cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3′-End Stem-Loops of the Subviral RNAs Associated with Turnip Crinkle Virus Are Involved in Symptom Modulation and Coat Protein Binding

Many plant RNA viruses are associated with one or more subviral RNAs. Two subviral RNAs, satellite RNA C (satC) and defective interfering RNA G (diG) intensify the symptoms of their helper, turnip crinkle virus (TCV). However, when the coat protein (CP) of TCV was replaced with that of the related Cardamine chlorotic fleck virus (CCFV), both subviral RNAs attenuated symptoms of the hybrid virus TCV-CP(CCFV). In contrast, when the translation initiation codon of the TCV CP was altered to ACG and reduced levels of CP were synthesized, satC attenuated symptoms while diG neither intensified nor attenuated symptoms. The determinants for this differential symptom modulation were previously localized to the 3'-terminal 100 bases of the subviral RNAs, which contain six positional differences (Q. Kong, J.-W. Oh, C. D. Carpenter, and A. E. Simon, Virology 238:478-485, 1997). In the current study, we have determined that certain sequences within the 3'-terminal stem-loop structures of satC and diG, which also serve as promoters for complementary strand synthesis, are critical for symptom modulation. Furthermore, the ability to attenuate symptoms was correlated with weakened binding of TCV CP to the hairpin structure.
Conformation characterization of cyclopentapeptide, L.Val-L.Pro-Gly-L.Val-Gly: a repeating analogue of elastin.

The cyclopentapeptide, L.Val1-L.Pro2-Gly3-L.Val4-Gly5, was synthesized and its conformational characterization was carried out using n.m.r. and theoretical energy calculations. The n.m.r. studies indicated the existence of a cis Val1-Pro2 peptide bond in water and a very strong intramolecular H-bond between the val1 NH and Gly3 C=O groups. This H-bond forms a beta-turn (type II) placing Val4 and Gly5 residues within the turn. Two minimum energy conformations were derived, one of which agrees very well with the solution conformation.
Improvement of Cardiac Auscultation Skills in Pediatric Residents With Training

Cardiac murmurs, most of which are harmless, are present in more than 50% of children. Good auscultation skills are required to prevent unnecessary referrals. The auscultation skills of a group of 21 pediatric residents were assessed. Based on their identification of key features such as S1, S2, timing, grade, location, quality of the murmur, and any extra sounds, residents were asked to make a clinical diagnosis. The overall diagnostic accuracy for all residents was 30% and improved with years of training. The average score for correctly identified key features was 46% with no significant improvement with year of training. Residents who had completed a cardiology rotation scored better than the others (41% vs 18% for correct diagnosis). Clinical auscultation skills of pediatric residents in our institution showed significant improvement with training, especially in the ability to recognize a harmless heart murmur.
Pediatric Lung Transplantation: Families’ Need for Understanding

Fifteen parents of 12 children who had undergone lung transplantation described their relationships with others, such as members of their extended family, coworkers, and friends prior to, during, and following the transplantation. We conducted a content analysis to formulate a narrative description of the parents’ relationships with others. The parents described their relationships in terms of the support they received from them. Some parents described diminishing support in the posttransplantation period, which they attributed, in part, to a lack of understanding. This finding may reflect the influence that living with a physical condition with long-term consequences, such as lung transplantation, may have on some interpersonal relationships. Pediatric lung transplantation is an increasingly common treatment regimen for children with end-stage lung or pulmonary vascular disease. Promoting understanding of what it is like to live with a lung transplantation may help to maintain support for these families.
Reduced plantar sensitivity alters postural responses to lateral perturbations of balance

There is considerable evidence that lower-limb somatosensation contributes to the control of upright balance. In this study, we investigated the specific role of foot sole cutaneous afferents in the generation of balance corrections following lateral accelerations of the support surface. Participants were subjected to balance perturbations before and after targeted anesthesia of the cutaneous soles induced by intradermal injections of local anesthetic. Subject responses were quantified in terms of net joint torques at the ankles, hips and trunk. Contrary to the conclusions drawn in earlier studies, response torque impulses at the ankles and hips were clearly scaled with the perturbation impulse under both control and anesthetized conditions. Reduced plantar sensitivity produced a relative shift in compensatory torque production from the ankles and trunk to the hips. These findings demonstrate that plantar cutaneous afferents play an important role in the shaping of dynamic postural responses. Furthermore, the results suggest that loss of plantar sensation may be an important contributor to the dynamic balance deficits and increased risk of falls associated with peripheral neuropathies.
Role of cytochrome P450 in DNA damage induced by N-nitrosodialkylamines in cultured rat hepatocytes

The involvement of cytochrome P450 in the cytotoxicity and DNA damage-repair induced by N-nitrosodipropylamine (NDPA), N-nitroso-n-butyl-n-propylamine (NBPA), and N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA) was investigated in cultured hepatocytes isolated from untreated, phenobarbital (PB)- and pyridine (PYR)-pretreated rats. Pretreatment of rats with PB caused a 10-fold increase in the sensitivity of hepatocytes to the cytotoxic actions of NDPA, NBPA and NDBA as measured by trypan blue exclusion, whereas PYR pretreatment increased the sensitivity of hepatocytes to NDPA and NBPA, but not to NDBA. This elevated sensitivity correlated well with increased 7-pentoxyresorufin depentylase activity catalyzed by P450 2B1 in cultures from PB-pretreated rats and enhanced p-nitrophenol hydroxylase activity of P450 2E1 in cultures of hepatocytes from PYR-pretreated rats. Unscheduled DNA synthesis showed that DNA damage-repair was significantly increased in freshly isolated hepatocytes from PB- and PYR-pretreated rats. With increasing time in culture, however, there was a marked reduction in the DNA damage repair response, concomitant with a decrease in the cytotoxicity of NDPA, NBPA and NDBA in primary cultures of hepatocytes. Coincident with this, a rapid loss in the specific activities of P450 2B1 and 2E1 was detected during the first 48 h in all primary cultures. Although N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), used as a positive control, produced high nuclear grain counts in cultures from PYR-pretreated rats, the toxic effect of NDMA in rat hepatocytes was much weaker than that observed with NDPA, NBPA and NDBA. This result suggests that the type of DNA damage or repair efficiently induced by NDPA, NDBA or NDBA might differ from that due to NDMA.
Application of Multi-block Grid and Parallelization Techniques in Hydrodynamic Modelling

The Curvilinear Hydrodynamic 3-D (CH3D-WES) model is routinely applied in three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic and water quality modeling studies at the Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC), Mississippi. Recent model improvements include the implementation of multiple grain size class sediment transport, grid wetting/drying, spatially and temporally varying wind and wave radiation stress gradient forcing. The practical application of the original single-block version of CH3D, which include the aforementioned model improvements have been limited to small computational domains and short simulation time periods, due to long computational processing time as well as large memory requirements. Critical to elimination of these restrictions was the implementation of data decomposition and Message Passing Interface (MPI), or a multi-block grid capability. The advantages of the multi-block grid parallel version of CH3D include: 1) the flexibility of site specific horizontal and vertical grid resolution assigned to each grid block, 2) block specific application of the sediment transport, wave radiation stress gradient forcing and computational cell wetting/drying model options, and 3) reduced memory and computational time requirements allowing larger computational domains and longer simulation time periods. To demonstrate the advantages of the multiblock capability, hydrodynamic and salinity transport simulations were performed utilizing the existing Mississippi Sound and Berwick Bay computational domains. A comparison of single block and multi-block predictions of salinity time series is presented. CPU wallclock times and load balancing between single-grid and multi-block grid on several high performance computer systems is discussed.
Throughput and Coverage Analysis of WCDMA and HSDPA Networks

This research deals with a study of case, unifying theoretical and practical aspects, regarding the cell-planning of Wideband Code Division Multiplexing (WCDMA) Release 99 (Rel99) and High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) Rel. 5 networks. The used methodology, validated by the close agreement between field and numerical results for throughput and cell coverage, is a useful tool to have first order throughput/coverage prediction results for dimensioning and optimization purposes of advanced wireless networks. The field and analytical results also have confirmed that the HSDPA Rel. 5 allow a higher performance with a similar coverage in relation to that one obtained with a WCDMA Rel. 99 network.
Psychological evaluation and expert testimony: A practical guide for forensic work

Psychological Evaluation And Expert Testimony: A Practical Guide For Forensic Work Shapiro, D.L. (Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 1984), 230 pages, $21.95.
Edwin E. Witte’s Concept of the Role of Government in the Economy

The late Edwin E. Witte will be appropriately remembered foremost as a distinguished labour economist and authority on social security. His contributions in these fields are well known, which knowledge will be furthered by publication of hitherto unpublished and published-yet-uncollected writings.1 It is the premise on which this paper is based, however, that Witte’s thought and deeds in those fields must be understood against the broader analysis that, in Witte’s own words, was his concept of the role of government in the economy.
Ikaros, Helios, and Aiolos protein levels increase in human thymocytes after β selection

In human T cell development, the mechanisms that regulate cell fate decisions after TCRβ expression remain unclear. We defined the stages of T cell development that flank TCRβ expression and found distinct patterns of human T cell development. In half the subjects, T cell development progressed from the CD4(-)CD8(-) double-negative stage to the CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive (DP) stage through an immature single-positive (ISP) CD4(+) intermediate. However, in some patients, CD4 and CD8 were expressed simultaneously and the ISP population was small. In each group of patients, CD3(-) ISP and DP thymocytes were subdivided into ISP1, ISP2, DP1, DP2, DP3, DP4, and DP5 developmental stages according to their expression of CD28, CD44, CD1a, CD7, CD45RO, and CD38. The ISP2, DP2, and DP3 thymocyte populations proliferated more robustly than ISP1 and DP1 and expressed markers consistent with TCRβ expression. After the DP3 stage, proliferation returned to baseline levels. We then analyzed protein levels of Ikaros, Helios, and Aiolos, the three Ikaros family members most abundantly expressed in human thymocytes. Ikaros and Helios expression increased transiently at the ISP2, DP2, and DP3 populations. Aiolos expression also increased at the ISP2, DP2, and DP3 stages, but its expression remained elevated throughout the DP4 and DP5 stages. In summary, we propose a model of human T cell development that reflects the asynchronous nature of TCRβ expression and we define the subpopulations of thymocytes that are highly proliferative and express Ikaros family members.
Quantifying and Predicting Mental Illness Severity in Online Pro-Eating Disorder Communities

Social media sites have struggled with the presence of emotional and physical self-injury content. Individuals who share such content are often challenged with severe mental illnesses like eating disorders. We present the first study quantifying levels of mental illness severity (MIS) in social media. We examine a set of users on Instagram who post content on pro-eating disorder tags (26M posts from 100K users). Our novel statistical methodology combines topic modeling and novice/clinician annotations to infer MIS in a user's content. Alarmingly, we find that proportion of users whose content expresses high MIS have been on the rise since 2012 (13%/year increase). Previous MIS in a user's content over seven months can predict future risk with 81% accuracy. Our model can also forecast MIS levels up to eight months in the future with performance better than baseline. We discuss the health outcomes and design implications as well as ethical considerations of this line of research.
Characterization of a conical intersection in a charge-transfer dimer with two-dimensional time-resolved stimulated Raman spectroscopy.

Photochemical reactions are mediated by conical intersections (CI), which are difficult to directly probe and characterize. To gain insight into CIs, two-dimensional femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (2D-FSRS) is used to examine a model excited-state charge-transfer (CT) complex consisting of an electron donor, tetramethylbenzene (TMB), and an acceptor, tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). Following impulsive excitation, the excited-state transient absorption reveals large-amplitude excited-state wave packet motion along low-frequency modes, in particular TCNQ’s totally symmetric 323 cm–1 CCN bend, which persist for ∼5 ps. These low-frequency coherences modulate the intensity and peak frequencies of the excited-state FSRS vibrational spectra. In particular, large-magnitude oscillations at 323 cm–1 are observed in the peak frequency (Δω = 2 cm–1) and intensity (ΔOD = 1.5 mOD) of the nontotally symmetric 1271 cm–1 C═C rocking mode. The magnitude of these oscillations is analyzed to determine the first-o...
Book Review: The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age, by Astra Taylor

The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age. Astra Taylor. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2014. 276 pp. $27.00 hbk.When author Astra Taylor premiered her documentary film Examined Life in 2008, she found not long after its completion the entire thing posted on Internet-broken up into random snippets, but the whole thing totally free for anyone to view. While she never had pretensions to make a lot of money, she did expect to recover her costs from the ninety-minute documentary, which was about a series of interviews with contemporary philosophers. She sent a pleasant note to five different uploaders thanking them for their interest but asking them to take down the snippets. She told them she hoped to release the film to theaters and home movie rentals, so having it for "free" online would certainly hurt her ability to make some money.Of the five letters, two got a response. One said because the movie was about philosophy, which belongs to everyone, so the film should be available to everyone for free. The other respondent said the same thing, adding a few four-letter words, and said philosophy is free so the film should be, too.Needless to say, the snippets were never removed. It is a story she tells in her new book The People 's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age to illustrate how the Internet's promise to allow everyone to benefit from their own creativity is a ruse. If something is open to everyone, then it has no value. She poses the question: What does it really mean that the Internet is free for everyone? And, she observes,While we all know what "expensive" means, "free" has a fundamental ambiguity, an ambiguity central to the Internet. Free can mean something that no one can own, that belongs to all. It can also mean free in cost, like Socrates teachings in the streets of Athens for which he famously refused to take a fee. There's "free" as in speech and "free" as in beer.The Internet sure is a free for all. And Taylor makes the case that what was supposed to be a utopian dream that frees all citizens from constraints of corporate media has turned out just the opposite. The people get nothing for their creativity while large corporations like Google, Facebook, and Amazon make all the money. She makes a good argument that the Internet, which is supposed to belong to us, really belongs to a scant few corporations that know how to make money from our work.We are being duped. The Internet is enslaving us, not freeing us at all. It is a powerful argument that certainly has a lot of people who would disagree. But her evidence is strong.Internet enthusiasts, as she likes to call them, call for a laissez-faire approach from government. Let the free market decide how the Internet is used, and it will result in a richer culture and an egalitarian society.People who post their videos on YouTube might make a few dollars from it if it goes viral, but the big money is being made by YouTube, not the person who made it. …
Process and product-performance modeling for mechanical fastening by flow drilling screws

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a computational approach to establish the effect of various flow drilling screw (FS) process and material parameters on the quality and the mechanical performance of the resulting FS joints. Design/methodology/approach – Toward that end, a sequence of three distinct computational analyses is developed. These analyses include: (a) finite-element modeling and simulations of the FS process; (b) determination of the mechanical properties of the resulting FS joints through the use of three-dimensional, continuum finite-element-based numerical simulations of various mechanical tests performed on the FS joints; and (c) determination, parameterization and validation of the constitutive relations for the simplified FS connectors, using the results obtained in (b) and the available experimental results. The availability of such connectors is mandatory in large-scale computational analyses of whole-vehicle crash or even in simulations of vehicle component manufacturi...
Effect of Sulfuric and Triflic Acids on the Hydration of Vanadium Cations: An ab Initio Study.

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) may be a promising solution for large-scale energy storage applications, but the crossover of any of the redox active species V2+, V3+, VO2+, and VO2+ through the ion exchange membrane will result in self-discharge of the battery. Hence, a molecular level understanding of the states of vanadium cations in the highly acidic environment of a VRFB is needed. We examine the effects of sulfuric and triflic (CF3SO3H) acids on the hydration of vanadium species as they mimic the electrolyte and functional group of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes. Hybrid density functional theory in conjunction with a continuum solvation model was utilized to obtain the local structures of the hydrated vanadium cations in proximity to H2SO4, CF3SO3H, and their conjugate anions. The results indicate that none of these species covalently bond to the vanadium cations. The hydration structure of V3+ is more distorted than that of V2+ in an acidic medium. The oxo-group of VO2+ is protonated...
Thromboxane synthesis and platelet secretion during cardiopulmonary bypass with bubble oxygenator

Platelet secretion induced by certain soluble aggregating agents is associated with thromboxane formation. Whether synthetic surfaces activate similar biochemical pathways in the presence of an air interface is unknown. We therefore monitored platelet secretion and thromboxane formation during simulated extracorporeal circulation where contact between blood and artificial surfaces is extensive. When 500 ml of fresh, heparinized (5 U/ml) human blood was recirculated in a perfusion circuit constructed of silicone rubber tubing (0.1 m2) and an infant bubble oxygenator (N = 6), platelet counts decreased progressively to 33% ± 4% SEM of initial levels within two hours. This platelet loss was associated with a progressive rise in plasma concentrations of thromboxane B2 from
On the Ambiguity of Obligatory Control into the tolok-Clause in Korean

This paper aims to provide an analysis of various interpretation patterns found in the Obligatory Control construction in Korean, which particularly subordinates the tolok-clause. As observed by a few in the literature, the range of readings that arises in the construction in question includes not only Exhaustive Control but also Non-Obligatory Control. To explain these patterns, this paper appeals to Hornstein’s (2001) insight on the interpretation of anaphors and pronouns: that is, referentially dependent DPs are interpreted as anaphors like reflexives or A-traces in contexts where A-movement is allowed, while they are as pronouns elsewhere.
Factorizations of complete multipartite hypergraphs

Abstract In a mathematics workshop with m n mathematicians from n different areas, each area consisting of m mathematicians, we want to create a collaboration network. For this purpose, we would like to schedule daily meetings between groups of size three, so that (i) two people of the same area meet one person of another area, (ii) each person has exactly r meeting(s) each day, and (iii) each pair of people of the same area have exactly λ meeting(s) with each person of another area by the end of the workshop. Using hypergraph amalgamation–detachment, we prove a more general theorem. In particular we show that above meetings can be scheduled if: 3 ∣ r m , 2 ∣ r n m and r ∣ 3 λ ( n − 1 ) m 2 . This result can be viewed as an analogue of Baranyai’s theorem on factorizations of complete multipartite hypergraphs.
Role of Inflammation in Modulating Thrombotic-Fibrinolytic Balance in Venous Thrombosis.

Although no doubt an oversimplification, in many respects, a significant portion of cardiovascular trials in the late 1990s and early 2000s demonstrated that whether we do not clot we do not die as long as we do not bleed to death. These trials were focused on novel anticoagulants targeting platelets1 and thrombin-mediated thrombosis.2 These studies focused on potent anticoagulants that ultimately demonstrated limited efficacy because they were not targeted at the disease or the disease process. Rather, they were systemic anticoagulants that led to a decrease in coagulation throughout the body, not focused on the area of vascular injury that led to greater adverse events than therapeutic benefit. Article, see p 1286 The need to clot at the time of traumatic injury to preserve life is critical. Thus, homeostasis is maintained through an ongoing intricate balance of thrombosis and fibrinolysis that favors fibrinolysis in normalcy. The end-organ consequence of vascular disease or injury is because of locally mediated alterations in the fibrinolytic–thrombotic balance leading to local thrombosis and down-stream ischemia. Over the past decade, there has been a growing understanding of the role of …
A Learning Health Care System Using Computer-Aided Diagnosis

Physicians intuitively apply pattern recognition when evaluating a patient. Rational diagnosis making requires that clinical patterns be put in the context of disease prior probability, yet physicians often exhibit flawed probabilistic reasoning. Difficulties in making a diagnosis are reflected in the high rates of deadly and costly diagnostic errors. Introduced 6 decades ago, computerized diagnosis support systems are still not widely used by internists. These systems cannot efficiently recognize patterns and are unable to consider the base rate of potential diagnoses. We review the limitations of current computer-aided diagnosis support systems. We then portray future diagnosis support systems and provide a conceptual framework for their development. We argue for capturing physician knowledge using a novel knowledge representation model of the clinical picture. This model (based on structured patient presentation patterns) holds not only symptoms and signs but also their temporal and semantic interrelations. We call for the collection of crowdsourced, automatically deidentified, structured patient patterns as means to support distributed knowledge accumulation and maintenance. In this approach, each structured patient pattern adds to a self-growing and -maintaining knowledge base, sharing the experience of physicians worldwide. Besides supporting diagnosis by relating the symptoms and signs with the final diagnosis recorded, the collective pattern map can also provide disease base-rate estimates and real-time surveillance for early detection of outbreaks. We explain how health care in resource-limited settings can benefit from using this approach and how it can be applied to provide feedback-rich medical education for both students and practitioners.
In Vivo Calcium Signaling during Synaptic Refinement at the Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction.

Neural activity plays a key role in pruning aberrant synapses in various neural systems, including the mammalian cortex, where low frequency (0.01 Hz) calcium oscillations refine topographic maps. However, the activity-dependent molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Activity-dependent pruning also occurs at embryonic Drosophila neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), where low frequency Ca 2+ oscillations are required for synaptic refinement and the response to the muscle-derived chemorepellant Sema2a. We examined embryonic growth-cone filopodia in vivo to directly observe their exploration and to analyze the episodic Ca 2+ oscillations involved in refinement. Motoneuron filopodia repeatedly contacted off-target muscle fibers over several hours during late embryogenesis, with episodic Ca 2+ signals present in both motile filopodia as well as in later-stabilized synaptic boutons. The Ca 2+ transients matured over several hours into regular low frequency (0.03Hz) oscillations. In vivo imaging of intact embryos of both sexes revealed that the formation of ectopic filopodia is increased in Sema2a heterozygotes. We provide genetic evidence suggesting a complex presynaptic Ca 2+ -dependent signaling network underlying refinement that involves the phosphatases Calcineurin and PP1, as well the serine/threonine kinases CaMKII and PKA. Significantly, this network influenced the neuron9s response to the muscle9s Sema2a chemorepellant, critical for the removal of off-target contacts. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To address the question of how synaptic connectivity is established during development, we examined the behavior of growth cone filopodia during the exploration of both correct and off-target muscle fibers in Drosophila embryos. We demonstrate that filopodia repeatedly contact off-target muscles over several hours, until they ultimately retract. We show that intracellular signals are observed in motile and stabilized “ectopic” contacts. Several genetic experiments provide insight in the molecular pathway underlying network refinement, which includes oscillatory calcium signals via voltage-gated calcium channels as a key component. Calcium orchestrates the activity of several kinases and phosphatases, which interact in a coordinated fashion to regulate chemorepulsion exerted by the muscle.
Three sources of errors in the Ehrenfest treatment of inelastic scattering and possible ways of resolving them

In order to identify the origin of possible errors in the mixed quantum/classical approach to inelastic scattering [A. Semenov and D. Babikov, J. Chem. Phys. 140, 044306 (2014) and A. Semenov, M.-L. Dubernet, and D. Babikov, J. Chem. Phys. 141, 114304 (2014)], a simplified model is considered that consists of one intermolecular degree of freedom and two intramolecular states, coupled by a simple potential. For this system, analytic derivations are carried out to determine (i) the exact quantum mechanical solution of the inelastic scattering problem, (ii) a simplified version of it with all oscillatory terms neglected, and (iii) the Ehrenfest solution in which the translational motion is described by the mean-field trajectory while the internal molecular motion is treated by the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. It is shown that the appropriate choice of velocity for the mean-field trajectory permits to enforce microscopic reversibility and gives results in excellent agreement with full-quantum results. The average velocity method of Billing is rigorously derived as a limiting case (of this more general approach), when reversibility is enforced locally, at the initial moment of time only. It is demonstrated that errors of state-to-state transition probabilities in the Ehrenfest approach occur at lower values of total energy E if the magnitudes of excitation energy ΔE, potential energy difference between the two states ΔV, and coupling of two states V12 are large. Possible ways of applying this concept to rotational transitions in real molecules are explored, using examples from CO + CO inelastic scattering.
Meriting Concern and Meriting Respect

Recently there has been a somewhat surprising interest among Kantian theorists in the moral standing of animals, coupled with a no less surprising optimism among these theorists about the prospect of incorporating animal moral standing into Kantian theory without contorting its other attractive features. These theorists contend in particular that animal standing can be incorporated into Kantian moral theory without abandoning its logocentrism: the claim that everything that is valuable depends for its value on its relation to rationality. In this essay I raise doubts about the prospects for accommodating animal moral standing within a logocentric Kantianism. I argue instead that the best way to incorporate animal moral standing into Kantian theory is to admit more radical departures from Kant’s position by maintaining that consciousness is a locus of moral standing independent from rationality.I propose that we should attribute moral standing to all conscious animals because the capacity of consciousness is the criterion distinguishing individuals whose well-being generates reasons from individuals whose well-being fails to do so. We need such a criterion because we speak of the well-being of things, such as artifacts and meteorological phenomena, which clearly lack moral standing. Having already argued against the Kantian view that the criterion of moral standing is rationality, I proceed to argue that consciousness is also superior to its other principal rival for the criterion of moral standing: life.On the view that emerges from this discussion, we have obligations to show concern for conscious individuals by treating their well-being as providing us with reasons for action; the view thus endorses the criterion of moral standing typically advanced by utilitarians. On this view we also have a distinct class of obligations to show respect for conscious rational individuals; the view thus endorses the Kantian claim that persons have a distinctive (and a higher) moral status in virtue of their possession of rational capacities. In this essay thus begin to show how a principal insight of each leading approach to modern moral theory may be captured in a unified theory.
The Response of Local Precipitation and Sea Level Pressure to Hadley Cell Expansion

Numerous lines of observational evidence suggest that Earth's tropical belt has expanded over the past 30–40 years. It is natural to expect that this poleward displacement should be associated with drying on the poleward margins of the subtropics, but it is less clear to what degree the drying should be zonally symmetric. This study tests the degree to which poleward motion of the Hadley cell boundary is associated with changes in local precipitation or sea level pressure, and the degree to which those changes are zonally symmetric. Evidence from both reanalysis data and global climate models reveals that the local changes associated with Hadley cell expansion are mostly confined to certain centers of action which lie primarily over oceans. Consequently, the tropical expansion measured by zonally averaged variables is not associated with systematic drying over subtropical land regions, as is often assumed.
Salt-and-pepper noise removal using modified mean filter and total variation minimization

The search for effective noise removal algorithms is still a real challenge in the field of image processing. An efficient image denoising method is proposed for images that are corrupted by salt-and-pepper noise. Salt-and-pepper noise takes either the minimum or maximum intensity, so the proposed method restores the image by processing the pixels whose values are either 0 or 255 (assuming an 8-bit/pixel image). For low levels of noise corruption (less than or equal to 50% noise density), the method employs the modified mean filter (MMF), while for heavy noise corruption, noisy pixels values are replaced by the weighted average of the MMF and the total variation of corrupted pixels, which is minimized using convex optimization. Two fuzzy systems are used to determine the weights for taking average. To evaluate the performance of the algorithm, several test images with different noise levels are restored, and the results are quantitatively measured by peak signal-to-noise ratio and mean absolute error. The results show that the proposed scheme gives considerable noise suppression up to a noise density of 90%, while almost completely maintaining edges and fine details of the original image.
Getting Ahead by Staying Put? Specialization and Social Capital in U.S. Civil Service Careers

Is it better to be a specialist or a generalist over one’s career? Specialization has historically been identified as a successful strategy in human capital enhancement and job signaling. However, ...
Who Said What

To-date few studies have examined the influence of the quantum of investment on the preferences MNCs harbor for specific elements of the Investment Attraction Package nor has quantum of investment frequently been included in studies of incentive effectiveness. Lim (1983)1 has mentioned that large sized raw material investments may be an exception to his generally pessimistic view of the attraction effectiveness of incentives, and others have commented in passing that very large scale investment into developing countries may require special incentives. Recently, Rolfe et al. (1993)2 included quantum — (small/large) — in their study of FDI incentive preferences. Although the majority of investments examined by Rolfe et al. were of the small quantum, expansion-investment type and the differentiation by investor strategic motivation was not provided, definition of “small” and “large” was similar, plus a Table segmenting the preferences of initial investors (26 respondees) and expansion/acquisition investors (70 respondees) was provided. Responses included five (5) from Jamaica, two (2) from Trinidad-Tobago and none from Barbados. As the findings were reported on the basis of their “small vs. large” proposition, they provide a useful point of departure for this study.
On the Contradictions Between City and Countryside

The locus classicus on the question of rural-urban relations is The German Ideology (Marx and Engels).
The So-Called Hystero-Psychoses Latah, Windigo, and Pibloktoq

In this chapter, three unusual syndromes are discussed — latah, windigo and pibloktoq, plus a number of others believed to be related to them. These intriguing syndromes have a number of things in common. First, of course, they have curious and strange names, made even more exciting by the addition of such exotic appellations as “the Jumping Frenchmen of Maine,” “miryachit,” “olonism,” “imu,” “misala,” and “Arctic hysteria.” Second, they are found in diverse and interesting regions: Our discussion will take us from the steaming jungles of Malaysia to the coldest reaches of the Arctic Circle, and include other locales such as New England, Nyasaland, Japan, and Siberia. These travels will bring us into contact with an unusual array of peoples, including such groups as the Ojibwa Indian, the Eskimo, the Malay, and the Tungu. Third, the syndromes are all dying out, and their literature is becoming old. Many of the writers are gone, several were renowned scholars, many were great adventurers. Through their eyes, cross-cultural psychiatry, anthropology, and exploration were merged.
A review of multifunctional polymer-matrix structural composites

Abstract This paper reviews multifunctional structural materials, particularly continuous fiber polymer-matrix composites. The non-structural functions include sensing, EMI shielding, heating, energy generation, energy storage, actuation and self-healing. For each function, the materials, composite design, functional performance and relevant technological needs are covered. Both unmodified and modified forms of the composite are addressed. Sensing, EMI shielding, heating and actuation are functions that do not require modification, though modifications can be performed. In contrast, energy generation, energy storage and self-healing require modification. For a continuous fiber polymer-matrix composite, the modification commonly involves the incorporation of constituents at the interlaminar interface.
Experimental Acute Exposure to Thirdhand Smoke and Changes in the Human Nasal Epithelial Transcriptome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance No previous studies have shown that acute inhalation of thirdhand smoke (THS) activates stress and survival pathways in the human nasal epithelium. Objective To evaluate gene expression in the nasal epithelium of nonsmoking women following acute inhalation of clean air and THS. Design, Setting, and Participants Nasal epithelium samples were obtained from participants in a randomized clinical trial (2011-2015) on the health effects of inhaled THS. In a crossover design, participants were exposed, head only, to THS and to conditioned, filtered air in a laboratory setting. The order of exposures was randomized and exposures were separated by at least 21 days. Ribonucleic acid was obtained from a subset of 4 healthy, nonsmoking women. Exposures By chance, women in the subset were randomized to receive clean air exposure first and THS exposure second. Exposures lasted 3 hours. Main Outcomes and Measures Differentially expressed genes were identified using RNA sequencing with a false-discovery rate less than 0.1. Results Participants were 4 healthy, nonsmoking women aged 27 to 49 years (mean [SD] age, 42 [10.2] years) with no chronic diseases. A total of 389 differentially expressed genes were identified in nasal epithelium exposed to THS, while only 2 genes, which were not studied further, were affected by clean air. Enriched gene ontology terms associated with stress-induced mitochondrial hyperfusion were identified, such as respiratory electron transport chain (q = 2.84 × 10−3) and mitochondrial inner membrane (q = 7.21 × 10−6). Reactome pathway analysis identified terms associated with upregulation of DNA repair mechanisms, such as nucleotide excision repair (q = 1.05 × 10−2). Enrichment analyses using ingenuity pathway analysis identified canonical pathways related to stress-induced mitochondrial hyperfusion (eg, increased oxidative phosphorylation) (P = .001), oxidative stress (eg, glutathione depletion phase II reactions) (P = .04), and cell survival (zscore = 5.026). Conclusions and Relevance This study found that acute inhalation of THS caused cell stress that led to the activation of survival pathways. Some responses were consistent with stress-induced mitochondrial hyperfusion and similar to those demonstrated previously in vitro. These data may be valuable to physicians treating patients exposed to THS and may aid in formulating regulations for the remediation of THS-contaminated environments.
Communicative bottlenecks lead to maximal information transfer

This paper presents new analytic and numerical analysis of signalling games that give rise to informational bottlenecks – that is to say, signalling games with more state/act pairs than available s...
Intermittent High-Fat Diet Intake Reduces Sensitivity to Intragastric Nutrient Infusion and Exogenous Amylin in Female Rats.

Objective Intermittent (INT) access to a high-fat diet (HFD) can induce excessive-intake phenotypes in rodents. This study hypothesized that impaired satiation responses contribute to elevated intake in an INT-HFD access model. Methods First, this study characterized the intake and meal patterns of female rats that were subjected to an INT HFD in which a 45% HFD was presented for 20 hours every fourth day. To examine nutrient-induced satiation, rats received intragastric infusions of saline or Ensure Plus prior to darkness-onset food access. A similar design was used to examine sensitivity to the satiating effect of amylin. This study then examined whether an INT HFD influences amylin-induced c-Fos in feeding-relevant brain areas. Results Upon INT HFD access, rats consumed meals of larger size. The anorexic response to intragastric Ensure infusion and exogenous amylin treatment was blunted in INT rats on both chow-only and INT-HFD days of the diet regimen, compared with chow-maintained and continuous-HFD rats. An INT HFD did not influence amylin-induced c-Fos in the area postrema, nucleus of the solitary tract, and lateral parabrachial nucleus. Conclusions Impaired satiation responses, mediated in part by reduced sensitivity to amylin, may explain the elevated intake observed upon INT HFD access and may play a role in disorders of INT overconsumption, including binge eating.
In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: A Population-Based Cohort Study of Epidemiology and Outcomes

Background: Marked improvements were realized in both short-term and long-term outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients following the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy. However, the contemporary population-level patterns of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the outcomes of HIV-infected patients were not systematically examined. Methods: We used the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File to identify hospitalizations aged â‰¥ 18 years with and without HIV during 2009 - 2014, and those in each group who have undergone in-hospital CPR. Short-term survival (defined as absence of hospital mortality or discharge to hospice) following in-hospital CPR was examined. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to assess the prognostic impact of HIV infection following in-hospital CPR and predictors of short-term survival among HIV hospitalizations. Results: In-hospital CPR was reported in 437 and 54,135 hospitalizations with and without HIV, respectively. The rates of in-hospital CPR (per 1,000 hospitalizations) were 4.4 and 4.1 among hospitalizations with and without HIV, respectively (P = 0.1659). The corresponding rates of in-hospital CPR among decedents were 11% and 11.8%, respectively (P = 0.1531). Crude short-term survival following in-hospital CPR among hospitalizations with and without HIV was 19% and 26.8%, respectively (P = 0.0003). The corresponding adjusted short-term survival between 2009 and 2014 rose from 14.2% to 27% (P = 0.0009 for trend) and from 25.5% to 28% (P < 0.0001 for trend). HIV infection was associated with lower odds of short-term survival following in-hospital CPR (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.50, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.39 - 0.65). Select comorbid conditions (congestive heart failure, aOR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.20 - 2.46; cerebrovascular disease, aOR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.15 - 3.75; and diabetes, aOR: 1.53, 95% CI 1.31 - 4.71) were the only independent predictors of short-term survival following in-hospital CPR among HIV hospitalizations. Conclusions: The rates of in-hospital CPR were similar among hospitalizations with and without HIV infection, with similar level of selectivity among decedents. Although HIV infection was associated with lower short-term survival following in-hospital CPR for the whole cohort, a dramatic improvement was observed during the study period among affected patients, with short-term survival rates becoming near-similar to those without HIV. Further studies are needed to identify modifiable factors to further improve the outcomes following in-hospital CPR among patients with HIV infection. J Clin Med Res. 2020;12(4):233-242 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr4108
Impact of Bis(imino)pyridine Ligands on Mesoscale Properties of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots

We investigate the effect of surface modification of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with bis(imino)pyridine (BIP) ligands. BIPs are a class of redox non-innocent ligands known to facilitate charge transfer in base metals on the molecular scale, but their behavior in nano- to meso-scale systems has been largely unexplored. Using electron microscopy, crystallography and ultrafast spectroscopy, we reveal that structure specific π-π stacking of the BIP molecules alters inter-dot separation in QD films, thereby leading to changes in optical and electronic properties. The three variations used are unsubstituted (BIP-H), dimethyl (BIP-Me) and diisopropyl (BIP-Ipr) bis(imino)pyridine, and when compared with the native octadecylamine (ODA) ligand, we find that both energy and charge transfer efficiencies between QDs are increased post-ligand exchange, the highest achieved through BIP-Ipr, despite its larger unit cell volume. We further investigate charge transfer from QD films to conducting (indium tin oxide, ITO) and semiconducting (zinc oxide, ZnO) substrates using time-resolved spectroscopy, and determine that the influence of the ligands is QD band gap dependent. In QDs with large band gap (2.3 eV) the BIP ligands facilitate charge transfer to both ITO and ZnO substrates, but in dots with small band gap (1.9 eV) they pose a hindrance when ZnO is used, resulting in reduced recombination rates. These results highlight the importance of investigating multiple avenues in order to optimize surface modification of QDs based on the end goal. Finally, we verify that BIP ligands hasten the rate of QD photo brightening under continuous illumination, allowing the ensemble to achieve stable emission faster than in their native configuration. Our study sets the stage for novel charge transfer systems in the meso and nanoscale, yielding a diverse selection of new surface ligands for applications such as conductive materials and energy production/storage devices employing QDs.
Relating Profiles of Ethnic–Racial Identity Process and Content to the Academic and Psychological Adjustment of Black and Latinx Adolescents

Ethnic–racial identity (i.e., individuals’ beliefs about their ethnic–racial group membership and the processes through which they develop those beliefs) is a developmental competency that can promote adolescents’ adjustment; however, the extant literature has largely focused on how distinct dimensions of ethnic–racial identity are associated with adjustment (i.e., variable-centered approaches), potentially obscuring a more holistic understanding of this developmental competency. The current study utilized latent profile analysis, a person-centered approach, to examine profiles of ethnic–racial identity among Black (n = 325; Mage = 15.94, SD = 1.14) and Latinx (n = 370; Mage = 16.13, SD = 1.10) adolescents as well as links between profile membership and adjustment. Three ethnic–racial identity profiles emerged: Diffuse & Low Regard (n = 55; lower development, lower self-concept); Diffuse & High Regard (n = 160; lower development, higher self-concept); and Developed & Idealized (n = 477; higher development, higher self-concept). The profile highest in ethnic–racial identity across all indicators reported the highest levels of adjustment. The findings highlight the synergistic benefits of ethnic–racial identity development and positive self-concept for adolescents’ psychosocial and academic adjustment.