cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of Traffic Characteristics and Their Effects on Driver Behaviors in Intersection Crossing-Path Maneuvers

Vehicular safety research activities have been active in recent years with a focus on the developments of driver assistance systems. Intersection collision is a primary category of roadway safety concerns that can benefit from vehicle-based as well as infrastructure-based solutions. This paper provides a discussion of traffic characteristics and their effects on driver behaviors in intersection across-path turning scenarios. The techniques of data analysis explained in this paper rely on the use of data from field observation. The results offer some insight on the understanding of driver risk-taking behaviors in specific maneuvers. Through the investigation of traffic data and the associated analysis, the criteria for selecting warning threshold for driver assistance can be properly defined. Furthermore, the necessity of adjusting warning timing and criteria under different traffic conditions is explored. In all, the work reported in the paper represents a first step in establishing the guidelines for eventual deployment of suggested intersection safety systems.
Clinical Trial of the Pan-Caspase Inhibitor, IDN-6556, in Human Liver Preservation Injury.

Cold ischemia/warm reperfusion (CI/WR) injury remains a problem in liver transplantation. The aim of the current study was to assess the utility of the pan-caspase inhibitor IDN-6556 on CI/WR injury during human liver transplantation. This report is a post hoc analysis of a Phase II, multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel group study. Subjects were assigned to four treatment groups: Group 1 (Organ storage/flush: Placebo—Recipient: Placebo); Group 2 (Organ storage/flush: 15 μg/mL—Recipient: Placebo); Group 3 (Organ storage/flush: 5 μg/mL—Recipient: 0.5 mg/kg); and Group 4 (Organ storage/flush: 15 μg/mL—Recipient: 0.5 mg/kg). Liver cell apoptosis was assessed by serum concentrations of the apoptosis-associated CK18Asp396 (‘M30’) neo-epitope, TUNEL assay and caspase 3/7 immunohistochemistry. Liver injury was assessed by serum AST/ALT determinations. Serum markers of liver cell apoptosis were reduced in all groups receiving drug as compared to placebo. However, TUNEL, caspase 3/7 positive cells and serum AST/ALT levels were only consistently reduced in Group 2 (drug exposed to organ only). This reduction in serum transaminases was significant and observed across the study. In conclusion, IDN-6556 when administered in cold storage and flush solutions during liver transplantation offers local therapeutic protection against CI/WR-mediated apoptosis and injury. However, larger studies are required to confirm these observations.
Joint sparsity-based optimization of a set of orthonormal 2-D separable block transforms

We propose an iterative method for the optimization of a set of 2-D separable transforms for a given training data set. The method outputs orthornormal transforms, each one being optimal for a subset of the data with respect to a sparsity-based objective function. The vertical and horizontal directions of the transform may be different, thus allowing directional-adapted transforms (in contrast to the usual DCT). Additionally, we relate the reconstruction error and the sparsity cost terms through the quantization step. To prove the validity of our approach, experimental results concerning coding applications are provided.
SSB Protein Controls RecBCD Enzyme Nuclease Activity during Unwinding: A New Role for Looped Intermediates

Abstract The RecBCD enzyme of Escherichia coli initiates homologous recombination by unwinding and simultaneously degrading DNA from a double-stranded DNA end. Single-stranded DNA loops are intermediates of this unwinding process. Here we show that SSB protein reduces the level of DNA degradation by RecBCD enzyme during unwinding, by binding to these ssDNA intermediates. Prior to interaction with the recombination hot spot χ, RecBCD enzyme has both 3′→5′ exonuclease and a weaker 5′→3′ exonuclease activity. We show that degradation of the 5′-terminal strand at the entry site is much more extensive in the absence of SSB protein. After interaction with χ, the level of 5′→3′ exonuclease activity is increased; as expected, degradation of the 5′-strand is also elevated in the absence of SSB protein. Furthermore, we show that, in the absence of SSB protein, the RecBCD enzyme is inhibited by the ssDNA products of unwinding; SSB protein alleviates this inhibition. These results provide insight into the organization of helicase and nuclease domains within the RecBCD enzyme, and also suggest a new level at which the nuclease activity of RecBCD enzyme is controlled. Hence, they offer new insight into the role of SSB protein in the initiation phase of recombination.
Biobased building blocks for the rational design of renewable block polymers

Block polymers (BPs) derived from biomass (biobased) are necessary components of a sustainable future that relies minimally on petroleum-based plastics for applications ranging from thermoplastic elastomers and pressure-sensitive adhesives to blend compatibilizers. To facilitate their adoption, renewable BPs must be affordable, durable, processable, versatile, and reasonably benign. Their desirability further depends on the relative sustainability of the renewable resources and the methods employed in the monomer and polymer syntheses. Various strategies allow these BPs' characteristics to be tuned and enhanced for commercial applications, and many of these techniques also can be applied to manipulate the wide-ranging mechanical and thermal properties of biobased and self-assembling block polymers. From feedstock to application, this review article highlights promising renewable BPs, plus their material and assembly properties, in support of de novo design strategies that could revolutionize material sustainability.
Epigenetic Regulation of UBE3A and Roles in Human Neurodevelopmental Disorders

The E3 ubiquitin ligase UBE3A, also known as E6-AP, has a multitude of ascribed functions and targets relevant to human health and disease. Epigenetic regulation of the UBE3A gene by parentally imprinted noncoding transcription within human chromosome 15q11.2-q13.3 is responsible for the maternal-specific effects of 15q11.2-q13.3 deletion or duplication disorders. Here, we review the evidence for diverse and emerging roles for UBE3A in the proteasome, synapse and nucleus in regulating protein stability and transcription as well as the current mechanistic understanding of UBE3A imprinting in neurons. Angelman and Dup15q syndromes as well as experimental models of these neurodevelopmental disorders are highlighted as improving understanding of UBE3A and its complex regulation for improving therapeutic strategies.
Sexual Dysfunction: Assessment and Therapy

This article emphasizes that today’s assessment and treatment of sexual problems are a combined effort of medicine and psychology and are captured in the term ‘Bio-psychosocial Model.’ A brief historical review of the conceptualization and treatment of sexual problems identifies how the field has evolved over the years and what is available today in medicine and psychology. This article discusses the realities of the complex problems presented by today’s patient and how these problems are addressed.
Conflict Resolution Inventory: Factor-Analytic Data:

The Conflict Resolution Inventory which measures the ability to refuse unreasonable requests was administered to 67 male and 92 female undergraduates and the results were factor analyzed. The resulting 12 factors which accounted for 66% of the total variance suggest that assertion is situation-specific even within one response class.
Maternal Emotion Socialization and the Development of Inhibitory Control in an Emotional Condition

Although several studies have implicated parental socialization in children's development of multiple executive functions, little is known about how parenting may predict inhibitory control when emotion is involved. In this study, 42 children completed two tasks with their mothers at 3.5 years. Maternal emotion language was coded during a storybook task, and maternal scaffolding was coded during a puzzle task. At 3.5 and 4 years, children's inhibitory control was assessed with Day–Night and Happy–Sad card games, Stroop-like tasks that differ in that the latter contains emotion content. Accuracy and latency on Happy–Sad were predicted by maternal emotion language but not scaffolding. In contrast, latency on Day–Night was predicted by scaffolding but not emotion language. This shows context-specificity in the links between parenting and cognitive control, such that emotion socialization predicted children's performance in an emotional context only, while more general scaffolding behaviours predicted inhibitory control in the non-emotional condition. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
One case of early immunosuppressive therapy following infant orthotopic cardiac transplantation

Objective To summarize the clinical experience of early immunosuppressive therapy following infant orthotopic cardiac transplantation.Methods One case of 8 months old infant with in- curable congenital heart disease received orthotropic cardiac transplantation.Cyclosporine A(CsA), MMF and prednisone were taken in the first month to prevent acute immune infection,and then the prednisone was stopped,CsA and MMF were still administered as bi-associated immunosuppressive therapy.All of the immunosuppressants with low doses were taken blood concentrations of CsA, number of white blood cells and T lymphocyte subsets were monitored postoperatively.Cardiac Doppler ultrasonography,ECG,X-ray examination were done and the clinical symptoms and signs were analyzed for diagnosis of rejection.The side effects of immunosuppressants were observed.Re- suits Now the receptor had survived for 260 days and no rejection and infection occurred.The valley value of blood CsA concentration(C_0)was kept on 0.1664-0.2080μmol/L in the first month after transplantation,0.1248-0.1664μmol/L in the next two months,0.0832-0.1248μmol/L from forth to sixth month,and 0.0666-0.0998μmol/L from.seventh to tenth month.There was no drug side effect.Conclusion The early immunosuppressants were orally taken in a low dose in infant orthotopic cardiac transplantation.
Simulation optimization of police patrol district design using an adjusted simulated annealing approach

In this study, a simulated annealing approach is developed to find optimal police patrol district design using a discrete-event simulation to evaluate the performances of districting plans, such as average response time and workload variation among districts. Similar to the solution neighborhood definition in an existing simulated annealing approach, the new solution (districting plan) in each iteration is developed by making changes to the current solution. Instead of changing the assignment of only one atom (atomic geographical unit), the new approach makes relatively big changes to a current districting plan through a cutting and merging process of current districts. A case study on Charlottesville, VA is conducted. Experimental results show that the new approach uses fewer iterations to reach optima so it is well-suited for discrete-event simulation. It evaluates districting plans in a more detailed way but uses longer computational times than Police Car Allocation Model (PCAM). In addition, the new approach is more robust for the adjacency pattern where atoms have relatively fewer adjacent neighbors. The adjusted simulated annealing approach is also compared with a response surface method of optimizing district design. Experimental result shows that the simulated annealing approach provides better solution. It is also an automatic method and thus better for practical application.
Enhancement of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity by Low Molecular Weight Peptides Derived from Protamine: A Potential Therapy for Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key immune defense agent that is produced from l-arginine in the airways by leukocytes and airway epithelial cells, primarily via inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Deficiencies in nasal NO levels have been associated with diseases such as primary ciliary dyskinesia and chronic rhinosinusitis. Herein, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept regarding a potential new therapeutic approach for such disorders. We show that arginine-rich low molecular weight peptides (LMWPs) derived from the FDA-approved protamine (obtained from salmon sperm) are effective at significantly raising NO production in both RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage and LA4 mouse epithelial cell lines. LMWP is produced using a stable, easily produced immobilized thermolysin gel column followed by size-exclusion purification. Monomeric l-arginine induces concentration-dependent increases in NO production in stimulated RAW 264.7 and LA4 cells, as measured by stable nitrite in the cell media. In stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, LMWP ...
Reading Wallace Stevens: Rhetoric and Representation

It is an oddity of our intellectual discourse that literary studies are becoming more abstract, even as social sciences are becoming more empirical. We are adopting the discarded and discredited Marxist apparatus, and speaking as sociologists did a decade ago. But in speaking of Stevens, do we not need an empirical criticism that speaks to his fascination with what he called ‘Local Objects’ (in a poem of that name), objects which ask and receive definition from ‘a spirit without a foyer’ – a trope he used for himself as poet? As Stevens wrote, ‘The poetry of a work of the imagination constantly illustrates the fundamental and endless struggle with fact’ (PM, 206). I think what Helen Vendler has called Stevens’s ‘brutality of style’ – which she sees in his early work – indicates how his mind seeks to come to terms with the roughness, intrusions, resistances of life: the everyday and pedestrian as well as the disruptive, the disappointing, the ephemeral, and the mediocre.1 The essence of a Stevens poem is the continuing dialogue – the ever-changing process – between the mind and the world, and the continuing quest within the mind for the appropriate language – what might be called the semiological quest – to render that dialogue.
The Daily Grind

Perhaps the most dramatic change in stress research since the early 1980s has been the enlarged understanding of what constitutes stressful circumstances. As has been reviewed elsewhere (see, e. g., Menaghan, 1991; Pearlin, 1989) much early stress research focused on discrete stressful events that had a clear onset. These events were sometimes clearly beyond the control of the individual (e. g., plant closings, floods, tornadoes, or earthquakes, national or local economic recession) and sometimes partially attributable to individual characteristics or actions (e. g., being fired from one’s job, divorcing one’s spouse, or being arrested); some were expectable, whereas others were not; and some were desirable, whereas others were not. But all of these events could be located in time. A researcher could compare well-being before and after their occurrence, and he or she could chart the duration of their effects.
Experimental and Ab Initio Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in Plasmonic Nanoparticles

Ultrafast pump-probe measurements of plasmonic nanostructures probe the nonequilibrium behavior of excited carriers, which involves several competing effects obscured in typical empirical analyses. Here we present pump-probe measurements of plasmonic nanoparticles along with a complete theoretical description based on first-principles calculations of carrier dynamics and optical response, free of any fitting parameters. We account for detailed electronic-structure effects in the density of states, excited carrier distributions, electron-phonon coupling, and dielectric functions that allow us to avoid effective electron temperature approximations. Using this calculation method, we obtain excellent quantitative agreement with spectral and temporal features in transient-absorption measurements. In both our experiments and calculations, we identify the two major contributions of the initial response with distinct signatures: short-lived highly nonthermal excited carriers and longer-lived thermalizing carriers.
Design and fabrication of implantable wireless pressure and oxygen sensors based on PDMS thin films for application in pediatric surgery

Congenital heart defects (CHD) remain the number one cause of death from birth defects during the first year of life. Each year, more than 32,000 babies in the U.S. are born with CHD [1] and nearly 40% of them will require a surgical intervention. In particular, during and after pediatric cardiac surgery, pressures and oxygen content in the various heart chambers provide important clinical information on the functional status of the cardiopulmonary system. These are essential for patients care. Presently, intracardiac pressures are monitored by fluid-filled catheters [2]. There are associated significant bleeding, infections, and malfunction risks and prohibits free movement of the subject. Oxygen measurements require removing significant volume of blood which not only wastes blood volume in sometimes very small patients, even blood gas analysis does not allow for continuous oxygenation monitoring in critically ill patients. There is a clinical need to develop an integrated sensor system that can simultaneously, and continuously, monitor pressure and oxygenation within the cardiovascular space wirelessly. And because of the size constraints in infants and small children, this novel sensor system needs to allow for sufficient miniaturization.
Deterrence and Risk Preferences in Sequential Attacker-Defender Games with Continuous Efforts.

Most attacker–defender games consider players as risk neutral, whereas in reality attackers and defenders may be risk seeking or risk averse. This article studies the impact of players' risk preferences on their equilibrium behavior and its effect on the notion of deterrence. In particular, we study the effects of risk preferences in a single-period, sequential game where a defender has a continuous range of investment levels that could be strategically chosen to potentially deter an attack. This article presents analytic results related to the effect of attacker and defender risk preferences on the optimal defense effort level and their impact on the deterrence level. Numerical illustrations and some discussion of the effect of risk preferences on deterrence and the utility of using such a model are provided, as well as sensitivity analysis of continuous attack investment levels and uncertainty in the defender's beliefs about the attacker's risk preference. A key contribution of this article is the identification of specific scenarios in which the defender using a model that takes into account risk preferences would be better off than a defender using a traditional risk-neutral model. This study provides insights that could be used by policy analysts and decisionmakers involved in investment decisions in security and safety.
Segregation and the Geography of Creditworthiness: Racial Inequality in a Recovered Mortgage Market

AbstractThe subprime boom and subsequent foreclosure crisis highlighted risk associated with pursuit of the American Dream of homeownership. People of color and those living in segregated areas were particularly harmed by the dramatic rise and fall of the housing market. Almost a decade after the economy’s collapse, questions remain about racial and spatial disparities in access to mortgage credit. I leverage Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data to explore mortgage application outcomes in 2014. Well into the economy’s recovery, minority borrowers remained at a disadvantage in the mortgage approval process. Whereas 71% of White applicants were approved for home loans, approval rates were lower for Asians (68%), Latinos (63%), and Blacks (54%). Black and Latino borrowers were also significantly more likely to receive higher cost loans than Whites, a practice that has accelerated since the foreclosure crisis. Results suggest that segregation exacerbated racial disparities as lenders funneled expensive credit in...
Usury: An Intellectual History

This chapter examines the intellectual history of the concept of usury, and the changing nature of the debate that surrounded the concept. The chapter surveys the opinions of past and present scholars on the subject, in an attempt to reconsider some modern errors and misconceptions on the topic of usury and interest. In particular, we engage in a comparative analysis of the views of the early Church Fathers and the medieval Schoolmen, on the one hand, and those of modern philosophers and economists, on the other.
Apple flower detection using deep convolutional networks

Abstract To optimize fruit production, a portion of the flowers and fruitlets of apple trees must be removed early in the growing season. The proportion to be removed is determined by the bloom intensity, i.e., the number of flowers present in the orchard. Several automated computer vision systems have been proposed to estimate bloom intensity, but their overall performance is still far from satisfactory even in relatively controlled environments. With the goal of devising a technique for flower identification which is robust to clutter and to changes in illumination, this paper presents a method in which a pre-trained convolutional neural network is fine-tuned to become specially sensitive to flowers. Experimental results on a challenging dataset demonstrate that our method significantly outperforms three approaches that represent the state of the art in flower detection, with recall and precision rates higher than 90%. Moreover, a performance assessment on three additional datasets previously unseen by the network, which consist of different flower species and were acquired under different conditions, reveals that the proposed method highly surpasses baseline approaches in terms of generalization capability.
Activation reduction following an eccentric contraction impairs torque steadiness in the isometric steady-state.

Abstract Background The isometric steady-state following active lengthening is associated with greater torque production and lower activation, as measured by electromyographic activity (EMG), in comparison with a purely isometric contraction (ISO) at the same joint angle. This phenomenon is termed residual force enhancement (RFE). While there has been a great deal of research investigating the basic mechanisms of RFE, little work has been performed to understand the everyday relevance of RFE. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether neuromuscular control strategies differ between ISO and RFE by measuring torque steadiness of the human ankle plantar flexors. Methods Following ISO maximal voluntary contractions in 12 males (25 ± 4 years), an active lengthening contraction was performed at 15°/s over a 30° ankle excursion, ending at the same joint angle as ISO (5° dorsiflexion; RFE). Surface EMG of the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles was recorded during all tasks. Torque steadiness was determined as the standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) of the torque trace in the ISO and RFE condition during activation-matching (20% and 60% integrated EMG) and torque-matching (20% and 60% maximal voluntary contraction) experiments. Two-tailed, paired t tests were used, within subjects, to determine the presence of RFE/activation reduction (AR) and whether there was a difference in torque steadiness between ISO and RFE conditions. Results During the maximal and submaximal conditions, there was 5%–9% RFE with a 9%–11% AR (p 0.05). There were no differences in SD and CV of the torque trace for the 20% and 60% activation-matching or the 60% and maximal torque-matching trials in either the RFE or ISO condition (p > 0.05). During the 20% torque-matching trial, there were ∼37% higher values for SD and CV in the RFE as compared with the ISO condition (p Conclusion It appears that while the RFE-associated AR provides some improved neuromuscular economy, this comes at the cost of increased torque fluctuations in the isometric steady-state following active lengthening during submaximal contractions.
Using word clouds to support students’ knowledge integration from online inquiry: an investigation of the process and outcome

This study reports the effects of using word clouds to support students’ knowledge integration from online inquiry as demonstrated by blog posts, tags and concept maps. Fifty-four undergraduate stu...
Unusual Case of Primary Spontaneous Hemopneumothorax in a Young Man With Atypical Tension Pneumothorax: A Case Report

Spontaneous life-threatening hemopneumothorax is an atypical but treatable entity of unexpected circulatory collapse in young patients, affecting 0.5–11.6% of patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Spontaneous pneumothorax is a well-documented disorder with a classic clinical presentation of acute onset chest pain and shortness of breath. This disorder might be complicated by the development of hemopneumothorax or tension pneumothorax. A 23-year-old Asian man was referred to the emergency room of Xiamen Chang Gung Memorial Hospital with a 1-day history of right-sided chest pain that had been aggravated for 1 hour. A physical examination revealed a young man who was awake and alert but in mild to moderate painful distress. His vital parameters were relatively stable at first. The examining physician noted slight tenderness along the right posterolateral chest wall along the eighth and tenth ribs. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax was considered, and a standing chest X-ray confirmed the diagnosis. A right thoracostomy tube was immediately placed under sterile conditions, and he was referred to the respiratory service. While in the respiratory department, approximately 420 mL of blood was drained from the thoracostomy tube over 15 minutes. Our patient developed obvious hemodynamic instability with hypovolemic shock and was subsequently admitted to the cardiothoracic surgical ward after fluid resuscitation. During the ensuing 4 hours after admission, 750 mL of blood was drained through the thoracostomy tube. A bedside chest X-ray was requested after he was temporarily hemodynamically stabilized. Primary spontaneous hemopneumothorax associated with right tension pneumothorax was considered based on the radiological impression and clinical signs. An emergency limited posterolateral thoracotomy was performed. A standing chest X-ray performed on day 6 of admission after the removal of the thoracostomy tube showed a complete re-expansion of his right lung. He remained stable and was discharged within 1 week. The successful treatment of a large spontaneous hemopneumothorax depends on early recognition, proactive intervention, and early consideration by a cardiothoracic surgeon. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, early thoracotomy should be considered. Such an aggressive surgery not only leads to shorter hospitalization but also confers better long-term outcomes.
Personality and Social Behavior

The link between personality and social behavior has been questioned. Personality psychology has responded effectively to early challenges by showing that traits can predict behavior as effectively as situational variables and in some cases more strongly. Personality traits often interact with situations to determine behavior. Behavior can also shape personality traits via internalization, especially when behaviors are observed by other people.
Repenser NAFTA Chapter 11: A Catalogue of Legitimacy Critiques

No feature of NAFTA is more often criticized than Chapter 11. It has proved to be a lightning rod for anti-NAFTA and anti-globalization critics. Environmentalists, labor organizers and human rights advocates all decry its secrecy, its potential disruptiveness to ordinary lawmaking and its placing of investors' interests before those of the broader public. Chapter 11 is portrayed as a great give-away - an elaborate ruse to evade checks on corporate activity in the three NAFTA countries. Nor do any of the three NAFTA Parties - the governments of the United States, Canada, and Mexico - seem particularly pleased with Chapter 11's operation. There is more than a little buyer's remorse evident. All three nations share a general discomfort with the extensive reach Chapter 11 has displayed. Through an unanticipated flow of decisions, Chapter 11 tribunals have entertained - if not endorsed - far more extravagant investment claims than were likely imagined by the three nations while negotiating Chapter 11's substantive terms. Such widespread unhappiness with Chapter 11 is somewhat unanticipated, as Chapter 11 attracted little attention during its negotiations. Indeed, it is now viewed as having been something of a Trojan Horse: seemingly benign upon first delivery, but later understood to have brought destruction to national democratic institutions. Many of the attacks on Chapter 11 are expressed in terms of a lack of legitimacy. The exercise of authority by Chapter 11 tribunals over public decisions seems wildly inconsistent with the understandings and expectations in all three countries of how legitimate political and judicial determinations should be made. There is a repeated and emphatic protest of unfair surprise advanced by critics of Chapter 11 - many, if not most, state/provincial and local public officials in the three NAFTA Parties claim to have been unaware of the establishment of an external mechanism that can impose monetary liability for legislative and judicial decision-making. The implication made here is that had Chapter 11 been better known and understood, it would never have been implemented. It is a sucker-punch, a hidden rider, the unnoticed fine print. Now in place, the potential of Chapter 11 to restrict lawmaking prerogatives chafes legislators throughout North America. Chapter 11, as part of NAFTA, is layered on top of the domestic legal regimes of the three NAFTA Parties. As such, questions of its legitimacy are perhaps best viewed from the specific legal traditions - and legal expectations - native to each Party. Thus, to answer whether Chapter 11 is legitimate, one can usefully draw on the structures, constitutional understandings and functional notions of legitimacy found within each NAFTA Party. To the extent Chapter 11 goes beyond the expected (even if this is exactly the intended point of its construction), legitimacy is tested. This essay presents a catalogue of defects, surprises, shortcomings and deliberate design associated with Chapter 11 - all of which have prompted attacks on its legitimacy.
Marie de France rewrites genesis : The image of woman in Marie de France's fables

This paper examines the representation of woman in Marie de France's Esope. In fable 53, Marie subverts the traditional negative symbolism of woman in medieval literature by questioning the very basis of this representation, that is by re-writing the episode of the Temptation. This fable highlights, through the absence of woman in a scene strongly reminiscent of Original Sin, the arbitrariness of (male) moralists's condemnations. An examination of several other fables of the Esope further indicates that Marie describes woman in multiple, often contradictory ways, thereby defying her consistently negative and fixed depiction in much of the didactic literature of the time. Marie demonstrates that the univocal symbolism associated with woman is in fact the result of a power struggle, in which men silence women for fear of their voice, and of the polyvocality that would ensue if women were allowed to speak. By blaming woman for the Fall, male preachers thus perform a linguistic castration which upholds their own (male) voice as unique, authoritative and unchallenged. As she liberates woman from the role imputed to her in Original Sin, Marie de France also liberates her own work from potential rejection and thus marks the emergence and affirmation of the female voice.
An empirical test of household identification risk in geomasked maps

ABSTRACTGeomasking techniques displace point data to new locations in order to protect privacy while maintaining overall spatial distributions. If the end users of geomasked data are unaware that t...
Potassium release kinetics from three invasive algae mixed with different media in leachate column studies

Algae can be an important source of nutrients in agriculture. The objectives of this study were to (1) estimate the potassium (K+) release rate from algae, commercially prepared algal cell walls, and synthetic sources, and (2) better understand effects of polymeric chemistry and potential mechanisms among test materials. Three leachate column studies were conducted for 16 weeks. The experiments consisted of five K+ sources applied at 0, 112, and 336 kg K ha−1. At each leachate collection, half pore volume deionized water was applied and leachate samples were analyzed using a K+ ion selective electrode. Results from these studies showed that the amount of K+ released was significantly higher under synthetic K+ in the first 6 weeks (4100–4200 mg L−1) and sharply declined thereafter. Release of K+ from algal samples was slower in the first 3 weeks and peaked in 8 to 9 weeks (2800–3400 mg L−1). The release of K+ from agar weed Gracilaria salicornia was significantly lower than from carrageenan producer, Eucheuma denticulatum and Kappaphycus alvarezii. Another leachate study was conducted for 6 weeks using agar and carrageenan and found that K+ release from agar columns was significantly lower (10–12%) than from carrageenan. We conclude that the differences in release rate of K+ among dried algae may be explained in part by differences in cell wall composition.
Forest organic matter removal leads to long-term reductions in bacterial and fungal abundance

Abstract Intensive organic matter removal (OMR) associated with forest harvest has been shown to significantly affect soil physical, chemical, and biological properties; however, the influence on microbial abundance has been neglected, especially at depth and over time. We used quantitative PCR to assess the long-term impact of two different intensities of OMR, soil depth, seasonality, and their interactions on bacterial and fungal abundances 18 years post-harvest, relative to an unharvested control. Both bacterial and fungal community sizes were significantly reduced by intensive OMR, and these effects were largest in surface soil (0–10 and 10–30 cm), and largest in summer and spring. The response ratios for bacteria and fungi were not statistically different, indicating that both taxonomic groups were susceptible to long-term changes in soil properties induced by intensive OMR. Furthermore, we found that root biomass was significantly correlated to bacterial and fungal abundance in unharvested, low-intensity harvest, and high-intensity harvest stands throughout time and across soil depths, suggesting that the input of organic matter through root exudation and turnover are key to controlling microbial community size. These reductions in bacterial and fungal community sizes suggest that microbial community functions related to biogeochemical processes may be altered for decades post-harvest, with potential implications for forest productivity and ecosystem function during subsequent rotations.
Correlates of Bystander Readiness to Help Among a Diverse College Student Population: An Intersectional Perspective

This study seeks to understand which socio-demographic variables explain bystander readiness to help (BRH) among a diverse (via race/ethnicity) sample of college students. This study uses an intersectional approach by investigating how gender intersects with variables, specific to a college student population (e.g., class level, college of major, sexual harassment on campus), to influence readiness to help. The results are from a survey about campus climate experiences, which includes a stratified random sample of college students from a large Southwestern university in the United States, with 964 respondents. We conducted bivariate crosstabulations, comparisons of means, and multiple regressions. The multiple regression analyses illustrate that for women, the single most robust relationship with BRH is experiences with sexual harassment. For men, the strongest correlate is being a student within the college of liberal and fine arts. The practical and research implications of these findings are discussed.
Return to Sport and Sports-Specific Outcomes After Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation in the Knee: A Systematic Review of Studies With at Least 2 Years' Mean Follow-Up.

Purpose To report current data on return-to-sport rates and sports-specific patient-reported outcomes after osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation for cartilage defects of the knee. Methods We performed a systematic review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines that included studies from 1975 to 2018 with a minimum 2-year mean follow-up that reported return-to-sport rates or sports-specific patient-reported outcomes. Outcomes, reoperations, and complications were provided in table format, and a subjective analysis was performed. Results This review included 13 studies with 772 patients who underwent OCA transplantation at a mean of 24 to 91 months' follow-up. The return-to-sport rate ranged from 75% to 82%. For patient-reported outcomes, the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Score Sport increased in 4 studies, the Tegner activity scale score increased in 3 studies but decreased in 1, and the Marx activity scale score increased in 1 study but decreased in 2. Studies reporting improvements in the Cincinnati Knee Score and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Score Sport reached the minimal clinically important difference. The reoperation rate was high (ranging from 34% to 53% in more than half of studies), with reoperations primarily performed for loose body removal or debridement. Conclusions This systematic review of 13 studies suggests that OCA transplantation for cartilage defects allows most athletes to return to sport (range, 75%-82%). Most studies reported improvements in sports-specific patient-reported outcomes at follow-up and reached the minimal clinically important difference. However, the reoperation rate was high in several studies, with a large percentage of patients requiring loose body removal or debridement. The long-term survival of the allografts is largely unknown, but this study suggests OCA transplantation consistently improves function in athletes with chondral injuries. Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review of Level III and IV studies.
Prompt neutron multiplicity distributions inferred from γ -ray and fission fragment energy measurements

We propose a novel method to extract the prompt neutron multiplicity distribution, $P(\ensuremath{\nu})$, in fission reactions based on correlations between prompt neutrons, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays, and fragment kinetic energy arising from energy conservation. In this approach, only event-by-event measurements of the total $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray energy released as a function of the total kinetic energy (TKE) of the fission fragments are performed, and no neutron detection is required. Using the cgmf fission event generator, we illustrate the method and explore the accuracy of extracting the neutron multiplicity distribution when taking into account the energy resolution and calibration of the energy measurements. We find that a TKE resolution of under 2 MeV produces reasonably accurate results, independent of typical $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray energy measurement resolution.
The Effects of Self-monitoring on On-task Behaviors in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Prompt cues for recording in self-monitoring interventions can be delivered through a number of different modalities. The current study evaluated a self-monitoring intervention using a discreet auditory prompt (via a single wireless in-ear headphone) plus reinforcement for recording accuracy on increasing on-task behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Two of the three individuals demonstrated an increase in on-task behaviors and accuracy of recording during the initial intervention phase, and the third participant required an additional reinforcement contingency for on-task behavior. Increases in on-task behavior did not generalize to a general education setting for any of the participants.
Updates about Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency in Dizziness

The vertebrobasilar arterial system (VBS) supplies the vestibular and cochlear nuclei and is comprised of the vertebral artery (VA), basilar artery (BA), anterior-inferior cerebellar artery (AICA), and the posterior-inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)
Land rush: American grand strategy, NATO enlargement, and European fragmentation

This article argues that NATO enlargement, while stabilizing Central and Eastern Europe, still undermined other aspects of European security over the long term. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, US administrations pursued three ambitious policies: they expanded NATO, but also its geographic scope, and they ensured that no alternative European security architectures could compete with NATO. Through interviews with US officials, the article shows a preoccupation with instability in Europe and elsewhere, an institutional predisposition to maintaining the centrality of NATO, and a lack of constraints on US policies by Russia or Europe. In the end, these contradictory policies diluted European strategic cohesion and overburdened European militaries, while expanding the commitments inherent to the alliance.
8 – Intertidal Spawning

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a review of the intertidal spawning patterns of the fishes of rocky shores and other intertidal habitats. Fishes that spawn intertidally can be divided into two basic functional groups: intertidal residents that live between tidemarks continuously during all or part of their lives, and migrants. True residents live exclusively in the intertidal after benthic settlement from planktonic larvae, whereas partial residents inhabit the intertidal continuously during only a part of their postsettlement lives. Most resident species, including partial residents that live intertidally as adults during the breeding season, spawn within the intertidal zone. Other species migrate into the intertidal to spawn during higher water levels, including some otherwise strictly subtidal species. The distinction between residence and tidal/seasonal migration is key to understanding the life histories, including reproduction and spawning, of the resident intertidal and other species of fishes that spawn intertidally. Intertidal fishes, like teleosts in general, exhibit a diversity of reproductive modes ranging from oviparity with no parental care to viviparity.
Opioid and Dopamine Genes Interact to Predict Naltrexone Response in a Randomized Alcohol Use Disorder Clinical Trial.

Background While the opiate antagonist, naltrexone, is approved for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD), not everyone who receives the medication benefits from it. This study evaluated whether the OPRM1 SNP rs1799971 interacts with the dopamine transporter gene DAT1/SLC6A3 VNTR rs28363170 or the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene SNP rs4680 in predicting naltrexone response. Methods Individuals who met DSM-IV alcohol dependence were randomly assigned to naltrexone (50 mg/d) or placebo based on their OPRM1 genotype (75 G-allele carriers and 77 A-allele homozygotes) and also genotyped for DAT1 VNTR (9 vs. 10 repeats) or COMT SNP (val/val vs. met carriers). Heavy drinking days (%HDD) were evaluated over 16 weeks and at the end of treatment. Effect sizes (d) for naltrexone response were calculated based on genotypes. Results Naltrexone, relative to placebo, significantly reduced %HDD among OPRM1 G carriers who also had DAT1 10/10 (p = 0.021, d = 0.72) or COMT val/val genotypes (p = 0.05, d = 0.80), and to a lesser degree in those OPRM1 A homozygotes who were also DAT1 9-repeat carriers (p = 0.09, d = 0.70) or COMT met carriers (p = 0.03, d = 0.63). All other genotype combinations showed no differential response to naltrexone. Diarrhea/abdominal pain was more prominent in OPRM1 A homozygotes who were also DAT 9 or COMT met carriers. Conclusions These results suggest that individuals with AUD with a more opioid-responsive genotype (OPRM1 G carriers) respond better to naltrexone if they have genotypes indicating normal/less dopamine tone (DAT1 10,10 or COMT val,val), while those with a less responsive opioid-responsive genotype (OPRM1 A homozygotes) respond better to naltrexone if they have genotypes indicating greater dopamine tone (DAT1 9-repeat or COMT met carriers). These results could lead to more personalized AUD treatments.
Complete Genome Sequence of Microcystis aeruginosa FD4, Isolated from a Subtropical River in Southwest Florida

We report the first complete genome of Microcystis aeruginosa from North America. A harmful bloom that occurred in the Caloosahatchee River in 2018 led to a state of emergency declaration in Florida. Although strain FD4 was isolated from this toxic bloom, the genome did not have a microcystin biosynthetic gene cluster.
Amidst pandemic and racial upheaval: Where Asian Americans Fit

As racial tensions flare amidst a global pandemic and national social justice upheaval, the centrality of structural racism has renewed old questions and raised new ones about where Asian Americans fit in U.S. politics. This paper provides an overview of the unique racial history of Asians in the United States and analyzes the implications of dynamic racialization and status for Asian Americans. In particular, we examine the dynamism of Asian Americans' racial positionality relative to historical shifts in economic-based conceptions of their desirability as workers in American capitalism. Taking history, power, and institutions of white supremacy into account, we analyze where Asian Americans fit in contemporary U.S. politics, presenting a better understanding of the persistent structures underlying racial inequality and developing a foundation from which Asian Americans can work to enhance equality.
COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on U.S. Hospice Agencies: A National Survey of Hospice Nurses and Physicians.

Background:Hospice agencies face unique challenges during times of widespread public health emergencies. The pandemic of novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 is widely affecting global healthcare sys...
Perception as a Multi-Stage Process: A Reidian Account

The starting point of this paper is Thomas Reid's anti-skepticism: our knowledge of the external world is justified. The justificatory process, in his view, starts with and relies upon one of the m...