cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potentiation of TRAIL-induced apoptosis in primary effusion lymphoma through azidothymidine-mediated inhibition of NF-κB

The survival of viral mediated lymphomas depends upon constitutive nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity. AIDS-related human herpesvirus type 8–associated primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) responds poorly to chemotherapy and is almost invariably fatal. We have previously demonstrated that the antiviral combination of interferon alpha (IFN-α) and azidothymidine (AZT) induces apoptosis in PEL cell lines. We therefore used these agents as therapy for an AIDS patient with PEL. The patient had a dramatic response, with complete resolution of his malignant effusion in 5 days. In PEL cells, the death receptor ligand known as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is markedly up-regulated by IFN-α; however, signals transduced by death receptors may also activate an antiapoptotic response mediated by NF-κB. In both the primary tumor cells from our patient and PEL cell lines, AZT selectively blocked nuclear entry of the NF-κB heterodimer p50 and p65, an effect not seen with other nonthymidine antiviral nucleosides. AZT monophosphate, the principal intracellular metabolite, inhibited phosphorylation and degradation of IκB by the IκB kinase complex. AZT- and IFN-α-mediated apoptosis was blocked by expression and nuclear localization of an IκB-resistant form of NF-κB (the p50 subunit linked to the transactivation domain of herpes simplex virus VP16). The proapoptotic effect of AZT and IFN-α in PEL occurs through the concomitant activation of TRAIL and blockade of NF-κB and represents a novel antiviral therapy for a virally mediated tumor.
Laboratory Measurements of Light Scattering by Single Levitated Ice Crystals

Abstract The authors have measured the differential light-scattering cross sections and phase functions of single vapor-grown hexagonal ice particles levitated in an electrodynamic balance. The ice particles, grown at temperatures −5° > T > −10°C, were typically ≈50 μm in diameter and tended to orient with the c axis either nearly vertical (parallel to the scattering plane normal) or horizontal (in the scattering plane). Helium–neon laser light scattered by a levitated crystal was collected in the angular ranges 20°–65° and 115°–160° with a 1024-element linear photodiode array with an angular resolution of about 0.05°. The particle size and orientation were measured a few seconds before and after the scattering measurements with top- and side-view video telemicroscopes. Three basic features are found in the scattering from vertically aligned crystals: (i) a strong “halo” peak between about 21° and 35°, (ii) a secondary peak with ripple structure between about 30° and 70°, and (iii) a weaker peak in the ba...
The J. C. Penney Company And Sephora USA Partnership: A Case Study

J. C. Penney, one of America’s largest department stores, and Sephora U.S.A. Inc., an affiliate of the French cosmetics chain, entered into a partnership in 2006. The agreement allowed Sephora to exclusively operate cosmetics stores within J. C. Penney stores and to service J. C. Penney online customers through a link from J. C. Penney web-site to Sephora web-site. The purpose of this case study is to stimulate a critical evaluation of the decision by these companies to enter into a partnership instead of a merger or an acquisition. The case can be used as a tool to facilitate broader discussion of various corporate strategies and their relative merits and demerits. The accompanying teaching note refers the reader to an analytical framework that can be used to determine when to go for corporate partnerships instead of mergers or acquisitions and applies that framework to this case.
Phenotype of bronchial T-lymphocyte population in the chronic inflammation of bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a chronic disease characterised by irreversible dilation of one or more bronchi. The affected bronchi are seat of persistent inflammation which may lead to scarring and shrinkage of the lung, and in some cases to cor pulmonale and death. The understanding of the pathogenesis bronchiectasis is still poor. Recently a “vicious circle” hypothesis for the pathogenesis of the disease has been proposed by Cole. According to this, damaging insults to the bronchial tree or underlying disease may compromise the first line bronchial defence mechanisms of mucociliary clearance and predispose the individual to microbial colonization of the bronchial tree. The host’s inflammatory response fails to eliminate these microbial colonists and becomes chronic, damaging adjacent lung disease in the process. There is immunohistological evidence that a significant cell- mediated immune response develops in inflamed areas of bronchiectatic lungs. This inflammation could be responsible, at least in part, for the progressive lung damage seen in the disease, either by the emergence of a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte population or by the activation of macrophages. Such mechanisms have been identified in several chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Free-free Transitions of the Hydrogenic Systems Inside A Dense Plasma Irradiated by A Laser Field

In previous papers [Sinha and Bhatia, Phys. Rev. A 83, 063417 (2011), and Bhatia and Sinha, Phys. Rev. A 86, 053421 (2012)] cross sections for the freefree transitions are calculated for a low energy (external) electron hydrogen scattering in the presence of an external homogeneous, monochromatic, and linearly polarized laser field, without and with the presence of plasma screening, respectively. The present calculation is extended to hydrogenic systems with nuclear charge greater than one. The Debye-Huckel approximation is used to investigate the effect of plasma screening. Calculations are carried out in the soft photon limit. The incident electron is considered to be dressed by the laser field non-perturbatively by choosing the Volkov solutions in both the initial and final states. The scattering wave function for the electron is obtained in the exchange approximation. The laserassisted differential and total cross sections are calculated for single photon emission or absorption and no photon-exchange in the soft-photon limit, the laser intensity being much less than the atomic field intensity. The calculations have been carried out for various values of Debye parameter $\mu$, ranging from 0.08 to 0.30. A strong suppression is noted for the laser-assisted singlet and triplet cross sections compared to the field-free situation. The suppression depends on $\mu$, state of the system as well as on the incident electron momentum. This is unlike in the case of the hydrogen atom in the laser field where the suppression was much more for the triplet cross sections compared to the field-free situation.
U.S. GENERATION IV REACTOR INTEGRATED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

An integrated R&D program is being conducted to study, qualify, and in some cases, develop materials with required properties for the reactor systems being developed as part the U.S. Department of Energy's Generation IV Reactor Program. The goal of the program is to ensure that the materials research and development (R&D) needed to support Gen IV applications will comprise a comprehensive and integrated effort to identify and provide the materials data and its interpretation needed for the design and construction of the selected advanced reactor concepts. The major materials issues for the five primary systems that have been considered within the U.S. Gen IV Reactor Program-very high temperature gas-cooled, supercritical water-cooled, gas-cooled fast spectrum, lead-cooled fast spectrum, and sodium-cooled fast spectrum reactors-are described along with the R&D that has been identified to address them.
Animal Models of Drug Dependence: Motivational Perspective

Drug addiction, also known as substance Dependence, is a chronically relapsing disorder characterized by (i) compulsion to seek and take the drug, (ii) loss of control in limiting intake, and, as defined by the present author, (iii) emergence of a negative emotional state (e.g., dysphoria, anxiety, or irritability) when access to the drug is prevented (defined here as dependence with a lower case “d”). A composite addiction cycle comprising three stages—preoccupation/anticipation, binge/intoxication, and withdrawal/negative affect—in which negative reinforcement and compulsivity dominate the terminal stages, is proposed to account for many of the symptoms of addiction. The purpose of this review is to focus on the role of animal models of the negative emotional state of the withdrawal/negative affect stage of the addiction cycle that have relevance to the motivational changes driving the compulsivity of addiction. Animal models of dependence are explored in the context of face and construct validity and include models for the negative emotional state of acute withdrawal (e.g., anxiety-like measures, aversive-like responses, and increases in reward thresholds) and models of excessive drug intake driven by dependence (e.g., extended-access self-administration and withdrawal-induced drinking). Neuropharmacological substrates for the negative emotional states and excessive drug seeking associated with dependence are hypothesized to include decreases in reward function, recruitment of brain stress (or anti-reward) systems, and dysregulation of anti-stress systems. Animal models of excessive drug intake associated with negative reinforcement provide a novel perspective on addiction and novel targets for restoring motivational homeostasis in addiction.
The Discounts Associated with Cash Deals in the Foreclosed Home Submarket

Holders (lenders) of foreclosed homes face considerable pressure to quickly remarket these properties (Crockett, 1990; Curry, Blalock, and Cole, 1991; Hardin and Wolverton, 1996). In this study, we...
Photochemical nitrogen conversion to ammonia in ambient conditions with FeMoS-chalcogels.

In nature, nitrogen fixation is one of the most important life processes and occurs primarily in microbial organisms containing enzymes called nitrogenases. These complex proteins contain two distinct subunits with different active sites, with the primary N2 binding site being a FeMoS core cluster that can be reduced by other nearby iron–sulfur clusters. Although nitrogen reduction to ammonia in biology does not require the absorption of light, there is considerable interest in developing catalyst materials that could drive the formation of ammonia from nitrogen photochemically. Here, we report that chalcogels containing FeMoS inorganic clusters are capable of photochemically reducing N2 to NH3 under white light irradiation, in aqueous media, under ambient pressure and room temperature. The chalcogels are composed of [Mo2Fe6S8(SPh)3]3+ and [Sn2S6]4– clusters in solution and have strong optical absorption, high surface area, and good aqueous stability. Our results demonstrate that light-driven nitrogen con...
Observer Performance Studies Involving Simultaneous ROC/LROC Fitting on Simulated NIR Tomographic Images

Detection and location of objects in NIR tomographic images was performed with a simultaneous ROC/LROC analysis model with maximum-likelihood based fitting of the curves. Effects of iteration and algorithm performance significantly alter detectability of objects.
Station of the fetal presenting part. IV. Slope of descent.

Abstract Study of the relationship between station and elapsed time in labor has permitted construction of the station-time patterns of 202 nulliparas and 242 multiparas. Analysis of the slope of descent provided data for determining distribution characteristics and establishing tentative 5 and 95 percentile confidence limits. The critical lower limit of normal for nulliparas was found to be 0.96 cm. per hour and for multiparas 2.11 cm. per hour, data which define protraction of second stage descent, an aberration of labor previously not described.
JCL roundtable: Diagnosis and clinical management of lipodystrophy

Lipodystrophy comes in several forms, some involving the complete failure to develop adipose tissue and others with a partial absence in various bodily distributions. All appear to have a major genetic basis, and all involve a high frequency of lipoprotein disorders. High triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol are the usual findings that raise interesting questions as to how such abnormalities characteristic of obesity can be caused by genetic variants that produce a paucity of adiposity. We are learning to link some specific genetic variants that seem causal and to manage these disorders in more effective ways. We are joined by 3 experts who have been leaders in the study of the clinical presentation, genetics, abnormal physiology, and the management of lipodystrophy in recent years. They are Drs Abhimanyu Garg from the University of Texas Southwestern, Phillip Gorden of the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and Robert Shamburek of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
A thick beam analysis of transverse-wave propagation on electron beams

This paper presents some results from an analysis of transverse-wave propagation on electron beams of finite diameter and space-charge. The analysis shows that the simple filamentary beam model is inadequate in several respects. It does not give correctly the details of the electron motion within the beam, and does not predict all the transverse waves that can propagate on a beam of finite diameter and space-charge. In particular, it does not give higher order transverse waves, that is, waves with more than one variation around the circumference.
Towards a practitioner-centric definition of civil war

AbstractThis paper argues that current academic definitions of civil war are largely inadequate for international relations practitioners. While these casualty-based standards have the methodological consistency needed for quantitative research, they do not capture the dynamics most important to policymakers, including the degree of threat to national interests, the level of disruption to the international system, and the political implications of labelling a conflict a civil war. This paper explains how academics and practitioners use civil war definitions in different ways, creating the need for an additional but non-exclusive practitioner-centric definition of civil war. Its purpose is not to replace the existing academic standard, but rather to provide an additional tool for policymakers tailored to their specific needs – identifying when a civil war has emerged in order to implement a policy response.
Long-term outcomes and toxicities of a large cohort of anal cancer patients treated with dose-painted IMRT per RTOG 0529

Abstract Purpose To describe the outcomes and toxicities of the largest cohort to date of patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma uniformly treated with concurrent chemoradiation using dose-painted intensity modulated radiation therapy (DP-IMRT) according to RTOG 0529. Methods and materials We identified 99 eligible patients with anal cancer who were treated at our institution with definitive chemoradiation using DP-IMRT between 2005 and 2015 per RTOG 0529 dosing guidelines. Primary study endpoints included event-free survival (defined as recurrence, colostomy, or death) and overall survival. Secondary endpoints were treatment duration and acute and late toxicity. Results At a median follow-up of 49 months (range, 2-114 months), 92% of patients had a clinical complete response. Fifteen percent underwent colostomy, including 4 pretreatment colostomies, 6 planned abdominoperineal resections (APRs), 4 salvage APRs, and 1 APR for treatment-related complications. Thirteen patients developed local recurrence, of whom 6 developed synchronous metastatic disease. The 4-year overall survival was 85.8%, and 4-year event-free survival was 75.5%. Median treatment duration was 43 days (range, 10-68 days). The overall rate of non-hematologic grade 3+ acute and grade 2+ late toxicities was 20% and 15%, respectively. Conclusions Long-term outcomes and tolerability were excellent In the largest cohort to date of patients with anal cancer who received DP-IMRT prescribed per RTOG 0529.
The Effect of Adherence to Dietary Tracking on Weight Loss: Using HLM to Model Weight Loss over Time.

The role of dietary tracking on weight loss remains unexplored despite being part of multiple diabetes and weight management programs. Hence, participants of the Diabetes Prevention and Management (DPM) program (12 months, 22 sessions) tracked their food intake for the duration of the study. A scatterplot of days tracked versus total weight loss revealed a nonlinear relationship. Hence, the number of possible tracking days was divided to create the 3 groups of participants: rare trackers ( 66% total days tracked). After controlling for initial body mass index, hemoglobin A1c, and gender, only consistent trackers had significant weight loss (−9.99 pounds), following a linear relationship with consistent loss throughout the year. In addition, the weight loss trend for the rare and inconsistent trackers followed a nonlinear path, with the holidays slowing weight loss and the onset of summer increasing weight loss. These results show the importance of frequent dietary tracking for consistent long-term weight loss success.
Management of ulnar collateral ligament injury in throwing athletes: a survey of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons

Background Amid evidence that the number of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstructions performed annually is on the rise, there continues to be significant variation among surgeons in the management of UCL injuries. The purpose of this paper was to survey the members of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) to assess current trends related to the comprehensive treatment of athletes presenting with UCL injury. Methods An online survey was distributed to the active members of the ASES. The survey was composed of 3 sections assessing the demographics of the survey-takers, presenting 7 distinct fictional clinical case scenarios of athletes with UCL injury, and posing a series of more general questions about operative and nonoperative management of UCL injuries. Results There were 159 ASES members who responded to the survey (24% of the active membership); 65 respondents (40.9%) reported >15 years of clinical experience. Of the 7 case scenarios presented, a consensus was reached to indicate the patient for surgery in 4 cases. In all 7 cases, when operative management was the preferred option, a consensus was reached to perform UCL reconstruction. The preferred method of UCL reconstruction among respondents was the docking technique (66.0%); 36.3% of respondents used platelet-rich plasma in their treatment of UCL injuries. Conclusion The survey presented here shows that an overall experienced and well-trained cohort of surgeons tended to agree and often reached consensus opinions on how to approach UCL injury. Professional athletes and those with complete tears were indicated for surgery by consensus, whereas opinion was more divided on how to treat partial tears or nonprofessionals.
Book reviewInternational Law and Politics of the Arctic Ocean: Essays in Honor of Donat Pharand, Suzanne LaLonde, Ted McDorman (Eds.), Brill/Nijhoff (2015), ISBN: 978-90-04-28458-6

This well-conceived volume explores Donat Pharand’s influence on Arctic scholarship and the continuing relevance of his approach for contemporary legal and political problems. The volume is a satis...
Comparison of FDG uptake and TNM staging in non-small cell lung cancer

2121 Objectives Positron Emission Tomography (PET) studies using 18FDG utilize a standard uptake value (SUV) to help differentiate between malignant and benign lesions. Tumors are staged using the TNM system, where T (T0-T4) represents the extent of the primary tumor, N (N0-N3) corresponds to lymph node involvement, and M (M0-M1) reflects the absence or presence of metastases. SUV and TNM values assist clinicians in cancer treatment and prognosis. The goal of this research is to determine if the SUV is related to the TNM staging in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The dictated SUV and TNM staging of sixty-two patients who underwent an initial PET/CT scan for NSCLC were assessed. Three categories were evaluated: T1 vs T2-4, N0 vs N1-3, and M0 vs M1. A mean was then determined for each group. Results The data shows that the mean SUV for T1, N0, and M1 are lower than T2-4, N1-3, and M0, respectively. Conclusions An SUV below 10 for both T and N stages is indeterminate; however, an SUV greater than 10 for both T2-4 and N1-3 groups shows a stronger correlation. There appears to be no relationship between the SUV and M stage. A larger patient sample would provide more statistically accurate data
The Ecological Perspective on the Human Rights of Children

All children need to grow up in a family environment where they are supported, loved and nurtured. Yet, poverty and its socially toxic correlates continue to influence the developmental outcomes of children living in the United States. But the effects of poverty and its correlates do not provide the complete picture. Research identifying 40 Developmental Assets and their relationship to child well-being is strongly suggesting a large percentage of kids from more affluent families, as well as kids living in poverty, are at-risk or vulnerable to the negative influence of surrounding environments. This chapter addresses the social environment influencing children and families and its influence on child well-being. Using an ecological perspective—which addresses the influence of risk and opportunity to child well-being—we analyze how ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child would improve the lives of millions of children and families struggling for survival in the United States.
Subendocardial segment length shortening at lateral margins of ischemic myocardium in dogs

The lateral borders of an infarcted area are sharply delineated in terms of perfusion, but functional impairment extends a limited distance into adjacent nonischemic myocardium. To determine the distribution of functional impairment we arrayed three ultrasonic dimension gauges to measure two subendocardial segment lengths in series. The center crystal, placed at the perfusion boundary (PB) between left anterior descending and circumflex arteries, radiated ultrasound to receiver crystals 7-17 mm to either side of the PB. The locations of the functional measurements relative to the PB were determined with myocardial blood flow (microsphere) "maps" constructed from multiple small tissue samples obtained circumferentially. On the nonischemic side of the PB, segment shortening (dL) increased from 2.00 +/- 0.37 mm during control conditions to 2.20 +/- 0.43 mm (P less than 0.05) after left circumflex coronary occlusion. Similar results were obtained in four conscious chronically instrumented dogs, supporting the conclusion that segment function adjacent to the ischemic margin is well preserved after coronary occlusion. On the ischemic side of the PB, dL decreased from 2.24 +/- 0.54 to 0.42 +/- 0.39 mm (P less than 0.01). By adding the data from the two segments in series, a combined measurement of dL across heterogeneously perfused myocardium was derived that decreased by 38% from control. The level of shortening represented an integral of normal and abnormal motion that was proportional to the mean reduction in blood flow (-44%) in all of the muscle spanned by the crystals. We conclude that subendocardial segment lengths "average" shortening in the muscle they subtend when arrayed across the perfusion boundary.
Efficient 3D Printed Pseudocapacitive Electrodes with Ultrahigh MnO2 Loading

Summary Retaining sound electrochemical performance of electrodes at high mass loading holds significant importance to energy storage. Pseudocapacitive materials such as manganese oxide (MnO2) deposited on current collectors have achieved outstanding gravimetric capacitances, sometimes even close to their theoretical values. Yet, this is only achievable with very small mass loading of active material typically less than 1 mg cm−2. Increasing mass loading often leads to drastic decay of capacitive performance due to sluggish ion diffusion in bulk material. Here, we demonstrate a 3D printed graphene aerogel electrode with MnO2 loading of 182.2 mg cm−2, which achieves a record-high areal capacitance of 44.13 F cm−2. Most importantly, this 3D printed graphene aerogel/MnO2 electrode can simultaneously achieve excellent capacitance normalized to area, gravimetry, and volume, which is the trade-off for most electrodes. This work successfully validates the feasibility of printing practical pseudocapacitive electrodes, which might revolutionize pseudocapacitor fabrication.
Cerebrospinal fluid-suppressed T 2 -weighted MR imaging at 7 T for human brain

Purpose T2 -weighted lesional imaging is most commonly performed using inversion recovery turbo spin echoes. At 7 T, however, this acquisition is limited for specific absorption rate and resolution. This work describes and implements a method to generate CSF-suppressed T2 -weighted imaging. Methods The strategy uses a driven equilibrium spin-echo preparation within an inversion recovery with multiple 3D gradient-echo imaging blocks. Images are combined using the self-normalization approach, which achieves CSF suppression through optimized timing of individual blocks and minimizes sources of variation due to coil receptivity, T2 * , and proton density. Simulations of the magnetization-prepared fluid-attenuated inversion recovery gradient-echo (MPFLAGRE) method over T1 and T2 relaxation values are performed, and in vivo demonstrations using an 8 × 2 transceiver array in healthy controls are shown. Results The specific absorption rate of the calculated MPFLAGRE sequence is 11.1 ± 0.5 W (n = 5 volunteers), which is 74 ± 2% of the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines. This method acquires both contrasts for CSF suppression with detection of long T2 components and T2 -weighted imaging in a single acquisition. In healthy controls, the former contrast generates increased signal in the cortical rim and ependyma. A comparison is shown with a conventional 3D SPACE fluid-attenuated inversion recovery acquisition, and sensitivity to pathology is demonstrated in an epilepsy patient. Conclusion As applied with the 8 × 2 transceiver, the MPFLAGRE sequence generates both whole-brain contrast suitable for lesional and T2 -weighted imaging at 7 T in fewer than 10 minutes within the US Food and Drug Administration's specific absorption rate guidelines.
Transseptal Biopsy of Left Atrial Mass Using Side-Cutting Biopsy Needle.

Cardiac masses can be caused by various etiologies [(1)][1]. Current practice relies on imaging to characterize masses without providing a definitive diagnosis, which is often made after surgical resection. In some cases, it would be prudent to have a definitive diagnosis before subjecting the
Comparison of Toxicity-Weighted Disinfection Byproduct Concentrations in Potable Reuse Waters and Conventional Drinking Waters as a New Approach to Assessing the Quality of Advanced Treatment Train Waters

Advanced treatment trains based on oxidation, biofiltration, and/or granular activated carbon (Ox/BAF/GAC) are an attractive alternative to those based on microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and advanced oxidation (MF/RO/AOP) for the potable reuse of municipal wastewater effluents, but their effluent quality is difficult to validate with respect to chemical contaminants. This study evaluated the sum of the concentrations of 46 disinfection byproducts (DBPs) after treatment by chlorine or chloramines weighted by metrics of toxic potency in 10 full- or pilot-scale reuse trains to estimate the DBP-associated toxicity of their effluents. These total toxicity-weighted DBP concentrations were compared to those measured in their local, conventional drinking waters as a benchmark for water quality receiving regulatory and widespread public acceptance. The results indicated that while the DBP-associated quality of MF/RO/AOP-based reuse waters can readily exceed that of drinking waters, that of Ox/BAF/GAC-based reuse waters can approach or exceed that of drinking waters, particularly when they are chloraminated. Unregulated, halogenated DBPs were the dominant contributors to the estimated DBP-associated toxicity. While RO/AOP treatment preferentially reduced the concentrations of the more toxic brominated DBP species, BAC and GAC treatment favored brominated DBP species by removing DOC but not bromide. Comparing the total toxicity-weighted DBP concentration between reuse and drinking waters provides drinking water as a rational benchmark for water quality comparison, explicitly recognizes that contaminants occur as mixtures, provides utilities flexibility in selecting the most efficient treatment trains to reduce estimated toxicity, and can be expanded to encompass new contaminants as toxic potency data become available.
Economic Hardship, Financial Distress, and Marital Quality: The Role of Relational Aggression

The model of economic hardship (Conger et al. 1990) guided the current longitudinal study examining whether perceptions of relational aggression (love withdrawal/social sabotage) mediated the relationship between financial distress and marital quality concurrently (2009) and over 2 subsequent years (2010 & 2011). A modified dyadic longitudinal mediation model explored associations among 335 two-parent, heterosexual, married households following the recent economic recession. Data from three waves (2009, 2010, & 2011) of the Flourishing Families Project revealed that perceptions of social sabotage and love withdrawal partially mediated the relationships between both spouses’ financial distress and both spouses’ marital quality in 2009, but not in 2010 or 2011. Other findings, including indirect effects, and implications for research and practice are discussed.
Equality, Animus, and Expressive and Religious Freedom Under the American Constitution: Masterpiece Cakeshop and Beyond

Does the First Amendment protect religious wedding vendors from anti-discrimination laws that require them to provide goods or services for same-sex weddings? The fundamental question is whether equality or religious freedom should prevail in this setting, but the complexities of American free speech and free exercise law—exacerbated by the Supreme Court’s decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop—have obscured the debate with dubious distinctions and highly contentious rationales and arguments. In this Essay, I present and defend three proposals for resolving the wedding vendor controversy and for clarifying and enhancing the law of religious freedom. First, the Supreme Court should reject the wedding vendors’ compelled speech argument even on the assumption that the vendors’ conduct is expressive. Second, the Court should repudiate the restrictive free exercise doctrine of Employment Division v. Smith, which has not settled the law but which instead has been undetermined by ill-defined exceptions and by congressional and state law developments. And third, applying its earlier, pre-Smith interpretation of the Free Exercise Clause, the Court should find strict scrutiny satisfied and therefore should reject the vendors’ free exercise claims. My second and third proposals, taken together, would permit the wedding vendor controversy to be framed and resolved transparently, as the conflict of competing values that it is: equality on the one hand, religious freedom on the other.
Risk Methodology for SEE Caused by Proton- Induced Fission of High- Z Materials in Microelectronic Packaging

Proton-induced fission of high- $Z$ materials can produce fluxes of high linear energy transfer (LET) ions that greatly exceed those from galactic cosmic ray (GCR) or even solar particle event (SPE) environments. These ions can pose significant threats to microelectronics. We develop methods to evaluate the risks for a range of destructive and nondestructive single-event effects (SEE) modes caused by this threat by evaluating the role of the proton environment, the amount and placement of high- $Z$ materials and overburden in the part, and the sensitive volume geometry for the SEE modes under consideration.
Bodies, substances and kinship in roman declamation: the sick twins and their parents in pseudo-quintilian major declamations 8

Believe me, good folks, this is not so inconsiderable a thing as many of you may think it;—you have all, I dare say, heard of the animal spirits, as how they are transfused from father to son c and by treading the same steps over and over again, they presently make a road of it, as plain and as smooth as a garden-walk, which, when they are once used to, the Devil himself sometimes shall not be able to drive them off it.Claims about the physical substances and the reproductive processes of human bodies underwrite presuppositions about familial identities and roles in many cultures. The claim, for example, that the male is the true parent and the female a mere receptacle becomes part of a brief for justified matricide in Aeschylus' Eumenides (657-673). Roman declaimers often take up the question of whether blood is thicker than water. A would-be adoptive father finds his attempt to adopt a young man criticised as a symptom of the disease of luxury (Sen. Con. 2.1), while a foster father finds his argument for retaining his adolescent foster sons rebutted by the birth father's claim that his biological ties are more significant—even though the birth father has not seen the children since he exposed them shortly after birth (Sen. Con. 9.3). Depending on the observer, the birth of twins may be viewed as a source of family pride, as evidence of the mother's adultery, or as an abomination.
From Housing to Health: Imagining Antidiscrimination Provisions for Menthol Cigarette Marketing

Smoking has been decreasing steadily over the past several decades, but advertisers still target some populations for cigarette consumption. Currently, almost nine out of ten African American smokers smoke mentholated cigarettes compared to only one in four White Americans. This disparity in use came about through decades of targeted marketing efforts on the part of tobacco companies. Mentholated cigarettes are more addictive than unflavored cigarettes and lead to more lifelong smoking. Because menthol smokers have a harder time quitting, civil rights and public health advocates have long viewed the marketing practices of menthol cigarette makers as a racial injustice. This Note substantiates this notion by comparing racially targeted marketing of menthol to the racial targeting practices in the subprime mortgage market. In housing crisis-era cases centered on Fair Housing Act claims, courts found that targeting minorities to purchase predatory home loans was a civil rights violation. Drawing on reverse redlining jurisprudence under the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, this Note proposes a statutory provision that would prohibit racially targeted marketing of mentholated cigarettes.
Effects of Dam Age on Growth Performance and Carcass Measurement of Crossbred Steer Offspring

ObjectivesPast research has reported that the most productive cows in a cow herd are approximately 6 yr old or older. A recent study reported that dam age affected pre-weaning performance of crossbred male calves, but had minimal effect on carcass traits when steers were finished to a common compositional endpoint over 3 yr. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of dam age on Angus crossbred steer performance and carcass quality measurements over a 4-yr period. Materials and MethodsA total of 248 fall-calving, mixed-aged Angus and Angus- crossbred cows bred to Angus or Hereford sires were utilized to determine the effects of dam age on offspring performance and carcass traits. Dams were allocated into 1 of 4 age groups based on age at the time of calving: 1) ≤ 3 yr old (Age 3), 2) 4 to 6 yr old (Age 4 to 6), 3) 7 to 10 yr old (Age 7 to 10), and 4) > 11 yr (Age 11+). Cattle were housed at the University of Arkansas’ beef research unit with access to pastures. Calves were processed at birth and weaned in May. Dam age was not included in adjusted weaning weight (WW) because the effect of dam age was tested. For 2 mo after weaning, steers grazed at the farm and then transported to the West Texas A&M research feedlot, located in Canyon, Texas and remained there until harvest. When steers reached a minimum 2.54 cm backfat thickness, they were transported to a meat processing plant in Friona, Texas to be harvested. Carcass data was collected for analysis. ResultsCalves born to cows in group Age 11+ had increased (P < 0.05) birth weight compared with the rest of the groups and Age 3 and Age 4 to 7 calves had decreased birth weight. Calves from Age 7 to 10 had increased adjusted WW than Age 3 and Age 4 to 6 (P < 0.05). Steer carcass measurements (hot carcass weight, ribeye area, yield grade, backfat thickness and marbling) were not different regardless of cow age group. The Age 11+ had increased (P < 0.05) percent kidney, pelvic and heart fat (%KPH) and similar to Age 3. Age 3 was similar in %KPH to Age 4 to 6 and Age 7 to 10. The percentage of steers grading choice, select, or prime did not differ between age groups. ConclusionDam age affected birth weight of crossbred male calves. Carcass traits and measurements were not affected by dam age except %KPH. Future research should investigate dam age on pure bred calves.
HACíA UNA HISTORIA DE LA IZQUIERDA CHILENA DESDE UNA PERSPECTIVA TRANSNACIONAL: LA VíA CHILENA AL SOCIALISMO Y LOS PROCESOS POLíTICOS LATINOAMERICANOS, 1952-1970

espanolResumen:Esta propuesta de investigacion, problematiza la historia de la izquierda chilena a partir de una perspectiva transnacional, poniendo enfasis en la recepcion y resignificacion de procesos politicos latinoamericanos desarrollados entre la decada del cincuenta y sesenta del siglo pasado. Al respecto, planteamos que la construccion programatica de la izquierda y su proyecto de “via chilena al socialismo”, se vio permeada y alimentada por debates, experiencias y formulaciones politicas emanadas desde otras latitudes del continente. Asi, las diversas recepciones de estos procesos politicos por parte de la izquierda chilena, se convirtieron en importantes insumos de discusion en torno a problematicas vinculadas al caracter de la revolucion y la construccion programatica y estrategica. EnglishAbstract:This research proposal, problematizes the history of the Chilean Left from a transnational perspective, emphasizing the reception and resignification of Latin-American political processes developed between the fifties and sixties of last century. About this matter, we conceive that the programmatic construction of the left and its project of the “Chilean path towards socialism”, was permeated and nourished by debates, experiences and political formulations emanated from other latitudes of the continent. Thus, the diverse receptions of these political processes in the Chilean left, became important instruments for the discussion around problematics linked to the character of the revolution and strategic and programmatic construction.
The Future of Climigration

This chapter begins with a discussion of whether current and projected levels of climate-related population displacement represent a transient crisis or the new normal. It summarizes potential efforts to prevent population displacement that focus on economic, social, and environmental sustainability, efforts to manage population internal and international displacement, and efforts to mitigate the health consequences of population displacement. The uncertainty as to the exact number of climigrants now and in the future and implications of viewing climigration as an adaptive strategy that should be supported rather than an acknowledgment of the failure to mitigate climate change are also considered. It concludes with an examination of the role of partnerships involving researchers, policy makers, service providers, and communities in addressing these efforts.
Techno-economic analysis of plantation biomass production and small-scale wood pellet processing for bioenergy market.

There has been an increased demand for wood pellets for energy production, hence pellet production is a valuable market opportunity to explore. The purpose of the study was to assess the economic f...
Chronic Pain and Risk of Injurious Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Background Fall injuries are a leading cause of death in older adults. The potential impact of chronic pain characteristics on risk for injurious falls is not well understood. This prospective cohort study examined the relationship between chronic pain and risk for injurious falls in older adults. Methods The MOBILIZE Boston Study enrolled 765 community-dwelling adults aged 70 years and older living in and around Boston, Massachusetts. Chronic pain characteristics, including pain severity, pain interference, and pain distribution, were measured at baseline using the Brief Pain Inventory subscales and a joint pain questionnaire. Occurrence of falls and fall-related injuries were recorded using monthly fall calendar postcards and fall follow-up interviews during the 4-year follow-up period. Results Negative binomial regression models showed that pain interference and pain distribution, but not pain severity, independently predicted injurious falls adjusting for potential confounders. Participants in the highest third of pain interference scores had a 61% greater risk of injurious falls compared to those reporting little or no pain interference. Compared to no pain, multisite pain was associated with a 57% greater risk of injurious falls. Stratified by gender, the association was only significant in women. In the short term, moderate to severe pain in a given month was associated with increased risk of injurious falls in the subsequent month. Conclusions Global pain measures are associated with increased risk of injurious falls in older adults. Pain assessment should be incorporated into fall risk assessments. Interventions are needed to prevent fall injuries among elders with chronic pain.
Management of Cancer-Associated Thrombosis

Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) has been the standard of care for patients with cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) for over 10 years; however, its adoption has been limited. The appearance of direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) revolutionized the treatment of non-cancer venous thromboembolism (VTE) through their attractive fixed dose regimens; however, a lack of dedicated trial experience had relegated their position to off-label use in patients with cancer. The goal of this review is to review the evidence that has been generated over the last 3 years for factor Xa inhibitors, summarize their current position in the guidelines, and highlight areas of ongoing uncertainty with respect to the management of CAT. Four dedicated trials of patients with CAT have been published comparing edoxaban, rivaroxaban, or apixaban with the LMWH, dalteparin. While these trials all have differences in sample size and inclusion/exclusion criteria, the totality of evidence suggests these agents have similar (if not superior) efficacy for reducing the risk of VTE recurrence without a significant excess in major bleeding. These overall favorable results have translated to guideline recommendations with caveats for patients at high bleeding risk or those with anticipated drug-drug interactions. Direct-oral anticoagulants now feature prominently in the treatment guidelines for patients with CAT. These agents are, however, not for everyone and ongoing research will need to identify which patients are most, and least likely to benefit from a DOAC-based regimen, and the optimal duration. Furthermore, the incorporation of these data with emerging results from patient-preference research is required to personalize decisions in these patients.
Palatability Assessments of Beef Top Loin Steaks Sourced from Three Quality Grade/Brand Categories from Texas and Non-Texas Processing Establishments

Beef top loin steaks from Top Choice (Modest and Moderate marbling), Choice (primarily Small marbling), and Select (Slight marbling) beef strip loins from Texas and Non-Texas (Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado) beef processing establishments were obtained to determine the role of source and USDA grade/brand category on consumer sensory panel and Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) evaluations. The number of strip loins obtained were 58 Texas Top Choice, 54 Texas Choice, and 56 Texas Select and 60 Non-Texas Top Choice, 52 Non-Texas Choice, and 58 Non-Texas Select. There were source × USDA grade/brand category interactions for overall liking (P = 0.012) and tenderness liking (P = 0.002) in which the Texas Top Choice steaks received ratings that did not differ (P > 0.05) from Texas Select steaks but did differ (P 0.05) from each other. Percentage dis- tribution of WBS values according to tenderness categories showed that all of the Top Choice and Choice steaks, regardless of source, had values that met the threshold values for Very Tender (WBS < 31.4 N) or Tender (31.4 N < WBS < 38.3 N). While geographic purchasing biases may remain, these data assist in supporting informed decisions regarding palatability and consumer acceptability as functions of beef sourcing.
Seventeen states enacted executive orders expanding advanced practice nurses' scopes of practice during the first 21 days of the COVID-19 pandemic

Context Rural hospitals in the USA are often served by advanced practice nurses, due to the difficulty for such facilities to recruit physicians. In order to facilitate a full range of services for patients, some states permit advanced practice nurses to practice with full independence. However, many states limit their scopes of practice, resulting in the potential for limited healthcare access in underserved areas. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily upended these arrangements for several states, as 17 governors quickly passed waivers and suspensions of physician oversight restrictions. Issues Physician resistance is a primary hurdle for states that limit advanced practice nurse scopes of practice. Longstanding restrictions were removed, however, in a short period of time. The pandemic demonstrated that even governors with strong political disagreements agreed on one way that healthcare access could potentially be improved. Lessons learned Despite longstanding concerns over patient safety when advanced practice nurses practice with full autonomy, governors quickly removed practice restrictions when faced with a crisis situation. Implied in such behavior are that policymakers were aware of advanced practice nurses' capabilities prior to the pandemic, but chose not to implement full practice authority, and that governors appeared to disagree as to whether to temporarily waive specific restrictions or suspend restrictions entirely, consistent with their political affiliation. We propose more research into understanding whether or not such changes should become permanent.