cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pimping Fictions: African American Crime Literature and the Untold Story of Black Pulp Publishing Justin Gifford. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2013.

Pimping Fictions: African American Crime Literature and the Untold Story of Black Pulp Publishing Justin Gifford. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2013.In Pimping Fictions, Justin Gifford examines the African-American crime fiction genre, which has existed since at least the 1920s. His focus is particularly on the period after the World War II, especially the 1960s and onward. Although much has been written on African American writers of the mid to late twentieth century, scholarship on popular street literature authored by African Americans is limited. He introduces the crime fiction genre to the existing scholarship on slave narratives, Harlem Renaissance, protest novels of the mid-twentieth century, and a more recent focus on hip hop generation writers. As the title of the book suggests, Gifford is particularly interested in characters such as pimps, sex workers, drug dealers, hustlers, and criminals as representations of African American resistance to American establishment as well as the harsh living reality of street corners, prisons, and the urban environment.Gifford is equally interested in the role of the publishing industry. He argues that Holloway House Publishing Company, a white-operated firm, even faced racism by white book sellers who argued that "Blacks don't read" (49). But Bentley Morriss and Ralph Weinstock, founders of the press and Hollywood publicists, successfully expanded their market penetration from Los Angeles and Hollywood to a national scale. Although an increasing number of books by African-American authors was good news, AfricanAmerican writers had to balance their commercial success with the generation of independent AfricanAmerican art. The author explains that the publisher secured its reputation "as the world's leading publisher of black crime novels by selling an image of ghetto authenticity to working-class African Americans" (73). The popularity of the genre, on the one hand, indicated increased publishing opportunities for Black writers. On the other hand, these writers were well aware that profits were being made by commodifying African American criminal experiences. This racial dynamic is one of the reasons why Gifford characterizes the Black pulp fiction as a cultural and social movement, in addition to its being a literary one. The book locates Black crime literature within the social context of the post-World War II US. From urban renewal policies to continuing segregation and mass incarceration of Blacks, African Americans faced social injustices. …
The Ethical Challenges of Field Research in Conflict Zones

Drawing on 26 months of field research in El Salvador during the civil war, I analyze some ethical challenges that confront field researchers working in conflict zones. After briefly summarizing the purpose and general methodology of my research, I discuss in detail the research procedures I followed to implement the “do no harm” ethic of empirical research. I first analyze the particular conditions of the Salvadoran civil war during the period of research. I then discuss the procedures meant to ensure that my interviews with people took place with their fully informed consent—what I understood that to mean and how I implemented it. I then turn to the procedures whereby the anonymity of those interviewed and the confidentiality of the data gathered were ensured to the extent possible. Throughout I discuss particular ethical dilemmas that I confronted, including issues of self-presentation and mistaken identity, the emotional challenges of field work in highly polarized settings (which if not well understood may lead to lapse in judgment), and my evolving questions concerning the researcher role and its limitations. I also discuss the dilemmas that arise in the dissemination of research findings and the repatriation of data.
Testing specifications of economic agents' intertemporal optimum problems in the presence of alternative models

Abstract This paper develops statistics for testing the null specification of an economic agent's intertemporal optimum problem, that incorporate information about a specific non-nested alternative specification. The disturbances may be serially correlated and conditionally heteroskedastic. An optimal test in developed for a local alternative that reflects the specification of the alternative optimum problem through a term representing the ‘best’ approximation of the null model by the non-nested alternative model. Then, the procedures are implemented to study monetary and non-monetary models of consumption and portfolio decisions.
Securing Sugar: National Security Discourse and the Establishment of Florida's Sugar-Producing Region

This article explores the critical role that discourses of national security and national food self-sufficiency played in the establishment of Florida's sugar- producing region. The primary theoretical engagement is with work in economic and cultural geography that analyzes the material and discursive construction of commodities and the regions that produce them. Attention is directed toward the regulatory effects of discourse, as manifested through the establishment of state institutions, rules, and practices that regulate global sugar production and trade. The approach is historical, demonstrating the persistence of national security discourses over several decades as the broader political-economic and geopolitical contexts for U.S. sugar production shifted. These contextual shifts presented the sugar industry and its political supporters with discursive opportunities for framing state protectionism in the global sugar trade as vital to national security. The empirical foundation of this analysis has two methodological components, the first of which documents the role and form of discursive practices. The second compo- nent addresses the broader and larger-scale political-economic contexts for the discur- sive practices of Florida sugar interests-specifically a century of shifting global geopolitics and the United States's role in international affairs.
Low power filtering using approximate processing for DSP applications

The growing demand for portable multimedia devices has placed increased importance on low power solutions for DSP tasks such as filtering and source coding. An approach to power reduction in digital CMOS filter design using approximate processing is presented. This involves adaptively reducing the number of operations switched per sample based on signal statistics. Speech filtering examples demonstrate that power consumption can be reduced over conventional solutions by an order of magnitude for wireless applications.
H2O2: A Dynamic Neuromodulator

Increasing evidence implicates hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) as an intracellular and intercellular signaling molecule that can influence processes from embryonic development to cell death. Most research has focused on relatively slow signaling, on the order of minutes to days, via second messenger cascades. However, H(2)O(2) can also mediate subsecond signaling via ion channel activation. This rapid signaling has been examined most thoroughly in the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) pathway, which plays a key role in facilitating movement mediated by the basal ganglia. In DA neurons of the substantia nigra, endogenously generated H(2)O(2) activates ATP-sensitive K(+) (K-ATP) channels that inhibit DA neuron firing. In the striatum, H(2)O(2) generated downstream from glutamatergic AMPA receptor activation in medium spiny neurons acts as a diffusible messenger that inhibits axonal DA release, also via K-ATP channels. The source of dynamically generated H(2)O(2) is mitochondrial respiration; thus, H(2)O(2) provides a novel link between activity and metabolism via K-ATP channels. Additional targets of H(2)O(2) include transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. In contrast to the inhibitory effect of H(2)O(2) acting via K-ATP channels, TRP channel activation is excitatory. This review describes emerging roles of H(2)O(2) as a signaling agent in the nigrostriatal pathway and basal ganglia neurons.
Nature of Transboundary Water Conflicts: Issues of Complexity and the Enabling Conditions for Negotiated Cooperation

Water access, demand, usage and management become complex due to the crossing of multiple boundaries: political, social and jurisdictional, as well as physical, ecological and biogeochemical. This paper focuses on a particular class of complex water problems: the allocation of transboundary water (TBW) among competing riparians with conflicting needs. The complexity in TBW allocation lies in the dynamic consequences of competition that arise from the interconnections and feedbacks among actors, processes and institutions operating in the knowledge and political communities. Consequently, many TBW allocation issues become contingent upon the dynamic changes that occur within the knowledge and political communities as well as the interactions and feedback occurring between these two communities. In addition to understanding and addressing the contingent contextual factors that span the knowledge and political communities, resolving complex TBW problems also needs to be guided by contextual application of two global principles – equity and sustainability – as anchors to accommodate the values and interests of the stakeholders involved in a TBW problem. This paper examines the process that led to the relatively successful resolution of conflict over allocating the waters in the Indus basin between India and Pakistan. Using the Indus water treaty as an illustrative case, the paper identifies three enabling conditions that underlie the effectiveness of negotiating a treaty and its continuous efficacy in addressing TBW problems. The paper argues that effective resolution of complex TBW problems is rooted in the nature of the negotiation process, the provisions in the negotiated agreement and the establishment of institutional means to solve emergent problems that are related to the original agreement.
Description of and Preliminary Data from a Women's Dual Diagnosis Community Mental Health Program

Gender differences in dually diagnosed populations with regard to clinical characteristics and treatment issues suggest that single gender programs for women in particular may be warranted. This article describes an innovative approach taken in the treatment of women with dual diagnoses, a traditionally underserved and unempowered population. The Harborview Mental Health Services Women's Dual Diagnosis Program incorporated empirically based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy for dual disorders, dialectical behavior therapy and contingency management into a comprehensive, integrated dual diagnosis program. Preliminary data indicate that this approach has excellent effectiveness in areas such as psychiatric hospitalization, sobriety, productivity, and housing.
Effects of somatostatin on pulsatile insulin secretion: elective inhibition of insulin burst mass

Although it is well known that somatostatin inhibits net insulin secretion, it is unknown whether this is achieved by regulation of the basal or pulsatile components of insulin secretion and, if th...
Comprehension Monitoring, Stylistic Differences, Pre-Math Knowledge, and Transfer: A Comprehensive Pre-Math/Spatial Development Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) and Logo Curriculum Designed to Test their Effects

A comprehensive computer curriculum designed to teach pre-math/spatial skills was used to examine the performance of preschool children using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and Logo software. ...
Substrate-controlled ferromagnetism in iron phthalocyanine films due to one-dimensional iron chains

Using the magneto-optical Kerr effect, superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy, ferromagnetism was found below 4.5 K in iron phthalocyanine thin films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The stacking of the molecules can be controlled via deposition temperature and substrate choice. The molecules self-assemble such that quasi-one-dimensional iron chains form. The chains are limited in length by the grain size or film thickness, which are manipulated using judicious growth methods. Magnetic hysteresis loops show distinct features in the saturation magnetization and susceptibility that depend on the thin-film structure and/or substrate. We find two regimes for the magnetic behavior: below temperatures of $\ensuremath{\sim}$25 K, intrachain interactions couple the Fe ions and produce nontraditional paramagnetic behavior, while at low temperatures below $\ensuremath{\sim}$$4.5$ K interactions between the one-dimensional chains produce hysteresis, magnetic order, and slow magnetization dynamics.
Occurrence, Clinical Characteristics and Therapy of Pneumococcus XXXIII Pneumonia

We have reviewed the pneumococcus XXXIII and the pneumococcus IX cases for 1938-1939, when the 2 types were first separately classified. During this period there were, in our series, eleven cases of pneumococcus XXXIII and seven cases of pneumococcus IX pneumonia. Pneumococcus XXXIII and pneumococcus IX cases for 19381939 comprised respectively, 1.2%/ and 1.1/% of the adult pneumonias at Harlem Hospital. From 1928 to 1938 there were 121 cases classified as pneumococcus IX, constituting 2.6% of the adult pneumonias at Harlem Hospital for that period. We have also reviewed the last 55 of these cases extending from 1935 to 1938. Although they were classi-
On Pondering over Spiritual Connotations of Architecture Both at Home and Abroad

Based upon the analysis of spiritual connotations indicated by some of the typical architectural buildings,an attempt is made to show how spiritual connotations are to be embodied in China's architectural buildings,for which a research is proposed significantly.
Calculating Ultrafast Nonlinear Optical Signals from Molecules in Cryogenic Matrices

We are pursuing the calculation of time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering signals from I2 molecules in cryogenic argon using semi-classical Gaussian wave packet dynamics. Evolving Wigner functions are used to interpret the dynamics underlying the nonlinear optical signal.
Lensectomy procedure using an endoexcimer laser system

The use of excimer lasers for cutting intraocular tissues was first demonstrated by Pellin et al,1The application of fiber-optically conducted 308-nm excimer laser pulses to lensectomy surgery (phaco-ablation) has shown that small capsulotomy holes can be made, and disruption of the lens occurs in a most efficient manner.
Computer Technology and the Older Adult

Publisher Summary It is highly likely that older people will need to interact with some form of computer technology to carry out routine activities. Computer technology holds the promise of enhancing the quality of life and independence of older people as it may augment their ability to perform a variety of tasks. This is especially true for elderly who are frail or homebound. Many older people have problems with mobility and require assistance with routine activities. Computer applications, such as electronic mail, may allow this population to perform tasks they were previously unable to perform. The issues surrounding aging and computer use are of critical importance within the domain of human-computer interaction. Essentially, the implications of age-related changes in functional abilities for the design and implementation of computer systems are needed to be understood. This chapter attempts to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding computer technology and older adults as well as identify the areas that needed research. The topics that are discussed in the chapter include: acceptance of technology by the elderly, training, and hardware and software design. It is hoped that this chapter serves to motivate researchers and system designers to consider older adults as an important component of the community of computer users.
Exploring Personal Computing Devices Ownership Among University Students in Indonesia

This study investigated ownership of desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets using survey information on Indonesian university students. The data show that 98% of students own at least two of these personal computing devices. Laptop & smartphone are the most common bundle to have, owned by 41% while 15% own all four of them. Applying logistic regression method to the dataset shows that student socioeconomic status has no effect on laptop and smartphone ownership but it is strongly associated with desktop and tablet ownership. Gender preference is also indicated in tablet ownership where females are more likely to own than males. Furthermore, the same logistic regression method applied to device bundle ownership shows that students with high socioeconomic status are way more likely to own all four devices while the opposite is true for laptop & smartphone bundle ownership. The findings in this research can serve as a foundation for further research in quest of optimizing technology use to improve educational attainment, especially among Indonesian students.
Peripheral complement interactions with amyloid β peptide in Alzheimer's disease: 2. Relationship to amyloid β immunotherapy.

Abstract Introduction Our previous studies have shown that amyloid β peptide (Aβ) is subject to complement-mediated clearance from the peripheral circulation, and that this mechanism is deficient in Alzheimer's disease. The mechanism should be enhanced by Aβ antibodies that form immune complexes (ICs) with Aβ, and therefore may be relevant to current Aβ immunotherapy approaches. Methods Multidisciplinary methods were employed to demonstrate enhanced complement-mediated capture of Aβ antibody immune complexes compared with Aβ alone in both erythrocytes and THP1-derived macrophages. Results Aβ antibodies dramatically increased complement activation and opsonization of Aβ, followed by commensurately enhanced Aβ capture by human erythrocytes and macrophages. These in vitro findings were consistent with enhanced peripheral clearance of intravenously administered Aβ antibody immune complexes in nonhuman primates. Discussion Together with our previous results, showing significant Alzheimer's disease deficits in peripheral Aβ clearance, the present findings strongly suggest that peripheral mechanisms should not be ignored as contributors to the effects of Aβ immunotherapy.
Complications of Emerging Oncology Therapies Requiring Treatment in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

The development of immunotherapies has resulted in significant improvements in survival for children with cancer and congenital blood disorders. The purpose of this review is to guide the recognition and treatment of significant side of effects three increasingly used immunotherapies—T cell-mediated therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and anti-GD2 antibodies. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a cytokine-induced systemic inflammatory state secondary to chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR–T cells), a therapy used for relapsed and refractory leukemia. CRS can range from fever and mild flu-like symptoms to cardiopulmonary collapse and neurologic sequelae including encephalitis, seizures, and cerebral edema. Immune check point inhibitors work to redirect the T cell response towards cancer cells and have shown a survival advantage for patients with advanced melanoma. These agents also activate an immune response which can mimic autoimmune disease and cause organ failure and neurologic complications like Guillain–Barre and posterior reversible encephalopathy. Children with high-risk and chemotherapy-resistant neuroblastoma have seen improved survival with the use of anti-GD2, an immunotherapy directed at the highly abundant and conserved GD2 antigen expressed on neuroblastoma cells. Severe pain is the consistently reported side effect of anti-GD2, occurring in an estimated 50% of patients and often requiring narcotic and sedative agents for the duration of therapy. Immunotherapy has become critical to the treatment of previously irremediable diseases like relapsed leukemia and refractory neuroblastoma. The survival advantage offered by these therapies requires an understanding of diagnosis and treatment of their life-threatening toxicities.
Processing Contaminants: Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a large and heterogeneous group of compounds that form through different nonenzymatic pathways. They are biologically important because they have significant prooxidant and proinflammatory properties. AGEs form in the body at a constant physiologic rate, which is markedly increased in the presence of hyperglycemia or increased oxidative stress (OS). Food is a major source of AGEs and high heat markedly increases AGE formation. It has recently become apparent that these exogenous AGEs are important contributors to the body AGE pool and they have the same biologic actions as their endogenous counterparts. Food-derived AGEs have been shown to be associated with the development of insulin resistance, diabetes, renal disease, and atherosclerosis in mice. Emerging data from several clinical trials suggest the important role of the high intake of exogenous AGEs in generating an increased OS and inflammatory state, which over time may lead to the pathogenesis of chronic human disease. More importantly, these trials also show that reducing the dietary AGE content by simple modifications in culinary techniques is a safe and easily applicable intervention that decreases the high OS characteristic of most chronic diseases, thereby opening a significant potential therapeutic intervention to prevent or treat these chronic conditions.
Thirty-Day Readmission Rates, Timing, Causes, and Costs after ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the United States: A National Readmission Database Analysis 2010-2014.

Background Readmission after ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) poses an enormous economic burden to the US healthcare system. Efforts to prevent readmissions should be based on und...
Evolution and Structure of Proteins and Proteomes

This themed issue centered on the evolution and structure of proteins and proteomes is comprised of seven published manuscripts. [...]
Coping With Conflict: Examining the Influence of PSM on Perceptions of Workplace Stressors:

While the presence and degree of workplace stress poses a significant problem for organizations in all sectors, scholarship frequently acknowledges that responses to workplace stress vary significa...
Food dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis triggered by inhaled antigen.

Abstract We present a unique case of food dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA) triggered by an inhaled allergen in a 23- year-old professional cyclist. FDEIA is considered a rare form of anaphylaxis in which the state of exercise can trigger mast cell degranulation to an allergen which normally does not cause a reaction. It is closely related to exercise induced anaphylaxis, which occurs with exercise but in the absence of a food trigger. The patient experienced an anaphylactic reaction during a bicycle race when the race went through an almond orchard in full bloom. He was successfully stabilized with aggressive measures including steroids, fluids, anti-histamines and multiple doses of epinephrine.
Kenotic Chorology as A/theology in Nishida and beyond

In this paper, I explore a possible a/theological response to what Nietzsche called the ‘death of God’—or Holderlin’s and Heidegger’s ‘flight of the gods’—through a juxtaposition of the Christian-Pauline concept of kenōsis and the ancient Greek-Platonic notion of chōra, and by taking Nishida Kitarō’s appropriations of these concepts as a clue and starting point. Nishida refers to chōra in 1926 to initiate his philosophy of place (basho) and then makes reference to kenōsis in 1945 in his final work that culminates—without necessarily completing—his oeuvre. What he had thereby accomplished is an inversion of Platonism resulting in the collapse of the transcendent/immanent—idea/genesis and by implication the Heaven/Earth—dichotomy. I then unpack the ethical implication of this kenotic chōra Nishida has left us with. It suggests from us a certain response to the desacralization or secularization of the world. I shall build upon this suggestion and unfold its implications by drawing from a variety of sources, starting with Nishida but including others, such as Meister Eckhart, Martin Heidegger, Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas, Gianni Vattimo, Reiner Schurmann, Mark Taylor, Jurgen Moltmann, and other philosophical and theological sources.
Compression testing of graphite/epoxy composite materials

Three methods for compression testing coupons of filament-reinforced polymer-matrix composite materials are evaluated, to identify the sensitivity of the test techniques to laminate, specimen, and test parameters. A 'wedge-grip' compression fixture, a face-supported compression fixture, and an end-loaded coupon fixture are described. Specimens of 12.5-, 25-, and 50-mm widths, 8-, 16-, and 24-ply thicknesses, and of various fiber orientations were used to test the 'wedge-grip' compression fixture and the face-supported fixture; the end-loaded coupon fixture was tested using 16-ply specimens. Compressive strain-stress, strength, and modulus data obtained with the fixtures and evaluations showing the effects of all the test parameters are presented. One of the conclusions asserts that the 'wedge-grip' compression fixture provides good stress-strain data to failure for unidirectional and quasi-isotropic laminates.
Picking from the Past in Preparation for a Pest: Seed Banks Outperform Herbaria as Sources of Preserved 'Ōhi'a Seed.

Seed banks serve the purpose of maintaining germplasm for ex situ species preservation. Herbarium vouchers may be a viable source of unique and/or additional seeds for restoration as they can somet...
Financial Hardship Among Hispanic Women with Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Little is known about financial hardship among Hispanic women with thyroid cancer. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of financial hardship and to identify correlate...
Standardized Approaches to MR Safety Assessment of Patients with Implanted Devices

Three dimensionally mapping the relative spatial distributions and magnitudes of the various energy sources used in the MR imaging process for a given MR scanner potentiates an understanding of the relative spatial distributions of the potential risks associated with each of these energies or fields. By systematically analyzing the data for each energy source relative to the location and type of implants, devices, and/or foreign bodies within a specific patient, one can prospectively assess and even begin to quantify the risks of exposing that patient to selected MR scanner hardware for a requested diagnostic study.
Osteoarthritic Meniscal Entheses Exhibit Altered Collagen Fiber Orientation.

The knee menisci are vital for maintaining the stability of the joint, allowing for force distribution, and protecting the underlying articular cartilage during loading. Each meniscus is attached t...
Negative regulation of a ribonucleoprotein condensate driven by dilute phase oligomerization

Ribonucleoprotein bodies are exemplars of membraneless biomolecular condensates that can form via spontaneous or driven phase transitions. The fungal protein Whi3 forms compositionally distinct ribonucleoprotein condensates that are implicated in key processes such as cell-cycle control and cell polarity. Whi3 has a modular architecture that includes a Q-rich intrinsically disordered region and a tandem RNA recognition module. Here, we uncover localized order-to-disorder transitions within a 21-residue stretch of the Q-rich region. This region, which can form alpha-helical conformations, is shown to modulate protein density within Whi3-RNA condensates by driving dilute phase oligomerization. Specifically, enhancing helicity within this region enhances oligomerization in the dilute phase. This weakens the associations among disordered Q-rich regions thereby diluting the concentration of Whi3 in condensates. The opposite behavior is observed when helicity within the 21-residue stretch of the Q-rich region is abrogated. Thus, dilute phase oligomers, driven by a specific sequence motif, lead to negative regulation of the stoichiometry of protein versus RNA in the dense phase. Our findings stand in contrast to other systems where oligomerization is known to enhance the drive for phase separation. Our results highlight distinctive regulatory effects over phase behavior due to local order-to-disorder transitions within intrinsically disordered regions. This provides a way to leverage molecular scale conformational preferences and coupled intermolecular associations to regulate mesoscale phase behavior and material properties of condensates. SignificanceA large sub-class of biomolecular condensates are linked to RNA regulation and known as ribonucleoprotein (RNP) bodies. While extensive work has identified driving forces of biomolecular condensates, relatively little is known about negative regulation of assembly. Here, using a fungal RNP component, Whi3, we show that its intrinsically-disordered, Q-rich region exerts regulatory control over condensate formation through a cryptic helical region that enables the formation of dilute phase oligomers. These oligomers detour Whi3 proteins from condensates, thereby impacting the driving forces for phase separation, the protein-to-RNA ratio in condensates, and the material properties of condensates. Our findings show how nanoscale conformational equilibria can enable control over micron-scale phase equilibria.
Disparities and survival in newly diagnosed gastric cancer in Hispanic patients in the United States: a propensity score matched analysis

Background The burden of gastric cancer involving Hispanic patients in the United States is growing as both the population and the incidence of gastric cancer in this group increases. This burden is compounded by presentation with advanced disease and socioeconomic challenges shaping cancer care. We sought to describe the demographics, socioeconomic factors, treatment, and survival experience of Hispanic patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Methods Patients with gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 (n=90,737) in the National Cancer Database were retrospectively identified. Patients of Hispanic ethnicity were compared against non-Hispanic white patients. Surgical cohort was further analyzed, and 1:1 propensity score matching was used to balance covariates between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white surgical patients. Survival was compared using Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression was used to determine prognostic factors for survival. Results Compared to non-Hispanic white patients, Hispanic patients are more likely to be younger, female, and healthier. They were more likely to be uninsured, reside in poorer neighborhoods and reside in areas with lower rates of education. Hispanic patients were more likely to live in a metropolitan area, travel shorter distances for healthcare, and receive treatment at an academic and high volume centers. Hispanic patients were more likely to have higher stage disease presentation, higher grade tumors, lymphovascular invasion, and poorly cohesive adenocarcinoma. Hispanic patients were more likely to receive surgery, but less likely to receive adjuvant therapy. In Cox regression of all patients, unmatched surgical patients, and matched surgical patients, Hispanic ethnicity was an independent prognostic factor of improved survival. Conclusions Hispanic patients with gastric adenocarcinoma present with several unfavorable clinicopathologic and socioeconomic factors. Paradoxically, these patients demonstrate improved survival. Further study is warranted to characterize disease biology in this population.
Green infrastructure can limit but not solve air pollution injustice

Outdoor air pollution contributes to millions of deaths worldwide yet air pollution has differential exposures across racial/ethnic groups and socioeconomic status. While green infrastructure has the potential to decrease air pollution and provide other benefits to human health, vegetation alone cannot resolve health disparities related to air pollution injustice. We discuss how unequal access to green infrastructure can limit air quality improvements for marginalized communities and provide strategies to move forward.
Lactate ions induce synaptic plasticity to enhance output from the central respiratory network.

Lactate ion sensing has emerged as a process that regulates ventilation during metabolic challenges. Most work has focused on peripheral sensing of lactate for the control of breathing. However, lactate also rises in the central nervous system (CNS) during disturbances to blood gas homeostasis and exercise. Using an amphibian model, we recently showed that lactate ions, independently of pH and pyruvate metabolism, act directly in the brainstem to increase respiratory-related motor outflow. This response had a long washout time and corresponded with potentiated excitatory synaptic strength of respiratory motoneurons. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that lactate ions enhance respiratory output using cellular mechanisms associated with long-term synaptic plasticity within motoneurons. In this study, we confirm that 2 mM sodium lactate, but not sodium pyruvate, increases respiratory motor output in brainstem-spinal cord preparations, persisting for 2 h upon the removal of lactate. Lactate also led to prolonged increases in the amplitude of AMPA-glutamate receptor (AMPAR) currents in individual motoneurons from brainstem slices. Both motor facilitation and AMPAR potentiation by lactate required classic effectors of synaptic plasticity, L-type Ca2+ channels and NMDA receptors, as part of the transduction process but did not correspond with increased expression of immediate-early genes often associated with activity-dependent neuronal plasticity. Altogether these results show that lactate ions enhance respiratory motor output by inducing conserved mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and suggest a new mechanism that may contribute to coupling ventilation to metabolic demands in vertebrates. KEY POINTS: Lactate ions, independently of pH and metabolism, induce long-term increases in respiratory-related motor outflow in American bullfrogs. Lactate triggers a persistent increase in strength of AMPA-glutamatergic synapses onto respiratory motor neurons. Long-term plasticity of motor output and synaptic strength by lactate involves L-type Ca2+ channels and NMDA-receptors as part of the transduction process. Enhanced AMPA receptor function in response to lactate in the intact network is causal for motor plasticity. In sum, well-conserved synaptic plasticity mechanisms couple the brainstem lactate ion concentration to respiratory motor drive in vertebrates.
Electronic government at the American grassroots - 2002

Over the past few years, an increasing amount popular and scholarly attention has been focused on the issue of electronic government, or e-government. Defined as the electronic provision of information and services by governments 24 hours per day, 7 days per week (Norris, Fletcher and Holden, 2001), e-government is said, at the minimum, to expand and extend the ability of governmental organizations to serve their constituencies and to promote a host of other, mainly positive benefits to both the governments and their citizens.
Menaquinone (vitamin K2) biosynthesis: localization and characterization of the menA gene from Escherichia coli.

A key reaction in the biosynthesis of menaquinone involves the conversion of the soluble bicyclic naphthalenoid compound 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (DHNA) to the membrane-bound demethylmenaquinone. The enzyme catalyzing this reaction, DHNA-octaprenyltransferase, attaches a 40-carbon side chain to DHNA. The menA gene encoding this enzyme has been cloned and localized to a 2.0-kb region of the Escherichia coli genome between cytR and glpK . DNA sequence analysis of the cloned insert revealed a 308-codon open reading frame (ORF), which by deletion analyses was shown to restore anaerobic growth of a menA mutant. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of quinones extracted from the orf -complemented cells independently confirmed the restoration of menaquinone biosynthesis, and similarly, analyses of isolated cell membranes for DHNA octaprenyltransferase activity confirmed the introduction of the menA product into the orf -complemented menA mutant. The validity of an ORF-associated putative promoter sequence was confirmed by primer extension analyses.
A hidden Markov model fingerprint classifier

Fingerprint classification is an important indexing method for any fingerprint database or recognition system. Fingerprints are classified based on overall characteristics. This paper describes a novel method of classification using hidden Markov models to recognize the ridge structure of the print. The paper also describes a method for achieving any level of accuracy required by the system by sacrificing the efficiency of the classifier. Results are presented on a NIST fingerprint database.
A geometric analysis of the AWGN channel with a (σ, ρ)-power constraint

We consider the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with a (σ, ρ)-power constraint, which is motivated by energy harvesting communication systems. This constraint imposes a limit of σ + kρ on the total power of any k ≥ 1 consecutive transmitted symbols in a codeword. We analyze the capacity of this channel geometrically, by considering the set S n (σ, ρ) ⊆ ℝn which is the set of all n-length sequences satisfying the (σ, ρ)-power constraints. For a noise power of ν, we obtain an upper bound on capacity by considering the volume of the Minkowski sum of S n (σ, ρ) and the n-dimensional Euclidean ball of radius √nν. We analyze this bound using a result from convex geometry known as Steiner's formula, which gives the volume of this Minkowski sum in terms of the intrinsic volumes of S n (σ, ρ). We show that as n increases, the logarithms of the intrinsic volumes of {S n (σ, ρ)} converge to a limit function under an appropriate scaling. An upper bound on capacity is obtained in terms of the limit function, thus pinning down the asymptotic capacity of the (σ, ρ)-power constrained AWGN channel in the low-noise regime. We derive stronger results when σ = 0, corresponding to the amplitude-constrained AWGN channel.
Clostridium amazonense sp. nov. an obliqately anaerobic bacterium isolated from a remote Amazonian community in Peru

Abstract A strictly anaerobic Gram-stain positive, spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium designated NE08VT, was isolated from a fecal sample of an individual residing in a remote Amazonian community in Peru. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed the organism belonged to the genus Clostridium and is most closely related to Clostridium vulturis (97.4% sequence similarity) and was further characterized using biochemical and chemotaxonomic methods. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso C13:0 and C16:0 with a genomic DNA G + C content of 31.6 mol%. Fermentation products during growth with PYG were acetate and butyrate. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic information, strain NE08V was identified as representing a novel species of the genus Clostridium, for which the name Clostridium amazonense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NE08VT (DSM 23598T = CCUG 59712T).
Apparent rates of proliferation of acutely responding normal tissues during radiotherapy of head and neck cancer

Abstract Total doses, fraction sizes, and overall times reported to give “tolerance level” reactions in oral, pharyngeal, or laryngeal mucosa vary greatly in different countries. The variation in fraction size reviewed here is from 1.15 Gy (France) to 3.4 Gy (UK), and in overall time from 11 days (UK) through 3, 4, and 5 weeks (UK and Canada) to 7 weeks (USA and France). Using linear quadratic corrections for fraction size, and regression of the resulting “LQ doses” against overall time, it is found that the average rate of increase of dose for these normal tissue reactions is γ/α = 63 to 69 cGy per day (along the initial slope of the underlying dose-response curve), which corresponds to 53 to 65 cGy per day when 2 Gy fractions are used. The range of uncertainty overlaps with that of estimated tumor proliferation rates in the head and neck by other authors, but there is no trend for these normal tissues to be proliferating consistently faster than tumors in the same sites. These conclusions must be interpreted with caution because of differences in acceptance of reaction level, treatment volume, and dose specification.
Row Covers for Excluding Insect Pests from Broccoli and Summer Squash Plantings

Tests were conducted to determine the effectiveness of various row covers for excluding certain insect pests from broccoli, Brassica oleracea L. Italica group, and summer squash, Cucurbita pepo var. melopepo (L.) Alef., plantings. Kimberley Farms (Kimberley- Clark Corporation) and Agronet (CDK International Corporation) fabric row covers effectively excluded Lepidoptera from broccoli, as well as several species of flea beetles and striped cucumber beetles, Acalymma vittata (F.) from summer squash. Aslit, clear-plastic row cover was also effective in excluding pests of squash, but allowed more lepidopterous insects to reach broccoli plants than the fabric row covers. None of the row covers was initially successful in excluding Delia spp. from broccoli plantings. The presence of Delia spp. adults under row covers was most likely the result of life stages in the soil before the placement of the row covers and the subsequent development and emergence of the adults. Once in place, however, row covers appeared to be successful in preventing the entrance of the adults from the outside into the covered plantings. Delays in maturation of broccoli and summer squash were detected during one year for plants under row covers. No significant differences, however, were found in the total harvest means for head or fruit numbers and weights.
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review of the Evidence and Implications for Social Work Practice

AbstractEvidence-based practice with pregnant clients who are opioid-dependent can be especially challenging because pregnant women are rarely included in clinical trials. The paper synthesizes systematic reviews on the outcomes of medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependent pregnant women and compares the effectiveness of methadone and buprenorphine. We explore evidence on maternal and neonatal outcomes, the safety of breastfeeding, and discuss the implications for social work practice. Searches were conducted in 6 databases. Ten reviews met the inclusion criteria. Results suggest medication-assisted treatment with either methadone or buprenorphine are equally effective in reducing maternal substance use, although methadone may offer slightly higher treatment retention rates when flexible dosing is implemented. Physical parameters and Apgar scores at birth show no significant differences in neonates exposed to methadone versus buprenorphine. Rates of treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome also...
Vapor-Pressure Lowering, Osmotic-Pressure, and the Elementary Pseudo-Gas Model

Guided by the apparently mysterious identity of the constant R in the equation describing the pressure of ideal gases (Boyle's law: P = NRT/V) and the osmotic pressures of dilute solutions (van't ...
Comparison of the helix–coil conformational changes of poly(deoxyadenylate-deoxytymidylate) and poly(deoxyadenylate-deoxythymidylate) induced by variations of hydrogen-ion concentration

Double-helical poly(dG-dC) and poly(dA-dT) are DNA analogs in which the interactions between the two strands of the helix are, respectively, either the stronger G/C type or the weaker A/T type along the entire length of macromolecules. Thus, these synthetic polynucleotides can be considered as representatives of the most stable and the least stable DNA. In the investigations presented here, potentiometric titrations and stopped-flow kinetic experiments were carried out in order to compare the pH-induced helix–coil conformations (10°C and 150mM [Na+]) the pH of the helix–coil transition (pHm) is 12.81 for poly(dG-dC) and 11.76 for poly(dA-dT). The unwinding of double-helical poly(dG-dC) initiated by a sudden change in pH was found to be a simple exponential process with rate constants in the range of 200–600 sec−1, depending on the final value of the pH jump. The intramolecular double-helix formation of poly(dG-dC) was studied by lowering the pH of the solutions from a value above pHm to that below pHm in dilute solutions (15.5 ug/ml [polymer]). Under these conditions, the observed rewinding reactions displayed a major and two exponential phases, all of which were independent of polymer concentration. From the comparison of the results of poly(dA-dT) and poly(dG-dT) would unwind faster than poly(dG-dC). However, if the pH jumps are such that they present the same perturbation of these polymers relative to their pHm values, no significant differences exist between the rates of helix–coil conformation changes of poly(dA-dT) and poly(dG-dC).
On the substrate specificity of a damage-specific DNA binding protein from human cells

Abstract The nature of the lesion recognized by a damage-specific DNA binding protein from human cells was investigated by examining the substrate specificity of this protein. Protein-recognizable damage was introduced into both T7 DNA and Poly d(A-T) at relatively low UV fluences. In addition, the protein demonstrated binding to both nitrous acid- and bisulfite-treated DNA, but not to DNA crosslinked with trioxsalen plus near-UV nor to non-irradiated uracil-containing DNA. These results suggest that this protein could be recognizing minor helix distortions in DNA rather than any one single lesion.
THE ROLE OF MICRODATA IN THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ACCOUNTS

Microdata sets—samples of data relating to individual reporting units—can provide a valuable extension of the national economic accounts as they presently exist, making it possible to meet many of the criticisms being leveled at the accounts over their failure to include much nontransactions information that is essential to the evaluation of economic and social performance. To serve this purpose, however, the microdata sets must be integrated with the aggregate accounts, and with one another. A microdata sets relating to any given sector should add up (with appropriate weighting) to the economic constructs for that sector in the national accounts, and the microdata set for one sector should be articulated as appropriate with those of other sectors. This paper discusses techniques for constructing such microdata sets, including necessary adjustments of the macro accounts, techniques of alignment of microdata with the macro accounts and the creation and development of synthetic microdata sets. Synthetic matching and other techniques of merging data sets are discussed. The paper concludes with a consideration of the methodological implication of the integration of microdata and national accounts.
Just and Virtuous Leaders and Organizations

Abstract The author argues that a virtue ethics perspective can inform the conversation about moral aspects of organizational justice. Questions focus on the character of those who distribute justice and how the goals of an organization influence its salient virtues. Justice is characterized as a virtue that does not stand alone, but rather it is suggested that a just person is characterized by the virtues of veracity, prudence, humility, compassion, and respect. Finally, cautions are raised with respect to understanding organizational justice from the perspectives of those who are non-Western and those who are least powerful.