cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pluralism and Educational Concepts: A Clarification

Since the emergence of the ethnic revitalization movements in the 1960s, educational institutions at all levels have tried to incorporate more information about ethnic groups into the curriculum and to reflect the ethnic diversity within American society. Most of these efforts were responses to the protest movements of the sixties. Consequently, the emerging programs and practices related to pluralism vary widely in quality and scope. The goals and practices of many of these programs are confused, contradictory, and inconsistent with current learning theory and research. The wide range of educational concepts which have emerged in recent years to describe the diverse programs and practices related to pluralism reflect the widespread confusion over goals and strategies. Concepts such as multicultural education, multiculturalism, multi-ethnic education, ethnic education, ethnic studies, cultural pluralism, and ethnic pluralism are often used interchangeably or to convey different but highly ambiguous meanings. The study of ethnicity and pluralism is gaining increasing legitimization within the social science community and within the nation's schools. Established scholars such as Talcott Parsons and Daniel Bell are providing fresh perspectives on ethnicity within American society.1 Increasingly, school districts are viewing the study of ethnicity as an integral part of the curriculum. However, the major concepts within the field, and the related practices, remain confused and ambiguous. We sorely need concept clarification within this area so that we can delineate objectives more clearly and design more appropriately strategies for attaining them. Concepts are exceedingly important. They influence our questions, research methods, findings, pro
Circular dichroism of collagen, gelatin, and poly(proline) II in the vacuum ultraviolet

Circular dichroism spectra for acid-soluble calfskin collagen, gelatin, and poly(proline) II in solution have been extended into the vacuum ultraviolet region. The extended spectrum of gelatin reveals that the circular dichroism of this unordered polymer is more closely related to the spectrum of charged polypeptides than might be evident from near ultraviolet work. A short-wavelength band is found at about 172 nm, which corresponds in position, magnitude, and sign to a band recorded earlier for poly(L-glutamic acid) at pH 8.0. This band is observed in a helical structure for the first time in the vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism and absorption spectra of poly(proline) II. Both circular dichroism and absorption spectra point to the assignement of this band as the nσ*. Neither the nσ* nor the expected positive lobe of the ππ* helix band is observed in the extended circular dichroism spectrum of collagen. We postulate that these two bands cancel here in analogy to the case of α-helical poly(L-glutamic acid).
Hydrolysis of DNA and its molecular components in the dry state

Abstract The biochemistry of dry state DNA is of interest to the field of forensic biology. The precise chemical nature of the hydrolytic degradation products of the DNA molecule in the dry state has not been previously investigated in detail. In this study we found that the mechanistic chemistry of DNA hydrolysis appears to be the same for the hydrated and dry states. The thermodynamic parameters are also similar in both states and the activation energies for base hydrolysis are indistinguishable. The principal difference between the two states is the rate at which hydrolytic degradation occurs. The duplex configuration of dry state DNA offers much more protection for the molecule than is offered in single strand and nucleotide species. Single strand breaks of dry state duplex DNA occur with a half life of 24 ± 2 days at 65 °C and appear to occur in a mechanistic manner.
Heart and Lungs as a Common Chamber during Extracorporeal Support of the Fibrillating Canine Heart

Ventricular fibrillation was induced by electric shock in both closed- and open-chest animals. Total body perfusion was provided by extracorporeal circulation with a bubble oxygenator. The failure of left heart pressure to increase during prolonged observations indicates the probable competency of the aortic valve and retrograde flow of bronchial arterial blood to the right heart. Evidence for left-to-right flow is shown by reciprocal pressures in parallel chambers, by recovery of isotope in the pulmonary artery following left heart and aortic injection and by a cardiopneumonogram. The existence of a common mean pressure in the left heart, lungs and right heart during ventricular fibrillation confirms the hypothesis that the central circulation is in essence a, system of tubes permitting the passive transfer of blood with the prevailing gradient.
Effect of Various Discriminative Stimuli on Choice Behavior in Male Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens)

The current experiment was an exploratory study empirically comparing three discrimination methodologies proposed for use in choice preparations with food rewards. Subjects were thirty-five, healthy, adult male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three discrimination groups: a Direction group (using left or right as discriminative stimuli), a Color group (using red or green as discriminative stimuli), and a Bubble group (using the presence or absence of air bubbles as discriminative stimuli). For all three discrimination groups, subjects chose between one or three food pellets in a submerged T-maze. The results from the experiment indicated a statistically significant preference for the three pellets of food over one pellet of food only for the Bubble group. Of particular note is the effect size and observed power obtained for the Bubble group, which was the only group which supported a reasonably powerful test for discrimination, given a sample size of 12 subjects and 0.94 effect size.
Phylogenetic measures of biodiversity: a comparison and critique

Abstract Several recent authors have proposed quantitative measures of taxonomic diversity that differ from traditional species-richness and abundance indices. These new methods emphasize phylogenetic branching order and levels of character divergence (including genetic variation) among species. In this study, seven phylogenetic diversity measures are compared using a DNA hybridization data set for cranes. The measures agree in identifying the species that contribute the most and the least to group diversity, but disagree on ranks assigned to species at intermediate levels. Evaluation of alternative measures hinges on the relevance conservationists attach to character divergence beyond its use in reconstructing phylogeny. The use of any such measure is complicated by inconsistency between character sets and disagreement over the definitions of species and subspecies. Until some working consensus is reached on these issues, phylogenetic indices are unlikely to supersede more traditional measures of biodiversity. Substantial effort will be required to integrate phylogenetic diversity with other factors in conservation planning.
A "brick" caching scheme for 3D medical imaging

This paper presents a "brick" caching scheme for a broad range of 3D medical imaging algorithms, which achieves a cache hit ratio of 100% and significantly reduces the total data-flow from the system memory to the caches, thus reducing the memory bandwidth requirement of the system. With data indexing and duplication, this scheme supports multiple parallel memory access required in most 3D imaging algorithms. Brick prefetching strategy fetches data into the cache before they are used, therefore preventing the stall of the processing pipeline. The applications of the caching scheme in FDK cone beam reconstruction and 3D image registration were presented as examples. This caching scheme will be used in our FPGA-based 3D medical imaging coprocessor and it can also be applied to other FPGA-based 3D imaging accelerators.
A vision system for fast 3D model reconstruction

A desktop vision system is presented for complete 3D model acquisition. It is fast, low-cost, and accurate. Partial 3D shapes and texture information are acquired from multiple viewing directions using rotational stereo and shape from focus (SFF). The resulting range images are registered to a common coordinate system and a surface representation is created for each range image. The resulting surfaces are integrated using a new algorithm named Region-of-Construction. Unlike previous approaches, the Region-of-Construction algorithm directly exploits the structure of the raw range images. The algorithm determines regions in range images corresponding to non-redundant surfaces which can be stitched along the boundaries to construct the complete 3D surface model. The algorithm is computationally efficient and less sensitive to registration error. It also has the ability to construct complete 3D models of complex objects with holes. A photo realistic 3D model is obtained by mapping texture information onto the complete surface model representing 3D shape. Experimental results for several real objects are presented.
The use of head/eye-centered, hand-centered and allocentric representations for visually guided hand movements and perceptual judgments.

Two experiments are reported that were designed to measure the accuracy and reliability of both visually guided hand movements (Exp. 1) and perceptual matching judgments (Exp. 2). The specific procedure for informing subjects of the required response on each trial was manipulated so that some tasks could only be performed using an allocentric representation of the visual target; others could be performed using either an allocentric or hand-centered representation; still others could be performed based on an allocentric, hand-centered or head/eye-centered representation. Both head/eye and hand centered representations are egocentric because they specify visual coordinates with respect to the subject. The results reveal that accuracy and reliability of both motor and perceptual responses are highest when subjects direct their response towards a visible target location, which allows them to rely on a representation of the target in head/eye-centered coordinates. Systematic changes in averages and standard deviations of responses are observed when subjects cannot direct their response towards a visible target location, but have to represent target distance and direction in either hand-centered or allocentric visual coordinates instead. Subjects’ motor and perceptual performance agree quantitatively well. These results strongly suggest that subjects process head/eye-centered representations differently from hand-centered or allocentric representations, but that they process visual information for motor actions and perceptual judgments together.
Human cone saturation as a function of ambient intensity: A test of models of shifts in the dynamic range

Abstract Cone saturation refers to the fact that an intensity (the saturating intensity) of a flash can be found such that the cone system cannot detect increments upon this flash no matter how intense these increments are made. By making assumptions which relate both the psychophysically obtained threshold and saturating intensities of the flash to a supposed physiological response, models describing the shifts in the dynamic range can be tested. The present study examines the effects on threshold and saturation produced by various steady adapting intensities. The data are fit by a model incorporating changes in both the semisaturation constant of the system and the maximum response elicited by a flash.
Three critical measurements on injection molding processes

The key to implementing control of the injection molding process is to utilize a strategy through which we understand the molding process from a plastics point of view. It is extremely important to understand the plastic as it flows through the barrel of the machine and into the mold, as well as understanding how the various variables of the process acting on the plastic material determine the characteristics of the finished plastic part. To achieve the maximum degree of process control and have positive effects on the finished plastic product being molded, it is important to measure and control the plastics variables. The author discusses three plastics variables: plastics melt (stock) temperature, plastics cooling rate, and another related plastics variable: plastics moisture content. One major problem exists in measuring and controlling these plastics variables however, injection molding machines do not have controls marked "plastics temperature" "cooling rate", and "plastics moisture content". The molding machines and auxiliary equipment only have controls that indirectly influence these plastics variables. Because of the interrelationship of these plastics variables, the basic injection molding process is extremely capricious, any attempt to control these plastics variables must seek to isolate them from each other as much as possible. Then, changing one control will not cause multiple effects in key parameters. >
The Osseocartilaginous Vault of the Nose: Anatomy and Surgical Observations

Background The dorsal hump and dorsal aesthetic lines have been considered bony and cartilaginous structures. Knowledge of the anatomy of the osseocartilaginous vault is essential for obtaining aesthetically pleasing results of rhinoplasty. Objectives The authors described the morphology, embryology, and clinical relevance of the nasal vault and the changes that occur in this area during rhinoplasty. Methods Dissections were performed on 15 fresh adult cadavers to examine the anatomy of the osseocartilaginous vault. Intraoperative endoscopic examination of the vault also was performed in 9 rhinoplasty patients before and after dorsal hump reduction. Results In the cadaver study, the average length of the dorsal keystone area, measured along the dorsal septum, was 8.9 mm, and the average width was 4.9 mm. No significant difference in length was observed between cadaver subgroups with straight or humped nasal profiles. The extent of lateral overlap of the nasal bones with the cephalic portion of the upper lateral cartilages varied. In rhinoplasty patients, the average length of the cartilaginous vault exposed during dorsal reduction was 7.6 mm. Conclusions The aesthetic lines and profile of the nose before dorsal reduction are dictated by the cartilaginous vault. After reduction, the dorsal lines are determined by the bony vault edges. In routine rhinoplasty, reduction of dorsal height generally corresponds to removal of the dorsal cartilaginous septum.
Prevention dof recurrent cytomegalovirus disease in renal and liver transplant recipients: effect of oral ganciclovir

: Background: Although the primary treatment of symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in organ transplant recipients is successful in >90% of individuals, relapsing disease, particularly in those with primary infection, remains an important problem. Previously, we had observed that the rate of symptomatic recurrence was >60% in those with primary disease (seronegative for CMV prior to transplant), and approximately 20% in those who were seropositive prior to transplant. The present study was undertaken to determine whether a maintenance regimen of oral ganciclovir for 2–3 months added to the routine 14–21 days of intravenous ganciclovir would further prevent symptomatic CMV recurrence. Methods: From May 1995 until June 1998, all kidney and liver transplant recipients with confirmed tissue-invasive CMV disease or CMV syndrome were treated with 14–21 days of intravenous ganciclovir (5 mg/kg b.i.d. with dose adjusted for renal dysfunction) followed by 2–3 months of oral ganciclovir (2 g daily). The incidence of recurrence of CMV disease and/or viremia during and after oral therapy was then determined over a mean follow-up of 530.6 days. Results: Thirty-seven patients, 19 kidney and 18 liver transplant recipients, were studied; 5 had biopsy-proven tissue-invasive disease (13.5) and 32 suffered a CMV syndrome (86.5). Twenty-one of these patients (58.6) were seronegative for CMV prior to transplant and received an allograft from a seropositive donor (D+/R−). Overall, 10 patients (27.0) developed CMV recurrence. Eight of 21 patients who were D+/R− for CMV (38.1) developed recurrence as opposed to 2 of 16 patients with other serologic status (12.5) (P=0.14). Patients with recurrent CMV disease and/or viremia had a peak antigenemia assay titer during their initial CMV event of 319.2 positive cells/2 slides compared with 109.8 positive cells/2 slides for patients without recurrent CMV infection (P=0.14); the trend of having a higher peak antigenemia assay titer among patients who recurred occurred both in patients who were at risk of primary CMV infection (D+/R− for CMV) and in those who were not. Two patients developed recurrent infection with strains of CMV that were resistant to ganciclovir. Conclusions: This new therapeutic regimen of oral ganciclovir following intravenous ganciclovir slightly reduced the overall rate of recurrent CMV disease and/or viremia, but it still did not adequately prevent CMV recurrence in patients who are at risk of primary infection prior to transplant. Of particular concern, 2 patients with primary infection treated with this regimen developed ganciclovir-resistant recurrent disease ( Note).
3D Simulations of M 7 Earthquakes on the Wasatch Fault, Utah, Part II: Broadband (0–10 Hz) Ground Motions and Nonlinear Soil Behavior

Abstract We predict broadband (BB, 0–10 Hz) ground motions for M 7 earthquakes on the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault (WFSLC), Utah, which include the effects of nonlinear site response. The predictions are based on low‐frequency (LF, 0–1 Hz) finite‐difference (FD) simulations for six different rupture models generated during a previous study (Roten et al. , 2011), which we combine with high‐frequency (HF, 1–10 Hz) shear‐to‐shear (S‐to‐S) back‐scattering operators to generate BB synthetics. Average horizontal spectral accelerations at 5 and 10 Hz (0.2‐s SAs and 0.1‐s SAs, respectively) calculated from the linear BB synthetics exceed estimates from four recent ground‐motion prediction equations (GMPEs) at near‐fault ( g on the hanging‐wall side of the fault. Geometric mean 0.2‐s SAs exceed 1 g on the hanging‐wall and on the footwall sediments in the central Salt Lake basin, and peak horizontal ground accelerations range from 0.45 to >0.60 g in the same general locations. Online Material: Table of coefficients and amplitude‐dependent correction functions for nonlinear soil effects, and figures showing maps of SAs at various frequencies, PGA and PGV, with and without correction for nonlinear soil effects, results of 1D nonlinear simulations, and comparison to ground motion prediction equations.
Subtalar Fusion Rate in Patients With Previous Ipsilateral Ankle Arthrodesis.

Background:Isolated subtalar arthrodesis is generally successful, with reported fusion rates of 84% to 100%. However, alteration of subtalar joint mechanics and talar body vasculature after ankle fusion may negatively influence subsequent ipsilateral subtalar joint fusion. Because there is very limited information on the subtalar fusion rate in patients with previous ipsilateral ankle fusion, the purpose of this study was to describe fusion rates in subtalar joint arthrodesis with and without preexisting ankle fusion in a large consecutive series of primary subtalar arthrodesis cases.Methods:All primary subtalar fusions performed between January 2000 and December 2010 were reviewed. Thirteen of 151 consecutive cases were in patients with existing ipsilateral ankle fusions. All patients were evaluated for clinical and radiographic evidence of nonunion at follow-up, and fusion rates in the groups with and without previous ipsilateral ankle fusion were compared.Results:Five nonunions occurred in the 13 cases...
Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Group B Streptococcus Isolates from Prenatal Screening Samples

Previous published reports have shown that group B Streptococcus (GBS) isolates were 100% susceptible to both penicillin ([1][1], [2][2]) and vancomycin ([1][1]); however, reduced susceptibilities to penicillin have been documented ([3][3][–][4][8][5]). GBS susceptibilities to clindamycin and
Mechanical control of stem cell differentiation

Stem cells interrogate numerous microenvironmental cues, including soluble factors, adhesive contexts, and mechanical signals, in order to mount physiologically relevant differentiation responses. While much is known about how soluble factors and adhesion receptors regulate differential gene expression, the molecular basis for how mechanical signaling controls gene transcription and differentiation programs is only now coming into focus. In this review, we discuss the types of mechanical forces that stem cells experience, and the evidence that applied and cell generated forces regulate stem cell differentiation in vivo and in vitro. In order to understand the mechanistic basis for mechanically-induced differentiation, we explore how mechanical forces are transduced into biochemical signals, that can in turn regulate and synergize with signaling cascades induced by other stimuli. Specifically, we emphasize how applied mechanical forces target the activity and expression or transcription factors and chromatin remodeling enzymes directly involved in gene expression. Furthermore, we highlight recent progress demonstrating that cell-generated forces (intracellular tension) can promote stem cell differentiation in the absence of or in spite of orthogonal signals from soluble factors. Together these findings define an emerging picture of how mechanical forces trigger stem cell differentiation to a specific lineage in complex microenvironments where inducers for multiple cell types are present.
Computer Simulation of Nanomagnets Tethered to Gold Surfaces

Much of the experimental work aimed at singleelectron devices relies on successfully tethering functional molecules onto gold surfaces. The [Mn12O12(CH3COO)16(H2O)4] molecular nanomagnet has been shown to exhibit an interesting and measurable magnetic signature. Moreover the magnetic behavior has been shown to be very sensitive to changes in charge state and hydrogen-bonding to neighboring molecules. Recent experiments have revealed that the acetate ligands can be successfully substituted by long thiol terminated alkane chains such as C10H20 followed by subsequent attachment to a gold surface. As such we have performed calculations to determine whether the electronic structure and primary magnetic signatures of a molecular magnet can be retained upon attachment. In order to perform these calculations we have used both fine-grained and coarse-grained strategies for determining the geometrical, electronic, and magnetic behavior of these systems. The molecular system has been broken up into three separate fragments that have been separately optimized on the IBM HPC platforms at the NAVO and ARL MSRCs. Further, each fragment calculation employs the massively parallel NRLMOL program to efficiently perform density-functional calculations. The fragments are then reconnected and further optimized prior to determining the magnetic structure. We find that the HOMO-LUMO gap for minority spins decrease dramatically up to 1 eV and that the transverse magnetic anisotropy parameter is induced and the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of the Mn12 molecule is almost the same as before attachment.
Resolvable- and Subgrid-Scale Measurement in the Atmospheric Surface Layer: Technique and Issues

A new technique for the measurement of two-dimensionally filtered resolvable- and subgrid-scale (SGS) turbulence in the atmospheric surface layer is studied. The technique uses an array of sensors to do spatial filtering in the direction transverse to the mean flow. Taylor’s hypothesis is used to approximate streamwise filtering with time filtering. The performance of this two-dimensional surrogate filter is evaluated with data from a high-resolution large-eddy simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer. In general, both resolvable- and subgrid-scale velocity and temperature fields obtained from a two-dimensional spectral filter and the surrogate filter exhibit high cross correlation (.0.85‐0.95). The correlation between the true and the surrogate SGS stress and temperature flux is somewhat lower than that for the velocities. A detailed analysis of the applicability of Taylor’s hypothesis to the energy-containing scales of vertical velocity shows that among the mechanisms that could limit its fidelity, only the effect of fluctuating convection velocity is nonnegligible, and its aliasing effects are more significant for stress and scalar-flux fluctuations than for velocity fluctuations. The authors suggest this is why the correlations were lower for stress and flux than velocities. The results suggest that the sensor array is a feasible technique for SGS measurement in the atmospheric surface layer.
Potions, lotions and lipstick: The gendered consumption of cosmetics and perfumery in socialist and post-socialist urban Bulgaria

Synopsis This article examines the recent history of the consumption of perfumery and cosmetics in urban Bulgaria during the communist and post-communist periods. While the consumption of perfumes, facial creams and other cosmetics was heavily gendered during both eras, the production, distribution and marketing of these goods changed significantly after 1989. This article explores the factors influencing why post-socialist Bulgarian consumers have shown a preference for spending on products like shampoo, make-up, perfume and hair dye rather than on almost any other type of goods, and how these preferences intersect with shifting ideals of femininity and consumerism. Rather than merely giving women greater access to and a wider variety of products to choose from, however the post-1989 proliferation of cosmetics and the advertising used to promote them may have created new and almost impossible beauty standards that many women now feel they must strive to live up to if they want to succeed in the capitalist economy.
Connecting Formal Semantics to Constructive Intuitions

We use formal semantic analysis to generate intuitive confidence that the Heyting Calculus is an appropriate system of deduction for constructive reasoning. Well-known modal semantic formalisms have been defined by Kripke and Beth, but these have no formal concepts corresponding to constructions, and shed little intuitive light on the meanings of formulae. In particular, the well-known completeness proofs for these semantics do not generate confidence in the sufficiency of the Heyting Calculus, since we have no reason to believe that every intuitively constructive truth is valid in the formal semantics.
Control of Adult-Born Neuron Production by Converging GABA and Glutamate Signals

The production of adult-born neuron is an ongoing process ­accounting ∼10,000 immature neurons migrating to the olfactory bulb every day. This high turnover rate necessitates profound control mechanisms converging onto neural progenitors and neuroblasts to achieve adequate adult-born neuron production. Here, we elaborate on a novel epigenetic control of adult neurogenesis via highly coordinated nonsynaptic cell–cell signaling. This communication engages the neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate whose extracellular concentrations depend on neuroblast number and high affinity uptake systems in neural stem cells. Neuroblasts release GABA providing a negative feedback control of stem cell proliferation and instructing them on the size of the neuroblast pool. Recent findings show an unexpected mosaic expression of glutamate receptors leading to calcium elevations in migrating neuroblasts and differential role on their development. Remarkably, stem cells act as lighthouses releasing glutamate onto neuroblast sailing by, thus providing migratory, survival, and proliferative cues. Finally, we propose that the timing of neurotransmitter release and their spatial diffusion will determine the convergent co-activation of neuroblasts and stem cells, and provide a steady-state level of neuron production. Upon external impact or injury this signaling may adjust to a new steady-state level, thus providing nonsynaptic scaling of neuroblast production.
Case Definition: Issues Related to Monoclonal Gammopathies and Multiple Myeloma

During 1988, 808 patients were found with a serum monoclonal protein (M-protein) at the Mayo Clinic. The most frequent clinical diagnosis was monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) (benign monoclonal gammopathy), 64%. Other diagnoses were multiple myeloma (MM), 14%; primary systemic amyloidosis (AL), 8%; lymphoproliterative disease including lymphoma and macroglobulinemia, 8%; chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 2%; smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), 2%; and solitary or extramedullary plasmacytoma, 2%.
Characterization of Soil Developing in Reclaimed Upper Freeport Coal Surface Mines

Abstract A new highway, called Appalachian Corridor H, will pass through the Beaver Creek watershed in Tucker County, WV. Some of this area has been affected by surface mining of Upper Freeport Coal. The resulting mined lands are currently producing acid mine drainage and have the potential to produce more if disturbed. To document soil development and the effect that disturbance of these mined lands might have on water quality, we evaluated the properties of the soils that will potentially be affected by highway construction. Six sampling sites were located on mine soils and on adjacent undisturbed soils. After describing soil profiles, we sampled each horizon for laboratory analyses. We analyzed the soil samples for pH, electrical conductivity , carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and acid-base account. Other soil properties like texture, water holding capacity, acidity, cation exchange capacity, and elemental concentrations (Al, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe) were determined but not reported herein. Most of the mine soils h...
The Role of Lymphatics in Atherogenesis, Myocardial Infarction, Congestive Heart Failure, and Cardiac Transplantation

The lymphatic vasculature is a central biological participant in fluid, protein and cellular transport, and in immune responsiveness. Over the last 10 years, the biomedical investigation into the function of the lymphatic microvasculature has been vigorous, prompting reconsideration of the role of lymphatics in the genesis and progression of cardiovascular pathology. The lymphatic microvasculature of the heart and vascular wall likely participates in atherogenesis, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and cardiac transplantation. Intensive exploration of lymphatic mechanisms of cardiovascular disease is likely to lead to enhanced insights and novel therapeutic approaches.
A novel surgical technique to treat sacral fractures

TECHNIQUE Using an awl, define the first screw’s entry point. This is located 1mm lateral and 1mm distal to the S1 dorsal sacral foramen. A 2.5mm drill, angled 40° lateral and 20–30° caudal, is used to create a hole crossing the sacroiliac joint and reaching to the far iliac cortex. This is facilitated by fluoroscopy (Fig 1). An anteroposterior view verifies that the drill is less than 20mm from the greater sciatic notch while a teardrop view confirms that the drill is in the thickest part of the ilium (Fig 2). A probe is used to confirm the hole is entirely intraosseous. A guidewire is placed in the hole and the hole tapped. A second entry point is defined, 2–4mm lateral and 4–8mm distal to the S1 foramen. A second hole is drilled and tapped parallel to the first guidewire. Finally, two partially threaded cannulated screws of 9–10mm in diameter and at least 80mm in length are inserted. Figure 3 shows the postoperative computed tomography.
Form vs Substance: A Case Study in Developing a Dynamic Project in Maritime Security

The tradition at maritime academies, however hands-on and robust, like any other institution or organization, is not immune to standard dysfunctions. They suffer everything from bureaucratic inertia to strategic ambiguities, yet can also demonstrate vision and resilience. This case study tells the story of how an innovative project originated, and how it grew to encompass a global vision of collaborative security education and training, doi: 10.1300/J460v02n03_02
A Proposed Workshop Curriculum for Students to Responsibly Engage Cultural Conflict in Community-Based Service Learning

Service-learning opportunities provide interactive experiences between diverse communities and students in order to achieve, among various goals, thoughtful learning about issues of cultural inequa...
Organic acid quantitation by NeuCode methylamidation.

We have developed a multiplexed quantitative analysis method for carboxylic acids by liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry. The method employs neutron encoded (NeuCode) methylamine labels (13C or 15N enriched) that are affixed to carboxylic acid functional groups to enable duplex quantitation via mass defect measurement. This work presents the first application of NeuCode quantitation to small molecules. We have applied this technique to detect adulteration of olive oil by quantitative analysis of fatty acid methyl amide derivatives, and the quantitative accuracy of the NeuCode analysis was validated by GC/MS. Currently, the method enables duplex quantitation and is expandable to at least 6-plex analysis.
Are Fiscal Multipliers Larger during Recessions

This paper estimates how fiscal multipliers have changed over time using a time varying parameter model vector autorregressive model with stochastic volatility (TVPSV-VAR). First, I find that there is significant evidence that the multiplier has changed over time, once we control for changes in volatility, but that there is no empirical support to claim that the fiscal multiplier is bigger during a recession even if we consider different components of government spending. Second, I show that stochastic volatility plays an important role in the estimation of the model, and therefore, it should be taken into account when estimating VARs that include government spending or output. Finally, I show that government spending was extremely ineffective during the Great Recession of 2008, but taxes and transfer payments played an important role to stabilize the economy.
Ligand Controlled Morphology Evolution of Active Intermediates for the Syntheses of Gold Nanostars.

Gold nanostars have unique plasmonic properties that are related to the highly branched nanostructures. However, it is challenging to precisely control these branches. Here we studied the reaction kinetics on the seed-mediated growth process of gold nanostars using in situ UV–vis spectroscopy. The impact of hydroquinone ligands on the formation and evolution of active intermediates was systematically explored. In addition, we improved the classical seed-mediated method to achieve a much better control on the final morphology of gold nanostars by a sudden addition of a high concentration ligand solution. Our method can significantly advance the syntheses of gold nanostars and provide numerous opportunities to prepare nanomaterials with unique morphology and plasmonic properties.
UVA and UVB Therapy: Practical Applications and Implications for the Immunosuppressed Patient and Skin Disease

Phototherapy is an effective treatment option for a variety of skin disorders including psoriasis, photodermatoses, cutaneous T cell lymphoma, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, and a number of sclerosing skin disorders. A variety of light sources can be used, either as a sole modality or in combination with sensitizing drugs, and treatments can be designed to address localized or diffuse skin conditions. Various types of light produce unique responses based on light energy/intensity and depth of penetration. The mechanisms by which various phototherapies impact target tissues are complex and it is clear that host immune responses play a key role in these processes.
Mechanisms and modulation of corneal lymphangiogenesis

L research represents an explosive field of new discovery in recent years. The cornea provides an ideal tissue for lymphatic research due to its accessible location, transparent nature, and lymphatic-free but-inducible features. Once induced, corneal lymphatic vessels enhance high volume delivery of antigens and immune cells, and accelerate disease progression and transplant rejection. Our research goal is to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis and to identify new targets for therapeutic intervention. This presentation is to introduce our recent data on corneal lymphatic research and to provide novel insights into corneal lymphangiogenesis, a multi-facet event associated with the pathogenesis of many diseases after an inflammatory, infectious, immunogenic, traumatic, or chemical insult.
What is this Thing Called Pain ? - The Philosophy of Science Behind the Contemporary Debate

L'A. defend la theorie physicaliste de l'identite des etats mentaux et des etats du cerveau (en particulier sur l'exemple de la douleur) contre les tentatives " fonctionnalistes " contemporaines (Fodor, Lewis) pour rejeter l'assimilation des etats mentaux a des etats physiques. Il soutient que les fonctionnalistes ont une notion trop etroite de " propriete physique ", et que celle-ci ne correspond pas a la maniere dont les physiciens utilisent la notion
“We are Pimping Off the People”: Designing Oklahoma Lottery Legislation

While research studies have focused on lottery policy, little attention has been paid to how legislators discuss citizens in the design of lottery policy. In this qualitative case study, interviews with 11 former state senators examined how decision makers socially constructed Oklahoma citizens while forming lottery policy. Ingram and Schneider’s (1993) social construction of target populations provides a theoretical framework for better understanding how social constructions become embedded into political discourse. Furthermore, the subfield of political communication has focused on comprehending the connection between rhetoric and politics (Gronbeck 2004). Participants discussed how the policy designated education as the advantaged, lottery players as dependents, and gambling addicts as deviants. Additionally, there was an interactive effect between the social construction of target populations in policy design and the political rhetoric used within the political discourse to discuss the policy with the public. The findings suggest that the policy process may shape political rhetoric.
Community Change, Community Stasis, and the Law

A useful starting point for consideration of law and community psychology is to pose a literary existential question: why should a handbook on community psychology have a chapter on law? I suspect that the initial (and perhaps the only) answer that comes to the minds of most community psychologists is that the law represents a means of community change. One strategy that a community psychologist can stimulate when a class of people is mistreated is to “sue the bastards.” Indeed, if the conventional wisdom is to be believed (and empirical data suggest that in this matter it should not; see Galanter, 1983; Trubek. 1984), the predominant American response to interpersonal and class conflict is to resort to litigation. In popular lore, Perry Mason; Judge Wapner (or his successor, mayor-turned-TV-judge Ed Koch); the litigators at McKenzie, Brackman; and most recently, a spate of dramatic prosecutors and public defenders are the referees in, and sometimes the initiators of, social conflict–the bearers of the “big stick” who will ensure that justice triumphs. Play in the political arena may be limited to those with numbers and bucks big enough to be noticed, but the power of the law (so the image goes) is there to be exercised by he who is right, not necessarily he who is privileged. The courts theoretically offer an even playing field in which all actors, regardless of their wealth or their power in other arenas, are empowered to defend and promote their interests
Scaling behavior of oxide-based electrothermal threshold switching devices

Materials exhibiting insulator to metal transition (IMT) and transition metal oxides showing threshold switching behavior are considered as promising candidates for selector devices for crossbar non-volatile memory application. In this study, we use an electrothermal model to simulate the behavior of nanoscale selectors based on several different functional oxides (TaOx, VO2 and NbO2). We extract the device characteristics, such as threshold voltage (VTH), leakage current, device temperature in the ON state, and the size of the conductive filament as a function of selector diameter and functional layer thickness. In addition, we benchmark these devices in a 1 selector/1 resistor (1S1R) cell with a generic phase change-like memory element. These findings provide an insight into how device performance changes with scaling and help with material selection and design of selectors.
Pedagogical Scholarship in Public Health: A Call for Cultivating Learning Communities to Support Evidence-Based Education:

Public health education is experiencing record growth and transformation. The current emphasis on learning outcomes necessitates attention to creating and evaluating the best curricula and learning methods for helping public health students develop public health competencies. Schools and programs of public health would benefit from active engagement in pedagogical research and additional platforms to support dissemination and implementation of educational research findings. We reviewed current avenues for sharing public health educational research, curricula, and best teaching practices; we identified useful models from other health professions; and we offered suggestions for how the field of public health education can develop communities of learning devoted to supporting pedagogy. Our goal was to help advance an agenda of innovative evidence-based public health education, enabling schools and programs of public health to evaluate and measure success in meeting the current and future needs of the public health profession.
OUTCOMES AFTER TRANSCATHETER MITRAL VALVE REPAIR IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: AN ANALYSIS OF 5,241 PATIENTS IN THE UNITED STATES

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a predictor of post-surgical mortality. Between November 2013 and June 2016, 5,241 patients underwent transcatheter mitral valve repair with data in the STS/ACC Transcatheter Valve Therapy registry. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality, stroke,
Short-term reproducibility of radiomic features in liver parenchyma and liver malignancies on contrast-enhanced CT imaging

To evaluate the short-term reproducibility of radiomic features in liver parenchyma and liver cancers in patients who underwent consecutive contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) with intravenous iodinated contrast within 2 weeks by chance. The Institutional Review Board approved this HIPAA-compliant retrospective study and waived the requirement for patients’ informed consent. Patients were included if they had a liver malignancy (liver metastasis, n = 22, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, n = 10, and hepatocellular carcinoma, n = 6), had two consecutive CECT within 14 days, and had no prior or intervening therapy. Liver tumors and liver parenchyma were segmented and radiomic features (n = 254) were extracted. The number of reproducible features (with concordance correlation coefficients > 0.9) was calculated for patient subgroups with different variations in contrast injection rate and pixel resolution. The number of reproducible radiomic features decreased with increasing variations in contrast injection rate and pixel resolution. When including all CECTs with injection rates differences of less than 15% vs. up to 50%, 63/254 vs. 0/254 features were reproducible for liver parenchyma and 68/254 vs. 50/254 features were reproducible for malignancies. When including all CT with pixel resolution differences of 0–5% or 0–15%, 20/254 vs. 0/254 features were reproducible for liver parenchyma; 34/254 liver malignancy features were reproducible with pixel differences up to 15%. A greater number of liver malignancy radiomic features were reproducible compared to liver parenchyma features, but the proportion of reproducible features decreased with increasing variations in contrast injection rates and pixel resolution.
Prebiotic Synthesis on Minerals: RNA Oligomer Formation

It is proposed that the mineral or metal ion catalyzed formation of RNA oligomers may have proceeded on the primitive earth. A variety of minerals including iron oxide hydroxides, apatite and montmorillonite bind nucleotides but so far only montmorillonite has been observed to catalyze the formation of RNA oligomers. The polymerization of aminoacyl adenylates is also observed to take place on montmorillonite with the formation of polypeptides. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the prebiotic formation of biological polymers took place on mineral surfaces. These polymeric species may have been the precursors to the RNA World.
Does IT Matter where the Word-of-Mouth occurs?: an Empirical Study on the Sales Impact of the Distribution of Online User Reviews.

Consumers consistently resort to online Word-of-Mouth (WOM) in online shopping, thanks to the reach of the Internet and various web tools. Nevertheless, they are confronting relatively different levels of search costs for WOM information available on the Internet, depending on the distribution of WOM across websites. This study investigates the sales impacts of dispersion of WOM volume and variation of WOM valence by using sales and WOM data of software programs from Amazon and download.com. Our results suggest that less evenly distributed WOM leads to more sales, conditional on the total number of WOM conversations across websites. And it is even more beneficial for a product’s sales if having this less dispersed WOM distribution skewed towards retailing websites. In addition, more consistent consumer evaluations across websites encourage online purchasing decisions. By comparing the volume dispersion and variance variation, we find that receiving one hundred reviews of 5-star average rating on Amazon leads to sales almost six time greater than receiving fifty reviews of 5-star average rating on Amazon and another fifty reviews of 5-star average rating on download.com.