cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Affect Intensities in Extremist Group Forums

Affects play an important role in influencing people’s perceptions and decision making. Affect analysis is useful for measuring the presence of hate, violence, and the resulting propaganda dissemination across extremist groups. In this study we performed affect analysis of U.S. and Middle Eastern extremist group forum postings. We constructed an affect lexicon using a probabilistic disambiguation technique to measure and visualize usage of violence and hate affects. These techniques facilitate in depth analysis of multilingual content. The proposed approach was evaluated by applying it across 16 U.S. supremacist and Middle Eastern extremist group forums. Analysis across regions reveals that the Middle Eastern test bed forums have considerably greater violence intensity than the U.S. groups. There is also a strong linear relationship between the usage of hate and violence across the Middle Eastern messages.
What user-cell association algorithms will perform best in mmWave massive MIMO ultra-dense HetNets?

With increasing cell density and the heterogeneity in the network, optimal user-cell association which is a well known open problem, will become an even more challenging issue. Contrary to the current studies that address user-cell association problem for convectional HetNets with massive MIMO deployments in HF (high frequencies) ranges, in this paper we investigate user-cell association problem for dense two-tier networks with massive MIMO deployment both at macro and femto-tier operating in HF and mmWave spectrum, respectively. We evaluate the performance of four user-cell association algorithms for massive MIMO deployment in a two-tier network under two different deployment scenarios: 1) HF-HF (both tiers operating in HF band); 2) HF-mmWave (MBSs operating in HF while FBSs in mmWave bands. To this end, we model the association problem in form of a convex network utility maximization problem as a function of the downlink user throughput. Contrary to the existing load aware association schemes that preclude the effect of bandwidth disparity in HF and mmWave bands, we propose a modified utility function that takes into account the effect of large bandwidth at mmWave bands. The problem is solvable through centralized as well as distributed or user centric load aware user association schemes.
CTRL “C” – CTRL “V”; using gaming peripherals to improve library workflows and enhance staff efficiency

Library workflows are an area where repetitive stress can potentially reduce staff efficiency. Day to day activities that require a repetitive motion can bring about physical and psychological fati...
THE IMPACT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ON CONTRACEPTIVE USE AND COSTS AMONG PRIVATELY INSURED WOMEN

Abstract Objectives The Affordable Care Act (ACA) contraceptive coverage mandate issued in August 2012 requires most private health insurance plans to cover all U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive methods without cost sharing. We evaluate the impact of this policy on out-of-pocket costs and use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) and other prescription methods through 2014. Methods Data from Truven Health MarketScan were used to examine out-of-pocket costs and contraceptive use patterns for all reversible prescription contraceptives before and after the implementation of the contraceptive mandate for privately insured women ages 13 to 45. Costs were estimated by combining copayment, coinsurance, and deductible payments for both contraception and insertion fees for LARCs. Contraceptive use rates were examined and multivariable logistic regression analysis of LARC insertions before and after the ACA was conducted. Results Out-of-pocket costs for all reversible contraceptives, including LARCs, decreased sharply after the ACA contraceptive mandate. The greatest proportion of women in each year was oral contraceptive users (24.3%-26.1%). Rates of new LARC insertions increased significantly after the ACA, when controlling for cohort year, age group, geographic region, and rural versus urban setting (adjusted odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.04). Conclusions Our study adds to the current literature with the inclusion of 2014 data and confirms previous findings of a post-ACA decrease in out-of-pocket contraceptive costs. In addition, there was a small but statistically significant increase in LARC insertions after the ACA. This finding indicates the importance of reduced cost sharing for increasing use of the most effective contraceptives.
General Remarks on Spectral Entropy vs. Statistical Entropy

Crepeau and Herzel [1] (CH) have recently compared the spectral entropy of Powell and Percival [2] with the standard statistical (Boltzmann-Gibbs-Shannon) entropy in three simple physical systems. Here we compare and contrast these two entropies in a more general way by considering their values for an arbitrary stationary process X(t). Discussion Crepeau and Herzel [1] (CH) have recently compared the spectral entropy σ of Powell and Percival [2] with the standard statistical (Boltzmann-Gibbs-Shannon) entropy S in three simple physical systems. These two entropies were found to bear little or no resemblance to each other in the systems considered. This was qualitatively interpreted as a reflection of the fact that S measures static properties while σ measures dynamical properties. Our purpose here is to point out that these two entropies can readily be compared and contrasted in a much more general way by considering their values for an arbitrary stationary process X(f) with zero mean. This frees the discussion from any reliance on possibly atypical special cases, and brings to the forefront some important general relations between the entropies, time correlations, and probability distributions in ΛΓ-space. The spectral entropy is defined by σ= — j£ άωρ(ώ) In ρ(ω\ where ρ (ω) is the normalized power spectrum of the process X(i). According to the Wiener-Khinchin theorem [3], ρ(ώ) is simply the normalized Fourier cosine transform of the autocorrelation function C(t) = <^Γ(0) Χ(φ; i.e.,
Testing biostimulated sulfate reduction as a strategy of arsenic remediation in iron-rich aquifers

Abstract Biostimulated sulfate reduction is a promising strategy for remediating groundwater arsenic contamination. But biostimulation often induces pH changes alongside biogeochemical transformations of iron, sulfur, and arsenic, which all affect arsenic mobility and the efficacy of arsenic sequestration. This study tests whether ethanol-based biostimulation is a viable solution to arsenic contamination in iron-rich freshwater aquifers. We incubated the sediments from a volcaniclastic aquifer in laboratory microcosms and stimulated microbial sulfate reduction by adding ethanol and sulfate. The ethanol amendment also enhanced syntrophic ethanol oxidation, microbial iron reduction, and acetoclastic methanogenesis. These microbial processes changed pH, generated sulfide, ferrous iron, and bicarbonate, and removed arsenic – but only temporarily. Specifically, during the first 13 days of the experiments, pH fell by 2 units and, at the same time, dissolved arsenic levels first increased and then decreased by 90%. Afterwards, both pH and total arsenic levels increased steadily. We attribute the temporary arsenic removal to the adsorption on freshly-precipitated mackinawite, and the later accumulation to the desorption by the pH increase and the accumulation of ferrous iron and bicarbonate. These results support the potential of biostimulated sulfate reduction for remediating groundwater arsenic, and highlight the challenges brought by concurrent pH variations and biogeochemical processes.
Functional Assessment of Isolated Mitochondria In Vitro

Mitochondria play a pivotal role in cellular function, not only as a major site of ATP production, but also by regulating energy expenditure, apoptosis signaling, and production of reactive oxygen species. Altered mitochondrial function is reported to be a key underlying mechanism of many pathological states and in the aging process. Functional measurements of intact mitochondria isolated from fresh tissue provides distinct information regarding the function of these organelles that complements conventional mitochondrial assays using previously frozen tissue as well as in vivo assessment using techniques such as magnetic resonance and near-infrared spectroscopy. This chapter describes the process by which mitochondria are isolated from small amounts of human skeletal muscle obtained by needle biopsy and two approaches used to assess mitochondrial oxidative capacity and other key components of mitochondrial physiology. We first describe a bioluminescent approach for measuring the rates of mitochondrial ATP production. Firefly luciferase catalyzes a light-emitting reaction whereby the substrate luciferin is oxidized in an ATP-dependent manner. A luminometer is used to quantify the light signal, which is proportional to ATP concentration. We also review a method involving polarographic measurement of oxygen consumption. Measurements of oxygen consumption, which previously required large amounts of tissue, are now feasible with very small amounts of sample obtained by needle biopsy due to recent advances in the field of high-resolution respirometry. We illustrate how careful attention to substrate combinations and inhibitors allows an abundance of unique functional information to be obtained from isolated mitochondria, including function at various energetic states, oxidative capacity with electron flow through distinct complexes, coupling of oxygen consumption to ATP production, and membrane integrity. These measurements, together with studies of mitochondrial DNA abundance, mRNA levels, protein expression, and synthesis rates of mitochondrial proteins provide insightful mechanistic information about mitochondria in a variety of tissue types.
Cardiovascular Fitness and Risk Factors of Healthy African Americans and Caucasians

Background African Americans have a higher prevalence of and mortality rates from cardiovascular disease than Caucasians. One important risk factor for cardiovascular disease is poor cardiovascular fitness. We quantified associations between fitness and related primary risk factors for cardiovascular disease in healthy African Americans and Caucasians. Methods and Results Participants included African American (n = 91) and Caucasian (n = 51) men and women aged 18 to 45 years with a body mass index less than 38 kg/m 2 , fasting blood glucose less than 126 mg/dL, and blood pressure less than 140/90 mm Hg. Fitness, waist and hip circumference, percent body fat, fasting blood glucose, insulin, lipid profiles, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. The majority of African Americans (57.1%) were low-fair fitness (Caucasians, 31.4%), and only 20.8% were good/high fitness (Caucasians, 39.2%). The number of cardiovascular disease risk factors increased with decreasing fitness, and CRP was negatively associated with fitness in both groups. Conclusions Low fitness may characterize apparently healthy African Americans as at risk for cardiovascular disease. Including fitness as a risk factor may improve early identification of at-risk African Americans. Importantly, prescribing exercise as medicine and promoting regular physical activity to improve fitness is essential among African Americans.
Principles of in Vitro Immunization of Human B Lymphocytes

The development by Mishell and Dutton of a culture technique for immunization of mouse spleen cells (Mishell and Dutton, 1967) was an important advance in the study of the humoral immune response since it provided a convenient and versatile way to study cellular and subcellular events in the response.
Beyond Family Planning

This article rests on four propositions: (i) among the great problems on the world agenda is the population problem; (ii) that problem is most urgent in the developing countries, where rapid population growth retards social and economic development; (iii) there is a time penalty on the problem in the sense that, other things being equal, anything not done sooner may be harder to do later, due to increased numbers; and accordingly (iv) everything that can properly be done to lower population growth rates should be done, now. The question is, what is to be done? There is a certain agreement on the general objective (that is, on the desirability of lowering birth rates, though not on how far and how fast), but there is disagreement as to means.
Partially Augmented Data Manipulator Networks: Minimal Designs and Fault Tolerance

Augmented data manipulator networks are multistage interconnection networks which implement at each stage interconnection functions present in the single stage network known as PM2I network or barrel shifter. These multistage networks include the ADM (Augmented Data Manipulator) and IADM (Inverse Augmented Data Manipulator) networks, which have been extensively studied and proposed for use in multiprocessor systems. This paper derives new partially augmented networks based on the solution to the shortest path problem in the PM2I network. The new networks include: the HADM (Half Augmented Data Manipulator) and HIADM (Half Inverse Augmented Data Manipulator) networks which have half the number of stages of the ADM and IADM networks, the MADM (Minimum Augmented Data Manipulator) and the MIADM (Minimum Inverse Augmented Data Manipulator) networks which have the minimum link complexity required for one-to-one connections in a network of size N with log4 N stages of uniform switches, and the Extra Stage MADM and MIADM networks which are fault-tolerant versions of the MADM and MIADM networks that can tolerate at least three switch failures. The derivations of these networks are presented and their properties and advantages over other designs are analyzed.
Association of immune related adverse events with improved progression-free survival in patients receiving anti-PD-1 / PD-L1 therapy irrespective of corticosteroid use.

e15088Background: Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are commonly encountered when using anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy and are often managed with corticosteroids. The effect of irAEs, particularly whe...
Flavonol Profile Is a Reliable Indicator to Assess Canopy Architecture and the Exposure of Red Wine Grapes to Solar Radiation

Exposure to solar radiation is a determining factor of grape composition. Flavonol synthesis is upregulated by solar radiation leaving a fingerprint on flavonol profile. This study aimed to test the factors affecting flavonol accumulation and profile and their potential as an indicator to assess the overall exposure of red wine grape berry to solar radiation. We performed three experiments to study the response of flavonol accumulation and profile to (1) three different solar radiation exclusion treatments during berry development; (2) canopy porosity and plant area index (PAI); and (3) spatial variability of water status, vigor and ripening and cultural practices in commercial vineyards. Results showed a strong relationship between global radiation, inverse dormant pruning weights or canopy porosity (inversely proportional to PAI) and % kaempferol or % quercetin. Furthermore, the increase in concentration of the above two flavonols was associated with a reduction of % myricetin. Total flavonol content, % kaempferol, % quercetin and % myricetin had significant correlations with inverse dormant pruning weights, but these were less sensitive to over-ripening or water deficits. Flavonol profile was associated to site hydrology (wetness index) through changes in vigour, and to PAI; and responded to shoot thinning or fruit-zone leaf removal. These results support the reliability of the flavonol profile as an assessment parameter for studies aiming to discuss canopy architecture or the effect of solar radiation on grapevine berries.
Heterotopic Bone Formation 20 Years After Gunshot Wound to the Cervical Spine: A Rare Cause of Progressive Cervical Myelopathy in a Previously Asymptomatic Patient.

Background Gunshot wounds are the most common etiology of penetrating spine injuries and have been increasing in incidence in civilian populations. Although these injuries typically result in severe neurologic deficits, operative intervention remains is controversial and is usually reserved for patients with neurologic deterioration, a persistent externalized cerebrospinal fluid fistula, mechanical instability, metallic toxicity, or a bullet location at high risk of migration. Case Description A previously asymptomatic patient who had sustained a gunshot wound to the cervical spine 20 years previously presented with new-onset progressive myelopathy and radiculopathy secondary to heterotopic ossification (HO) surrounding the retained bullet fragments near the left lateral masses of C5-T1. Computed tomography myelography demonstrated no cranial migration of contrast material past this region of the spine, suggesting severe spinal canal stenosis. Intraoperatively, bullet shrapnel and heterotopic bone fragments were found within the central canal causing compression of the spinal cord. Following decompression and stabilization, the patient had complete resolution of his symptoms and returned to his neurologic baseline. Although HO has been reported as a complication following through and through gunshot wounds, there is a paucity of literature discussing HO formation around retained bullet fragments in the spine. Conclusions HO surrounding retained bullet fragments in the spine is a rare cause of progressive neurologic deterioration following gunshot wounds. Surgical excision of the shrapnel and heterotopic bone can lead to symptomatic relief, and therefore surgery should be considered as a treatment option in carefully selected patients.
Tightly trapped highly excited Rydberg atom in dipole–quadrupole potential landscape

In this paper, coherent Rydberg excitation of a single four-level atom in tightly confining trap so-called ‘far-off-resonance optical dipole-quadrupole trap’ (FORDQT) by considering Laguerre Gaussi...
Association Between Pain and Patient Satisfaction After Rhinoplasty

ImportanceIn light of the current opioid crisis, there exists a demonstrated need to balance adequate postrhinoplasty pain control with measured use of narcotics. If pain is inadequately controlled...
What Students Do with Words: Language Use and Communicative Function in Full and Partial Immersion Classrooms

Over the past 35 years, language immersion programs have been steadily increasing in number throughout the U.S. The popularity of these diverse, linguistically complex educational programs has led ...
The Life of U’s: Order Revisions on NASDAQ

Abstract By recovering data on individual revision “U”-messages on NASDAQ, this paper is the first to reconstruct and then examine chains of order revisions. In recent years, revisions have grown in popularity and now are thrice as common as executions. The research on revisions, however, is still developing. We find significant differences between the determinants of revisions and cancellations/placements as order updating techniques. Our results also indicate that traders appear to respond rationally to new information by updating their orders based on order flow. We also show that revision runs follow stable, predictable patterns. Additionally, we find evidence suggesting increased revision activity has deleterious effects on market quality.
Employee compensation and new venture performance: does benefit type matter?

Using insights from strategic human resource management, we examine how employee benefits affect new venture performance. We hypothesize that two categories of benefits affect new venture performance and might do so differently: benefits that promote stability and flexibility. Using employee benefits data from the Kauffman Firm Survey, we find that new ventures that provide stability benefits—healthcare plans, tuition reimbursement, and retirement plans—have lower rates of exit and higher odds of earning a profit. Conversely, we find that firms that provide flexibility benefits—financial packages, stock ownership, bonus pay, and paid sick and vacation leave—do not affect firm exit rates but, with the exception of stock options, also have higher profits. We use IV methods to control for the possibility of reverse causality—firms that can afford to provide better employee benefits probably have better performance. Our IV results support our findings and suggest that firms that provide better employee benefits have lower exit rates and higher odds of earning a profit.
When classroom interactions have to go online: the move to specifications grading in a project-based design course

Purpose: The events surrounding the COVID-19 crisis had a profound effect on higher education, forcing students and instructors to face a sudden transition to wholly online learning contexts. This paper aims to examine how the design of a residential course was adapted to an online context and how this adaptation may prove beneficial to future iterations of the course. Design/methodology/approach: This analysis centers on a master’s-level course in which students design software to support learning. One of the major changes to the course revolves around the transition from a traditional rubric-based grading scheme to a specifications grading system. This latter approach provides a series of binary (pass/fail) requirements (specifications) that students must meet to pass. Various forms of interactions were also altered during the transition; the authors investigate these in the paper. Findings: This study found that the move to specifications grading helped students and the instructor to focus on the important work of meeting course learning goals. The approach also aligned well with authentic scenarios in which software projects are tested against certain specifications. Finally, this study concludes that thinking about specifications grading in the future can help us to develop more resilient pedagogical design approaches that respond to various forms of disruptions and changes. Originality/value: The course design insights described in this paper illustrate alternative ways of instruction that can be especially useful during times of emergency, but which may also provide an added level of authenticity and learner motivation during times of stability.
Muscle activation patterns during backward walking in people with chronic ankle instability.

Altered walking patterns are often described in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Contemporary treatment paradigms recommend backward walking (BW) to improve locomotion in people with musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine whether muscle activity and activation variability during BW differs between subjects with and without CAI. Sixteen participants with CAI and 16 healthy controls walked on a treadmill at their self-selected speed under BW and forward walking (FW) conditions. Surface electromyography (EMG) data for the peroneus longus, tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius and gluteus medius muscles were collected. EMG amplitude normalized to maximum voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC) and the standard deviation (SD) of the %MVIC EMG amplitude was calculated throughout the gait cycle. In addition, the area under the curve (AUC) of the %MVIC EMG amplitude was calculated before and after initial contact (pre-IC: 90–100% of stride; post-IC: 0–10% of stride). No differences between groups were noted in the %MVIC amplitude or activation variability (SD of %MVIC EMG) under BW or FW. In both groups, decreased tibialis anterior (p < 0.001) and gluteus medius (p = 0.01), and increased medial gastrocnemius (p < 0.001) activation were observed during pre- and post-IC under BW condition. Participants with CAI and healthy controls have similar muscle activity patterns during BW. Yet, the results should be interpreted with caution due to the heterogeneity of the CAI population.
A Longitudinal Evaluation of a Best Practices CS1

Over a decade ago, the CS1 course for students without prior programming experience at a large research-intensive university was redesigned to incorporate three best practices in teaching programming: Media Computation, Pair Programming, and Peer Instruction. The purpose of this revision was to improve the quality of the course, appeal to a larger student body, and improve retention in the major. An initial analysis of the course indicated an increase in pass rates and 1-yr retention of students in the major. Now that time has passed and those students impacted by the revision have had time to graduate, this longitudinal study revisits and expands on these prior findings through examining student outcomes over a twelve year period (2001 through 2013). The student outcomes examined include failure rates in CS1, retention rates in the major, rates of switching into the major, time to degree, and performance in subsequent major courses. We compare these findings against similar metrics collected for another CS1 course at the same institution that caters to students with prior programming experience and did not make changes during this same time period. Overall, the inclusion of media computation, pair programming, and peer instruction corresponds to a significant improvement in passing rates for CS1 as well as retention of majors from CS1 through graduation. In turn, there is no indication that this larger group of students experienced any harm in terms of lower grades in upper-division courses or their time to degree.
Nonconserved Long Intergenic Noncoding RNAs Associate With Complex Cardiometabolic Disease Traits

Objective: Transcriptome profiling of human tissues has revealed thousands of long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) at loci identified through large-scale genome-wide studies for complex cardio...
Systematic review of outcomes for endoscopic sinus surgery and subsequent aspirin desensitization in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

Abstract Objective To review and evaluate outcomes of patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) following endoscopic sinus surgery and subsequent aspirin desensitization. Methods Electronic searches of OVID MEDLINE (1948 to September 10, 2019), EMBASE (1980 to September 10, 2019), and PubMed were performed on September 10, 2019. A systematic review of the literature was performed using the 2009 PRISMA guidelines. Studies with both preoperative and postoperative data for patients with AERD who underwent sinus surgery and aspirin desensitization were considered appropriate for inclusion. Publications were written in English and included patients aged 18 years or older. Results Six studies met inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The primary outcome measure was change in symptom profile measured by patient-reported quality of life scores. The results demonstrate statistically significant improvement in symptoms following endoscopic sinus surgery, with sustained improvement following aspirin desensitization. Revision surgery rates were significantly lower in patients maintained on aspirin therapy. Conclusion This review suggests that surgery followed by aspirin desensitization results in improvement in both subjective and objective outcome measures. The adjunctive use of aspirin desensitization allows for long-term stability in symptom scores. Recurrence of polyps and worsening symptoms requiring revision surgery occurs when aspirin maintenance therapy is interrupted.
Thin-slice accuracy for judging Big Five traits from personal narratives

Abstract Research has examined accuracy of judging personality traits from written material, but no study has compared thin slices of written material according to their length and location in the text. We analyzed two-page personal narratives written by 49 college students for the accuracy with which perceivers (N = 665) could judge the authors' Big Five traits. Accuracy was examined for thin slices that were 1/5 the total length of the narrative, as well as for cumulative slices that represented increasingly longer portions of the narrative. Accuracy showed a mixture of patterns with a frequent one being that early slices produced lower accuracy than later, and longer, slices. However, neuroticism was very accurately judged in the first slice and not at all in the last slice. These results contribute to a growing body of research aimed at helping researchers make decisions about length and location of thin slices when designing measurement and judgment studies.
A Longitudinal Test of Relational Turbulence Theory

Relational turbulence theory (RTT) proposes causal relationships across cognitive, emotional and communicative variables. Although many tenets of this theory have been tested individually, there has not yet been a comprehensive, predictive examination of RTT. Using structural equation modelling, this study longitudinally tested several propositions and axioms of RTT. Results are largely in line with many of RTT's predictions. Time 1 relational uncertainty predicted time 2 biased cognitions. Time 1 facilitation from a partner predicted time 2 negative emotions. Negative emotions cross-sectionally related to both the enactment and valence of relational communication episodes. Relational turbulence theory's proposed feedback loop received partial support, such that time 1 communication valence (but not engagement) predicted time 2 partner uncertainty, relationship uncertainty and partner facilitation. Results are discussed in terms of theory expansion and refinement.
Cultural Foundations of Technological Change in Europe vs. Asia

Europe and Asia were similar in most material respects up to 1750; but long-standing differences in cultural foundations of knowledge led to technological shifts after 1750 that produced a sharp divergence in GDP/capita.
Influences of the menopause transition and adverse childhood experiences on peripheral basal inflammatory markers.

Abstract Objective To characterize the influence of early life stress on peripheral basal inflammatory markers across the menopause transition. Methods Participants from the longitudinal Penn Ovarian Aging study were assessed for childhood adversity at study end (14 years) using the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) questionnaire. Responses were categorized as low (0–1) or high (≥2) ACE exposure. The stored blood sample catalogue was reviewed to exclude those samples collected during use of medications that could impact immune status or medications suggestive of infection or allergies. Remaining blood samples (n ​= ​640) from 167 participants were assayed for interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Menopause staging (premenopause, early transition, late transition, and postmenopause) was determined by questionnaire and menstrual diaries at yearly assessments. Generalized linear models for repeated measures were used to quantify the association between outcomes of interest (i.e., IL-6, IL-1β, hsCRP, and TNF-α) and exposures (i.e., menopause stage, ACE status, their interaction) while controlling for relevant covariates (i.e., BMI, smoking, age at first blood sample, and race). Inflammatory marker levels were log-transformed for modeling. Results Log IL-6 levels were higher in the late perimenopause versus premenopause (p ​= ​0.035). Menopause stage ​× ​ACE interaction was observed for log IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α (p ​= ​0.042, p ​= ​0.054, p ​= ​0.053, respectively); for individuals with high (≥2) ACE exposure, IL-6 was higher in the late perimenopause (p ​= ​0.015) while IL-1β and TNF-α were lower in the postmenopause versus premenopause (p ​= ​0.019 and p ​= ​0.020). Conclusions Results from this investigation indicate that the late perimenopause stage may be a window of risk for inflammation, particularly for individuals with greater childhood adversity. Prospective studies designed to address childhood stress and inflammation across the menopause transition are needed to confirm these findings. Heightened inflammation, even if transitory, may have negative impact on healthy aging.
Challenges of Research Analysis in Big Data and Cloud Computing Analytics

In the information period, measures of data have opened up available. Massive data alludes to large datasets, yet also high in variety and speed, making it hard to utilize conventional instruments and procedures. Because of such data's rapid development, arrangements should be examined and given altogether to deal with and remove worth and knowledge from these datasets. Investigating these data requires plenty of endeavors at different degrees of knowledge extraction for a compelling dynamic. Tremendous data examination is a flow territory of innovative work.
Women's Spirituality, Women's Lives

Contents Introduction * Shall We Gather at the River * Rosh Chodesh Dance at the Summer Solstice * Section I: Laying the Groundwork * Women and Spirit: Two Nonfits in Psychology * Psychological Implications of Women's Spiritual Health * Feminist Metanoia and Soul-Making * Letter to a Friend: A Reflection on Connectedness and Naming * Section II: Theoretical Challenges * There Is a Balm in Gilead: Black Women and the Black Church as Agents of a Therapeutic Community * Social and Spiritual Reconstruction of Self Within a Feminist Jewish Community * Identity, Recovery, and Religious Imperialism: Native American Women and the New Age * Altared States: Lesbian Altarmaking and the Transformation of Self * Liberating the Amazon: Feminism and the Martial Arts * Feminist Wicca: Paths to Empowerment * Section III: Living It Out * Women's Spirituality and Healing in Germany * A Search for Spirituality: A Mother and Daughter Story * Mother Mary Ann Wright: African-American Women, Spirituality, and Social Activism * A Class That Changes Lives * Women's Empowerment Through Feminist Rituals * Re-Membering Spirituality: Use of Sacred Ritual in Psychotherapy * Explorations of the Unrecognized Spirituality of Women's Communion * Reference Notes Included
Preventing drug abuse in schools: Social and competence enhancement approaches targeting individual-level etiologic factors

Drug abuse continues to be an important public health problem throughout the world. Although considerable progress has been made in identifying effective prevention approaches, there is a large gap between what research has shown to be effective and the methods generally used in most schools. The most promising prevention approaches target individuals during the beginning of adolescence and teach drug resistance skills and norm setting either alone or in combination with general personal and social skills. Evaluation studies testing these approaches show that they can significantly reduce adolescent tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. While some studies show that these effects may decrease over time, booster interventions have been found to maintain and in some instances even enhance prevention effects. The results of one large-scale evaluation study shows that it is possible to produce reductions in drug use that last until the end of high school. Available evidence suggests that these approaches may be effective when taught by different kinds of teachers and with different populations. The current paper provides a brief review of school-based prevention approaches targeting individual-level etiologic factors, evidence supporting their effectiveness, and a discussion of potential mediating mechanisms.
Interconnected Stories of Brain Rhythms

The Intact and Sliced Brain . Mircea Steriade. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2001. 382 pp. $55, £37.95. ISBN 0-262-19456-2. Steriade combines a summary of his several decades of research on the forebrain with discussions of the background and context of other studies on the dynamic function of the cerebral cortex.
Flame Retardants, Phosphorus

One of the principal classes of flame retardants for plastics and textiles is that of phosphorus, phosphorus-nitrogen, and phosphorus-halogen compounds. These flame retardants are also used for wood and paper. The mechanisms of action, which may be in the condensed or vapor phase or in both, are presented. The interactions with other flame retardants are discussed. Commercial phosphorus-based flame retardants include some inorganic compounds as well as both additive and reactive organic phosphorus systems. These materials range from simple salts to oligomeric compounds and encompass both liquids and solids. Some commercial products are pure compounds. Others are mixtures. The various compounds, corresponding structures, and specific uses are given. The toxicity of these products is discussed.
On the chicken-and-egg problem of determining the effect of crosstalk on delay in integrated circuits

This paper presents an approach to measurement of the effect of crosstalk on the delay of a net using an algorithm whose worst-case complexity is quadratic to the number of nets. The algorithm is amenable to being incorporated into the inner loop of a timing optimizer and is illustrated on a channel router, where it is seen to give improvements of about 20-30% in the average delay in a channel as compared to the worst case.
Multiscale variety in complex systems: Research Articles

The Law of Requisite Variety is a mathematical theorem relating the number of control states of a system to the number of variations in control that is necessary for effective response. The Law of Requisite Variety does not consider the components of a system and how they must act together to respond effectively. Here we consider the additional requirement of scale of response and the effect of coordinated versus uncoordinated response as a key attribute of complex systems. The components of a system perform a task, with a number of such components needed to act in concert to perform subtasks. We apply the resulting generalization—a Multiscale Law of Requisite Variety—to understanding effective function of complex biological and social systems. This allows us to formalize an understanding of the limitations of hierarchical control structures and the inadequacy of central control and planning in the solution of many complex social problems and the functioning of complex social organizations, e.g., the military, healthcare, and education systems. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 9: 37–45, 2004
Dimensions of Cooperative Control

Cooperative control is concerned with engineered systems that can be characterized as a collection of decision-making components with limited processing capabilities, locally sensed information, and limited inter-component communications, all seeking to achieve a collective objective. Examples include mobile sensor networks, network congestion control and routing, transportation systems, autonomous vehicle systems, distributed computation, and power systems. Areas of research that are related to cooperative control include ‘multi-agent control’, ‘distributed systems’, ‘networked control’, as well as ‘team theory’ or ‘swarming’. Regardless of the nomenclature, the central challenge remains the same. That is, to derive desirable collective behaviors through the design of individual agent control algorithms. The primary distinguishing feature of a cooperative control system is distribution of information. As opposed to ‘centralized’ solutions, no one decision-maker has access to the information gathered by all agents. Furthermore, there is typically a communication cost in distributing locally gathered information. A secondary distinguishing feature is complexity. Even if information were centrally available, the inherent complexity of the decision problem makes a centralized solution computationally infeasible. Therefore, one looks to ‘decomposition’ approaches as in cooperative control. Both these features result in the distributed decision architecture of cooperative control. The potential benefits of such architectures include the opportunity for real-time adaptation (or self-organization) and robustness to dynamic uncertainties such as individual component failures, non-stationary environments, and adversarial elements. These benefits come with significant challenges, such as the complexity associated with a potentially large number of interacting agents and the analytical difficulties of dealing with overlapping and partial information.
Hospitals: unsafe environments for children.

Injury has been recognized as the major cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood for more than 40 years. Pediatricians have been urged to incorporate anticipatory guidance regarding injury prevention into routine health maintenance. Injury prevention programs, such as TIPP, have been specifically directed at the home environment and widely promoted by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Hospitals have traditionally been perceived as the place to go after an injury occurs. Scant attention has been paid to the hospital environment as a source of potential injury to children. In 1963, a study based on a questionnaire sent to nine Michigan hospitals concluded that "accidents do occur with alarming frequency to children who are in the hospital."1
Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human breast cancers and adjacent ductal carcinoma in situ

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme that converts arachidonic acid to prostaglandins. Overexpression of the COX-2 gene in mammary glands of transgenic mice was sufficient to induce tumorigenesis. We analyzed COX-2 expression in human breast cancers (and breast cancer cell lines) and adjacent ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as well as its association with HER2/neu and clinicopathological variables. Archival primary breast carcinomas (n = 57), adjacent DCIS (n = 14) and DCIS alone (n = 2) were analyzed for COX-2 and HER2 expression by immunohistochemistry using specific monoclonal antibodies. An immunohistochemical scoring system was used. HER2 gene amplification had been analyzed previously by fluorescence in situ hybridization (n = 20). Histology of carcinomas included infiltrating ductal (n = 44), lobular (n = 2), and other (n = 7). Frozen breast cancers and adjacent normal tissue pairs (n = 9) were analyzed for COX-2 mRNA by reverse transcription-PCR. COX-2 and HER2 expression were also analyzed in human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MCF-7/HER2, SK-BR-3, and MDA-MB-231) by immunoblotting. Cytoplasmic COX-2 expression was detected at an intermediate or high level in epithelial cells in 18 of 42 (43%) invasive breast cancers and in 10 of 16 (63%) cases of DCIS. Normal-appearing breast epithelia adjacent to cancer expressed COX-2 in 81% of cases and was generally focal and of similar or decreased intensity relative to adjacent neoplastic epithelia. COX-2 mRNA was detected in all samples analyzed by reverse transcription-PCR and was increased in eight of nine breast cancers relative to paired normal tissue. In archival tumors, no significant correlation was found between COX-2 and HER2 expression/amplification and clinicopathological variables. COX-2 expression was induced in MCF-7 cells stably transfected with HER2, in contrast to parental MCF-7 cells, and was detected in MDA-MB-231, but not SK-BR-3 cells. COX-2 is frequently overexpressed in invasive breast cancers and in adjacent DCIS and, thus, may be an early event in mammary tumorigenesis. Forced HER2 expression in MCF-7 cells was shown to up-regulate COX-2, although no association was found in human tumors. Our results suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and selective COX-2 inhibitors may be useful in the chemoprevention and therapy of human breast cancer.
Everything to Everyone: The Electoral Consequences of the Broad‐Appeal Strategy in Europe

Parties often tailor their campaign message differently to different groups of voters with the goal of appealing to a broader electorate with diverse preferences and thereby winning their votes. I argue that the strategy helps a party win votes if it can convince diverse groups of voters that the party is ideologically closer to their preferred positions. Using election data from nine Western European democracies, I first show that parties gain votes when they appeal broadly. Analysis of individual-level survey data suggests that voters perceive broadly appealing parties as ideologically closer to their own positions, a finding that identifies a plausible mechanism behind the aggregate positive effect of this strategy on party election performance. These findings not only help explain the behavior of some European parties, but they may also offer a potential recipe for electoral success in multiparty democracies
Gender and Hide Production

Gender and Hide Production. Lisa Frink and Kathryn Weedman, eds. Lanham: AltaMira Press, 2006. 269 pp.
Foregut Duplication Cysts

Foregut duplication cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a congenital midline head and neck lesion. Patients may be asymptomatic at diagnosis or present with feeding or airway difficulties.
Structure of State‐Level Tax and Expenditure Limits

While much consideration has been given to the approval process, base classification, and codification of tax and expenditure limits (or TELs), these factors tell us nothing about how they actually work. This study focuses exclusively on the technical elements of these limits and finds how states estimate their limits have over time eroded their potency. More specifically, if a state resets or rebases its limit annually by using actual revenues or expenditures for the preceding year, the limit will trend closely with actual revenues or expenditures, effectively restricting growth in spending as prescribed by law. However, if the law requires a state to estimate its limit using the appropriation limit for the preceding year instead of actual revenues or expenditures, that is, without rebasing, the limit will reflect cumulative changes to the base when it was first approved. Over time, the TEL cap is significantly above the states revenues or expenditures as it remains unaffected by the state's underlying fiscal and economic environment.
COLLEGE OR BUST: REPLACING “COLLEGE PREP FOR ALL” WITH A THREE‐TIERED EDUCATIONAL MODEL BASED ON STUDENT ABILITIES

A new educational trend has developed over the past decade that may actually be doing more harm to high school students than good. States have been passing legislation requiring high school students to complete a college prep-level curriculum in order to receive a high school diploma. While this push for higher academic achievement is a great idea, students are not given the educational base they need to be able to succeed in such a program once they reach high school and many are left without the skills necessary to handle such academic expectations. This Note proposes guidelines for changing these rigid state statutes in favor of a Three-Tiered System that gives students options based on their academic abilities and urges states to adopt these changes.
AN APPROACH TO TIME SERIES SMOOTHING AND FORECASTING USING THE EM ALGORITHM

Abstract. An approach to smoothing and forecasting for time series with missing observations is proposed. For an underlying state-space model, the EM algorithm is used in conjunction with the conventional Kalman smoothed estimators to derive a simple recursive procedure for estimating the parameters by maximum likelihood. An example is given which involves smoothing and forecasting an economic series using the maximum likelihood estimators for the parameters.
THE DENATURATION OF CRUSTACYANIN.

Abstract The shell pigments of the lobster have been separated into three fractions, α-crustacyanin, β-crustacyanin, and a yellow pigment, by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The prosthetic group of all three pigments is the red carotenoid, astaxanthin. α-Crustacyanin is converted to a red product in the presence of “hydrophobic” denaturing agents and to a yellow product in the presence of denaturing agents of the urea-guanidinium class. Urea itself gives first a yellow and then a red product. Acid and base cause reversible transformations to red and yellow products.