cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Achieving Health Equity: Closing The Gaps In Health Care Disparities, Interventions, And Research

In the United States, racial/ethnic minority, rural, and low-income populations continue to experience suboptimal access to and quality of health care despite decades of recognition of health disparities and policy mandates to eliminate them. Many health care interventions that were designed to achieve health equity fall short because of gaps in knowledge and translation. We discuss these gaps and highlight innovative interventions that help address them, focusing on cardiovascular disease and cancer. We also provide recommendations for advancing the field of health equity and informing the implementation and evaluation of policies that target health disparities through improved access to care and quality of care.
Cold nuclear matter effects on J/ψ and ϒ production in p + Pb collisions at 5 TeV and Pb + Pb collisions at 5.1 TeV

Abstract We make a systematic study of the modifications of J / ψ and ϒ ( 1 S ) production in p +Pb collisions at s N N = 5 TeV at the LHC. We compare the uncertainties in the EPS09 shadowing parameterization to the calculated mass and scale uncertainties obtained employing the EPS09 NLO central set. We study the dependence of the results on the proton parton density and the choice of the nuclear modifications. We check whether the results obtained are consistent at leading and next-to-leading order. The calculations are compared to the available ALICE and LHCb data on the nuclear modification factors, R p A ( y ) and R p A ( p T ) , as well as the forward-backward asymmetries, R F B ( y ) and R F B ( p T ) . Finally, we make predictions for the next Pb+Pb run at s N N = 5.1 TeV in Run 2 of the LHC.
CrowdFill: a system for collecting structured data from the crowd

CrowdFill is a system for collecting structured data from the crowd. Unlike a typical microtask-based approach, CrowdFill shows an entire partially-filled table to all participating workers; workers collaboratively complete the table by filling in empty cells, as well as upvoting and downvoting data entered by other workers, using CrowdFill's intuitive data entry interface. CrowdFill ensures data entry is leading to a final table that satisfies prespecified constraints, and its compensation scheme encourages workers to submit useful, high-quality work. We demonstrate how CrowdFill collects structured data from the crowd, from the perspective of a user as well as from the perspective of workers.
Attributing Death to Diet: Precision Counts.

A substantial body of evidence has implicated several aspects of diet with the occurrence of cardiometabolic disease (CMD)—heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Dietary factors studied have included individual nutrients (macronutrients, micronutrients, minerals, vitamins, electrolytes, and phytochemicals), foods, and overall dietary patterns. It is generally accepted that a suboptimal diet is causally related to CMD, but scientists debate which factors are responsible and the relative importance of each factor given the challenges of isolating and estimating the potential effects of individual nutrients and foods, especially in observational studies. Another topic that is receiving considerably more attention is estimating the fraction of preventable deaths due to suboptimal diet and other factors. Policy makers, in particular, are eager to understand the total burden of CMD that may be attributable to suboptimal diet, given that modification of diet is a cornerstone of prevention policy.1
Terror, Territoriality, Temporality: Hypermedia Events in the Age of Islamic State:

Considering the group that calls itself Islamic State (IS) as a “war machine,” an ever-shifting combination of humans and technology, this article articulates, from a Deleuzian perspective, terror, territoriality, and temporality as constitutive of events. It explores terrorism as a hypermedia event that resists conceptual containment in Dayan and Katz’s three categories of “contest,” “conquest,” or “coronation.” It builds on work that recognizes the globality of media events. The article uses the rise of IS to explore events as a peculiar articulation of space and time, and draws on the global “network-archive” that IS created (its digital footprint), the referentiality of which means that we experience IS depredations as one continuous “global event chain.” In this analysis, media events are a productive force that articulates territoriality and temporality through affect.
Where to drill? The petroleum industry's response to an endangered species listing☆

Abstract This paper examines the effect of U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations on oil and natural gas well drilling in Kansas and Oklahoma. In 2014 and 2015, petroleum companies faced land use restrictions when the imperiled lesser prairie chicken received threatened species-status under the ESA. In Kansas and Oklahoma, as elsewhere, the petroleum industry has been criticized for damaging environmental quality and developing wildlife habitat. Using data on well locations, I estimate a discrete choice model to measure the effects of ESA regulations on companies' location preferences. While the results show that habitat avoidance increased with regulatory scrutiny, the effect is very modest, which suggests that companies may have discounted the risk of penalties from ESA violations. Results also suggest that pre-listing announcements related to ESA regulations influenced companies' location choice.
Embedding Learning with Events in Heterogeneous Information Networks

In real-world applications, objects of multiple types are interconnected, forming Heterogeneous Information Networks . In such heterogeneous information networks, we make the key observation that many interactions happen due to some event and the objects in each event form a complete semantic unit. By taking advantage of such a property, we propose a generic framework called H yper E dge- B ased E mbedding ( Hebe ) to learn object embeddings with events in heterogeneous information networks, where a hyperedge encompasses the objects participating in one event. The Hebe framework models the proximity among objects in each event with two methods: (1) predicting a target object given other participating objects in the event, and (2) predicting if the event can be observed given all the participating objects. Since each hyperedge encapsulates more information of a given event, Hebe is robust to data sparseness and noise. In addition, Hebe is scalable when the data size spirals. Extensive experiments on large-scale real-world datasets show the efficacy and robustness of the proposed framework.
Human Binge Alcohol Intake Inhibits TLR4–MyD88 and TLR4–TRIF Responses but Not the TLR3–TRIF Pathway: HspA1A and PP1 Play Selective Regulatory Roles

Binge/moderate alcohol suppresses TLR4-MyD88 proinflammatory cytokines; however, alcohol's effects on TLR-TRIF signaling, especially after in vivo exposure in humans, are unclear. We performed a comparative analysis of the TLR4-MyD88, TLR4-TRIF, and TLR3-TRIF pathways in human monocytes following binge alcohol exposure. Mechanistic regulation of TLR-TRIF signaling by binge alcohol was evaluated by analyzing IRF3 and TBK1, upstream regulator protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), and immunoregulatory stress proteins HspA1A and XBP-1 in alcohol-treated human and mouse monocytes/macrophages. Two approaches for alcohol exposure were used: in vivo exposure of primary monocytes in binge alcohol-consuming human volunteers or in vitro exposure of human monocytes/murine macrophages to physiological alcohol concentrations (25-50 mM ethanol), followed by LPS (TLR4) or polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (TLR3) stimulation ex vivo. In vivo and in vitro binge alcohol exposure significantly inhibited the TLR4-MyD88 cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, as well as the TLR4-TRIF cytokines/chemokines IFN-β, IP-10, and RANTES, in human monocytes, but not TLR3-TRIF-induced cytokines/chemokines, as detected by quantitative PCR and ELISA. Mechanistic analyses revealed TBK-1-independent inhibition of the TLR4-TRIF effector IRF3 in alcohol-treated macrophages. Although stress protein XBP-1, which is known to regulate IRF3-mediated IFN-β induction, was not affected by alcohol, HspA1A was induced by in vivo alcohol in human monocytes. Alcohol-induced HspA1A was required for inhibition of TLR4-MyD88 signaling but not TLR4-TRIF cytokines in macrophages. In contrast, inhibition of PP1 prevented alcohol-mediated TLR4-TRIF tolerance in macrophages. Collectively, our results demonstrate that in vivo and in vitro binge alcohol exposure in humans suppresses TLR4-MyD88 and TLR4-TRIF, but not TLR3-TRIF, responses. Whereas alcohol-mediated effects on the PP1-IRF3 axis inhibit the TLR4-TRIF pathway, HspA1A selectively suppresses the TLR4-MyD88 pathway in monocytes/macrophages.
Educational Impact of Trainee-Facilitated Head and Neck Radiology-Pathology Correlation Conferences.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the benefits of resident and fellow-facilitated radiology–pathology head and neck conferences. A total of seven resident-facilitated and six fellow-facilitated head and neck radiology–pathology cases were presented as part of the radiology department conference series. The radiology residents were surveyed regarding the perceived quality and effectiveness of the fellow-facilitated sessions. The number of publications yielded from all the cases presented was tracked. Overall, the residents assessed the quality of the fellow-facilitated conferences with an average score of 3.9 out of 5 and the overall helpfulness with an average of 3.5 out of 5. The overall average level of resident understanding among the residents for the topics presented to them by the fellows at baseline was 2.5 out of 5 and 3.4 out of 5 after the presentations, which was a significant increase (p-value < 0.01). There were three peer-reviewed publications generated from the resident presentations and four peer-reviewed publications generated from the fellow presentations, which represents a 54% publication rate collectively. Therefore, trainee-facilitated head and neck radiology–pathology conferences at our institution provide added learning and scholarly activity opportunities.
Order Rules the World: Our Children in the Communal Society of the Hutterites

“There are four playhouses, but I’ve only seen three of them and I think this one is the best. They have three girls in it but only two girls own it. They have a dresser, a high chair, a couch, a bed which is somewhat like a couch, a table, a washing basin and a lot of other things. But what I found most interesting was that on their dresser they had some colorless nail polish, and also hidden underneath a little drape of material there were two pairs of high heels…. The playhouse belongs to Barbara (age twelve) who has the keys and to Theresa (age nine) who just went along with her, who does not own a pair of keys but is allowed to go in whenever she wants. They have doll beds and a chest for dolls and a chest for their own clothes, that they use for dress-up. ” This was our nine-year-old daughter reporting into the tape recorder. In the course of the summer, she reported on the changing cliques when the little girls locked one another out of the playhouses and on how the excluded child suffered the loneliness of not being accepted by the peer group. Our daughter described how the school girls put on high heels and talked in loud voices as do “ugly, worldy women. ” She reported when they played doctor--everyone was the doctor, everyone was the patient.
Modeling asynchronous message passing for c programs

This paper presents a formal modeling paradigm that is callable from C, the dominant language for embedded systems programming, for message passing APIs that provides reasonable assurance that the model correctly captures intended behavior. The model is a suitable reference solution for the API, and it supports putative what-if queries over API scenarios for behavior exploration, reproducibility for test and debug, full exhaustive search, and other advanced model checking analysis methods for C programs that use the API. This paper illustrates the modeling paradigm on the MCAPI interface, a growing industry standard message passing library, showing how the model exposes errors hidden by the C reference solution provided by the Multicore Association.
Assessing Accuracy of Positioning Joints and Limbs

The accuracy of positioning a joint or a limb is usually specified in terms of the mean error between positions of the target and the matches, a measure well suited to reveal any bias or offset in the calibration of position. However, position calibration is labile; it can drift over time and it is readily adjusted by the nervous system. As a result, measures of calibration, which is what a mean-error accuracy metric provides, however useful, do not tell us much about the exactness of position sense. To formulate a metric for assessing the exactness of proprioception, one can treat a position matching task as an information processing exercise, and use information theory to devise a well-defined criterion for exactness. Noise is what limits information transfer in any information processing system, so the metric would necessarily incorporate the effects of noise, which is evident in position matching tasks as matching error variance. In this report, I describe one such metric called “target resolution”, which is based on variance and which specifies the maximum number of discrete, equally spaced targets that a subject could discriminate within a span. Measures of target resolutions for various joints of the arm and fingers show surprisingly low resolutions; in some cases subjects could discern only that a joint was in the lower, middle or upper portion of its range.
Sampling from Applied Probability Models

In Chapter 3, we used the sampling method to find probabilities and expectations involving a random variable with a distribution that is easy to describe but with a density function that is not explicitly known. In this chapter, we explore additional applications of the sampling method. The examples are chosen because of their practical importance or theoretical interest. Some- times, analytic methods can be used to get exact results for special cases, thus providing some confidence in the validity of more general simulation results. Also, in an elementary way, some of the examples and problems show how simulation can be useful in research. At least they have illustrated this to us personally because we have gained insights from simulation in these settings that we might never have gained by analytic means.
Under-recognized Etiology of Altered Mental Status in a Patient with Alcoholism.

Wernicke’s encephalopathy is an important condition for the emergency physician (EP) to consider in patients at risk for malnutrition. A 60-year-old man with history of alcoholism presented with word-finding difficulties, dysmetria, ataxia, and personality changes. After treatment with high-dose thiamine, his neurological status returned to his baseline. Although EPs routinely prescribe thiamine for patients with alcoholism, the common initial dose of 100 mg per day is likely subtherapeutic, and the population of patients at risk for malnutrition is much broader than only those with alcoholism, and includes those with cancer, anorexia nervosa, hyperemesis gravidarum, and others. EPs must be aware of this low-cost, readily available prophylaxis to prevent long-term neurological morbidity.
Direction of Arrival Estimation of Physiological Signals of Multiple Subjects Using Phase Comparison Monopulse Radar

While non-contact respiration monitoring using microwave Doppler radar has shown great promises over the last four decades, the isolation of one subject when multiple subjects are in view remains a challenge. In this paper, we employed anew, cost effective and scalable approach for estimating Direction of Arrival (DOA) to separate well-spaced multiple subjects by introducing a 24-GHz phase comparison monopulse radar in our system. Experimental results demonstrated that phase comparison technique can separate two subjects 1.5 meters apart from each other at a distance of 3 meters from the sensor and it can estimate the angular position of single subject with respect to the radar. It also illustrates that the phase-comparison technique is computationally faster and requires fewer snapshots or samples than the well-established MUSIC algorithm. Our experimental results also demonstrate that the monopulse technique for multiple subject measurement has estimation accuracy of almost 80%. This paper demonstrates the efficacy of using a phase-comparison monopulse technique to separate well-spaced subjects based on estimation of the angle of physiological signals, which will lead to practical adoption of this technology in our daily life.
Predicting Critical Warps in Near-Threshold GPGPU Applications using a Dynamic Choke Point Analysis

General purpose graphics processing units (GP-GPU) can significantly improve the power consumption at the NTC operating region. However, process variation (PV) can drastically reduce its performance. In this paper, we examine choke points–a unique device-level characteristic of PV at NTC–that can exacerbate the warp criticality problem. We show that the modern warp schedulers cannot tackle the choke point induced critical warps in an NTC GPU. We propose Warp Latency Booster, a circuit-architectural solution to dynamically predict the critical warps and accelerate them in their respective execution units. Our best scheme achieves an average improvement of ~32% and ~41% in performance, and ~21% and ~19% in energy-efficiency, respectively, over two state-of-the-art warp schedulers.
Considering the military-media nexus from the perspective of competing groups: the case of ISIS and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

To address if and how militant, non-state actors in the online environment react to on-the-ground military pressures facing their competitors, this study explores AQAP’s visual media campaign durin...
Unsupervised Co-Learning on $G$-Manifolds Across Irreducible Representations

We introduce a novel co-learning paradigm for manifolds naturally admitting an action of a transformation group $\mathcal{G}$, motivated by recent developments on learning a manifold from attached fibre bundle structures. We utilize a representation theoretic mechanism that canonically associates multiple independent vector bundles over a common base manifold, which provides multiple views for the geometry of the underlying manifold. The consistency across these fibre bundles provide a common base for performing unsupervised manifold co-learning through the redundancy created artificially across irreducible representations of the transformation group. We demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed algorithmic paradigm through drastically improved robust nearest neighbor identification in cryo-electron microscopy image analysis and the clustering accuracy in community detection.
Loneliness among cancer caregivers: The current state of the science.

19Background: A cancer diagnosis can profoundly affect both patients and their caregivers. Providing care to a loved one with cancer places demands on caregivers that may result in changes to careg...
White matter hyperintensities related to Parkinson's Disease executive function

Background People with Parkinson's disease (PD) can develop multidomain cognitive impairments; however, it is unclear whether different pathologies underlie domain-specific cognitive dysfunction. Objectives We investigated the contribution of vascular copathology severity and location, as measured by MRI white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), to domain-specific cognitive impairment in PD. Methods We studied 85 PD (66.6 ± 9.2 years) and 18 control (65.9 ± 6.6) participants. Using the Fazekas scale for rating the severity of WMH, we subdivided PD into 14 PD-WMH+ and 71 PD-WMH-. Participants underwent global, executive, visuospatial, episodic memory, and language testing. We performed nonparametric permutation testing to create WMH probability maps based on PD-WMH group and cognitive test performance. Results The PD-WMH+ group showed worse global and executive cognitive performance than the PD-WMH- group. On individual tests, the PD-WMH+ group showed worse Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Stroop, Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and Digit Span scores. WMH probability maps showed that in the PD-WMH+ group, worse Stroop was associated with lesions centered around the corticospinal tract (CST), forceps major, inferior-fronto-occipital fasciculus, and superior longitudinal fasciculus; worse SDMT with lesions around the CST, forceps major, and posterior corona radiata; worse Digit Span with lesions around the posterior corona radiata; and worse MoCA with lesions around the CST. Conclusions We found that WMH severity was associated with PD executive dysfunction, including worse attention, working memory, and processing speed. Disruption of key white matter tracts in proximity to vascular lesions could contribute to these specific cognitive impairments. Early treatment of vascular disease might mitigate some executive dysfunction in a subset of patients with PD.
COVID-19 Pandemic Severity, Lockdown Regimes, and People Mobility: Evidence from 88 Countries

This study empirically investigates the complex interplay between the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, mobility changes in retail and recreation, transit stations, workplaces, and residential areas, and lockdown measures in 88 countries of the word. To conduct the study, data on mobility patterns, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of people, lockdown measures, and coronavirus pandemic were collected from multiple sources (e.g., Google, UNDP, UN, BBC, Oxford University, Worldometer). A Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique is used to investigate the direct and indirect effects of independent variables on dependent variables considering the intervening effects of mediators. Results show that lockdown measures have significant effects to encourage people to maintain social distancing. However, pandemic severity and socioeconomic and institutional factors have limited effects to sustain social distancing practice. The results also explain that socioeconomic and institutional factors of urbanity and modernity have significant effects on pandemic severity. Countries with a higher number of elderly people, employment in the service sector, and higher globalization trend are the worst victims of the coronavirus pandemic (e.g., USA, UK, Italy, and Spain). Social distancing measures are reasonably effective at tempering the severity of the pandemic.
A Solar-Powered IoT Connected Physical Mailbox Interfaced with Smart Devices

In this age of electronic communication, checking the physical mailbox is still part of our daily life. Mailboxes are placed several meters away from the house, and sometimes across the opposite side of a street. It is annoying to walk to the mailbox each day and realize that the mailbox is empty. In this paper, an Internet of Things (IoT)-connected smart mailbox is developed that automatically sends a notification to the smartphone whenever new mail arrives. This notification removes the frustration of an unnecessary trip to the mailbox. The proposed mailbox contains a low power device comprising of sensors, a system-on-chip microcontroller with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and a rechargeable battery that charges with a solar panel. Whenever the mailbox door is closed, it checks the presence of mail and then sends the data to a hub using BLE. The hub is placed inside the house and sends a push notification to the smartphone using the home Wi-Fi. A smart speaker, Google Home, is also interfaced with the system, which can verbally say the status of the mailbox when asked a customized question. A prototype of the smart mailbox, the hub, and the smartphone app is developed and tested successfully.
Cast-Related Complications

Despite advances in surgical techniques and technology, casting remains an important treatment modality in the armamentarium of orthopedic surgery. Opportunities for skill development and complication management are a decreasing commodity for the surgeon in training. Appropriate indications for casting and technical expertise of cast application are key to complication avoidance. Prompt recognition and evaluation of potential complications are key to optimizing patient outcomes. Following the lead of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery Resident Skills Modules, we implore teaching institutions to develop and maintain robust teaching programs, skills acquisitions laboratories, and assessments for confirmation of competency for all residency programs.
Erythritol, an Artificial Sweetener, Is Acaricidal Against Pest Mites and Minimally Harmful to a Predatory Mite.

Erythritol, an artificial sweetener, has shown promise as an organic, human-safe insecticide. Recently, erythritol applications were shown to be successful at controlling pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola (Forster)) (Hempitera: Psyllidae), the most important pest of pear in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) and pear rust mite (Epitrimerus pyri (Nalepa)) (Trombidiformes: Eriophyidae) can also be highly damaging pear pests. Their common natural enemy, Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae), can provide biological control if selective pesticides are used for managing other pests. Through a series of bioassays, we sought to determine whether erythritol could also be used for controlling either species of pest mite. We also examined whether erythritol had acute or sublethal impacts on G. occidentalis, through a variety of exposure methods. Effects examined included mortality, fecundity, prey consumption, and locomotion. We determined that a high concentration of erythritol (30%) had efficacy against both pest mite species and caused arresting behavior in twospotted spider mite. Erythritol caused little acute mortality in G. occidentalis, but did reduce fecundity and prey consumption through some exposure methods. Through motion-capture software, we determined that this is primarily due to reduced movement, likely caused by difficulty walking on residues and excessive grooming behavior. Because the predatory mite non-target effects were less acute than those for the two pest mites, we concluded that erythritol could likely be integrated into pear IPM with little or no disruption of mite biological control.
Collagen biomineralization: pathways, mechanisms, and thermodynamics

Over the past two decades, numerous studies have investigated and characterized the transient and amorphous phases in early stages of mineralization as well as their transition mechanisms to apatite crystals in buffered solutions. Recently more attention has been drawn to the identification and characterization of collagen structure and how it can affect mineralization in contact with non-collagenous protein and calcium phosphate clusters. This review highlights some of the pathways and mechanisms through which amorphous calcium phosphate clusters form. The conversion of these clusters into hydroxyapatite crystals is also reviewed. The thermodynamic aspects of nucleation and growth processes based on classical and non-classical nucleation theories related to hydroxyapatite are discussed. In addition, this paper is written to address the significant progress on mechanisms and pathways engaged in mineralization of collagen fibrils. Finally, it addresses some of the breakthroughs and limitations in the field of collagen biomineralization studies and new challenges in this field of study.
Experimental Time Resolved Methods

Recent experiments involving light scattering and diffusion in tissues show a substantial signal emerging from large tissue masses on the order of 2–10 nanoseconds (ns) following light entry. A quantitative method for resolving the scattered light should have these attributes: a) High sensitivity. This implies a quantum limited detector such as a photomultiplier tube (PMT). b) Good dynamic range, ideally five decades if needed. c) Stable, linear, and adjustable time sweep for convenient comparison of data to theoretical models.
Toward User-Centered, Scenario-Based Planning and Evaluation Tools

Existing Web accessibility evaluation tools are only capable of providing feedback within the context of individual Web pages. This short-sighted approach produces a fractured and fragmentary assessment of the accessibility of the Web site as a whole. A more effective, holistic alternative is to focus on scenarios of user interactions across Web pages, taking into account user characteristics, and focusing on models and patterns.
Communications technology and urban governance reform: project highlights

In this paper, we describe highlights of a research project funded by the NSF Digital Government program. The study has examined the impacts of advanced communication technologies in the implementation of a system of neighborhood councils in Los Angeles. It employs social network analysis to chart the development of political networks engendered by the reform and the role of email in shaping these networks.
Decentralized rate assignments in a multi-sector CDMA network

We consider a wideband CDMA network with arbitrary but known layout of sectors and base-stations, and with variable mobile rate. In this paper, we investigate the issue of rate assignment in a CDMA network. We show that in a broadband wireless data system based on a wideband CDMA technology, there exists an optimal decentralized rate assignment. We show how this method is related to the traditional window or rate based flow control mechanisms widely used in TCP/IP networks.
3D Printing: 3D Printing of Highly Stretchable and Tough Hydrogels into Complex, Cellularized Structures (Adv. Mater. 27/2015)

X. Zhao and co-workers develop on page 4035 a new biocompatible hydrogel system that is extremely tough and stretchable and can be 3D printed into complex structures, such as the multilayer mesh shown. Cells encapsulated in the tough and printable hydrogel maintain high viability. 3D-printed structures of the tough hydrogel can sustain high mechanical loads and deformations.
India's Interstate Poverty Dynamics

India's significant but slow progress in reducing poverty at the national level, masks substantial disparity in the incidence of poverty at the state level. This paper provides a description of the trends in interstate differences in rural poverty for the period 1978-97. In doing so certain stylized facts emerge. Among these facts are (i) growth has been pro poor, and quite strongly in the post-1991 reform period; and (ii) while in the pre-reform period both growth and the nongrowth factors affecting poverty were forces of convergence, i.e., they acted to narrow interstate differences in poverty, in the post-reform period, the effects of the two sets of variables decoupled - although growth continued to be a force of convergence, nongrowth factors widened interstate differentials.
Hyperthermia and severe rhabdomyolysis from synthetic cannabinoids.

Synthetic cannabinoids (SC) have exploded on to the scene. With this rise in SC use, the number of complications and potential adverse effects are also well documented in the literature and is on the rise. The most frequently cited side effects are behavioral in nature and range for severe agitation to psychosis and delirium. We report a case of hyperthermia with severe rhabdomyolysis from SC use. Over the past several years, especially during summer months, synthetic cannabinoids (SC) have exploded onto the scene. Their ease of availability, cloudy legal status, and relatively cheap price make them a popular substance among teens and young adults [1-3]. These SC are often referred to as “K2” or “spice.” With this rise in SC use, the number of complications andpotentialadverse effects are alsowell documented in the literature [3-5]. The most frequently cited side effects are behavioral in nature and range from severe agitation to psychosis and delirium. In popular media, there have been multiple highly publicized cases of deaths directly linked to use of K2 and spice. A 27-year-old African American male with a history of schizophre
Patterned feeding experience for preterm infants: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Neurobehavioral disabilities occur in 5–15 % of preterm infants with an estimated 50–70 % of very low birth weight preterm infants experiencing later dysfunction, including cognitive, behavioral, and social delays that often persist into adulthood. Factors implicated in poor neurobehavioral and developmental outcomes are hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and inconsistent caregiving patterns. Although much underlying brain damage occurs in utero or shortly after birth, neuroprotective strategies can stop lesions from progressing, particularly when these strategies are used during the most sensitive periods of neural plasticity occurring months before term age. The purpose of this randomized trial is to test the effect of a patterned feeding experience on preterm infants’ neurobehavioral organization and development, cognitive function, and clinical outcomes. Methods: This trial uses an experimental, longitudinal, 2-group design with 120 preterm infants. Infants are enrolled within the first week of life and randomized to an experimental group receiving a patterned feeding experience from the first gavage feeding through discharge or to a control group receiving usual feeding care experience. The intervention involves a continuity of tactile experiences associated with feeding to train and build neuronal networks supportive of normal infant feeding experience. Primary outcomes are neurobehavioral organization as measured by Neurobehavioral Assessment of the Preterm Infant at 3 time points: the transition to oral feedings, NICU discharge, and 2 months corrected age. Secondary aims are cognitive function measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition at 6 months corrected age, neurobehavioral development (sucking organization, feeding performance, and heart rate variability), and clinical outcomes (length of NICU stay and time to full oral feeding). The potential effects of demographic and biobehavioral factors (perinatal events and conditions of maternal or fetal/ newborn origin and immunologic and genetic biomarkers) on the outcome variables will also be considered. Discussion: Theoretically, the intervention provided at a critical time in neurologic system development and associated with a recurring event (feeding) should enhance neural connections that may be important for later development, particularly language and other cognitive and neurobehavioral organization skills.
Domestic Violence and Immigrants in Family Court

Immigrants, particularly women and children, are at greater risk for domestic violence not only because of their immigration status, but because of the way U.S. immigration law is structured. This article explores important aspects of the link between domestic violence and immigration law. First, it analyzes the way in which U.S. immigration law frameworks enable domestic violence and empower abusers. Second, it outlines the current relief options available in immigration law that use domestic violence as a factor. The article discusses the ways in which these issues may arise in family court proceedings and suggests approaches for addressing these issues to prevent the further victimization of vulnerable women and children.
Modeling contextual effects using individual-level data and without aggregation: an illustration of multilevel factor analysis (MLFA) with collective efficacy

Population health scientists increasingly study how contextual-level attributes affect individual health. A major challenge in this domain relates to measurement, i.e., how best to measure and create variables that capture characteristics of individuals and their embedded contexts. This paper presents an illustration of multilevel factor analysis (MLFA), an analytic method that enables researchers to model contextual effects using individual-level data without using derived variables. MLFA uses the shared variance in sets of observed items among individuals within the same context to estimate a measurement model for latent constructs; it does this by decomposing the total sample variance-covariance matrix into within-group (e.g., individual-level) and between-group (e.g., contextual-level) matrices and simultaneously modeling distinct latent factor structures at each level. We illustrate the MLFA method using items capturing collective efficacy, which were self-reported by 2,599 adults in 65 census tracts from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (LAFANS). MLFA identified two latent factors at the individual level and one factor at the neighborhood level. Indicators of collective efficacy performed differently at each level. The ability of MLFA to identify different latent factor structures at each level underscores the utility of this analytic tool to model and identify attributes of contexts relevant to health.
Speaking as scientists: computer professionals in the star wars debate

In his “Star Wars” speech, President Ronald Reagan asked the “scientific community” to develop missile defense technologies that would render the massive Soviet nuclear arsenal “impotent and obsolete.” This paper compares the voices of two communities, physics and computing, who attempted to reply to Reagan's proposal as scientists. While physicists framed Star Wars in terms of simple systems which were subject to fundamental physical laws, computer professionals framed the proposal in terms of complex systems and patterns of production. When disputes within each of these communities erupted into the public sphere, physicists were able to find a measure of consensus around an authoritative discourse of natural laws, while the computing professionals' discourse remained fragmented between theory and practice, never achieving the same level of closure. These disputes struck at the heart of professional identities, even as they raised the question of what forms of expertise could speak to a public policy cul...
Impact of technological leadership on American and Japanese corporate turnaround strategies

Abstract Strategies for technological leadership have assumed a preeminent role for global competitiveness in the 1990s. The United States' share of world manufacturing trade has fallen headlong by fifty percent over the past two decades as the Japanese share has advanced from nine to fourteen percent. To sustain growth from 1985, Japanese “technopolis” strategy has pioneered the development of nineteen new cities dedicated to innovative high tech corporations primarily related to electronics manufacturing. Japanese corporations have also increasingly mastered selective superior production, marketing, human resources, and financial strategies, as well as being supported by government subsidies and global marketing intelligence. Consequently, U.S. corporations must revitalize select strategic efforts to recapture global competitiveness for different levels of technological leadership. This research examined questionnaire responses of sixty-five American electronics firms and sixty-five Japanese electronics firms' subsidiaries in the U.S. The results support the superiority of certain high tech firms' turnaround strategies that are different from successful turnaround strategies for low tech American and Japanese corporations.
Closed-form solutions of an infinite beam under impact loading

Abstract Based on the Euler-Bernoulli equation for the transverse vibration of elastic beams, closed-form solutions for the transverse displacements and stresses are derived for an infinitely long beam subjected to an arbitrary (impulsive) displacement input at a given point. The method of solution employs the transform technique. The solutions are given in terms of Fresnel's integrals and elementary functions, and thus permit direct numerical evaluations. An approximate solution is also presented.
Additive Risk of Tumescent Technique in Patients Undergoing Mastectomy with Immediate Reconstruction

The potential advantages of tumescent mastectomy technique have been increasingly discussed within the literature. However, there is concern that tumescent solution may also affect postoperative complication rates. This study evaluates patient outcomes following tumescent mastectomy and immediate implant reconstruction. Retrospective review of 897 consecutive patients (1,217 breasts) undergoing mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction between 4/1998 and 10/2008 at a single institution was performed. Demographic and operative factors, postoperative outcomes, and overall follow-up were recorded. Complications were categorized by type and end-outcome. Fisher’s exact test, Student t-test, and multiple linear regression were used for statistical analysis. Tumescent (n = 332, 457 breasts) and nontumescent (n = 565, 760 breasts) patients were clinically similar. Mean follow-up was 36.5 months. Regression analysis demonstrated that tumescent technique increased the risk of overall complications [odds ratio (OR) 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.81, p = 0.04]. In particular, nonoperative and operative complications (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.04–2.26, p = 0.04; OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.11–2.23, p = 0.01, respectively), and the rate of major mastectomy flap necrosis (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.05-2.35, p = 0.03) were significantly affected. In patients with other, more significant risk factors, tumescent technique had an additive effect on complication rates. Additionally, the majority of tumescent breast complications (78.6%, 81/103) had at least one other significant risk factor. Our review demonstrates that tumescent mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction, although possessing distinct advantages, can increase postoperative complication rates. This additive effect is particularly apparent in patients with elevated complication risk at baseline. Choice of mastectomy technique should be made with careful consideration of patient comorbidities.
Fitting the world to constructs: The role of activity in meaning making

Abstract The authors underscore that construing is not simply a matter of passively anticipating events. Meaning making is understood more fully as a dialectic involving anticipation as well as participation, accommodation as well as assimilation. Factors that may obscure this more active view of the meaning-making process are discussed, and illustrations of the role of activity in construing are presented.
Masculinity and Marginality in Rob Roy and Braveheart

(1997). Masculinity and Marginality in Rob Roy and Braveheart. Journal of Popular Film and Television: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 146-151.
Pancreatic duct strictures are a common cause of recurrent pancreatitis after successful management of pancreatic necrosis

Background Successful surgical management of pancreatic necrosis can result in structural changes that cause recurrent pancreatitis. The purpose of this study is to review our clinical experience managing recurrent pancreatitis in patients after successful pancreatic debridement. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 98 patients with pancreatic necrosis treated by debridement who made a complete recovery at our institution over an 8-year period (January 1995 to January 2003). Results Fourteen patients (14%) developed recurrent pancreatitis 5 to 39 months (median, 15 months) after recovery. Five patients (36%) had pancreatic pseudocysts and 9 (64%) had radiologic evidence of obstructive pancreatitis. All patients had either a high-grade pancreatic duct stricture (N = 7) or complete duct cutoff (N = 7), localized to the pancreatic neck (N = 10) or proximal pancreatic body (N = 4) identified by either endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Two patients failed endoscopic stent therapy. All patients required re-operative treatment: 6 distal pancreatectomy, 6 pancreatico-jejunostomy Roux-en-Y, and 2 cystojejunostomy Roux-en-Y with no recurrence of pancreatitis after a median follow-up of 22 months. Conclusions Recurrent pancreatitis occurs in 14% of patients after successful pancreatic debridement. Pancreatic duct obstruction in the neck or proximal body is the primary etiologic factor. Re-operation directed at alleviating this ductal obstruction by resection or drainage is effective.
Perlecan gene expression precedes laminin gene expression during differentiation of F9 embryonal carcinoma cells.

F9 embryonal cells can be induced to differentiate and synthesize basement membrane proteins. Perlecan and laminin are two basement membrane constituents that have extensive regions of homology. Expression of perlecan and laminin B1 genes was followed during differentiation of F9 cells by measurements of transcription rate and mRNA abundance using nuclear run on assays and Northern hybridizations, respectively. The rate of precursor protein synthesis was determined by immunoprecipitation from lysates of pulse-labeled F9 cells. The results showed that perlecan gene expression responds more rapidly after induction than does laminin B1 gene expression but is ultimately expressed at a substantially lower level than laminin. Thus, the perlecan and laminin genes appear to be regulated by different mechanisms and their gene products are not made in stoichiometric amounts. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Antimicrobial gelatin films reduce Listeria monocytogenes on turkey bologna.

Antimicrobial films and coatings may be useful to inhibit bacterial growth on ready-to-eat poultry meats. Nisaplin and Guardian CS1-50 were added at 6 and 5 different concentrations to cast gelatin-based films to inhibit Listeria monocytogenes inoculated in liquid media, solid media, and on bologna. Color properties and antimicrobial activity were measured during storage of films at 21°C ± 2. For the shelf-life study on bologna, color change and antimicrobial effect of 0.5% Nisaplin and 1% Guardian were measured. The intensity of yellowness in films increased as both Nisaplin and Guardian concentrations increased. Film tensile strength and percentage of elongation decreased as incorporation of antimicrobials increased. All 6 Nisaplin films showed a 3-log reduction after 1 h and a 6-log reduction after 6 to 8 h compared with control, in which there was no reduction in Listeria population in 0.1% peptone water. Two Guardian films (0.5 and 1%) showed approximately a 3-log reduction in 24 h. In the solid media, all Nisaplin films (except 0.05%) and all Guardian films inhibited L. monocytogenes after 48 h of incubation. Nisaplin films and all Guardian films still showed antilisterial effects after 16 wk of storage in the solid media. Total color difference compared with control (bologna) decreased from highest to lowest in the following order: 1% Guardian > control (film with no antimicrobial) > 0.5% Nisaplin film > bologna. Both 0.5% Nisaplin film (4 log lower than control) and 1% Guardian film (3 log lower than control) effectively inhibited L. monocytogenes on bologna during storage at 4°C for 56 d.