based social network, has become an important platform for the surveillance and policing of race in residential space, enabling the creation of what I call digitally gated communities. First, I describe the history of the platform and the forms of segregation and surveillance it has supplemented or replaced. Second, I situate the platform in a broader analysis of carcerality as a mode and logic of regulating race in the United States. Third, using examples drawn from public reports about the site, I illustrate how race is surveilled and policed in the context of gentrification and integration. Finally, I discuss implications, questions, and future issues that might arise on the platform.
Predicting an individual’s dorsal attention network activity from functional connectivity fingerprints

The dorsal attention network (DAN) is a set of regions in frontoparietal cortex that reliably activate during attentional tasks. We designed computational models that predict the degree of an indiv...
Divergent clonal evolution of a common precursor to mantle cell lymphoma and classic Hodgkin lymphoma

Clonal heterogeneity and evolution of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) remain unclear despite the progress in our understanding of its biology. Here, we report a 71-yr-old male patient with an aggressive MCL and depict the clonal evolution from initial diagnosis of typical MCL to relapsed blastoid MCL. During the course of the disease, the patient was diagnosed with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) and received a CHL therapeutic regimen. Molecular analysis by next-generation sequencing of both MCL and CHL demonstrated clonally related CHL with characteristic immunophenotype and PDL1/2 gains. Moreover, our data illustrate the clonal heterogeneity and acquisition of additional genetic aberrations including a rare fusion of SEC22B-NOTCH2 in the process of clonal evolution. Evidence obtained from our comprehensive immunophenotypic and genetic studies indicates that MCL and CHL can originate from a common precursor by divergent clonal evolution, which may pose a therapeutic challenge.
Software and hardware development for a virtual laboratory

Institutions of higher education are actively seeking new methods to complement their science and engineering distance education programs with online experimentation. This paper describes the design and development of a virtual laboratory environment that allows students to perform laboratory experiments from remote locations through a web browser. A front panel in LabVIEW displays the results and allows storage of acquired data for later processing. A digital camera that provides real-time pictures of the monitored equipment is part of the system configuration. This project is funded in part by the U. S. Air Force of Office Scientific Research, award # F49620-01-1-0557.
Trends in the Surgical Management of Lower Extremity Gustilo Type IIIB/IIIC Injuries.

BACKGROUND Over the past 20 years, innovations in microsurgical technique have coincided with advances in orthoplastic approaches. However, no single algorithm exists to guide management of limb salvage versus amputation. As such, one would expect these procedures to be performed at equal rates given studies showing similar outcomes. Anecdotally, the observation at the authors' institution is that amputations are being performed more frequently. The purpose of this study was to determine trends in lower extremity trauma management. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a Level I trauma center on patients with Gustilo type IIIB/IIIC lower extremity trauma from 2005 to 2014. Overall, 148 patients were included. Patients were subdivided into amputation (n = 69) and reconstruction (n = 79) cohorts. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to compare trends in amputation and reconstruction groups. Plastic surgery consultation data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests and the Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS Amputation was performed more frequently over the study period (r = 0.292; p < 0.001). Plastic surgeons were consulted in 67.5 percent of cases. A plastic surgery consultation was obtained in only 30 percent of amputation cases (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Although the data show a trend toward amputation and a shift in management of lower extremity trauma, the observed trend may be attributable in part to deviation from an orthoplastic approach to lower extremity trauma. However, lower extremity reconstruction remains a viable option in select patients, and advances in microsurgery can provide excellent outcomes in the face of severe lower extremity trauma.
“Melodious Madrigals”: A Study of Animal Musicians in Early Modern England

In early modern England, people believed in the music of the spheres, the notion that the foundations of cosmic order were a result of musical principles. The importance of music in early modern En...
Metabolic Coordination of Tumor Suppression

Increasing evidence demonstrates that intracellular metabolic pathways can be critical drivers of tumor progression. Metabolites provide the biomass required for cancer cell proliferation and contr...
Body Parts: A Theological Anthropology By M. V. Roberts (2017)

Body Parts: A Theological AnthropologyBy M. V. Roberts (2017)Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 181pp.
Cardiac Transplantation for Refractory Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Abstract We present a patient with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia who failed maximal antiarrhythmic drug therapy and bilateral sympathetic denervation, who presented with syn...
Pathophysiology and treatment options for gastroesophageal reflux disease: looking beyond acid

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a disorder due to the retrograde flow of refluxate into the esophagus. Although GERD is a common clinical diagnosis, its pathogenesis is quite complex. As a result of its multifactorial development, many patients continue to experience adverse symptoms due to GERD despite prolonged acid suppression with proton pump inhibitor therapy. The pathogenesis of GERD involves an interplay of chemical, mechanical, psychologic, and neurologic mechanisms, which contribute to symptom presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. As such, GERD should be approached as a disorder beyond acid. This review will investigate the major factors that contribute to the development of GERD, including factors related to the refluxate, esophageal defenses, and factors that promote pathologic reflux into the esophagus. In reviewing GERD pathogenesis, this paper will highlight therapeutic advances, with mention of future opportunities of study when approaching GERD.
Anesthesia for Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM)

Achalasia of the esophagus is a primary esophageal motor disorder of unknown etiology and a frequent cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is associated with insufficient relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and loss of esophageal peristalsis. Dysphagia, regurgitation, weight loss and chest pain are some of the common clinical features. Often these patients sleep with multiple pillows or with head propped up to limit nocturnal symptoms such as cough and potential aspiration. If the pharmacologic approaches are ineffective, invasive interventions are required. Historically Heller’s myotomy was the preferred surgical intervention; however, endoscopic interventions are gaining popularity. Botox injections, pneumatic dilation are effective in the short term. Peroral endoscopic myotomy is relatively new endoscopic procedure which involves creation of a submucosal tunnel distal to the mid-esophagus, followed by myotomy of circular muscle layers extending to 2 cm into the cardia. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia. Extended fasting times and a rapid sequence induction and intubation is widely accepted to minimize the risk of aspiration. Some of the potential intraoperative complications include pneumothorax, capnopericardium, mediastinal emphysema, subcutaneous emphysema, and pneumoperitonium. Patients are typically extubated at the end of the procedure; however, overnight admission is necessary.
“The Only Possible Ideology”: Nationalizing History in Putin’s Russia

The 1993 Russian Constitution forbade any “State or obligatory” ideology.1 The 2020 constitutional reform has left this provision unchanged, although many pro-Kremlin politicians had called for ame...
International Scientific Cooperation for Maternal and Child Health

Most of the world’s people still cannot take for granted their ability to meet basic needs for food, water, shelter, and other factors essential for survival. The problems that face industrialized nations are related to sociotechnical conditions that have appeared very recently in the evolution of the human species. In developing countries, the shift from old to new ways is occurring even more rapidly. Many of the developing nations are undergoing rapid social change. These social changes are having important effects on the physical and mental health of the population. Such changes involve urbanization, industrialization, and large-scale migration, as well as unemployment, vast increases in scale of the community of reference, and greater cultural heterogeneity. Taken together, these factors tend to weaken or even rupture the fabric of traditional cultures and attenuate their socializing, orienting, and supportive functions. This weakening of traditional family and community roles may have a critical impact on maternal and child health, including adolescent outcomes.
Does Executive Equity-based Compensation Encourage Strategic Risk-taking?: Examining the Effects of Equity-based Compensation in the U.S. Restaurant Industry

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of different forms of equity-based compensation on strategic risk-taking in the U.S. restaurant industry. Investigating the effects of equity-based compensation in the presence of agency problems is important as the divergence of risk preferences between managers and shareholders seems more prevalent in the U.S. restaurant industry. Using a sample of 532 firm year observations during the period 1992 and 2012, this study examined the relationship between the two types of stock options and risk-taking behaviors of managers in both gain and loss domains. The findings of this study could contribute to the alignment of the risk preferences between managers and shareholders by providing a more holistic understanding of the relationship between equity-based compensation and strategic risk-taking in the U.S. restaurant industry.
The Unintended Effect of FAS 123R on Firms’ Stock Repurchase Activity

We investigate whether or not Financial Accounting Standards (FAS) 123R, which requires recognizing stock-based compensation at fair value, affects stock repurchase activity. Prior research has shown that the dilution effect of dividends on earnings per share (EPS) decreases the value of stock options. Therefore, firms tend to use stock repurchases rather than dividends to return cash to shareholders, which is known as the dividend substitution effect. Also, prior research shows that stock repurchases are used to manage earnings per share. FAS 123R negatively impacts EPS and return on assets as firms record stock-based compensation at fair value. Therefore, we hypothesize and find that FAS 123R is associated with increases in stock repurchases overall and that this effect is greater with increased levels of management stock options. Our study fills a gap in research on the potential effect that FAS 123R might have on how firms decide to return cash to shareholders. Furthermore, we provide evidence on unintended economic consequences of the change in accounting for stock-based compensation.
Childhood cancer: fertility and psychosocial implications.

Having your child diagnosed with cancer is one of the most trying experiences a parent can endure. Greater than 15,000 children and adolescents under the age of 19 are diagnosed with childhood cancer each year in the United States [1]. Childhood cancer is comprised of a wide spectrum of malignancies, and outcomes are dependent upon histology type, disease origin and site, race, sex, and age at diagnosis [2]. Fortunately, advances in treatment and supportive care have led to a significant increase in survival rates for childhood cancer patients. Ries et al. reported that from 1950 to 1954 the 5-year survival rate was 20 % for children diagnosed with cancer between the ages 0–14 years [3]. Almost 50 years later, by 1995–2000, the 5-year survival rate rose to 80.1%, and in the past 25 years alone this rate increased by 20 % for children ages 0–19 years [4]. Approximately 270,000 Americans are childhood cancer survivors and, by 2010, an estimated 1 in every 250 adults will be living with a history of childhood cancer [5,6]. Recent studies demonstrate that while more childhood cancer patients are surviving, a high percentage of survivors are encountering serious “late effects” from their therapy. These late effects include, but are not limited to, cardiac, pulmonary and endocrine disorders, increased morbidity and mortality, as well as moderately to severely affected status in one or more of the primary domains of health (i.e., general health, mental health, functional status, limitations in activity, fear, or anxiety) [7,8]. This chapter will not go into detail on the myriad of late effects of childhood cancer treatment. Rather, we will focus on the fertility effects that adult survivors of childhood cancer may experience, including the emotional consequences of living with threatened or impaired fertility. Finally, some of the barriers to ongoing follow-up medical care will also be addressed.
Impacts of Room Taxes on the Lodging Industry

This paper summarizes a study of the impacts of room taxes on the lodging industry by (1) giving new estimates of the U.S average tax rates levied, by jurisdiction levying the taxes, and (2) assessing the negative impacts on number of rooms rented by first estimating the price elasticity of demand for lodging services and then applying the elasticity to the average amounts of room taxes paid. The elasticity measurement comes from a statistical model based on data from a national probability survey of the lodging industry taken in spring 1990.
Particulate Tyrosinase of Human Malignant Melanoma

Studies of mammalian tyrosinase have been conducted principally with soluble forms (T1 faster, T2 slower migrating by gel electrophoresis). However, a majority of tyrosinase from mouse and human melanoma tissue is of a particulate (T3) nature, being bound to melanosomes. In addition, T1 and T2 enzymes have been considered isozymes with T3 being a separate enzyme. Using human malignant melanoma tissue, solubilization and purification of particulate tyrosinase have been attempted. Melanosome-bound tyrosinase was solubilized with sodium cholate and purified 1500-fold by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, concanavalin A affinity chromatography, and Sephadex G-150 gel filtration. Tryptic cleavage of this solubilized tyrosinase yielded a fast migrating tyrosinase by gel electrophoresis. This trypsin-cleaved tyrosinase was purified by Sephadex G-150 and DEAE-cellulose columns with an apparent final yield of 56% and an approximate 10000-fold purification. This preparation gave a single band by 7% gel electrophoresis and 5% sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. In addition, electrophoresis indicated that this tyrosinase was a glycoprotein showing positive staining by periodic acid/Schiff stain. This enzyme oxidized both l-tyrosine and l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine at a similar rate. The molecular weight was approximated at 66 700 by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. This enzyme migrated to the T1 position by gel electrophoresis; however, upon treatment with neuraminidase, it shifted to the T2 position. Sialic acid content was determined as 4.8%. Copper content was estimated as 2 atoms/molecule. These results tend to support the dynamic conversion of T3 T1 T2 rather than their existence as separate enzymes.
Legal Aid, Law School Clinics and the Opportunity for Joint Gain

This article identifies the shared origins of the legal services and clinical legal education movements and posits that both would benefit from renewed attention to historic connections, collaboration and synergies. In particular, the article suggests that law school clinics - with their freedom from significant funding restrictions and access to research universities - can serve as sites of inquiry to inform a renewed and robust anti-poverty agenda.
The spin-wave spectrum of a split-band antiferromagnet

The frequency- and wave-vector-dependent spin susceptibility of an insulating split-band antiferromagnet is calculated in the time-dependent Hartree-Fock approximation. Only the case of a nondegenerate band with one electron per ion has been considered. The susceptibility is used to obtain the spin-wave spectrum both in the presence and the absence of a constant magnetic field. In case the band width is small compared with the separation of the sub-bands the spin-wave spectrum thus determined agrees with the spin-wave spectrum when calculated from Anderson’s effective Heisenberg Hamiltonian, using the molecular field approximation.
A comprehensive design approach for a MZM based PAM-4 silicon photonic transmitter

A 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) silicon photonic transmitter targeting operation at 25 Gb/s is designed using an electrical-photonic co-design methodology. The prototype consists of an electrical circuit and a photonics circuit, which were designed in 130 nm IBM SiGe BiCMOS process and 130nm IME SOI CMOS process, respectively. Then the two parts will be interfaced via side-by-side wire bonding. The electrical die mainly includes a 12.5 GHz PLL, a full-rate 4-channel uncorrelated 27 − 1 pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) generator and CML drivers. The photonics die is a 2-segment Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) silicon photonics device with thermal tuning feature for PAM-4. Verilog-A model for the MZM entails the system simulation for optical devices together with electrical circuitry using custom IC design tools. A full-rate 4-channel uncorrelated PRBS design using transition matrix method is detailed, in which any two of the 4-channels can be used for providing random binary sequence to drive the two segments of the MZM to generate the PAM-4 signal.
Self-perceived vs. actual physical attractiveness: Associations with depression as a function of sexual orientation.

Objective A commonly held belief about physical attractiveness is that attractive individuals are psychologically healthier than less attractive individuals (i.e., the “beauty is good” stereotype). To date, the data on this stereotype and its relationship with depression is limited, with a paucity of literature comparing subjective and objective appearance evaluations and depressive symptoms. Additionally, there is no known research on this relationship among sexual minorities (i.e., gay and bisexual individuals), a highly vulnerable population. The primary aims of the study were to assess the prediction of depression symptoms by subjective and objective appearance evaluation, and secondary aims were to assess the interaction of subjective and objective appearance with sexual orientation.
Stochastic homogenization of Hamilton–Jacobi equations and some applications

Homogenization-type results for the Cauchy problem for first-order PDE (Hamilton-Jacobi equations) are presented. The main assumption is that the Hamiltonian is superlinear and convex with respect to the gradient and stationary and ergodic with respect to the spatial variable. Some of applications to related problems as well as to the asymptotics of reaction-diffusion equations and turbulent combustion are also presented.
Quasiregular points and time changes

For a one-parameter flow without stationary points it is proved that the notion of “quasiregular point” depends solely on the orbit structure (i. e. not on the parametrization of “time”). This leads naturally to an affine isomorphism between the cones of invariant measures before and after a continuous time change, a fact which is due toB. Marcus ([3]).
Protein activator of cyclic 3':5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase of bovine or rat brain also activates its adenylate cyclase.

Bovine or rat brain adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1) solubilized by Lubrol PX contained an activator which was separated from the enzyme by an anionic exchange resin column. Dissociation of the activator from adenylate cyclase rendered the enzyme less active, and reconstituting with an exogenous activator restored full enzyme activity. A pure protein activator of cyclic 3′:5′-nucleotide phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.17) isolated from bovine brain also stimulated this adenylate cyclase. Stimulation of adenylate cyclase by the activator required Ca++, the effect being immediate and reversible. Although the activator was specific, it lacked tissue specificity; an activator isolated from bovine brain cross-activated effectively adenylate cyclase from rat, and vice versa. These findings indicate that brain adenylate cyclase required an activator for activity and that this activator is functionally identical to the protein activator of phosphodiesterase (J.B.C. 249: 4943–4954, 1974).
Finding My . . . A Story of Female Identity

This piece delves into an identity shaped by and a history filled with sexual violence. It was created from a performance script, various journal entries, and field notes, using the process of systematic sociological introspection1 to write through emotional experience. It also takes the form of autoethnographic 2 research, where I use self-reflection, connecting personal experience to a larger social context of violence against women. “Finding my . . . ” embodies gender identity and uses voice/telling to show the move into a more confident “self.” While I attempt to make sense out of and share my experiences, I hope to encourage further conversation on this topic and reduce the stigma and shame that accompanies these encounters.
Inhibin suppresses human chorionic gonadotropin secretion in term, but not first trimester, placenta.

Inhibin is produced by the placenta, with serum concentrations rising throughout pregnancy. In contrast, hCG serum concentrations peak in the first trimester and are 80–90% lower at term. This study was designed to determine the effect of inhibin on hCG secretion both early and late in gestation. Villus tissue from 3 term and 3 first trimester (8–10 week) placentas was maintained in an in vitro explant culture model for 5 days. Tissue from each placenta was incubated with control medium in 24 replicate wells for the first 72 h. During the final 48 h, 12 wells received control medium, and 12 wells received medium containing 1% rabbit antiserum raised against the asubunit (residues 1–32) of the human inhibin peptide. The antiserum demonstrated biological activity by increasing serum FSH concentrations in an immature female rat bioassay. The relative increase in hCG secretion at the conclusion of days 4 and 5 in control and antiserum-treated groups for each first trimester and term placenta were compared to ...
Transcriptional and post-transcriptional inhibition of albumin gene expression by estrogen in Xenopus liver.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the suppression of albumin mRNA by estrogen in Xenopus liver. A single dose of estradiol rapidly suppressed albumin mRNA to 30% of the control level. Albumin mRNA remained at this new steady-state level for 9 days, after which it returned to the control level. Transcription ‘run-on’ experiments in isolated liver nuclei demonstrated a transient decrease of 60–90% in albumin transcription after 2–6 h and approached constitutive transcription by 12 h. Albumin gene transcription then remained constant for the following 12 days. Prolonged and enhanced suppression of albumin mRNA was observed in animals treated repeatedly with estrogen for 12 days. In these animals, albumin gene transcription was decreased 80–90% from the constitutive control level. These data indicate that albumin mRNA is suppressed by both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms.
Fishery management implications of recruitment seasonality: Simulation of the Texas fishery for the brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus

Abstract The relationship between recruitment seasonality and ordination of alternative management policies for the Texas brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) fishery is explored through utilization of a general stochastic simulation model developed for annual crop marine fisheries. The model represents harvest dynamics within the fishery through a series of finite difference equations representing recruitment, growth, migration, and mortality of brown shrimp, and fishing effort. The model is parameterized to reflect two alternative representations of brown shrimp recruitment dynamics, and the behavior of each model version is explored under four management policy options. The alternative recruitment representations differ in temporal pattern of postlarval brown shrimp immigration into coastal estuaries, and the management policy options reflect variations in seasonal closures and minimum size restrictions for the fishery. Analysis of model outputs identified a statistically significant interaction between recruitment representation and the performance of the alternative management policies based upon predicted harvests within the fishery. This interaction indicates the failure of the alternative recruitment model versions to produce a consistent predicted harvest response over all management policy options. Under an average representation of postlarval recruitment pattern, no significant differences in management option performance were detected, while two of four management options produced significantly lower harvests under a seasonally variable recruitment pattern.
Comparison of cardiac MRI tissue tracking and myocardial tagging for assessment of regional ventricular strain

This study sought to compare regional measures of ventricular strain by tissue tracking (TT) to those derived from myocardial tagging (MT) within cardiac MR (CMR), in normal subjects and patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. CMR images from 13 normal subjects and 11 subjects with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were retrospectively analyzed. For each subject, equivalent mid-papillary level short-axis cine steady-state free precession and MT slices from the same examination were evaluated. The time to peak circumferential strain and magnitude of the peak strain were calculated for 6 matched left ventricular segments. Data from 24 slices (n = 144 segments) were compared. The mean difference between techniques in magnitude of peak strain and time to peak strain was 1 ± 9% and 1 ± 58 ms, respectively. The mean difference in the standard deviation of time to peak strain within a slice was 0 ± 19 ms (mean cardiac cycle duration 1,013 ± 204 ms). Bland-Altman analysis showed closer agreement in time to peak strain than peak strain magnitude. Measurements of segmental time to peak strain by TT and MT were in close agreement; agreement for the magnitude of peak segmental strain was more modest. The TT approach does not add to CMR examination time and may be a useful tool for the assessment of ventricular synchrony.
A signal-specific approach for reducing SAR-ADC power consumption

A novel power optimization technique, called adaptive tracking is proposed in this paper for successive approximation analog-to-digital converters aiming implantable device applications. A SAR-ADC can easily be equipped with the proposed tracking technique by a minor modification in its digital circuitry (SAR). This work relies on the similarity of consecutive sample values in band-limited bio-potentials. The proposed adaptive tracking scheme can reduce power consumption of a wide variety of SAR-ADCs. In particular, we show that the tracking scheme can save 30% of power in a conventional SAR-ADC, 31% of power in those using binary SAR-ADCs using a weighted DAC with split MSB capacitor, and 8% of power in those using charge sharing DAC.
Buckling of radially constrained circular ring under distributed loading

Abstract The paper presents first an approximate solution of the static, elastic deformation of a thin circular ring which is constrained in a rigid circular boundary and is acted upon by uniformly distributed loading along a direction in the plane of the ring. The solution is based on the assumption that the detached region is limited to a small portion of the circumference. The result of the solution is represented by a load-deflection curve which indicates the snap-buckling behavior of the ring. The system of nonlinear equation for the exact formulation has also been studied. A systematic iterative scheme is developed for its solution and is applied to a ring of R / t equal to 100. The result compares favourably with the approximate solution.