cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct Democracy, Indirect Results: When Does Government Limit the Impact of Voter Initiatives?

Citizens use the initiative process to make new laws. Many winning initiatives, however, are altered or ignored after Election Day. We examine why this is, paying particular attention to several widely-ignored properties of the post-election phase of the initiative process. One such property is the fact that initiative implementation can require numerous governmental actors to comply with an initiative's policy instructions. Knowing such properties, the question then becomes: When do governmental actors comply with winning initiatives? We clarify when compliance is full, partial, or not at all. Our findings provide a template for scholars and observers to better distinguish cases where governmental actors' policy preferences replace initiative content as a determinant of a winning initiative's policy impact from cases where an initiative's content affects policy despite powerful opponents' objections. Our work implies that the consequences of this form of democracy are more predictable, but less direct, than often presumed.
Bone and Muscle Endocrine Functions: Unexpected Paradigms of Inter-organ Communication

Most physiological functions originate with the communication between organs. Mouse genetics has revived this holistic view of physiology through the identification of inter-organ communications that are unanticipated, functionally important, and would have been difficult to uncover otherwise. This Review highlights this point by showing how two tissues usually not seen as endocrine ones, bone and striated muscles, influence several physiological processes in a significant manner.
Abstract 3471: Antibody-directed neutralization of fibrinolytic receptor annexin II inhibits human breast cancer growth in a xenograft model

The fibrinolytic pathway has long been known to be associated with breast cancer. Plasmin is the major end product of fibrinolytic pathway and is critical for normal physiological functions. The mechanism(s) by which plasmin is generated in breast cancer is not yet fully understood. Previously we identified ANX II, a fibrinolytic receptor, in human breast cancer samples and observed a strong positive correlation with advanced stage of cancer. We further demonstrated that the tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) binds to ANX II in invasive breast cancer MDA-MB231 cells which at least in part responsible for plasmin generation. We hypothesized that ANX II-dependent plasmin generation in breast cancer is necessary to activate the switch for neoangiogenesis thereby promoting aggressive cancer phenotype. Our immunohistochemical studies of human breast cancer tissues demonstrate strong positive correlation between annexin II expression and neoangiogenesis. These data not only indicate a link between ANX II and neoangiogenesis but also suggest that ANX II may be a potential target to slow or inhibit breast cancer growth by inhibiting neoangiogenesis. In this report we show that administration of anti-ANX II antibody potently inhibits the growth of human breast cancer in a xenograft model. Inhibition of tumor growth was due to inhibition of neoangiogenic activity within the tumor. In vitro studies demonstrated that anti-ANX II antibody inhibited angiogenesis on three dimensional matrigel cultures. The inhibition of in vitro angiogenesis was due to endothelial cell (EC) apoptosis. Taken together, these data suggest that selective disruption of fibrinolytic activity of ANX II may be a novel strategy for inhibition of neoangiogenesis in human breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3471. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3471
Plant Sphingolipid Metabolism and Function

Sphingolipids, a once overlooked class of lipids in plants, are now recognized as abundant and essential components of plasma membrane and other endomembranes of plant cells. In addition to providing structural integrity to plant membranes, sphingolipids contribute to Golgi trafficking and protein organizational domains in the plasma membrane. Sphingolipid metabolites have also been linked to the regulation of cellular processes, including programmed cell death. Advances in mass spectrometry-based sphingolipid profiling and analyses of Arabidopsis mutants have enabled fundamental discoveries in sphingolipid structural diversity, metabolism, and function that are reviewed here. These discoveries are laying the groundwork for the tailoring of sphingolipid biosynthesis and catabolism for improved tolerance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Getting to the Heart of Business Ethics

Though contemporary ethical problems may be partially miti gated by legislation, increased reporting requirements, audit committees, and other external structures; real long-term improvements will not occur until organizational leaders touch the hearts of individuals and organi zational culture. This article addresses three ways in which leaders can get to the heart of ethics: (1) moving individuals and the culture from a dominant ego-comparative identity to a dominant contributive (com mon good) identity, (2) helping stakeholders to move from a "less than tacit" awareness of principles to a reflective utilization of them; and (3) educating stakeholders in the proper use of precedents. The first point is particularly important because it controls the amount of fear and hubris in a culture which, in turn, affects openness to ethics, moral courage, and the reflective use of principles and precedents. These techniques for internalizing ethics provide a necessary complement to today's prolifera tion of external requirements.
Implications of Stein's Paradox for Environmental Standard Compliance Assessment.

The implications of Stein’s paradox stirred considerable debate in statistical circles when the concept was first introduced in the 1950s. The paradox arises when we are interested in estimating the means of several variables simultaneously. In this situation, the best estimator for an individual mean, the sample average, is no longer the best. Rather, a shrinkage estimator, which shrinks individual sample averages toward the overall average is shown to have improved overall accuracy. Although controversial at the time, the concept of shrinking toward overall average is now widely accepted as a good practice for improving statistical stability and reducing error, not only in simple estimation problems, but also in complicated modeling problems. However, the utility of Stein’s insights are not widely recognized in the environmental management community, where mean pollutant concentrations of multiple waters are routinely estimated for management decision-making. In this essay, we introduce Stein’s paradox ...
Religion and the State in American Law

Religion and the State in American Law provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of religion and government in the United States, from historical origins to modern laws and rulings. In addition to extensive coverage of the religion clauses of the First Amendment, it addresses many statutory, regulatory, and common-law developments at both the federal and state levels. Topics include the history of church-state relations and religious liberty, religion in the classroom, and expressions of religion in government. This book also covers the role of religion in specific areas of law such as contracts, taxation, employment, land use regulation, torts, criminal law, and domestic relations as well as in specialized contexts such as prisons and the military. Accessible to the general as well as the professional reader, this book will be of use to scholars, judges, practising lawyers, and the media.
Research on fatigue damage monitoring experiment of titanium alloy structure

Damage monitoring of titanium alloy structure of airplane has important meaning to ensure safety of aircraft.Put forward a kind of eddy current array sensor,study on different width crack of extension simulation monitoring experiment of TC4 titanium alloy are carried out.Research results show that output signal of each channel of sensor condition of TC4 titanium alloy with crack is amplified compared to standard signal under the condition with crack,along with the width of crack increasing,output signal amplitude increases,too.At the same time,simulation monitoring experiment research show that sensor has the ability of correct recognization and quntitive monitoring on crack with precision of 1 mm.
Essential Medicines in the United States — Why Access Is Diminishing

Prices have been dramatically increasing for many older, off-patent drugs, some of which are considered “essential” by the World Health Organization. Some price hikes have made potentially life-saving therapies unavailable to disadvantaged patients in the United States.
Cryptorchidism: Incidence of Chromosomal Anomalies in 50 Cases

AbstractWe studied testicular tissue and peripheral blood samples for chromosomal anomalies in 50 consecutive patients who underwent orchiopexy. Of the 50 subjects 48 demonstrated karyotypes of 46XY in blood and testicular tissue, 1 had Klinefelter’s syndrome and 1 had mosaic trisomy 8 with a discrepancy between the blood and testicular chromosomal complement. Over-all, the study showed no significant discrepancy between the chromosomal complements of the testicular tissue and blood. The incidence of these anomalies is not statistically significant compared to the observed frequency of chromosomal anomalies in this age group.
Parental presence in the operatory: An update

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to present an update on the current views of dentists and parents on the controversial issue of the parent in the dental operatory. In the past, parents were excluded from the operatory because it was felt a parent would be disruptive. This position is no longer valid due to a better understanding of fear in children, a greater acceptance by dentists to have the parent present, and an increased interest of parents to be present. By understanding the evolving cultural, legal, and social elements that have contributed to changes in parenting and the family, one will find parental presence is safe and beneficial. Practical measures like following the successful pediatric medical model, where parents are routinely allowed to be present, are given to ensure success. Cooperative behavior will improve compliance which will result in effective dental treatment.
VIDEOS IN CLINICAL MEDICINE. Clinical Examination of the Shoulder.

Shoulder pain leads many patients to see a primary care physician. This video reviews the anatomy of the shoulder, common shoulder injuries, and the procedures for obtaining the patient's history and performing a physical examination of the shoulder.
Structural Basis for Ligand Binding to the Guanidine-I Riboswitch

The guanidine-I riboswitch is a conserved RNA element with approximately 2,000 known examples across four phyla of bacteria. It exists upstream of nitrogen metabolism and multidrug resistance transporter genes and alters expression through the specific recognition of a free guanidinium cation. Here we report the structure of a guanidine riboswitch aptamer from Sulfobacillus acidophilus at 2.7 A resolution. Helices P1, P1a, P1b, and P2 form a coaxial stack that acts as a scaffold for ligand binding. A previously unidentified P3 helix docks into P1a to form the guanidinium binding pocket, which is completely enclosed. Every functional group of the ligand is recognized through hydrogen bonding to guanine bases and phosphate oxygens. Guanidinium binding is further stabilized through cation-π interactions with guanine bases. This allows the riboswitch to recognize guanidinium while excluding other bacterial metabolites with a guanidino group, including the amino acid arginine.
One step fabrication of hydrogel microcapsules with hollow core for assembly and cultivation of hepatocyte spheroids.

Abstract 3D hepatic microtissues can serve as valuable liver analogues for cell-based therapies and for hepatotoxicity screening during preclinical drug development. However, hepatocytes rapidly dedifferentiate in vitro , and typically require 3D culture systems or co-cultures for phenotype rescue. In this work we present a novel microencapsulation strategy, utilizing coaxial flow-focusing droplet microfluidics to fabricate microcapsules with liquid core and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) gel shell. When entrapped inside these capsules, primary hepatocytes rapidly formed cell-cell contacts and assembled into compact spheroids. High levels of hepatic function were maintained inside the capsules for over ten days. The microencapsulation approach described here is compatible with difficult-to-culture primary epithelial cells, allows for tuning gel mechanical properties and diffusivity, and may be used in the future for high density suspension cell cultures. Statement of Significance Our paper combines an interesting new way for making capsules with cultivation of difficult-to-maintain primary epithelial cells (hepatocytes). The microcapsules described here will enable high density suspension culture of hepatocytes or other cells and may be used as building blocks for engineering tissues.
Comparison Between CTA and Digital Subtraction Angiography in the Diagnosis of Ruptured Aneurysms

BACKGROUND Computerized tomography angiography (CTA) is commonly used to diagnose ruptured cerebral aneurysms with sensitivities reported as high as 97% to 100%. Studies validating CTA accuracy in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are scarce and limited by small sample sizes. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CTA in detecting intracranial aneurysms in the setting of SAH. METHODS A single-center, retrospective cohort of 643 patients was reviewed. A total of 401 patients were identified whose diagnostic workup included both CTA and confirmatory digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Aneurysms missed by CTA but diagnosed by DSA were further stratified by size and location. RESULTS Three hundred and thirty aneurysms were detected by CTA while DSA detected a total of 431 aneurysms. False positive CTA results were seen for 24 aneurysms. DSA identified 125 aneurysms that were missed by CTA and 83.2% of those were <5 mm in diameter. The sensitivity of CTA was 57.6% for aneurysms smaller than 5 mm in size, and 45% for aneurysms originating from the internal carotid artery. The overall sensitivity of CTA in the setting of SAH was 70.7%. CONCLUSION The accuracy of CTA in the diagnosis of ruptured intracranial aneurysm may be lower than previously reported. CTA has a low sensitivity for aneurysms less than 5 mm in size, in locations adjacent to bony structures, and for those arising from small caliber parent vessels. It is our recommendation that CTA should be used with caution when used alone in the diagnosis of ruptured intracranial aneurysms.
Head and neck cancer (HN) characteristics and outcomes in a human immunodeficiency virus infected (HIV+) patient cohort: A 12-year experience of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) and Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

6069 Background: HIV+ patients (pts) are typically excluded from enrollment on randomized clinical trials for head and neck cancer. Data regarding clinical characteristics and outcomes for HIV+ pts...
Frames arising from irreducible solvable actions I

Abstract In this work, we provide a unified method for the construction of reproducing systems arising from unitary irreducible representations of some solvable Lie groups. In contrast to other well-known techniques such as the coorbit theory, the generalized coorbit theory and other discretization schemes, we make no assumption on the integrability or square-integrability of the representations of interest. Moreover, our scheme produces explicit constructions of frames with precise frame bounds. As an illustration of the scope of our results, we highlight that a large class of representations which naturally occur in wavelet theory and time–frequency analysis is handled by our scheme. For example, the affine group, the generalized Heisenberg groups, the shearlet groups, solvable extensions of vector groups and various solvable extensions of non-commutative nilpotent Lie groups are a few examples of groups whose irreducible representations are handled by our method. The class of representations studied in this work is described as follows. Let G be a simply connected, connected, completely solvable Lie group with Lie algebra g = p + m . Next, let π be an infinite-dimensional unitary irreducible representation of G obtained by inducing a character from a closed normal subgroup P = exp ⁡ p of G . Additionally, we assume that G = P ⋊ M , M = exp ⁡ m is a closed subgroup of G , d μ M is a fixed Haar measure on the solvable Lie group M and there exists a linear functional λ ∈ p ⁎ such that the representation π = π λ = ind P G ( χ λ ) is realized as acting in L 2 ( M , d μ M ) . Making no assumption on the integrability of π λ , we describe explicitly a discrete subset Γ of G and a vector f ∈ L 2 ( M , d μ M ) such that π λ ( Γ ) f is a tight frame for L 2 ( M , d μ M ) . We also construct compactly supported smooth functions s and discrete subsets Γ ⊂ G such that π λ ( Γ ) s is a frame for L 2 ( M , d μ M ) .
The effect of hospital teaching status on outcomes in bariatric surgery.

Abstract Background Studies have shown conflicting effects of resident involvement on outcomes after laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Resident involvement may be a proxy for a teaching environment in which multiple factors affect patient outcomes. However, no study has examined outcomes of laparoscopic bariatric surgery based on hospital teaching status. Objective To compare outcomes after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) between teaching hospitals (THs) and nonteaching hospitals (NTHs). Setting Retrospective review of a national database in the United States. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (2011–2013) was reviewed for obese patients who underwent LRYGB or LSG. Patient demographic characteristics and outcomes were analyzed according to hospital teaching status. Primary outcome measures included risk-adjusted inpatient mortality and serious morbidity. Results We analyzed 32,449 LRYGBs and 26,075 LSGs. There were 35,160 (60.1%) cases performed at THs and 23,364 (39.9%) cases performed at NTHs. At THs, the distribution of LRYGB versus LSG cases was 20,461 (58.2%) versus 14,699 (41.8%), respectively; at NTHs, the distribution was 11,988 (51.3%) versus 11,376 (48.7%), respectively. For LRYGB, there were no significant differences between THs versus NTHs in mortality (AOR 1.14; P = 0.99), but there was an increase in odds of serious morbidity at THs (AOR 1.36; P P = 0.99) or serious morbidity (AOR 1.03; P = 0.99). Conclusions There is an association between THs and increased serious morbidity for LRYGB, but hospital teaching status has no effect on morbidity or mortality after LSG. Further research is warranted to elucidate the reasons for these associations.
Detoxication of Pesticides by Biota

A pesticidal chemical, once released into the environment, is subject to physiochemical and biochemical processes which determine its fate and efficacy. The latter transformations involve biota and encompass biodegradation, detoxication, or, simply, metabolism. The metabolism of pesticides by living organisms has been the subject of various symposia (Institute fur Okologische Chemie, 1970; National Academy of Science, 1972; Khan and Hauge, 1970; Hodgson, 1969; Gillette et al., 1969; Matsumura et al., 1972; O’Brien and Yamamoto, 1970; American Chemical Society, 1973; Khan and Bederka, 1974). This article will present an overview of the knowledge of detoxication of pesticides by biota: microorganisms, plants, and animals.
HaloTag: a novel reporter gene for positron emission tomography.

Among the many molecular imaging techniques, reporter gene imaging has been a dynamic area of research. The HaloTag protein is a modified haloalkane dehalogenase which was designed to covalently bind to synthetic ligands (i.e. the HaloTag ligands [HTL]). Covalent bond formation between the HaloTag protein and the chloroal-kane within the HTL occurs rapidly under physiological conditions, which is highly specific and essentially irreversible. Over the years, HaloTag technology has been investigated for various applications such as in vitro/in vivo imaging, protein purification/trafficking, high-throughput assays, among others. The goal of this study is to explore the use of the HaloTag protein as a novel reporter gene for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. By attaching a HaloTag -reactive chloroalkane to 1, 4, 7-triazacyclononane-N, N', N“-triacetic acid (NOTA) through hydrophilic linkers, the resulting NOTA-conjugated HTLs were labeled with 64Cu and tested for PET imaging in living mice bearing 4T1-HaloTag-ECS tumors, which stably express the HaloTag protein on the cell surface. Significantly higher uptake of 64Cu-NOTA-HTL-S (which contains a short hydrophilic linker) in the 4T1-HaloTag-ECS than the non-HaloTag-expressing 4T1 tumors was observed, which demonstrated the HaloTag specificity of 64Cu-NOTA-HTL-S and warranted future investigation of the HaloTag protein as a PET reporter gene.
Microwave enhanced polarization in a carbon dioxide molecule.

In this paper we present the results of the dielectric response of Carbon Dioxide measured using a loaded microwave cavity operating in the TE mode of a cylindrical cavity near the frequencies 8.8, 9.7 and 10.2 GHz. The temperature dependence of the dielectric response of gas phase CO2 over the range of 160 to 213°K (-113 to -60° C) was measured. Slater perturbation equations for loaded resonant cavities were used to relate the macroscopic parameters ▵f and ▵(1/Q) to the real and imaginary parts, e and e”, respectively, hence to calculate the dielectric parameters at each temperature and frequency. Selected peaks in the dielectric response were identified to indicate the frequencies at which strong coupling between the microwave field and the CO2 molecules can be achieved.
Aquatic Biota in Urban Areas

Urbanization alters aquatic ecosystems to a fundamental degree, with the intensity of the effects varying with the relative sizes and types of the urban centers and receiving waters, the natural and historical conditions of those centers and waters, and the types and amounts of industries and rehabilitation practices. Urbanization affects multiple factors that have direct and indirect effects on salmonids and other aquatic biota (Fig. 11.1). Because there are many interdependent ecological factors, it is very difficult to attempt to separate single urban stressors causing alterations in aquatic assemblages (i.e., the subsets of a community that share a common ancestry) and salmonid populations. The responses of aquatic biota to urbanization also vary with ecoregion, climate, season, topography, soil, potential natural vegetation, and historical land use (Coles et al. 2012). In this chapter we review the literature regarding the effects of urbanization on nonnative species and algae, macroinvertebrates, fish, and amphibians. Salmonids are further addressed in Chap. 12.
Data Producer's Right in the Platform Economy

In October 2017, the European Commission advanced a proposal for the creation of a new data producer's right for non-personal, anonymized machine-generated data. Driven in large part by the automotive industry, this proposal has thus far attracted considerable criticisms. While commentators have questioned whether the proposed right is needed in the first place, the EU proposal has also generated more questions than answers. Written for a special issue on the "Legal Implications of the Platform Economy," this essay begins by revisiting the debate on sui generis database protection in both the Europe Union and the United States. It then discusses the many difficult policy questions that policymakers will have to address before they can create the new right. The essay concludes by examining four additional complications that may make it difficult to develop a coherent body of laws to govern the emerging and fast-changing data economy.
Electric dipole matrix elements for the 6 p 2 P J → 7 s 2 S 1 / 2 transition in atomic cesium

We report a measurement of the ratio of electric dipole transition matrix elements of cesium for the $6p{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{1/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7s{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}$ and $6p{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7s{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}$ transitions. We determine this ratio of matrix elements through comparisons of two-color, two-photon excitation rates of the $7s{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}$ state using laser beams with polarizations parallel to one another vs perpendicular to one another. Our result of $R\ensuremath{\equiv}\ensuremath{\langle}7s{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}||r||6p{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rangle}/\ensuremath{\langle}7s{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}||r||6p{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{1/2}\ensuremath{\rangle}=1.5272(17)$ is in excellent agreement with a theoretical prediction of $R=1.5270(27)$. Moreover, the accuracy of the experimental ratio is sufficiently high to differentiate between various theoretical approaches. To our knowledge, there are no prior experimental measurements of $R$. Combined with our recent determination of the lifetime of the $7s{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}$ state, we determine reduced matrix elements for these two transitions, $\ensuremath{\langle}7s{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}||r||6p{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rangle}=\ensuremath{-}6.489(5)\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{a}_{0}$ and $\ensuremath{\langle}7s{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}||r||6p{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{1/2}\ensuremath{\rangle}=\ensuremath{-}4.249(4)\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{a}_{0}$. These matrix elements are also in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations. These measurements improve knowledge of Cs properties needed for parity violation studies and provide benchmarks for tests of high-precision theory.
A Framework towards Quantifying Human Restorativeness in Virtual Built Environments

The impact of built environment on the human restorativeness has long been argued; however, the interrelations between neuroscience and the built environment, and the degree to which the built environment contributes to increased human restorativeness has not been completely understood yet. Understanding the interrelations between neuroscience and the built environment is critical as 90% of time in a typical day is spent indoors and architectural features impact the productivity, health and comfort of occupants. The goal of this study is to bring a structured understanding of architecture and neuroscience interactions in designed facilities and quantification of the impact of design on human experience. The authors first built two virtual environments (i.e., restorative and non-restorative) using the architectural designs features related to human restorativeness identified by previous research efforts. Next, user experiments were conducted in the two built virtual environments including 22 people. The subjects were asked to conduct navigational tasks while their bodily responses recorded by body area sensors (e.g., EEG, GSR, and Eye-tracking). The result showed that human responses in restorative and non-restorative environment had statistically significant difference. This study serves as the first step of understanding human responses in the virtual environment, and designing spaces that maximize human experience.
Deciphering Fake News: Navigating Today’s News Standards

Following the 2016 presidential election, the pervasiveness of fake news came into the national spotlight. With an increased focus on media literacy and the need to end the spread of false information, tracing the abilities of individuals to spot fake news through a series of interviews was relevant. Several research questions were used for guidance: What are the common understandings or misunderstandings of fake news and its perpetuation? What are the characteristics of individuals who are more apt to recognize fake news? Does an individual’s level of political activism or civic engagement affect their ability to recognize fake news? It was hypothesized that the interviewees’ understanding of fake news and accuracy in distinguishing real and fake news would be dependent on their news-reading habits. Interview conduction confirmed the accuracy of this hypothesis. Furthermore, those who engaged with news more often and more widely are more likely to accurately discern between what is true and false. Questions remain as to whether or not those who had more experience with political activism and civic engagement, or with educational backgrounds relating to those areas, are better at making this differentiation. The results of this study reinforce the vitality of being media literate and possessing a consistent awareness of current events.
Undocumented Nationals: Between Statelessness and Citizenship

Understood simply, people are either citizens of a country or stateless. Yet reality belies this dichotomy. Between absolute statelessness and full citizenship exist millions of people who are nationals of a country in principle but lack the identity documents to prove it, beginning with a birth certificate. Languishing in a gray zone, undocumented nationals have difficulty accessing the full services and rights that their documented counterparts enjoy. Drawing on a range of country examples, Undocumented Nationals: Between Statelessness and Citizenship calls attention to and analyzes the plight of people who cannot exercise full citizenship owing to evidentiary deficiencies. The existing literature has not adequately conceptualized and examined this in-between status, which results sometimes from state neglect and other times from intentional state discrimination. By highlighting its causes and consequences, and exploring ways to address the problem, this Cambridge Element addresses an important gap in the literature.
Commentary on José Zalabardo’s ‘The Tractatus on Unity’

Jose Zalabardo’s view of the aims of the Tractatus limits the options available to us for reading and understanding the book. I argue that an alternative kind of reading is possible, if we don’t ta...
K-core robustness in ecological and financial networks.

In many real-world networks, the ability to withstand targeted or global attacks; extinctions; or shocks is vital to the survival of the network itself, and of dependent structures such as economies (for financial networks) or even the planet (for ecosystems). Previous attempts to characterise robustness include nestedness of mutualistic networks or exploration of degree distribution. In this work we present a new approach for characterising the stability and robustness of networks with all-positive interactions by studying the distribution of the k-shell of the underlying network. We find that high occupancy of nodes in the inner and outer k-shells and low occupancy in the middle shells of financial and ecological networks (yielding a “U-shape” in a histogram of k-shell occupancy) provide resilience against both local targeted and global attacks. Investigation of this highly-populated core gives insights into the nature of a network (such as sharp transitions in the core composition of the stock market from a mix of industries to domination by one or two in the mid-1990s) and allow predictions of future network stability, e.g., by monitoring populations of “core” species in an ecosystem or noting when stocks in the core-dominant sector begin to move in lock-step, presaging a dramatic move in the market. Moreover, this “U-shape” recalls core-periphery structure, seen in a wide range of networks including opinion and internet networks, suggesting that the “U-shaped” occupancy histogram and its implications for network health may indeed be universal.
Simultaneous Neutron-Photon Dosimetry with a Compact Organic Scintillator Detector

In many applications involving radiation fields, it is important to determine dose rates received by radiation workers and the public. In many scenarios, neutrons and photons can both be significant contributors to the dose rate. Traditionally, separate instruments have been used for each particle’s contribution to the dose rate, but it has been shown experimentally that an organic scintillator detector can be used to accurately measure both contributions simultaneously. The scalability of an organic scintillator also allows for use in both high- and low-flux environments. In previous work, we demonstrated the influence of detector size on dose rate measurements. It was shown that a 5.08-cm depth EJ-309 liquid organic scintillator with the smallest diameter possible requires the least corrections to accurately measure dose rate. This work builds on the previous study by demonstrating neutron and photon dose rate measurements with a 50 mm depth × 6mm × 6mm stilbene crystal bar, which is similar in composition to EJ-309, coupled to a silicon photomultiplier readout. The experimentally measured dose rates are compared to simulation and traditional dosimeters to verify accuracy over the sensitivity range of the stilbene detector. This small detector will allow for highly mobile, accurate dosimetry in the field.
Feasibility and performance of a novel probe panel to detect somatic DNA copy number alterations in clinical specimens for predicting prostate cancer progression.

Background To assess the feasibility of a novel DNA-based probe panel to detect copy number alterations (CNAs) in prostate tumor DNA and its performance for predicting clinical progression. Methods A probe panel was developed and optimized to measure CNAs in trace amounts of tumor DNA (2 ng) isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. Ten genes previously associated with aggressive disease were targeted. The panel's feasibility and performance were assessed in 175 prostate cancer (PCa) patients who underwent radical prostatectomy with a median 10-year follow-up, including 42 men who developed disease progression (either metastasis and/or PCa-specific death). Association with disease progression was tested using univariable and multivariable analyses. Results The probe panel detected CNAs in all 10 genes in tumor DNA isolated from either diagnostic biopsies or surgical specimens. A four-gene model (PTEN/MYC/BRCA2/CDKN1B) had the strongest association with disease progression; 64.3% of progressors and 22.5% of non-progressors had at least one CNA in these four genes, odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval) = 6.21 (2.77-13.87), P = 8.48E-06. The association with disease progression remained significant after adjusting for known clinicopathological variables. Among the seven progressors of the 65 patients with clinically low-risk disease, three (42.9%) had at least one CNA in these four genes. Conclusions The probe panel can detect CNAs in trace amounts of tumor DNA from biopsies or surgical tissues at the time of diagnosis or surgery. CNAs independently predict metastatic/lethal cancer, particularly among men with clinically low-risk disease at diagnosis. If validated, this may improve current abilities to assess tumor aggressiveness.
Abstract 830: New bioinformatics workflow of genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens

Introduction: Genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 based loss-of-function screens can be used to find essential genes for proliferation and survival of cancer cells. While recent studies have focused on establishing reference sets of essential and non-essential genes, correcting copy number effect and characterizing off-target effect, it lacks in-depth studies of the effects of gene abundance and sgRNAs that targeting multi-genomic loci. To fill this gap timely, we here present a bioinformatics workflow to reduce false positives in CRISPR-Cas9 screens. Description: Gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS was infected with CRISPR knockout library (TKOv3) at a multiplicity of infection of 0.3~0.4. We used the cells right after puromycin selection as the baseline sample, and the cells cultured for 14 days or 20 days as the negative selection samples. The sgRNA inserts were amplified by PCR and the corresponding libraries were sequenced on NextSeq 500 with a single-end 75 bp run, followed by analysis by MAGeCK. The read counts of sgRNAs were normalized by non-essential genes to reduce false positives. The RNA-seq data and copy number data were obtained by CCLE portal. To characterize sgRNAs targeting multiple-genomic loci, Bowtie was used to align sgRNA to the reference human genome (GRCh38) with no mismatch, and only the alignments followed by NGG PAM site were remained for downstream analysis. Summary: Integration of RNA-seq data with CRISPR negative screen results showed that the selection signal was noisy for the lowly expressed genes. The fraction of selected essential genes (overall FDR 1) was as low as 0.11% among the genes with the bottom 10% expression level, while 27% among the genes with the top 10% expression level. After filtering out the lowly expressed genes ( Conclusions: Filtering out lowly-expressed genes prior to CRISPR screen data analysis can reduce false positives. In addition, multiple-target sgRNAs can lead to false positives but the effect needs further analysis in a case by case manner. Citation Format: Yue Zhao, Xue Wu, Yuru Wang, Kin Fai Au, Lijun Cheng, Lang Li. New bioinformatics workflow of genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 830.
Promise for Whom? “Free-College” Programs and Enrollments by Race and Gender Classifications at Public, 2-Year Colleges:

Promise programs are proliferating across the United States, with wide variation in their design. Using national data on 33 Promise programs affecting single, 2-year colleges, this study examines p...
Self-Compassion and Current Close Interpersonal Relationships: a Scoping Literature Review

In order to provide a broad overview of the body of peer-reviewed literature on self-compassion and close relationships, this scoping review describes how self-compassion relates to thoughts, feelings, and behaviors within the context of current personal relationships between family members, romantic partners, friends, or others referred to as “close.” Two reviewers independently screened peer-reviewed articles retrieved based on a defined search strategy within three online databases, extracted data from 72 articles that met inclusion criteria by consensus, and summarized findings thematically. With few exceptions, self-compassion is positively associated with secure attachment, adaptive parenting behaviors, healthy family, romantic and friendship functioning, and constructive conflict and transgression repair behavior. In families, evidence suggests that parent self-compassion is linked to supportive parenting behavior, which is in turn linked to higher levels of child self-compassion. Self-compassion is associated with a wide variety of close interpersonal relationship benefits. These associations may be complex and bidirectional, such that positive social relationships promote self-compassion, while self-compassion promotes relational and emotional well-being. For a deeper understanding of these nuances and to establish causality, future research should include heterogeneous samples, longitudinal designs, and observational and multi-informant methodologies, and consider attachment style and personality trait covariates. The potential implications for interventional research are discussed.
Learning Environments and Learning Styles: Non-traditional Student Enrollment and Success in an Internet-based Versus a Lecture-based Computer Science Course

Colleges and universities are increasingly using information technologies to enhance the learning environment. Many educational institutions offer Internet-based on-line courses in an effort to meet the educational needs of students. The primary goal of this research was to determine if there is a relationship between students' preferred learning environment (i.e. face-to-face or on-line) and their learning style. The secondary goal was to determine if there were any differences in the academic success of students in the face-to-face versus on-line sections. Participants were adult (ages 22+ years), non-traditional computer science students given the option to take a face-to-face lecture-based or an on-line Internet-based computer science course. Results revealed that computer science students in the face-to-face learning environment were more likely to have the Assimilator learning-style, whereas computer science students in the on-line Internet-based learning environment were more likely to have the Converger learning-style. Student academic success did not reliably differ as a function of learning environment selection. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of learning style characteristics of computer science students, learning styles and gender differences and implications of student academic success in on-line vs face-to-face environments.
Headaches and Seizures

Pregnancy and the postpartum state can affect preexisting primary neurological conditions, such as headaches and epilepsy. These disorders and their treatment can also have an effect on maternal and fetal pregnancy outcomes. Both seizures and headaches can occur de novo during pregnancy, and if this is the case, they warrant thorough investigation to exclude secondary causes such as vascular, neoplastic, structural, infectious, or other. Migraine headaches can have hormonal triggers and thus may worsen or improve during pregnancy. Seizures during pregnancy can have adverse effects on the mother or fetus, and the benefit of treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), while potentially teratogenic, is thought to outweigh the risks of the drugs. Levels of AEDs, at least one per trimester, are useful and can guide therapeutic changes in dosing, given physiologic factors that can precipitate alterations of concentration during pregnancy. Pregnant women, or women contemplating pregnancy, should be counseled about folic acid supplementation and postpartum seizure safety issues.
Exploring the relationship between Black high school students’ external regulation and intrinsic motivation

Self-determination theory (SDT) asserts that motivation types, ranging from controlled to autonomous, are independent forms of motivation that differentially emerge from psychological need satisfaction or frustration. While research with predominantly white samples has supported this claim, theory and some research suggest that external regulation may stimulate intrinsic motivation in Black students. In the present investigation, we explored the extent to which daily controlled forms of motivation related to daily autonomous forms of motivation for Black and white samples. Finding the starkest contrasts in the relationships between external regulation and intrinsic motivation, we also explored the potential mediating role of daily psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, relatedness). Using hierarchical daily diary data from 21 Black and 70 white high school students, we created a series of three-level random effects models to address our research questions. We found that on days when Black students’ external regulation was higher than their personal average, they experienced increased in intrinsic motivation since their last science class, which was not true for white students. Mediation analyses revealed that higher external regulation led to increases in intrinsic motivation via psychological need satisfaction for Black students (but not for white students). The results of this study suggest that race may partially explain the inconsistent relationships observed between intrinsic motivation and controlled forms of extrinsic motivation across prior research. Findings highlight the need to better incorporate understandings of race into motivation theory and research in order to support Black students’ success.
Watkins on Kant’s Laws of Nature

I discuss three sets of worries concerning Watkins’ account of laws of nature in Kant on Laws. First, I argue contra Watkins that Kant’s laws of nature do not depend on acts of prescription in any literal sense. Second, I question how his generic conception of laws applies to empirical laws of nature and suggest that the worries about unknowability or contingency that he raises for contemporary alternatives may equally arise for empirical laws on Kant’s account. Finally, I discuss his claim that Kant’s a priori laws depend on the immutability of human cognitive capacities and ask how this immutability should be understood.
Review: Cytoplasmic dynein motors in photoreceptors

Cytoplasmic dyneins (dynein-1 and dynein-2) transport cargo toward the minus end of microtubules and thus, are termed the "retrograde" cellular motor. Dynein-1 cargo may include nuclei, mitochondria, membrane vesicles, lysosomes, phagosomes, and other organelles. For example, dynein-1 works in the cell body of eukaryotes to move cargo toward the microtubule minus end and positions the Golgi complex. Dynein-1 also participates in the movement of chromosomes and the positioning of mitotic spindles during cell division. In contrast, dynein-2 is present almost exclusively within cilia where it participates in retrograde intraflagellar transport (IFT) along the axoneme to return kinesin-2 subunits, BBSome, and IFT particles to the cell body. Cytoplasmic dyneins are hefty 1.5 MDa complexes comprised of dimers of heavy, intermediate, light intermediate, and light chains. Missense mutations of human DYNC1H1 are associated with malformations of cortical development (MCD) or spinal muscular atrophy with lower extremity predominance (SMA-LED). Missense mutations in DYNC2H1 are causative of short-rib polydactyly syndrome type III and nonsyndromic retinitis pigmentosa. We review mutations of the two dynein heavy chains and their effect on postnatal retina development and discuss consequences of deletion of DYNC1H1 in the mouse retina.
Review of Carolyn Ellis' Book, Revision: Autoethnographic Reflections of Life and Work

In Revision: Autoethnographic Reflections of Life and Work (2008), Carolyn Ellis demonstrates a striking ability to tell stories while simultaneously interrogating their meanings. Ellis uses autoethnography and meta-autoethnography to write herself and others into stories which connect to issues that extend beyond the particular characters in the stories. This book demonstrates the value that autoethnography can offer to researcher, reader, academia, as well as to community practice. This review introduces the term experiential layering as a way to describe Ellis’ revisioning of the stories that she presented in The Ethnographic I.