cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Racial Integration of Health Facilities

No published measures of racial integration in health facilities in the United States exist. This article reviews the problems with possible sources of data. It then derives estimates of the degree of integration in nursing homes and hospitals from the 1985 National Nursing Home and National Hospital Discharge surveys. Nursing homes were less racially integrated than hospitals. Health facilities in the South were more integrated than in any other region of the country. There was little difference in the degree of racial segregation of publicly financed patients and those whose care was financed from private sources. Data on nursing homes in Pennsylvania illustrate in more detail some of the consequences of such patterns of segregation. The article discusses some of the reasons for the lack of easy access to such information and makes recommendations for addressing it.
Temozolomide delivered by intracerebral microinfusion is safe and efficacious against malignant gliomas in rats

Intracerebral microinfusion (ICM) is an innovative technique of delivering therapeutic agents throughout large portions of the brain that circumvents the blood-brain barrier, minimizes systemic toxicity, and provides a homogeneous distribution of the infused agent. Temozolomide is a novel methylating agent with proven efficacy against malignant gliomas (MGs) after systemic administration but with dose-limiting myelotoxicity. Because MGs rarely metastasize, systemic drug delivery is unnecessary. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of ICM with temozolomide in an athymic rat model of human MGs. Treatment of rats by ICM with temozolomide 3 days after intracerebral challenge with D54 human MG xenograft increased median survival by 128% compared with rats treated by ICM with saline, by 113% compared with rats treated with i.p. saline, and by 100% compared with rats treated with i.p. temozolomide (P 100 days without clinical or histological evidence of tumor. The dose of temozolomide delivered by ICM in this study was limited only by drug solubility, and no neurological or systemic toxicity could be attributed to ICM with temozolomide. Therefore, ICM of temozolomide may offer significant advantages in the treatment of MGs.
Markov Chain Monte Carlo Linkage Analysis Methods

As alluded to in the chapter “Linkage Analysis of Qualitative Traits”, neither the Elston–Steward algorithm nor the Lander–Green approach is amenable to genetic data from large complex pedigrees and a large number of markers. In such cases, Monte Carlo estimation methods provide a viable alternative to the exact solutions. Two types of Monte Carlo methods have been developed for linkage analysis, haplotype inference, and other kinds of genetic analysis. They are Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods and Monte Carlo methods that are based on independent samples. Approaches based on Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are more widely applicable; there is practically no limit on the size or complexity of the pedigrees, nor on the number of markers to be considered simultaneously. In this chapter, we will review the basic principles of MCMC methods for multipoint linkage analysis with extended pedigrees. Both simulations and application to data from the Framingham study will be used to compare and contrast three MCMC software packages: LOKI, MORGAN, and SIMWALK.
Whole Spleen Flow Cytometry Assay

[Abstract] In the Whole Spleen Flow Cytometry Assay, we used splenocytes directly ex vivo for stimulation with a variety of TLR ligands. The splenocytes were stimulated for a total of 4 h, then stained for intracellular cytokines. We then examined cytokine production via flow cytometry. This allowed us to compare the responses of minimally manipulated primary macrophages/monocytes and conventional dendritic cells.
Who frames nuclear testing? Understanding frames and news sources in the US and South Korean news coverage of North Korean nuclear testing

ABSTRACTThis study investigated how US and South Korean newspapers framed the North Korean nuclear test on 9 October 2006 and the diversity of news sources in constructing such frames. A content analysis of news articles in the New York Times, Washington Post, Chosun Ilbo, and Hankyore Daily found that US and South Korean newspapers framed the North Korean nuclear test differently. Results also showed that US and South Korean newspapers used news sources differently to support certain frames of the nuclear test coverage, implicating strategic media framing by which news media strategically construct aspects or meaning of the events by selecting different types of news sources. Findings are discussed in relation to news frames and news sources.
Flexural strength and fracture size effects of pervious concrete

Abstract A low strength/low unit weight and high-strength/high unit weight pervious concrete mix is studied using notched three point bend specimens to ascertain strength and fracture size effects using beam depths ranging from 100 to 200 mm. The results indicate the flexural strength is size dependent and can be predicted using Bazant’s size effect law utilizing a unit weight-dependent tensile strength parameter and a characteristic crack length with reasonable accuracy: R2 = 0.84 and MSE = 0.07 MPa. The tensile strength, and initial and total fracture energy, however, were not found to be size dependent.
Technical communique: On an improved model reduction technique for nonlinear systems

An algorithm is presented for reducing the number of terms in a nonlinear static system which can be modeled by a linear combination of nonlinear functions. The method is an improvement over a previously presented algorithm (Desrochers and Saridis, 1980a). The improvements now make it possible to perform all calculations from a single set of input and output data while in the original algorithm n sets of data were required where n is the number of terms retained. In addition, it is shown how the model error can be calculated at each iteration which relieves the arbitrariness of stopping the algorithm at a preselected value of n as was done originally. Then the insight gained from this improved technique is used to develop an optimal solution to the model reduction problem, a major improvement over the original technique. It is then conjectured that some structural concepts for such systems may exist in a matrix formed from the input and output data.
Causal attribution and life-threatening disease.

When individuals are confronted with a diagnosis of serious disease, they try to understand why it has happened to them. The degree to which any individual can control his or her susceptibility to disease is not clear, but different diseases carry with them varying degrees of implied personal responsibility. For example, certain diseases (heart attack, stroke, cancer) have associated risk factors. Presumably, avoiding these risk factors will have some effect on a person's chance of developing those diseases. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to describe patients' attributed causes for two groups of individuals recently diagnosed with either lung cancer or myocardial infarction. Content analysis was done on the responses to an open-ended question about the cause of their disease for 108 subjects at Interview 1 and for 100 subjects at Interview 2.The most frequent causal explanations given by post myocardial infarction subjects in this study were related to life style, which could be interpreted as...
The Modern Literary Ethos: A Sociological Interpretation

In this paper some of the more recent and socially significant aspects of America's changing agriculture have been discussed. The development of modern agriculture and the changes which it is undergoing cannot be ascribed to a few simple casual factors, although an accumulation of technological culture is playing a major role. The development of agriculture is considered to be an organic process within which many interacting cultural, social, economic, and technological variables are involved. Modern agriculture and changes in agriculture must be analyzed and explained in terms of the major characteristics and trends in the evolution of Western civilizationits value systems, its goals, its social organization, its material culture, its dynamic character, and its recurring crises. In comparison with agriculture of fifty years ago, modern agriculture is changing very rapidly. This rapidity of change has been attributed to or explained by the accumulation of inventions, technical and social, which until checked tend to follow the exponential curve. Although the curves for some elements in our changing agriculture have already leveled off, many others are still following the exponential trend. Because of the great efforts being put into technological research, we can, I think, expect technological change to continue for many years and that many new elements will appear. On the other hand, it is inevitable that, sooner or later, the time will come when limiting factors will cause a large majority of the curves of cultural growth to level off and the total rate of change to slow down considerably. However, before this happens many social changes and adjustments will occur. Farms will become larger; some small farms will remain, but they will serve primarily specialized social functions, such as security, residence, subsistence, and welfare. We can be almost certain that agriculture will become even more oriented toward and integrated with the dominant commercial interests and social systems of our total society.
Up from the Rubble: Lessons Learned about HRI from Search and Rescue:

The Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue has collected data at three responses (World Trade Center, Hurricane Charley, and the La Conchita mudslide) and nine high fidelity field exercises. O...
Benign Rolandic Epilepsy and Learning Disabilities

Neuropsychological impairments in 35 children with rolandic epilepsy, and the relationship to electroencephalographic findings, were studied at Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
Grand rounds for dental students: an exploration.

Grand Rounds are widely used in medicine for educating students comprehensively about clinical issues. The aim of this study was to explore the value of Grand Rounds for introducing first- (D1) and second-year (D2) dental students to an interdisciplinary approach to dental care. The objectives were to explore how interested students were in various topics, which topics they would like to see addressed in future sessions, which aspects they liked/disliked, how they evaluated the program components, and how they evaluated the outcomes. Data were collected from D1s at the end of the Year 1 fall term and from D1s and D2s at the beginning and end of the Year 1 winter term and at the end of Year 2. Response rates for most of the groups ranged from 88% to 100%, but response rates for surveys at the end of the study period fell to 40% and 32%. The results showed that the students were most interested in clinical topics that were presented in an interdisciplinary way. Their suggested topics ranged from specialty-specific issues to treatment-related topics such as implants and cosmetic dentistry. The open-ended responses showed that students liked learning differing perspectives on these topics, but disliked the course-related assignments and the preparation work in small groups. The closed-ended responses showed that the students appreciated the in-class presentations by experts and evaluated the course as helpful in informing them about the complexity of issues and the importance of the interplay between basic and clinical sciences. Educating future dentists in a way in which they embrace interdisciplinary approaches is challenging. Using the Grand Rounds concept could be one approach to increasing students’ awareness of the importance of interdisciplinary work.
Diversity in the Legal Profession: Moving from Rhetoric to Reality

The law is shaped by cultural shifts, and the lawyer is well positioned to play the role of architect. Yet, the legal profession is the least diverse and inclusive profession of all. Despite numerous attempts to create diversity and inclusion within the profession, the legal profession remains today much as it was at its inception. Although sanctions against lawyers who engage in discrimination in employment practices are suggested by diversity groups, those attempts would be costly and duplicative. The author discusses a cross-section of available rules that are less costly, more manageable alternatives. The Article proposes that the goal of diversity and inclusion within the profession cannot be forced, but must be realized through consistent measures aimed at creating accountability, educational awareness, and building supporting connections at each level of the professional hierarchy.Section I introduces the topic. Section II briefly examines the development of the legal profession in the United States along with its long history of exclusion of groups that remain underrepresented in the profession today. It then examines some recent diversity initiatives and explores the reasons why these initiatives have largely failed to achieve the goal of increasing diversity. Section III evaluates the need for additional regulation to achieve diversity and examines alternatives to regulation that have had some success in promoting an understanding of the values of diversity within the profession. The conclusion in Section IV offers recommendations for action to promote diversity.
Predictors of Long-Term Outcomes in Asymptomatic Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis and Preserved Left Ventricular Systolic Function Undergoing Exercise Echocardiography.

Background— In asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, we sought to assess incremental prognostic utility of exercise stress echocardiography. Methods and Results— We studied 533 such patients (age, 66±13 years; 78% men; 31% with coronary artery disease) who underwent exercise stress echocardiography between 2001 and 2012. Clinical, echocardiographic, and exercise variables (metabolic equivalents [METs], % of age–sex–predicted METs and heart rate recovery at first minute post exercise) were recorded. The end point was all-cause mortality. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, left ventricular ejection fraction, mean resting aortic valve (AV) gradient, indexed AV area, METs, and heart rate recovery were 2.9±3%, 58±4%, 35±11 mm Hg, 0.47±0.1 cm2/m2, 7.8±3, and 26±12 bpm, respectively. Only 50% achieved >100%, whereas 26% achieved <85% age–sex–predicted METs. There were no major exercise stress echocardiography-related complications. Over 6.9±3 years, 341 (64%) underwent AV replacement (54% isolated), and there were 104 (20%) deaths. On multivariable Cox proportional hazard survival analysis, a higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons score (hazard ratio, 1.21), lower % age–sex–predicted METs (hazard ratio 1.15), and slower heart rate recovery (hazard ratio, 1.22) were associated with higher longer-term mortality, whereas AV replacement (time-dependent covariate, hazard ratio, 0.26) was associated with improved survival. The addition of % age–sex–predicted METs to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons score resulted in significant reclassification of longer-term mortality risk (integrated discrimination index, 0.07 [0.03–0.11; P <0.001). Conclusions— In asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction undergoing exercise stress echocardiography, a lower % of age–sex–predicted METs and slower heart rate recovery were associated with longer-term mortality, whereas AV replacement was associated with improved survival.
Failure on a Level Playing Field

The modern history of US government policy toward the failure of financial firms is marked by a series of milestones: the 1933 banking crisis is one, but several others loom as large. Among them are the failure of Penn Square Bank, the first $100 million bank to be liquidated, in 1982, the bailout of Continental Illinois, at the time the nation’s seventh largest bank, in 1984 and the rescue of Long-Term Capital Management, a hedge fund, in 1998.
A P-value model for theoretical power analysis and its applications in multiple testing procedures.

Power analysis is a critical aspect of the design of experiments to detect an effect of a given size. When multiple hypotheses are tested simultaneously, multiplicity adjustments to p-values should be taken into account in power analysis. There are a limited number of studies on power analysis in multiple testing procedures. For some methods, the theoretical analysis is difficult and extensive numerical simulations are often needed, while other methods oversimplify the information under the alternative hypothesis. To this end, this paper aims to develop a new statistical model for power analysis in multiple testing procedures. We propose a step-function-based p-value model under the alternative hypothesis, which is simple enough to perform power analysis without simulations, but not too simple to lose the information from the alternative hypothesis. The first step is to transform distributions of different test statistics (e.g., t, chi-square or F) to distributions of corresponding p-values. We then use a step function to approximate each of the p-value’s distributions by matching the mean and variance. Lastly, the step-function-based p-value model can be used for theoretical power analysis. The proposed model is applied to problems in multiple testing procedures. We first show how the most powerful critical constants can be chosen using the step-function-based p-value model. Our model is then applied to the field of multiple testing procedures to explain the assumption of monotonicity of the critical constants. Lastly, we apply our model to a behavioral weight loss and maintenance study to select the optimal critical constants. The proposed model is easy to implement and preserves the information from the alternative hypothesis.
Crowded identity: Managing crowdsourcing initiatives to maximize value for participants through identity creation

Abstract In this article, we consider crowdsourcing from the consumer perspective. Specifically, we examine the identity value (i.e., sense of self) that consumers accrue by participating in creative crowds. How can managers structure crowdsourcing initiatives to maximize value for participants through identity creation and expression? We strive to answer this question first by examining the different types of crowdsourcing initiatives from a value co-creation perspective. Then we evaluate how consumers construct identities through consumption and review the literature on identity theory. Finally, we link the identity type—personal, extended, or social—to the management of crowdsourcing ventures and offer suggestions for practitioners.
Energy-efficient service-oriented architecture for mobile cloud handover

Mobile cloud computing uses features to deliver outsourcing data to remotely available mobile devices. However, the flexible nature of the mobile device is a critical challenge for the mobile cloud computing environment. The mobile phone significantly degrades the data transfer performance when initiating the handover process. Thus, an energy-efficient handover process could improve the quality of service (QoS). Here, we introduce a secure energy-efficient and quality-of-service architecture (EEQoSA) for the handover process in the mobile cloud computing environment. The proposed architecture involves four layers: application, the Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IPMS), communication, and media with connectivity layers. These four layers collectively handle the energy-efficiency, security and QoS parameters. Existing service-oriented architectures designed for mobile cloud computing are based on the symmetric encryption cryptography to support different media services. However, this approach easily allows an adversary to expose the symmetric key and gain access to private data. Thus, our proposed architecture uses the secure and strong authentication (SSA) process at the IPMS layer by protecting the media services from unauthorized users, as the IPMS is the central layer that could be the entry point for an adversary. Furthermore, to extend the mobile lifetime during the handover process, an energy detection (ED) model is deployed at the communication layer to detect the energy level of the mobile device prior to the handover initialization process. The media with the connectivity layer supports the secure handover process using a priority enforcement module that allows only legitimate users to complete the re-registration process after initiating the handover. Finally, the architecture is tested using the CloudSim simulation environment and validated by a comparison with other known service-oriented architectures.
Dissecting Spear Phishing Emails for Older vs Young Adults: On the Interplay of Weapons of Influence and Life Domains in Predicting Susceptibility to Phishing

Spear phishing emails are key in many cyber attacks. Successful emails employ psychological weapons of influence and relevant life domains. This paper investigates spear phishing susceptibility as a function of Internet user age (old vs young), weapon of influence, and life domain. A 21-day study was conducted with 158 participants (younger and older Internet users). Data collection took place at the participants' homes to increase ecological validity. Our results show that older women were the most vulnerable group to phishing attacks. While younger adults were most susceptible to scarcity, older adults were most susceptible to reciprocation. Further, there was a discrepancy, particularly among older users, between self-reported susceptibility awareness and their behavior during the intervention. Our results show the need for demographic personalization for warnings, training and educational tools in targeting the specifics of the older adult population.
Dietary Manganese Promotes Staphylococcal Infection of the Heart

Summary Diet, and specifically dietary metals, can modify the risk of infection. However, the mechanisms by which manganese (Mn), a common dietary supplement, alters infection remain unexplored. We report that dietary Mn levels dictate the outcome of systemic infections caused by Staphylococcus aureu s, a leading cause of bacterial endocarditis. Mice fed a high Mn diet display alterations in Mn levels and localization within infected tissues, and S. aureus virulence and infection of the heart are enhanced. Although the canonical mammalian Mn-sequestering protein calprotectin surrounds staphylococcal heart abscesses, calprotectin is not released into the abscess nidus and does not limit Mn in this organ. Consequently, excess Mn is bioavailable to S. aureus in the heart. Bioavailable Mn is utilized by S. aureus to detoxify reactive oxygen species and protect against neutrophil killing, enhancing fitness within the heart. Therefore, a single dietary modification overwhelms vital host antimicrobial strategies, leading to fatal staphylococcal infection.
How Food Banks Use Markets to Feed the Poor

A difficult issue for organizations is how to assign valuable resources across competing opportunities. This work describes how Feeding America allocates about 300 million pounds of food a year to over two hundred food banks across the United States. It does so in an unusual way: in 2005, it switched from a centralized queuing system, where food banks would wait their turn, to a market-based mechanism where they bid daily on truckloads of food using a "fake" currency called shares. The change and its impact are described here, showing how the market system allowed food banks to sort based on their preferences.
Integrating Psychedelic Medicines and Psychiatry: Theory and Methods of a Model Clinic

The past two decades has seen a significant increase in both popular and scientific interest in psychedelic substances and plants as therapeutics for mental illness, addictions, and psychospiritual suffering. Current psychiatric practice privileges a biological paradigm in which the brain is considered the locus of mental illness and symptom-focused treatments are delivered to patients as passive recipients. In contrast, a psychedelic healing paradigm, constructed through examination of different ontologic understandings of plant medicines, is based on a complex multidimensional perspective of human beings and their suffering. This paradigm actively engages the sufferer in addressing root causes of illness through healing on multiple levels of existence, including spiritual and energetic domains. Numerous theoretical, methodological, and ethical challenges complicate the integration of the psychedelic healing paradigm into psychiatric practice. These include developing coherent therapeutic narratives that account for the complex processes by which psychedelic healing occurs and overcoming reductionist tendencies in the medical sciences. Tasked with overcoming such challenges, a model clinic is proposed that seeks to implement and study the psychedelic healing paradigm in a critical, interdisciplinary, and reflexive manner. Such “critical paradigm integration” would employ multimodal patient formulation and treatments, as well as a range of knowledge generation and sharing practices. Outcomes-oriented research would seek to establish an evidence base for the model, while critical dialogues would advance understandings of psychedelic substances and plants and related practices more generally. The clinic would serve as proof of concept for a new model of studying, conceptualizing, and treating mental illness.
Toward a Non-Abelian Fluid Mechanics

Fluid mechanics and fluid magnetohydrodynamics may very well describe the long-wavelength degrees of freedom in a quarkgluon plasma. Moreover, it is plausible that the group (color) degrees of freedom remain distinct in that regime, so that one should incorporate them in the fluid approximation. In this way, one is led to think about constructing non-Abelian fluid mechanics and (color) magnetohydrodynamics. In this section we describe an approach to this task [39]. In the course of development, we encounter and solve an interesting mathematical problem: how to parametrize a non-Abelian vector potential so that the non-Abelian Chern—Simons density becomes a total derivative, and the volume-integrated Chern—Simons term is given by a surface integral. Obviously, this is the non-Abelian generalization of the similar Abelian problem, which is solved by presenting the Abelian vector potential in Clebsch form. So we shall determine the non-Abelian version of the Clebsch parametrization.
A Time Series Model with Qualitative Variables

The literature on time-series analysis has been largely confined to the analysis of time-series data where: (i) The number of observations is large, and (ii) the variables are all observed as continuous variables.
First-year engineering students' environmental awareness and conceptual understanding with participatory game design as knowledge elicitation

The purpose of this paper was to investigate first-year undergraduate engineering students' awareness and conceptual understanding of environmental issues and to examine how effective a participatory game design strategy was to elicit their understanding. Respondents (n=1,394) completed baseline environmental awareness surveys and 24 respondents participated in the game design process consisting of four workshops and online activities. The game design component was focused on life cycle analysis (LCA) including environmental impacts of engineering design. Observations and artifacts were collected from workshops and interviews were conducted. Results showed that students had a general awareness about environmental issues but lacked awareness about LCA, pollution, and wetlands. Additionally, the participatory game design process showed that students struggled with applying the newly gained understandings of LCA in the game designs. The participatory game design provided a wealth of information on students' understanding and also served as an effective platform for knowledge elicitation.
Predictors of Surgical Site Infection After Nonemergent Craniotomy: A Nationwide Readmission Database Analysis.

Objective Surgical site infections (SSIs) carry significant patient morbidity and mortality and are a major source of readmissions after craniotomy. Because of their deleterious effects on health care outcomes and costs, identifying modifiable risk factors holds tremendous value. However, because SSIs after craniotomy are rare and most existing data comprise single-institution studies with small sample sizes, many are likely underpowered to discern for such factors. The objective of this study was to use a large hetereogenous patient sample to determine SSI incidence after nonemergent craniotomy and identify factors associated with readmission and subsequent need for wound washout. Methods We used the 2010–2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database cohorts to discern for factors predictive of SSI and washout. Results We identified 93,920 nonemergent craniotomies. There were 2079 cases of SSI (2.2%) and 835 reoperations for washout (0.89%) within 30 days of index admission and there were 2761 cases of SSI (3.6%) and 1220 reoperations for washout (1.58%) within 90 days. Several factors were predictive of SSI in multivariate analysis, including tumor operations, external ventricular drain (EVD), age, length of stay, diabetes, discharge to an intermediate-care facility, insurance type, and hospital bed size. Many of these factors were similarly implicated in reoperation for washout. Conclusions SSI incidence in neurosurgery is low and most readmissions occur within 30 days. Several factors predicted SSI after craniotomy, including operations for tumor, younger age, hospitalization length, diabetes, discharge to institutional care, larger hospital bed size, Medicaid insurance, and presence of an EVD. Diabetes and EVD placement may represent modifiable factors that could be explored in subsequent prospective studies for their associations with cranial SSIs.
Making sense of differences in pneumococcal serotype replacement.

Summary Serotype replacement in invasive pneumococcal disease threatens to undermine the most costly vaccination programme currently undertaken. However, the effects of replacement on public health have varied geographically. Striking differences have emerged between the UK and USA, countries that otherwise often resemble each other epidemiologically. Similar to other European settings, the UK has had rising non-vaccine serotype invasive pneumococcal disease, most notably in older adults, since introducing a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to the paediatric immunisation schedule. Such impacts of serotype replacement have not been reported in the USA, where incidence of non-vaccine serotype invasive pneumococcal disease in young children and older people has been stable since the introduction of the same vaccine. Here, we explore factors that have been suggested to account for these differences, including surveillance practices, transmission dynamics, population risk factors, and pathogen evolution. We contend that none of these factors individually appears sufficient to account for the observed differences. Assessing the existing evidence, we define priorities for research and data collection to discern causes and inform future pneumococcal vaccine policy.
Determinants of Success and Failure in Foreign Regime Maintenance Interventions

What factors determine the success or failure of external interventions to influence the structure and composition of foreign governments? We maintain that the core challenge facing interventions intended to prop up beleaguered regimes in foreign countries is that success is dependent in large part on the degree to which the incumbent government can secure the domestic public’s compliance. The Army’s new Counterinsurgency Field Manual, FM 3-24, states that “counterinsurgents face a populace containing an active minority supporting the government and an equally small militant faction opposing it. Success requires the government to be accepted as legitimate by most of the uncommitted middle.” Consequently, the manual focuses on building the host government’s political and military capacity in order to win the loyalty of the civilian population by providing superior goods and services than can be provided by the insurgents. The problem, however, is that foreign military intervention is unlikely to increase the legitimacy of an indigenous government and could even further delegitimize the government. Addressing the legitimate grievances of a population may increase a regime’s prospects for survival in the face of a domestic threat to its political authority. But, (1) it may be nearly impossible for some governments to gain legitimacy among a significant proportion of the population, (2) external intervention is unlikely to increase the legitimacy of an incumbent government, and (3) some threats to a regime can be defeated without increasing the government’s legitimacy. Consequently, we argue that a foreign intervention is most likely to improve an incumbent government’s ability to survive a domestic challenge if the characteristics of the conflict between the government and the rebels make it more amenable to a military or “brute force” solution.
Plasticity of paternity: Effects of fatherhood on synaptic, intrinsic and morphological characteristics of neurons in the medial preoptic area of male California mice

Parental care by fathers enhances offspring survival and development in numerous species. In the biparental California mouse, Peromyscus californicus, behavioral plasticity is seen during the transition into fatherhood: adult virgin males often exhibit aggressive or indifferent responses to pups, whereas fathers engage in extensive paternal care. In this species and other biparental mammals, the onset of paternal behavior is associated with increased neural responsiveness to pups in specific brain regions, including the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus (MPOA), a region strongly implicated in both maternal and paternal behavior. To assess possible changes in neural circuit properties underlying this increased excitability, we evaluated synaptic, intrinsic, and morphological properties of MPOA neurons in adult male California mice that were either virgins or first-time fathers. We used standard whole-cell recordings in a novel in vitro slice preparation. Excitatory and inhibitory post-synaptic currents from MPOA neurons were recorded in response to local electrical stimulation, and input/output curves were constructed for each. Responses to trains of stimuli were also examined. We quantified intrinsic excitability by measuring voltage changes in response to square-pulse injections of both depolarizing and hyperpolarizing current. Biocytin was injected into neurons during recording, and their morphology was analyzed. Most parameters did not differ significantly between virgins and fathers. However, we document a decrease in synaptic inhibition in fathers. These findings suggest that the onset of paternal behavior in California mouse fathers may be associated with limited electrophysiological plasticity within the MPOA.
Topic modeling and sentiment analysis of global climate change tweets

Social media websites can be used as a data source for mining public opinion on a variety of subjects including climate change. Twitter, in particular, allows for the evaluation of public opinion across both time and space because geotagged tweets include timestamps and geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude). In this study, a large dataset of geotagged tweets containing certain keywords relating to climate change is analyzed using volume analysis and text mining techniques such as topic modeling and sentiment analysis. Latent Dirichlet allocation was applied for topic modeling to infer the different topics of discussion, and Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner was applied for sentiment analysis to determine the overall feelings and attitudes found in the dataset. These techniques are used to compare and contrast the nature of climate change discussion between different countries and over time. Sentiment analysis shows that the overall discussion is negative, especially when users are reacting to political or extreme weather events. Topic modeling shows that the different topics of discussion on climate change are diverse, but some topics are more prevalent than others. In particular, the discussion of climate change in the USA is less focused on policy-related topics than other countries.
Overdiagnosing, Overtesting, and Overmedicalizing Physical Conditions

This chapter documents two major contributors to the path of unsustainability within the U.S. healthcare system. First, is the sheer ever-higher-rising costs of medical services, and the relativity poor outcomes as compared with the world’s other nations, all of whom spend considerably less. This is unsustainable. Second, the high costs that unethically contribute to unsustainability are: over diagnosis and the treatments that go with it (one who is over diagnosed can only be harmed, not benefited), and phenomena supporting over diagnosis are grounded in false notions of how to prevent diseases and conflicts of interest motivating medical experts and the FDA to keep adding to the numbers of individuals who allegedly qualify for being over diagnosed, and so over tested and over medicated
Site-Specific Incorporation of N-(2'-Deoxyguanosine-8-yl)-6-aminochrysene Adduct in DNA and Its Replication in Human Cells.

The environmental pollutant 6-nitrochrysene (6-NC) is a potent mutagen and a mammary carcinogen in rats. 6-NC is the most potent carcinogen ever tested in the newborn mouse assay. In mammalian cell...
A note on the effect of surface energy on the growth of a tin whisker

In this communication, we report theoretical analysis of the contribution of surface energy to the energy dissipation during the growth of a tin whisker in a tin film. The mass transport of tin for...
Prenatal Opioid Exposure Enhances Responsiveness to Future Drug Reward and Alters Sensitivity to Pain: A Review of Preclinical Models and Contributing Mechanisms.

The opioid crisis has resulted in an unprecedented number of neonates born with prenatal opioid exposure (POE); however, the long-term effects of POE on offspring behavior and neurodevelopment remain relatively unknown. The advantages and disadvantages of the various preclinical POE models developed over the last several decades are discussed in the context of clinical and translational relevance. Although considerable and important variability exists among preclinical models of POE, the examination of these preclinical models has revealed that opioid exposure during the prenatal period contributes to maladaptive behavioral development as offspring mature including an altered responsiveness to rewarding drugs and increased pain response. The present review summarizes key findings demonstrating the impact of POE on offspring drug self-administration, drug consumption, the reinforcing properties of drugs, drug tolerance, and other reward-related behaviors such as hypersensitivity to pain. Potential underlying molecular mechanisms which may contribute this enhanced addictive phenotype in POE offspring are further discussed with special attention given to key brain regions associated with reward including the striatum, prefrontal cortex, ventral tegmental area, hippocampus, and amygdala. Improvements in preclinical models and further areas of study are also identified which may advance the translational value of findings and help address the growing problem of POE in clinical populations. Significance Statement As the number of the infants born following prenatal opioid exposure continues to increase, there is a greater need to employ preclinical models to study the potential consequences of POE and brain and behavioral development. A large body of evidence indicates POE is associated with alterations in reward-related behavior and molecular adaptations in reward neurocircuitry. This review seeks to: (1) provide an overview of the various types of preclinical models developed over the last few decades; (2) review the numerous behavioral studies examining drug-reward related behavior in offspring with POE; and (3) discuss potential contributing molecular mechanisms to this enhanced reward phenotype observed in POE offspring.
Factors influencing amphibian distributions in Grand Teton National Park and western Wyoming

Predicting the distribution of amphibians can be difficult because habitat suitability may depend on a variety of environmental and anthropogenic factors, including water quality of wetlands, geology of watersheds, and presence of invasive pathogens. Previous studies hypothesized that water chemistry may influence the rate of chytrid infection in amphibians where higher conductivity sites may have less infection. We sampled two watersheds in Grand Teton National Park and 3 watersheds adjacent to the park, and measured amphibian presence, chytrid infection, basic water quality, major ion concentrations and geology of the wetland. This is part of a larger project where we are comparing amphibian presence and infection rate among wetlands in the Gros Ventre, Wind River, and Teton Ranges. We sampled watersheds that were predominately limestone, granite or a mixture. Water quality varied among sites with higher conductivity and ion concentrations for limestone watersheds compared to granite watersheds. This report includes preliminary results of amphibian surveys and water quality analyses. Future analyses will relate occupancy rates of amphibians to environmental factors, including water chemistry, geology, and presence of chytrid fungus, as well as comparing detection rates of amphibians with environmental DNA (eDNA) and visual observation surveys. Featured photo by Neal Herbert on Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2gv9PJA
Ankle Injuries in Football

Ankle injuries are commonly encountered when caring for athletes. In football, these injuries are extremely prevalent and often require significant time and effort by the physicians, athletic trainers, and athletes in order to properly diagnose, treat, and return the athlete to the field. This chapter focuses on the relevant anatomy, diagnosis, and management of the most frequent injuries encountered by the sports medicine practitioner: lateral ankle sprains, “high ankle” or syndesmosis injuries, and ankle fractures. The use of arthroscopy accelerated rehabilitation protocols, and improved postoperative medical management have allowed for better diagnosis and faster return to play in a spectrum of injuries that have classically kept the patient sidelined from sports for prolonged periods of time.
A stochastic volatility model with random level shifts and its applications to S&P 500 and NASDAQ return indices

Empirical ?ndings related to the time series properties of stock returns volatility indicate autocorrelations that decay slowly at long lags. In light of this, several long-memory models have been proposed. However, the possibility of level shifts has been advanced as a possible explanation for the appearance of long-memory and there is growing evidence suggesting that it may be an important feature of stock returns volatility. Nevertheless, it remains a conjecture that a model incorporating random level shifts in variance can explain the data well and produce reasonable forecasts. We show that a very simple stochastic volatility model incorporating both a random level shift and a short-memory component indeed provides a better in-sample fit of the data and produces forecasts that are no worse, and sometimes better, than standard stationary short and long-memory models. We use a Bayesian method for inference and develop algorithms to obtain the posterior distributions of the parameters and the smoothed estimates of the two latent components. We apply the model to daily S&P 500 and NASDAQ returns over the period 1980.1-2005.12. Although the occurrence of a level shift is rare, about once every two years, the level shift component clearly contributes most to the total variation in the volatility process. The half-life of a typical shock from the short-memory component is very short, on average between 8 and 14 days. We also show that, unlike common stationary short or long-memory models, our model is able to replicate keys features of the data. For the NASDAQ series, it forecasts better than a standard stochastic volatility model, and for the S&P 500 index, it performs equally well.
Kinetic, isotherm, and mechanism investigations of the removal of nitrate and nitrite from water by the synthesized hydrotalcite Mg–Al

The objective of this work is to test the effectiveness of hydrotalcite as an adsorbent for the retention of nitrate and nitrite ions and to study the influence of various reaction parameters such as pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and initial ion concentration. Hydrotalcites (HTx) of different Mg/Al ratios (x was Mg/Al ratio; 2, 3, 4) were synthesized by the co-precipitation method at constant pH and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The results obtained indicate that hydrotalcite (HT3) allows good retention of nitrate and nitrite ions with no pH adjustment. Adsorption increases with decreasing mass of the adsorbent and increases with increasing initial concentration of nitrate and nitrite ions. When the Mg/Al ratio changes from 2 to 4; the electrical charge density between layers weakens; the inter-layer spacing increases and the material shows greater adsorption capacity. The equilibrium isotherm showed that the Langmuir model provided a better fit to the experimental data than the Freundlich model for nitrates and nitrites. The adsorption capacity of HT3 for nitrates and nitrites was found to be 6.92 mg/g and 9.26 mg/g, respectively. The XRD analysis after adsorption showed that materials that had undergone nitrate and nitrite ions adsorption, maintain the hydrotalcite structure.
The Role and Impact of Fox News

Considering that cable news has become a primary source of political information for many Americans, this article examines the role and impact of Fox News in the United States, particularly as it compares to other news outlets We begin by offering a historical analysis of Fox News’ formation and growth in popularity, including a review of existing scholarship on the network’s impact on news consumers Prior research as well as an additional nationally-representative dataset reveals that two policy areas are particularly potent among Fox News’ consumers: immigration and climate change Additionally, scholars have found initial evidence for the role of Fox News in shaping its viewers’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic We then consider the cognitive processing utilized by news consumers, explaining how it may differ among individuals who opt to consume Fox News and those who get news from other sources We conclude by reviewing why three specific areas—immigration, climate change, and COVID-19—resonate so strongly with Fox News consumers
Exploring the color-evasive hustle 2.0 and Asian Americans within U.S. higher education race-conscious admissions oral arguments

Ongoing sociolegal conflicts over affirmative action in race-conscious admissions in U.S. higher education have significant modern-day relevance. This article, informed mainly by Asian American wom...