cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preserving Intangible Aspects of Cultural Materials: Bonpo Ritual Crafts of Amdo, Eastern Tibet

Ancient and historic products of past technologies exist in the form of material culture and archaeological finds, available for materials analysis. Technical studies and analytical work, coupled with the study of historical texts and archival documents, can help in reconstructing past technologies. But the act of making an object is, by its very nature, also an intangible part of human heritage. Production of material culture may be accompanied by specific rituals, social behaviors and relationships, music, knowledge gained from oral histories, meanings, intents, beliefs, and reasoning processes. For ancient objects, gaining access to these intangible aspects of cultural heritage may be extremely difficult, if not impossible. However, there are many societies where traditional crafts are produced within a context where the intangible aspects can still be recorded. Yet, these opportunities are disappearing at an alarming rate as development and globalization rapidly overtake more and more traditional communities. Documenting intangible data about craft processes can promote fuller understanding of the objects themselves, and aid long-term preservation of both the objects and the processes used to make them. Examples here are drawn from fieldwork conducted in 2007 at a Bonpo monastery (Serling) and nearby villages in the Amdo region of the eastern Tibetan culture area (in Sichuan Province, China). Bonpo practices, which pre-date the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet, incorporate a variety of ritual crafts that are strongly rooted in a complex web of intangible relationships, behaviors, meanings, purposes, and beliefs. This paper focuses on votive clay objects (tsha-tshas) and barley-dough offering sculptures (tormas). Processes encompassing intangible aspects that are explored include the decision to make an object, when to make it and in what form, selection of raw materials, methods for processing the raw materials, fabrication procedures, selection of who will be involved in fabrication steps, where to place the finished object, and whether it will be preserved for the long term or considered to be only a temporary object. Results are placed in the context of larger theoretical issues regarding documentation and preservation of intangible elements of cultural heritage as part of a study of materials and technological processes.
The inhibition of hair growth by estrogens as related to adrenal cortical function in the male rat.

THE systemic administration of large doses of estrogen over a period of several weeks suppresses the growth of hair in rats. Hair growth can be similarly inhibited by large doses of adrenal cortex extracts, 11-oxygenated steroids or of hypophyseal adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). It is known that large doses of estrogen cause stimulation of the adrenal cortex via the increased secretion of hypophyseal adrenocorticotropin. Hair growth is accelerated following adrenalectomy in the rat. Baker and Whitaker (1949) and Baker (In press) have reviewed the published data bearing on this problem and have demonstrated that whereas estrogen inhibits hair growth in non-adrenalectomized rats, it fails to inhibit hair growth in adrenally insufficient rats. Baker and Whitaker (1949) have raised the question which is the subject of the present study, namely: Is the hair-growth inhibiting effect of estrogen mediated by an increase in the secretory activity of the adrenal cortex,
Manele Music and the Discourse of Balkanism in Romania

The Roma (or Gypsy) populations of Europe have historically been subject to discrimination, the most recent news about Roma expulsions from Italy and France testifying to the persistence of their plight. This article attends to discourses in public culture that constitute the status of the Roma, taking as a case study Romania, where the largest Roma population resides. It examines rhetoric by public intellectuals condemning the Roma-dominated music genre of Manele and illustrates how they conflate music and their performers with a stigmatized view of the Balkans understood as ominously hybrid. By positioning Romanian culture outside of the map of Eastern stigmatization, public intellectuals render both the Roma minority and the Romania's neighbors as foreign Others.
Von Hippel-Lindau disease and erythrocytosis: Radioimmunoassay of erythropoietin in cyst fluid from a brainstem hemangioblastoma

A 59‐year‐old woman with von Hippel‐Lindau disease developed erythrocytosis and a recurrent intracranial hemangioblastoma. Radioimmunoassay showed an elevated level of erythropoietin in her serum. Cyst fluid from the tumor also contained erythropoietin, concentrated a thousandfold relative to the serum level. Production of erythropoietin by hemangioblastomas may explain the erythrocytosis present in some patients with von Hippel‐Lindau disease. NEUROLOGY 1991;41:753‐754
Syntheses, characterization, and properties of multiblock copolymers consisting of polyisobutylene and poly(L‐lactide) segments

The syntheses of {-poly(L-lactide) (PLLA)-b-polyisobutylene (PIB)-} n multiblock copolymers were accomplished for the first time by chain extension of PLLA-b-PIB-b-PLLA triblock copolymers. Well-defined PLLA-b-PIB-b-PLLA triblock copolymers with predictable M n s, low PDIs (1.10―1.18) and excellent blocking efficiencies were prepared by anionic ring-opening polymerizations of L -lactide initiated with hydroxyallyl telechelic PIB (HO-Allyl-PIB-Allyl-OH) in toluene at 110 °C. The triblock copolymers were successfully chain extended with 4,4'-methylenebis(phenylisocyanate) (MDI) to obtain the multiblock copolymers with good gravimetric yields of ∼86 to 96%. The chain-extended polymers were soluble in a range of common organic solvents. The block copolymers showed two glass transition temperatures in differential scanning calorimetric analysis for the PIB and PLLA blocks indicating microphase separation, which was supported by atomic force microscopy images. The as-synthesized compression molded multiblock copolymers exhibited tensile strengths in the range of 8―24 MPa with elongations at break in the range of 2.5―400%. The static and dynamic mechanical properties showed a strong dependence on the relative PLLA content in the copolymer. The dynamic mechanical analysis also indicated microphase separation at higher PLLA compositions.
Targeting of Transgene Expression to the Vascular Endothelium of Mice by Homologous Recombination at the Thrombomodulin Locus

We describe a straightforward gene-targeting technique to achieve uniform, stable, and genetically invariant expression of a transgene in the vascular endothelium of mice. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, the reporter gene bacterial beta-galactosidase was inserted via homologous recombination into the intronless thrombomodulin locus of murine embryonic stem cells. In this fashion, the lacZ gene is placed under the regulatory control of the endogenous thrombomodulin promoter. The expression of the transgene in adult mice recapitulated the widespread, stable, and high-level expression of the thrombomodulin gene in vascular endothelium. These data indicate that targeting of cDNAs into the thrombomodulin locus serves as a viable strategy to express transgenes in endothelial cells. Analysis of reporter gene expression revealed a heterogeneous pattern of thrombomodulin gene activity in the endothelium of the aorta and its tributaries. We also show that embryonic stem cells with a targeted thrombomodulin locus contribute in a mosaic fashion to the vascular endothelium of chimeric mice. This method for generating animals with a functionally heterogeneous cardiovascular system should provide an experimental technique for studying how localized genetic abnormalities in endothelial cell function lead to the development of vascular diseases.
Experimental measurements and numerical simulations of particle transport and distribution in ventilated rooms

Prediction of particle dispersion and distribution in a room is very important for creating and maintaining a healthy indoor environment. The present study used a CFD program with a Lagrangian particle tracking method to predict particle dispersion and concentration distribution in ventilated rooms. Since the Lagrangian method could generate great uncertainty in particle concentration calculations, this study first investigated such uncertainty using a statistical approach. It was found that the stability of the concentration solution became well controlled as a sufficient number of particles were analyzed. Although the overall computational cost was considerable, the numerical results agreed well with associated experimental data. In all cases studied, particle size distribution was monodisperse, and particle diameter ranged from 0.31 to 4.5 μm. Particle deposition rate was neglected, and particles were hence removed only by the ventilation system. Thus the particle removal performance of different ventilation systems can be evaluated. Three ventilation systems have been studied, including ceiling and side wall supply systems and an underfloor air distribution (UFAD) system. It was found that the UFAD system had a better particle removal performance than the ceiling and side wall supply systems in the study. However, resuspended particles at the floor level can still cause problems in an UFAD system.
Broadening the Cultural-Organizational Perspective in Exclusion of Youth with Social Maladjustment First Invited Reaction to the Maag and Howell Paper

Tbis article reviews the problem of exclusion from special education of children or youth with social maladjustmerit, but expands the conceptualization by placing it in the context of the historical need to limit services to cbildren or youth with emotional or behavioral disorders and the current underidentification of such pupils. Definitional issues that tend to confuse the debate, at both the microand macroperspective level, are also considered.
The generalized quadratic Gaussian CEO problem: New cases with tight rate region and applications

We study the generalized quadratic Gaussian CEO problem where K jointly Gaussian remote sources are transformed and independently-Gaussian-corrupted to form L observations, which are separately compressed by L encoders while the decoder attempts to reconstruct the K remote sources subject to a sum-distortion constraint. We first give a sufficient condition for the existing inner and outer regions to coincide, and then show that the new condition contains more matching cases than Oohama's. The main novelty lies in the fact that rotating the remote sources via orthogonal transformation while keeping a constant observation covariance matrix and the same observation noises does not change the rate region. Further, by exploiting the relationship between the sum-rate bound of the generalized quadratic Gaussian CEO problem and that of the quadratic Gaussian multiterminal source coding problem, we obtain new cases of the latter with tight sum-rate bound.
The Effects of Strength Training on the Lower Extremity Biomechanics of Female Recreational Athletes During a Stop-Jump Task

BackgroundStrength training is considered a strategy for anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention. Little is known about the contribution of strength training to knee and hip biomechanics.HypothesisLower extremity muscle strength training alters knee and hip biomechanics during a stop-jump task.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsKnee and hip 3-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data were collected for 66 female recreational athletes (33 intervention and 33 control) while performing 3 stop-jump tasks before and after completing a 9-week strength-training program targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus medius, and gluteus maximus (intervention) or a 9-week period of no strength training (control). Maximum voluntary isometric contraction strength data were also collected for each subject before the stop-jump tasks in each data collection session. Knee and hip joint angles as well as resultant forces and moments were calculated.ResultsThe intervention group increased in strength (P < .001...
Rising Health Care Costs and Life-Cycle Management in the Pharmaceutical Market

Aaron Kesselheim discusses Natalie Vernaz and colleagues' paper on the effects on health care costs of “evergreening” strategies pursued by drug manufacturers. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
STALL/SPIN STUDIES RELATING TO LIGHT GENERAL-AVIATION AIRCRAFT

The present paper discusses the NASA Langley Research Center stall/spin research program to improve the design and the evaluation techniques relative to stall/spin characteristics of general-aviation aircraft. The program encompasses model wind-tunnel tests, spin-tunnel and radio-control model tests, and full-scale airplane spin tests. Initial spin-tunnel results on models with several tail designs representative of light airplanes and several testing techniques are discussed.
Mindscape: A convergent perspective on life, mind, consciousness and happiness

What are mind, consciousness and happiness, in the fundamental context of life? We propose a convergent perspective (coupling evolutionary biology, genomics, neurobiology and clinical medicine) that could help us better understand what life, mind, consciousness and happiness are, as well as provides empirically testable practical implications.
Probabilistic regression suites for functional verification

Random test generators are often used to create regression suites on-the-fly. Regression suites are commonly generated by choosing several specifications and generating a number of tests from each one, without reasoning which specification should be used and how many tests should be generated from each specification. This paper describes a technique for building high quality random regression suites. The proposed technique uses information about the probability of each test specification covering each coverage task. This probability is used, in turn, to determine which test specifications should be included in the regression suite and how many tests should be generated from each specification. Experimental results show that this practical technique can be used to improve the quality, and reduce the cost, of regression suites. Moreover, it enables better informed decisions regarding the size and distribution of the regression suites, and the risk involved.
A Case for Percentage Commission Contracts: The Impact of a “Race” Among Agents

In standard principal-agent problems, the issue at hand is how to align the interests of the agent with those of her principal. A commonly used contract involves the principal paying the agent a percentage of the sale price as commission. With respect to real estate brokerage contracts, it has been argued that percentage commission contracts fail to provide sufficient incentives to the agent. This paper re-evaluates the standard solution to a one seller, one agent agency problem by introducing more than one agent. It is shown that percentage commission contracts can induce first-best effort levels from agents. The result is due to the negative externalities created by the winner-takes-all race among agents. The optimal commission rates in this model are inconsistent, however, with the observed uniformity in commission rates across markets in the USA.
Reducing Radiology Report Addenda Using Provisionally Signed Status

should be made with the provider responsible for the patient’s care, which can affect clinical efficiency. Also, addenda issued for nonurgent, administrative, or even technical or billing reasons may be extraneous and add unnecessary or confusing information to the original report. For these reasons, lowering the percentage of addenda to radiology reports should be a goal for an ideal radiology department. WHAT WE DID TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM Through a voice recognition software upgrade, our department recently acquired “provisional signing” capability for our radiology reports. Provisional signing allows the interpreting radiologist to “unsign” a report within a specified time (currently set at 2 min in our department) and to make changes to the original report without having to generate an addendum. We suspect that the provisional signing feature reduces the total number of radiology addenda. In this case study, we evaluated the percentage of radiology addenda after the implementation of provisional signing in
Experimental and micromagnetic study of track edge noise reduction effect in multilayer thin film media

A time domain spin-stand tester noise measurement and a micromagnetic modeling study are conducted to investigate the track edge noise reduction effect in multilayer thin film media. Both experimental and modeling studies show that track edge noise is concentrated in the side written band of a reversed bit-cell, in which the magnetization is opposite to the previous dc erased state. The track edge noise level is substantially suppressed for films laminated with a very thin non-magnetic interlayer. Thus the multilayer thin film media is more suitable for future narrow track recording. >
Spiroplasmas are the causal agents of citrus little-leaf disease

A spiroplasma isolated from citrus with little-leaf disease was grown in a cell-free medium and injected into leafhoppers (Euscelis plebejus). Injected leafhoppers, but not those fed on infected plants, transmitted the spiroplasma to white clover (Trifolium repens cv. S100) and sweet orange (Citrus sinensis cv. Valencia). Infected clover plants were severely stunted; infected sweet orange plants showed typical symptoms of citrus little-leaf disease. The spiroplasma was detected in clover and sweet orange plants by electron microscopy; the helical morphology of the organisms was most easily recognizable in sections 150-200 nm thick. The organism was re-isolated in cell-free media both from infected plants and from injected E. plebejus. The original isolate and those re-isolated from experimentally infected clover and sweet orange appeared by morphological, cultural, biochemical and serological criteria to be identical to each other and to the R8-A2 (type) and C-189 strains of Spiroplasma citri. Serological tests and electrophoretic analysis of protein preparations indicated no relationship to Acholeplasma laidlawii, although this organism survived for at least 10 wk after injection into E. plebejus. Our results show that the causal agent of little-leaf disease is related to S. citri.
Haploinsufficiency for either one of the type-II regulatory subunits of protein kinase A improves the bone phenotype of Prkar1a+/− mice

Carney Complex (CNC), a human genetic syndrome predisposing to multiple neoplasias, is associated with bone lesions such as osteochondromyxomas (OMX). The most frequent cause for CNC is PRKAR1A deficiency; PRKAR1A codes for type-I regulatory subunit of protein kinase A (PKA). Prkar1a(+/-) mice developed OMX, fibrous dysplasia-like lesions (FDL) and other tumors. Tumor tissues in these animals had increased PKA activity due to an unregulated PKA catalytic subunit and increased PKA type II (PKA-II) activity mediated by the PRKAR2A and PRKAR2B subunits. To better understand the effect of altered PKA activity on bone, we studied Prkar2a and Prkar2b knock out (KO) and heterozygous mice; none of these mice developed bone lesions. When Prkar2a(+/-) and Prkar2b(+/-) mice were used to generate Prkar1a(+/-)Prkar2a(+/-) and Prkar1a(+/-)Prkar2b(+/-) animals, bone lesions formed that looked like those of the Prkar1a(+/-) mice. However, better overall bone organization and mineralization and fewer FDL lesions were found in both double heterozygote groups, indicating a partial restoration of the immature bone structure observed in Prkar1a(+/-) mice. Further investigation indicated increased osteogenesis and higher new bone formation rates in both Prkar1a(+/-)Prkar2a(+/-) and Prkar1a(+/-)Prkar2b(+/-) mice with some minor differences between them. The observations were confirmed with a variety of markers and studies. PKA activity measurements showed the expected PKA-II decrease in both double heterozygote groups. Thus, haploinsufficiency for either of PKA-II regulatory subunits improved bone phenotype of mice haploinsufficient for Prkar1a, in support of the hypothesis that the PRKAR2A and PRKAR2B regulatory subunits were in part responsible for the bone phenotype of Prkar1a(+/-) mice.
Studying Temperament via Construction of the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire

The Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (TBAQ) was constructed by an iterative process of item generation intended to ensure content validity, by repeated item analyses focused on internal consistency and discriminant properties, and by scale revision. During the construction and initial validation processes reported in this article, data from 1,012 records were utilized. Internal consistency reliability estimates typically exceeded .80 for each scale. Evidence for convergent validity with other temperament questionnaires and for longitudinal stability was also obtained. Besides yielding a promising instrument, this assessment research has conceptual ramifications. For instance, components of negative affectivity (anger proneness and fearfulness) were independent, and item analyses suggested that shyness and other fears were independent as well. Consistent with most current views of temperament, the TBAQ temperament scales revealed some relationship and/or contextual specificity, as exemplified by the finding of only moderate parental agreement. The rank ordering on most temperament dimensions was impressively preserved from age 12 months, when the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) was used, to age 18 months, when the TBAQ was used (especially when subtle differences between the IBQ and TBAQ were taken into account). Most of the analyses benefit from replication.
The Hidden Business Costs Of European Union Enlargement: The Case Of The Czech Republic

Enlargement of the European Union (EU) will take place on May 1, 2004. Nine countries from Eastern Europe will become full fledged members of the union. While these countries have met the EU accession criteria many are not really ready to compete with Western European companies. One of the major impediments for firms in the East is the hidden costs of joining the union. This paper explores some of the case of the Czech Republic, what hidden costs are currently apparent, and suggests changes that would make the Czech Republic more competitive in Western Europe.
Effect of an Oral Contraceptive Steroid Mixture on Some Aspects of Lipid Metabolism in the Rat

Despite the widespread use of oral contraceptives only some of the metabolic effects of these drugs have been thoroughly investigated. Their role in lipid metabolism remains relatively obscure.
Xrd and Hrem Studies of Nanocrystalline Cu and Pd

Consolidated powders of nanocrystalline Cu and Pd have been studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) as part of an investigation of the mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline pure metals. XRD line broadening measurements were made to estimate grain size, qualitative grain size distribution and average long range strains in a number of samples. Mean grain sizes range from 4-60 nm and have qualitatively narrow grain size distributions. Long range lattice strains are of the order of 0.2-3% in consolidated samples. These strains apparently persist and even increase in Cu samples after annealing at 0.35 Tm (498K) for 2h, accompanied by an apparent increase in grain size of ≥2x. Grain size, grain size distribution width and internal strains vary somewhat among samples produced under apparently identical processing conditions. HREM studies show that twins, stacking faults and low-index facets are abundant in as-consolidated nanocrystalline Cu samples. Methodology, results and analysis of XRD and HREM experiments are presented.
Mating Efficiencies of Variable-sex-ratio, Sterilized Populations of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the Laboratory

Variable-sex-ratio, sterilized populations of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), were evaluated in the laboratory to assess their abilities to suppress a standard population of nonirradiated flies (20 males and 20 females). New competitiveness formulas were devised that include terms for fecundity and fertility of nonirradiated females in bisexual (mixed males and females) or unisexual (males-only and females- only) sterile fly populations. A separate competitiveness formula for sterile females indicated that these had 2–4% of the efficiency of sterile males. Average fly competitiveness ranged from 0.006 ± 0.001 (females only at a ratio of 9 sterile :1 normal) to 0.58 ± 0.10 (males only at an 18:1 ratio). Implications of potential female effects and various field-release strategies are discussed.
Bringing quality to the customer: a new paradigm for quality managers.

The transition of health care organizations to total quality improvement (TQI) models has significant consequences for quality manager roles and quality systems. Changing paradigms regarding one's quality role and programs requires critical self-awareness, new knowledge, and a fresh approach to employee-customer relations. The quality manager's challenges are to discover one's own learning needs, integrate new philosophies into one's behavior, and successfully model and mentor TQI to fellow health care providers. Quality managers have an opportunity to develop a vital and powerful leadership role vis-a-vis TQI and the point of contact between health care provider and patient.
Behavioral Public Sector Economics

Chapter 25 discusses the challenges that behavioral researchers have posed for mainstream economic theory in the form of widespread anomalous behavior by individuals that appears to be counter to their self-interest. The anomalies include present biased preferences, social preferences, and susceptibility to framing effects. Highlighted are Kahneman and Tverski's Prospect Theory, Laibson's quasi-hyperbolic discounting, the Mullainatihan, Schwartzsteri, and Congdon model for analyzing behavioral anomalies and policy nudges, and the Bernheim and Rangel prescription for reconciling behavioral anomalies and mainstream theory.
Dual-Earner Marriage

Dual-earner couples are those in which both marital partners participate in paid employment. Empirical studies of dual-career couple relationships explore interpersonal communication processes such as spousal role-identity construction, work–family routines, and relational equity negotiation. Division of household labor and martial satisfaction are two relational outcomes frequently investigated in the lives of dual-earner couples. Diverse dual-earner couple experiences that are gaining scholarly attention also include commuter couples, copreneurs, and female breadwinner couples. Keywords: conflict; family communication; gender; interpersonal communication; marital communication; work–family
Commuted Piano Synthesis

The \commuted piano synthesis" algorithm is described, based on a simpli ed acoustic model of the piano. The model includes multiple coupled strings, a nonlinear hammer, and an arbitrarily large soundboard and enclosure. Simpli cations are employed which greatly reduce computational complexity. Most of the simpli cations are made possible by the commutativity of linear, time-invariant systems. Special care is given to the felt-covered hammer which is highly nonlinear and therefore does not commute with other components. In its present form, a complete, two-key piano can be synthesized in real time on a single 25MHz Motorola DSP56001 signal processing chip.
Introduction to a Special Section: Spatial Analysis, Mapping, and Management of Marine Fisheries

The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1996 mandated that the National Marine Fisheries Service develop guidelines to assist fisheries management councils nationwide in the...
Non-uniform space charge controlled KTN beam deflector

A non-uniform space charge-controlled KTN beam deflector is presented and analyzed. We found that a non-uniform space charge can result in a non-uniform beam deflection angles. This effect can be useful for some applications such as electric field controlled beam separation. However, a non-uniform space charge needs to be avoided if one wants uniform beam deflection throughout the entire crystal.
A Time Machine for Information: Looking Back to Look Forward

Historical data (also called long data) holds the key to understanding when facts are true. It is through long data that one can understand the trends that have developed in the past, form the audit trails needed for justification, and make predictions about the future. For searching, there is also increasing interest to develop search capabilities over long data.In this article, we first motivate the need to develop a time machine for information that will help people "look back" so as to "look forward". We will overview key ideas on three components (extraction, linking, and cleaning) that we believe are central to the development of any time machine for information. Finally, we conclude with our thoughts on what we believe are some interesting open research problems. This article is based on the material presented in a tutorial at VLDB 2015.
Expression of Proliferation Related Genes in Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and Secondary Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Patients with Resistance to Low Dose Vidaza and Thalidomide.

Vidaza and Thalidomide were administered to 29 patients with MDS or AML. Vidaza was given at a dose of 75mg/kg subq X 5 days q28 days and Thalidomide starting at 50mg/day and increasing to 100mg. Therapy was well tolerated. Median age was 70 years, and there were 16 males. Two patients had RA, 2 RARS, 9 RAEB, 4 CMMoL, 10 AML and 2 Unknowns. According to IPSS, 1 had low, 7 had Int-1, 5 had Int-2 and 4 had high risk disease, and 2 unclassified and 10 had AML. Eleven patients had normal, 14 abnormal and 4 unknown cytogenetics. Hematologic improvement (HI) was seen in 14 and stable disease in 6 while 5 had disease progression. cDNA from pre-therapy BM mononuclear cells of 28/29 patients was hybridized to Affymetrix HG-U133AA microarrays and data was analyzed using the GenePattern software package. Marker genes were selected using ClassNeighbors algorithm with the signal-to-noise metric. When comparing resistant disease (RD) patients with HI (6) and others (2), of the 40 top marker genes over-expressed in the RD group, 21 are directly associated with cellular proliferation and can be divided into 3 groups. Group I (cell cycle) consisted of 9 genes; BUB1B, CCNA2, TMPO, CDC2, CCNB1, UBE2C, TTK, CDC20 and MCM5. Group II (replication repair) had 5 genes; TOP2A, RRM2, RFC3, FEN1, RNAH2A. Group III (spindle/chromosome structure) had 7; KIF2C, NUSAP1, CENPF, MK167, SPAG5, CENPA and STK6. Over-expression of these genes would indicate rapid cellular proliferation which may be an underlying cause of drug resistance. These results are especially striking since the treatment regimen consisted of a combination of two drugs, Vidaza and thalidomide, which purportedly act through different mechanisms. We conclude that the RD patients share a molecular signature which is also consistent with a demonstrated mechanism of cell cycle resistance, and underscores the future clinical usefulness of this methodology.
Indigenous expertise: African women’s artistry connecting across time and space

ABSTRACTThis article examines the indigenous technologies of women artists in the rural communities of northeastern Ghana and southeastern Burkina Faso, who paint the earthen walls of their homes using pigments derived from the local environment. Much has been written about the artistic ingenuity of fresco painters in the Italian Renaissance. Less scholarly attention has been given to the skills of rural women artists in West Africa, who also use fresco-like techniques to plaster and paint the walls of their homes. Wall paintings are partly functional: they protect the household walls from harsh winds and rains. They have important social functions as well: through their paintings, women announce to onlookers that they are skilled artists who respect themselves and take pride in their culture. These processes are collaborative, involving all of the women from the household and neighbourhood; they are therefore key to the formation and maintenance of women’s relationships. This discussion highlights women ...
Evolutionary scalpels for dissecting tumor ecosystems

Abstract Amidst the growing literature on cancer genomics and intratumor heterogeneity, essential principles in evolutionary biology recur time and time again. Here we use these principles to guide the reader through major advances in cancer research, highlighting issues of “hit hard, hit early” treatment strategies, drug resistance, and metastasis. We distinguish between two frameworks for understanding heterogeneous tumors, both of which can inform treatment strategies: (1) The tumor as diverse ecosystem , a Darwinian population of sometimes-competing, sometimes-cooperating cells; (2) The tumor as tightly integrated, self-regulating organ , which may hijack developmental signals to restore functional heterogeneity after treatment. While the first framework dominates literature on cancer evolution, the second framework enjoys support as well. Throughout this review, we illustrate how mathematical models inform understanding of tumor progression and treatment outcomes. Connecting models to genomic data faces computational and technical hurdles, but high-throughput single-cell technologies show promise to clear these hurdles. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Evolutionary principles - heterogeneity in cancer?, edited by Dr. Robert A. Gatenby.
Automated analysis of written narratives reveals abnormalities in referential cohesion in youth at ultra high risk for psychosis

Schizophrenia and at-risk populations are suggested to exhibit referential cohesion deficits in language production (e.g., producing fewer pronouns or nouns that clearly link to concepts from previous sentences). Much of this work has focused on transcribed speech samples, while no work to our knowledge has examined referential cohesion in written narratives among ultra high risk (UHR) youth using Coh-Metrix, an automated analysis tool. In the present study, written narratives from 84 individuals (UHR=41, control=43) were examined. Referential cohesion variables and relationships with symptoms and relevant cognitive variables were also investigated. Findings reveal less word "stem" overlap in narratives produced by UHR youth compared to controls, and correlations with symptom domains and verbal learning. The present study highlights the potential usefulness of automated analysis of written narratives in identifying at-risk youth and these data provide critical information in better understanding the etiology of psychosis. As writing production is commonly elicited in educational contexts, markers of aberrant cohesion in writing represent significant potential for identifying youth who could benefit from further screening, and utilizing software that is easily accessible and free may provide utility in academic and clinical settings.
nob: A Mouse Model of CSNB1

Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) refers to a group of disorders in which patients have normal to near-normal vision under photopic conditions, reduced sensitivity under scotopic conditions, but no evidence of photoreceptor degeneration. Several subtypes of CSNB can be distinguished by fundus appearance, the inheritance pattern, electroretinogram (ERG) recording, the extent of cone involvement, and other measures of ocular function (Ripps, 1982; Miyake et al., 1986). CSNB can also be classified according to the underlying defect, which may involve the phototransduction cascade (Sieving et al., 1995; Dryja et al., 1996) or the communication between photoreceptor and bipolar cells (Ripps, 1982; Miyake, et al., 1986). The latter form of CSNB, often referred to as the Schubert-Bornschein (1952) type, is characterized by a ‘negative’ ERG under dark-adapted conditions, in which the amplitude of the ERG b-wave is drastically reduced. Because the a- and b-waves of the ERG reflect the mass response of the photoreceptors and the rod depolarizing bipolar cells (DBCs), respectively, (Robson & Frishman, 1998) the negative ERG waveform indicates a defect in communication between normally functioning rod photoreceptors and second order neurons. Miyake et al. (1986) subdivided this form of CSNB into complete (CSNB1) and incomplete (CSNB2) based on ERG waveforms, refractive error, and the extent of rod and cone pathway involvement.
Ethical Issues in Molecular Pathology

Abstract Recent advances in molecular pathology and molecular genetics have created new concerns about the use of human biologic materials in research. Since researchers now have the ability to extract and amplify DNA from minuscule archived samples, virtually any human tissue sample can potentially become the template for a test that provides information that may relate to the inherited genes of an individual. Researchers using human biologic materials should follow the 3 basic principles that have been defined for all ethical human subjects research: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Institutional Review Boards are responsible for providing review of the risks and benefits of research proposals to safeguard the rights and welfare of human subjects. Currently, there is considerable debate concerning the role of informed consent procedures and the Institutional Review Board oversight process in situations when researchers use human biologic materials that have been anonymized or coded. In 199...
Use and Misuse of Beta Coefficients

The purpose of this paper is to reassess the variance of beta coefficients and financial models which employ their use. In addition, we will identify the extent and limitations to which the application of beta and the corresponding models are appropriate.
The Rise and Fall of Urban Economies: Lessons from San Francisco and Los Angeles, by Michael Storper, Thomas Kemeny, Naji Makarem, and Taner Osman: (2015). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 305 pages. $29.95 (paperback)

It has been more than 40 years since the first course in local economic development planning was taught in the United States, probably at the University of California, Berkeley, or at the Universit...
Realismo social, gentrificación y renovaciones urbanas en La otra ciudad de Pablo Aranda (2003)

Pablo Aranda’s novel La otra ciudad (2003) narrates the story of a young couple who grew up in Malaga’s centre-city neighborhood. The urban and social evolution of the city are the backdrop to the depiction of the experiences of the numerous characters that populate the novel. In this article I analyze the formal renovations that La otra ciudad contributes to social realism in order to criticize the process of gentrification in Malaga’s downtown and how they affect the urban experience of its residents. This area of the city is represented as impoverished and in decay as a consequence of the uncontrolled real estate speculation that started during the 1960s and continue for decades as Malaga embraced the economic model based on tourism promoted by Francisco Franco’s dictatorship. The omniscient narrator denounces the effect of speculation and deficient urban planning as the cause of the decadence of the city centre. The fact that the narrator explicitly points to these factors renovates the narrative form of social realism. Following Neil Smith and Peter Williams theories on gentrification, I contend that the novel depicts how the processes of gentrification are caused by urban speculation rather than due to the evolution of the housing market and the interest of the middle class to return to living in the downtown area.
Recruiting and engaging African-American men in health research.

Background Improving the health of black and minority ethnic (BME) men in the US continues to be a public health priority. Compared with men of other races and ethnicities, African-American men have higher rates of mortality and morbidity from chronic illness and diseases including cancer, heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. One way to address these disparities is to include African-American men in health research, to elicit their perspectives on health risks and protective factors. These can then inform interventions aimed at reducing health disparities. However, challenges remain in recruiting and engaging African-American men in health research. Aim To provide strategies for recruiting African-American men in health research, using as an exemplar a qualitative study of fathers' perspectives of sexual health promotion with young African-American males. Discussion Efforts are needed to increase the representation of African-American men in health research. Ensuring that researchers are aware of the cultural, social and environmental factors related to decisions to participate in research can lead to effective methods to recruit and engage them. Conclusion There are several essential strategies for increasing African-American men's participation in health research: ensuring the research team is culturally and gender-sensitive; recruiting in trusted environments; using respected gatekeepers; developing trust with participants; and being transparent. Implications for practice Implementing strategies to include African-American men in health research has the potential to improve health disparities in the US.
Simple Economic Models

This chapter illustrates two models using Maxima. The first model is the production possibilities curve, which is a simple model of economy-wide production. The second model is that of competitive markets, where demand and supply determine the equilibrium price and quantity of a good. We also extend this model to examine disequilibrium and the effects of shifts in demand or supply, along with the relevance of elasticities, the impact of taxes, and the value that markets generate.
Sentencing Juveniles to Life in Prison Without the Opportunity for Parole

In the 1980s and 1990s, almost every state enacted legislation easing the process of treating juveniles as adults (Bishop 2000; Shook 2005; Sickmund 2003; Torbet et al. 1996; Torbet and Szymanski 1998). Although states varied with regard to legislative approaches, these changes generally lowered the minimum age at which a juvenile could be treated as an adult, expanded the offenses for which a juvenile could be treated as an adult, revised transfer criteria to focus on more offense-based characteristics, shifted decision-making power from judges to prosecutors, and added new mechanisms to treat juveniles as adults (Torbet et al. 1996; Torbet and Szymanski 1998; Griffin 2008). Although the effects of these changes are complex, it is clear that they have subjected a broader group of juveniles to criminal court punishments (Bishop 2000; Shook and Sarri 2008). Whereas juvenile justice jurisdiction ends at age 21 in most states, this increased number of juveniles sentenced in the criminal court face the potential of receiving substantially longer sentences, including life without the opportunity for parole.
Investigation of uranium(VI) sorption in mesoporous silica gel using gamma spectroscopy

Gamma spectroscopy was used to quantify the accumulation of the uranyl ion (UO22+) into mesoporous silica gel in an aqueous solution under static and pressure-driven flow conditions. The amount of uranyl accumulated into silica gel under static conditions does not trend with the surface area reported by the manufacturer, but it is controlled by the silica gel permeability. Under flow conditions, the amount of uranyl deposited within mesoporous silica gel increases with pore size and ion removal efficiencies ranging from 1.8 to 7.0% were observed. Uranium transport and accumulation within mesoporous silicates is important in environmental monitoring, waste management and remediation.
Deep Learning-Based Sinogram Completion for Low-Dose CT

Patient radiation dose associated with $X$ -ray CT is a significant concern in the medical community. One of the ways to reduce patient dose is to acquire projection data at fewer angles. Using conventional reconstruction methods with such sparsely sampled data introduces severe streaking artifacts in the reconstructions, that reduces their diagnostic utility. Conventional methods in this domain have focused on postprocessing the artifact-filled images or the use of model-based inversion techniques with image-domain priors. In this work, we examine the potential of a deep-learning-based method to construct a mapping from the observed, sparsely sampled, CT projection data to a set of densely sampled projection estimates directly in the original projection domain. We cast the problem as one of sinogram in-painting and focus on completing the projection data prior to reconstructing the images. As compared to existing work, we focus on “correcting” the data rather than the subsequent images and avoid costly iterative tomographic inversion. Our initial results on a simulated dataset demonstrate the potential effectiveness of this new approach in suppressing artifacts.
Tweeting a Social Movement: Black Lives Matter and its use of Twitter to Share Information, Build Community, and Promote Action

Public relations research has gradually incorporated the study of advocacy organizations. However, little research has focused on social movements in particular. Through a content analysis of all public tweets sent by Black Lives Matter (BLM) over a four-year period, this study examined the message strategies used on Twitter by the social movement as a means to share information, build community, and promote action. Consistent with research on other types of organizations, informational messages proved to be the most common. The study also analyzed the influence that these strategies had on audience engagement in terms of replies and retweets. Findings suggest that community building messages garner the most retweets but no significant differences were found in terms of replies.
Coping strategies among colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery and the role of the surgeon in mitigating distress: A qualitative study.

Abstract Background Distress is common among cancer patients and leads to worse postoperative outcomes. Surgeons are often the first physicians to have in-depth conversations with patients about a new colorectal cancer diagnosis; therefore, it is important that these surgeons understand how patients cope with the distress of a diagnosis and how they can help patients manage this distress. Methods Patients with colorectal cancer were recruited from an outpatient surgery clinic. Purposive sampling was used to recruit patients if they were either planning to undergo surgery or had undergone surgery within six months. In-depth, open-ended, individual qualitative interviews were performed. Grounded theory was used to develop themes regarding patients’ coping strategies and beliefs regarding the role of the surgeon in helping them cope. Results Patients described their own internal coping strategies using problem-focused, emotion-focused, and meaning-focused techniques. Patients also reported the importance of their social support network for coping. Patients believed surgeons and their teams should help patients manage the emotional components of their cancer diagnosis and surgical experience, especially if patients were experiencing high levels of distress or had inadequate coping skills. They did not believe surgeons themselves should be primarily responsible for helping them cope. Conclusion In order for surgeons to guide diagnosis and initial management of distress in colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery, they should screen patients for distress, identify and strengthen patients’ own coping strategies, facilitate a strong social support network, and provide patients with the option to obtain further support from the surgeon's office.