cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time to consider integration of a formal robotic-assisted surgical training program into obstetrics/gynecology residency curricula

The objectives of the study were to describe robotic-assisted surgery training programs currently being used by ACGME-accredited obstetrics and gynecology (OB/Gyn) residency programs and to explore residents’ attitudes towards their robotic surgery training curricula to evaluate resident desire for robotics training. We conducted a cross-sectional study of OB/Gyn residents for the 2015–2016 academic year. Participants completed a 31-item online questionnaire regarding their robotic-assisted surgical training and associated perspectives. Analyses of these data were primarily descriptive. In total, 98.9% of included respondents (N = 177) reported availability of a surgical robot at their training institution, and 35.0% of participants reported not having any structured robotics training program at their institution. The most commonly used training modalities included online modules (62.2%), dual-assist console (55.1%) and virtual reality simulation (50.3%). The most commonly reported barriers to completing a robots training were a lack of personal time (56.2%) and availability of the virtual reality simulator or access to the robotic equipment (29.2%). OB/Gyn residents desire robotics training and are exposed to a wide variety of training modalities. The ACGME should consider recommending the incorporation of a standardized formal robotics training program as part of the OB/Gyn residency curriculum.
On the synthesis of lithium boron nitride (Li 3 BN 2 )

Abstract Li3BN2 is a known lithium ion conductor and has been predicted lately to be a high capacity cathode for Li-ion batteries (Nemeth, 2014) [4]. In this study, we have investigated the synthesis of Li3BN2 through reactions between Li3N and h-BN powders. Effects of the reaction temperature, holding time and reaction atmosphere on the formation of Li3BN2 have been evaluated. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction patterns of all powders has been performed to quantify the percentage of each phase. The results show that both the reaction temperature and holding time affect strongly the percentage of Li3BN2 in the reaction product. Furthermore, a trace amount of oxygen in the reaction atmosphere can negatively impact the purity of the reaction product because of the high affinity of Li3BN2 towards oxidation.
Dialysis 101. Acute and chronic fluid shifts.

The kidneys are major excretory organs and function in regulating acid/base balance, electrolyte balance, and maintaining optimal body fluid composition. They also function in eliminating products of metabolism. The inability of the kidneys to perform these functions result in biochemical disturbances, electrolyte abnormalities, and failure to regulate the body's internal environment. Artificial kidney was first introduced during the Korean War as a choice of renal replacement therapy. 29 Since that time, significant advances have been made in different dialysis methods, and renal dialysis have evolved to become the accepted therapeutic intervention for patients who have developed end-stage renal disease as well as those patients with acute renal failure. As a renal replacement therapy, dialysis only approximates normal renal function. The developments that have been made in the field of renal dialysis have allowed the procedure to be performed with such techniques such as ultrafiltration, hemodialysis, hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration, and peritoneal dialysis. Choosing an effective renal replacement therapy depends on several conditions. The clinical condition that resulted in the renal failure will dictate the type of therapy chosen (Table 1). 24 In addition, technical support and personnel play a vital role in renal replacement therapy.
Inherently safe nuclear-driven internal combustion engines

A family of nuclear driven engines is described in which nuclear energy released by fissioning of uranium or plutonium in a prompt critical assembly is used to heat a working gas. Engine performance is modeled using a code that calculates hydrodynamics, fission energy production, and neutron transport self-consistently. Results are given demonstrating a large negative temperature coefficient that produces self-shutoff of energy production. Reduced fission product inventory and the self-shutoff provide inherent nuclear safety. It is expected that nuclear engine reactor units could be scaled from 100 MW on up. 7 refs., 3 figs.
Interventional Procedures for Global Health Radiology

Diagnostic imaging has revolutionized modern medicine; however, its availability is limited or nonexistent in developing countries. Though the evolution of minimally invasive interventional radiological procedures has allowed unique therapies to minimize or obviate the need for morbid open surgeries, there remain significant obstacles that must be overcome to safely and practically implement these procedures in the developing world. Careful consideration to resource allocation, personnel training, and procedural selection is crucial to maintain a safe and sustainable IR practice in the underserved world.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Valvular Disease

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is an accurate and complementary method for evaluating ventricular function and volume analysis. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance can readily assess the morphology of all four cardiac valves and accurately determine the severity of stenosis and regurgitation.
Reaction and Transport of Arsenic in Soils: Equilibrium and Kinetic Modeling

Arsenic contamination of the soil and groundwater poses great risk to human and animal health. There is a growing public interest in developing risk assessment framework, environment regulations, and remedial strategies for protecting ecosystems and human from arsenic poisoning. Although extensive research efforts have been made over the past four decades, the prediction of the fate and transport of arsenic in soils are often inaccurate due to the complex biogeochemical reactions of various arsenic species in soil and water environments. In-depth knowledge of factors that influence the behavior of arsenic in aqueous and solid phases are critical in making accurate determinations of the mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity of arsenic in the soil root zone. In this contribution, we present a review of the state of knowledge on reactions and transport of arsenic in soils with emphasis on modeling of the physical, chemical, and biological interactions of arsenic in soil environment. Specifically, we present an overview of (i) biogeochemical mechanisms of arsenic adsorption desorption, oxidation reduction, and precipitation dissolution; (ii) reactive transport mechanisms of arsenic in the natural environment as affected by factors including arsenic species, redox potential, solution chemistry, flow regime, and colloid-facilitated transport; and (iii) equilibrium and kinetic modeling approaches to simulating the geochemical reactions and transport mechanisms of arsenic in porous media. A range of remedial technologies have been reviewed and their effectiveness and feasibility in the removal or in situ stabilization of arsenic in contaminated soils are discussed. Future research needs are also outlined.
Translational Research and Genomics Driven Trials in Thyroid Cancer

Many advances have been made in the field of thyroid cancer for patients with locally advanced, unresectable and/or metastatic disease. There are now four anti-angiogenic multikinase inhibitors approved for medullary and differentiated thyroid cancer. However, as with other solid tumors, patients develop resistance to these targeted therapies or have contraindications to the approved therapies. Alternatives to the anti-angiogenic class of drugs are needed for these patients, thus, testing other drugs in thyroid cancer will be important in order to continue to advance the field. In May 2018, the FDA approved the combination of dabrafenib plus trametinib for BRAF V600E mutated anaplastic thyroid cancer, but eventually resistance ensues. Also, treatments for non-BRAF mutated patients are in great need. Gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapy will also be important in order to rationally modify treatment regimens. This chapter focuses on emerging treatments in clinical trials, translational studies that may one day lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies and new strategies to identify patients suited for a particular genomic-driven therapy, as these will shape the future directions of thyroid cancer research.
Detection and Quantitation of Trace Fentanyl in Heroin by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

The identification of fentanyl, a main culprit in opioid overdose deaths, has become critical. Whereas Raman spectroscopy is an effective tool for detecting illicit drugs, the weak intensity of Raman scattering can make it difficult to distinguish trace materials. This shortcoming is addressed by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which produces strong signal enhancements when target compounds are near metal nanoparticles. This work examines the use of a paper-based substrate impregnated with silver nanoparticles for the detection of trace quantities of fentanyl alone and as an adulterant in heroin. In addition, intensity ratios of diagnostic peaks associated with each substance were fitted to a Langmuir isotherm calibration model and used for the quantitative analysis of fentanyl in heroin mixtures. Linearity was observed at <6% fentanyl, a significant finding that is consistent with concentrations found in drugs seized during law enforcement efforts. In addition, swabbing with these paper-based...
Exendin-4 antagonizes the metabolic action of acylated ghrelinergic signaling in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.

Abstract In the current study we investigated the interaction of hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and ghrelin signaling in the control of metabolic function. We first demonstrated that acylated ghrelin injected directly into the PVN reliably altered the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) of adult male Sprague Dawley rats. All testing was carried out during the initial 2 h of the nocturnal cycle using an indirect open circuit calorimeter. Results indicated that acylated ghrelin induced a robust increase in RER representing a shift toward enhanced carbohydrate oxidation and reduced lipid utilization. In contrast, treatment with comparable dosing of des-acyl ghrelin failed to significantly impact metabolic activity. In separate groups of rats we subsequently investigated the ability of exendin-4 (Ex-4), a GLP-1 analogue, to alter acylated ghrelin’s metabolic effects. Rodents were treated with either systemic or direct PVN Ex-4 followed by acyl ghrelin microinjection. While our results showed that both systemic and PVN administration of Ex-4 significantly reduced RER, importantly, Ex-4 pretreatment itself reliably inhibited the impact of ghrelin on RER. Overall, these findings provide increasingly compelling evidence that GLP-1 and ghrelin signaling interact in the neural control of metabolic function within the PVN.
Alcohol and nicotine consumption trends in three U.S. communities determined by wastewater-based epidemiology.

Abstract Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), an emerging tool for monitoring public health in near real-time, is used extensively in Europe but applications to U.S. populations are still scarce. In this longitudinal study, raw wastewater was collected monthly from three U.S. cities as 24-h weekday composites and analyzed for evidence of alcohol and tobacco consumption. Over the 11-month sampling period, biomarkers of stimulant use were detected in wastewater by isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in units of μg/L (ethyl sulfate, 1.6–25.1; nicotine, 0.6–26.7; cotinine, 0.2–3.8; and 3‑hydroxycotinine, 0.3–3.8). Average consumption rates in the three communities were calculated using detected biomarker levels in conjunction with wastewater flow rates, metabolic excretion factors, and population size data. Computed average per-capita consumption rates estimated for the sub-population aged 15 and above for alcohol (13.4 ± 5.6 L/y/person) and daily consumption of nicotine by smokers (14.2 ± 3.6 cigarettes/d/person) were in good agreement with U.S. survey data (9.0 L/y/person; 14.2 cigarettes/d/smoker). The WBE approach also captured impacts of temporal population influx on substance consumption patterns. This first U.S. WBE study to track recreational use of stimulants longitudinally and concurrently in multiple American cities highlights opportunities for collecting robust public health information from wastewater anonymously, economically and in near real-time.
Cultural Diplomacy with North Korean Characteristics: Pyongyang’s Exportation of the Mass Games to the Third World, 1972–1996

During the 1970s and 1980s, the communist government in Pyongyang sent Mass Games instructors to the Third World in order to improve the image of North Korea abroad and promote its version of socia...
Doomsday: Two Flaws

Here I argue that the much-discussed Doomsday Argument (DA) has two flaws. Its mathematical flaw stems from applying frequentist probability or faulty Bayesian inference. Its conceptual flaw is assuming that Copernican uniformity applies to a collection of ranked people and their ideas. I conclude that the DA has no predictive power whatsoever.
Applications of chromatography-ultra high-resolution MS for stable isotope-resolved metabolomics (SIRM) reconstruction of metabolic networks

Metabolism is a complex network of compartmentalized and coupled chemical reactions, which often involve transfers of substructures of biomolecules, thus requiring metabolite substructures to be tracked. Stable isotope resolved metabolomics (SIRM) enables pathways reconstruction, even among chemically identical metabolites, by tracking the provenance of stable isotope-labeled substructures using NMR and ultrahigh resolution (UHR) MS. The latter can resolve and count isotopic labels in metabolites and can identify isotopic enrichment in substructures when operated in tandem MS mode. However, MS2 is difficult to implement with chromatography-based UHR-MS due to lengthy MS1 acquisition time that is required to obtain the molecular isotopologue count, which is further exacerbated by the numerous isotopologue source ions to fragment. We review here recent developments in tandem MS applications of SIRM to obtain more detailed information about isotopologue distributions in metabolites and their substructures.
A Method to Eliminate Discrete Inductors in a Class-E Inverter Used in Wireless Power Transfer Applications

Wireless power transfer (WPT) systems have attracted tremendous attention over the past decade. Most compact, low-power, WPT systems, however, utilize ferrites to shield and redirect the magnetic fields. Using a magnetic material adds the weight and system bulk. In this article, we present a method to design the WPT coils in which the leakage and magnetizing inductances are utilized in other parts of the circuit. This eliminates the need for discrete inductors commonly required in a resonant inverter, which additionally improves overall efficiency. Utilizing this technique, we demonstrate a small and lightweight 300-W 48-to-48-V WPT system with above 90% efficiency. We further propose a method to eliminate the input inductor required by the class-E inverter by utilizing the input power supply wires. Employing this method, we demonstrate a printed circuit board (PCB)-based WPT circuit operating at 40.68 MHz, utilizing no discrete inductors other than the WPT coils themselves and weighing only 7 g. This article describes the design methodology as well as the procedure to eliminate the discrete resonant inductors used in the implementation of our designs.
Clinical, cytologic, and immunohistochemical features of sarcomas involving body cavity fluids

Background Sarcomas are uncommon findings in body cavity fluids. Diagnosis may be challenging because sarcoma cells in fluids can round up and lose their characteristic appearance seen on smears and histologic sections. This study characterizes the cytologic features of sarcomas involving body cavity fluids. Methods Effusion fluids and cerebrospinal fluids diagnosed as positive for sarcoma were reviewed. Results Forty-three fluids from 28 patients (median age, 47 years) were positive for sarcoma. Four patients who presented with positive fluids were alive at 1 to 10.7 years' follow-up (median, 22.5 months). Twenty-four patients died 2 days to 2 years (median, 19 days) after their positive fluid diagnoses. Twenty-eight specimens from 20 patients had slides available for review. Although 18 of the 28 positive fluids had a morphology comparable to that of their primary, 4 small round blue cell tumors (SRBCTs) and 4 spindle cell tumors showed epithelioid morphology, 1 SRBCT had pleomorphic morphology, and 1 epithelioid primary had SRBCT morphology. Nine fluids had tumor cells in large, cohesive clusters mimicking carcinoma; workup was performed for 10, predominantly to rule out carcinoma and mesothelioma. Conclusions Sarcoma morphology may be altered in exfoliated cytology specimens. Workup on cell blocks aids in the differential diagnosis, especially for carcinoma and mesothelioma. Unsurprisingly, fluid cytology positive for sarcoma portends poor survival.
Biology and Compositionality: Empirical Considerations for Emergent-Communication Protocols.

Significant advances have been made in artificial systems by using biological systems as a guide. However, there is often little interaction between computational models for emergent communication and biological models of the emergence of language. Many researchers in language origins and emergent communication take compositionality as their primary target for explaining how simple communication systems can become more like natural language. However, there is reason to think that compositionality is the wrong target on the biological side, and so too the wrong target on the machine-learning side. As such, the purpose of this paper is to explore this claim. This has theoretical implications for language origins research more generally, but the focus here will be the implications for research on emergent communication in computer science and machine learning---specifically regarding the types of programmes that might be expected to work and those which will not. I further suggest an alternative approach for future research which focuses on reflexivity, rather than compositionality, as a target for explaining how simple communication systems may become more like natural language. I end by providing some reference to the language origins literature that may be of some use to researchers in machine learning.
Sex Differences in Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Objective To examine sex differences in inpatient mortality and 30-day and 90-day readmissions after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) among a multistate population. Design A retrospective analysis of patient hospitalization and discharge records. Setting All-payer patients in nonpsychiatric hospitals in New York, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky, and California. Participants A total of 304,080 patients from the State Inpatient Databases Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality from January 2007 to December 2014 who underwent CABG surgery. Interventions Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to obtain unadjusted rates and adjusted odds ratios, respectively, for in-hospital mortality and readmissions by sex. Measurements and Main Results Of the patients who underwent CABG, 5,699 patients (1.87%) died, including 2,131 women (2.65%) and 3,568 men (1.60%). The authors found that women were 32% more likely to die compared with men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25-1.40) after adjusting for age, race, insurance status, median income, Elixhauser comorbidity index measures, year of procedure, state, and hospital surgical volume. Women, compared with men, also had significantly increased adjusted odds of 30-day and 90-day readmissions (30-day aOR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.21-1.28; 90-day aOR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.22-1.28). Conclusion This study demonstrated that female patients who undergo CABG are at a greater risk of in-hospital death and 30-day and 90-day readmission compared with men. This sex-based disparity in outcomes has persisted since identification some 40 years ago.
Body Mass Index, Sex, and Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Diabetes: The ACCORD Trial.

Abstract Objectives This study sought to characterize the relationship between obesity and the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in diabetes. Background Obesity is associated with increased risk of AF in the general population, but there is evidence that this relationship may differ in those with diabetes. Methods Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and incident AF on study electrocardiogram in participants from the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) trial. Results Among 10,074 ACCORD participants (age 62.7 ± 6.6 years, 38.7% women, 62.2% white), 8.4% were normal weight, 29.0% were overweight, 53.1% were obese, and 9.5% were severely obese. Participants with obesity and severe obesity had increased risks of AF compared with normal weight (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03 to 3.93; and HR: 3.69; 95% CI: 1.79 to 8.22, respectively). There was a 51% increased risk of AF per SD (5.4 U) BMI increase. However, there was a sex and BMI interaction—in men, obesity and severe obesity were associated with a substantially increased AF risk (HR: 3.19; 95% CI: 1.27 to 7.31; and HR: 4.79; 95% CI: 2.11 to 11.93, respectively), whereas there was no statistically significant association in women. Conclusions In those with diabetes, obesity and severe obesity are associated with increased risk of AF, but there is an interaction between sex and BMI, such that elevated BMI appears to confer a much greater risk of AF in men than in women. Further studies exploring the differential effects of BMI on AF risk in men and women are needed.
Utility of Point of Care and Rapid Diagnostics in Humanitarian Emergencies.

Background In 2019, there were 70.8 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Among the top causes of morbidity and mortality were measles, diarrhea, respiratory illness, and malaria. Availability of accurate diagnostics that are of low complexity, affordable, and produce timely results on site without the need for expensive laboratory equipment, extensive training, or distant transport of samples, are essential tools in the response to humanitarian emergencies (HE). Early detection of infectious diseases with epidemic potential and coordinated outbreak response, can result in significant decrease in morbidity and mortality. Content This review explores the utility of point of care and rapid diagnostic tests (POCT/RDTs) in HE and presents a review and analysis of the low complexity, availability, and ease of use of these diagnostic modalities that make them helpful tools in these settings, despite the generally lower test performance metrics associated with them over conventional laboratory-based assays. We review the literature to understand how POCT/RDTs have been used in HE response to produce lifesaving information without the need for a robust system for transporting test samples to more sophisticated laboratories, as this is often prohibitive in areas affected by conflict or natural disasters. Summary We propose that POCT/RDTs be considered essential healthcare tools provided to countries following a HE and suggest that UN agencies and vulnerable countries include effective RDTs in their essential diagnostics as part of their national preparedness and response plans.
Ureteral Access Sheaths

Accompanying the development of more modern endoscopes in the 1970s and 1980s were technologies developed to further facilitate retrograde access to the upper urinary tract. The ureteral access sheath (UAS) has proven to be a useful adjunct in ureteroscopy. By simplifying repeated access to the upper urinary tract, the UAS has been shown to streamline ureteroscopy and decrease operative time and cost. Furthermore, it has been associated with lower intrarenal pressures, decreased damage to operative equipment, and improved stone free rates following ureteroscopy. Studies have also shown that the rates of ureteral stricture are not increased with their use, even though they have been shown to reduce ureteral blood flow, and require the placement of a ureteral stent afterward. With their expanding use, surgeons are now utilizing this tool as an adjunct in the treatment of upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma. The objective of this chapter is to provide a review of the current literature available regarding the UAS. This chapter will specifically address UAS construction and physical properties, purported benefits, potential complications, and uses in treating upper urinary tract pathology.
Management of de Quervain Tenosynovitis: A Critical Analysis Review.

» Most cases of de Quervain tenosynovitis can be managed with nonoperative measures, and the mainstay of treatment is corticosteroid injection (CSI). The use of ultrasound may improve the accuracy of injections and can help to identify and localize injections to separate subcompartments. » For patients who are in the third trimester of pregnancy or breastfeeding, there is no contraindication to CSI as studies have shown that it can provide optimal symptomatic relief to the mother without impacting the baby. » When nonoperative treatment is unsuccessful, surgical release of the first dorsal compartment (FDC) can provide excellent symptom relief. Open release performed through a longitudinal incision allows for better visualization of the underlying anatomy, resulting in fewer injuries to underlying structures and a lower incidence of hypertrophic scarring compared with a transverse incision. » For surgeons who are comfortable performing endoscopic techniques, endoscopic FDC release can result in quicker symptom improvement, superior scar cosmesis, and a lower incidence of radial sensory nerve injury. » Studies have shown that FDC release can safely and effectively be performed using the WALANT (wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet) technique, which has the potential for cost savings without compromising quality or patient comfort.
An introduction to classical Islamic philosophy

Preface Introduction Part I. Al-Ghazali's Attack on Philosophy: 1. How did God create the world? 2. Immortality and the active intellect 3. Can God know particulars? Part II. Reason v. Revelation in Practical Reasoning: 4. Are the ethics of religion objective or subjective? 5. Happiness, philosophy and society 6. How to read Islamic philosophy Further reading Glossary Indexes.
Reversible Dissociation of Fragment Fc of Rabbit γG-Immunoglobulin

Abstract Crystallized Fragment Fc of rabbit γG-globulin, prepared by digestion with papain in the presence of 0.05 m l-cysteine, dissociates into half-fragments in 0.05 m NaCl at pH 2.7. Dissociation is approximately half-complete at pH 3.1. The conditions are similar to those required for dissociation of γG-globulin into half-molecules, which supports other evidence that the noncovalent interactions between heavy chains are largely localized in Fragment Fc. Schlieren patterns, molecular weights, and results of gel filtration indicate that two subfractions, approximately equal in size, are liberated. At neutral pH, recombination of the half-fragments occurs spontaneously through noncovalent interaction. After proteolysis in the presence of a low concentration of reducing agent, the resulting crystallized Fc is largely undissociable at low pH but is rendered dissociable by further reduction and alkylation. If alkylation is omitted, after a 1-hour or 4-hour digestion with papain and cysteine, a large proportion of the Fc fragments become undissociable after removal of the reducing agent by dialysis, owing to re-formation of an interchain disulfide bond; dissociability is restored by a second reduction. Prolonged digestion with papain results in a decrease in the S-carboxymethylcysteine content of alkylated Fc fragments, and in loss of the capacity to reoxidize, if alkylation is omitted. A probable explanation is that the enzyme slowly attacks that region of Fragment Fc which contains the interchain disulfide bond.
End effector target position learning using feedforward with error back-propagation and recurrent neural networks

Concerns pattern-based system control by neural networks in dynamic situations. The neural network can be used to learn a sequence of mappings or space transformations. A 2-d.o.f. robot arm can be controlled to follow a sequence of steps from an initial position to a desired final position. The learning of a target position is understood as a dynamic control learning versus static learning. In this experiment the neural network is taught to guide robot arms from various initial points surrounding one arbitrarily chosen target point. The learning trajectories are straight lines on which the end effector moves. The closer the end effector is to the final point, the smaller angle increments are generated. The neural network is trained in such a way that these increments should approach the values close to zero in a finite number of steps. When this occurs, the implemented (computed) final position of a robot arm end effector should be as close as possible to the true final position. After training is finished, the feedback is added to the neural network and output signal increments are added to the input values. The neural network can generalize very well and lead the end effector to its final position from any initial position (different than those used for training) within the end effector's working envelope. >
Historic and Modern Social Movements for Reparations: The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N'cobra) and Its Antecedents

Most of the legal scholarship on reparations for Blacks in America focuses on its legal or political viability. This literature has considered both procedural obstacles, such as statutes of limitations and sovereign immunity, as well as the substantive conception of a defensible cause of action. Indeed, Congressman John Conyers introduced H.R. 40, a bill to study reparations, in 1989 and every Congressional session since, and there have been three law suits that have received national attention. This Essay takes a different approach, considering reparations as a social movement with a rich and under-explored history. As Robin Kelley explains, such an approach is “more interested in the historical vision and imagination that has animated the movement since the days of slavery.” In keeping with such an emphasis, this Essay focuses on the diverse array of individual actors and institutions that for over a century have comprised the reparations movement. Contemplating reparations in this way, as a social movement, shifts attention away from the doctrinal and policy questions that have dominated the legal literature on the feasibility of reparations, and instead poses an intriguing set of other questions about the reparations movement’s complex, and at times competing, set of actors, institutions, and ideologies that, like N’COBRA, have been underexplored in the legal literature. This Essay takes as its case study seven of the diverse group of Black activists and lawyers who in 1995 joined the N’COBRA Reparations Litigation Committee. Using interviews with these original Committee members, it situates their contemporary activism within the long history of Black activism that viewed reparations and redress as part of the struggle for liberation from slavery and its vestiges. In so doing it changes the barometer by which we measure its effectiveness; instead of focusing solely on whether a specific legal result has been obtained, a social movements approach also questions how ordinary people develop a common “oppositional consciousness” and mobilize to confront what they perceive as injustice. This Essay tells their history, leading up to the resurgence of reparations activism today. It concludes that conceiving reparations as a century-old social movement in addition to a political and legal claim casts the contemporary reparations movement in a different light, illuminating competing visions of Black political subjectivity and activism within the reparations movement.
Wireless optical ad-hoc networks for embedded systems

We explore the technologies available to build wireless ad-hoc networks, using embedded systems that operate at Gb/s transmission speed. Various applications are described. A wireless optical storage area network (WOSAN) is being implemented.
Chlorido(1-cyclo­pentyl­idene-4-ethyl­thio­semicarbazidato-κ2N1,S)diphenyl­tin(IV)

The Sn atom in the title compound, [Sn(C6H5)2(C8H14N3S)Cl], is penta­coordinated with a trigonal-bipyramidal coordination geometry. The 1-cyclo­pentyl­idene-4-ethyl­thio­semicarbazidate (cpetsc) ligand coordinates through the S atom and the N atom bonds to the cyclo­pentyl group, forming a five-membered ring with the Sn center. The chloride ligand and the coordinated N atom are in axial positions. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds form chains along [101].
Walk Score®: Associations with Purposive Walking in Recent Cuban Immigrants

Background Walk Score ® is a nationally and publicly available metric of neighborhood walkability based on proximity to amenities (e.g., retail, food, schools). However, few studies have examined the relationship of Walk Score to walking behavior. Purpose To examine the relationship of Walk Score to walking behavior in a sample of recent Cuban immigrants, who overwhelmingly report little choice in their selection of neighborhood built environments when they arrive in the U.S. Methods Participants were 391 recent healthy Cuban immigrants (mean age=37.1 years) recruited within 90 days of arrival in the U.S., and assessed within 4 months of arrival (mean=41.0 days in the U.S.), who resided throughout Miami-Dade County FL. Data on participants’ addresses, walking, and sociodemographics were collected prospectively from 2008 to 2010. Analyses conducted in 2011 examined the relationship of Walk Score for each participant’s residential address in the U.S. to purposive walking, controlling for age, gender, education, BMI, days in the U.S., and habitual physical activity level in Cuba. Results For each 10-point increase in Walk Score, adjusting for covariates, there was a significant 19% increase in the likelihood of purposive walking, a 26% increase in the likelihood of meeting physical activity recommendations by walking, and 27% more minutes walked in the previous week. Conclusions Results suggest that Walk Score is associated with walking in a sample of recent immigrants who initially had little choice in where they lived in the U.S. These results support existing guidelines indicating that mixed land use (such as parks and restaurants near homes) should be included when designing walkable communities.
Quantitative genetic studies of the human plasma Lp(a) lipoprotein.

Lp(a) lipoprotein [Lp(a)] was quantified in 1251 adults, including 300 mother-father-offspring triplets, by a sensitive radial immunodiffusion assay. Lp(a) was not correlated with age, sex, or cholesterol or glyceride concentrations. Significant correlations were found between mother-offspring (r=0.34), father-offspring (r=0.40), and midparent-offspring (r=0.52), whereas no correlation was found between husband-wife pairs (r=0.02). Analysis of triplets separated on the basis of midparent Lp(a) concentrations indicated a resemblance of midparent to offspring regardless of midparent concentration. Bimodality was not detected in any of the offspring distributions. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that the observed quantitative Lp(a) variation is determined by a polygenic model of inheritance. The possibility of major gene effects is not ruled out.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor induced stimulation of septal choline acetyltransferase activity in ethylcholine mustard aziridinium treated rats

We evaluated whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can stimulate choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in the septo-hippocampal pathway of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium (AF64A) and non-AF64A-treated rats. Rats received either AF64A (1.5 nmol/ ventricle) or a sham (non-AF64A-treated) injection into the lateral ventricles. BDNF infusion (at a dose range of 0.1-171 microg) into either the lateral ventricle or hippocampus of AF64A-treated rats for 14 days increased septal ChAT activity (26% and 41%, respectively). BDNF did not reverse the decrease in hippocampal ChAT activity (20-60%) produced by AF64A. BDNF infusion did not change ChAT activity in the septo-hippocampal pathway of non-AF64A-treated rats. Thus, septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurons in AF64A-treated rats are sensitive to BDNF while those of non-AF64A-treated rats (normal) are not responsive to this neurotrophin.
Snatch Force during Lines-First Parachute Deployments

Snatch force during lines-first deployment of aerodynamic decelerator, including effects of canopy skirt acceleration and suspension wave propagation characteristics
The process of demographic translation

“Traslacion demografica” es el establecimiento de interrelaciones entre una serie cronologica de observaciones en seccion transversal en periodos de tiempo sucesivos y las series cronologicas del mismo indice, referido. a cohortes sucesivas. Este documento presenta dos tipos de soluciones a este problema y da algunos ejemplos de cada uno.
Empire and modernity: dynastic centralization and official nationalism in late imperial Ethiopia

Conventional accounts of modern state-formation either underplay its contradictory and variegated character or neglect its international dimensions. Against these approaches, alternative theories of state-formation have emerged centred on the constitutive significance of intersocietal relations and differential temporalities. This article develops the latter approaches in relation to the Ethiopian state. Contrary to widespread assumptions of Ethiopia's political insularity, it suggests that at three crucial turning points geopolitical exigencies provided the critical impetus for the political and cultural reconstitution of the state. Late nineteenth century European colonial encroachment triggered a reaction in the form of an Ethiopian imperial expansion to rival them. And the political shock of Italian occupation 40 years later provoked a concurrent project of dynastic centralization and official nationalism in the post-restoration period. But precisely because divine monarchy and nationalism are antithe...
Prostaglandin D2, another renal prostaglandin?

Prostaglandin (PG) D2 was biosynthesized by rabbit renal papillae incubates in vitro. Quantification of the renal prostaglandins by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy demonstrated that the concentration of PGD2 generated by renal papillae was 16 to 110 the amount of PGE2 or about 1 μg/g tissue/30 min. Infusion of the sodium salt of PGD2 into the renal artery of the dog produced a dose related increase in renal blood flow and urine flow, free water clearance, sodium excretion and potassium excretion without changes in systemic hemodynamics. At low doses PGD2 increased renal blood flow to all cortical zones. Higher concentrations of PGD2 produced a shift in the intrarenal distribution of blood flow toward the juxtamedullary nephrons.
Interpersonal Communication Networks: An Approach through the Understanding of Self-Concept, Significant Others, and the Social Influence Process.

The analysis offered in this essay extends the symbolic interactionist position that individuals develop, maintain, and change their self‐concepts through communication with others. Although this view is generally held, it has been difficult to locate the precise source of this influence. Working within a “choice” framework and borrowing the sociological concept of significant others, the author proposes viewing communication networks along two dimensions: the social networks in which an individual is embedded, and the smaller, more influential network of relational ties that develop from contacts within the social networks. The relational ties that constitute, for the individual, the network of interpersonal influence are assumed to be relatively stable, but their impact is viewed as attitude‐specific (i.e., influencing particular clusters of social objects). Two examples are developed to illustrate the potential usefulness of the theory in examining the impact of interpersonal influence.
Optimal Margin Width in Breast Conservation Therapy: a Review of the Current Guidelines and Literature

Randomized trials have clearly established breast conservation therapy (BCT) as appropriate treatment for early-stage invasive breast cancer. Current evidence shows that positive margins confer a greater than twofold risk of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence. Thus, patients who have positive margins after BCT warrant re-excision. With regard to negative margins, however, the optimal negative margin width remains unclear. This article reviews the recent guidelines set forth by the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American Society of Radiation Oncology regarding the margin width in stage I and II invasive breast cancer. We also discuss the controversies related to implementation of these guidelines.
A general education course on universal access, disability, technology and society

This paper reports on a General Education course called "Universal Access: Disability, Technology and Society" that enables students from all majors to learn more about disability and the issues that surround it, as well as how Assistive Technology facilitates effective participation of those with disabilities in society. Guest lectures, meant to give the students different perspectives on disability, are integral part of the course. Guest lecturers include experts in disability studies, professionals working with people with disabilities, and persons with disability. To gain practical knowledge, the students carry out group projects or volunteering activities that involves people with disabilities. Since its first introduction in 2006, the course had always filled to capacity. A survey with 75 students conducted in Winter 2010 revealed that students felt that their knowledge about universal access and disabilities had improved significantly, and that they had become aware of accessibility in everyday life.
A Methodology for Integrating Welding in DFA

A design for assembly worksheet is introduced that enables flexible accounting of assembly activities, especially welding. Welding activity is broken down into a variety of pre- and post-welding activities and the time penalty is estimated. This weld estimate is included into the traditional worksheet. This approach is especially useful for large complex products that are produced in small volumes where a significant portion of the assembly activity is through welding. These types of products often pose challenges for employing DFMA techniques cost effectively because of the increased engineering cost, divided among relatively few products, outweighs the potential benefits.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
HIV transmission risk among HIV seroconcordant and serodiscordant couples: dyadic processes of partner selection.

Selecting sex partners of the same HIV status or serosorting is a sexual risk reduction strategy used by many men who have sex with men. However, the effectiveness of serosorting for protection against HIV is potentially limited. We sought to examine how men perceive the protective benefits of factors related to serosorting including beliefs about engaging in serosorting, sexual communication, and perceptions of risk for HIV. Participants were 94 HIV negative seroconcordant (same HIV status) couples, 20 HIV serodiscordant (discrepant HIV status) couples, and 13 HIV positive seroconcordant (same HIV status) couples recruited from a large gay pride festival in the southeastern US. To account for nonindependence found in the couple-level data, we used multilevel modeling which includes dyad in the analysis. Findings demonstrated that participants in seroconcordant relationships were more likely to believe that serosorting reduces concerns for condom use. HIV negative participants in seroconcordant relationships viewed themselves at relatively low risk for HIV transmission even though monogamy within relationships and HIV testing were infrequent. Dyadic analyses demonstrated that partners have a substantial effect on an individual’s beliefs and number of unprotected sex partners. We conclude that relationship partners are an important source of influence and, thus, intervening with partners is necessary to reduce HIV transmission risks.
Semiparametric regression for periodic longitudinal hormone data from multiple menstrual cycles.

We consider semiparametric regression for periodic longitudinal data. Parametric fixed effects are used to model the covariate effects and a periodic nonparametric smooth function is used to model the time effect. The within-subject correlation is modeled using subject-specific random effects and a random stochastic process with a periodic variance function. We use maximum penalized likelihood to estimate the regression coefficients and the periodic nonparametric time function, whose estimator is shown to be a periodic cubic smoothing spline. We use restricted maximum likelihood to simultaneously estimate the smoothing parameter and the variance components. We show that all model parameters can be easily obtained by fitting a linear mixed model. A common problem in the analysis of longitudinal data is to compare the time profiles of two groups, e.g., between treatment and placebo. We develop a scaled chi-squared test for the equality of two nonparametric time functions. The proposed model and the test are illustrated by analyzing hormone data collected during two consecutive menstrual cycles and their performance is evaluated through simulations.
An empirical analysis of pre-trial release decisions☆

The decision whether or not to allow indigent defendants pre-trial freedom from confinement is one which has aroused considerable interest and controversy in the field of criminal justice in recent years. Several innovative programs have attempted to provide decision-makers with relevant information, however, to date, there have been remarkably few empirical examinations of the pre-trial release decision. This study presents findings of an experimental release program and the relationships between the information available to decision-makers and the criteria of appearance at trial and arrest while on pre-trial release. A validation study of the Vera Institute scale was also performed.
Kinetics and thermodynamics of free flavins and the flavin-based redox active site within glucose oxidase dissolved in solution or sequestered within a sol-gel-derived glass.

We report on the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence from the redox active site flavine adenine dinucleotides (FADs) that are bound to glucose oxidase (GOx) when this enzyme is dissolved in...