cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Settlement Type and Interpersonal Estrangement: A Test of the Theories of Wirth and Gans

In response to Wirth's claim that settlement type influences interpersonal relationships, Gans has argued that such influences can be completely explained by demographic differences between the populations of the various settlement types. However, Gans has ignored the possibility of interaction between settlement type and demographic characteristics. This study tests the influence of city versus suburban settlement type on interpersonal estrangement. In anticipating that interaction effects will be found, it is hypothesized that the influence on estrangement of demographic variables which represent vulnerability to strangers will differ between city and suburb. This "vulnerability hypothesis" is supported, particularly as it pertains to the child-rearing lifecycle stage. It is concluded that while the effect of settlement type on estrangement cannot be explained by demographic characteristics, it is largely confined to persons who possess certain characteristics. The relationship between settlement type and the quality of interpersonal relationships has long been debated in urban sociology. The debate rests on two divergent points of view, the first of which is associated with Louis Wirth. Wirth argues that the ecological characteristics of the city settlement type, that is, its great population size, density, and social heterogeneity,. independently reduce the quality of interpersonal relationships generally, and in particular produce interpersonal enstrangement (see also Park; Simmel). Wirth notes that in the city, it is not possible for residents to know all others personally, and those who are known tend to be so in a distant and secondary way. Further, city-dwellers treat each other with indifference and not infrequently with distrust owing to the competitive, exploitive, and predatory social relationships engendered by large population size. The alternative point of view is associated with Herbert Gans. Gans (a) argues that the ecological characteristics of cities have little effect on
Equations of tournaments are not finitely based

The aim of this paper is to prove that there is no finite basis for the equations satisfied by tournaments. This solves a problem posed in Muller et al. (Discrete Mathematics 11 (1975) 37–66).
Testing a digital library of technical manuals

This paper describes a methodology for testing the usability of a digital library. The paper also presents the results from using this methodology on a specific library of technical manuals. The testing process involves timing subjects while they look up facts in comparable libraries of online and paper documents. They are timed for both how long they take to find a desired manual in the library and how long they take to find a desired fact in a chosen manual. Next, the subjects fill out a questionnaire on which type library they prefer using and why. The objective time results and the subjective preferences are compared and analyzed.
The Use of High Purity Germanium for the Detection of 20 to 200 MeV Light Ions

While lithium-drifted germanium detectors have become an accepted tool for high resolution gamma ray spectroscopy, they were also shown to be excellent charged-particle detectors as well. Their use for this purpose was limited, however, by the practical complexities of their handling and storage at liquid-nitrogen temperature, and consequent incompatability with typical nuclear research scattering chambers. Many of these difficulties were eliminated by the development of the high-purity germanium stopping detector in 1970, and by the more recent development of the transmission type high-purity germanium detectors in 1977. A variable geometry detector telescope system using these high-purity planar germanium detectors has been developed and used at intermediate energies at Indiana since 1976. A detailed description of the telescope system is presented, along with some practical experience of their use as light ion detectors. The effects of radiation damage and the radiation damage annealing procedures on detector properties and performance are emphasized.
Points of Finite Order

An element P of any group is said to have order m if $$\displaystyle{mP =\mathop{\underbrace{ P + P + \cdots + P}}\limits _{\mbox{ $m$ summands}} = \mathcal{O},}$$ but \(m'P\neq \mathcal{O}\) for all integers 1 ≤ m′ < m. If such an m exists, then P has finite order, otherwise it has infinite order. We begin our study of points of finite order on cubic curves by looking at points of order two and order three. As usual, we will assume that our non-singular cubic curve is given by a Weierstrass equation $$\displaystyle{y^{2} = f(x) = x^{3} + ax^{2} + bx + c,}$$ and that the point at infinity \(\mathcal{O}\) is taken to be the zero element for the group law.
Composite distribution inversion applied to crosshole tomography

Crosshole tomography requires solution of a mixed‐determined inverse problem and addition of a priori information in the form of auxiliary constraints to achieve a stable solution. Composite distribution inversion (CDI) constraints are developed by assuming parameters are drawn from a composite distribution consisting of both normally and uniformly distributed parameters. Nonanomalous parameter estimates are assumed to be Gaussian while anomalous parameters are assumed uniform. The resulting constraints are sensitive to anomaly volume and are an alternative to the usual constraints of minimizing L2 solution length or some measure of roughness. Damped least‐squares inversion, which minimizes solution length, distributes anomalous signal through poorly resolved areas to produce in attenuated and smoothed anomalies. Similar regularization methods, such as smoothness or flatness constraints, also degrade small spatial wavelength features and produce diffuse images of distinct anomalies. CDI constraints preser...
Helicobacter pylori moves through mucus by reducing mucin viscoelasticity

The ulcer-causing gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori is the only bacterium known to colonize the harsh acidic environment of the human stomach. H. pylori survives in acidic conditions by producing urease, which catalyzes hydrolysis of urea to yield ammonia thus elevating the pH of its environment. However, the manner in which H. pylori is able to swim through the viscoelastic mucus gel that coats the stomach wall remains poorly understood. Previous rheology studies on gastric mucin, the key viscoelastic component of gastric mucus, indicate that the rheology of this material is pH dependent, transitioning from a viscous solution at neutral pH to a gel in acidic conditions. Bulk rheology measurements on porcine gastric mucin (PGM) show that pH elevation by H. pylori induces a dramatic decrease in viscoelastic moduli. Microscopy studies of the motility of H. pylori in gastric mucin at acidic and neutral pH in the absence of urea show that the bacteria swim freely at high pH, and are strongly constrained at low pH. By using two-photon fluorescence microscopy to image the bacterial motility in an initially low pH mucin gel with urea present we show that the gain of translational motility by bacteria is directly correlated with a rise in pH indicated by 2′,7′-Bis-(2-Carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF), a pH sensitive fluorescent dye. This study indicates that the helicoidal-shaped H. pylori does not bore its way through the mucus gel like a screw through a cork as has previously been suggested, but instead achieves motility by altering the rheological properties of its environment.
DSP based implementation of a new V/F control scheme based on non-conventional space vector modulation for better dynamic response, smooth transition to overmodulation region and operation without line voltage sensors

A new V/F control scheme for electric drives has been developed and implemented on a TMS320C50-based DSP platform based on a nonconventional SVM scheme. The choice of the unique switching state for this stator flux oriented controller is based on the stator flux error, thereby controlling the flux to be constant and changing the torque in an optimum fashion. The calculation of actual machine flux is done using the bus voltage and the switching pattern, thereby eliminating the need for line voltage sensing. Due to the control of the inverter, based on actual machine flux, the switching loss is low compared to constant frequency PWM and the unique selection of switching states makes the transition to the overmodulation region smooth. The V/F based system was implemented in frequency, torque and speed mode and the dynamic response was found to be good.
Numerical analysis of the annular-ring loaded circular-disk microstrip antenna

The annular-ring-loaded (ARL) circular-disk microstrip antenna with thick substrate and mutual coupling problem is analyzed using the stratified medium Green's function and the spectral-domain formulation. The intent of the ARL microstrip antenna is to broaden the bandwidth of the antenna. Good agreement has been found between the numerical results and measured data in both resonance and input impedance analysis, even for an antenna with substrate thickness up to 0.1 wavelength. An ARL-disk antenna that had a thickness of 0.089 substrate wavelength and a relative bandwidth as high as 20% was designed. The radiation patterns in the E and H planes were very good, and the cross polarization was less than -6 dB. >
Phase aberration measurement and correction in medical ultrasound

An apparatus to measure time-of-flight profiles in living tissues and an experimental phased-array imaging system capable of correcting unknown phase errors induced by inhomogeneities in the acoustic velocities in tissue are presented. The procedure utilizes regional target brightness to adjust the phasing of individual elements iteratively. The results of in vivo measurements of phase-error profiles in abdominal, breast and transcranial imaging applications are given. The success of the phase-correction system in restoring the quality of images degraded by these errors is demonstrated. >
NXG05-1: Interleaved Multistage Switching Fabrics for Scalable High Performance Routers

As the Internet grows exponentially, scalable high performance routers and switches on backbone are required to provide a large number of ports, higher throughput, lower delay latency and good reliability. At present, most of these routers and switches are implemented on single crossbar as the switched backplane fabric. But the complexity of the single crossbar is increased with O(N2 ) in terms of crosspoint number, which is unacceptable for scalability when N becomes large. A delta class self-routing multistage interconnection network with the complexity of O(Ntimeslog2N) has been widely used in the ATM switches. However, the reduction of the crosspoint number results in the serious internal blocking. To solve this problem, quite a few scalable methods have been proposed. One of them, more stages with recirculation architecture is used to reroute the deflected packets, which increase the latency a lot. In this paper, we first bring out the multiple-panel MIN switching fabrics with interleaved recirculation. We also show how to correctly choose the recirculation points to reroute the cells, compared with the wrong connections of former publication. From the simulation under different traffic patterns, this new interleaved architecture, which is insensitive to congestion, could achieve better performance than its counterpart of single panel fabric.
Synthetic studies on arene-olefin cycloadditions -III- total synthesis of (±)-hirsutene

Abstract The arene-olefin meta-cycloaddition is shown to provide a facile entry into linear tricyclopentanoid skeleta. Hirsutene is synthesized in seven steps by this method from 2,6-dimethylbromobenzene and 2,2-dimethylpent-4-enal.
Relations between early reading and writing skills among Spanish-speaking language minority children

Although there is a growing body of literature on the development of reading skills of Spanish-speaking language minority children, little research has focused on the development of writing skills in this population. This study evaluated whether children’s Spanish early reading skills (i.e., print knowledge, phonological awareness, oral language) were related to their Spanish and English early writing skills using a sample of 554 children whose home language was Spanish. Multivariate regression analyses with simultaneous outcomes (Spanish and English invented spelling skills) were conducted to evaluate whether children’s early reading and writing skills were related across languages. Results indicated that children’s print knowledge and phonological awareness skills, but not oral language skills, were significantly related to their Spanish and English invented spelling skills. Spanish early literacy skills were not differentially related to Spanish and English reading and writing skills. The magnitude of the relations between print knowledge and oral language skills and children’s invented spelling skills varied as a function of child age; however, the magnitude of the relation between phonological awareness and invented spelling skills did not differ as a function of child age. Furthermore, results suggested that language minority children’s early reading and writing skills are related but distinct constructs and that children may be able to apply information gained from learning to read and write in their first language when learning to write in their second language.
Fabrication and Applications of a Novel In-plane Splitting and coupling Device

An in-plane splitting and coupling device for self-collimation photonic crystals is modeled and fabricated. The measured splitting ratio, 0.57-to-0.43, approximates the simulation result, 0.5-to-0.49. A total coupling efficiency of 86% is shown in the simulation.
Experimental Study of the Distribution and Habitat of the Tetanus Bacillus

tetanus spores. With this object in view, the feces of many animals have been examined and the following points have been emphasized: How many of the animals harbor the organism in the intestines? To what extent are tetanus spores present in the feces of such animals? Do such animals become permanent carriers, or do they eventually rid themselves of the organism? Can the tetanus bacillus multiply in the animal intestine ?
Abstract 3963: MicroRNA-124 and microRNA-1, commonly lost in glioma, coordinately target sphingosine kinase-1 in glioma cells

Glioma (Glioblastoma multiforme, GBM) is the most common and the most aggressive form of brain tumor. As its Latin name implies, glioma is characterized by enormous heterogeneity and many different genes and cellular pathways responsible for glioma genesis and progression have been described. One of them is Sphingosine Kinase-1 (SPHK-1), a bona fide oncogene in glioma, whose marked up-regulation of expression and activity is responsible for the poor patient outcome due to escalating proliferation and invasiveness of glioma cells. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding regulators of the gene expression and deregulation of their expression is a frequent event in the formation and progression of many malignancies including glioma. Among these deregulated microRNAs, microRNA-124 is the most downregulated microRNA. It has been shown to promote neuronal differentiation and inhibit glioma cell proliferation and to target CDK6. Here we show that microRNA-1 is also severely downregulated in glioma patients and that it acts coordinately with microRNA-124 to target SPHK-1. We show that both microRNAs directly target the SPHK-1 3’UTR and that such targeting results in the decrease of both SPHK-1 expression and activity. We also demonstrate that overexpression of both microRNA-124 and microRNA-1 causes a significant increase in the frequency of apoptotic cells and marked decrease in glioma cell proliferation and invasiveness. Additionally, we show that microRNA-1 directly targets another glioma oncogene – Annexin2A (ANXA2). Targeting of ANXA2 by microRNA-1 impairs glioma cell-cell adhesion and glioma spheroid formation, which effect can be partially rescued by the overexpression of ANXA2 with a mutated microRNA-1 target site but not by wild type ANXA2. Our results provide another target of therapeutic importance for microRNA-124 in glioma cells. Here we show that microRNA-124, along with microRNA-1 can exert profound effect on glioma cells by inhibiting expression and activity of SPHK1 and that additional effects caused by microRNA-1 are likely mediated through targeting ANXA2. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3963. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3963
Antivascular ultrasound therapy: magnetic resonance imaging validation and activation of the immune response in murine melanoma.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatment effects of antivascular ultrasound (US) with dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), contrast-enhanced sonography, and histopathologic analysis in a murine melanoma model. Methods Subcutaneous K1735 murine melanoma tumors were grown in syngeneic C3H/HeN mice. Quantitative tumor perfusion characteristics were measured before antivascular US treatment with both dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and high-resolution contrast-enhanced sonography. Tumors were subsequently treated with 1 or 3 minutes of continuous low-intensity US after intravenous administration of a US contrast agent. Treatment effects were assessed by quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, contrast-enhanced sonography, histopathologic analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Results Low-intensity antivascular US treatment resulted in approximately a doubling and tripling of the time to peak enhancement on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the 1- and 3-minute treatment groups, respectively, along with a significant decrease in contrast wash-out (P < .01). There was a potent reduction in tumor perfusion on contrast-enhanced sonography, with approximately 40% and 70% reductions in the tumor area perfused as assessed by contrast-enhanced sonography after 1 (P < .05) and 3 (P < .01) minutes of antivascular US. The pathologic and histologic changes spatially correlated with the regions of diminished perfusion seen on contrast-enhanced sonography and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Antivascular US therapy resulted in a significant increase in the number of hypoxia-inducible factor 1A+ cells, indicating tumor hypoxia (P < .01), and of CD45+/CD3+ cells in tumors after treatment, in keeping with increased T-cell infiltration (P < .01). Conclusions Antivascular US treatment effects extend beyond direct cytotoxicity from hemorrhagic necrosis to include ischemia-mediated cytotoxicity, enhanced small molecule retention, and intratumoral immune activation.
Development of high-temperature biaxial-strain transducer for use to 1033°K (1400°F)

This study involved the development and evaluation of a high-temperature biaxial-strain transducer for measurement of strains up to 5 percent at temperatures approaching 1033°K (1400°F). The design requirements for transducer were established by specifications prepared by the Pressure Vessel Research Committee (PVRC) of the Welding Research Council. These specifications reflect the needs of the national laboratories and private industry as they relate to safety and structural-behavior studies of nuclear and advanced fossil-fuel systems, including piping, piping components, heat exchangers, and other pressure equipment.
HBsAg Carrying Status among Primary and Middle School Students in Fangchenggang City

[Objective]To understand the HBsAg carrying status among primary and middle school students in Fangchenggang city,and provide evidence for hepatitis B prevention and control. [Methods] HBsAg detection was conducted on 10162 primary and middle school students by ELISA,and then performed epidemiological analysis. [Results] The positive rate of HBsAg among primary and middle school students was 6.98%; that of primary school,junior middle school and high school students was 2.78%、8.17%、12.07% respectively. The difference between any two of them was significant(χ2 values were 106.60,252.58,23.83 respectively,P0.01 ). [Conclusion] Hepatitis B control and prevention among primary and middle school students in Fangchenggang city remains to be strengthened; the awareness of hepatitis B prevention and control knowledge should be increased; hepatitis B vaccination in primary and middle school students should be strengthened to improve the immunization level of student and reduce the morbidity and infection.
Qualitative study of acceptability of biomedical measures for HIV/AIDS prevention among men who have sex with men in Beijing,China

Objective To explore acceptability of biomedical prophylaxis strategies such as male circumcision,topical use of microbicides,HIV vaccine and pre-exposure prophylaxis(PrEP)and their related factors among men who has sex with men(MSM)in Beijing,China.Methods 31 MSM were recruited with snowballing sampling method in an out patient clinic of a hospital in Beijing.In-depth personal interview was conducted and qualitative data were analyzed to learn their acceptability and the related factors of these preventive measures.Results The majority of MSM studied do not view MC as a preventive measure but a clinical procedure for redundant prepuce or phimosis.Whether having an influence to the daily life,sexual pleasure and penis appearance is its major determinants.Microbicide has a higher acceptance due to advantage that can be conveniently used topically.And most of the MSM tend to use the gel formulations.HIV vaccine also has a high acceptance.However,a lot of MSM doubt about success and time needed for its development.Acceptance of PrEP in MSM is slightly lower due to worrying about side-effects in long-term use of ARV drugs,but it is still loved by some MSM due to its hidden use.Conclusions Awareness of biomedical prophylaxis is relatively lower among MSM surveyed and their acceptability varies.Educational propaganda should be done to strengthen the awareness of the HIV biomedical prophylaxis so as to provide theoretical evidence and practical guidance to their application and promotion in the future.
Carbachol injections into the ventral pontine reticular formation activate locus coeruleus cells in urethane-anesthetized rats.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Two pontine reticular regions are implicated in cholinergic triggering of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep: the dorsomedial tegmental region and the ventral nucleus pontis oralis. We previously determined that, in urethane-anesthetized rats, microinjections of a cholinergic agonist, carbachol, into the dorsal region produce REM sleep-like effects comprising cortical activation, hippocampal theta rhythm, suppression of hypoglossal (XII) nerve activity, and silencing of pontine noradrenergic neurons. Our goal was to determine whether carbachol injections into the ventral nucleus pontis oralis elicits comparable effects. DESIGN Recording of cortical electroencephalogram, hippocampal activity, XII nerve activity, and discharge of noradrenergic cells of the locus coeruleus. SETTING Basic neurophysiologic research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS Urethane-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated or nonparalyzed and spontaneously breathing rats with microinjections of carbachol (10 nL, 10 mM) into the ventral nucleus pontis oralis. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS In artificially ventilated rats, carbachol injections repeatedly elicited cortical activation and hippocampal theta rhythm. Concomitantly, the activity of locus coeruleus neurons increased from 2.0 per second +/- 0.4 (SE) to 2.6 per second +/- 0.4 (P < .05, n = 8), as did XII nerve activity (by 42.5% +/- 8.8%; P < .01). In spontaneously breathing animals, carbachol similarly activated the cortical electroencephalogram and hippocampal activity, whereas XII nerve activity was reduced by 6.7% +/- 2.5% (P < .05) together with increased ventilation, as indicated by reduced end-expiratory CO2. CONCLUSION Carbachol injections into the ventral nucleus pontis oralis activate, rather than silence, noradrenergic locus coeruleus neurons. This is not compatible with the state of REM sleep.
Studying the generation of regenerated retinal neuron from Müller glia in the mouse eye.

Retinal regeneration has been studied for decades in nonmammalian species. From these studies, we learned that retinal Muller glia are a potential source of neuronal regeneration by de novo neurogenesis. Although spontaneous regeneration in mammals is absent after retinal damage, we discovered that certain manipulations stimulate a limited regenerative program in adult mice. This allows the study of cellular and molecular barriers that limit regeneration in mice and man as well as to compare it to regenerative species with more complete repair-like fish and birds. Thereby, it may offer novel means to the better understanding of retinal regeneration and develop successful therapies of retinal diseases. In this chapter, we describe the methods to study Muller glia-derived regeneration in adult mice in vivo and discuss potential caveats.
Basics of registration

Registration is the process of relating source data to a target or model. It is a fundamental process in image analysis and machine learning. When the source and target are rigid, the process of registration involves obtaining a coordinate translation, rotation, and scaling to align the two entities. The alignment is performed according to a similarity (or dissimilarity) measure, usually involving minimization of square distance or maximizing common attributes (e.g. information content). Registration is performed for object recognition, for tracking changes and in image-guided interventions. When elasticity, or motion, is also present, the registration process takes on an extra layer of complexity. Elastic registration is used for tracking tumors, image-guided surgeries, and assessment of therapy. Some anatomical structures (e.g. heart and lungs) naturally move; hence, registration in such cases is inherently elastic. As it is common to use linearization over small spatial areas to analyze non-linear systems, elastic registration may be analyzed by successive and incremental applications of rigid registration over small regions of interest. Elastic registration may be conducted in two steps: global (rigid) registration followed by a local registration step to handle changes/deformations that the first step cannot handle. This chapter introduces the basic principles and terminology used in classic approaches for image registration. Introduction In general, the process of registration depends on: (1) the representation of the objects’ shapes or intensities; (2) the nature of the transformation to move the points from the experimental data (source) toward the model (target), or from model to data; and (3) a similarity/dissimilarity measure. The latter can be defined according to either the shape boundary or its entire region. This chapter addresses the basic fundamentals of registration. The following chapter is devoted to shape registration using variational models. Numerical examples will be provided for two common approaches: distance-based rigid registration using the iterated closest point (ICP) approach, and intensity-based image registration using the mutual information (MI) approach.
Utilising dreambody choreutics to integrate somatics with lucid dream criteria

AbstractA model of lucid dream criteria is revised from a somatic perspective which implements both dreambody terminology and choreutics, more commonly known as Laban Movement Analysis. Dreambody Choreutics is the original term utilised to encapsulate this synthesis throughout the paper. Conceptual applications of this approach are addressed. The connection between body symptoms in both dreams and the waking state is also discussed. The revised model for lucid dream criteria is presented near the end of the paper with support from the preceding discussion. It is intended to contribute to discussion and research towards ameliorating the ‘void in lucid dream research’ as well as provide criteria for somatic psychotherapists who are interested in utilising lucid dreams for psychotherapeutic interventions. The conclusion offers ideas for future research investigating the integration of somatics with lucid dream research.
Binding of ethacrynic acid to hepatic glutathione S-transferases in vivo in the rat

Abstract Ethacrynic acid is a substrate for rat glutathione S -transferases in vitro (1,2). In their study defining the importance of the glutathione S -transferases in the hepatic metabolism and biliary excretion of ethacrynic acid, Wallin et al . (3) suggested that a small but consistent portion of the administered drug was bound selectively and covalently to the transferases. Such an association would represent a unique example of covalent binding of a drug to the metabolizing enzyme without prior microsomal enzyme activation. We have undertaken these studies, therefore, to characterize the binding of ethacrynic acid to the glutathione S -transferases and to delineate the selectivity of this binding.
Understanding Latino/a language brokers’ identity goals in association with parent–child relational quality:

In the U.S., children of immigrant families often language broker—linguistically and culturally mediate for their family and members of U.S. mainstream culture. Previous research indicates that lan...
Time series analysis of L-Band SAR for agricultural landcover classification

In this paper, an agricultural land cover classification algorithm is presented that uses L-band SAR observations over time to create a crop/non-crop classification. A statistical measurement known as the coefficient of variation (CV) is introduced, which as a measurement of change is able to differentiate between changing agricultural fields and relatively static non-crop areas. Images from the airborne AgriSAR 2006 campaign in northern Germany and from the ALOS PALSAR satellite over Minnesota, USA are used to demonstrate the algorithm. The small region covered by the AgriSAR campaign is used to highlight the differences in behavior of L- and C-band, and in this case the better results of L-band data when using the CV algorithm. Results in both regions show promise for future use of the CV algorithm.
Thoracoscopy Versus the Open Approach for Resection of Solitary Pulmonary Metastases

The rebirth of thoracoscopy in the 1990s led to its utilization in nearly all areas of thoracic surgery, both diagnostic and therapeutic. Because of its minimally invasive nature, thoracoscopy has been accepted as the approach of choice for many thoracic surgical procedures such as pleural biopsy and sympathectomy. There are, however, areas of great controversy in which the utility of thoracoscopy continues to be highly debated and one such area is the therapeutic resection of pulmonary metastases.
Western European Studies: Society

An illustrative sample of the work on society of Western European studies is examined: (a) models of Western European historical development: social determinants of Europe's dominance; state building; nation-building; citizenship; (b) consolidation and inclusion: welfare state; interest representation; New Social Movements; and (c) decline of the nation-state?: crisis of the welfare state; immigration and exclusion; social policy; collective European identity.
Experimental Impacts of the "Quality Preschool for Ghana" Interventions on Teacher Professional Well-Being, Classroom Quality, and Children's School Readiness.

We assessed the impacts of a teacher professional development program for public and private kindergartens in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. We examined impacts on teacher professional well-bei...
Crayfish Learning: Addiction and the Ganglionic Brain.

Recognizing addiction as a phenomenon with deep evolutionary roots grants valuable new perspectives into understanding its behavioral features, as well as its underlying neural mechanisms and genetic architecture. Although now generally misbranded as “human drugs of abuse,” addictive plant alkaloids originally arose as potent chemical defenses against insect herbivory. The products of this evolutionary arms race, compounds such as nicotine, cathinone, or morphine, target essential biological mechanisms for motivation and learning and act as weaponized disruptors. Human vulnerabilities to these addictive drugs may thus represent little more than collateral damage arising from deep homology, i.e., shared biological implementation of behavioral functions with taxa that trace back to the early divergence of bilateral metazoans. Consistent with such a view, invertebrate preparations exhibit a rich spectrum of behavioral and neural consequences in response to drug exposure. Although there is certainly evidence for addiction-like phenomena in many invertebrate lineages, the present review focuses attention primarily on our recent work in crayfish. Using this decapod crustacean model, we have characterized a range of amphetamines, cathinones, and opioids for evidence of unconditioned intoxication, sympathomimetic properties, psychostimulant sensitization, conditioned cue learning, and operant self-administration. Overall, our findings on drug-sensitive reward in crayfish bear striking similarities to equivalent phenomena illustrated in mammals. Experimentally tractable invertebrate models may thus provide fundamental insights into the homo- and paralogous mechanisms mediating responses to addictive drugs, while illuminating the limits of such contrasts.
Using word clouds to Re-envision letters of recommendation for residency applicants

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To develop a "word cloud"-based visual letter of recommendation (VLOR) and to evaluate its efficiency in discerning applicant quality compared to narrative letters of recommendation (NLORs). STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional cohort study. METHODS NLORs for 48 otolaryngology residency applicants interviewed from the 2016 application cycle were identified and mined for descriptive terms to generate a word cloud, referred to as a VLOR. Eight individuals reviewed and rated a total of 187 blinded NLORs and 48 VLORs on a four-point scale (negative to exceptional). Median VLOR and NLOR scores and the time to review for each candidate were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS It took significantly more time to review the NLORs in comparison to the VLORs (67 seconds, interquartile range [IQR]: 41-98 seconds vs. 17 seconds, IQR: 11-26 seconds, P < .001). There was no significant difference between median scores for VLORs and NLORs (P = .136). Review time and score correlated positively for VLORs and was statistically significant (ρ = 0.459, P = .001), indicating that more time spent reviewing equates to higher scores. The same relationship appeared with NLORs, but was not statistically significant (ρ = 0.276, P = .058). CONCLUSIONS VLORs are a novel and efficient additive tool for screening candidates for otolaryngology residency interview slots. Their scores do not significantly vary from NLOR scores and are significantly faster to evaluate. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2b Laryngoscope, 129:2026-2030, 2019.
VIP modulates the ALX/FPR2 receptor axis toward inflammation resolution in a mouse model of bacterial keratitis

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been shown to regulate corneal inflammation. Formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) is a transmembrane protein belonging to the GPCR family. Ligands include pro-resolving lipids, lipoxin A4 (LXA4) and resolvin D1 (RvD1). The current study focuses on the effect of VIP regarding the FPR2 receptor axis in improving disease outcome in a mouse model of bacterial keratitis. Infection was induced in C57BL/6 (B6) mice using P. aeruginosa (PA) ATCC 19660. Mice received topical treatment (VIP or PBS) 3× daily after infection. Mean clinical scores, bacterial plate counts, Griess and myeloperoxidase (MPO) assays indicate that topical VIP effectively abrogates the disease response. Findings also reveal that VIP influences FPR2 pathway activation independent of archetypal VIP receptors. Exploring the immunoresolving role of FPR2, its ligand RvD1 and related enzymes (5-LOX, 12/15-LOX), our results suggest a mechanism by which VIP treatment influences the disease response in bacterial keratitis, which could offer a therapeutic point of intervention for enhancing this pro-resolving circuit.
The Resistivity Size Effect in Epitaxial Ru(0001) and Co(0001) Layers

Ru(0001) and Co(0001) films with thickness d ranging from 5 to 300 nm are sputter deposited onto Al 2 O 3 (0001) substrates in order to quantify and compare the resistivity size effect. Both metals form epitaxial single crystal layers with their basal planes parallel to the substrate surface and exhibit a root-mean-square roughness < 0.4 nm for Ru and < 0.9 nm for Co. Transport measurements on these layers have negligible resistance contributions from roughness and grain boundary scattering which allows direct quantification of electron surface scattering. The measured resistivity ρ vs d is well described by the classical Fuchs-Sondheimer model, indicating a mean free path for transport within the basal plane of λ = 6.7 ± 0.3 nm for Ru and λ = 19.5 ± 1.0 nm for Co. Bulk Ru is 36% more resistive than Co; in contrast, Ru(0001) layers with d ≤ 25 nm are more conductive than Co(0001) layers, which is attributed to the shorter λ for Ru. The determined λ-values are utilized in combination with the Fuchs-Sondheimer and Mayadas-Shatzkes models to predict and compare the resistance of polycrystalline interconnect lines, assuming a grain boundary reflection coefficient R = 0.4 and accounting for the thinner barrier/adhesion layers available to Ru and Co metallizations. This results in predicted 10 nm half-pitch line resistances for Ru, Co, and Cu of 1.0, 2.2, and 2.1 kΩ/μm, respectively.
Asymmetric price effects on gasoline consumption: evidence and Implications

The increased volatility of gasoline prices in the last 10 years has renewed the interest in how gasoline demand responds to new changes. Using recent urban household survey and Metropolitan Statis...
Surgical treatment of flail chest and rib fractures: a systematic review of the literature

Rib fractures are relatively common injuries which are predominantly managed non-operatively. However, there has been an increasing amount of evidence over the past two decades supporting the role of surgical management in the presence of multiple rib fractures and flail chest. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the surgical management of flail chest and rib fractures along with outlining the relative indications, trends in surgical technique, and the evidence comparing operative versus non-operative treatment.
Posteriorly Approached Thoracic Endoscopy and Hybrid

Thoracic disc herniations are the least common of all disc herniations, and therefore comprise the smallest percentage of discectomy surgeries. Commonly described thoracic discectomy techniques have well-known complications including new neurologic deficit, need for instrumented stabilization, pulmonary related morbidity, or wound complications. Some of these complications are reduced with the use of minimally invasive methods. The thoracic microendoscopic discectomy offers the advantage of minimal tissue dissection and removal, good visualization of the disc space, and an angle of approach that eliminates the need to retract the spinal cord. This technique maximizes disc removal while minimizing risk.
Trachea and Bronchi

This chapter describes such abnormalities of the trachea and bronchi as tracheobronchomegaly, relapsing polychondritis, tracheomalacia, saber-tooth trachea, post-intubation stenosis, bronchiectasis (cylindrical, varicose, cystic), mucous impaction, broncholithiasis, bronchopleural fistula, foreign bodies, and trauma.
Quantifying effects of the built environment on solar irradiance availability at building rooftops

Solar radiation significantly impacts the performance of buildings and integrated renewable energy technologies. Surrounding buildings may reduce the amount of radiation reaching urban building roo...
Adaptive steering control for an azimuth thrusters-based autonomous vessel

The proposed paper presents the design and development of the combined guidance and control strategies for the autonomous navigation of unmanned vessels characterised by azimuth-based thrust archit...
Genetic circuit design automation for yeast.

Cells can be programmed to monitor and react to their environment using genetic circuits. Design automation software maps a desired circuit function to a DNA sequence, a process that requires units of gene regulation (gates) that are simple to connect and behave predictably. This poses a challenge for eukaryotes due to their complex mechanisms of transcription and translation. To this end, we have developed gates for yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) that are connected using RNA polymerase flux as the signal carrier and are insulated from each other and host regulation. They are based on minimal constitutive promoters (~120 base pairs), for which rules are developed to insert operators for DNA-binding proteins. Using this approach, we constructed nine NOT/NOR gates with nearly identical response functions and 400-fold dynamic range. In circuits, they are transcriptionally insulated from each other by placing ribozymes downstream of terminators to block nuclear export of messenger RNAs resulting from RNA polymerase readthrough. Based on these gates, Cello 2.0 was used to build circuits with up to 11 regulatory proteins. A simple dynamic model predicts the circuit response over days. Genetic circuit design automation for eukaryotes simplifies the construction of regulatory networks as part of cellular engineering projects, whether it be to stage processes during bioproduction, serve as environmental sentinels or guide living therapeutics. This study describes design automation and predictable gene regulatory network engineering in a eukaryotic microorganism.
Increase in Pediatric Perforated Appendicitis in the New York City Metropolitan Region at the Epicenter of the COVID-19 Outbreak.

Objective The aim of the study was to determine whether perforated appendicitis rates in children were influenced by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surge. Background Disruption of care pathways during a public health crisis may prevent children from obtaining prompt assessment for surgical conditions. Progression of appendicitis to perforation is influenced by timeliness of presentation. In the context of state-mandated controls and public wariness of hospitals, we investigated the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on perforated appendicitis in children. Study design We conducted an analysis of all children presenting to 3 hospital sites with acute appendicitis between March 1 and May 7, 2020, corresponding with the peak COVID-19 outbreak in the New York City region. Control variables were collected from the same institutions for the preceding 5 years. The primary outcome measure was appendiceal perforation. Results Fifty-five children presented with acute appendicitis over 10 weeks. Compared to a 5-year control cohort of 1291 patients, we observed a higher perforation rate (45% vs 27%, odds ratio 2.23, 95% confidence interval 1.29-3.85, P = 0.005) and longer mean duration of symptoms in children with perforations (71 ± 39 vs 47 ± 27 h, P = 0.001) during the COVID-19 period. There were no differences in perforation rates (55% vs 59%, P = 0.99) or median length of stay (1.0 vs 3.0 days, P = 0.58) among children screening positive or negative for SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions Children in the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrated higher rates of perforated appendicitis compared to historical controls. Preoperative detection of SARS-CoV-2 was not associated with inferior outcomes. Although children likely avoid much of the morbidity directly linked to COVID-19, disruption to local healthcare delivery systems may negatively impact other aspects of pediatric surgical disease.
Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients With Osteopetrosis.

Abstract Background Osteopetrosis is an inherited bone disease associated with high risk of osteoarthritis and fracture non-union, which can lead to total hip arthroplasty (THA). Bone quality and morphology are altered in these patients, and there are limited data on results of THA in these patients. The goals of this study were to describe implant survivorship, clinical outcomes, radiographic results, and complications in patients with osteopetrosis undergoing primary THA. Methods We identified 7 patients (9 hips) with osteopetrosis who underwent primary THA between 1970 and 2017 utilizing our total joint registry. The mean age at index THA was 48 years and included two males and five females. The mean follow-up was 8 years. Results The 10-year survivorship free from any revision or implant removal was 89%, with 1 revision and 1 resection arthroplasty secondary to periprosthetic femoral fractures. The 10-year survivorship free from any reoperation was 42%, with 4 additional reoperations (2 ORIFs for periprosthetic femoral fractures, 1 sciatic nerve palsy lysis of adhesions, 1 hematoma evacuation). Harris hip scores significantly increased at 5 years (P = .04). Five hips had an intraoperative acetabular fracture, and 1 had an intraoperative femur fracture. All postoperative femoral fractures occurred in patients with intramedullary diameter less than 5 mm at a level 10 cm distal to the lesser trochanter. Conclusion Primary THA in patients with osteopetrosis is associated with good 10-year implant survivorship (89%), but a very high reoperation (58%) and periprosthetic femoral fracture rate (44%). Femoral fractures appear associated with smaller intramedullary diameters.
The Piety of Learning: Islamic Studies in Honor of Stefan Reichmuth: Michael Kemper and Ralf Elger (Eds), 2017, [Islamic History and Civilisation. Studies and Texts, volume 147], Leiden and Boston: Brill, xiv + 428, ill., €139,00/US$ 161.00 (paperback), ISBN 13:9789004349827

This Festschrift for Stefan Reichmuth ably demonstrates both his intellectual influences as well as the way scholars of his generation engaged with peers in the parts of the world they studied, cre...