cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oral Effects and Early Implant Survival Results After Imatinib Discontinuation Therapy for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: A Case Report

Introduction: Little is known regarding the success, failure, or complication rates of advanced implant procedures in patients after discontinuation therapy of long-term medications for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). This case report presents initial results of a case involving implant placement in the mandible and maxilla as well as reduction of palatal oral pigmentation in a patient discontinuing long-term tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for CML.Case Presentation: A 57-year-old male was referred to the Department of Periodontics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, for an assessment of edentulous areas (tooth sites #3 and #14) and failing tooth #19. Previous medical treatment included oral administration (>10 years) of TKI for the treatment of CML. Systemic complications arising from long-term TKI therapy were treated with discontinuation of this medication. Concurrently, after multispecialty dental and medical consultation, extraction of tooth #19 with immediate...
Man’s Best Friend: A Canine Cornucopia

In 1962, Teddy and the Twilights proclaimed “Woman Is a Man’s Best Friend.” This CD contradicts that lyrical assertion. The objectivity of the compiler is debatable, though. The liner notes for Man...
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF RIGHT VENTRICULAR PACING ON LEFT VENTRICULAR SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC FUNCTION AND SYNCHRONY BY STRAIN IMAGING IN PATIENTS WITH NORMAL BASELINE LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION

Background: 2D strain can assess myocardial function & synchrony & has not bee evaluated in chronic right ventricular (RV) pacing. Methods: 117 pts implanted with dual chamber pacemaker b/w 2006-2016 & LVEF>50% were enrolled. Echo data at 2-yrs (3.30 ± 1.19 yrs)
A Curriculum for the Tourism Industry: Establishing A Body of Knowledge

The purpose of this exploratory study was to compare differences in the perceptions of international (non United States) and United States tourism professionals regarding content for a global touri...
Diversity of diagnostic horizons in soils of the contiguous USA: A case study

Abstract Many previous studies of pedodiversity have emphasized the lateral variability of soils. In this study, the vertical distribution of diagnostic horizons is examined at the soil-series level. Unlike genetic horizons, diagnostic soil horizons are based on quantitatively defined morphological and analytical properties; and they form the basis of modern soil classification systems. An examination of 1600 soil series in 63 representative (out of 226) Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) in contiguous USA revealed that they contain from one to seven diagnostic soil horizons, with an average of 2.6 ± 1.2. About 20% of the soil series contain 4 or more diagnostic horizons; 80% of these soil series are in seven great groups: the Glossudalfs, Haplorthods, Fragiorthods, Endoaquods, Epiaquods, Fraglossudalfs, and Glossaqualfs. The Laurentide Great Lakes region contains a discordant number (57%) of soils with 4 or more diagnostic horizons, the most common being ochric (100%), albic (91%), argillic (85%), glossic (69%), spodic (51%), and a fragipan (19%). Several factors appear to contribute to the diversity of diagnostic horizons, including proximity to the Great Lakes where abundant snowfall precludes soil freezing and enables water to percolate rapidly through the soil in a short interval during the spring, the prevalence of stratified glacial deposits often containing a lithologic discontinuity, and a fluctuating water table, all of which enable specific weathering products to accumulate at different depths.
Associative networks from L2 words in early and late Vietnamese-English bilinguals

This study investigates whether highly-proficient Vietnamese-English bilinguals can activate associations in a native-like way from studying L2 words, whether these L2 associations interact with L1 words, and whether this depends on when they started learning L2 English. The results suggest that early bilinguals have native-like L2 English associative networks and these networks are interconnected with L1 Vietnamese words. Late bilinguals, in contrast, seem to indicate that their L2 English associative networks might be activated less automatically, and they are not so strongly connected with L1 words. This pattern of results are discussed in terms of how age of L2 exposure might affect the development of L2 associative networks.
Crop Rotations and Poultry Litter Affect Dynamic Soil Chemical Properties and Soil Biota Long Term.

Dynamic soil chemical interactions with conservation agricultural practices and soil biota are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aims to quantify long-term (12-yr) impacts of cover crops, poultry litter, crop rotations, no-tillage, and their interactions on dynamic soil properties and to determine their relationships with nutrient cycling, crop yield, and soil biodiversity (soil microbial and earthworm communities). Main effects were 13 different cropping sequences of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], corn (Zea mays L.), and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) at the Research and Education Center at Milan, TN, and eight sequences of corn and soybean at the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center, Spring Hill, TN. Sequences were repeated in 4-yr phases from 2002 to 2014. Split-block cover crop treatments consisted of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), poultry litter, and a fallow control. Soil C and nutrient fluxes were calculated at surface (0–5 cm) and subsurface (5–15 cm) layers during Years 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12. After 12 yr, weighted means (0–15 cm) of soil pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, total N, and C were greater under poultry litter-amended soils compared with cover crops (P < 0.05). In addition, continuous corn sequences resulted in greater soil K, N, and C concentrations than soybean–soybean–corn–corn rotations (P < 0.05). Poultry litter treatments were positively correlated with greater soil fertility levels, as well as higher crop yield and soil biodiversity. These results underscore linkages between manure additions and cropping sequences, within the nutrient cycling, soil health, and crop production continuum.
Comparison of Gardening Activities and Purchases of Homeowners and Renters

Abstract In September 2004, an Internet survey was conducted among 1507 American homeowners and renters to compare their gardening participation and purchases. Because income level and homeownership were related, the sample was stratified to create four groups using the respondent's 2003 household income: (a) < $25,000, (b) $25,000 to $49,999, (c) $50,000 to $74,999, and (d) ≥ $75,000. Within each income group, the percentages of respondents who participated in 14 gardening-related activities and made 12 gardening-related purchases were compared. Across all income groups, a higher percentage of homeowners than renters participated in gardening-related activities and made gardening-related purchases, however as income level rose the number of differences between homeowners and renters generally declined. At the income category $25,000 to $49,999, there were 20 of 26 possible differences between homeowners and renters. At the highest income category (≥ $75,000), homeowners and renters differed in only 5 of ...
The Optimal Set of Classifiers

This chapter deals with the question of what it means for a set of classifiers to be optimal in the light of the available data, and how to provide a formal solution to this problem. As such, it tackles the core task of LCS, whose ultimate aim is it to find such a set.
Calcium Antagonist Effects on Vascular Muscle Membrane Potentials and Intracellular Ca2

One of the first hypotheses for the mechanism of action of a Ca2+ antagonist that should be tested is the blockade of Ca2+ entry [10]. Because block of Ca2+ entry would remove a depolarizing influence, hyperpolarization, or at least block of part of the depolarization, would result. A test of the Ca2+ entry block hypothesis would be measurement of membrane potential (E m), with the predictions that E m would be more electronegative in the presence of a Ca2+ antagonist than in the absence, and that the greatest effects would be observed at higher concentrations of stimuli, because there would be more Ca2+ influx to inhibit. Experiments with verapamil are confusing because verapamil (and gallopamil, or D600) does not block norepinephrine (NE) depolarization of muscle cells of the rat caudal artery [16]. In contrast, nitrendipine (a newer Ca2+ antagonist) causes an immediate and significant hyperpolarization of both resting and stimulated caudal artery [16]. Because there is more hyperpolarization elicited with nitrendipine at rest than during activation, a mechanism other than block of Ca2+ influx is likely to be involved.
Effects of Maternal Exercise on Labor and Delivery

Despite popular belief, exercise while pregnant does not initiate labor, or preterm labor. Exercise is associated with delivering closer to the due date. Further, maternal exercise is associated with either no change, or shorter labor and delivery overall. Women who exercised had less complications during labor and delivery than those who did not exercise. More importantly, measures of the fetus during the labor and delivery process did not indicate fetal distress. Measures of fetal distress showed either no difference or improvements related to exercise exposure, such as increased apgar scores. Exercised mothers and their children had shorter hospital stays relative to nonexercisers. Overall, these findings of possibly shorter labor, less preterm labor, less complications, and decreased hospital stay all add up to decreased health-care costs. Further research is needed in this area.
Evidence for Minimal Cardiogenic Potential of Sca-1 Positive Cells in the Adult Mouse Heart

Background: Despite modern pharmacotherapy, heart failure remains a major medical burden. The heart has a limited regenerative capacity, and bolstering regeneration might represent new therapeutic approaches for heart failure patients. Various progenitor cells in the heart have been proposed to have cardiomyogenic properties, but this evidence is based mostly on cell culture and transplantation studies. One population of interest is characterized by the expression of Stem Cell Antigen-1 (Sca-1). Here we tested the hypothesis that Sca-1+ cells are endogenous progenitors for cardiomyocytes in the adult heart. Methods: We evaluated the innate cardiogenic potential of Sca-1+ cells in vivo by generating a novel mouse model to genetically lineage-trace the fate of Sca-1 expressing cells. This was accomplished by introducing a tamoxifen-inducible Cre-recombinase into the Sca-1 locus (Sca-1mCm/+). Crossing this mouse line to a Cre-dependent tdTomato reporter line allowed for genetic lineage-tracing of endogenous Sca-1+ cells (Sca-1mCmR26tdTomato). The frequency of Sca-1+ cardiomyocytes was quantified from dispersed cell preparations and confirmed by in situ histology. Results: We validated the genetic lineage tracing mouse model in bone marrow and heart. Unlike previous publications suggesting significant cardiogenic potential, we found that less than 0.02% of cardiomyocytes per year were derived from Sca-1+ cells in the adult heart under homeostatic conditions. At six months after myocardial infarction, we found less than 0.01% of cardiomyocytes were derived from Sca-1+ cells. Conclusion: Our results show that Sca-1+ cells in the adult heart have minimal cardiogenic potential under homeostatic conditions or in response to myocardial infarction.
A Tribological Study of γ-Fe2O3 Nanoparticles in Aqueous Suspension

In this work, the nano- and macroscale tribological properties of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles in aqueous solution are compared and contrasted for alumina contacts as a function of nanoparticle concentration. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique was used for nanotribology measurements and a ball-on-disk method was used to measure macroscale friction coefficients. Statistical methods were employed to identify significant associations between the QCM and ball-on-disk measurements, employing selected candidate performance factors for each system. In particular, the macroscale response was parameterized by % reduction in the friction coefficient while candidate QCM “bulk” and “surface” performance factors were selected from functions of the frequency f and resistance Rm shifts upon addition of nanoparticles to the water surrounding the QCM. Incremental increases in concentration were performed and reductions in friction and drag forces were observed for concentrations up to 0.6 wt%, after which further reductions were not observed. The factor δRfilm/δffilm exhibited a linear correlation with the reduction in macroscale friction coefficient, defined as the ratio of the shift in resistance to the shift in frequency attributable to interfacial effects and changes in the glide plane location. Atomic force microscopy was also utilized to both qualitatively and quantitatively determine surface roughness before and after particle uptake, leading to the observations that particles are easily removed from the surface and do not significantly alter surface morphology.
Mechanisms of concanavalin A-induced cytokine synthesis by hepatic stellate cells: Distinct roles of interferon regulatory factor-1 in liver injury

Mice depleted of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are protected from concanavalin A (ConA)-induced liver injury that is mediated by the activation of interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1). The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms of ConA-mediated signaling and synthesis/release of mediators by HSCs that damage hepatocytes. Primary cultures of wildtype (WT) and IRF1-knockout (KO) HSCs and hepatocytes were used, and ConA-induced liver damage in interferon (IFN)αβ receptor-deficient (IFNαβR-KO) mice was determined. Specific binding of ConA to HSCs induced rapid activation of JAK2 and STAT1. ConA-induced expression of IRF1, IFNβ, tumor necrosis factor α, and CXCL1 was abrogated by selective inhibition of JAK2 and STAT1. Despite activating JAK2/STAT1, ConA failed to stimulate expression of inflammatory cytokines in HSCs from IRF1-KO mice. ConA-conditioned WT-HSC medium caused activation of JNK and caspase 3, and apoptosis of hepatocytes from WT but not from IRF1-KO or IFNαβR-KO mice. Conversely, ConA-conditioned medium of IRF1-KO HSCs failed to cause apoptosis of WT or IRF1-KO hepatocytes. IFNαβR-KO mice were protected from ConA-induced liver damage, and ConA-induced hepatic expression of IRF1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and infiltration of neutrophils were significantly lower in IFNαβR-KO than in WT mice. These results demonstrate distinct roles of IRF1 in hepatic inflammation (HSCs) and injury (hepatocytes) and can be an important target for intervention in acute liver injury.
Recent advances in high-strength and elastic hydrogels for 3D printing in biomedical applications

Three-dimensional (3D) printing enables the production of personalized tissue-engineered products with high tunability and complexity. It is thus an attractive and promising technology in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. Printable and biocompatible hydrogels are attractive materials for 3D printing applications because they offer favorable biomimetic environments for live cells, such as high water content, porous structure, bioactive molecule incorporation, and tunable mechanical properties and degradation rates. However, most conventional hydrogel materials are brittle and mechanically weak and hence cannot meet the mechanical needs for handling and soft and elastic tissue use. Thus, the development of printable, high-strength, and elastic hydrogel materials for 3D printing in tissue repair and regeneration is critical and interesting. In this review, we summarized the recent reports on high-strength and elastic hydrogels for printing use and categorized them into three groups, namely double-network hydrogels, nanocomposite hydrogels, and single-network hydrogels. The reinforcing mechanisms of these high-strength hydrogels and the strategies to improve their printability and biocompatibility were further discussed. These high-strength and elastic hydrogels may offer opportunities to accelerate the development of 3D printing technology and provide new insights for 3D-printed product design in biomedicine. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogels are highly attractive in 3D printing because of their desirable printability and friendly environment for loading bioactive molecules and living cells. The development of high-strength and elastic hydrogels changes the conventional impression of weak and brittle hydrogels and provides new opportunities and inspirations for 3D printing and biomedical applications. In this review, we analyzed the hydrogel reinforcement mechanisms, summarized recent progresses in developing high-strength and elastic hydrogels for 3D printing, and discussed the strategies to improve the printability and biocompatibility of the hydrogel inks.
The Dark Side of Addiction: Dysregulated Neuroadaptation of Emotional Neurocircuits

AbstractW. Horsley Gantt and Joseph V. Brady laid a rich foundation for understanding the concept of emotion, derived from 2 prominent traditions of physiology and psychology: classic conditioning and operant conditioning, respectively. This framework guided my fierce interest in motivation in gener
Plastic dissipation sensitivity to mechanical properties in polycrystalline β-HMX subjected to impact loading

Abstract This manuscript investigates the sensitivity of plastic dissipation expressed in the form of temperature rise to anisotropic elasticity constants and crystal plasticity properties of crystalline β-HMX (1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane) under impact loading conditions. Parametric sensitivity analyses are performed using a global sensitivity analysis framework to quantify the relative roles of the elasticity constants of the monoclinic β-HMX crystal, as well as to delineate thermal activation and phonon drag induced slip mechanisms that contribute to the nonlinear response. The plastic behavior of β-HMX is modeled using a Crystal Plasticity Finite Element model incorporating the slip mechanisms of thermal activation and phonon drag driven by the evolution of dislocation generation and annihilation. The results of the sensitivity analyses show that the anisotropic elasticity coefficients of the monoclinic crystal have a nominal effect on the energy dissipation and temperature rise, dominated by sensitivities of a few coefficients. Among the two primary slip mechanisms, phonon drag appears dominant within the load rate and amplitude regimes considered in this study.
Review article: new therapeutic interventions for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) portends a poor prognosis; however recent advances in first-line and second-line treatment options should yield significant improvements in survival. AIM To summarize the evolving landscape of treatment options for patients with advanced HCC. METHODS We reviewed published clinical trials conducted in patients with advanced HCC published in PubMed or presented at national conferences. RESULTS Sorafenib was approved for treatment of unresectable HCC in 2007 and remained the only therapy with proven survival benefit in advanced HCC for several years. Lenvatinib, another tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, was recently shown to have non-inferior survival vs sorafenib and is another first-line treatment option. The tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, regorafenib and cabozantinib, were shown to significantly improve survival in the second-line setting after sorafenib failure. Ramucirumab, a VEGF inhibitor, can also improve survival in the second-line setting among patients with AFP ≥ 400 ng/dL. Phase II data highlight potential durable objective responses with immune checkpoint inhibitors, prompting conditional FDA approval of nivolumab and pembrolizumab in the second-line setting; however, recent phase III data have failed to demonstrate improved survival compared to other treatment options. Ongoing trials are evaluating combination immune checkpoint inhibitor and immune checkpoint inhibitors with tyrosine-kinase inhibitors or VEGF inhibitors in hopes of further increasing objective responses and overall survival in this patient population. CONCLUSION There are several first-line and second-line therapeutic options available for patients with advanced HCC. Further studies are needed to determine how best to select between and sequence the growing number of therapeutic options.
Does Skin Tone Matter? Immigrant Mobility in the U.S. Labor Market

A rich literature has documented the negative association between dark skin tone and many dimensions of U.S.-born Americans' life chances. Despite the importance of both skin tone and immigration in the American experience, few studies have explored the effect of skin tone on immigrant assimilation longitudinally. I analyze data from the New Immigrant Survey (NIS) 2003 to examine how skin tone is associated with occupational achievement at three time points: the last job held abroad, the first job held in the United States, and the current job. Dark-skinned immigrants experience steeper downward mobility at arrival in the United States and slower subsequent upward mobility relative to light-skinned immigrants, net of human and social capital, race/ethnicity, country of origin, visa type, and demographics. These findings shed light on multiple current literatures, including segmented assimilation theory, the multidimensionality of race, and the U.S. racial hierarchy.
Generational technology advancement and firm growth: A study of sales growth in the flat panel display industry

Abstract Firms may pursue higher generations of technology to grow sales, but the effectiveness of this strategy is undetermined, because technological changes often create disruptions to the firm and its competitive environment. Understanding the effectiveness of a firm’s generational technology advancement strategy requires an examination of the contextual factors pertaining to generational technological change. Using data from the global flat panel display industry, we find that although generational technology advancement dampens sales growth, this negative effect is negated by a longer tenure in the industry, a lower level of technological innovativeness, and a greater product overlap with competitors. We contribute to the literature by highlighting the differences between generational technology and other types of innovation, and underscoring the interdependence between a firm’s generational technology advancement strategy and contingencies favoring firm growth. We advise leading technology firms to prepare for particular problems resulting from technology advancement, and offer lagging firms a game plan.
Optimizing a Three-Channel Sensor Spectral Sensitivity Using A Genetic Algorithm

Previous spectral error estimation studies are focused only on daylight. Spectral sensitivity of three sensors are optimized for electric light sources using a genetic algorithm, which resulted in reduced errors between actual and estimated spectra.
Evaluation of a commercial deformable image registration algorithm for dual-energy CT processing.

Purpose Several dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) techniques require a deformable image registration to correct for motion between the acquisition of low and high energy data. However, current DECT software does not provide tools to assess registration accuracy or allow the user to export deformed images, presenting a unique challenge for image registration quality assurance (QA). This work presents a methodology to evaluate the accuracy of DECT deformable registration and to quantify the impact of registration errors on end-product images. Methods The deformable algorithm implemented in Siemen Healthineers's Syngo was evaluated using a deformable abdomen phantom and a rigid phantom to mimic sliding motion in the thorax. Both phantoms were imaged using sequential 80 and 140 kVp scans with motion applied between the two scans. Since Syngo does not allow the export of the deformed images, this study focused on quantifying the accuracy of various end-product, dual-energy images resulting from processing of deformed images. Results The Syngo algorithm performed well for the abdomen phantom with a mean registration error of 0.4 mm for landmark analysis, Dice similarity coefficients (DSCs) > 0.90 for five organs contoured, and mean iodine concentrations within 0.2 mg/mL of values measured on static images. For rigid sliding motion, the algorithm performed poorer and resulted in noticeable registration errors toward the superior and inferior scan extents and DSCs as low as 0.41 for iodine rods imaged in the phantom. Additionally, local iodine concentration errors in areas of misregistration exceeded 3 mg/mL. Conclusions This work represents the first methodology for DECT image registration QA using commercial software. Our data support the clinical use of the Syngo algorithm for abdominal sites with limited motion (i.e., pancreas and liver). However, dual-energy images generated with this algorithm should be used with caution for quantitative measurements in areas with sliding motion.
The Absence of Civics Interventions for Students with Disabilities: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

Compared to other academic content areas, educational researchers conduct relatively few empirical studies focused on students’ civics knowledge and teachers then have fewer opportunities to learn ...
The paralyzing legal costs of facial nerve injury in head and neck tumors

Abstract Purpose Facial nerve paralysis from head and neck tumors can result from disease progression or iatrogenic causes, leading to litigation. The aim of this study was to investigate lawsuits regarding facial paralysis as a consequence of these tumors to understand and better educate physicians behind the reasons for litigation. Methods Jury verdict reviews were obtained from the Westlaw database from 1985 to 2018. Gathered data, including verdicts, litigation reasons, defendant specialties, and amounts awarded, were analyzed via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results Of the 26 lawsuits analyzed, the leading reason for litigation was failure to diagnose (53.8%), followed by iatrogenic injury (34.6%). The average award was $2,704,470. Otolaryngologists were the most common defendants. Defendants that included an otolaryngologist had shorter delays of diagnosis compared to those that did not (p Conclusion Failure to diagnose parotid injury was the leading cause of litigation. In instances where the jury found for the plaintiff, the amount was material. There were equivalent incidences of cases in favor of plaintiffs and defendants.
Dr. Colleen M. Hacker: A certified mental performance consultant (CMPC).

This interview highlighted the atypical career of Dr. Colleen Hacker. She discusses her experiences as a mental skills coach, corporate speaker, and full-time professor. The convergence of these career paths has led her to be a leader in the Olympic and professional sports setting, as well as in academia. Dr. Colleen M. Hacker provides critical insights into how she obtained these positions and how she manages her day-to-day tasks. Additionally, she discusses her knowledge in sport and performance psychology, life as a professor, and her experience as a three-time intercollegiate national champion soccer coach. Multicultural issues such as geopolitical diversity and the different cultural realities among the numerous countries she has traveled are described. Finally, Dr. Colleen M. Hacker explains ethical issues and the appealing aspects of her career. Her parting advice for young professionals looking to pursue similar careers is to be passionate about what you do, pursue excellence, and "be where your feet are." (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Assessment of physical condition and anthropogenic disturbance of streams of the northcentral United States

The recent introduction of large geospatial databases and virtual measurement devices for streams of the United States have the potential to greatly improve stream classification systems as well as...
Patient Release and Instructions for Lutetium Dotatate Radiopharmaceutical Therapy.

ABSTRACT Lutetium Dotatate radiopharmaceutical therapy (Lutathera) was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2018 and is used to treat somatostatin receptor positive neuroendocrine tumors. With all new radiopharmaceutical therapies, the radiation exposure to members of the public from the patient who received the therapy must be within regulatory limits and safe. If the patient will expose members of the public to too much radiation, the therapy must be performed on an inpatient basis. This paper shows that the administration of Lutathera can be done on an outpatient basis and provides safety and travel restrictions that should be communicated to the patient prior to leaving. The guidance presented herein serves as a basis for medical institutions looking to use Lutathera to treat patients.
A Defense of Modest Ideal Observer Theory: The Case of Adam Smith’s Impartial Spectator

I build on Adam Smith’s account of the impartial spectator in The Theory of Moral Sentiments in order to offer a modest ideal observer theory of moral judgment that is adequate in the following sense: the account specifies the hypothetical conditions that guarantee the authoritativeness of an agent’s (or agents’) responses in constituting the standard in question, and, if an actual agent or an actual community of agents are not under those conditions, their responses are not authoritative in setting this standard. However, in the account that I provide, the hypothetical conditions can themselves be constructed from the psychology and interactions of actual human beings. In other words, facts about the morally appropriate and inappropriate are determined from hypothetical conditions that––while agents in a given society might have yet to attain them––can be constructed from those agents’ shared experiences. Thus, the account offers both an attainable standard of moral judgment and a standard that can transcend the biases of the society which gave rise to it. I also defend the account against three challenges: (a) ideal observer theories do not offer the right kind of motivation to act on the verdicts of the ideal observer; (b) ideal observer theories cannot explain why the idealization in question is well-motivated and not objectionably ad hoc; (c) the standard used in ideal observer theories cannot be defended upon further reflection, because we would need a non-arbitrary, second-order standard to govern our reflection on the first-order standard of moral judgment.
How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take to Change the World

Innovation is an important source of economic growth. It increases productivity and creates wealth by freeing up resources to be used for other activity and hence more output. Despite its economic importance, innovation is still not fully understood and is difficult to predict. In pre-modern societies, institutions and practices worked against innovation by aiming to make life more predictable and stable and minimise the effects of change. Nowadays, government uses the precautionery principle and stifes to prevent competition and maintain its privileged positions. Intellectual property, occupational licensing, and government favouritism are ways of keeping innovators out. However, innovation is the natural and inevitable result of trade and exchange. When people meet, they not only trade material goods but also exchange ideas and knowledge, which can then be combined in new and unexpected ways. The meeting of minds is not just a figure of speech, but an expression of how new ideas arise and are tested collectively. The current trend to create a global regulatory order threatens to stop innovation in its tracks.
Matching Markets

Matching markets are of particular interest in computer science and economics literature as they are often used to model real-world phenomena where we aim to equitably distribute a limited amount of resources to multiple agents and determine these distributions efficiently. Although it has been shown that finding market clearing prices for Fisher markets with indivisible goods is NP-hard, there exist polynomial-time algorithms able to compute these prices and allocations when the goods are divisible and the utility functions are linear. We provide a promising research direction toward the development of a market that simulates buyers' preferences that vary according to the bundles of goods allocated to other buyers. Our research aims to elucidate unique ways in which the theory of matching markets can be extended to account for more complex and often counterintuitive microeconomic phenomena.
An Epidemiological Study of Cancer Deaths in Pathfork, Kentucky

A preliminary epidemiological study was conducted in response to a letter which was initially sent to the Cancer Hopeline of the McDowell Cancer Network on August 18, 1980 by Mrs. America T. Whittle postmaster of Pathfork, Harlan County in Eastern Kentucky. She and her family have 51 years of service in that post office. Furthermore she and her husband once owned a grocery store in the community. Her letter noted a high incidence of cancer deaths in a 1/4 square mile area in Pathofork.
Gallmaking and Insects

Publisher Summary This chapter describes gallmaking and insects. Formation of the gall has an adaptive advantage to the gallmaking insect, for nutritive gall tissues feed the growing larva and the gall structure hides it from natural enemies. These insect benefits of gallmaking are produced at the cost of photosynthate and energy to the host plant. The majority of insect gallmakers are plant parasites with a notable exception: fig wasps in the family Agaonidae (Hymenoptera) form mutualistic associations with their host plant as pollinators. Agaonid wasps from male flowers are introduced into fig orchards in the ancient agricultural process of caprification to allow pollination of the female flowers necessary to produce the fruit. Although a plant gall would appear to offer a place for an insect to escape predators and parasites, it is also a sedentary structure where natural enemies can predictably locate insect larvae. Predators of hidden insect larvae, such as woodpeckers, regularly prey upon galls. Many parasitoids, insects that receive their nutrients from a single host insect, eventually killing the host, have adapted to the predictability of plant galls. The majority of plant galls harm the host plant only by diverting plant resources and thus have little economic impact. The economic impacts of gallmaking insects include the benefits of fig pollination as well as some negative economic effects in the form of crop losses.
Emerson's Transcendental America and the 'Disagreeable Particulars' of Slavery: Vision, Politics and the Costs of Idealism

Scholars have characterized the relationship between Emerson’s philosophy of Transcendentalism, his practice of self-reliance, and his participation in the anti-slavery movement in many different ways. In this essay, I show how there is a sustained, continuous, and unresolved tension between Emerson’s Transcendental idealism and his abolitionist sympathies, that Emerson himself acts out and embodies in each of his most important anti-slavery lectures. In the space of each single address, as it moves from beginning to end, we see Emerson struggling with this tension, trying and failing to resolve it. Ultimately, this may be Emerson’s greatest value: a representative man who enacts a struggle against his own Transcendentalism, who is often antagonized by the same theory of idealism he developed. This illuminating struggle plays out most starkly in terms of his gaze as he confronts slavery. By studying his visual practice of focal distancing, by monitoring what his eye focuses on and what it moves past, we can track the moments during his anti-slavery addresses where he suddenly questions and challenges his own idealism and recognizes, if only momentarily, the costs and dangers associated with the Transcendentalist mode of perception. To explore the ruptures in Emerson’s idealism, I draw from Theodor W. Adorno, a twentieth century critic of idealism. I use Adorno’s critique of idealism and his method of negative dialectics to explore “the American Kant,” as Emerson has been called. In the final section of the essay, I explore the implications that Emerson’s practice of focal distancing and his attitude toward particularity hold for his amendment of the constitution of Americans.
Mediated Communication in Context: Narrative Approaches to Understanding Encounters Between Health Care Providers and Deaf People

Keywords Deaf/hard-of-hearing, Health-care communication, Narrative, Effective communication access, Cultural competency, Social model of deafness Abstract Deaf people experience disparities in health care that are often the result of (or exacerbated by) difficulties of communication. Health care providers often lack cultural understandings of Deaf communication and culture and thus do not provide effective communication access. U.S. disability law is meant to guarantee communication access, but deaf people's stories of access indicate that they may still encounter barriers to effective access. We report on an action research project designed to enhance communication among deaf people, health care professionals, and sign-language interpreters. We draw upon a social model of disability, which locates barriers to inclusion in society and the environment rather than the embodied difference or impairment, and extend that to the condition of deafness. We argue that narrative and dialogue that develops cultural understandings of Deaf communication and culture can offer a means of facilitating mutual understanding among the parties involved. Our hope is that interventions based on this approach will contribute to greater health-care access for deaf people.
Pointwise convergence of a class of non-orthogonal wavelet expansions

Non-orthogonal wavelet expansions associated with a class of mother wavelets is considered. This class of wavelets comprises mother wavelets that are not necessarily integrable over the whole real line, such as Shannon’s wavelet. The pointwise convergence of these wavelet expansions is investigated. It is shown that, unlike other wavelet expansions, the ones under consideration do not necessarily converge pointwise to the functions at points of continuity, unless a more stringent condition, such as bounded variation, is imposed.
The cost effect of newer medication adoption in an older Medicaid cohort.

Objectives: State Medicaid programs struggle with rapidly increasing expenditures for pharmaceuticals, and Medicare will likely face the same challenge. This article demonstrates how the adoption of newer drugs across diverse therapeutic classes contributed to one state's Medicaid expenditures over a 3-year period. Design: Retrospective analysis of administrative claims data. Setting: Older Kansas Medicaid community dwellers and institutionalized beneficiaries. Participants: A 15% random sample (N = 6,256) of recipients aged 60 and older. Measurements: Prescription medication use was tracked for three sequential 1-year periods for eight therapeutic classes accounting for the greatest Medicaid drug expenditures, categorizing individual medications as newer or older agents based on generic availability and other clinical distinctions. Outcome measures were utilization per person-year, price per prescription, market share as percentage of prescriptions, and market share as percentage of expenditures for prescriptions within each class. Results: Use increased for all classes, driven by the adoption of newer agents. Mean prescription prices rose in nearly all classes primarily because of the higher prices of the newer agents. Newer drugs accounted for more than 50% of prescriptions in four of eight classes and constituted a disproportionately greater share of expenditures than their prescription share among several classes: antidepressants (>95%), antipsychotics (>92%), antiulcer agents (>63%), antiinflammatory drugs (>60%), and opiates (>45%). Conclusion: Newer drug products for a variety of treatment indications consume a majority of pharmaceutical expenditures through widespread adoption and higher prices. Although these agents may offer some therapeutic advantages, further research is needed to determine in what circumstances, and for which patients, the advantages of new pharmaceuticals outweigh their higher costs.
Police chiefs' perceptions about Miranda

Abstract Debate about the Miranda warnings has been ongoing since the Miranda case was decided over three decades ago. The debate became timely with the Supreme Court's decision late last year to revisit the warnings. The Supreme Court on June 26, 2000 arrived at a 7–2 decision to uphold the Miranda warnings. This article reports on a survey asking ninety-five police chiefs from the Commonwealth of Virginia about their perceptions concerning Miranda. Factors contributing to their perceptions are examined. Results indicate that the chiefs are slightly mixed regarding their perceptions about Miranda, though a majority support continued use of the warnings. Demographic factors played a small role in their beliefs. Perceived experiences with Miranda influenced their beliefs in several areas. Implications of the study were: as administrators who direct policy, the opinions of police chiefs may impact on the actions of officers. Their perceptions of Miranda, if favorable, informs whether drastic changes would be chaotic for law enforcement. As administrators of the justice system's gatekeepers, it is necessary that attention be given to their opinion.
Integrated bioflexible electronic device for electrochemical analysis of blood

We have developed a novel bioflexible electronic device, called “Bioflexible ITP Chip” that integrates Isotachophoresis for biochemical analysis of blood on flexible and conformable circuitry and packaging. The device demonstrates scalable integration and fabrication technologies that are borrowed from the packaging and PCB industry and applied to wearable medical applications. This work demonstrates the possibility of producing flexible and integrated worn-on-the-body microfluidic devices for advanced health monitoring and wound care applications such as a smart bandage. In this paper we describe the fabrication process and the characterization of the biochemical and electronic functions integrated in the bioflexible ITP chip.
Incest and Influence. By Adam Kuper. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009. Pp. 296. $27.50.)

Based on an in‐depth study of a few English “haute bourgeois” families, Adam Kuper's study of marriage patterns asserts that among certain Victorians, cousin marriage and marriage to a deceased wif...
The interaction of Ca2+ with the calmodulin-sensitive adenylate cyclase from Bordetella pertussis.

Abstract Bordetella pertussis, the etiologic agent of whooping cough, produces a calmodulin-sensitive adenylate cyclase which elevates intracellular cAMP in a variety of eucaryotic cells. Exogenous calmodulin added to the partially purified adenylate cyclase has been shown to inhibit invasion of animal cells by this enzyme (Shattuck, R. L., and Storm, D. R. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 6323-6328). In this study, several properties of the calmodulin-sensitive adenylate cyclase are shown to be influenced by Ca2+ in the absence of calmodulin. The presence or absence of Ca2+ during QAE-Sephadex ion exchange chromatography produced two distinct chromatographic patterns of adenylate cyclase activity. Two different forms of the enzyme (Pk1 and Pk2EGTA) were isolated by this procedure. Pk1 adenylate cyclase readily elevated intracellular cAMP levels in mouse neuroblastoma cells (N1E-115) while Pk2EGTA adenylate cyclase had no effect on cAMP levels in these cells. Gel exclusion chromatography of Pk1 adenylate cyclase gave apparent Stokes radii (RS) of 43.5 A (+/- 1.3) in the presence of 2 mM CaCl2 and 33.8 A (+/- 0.94) in the presence of 2 mM EGTA [( ethylenebis (oxyethylenenitrilo)]tetraacetic acid). These Stokes radii are consistent with molecular weights of 104,000 (+/- 6,400) and 61,000 (+/- 3,600), respectively. Pk2EGTA adenylate cyclase had an apparent RS of 33.0 (+/- 1.2) (Mr = 60,600 (+/- 2,800] in the presence of Ca2+ or excess EGTA. At 60 degrees C, Pk1 adenylate cyclase exhibited a Ca2+-dependent heat stability with a half-life for loss of enzyme activity of 10.3 min in 5 mM CaCl2 and a half-life of 2.8 min in the presence of 0.1 microM CaCl2. The stability of Pk2EGTA adenylate cyclase was not affected by changes in free Ca2+. The adenylate cyclase preparations described above were submitted to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and enzyme activity was recovered from gel slices by extraction with detergent containing buffers. The catalytic subunit isolated from SDS-polyacrylamide gels was activated 7-fold in the presence of Ca2+ with maximum activity observed at 1 microM free Ca2+. With both preparations, the apparent molecular weight of the catalytic subunit on SDS gels was 51,000 in the presence of 2 mM CaCl2 and 45,000 in the presence of 2 mM EGTA. The catalytic subunit of the enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity by preparative SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and resubmitted to SDS gel electrophoresis in the presence or absence of free Ca2+. The purified catalytic subunit also exhibited a Ca2+-dependent shift in its mobility on SDS gels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Purposeful Dreams on Film: Building Alice’s Self-Esteem in Nick Willing’s Alice In Wonderland

This article explores an antithetical re-framing of Lewis Carroll’s insurrective Alice texts. Rather than highlighting the novels’ fundamentally subversive messages, film versions often try to channel Carroll’s chaotic impulses into more orderly narrative arcs. Geer focuses on Willing’s domestication of Alice from Carroll’s curious child eager to explore the possibilities both within and around her, to a stereotypical late-twentieth century child who needs adults to shape her identity and build her self-esteem. Geer pointedly reminds us that children’s media, like children’s novels, often are designed less for children’s delight than for the comfort of the adults who function as their gatekeepers and protectors.
A global perspective on decadal challenges and priorities in biodiversity informatics

Biodiversity informatics is a field that is growing rapidly in data infrastructure, tools, and participation by researchers worldwide from diverse disciplines and with diverse, innovative approaches. A recent ‘decadal view’ of the field laid out a vision that was nonetheless restricted and constrained by its European focus. Our alternative decadal view is global, i.e., it sees the worldwide scope and importance of biodiversity informatics as addressing five major, global goals: (1) mobilize existing knowledge; (2) share this knowledge and the experience of its myriad deployments globally; (3) avoid ‘siloing’ and reinventing the tools of knowledge deployment; (4) tackle biodiversity informatics challenges at appropriate scales; and (5) seek solutions to difficult challenges that are strategic.