cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Query About Li Bai "Not Condescending to Take the Imperial Examinations

The introduction of imperial examination system in the Sui Dynasty brought and end to the system of families of power dominating entirely official selections,a system which was adopted since the Wei Jin period,This resulted in a less distinctive differentiation between hereditary family and common people.But in the meantime the Sui authority stipulated that a person with handicraft industry or business background should not be allowed to pursue an official career.Other policies were also made to discriminate these kinds of families.During the Tang Dynasty,the old Sui′s methods of selecting officials were mostly followed and the distinguishing line between official,peasant,handicraftsman and businessman was still very rigid.In spite of the fact that the imperial examination system made it accessible for poor scholars to pursue official careers,to a man from an industrial or business family,the door was still closed.According to what Fan Chuanzheng disclosed,on the one hand,Li Bai was unable to provide genealogical tree evidence to prove that he was not from such a family for the verification purpose by the Board of Revenue.On the other hand,it was an irrefutable fact that the Board of Revenue could not have the original document concerning Li Bai′s family′s social standing.It was because he could not write imperial examination on the account of his family background that Li Bai was able to get rid of the bondage of examination oriented education of that time and of the fetters of the Confucian schools.Thus he could develop is unruly character to its full extent.To say that Li Bai considered writing imperial examination unworthy of doing is to put effect before cause.\;
The distribution of the medical vectors distribution and its spreading infectious diseases in the coastal areas of China

Coastal development involves the development of ports, industry and urban interaction. In the coastal development process, the impact of disease vectors on human health was especially concerned. The vectors of public health importance including insects and rodents could spread directly or indirectly some infectious diseases. There were many kinds of medical vectors in the coastal areas. The rodents and their ectoparasitic mites, ticks could spread hemorrhagic fever with the renal syndrome(HFRS), scrub typhus, Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis(HGA), severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome(SFTS). The mosquitoes could spread Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever, malaria,chikungunya fever. The fly and cockroach mechanical spread intestinal infections, etc. In order to ensure and promote the economic development of the coastal regions and social stability,it should continue to carry out research on the impact of disease vectors prevailing in coastal areas on public health.
504 FETAL HEPATIC ARTERY LIGATION SUPPRESSES LIVER HEMATOPOIESIS IN UTERO.

Introduction Fetal hematopoiesis involves a successive interchange of progenitor cell activity among different anatomical sites, with the liver playing a pivotal role in the sequence. The mechanisms that regulate this unique process may hold the clues to the treatment and possibly cure of numerous hematological and non-hematological diseases, both before and after birth. We hypothesized that fetal hepatic hematopoiesis is controlled by arterial blood flow to the liver. This study was aimed at determining the effects of changes in hepatic artery flow upon liver hematopoiesis in utero. Methods The experimental design was validated by previous data demonstrating (1) the negligible role of arterial blood flow on fetal hepatic oxygenation and (2) an increase in hepatic arterial flow as a consequence of biliary obstruction. Fetal lambs ( n = 15) were divided into 3 groups at 106-113 days gestation (term = 145 days). Group I ( n = 5) underwent ligation and division of the right and left hepatic arteries; group II ( n = 4) underwent ligation and division of the common bile duct; and group III ( n = 6) were sham-operated controls. Euthanasia was performed at comparable gestational ages near term, 23.7 ± 6.4 days postoperatively. Animals were blindly assessed for hepatic hematopoietic cell/island density by both standard histology and transferrin receptor (CD71) immunohistochemistry. Additional analyses included hepatic angiography, peripheral blood hemoglobin (Hb) content, and colony-forming unit (CFU) assays of hematopoietic progenitors. Statistical comparisons were by non-parametric and mixed model regression analyses, as appropriate ( p Results Overall fetal survival was 93%. In group I, post-mortem arteriograms confirmed complete occlusion of the hepatic arteries, albeit with variable local collateralization. There was a significant reduction in the density of hematopoietic progenitors in group I when compared to groups II and III. This was further confirmed by a significant reduction of CFU in group I. Group II had a significantly higher density of hematopoietic progenitors than the other two groups. Fetal Hb levels were lower in group I when compared to groups II and III, but this did not reach statistical significance in this series. Conclusions Fetal hepatic hematopoeisis is dependent on arterial blood flow to the liver. These data demonstrate a unique and previously unrecognized role of the hepatic artery in fetal development. Fetal hepatic artery ligation is a novel surgical model for the study of fetal hematopoiesis.
Cerebrovascular reactivity to adenosine analogues in 0.6-0.7 gestation and near-term fetal sheep.

During acute hypoxia, fetal sheep less than 0.7 gestation increase cerebral blood flow (CBF) relatively less than fetal sheep near term. We hypothesized that cerebrovascular reactivity to a hypoxic...
Promoting Hand Hygiene With a Lighting Prompt

Objectives:The objective of this pilot study was to assess an automatic sink light design intervention as a prompt for clinician hand hygiene (as defined by World Health Organization [WHO]).Backgro...
Angiosarcoma, radiation-associated angiosarcoma, and atypical vascular lesion.

Abstract Angiosarcoma, one of the least common sarcomas, has become increasingly important because of its association with radiation therapy, especially for breast cancer. Most are sporadic, presenting as cutaneous tumors in the scalp/face of elderly patients. However, angiosarcoma has a wide anatomic distribution including soft tissue, visceral organ, and osseous locations. Predisposing conditions include environmental exposures to chemical or radioactive sources. Radiation-associated angiosarcoma typically presents as a cutaneous tumor several years posttherapy. The latency for radiation-associated mammary angiosarcoma is relatively short, sometimes less than 3 years. Atypical vascular lesion refers to a small, usually lymphatic-type vascular proliferation in radiated skin. Although most atypical vascular lesions pursue a benign course, they recur and very rarely progress to angiosarcoma. Distinguishing this lesion from well-differentiated angiosarcoma in a biopsy can be challenging, especially because ...
Memoir on the History of the Austin Software Council

The Austin Software Council is Austin’s largest trade association, with two hundred corporate members and six thousand individual subscribers in 2005, and influential even beyond what its size would suggest.
Pushback: Critical data designers and pollution politics

In this paper, we describe how critical data designers have created projects that ‘push back’ against the eclipse of environmental problems by dominant orders: the pioneering pollution database Sco...
Mechanistic Studies on RNA Strand Scission from a C2′-Radical

The C2′-carbon–hydrogen bond in ribonucleotides is significantly weaker than other carbohydrate carbon–hydrogen bonds in RNA or DNA. Independent generation of the C2′-uridine radical (1) in RNA oligonucleotides via Norrish type I photocleavage of a ketone-substituted nucleotide yields direct strand breaks via cleavage of the β-phosphate. The reactivity of 1 in different sequences and under a variety of conditions suggests that the rate constant for strand scission is significantly greater than 106 s–1 at pH 7.2. The initially formed C2′-radical (1) is not trapped under a variety of conditions, consistent with computational studies (Chem.—Eur. J. 2009, 15, 2394) that suggest that the barrier to strand scission is very low and that synchronous proton transfer from the 2′-hydroxyl to the departing phosphate group facilitates cleavage. The C2′-radical could be a significant contributor to RNA strand scission by the hydroxyl radical, particularly under anaerobic conditions where 1 can be produced from nucleoba...
Ionospheric clutter modelling for VHF passive radars operating at high latitudes

Passive VHF and UHF radars which prosecute FM and television broadcasts above 50 MHz at latitudes greater than 40 degrees will occasionally be subject to large amounts clutter from the ionosphere. Conventional pulsed, active radars can mitigate against auroral clutter by appropriate gating of the transmitter waveforms and receiver samples. However, passive radars, as CW systems cannot. In this report we describe the basic features of meter scale ionospheric clutter, describe how its magnitude can be estimated, and how its effects may be mitigated. (2 pages)
Cold sintering process: A new era for ceramic packaging and microwave device development

Cold sintering process (CSP) is an extremely low-temperature sintering process (room temperature to ~200°C) that uses aqueous-based solutions as transient solvents to aid densification by a nonequilibrium dissolution-precipitation process. In this work, CSP is introduced to fabricate microwave and packaging dielectric substrates, including ceramics (bulk monolithic substrates and multilayers) and ceramic-polymer composites. Some dielectric materials, namely Li2MoO4, Na2Mo2O7, K2Mo2O7, and (LiBi)0.5MoO4 ceramics, and also (1−x)Li2MoO4−xPTFE and (1−x)(LiBi)0.5MoO4−xPTFE composites, are selected to demonstrate the feasibility of CSP in microwave and packaging substrate applications. Selected dielectric ceramics and composites with high densities (88%-95%) and good microwave dielectric properties (permittivity, 5.6-37.1; Q × f, 1700-30 500 GHz) were obtained by CSP at 120°C. CSP can be also used to potentially develop a new co-fired ceramic technology, namely CSCC. Li2MoO4−Ag multilayer co-fired ceramic structures were successfully fabricated without obvious delamination, warping, or interdiffusion. Numerous materials with different dielectric properties can be densified by CSP, indicating that CSP provides a simple, effective, and energy-saving strategy for the ceramic packaging and microwave device development.
Regional Photonics Initiative at the College of Lake County.

ABSTRACTThe College of Lake County Regional Photonics Initiative project was motivated in part by the hiring of out-of-state technicians for local Photonics industry positions. Fifteen high paying employment opportunities during the recent recession could not be filled from the locally available workforce. Research on the current demand and future growth of this industry led to inquiry regarding the feasibility of establishing a photonics program at the College of Lake County. With support from National Center for Optics and Photonics Technology, Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, consultation with local industry, and funding from the NSF (National Science Foundation) ATE (Advanced Technical Education) program, the first Lasers, Photonics, and Optics certificate program was established. This immediately provided photonics skills and employment opportunities to students, many of whom were already working in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) related fields.
CHAPTER 53 – Structure and Mechanism of the Insulin Receptor Tyrosine Kinase

An understanding of the signal transduction mechanisms intrinsic to the insulin receptor is not only of academic interest. The prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in the populations of developed countries is increasing at an alarming rate. One therapeutic strategy for NIDDM is to activate (in the absence of insulin) or potentiate (in the presence of insulin) the insulin receptor. Indeed, small-molecule activators/potentiators of the insulin receptor which act cytoplasmically have been discovered through screening procedures. Knowledge of the structural transitions that occur in the insulin receptor kinase during the activation process should aid in the design of more potent and specific small-molecule activators of the insulin receptor. The hormone insulin activates signaling pathways that regulate cellular metabolism and growth. The actions of this essential hormone are mediated by the insulin receptor, a member of a large family of transmembrane receptors known as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), which contain intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity in the cytoplasmic domain. These receptors catalyze the transfer of the γ-phosphate of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to tyrosine residues in protein substrates. The RTK family also includes, among others, the receptors for insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). There is also a large family of non-receptor tyrosine kinases that includes Src, Abl, Jaks, Syk/Zap 70, and Fak. Receptor and nonreceptor tyrosine kinases are critical components of signaling pathways that control cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, and metabolism.
Exposure to extrinsic stressors, social defeat or bisphenol A, eliminates sex differences in DNA methyltransferase expression in the amygdala

Chemical and psychological stressors can exert long lasting changes in brain function and behaviour. Changes in DNA methylation have been shown to be an important mechanism mediating long lasting changes in neural function and behaviour, especially for anxiety-like or stress responses. In the present study, we examined the effects of either a social or chemical stressor on DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) gene expression in the amygdala, an important brain region modulating stress responses and anxiety. In adult California mice (Peromyscus californicus) that were naive to social defeat, females had higher levels of Dnmt1 expression in punch samples of the central amygdala (CeA) than males. In addition, mice that underwent social defeat stress showed reduced Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a expression in the CeA of females but not males. A second study using more anatomically specific punch samples replicated these effects for Dnmt1. Perinatal exposure (spanning from periconception through lactation) to bisphenol A or ethinyl oestradiol (oestrogens in birth control pills) also abolished sex differences in Dnmt1 expression in the CeA but not the basolateral amygdala. These findings identify a robust sex difference in Dnmt1 expression in the CeA that is sensitive to both psychological and chemical stressors. Future studies should aim to examine the impact of psychological and chemical stressors on DNA methylation in the CeA and also investigate whether Dnmt1 may have an underappreciated role in plasticity in behaviour.
Isometric and Unitary Dilations

In this chapter we study isometric and unitary dilations. These concepts are due to Sz.-Nagy and they have no analogue in linear algebra, that is, they are genuinely infinite dimensional concepts. Indeed their natural framework is that of infinite dimensional Hilbert spaces. From now on we assume that the reader is acquainted with elementary facts concerning operators in Hilbert space, as presented in [RieszSz.-N].
Nash Equilibrium and Stability in Network Selection Games

We study network selection games in wireless networks. Each client selects a base station to maximize her throughput. We utilize a model which incorporates client priority weight and her physical rate on individual Base Stations. The network selection behavior considered is atomic, implying that a client connects to exactly one Base Station.
Professionals and the Professions in the Global South: An Introduction

In spite of the evident importance of professionals and the professions in the Global South, the sociological literature on the subject is almost entirely confined to the developed market economies. In turn, the North American literature on development has not filled the vacuum – as it has largely ignored the professions for the better part of the last half century. In this introduction, we offer a brief intellectual history of these two sub- disciplines and critically appraise this mutual neglect - of professionals in the sociology of development, and of the Global South in studies of professions. We then offer four realms of investigation where we believe the marriage of these two spheres of knowledge would be particularly useful: the relations between professionals and the state, the politicized nature of professions, the fragmentation of professions, and the transnationalized nature of professions.
Speed-to-Market Distinguishes the New Competitors

(1991). Speed-To-Market Distinguishes the New Competitors. Research-Technology Management: Vol. 34, No. 6, pp. 33-38.
Almost Dedekind domains which are not Dedekind

A domain D is a Priifer domain if DM is a valuation domain for each maximal ideal M of D. The Noetherian Priifer domains are the Dedekind domains. It follows that if D is a Dedekind domain then DM is a Noetherian valuation domain for each maximal ideal M of D. A domain D is almost Dedekind if DM is a Noetherian valuation domain for each maximal ideal M of D. Clearly, Dedekind domains are almost Dedekind. The point of the designation is that almost Dedekind domains satisfy the characterization given above of Dedekind domains, except that they are not assumed to be Noetherian. Dedekind domains have been very extensively studied and are very well miderstood. The class of almost Dedekind domains, as the name suggests, share many of the strong properties of Dedekind domains that make them an attractive object of study. There are many ways in which a nonNoetherian almost Dedekind domain is one of the simplest nonNoetherian rings one could choose to study, especially if the desired ring is to be finite dimensional. [10] contains a section on almost Dedekind domains. We give below a result from [10] which demonstrates some of the elegant properties of this class of domains.
Projection Methods for Hereditary Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a general projection method for obtaining approximations to a hereditary system. The chapter presents a supposition where the space of Rn-valued square integrable functions defined on an interval [a,b] are denoted by L2[a,b], and where r > 0 is a fixed real number. If x: [–r, + ∞) → Rn is given, then xt: [–r, 0] → Rn is defined by xt(s) = x(t + s), s ɛ[–r, 0], for each t ≥ 0. It is assumed that L is a linear transformation with domain in the linear space of Rn-valued Lebesgue measurable functions defined on [–r, 0], such that L restricted to the space of continuous functions is a bounded operator.
A group associated with an extension

An extension of a transformation group (Y,T) is a transformation group (X,T) together with a homomorphism ~ of (X,T) onto (Y,T) . The study of extensions is important because it has been recognized that many theorems have a so-called relativized version. Thus for example (X,T) itself may not be almost periodic but it may be almost periodic over (Y,T) . Then information about (Y,T) may be "lifted" to (X,T) . Another reason for studying extensions is that there are several structure theorems which tell how certain transformation groups are built up from "nice ones" by means of extensions. Again this leads one to inquire as to which properties of (Y,T) lift to ( X , T ) . I n my i n v e s t i g a t i o n s o f t h e p r o b l e m s i n v o l v e d i n t h e s t u d y o f e x t e n s i o n s I have r e p e a t e d l y e n c o u n t e r e d a c e r t a i n g roup whose r o l e p r o v e d e s s e n t i a l . I would l i k e t o d e s c r i b e t h i s g roup and i l l u s t r a t e i t s u s e i n t h e a p p l i c a t i o n o f one s t r u c t u r e t h e o r e m and t h e p r o o f o f another. The study of extensions is facilitated by considering pointed transformation groups and requiring that ~ map the base point of
Using GIS and secondary data to target diabetes-related public health efforts.

Objectives.To efficiently help communities prevent and manage diabetes, health departments need to be able to target populations with high risk but low resources To aid in this process, we mapped county-level diabetes-related rates and resources/use using publicly available secondary data to identify Michigan counties with high diabetes prevalence and low or no medical and/or community resources.Methods.We collected county-level diabetes-related rates and resources from Web-based sources and mapped them using geographic information systems (GIS) software. Data included age-adjusted county diabetes rates, diabetes-related medical resource and resource use (i.e., the number of endocrinologists and percentage of Medicare patients with diabetes who received hemoglobin A1c testing in the past year), community resources (i.e., the number of certified diabetes self-management education and diabetes support groups), as well as population estimates and demographics (e.g., rural residence, education, poverty, and r...
Percentage Depletion of ImaginaryCosts

Under current law, percentage depletion allows an exclusion of a fixed percentage of the income from economic interests in oil and gas and in mineral deposits. Percentage depletion is available only to independent oil companies on domestic production. The exclusion originated as a means for recovery of capital, but it continues long after the taxpayer’s investment has been fully recovered. Costs of development are also separately expensed or paid by distributing economic interests, so the taxpayer’s basis in the deposits thus is usually quite modest. The proposal would limit depletion deductions to adjusted basis. The proposal is made as a part of the Shelf Project, a collaboration by tax professionals to develop and perfect proposals to help Congress when it needs to raise revenue. Shelf Project proposals are intended to raise revenue without raising tax rates, because the best systems have taxes that are unavoidable to reach the lowest feasible tax rates. Shelf Project proposals defend the tax base and improve the rationality and efficiency of the tax system. Given the calls for economic stimulus, some proposals may stay on the shelf for a while. A longer description of the Shelf Project is found at ‘‘The Shelf Project: Revenue-Raising Proposals That Defend the Tax Base,’’ Tax Notes, Dec. 10, 2007, p. 1077, Doc 2007-22632, or 2007 TNT 238-37. Shelf Project proposals follow the format of a congressional tax committee report in explaining current law, what is wrong with it, and how to fix it.
Secrecy Rates of Relay-Assisted Massive MIMO Downlink with Hybrid Precoding

In this paper, the achievable secrecy rates are derived for the relay-assisted massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink with limited number of radio frequency (RF) chains at the base-station (BS). Two hybrid precoder designs are investigated for the dual-hop transmission of information and artificial noise. Two channel estimation techniques are proposed. Thereby, the achievable secrecy rate gap between the hybrid precoding and full-dimensional digital precoding is quantified for imperfect channel state information. Our analysis reveals that the proposed hybrid precoders can significantly reduce the number of RF chains at the BS, while yielding only a marginal percentage loss of the achievable secrecy rate compared to the full-dimensional digital precoders. Hence, the proposed hybrid precoding can be used for provisioning physical layer security in relay-aided massive MIMO downlink with a lower computational/implementation complexity.
Structure-properties phase diagram for La 1 − x Sr x MnO 3 ( 0.1 x 0 . 2 )

By combining the results of magnetization, resistivity, and neutron powder-diffraction data for stoichiometric ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3},$ we have constructed a phase diagram that describes the magnetic, transport, and structural properties and the relationships among them as a function of composition $(0.1l~xl~0.2)$ and temperature (10--340 K). We show that, with increasing Sr content, the Curie temperature increases linearly, while the temperature of an orbital ordering transition to a state with a large coherent Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion decreases. These two phase-transition lines cross at $x=0.145$ and $T=210\mathrm{K}.$ When the transition to the ferromagnetic state occurs in a phase that has a large coherent JT distortion $(xl0.145),$ a strong magnetolattice coupling is observed; the coherent JT distortion is dramatically reduced and the incoherent distortion is enhanced in the ferromagnetic phase. For $xg0.145,$ where the coherent JT distortion is small above Curie temperature, magnetolattice coupling reduces the incoherent distortion at ${T}_{C}$ and strongly suppresses the transition to a phase with a large coherent JT distortion. These observations are consistent with a competition between ferromagnetism and JT distortion that is mediated by a colossal spin-charge-lattice coupling. A metallic state occurs below the Curie temperature when both coherent and incoherent JT distortions are suppressed.
Is a Negative CT Good Enough to Rule Out Acute Cholecystitis

Computed tomography (CT) is an important modality that is commonly used to diagnose biliary pathology. It may be better than ultrasound for detecting acute cholecystitis but still misses cases found on cholescintigraphy. Thus, further imaging for cholecystitis should be considered in high-risk patients with a negative CT.
Innovating Metrics for Smarter, Responsive Cities

This paper explores the emerging and evolving landscape for metrics in smart cities in relation to big data challenges. Based on a review of the research literature, the problem of “synthetic quantitative indicators” along with concerns for “measuring urban realities” and “making metrics meaningful” are identified. In response, the purpose of this paper is to advance the need for innovating metrics for smarter, more interactive and responsive cities in addressing and mitigating algorithmic-related challenges on the one hand, and concerns associated with involving people more meaningfully on the other hand. As such, the constructs of awareness, learning, openness, and engagement are employed in this study. Using an exploratory case study approach, the research design for this work includes the use of multiple methods of data collection including survey and interviews. Employing a combination of content analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative data, the main findings of this work support the need for rethinking and innovating metrics. As such, the main conclusion of this paper highlights the potential for developing new pathways and spaces for involving people more directly, knowingly, and meaningfully in addressing big and small data challenges for the innovating of urban metrics.
Biomass increases attributed to both faster tree growth and altered allometric relationships under long‐term carbon dioxide enrichment at a temperate forest

Increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 ) concentrations are expected to lead to increases in the rate of tree biomass accumulation, at least temporarily. On the one hand, trees may simply grow faster under higher CO2 concentrations, preserving the allometric relations that prevailed under lower CO2 concentrations. Alternatively, the allometric relations themselves may change. In this study, the effects of elevated CO2 (eCO2 ) on tree biomass and allometric relations were jointly assessed. Over 100 trees, grown at Duke Forest, NC, USA, were harvested from eight plots. Half of the plots had been subjected to CO2 enrichment from 1996 to 2010. Several subplots had also been subjected to nitrogen fertilization from 2005 to 2010. Allometric equations were developed to predict tree height, stem volume, and aboveground biomass components for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), the dominant tree species, and broad-leaved species. Using the same diameter-based allometric equations for biomass, it was estimated that plots with eCO2 contained 21% more aboveground biomass, consistent with previous studies. However, eCO2 significantly affected allometry, and these changes had an additional effect on biomass. In particular, P. taeda trees at a given diameter were observed to be taller under eCO2 than under ambient CO2 due to changes in both the allometric scaling exponent and intercept. Accounting for allometric change increased the treatment effect of eCO2 on aboveground biomass from a 21% to a 27% increase. No allometric changes for the nondominant broad-leaved species were identified, nor were allometric changes associated with nitrogen fertilization. For P. taeda, it is concluded that eCO2 affects allometries, and that knowledge of allometry changes is necessary to accurately compute biomass under eCO2 . Further observations are needed to determine whether this assessment holds for other taxa.
Thyroid dysfunction and the cardiovascular system

Abstract The thyroid gland and its hormones modulate all components of the cardiovascular system. When cardiovascular disease is present, thyroid function tests are often needed to determine if overt thyroid disorder or even subclinical dysfunction may be present. Since hypothyroidism, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease all increase with advancing age, it is important to monitor thyroid-stimulating hormone, since it is the most sensitive test for hypothyroidism. More thorough understanding of the impact of thyroid status upon cardiovascular physiology allows health-care providers to make better decisions about evaluation and treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Oil price volatility and the US stock market

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between oil price volatility and US real stock returns using a multivariate framework in which a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) is modified to accommodate the effects of stochastic volatility (SV) in oil prices on stock returns. Our measure of oil price volatility is the conditional variance of the oil price change forecast error. We isolate the effects of volatility in the change in the price of oil on real stock returns and calculate the dynamic responses of stock returns to a shock to oil price volatility. We find evidence that increased oil price volatility has a negative effect on US real stock returns. We support our evidence with the transmission mechanism that details on how the effects of oil price volatility shocks might be channeled into the stock market. Our results remain unchanged in the context of the disaggregate returns for a number of industry portfolios, suggesting that investors should consider oil price volatility in addition to other potential factors that affect stock returns.
Sodium bicarbonate therapy for acute respiratory acidosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Respiratory acidosis is commonly present in patients with respiratory failure. The usual treatment of hypercapnia is to increase ventilation. During the recent surge of COVID-19, respiratory acidosis unresponsive to increased mechanical ventilatory support was common. Increasing mechanical ventilation comes at the expense of barotrauma and hemodynamic compromise from increasing positive end-expiratory pressures or minute ventilation. Treating acute respiratory acidemia with sodium bicarbonate remains controversial. RECENT FINDINGS: There are no randomized controlled trials of administration of sodium bicarbonate for respiratory acidemia. A recent review concluded that alkali therapy for mixed respiratory and metabolic acidosis might be useful but was based on the conflicting and not conclusive literature regarding metabolic acidosis. This strategy should not be extrapolated to treatment of respiratory acidemia. Low tidal volume ventilation in acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has beneficial effects associated with permissive hypercapnia. Whether the putative benefits will be negated by administration of alkali is not known. Hypercapnic acidosis is well tolerated, with few adverse effects as long as tissue perfusion and oxygenation are maintained. SUMMARY: There is a lack of clinical evidence that administration of sodium bicarbonate for respiratory acidosis has a net benefit; in fact, there are potential risks associated with it.
Polar eigenvectors: a better way?

All differential equations students have encountered eigenvectors and eigenvalues in their study of systems of linear differential equations. The eigenvectors and phase plane solutions are displaye...
Legislating to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences: Growth and Opportunities for Evidence-Based Policymaking and Prevention.

Since the landmark study of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs; Felitti et al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4):245–258, 1998), there has been a significant growth in efforts to address ACEs and their impact on individual health and well-being. Despite this growing awareness, there has been little systematic review of state legislative action regarding variation in focus or scope or of the broader context impacting the introduction and enactment of ACE-related policy efforts. To inform the role of psychologists and related professionals to contribute to these legislative efforts, we conduct a comprehensive mixed-method analysis of all state bills introduced over the past two decades to investigate the use and impact of ACE research in introduced and enacted state legislative language (51 states, NTotal Bills = 1,212,048, NACE Bills = 425). In addition, these analyses examine congressional office communications (N = 14,916,546 public statements) and voting records (N = 1,163,463 votes) to understand the relationship between legislative members’ public discussion of ACEs and their voting behavior on these bills. We find that legislators’ public discourse is significantly related to ACE-related policymaking above and beyond political affiliation or demographic characteristics. Furthermore, key legislative language related to domestic violence, evidence-based practice, and prevention were significant predictors of whether an ACE-related bill becomes law—above and beyond the political party in power. These analyses highlight the ways in which ACE-related research has informed state policy. Based upon this work, we offer recommendations for researchers and policymakers.
Redirecting host preexisting influenza A virus immunity for cancer immunotherapy

We tested the concept that host preexisting influenza A virus immunity can be redirected to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis through systemic administration of influenza A virus-related peptides to targeted tumors. Mice infected with influenza A virus strain A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8) were used as a model of a host with preexisting viral immunity. The extent to which preexisting influenza A immunity in PR8-immunized mice can be redirected to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis was first examined by ectopic expression of influenza A nucleoprotein (NP) and hemagglutinin (HA) in syngeneic mammary tumor cells via lentiviral transduction. Then, the feasibility of implementing this strategy using a systemic therapy approach was assessed by systemic delivery of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I)-compatible peptides to targeted mammary tumors overexpressing human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) in mice using a novel HER2-targeting single-lipid nanoparticle (SLNP). Our results show that preexisting influenza A immunity in PR8-immunized mice could be quickly redirected to syngeneic tumors expressing influenza A NP and HA, leading to strong inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis and improvement of survival compared to the findings in antigen-naive control mice. MHC-I-compatible peptides could be delivered to targeted mammary tumors in mice using the HER2-targeting SLNP for antigen presentation, which subsequently redirected preexisting influenza A immunity to the tumors to exert antitumor activities. In conclusion, preexisting influenza A immunity can be repurposed for cancer immunotherapy through systemic delivery of influenza A-related peptides to targeted tumors. Further development of the strategy for clinical translation is warranted.
"Ice" Capades: Restitution Orders and the FCPA

The notion that victims should obtain compensation for their losses evokes basic principles of fairness. In Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) litigation, however, the all too common theme is that victims never receive compensation. In light of the massive efforts now underway to enforce the FCPA, this precedent cannot continue. For much of its history the FCPA was inconsequential to the legal landscape. Within the last decade that notion has changed dramatically. Enforcement of the FCPA has led to settlements, fines, and disgorgements totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Looming on the FCPA enforcement horizon is the Wal-Mart investigation. The scope and scale of Wal-Mart’s potential violations could set FCPA enforcement records and will almost certainly become the preeminent FCPA enforcement case of its time. The potential for liability is com-
The Nuclear Taboo: The 1991 Gulf War

[T]he Gulf War has preserved the most hopeful single inheritance that we have from the first half-century of nuclear fission – the tradition of the non-use of these weapons since 1945. The Gulf War has in fact reinforced that tradition … McGeorge Bundy, 1991 Iraq's surprise invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 raised once again the issue of use of nuclear weapons. Iraq's extensive conventional capabilities, past history of chemical-arms use, known interest in acquiring nuclear weapons, and revisionist ambitions, made it a textbook case of a post-Cold War Third World adversary. The United States ultimately deployed 500,000 troops to Kuwait in the fastest, farthest, and largest military deployment in the country's history, fought a 35-day air war and a 4-day ground war to defeat Iraq. US leaders ruled out using nuclear weapons even though Iraq was a non-nuclear adversary. It might be argued that the Gulf War does not offer a good test of the nuclear taboo because the kind of dire circumstances that would call up consideration of a nuclear option never really emerged for the United States and its coalition allies. Nevertheless, this case is significant. It represents the first major conflict of the post-Cold War world, when the threat of nuclear confrontation with the Soviet Union had largely evaporated. At the time, Iraq wielded the world's fourth largest conventional army.
Near-field interactions for micro-Doppler signature of human motion in forest using FMM on hybrid platforms

This paper utilizes the parallelization of Fast Multipole Method (FMM) on hybrid CPU-GPU high-performance computing platforms to analyze the near-field human-forest interactions for micro-Doppler signature of human walking in a forest environment. With the aid of the hybrid platform, larger problem sizes that can accommodate higher order of mutual coupling effects can be solved for.
Inertio‐Elastic Stability Modifications with Drag Reducing Polymeric Solutions

The cascade of transitions separating laminar and turbulent flow in the Taylor Couette geometry was examined with drag reducing polymer solutions in the regime where the magnitude of the elastic forces approaches that of the inertial forces, i.e. where the elasticity number (El) nears unity. The elasticity number, defined as the ratio of a polymeric time scale to the viscous time scale, greatly impacts the stability boundaries of isolated secondary flow features in both the co‐ and counter‐rotating Taylor Couette flow regimes. It was previously shown that for dilute poly(ethylene oxide) solutions with El≪1, the elasticity effect was non‐monotonic, mode‐dependent, and more significant for higher order states. In this study, Reinner vs Reouter stability planes generated at El∼1 in concentric, independently rotating cylinders of radius ratio 0.912 and aspect ratio of 60.7 are compared to previous maps generated in the inertia‐dominated regime (El∼0). As a result, the importance of elasticity with solutions o...
Kinetic Theory of Hot Gauge Theories: Overview, Details & Extensions

I give a pedagogical review of the derivation for the effective lagrangian for nonabelian Debye screening, or “hard thermal loops”. Following Kelly, Liu, Lucchesi, and Manuel, I give the simplest derivation possible, using classical kinetic theory.
Advanced Instrumentation for Positron Emission Tomography

This paper summarizes the physical processes and medical science goals that underly modern instrumentation design for Positron Emission Tomography. The paper discusses design factors such as detector material, crystalphototube coupling, shielding geometry, sampling motion, electronics design, time-of-flight, and the interrelationships with quantitative accuracy, spatial resolution, temporal resolution, maximum data rates, and cost.
On the approximate computation of certain strongly singular integrals

Finite-part integrals, first introduced by Hadamard in connection with hyperbolic partial differential equations, have been found useful in a number of engineering applications. In this paper we investigate some numerical methods for computing finite-part integrals with a double-pole singularity.
Does the application of ground force set the energetic cost of cross-country skiing?

We tested whether the rate at which force is applied to the ground sets metabolic rates during classical-style roller skiing in four ways:1) by increasing speed (from 2.5 to 4.5 m/s) during skiing ...
Electoral College Alternatives and U.S. Presidential Elections

The President of the United States is chosen directly by the Electoral College, although indirectly the citizens select the President. Different states currently employ two systems of electoral-vote allocation under the Electoral College framework: the widely adopted winner-take-all system and the system adopted by Maine and Nebraska. The properties of these two systems are analyzed against the backdrop of majority rule and the notion that every vote counts. Two variants of the existing systems are then introduced, using intuitive proportional rules to allocate electoral votes under the Electoral College. These proposed systems are compared to the existing winner-take-all system and to the Maine-Nebraska system. Further, the outcomes of three historical Presidential Elections are considered under different electoral allocation systems. This study highlights basic properties of the Electoral College and possible variants of the current system so that better judgments can be made in future debates.
Modern Transcriptomics and Small RNA Diversity

Due to significant advances in high-throughput RNA sequencing, there has been a tremendous growth in the diversity of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNA) and burgeoning interest in their pathophysiological relevance in cardiometabolic diseases. From the depths of small RNA sequencing datasets, the modern transcriptome has emerged and is both complex and exquisitely interconnected. Strikingly, many unexpected regions of the genome are producing transcripts that are cleaved into sncRNAs that participate in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Here we organize the main classes of sncRNAs and detail what is known about their biological functions. A comprehensive overview of microRNAs (miRNA), tRNA-derived small RNAs, small nuclear RNAs, Y RNA-derived miRNAs, small RNAs-derived from vault RNA, and many other classes is provided. Although sncRNAs have not been extensively investigated, they hold enormous potential to better understand regulatory RNA modules that may ultimately be used to treat and prevent cardiometabolic diseases.
Venous Thromboembolism in Multiple Trauma Patients

Thromboembolic complications are frequent in patients with multiple trauma. The efficacy of unfractionated heparin for venous thrombosis prophylaxis has not been established. Based on limited prospective data, low-molecular-weight heparin appears to be more effective than unfractionated heparin and at least as effective as compression devices for preventing thromboembolic complications in these patients. Vena cava filters should be considered in high-risk patients who cannot receive anticoagulant therapy, but long-term filter use without concomitant anticoagulant therapy is associated with a substantial risk of recurrent thromboembolism.
Good Manners, Gay Rights and the Law

In this paper, I argue that the expansion of LGBT rights requires engagement with the common practices of courtesy that confer and reinforce social standing. In order to understand what this engagement with good manners might look like, I outline the basic features of common courtesy and illustrate how courtesy depends on a mix of utility, habit, and pleasure. I argue that if the practice of courtesy is to be re-appropriated, then all three of the factors that underwrite courtesy must be addressed. I also consider the general possibilities for re-configuring courtesy. And, in this vein, I suggest that the law may provide an important means by which the re-appropriation of common courtesy can occur.
Tourism, Ethnicity and the State in Asian and Pacific Societies

Tourism, Ethnicity and the State in Asian and Pacific Societies. Michel Picard and Robert E. Wood .eds.Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997.260 pp.
Terrorism and democracy within one country: The case of Italy

(1997). Terrorism and democracy within one country: The case of Italy. Terrorism and Political Violence: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 98-108.
Variable demand elasticities and tariff liberalization

Abstract This paper examines tariff liberalization within an environment of heterogeneous demand elasticities. Varieties produced at a lower cost (a) are imported at lower absolute demand elasticities and (b) earn higher revenues. By virtue of larger demand elasticities, low revenue varieties benefit the most from tariff liberalization. Further, if varieties are substitutable, low revenue varieties benefit at the expense of high revenue varieties. These predictions are confirmed using a case study of US Uruguay Round ad-valorem tariff cuts, where within exporter-industry groups, low revenue varieties experienced large gains, and high revenue varieties experienced negligible gains. Further, I find evidence suggesting that these effects were also relevant for other trade shocks, such as exchange rates and specific tariffs.
Optimization of fixed and fluidized bed freezing processes

Abstract Fixed and fluidized bed freezing phenomena were studied with the aid of a computer model to determine the optimum operating conditions for freezers. Experimental procedures were developed to determine the convective heat transfer coefficient, h, and its relationship to the superficial air velocity, u, during freezing. Dimensionless correlations show h to be dependent on u in the fized bed phase. In the fluidized bed phase, h was constant and independent of u. Using green peas, cherries and radishes (of diameters 7, 19 and 25 mm, respectively), it was found that the optimum bed height which resulted in the minimum energy use per unit weight of product frozen was smaller for the smaller sized particles.
The role of physical activity in nicotine's effects on body weight

The present study examined the effects of chronic nicotine administration and cessation of nicotine administration on body weight and 24-hour physical activity of rats. There was a significant, inverse, dose-effect relationship between nicotine administration and body weight. Cessation of nicotine was accompanied by increased rates of body weight gain compared to controls. The changes in body weight during nicotine administration could not be explained by changes in physical activity. However, decreases in physical activity after cessation of nicotine appeared to contribute to post-drug body weight increases. These findings have implications for weight control after cessation of cigarette smoking.