cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ninth Amendment in Light of Text and History

The Ninth Amendment may seem a strange subject for a lecture at a conference on the recent decisions of the Supreme Court. After all, the Court has never squarely based a holding on the Ninth Amendment and has scarcely even discussed its meaning. Some scholars regard the amendment as an ‘‘inkblot’’ or as nothing more than a warning not to read the enumeration of powers too liberally or the enumerated rights too narrowly. It plays virtually no role in modern constitutional litigation. And yet the Ninth Amendment is the subject of two recent books and many articles, and rightly so: the amendment, properly understood in light of its text and history, helps us understand the constitutional structure of powers granted and rights reserved, the relation of the Bill of Rights to the original Constitution of 1787, and the role of natural rights in American constitutionalism.
Examining Variations in Fourth-Grade Children's Participation in School Breakfast and Lunch Programs by Student and Program Demographics.

Purpose/Objectives Analyses were conducted to examine variations in fourth-grade children’s participation in school-breakfast and school-lunch programs by weekday, month, socioeconomic status, absenteeism, gender, and school-breakfast location. Methods Fourth-grade children were participants in a dietary-reporting validation study during either the 2005–2006 or 2006–2007 school years in 17 or 8 schools, respectively, in one South Carolina school district. For the two school years, the location of the school breakfast was the classroom for 6 and 7 schools, respectively, and the cafeteria for the remaining schools. District administrative records provided information about 180 possible days of participation in the school breakfast and lunch programs for each of 1,060 children (91% Black, 52% girls). The state’s Office of Research and Statistics linked data on school-meal participation with information about individual children’s socioeconomic status (eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals) and annual absenteeism from school. Results For school-provided breakfast, logistic regression showed participation rate differences by weekday (smallest for Monday [56.1%], largest for Wednesday [57.8%], p < .001), month (smallest for April [53.5%], largest for September [60.8%], p < .001), socioeconomic status (smallest for full-price status [27.5%], largest for free-meal status [63.4%], p < .001), school-breakfast location (smaller for breakfast located in the cafeteria [38%] than classroom [71%], p < .001), and absenteeism (p < .001). For school-provided lunch, logistic regression showed participation rate differences by weekday (smallest for Friday [81.9%], largest for Thursday [83.3%], p < .001), month (smallest for May [78.7%], largest for August [86.0%], p < .001), socioeconomic status (smallest for full-price status [72.1%], largest for free-meal status [84.9%], p < .001), and absenteeism (p < .001). There were no differences in participation rate by gender. Applications for Child Nutrition Professionals Administrative participation records are used for forecasting purchasing and production. Using such records in research studies may provide insight into factors influencing children's participation in school-provided meals. Districts and managers are encouraged to share administrative records of children's participation in school-provided meals with researchers.
Phosphonium-Containing ABA Triblock Copolymers: Controlled Free Radical Polymerization of Phosphonium Ionic Liquids

Phosphonium ion-containing acrylate triblock (ABA) copolymers were synthesized using nitroxide mediated radical polymerization. The polymerization of styrenic phosphonium-containing ionic liquid monomers using a difunctional alkoxyamine initiator, DEPN2, afforded an ABA triblock copolymer with an n-butyl acrylate soft center block (DP ∼ 400) and symmetric phosphonium-containing external reinforcing blocks (DP < 30). Two phosphonium monomers with different alkyl substituent lengths enabled an investigation of the effects of ionic aggregation of phosphonium cations on the physical properties of ABA block copolymer ionomers. Subsequently, the thermomechanical properties and morphologies of these materials were compared to a noncharged triblock copolymer analogue with neutral polystyrene external blocks. Shortening the alkyl substituents on the phosphonium cation enhanced the hydrophilicity of tributyl-4-vinylbenzyl phosphonium chloride (BPCl) relative to trioctyl-4-vinylbenzyl phosphonium chloride (OPCl). In...
Non-invasive high-resolution acoustic microscopy technique using embedded nanostructures

An opto-acoustic system capable of operating at frequencies greater than 1 GHz with novel biological applications is proposed for the first time. Metallic spheres with radii on the order of hundreds of nanometers dispersed inside a bio-matrix can be used to generate in-situ ultra-high frequency acoustic waves whose normal mode frequencies can be calculated using Lamb's theory for acoustic oscillations of elastic spheres. The frequency and amplitude of the resulting acoustic waves can be related to the physical properties of the metallic spheres and the surrounding bio-matrix: the acoustic waves produced by the metallic spheres are well-suited to high resolution acoustic imaging. We anticipate that our approach will open up new nanoscale techniques to study cells non-invasively.
Dynamics of rational maps: Lyapunov exponents, bifurcations, and capacity

Let L(f)=∫log∥Df∥dμ f denote the Lyapunov exponent of a rational map, f:P 1→P 1 . In this paper, we show that for any holomorphic family of rational maps {f λ :λX} of degree d>1, T(f)=dd c L(f λ ) defines a natural, positive (1,1)-current on X supported exactly on the bifurcation locus of the family. The proof is based on the following potential-theoretic formula for the Lyapunov exponent: Here F:C 2 →C 2 is a homogeneous polynomial lift of f; ; G F is the escape rate function of F; and capK F is the homogeneous capacity of the filled Julia set of F. We show, in particular, that the capacity of K F is given explicitly by the formula where Res(F) is the resultant of the polynomial coordinate functions of F. We introduce the homogeneous capacity of compact, circled and pseudoconvex sets K⊂C 2 and show that the Levi measure (determined by the geometry of ∂K) is the unique equilibrium measure. Such K⊂C 2 correspond to metrics of non-negative curvature on P 1, and we obtain a variational characterization of curvature.
A clinical analysis of aortic incompetence.

Many persons appear to carry an aortic leak through life without trouble, but in others a progressing lesion evolves into the well-known syndrome of free aortic incompetence. Symptoms are distinctive, and clinical examination gives a surprisingly accurate assessment of the lesion's magnitude. However, because few persons given surgical treatment return completely to normal despite successful operation, surgery is still reserved for those patients with worsening disease.
Money Management Activities in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract Objectives To examine whether participants with multiple sclerosis (MS) have more problems in managing finances compared with persons without MS, and to examine the variables that may contribute to these problems. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Nonprofit rehabilitation research institution and the community. Participants Participants (N=53) comprised adults with MS (n=30) and persons without MS (n=23) who were recruited from a nonprofit rehabilitation research institution and from the community. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Participants were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests, a money management survey, and a functional test to assess money management skills. Results Individuals with MS reported and demonstrated more problems managing money than persons without MS. Impaired cognitive functioning was significantly correlated with difficulties in money management. Self-report of functional status (Functional Behavior Profile) was significantly correlated with self-reported money management skills. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine money management in MS. Money management is an important activity of daily living that presents problems for individuals with MS. Managing one's own money requires adequate processing speed abilities as well as executive-attentional abilities. Additional studies are needed to explore this area and understand the nature of the problem.
Immunodissection of cortical and medullary thick ascending limb cells from rabbit kidney

A procedure was developed for isolating thick ascending limb cells from either the outer medulla or the inner cortex from rabbit kidneys. Dispersed cells derived from the medulla or cortex were incubated with goat anti-human uromucoid (Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein) serum, washed, and applied to culture dishes coated with affinity-purified anti-goat immunoglobulin G. Nonadherent cells were removed by washing. Routinely, 10(6) or 7 X 10(4) adherent cells were obtained per gram of rabbit outer medulla or inner cortex, respectively. Greater than 97% of the adherent cells stained for Tamm-Horsfall antigen, and examination of freshly isolated cells by transmission electron microscopy established that they had morphological properties expected for thick limb cells. Freshly isolated medullary thick limb (MTALH) cells consistently accumulated cAMP in response to arginine vasopressin (AVP), thyrocalcitonin, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and glucagon. PGE2, thyrocalcitonin, parathyroid hormone, and AVP, but not isoproteren...
Andrea O'reilly Herrera, The pearl of the antilles

The Pearl of the Antilles tells the story of five generations of Cuban women in a narrative that moves from prerevolutionary Cuba (part one) to the 1980s United States (part two). Alluding to its allegorical treatment of Cuban history, the novel’s title refers both to the island itself and to a term of endearment for one of its main characters, Rosa, who is married to a domineering and unfaithful husband. In interwoven narratives, anecdotes, and dream sequences, we also learn of the marital difficulties in the lives of Rosa’s mother and grandmother, and we are introduced to Tata, a black servant of the family. The second part of the novel focuses on Rosa’s daughter, Margarita, who has chosen exile in the United States, and, once there, needs to come to terms with her divided identity and her failure to communicate her past to her daughter Lilly. The novels’ two parts are bridged by a collection of sometimes fragmentary or repeated letters, which span nearly twenty years and represent the only tangible connection between the two worlds and time periods depicted in The Pearl of the Antilles.
The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, a Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History. By Darrin Lunde.

The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, a Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History . By Darrin Lunde. (New York: Crown Publishers, 2016. x + 335 pp. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. $28.00, cloth; ebook.) Theodore Roosevelt’s formidable accomplishments as a leading hunter-naturalist of his day have been liberally surveyed by his many biographers. In The Naturalist , however, readers will benefit from the perspective of a practicing museum mammologist. Presently with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and formerly at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Darrin Lunde has been intimately connected with the two institutions best associated with Roosevelt’s contributions to museum-based natural history. A key point for Lunde, because it was so integral … Frank.VanNuys{at}sdsmt.edu
Physiological mechanisms of QRS narrowing in bundle branch block patients undergoing permanent His bundle pacing

His bundle pacing is increasingly used to avoid chronic right ventricular pacing, and electrically resynchronize ventricular activation by narrowing or normalizing the QRS interval in left and right bundle branch block. The mechanisms by which this occurs remain poorly understood. In this review, the proposed mechanisms and evidence supporting them are discussed. Also discussed are aspects of mechanisms that are not completely supported by the evidence. We also review the differences and physiological bases for direct vs. indirect His bundle capture, and the physiological mechanisms for QRS narrowing vs. normalization following His bundle pacing.
Barriers to Care Coordination and Medical Home Implementation

BACKGROUND: Pediatricians are central in leading the family-centered medical home (FCMH), yet little is known about how provider-perceived barriers to and attitudes toward the FCMH affect implementation. This study aims to assess the relationship between pediatrician-perceived barriers to and attitudes toward FCMH and reported care coordination. METHODS: Pediatricians working in ambulatory care responded to the American Academy of Pediatrics Periodic Survey of Fellows #79 ( N = 572, response rate, 59%). Our primary care coordination outcomes were whether pediatricians were: (1) leading a multidisciplinary team; (2) developing care plans; and (3) connecting with support services. Independent variables included barriers to FCMH implementation (lack of communication skills, support services, and time). Associations between outcomes and barriers were assessed by multivariate logistic regression, controlling for pediatrician and practice characteristics. RESULTS: Lack of sufficient personnel was significantly associated with fewer care coordination activities: leading a multidisciplinary team (odds ratio [OR], 0.53), developing care plans (OR, 0.51), and connecting with support services (OR, 0.42). Lacking communication skills was significantly associated with lower odds of development of care plans (OR, 0.56) and assistance with support services (OR, 0.64). Lack of time was significantly associated with lower odds of leading a multidisciplinary team (OR, 0.53). A pediatrician’s belief that the FCMH encourages the use of preventive services was significantly associated with increased support services (OR, 2.06). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatricians report a need for sufficient personnel and communication skills to provide care coordination, a core component of the FCMH. Interventions to boost FCMH implementation should focus on providing resources to develop these characteristics.
Blue Veins and Black Bigotry: Colorism as Moral Evil in Charles Chesnutt's 'A Matter of Principle'

Although Charles Chesnutt's short story "A Matter of Principle" is not as well known or as frequently studied as some of his other stories?"The Wife of His Youth," for example, or "The Goophered Grapevine"?the tale is nonetheless one of Chesnutt's crowning jewels, a story as serious-minded and moralistic as it is humorous and charming. It is perhaps its very humor and charm that have obscured the story's more serious level, what Sylvia Lyons Render has recognized as its caustic layer.1 A closer look at "A Mat ter of Principle," with particular emphasis on Chesnutt's subtle use of scrip tural allusion in the tale, reveals that the story, despite its engaging humor and the seemingly light touch with which it treats a serious issue, is argu ably Chesnutt's harshest condemnation of intraracial skin color prejudice. Intraracial racism, of course, is a subject that surfaces in several of Chesnutt's works. Indeed, the world of his fiction is peopled by a goodly number of biracial, light-skinned characters who view other, dark-skinned blacks with disdain and who strive to distance themselves from these (in Chesnutt's words) "genuine Negro [es] ."2 There is, for example, the color struck Molly Waiden in The House Behind the Cedars and the eponymous heroine of Mandy Oxendine, as well as Mr. Ryder (before his "conversion") in "The Wife of His Youth" and even Uncle Solomon Grundy in "The Sway Backed House."3 In his depiction of each of these characters, Chesnutt il lustrates how reprehensible their intraracial color prejudice is, and his con demnation ofthat prejudice is certainly clear enough. Nowhere else in his fiction, however, does he indict colorism4 as scathingly as he does in "A Mat ter of Principle," and certainly no other of his characters does he condemn as unsparingly as the bigoted Cicero Clayton, the tale's protagonist, whose
Glass trade beads: A progress report

The use of glass trade beads as a good chronological marker has been hampered by a lack of precise terminology and uniform description. There has also been a profound lack of appreciation of what is in reality a large series of complex manufacturing techniques that vary with time and geography. The several manufacturing techniques can be grouped into drawn, wound, mold-pressed, fired, blown, and a few minor techniques. Suggestions are made for describing the physical appearance of beads. Suggested levels of analysis include laboratory analysis, historical analysis, and cultural analysis.
Point-to-Point Transportation

In the not-so-distant future, if you believe the articles in Popular Mechanics or Wired, the more affluent sections of society will have the option of rocketing between London and Sydney or between New York and Beijing in just 2 h (Fig. 8.1). Or less. It’s called suborbital point-to-point (SPTP) and, if those articles or to be believed, it will radically alter intercontinental commuting. At least for a privileged few. With the advent of suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLV) comes the potential for PTP transportation which has long been heralded as a revolutionary mode of air transport. One study published by the International Space University (ISU) in 2008 calculated the transatlantic flight time for a sRLV between New York and London could be as quick as 75 min. While such rapid global transport of passengers makes PTP an attractive space technology proposition, its success is dependent on a number of factors. First, PTP transport needs to be integrated into not only the National Airspace System (NAS) but also into International Airspace. Second, there are myriad institutional, technical and operational issues that must be resolved before supersonic and hypersonic PTP systems (Fig. 8.2) can be flown between major cities. And third, dedicated spaceports may need to be co-located with existing airports.
Decentralized control with moving-horizon linear switched systems: Synthesis and testbed implementation

In this paper, we improve recent results on the decentralized switched control problem to include the moving horizon case and apply it to a testbed system. Using known derivations for a centralized controller with look-ahead, we were able to extend the decentralized problem with finite memory to include receding horizon modal information. We then compare the performance of a switched controller with finite memory and look-ahead horizon to that of a linear time independent (LTI) controller using a simulation. The decentralized controller is further tested with a real-world system comprised of multiple model-sized hovercrafts.
Projections of the future occurrence, distribution, and seasonality of three Vibrio species in the Chesapeake Bay under a high‐emission climate change scenario

Illness caused by pathogenic strains of Vibrio bacteria incurs significant economic and health care costs in many areas around the world. In the Chesapeake Bay, the two most problematic species are V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus, which cause infection both from exposure to contaminated water and consumption of contaminated seafood. We used existing Vibrio habitat models, four global climate models, and a recently developed statistical downscaling framework to project the spatiotemporal probability of occurrence of V. vulnificus and V. cholerae in the estuarine environment, and the mean concentration of V. parahaemolyticus in oysters in the Chesapeake Bay by the end of the 21st century. Results showed substantial future increases in season length and spatial habitat for V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus, while projected increase in V. cholerae habitat was less marked and more spatially heterogeneous. Our findings underscore the need for spatially variable inputs into models of climate impacts on Vibrios in estuarine environments. Overall, economic costs associated with Vibrios in the Chesapeake Bay, such as incidence of illness and management measures on the shellfish industry, may increase under climate change, with implications for recreational and commercial uses of the ecosystem.
Numerical simulation of hydraulic fracture propagation in naturally fractured formations using the cohesive zone model

Abstract This paper presents an integrated methodology that utilizes the cohesive zone model (CZM) to simulate propagation of hydraulic fractures, and their interactions with pre-existing natural fractures. CZM has the advantage of capturing the non-elastic behavior of shales; usually induced by total organic carbon (TOC) as well as dissimilar mechanical properties of cemented natural fractures. At the intersection of an advancing hydraulic fracture and a stationary natural fracture, the hydraulic fracture may arrest, cross, or divert into a pre-existing natural fracture depending on the rock mechanical properties, magnitude and direction of rock principal stresses, and fracture intersection angle. The activation of natural fractures during hydraulic fracture treatments improves fracture complexity and expands reservoir drainage area, making stimulation treatments more effective. In this work, triaxiality effects are incorporated into the cohesive zone model. Utilizing triaxiality makes the traction separation law (TSL) tied to confining pressure and this ensures a more reliable transition from laboratory test environment to bottomhole conditions. We present a methodology to determine the cohesive properties or TSL characteristics of rock, after performing semicircular bending tests (SCBT). Finite element analysis (FEA) is then used to calibrate the cohesive properties of both rock and natural fractures. The calibrated parameters were utilized in a field-scale FEA to simulate the growth of complex fracture networks. The results show how fracture intersection angle and the nature of cemented materials inside the natural fractures might divert a hydraulic fracture initially propagating in a direction perpendicular to the minimum horizontal stress. The sensitivity analysis of primary parameters such as fluid viscosity, natural fracture distribution, fracture intersection angle, and differential stresses is implemented to provide a better insight into the performance of hydraulic fracturing jobs in naturally fractured reservoirs. Results indicate the importance of nonlinear fracture tip effects as in-situ stress differences increase.
Role of Department of Defense Policies in Identifying Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Deployed US Service Members, 2001–2016

Objectives. To examine the role of Department of Defense policies in identifying theater-sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).Methods. We conducted a retrospective study of 48 172 US military service members who sustained their first lifetime TBIs between 2001 and 2016 while deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq. We used multivariable negative binomial models to examine the changes in TBI incidence rates following the introduction of Department of Defense policies.Results. Two Army policies encouraging TBI reporting were associated with an increase of 251% and 97% in TBIs identified following their implementation, respectively. Among airmen, the introduction of TBI-specific screening questions to the Post-Deployment Health Assessment was associated with a 78% increase in reported TBIs. The 2010 Department of Defense Directive Type Memorandum 09-033 was associated with another increase of 80% in the likelihood of being identified with a TBI among soldiers, a 51% increase among sailors, and a 124% increase a...
Variability in Life Can Facilitate Learning to Live Together

In this paper I propose that happiness can be achieved by being variable in everything that we do. Being variable results in being adaptable in difficult situations such as dealing with other people that are different to you. By promoting variability in our lives, we can become more contented as we can overcome many obstacles. Striving to be variable in every aspect of our lives can promote a happier and healthier life that can translate to improved tolerance and adaptability in our social interactions. Variability in our lives can thus facilitate learning to live together.
Polypeptide Subunits Encoded by Nuclear Genes are Essential Components of Eukaryotic Cytochrome C Oxidase

Eukaryotic cytochrome c oxidase spans the inner mitochondrial membrane and is a complex protein composed of: 4 redox centers (Fea, Cua, and the Fea3-Cua3 binuclear center)1; cardiolipin2,3; and as many as 13 polypeptides4,5. During the past several years, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytochrome c oxidase has been used extensively for studies of mitochondrial biogenesis and genetics6 while bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase has provided most of the structural and functional data for the enzyme7. Recent work on the isolation and sequencing of the polypeptides of both enzymes8-21 as well as the cloning and sequencing of their genes22-31 has provided the complete primary sequences of the polypeptides in the holoenzymes from both bovine heart and yeast. The three largest polypeptides (designated subunit s I, II, and III) in both enzymes are encoded on mitochondrial DNA. The remaining polypeptides (6 in yeast4 and 9–10 in bovine heart5) are encoded by nuclear genes.
Particle Acceleration in Radio Sources with Internal Turbulence

Many extended radio sources seem to need in situ regeneration of the relativistic electrons. MHD turbulence generated by surface instabilities has been suggested as the reacceleration mechanism. However, Eilek (1981) has shown that short wavelength MHD waves, which are the most effective particle accelerators, are strongly damped in radio sources. This results in the turbulent region being confined to a thin layer on the edge of the source, so that particles accelerated here must propagate into the radio source if this reacceleration mechanism is to account for the internal synchrotron luminosity. Most likely the particles diffuse across tangled field lines; using numerical modelling of the turbulence, Eilek showed that the particles propagate only a small distance (10 pc – 1 kpc) in from the edge. This predicts that larger sources should appear limb brightened; but such limb brightening is rare. If short wavelength MHD waves are indeed the source of reacceleration, they must be generated internally.
‘Now I Am a Man!’: Performing Sexual Violence in the National Theatre Production of Frankenstein

The 2011 National Theatre stage adaptation of Frankenstein, written by Nick Dear and directed by Danny Boyle, highlights a construction of masculinity that relies on and normalises violence against women. Though Shelley’s narrating scientist only briefly mentions his interactions with his female creature and brushes over his fiancee’s death, on stage, Victor performs necrophilic acts to taunt his creation/counterpart. Later, he and the audience watch while the creature rapes and then murders Elizabeth in a brutal simulacrum of sexual climax. These scenes of violence against women, performed frankly, do not allow for the possibility of emotional recovery or resolution on the part of the audience but instead become a parody of desire and agency. They thus reinforce violent stereotypes as the basis of toxic masculinity.
Les composés N-N de subordination : un paradigme émergent

This paper aims at examining the causes of the emergence of French subordinate Noun-Noun compounds. It is well known that the Noun-Noun pattern in French remains marginal compared to other lexicogenic processes, especially N-PREP-N or N-A, and it is supposed that its appearance as well as its progressive development took place during the last two centuries (19th-20th). The aim of this paper is to examine more in detail when and why French Noun-Noun structures emerge. As for the first question, empirical data from the Frantext corpus allow to hypothesize that both the type and the token frequency of French Noun-Noun compounds remain stable since the thirties of the nineteenth century until the end of the Second World War and that after this period, especially during the sixties, it begins to grow exponentially. Contrary to Arnaud’s estimate (2003, p. 141), no significant change in frequency or productivity was observed around the middle of the 19th century. As for the second question, the author claims that the emergence of subordinate N-N compounds was triggered by an increase in the productivity of the attributive N-N compounds, for which there is no competitive pattern in French. The theoretical rationale of this hypothesis is anchored in paradigmatic approaches to word formation, with specific reference to the formalization made according to the Construction Morphology framework (Booij, 2010).
Implementing a pulmonary function laboratory (PFL) quality assurance (QA) program across a large health system

Background: The ATS-ERS have established QA models as components of their PF technical standards (TS), however other than calibration many are not performed. We wanted to ensure high quality PF test results across the >70 facilities which comprize the Mayo Clinic (MC) health system. Objective: Implement a QA program for all lung function testing across the MC enterprise. Establish the individual components and QA metrics if not defined in the TSs. Methods: Basic training was defined as completion of a 2-day spirometry course for all personnel if not already specifically certified in PF testing. Ensure mechanical and biological models were being performed, set the target ranges if not defined by the TS, (Table 1). We developed a method to document the processes. A Sharepoint (figure 2) was created to facilitate communication, provide resources, house forms for documentation including spreadsheets with target limits and CVs. Conclusion: Standardized training and reporting tools, setting the target criteria for QA models, and a single reporting location have been essential elements in implementing the MC PFL QA program.
Ur-ine Old Age: Urinary Microbiome of Older Community Dwelling Women

In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Adebayo et al. (2020) examine the urobiome of older community-dwelling women within the TwinUK Cohort. They define a core genitourinary microbiome for older women with many heritable microbial taxa. Some taxa appear to co-occur, suggesting the existence of specific microbial consortia.
Very Light Daily Smoking in Young Adults: Relationships Between Nicotine Dependence and Lapse.

INTRODUCTION Very light daily smoking is increasingly common among young adults. Evidence suggests that levels of nicotine dependence vary significantly among young adults who engage in very light daily smoking. However, the links between dependence and clinically relevant outcomes (eg, lapse) in this population remain unclear. The goal of this study was to address this gap by evaluating how well different nicotine dependence scales predict lapse behavior among very light daily smoking young adults. AIMS AND METHODS Very light daily smokers (1-5 cigarettes/day) aged 18-25 participated in an initial laboratory session, during which nicotine dependence was assessed using four commonly used measures: the Fagerstrӧm Test for Cigarette Dependence (FTCD), the Hooked On Nicotine Checklist (HONC), the Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Centers (TTURC) Nicotine Dependence Inventory, and the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM). After a baseline period, eligible participants (n = 40) completed a 10-day abstinence incentive period in which they attempted to refrain from smoking to earn monetary rewards. Cox proportional hazards models were used to test whether dependence predicted days to first lapse. RESULTS FTCD scores significantly predicted days to lapse, as did scores on the FTCD item assessing time to first cigarette of the day (TTFC). No other dependence measures predicted time to lapse. Both the FTCD and TTFC continued to independently predict time to lapse after controlling for smoking frequency and duration. CONCLUSIONS The FTCD may be a particularly useful tool for capturing clinically meaningful variability in nicotine dependence among young adults who engage in very light daily smoking. IMPLICATIONS This is the first study to directly link self-reported nicotine dependence with the ability to achieve and maintain abstinence among very light daily smoking young adults. The results may aid clinicians in selecting among variable measures of nicotine dependence when assessing and treating this population.
Personalized Critical Care Medicine

The vast clinical heterogeneity seen in patients with critical illness provides ample opportunity for instituting personalized medicine. It can improve various aspects of critical care including risk stratification, diagnosis, treatment plans and response, prognostication, and research. Although the current clinical utilization is limited, tools abound in the research space. They include biomarkers, and methods using omics-based technology and large population level data. For example, Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is biomarker for early identification of acute kidney injury, and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) may identify high-risk patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Omics-based techniques can help with early diagnosis, identifying unknown endotypes, and to investigate endotype specific treatment. For instance, a hyperinflammatory endotype of acute respiratory distress syndrome identified using latent class analysis identifies patients who might preferentially benefit from restrictive fluid management or steroids. Also, various gene transcription panels have been used to differentiate sepsis from non-infectious inflammation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms can be used to predict variations in clinical response to certain medications like opioids, clopidogrel and coumadin. With availability of detailed physiological and laboratory data through electronic medical records, complex machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence-based systems are being used to predict sepsis and acute kidney injury. Personalized medicine in critical care setting is rife with challenges, and many of these tools need further research and development to be incorporated into clinical practice. We envision a future where personalized medicine guides all aspects of decision making and therapy, thereby, improve outcomes in critically ill patients.
When Conflict Recurs: Classification of Conflict When Hostilities Break Out Anew

Conflict classification — including identifying when conflict ends — is essential for determining the application of the law of armed conflict and the concomitant protections for persons and obligations of the parties to the conflict or potential conflict. What happens, however, when a conflict ends or appears to end but then violence and hostilities bubble up again? The complexity of conflict identification and classification and the challenges of understanding and analyzing the facts and actors in such new rounds of violence raise interesting and often difficult questions regarding the appropriate approach in assessing whether such new violence constitutes an armed conflict and when. This chapter analyzes the appropriate analytical tools and thresholds for identifying the existence of and characterizing conflict in the face of a resurgence of hostilities. For conflicts between two states, the threshold for such international armed conflict is quite low, such that it could be hard to envision a quicker identification of armed conflict when violence recurs in the aftermath of an inter-state conflict. However, such scenarios pose challenging questions of whether actions by a proxy group or other entity could constitute an international armed conflict and, if so, whether the threshold or standard for such determination might be easier to satisfy if a recent conflict between the two states forms the backdrop for that analysis. In the context of non-international armed conflicts, one overarching question is whether the now-classical Tadic test with the factors of intensity and organization is the right approach in such situations of violence recurring after conflict, or whether some lower threshold or “accelerated analysis” could be more appropriate in these situations. Similarly, the nature of the armed group engaged in the resurgence of hostilities may be consequential, such that the thresholds or framework for hostilities recurring with the same group may not be the same as that for new or reconstituted groups, as well as the location and nature of the conflict. After a brief discussion of the basis for this inquiry and an introduction to the basic legal framework for identification and classification of armed conflict in the first section, the second section explores how the specific problem of violence recurring after the end of armed conflict poses interesting and challenging questions for the conflict classification schematic.
TDA 3D Data Model and Feature Simplification Analysis

Topology data analysis (TDA) is a combination of topology and data science. The analysis process will not cause information loss. It has been widely used in various industries in recent years. However, how to display TDA data with simpler data structure is still under exploration. This paper designs and simulates a method of TDA point cloud data segmentation and classification data topology information simplification. Firstly, the point cloud data is segmented based on the region growing method. Secondly, the idea of "topological compression" is used to express the richer data information of each segmentation part with a simpler data structure; in the experimental model, the experiment is completed on the platform of MATLAB 2016 (b), and the simple and complex representation of segmented vehicle targets completely includes all the pixel positions and gray 3D data information of the vehicle.
Clinical Management of COVID-19: A Review of Pharmacological Treatment Options

Since the outbreak and subsequent declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic in March 2020, concerted efforts have been applied by the scientific community to curtail the spread of the disease and find a cure. While vaccines constitute a vital part of the public health strategy to reduce the burden of COVID-19, the management of this disease will continue to rely heavily on pharmacotherapy. This study aims to provide an updated review of pharmacological agents that have been developed and/or repurposed for the treatment of COVID-19. To this end, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Google Scholar, and LitCovid databases. Relevant clinical studies on drugs used in the management of COVID-19 were identified and evaluated in terms of evidence of efficacy and safety. To date, the FDA has approved three therapies for the treatment of COVID-19 Emergency Use Authorization: convalescent plasma, remdesivir, and casirivimab/imdevimab (REGN-COV2). Drugs such as lopinavir/ritonavir, umifenovir, favipiravir, anakinra, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab, interferons, tissue plasminogen activator, intravenous immunoglobulins, and nafamosat have been used off-label with mixed therapeutic results. Adjunctive administration of corticosteroids is also very common. The clinical experience with these approved and repurposed drugs is limited, and data on efficacy for the new indication are not strong. Overall, the response of the global scientific community to the COVID-19 pandemic has been impressive, as evident from the volume of scientific literature elucidating the molecular biology and pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 and the approval of three new drugs for clinical management. Reviewed studies have shown mixed data on efficacy and safety of the currently utilized drugs. The lack of standard treatment for COVID-19 has made it difficult to interpret results from most of the published studies due to the risk of attribution error. The long-term effects of drugs can only be assessed after several years of clinical experience; therefore, the efficacy and safety of current COVID-19 therapeutics should continue to be rigorously monitored as part of post-marketing studies.
Monarchy of Concordia: Business Models and Noise Behavior Legislation

Monarchy of Concordia is a globalized society with objective of maintaining peace and harmony in the world by controlling human noise behavior. The Monarchy of Concordia has motto of “Controlling Human Noise Behavior” with guiding principles of energy perspectives in a society. Noise is defined as a sensation of unwanted intensity of a wave. It is perception of a pollutant and a type of environmental stressor. The unwanted intensity of a wave is a propagation of noise due to transmission of energy source waves (viz. physical agents) such as sun, light, sound, heat, electricity, fluid and fire. Human Noise Behavior is checked by identifying a source and a sink of noise i.e. a person making noise and a person affected by such noise. Full globalization requires the harmonization of trade regulations and laws across countries. Such harmonization would require a global government. To overcome all such barriers and national sovereignty issues, a globalized society for maintaining peace and harmony among nations through monitoring and controlling human noise behavior of the world came into existence by establishing sovereign political power of monarchy of Concordia. This monograph is focusing on socio-economic and ergonomics aspects of monitoring and controlling human noise behavior by establishing sovereign political power of Monarchy of Concordia. This monograph is elaborating sustainable development business models of socio-economic aspects for monitoring and controlling human noise behavior in the sovereign political power of Monarchy of Concordia. Legislation aspects of controlling human noise behavior and climate change in monarchy of Concordia are briefly outlined in this monograph. Taxes and fines on noise behavior along with the discussions on various aspects of controlling human noise behavior are also elaborated in this monograph.
Heteroepitaxy of GaAsP and ZnSe on OP-GaAs Templates - a Reasonable Solution for Frequency Conversion in MLWIR

Some promising nonlinear optical materials such as GaP, GaAsP, ZnSe and GaSe are grown heteroepitaxially on GaAs substrates and on orientation-patterned GaAs templates by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) for frequency conversion in the MLWIR region.
Universal embedding spaces for automata.

Publisher Summary The tremendous upsurge of interest over the past two decades in the mathematical theories of organism, much of it occasioned by Norbert Wiener's signal work Cybernetics, has yet to reach its crest. One important part of this activity has been a continued attempt to bring logic and automata theory to bear on complicated problems, such as self-reproduction and adaptation. This chapter seeks to look more closely at such attempts by examining the notion of construction in the context of automata theory. This chapter defines the class of homogeneous, computation-universal spaces, and investigates properties of these spaces apropos to studies of computation, construction, self-reproduction, and adaptation in the context of automata theory. Three prerequisite concepts are first developed: (1) composition (“connection”) of countable sets of automata; (2) embedding (“simulating”) one composition in another; (3) computation by finite automata. The universal spaces are defined in terms of these concepts and necessary conditions for a composition to be universal are derived. The subset, U c , of composition-universal spaces (all finite compositions can be embedded therein) is distinguished, as is the subset, U d , which includes the natural generalizations of Von Neumann's “logical-universal” space. It is shown that U c and U d are disjoint and that this fact bears importantly upon the use of universal spaces for the study of computation and construction.
The role of the fetus and placenta in maintenance of plasma progesterone.

Abstract Within 2 hours after delivery of the placenta only minute amounts of progesterone could be demonstrated in the peripheral blood. After delivery the progesterone content of the uterine vein blood fell sharply. The greatest concentration of progesterone was found in a single sample from the intervillous pool and umbilical vein blood. The variation of progesterone during the day suggests that there may be a diurnal rhythm. The higher values at 6 a.m. on the first day of admission may indicate that progesterone levels in pregnant patients may be influenced by psychological factors. Clomiphene produced a consistent rise of progesterone in a 10 week pregnancy but not in one of 20 weeks, which suggests that it may stimulate the production of progesterone by the corpus luteum but not by the placenta.
Photoemission ambient pressure ionization (PAPI) with an ultraviolet light emitting diode and detection of organic compounds

The development of compact, rugged and low-power ion sources is critical for the further advancement of handheld mass analyzers. Further, there is a need to replace the common 63Ni source used at atmospheric pressure with a non-radioactive substitute. We present here a description of a light emitting diode (LED) photoemission ionization source for use in mass spectrometry for the detection of volatile organic compounds. This technique relies upon the generation of photoelectrons from a low-work function metal via low-energy ultraviolet (UV) light (280 or 240 nm) generated by a single LED in air at atmospheric pressure. These low-energy photoelectrons result in either direct electron capture by the analyte or chemical ionization. Currently, only negative ions are demonstrated due to operation at atmospheric pressure. Ion generation occurs without use of high electric fields such as those found in corona discharge or electrospray ionization. This source is effective for measuring organic vapors from gases, liquids and surface residues via atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, initiated by photoemission off a conductive surface. Several classes of organic vapors are analyzed and found to be effectively detected, including compounds that ionize via electron attachment, dissociative electron capture, proton abstraction, adduct formation and replacement ionization. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sex Education in Adult Retail Stores: Positioning Consumers' Questions as Teachable Moments

Abstract To assess the extent to which consumers of adult retail stores present “teachable moments” that could be used for sexuality education, data were analyzed from 273 employees of adult retail stores in 61 U.S. cities. Participants reported on the frequency with which they were asked questions related to disease prevention, pregnancy prevention, or sexual enhancement. Additionally, participants provided 806 questions that they were personally most frequently asked. Findings indicate that they most frequently receive questions about adult media products, sexual toys, and lubricants; further, questions are most often framed within the context of sexual enhancement. By reconceptualizing these questions and the potential responses of employees, sexuality educators may realize that there is a unique opportunity for engaging with this industry to enhance the availability of accurate information to sexually active or interested adults.