cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Term Phylacteries (Matt 23:5)

Although it is widely agreed that the phylacteries mentioned in Matt 23:5 are tefillin, this equation has not gone entirely unquestioned. L. Blau stated that only the words tefilld (singular) and tefillin (plural) are used in Talmudic literature, and that conclusions based on the word phylacteries are without foundation, "since this name was not used in truly Jewish circles."' G. G. Fox argued that since Greek phylakteria refers to charms or amulets, and since for the Pharisee the tefillin were truly spiritual symbols rather than magical amulets, Matthew's use of the term must be a misrepresentation, probably intentional, expressing his contempt for tefillin.2 J. Bowman summed up both arguments thus: "One is all the more amazed when one knows the difference between phylacteries and Tefillin, that any Jew could ever think of calling Tefillin phylacteries."3 Bowman echoed an earlier objection voiced by I. Abrahams to the effect that Matthew's phrase "making broad" (platynousin) is not intelligible if the reference is to the "boxes [of the tefillin], which were cubical. One hardly widens a cube."4 However, Bowman considered implausible the view of Abrahams and others that the reference was to the straps5 rather than to the capsules. Bowman's own view, following a suggestion by M. Gaster, was that Matthew was not referring to tefillin at all, but, indeed, to amulets, of a type known
Planning for climate change: the need for mechanistic systems-based approaches to study climate change impacts on diarrheal diseases

Increased precipitation and temperature variability as well as extreme events related to climate change are predicted to affect the availability and quality of water globally. Already heavily burdened with diarrheal diseases due to poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, communities throughout the developing world lack the adaptive capacity to sufficiently respond to the additional adversity caused by climate change. Studies suggest that diarrhea rates are positively correlated with increased temperature, and show a complex relationship with precipitation. Although climate change will likely increase rates of diarrheal diseases on average, there is a poor mechanistic understanding of the underlying disease transmission processes and substantial uncertainty surrounding current estimates. This makes it difficult to recommend appropriate adaptation strategies. We review the relevant climate-related mechanisms behind transmission of diarrheal disease pathogens and argue that systems-based mechanistic approaches incorporating human, engineered and environmental components are urgently needed. We then review successful systems-based approaches used in other environmental health fields and detail one modeling framework to predict climate change impacts on diarrheal diseases and design adaptation strategies.
Effect of fluctuating temperatures on development of immature Russian wheat aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) and demographic statistics

The effect of temperature on developmental rates and demographic statistics of apterous and alate Russian wheat aphids (RWA), Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), was studied in the laboratory using three fluctuating temperature regimes that were similar to average and extreme low and high temperature conditions of late spring in eastern South Dakota. An estimate of the lower threshold for development of immatures was determined (4.1°C). Degree-day (DD) requirements from birth to the onset of reproduction were determined for apterae (139 DD) and alatae (158 DD). Gross and net reproductive rates of both morphs were greatest at the low temperature regime and declined with increasing temperature. When expressed on a time scale of days, intrinsic rates of increase of both morphs were highest and mean generation time shortest at the high temperature regime. On a time scale of DDs, mean generation times converged but intrinsic rates of increase did not; intrinsic rates of increase of both morphs were highest for the low temperature regime and decreased with increasing temperature. For each temperature regime, the intrinsic rate of increase of apterae exceeded that of alatae.
Volcanism on the Moon

Abstract The Moon has been volcanically active for most of its 4600 million-year history. Lunar volcanism is dominated by the production of basalt, erupted as flood lavas from fissure vents at very high rates of effusion, resulting in the creation of the visible maria, the dark, smooth lowlands of the Moon. Smaller central-vent basaltic constructs are also found but are of much less volumetric importance. Pyroclastic deposits on the Moon are the result of fire fountain eruptions from volatile-laden basaltic magmas rapidly ascending from deep mantle sources and erupting as a spray of magma, forming tiny glass beads. This volatile phase apparently included water vapor, which recently has been discovered trapped in lunar pyroclastic glass. Mare volcanism occurred on the Moon between 4300 and about 1000 million years ago, with peak rates of extrusion between 3800 and 3000 million years.
Palestinian acts of speaking together, apart: Subalterneities and the politics of fracture

Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank both protested in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the 2014 war. They did so with what Charles Tilly would regard as distinct repertoires of contention, though they both referenced the same heritage of resistance. I argue that we should interrogate the boundaries that states establish to see how different forms of sovereignty and state violence shape resistance and expression. This approach highlights the role of the state in constituting the public sphere. The distinct subalterneities of these two Palestinian communities are a product not only of their political positions under Israeli rule, but also of the larger dynamics of fragmentation that separate them from one another. An analysis of their forms of protest demonstrates that in both cases, Palestinian protesters performed political community, whether by establishing a collective voice or by taking over space.
Sparse deconvolution (an MM algorithm)

Deconvolution refers to the problem of estimating the unknown input to an LTI system when the output signal and system response are known. In practice, the available output signal is also noisy. For some systems, the deconvolution problem is quite straight forward; however, for systems that are non-invertible or nearly non-invertible (e.g. narrow-band or with frequency response nulls), the problem is more difficult. The use of an exact inverse system can greatly amplify the noise rendering the result useless. In such cases, it is important to utilize prior knowledge regarding the input signal so as to obtain a more accurate estimate of the input signal, even when the system is nearly non-invertible and the observed output signal is noisy. In some applications of deconvolution, it is known that the input signal is sparse (i.e. a spike train, etc.) or approximately sparse. Applications of ‘sparse deconvolution’ include geophysics, ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation, speech processing, and astronomy [11]. One approach to sparse deconvolution involves the minimization of a cost function defined in terms of the `1 norm [4, 6, 16]. The minimization of cost functions defined in terms of the `1 norm is useful not just for deconvolution, but for sparse signal processing more generally. Indeed, since its early application in geophysics, the `1 norm and sparsity have become important tools in signal processing [3]. The tutorial [14] compares least squares and `1 norm solutions for several signal processing problems, illustrating the advantages of a sparse signal model (when valid). This tutorial aims to illustrate some of the principles and algorithms of sparse signal processing, by way of considering the sparse deconvolution problem. A computationally efficient iterative algorithm for sparse deconvolution is derived using the majorization-minimization (MM) optimization method. The MM method is a simple, yet effective and widely applicable, method that replaces a difficult minimization problem with a sequence of simpler ones [8]. Other algorithms, developed for general `1 norm minimization, can also be used here [5,13,17]. However, the MM-derived algorithm takes advantage of the banded structure of the matrices arising in the sparse deconvolution problem. The resulting algorithm uses fast solvers for banded linear systems [1], [12, Sect 2.4]. The conditions that characterize the optimal solution are described and illustrated in Sec. 3. With these simple conditions, the optimality of the result computed by a numerical algorithm can
Using human intellectual tasks as guidelines to systematically model medical cyber-physical systems

In a medical environment such as Intensive Care Unit, there are many possible reasons to cause errors, and one important reason is the effect of human intellectual tasks. In this paper, we first provide five categories of generic intellectual tasks of humans, where tasks among each category may lead to potential medical errors. Then, we present an integrated modeling framework to model a medical Cyber-Physical-Human System (CPHSystem) and use UPPAAL as the foundation to integrate and verify the whole medical CPHSystem design models. When designing a medical CPHSystem, developers need to consider whether the system design can mitigate the errors caused by these tasks or not. With a verified and comprehensive model, we can design a more accurate and acceptable system. We use a cardiac arrest resuscitation guidance and navigation system (CAR-GNSystem) as the motivation example for such medical CPHSystem modeling. Experimental results show that the CPHSystem models help determine system design flaws and can mitigate the potential medical errors caused by the human intellectual tasks.
Stator inter-turn fault detection for seamless fault-tolerant operation of five-phase induction motors

Multiphase motors have been shown to be advantageous in safety-critical and cost sensitive applications due to their ability to operate with open phases. However, for true fault-tolerant operation the motor drive must be able to detect an incipient fault and then transition to post fault operation. It is also desirable for the fault detection method to be non-intrusive and require minimal additional sensing. This paper investigates a low cost diagnostic method using DC voltage injection for monitoring and detection of stator inter-turn faults in five-phase induction motors. The proposed method is incorporated into the control loop and allows the motor to seamlessly transition from healthy to fault-tolerant operation after the fault is detected, with minimal modification to the control logic. It is validated with simulations as well as implemented on a microcontroller and tested on a five-phase induction motor with winding taps to emulate the inter-turn fault condition.
"For me there is no substitute"-authenticity, uniqueness, and the lessons of lipitor.

The history of generic drugs is a chronicle of the repeated magnification of small and specific differences into widespread popular and professional skepticism of generic drugs as a category. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Case 14: Melanoma Metastatic to the Pancreas

63-year-old woman with a history of a primary cutaneous melanoma and no known metastatic disease presents for initial oncology staging CT examination.
Conditioned Taste Aversion

Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is an evolutionarily adaptive, robust learning paradigm that is considered a special form of classical conditioning. CTA occurs when a conditioned stimulus (e.g., novel taste of saccharin) is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., lithium chloride injection that results in nausea). Recipients of the stimuli will then avoid the new taste when it is subsequently presented to them. In CTA, the processes of learning acquisition, retention, and extinction can be systematically examined. Under conditions that weaken CTA in younger stimulus recipients, aging is associated with stronger CTA acquisition and a greater resistance to extinction.
DIRECT PULMONARY VEIN ABLATION WITHOUT STENOSIS: CHRONIC EFFICACY OF A NOVEL ELECTROPORATION TECHNIQUE

Despite the primary trigger for atrial fibrillation (AF) being within the pulmonary vein, current treatments avoid direct ablation of this substrate because of the prohibitive incidence of pulmonary vein (PV) stenosis. Given the suboptimal results with contemporary thermal AF ablation, we previously
Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against Naja naja oxiana neurotoxin I

Seven monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were developed against neurotoxin I (NT-1), a protein from central Asian cobra (Naja naja oxiana) venom which binds specifically to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AchR). All of the mAbs cross-reacted with another long-chain post-synaptic neurotoxin, Bungarus multicinctus alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BT), but not Naja naja kaouthia alpha-cobratoxin, in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (e.l.i.s.a.). Short-chain post-synaptic neurotoxins like Naja naja atra cobrotoxin, Laticauda semifasciata erabutoxin b, or N. n. oxiana neurotoxin II did not cross-react with the NT-1 mAbs, but an antigen(s) found in Dendroaspis polylepis, Acanthophis antarcticus and Pseudechis australis venoms was immunoreactive. The e.l.i.s.a. readings for dithiothreitol-reduced NT-1 and NT-1 mAbs ranged from 13 to 27% of those for native toxin but reduced alpha-BT was not immunoreactive. Synthetic NT-1 peptides were used in epitope-mapping studies and two, non-contiguous regions (Cys15-Tyr23 and Lys25-Gly33 or Pro17-Lys25 and Asp29-Lys37) were recognized by the NT-1 mAbs. The NT-1 mAbs individually inhibited 31-71% of alpha-BT binding to AchR in vitro and afforded a slight protective effect in vivo with a toxin: antibody mole ratio of 1:1.5. This report is the first to describe mAbs which recognize and protect against a heterologous, long-chain, post-synaptic neurotoxin from snake venom.
Are customer information systems worth it? : results from B2B services

The Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm suggests that assets, and their effective management, should be associated with achieving and maintaining competitive advantage. As the RBV has developed, it has moved toward the idea that difficult-to-imitate learning processes may be the only true source of competitive advantage to the firm. This paper empirically examines the relationship between a business unit's strategy, its ability to manage customer information, an intangible asset associated with firm learning, and achieving competitive advantage. Learning about customers takes place through having relevant dialogues with them, which is also known as Customer Relationship Management (CRM). As relationships develop, information about the customer is gathered in the firm's Customer Information Systems (CIS), the content of , and processes and assets associated with, gathering and moving customer information throughout the firm. CIS management capabilities as used here are based on learning organization theory and measured by the ability to get, store, move and use information throughout the business unit. This study of 209 business services firms finds that generic positioning (Low-Cost and Differentiation) and marketing strategies (Personalization and Customization) are related to Customer Information Systems development. CIS development in turn is associated with higher levels of Customer-Based Performance, which in turn is associated with increased Business Growth. However, strategy selection (and particularly Differentiation) has a greater impact on Customer-Based Performance than CIS management abilities. Whereas a good strategy makes up for deficiencies in CIS, a strong CIS alone without a clear strategy may only in a more limited case lead to a performance advantage. Managers are cautioned that the collection of masses of data without a clear strategic intent for their use may not be the wisest (or most profitable) course of action. Customization and Personalization themselves are not directly associated with performance. By far the greatest contributor to Customer-Based Performance is strategy selection. The greater long-term benefits of the knowledge gained from the CIS may be in the ability to assist in measuring Customer-Based Performance, rather than in the ability to immediately contribute to performance. These results suggest that Customization and Personalization may not be required for every firm's marketing strategy.
Conscientious objection: a medical student perspective.

A physician’s exercise of conscientious objection should be made when he or she chooses a specialty—not when he or she faces a patient seeking a service that the physician believes to be immoral. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Definitive treatment patterns and survival in stage II non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract Objectives This study delineated definitive treatment patterns for Stage II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the United States and evaluated survival by treatment approach. Materials and Methods Patients with clinically-staged Stage II NSCLC treated with surgery-based therapy, chemoradiation, conventionally-fractionated radiation (CFR), or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) were identified using the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Median survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals were computed using Cox regression modeling. Results Between 2004–2012, 19,749 patients met study criteria: 13,382 (67.8%) underwent surgery-based treatment, 4,310 (21.8%) received chemoradiation, 1,606 (8.1%) received CFR, and 451 (2.3%) received SBRT. Surgery and SBRT utilization increased over time while CFR and chemoradiation decreased (all p ≤ 0.002). Patients receiving radiation-based treatments were older, with more comorbidities, and higher T/N stage (all p Conclusion NCDB data demonstrate increasing use of surgery-based treatments and SBRT for Stage II NSCLC over time. Radiation-based therapies were associated with decreased survival compared to surgery. CFR was associated with decreased survival compared to chemoradiation and SBRT.
Effects of trauma, economic hardship, and stress on neurocognition and everyday function in HIV.

Author(s): Watson, Caitlin Wei-Ming; Sundermann, Erin E; Hussain, Mariam A; Umlauf, Anya; Thames, April D; Moore, Raeanne C; Letendre, Scott L; Jeste, Dilip V; Morgan, Erin E; Moore, David J | Abstract: ObjectiveThe causes of neurocognitive and everyday functioning impairment among aging people living with HIV (PLWH) are multifactorial. Exposure to stress and trauma can result in neurocognitive deficits via activation of neurological and other biological mechanisms.MethodPLWH (n = 122) and persons without HIV (n = 95), 35-65 years of age, completed four questionnaires that were used to generate a trauma, economic hardship (food insecurity and low socioeconomic status), and stress composite variable (TES). Participants also completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and standardized self-reports of activities of daily living (ADLs). We examined the independent and interactive effects of TES and HIV status on neurocognitive performance and ADL declines.ResultsPLWH had more traumatic events, more food insecurity, lower socioeconomic status, and higher perceived stress compared with HIV- individuals (all ps l .0001). Among PLWH, a higher composite TES score was associated with worse executive functioning (p = .02), worse learning (p = .02), worse working memory (p = .02), and more ADL declines (p l .0001), even after controlling for relevant demographic, psychiatric, substance use, and HIV disease covariates. On their own, individual TES components did not predict these outcomes. Conversely, no significant relationships were observed between TES and cognitive domains nor ADL declines among HIV- individuals.ConclusionsA composite score of trauma, economic hardship, and stress was significantly associated with worse neurocognitive performance and functional declines among PLWH. These adverse experiences may contribute to neurocognitive and daily functioning difficulties commonly observed among PLWH. Longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate the relationships between economic/psychosocial adversities and cognitive/functional outcomes over time, and examine potential mediators, such as inflammatory biomarkers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Fulminant Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation as Initial Presentation of BRAF-Mutated Melanoma.

Acute disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a pathological process involving dysfunction of the coagulation cascade. In this case report, we discuss a 33-year-old woman with BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic melanoma who presented in fulminant DIC with concurrent hemorrhagic and thrombotic manifestations and discuss the patient’s brief response to combination therapy. In our discussion, we highlight the current understanding of DIC and also identify opportunities for future research to elucidate the genetic aberrations in melanoma that may result in treatment resistance to combination therapy.
Goals and Adverse Effects: Rate of Concordance Between Patients and Providers.

PURPOSE:Adequate understanding of the goals and adverse effects of cancer treatment has important implications for patients’ decision making, expectations, and mood. This study sought to identify t...
Una lectura posmoderna de Cielos de la Tierra de Carmen Boullosa: Recuperación de la memoria, la historia y la utopía a través de la escritura

Este articulo explica la manera en que Cielos de la Tierra de Carmen Boullosa pertenece a un modelo de literatura posmoderna cuyas caracteristicas son la autorreflexividad, la metaficcion, la historiografia, la subjetividad y la utopia. A traves del analisis textual se deduce un juego de transposiciones autorales, en donde los relatos predominantes tienen como objetivo recuperar la memoria por medio de la reconstruccion de la historia. En este estudio se analizan los rasgos principales de cada una de las caracteristicas posmodernas que muestra esta novela de Boullosa; especificamente se analizan los elementos posmodernos que se manifiestan en tres entidades que forman parte de una unidad. Los tres personajes principales de la novela comparten la necesidad de salvar la memoria, la historia y la utopia, estos personajes llevan a cabo su labor a traves de la escritura. Desde diferentes espacios, epocas e idiomas logran crear un texto dialogico.
14-3-3 proteins protect AMPK-phosphorylated ten-eleven translocation-2 (TET2) from PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation

Ten-eleven translocation-2 (TET2) is a member of the methylcytosine dioxygenase family of enzymes and has been implicated in cancer and aging because of its role as a global epigenetic modifier. TET2 has a large N-terminal domain and a catalytic C-terminal region. Previous reports have demonstrated that the TET2 catalytic domain remains active independently of the N-terminal domain. As such, the function of the N terminus of this large protein remains poorly characterized. Here, using yeast two-hybrid screening, co-immunoprecipitation, and several biochemical assays, we found that several isoforms of the 14-3-3 family of proteins bind TET2. 14-3-3 proteins bound TET2 when it was phosphorylated at Ser-99. In particular, we observed that AMP-activated protein kinase–mediated phosphorylation at Ser-99 promotes TET2 stability and increases global DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine levels. The interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with TET2 protected the Ser-99 phosphorylation, and disruption of this interaction both reduced TET2 phosphorylation and decreased TET2 stability. Furthermore, we noted that protein phosphatase 2A can interact with TET2 and dephosphorylate Ser-99. Collectively, these results provide detailed insights into the role of the TET2 N-terminal domain in TET2 regulation. Moreover, they reveal the dynamic nature of TET2 protein regulation that could have therapeutic implications for disease states resulting from reduced TET2 levels or activity.
Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults

Myths about Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) abound. This disorder frequently goes unrecognised, and even when diagnosed may be inadequately treated. In this up-to-date and clearly written book, a leading expert offers a new way of understanding ADD. Drawing on recent findings in neuroscience and a rich variety of case histories from his own clinical practice, Dr. Thomas E. Brown describes what ADD syndrome is, how it can be recognised at different ages and how it can best be treated. This is the first book to address the perplexing question about ADD - how can individuals, some very bright, be chronically unable to 'pay attention', yet be able to focus very well on specific tasks that strongly interest them? Dr. Brown disputes the 'willpower' explanation and explains how inherited malfunctions of the brain's management system prevent some people from being able to deal adequately with challenging tasks of childhood, adolescence and adulthood. His book is an authoritative and practical guide for physicians and psychologists, parents and teachers, and the 7 to 9 percent of persons who suffer from ADD/ADHD.
TSPO ligand FGIN‐1‐27 controls priapism in sickle cell mice via endogenous testosterone production

Priapism, a prolonged penile erection in the absence of sexual arousal, is common among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Hypogonadism is also common in patients with SCD. While the administration of exogenous testosterone reverses hypogonadism, it is contraceptive. We hypothesized that the stimulation of endogenous testosterone production decreases priapism by normalizing molecular signaling involved in penile erection without decreasing intratesticular testosterone production, which would affect fertility. Treatment of SCD mice with FGIN-1-27, a ligand for translocator protein (TSPO) that mobilizes cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membrane, resulted in eugonadal levels of serum testosterone without decreasing intratesticular testosterone production. Normalized testosterone levels, in turn, decreased priapism. At the molecular level, TSPO restored phosphodiesterase 5 activity and decreased NADPH oxidase-mediated oxidative stress in the penis, which are major molecular signaling molecules involved in penile erection and are dysregulated in SCD. These results indicate that pharmacologic activation of TSPO could be a novel, targetable pathway for treating hypogonadal men, particularly patients with SCD, without adverse effects on fertility.
Complex dynamics induced by delayed adaptive behavior during epidemics

Abstract The behavioral response of individuals to an epidemic, and the timing of their behavior change, can have important consequences for epidemic dynamics. While the importance of behavior-change for epidemic dynamics is broadly recognized, the approaches to modeling the coupled dynamics of epidemics and behavior change have been limited. An important mode of behavior change in epidemics is a reduction in potentially infectious contacts. We develop a model for endogenous change of the effective contact rate of Susceptible-Infectious-Susceptible (SIS) epidemic model by positing a dynamic utility function associated with the expected number of contacts people have in the population. This utility function trades off the ideal number of social contacts with the expected cost of becoming infected. Our analysis of this simple, deterministic model reveals the existence of a non-zero endemic equilibrium, oscillatory dynamics under some parametric conditions, and complex dynamic regimes that shift under small parameter perturbations. Time-lag between current epidemic conditions and behavioral response is essential for the more exotic dynamics. These results suggest that reducing this lag may reduce both the final-size of the epidemic and the uncertainty associated with epidemic projections.
The design of a lockup-free cache for high-performance multiprocessors

The performance of cache-based, shared-memory multiprocessors can suffer greatly from moderate cache miss rates because of the usually high ratio between memory-access and cache-access times. The authors propose a lockup-free cache design in which the handling of one or several cache misses is overlapped with processor activity. In multiprocessors, lockup-free caches aggravate the memory coherence problem. Three different cache architectures relying on different compiler interventions are introduced. A performance model demonstrates the usefulness of lockup-free caches for high-performance processors. The merits and disadvantages of the three schemes are discussed, and compiler techniques to take advantage of the proposed designs are illustrated.
Presidential Power and the United States Supreme Court

In this study we build upon the work of Ducat and Dudley's 1989 examination of presidential power and the federal judiciary. Whereas they focused upon presidential fortunes before the federal district courts in cases involving the formal constitutional and statutory powers of the presi dent, we apply a similar model to the voting records of United States Supreme Court Justices in such presidential power cases. Additionally, we offer an extended model of justice voting on presidential power cases that we believe affords a better explanation of the decision-making pro cess. We find that justices' decisions to support the president are condi tioned upon presidents' public approval ratings and the justices' ideological inclinations. We also find that presidents receive more voting support in cases involving foreign policy and military affairs than in domestic/non military cases, thus lending support to the "two presidencies" thesis.
Characterizing effects of age, sex and psychosis symptoms on thalamocortical functional connectivity in youth.

Abstract The thalamus is composed of multiple nuclei densely connected with the cortex in an organized manner, forming parallel thalamocortical networks critical to sensory, motor, and cognitive functioning. Thalamocortical circuit dysfunction has been implicated in multiple neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia, which also often exhibit sex differences in prevalence, clinical characteristics, and neuropathology. However, very little is known about developmental and sex effects on thalamocortical networks in youth. The present study characterized the effects of age, sex and psychosis symptomatology in anatomically constrained thalamocortical networks in a large community sample of youth (n = 1100, aged 8–21) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC). Cortical functional connectivity of seven anatomically defined thalamic nuclear groups were examined: anterior, mediodorsal, ventral lateral, ventral posterolateral, pulvinar, medial and lateral geniculate nuclear groups. Age and sex effects were characterized using complementary thalamic region-of-interest (ROI) to cortical ROI and voxel-wise analyses. Effects of clinical symptomatology were analyzed by separating youth into three groups based on their clinical symptoms; typically developing youth (n = 298), psychosis spectrum youth (n = 320), and youth with other psychopathologies (n = 482). As an exploratory analysis, association with PRIME scores were used as a dimensional measure of psychopathology. Age effects were broadly characterized by decreasing connectivity with sensory/motor cortical areas, and increasing connectivity with heteromodal prefrontal and parietal cortical areas. This pattern was most pronounced for thalamic motor and sensory nuclei. Females showed greater connectivity between multiple thalamic nuclear groups and the visual cortex compared to males, while males showed greater connectivity with the inferior frontal and orbitofrontal cortices. Youth with psychosis spectrum symptoms showed a subtle decrease in thalamic connectivity with the premotor and prefrontal cortices. Across all youth, greater PRIME scores were associated with lower connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and mediodorsal thalamus. By characterizing typical development in anatomically constrained thalamocortical networks, this study provides an anchor for conceptualizing disruptions to the integrity of these networks observed in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Transit's downward spiral: Assessing the social-justice implications of ride-hailing platforms and COVID-19 for public transportation in the US

Abstract This paper explores the interconnections between ride-hailing platforms and public transit systems in large US cities. Drawing upon qualitative interviews with expert key informants representing city government agencies, industry, community groups, and others, we find that ride-hailing platforms have catalyzed a downward spiral in many public transportation systems: as more people use ride-hailing instead of transit, transit systems receive less revenue and must reduce services to compensate, which makes transit seem even less desirable to would-be riders, leading more people to explore other transit options. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, preexisting transit deficiencies, shifting customer expectations, and stigmatization of transit systems and riders each contributed to ride-hailing platforms’ successful encroachment upon public transit. The pandemic has fundamentally destabilized both transit systems and ride-hailing alternatives, but it portends an even greater decline in transit as people gravitate to privately owned vehicles and eschew sharing rides with others. Ride-hailing and transit partnerships, such as a Boston-based pilot project to provide paratransit services for people with disabilities, point to possibilities for complementary arrangements moving forward, but they remain constrained by their industry-focused market models. The current downward spiral is particularly concerning because it negatively impacts the most vulnerable and disempowered in society.
Exploring the Temporal Dynamics of County-Level Vulnerability Factors on COVID-19 Outcomes

As the outbreak of COVID-19 has become a severe worldwide pandemic, every country fights against the spread of this deadly disease with incredible efforts. There are numerous researches along with every conceivable dimension for COVID-19. Among these researches, different demographic and contextual factors of populations and communities also play an essential role in providing more information for decision-makers. This paper mainly utilizes existing data on county contextual factors at the United States county-level to develop a model that can capture the dynamic trajectory of COVID-19 (i.e., cases) and its impacts across the United States. Moreover, our methods applied to contextual data achieves better results compared with existing measures of vulnerability.
Pyrite-rich bauxites from the Parnassos-Ghiona zone, Greece

Bauxite samples from the transition zone between red and grey type bauxite of the Parnassos-Ghiona geotectonic zone were analyzed for major and trace elements, including rare elements, and phase chemistry, using SEM/EDS, with the aim of establishing particular characteristics for this bauxite type that are indicative of its environment at formation. The most abundant mineral phases are boehmite or diaspore, hematite/goethite or pyrite. Anatase, kaolinite, chamosite, zircon and rare earth minerals are present in lesser amounts. Pyrite in a variety of forms and size, is a major mineral in gray bauxites and has a significant Se content (average 0.3 wt% Se). Also, gray bauxites are characterized by a lower REE content relative to red ones. Results suggest multi-stage modification of the ore.
Cellular Growth: Brain, Liver, Muscle, and Lung

The growth of tissues which are not self-renewing occurs by a combination of increase in the number and increase in the size of the component cells. Work in animals (Enesco and Leblond, 1962; Winick and Noble, 1965) in the last 15 years has shown that initially cell division and increase in number predominate; later the rate of cell division slows and increase in size begins. When cell division ceases, cells continue to grow in size causing further tissue enlargement until maturity is reached, when no further net increase in number or size occurs. These conclusions were based on the measurement of total tissue DNA and protein content. Since the DNA per diploid nucleus is constant within any one species and since essentially all cellular DNA is chromosomal (Boivin et al., 1948; Mirsky and Ris, 1949), the tissue DNA content is a reflection of growth in cell number. Such a biochemical measure of growth does not define which type of cell is increasing in number, and in tissues of multiple cell types its usefulness is limited in the absence of accompanying histologic information. In tissues where polyploidy or multinucleated cells develop during the growth process, total DNA content no longer reflects growth in cell number if a cell is to be strictly defined by membrane boundaries. It is, nonetheless, a reflection of the extent of DNA synthesis during growth and is an accurate reflection of the formation of “diploid cell units,” which, as discussed later, has some real biological significance.
The impact of adenoid size on rate of revision sphincter pharyngoplasty

Objectives/Hypothesis Determine the impact of adenoid size and prior adenoidectomy on outcomes of sphincter pharyngoplasty. Study Design Retrospective review. Methods Retrospective review of patients 18 years of age or younger, who underwent sphincter pharyngoplasty for velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) from 2007 to 2012. Nasal endoscopy and nasometry testing were administered pre- and postoperatively. Preoperative adenoid size was scored by two blinded otolaryngologists. Primary outcome measures were sphincter pharyngoplasty revision rate, achievement of normal resonance, and degree of improvement in nasometry scores. Results Eighty-six patients were included in this study. The overall rate of revision sphincter pharyngoplasty was 28%. Patients with mild adenoid hypertrophy underwent less revision surgery (14%) than patients with moderate to severe adenoid hypertrophy (38%, P = .046). Subgroup analysis was performed based on prior repair of cleft or submucous cleft palate and history of 22q11 microdeletion. Smaller adenoids were associated with lower surgical revision rates in patients who did not have a history of cleft palate or 22q11 microdeletion (P = .014 and .018, respectively). Adenoid size did not impact revision rates in patients with repaired cleft palates or those with 22q11 microdeletions. Conclusions Smaller or absent adenoids are associated with lower rates of revision surgery after sphincter pharyngoplasty in children with VPI. Patients with VPI and bulky adenoids, who do not have a history of cleft palate or 22q11 microdeletion, should be considered for adenoidectomy prior to sphincter pharyngoplasty. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 124:2170–2175, 2014
Behavioral and Electrophysiological Studies of Visual Masking

In the attempt to understand the temporal characteristics of visual perception, the investigation of visual masking has played a rather prominent role. The literature is surprisingly extensive on this topic and so are the theories which confront us (Eriksen and Collins, 1965; Kahneman, 1968; Kolers, 1962; Raab, 1963; Sperling, 1965). Attempts to deal with the behavioral findings in physiological terms have been most pervasive in theorizing, most of which so far has been based on rather scanty physiological evidence (Alpern, 1953; Fry, 1934; Weisstein, 1968; Werner, 1935).
Attention, Blending, and Suspense in Classic and Experimental Film

Alfred Hitchcock claimed that suspense arises when viewers have - or believe that they have - privileged information about a forthcoming undesirable event and are powerless to intervene. In Hitchcock’s canonical formulation, then, suspense is a function of information management and audience anticipation. Cognitive approaches follow this line of reasoning, and thus the cognitive literature on suspense has thus been especially concerned what is sometimes called the “paradox of suspense” or the “anomalous experience of suspense”: if suspense involves uncertainty, why should people feel suspense when they know what’s about to happen? In the present study, we think the explanation lies in another aspect of suspense that Hitchcock alludes to but never develops in his own account: namely, the extent to which its suspense seems to be the product specifically of social cognition. That is, it is not merely a matter of tracking information about a sequence of events, but of processing and applying social information, managing multiple perspectives, and ascribing mental states to real and imagined participants in the narrative scene. To explain how suspense emerges from the interaction of narrative conventions and our natural cognitive responses, we will need to look at the contributions of two important cognitive systems that underlie the construction of meaning: (1) joint attention, in which two or more people are both focused on an external object and mutually aware of this shared focus; and (2) conceptual integration, in which elements and vital relations are selectively projected from multiple inputs, and processes of composition, completion, and elaboration give rise to new emergent structure in the blend. Each without the other fails to provide an adequate cognitive model of the phenomenon of suspense as it plays out in real time. Suspense is a product of manipulations of blended joint attentional scenarios. Filmic conventions generate suspense by constructing triangles of joint attention in which the intentions of the filmmaker, or the camera-eye, overtly overpower the agency of the viewer. They engage our natural systems for social cognition while frustrating our desire to complete the joint attentional triangle. We use this model for the analysis of two classic Hollywood films, Hitchcock's Notorious (1946) and Wells's Touch of Evil (1958), and one experimental film, Michael Snow's Wavelength (1967).
Longitudinally Localized Optical Carrier Injection for Femtosecond Transport Studies

A new generation of microelectronic devices will be based on ballistic and quantum tunneling transport processes, which involve transit times on a femtosecond scale across submicron semiconductor layers. Fundamental experimental studies of these phenomena will require the use of femtosecond optical techniques to inject and probe carriers locally, just as analogous picosecond techniques have been used in studying slower transport processes in thicker layers [1,2]. However, because optical absorption (and therefore carrier injection) depths at near band gap wavelengths (typically ~1μm) greatly exceed the thickness of the semiconductor layers in which most femtosecond transport phenomena occur (typically 0.01 to 0.1 μm), adequate spatial resolution to observe these processes directly has not been achievable. We introduce a new technique for optically injecting carriers of any desired energy within the first few hundred angstroms of the surface of a semiconductor layer with femtosecond time resolution, so that the evolution of femtosecond transport processes can be resolved.
The development of a profile scoring system for early identification and severity assessment of pregnancy-induced hypertension

Two commonly encountered problems in the management of patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or pregnancy-aggravated hypertension (PAH) are (1) a delay in early recognition of disease, and (2) imprecise assessment of the severity of the disease. Gravid women suffering from PIH may present in a protean manner which can be misleading to the clinician who relies strictly upon classic clinical parameters in the management of the patient. Many hematologic changes associated with PIH have been documented. However, a comprehensive evaluation of these changes, as depicted by simultaneous laboratory testing, has not been reported. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to formulate a profile scoring system in which clinical parameters and laboratory tests were utilized in concert, not as a predictor, but as a standardized method of early recognition of PIH, and (2) to evaluate the profile scoring system's accuracy in assessing the severity of the disease. Empirically, a "profile" was developed that included five clinical parameters (rollover test, mean arterial blood pressure, ocular arteriolar vasospasm, hand and facial edema, patellar reflexes) and eight laboratory tests (urine protein, serum urate, urea nitrogen, creatinine, albumin, total proteins, platelet count, and plasma fibrinogen). Values for each parameter and test were categorized into the accepted normal and abnormal ranges for pregnancy. On the basis of the degree of abnormality, weighted numerical scores of increasing magnitude were arbitrarily assigned to the respective value ranges. For a given patient, the sum of the individual parameter and test scores constituted the profile score. The sample population consisted of 108 patients with "at risk" characteristics or clinical manifestations of PIH. From one to six profile scores per patient were obtained between 24 weeks' gestation and the onset of labor. Simultaneously, the clinical status of the patient was evaluated and assigned to one of four categories: (1) no PIH, (2) incipient PIH, (3) mild PIH, and (4) severe PIH. Of the 108 sample patients, 14 did not develop clinical PIH (no PIH), 17 developed mild gestational or intrapartum hypertension only (incipient PIH), 45 manifested mild preeclampsia (mild PIH), and 32 demonstrated severe preeclampsia (severe PIH), four of whom were eclamptic. Profile scores +/- standard error of the mean (SEM) relative to the patient's clinical status were as follows: no PIH = 7.1 +/- 0.5, incipient PIH = 10.7 +/- 0.4; mild PIH = 15.5 +/- 0.4; and severe PIH = 28.3 +/- 0.9. On the basis of our study data, we believe that profile scoring is an effective system for the early identification of PIH. Also, we believe that, when patients with clinically overt PIH are evaluated, this approach enhances our ability to quantitate the severity of the disease objectively.
Lung function changes in mice sensitized to ammonium hexachloroplatinate

Occupational exposure to halogenated platinum salts can trigger the development of asthma. The risk to the general population that may result from the use of platinum in catalytic converters and its emerging use as a diesel fuel additive is unclear. To investigate pulmonary responses to platinum, we developed a mouse model of platinum hypersensitivity. Mice were sensitized through application of ammonium hexachloroplatinate (AHCP) to the shaved back on days 0, 5 and 19, and to each ear on days 10, 11 and 12. On days 24 and 29, mice were challenged by oropharyngeal aspiration with AHCP in saline. Before and immediately after challenge, pulmonary responses were assessed using whole body plethysmography (WBP). A dose-dependent increase in immediate responses was observed in AHCP-sensitized and challenged mice. On days 26 and 31, changes in ventilatory responses to methacholine (Mch) aerosol were assessed by WBP; dose-dependent increases in Mch responsiveness occurred in sensitized mice. Lymph node cell counts indicate a proliferative response in lymph nodes draining the sites of application. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid harvested from sensitized mice contained an average of 5% eosinophils compared to less than 0.5% in non-sensitized mice (p < 0.05); significant increases in total serum immunoglobulin E were observed for all sensitized mice. Although a second airway challenge on day 29 affected some results, only one airway challenge was needed to observe changes in lung function.