cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism

Commentary on: Wu CQ, Grandi SM, Filion KB, et al. Drospirenone-containing oral contraceptive pills and the risk of venous and arterial thrombosis: a systematic review. BJOG 2013;120:801–10.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] That OCPs increase the risk of venous and arterial thrombosis has been well recognised and well researched since OCPs were first marketed. Since the earliest reporting of the high risk of VTE (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) in OCP users, the doses and formulations of both the oestrogen and progestin components of OCPs have changed, initially resulting in a decrease in the risk of thrombotic events, and later leading to differences in risk between OCPs. However, the following questions remain: what are the risks of thrombotic … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBJOG%26rft.volume%253D120%26rft.spage%253D801%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1111%252F1471-0528.12210%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23530659%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1111/1471-0528.12210&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=23530659&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F17%2F3%2F71.atom
On the Distribution of Certain Quadratic Forms in Normal Variates

SUMMARY This paper is concerned with the characterization of the variance covariance matrix for a normal family in which certain quadratic forms are independent and follow cx2 distributions. It is also proved that the necessary and sufficient condition for any quadratic or linear form to be distributed independently of a sum of a finite number of non-negative definite quadratic forms is that it is distributed independently of each one of them.
T-cell factor-1 expression during human natural killer cell development and in circulating CD56+ bright natural killer cells

Transcription factors are essential to govern differentiation along the lymphoid lineage from uncommitted hematopoietic stem cells. Although many of these transcription factors have putative roles based on murine knockout experiments, their function in human lymphoid development is less known and was studied further. Transcription factor expression in fresh and cultured adult human bone marrow and umbilical cord blood progenitors was evaluated. We found that fresh CD34(+)Lin(-) cells that are human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR(-) or CD38(-) constitutively express GATA-3 but not T-cell factor-1 (TCF-1) or Id-3. Culture with the murine fetal liver cell line AFT024 and defined cytokines was capable of inducing TCF-1 mRNA. However, no T-cell receptor gene rearrangement was identified in cultured progeny. Id-3, a basic helix loop helix factor with dominant negative function for T-cell differentiation transcription factors, also was upregulated and may explain unsuccessful T-cell maturation. To better understand the developmental link between natural killer (NK) cells derived from progenitors, we studied NK cell subsets circulating in blood. CD56(+bright), but not CD56(+dim), NK cells constitutively express TCF-1 by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. The TCF-1 isoform found in CD56(+bright) cells, which express lectin but not immunoglobulin class I recognizing inhibitory receptors, was identical to that induced in NK cell differentiation culture and was distinctly different from isoforms in T cells. These results suggest that TCF-1 does not target human killer immunoglobulin receptor genes, TCF-1 is uniquely expressed in circulating CD56(+bright) NK cells, and specific TCF-1 isoforms may play an important role in regulating NK differentiation from a common NK/T-cell progenitor.
Plac8-Dependent and Inducible NO Synthase-Dependent Mechanisms Clear Chlamydia muridarum Infections from the Genital Tract

Chlamydia trachomatis urogenital serovars replicate predominantly in genital tract epithelium. This tissue tropism poses a unique challenge for host defense and vaccine development. Studies utilizing the Chlamydia muridarum mouse model have shown that CD4 T cells are critical for clearing genital tract infections. In vitro studies have shown that CD4 T cells terminate infection by upregulating epithelial inducible NO synthase (iNOS) transcription and NO production. However, this mechanism is not critical, as iNOS-deficient mice clear infections normally. We recently showed that a subset of Chlamydia-specific CD4 T cell clones could terminate replication in epithelial cells using an iNOS-independent mechanism requiring T cell degranulation. We advance that work using microarrays to compare iNOS-dependent and iNOS-independent CD4 T cell clones. Plac8 was differentially expressed by clones having the iNOS-independent mechanism. Plac8-deficient mice had delayed clearance of infection, and Plac8-deficient mice treated with the iNOS inhibitor N-monomethyl-l-arginine were largely unable to resolve genital tract infections over 8 wk. These results demonstrate that there are two independent and redundant T cell mechanisms for clearing C. muridarum genital tract infections: one dependent on iNOS, and the other dependent on Plac8. Although T cell subsets are routinely defined by cytokine profiles, there may be important subdivisions by effector function, in this case CD4Plac8.
Science, explanation, instruction

Turning scientific theories and data into explanations and instructions for the layman requires a two-step translation process. First, scientific concepts need to be transformed into explanations that lay people can understand. Second, lay explanations need to be transformed into actions that people can apply in their physical environments.
Attributions for the Success and Failure of Female Managers: A Replication and Extension

This study attempted to extend earlier work on the relationship between attitudes toward women in management and attributions for the success and failure of female managers. One hundred and ten employees of a large state human services agency responded to a survey measuring their attitudes toward women in management and their attributions for either the success or failure of a hypothetical female manager. Results for males were highly supportive of earlier findings, with attitudes toward women in management significantly related to attributions for success but not for failure. Females showed an opposite pattern of results, with attitudes toward women in management significantly related to attributions for failure but not for success. It is suggested that these differences in attitude-attribution relationships may be the result of males expecting failure from female managers while females expect success.
OSU-MAC: a new, real-time medium access control protocol for wireless WANs with asymmetric wireless links

In this paper, we document our design of a MAC protocol, called OSU-MAC, subject to the physical layer characteristics and constraints of a narrow-band wireless modem testbed currently being built at the Ohio State University. The narrow-band wireless modem testbed is expected to support both real-time (bus location tracking) and non-real-time (regular) data applications. A number of techniques are proposed to support QoS imposed by the real-time applications, to deal with the asymmetry on the forward and reverse channels and the half-duplex transmission constraint imposed by the physical layer, and to enhance the error control capability of OSU-MAC. We also present simulation results to demonstrate the key functional characteristics of OSU-MAC.
Calibration between eustatic estimates from backstripping and oxygen isotopic records for the Oligocene

Eustatic estimates from the backstripping of Oligocene sections are compared quantitatively with d 18 O data. Each of the nine Oligocene d 18 O events (maxima) identified in previous studies correlates with a stratigraphically determined sea-level lowstand. Oxygen isotopic records from planktonic foraminifers from western equatorial Atlantic Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 929 indicate an isotopic increase of 0.16‰ per 10 m decrease in the depth of the ocean (apparent sea level, ASL). Amplitudes of ASL change also correlate with moderate- and high-resolution benthic foraminiferal d 18 O records from ODP Sites 803 (western tropical Pacific) and 929 and from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 522 (South Atlantic Ocean), with an isotopic change of 0.22‰ per 10 m of ASL change (r 2 5 0.807 and 0.960, respectively), and with records from ODP Site 689 (Southern Ocean; 0.13‰ per 10 m of ASL change; r 2 5 0.704). This correlation suggests that Southern Ocean deep-water temperature changes were smaller than tropical sea-surface temperature changes between million year‐scale glacials and interglacials. It also suggests that the deep-sea Southern Ocean records may provide the best means to calibrate sea level to oxygen isotopes.
Functionalism, Normativity and the Concept of Argumentation

In her 2007 paper, “Argument Has No Function” Jean Goodwin takes exception with what she calls the “explicit function claims”, arguing that not only are function-based accounts of argumentation insufficiently motivated, but they fail to ground claims to normativity. In this paper I stake out the beginnings of a functionalist answer to Goodwin.
Plaque Formation by Clinical Isolates of Influenza A2/Hong Kong

Human conjunctival cell variant (clone 1-5C-4) has been previously shown to be the only established cell line to support plaque formation by laboratory strains of influenza viruses. The present study describes characteristic plaque formation in clone 1-5C-4 by unadapted clinical isolates of influenza A2/Hong Kong. It is concluded that this technic may provide an additional diagnostic tool for clinical virology laboratories.
Influence of insulation barrier on AC flashover voltage with and without grounded back electrode in air

The grounded back electrode can reduce the breakdown voltage. Inserting an insulation barrier is an effective way to increase breakdown voltage. The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of barrier on AC breakdown with back electrode. The breakdown voltage is acquired from the experiments. The electric field distribution at breakdown is also obtained via software simulation. The experiments and analysis for both ‘with’ and ‘without’ back electrode are performed. From the results, the barrier can effectively increase breakdown voltage, especially for the case with back electrode. Without back electrode, there is only one breakdown trajectory path. The breakdown trajectory is very similar for all breakdown cases without back electrode. However, with back electrode, there are three breakdown trajectory patterns in total. The behaviors of breakdown voltage and electric field vary between different patterns. The analysis indicates that electric field distribution controls breakdown characteristics. The partial discharge (PD) streamers and residual charge induced by the electric field is the key to explain all the phenomena.
In Vitro Assay to Measure Phosphatidylethanolamine Methyltransferase Activity

Phosphatidylethanolamine methyltransferases are biosynthetic enzymes that catalyze the transfer of one or more methyl group(s) from S-adenosyl-L-methionine onto phosphatidylethanolamine, monomethyl-phosphatidylethanolamine, or dimethyl-phosphatidylethanolamine to give either monomethyl-phosphatidylethanolamine, dimethyl-phosphatidylethanolamine or phosphatidylcholine. These enzymes are ubiquitous in animal cells, fungi, and are also found in approximately 10% of bacteria. They fulfill various important functions in cell physiology beyond their direct role in lipid metabolism such as in insulin resistance, diabetes, atherosclerosis, cell growth, or virulence. The present manuscript reports on a simple cell-free enzymatic assay that measures the transfer of tritiated methyl group(s) from S-[Methyl-3H]adenosyl-L-methionine onto phosphatidylethanolamine using whole cell extracts as an enzyme source. The resulting methylated forms of phosphatidylethanolamine are hydrophobic and thus, can be separated from water soluble S-[Methyl-3H]adenosyl-L-methionine by organic extraction. This assay can potentially be applied to any other cell types and used to test inhibitors/drugs specific to a phosphatidylethanolamine methyltransferase of interest without the need to purify the enzyme.
Tungstate antagonism of molybdate in Aspergillus niger.

SummaryWhen nitrate was the sole nitrogen source for Aspergillus niger, tungstate in a molar ratio of 20:1 with molybdenum readily produced growth inhibition, and a ratio of 400:1 prevented growth almost completely. The inhibition was entirely reversed by adding sufficient molybdate to give a W: Mo ratio of 1. The tungstate molybdate growth interaction yielded a competitive inhibition type of Lineweaver-Burk plot. The fungus displayed no requirement for molybdenum when grown on an otherwise adequate medium containing ammonium as the source of nitrogen.
Paradise Lost: A Biblically Annotated Edition. By John Milton

This edition of Paradise Lost annotates, as comprehensively as possible, Milton's great epic's numerous allusions to the Bible. As Matthew Stallard observes in his preface, because previous annotat...
Towards a Unified Swirl Vortex Model

A review of the literature shows the existence of dozens of single-cell, axisymmetric, Newtonian-fluid vortices that, in one form or another, are solutions to the Navier-Stokes Equation. However, little research has been conducted in the literature to investigate common traits that are shared by these vortices. This research lays out a foundation of common mathematical traits, with a focus on the azimuthal velocity v. Notwithstanding their diverse mathematical and physical origin, it can be shown that these vortices are diverse manifestations of a single vortex family—they are united by a set of at least seven common mathematical traits. As a first common trait, we show that there are only four possible categories of single-cell, axisymmetric, Newtonian-fluid vortices. Next, by normalizing and overlaying the vortices into a single figure, three additional traits are noted, namely that v(r=0) = 0; they have similar azimuthal velocity profiles; and the azimuthal velocity is asymmetric about r. Thereafter, a fifth trait is noted by doing a series expansion for the azimuthal velocity of each vortex (as found in the literature), and expressing it as an alternating series that expands geometrically with odd exponents (truncated Laurent series with real coefficients). Finally, two more traits are noted by taking limit bounds for each series, thus showing that one bound is the Rankine (solid body) vortex, and the other is a Lamb-Oseen sine-like bound. In brief, we note that the vortices have seven traits in common, and hereby propose that these vortices are essentially diverse manifestations of a single vortex family.
Salvation/Liberation as Human Transformation

The great post-axial traditions, as we have seen, exhibit in their different ways a soteriological structure which identifies the misery, unreality, triviality and perversity of ordinary human life, affirms an ultimate unity of reality and value in which or in relation to which a limitlessly better quality of existence is possible, and shows the way to realise that radically better possibility. This may be by self-committing faith in Christ as one’s lord and saviour; or by the total submission to God which is islam; or by faithful obedience to the Torah; or by transcendence of the ego, with its self-centred desires and cravings, to attain mokṣa or Nirvana. As I shall now try to show, these are variations within different conceptual schemes on a single fundamental theme: the sudden or gradual change of the individual from an absorbing selfconcern to a new centring in the supposed unity-of-reality-and- value that is thought of as God, Brahman, the Dharma, Sunyata or the Tao. Thus the generic concept of salvation/liberation, which takes a different specific form in each of the great traditions, is that of the transformation of human existence from selfcentredness to Reality-centredness.3
Extrinsic Rewards and Inner Motivation

Most children glow with excitement when they see a sticker attached to their latest homework effort. When offered a special privilege, most adolescents perk up with interest. Positive emotion and a spike in students’ willingness to participate is what teachers often see when they introduce extrinsic rewards into the learning environment. The conclusion seems to be that extrinsic rewards are effective motivators that can contribute to teachers’ efforts to manage classrooms. The present chapter both acknowledges and debates this apparent truism.
Crises: An Abstract Model versus Individual Experience

Adult life crises may be a continuous dialectic between individual, group, and cultural development, but Riegel's model may not illuminate the possibilities for the individual to be lost or thwarted by insufficient support or antagonism from subgroup development or cultural change. Some experiences of today's college students, women students in particular, are used to illustrate adult development frustration.
Ultrafast Energy Trapping in Mercuric Iodide

Subpicosecond time-resolved transient grating experiments performed in mercuric iodide reveal the formation of trapped carrier states with a 2 ps risetime and a 1.8 ns decay time. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements show similar rise and decay times. In addition, we demonstrate time-resolved observation of a coherently excited optic phonon mode in a semiconductor.
Agent-Based vs. Equation-Based Epidemiological Models: A Model Selection Case Study

This paper is motivated by the need to design model validation strategies for epidemiological disease-spread models. We consider both agent-based and equation-based models of pandemic disease spread and study the nuances and complexities one has to consider from the perspective of model validation. For this purpose, we instantiate an equation-based model and an agent-based model of the 1918 Spanish flu and we leverage data published in the literature for our case study. We present our observations from the perspective of each implementation and discuss the application of model-selection criteria to compare the risk in choosing one modeling paradigm to another. We conclude with a discussion of our experience and document future ideas for a model validation framework.
The Life Course Implications of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food for Children in Low-Income Countries

The development of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) for the treatment of uncomplicated cases of severe acute malnutrition in young children from 6 months to 5 years old has greatly improved survival through the ability to treat large numbers of malnourished children in the community setting rather than at health facilities during emergencies. This success has led to a surge in demand for RUTF in low income countries that are frequently food insecure due to environmental factors such as cyclical drought. Worldwide production capacity for the supply of RUTF has increased dramatically through the expansion and development of new manufacturing facilities in both low and high income countries, and new business ventures dedicated to ready-to-use foods have emerged not only for emergencies, but increasingly, for supplementing caloric intake of pregnant women and young children not experiencing acute undernutrition. Due to the lack of evidence on the long term health impact these products may have, in the midst of global nutrition transitions toward obesity and metabolic dysfunction, the increased use of manufactured, commercial products for treatment and prevention of undernutrition is of great concern. Using a framework built on the life course health development perspective, the current research presents several drawbacks and limitations of RUTF for nutrition of mothers and young children, especially in non-emergency situations. Recommendations follow for potential strategies to limit the use of these products to the treatment of acute undernutrition only, study the longer term health impacts of RUTF, prevent conflict of interests arising for social enterprises, and where possible, ensure that whole foods are supported for life-long health and nutrition, as well as environmental sustainability.
Highlights from the STAR experiment at RHIC

Abstract We present an overview of results presented by the STAR collaboration at the Quark Matter 2017 conference. We report the precision measurement of elliptic flow of D 0 mesons and the first measurement of Λ c baryons in Au+Au collisions at s NN = 200 GeV , which suggest thermalization of charm quarks. B-hadron production is also measured via the decay daughters, J/ ψ , D 0 and electrons in Au+Au collisions, exhibiting less suppression than charm mesons at high transverse momenta (p T ) for the D 0 and electron decay channels. J/ ψ and ϒ measurements provide new insights into in-medium regeneration and dissociation. Di-electron production shows evidence for coherent photo-production at very low p T . The first RHIC measurement of direct photon-jet coincidences is reported, and compared to distributions with π 0 and charged hadron triggers. The jet shared momentum fraction z g measurement shows no modification in A+A collisions, in contrast to LHC measurements. First results from the fixed-target program at STAR show good agreement with published results. New analysis methods of the chiral magnetic effect are discussed, together with the first observation of a non-zero global Λ polarization in A+A collisions. Finally, we give an outlook to detector upgrades for the Beam Energy Scan phase II.
The molecular genetics of human T cell leukemias and lymphomas.

Specific chromosomal translocations are consistently associated with particular malignancies suggesting they play a role in neoplastic development (Klein 1981; Yunis 1983). Studies on the translocations present in Burkitt1s lymphoma have shown they result in the association of the c-myc oncogene with the 5′ end of either the IgH locus on chromosome 14, or the CK or Cλ loci on chromosome 2 and 22 respectively. A consequence of this juxtaposition is the deregulation of the participating c-myc oncogene (Croce and Nowell 1985). In addition the IgH locus has been implicated in the translocations present in other B cell leukemias and lymphoma (Tsujimoto et al. 1984a, 1984b). The Ig loci’s unique feature of B cell restricted DNA rearrangement prior to functional expression may be responsible for targeting the Ig loci for B cell associated translocations. Similarly, the alpha and beta chain genes which compose the serologically defined T cell receptor are rearranged and expressed specifically in T cells (Davis et al. 1984). The experiments presented in this paper demonstrate the participation of the T cell receptor a chain gene in the t(11; 14) and the t(8; 14) translocations in T cell malignancies and show that in the later case this participation may be responsible for the deregulation of the c-myc oncogene.
Social Relationships and Cardiovascular Health: Underlying Mechanisms, Life Course Processes, and Future Directions

Abstract More than four decades of research across disciplines documents robust associations between social relationships and a host of cardiovascular outcomes. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive overview of scientific evidence to date linking social relationships to heart health and cardiovascular disease risk across the life course. We further describe the biological, behavioral, and psychoemotional mechanisms linking social relationships and cardiovascular health across the human life span. This chapter closes by highlighting the critical gaps in the extant understanding of the link of social relationships to cardiovascular health and offering recommendations for areas of future research. Given well-documented associations between social relationships and heart health, it is essential that scholars, researchers, and practitioners across disciplines consider how social ties and corresponding levels of social support and strain impact population-level cardiovascular disease disparities, from birth through old age.
How Failed Attempts to Amend the Constitution Mobilize Political Change

This vigorously argued, sometimes overdetermined, and always interesting essay on failed attempts to amend the federal Constitution is an example of successful interdisciplinary scholarship. The au...
Dystonia: Classification, Genetics and Therapeutics

Dystonia refers to a group of neurological syndromes characterized by abnormal movement of voluntary muscles. Dystonia can affect any voluntary muscle or muscle groups in the body. The disorder is classified based on the affected body regions, the age of onset, and the cause. The primary dystonias are hereditary, whereas the secondary dystonias are due to other causes. Fifteen primary dystonias have been identified; however, the mutated gene is known for only a few of them. There are no adequate treatments available for dystonia; most of the currently available treatments are aimed at treating the symptoms and not the cause of the disorder.
Number Theory for Secondary Schools

Can your junior high school or high school students write the prime factor ization of a composite number? If so, then there are two rules your students can fol low: one to find the number of divisors of a natural number, > 2, and the other to find the sum of the divisors of a natural number, > 2. First, let's carefully define what we mean by the prime factorization or prime-fac tored form of a natural number, > 2. The fundamental theorem of arithmetic states that every natural number greater than one is either prime or can be written uniquely as a product of prime numbers. Thus, for ex ample, since 2, 3, 5, 7, and 1 are prime, we can write th? following:
Prestigio abierto y encubierto: las actitudes hacia las variantes del castellano hablado en el Perú

Este articulo examina los patrones de prestigio linguistico en el Peru. Con este fin se examinaron las actitudes hacia el quechua y las principales variedades de castellano hablado en el Peru, a decir, el castellano limeno, y tres variantes del castellano andino (una variedad no-estandar nacida del contacto del quechua y el castellano). Las actitudes linguisticas se obtuvieron principalmente a traves de la aplicacion a una muestra de 325 personas de una adaptacion de la Prueba del Falso Par o "matched guise test" en la ciudad del Cusco y de Lima. El analisis de los datos revela que la variedad limena presenta un prestigio abierto en ambas areas, y que las variantes del castellano andino y el quechua presentan un cierto tipo de prestigio encubierto en la Sierra, es decir, el Cusco.
Exploration of equal channel angular pressing routes for efficiently achieving ultrafine microstructure in magnesium

Abstract This research explored the equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) routes for efficient microstructure refinement of pure magnesium. The samples were processed for a series of numbers of ECAP passes through three different routes (i.e. A, Bc, and C routes). The utilized ECAP mold had a large channel angle of 142° and the processing temperature was 200 °C. The microstructure and texture of the processed samples were characterized using optical microscope and x-ray diffraction technique. The results show that tension twinning deformation mechanism during an ECAP pass led to the formation of profuse twins in magnesium and the twinning/detwinning dominated microstructure refinement mechanisms. After 8 ECAP passes, both Bc and C routes reduced the length and width of twins to ~ 13 µm and ~ 3 µm respectively. Bc and C routes can refine the microstructure of magnesium more efficiently than A route. Among the three studied routes, Bc route achieved the most homogeneous microstructure with uniformly distributed twins, while both A and C routes resulted in heterogeneous microstructure.
Complications in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy

Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy is becoming increasingly applied as a surgical technique for the treatment of T1 renal masses. In the hands of experienced urologists trained in minimally-invasive surgery, the complication rates are low. We review complications associated with this surgical approach of robotic partial nephrectomy, including hemorrhage, urine leak, bowel injuries, those related to positioning, and the effects of surgery on progression of chronic kidney disease.
Espousing Intimacies: Mystics and the Metaxological

Patrick Cooper offers a sustained reflection on the Augustinian adage ab exterioribus ad interiora, ab inferioribus ad superiora. Desmond had signaled early on that this is a central metaphor for his metaxology, and Cooper traces its importance in navigating the relationship between metaphysics and mysticism, as well as its variation in thinkers such as Pierre Scheuer, Joseph Marechal and Jan van Ruusbroec.
Near-visible bright-soliton Kerr comb generation in dispersion-engineered lithium niobate coupled optical microresonators

We present an optimized, dispersion-engineered, air-clad, coupled lithium niobite optical-microresonator-based configuration for bright-soliton wideband (40 nm bandwidth at −70 dB window) Kerr-comb generation at the near-visible spectrum. © 2019 The Author(s)
Initial study of internally embedded shear-mode piezoelectric transducers for the detection of joint defects in laminate structures:

There has been recent interest in embedding sensor networks into bondlines to create intelligent materials that can detect, report, and potentially respond to their state. This article presents an ...
Inner-worldly and other-worldly outreach: organizational repertoires of protestant mission agencies

ABSTRACTOver the last few decades, an increasing number of American Protestant mission agencies have been engaging in evangelism and humanitarian activities. What explains this growth and what are ...
A perfect storm: embodied workers, emplaced corporations, and delayed reflexivity in a Canadian 'Risk Society'

At the turn of the 21st century, an occupational disease epidemic began to unfold in Sarnia, Ontario, home to the petrochemical complex known as Canada's 'Chemical Valley.' Given the long latency periods for these diseases, the hazardous exposures that produced them would have occurred over a period of decades during the latter 20th century. This suggests a paradox: what accounts for unionized Canadian men working for decades in conditions that posed such grave risks to their health? Or, put in terms of Ulrich Beck's compelling and influential model: given that Chemical Valley during the second half of the 20th century constituted a quintessential "risk society" of the modern West, where were the forces of "political reflexivity" – resistance leading to change – typically provoked by the excesses of such societies? In this article, I seek to resolve this paradox with a political ecology approach that focuses on workers' embodied experience in the micro-environment of their workplace and community, as well as on the material and social emplacement of petrochemical facilities in the region. The analysis reveals a 'perfect storm' of converging ecological, cultural, political, and economic conditions that allowed local corporations to achieve extraordinary power. Consequently, even as activism for occupational and environmental justice was effecting change in similar industrial centers throughout Ontario and the Great Lakes region, these changes failed to take hold in Chemical Valley. The article concludes by suggesting that those 20 th century power dynamics have continued into the 21st century, where reflexivity delayed might well have atrophied into reflexivity denied. Keywords: embodiment, emplacement, risk society, petrochemical corporations, industrial workers, Canada, Great Lakes region
The Invention of CMOS Image Sensors: A Camera in Every Pocket

As of 2020, CMOS image sensors are expected to enable the production of about 200 cameras every second around the world, or over 6 billion per year. In this talk, the story of how we got here is briefly presented, from CCDs, to the invention of the CMOS image sensor at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1990s, to the present.
Accounting for imperfect detection reveals role of host traits in structuring viral diversity of a wild bat community

Understanding how multi-scale host heterogeneity affects viral community assembly can illuminate ecological drivers of infection and host-switching. Yet, such studies are hindered by imperfect viral detection. To address this issue, we used a community occupancy model - refashioned for the hierarchical nature of molecular-detection methods - to account for failed detection when examining how individual-level host traits affect herpesvirus richness in eight species of wild bats. We then used model predictions to examine the role of host sex and species identity on viral diversity at the levels of host individual, population, and community. Results demonstrate that cPCR and viral sequencing failed to perfectly detect viral presence. Nevertheless, model estimates correcting for imperfect detection show that reproductively active bats, especially reproductively active females, have significantly higher viral richness, and host sex and species identity interact to affect viral richness. Further, host sex significantly affects viral turnover across host populations, as females host more heterogeneous viral communities than do males. Results suggest models of viral ecology benefit from integration of multi-scale host factors, with implications for bat conservation and epidemiology. Furthermore, by accounting for imperfect detection in laboratory assays, we demonstrate how statistical models developed for other purposes hold promising possibilities for molecular and epidemiological applications.
Macular pigment optical density and visual quality of life.

Abstract Purpose There is robust evidence that higher macular pigment concentrations help reduce both veiling and discomfort glare in patients with or without ocular disease. We investigated whether there was also a relationship between macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and patient surveys about glare or ocular discomfort. Methods We measured MPOD psychophysically in 23 healthy subjects and administered the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (VFQ-25). Responses for each survey question were sorted from low (no limitation) to high (very severe limitation). The median response for each question was determined, and independent t-tests were performed on the mean MPOD values for survey responses above and below the median. We also performed a non-parametric correlation analysis between MPOD and survey responses. Results While the median response was “no limitation” for most (22 of 25) survey questions, responses were slightly higher for two questions concerning ocular discomfort and one question related to driving at night. MPOD levels were significantly higher in subjects that reported no discomfort in or around their eyes than in those that reported mild discomfort. There was also a trend toward higher MPOD levels in subjects who reported that pain in or around their eyes never limited their activity as well as in subjects who reported no difficulty driving at night. Conclusion These preliminary findings are consistent with the well-established discomfort and glare hypotheses for MPOD. The current findings on subjective ocular discomfort in the absence of glare deserve further study.
Keeping Teams Together: How Ethical Leadership Moderates the Effects of Performance on Team Efficacy and Social Integration

Prior research has demonstrated a strong relationship between team performance and team members’ team efficacy beliefs and perceptions of social integration. Performing well increases the feelings of collective ability that comprise team efficacy and the feelings of psychological connectedness that make up social integration, while performing poorly erodes them. In this article, we draw from the social cognitive base of ethical leadership theory to argue that ethical leadership moderates the relationship between team performance and team efficacy beliefs, and between team performance and social integration, such that these important team attitudes are buffered against the negative effects of poor performance when leaders act ethically. Alternatively, when leaders act less ethically, team efficacy and social integration break down following poor performance. We test our hypotheses in a field study of U.S. military teams actively engaged in competition. The data support our arguments. We find that ethical leadership weakens the relationships among team performance and team efficacy and social integration, respectively, such that ethical leaders preserve team efficacy and social integration when their teams do not perform well.
Infrastructure Coverage and the Poor : The Global Perspective

The authors use the World Bank's Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) surveys from 15 countries (covering more than 55,500 households) to examine the relationship between infrastructure coverage and household income. The results show that throughout the world all income groups have much higher levels of coverage for electricity than for other formal infrastructure services (in-house piped water service, sewerage service, and private telephone service). In many countries most households in urban areas now have electricity service. As monthly household incomes increase from $100 to $250, coverage of all these infrastructure services rises, but at different rates. The findings confirm that the very poor rarely have these infrastructure services - with exceptions. The very poor often do have electricity if they live in urban areas. The very poor in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have much higher levels of coverage than those elsewhere in the world; they often have electricity, water, sewer, and telephone services. The results also suggest that if the poor gain access to services in their communities, many will decide to connect.
Back to the Future: Opinions of Autonomous Cars Over Time

The aim of this research was to investigate whether preferences of U.S. adults regarding autonomous vehicles have changed in the past decade. We believe this to be indicative of the effect of cultural shifts over time in preferences regarding robots, similar to the effect of cultural and national differences on preferences regarding robots (e.g. [9],[14]). By replicating a 2009 survey regarding autonomous vehicle parking, we found that participants ranked four out of six parking and transportation options significantly differently now particularly for an autonomous vehicle with no override, a taxi, driving a standard vehicle, and being next to a vehicle driven by another person. Additionally, we found partial support that participants who were more informed about autonomous vehicle technology showed an increase in preferences for autonomous vehicles.
An overview of speciation and species limits in birds

Accurately determining avian species limits has been a challenge and a work in progress for most of a century. It is a fascinating but difficult problem. Under the biological species concept, only lineages that remain essentially independent when they are in sympatry are clearly species. Otherwise, there is no clear line yet found that marks when a pair of diverging lineages (e.g., in allopatry) become different enough to warrant full biological species status. Also, with more data, species limits often require reevaluation. The process of divergence and speciation is itself very complex and is the focus of intense research. Translating what we understand of that process into taxonomic names can be challenging. A series of issues are important. Single-locus criteria are unlikely to be convincing. Genetic independence is not a species limits requirement, but the degree of independence (gene flow) needs to be considered when there is opportunity for gene flow and independence is not complete. Time-based species (limits determined by time of separation) are unsatisfactory, though integrating time more effectively into our datasets is warranted. We need to disentangle data signal due to neutral processes vs. selection and prioritize the latter as the main driver of speciation. Assortative mating is also not likely to be an adequate criterion for determining species limits. Hybridization and gene flow are more important than ever, and there is a condition not being treated evenly in taxonomy: evolutionary trysts of 2 or more lineages stuck together through gene flow just short of speciation over long periods. Comparative methods that use what occurs between good species in contact to infer species limits among allopatric forms remain the gold standard, but they can be inaccurate and controversial. Species-level taxonomy in birds is likely to remain unsettled for some time. While the study of avian speciation has never been more exciting and dynamic, there is no silver bullet for species delimitation, nor is it likely that there will ever be one. Careful work using integrative taxonomy in a comparative framework is the most promising way forward.LAY SUMMARYThe process of population divergence and speciation produces avian diversity but is very complex.I review this process and some of the challenges we have in translating this knowledge into taxonomic names.Natural and sexual selection, gene flow, time, and neutral changes affect lineages differently, creating difficult puzzles for us to solve when asking “Is it a species?”Avian taxonomy will continue to change as we improve our data and analyses and test historic hypotheses about species limits.An integrative approach using diverse datasets in a comparative framework is the most promising way forward.
Clinical comparison between trial participants and potentially eligible patients using electronic health record data: A generalizability assessment method.

Abstract Objective To present a generalizability assessment method that compares baseline clinical characteristics of trial participants (TP) to potentially eligible (PE) patients as presented in their electronic health record (EHR) data while controlling for clinical setting and recruitment period. Methods For each clinical trial, a clinical event was defined to identify patients of interest using available EHR data from one clinical setting during the trial’s recruitment timeframe. The trial’s eligibility criteria were then applied and patients were separated into two mutually exclusive groups: (1) TP, which were patients that participated in the trial per trial enrollment data; (2) PE, the remaining patients. The primary outcome was standardized differences in clinical characteristics between TP and PE per trial. A standardized difference was considered prominent if its absolute value was greater than or equal to 0.1. The secondary outcome was the difference in mean propensity scores (PS) between TP and PE per trial, in which the PS represented prediction for a patient to be in the trial. Three diverse trials were selected for illustration: one focused on hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients receiving a liver transplantation; one focused on leukemia patients and lymphoma patients; and one focused on appendicitis patients. Results For the HCV trial, 43 TP and 83 PE were found, with 61 characteristics evaluated. Prominent differences were found among 69% of characteristics, with a mean PS difference of 0.13. For the leukemia/lymphoma trial, 23 TP and 23 PE were found, with 39 characteristics evaluated. Prominent differences were found among 82% of characteristics, with a mean PS difference of 0.76. For the appendicitis trial, 123 TP and 242 PE were found, with 52 characteristics evaluated. Prominent differences were found among 52% of characteristics, with a mean PS difference of 0.15. Conclusions Differences in clinical characteristics were observed between TP and PE among all three trials. In two of the three trials, not all of the differences necessarily compromised trial generalizability and subsets of PE could be considered similar to their corresponding TP. In the remaining trial, lack of generalizability appeared present, but may be a result of other factors such as small sample size or site recruitment strategy. These inconsistent findings suggest eligibility criteria alone are sometimes insufficient in defining a target group to generalize to. With caveats in limited scalability, EHR data quality, and lack of patient perspective on trial participation, this generalizability assessment method that incorporates control for temporality and clinical setting promise to better pinpoint clinical patterns and trial considerations.
Psychosocial Assessment Rather Than Severity of Liver Failure Dominates Selection for Liver Transplantation in Patients With Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

The Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplant (SIPAT) is a validated interview tool to assess psychosocial well-being in candidates for solid organ transplants, with higher scores indicating greater vulnerability. We hypothesized that patients with alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) undergoing liver transplantation (LT) evaluation would have higher SIPAT scores than candidates with non-ALD, but that only patients with ALD who have low scores would be selected. We analyzed retrospectively consecutive adults undergoing LT evaluation from June 2018 to December 2019. Comparisons between patients with ALD and patients with non-ALD were made using the nonparametric Wilcoxon rank sum test plus a multivariate analysis to determine independent predictors for approval. In the study cohort of 358 patients, there were 199 (56%) patients with ALD with a mean age of 55 years, and 133 (67%) were men. There were 159 (44%) patients with non-ALD with a mean age of 57 years, and 95 (60%) were men. Mean Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-sodium scores were similar for selected versus not selected patients with ALD (25 versus 25.6) and selected versus not selected patients with non-ALD (18.3 versus 17.4), although the ALD group had substantially higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores. Patients with ALD had higher mean SIPAT composite and individual domain scores compared with their non-ALD counterparts. SIPAT scores were not affected by age or sex. Proportionately more candidates with non-ALD were selected compared to candidates with ALD (68% versus 42%; P < 0.001; odds ratio for approval of non-ALD versus ALD, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-4.7; P < 0.001). Composite SIPAT scores were lower in the selected versus nonselected in both ALD and non-ALD groups, although the SIPAT scores were significantly higher in selected patients with ALD (median, 39) than selected patients with non-ALD (median, 23; P = 0.001). Psychosocial assessment has a greater influence than acuity of liver failure on the selection of patients with ALD for LT listing, whereas psychosocial assessment has a minor influence on the selection of non-ALD candidates.