cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Redrawing the Line: Borders and Security in the Twenty-first Century

effort to restrict territorial access-has long been a core state activity.' As territorially demarcated institutions, states have always imposed entry barriers, whether to deter armies, tax trade and protect domestic producers, or keep out perceived "undesirables." All states monopolize the right to determine who and what is granted legitimate territorial access.2 But there is significant historical variation in border control priorities. Although military defense and economic regulation have traditionally been central border concerns, in many places states are retooling and reconfiguring their border regulatory apparatus to prioritize policing. Thus, rather than simply eroding, as is often assumed, the importance of territoriality is persisting-but with a shift in emphasis.3 In many cases, more intensive border law enforcement is accompanying the demilitarization and economic liberalization of borders.
Example of the Integration of Atmospheric Flight Equations

The problem of integrability of a system of differential equations describing atmospheric flight in the presence of propulsive thrust and aerodynamic drag and lift is considered. If it is assumed that the accelerations due to the difference between thrust component and drag and the addition of the thrust component with the aerodynamic lift are not changed, the bank angle is not changed, and the sideslip angle is zero, then it is shown that the system of aircraft equations of motion can be integrated analytically. The analytical solutions are based on four independent first integrals for heading angle, magnitude of velocity vector, time, altitude, and two quadratures for the position vector components. In the case of a flight in a vertical plane, these two quadratures can also be integrated in a closed form,therebyprovidingageneralintegraloftheaircraftequationswithsufficientnumberofindependentconstants. The assumptions made are justified by comparison analysis of the aircraft performance with existing solutions in terms of thrust and angle of attack computed for various values of thrust-drag, lift, weight, and power settings. An illustrative example is presented.
In-situ characterization of the uncrimping process of arterial collagen fibers using two-photon confocal microscopy and digital image correlation

Uncrimping of collagen fibers in the arterial wall is an integral process in regulating the macro-level mechanical response of arteries. Uncrimping of collagen fibers leads to a gradual, but significant strain-stiffening response of the artery at physiological pressures and prevents overdistention at elevated pressures. In this study, we imaged adventitial collagen fibers from fresh primate arteries using two-photon excitation microscopy while subjecting the arteries to physiological inflation pressures and axial stretches. The imaging focal plane was fixed at a constant radial location in the adventitial wall by adjusting the focal distance as the arteries inflated, allowing for the continuously monitoring of the uncrimping process of a single region of collagen fibers. Digital image correlation was then applied to the sequential images to assess and correlate the local displacements to manual traces of selected reference fibers and their engagements. We found that the collagen fibers of interest became fully engaged at a luminal pressure of 20mmHg, this was then followed by rotation of these fibers as the bulk artery continued to dilate. This technique helps to further the understanding of the uncrimping process of collagen fibers under physiological loads, which can aid in the development of more accurate microstructural constitutive models.
Metabolic consequences of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A deficiency in mice: exploring possible relationship to the longevity phenotype

Mice born with the deletion of the gene for pregnancyassociated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), a model of reduced local IGF activity, live w30% longer than their wild-type (WT) littermates. In this study, we investigated metabolic consequences of PAPP-A gene deletion and possible relationship to lifespan extension. Specifically, we determined whether 18-month-old PAPP-A knockout (KO) mice when compared with their WT littermates have reduced energy expenditure and/or altered glucose‐insulin sensitivity. Food intake, and total energy expenditure and resting energy expenditure as measured by calorimetry were not different between PAPP-A KO and WT mice when subjected to the analysis of covariance with body weight as the covariate. However, there was an increase in spontaneous physical activity in PAPP-A KO mice. Both WT and PAPP-A KO mice exhibited mild insulin resistance with age, as assessed by fasting glucose/insulin ratios. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were not significantly different between the two groups of mice, although there appeared to be a decrease in the average size of the pancreatic islets in PAPP-A KO mice. Thus, neither reduced ‘rate of living’ nor altered glucose‐insulin homeostasis can be considered key determinants of the enhanced longevity of PAPP-A KO mice. These findings are discussed in the context of those from other long-lived mouse models. Journal of Endocrinology (2008) 198, 599–605
Impact of atrazine on organophosphate insecticide toxicity.

Acute toxicity of selected organophosphorus insecticides (OPs; chlorpyrifos, methyl parathion, diazinon, and malathion) was determined for individual OPs and binary combinations of the OPs with atrazine to larvae of the midge Chironomus tentans. Atrazine individually was not acutely toxic even at high concentrations (10,000 mg/L); however, the presence of atrazine at much lower concentrations (40-200 mg/L) increased the toxicity of chlorpyrifos, methyl parathion, and diazinon. Atrazine did not increase the toxicity of malathion. Possible mechanisms for the synergistic toxicity found between atrazine and chlorpyrifos were investigated, including increased uptake rate and increased biotransformation into a more toxic metabolite. Although the uptake rate was increased by more than 40%, the resulting increase in toxicity would be minimal as compared to the 400% decrease estimated to occur in EC50 values for the same atrazine exposure (200 mg/L). Body residue analysis of midges exposed in vivo to atrazine and chlorpyrifos mixtures for 96 h indicated that a larger amount of metabolites was generated in atrazine treatments as compared to controls. Additionally, in vitro assays of microsomal proteins obtained from treated and control midges indicated that an increase in toxic metabolite (chlorpyrifos-O-analog) was generated in atrazine-treated midges. Therefore, the increase in toxicity is thought to be due to an increase in biotransformation rates of the OPs, resulting in more O-analog within the organism. Keywords—Atrazine Organophosphate insecticides Mixtures Synergism Biotransformation
State space modeling of non-causal impulse responses

In this short paper we present a state-variable model for a non-causal impulse response (IR). The IR is split into causal and anti-causal parts. The anti-causal part is then converted into an equivalent causal state-variable model. The order of the complete system is 2n, where n is the order of the original causal portion of the two-sided IR. Because n can be kept quite low (e.g., 2 or 3) the overall order for our complete system is also quite low. Simulations, as well as analysis, demonstrate that our state-variable model is equivalent to the original two-sided convolutional system model.
Age and Type of Onset of Offending: Results From a Sample of Male Sexual Offenders Referred for Civil Commitment

Sexual abuse research suggests that sexual offending is usually preceded by nonsexual offending, but little else is known or understood about the specific kinds of nonsexual crimes or patterns of crime that occur before serious sexual offending. The present study examined the official criminal histories of 751 men convicted of sexual offenses and referred to the Massachusetts Treatment Center for civil commitment. This relatively serious and chronic sample was arranged and compared with the type of their first officially recorded offense. Those whose first official charge was for a sexual offense (“sexual onset”) were compared with nonsexual “violent onset” and “property onset” offenders. Important differences were detected between groups. Those with a property onset experienced more criminological risk factors and reflected the characteristics typical of chronic offenders. These results indicate that a more dedicated understanding of the beginning of one’s criminal career is a beneficial direction for fu...
β-amyloid deposition is shifted to the vasculature and memory impairment is exacerbated when hyperhomocysteinemia is induced in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

Introduction Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In addition, it is estimated that almost half of all AD patients have significant cerebrovascular disease comorbid with their AD pathology. We hypothesized that cerebrovascular disease significantly impacts AD pathological progression.
Laser-induced breakout and detonation waves in droplets. II. Model

A model for propagation of laser breakdown and detonation waves in droplets is described in detail. The model explicitly accounts for the evolution of the plasma and its coupling to the laser radiation. Results obtained with the model are compared with experiment for laser-induced breakdown of water droplets. Model predictions are found to agree well with experimental observations. Calculations show that laser-pulse modulation results in more efficient coupling of laser radiation to droplet.
Kinetic Monte Carlo Investigation of the Effects of Vacancy Pairing on Oxygen Diffusivity in Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia

Yttria-stabilized zirconia s high oxygen diffusivity and corresponding high ionic conductivity, and its structural stability over a broad range of temperatures, have made the material of interest for use in a number of applications, for example, as solid electrolytes in fuel cells. At low concentrations, the stabilizing yttria also serves to increase the oxygen diffusivity through the presence of corresponding oxygen vacancies, needed to maintain charge neutrality. At higher yttria concentration, however, diffusivity is impeded by the larger number of relatively high energy migration barriers associated with yttrium cations. In addition, there is evidence that oxygen vacancies preferentially occupy nearest-neighbor sites around either dopant or Zr cations, further affecting vacancy diffusion. We present the results of ab initio calculations that indicate that it is energetically favorable for oxygen vacancies to occupy nearest-neighbor sites adjacent to Y ions, and that the presence of vacancies near either species of cation lowers the migration barriers. Kinetic Monte Carlo results from simulations incorporating this effect are presented and compared with results from simulations in which the effect is not present.
Generalized Beam Matrices. II. Mode Selection in Lasers and Periodic Misaligned Complex Optical Systems

A generalized beam matrix method is used to investigate the mode structure of astigmatic misaligned optical systems with loss or gain. In these optical systems the usual real-argument polynomial-Gaussian beams are not eigenfunctions, and off-axis complex-argument polynomial beams must be used. New beam transformations for these complex-argument modes are reported. Stability criteria are developed, and mode selection in laser resonators that contain tilted, displaced, or curved complex optical elements is discussed.
Cutaneous sarcoidosis successfully treated with alefacept.

BACKGROUND Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology that affects multiple organ systems, including the pulmonary, lymphatic, skeletal, and integumentary systems. Improved understanding of the intrinsic immunology and molecular biology in sarcoidosis can be applied to the treatment of this disease. Alefacept is a human fusion protein consisting of the extracellular domain of leukocyte function-associated antigen 3 fused with the Fc portion of human immunoglobulin G1. It works by blocking the interaction between antigen-presenting cells and T cells to inhibit activation and by inducing apoptosis of CD4+ T cells. In this case report, we describe a 46-year-old patient with recalcitrant lupus pernio who was successfully treated with alefacept. OBJECTIVE To determine whether T-cell inhibition, specifically the use of alefacept, may be used to treat a patient with recalcitrant cutaneous sarcoidosis. METHODS Case report. RESULTS There was a modest clinical improvement after 8 weeks of intramuscular injections of alefacept. CONCLUSION This case report provides further evidence of successful treatment of sarcoidosis with biologic agents directed against T-lymphocyte activation.
Risk‐Reduction Strategies to Expand Radon Care Planning with Vulnerable Groups

Objectives Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. Residential radon is the cause of approximately 21,000 U.S. lung cancer deaths each year. Dangerous levels of radon are just as likely to be found in low-rise apartments and townhomes as single-family homes in the same area. The preferred radon mitigation strategy can be expensive and requires structural modifications to the home. The public health nurse (PHN) needs a collection of low-cost alternatives when working with low-income families or families who rent their homes. Method A review of the literature was performed to identify evidence-based methods to reduce radon risk with vulnerable populations. Results Fourteen recommendations for radon risk reduction were categorized into four strategies. Nine additional activities for raising awareness and increasing testing were also included. Discussion The results pair the PHN with practical interventions and the underlying rationale to develop radon careplans with vulnerable families across housing types. The PHN has both the competence and the access to help families reduce their exposure to this potent carcinogen.
Feedback Control of Transitional Channel Flow using Balanced Proper Orthogonal Decomposition

ow. We investigate the control of disturbances us- ing either localized body force or wall blowing and suction as actuation. We introduce a method of treating the inhomogeneous boundary conditions in computing the simulation snapshots for BPOD, based on regularizing the inhomogeneous particular solution which arises in the standard lifting approach for wall blowing and suction. For localized body force actuation, the closed-loop controller is able to prevent the transition to turbulence for initial perturbation amplitudes which in the uncontrolled case transition due to lin- ear non-normal growth. Energy growth reduction for an optimal perturbation at a low Reynolds number using a model-based controller and sinusoidal wall blowing and suction in the streamwise direction as actuation is also demonstrated.
Getting smarter and maybe wiser.

This issue contains the second part of an important series of reviews of worksite health promotion activities. These reviews provide the most extensive synthesis to date of the research literature on the health impact of workplace health promotion efforts. The editors are to be congratulated for requiting a very thorough approach to reviewing relevant literature, including references for each of five important heahh promotion components: policy, employee education, family education, manager/supervisor training, and corporate community support. They also make the important observation that it is difficult to interpret the results of interventions that are not based on a well-explicated theory. An important innovation in this series is consistent rules of evidence so that the relative strength of evidence can be compared for interventions used to reduce the same and different risk factors. Encouragement can be taken from the fact that for the majority of risks considered, the quality of the research methodology is considered suggestive, indicative, acceptable, or conclusive. Health professionals toiling in the difficult vineyards of worksite health promotion can take heart that there is a growing body of literature suggesting that their determined efforts can bear fruit. Before running off to trumpet the good news, however, let us take stock of where we are. There are still painfully few randomized intervention
Parent-Professional Collaboration to Promote Spoken Language in a Child with Severe to Profound Hearing Loss

This article focuses on issues of collaboration in delivering language intervention services to learners in educational settings birth through 21 years of age. The purpose of this study was to inve...
Extending the GC-SAFT-VR approach to associating functional groups: Alcohols, aldehydes, amines and carboxylic acids

Abstract The statistical associating fluid theory is a widely used molecular-based equation of state that has been successfully applied to study a broad range of fluid systems. It provides a framework in which the effects of molecular shape and interactions on the thermodynamics and phase behavior of fluids can be separated and quantified. In the original approach, molecules were modeled as chains composed of identical segments; the heterogeneity of molecules in terms of structure and functional groups was described implicitly through effective parameters. To overcome this limitation, in recent works [Peng et al. Fluid Phase Equilib. 227(2), 131 (2009); Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 49(3), 1378 (2010)] the GC-SAFT-VR approach has been developed to extend the theory to model chains composed of segments of different size and/or energy of interaction and enable the development of a group-contribution approach within the SAFT-VR framework in which molecular heterogeneity and connectivity is explicitly accounted for. The parameters for several key functional groups (CH 3 , CH 2 , CH, CH 2 CH, C O, C 6 H 5 , esters, ethers, cis -alkenes and trans -alkenes groups) were determined by fitting to experimental vapor pressure and saturated liquid density data for a number of small molecules containing the functional groups of interest and transferability of the parameters tested by comparing the theoretical predictions with experimental data for pure fluids not included in the fitting process and binary mixtures of both simple fluids and the VLE and LLE of small molecules in polymer systems. In this work, we further extend the applicability of the GC-SAFT-VR approach through the study of the vapor–liquid phase behavior of associating systems, such as linear and branched alcohols, primary and secondary amines, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids, and their mixtures. In the study of these new molecules several new functional groups (OH (linear and branched), HC O, NH 2 , NH and C OOH) are defined and their molecular parameters characterized. The transferability of the parameters is again tested by comparing the theoretical predictions with experimental data for pure fluids and binary mixtures not included in the fitting process. The GC-SAFT-VR approach is found to predict the phase behavior of the systems studied in most cases in good agreement with experimental data and accurately captures the effects of changes in structure and molecular composition on phase behavior.
New enhancers for the chemiluminescent peroxidase catalysed chemiluminescent oxidation of pyrogallol and purpurogallin.

The effects of various boronate compounds, 4-biphenylboronic acid, 4-bromobenzene-boronic acid, trans-4-(3-propionic acid)phenylboronic acid and 4-iodophenylboronic acid, on the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalysed chemiluminescent oxidation of pyrogallol and purpurogallin by peroxide were investigated. trans-4-(3-Propionic acid)phenylboronic acid produced a 13.7-fold enhancement in the peak light emission from the chemiluminescent HRP catalysed pyrogallol reaction (detection limit for HRP 54.3 mumol/L) and the individual peak times depended upon the concentration of the enhancer. All of the boronates enhanced peak light emission in the chemiluminescent HRP catalysed purpurogallin reaction. 4-Biphenylboronic acid was the most effective and it enhanced peak light emission 314-fold. The practical detection limit for HRP (Type VIA) using this enhancer was 4.18 pmol (peak emission at 20 minutes). This compound also enhanced peak light emission 232-fold from a chemiluminescent HRP-purpurogallin reaction in which molecular oxygen replaced peroxide as the oxidant.
Climate Change and Physical Disturbance Manipulations Result in Distinct Biological Soil Crust Communities

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) colonize plant interspaces in many drylands and are critical to soil nutrient cycling. Multiple climate change and land use factors have been shown to detrimentally impact biocrusts on a macroscopic (i.e., visual) scale. However, the impact of these perturbations on the bacterial components of the biocrusts remains poorly understood. We employed multiple long-term field experiments to assess the impacts of chronic physical (foot trampling) and climatic changes (2°C soil warming, altered summer precipitation [wetting], and combined warming and wetting) on biocrust bacterial biomass, composition, and metabolic profile. The biocrust bacterial communities adopted distinct states based on the mechanism of disturbance. Chronic trampling decreased biomass and caused small community compositional changes. Soil warming had little effect on biocrust biomass or composition, while wetting resulted in an increase in the cyanobacterial biomass and altered bacterial composition. Warming combined with wetting dramatically altered bacterial composition and decreased Cyanobacteria abundance. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing identified four functional gene categories that differed in relative abundance among the manipulations, suggesting that climate and land use changes affected soil bacterial functional potential. This study illustrates that different types of biocrust disturbance damage biocrusts in macroscopically similar ways, but they differentially impact the resident soil bacterial communities, and the communities' functional profiles can differ depending on the disturbance type. Therefore, the nature of the perturbation and the microbial response are important considerations for management and restoration of drylands.
Mitogenic activity and signaling mechanism of 2-(14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoyl)glycerol, a novel cytochrome P450 arachidonate metabolite

Arachidonic acid is an essential constituent of cell membranes that is esterified to the sn-2 position of glycerophospholipids and is released from selected phospholipid pools by tightly regulated phospholipase cleavage. Metabolism of the released arachidonic acid by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system (cP450) generates biologically active compounds, including epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids. Here we report that 2-(14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoyl)glycerol (2-14,15-EG), a novel cP450 arachidonate metabolite produced in the kidney, is a potent mitogen for renal proximal tubule cells. This effect is mediated by activation of tumor necrosis factor alpha-converting enzyme (ADAM17), which cleaves membrane-bound transforming growth factor alpha (proTGF-alpha) and releases soluble TGF-alpha as a ligand that binds and activates epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The present studies additionally demonstrate that the structurally related 14,15-EET stimulates release of soluble heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor as an EGFR ligand by activation of ADAM9, another member of the ADAM family. Thus, in addition to the characterization of 2-14,15-EG's mitogenic activity and signaling mechanism, our study provides the first example that two structurally related biologically active lipid mediators can activate different metalloproteinases and release different EGFR ligands in the same cell type to activate EGFR and stimulate cell proliferation.
Mantle cell lymphoma: current concept in biology and treatment.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a distinct subtype and accounts for approximately 5–10% of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. The tumor cells are characterized by CD5-positive, CD23-negative follicular mantle B cells with typical t(11; 14)(q13;q32) translocation and cyclin Dl protein over-expression. Four histological subtypes of MCL have been described which include mantle zone, nodular, diffuse, and blastoid forms. MCL commonly occurs in elderly patients with disseminated disease involving lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, blood, and the gastrointestinal system. The clinical course is typically more aggressive than indolent lymphomas with median survival of 3–4 years.
Managing Inventories: Fundamentals

This overview of inventory management covers ways to categorize inventories and measure performance. The financial implications of inventory, inventory management systems, economic order quantities, and decision rules for determining safety stocks are discussed.
The Cygnus region of the galaxy: A VERITAS perspective

The Cygnus-X star-forming region ("Cygnus") is the richest star-forming region within 2 kpc of Earth and is home to a wealth of potential cosmic ray accelerators, including supernova remnants, massive star clusters, and pulsar wind nebulae. Over the past five years, discoveries by several gamma-ray observatories sensitive in different energy bands, including the identification by Fermi-LAT of a potential cocoon of freshly accelerated cosmic rays, have pinpointed this region as a unique laboratory for studying the early phases of the cosmic ray life cycle. From 2007 to 2009 VERITAS, a very high energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) observatory in southern Arizona, undertook an extensive survey of the Cygnus region from 67 to 82 degrees Galactic longitude and from − 1t o 4 degrees in Galactic latitude. In the years since, VERITAS has continued to accumulate data at specific locations within the survey region. We will review the discoveries and insights that this rich dataset has already provided. We will also consider the key role that we expect these data to play in interpreting the complex multiwavelength picture we have of the Cygnus region, particularly in the vicinity of the Cygnus cocoon. As part of this discussion we will summarize ongoing studies of VERITAS data in the Cygnus region, including the development of new data analysis techniques that dramatically increase VERITAS' sensitivity to sources on scales larger than a square degree.
Thermal Response of a Finite Slab Subjected to Laser Pulse Irradiation and Convective Cooling

An analytical solution was obtained for one-dimensional heat conduction within a finite region that was subjected to a realistic laser pulse profile. The results provide an improved model of laser heating at a surface by combining a spatiallyand temporally-decaying laser pulse with a finite slab. Analyses were performed to define high-energy laser effects on solids. A variety of convective boundary conditions were applied to the solution. Variation in thermal response of the solids was established for a number of slab thicknesses and external cooling characteristics due to air flow over the heated surface. It was found that both surface convection and material properties affect the peak temperature location within the slab over time. In addition, the change in depth of the peak temperature increases for greater surface cooling.
Teaching Diagnostic Virology

As viral diseases increasingly become major health concerns, it is imperative that medical technologists be trained in diagnostic virology services. This article suggests a course curriculum to incorporate diagnostic virology instruction into existing medical technology programs. Educational curricula should incorporate didactic and, when possible, clinical practicum instruction in clinical and diagnostic virology. This instruction should include biological, epidemiological, clinical, and diagnostic laboratory aspects, as well as information on available antiviral therapy for human viral groups. The resourceful instructor can combine lecture content, laboratory activities, and instructional aids to make the study of virology a meaningful component of the medical technology curriculum.
Expansion of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Microcarrier Bioreactor

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are considered as a primary candidate in cell therapy owing to their self-renewability, high differentiation capabilities, and secretions of trophic factors. In clinical application, a large quantity of therapeutically competent hMSCs is required that cannot be produced in conventional petri dish culture. Bioreactors are scalable and have the capacity to meet the production demand. Microcarrier suspension culture in stirred-tank bioreactors is the most widely used method to expand anchorage dependent cells in a large scale. Stirred-tank bioreactors have the potential to scale up and microcarriers provide the high surface-volume ratio. As a result, a spinner flask bioreactor with microcarriers has been commonly used in large scale expansion of adherent cells. This chapter describes a detailed culture protocol for hMSC expansion in a 125 mL spinner flask using microcarriers, Cytodex I, and a procedure for cell seeding, expansion, metabolic sampling, and quantification and visualization using microculture tetrazolium (MTT) reagent.
The volunteer's dilemma and alternate solutions for ensuring responsibility within accountable care organizations

ABSTRACTThe emphasis on accountable care organizations (ACOs) in recent health care reform increases the potential for social dilemmas such as the volunteer's dilemma within networks of providers who collectively share responsibility for a patient population. Providers in an ACO often receive financial incentives based on how well the group performs in defined quality measures. Care interventions may be indicated for certain patients, such as postdischarge follow-up to prevent readmission. However, the providers conducting the interventions may be unreliable if they vary in their belief in the intervention's effectiveness. We characterize such potential for care coordination failures as instability of an asymmetric equilibrium, illustrated by an example in which ACO patients would benefit from interventions to prevent readmission but individual providers or care teams do not perceive sufficient value in conducting the intervention. We then propose three economic mechanisms that can help ensure that patien...
A GIS-based Matched Case-control Study of Road Characteristics in Farm Vehicle Crashes.

BACKGROUND: Farm vehicle-related crashes (crashes) are hazardous for farm and non-farm vehicle users; however, most studies examine risk factors of injury given a crash, and shed little light on risk factors of crashes. We evaluated the association of road sinuosity and gradient with crashes in nine Midwestern States from 2005-2010. METHODS: We collected crash data from the state departments of transportation, and road segment data from the Environmental Sciences Research Institute. We measured gradient and sinuosity of road segments using ArcGIS. A road segment with a crash was defined as a case (n=6,848), and that without a crash was defined as a control. Controls were matched to cases by ZIP code, road type, and length in 1:1 (controls=6,808) matching scheme. Additionally, a 1:many control matched scheme was employed such that all road segments adjacent to the case would serve as controls (n=24,390). We computed odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using multivariable conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: The adjusted OR of a crash on a road segment with 6%-10% gradient was 0.60 (95% CI: 0.49, 0.75) as compared to a leveled (CONCLUSIONS: Roads with increased gradient and sinuosity had fewer farm crashes. These associations may be due to cautious driving behaviors on curvy or steep roads and road side signage alerting drivers of impending curve or grade. Language: en
Where Are All the Black Teachers? Discrimination in the Teacher Labor Market

In this article, Diana D'Amico, Robert J. Pawlewicz, Penelope M. Earley, and Adam P. McGeehan examine the racial composition of one public school district's teacher labor market through teacher application data and subsequent hiring decisions. Researchers and policy makers have long noted the lack of racial diversity among the nation's public school teachers and identified supply as the root cause. Using a historical framework and problem definition theory, the authors question this supposition and explore the issue as a function of demand. Investigating a unique data set comprising all of the applications for teaching positions in a single, large school district, they analyze the extent to which race is associated with principals' hiring decisions. They explore the rates at which Black and White candidates apply for teaching positions and compare those to the rates at which they are hired and the school demographics in which they are placed. Through a logistic regression analysis, the authors present evi...
The Relationship Between Childhood Psychosocial Stressor Level and Telomere Length: A Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis examined the association between the level of childhood psychosocial stressors and telomere length, an important health biomarker. The meta-analysis, including 27 samples and 16,238 participants, found a significant association of −0.08 between a higher level of childhood stressors and shorter telomere length at a mean age of 42 across studies. Moderator analyses showed a trend in the direction of effect sizes being significantly larger with shorter times between the stressors and telomere measurement. Moderator analyses showed significantly higher effect sizes for studies that used a categorical method for assessing child stressor level and for assays completed with qPCR rather than with the Southern blot method. There was no significant moderation of effect size by whether study assayed leukocytes or buccal cells, whether the study assessed child stressor level by memory-based recall versus archival records, and whether the study controlled for age, sex, or additional variables. The results, focused on childhood events, add to prior findings that perceived stress and negative emotions are associated with telomere length.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Youth in the United States: A Qualitative Systematic Review.

Background:Homeless, runaway, and transgender youth are at high risk for commercial sexual exploitation in the United States. Research examining this phenomenon is growing but requires synthesis to...
Assessment in Early Intervention: Using the Battelle Developmental Inventory, Second Edition

In this chapter, the use of standardized tests in the process of determining eligibility for special education services is discussed. Common tests used with infants and toddlers for the purpose of informing the eligibility process are presented. The decision of one New England state to adopt the Battelle Developmental Inventory—Second Edition (BDI-2) as the preferred test for this purpose is described in detail. As such, an overview of the BDI-2 is provided, including specific implementation considerations that are unique to this specific standardized test. This chapter discusses the benefits and challenges to implementing the BDI-2 across an entire state as a major component of all Early Intervention assessments. Based on the reported challenges in the field, the decision to conduct a more formal examination into the current administration practices of Early Intervention professionals is presented. Finally, the authors’ describe their journey in creating a partnership between the Department of Public Health and the University toward the goal of studying and supporting implementation in the field.
SIRT1 and NRF2 Gene Transfer Mediate Distinct Neuroprotective Effects Upon Retinal Ganglion Cell Survival and Function in Experimental Optic Neuritis

Purpose Optic neuritis is a condition defined by autoimmune-mediated demyelination of the optic nerve and death of retinal ganglion cells. SIRT1 and NRF2 stimulate anti-inflammatory mechanisms and have previously demonstrated therapeutic value in preclinical models of neurodegenerative disease. Here we investigated the neuroprotective potential of SIRT1 or NRF2 gene transfer using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of multiple sclerosis. Methods C57Bl/6J mice were administered intravitreal doses of AAV2 vectors and immunized to induce EAE symptoms. Visual function was examined by recording the optokinetic response (OKR) just prior to EAE induction and once every 7 days postinduction for 7 weeks. Retina and optic nerves were harvested to investigate retinal ganglion cell survival (immunolabeling with Brn3a antibodies); inflammation (hematoxylin and eosin staining); and demyelination (luxol fast blue staining). Results Animals modeling EAE demonstrate reduced visual acuity compared to sham-induced controls. Intravitreal delivery of AAV2-NRF2 did not preserve visual function. However, AAV2-SIRT1 mediated significant preservation of the OKR compared to AAV2-eGFP controls. Treatment with AAV2-NRF2 promoted RGC survival while AAV2-SIRT1 mediated an upward trend in protection compared to vehicle and AAV2-eGFP controls. Neither NRF2 nor SIRT1 gene augmentation was able to suppress optic nerve inflammation or demyelination. Conclusions AAV-mediated overexpression of NRF2 or SIRT1 within RGCs mediates distinct neuroprotective effects upon visual function and RGC survival. This study expands our understanding of SIRT1 and NRF2-mediated neuroprotection in the context of MS pathogenesis and optic neuropathies.
Mental Condition Requirement in Competency to Stand Trial Assessments

In Ohio, a criminal defendant is incompetent to stand trial only if "a present mental condition" renders him unable to understand the nature and objectives of the proceedings against him or to assist in his defense. Some forensic mental health evaluators have treated the mental-condition requirement as synonymous with, or similar to, the psychiatric condition required in the state's insanity criteria, which requires a "severe mental disease or defect." Yet the term mental condition does not appear in other areas of the state's criminal code or in the state's definition of a mental illness for purposes of civil commitment. Moreover, Ohio's adjudicative competency statute does not explain what conditions or symptoms constitute a mental condition sufficient to render a defendant incompetent. This article is a review of the mental condition requirement in competence to stand trial laws, using Ohio as an example, and how this term has been interpreted (or misinterpreted) by mental health evaluators and the legal system. Suggestions for practicing forensic evaluators are offered.
Creating, reinforcing, and resisting the gender binary: a qualitative study of transgender women’s healthcare experiences in sex-segregated jails and prisons

Purpose Incarcerated transgender women often require healthcare to meet their physical-, mental-, and gender transition-related health needs; however, their healthcare experiences in prisons and jails and interactions with correctional healthcare providers are understudied. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In 2015, 20 transgender women who had been incarcerated in the USA within the past five years participated in semi-structured interviews about their healthcare experiences while incarcerated. Findings Participants described an institutional culture in which their feminine identity was not recognized and the ways in which institutional policies acted as a form of structural stigma that created and reinforced the gender binary and restricted access to healthcare. While some participants attributed healthcare barriers to providers' transgender bias, others attributed barriers to providers' limited knowledge or inexperience caring for transgender patients. Whether due to institutional (e.g. sex-segregated prisons, biased culture) or interpersonal factors (e.g. biased or inexperienced providers), insufficient access to physical-, mental-, and gender transition-related healthcare negatively impacted participants' health while incarcerated. Research limitations/implications Findings highlight the need for interventions that target multi-level barriers to care in order to improve incarcerated transgender women's access to quality, gender-affirmative healthcare. Originality/value This study provides first-hand accounts of how multi-level forces serve to reinforce the gender binary and negatively impact the health of incarcerated transgender women. Findings also describe incarcerated transgender women's acts of resistance against institutional and interpersonal efforts to maintain the gender binary and present participant-derived recommendations to improve access to gender affirmative healthcare for incarcerated transgender women.
Impact of Early Educational Intervention on Coding for First-year Emergency Medicine Residents.

Objectives Coding of a medical visit is based on provider documentation in the medical record; the documentation should reflect the level of care that was provided. To maximize coding and subsequent billing, providers must complete various components of the record to best convey the complexity of the case. Little education is provided to resident physicians regarding appropriate documentation practices, and studies suggest a need for improved education in this area. The primary goal of this study is to determine if implementing an early educational intervention will improve billing and coding. Methods This was a randomized, prospective controlled study in an academic Level I emergency department (ED). Interns without prior experience in billing and coding were eligible participants. Participants in the intervention group each received an interactive lecture on coding, evaluation and management (E/M) levels, and documentation macros, prior to their first ED rotation at the base hospital. A pocket card with E/M level requirements was given as a resource. Biweekly feedback was given to the residents to address any patterns of mistakes. The number of charts for each E/M level was collected from both groups, which were converted to relative value units (RVUs). A multivariate analysis using multivariate linear regressions controlling for age, sex of patient, admission rate, and month of encounter was used to statistically evaluate billing outcomes. Results The mean RVUs per hour and encounter in the intervention group were, respectively, 3.52 and 3.84 while in the control group they were, respectively, 3.36 and 3.72 (p = 0.0112). Intervention group encounters had 27% greater odds (odds ratio = 1.27) of having a level 5 chart compared to the control group (p = 0.0025). Conclusion The focused longitudinal educational interventions resulted in improved billing performances, reflected by better documentation, in the intervention group versus the control group.
Control Strategy and Stability Analysis of Energy Router

This chapter introduces the structure of energy router in detail, deduction of the mathematical model of energy router, design of an energy management strategy and analyzation of the stability of energy router. By analyzing the mathematical model of the energy router, an optimal energy flow strategy is designed and the power exchange of each subsystem in the energy router is realized. The small signal model of the energy router is obtained and a new stability criterion is designed to judge the stability of the system.
Integrating Preventive and Therapeutic Tactics in Soybean Insect Management

Current production and environmental demands on agriculture are creating a need for improved IPM programs that integrate both preventive and therapeutic tactics. Research with the bean leaf beetle was used to exemplify development of such an integrated program in soybean. Key elements in development of therapeutics and prevention involve use of economic thresholds and late planting, respectively. A prototype management program for the bean leaf beetle is suggested that integrates these preventive and therapeutic tactics.
Food-Sharing Networks in Lamalera, Indonesia: Reciprocity, Kinship, and Distance.

Exponential random graph modeling (ERGM) is used here to test hypotheses derived from human behavioral ecology about the adaptive nature of human food sharing. Respondents in all (n = 317) households in the fishing and sea-hunting village of Lamalera, Indonesia, were asked to name those households to whom they had more frequently given (and from whom they had more frequently received) food during the preceding sea-hunting season. The responses were used to construct a social network of between-household food-sharing relationships in the village. The results show that kinship, proximity, and reciprocal sharing all strongly increase the probability of giving food to a household. The effects of kinship and distance are relatively independent of each other, although reciprocity is more common among residentially and genealogically close households. The results show support for reciprocal altruism as a motivation for food sharing, while kinship and distance appear to be important partner-choice criteria.
Where Impact Measurement Meets Evaluation: Tensions, Challenges, and Opportunities

In 2016, the American Evaluation Association cosponsored a conference themed “impact convergence” with Social Value International, an international organization focusing on impact measurement in th...
How to Economize Consumer Protection

The U.S. antitrust laws are about protecting consumers from harm stemming from abuses of competition and the competitive process. Courts, private parties, and federal agencies extensively rely upon economists to help evaluate the merits of, and potential harm from, alleged violations of the Clayton Act, the Sherman Act and, more generally, business practices that are alleged to run afoul of antitrust law. These analyses often involve statistical and econometric techniques that facilitate decision-making based on scientific evidence of likely harm to competition or consumers. But in contrast, the typical approach to a consumer protection matter relies upon a combination of surveys and subjective opinions to establish the facts relevant to a consumer protection dispute. We show how economics can be used in consumer protection matters to help prove or disprove a claim that a business practice adversely impacted consumers, and to shed light on the economic merits of litigating versus settling cases. In our experience, many seemingly benign consumer protection settlements induce asymmetries in the marketplace that put the settling firm at a competitive disadvantage. Regardless of whether one’s goal is to protect consumers or defend one’s client, doing so requires accounting for these effects. More broadly, economics provides tools which, when properly utilized, can help improve the allocation of scarce resources — at agencies and beyond — to better serve and protect consumers and competition.
Wireless power transfer to a micro implant device from outside of human body

This paper states wireless power transfer (WPT) from an AC power supply to a micro implant device in human body. At first, an equivalent circuit of WPT which contains biomedical tissue is constructed with an AC power supply, parasitic components, load resistance, and inductances. Then a state equation which stands for the behavior of circuit is found, and the expression of efficiency is derived as the ratio of the power of power supply and load. Finally an experiment is conducted based on the theoretical calculation, and the error between experimental and calculated result is computed and examined.