cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Baccalaureate nursing students' application of social-cognitive sexual counseling for cardiovascular patients: A web-based educational intervention

Abstract Background A gap in knowledge and practice exists for sexual counseling of cardiovascular patients, and innovative approaches are needed to address patients' sexual quality of life. Aim To evaluate a web-based social-cognitive intervention for evidence-based sexual counseling by baccalaureate nursing students with cardiovascular patients. Methods A pre- post-test survey design was used: pre-test (T1), immediate post-test after intervention (T2), and at 4 to 6 weeks post-intervention (T3). Data were collected using the Survey of Sexuality Related Nursing Practices —Cardiac version (SSRNP-CV). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests. Results From T1 to T2, students (N = 95) significantly increased their responsibility and confidence in sexual counseling; from T1 to T3 (N = 57), students significantly improved sexual counseling for confidence and practice subscales, total SSRNP score, and cardiac-specific subscales of sexual counseling, sexual activity, and gender. Conclusion This study clearly demonstrated that a web-based social-cognitive sexual counseling intervention was effective in improving students' ability to provide evidence-based sexual counseling of cardiovascular patients.
Not Your Average PTA: Local Education Foundations and the Problems of Allowing Private Funding for Public Schools

It is no secret that taxes are the primary source of revenue for America’s public schools, and it is no secret that too many American children are not receiving the quality of education that Thomas Jefferson would deem adequate to protect the future of this democratic nation. Although more money for public schools is not a panacea for our education woes, it is a significant part of the solution. This is why concerned parents from school districts across the United States have recently taken up the hobby of establishing Local Education Foundations (or LEFs) for the sole purpose of raising money for additional resources. Even individual philanthropists, like the anonymous donor who gave Palo Alto’s Gunn High School two million dollars for a new gymnasium, and large philanthropies, like the Annenberg Foundation, which gave no less than five hundred million dollars for urban schools, have made public education the focus of their efforts. The income generated for schools by these private sources is negligible in comparison to the billions of dollars that pour into the public education system from the state and federal governments annually. However, the phenomenon of private funding for public education itself is worthy of study for two reasons. First, the revenue raising power of these organizations could significantly expand if encouraged and allowed to do so. Second, and more fundamentally, if we accept the Brown v. Board of Education decision that education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments, then private philanthropists are paying for a basic function of government. No institution is arguably as significant in the lives of each American citizen as the public education system, and it is important to consider the broad philosophical issues generated by asking and allowing private philanthropists to pay for portions of it.
Surface kinetic processes on thin films

Introduction Surface kinetic processes deal with nucleation, growth, and ripening processes on a surface from the point of view of atomic absorption, desorption, and diffusion on the surface. The surface of a thin film, more specifically the surface of a single crystal, is the starting place for these processes. The single-crystal surface has a microscopic structure associated with crystallographic structure and symmetry and reconstruction, as well as a macroscopic structure associated with surface steps, kinks, and other surface defects [1–4]. Surface chemical reaction such as oxidation is not considered here. In Chapter 3, there was a brief discussion of surface crystallographic structure. A ball-and-stick crystal model could depict a (100) surface of silicon, the cubic face of a diamond lattice, as a portion of a plane of infinite extent consisting of a square array of atoms. Each of these atoms has two unpaired electron bonds. On a (100) surface of silicon, the atoms displace laterally (as shown schematically in Fig. 3.12) to satisfy the bonding requirement. Such surfaces are called “reconstructed.” On a larger scale, single-crystal surfaces can contain terraces, steps, kinks, and other defects. As shown in Fig. 7.1, the step spacing is associated with the miscut of the crystal. The miscut angle is the angular difference between a crystal plane and the mechanical surface of the crystal established when an ingot is cut. Under production conditions this angle is about 0.1°. The relationship shown in the figure relates the step spacing L 0 to the miscut angle.
DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF AN INSTRUMENTED FEMORAL PROSTHESIS FOR MEASUREMENTS OF HIP JOINT FORCES INTRA-OPERATIVELY

Introduction Dislocation continues to be a common complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Many factors affect the prevalence of dislocation after THA, including soft tissue laxity, surgical approach, component position, patient factors, and component design [1]. Achieving proper intraoperative soft tissue tension is one of the surgical goals to reduce the risk of the dislocation. However, reports of the intraoperative soft tissue tension measurements have not been enough yet. One way to quantify the intraoperative soft tissue tension is to measure joint forces using an instrumented prosthesis. Hence, we have developed a sensor-instrumented modular femoral head of THA to measure the soft-tissue tension intraoperatively. The goal of this study was to design and calibrate the sensor. Materials and Methods The sensor-instrumented modular femoral head that we developed was made of polycarbonate with four linear strain gauges (BTM-1C, Tokyo Sokki Kenkyujo Co., Ltd., JP). To fabricate the sensor, four penetrant holes (1.6 millimeter in diameter), parallel to the coordinate axes were produced (Fig1). The strain gauges were embedded on inside wall of these holes. Finally, the holes were filled by epoxy resin (A-2 adhesive, Tokyo Sokki Kenkyujo Co., Ltd., JP). For calibration study, the sensor was fixed in a clamping block of an angle vice to permit change of force directions. The calibration jig with the angle vice was placed on top of a low-friction x-y translation table that eliminated horizontal constrains. Known forces (F i ) were applied by a standard material testing machine (Instron4204, INSTRON, Norwood, MA) through a polyethylene insert (Fig. 2). Two different series of forces were applied. One is that force values were increased from zero to 600 N on the z axis. And the other force pattern is 600 N forces were applied by changing force angles. The external force vector (F i ) can be expressed in terms of the strain gauge outputs as follows: F i = T S i where T is a calibration matrix and S i corresponds to the outputs of the strain gauges. Calibration errors were calculated according to well-established methods [2]. Results When the loads were applied on the z axis, the output strains of e1 showed increases with increase of the force values (Fig.3). A coefficient of determination of least square linear regression between ez and the force values was 0.86. When the cone angle was decreased from 90˚ in the x-z plane, ez decreased and ex increased concurrently (Fig.4). The average absolute error of the force was 23.9%. Discussion This device was connected to a data logger with wires. In order to remove these wires to diminish the risk of infection, we will use wireless system (nRF24LE1, Nordic Semiconductor, Inc., Norway). Although the calibration matrix and the errors were acquired, the error value was not good enough to calculate the applied forces yet. With more calibration results and wireless system, this system will be useful to permit optimized intraoperative soft tissue tension.
Bioassays to evaluate non-contact spatial repellency, contact irritancy, and acute toxicity of permethrin-treated clothing against nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks.

Abstract Summer-weight clothing articles impregnated with permethrin are available as a personal protective measure against human-biting ticks in the United States. However, very few studies have addressed the impact of contact with summer-weight permethrin-treated textiles on tick vigor and behavior. Our aim was to generate new knowledge of how permethrin-treated textiles impact nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks, the primary vectors in the eastern United States of the causative agents of Lyme disease, human anaplasmosis, and human babesiosis. We developed a series of bioassays designed to: (i) clarify whether permethrin-treated textiles impact ticks through non-contact spatial repellency or contact irritancy; (ii) evaluate the ability of ticks to remain in contact with vertically oriented permethrin-treated textiles, mimicking contact with treated clothing on arms or legs; and (iii) determine the impact of timed exposure to permethrin-treated textiles on the ability of ticks to move and orient toward a human finger stimulus, thus demonstrating normal behavior. Our results indicate that permethrin-treated textiles provide minimal non-contact spatial repellency but strong contact irritancy against ticks, manifesting as a “hot-foot” effect and resulting in ticks actively dislodging from contact with vertically oriented treated textile. Preliminary data suggest that the contact irritancy hot-foot response may be weaker for field-collected nymphs as compared with laboratory-reared nymphs placed upon permethrin-treated textile. We also demonstrate that contact with permethrin-treated textiles negatively impacts the vigor and behavior of nymphal ticks for >24 h, with outcomes ranging from complete lack of movement to impaired movement and unwillingness of ticks displaying normal movement to ascend onto a human finger. The protective effect of summer-weight permethrin-treated clothing against tick bites merits further study.
Ecological impacts of winter water level drawdowns on lake littoral zones: a review

Freshwater littoral zones harbor diverse ecological communities and serve numerous ecosystem functions that are controlled, in part, by natural water level fluctuations. However, human alteration of lake hydrologic regimes beyond natural fluctuations threaten littoral zone ecological integrity. One type of hydrologic alteration in lakes is winter water level drawdowns, which are frequently employed for hydropower, flood control, and macrophyte control, among other purposes. Here, we synthesize the abiotic and biotic responses to annual and novel winter water level drawdowns in littoral zones of lakes and reservoirs. The dewatering, freezing, and increased erosion of exposed lakebeds drive changes in the littoral zone. Shoreline-specific physicochemical conditions such as littoral slope and shoreline exposure further induce modifications. Loss of fine sediment decreases nutrient availability over time, but desiccation may promote a temporary nutrient pulse upon re-inundation. Annual winter drawdowns can decrease taxonomic richness of macrophytes and benthic invertebrates and shift assemblage composition to favor taxa with r-selected life history strategies and with functional traits resistant to direct and indirect drawdown effects. Fish assemblages, though less directly affected by winter drawdowns (except where there is critically low dissolved oxygen), experience negative effects via indirect pathways like decreased food resources and spawning habitat. We identify eight general research gaps to guide future research that could improve our understanding about the complex effects of winter drawdowns on littoral zone ecology.
Pseudomyogenic hemangioendothelioma of skin, bone and soft tissue—a clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, and fluorescence in situ hybridization study

Pseudomyogenic hemangioendothelioma (PHE) is an uncommon neoplasm with propensity for local recurrence. The tumor mimics epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and epithelioid sarcoma, representing a possible diagnostic pitfall. We investigated the clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, and fluorescence in situ hybridization features of PHEs. Eight cases of PHE were retrieved from our pathology archives. The clinical and outcome information was available in 6 patients. In 6 cases, the tumors were located in the lower limb, whereas the upper limb was involved in 2 cases. Three patients had exclusively bone involvement, and 2 patients had cutaneous tumor only. The tumor was multifocal in 5 cases, of which 2 patients had simultaneous bone and soft tissue involvement. Immunohistochemical stains revealed all tumors to be positive for AE1/AE3 (8/8), ERG (7/7), and FLI-1 (7/7) with preserved INI1 (7/7) expression. Most of the tumors were variably positive for CD31 (7/8), CAM5.2 (2/3), and SMA (4/6). t(7;19)(q22;q13) fusion pattern was detected in 3 cases (5 tumors) with cutaneous and multifocal PHE. In 3 cases, a translocation pattern was detected in a few nuclei but did not meet our laboratory cutoff value. MYC amplification was not detected in any of the 5 cases examined, aiding in ruling out the possibility of angiosarcoma. Four patients underwent excision, and 2 with multifocal tumor required below-knee amputation. Six patients with outcome information were alive and free of disease after a median follow-up of 35 months. We conclude that ancillary techniques can be helpful in differentiating this unusual indolent tumor from potentially aggressive epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, epithelioid sarcoma, and epithelioid angiosarcoma. Long-term follow-up is warranted.
Twenty years of Interventions

This editorial compares the situation for postcolonial scholars in 1998, when the journal started, with that of twenty years later in 2018, and notes that Interventions’ original statement of the s...
Non-HLA genetic mismatches and BMT outcome.

In this issue of Blood, Zhu et al identify a novel rare genotype mismatch in the testis-expressed gene TEX38 that is prognostic of blood and marrow transplant (BMT) mortality (see figure).1 The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that was identified (rs200092801) in this first of its kind exome-wide association study (EXWAS) is a nonsynonymous variant, suggesting a functional consequence underlying this association. The hunt for prognostic and predictive biomarkers is a key component to precision medicine efforts, and the assessment by Zhu et al is an important step in that direction for those who receive BMT.
Measuring Autophagy in Vivo

Studies of autophagy have advanced from cell culture systems to animal models, and are now being applied to human tissues. In this review we will cover the methods currently in use to measure autophagy, caveats to their interpretation, and some comments on the future. A definitive treatise on measuring autophagy was published by Klionsky et al in 2008 1 .
Enzyme activities in the erythrocytes of human fetuses. I. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconic dehydrogenase and glutathione reductase.

Glutathione reductase activities in erythrocytes of fetuses between the 12th and 28th gestational week do not show levels significantly different than in newborns. High values in G-6-PD activity are found among the fetuses between the 12th and 18th week of gestation, thereafter the activity decreases to newborn-levels; however, no significant difference was seen between the mean values of the whole collective and newborns. 6-PGD activity in fetuses is significantly lower than in newborns (p<0.001).
Using Quantitative and Qualitative Methods to Study the Content and Effects of Curriculum Materials

Curriculum materials are a widely used educational resource that can affect teachers’ instruction and students’ learning. This chapter situates curriculum materials research in the literature on students’ opportunity to learn. It describes three main areas for curriculum materials research—their adoption, implementation, and effects. Drawing on both quantitative (systematic content analysis and alignment investigations, large-scale teacher surveys, and quasi-experimental analyses of state longitudinal data) and qualitative methods (interviews, case studies), the chapter offers specific suggestions for conducting this research and expanding it to the study of supplementary, technology-based, and other non-traditional curriculum materials.
Long‐Term Blood Pressure Level and Variability From Midlife to Later Life and Subsequent Cognitive Change: The ARIC Neurocognitive Study

Background To understand how blood pressure (BP) from midlife and beyond is related to cognition in older age, a lifespan approach is needed. We assessed the associations of BP levels and variabili...
Quadrupole simulations of thermographic inspections of impacted composites

Thermography has been shown to be a viable technique for inspection of composites. Impact damage in composites typically contains multiple overlapping delaminations at different depths. Understanding the limitations of the thermographic inspection is enhanced by performing simulations of the technique. Most simulations of composite thermographic inspections have focused on simulations of a single delamination at a fixed depth. The quadrupole method has been shown as a viable technique for rapid three-dimensional thermographic simulations of a delamination. This method is expanded to enable rapid simulation of multiple overlapping delaminations at different depths. Quadrupole simulations are compared to finite element simulations of multiple delaminations at different depths. The simulations are also compared to the thermographic measurements on impacted composites where shape and depth of the delaminations are known from x-ray computed tomography data.
Raising the barrier for photoinduced DNA charge injection with a cyclohexyl artificial base pair

The effects of an artificial cyclohexyl base pair on the quantum yields of fluorescence and dynamics of charge separation and charge recombination have been investigated for several synthetic DNA hairpins. The hairpins possess stilbenedicarboxamide, perylenediimide, or naphthalenediimide linkers and base-paired stems. In the absence of the artificial base pair hole injection into both adenine and guanine purine bases is exergonic and irreversible, except in the case of stilbene with adenine for which it is slightly endergonic and reversible. Insertion of the artificial base pair renders hole injection endergonic or isoergonic except in the case of the powerful naphthalene acceptor for which it remains exergonic. Both hole injection and charge recombination are slower for the naphthalene acceptor in the presence of the artificial base pair than in its absence. The effect of an artificial base pair on charge separation and charge recombination in hairpins possessing stilbene and naphthalene acceptor linkers and a stilbenediether donor capping group has also been investigated. In the case of the stilbene acceptor–stilbene donor capped hairpins photoinduced charge separation across six base pairs is efficient in the absence of the artificial base pair but does not occur in its presence. In the case of the naphthalene acceptor–stilbene donor capped hairpins the artificial base pair slows but does not stop charge separation and charge recombination, leading to the formation of long-lived charge separated states.
Gender And Cooperativeness: Evidence From Strategic Alliances

We examine how gender diversity in the boardroom affects a firm’s strategic alliance activities. Experimental evidence suggests women exhibit a number of behavioral preferences that are consistent ...
A daily end-to-end quality assurance workflow for MR-guided online adaptive radiation therapy on MR-Linac.

Purpose Magnetic Resonance (MR)-guided online adaptive radiation therapy (MRgOART), enabled with MR-Linac, has potential to revolutionize radiation therapy. MRgOART is a complex process. This work is to introduce a comprehensive end-to-end quality assurance (QA) workflow in routine clinic for MRgOART with a high-magnetic-field MR-Linac. Materials and method The major components in MRgOART with a high-magnetic field MR-Linac (Unity, Elekta) include: (1) a patient record and verification (R&V) system (e.g., Mosaiq, Elekta), (2) a treatment session manager, (3) an offline treatment planning system (TPS), (4) an online adaptive TPS, (5) a 1.5T MRI scanner, (6) an 7MV Linac, (7) an MV imaging controller (MVIC), and (8) ArtQA: software for plan data consistency checking and secondary dose calculation. Our end-to-end QA workflow was designed to test the performance and connectivity of all these components by transferring, adapting and delivering a specifically designed five-beam plan on a phantom. Beams 1-4 were designed to check Multi-Leaves Collimator (MLC) position shift based on rigid image registration in TPS, while beam 5 was used to check daily radiation output based on image pixel factor of MV image of the field. The workflow is initiated in the R&V system and followed by acquiring and registering daily MRI of the phantom, checking isocenter shift, performing online adaptive replanning, checking plan integrity and secondary 3D dose calculation, delivering the plan while acquiring MV imaging using MVIC, acquiring real-time images of the phantom, and checking the delivering parameters with ArtQA. Results It takes 10 min to finish the entire end-to-end QA workflow. The workflow has detected communication problems, permitted resolution prior to setting up patients for MRgOART. Up to 0.9 mm discrepancies in isocenter shift based on the image registration were detected. ArtQA performed the secondary 3D dose calculation, verified the plan integrity as well as the MR-MV isocenter alignment values in TPS. The MLC shapes of beam 1-4 in all adaptive plans were conformal to the target and agreed with MV images. The variation of daily output was within ±2.0%. Conclusions The comprehensive end-to-end QA workflow can efficiently check the performance and communication between different components in MRgOART and has been successfully implemented for daily clinical practice.
RTMLton: An SML Runtime for Real-Time Systems

There is a growing interest in leveraging functional programming languages in real-time and embedded contexts. Functional languages are appealing as many are strictly typed, amenable to formal methods, have limited mutation, and have simple, but powerful concurrency control mechanisms. Although there have been many recent proposals for specialized domain specific languages for embedded and real-time systems, there has been relatively little progress on adapting more general purpose functional languages for programming embedded and real-time systems. In this paper we present our current work on leveraging Standard ML in the embedded and real-time domains. Specifically we detail our experiences in modifying MLton, a whole program, optimizing compiler for Standard ML, for use in such contexts. We focus primarily on the language runtime, re-working the threading subsystem and garbage collector. We provide preliminary results over a radar-based aircraft collision detector ported to SML.
Acetylcholine mimics crossed olivocochlear bundle stimulation.

ELECTRICAL stimulation of the crossed olivocochlear bundle (COCB) results in an inhibition of the auditory nerve compound action potential1, an augmentation of cochlear microphonics2 and a slow negative potential change in the scala media3. These changes have been shown to be blocked by anticholinergics applied to the scala tympani4,5, and Cholinesterase had been associated with the presence of COCB nerve endings in the cochlea6. Thus, it seems that acetylcholine may be the inhibitory transmitter of the COCB.
Cocaine added to heroin fails to affect heroin-induced brain hypoxia

Abstract Heroin and cocaine are both highly addictive drugs that cause unique physiological and behavioral effects. These drugs are often co-administered and cocaine has been found in ~20% of cases of opioid overdose death. Respiratory depression followed by brain hypoxia is the most dangerous effect of high-dose opioids that could result in coma and even death. Conversely, cocaine at optimal self-administering doses increases brain oxygen levels. Considering these differences, it is unclear what pattern of oxygen changes will occur when these drugs are co-administered. Here, we used high-speed amperometry with oxygen sensors to examine changes in oxygen concentrations in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) induced by intravenous (iv) cocaine, heroin, and their mixtures in freely-moving rats. Cocaine delivered at a range of doses, both below (0.25 mg/kg) and within the optimal range of self-administration (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg) modestly increased NAc oxygen levels. In contrast, heroin increased oxygen levels at a low reinforcing dose (0.05 mg/kg), but induced a biphasic down-up change at higher reinforcing doses (0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg), and caused a strong monophasic oxygen decrease during overdose (0.6 mg/kg). When combined at moderate doses, cocaine (0.25, 0.5 mg/kg) slightly increased and prolonged oxygen increases induced by heroin alone (0.5 and 0.1 mg/kg), but oxygen decreases were identical when cocaine (1 mg/kg) was combined with heroin at large doses (0.2 and 0.6 mg/kg). Therefore, health dangers of speedball may result from de-compensation of vital functions due to diminished intra-brain oxygen inflow induced by high-dose heroin coupled with enhanced oxygen use induced by cocaine.
Limiting distributions of unconditional maximum likelihood unit root test statistics in seasonal time–series models

. The likelihood function of a seasonal model, Yt = ρYt−d + et as implemented in computer algorithms under the assumption of stationary initial conditions is a function of ρ which is zero at the point ρ = 1. It is a smooth function for ρ in the above seasonal model with a well-defined maximum regardless of the data-generating mechanism. Gonzalez-Farias (PhD Thesis, North Carolina State University, 1992) proposed tests for unit roots based on maximizing the stationary likelihood function in nonseasonal time series. We extend it to seasonal time series. The limiting distribution of seasonal unit root test statistics based on the unconditional maximum likelihood estimators are shown. Models having a single mean, seasonal means, and a single-trend variable across the seasons are considered.
Segregation behavior and phase instability of Eurofer97 after neutron irradiation to 72 dpa

Abstract A reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel, Eurofer97, was neutron irradiated in the vicinity of 300 °C in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) up to 72 dpa. Advanced analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy and conventional transmission electron microscopy were applied to investigate the radiation-induced segregation and phase instability behavior after neutron irradiation. Amorphization was observed in M23C6 carbides. Cr-rich clusters were seen within the matrix, near the lath boundaries and close to the M23C6 carbides. Cr enrichment and Fe depletion were detected at both prior austenite grain boundaries and lath boundaries, despite different segregation magnitude. In addition, the enrichment of Ni, the depletion of V, and tiny cavities (presumably helium bubbles) are also found at lath boundaries. This work interrogates the evolution of microstructures after neutron irradiation, which provides detailed understanding on the microstructural aspects controlling the mechanical integrity of Eurofer97 under high-dose neutron damage.
The Tradeoff between Discrete Pricing and Discrete Quantities: Evidence from U.S.-listed Firms

Economists usually assume that price and quantity are continuous variables, while most market designs, in reality, impose discrete tick and lot sizes. We study a firm’s trade-off between these two discretenesses in U.S. stock exchanges, which mandate a one-cent minimum tick size and a 100-share minimum lot size. A uniform tick size favors high prices because the bid–ask spread cannot be lower than one cent. A uniform lot size favors low prices because low prices reduce adverse selection costs for market makers when they have to display at least 100 shares. We predict that a firm achieves its optimal price when its bid–ask spread is two ticks wide, when the marginal contribution from discrete prices equals that from discrete lots. Empirically, we find that stock splits improve liquidity when they move the bid–ask spread towards two ticks; otherwise, they reduce liquidity. Liquidity improvements contribute 95 bps to the average total return on a split announcement of 272 bps. Optimal pricing can increase the median U.S. stock value by 69 bps and total U.S. market capitalization by $54.9 billion.
Obtaining buy-in for immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception programs in Texas hospitals: A qualitative study.

ABSTRACT Objective To understand the specific ways in which champions lead efforts to obtain and sustain buy-in for immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) programs. Methods We conducted a qualitative study with 60 semi-structured interviews at three teaching hospitals in Texas with physicians, nurses, administrators and other staff who participated in the implementation of immediate postpartum LARC. Physicians self-identified as champions and identified other champion physicians and administrators. Two researchers analyzed and coded interview transcripts for content and themes. Results We found that champions draw on institutional knowledge and relationships to build awareness and support for immediate postpartum LARC implementation. To obtain buy-in, champions needed to demonstrate financial sustainability, engage key stakeholders from multiple departments, and obtain nurse buy-in. Champions also created buy-in by communicating goals for the service that focused on expanding reproductive autonomy, improving maternal health, and improving access to postpartum contraception. Some staff, especially nurses, identified reasons for the program that run counter to reproductive justice principles: reducing birth rates, poverty, and/or unplanned pregnancy among young women and high-parity women. Respondents at two hospitals noted that not all women had equitable access to immediate postpartum LARC. Conclusion Physician and non-physician champions must secure long-term support across multiple hospital departments to successfully implement an immediate postpartum LARC program. For programs to equitably serve all women in need of postpartum contraceptive care, champions and other program leaders need to implement strategies to address access issues. They should also explicitly focus on reproductive justice principles during program introduction and training.
The Ecology of Computation

Summary form only given. The author has developed a perspective on computational ecologies as well as a theory of their behavior which explicitly takes into account incomplete knowledge and delayed information on the part of its agents. When processes can choose among many possible strategies while collaborating in the solution of computational tasks, the dynamics lead to asymptotic regimes characterized by fixed points, oscillations and chaos. Spawn in an ongoing project which utilizes idle computational resources in a distributed network of high-performance workstations. The possible existence of a universal law regulating the way in which the benefit of cooperation is manifested in the system has been considered. >
Model-checking in-lined reference monitors

A technique for elegantly expressing In-lined Reference Monitor (IRM) certification as model-checking is presented and implemented. In-lined Reference Monitors (IRM’s) enforce software security policies by in-lining dynamic security guards into untrusted binary code. Certifying IRM systems provide strong formal guarantees for such systems by verifying that the instrumented code produced by the IRM system satisfies the original policy. Expressing this certification step as model-checking allows well-established model-checking technologies to be applied to this often difficult certification task. The technique is demonstrated through the enforcement and certification of a URL anti-redirection policy for ActionScript web applets.
Engine performance and emissions near the dilute limit with hydrogen enrichment using an on-board reforming strategy

This paper describes engine research - which supports our program to develop a gasoline engine management system (EMS) with an on-board reformer to provide near-zero tailpipe emissions. With this approach, the reformer converts gasoline (or another hydrocarbon-containing fuel) into reformate, containing hydrogen and CO. Reformate has very wide combustion limits to enable SI engine operation under very dilute conditions (either ultra-lean or with heavy EGR concentrations). In previous publications, we have presented engine dynamometer results showing very low emissions with bottled reformate. This paper shows the sensitivity of engine emissions and performance to operating near the dilute limit with H 2 enrichment using both bottled reformate and an actual reformer prototype. It discusses the additional advantages of the system for supplemental heating to the passenger compartment and the vision of substantially increasing powertrain efficiency - by using a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) APU as the source of reformate.
Estimating Indices in the Presence of Seller Reservation Prices

This paper documents the potential bias induced in an index of asset prices when sellers use reservation rules that may include some component of private value. We develop a model in which the seller's asking price is determined by private valuation while the buyer's bid price is determined by the market valuation, and a transaction takes place only if the bid is higher than the ask. Therefore, the trading volume and the observed transaction prices are both affected by the ratio of seller's private valuation to the market valuation, which is called the seller reserve ratio. The higher the seller reserve ratio, the lower is the trading volume and the larger is the difference between the market valuations estimated using observed prices and the actual market valuations. To address the estimation problem posed by the bias, we propose a three-step econometric procedure. We first estimate the index using observed prices. We next use residuals from the first step and observed trading volume to estimate the latent series of seller reserve ratio and the unconditional population variance of pricing errors. We then use these estimates in step two to correct for the bias in the index based on observed prices in either a hedonic regression or a repeat sale regression. We call the unbiased index a reserve-conditional index. Simulations show that this remedy effectively mitigates the bias, and the reserve-conditional indices are more accurate than traditional hedonic and repeat sale indices. We apply this technique to Los Angeles housing market, and show that the reserve-conditional index substantially differs from a traditional repeat sale index. In our application, the reserveconditional index is more volatile, has a much smaller autocorrelation, and appears to capture market downturns in a more timely fashion than the conventional repeat sale index.
Offenses against Property—Destruction and Intrusion Offenses

Under common law, offenses against the home were considered extremely serious offenses. Arson and burglary are two examples of common law crimes that received the death penalty in early England and the colonies. At common law, arson was defined as the willful and malicious burning of the dwelling house of another person or of an outbuilding within its cartilage. Modern statutes provide punishment for burning structures other than dwellings and provide a penalty when a person burns his or her own house or property to defraud an insurer. Another property destruction crime is malicious mischief, sometimes designated “criminal mischief.” It is defined as the willful and unlawful injury to or destruction of the property of another with malicious intent to injure the owner. The more recent codes consolidate many of the former malicious mischief provisions that were enacted to meet the needs of society at the time into a single comprehensive offense or an integrated series of related offenses. Vandalism is a similar crime and may be used in addition to or instead of criminal mischief in a state's penal code.
Glial Contributions to Neural Function and Disease

The nervous system consists of neurons and glial cells. Neurons generate and propagate electrical and chemical signals, whereas glia function mainly to modulate neuron function and signaling. Just as there are many different kinds of neurons with different roles, there are also many types of glia that perform diverse functions. For example, glia make myelin; modulate synapse formation, function, and elimination; regulate blood flow and metabolism; and maintain ionic and water homeostasis to name only a few. Although proteomic approaches have been used extensively to understand neurons, the same cannot be said for glia. Importantly, like neurons, glial cells have unique protein compositions that reflect their diverse functions, and these compositions can change depending on activity or disease. Here, I discuss the major classes and functions of glial cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems. I describe proteomic approaches that have been used to investigate glial cell function and composition and the experimental limitations faced by investigators working with glia.
Starch-Ampicillin Agar for the Quantitative Detection of Aeromonas hydrophila

Interest in Aeromonas hydrophila as a food-borne and human pathogen is increasing. Isolation media from the clinical laboratory were evaluated for food use and either did not give quantitative recovery of A. hydrophila or did not permit ready differentiation of A. hydrophila from the background microflora. A new medium was developed which permitted quantitative recovery of A. hydrophila from foods. The medium consisted of phenol red agar base (Difco Laboratories), soluble starch (10 g/liter), and ampicillin (10 mg/liter). All foods surveyed contained A. hydrophila. Foods sampled included red meats, chicken, raw milk, and seafood (fish, shrimp, scallops, crab, and oysters). The count of A. hydrophila at the time of purchase ranged from 1 × 102/g (lower limit of detection) to 5 × 105/g. In most instances, the count of A. hydrophila increased during 1 week of storage at 5°C. The starch-ampicillin agar developed permitted rapid quantitative recovery of A. hydrophila from foods in the presence of very large numbers of competing microflora.
Consistency Versus Licensing Effects of Past Moral Behavior

Why does past moral behavior sometimes lead people to do more of the same (consistency), whereas sometimes it liberates them to do the opposite (licensing)? We organize the literature on moderators of moral consistency versus licensing effects using five conceptual themes: construal level, progress versus commitment, identification, value reflection, and ambiguity. Our review reveals that individuals are more likely to exhibit consistency when they focus abstractly on the connection between their initial behavior and their values, whereas they are more likely to exhibit licensing when they think concretely about what they have accomplished with their initial behavior—as long as the second behavior does not blatantly threaten a cherished identity. Moreover, many studies lacked baseline conditions (“donut” designs), leaving it ambiguous whether licensing was observed. And although many proposed moderators yielded significant interactions, evidence for both significant consistency and balancing simple effect...
Chinese Soft power, Africa, and the United Nations General Assembly

Sino-Africa relations has become a topic of immense interest within the field of international relations. In particular, China’s use of “soft power” in order to support its peaceful rise in the international arena. Originally coined by American political scientist Joseph Nye (1990) the term “soft power” is the ability for a state to get what it wants without threat or coercion. The application of a Western theory by the PRC is worthy of further study and analysis. Recent scholarship within Chinese and Western academic circles have looked more closely at China’s soft power utility and how it promotes Nye’s pillars of soft power (culture, political values, and foreign policies). Specifically, where China’s soft power practices are in line with Nye’s (1990) original theory and where it deviates. This thesis will look at how China has built its soft power in Africa and how China utilizes that power. Furthermore, this thesis examines the question of whether China receives greater political support in the United Nations General Assembly from Africa governments with which it has close aid, investment, and trade relationships. Using descriptive statistics and correlation models, this study finds that although China’s relationship with Africa grows exponentially this does not necessarily produce more soft power efficacy for China.
The synergistic apoptotic interaction of panaxadiol and epigallocatechin gallate in human colorectal cancer cells.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in the United States and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death (HawkLevin, 2005; Jemal et al., 2010). Although curative surgical resection is possible in 70–80% of patients after diagnosis, almost half of them will die from recurrence of cancer (Yao et al., 2008). However, natural products have been a valuable source of new candidate compounds for adjuvant therapy (Cragg et al., 2009; Gullett et al., 2010). We recently observed that a ginsenoside aglycon protopanaxadiol (PPD) showed antiproliferative effects on human colorectal cancer cells (Du et al., 2011). Panaxadiol (PD), a pseudoaglycone of diol-type triterpenoid with a dammarane skeleton (Fig. 1), is an active anticancer compound in steamed American ginseng (Qi et al., 2010). We also showed that steamed American ginseng extract increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and induced mitochondrial damage in colorectal cancer cells (Li et al., 2010; Wang et al., 2009). We hypothesize that antioxidants may decrease the level of ROS and enhance PD-induced apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells, and this hypothesis was proven in part by our recent observation that the tumoricidal effect of PD was enhanced by a natural phenol compound epicatechin (Rodriguez et al., 2010). Fig. 1 Chemical structures of panaxadiol (PD) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a well-known antioxidant, is believed to be the major biologically active compound in green tea (Kawai et al., 2005; Kim et al., 2009; Nakazato et al., 2005). A highly popular beverage globally, green tea contains a number of polyphenol compounds referred to as catechins, which have been demonstrated to possess strong ROS scavenging activity. Of these, EGCG showed the most potent antioxidant potential (LambertElias, 2010). In this study, we investigated the possible synergistic antiproliferative effects of PD and EGCG in two human colorectal cancer cell lines, HCT-116 and SW-480. The effects of these compounds on cell cycle and apoptosis were also evaluated, and the docking model of these compounds to annexin V, a protein related to apoptosis, was simulated.
Identification of inactivating mutations in the JAK1, SYNJ2, and CLPTM1 genes in prostate cancer cells using inhibition of nonsense-mediated decay and microarray analysis

We have developed a simple analytical method that increases the efficiency of identifying mutant genes in cell lines after the inhibition of nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). The approach assumes that the spectra of mutant genes differ between cell lines of the same tumor origin. Thus, by analyzing more than one cell line in parallel and taking into account not only changes in mRNA levels after the inhibition of NMD, but also comparing mRNA levels between cell lines before the inhibition of NMD, the vast majority of false positives were eliminated from the analysis. In this study, we used Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays to compare mRNA profiles of two prostate cancer cell lines, PC3 and LNCaP, before and after emetine treatment. As a result of our modified approach, from the 14,500 genes present on the array, 7 were identified as candidates from LNCaP cells and 1 was identified from PC3 cells. Sequence analysis of five of these candidate genes identified gene-inactivating mutations in four of them. Homozygous mutations were found in the synaptojanin 2 (SYNJ2) and the cleft lip and palate CLPTM1 genes. Two different heterozygous mutations in the Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) gene result in complete loss of the protein in several different prostate cancer cell lines.
Duodenal Perforation by an IVC Filter: A Case and Discussion Expanding on the 2010 Guidelines for Filter Retrieval

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are a safe and effective means of providing protection against life-threatening pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with contraindications to anticoagulation [1]. The use of retrievable IVC filters (R-IVCFs) has increased steadily over the years since their introduction in 2001. However, low retrieval rates, primarily from poor patient follow-up, have led to complications from shortand long-term indwelling filter placement. We discuss a patient who presented to our institution with melena and anemia and who was ultimately found to have an R-IVCF-related caval penetration into the duodenum identified on upper endoscopy almost 4 years after initial placement. We discuss the patient’s clinical course and outcome, and examine its relevance in relation to the 2010 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations for filter retrieval, the need for interventional radiologists to strictly abide by indications for filter placement, and the importance of longitudinal care and patient follow-up.
A priori error estimations of hp-finite element approximations for hierarchical models of plate- and shell-like structures

A priori error estimates of hp-finite element approximations for hierarchical models of the thin elastic plate- and shell-like structures are derived. The error in the approximations of a hierarchical model consists of the modelling error due to assumptions on displacement or stress fields and the finite element approximation error of discretizations of such a model. Also, non-uniformity with respect to the thickness owing to numerical locking is included in the present error estimates. Numerical results are given supporting the theoretical results.
A simple and inexpensive method for producing fluorescently labelled size standard

Current methods of automated genotyping offer many advantages over traditional gel-based approaches, including reduced handling and processing times, and increased accuracy and consistency. Unfortunately, these advances have come at a substantial cost; at present, roughly one-half of the cost of automated genotyping is due to fluorescently labelled internal size standard. Here we describe detailed methodologies for generating a highly consistent, fluorescently labelled, internal size standard using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The methods are simple and the required reagents are inexpensive, making the in-house production of fluorescently labelled size standards a more widely accessible alternative to commercially available size standards.