cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PIRACY, CIRCULATORY LEGITIMACY, AND NEOLIBERAL SUBJECTIVITY IN BRAZIL

Understanding current neoliberalism in Brazil requires an analysis of the piracy that has been going on there since at least the 1970s. Early phases of neoliberalism shrank the state, liberalized markets, and privatized resources. Current forms of neoliberal practice are characterized by large informal economies, intellectual property (IP), circulatory “legitimacy,” individualized consumption, and the reproductive fidelities of digital technology. This current combination places the unauthorized production, sale, and use of goods (often referred to as “piracy”) at the center of the forms of exchange on which the modern Brazilian economy relies. Purchases may be viewed as degraded or redemptive by having been mediated through “piracy,” and most consumers of public culture are referred to at some point by the culture industry as “pirates.” The anxious subjectivities that result from piracy's emerging centrality are here analyzed at two contrasting Brazilian sites. The first is an NGO that polices violations of IP. The second is an informal marketplace in the state of Sao Paulo where workers strive for “competitive pricing.” In both of these sites, piracy simultaneously elucidates international discourses while it inscribes local approaches to mixture and boundary violation. At some moments, piracy appears as a distinctly Brazilian “embarrassment.” In others, it is a typically creative Brazilian solution to the problem of unfair international markets. [piracy, neoliberalism, intellectual property, informal economies, camelo, Brazil]
Literature in Death, Dying and Bereavement Viewed from the Basic Text

The basic text books in Death and Dying make numerous references to the literature. A sample of five such texts disclosed that each covers similar topics, but with noted exceptions, they use refere...
Metabolic control and ageing

There appear to be multiple processes that are limiting for longevity and the associated mechanisms of ageing. Among these processes, metabolic control is coming to the forefront, because it has surfaced in studies in several model systems and because of its relevance to mammalian ageing. The genetic and molecular dissection of ageing in yeast points to mechanisms involving three aspects of metabolism. First, dysfunctional mitochondria signal many changes in nuclear gene expression that result in metabolic adjustments that extend life span. Second, manipulation of nutritional status can also increase longevity in a separate caloric-restriction pathway. Finally, protein synthesis is a third aspect, which depends on the transcriptional state of chromatin and the histone deacetylases that modulate it.
Segmentation for efficient browsing of chronical video recorded by a wearable device

Video segmentation is often the first and a key step in many video analysis problems, such as in analyzing chronically recorded daily life video using a wearable device. Pre-segmentation is conducted based on shot boundary detection in multiple feature spaces. Subsequent boundary merging and refinement are based on shot duration thresholds and keyframe comparisons. Different from traditional keyframes, our key frames have statistical characteristics which best match those of the video segments they represent. Experiment results demonstrate that our method is effective in rapid video browsing.
Thermodynamic Controls on Quality of Water From Underground Coal Mines in Colorado

: Water samples collected from 14 underground coal mines in Colorado were analyzed for major dissolved constituents. The data indicate the water quality of 13 of the samples has developed by the interaction of calcite saturated ground water with sodium rich marine shales. Those samples that displayed evidence of being most completely reacted were composed almost entirely of sodium and bicarbonate ions and had a calcium to sodium activity ratio of 0.16, similar to that of seawater. The one sample that was not saturated with respect to calcite was saturated with respect to gypsum. The dissolved solids concentration attainable by dissolution of gypsum is much less than that attainable by the calcite marine shale equilibration, or approximately 2,500 milligrams per liter. By considering the maximum predicted concentrations of dissolved solids in relation to promulgated water quality criteria, it is possible to predict the hazards of reuse of this mine drainage. The primary problems would be damage or destruction of crops if the drainage water was used for irrigation. In addition, some samples contained concentrations of chloride and sulfate in excess of recommended standards for public water supplies.
Risk for Child Maltreatment: New Mothers' Concerns and Screening Test Results

Abstract Despite the potential usefulness of such information, child maltreatment programs generally do not target services based on parents' concerns about their likelihood of maltreating. This study investigated responses by new mothers regarding concerns about caring for their new infants, including concerns about maltreatment. A total of 170 new mothers in the Labor and Delivery Units of four hospitals were interviewed and asked about these concerns and their opinions about the causes of child maltreatment. In addition, they were administered the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI), a screening instrument for child abuse. Results indicate that new mothers will admit to concerns about a range of child care issues, including maltreatment. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between mothers' concerns about child care and their scores on the CAPI. Multiple regression results indicate that among sociodemographic variables, only education and income were independently related to CAPI scores, while only race predicted mothers' total concerns. Although lower power for that model necessitates caution in interpretation, only expressed belief in parenting ability as a cause of child maltreatment predicted mothers' expressed concerns about maltreating their infants.
Dumb and Dumber: The Impact of Downsizing on Firm Performance as Moderated by Industry Conditions

Workforce downsizing through employee layoffs has become commonplace in American businesses over the last 20 years. While these initiatives are typically undertaken in the quest for improved firm performance and competitiveness, empirical research to date has been equivocal in supporting the efficacy of these initiatives. In addition, extant research has not thoroughly examined factors or conditions that may influence or moderate the performance impact of workforce downsizing. In this paper, we address the question: Do industry conditions moderate the impact of workforce downsizing on firm performance? We examine this question using matched primary and secondary data on a sample of U.S. manufacturing firms. After controlling for a set of industry and firm-level variables, including firms' prior performance levels, our results indicate that downsizing is associated with decreases in subsequent firm profitability and that these negative effects are more pronounced in industries characterized by research and development (R&D) intensity, growth, and low capital intensity.
A multiband conical monopole antenna derived from a modified Sierpinski gasket

The Sierpinski gasket monopole is known to exhibit a certain degree of periodic multiband behavior in terms of its input impedance characteristics. However, its overall performance properties are somewhat less than desirable. Specifically, the Sierpinski gasket monopole exhibits a relatively narrow bandwidth in each of its operating bands and its radiation patterns exhibit poor omnidirectionality because of the asymmetrical two-dimensional (2D) bow-tie shape of the antenna. Here, a multiband conical monopole antenna is presented that is designed to operate in the same frequency bands as the Sierpinski gasket. The conical monopole antenna, being a symmetrical three-dimensional (3D) structure, offers increased impedance bandwidth and improved radiation pattern performance.
Distinct sensitizing effects of the cAMP-PKA second messenger cascade on rat dural mechanonociceptors.

Activation of the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) second messenger cascade has been implicated in the induction of mechanical hyperalgesia by inflammatory mediators. We examined the role of this cascade in mechanical sensitization of nociceptive neurons that innervate the meninges, a process thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of headache syndromes such as migraine. Single unit activity was recorded in the trigeminal ganglion from 40 mechanosensitive dural afferents (conduction velocitity: 0.3–6.6 m s−1) and nine mechanically insensitive dural afferents (MIAs) (conduction velocitity: 0.3–2.8 m s−1) while stimulating the dura with a servo force-controlled stimulator or von Frey monofilaments, respectively. Local application to the dura of dibutyryl adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (dbcAMP, 100 μm), a stable membrane-permeant cAMP analogue, produced mechanical sensitization in the majority of mechanosensitive units (19/29, 66 %). Two distinct patterns of mechanical sensitization were observed. Thirty-eight per cent of the units exhibited only a decrease in threshold (TH group), while 28 % showed only an increase in suprathreshold responses (STH group). dbcAMP also induced mechanosensitivity in the majority of MIA units (6/9, 67 %). dbcAMP-induced sensitization was blocked by the PKA inhibitors, Rp-cAMP (1 mm) and H-89 (100 μm). A mixture of inflammatory mediators induced both components of sensitization in the majority of mechanosensitive units tested. However, in each unit, PKA inhibitors blocked only one of the two effects (either TH or STH). Units that were classified as TH or STH also differed in their baseline stimulus-response slopes, thresholds and conduction velocities. These findings implicate the cAMP-PKA cascade in sensitization of dural mechanonociceptors and suggest that this cascade may produce sensitization through at least two different mechanisms operating in separate neuronal populations.
Modulation of Endothelial Cell Adhesion by Hevin, an Acidic Protein Associated with High Endothelial Venules

High endothelial venules (HEV) are specialized plump postcapillary venules in lymphoid tissues that support high levels of lymphocyte extravasation from the blood. We have recently identified a novel human transcript, expressed to high levels in HEV, that encodes a secreted, acidic protein closely related to the anti-adhesive extracellular matrix protein known as BM-40, osteonectin, and SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine). Here, we show that this protein, designated hevin, is associated with basal, lateral, and apical surfaces of HEV cells, and unlike MECA-79 antigen, is not expressed on the underlying basement membrane. In contrast to fibronectin or other adhesive extracellular matrix proteins, purified hevin does not support endothelial cell adhesion in vitro. Moreover, addition of soluble exogenous hevin inhibits attachment and spreading of endothelial cells on fibronectin substrates. Hevin-treated cells do not form focal adhesions and exhibit a rounded morphology. Together, these results suggest that hevin is an abundant extracellular protein that modulates high endothelial cell adhesion to the basement membrane.
Genetic generation of both the weights and architecture for a neural network

Shows how to find both the weights and architecture for a neural network, including the number of layers, the number of processing elements per layer, and the connectivity between processing elements. This is accomplished by using a recently developed extension to the genetic algorithm which genetically breeds a population of LISP symbolic expressions of varying size and shape until the desired performance by the network is successfully evolved. The novel 'genetic programming' paradigm is applied to the problem of generating a neural network for a one-bit adder. >
Myths and Rituals: A General Theory

Nineteenth century students strongly tended to study mythology apart from associated rituals (and indeed apart from the life of the people generally). Myths were held to be symbolic descriptions of phenomena of nature. One prominent school, in fact, tried to find an astral basis for all mythic tales. Others, among whom Andrew Lang was prominent, saw in the myth a kind of primitive scientific theory. Mythology answered the insistent human How? and Why? How and why was the world made? How and why were living creatures brought into being? Why, if there was life must there be death? To early psychoanalysts such as Abraham and Rank myths were “group phantasies,” wish-fulfillments for a society strictly analogous to the dream and day-dream of individuals. Mythology for these psychoanalysts was also a symbolic structure par excellence, but the symbolism which required interpretation was primarily a sex symbolism which was postulated as universal and all-pervasive. Reik recognized a connection between rite and myth, and he, with Freud, verbally agreed to Robertson Smith's proposition that mythology was mainly a description of ritual. To the psychoanalysts, however, mythology was essentially (so far as what they did with it is concerned) societal phantasy material which reflected impulse repression. There was no attempt to discover the practical function of mythology in the daily behaviors of the members of a society nor to demonstrate specific interactions of mythology and ceremonials.
Phase and group-delay characteristics of signal-averaged electrocardiograms from patients with ventricular tachycardia

Fourier analysis of the signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) has previously revealed significant differences in magnitude spectra that differentiate patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) from those without VT. To determine additional distinguishing features in the frequency domain, the authors analyzed phase spectra of SAECG's of sinus beats from 57 patients with VT, 65 without VT, and 20 normal controls. Unwrapped phase spectra from SAECG's of the entire cardiac cycle were calculated with respect to three fiducial points: onset of the P and Q waves, and the negative of the slope of the phase (group delay for frequencies in the band, which accounted for 97.5% of the energy in the vector magnitude of the Frank SAECG leads. Phase spectra of SAECG's from patients with VT differed from the non-VT patients at frequencies /spl ges/21 Hz (p=0.000039) for the P-wave fiducial, at frequencies /spl ges/60 Hz (p=0.00085) for the Q-wave fiducial, and at frequencies /spl ges/62 Hz (p=0.0035) for the 97.5% energy fiducial. Group delays in SAECG's from patients with and without VT differed from 10 to 26 Hz (p=0.000016) for the P-wave fiducial, and from 14 to 24 Hz (p=0.00000070) for the Q-wave fiducial. Group delays with respect to the Q-wave fiducial in the VT patients in the 14-24 Hz band were, on average, 9 ms and 5 ms longer than those of the non-VT's and normals, respectively. Thus, phase spectra of SAECG's contain previously undetected features that together with magnitude may be helpful in improving methods for stratifying the risk of VT. >
Molecular weight estimation of polypeptides by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis: further data concerning resolving power and general considerations.

Abstract Molecular weights of polypeptides and proteins can be determined with a high degree of accuracy by electrophoresis in SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Coelectrophoresis of dual-labeled markers and unknowns permits resolution of molecular weight differences as small as 5% (and possibly 2%) between polypeptides. Experiments with S35-labeled SDS suggest that the SDS-protein complex is a loose one and that exchange of SDS with the environment occurs at an exceedingly high rate.
The Chromatin-Remodeling BAF Complex Mediates Cellular Antiviral Activities by Promoter Priming

The elicitation of cellular antiviral activities is dependent on the rapid transcriptional activation of interferon (IFN) target genes. It is not clear how the interferon target promoters, which are organized into chromatin structures in cells, rapidly respond to interferon or viral stimulation. In this report, we show that alpha IFN (IFN-alpha) treatment of HeLa cells induced hundreds of genes. The induction of the majority of these genes was inhibited when one critical subunit of the chromatin-remodeling SWI/SNF-like BAF complexes, BAF47, was knocked down via RNA interference. Inhibition of BAF47 blocked the cellular response to viral infection and impaired cellular antiviral activity by inhibiting many IFN- and virus-inducible genes. We show that the BAF complex was required to mediate both the basal-level expression and the rapid induction of the antiviral genes. Further analyses indicated that the BAF complex primed some IFN target promoters by utilizing ATP-derived energy to maintain the chromatin in a constitutively open conformation, allowing faster and more potent induction after IFN-alpha treatment. We propose that constitutive binding of the BAF complex is an important mechanism for the IFN-inducible promoters to respond rapidly to IFN and virus stimulation.
Construction and field theory of bosonic-symmetry-protected topological states beyond group cohomology

We construct a series of bbosonic-symmetry-protected topological (BSPT) states beyond group cohomology classification using ``decorated defects'' approach. This construction is based on topological defects of ordinary Landau order parameters, decorated with the bosonic short-range entangled (BSRE) states in $(4k+3)d$ and $(4k+5)d$ space-time (with $k$ being nonnegative integers), which do not need any symmetry. This approach not only gives these BSPT states an intuitive physical picture, it also allows us to derive the effective field theory for all these BSPT states beyond group cohomology.
Hydrologic variability in dryland regions: impacts on ecosystem dynamics and food security

Research on ecosystem and societal response to global environmental change typically considers the effects of shifts in mean climate conditions. There is, however, some evidence of ongoing changes also in the variance of hydrologic and climate fluctuations. A relatively high interannual variability is a distinctive feature of the hydrologic regime of dryland regions, particularly at the desert margins. Hydrologic variability has an important impact on ecosystem dynamics, food security and societal reliance on ecosystem services in water-limited environments. Here, we investigate some of the current patterns of hydrologic variability in drylands around the world and review the major effects of hydrologic fluctuations on ecosystem resilience, maintenance of biodiversity and food security. We show that random hydrologic fluctuations may enhance the resilience of dryland ecosystems by obliterating bistable deterministic behaviours and threshold-like responses to external drivers. Moreover, by increasing biodiversity and the associated ecosystem redundancy, hydrologic variability can indirectly enhance post-disturbance recovery, i.e. ecosystem resilience.
In vitro seed culture and seedling development of Calopogon tuberosus

A major obstacle to native orchid production is difficulty in seed germination. Culture media and light effects on seed germination of Calopogon tuberosus var. tuberosus, a native orchid with horticultural potential, were studied. Culture media included Knudson C, Malmgren modified terrestrial orchid, and PhytoTechnology orchid seed sowing. Effects of 8 weeks continual darkness, 8 weeks 16-h photoperiod, 2 weeks dark followed by 6 weeks 16-h photoperiod, 4 weeks dark followed by 4 weeks 16-h photoperiod, and 6 weeks dark followed by 2 weeks 16-h photoperiod were examined. Percent seed germination was highest on Knudson C after 8 weeks culture; however, seedling development was enhanced on PhytoTechnology seed sowing medium during 8 weeks culture under a 16-h photoperiod. This suggests that while KC and darkness promoted seed germination, P723 and light enhanced further seedling development. Seedlings of C. tuberosus readily acclimated to greenhouse conditions.
Cross layer design for localization and MAC

Localization accuracy and energy efficiency are two important goals in sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a new medium access control (MAC) scheme to prioritize nodes with higher location estimation accuracy (location reliability) and higher residual energy level. The proposed solution is to encode the information of location reliability and residual energy level with a decreasing backoff function. All the nodes are divided into several classes according to their location reliability and residual energy level. Using the proposed decreasing backoff function, different classes have different backoff windows. The higher priority classes have higher probability to access the network. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show an improved performance for the proposed MAC solution compared to the traditional exponential backoff scheme.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Mothers of Neonates with Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection

To identify maternal risk factors for intrauterine transmission of cytomegalovirus (CMV), a case-control study of 175 mothers of neonates with congenital CMV infection was undertaken. Cases and 358 randomly selected controls delivered neonates between 1980 and 1988; in this interval neonates were routinely tested for viruria. Eighty-four percent of the study population was black and greater than 87% received prenatal care. Women with gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, or bacterial vaginosis had an increased risk of intrauterine transmission of CMV, as did those who were primigravid (odds ratios, 1.8-2.5). Women who were young, unmarried, and of lower income were almost four times more likely to deliver a CMV-infected newborn than were those who did not have all three of these factors. These results in a predominantly black, low-income population indicate a greater risk for congenital CMV infection in offspring of young, single, primigravid mothers. The association with gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted infections suggests that sexual activity is an important source of maternal CMV infections that result in congenital infection in this population.
Participatory sensing for community building

In this research, we explore the viability of using participatory sensing as a means to enhance a sense of community. To accomplish this, we are developing and deploying a suite of participatory sensing applications, where users explicitly report on the state of their environment, such as the location of the bus. In doing so, community members become reliant on each other for valuable information about the community. By better understanding the relationship between participatory sensing and community, we inform the design and research of similar participatory sensing, or crowd-sourced sensing applications.
An Agenda for Research in Large-Scale Distributed Data Repositories

Access to shared data is provided today by distributed file systems and databases. In this paper, we explore certain usage and technological trends that will radically change the way shared data is used in the future. The usage trends include the growing need to access shared data from anywhere, increasing scale, and the increasing importance of efficient search. The technology trends include the advent of portable machines, the availability of software and hardware for using diverse types of data, and the growing diversity of network speeds and capabilities. These trends induce fundamental research problems in the areas of adaptive system behavior, secure remote execution and extensibility.
Future Study Questions

Are there differences in the range of processing complexity for fire versus EMS calls for aid? Are there differences in the efficiency of processing algorithms for fire versus EMS calls for aid? Does the nature and complexity of calls vary by time of day?
A Temporal Kernel Method to Compute Effective Radiative Forcing in CMIP5 Transient Simulations

AbstractEffective radiative forcing (ERF) is calculated as the flux change at the top of the atmosphere after allowing rapid adjustments resulting from a forcing agent, such as greenhouse gases. Rapid adjustments include changes to atmospheric temperature, water vapor, and clouds. Accurate estimates of ERF are necessary in order to understand the drivers of climate change. This work presents a new method of calculating ERF using a kernel derived from the time series of a model variable (e.g., global mean surface temperature) in a model-step change experiment. The top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiative imbalance has the best noise tolerance for retrieving the ERF of the model variables tested. This temporal kernel method is compared with an energy balance method, which equates ERF to the TOA radiative imbalance plus the scaled surface temperature change. Sensitivities and biases of these methods are quantified using output from phase 5 of the the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). The temporal kerne...
Measuring plasma impurities in Alcator C-Mod as a function of time in the extreme ultraviolet11This article is part of a Special Issue on the 10th International Colloquium on Atomic Spectra and Oscillator Strengths for Astrophysical and Laboratory Plasmas.

Abstract A flat-field grazing-incidence grating spectrometer has been installed on the MIT Alcator C-MOD tokamak, following the installation of such a spectrometer on the Livermore electron beam ion trap facility and on the National Spherical Torus Experiment at Princeton. The spectrometer employs a variable space grating with an average spacing of 2400 lines/mm and covers the 10–70 A wavelength band. It is being used to monitor the presence of impurity ions such as boron, oxygen, fluorine, argon, calcium, iron, molybdenum, and tungsten, and to calibrate spectral diagnostics of astrophysical plasmas. The Alcator instrument provides spectral emission data in a density regime that is one to three orders of magnitude higher than that covered by the other two instruments and thus produces complementary data.
Ethics Rules for Neutrals

The Ethics 2000 Commission is tackling an important subject by determining both to develop rules covering neutrals -- mediators and arbitrators -- and to incorporate them into the Model Rules. As one involved in legal ethics who first worked as a mediator in domestic relations cases over twenty years ago, and who now works as a neutral through the American Arbitration Association, I recognize that such rules will have increasing significance. The following are some thoughts about the direction I believe such rules should take, beginning with the need to have separate rules applied to mediators and arbitrators.
Mechanical Properties of LSGM as an Electrolyte for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Strontium- and magnesium-doped lanthanum gallate (LSGM) due to its high ionic conductivity and chemical stability over a wide range of oxygen partial pressures and temperatures has been considered as an alternative electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems. Mechanical properties of LSGM electrolyte layer however need to be well studied. An overview of mechanical behavior of LSGM on an all-perovskite SOFC is presented in this work. Dense La0.8 Sr0.2 Ga0.7 Mg0.3 O2.8 electrolyte pellets were studied. Mechanical properties, such as hardness, elastic modulus, fracture toughness, and modulus of rupture (MOR) of the electrolyte pellets at different sintering temperatures were measured and correlated with the SEM morphological characterization. Samples sintered for 2h at 1500°C demonstrated slightly enhanced mechanical properties than those sintered at 1450°C and 1400°C.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Abstract LB-433: Examination of the oncogenic potential of XMRV in prostate epithelial cells

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a retrovirus closely related to murine leukemia viruses, which cause a variety of cancers and immunological and neurological diseases in mice. Whether XMRV plays a role in cancer and other diseases remains controversial; some studies show a possible association, but there is currently no evidence that the virus is a causal agent for disease. Our hypothesis was that the 3′ long terminal repeat (LTR) from the XMRV genome is responsible for its oncogenic activity in prostate cells. We chose three regions from the XMRV 3′ LTR and tested the potential of these regions in transactivating a cellular gene promoter whose homolog is transactivated by MMLV in mouse cells. We examined the transactivation potential in pre-cancerous and a panel of cancerous prostate epithelial cells. Our results showed that for certain 3′LTR regions induce nearly full transactivating activity, while others might comprise inhibitory regions. Therefore, to better understand the mechanism by which the XMRV 3′ LTR regions might be inducing or inhibiting transactivation, we tested their ability to transactivate cellular genes related to transformation. We used as reporters plasmids containing binding sites for cellular transcription factors. The results showed several similarities in transactivation, suggesting common activation pathways for 3′LTR transactivating activity. Finally, we tested if XMRV infection could enhance oncogenicity potential of prostate precancerous and cancerous cell lines. We examined this in vitro by assessing the rate of colony formation in soft agar, and in vivo, using xenograft assays. The results suggested that cell lines infected with XMRV had enhanced in vitro colony formation, as well as enhanced in vivo growth, however, addition of another tumorigenic genetic alteration was required in conjunction with XMRV-infection to induce enhanced tumor growth. Our data suggests that the XMRV 3′LTR may have a transactivating activity on cellular genes, and that XMRV might have a transforming activity in prostate cancer cells, most likely stimulating promotion/progression of tumorigenesis, and not ‘initiation’ of tumorigenesis. These results are highly novel since they represent for the first examinations of the role of XMRV in tumorigenesis of prostate epithelial cell lines in vitro and in vivo and examinations of the 3′LTR context of the virus upon transactivation of cellular genes as a potential mechanism of cellular transformation. 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 LB-433. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-LB-433
A New Method of Cockroach Control on Submarines

Eight submarines were treated with dichlorvos aerosol 6.5% at the rate of 12 oz/10,000 ft3 and three of these with 2% propoxur bait to control Blattella germanica (L.). Better than 97% control was obtained initially after using dichlorvos in all treatments. Propoxur 2% bait was used to control nymphs which hatch from eggs not affected by dichlorvos. Air samples were taken aboard 3 submarines to determine concentration of dichlorvos in air within the submarines prior to and after ventilation.
Brain endothelium lack one of two pathways of P-selectin-mediated neutrophil adhesion.

P-selectin, an endothelial leukocyte adhesion receptor, is rapidly translocated to the cell surface upon release from storage granules called Weibel-Palade bodies and is also transcriptionally upregulated upon cytokine stimulation of endothelial cells (ECs). These two pathways of surface expression are coincident with the rapid and cytokine-inducible pathway of neutrophil adhesion to ECs. Constitutive P-selectin expression is largely absent in cultured murine brain microvascular EC (BMEC) monolayers, but interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha stimulation for 4 hours leads to dramatic P-selectin upregulation. The functional relevance of differential P-selectin expression in these cells was examined by studying BMECs derived from wild-type mice and P-selectin-deficient mice. We show that P-selectin deficiency does not affect Weibel-Palade body formation or their release in response to short-acting agonists. However, in the absence of P-selectin, the brain endothelium is unable to support neutrophil adhesion after stimulation with these agonists, which may contribute to the immune privilege status of the brain. We show that P- selectin does play a major role in supporting neutrophil adhesion in the cytokine-induced pathway in BMECs in the context of other cytokine- inducible endothelial-leukocyte adhesion receptors, E-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1.
PERCEPTIONS OF PROCEDURAL JUSTICE MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL VIOLENT CRIME DENSITY AND CRIME REPORTING INTENTIONS

Community attitudes toward the police are of increasing concern to scholars and practitioners. Although it is widely accepted that perceptions of procedural justice are influential in shaping citizens’ attitudes toward police, prior studies have not considered its relationship to crime density. To address this gap, we examined the relationship between crime density, perceptions of procedural justice, and intentions to report crimes to police using data from a demographically representative survey in an urban center widely known for exhibiting extremely high violent crime rates. We created a path model predicting perceptions of procedural justice, the likelihood of contacting police to report a crime, and the likelihood of socially interacting with police other than in relation to crime. The results indicate that independent of race and educational background, community members’ trust in police mediates the relationship between local crime density and their intentions report crimes to and otherwise interact with the police.
Characterization of Forces in High-Speed Bone Cutting and Grinding for Haptics Rendering

This study characterizes the forces in high-speed bone cutting and grinding for the use of haptic devices in surgical simulations. Unrealistic force feedback due to the lack of vibrational features is one of the most common drawbacks. Generally, the force profile can be decomposed to a mean force and a vibrational force magnitude. These forces are experimentally measured under various motions, including feed rate and tool orientation, to mimic manual operations and to understand the effects of these parameters. Change in feed rate was found to be insignificant in the overall force feedback, while the change in tool orientation showed statistically significant effects. The grinding burr and cutting burr also exhibited different forces under an identical condition. The explanation for the behavior of the forces based on the cutting and grinding conditions is discussed along with the results.© 2016 ASME
Review of Pendeo-Epitaxial Growth and Characterization of Thin Films of GaN and AlGaN Alloys on 6H-SiC(0001) and Si(111) Substrates

Discrete and coalesced monocrystalline GaN and AlxGa1-xN layers grown via pendeo-epitaxy (PE) originated from side walls of GaN seed stripes with and without SiNx top masks have been grown via organometallic vapor phase deposition on GaN/AlN/6H-SiC(0001) and GaN(0001)/AlN(0001)/ 3C-SiC(111)/Si(111) substrates. Scanning and transmission electron microscopies were used to evaluate the external microstructures and the distribution of dislocations, respectively. The dislocation density in the laterally grown sidewall regions and in the regions grown over the SiNx masks was reduced by at least five orders of magnitude relative to the initial GaN seed layers. Tilting of 0.2° in the coalesced GaN epilayers grown over the SiNx masks was determined via X-ray and selected area diffraction; however, tilting was not observed in the material suspended above the SiC substrate and that grown on unmasked stripes. A strong, low-temperature photoluminescence band-edge peak at ~3.45 eV with a FWHM of <300 µeV was determined on the overgrowth material grown on the silicon carbide substrates. The band-edge in the GaN grown on silicon substrates was shifted to a lower energy by 10 meV, indicative of a greater tensile stress.
LipidQC: Method Validation Tool for Visual Comparison to SRM 1950 Using NIST Interlaboratory Comparison Exercise Lipid Consensus Mean Estimate Values.

As advances in analytical separation techniques, mass spectrometry instrumentation, and data processing platforms continue to spur growth in the lipidomics field, more structurally unique lipid species are detected and annotated. The lipidomics community is in need of benchmark reference values to assess the validity of various lipidomics workflows in providing accurate quantitative measurements across the diverse lipidome. LipidQC addresses the harmonization challenge in lipid quantitation by providing a semiautomated process, independent of analytical platform, for visual comparison of experimental results of National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1950, “Metabolites in Frozen Human Plasma”, against benchmark consensus mean concentrations derived from the NIST Lipidomics Interlaboratory Comparison Exercise.
Surviving childhood cancer: a sobering story.

Childhood cancers account for Blood , Holmqvist et al report on the long-term survival of 362 survivors of childhood cancer who were in continuous remission and alive 2 years after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation. 1
Transplantate, die leben und atmen

Eine Zelle ist eine Fabrik, die Material verbrennt, um zu arbeiten oder um neue Stoffe herzustellen. Zellarbeit kann die Kraft fur Muskelkontraktion, wie z. B. fur das Pumpen des Herzens, liefern. Oder sie kann ihre Energie fur die Produktion benotigen, wie z. B. die Nebenniere Zucker verbrennt, um hochspezialisierte Steroidhormone1 aus in der Nahrung enthaltenen Verbindungen herzustellen. Oder die Arbeit der Zelle mag in der Ubertragung spezieller Impulse bestehen, wie dies in Hirn oder Ruckenmark der Fall ist. Die Aufgabe anderer Zellen kann die Herstellung von Verdauungssaften, wie im Pankreas, oder die Absorption von Nahrungsstoffen, wie im Darm, sein.
Sunsets in the Tax Code

Sunsets - or expiring provisions - have long been a feature of the tax code, but they changed dramatically in character and magnitude in recent years as policy makers aimed to hide the costs of recent tax cuts. Removing all the sunsets in the tax code would reduce revenue by almost $2 trillion over the next decade, more than the entire legislated cost of the 2001, 2002, and 2003 tax cuts. The revenue loss in 2013 alone would be $430 billion, or 2.4 percent of GDP going forward. This exceeds the 75-year actuarial shortfalls in the social security and medicare trust funds combined. The best way to prevent the removal of existing sunsets would be to re-instate the pay-as-you-go rules that required that mandatory spending increases or tax cuts be financed by other changes in taxes or spending.
An Institutional Review of Earnings Quality in Japan

Despite its sophisticated markets and information dissemination systems, corporate disclosures in Japan have consistently shown to suffer from poor earnings quality. Drawing from international research and research conducted on Japanese companies, this literature review examines some of the institutional features of Japan which may contribute to the country’s comparatively low earnings quality. Although the review reveals large gaps in the literature, we find that the most likely characteristics driving the poor earnings quality are the disclosures practices of keiretsu affiliates and the underutilization of private or public corporate disclosure enforcement mechanisms. We also examine major reforms stemming from the Enron and Kanebo frauds that have been implemented in Japan in the last decade and discuss their implications for earnings quality.
"The one who knows the tricks wins the day": Cultivating mētis in an undergraduate, mixed-major professional writing course

This assignment demonstrates how writing instructors can cultivate students' mētis, a flexible and adaptive way of thinking, by requiring participation in naturalistic rhetorical situations that arise outside the classroom. The assignment, developed for an undergraduate, mixed-major professional writing course, asks students to pursue external professional opportunities. The affordances of naturalistic situations and the requirements of the assignment work together, enabling students to develop three key features of mētis: vigilance, tricks, and multiplicity. Exercising mētis improves students' chances of success when they pursue opportunities in competitive industries.
Channel Catfish Herpesvirus

Herpesvirus of channel catfish causes a serious problem in channel catfish fingerlings in the Southern United States and other areas where this species is cultured. The causative agent of channel catfish virus disease (CCVD) is also known as Herpesvirus ictaluri and commonly called channel catfish virus (CCV) (Wolf and Darlington, 1971; Fijan, 1968). The following review of herpesvirus of channel catfish included discussion of its epizootiology, clinical signs, pathogenicity, pathology and other aspects of CCVD.
Those Who Disappear and Those Who Say Goodbye: Patterns of Attrition in Long-Term Home Visiting

Most evidence-based home visiting models are designed to support families from pregnancy through a child's second birthday, though programs often struggle to retain families for this long. Previous research on client and program factors that predict attrition has produced mixed results, which may be partly because attrition is typically conceptualized as a homogeneous phenomenon. The current study sampled 991 women who received home visiting services from one of 26 agencies in a statewide network of evidence-based programs. Participants who remained in services were compared to three types of early leavers: those who communicated their intent to leave (active attrition), those whose cases closed due to non-participation (passive attrition), and those who moved from the service area. Within a year of enrollment, 42% of women exited services. Cox regression results suggested no differences in the timing of service exit among the three attrition types. Multinomial analyses revealed that, when compared to participants who remained in services, active leavers were more likely to be married or cohabitating, while passive leavers were more likely to be younger, African American, unemployed, and to have a home visitor with low job satisfaction. Participants who moved were less likely to be Latina and employed. An early pattern of inconsistent attendance was the strongest predictor of active and passive withdrawal. Rates of attrition varied by home visiting model, though inconsistent attendance was a robust predictor of passive attrition across models. This study underscores the need to scrutinize service duration as a metric of success in home visiting.
RFID technology-enabled Markov reward process for sequencing care coordination in ambulatory care: A case study

Abstract Care coordination is vital for patient-centered care delivery. While communication is key to sharing information, sequencing the critical activities associated with care delivery is key to process efficiency and safety. The “communication” aspect has been often addressed by computer systems, but very limited attention has been paid to the “sequencing” aspect. Alongside, although real-time location systems (RTLS) are widely used for tracking purposes, they have not been used to develop analytical models for decision making, thus advancing the role and value of information technologies (IT). This paper proposes a data driven solution for developing prescriptive policies regarding the sequencing of care delivery activities in ambulatory care such that the goal of well-coordinated care may be achieved. Specifically, we propose a Markov Reward Process model to find the optimal care delivery sequence that minimizes patient waiting time using empirical data collected by Gen2IR/RFID technology in an outpatient clinic. We demonstrate improved sequencing of care delivery activities in comparison to status quo. The application of RFID in this study elevates the value of RTLS in healthcare from just tracking and identifying objects/persons to guiding and changing operational activities. Our method is generalizable to a variety of care coordination problems in different care delivery settings, and can be embedded in decision support systems for better operational sequencing of care delivery activities.
Perceptions of the affordable care act by Physician Assistants

Objective: Implementation of the affordable care act (ACA) resulted in an increased number of insured individuals and a shortage of primary care physicians. Physician Assistants (PAs) are poised to address this shortage since the PA profession is grounded in teamwork exemplified by the Accountable Care Organizations supported by the ACA. This study assesses the perception of the ACA by PAs providing healthcare services during implementation of the ACA. Methods: In this repeated cross-sectional study, alumni from a Midwest PA program were surveyed in 2014, 2016 and 2018 on knowledge and perception of the ACA. Questions addressed the ACA impact on the PA profession and on patients’ access to healthcare. Results: During the initial four years of ACA implementation, the following increases in perception were seen: 1) 32% increase in positive outlook of healthcare; 2) 37% increase in positive influence on PA practice; 3) 30% increase in positive impact of practice autonomy; 4) 64% increase in positive impact for patients; and 5) 33% increase in patient access to care. Additionally, the inability to choose a provider increased by 18%. Conclusions: Over the last four years PAs have perceived positive effects pertaining to their practice and regarding the impact on their patients despite an increase in the inability to choose a provider. Inability to choose a provider may in part be due to the rising number of narrow-network plans. The findings of greater autonomy and increased compensation for PAs are contrary to physicians who perceive the ACA to decrease their autonomy and their compensation.
MAR Hydrogeological and Hydrochemistry Evaluation Techniques

Hydrogeological and hydrochemical data collection programs for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) systems need to be designed to meet project-specific information requirements, which may include information on aquifer hydraulics and transport parameters, vadose zone properties (e.g., infiltration rates), aquifer mineraology, and native groundwater and recharge water chemistry. The scope of work for field testing programs depends on the data requirements for project feasibility evaluations, system design and permitting, environmental and human health impact assessments, and how much data can be obtained from existing sources. Inasmuch as projects have finite budgets, prioritization is a key part of the development of testing programs. Programs elements should be selected to obtain the most critically needed data and consideration should be given to the relative data quality from different techniques and costs.