cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A perspective on solidarity in a ‘post-socialist’ world

The dissolution of the Soviet Union following the August 1991 coup detat concluded the Bolshevik experiment to bring about socialism ‘from without’ and realise a society unencumbered by the ‘logic of capital’. It reflects the failure of communism to engineer human emancipation and rationally dominate nature. Conservatives have heralded the ‘end of socialism’ as such, rejoicing in claims of the ‘fulfilment of history’ in liberal, capitalist democracy, preferably that of the American persuasion. A number of socialists have acquiesced to the ‘capitalist victory’ and have jettisoned their hopes for the emancipatory potential of any ‘socialist project’.’ Save for a few exceptions* discussion within the democratic Left that puts the communist experiment into the historical perspective of the long tradition of democratic socialism has yet to emerge. The continued silence of the democratic Left3 must be broken with the unmistakenly clear rejection of a narrow economic definition of socialism as ‘socialisation plus planned economy’. Socialism, understood as the complete ‘abolition of the commodity form’-a utopian ‘other’ to some form of market economy-has indeed come to an end. At the same time, the end of Soviet totalitarianism has vindicated the democratic tradition of socialist figures like Eduard Bernstein, Karl Kautsky, Jean Jaurb and Olof Palme. Democratic socialism remains the sole heir to the Enlightenment ethos of the socialist movement, an ethos that always championed the approximation of the liberal ideals of liberty, equality and solidarity that still await a wider expansion in capitalist society. Starting with demands for democracy in all aspects of life, this socialist ethos defines ‘socialism as a movement toward, or the state of, a cooperative order of society’.4 In a move reminiscent of Friedrich Schiller’s restoration of an ethical totality that would protect the moral and economic autonomy of individuals from the atomising and dehumanising tendencies of a bourgeois-capitalist society,5 social democracy has emphasised ‘civic’ instead of ‘bourgeois’ values, seeking to ‘continuously uplift the worker from the social position of a proletarian to that of a citoyen, thus universalising citizenship’.6 Social democracy has developed into a reformist ‘people’s party’ that formulates socialist objectives within a language of rights and ethics. The market is taken for granted, and the critique of the capitalist production process has given way to questions that centre on a more equitable distribution of the social product. In the Scandinavian case, despite its achievements, this development has led to a form of a welfare-state Keynesian socialism, currently under attack from neo-classical supply-side forces. Working class cohesion has ceased to be
An improved method for the synthesis of radiolabeled McN5652 via thioester precursors.

Abstract An improved procedure that facilitates routine production and increases the radiochemical yield of [ 11 C]McN5652 ( trans — 1,2,3,5,6,10b-hexahydro-6-[4-([ 11 C]methylthio)-phenyl]pyrrolo-[2,1- a ]-isoquinoline) is presented. Specifically, thiol acetate, butyrate, and benzoate derivatives of McN5652 were prepared as the precursors for the [ 11 C]McN5652 synthesis. These thioesters offer greater stability than the previously used thiol precursor (desmethyl McN5652) and enable a single batch of material to be used for multiple radiolabelings. Hydrolysis of the thioester functionality (tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, 10 min) unmasked the free thiol which, without purification, was reacted with [ 11 C]iodomethane in DMF at 40–45 °C for 1 min. The average decay-corrected radiochemical yield for [ 11 C]McN5652 was 26% with an average specific activity of 2290mCi/μmol (end of synthesis). This facile radiolabeling method, utilizing the butyrate thioester of McN5652, was also employed in the preparation of [ 3 H](+)- and (−)McN5652 [ trans -1,2,3,5,6 S (or 6 R ),10 bR , (or 10 bS )-hexahydro-6-[4-([ 3 H]methylthio)phenyl] pyrrolo-[2,1, a ]-iso-quinoline] from [ 3 H]iodomethane.
Diagnosis and Management of the Acute Felon: Evidence-Based Review

THE PATIENT A 52-year-old, right-handed man with diabetes presents with a 2-day history of worsening pain and swelling in the pulp of his left index fingertip. Examination in the emergency department revealed the patient to be afebrile, with point tenderness and erythema over the pulp of his distal left index finger. The remainder of the finger was without erythema or swelling, and there was no tenderness along the flexor tendon sheath. The finger was neurovascularly intact, and radiographs were negative for foreign body or osteomyelitis.
Out-of-band rejection studies of the UV multi-filter rotating shadow-band radiometers

The Central UV Calibration Facility (CUCF) annually calibrates and characterizes 47 Ultraviolet Multi-Filter Rotating Shadow-band Radiometers (UV-MFRSR) for the USDA UV Monitoring and Research Program (UVMRP). The UV-MFRSR instrument has seven 2-nm wide channels with nominal centroids at 300, 305, 311, 317, 325, 332, and 368 nm. The first two channels 300 and 305 nm use silicon-carbide (SiC) photodiodes, and in the original design the remaining five channels used gallium-phosphide (GaP) photodiodes. Because of the high rate of failure in the channels with GaP photodiodes, channels 3 through 7 were replaced with silicon (Si) photodiodes starting in June 2000 by the manufacturer Yankee Environmental Systems, Inc. The newer design radiometers were tested for out-of-band rejection with two sources, in the laboratory using a 1000W FEL quartz tungsten halogen lamp and in the field using the sun. Out-of-band light measurements were completed in the field on all 47 radiometers and show there is no appreciable signal from out-of-band light contributing to the total solar horizontal irradiance in each of the seven wavelength bands. However, in the calibration procedure, using a 1000W FEL quartz- tungsten-halogen lamp there is significant out-of-band signal contributing to the measured signal. The out-of-band signal is measured at the time of the calibration and corrections are applied to the calibration factors of the radiometer in each channel. At the Table Mountain Test Facility, solar irradiance from a calibrated filter radiometer with and without the out-of-band correction factors are compared to filter weighted solar irradiance from the U111 reference spectroradiometer.
A shell-model theory of complex collisions

Abstract A microscopic theory of heavy-ion reactions is proposed based on the assumption that the set of antisymmetrizsd products of shell-model wave functions spans the complete Hilbert space of the system. The many-body Schrodinger equation and the equations given by the scattering theory of Ekstein are represented by the basis set, fully taking the Pauli principle into account. A set of coupled equations, which resembles that of the generator coordinate method, is obtained and reduced to a set of coupled integro-differential equations which leads to a simple physical picture for the scattering process of complex particles. The interactions between composite particles which have direct relations to the T -matrices for elastic, inelastic and rearrangement collisions are expressed in terms of shell-model 16 O + 16 O wave functions and the nucleon-nucleon interaction. A simple example is given for the local potential to lowest order.
Rapid Placement of a Synchrotron Beam on an Internal Target

Two methods of placing high-energy electrons in a synchrotron on an internal target within one microsecond are proposed. One method uses the forced radial oscillations that occur at n = 0.75 in the presence of a first harmonic azimuthal variation in the magnetic field which gives rise to a Mathieu Equation. The effect of the first harmonic in general and at n = 0.75 is examined. The requirements for changing the radial field gradient to n = 0.75 are determined. An operating cycle is suggested. The second method proposes the application of a radiofrequency electric field resonant with the radial oscillation thus producing blowup in an unmodified magnetic field. The axial and radial oscillation frequencies are not commensurable, thus resonance blowup is avoided in the axial direction. The conditions to accomplish these are determined in general and specifically for the Berkeley synchrotron.
Restrictive reimbursement policies: bias implications for claims-based drug safety studies.

Restrictive reimbursement policies—including those based on non-formulary drug status and prior authorizations—can create situations in which patients’ use of prescription medications is not fully captured in administrative claims data. This can create bias in drug safety studies that depend solely on these data. An analysis in two Canadian provinces found that primary administrative databases captured only 61 % of dispensations of drugs for which restrictive reimbursement policies were in place. A subsequent simulation study found that, in certain circumstances bias due to exposure misclassification resulting from restrictive reimbursement policies can be quite large in analyses comparing outcomes between drug exposure groups. Investigators need to be knowledgeable about the data they analyze and know whether restrictive reimbursement policies are in place that might affect the capture of drugs of interest. It is also critical to understand the mechanisms by which restrictive reimbursement might cause bias in claims-based drug safety studies, the direction and magnitude of the potential bias, and strategies that could be used to mitigate such bias.
Newspaper Theft, Self-Preservation and the Dimensions of Censorship

One of the most common yet understudied means of suppressing free expression on college and university campuses is the theft of freely distributed student publications, particularly newspapers. This study examines news accounts of nearly 300 newspaper theft incidents at colleges and universities between 1995 and 2008 in order to identify the manifestations and consequences of this peculiar form of censorship, and to augment existing research on censorship and tolerance by looking, not at what people say about free expression, but at what they do when they have the power of censorship in their hands. Among the key findings is that men commit nearly 70% of newspaper thefts, which is inconsistent with much of the existing research on censorship and gender, and that those who censor college newspapers are far more concerned with their own self-preservation than with shaping public dialog on controversial social or political issues.
A Comparison of Allegations and Resolutions Involving Issues of Discharge Versus Constructive Discharge: Implications for Diversity Management:

Patterns in discrimination allegations and resolutions in discharge (n = 130,816) and constructive discharge (n = 9,765) were examined in data provided by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Comm...
Is There a Cost to Transparency

This is the first paper that directly tests the cost of transparency. More precisely, we examine whether a willingness to offer transparency to investors is beneficial or costly in terms of hedge fund returns. We measure a fund’s willingness to offer transparency by whether it accepts managed accounts, which are directly controlled by investors. Overall, we find no evidence that a willingness to offer private transparency harms fund returns. In addition, there is no support for concerns that managers offering transparency suffer from selection bias.
Septuagenarians bridged to heart transplantation with a ventricular assist device have outcomes similar to younger patients.

Background Although orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) is increasingly being offered to older patients, few studies have evaluated outcomes in patients older than 70 years of age. We undertook this study to characterize the outcomes of septuagenarians bridged to transplantation (BTT) in the modern era. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all adult OHT in the United Network for Organ Sharing database from 2005 to 2011. Primary stratification was by age 70 years or older. Subgroup analysis evaluated patients who received BTT. The primary outcome was survival as determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results From January 2005 to December 2011, 12,274 adults underwent OHT, including 3,243 (26.4%) who received BTT. In the entire cohort, 11,996 (97.7%) recipients were aged 18 to 70 years, and 277 (2.3%) were 70 years of age or older. Overall, patients 70 years or older who underwent OHT had decreased 90-day survival (93.6% versus 88.8%; p p p p = 0.2), 1-year (86.1% versus 81.7%; p = 0.4), and 2-year (82.8% versus 81.7%; p = 0.6) survival compared with recipients of other ages (n = 3,200). After adjusting for multiple recipient and donor factors, age greater than or equal to 70 years was still not associated with an increased hazard of mortality at 90 days, 1 year, or 2 years. These results were verified by analysis of a propensity-matched cohort. Conclusions Although patients older than the age of 70 years undergoing OHT have decreased survival, among patients who received BTT, septuagenarians have outcomes similar to those of younger recipients. In carefully selected patients dependent on left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), recipient age greater than or equal to 70 years should not be viewed as a contraindication to OHT.
Symbiosis Among Lactic Streptococci

Summary Combination of isolates from mixed-strain lactic streptococcus cultures showed different interactions when grown in milk. The effects varied from marked stimulation to inhibition. The interaction between strains could not be predicted from the growth rate of the individual isolates, or their cultural properties on an agar medium designed to measure acid production by bacterial colonies. The marked acceleration of a faster culture by a slower one was obtained by using filtrate from a milk culture of the slower organism as well as by the organism itself. The active components were present nearly optimally in the slow culture after only one day at 22C, and 1% of this filtrate was sufficient to stimulate the faster strain. The active material in the filtrate was dialyzable through cellophane. Filtrate of the fast strain was only slightly active for the slow culture. Activity of the filtrate from the slow culture was adsorbed on Amberlite IRC (H + ) and eluted by a 4% solution of aqueous ammonia. The eluate was observed to contain all of the activity in the original filtrate. Part of the activity was destroyed by acid hydrolysis.
Evaluation of a community-based system for training natural helpers. II. Effects on informal helping activities

A set of 37 rural "natural helpers" chose to become involved in a community-based program of training to enhance their helping skills. Data were collected on the following dimensions of the helpers' informal helping activities: number of helping interactions, different persons helped, relationship to helpee, length of helping contact, location, types of helpee problems, kinds of helping behaviors used, and helper-perceived confidence, helpfulness, and satisfaction. Comparison of helpers' reports on these dimensions prior to and after training showed these changes: (a) a greater proportion of interaction with spouses, (b) more interaction in helpees' homes, and (c) more confidence in helping. Comparisons of changes between helpers who acquired specific helping skills and those who did not gave indeterminant results. Helpers' reports of their community behaviors were not congruent with direct observations of their behavior in evaluation sessions.
The mercuration of phosphonate esters

The reactions of [(EtO)2(O)P]2CH2, (EtO)2(O)PCH2CO2Et, (EtO)2(O)PCH2CN and [(EtO)2(o)P]2CHCl with mercuric acetate in refluxing THF gave [(EtO)2(O)P]2C(HgOAc)2, (EtO)2(O)PC(CO2Et)(HgOAc)2, (EtO)2(O)PC(CN)(HgOAc)2 and [(EtO)2(O)P]2CClHgOAc, respectively. Redistribution reactions were used to prepare [(EtO)2(O)P]2C(HgX)2 (X = Cl, Br or Ph). The CHg bonds of tetraethyl bis(acetoxymercuri)methylenediphosphonate were cleaved by chlorine to give [(EtO)2(O)P]2CCl2· HgCl2 and by hydrogen sulfide in ethanol to give [(EtO)2(O)P]2CH2.
A Comparative Study on Electromigration Failure Mechanism Between Near-Bamboo and Bamboo Al(Cu) Two-Level Structure

As the interconnect line width reduces to the sub-micron range, the grain distribution of Al(Cu) alloy lines reaches a bamboo structure. Understanding of the electromigration resistance of near-bamboo and bamboo structures is essential to the sub-micron reliability issue. In this study, the mass transport and failure mechanism of 1 μm wide Al(1%Cu) two-level lines with near-bamboo and bamboo structures were investigated by a drift velocity technique [1]. Our results show that interfacial (A10 X /A1 interface) diffusion coupled with grain boundary diffusion determines the failure mechanism of bamboo lines.
Optimal control of cellular uptake in tissue engineering

The optimal control of a distributed parameter system with reaction, diffusion, and convection is investigated. The problem is motivated by tissue engineering where the control of the uptake of growth factors (signaling molecules) is required to spatially and temporally regulate cellular processes for the growth or regeneration of a tissue. Four approaches for solving the optimal control problem are compared: (i) basis function expansion, (ii) method of moments, (iii) internal model control, and (iv) model predictive control. This comparison suggests that these approaches should be combined to solve the optimal control problem for multiple spatial dimensions.
Flat-plate photovoltaic array design optimization

An analysis is presented which integrates the results of specific studies in the areas of photovoltaic structural design optimization, optimization of array series/parallel circuit design, thermal design optimization, and optimization of environmental protection features. The analysis is based on minimizing the total photovoltaic system life-cycle energy cost including repair and replacement of failed cells and modules. This approach is shown to be a useful technique for array optimization, particularly when time-dependent parameters such as array degradation and maintenance are involved.
Prospective diagnostic accuracy assessment of the HemosIL HS D-dimer to exclude pulmonary embolism in emergency department patients

Introduction Chest pain and shortness of breath are among the most common symptoms requiring immediate evaluation. Testing for pulmonary embolism (PE) has become easier and widespread due to D-dimer blood tests. Safe use of these tests is only possible if sensitivity is high and they are used in non-high probability patients. We evaluated diagnostic performance of the HemosIL HS D-dimer, which despite FDA approval in 2005, has been minimally reported in prospective standard clinical care.
Utilizing Insider-Outsider Research Teams in Qualitative Research

Teams including members from both inside and outside the organization being studied make valuable contributions. A team configuration including both insiders and outsiders is highly effective because variations in the experience history of researchers on the team broaden the available perspectives and maximize the potential interpretations of observed behaviors. An insider-outsider research team consisting of university faculty and nurses at two psychiatric hospitals conducted a study, Meanings of State Hospital Nursing. This article summarizes the study, discusses issues to be resolved when using an insider-outsider research team, and presents the ways in which this approach enhanced the trustworthiness of our findings.
Mouse let-7 miRNA populations exhibit RNA editing that is constrained in the 5′-seed/cleavage/anchor regions and stabilize predicted mmu-let-7a: mRNA duplexes

Massively parallel sequencing of millions of < 30-nt RNAs expressed in mouse ovary, embryonic pancreas (E14.5), and insulin-secreting beta-cells (betaTC-3) reveals that approximately 50% of the mature miRNAs representing mostly the mmu-let-7 family display internal insertion/deletions and substitutions when compared to precursor miRNA and the mouse genome reference sequences. Approximately, 12%-20% of species associated with mmu-let-7 populations exhibit sequence discrepancies that are dramatically reduced in nucleotides 3-7 (5'-seed) and 10-15 (cleavage and anchor sites). This observation is inconsistent with sequencing error and leads us to propose that the changes arise predominantly from post-transcriptional RNA-editing activity operating on miRNA:target mRNA complexes. Internal nucleotide modifications are most enriched at the ninth nucleotide position. A common ninth base edit of U-to-G results in a significant increase in stability of down-regulated let-7a targets in inhibin-deficient mice (Inha-/-). An excess of U-insertions (14.8%) over U-deletions (1.5%) and the presence of cleaved intermediates suggest that a mammalian TUTase (terminal uridylyl transferase) mediated dUTP-dependent U-insertion/U-deletion cycle may be a possible mechanism. We speculate that mRNA target site-directed editing of mmu-let-7a duplex-bulges stabilizes "loose" miRNA:mRNA target associations and functions to expand the target repertoire and/or enhance mRNA decay over translational repression. Our results also demonstrate that the systematic study of sequence variation within specific RNA classes in a given cell type from millions of sequences generated by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies ("intranomics") can be used broadly to infer functional constraints on specific parts of completely uncharacterized RNAs.
THE RECLASSIFICATION OF PFIESTERIA SHUMWAYAE (DINOPHYCEAE): PSEUDOPFIESTERIA, GEN. NOV.1

Pfiesteria shumwayae Glasgow et Burkholder is assigned to a new genus Pseudopfiesteria gen. nov. Plate tabulation differences between Pfiesteria and Pseudopfiesteria gen. nov. as well as a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on rDNA sequence data warrant creation of this new genus. The Kofoidian thecal plate formula for the new genus is Po, cp, X, 4′, 1a, 6′′, 6c, PC, 5+s, 5′′′, 0p, 2′′′′. In addition to having six precingular plates, P. shumwayae comb. nov. also has a distinctive diamond or rectangular-shaped anterior intercalary plate. Both Pfiesteria and Pseudopfiesteria gen. nov. are reassigned to the order Peridiniales based on an apical pore complex (APC) with a canal (X) plate that contacts a symmetrical 1′, four to five sulcal plates, and the conservative hypothecal tabulation of 5′′′, 0p, and 2′′′′. These morphological characters and the life histories of Pfiesteria and Pseudopfiesteria are consistent with placement of both genera in the Peridiniales. Based on the plate tabulations for P. shumwayae, P. piscicida, and the closely related “cryptoperidiniopsoid” and “lucy” groups, the family Pfiesteriaceae is amended to include species with the following tabulation: 4-5′, 0-2a, 5-6′′, 6c, PC, 5+s, 5′′′, 0p, and 2′′′′ as well as an APC containing a pore plate (Po), a closing plate (cp), and an X plate; the tabulation is expanded to increase the number of sulcal plates and to include a new plate, the peduncle cover (PC) plate. Members of the family have typical dinoflagellate life cycles characterized by a biflagellated free-living motile stage, a varying number of cyst stages, and the absence of multiple amoeboid stages.
Phylogeny of eagles, Old World vultures, and other Accipitridae based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.

We assessed phylogenetic relationships for birds of prey in the family Accipitridae using molecular sequence from two mitochondrial genes (1047 bases ND2 and 1041 bases cyt-b) and one nuclear intron (1074 bases b-fibrinogen intron 7). We sampled representatives of all 14 Accipitridae subfamilies, focusing on four subfamilies of eagles (booted eagles, sea eagles, harpy eagles, and snake eagles) and two subfamilies of Old World vultures (Gypaetinae and Aegypiinae) with nearly all known species represented. Multiple well-supported relationships among accipitrids identified with DNA differ from those traditionally recognized based on morphology or life history traits. Monophyly of sea eagles (Haliaeetinae) and booted eagles (Aquilinae) was supported; however, harpy eagles (Harpiinae), snake eagles (Circaetinae), and Old World vultures were found to be non-monophyletic. The Gymnogene (Polyboroides typus) and the Crane Hawk (Geranospiza caerulescens) were not found to be close relatives, presenting an example of convergent evolution for specialized limb morphology enabling predation on cavity nesting species. Investigation of named subspecies within Hieraaetus fasciatus and H. morphnoides revealed significant genetic differentiation or non-monophyly supporting recognition of H. spilogaster and H. weiskei as distinctive species. 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Robust inference concerning recent trends in US environmental quality

Understanding trends in environmental quality is important for individuals and policymakers. Typically, trends in environmental quality are determined solely through comparisons of unconditional or conditional mean pollution levels. However, reaching unambiguous conclusions on the basis of only the first moment of the (unconditional or conditional) distribution is problematic since it ignores what is occurring in different regions of the distribution. Even relying on indices that incorporate both mean and variance is suspect to the extent that relative rankings are not typically robust to index choice. Addressing these concerns, we adapt recent developments in the stochastic dominance literature to test for unambiguous relations between current and past distributions of toxic releases. Using EPA data from 1988–1999, we find statistically significant evidence that the unconditional 1999 distributions of air, land, underground and total toxic releases dominate in a first-degree sense their respective 1988 distributions. While some of this improvement is explained by economic growth, pollution net-of-income improved over the sample period as well. Finally, we document robust differences in the distribution of pollution across regions in the US. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non-price cues utilization during social coupon purchasing-decision

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how two non-price cues – consumer rating and number of purchased social coupons (SCs) – serve as risk-relievers for high and low variety-seekers and subsequently impact their purchase decision for SCs offered by unfamiliar brands. Design/methodology/approach – Participants recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk online panels participated in three scenario-based experiments. Findings – Low (vs high) variety-seekers perceive greater risk and indicate lower likelihood of purchasing SCs offered by unfamiliar brands. Both high and low variety-seekers utilize the two non-priced cues – consumer rating and number of purchased SCs – as risk-relievers sequentially. That is, consumer rating constantly has a substantial impact on purchase likelihood for such SCs, whereas number of purchased SCs is influential only when consumer rating becomes ambiguous. Specifically, low (vs high) variety-seekers have a greater tendency to rely on number of purchased SCs in addition to consumer rat...
Electronic publication and data distribution for the five college astronomy department

Abstract The Star Formation Group at FCAD is making use of the World-Wide Web to: 1. (1) explore the advantages of hypermedia presentation for the distribution of preprints, Ph.D. theses and observatory publications; 2. (2) create hyperlinked catalogs of astronomical data which enable not only the recovery of tabular data but instantaneous links to abstracts of the original references; 3. (3) create on-line resources of spectroscopic and image data. We illustrate here the current status of this effort. As a by-product of this work, a method for displaying subscripts (e.g. M ⊙ , Δν D ) and superscripts (e.g. T 4 , C 18 O) has been developed. This set of bitmaps is publically available.
Systemic lupus erythematosus in three ethnic groups. XII. Risk factors for lupus nephritis after diagnosis

The purpose of this study was to determine the cumulative incidence of lupus nephritis (LN) and the factors predictive of its occurrence in a multiethnic systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort. We studied 353 SLE patients as defined by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria (65 Hispanics, 93 African-Americans and 91 Caucasians). First, we determined the cumulative incidence of LN in all patients. Next, we determined the predictors for LN in those with nephritis occurring after diagnosis. The dependent variable, LN, was defined by: (1) A renal biopsy demonstrating World Health Organization (WHO), class II-V histopathology; and/or (2) proteinuria > or = 0.5 g/24 h or 3+ proteinuria attributable to SLE; and/or (3) one of the following features also attributable to SLE and present on two or more visits, which were performed at least 6 months apart--proteinuria > or = 2+, serum creatinine > or = 1.4 mg/dl, creatinine clearance or = 10 RBCs or WBCs per high power field (hpf), or > or = 3 granular or cellular casts per hpf. Independent variables assessed at diagnosis, and if absent, at baseline, were from four domains: sociodemographic, clinical, immunologic and immunogenetic (including the complete antibody profile and MHC class II alleles), and health habits. Variables with P < 0.05 by chi square analyses were entered into domain-specific stepwise logistic regression analyses controlling for disease duration, with LN as the dependent variable. Significant domain-specific regression variables (P < or = 0.1) were then entered into an overall model. The cumulative incidence of LN was 54.3% in all patients, and 35.3% for those developing LN after diagnosis. LN after diagnosis occurred in 43.1% of 65 Hispanics, 50.5% of 93 African-Americans, and 14.3% of 91 Caucasians, P < 0.0001. The duration of follow-up for those with LN after diagnosis was 5.5+/-2.4 vs 4.0+/-2.9 years for those without LN. Hispanic (odds ratio (OR) = 2.71, 95% confidence limits (CL) = 1.07-6.87, P < 0.04) and African-American ethnicities (OR = 3.13, 95% CL = 1.21-8.09, P < 0.02), not married or living together (OR = 3.45, 95% CL = 1.69-7.69, P < 0.0003), higher SLAM score (OR = 1.11, 95% CL = 1.02-1.19, P < 0.007), anti-dsDNA (OR = 3.14, 95% CL = 1.50-6.57, P < 0.0001) and anti-RNP (OR = 4.24, CL = 1.98-9.07, P < 0.0001) antibodies were shown to be significant predictors of the occurrence of LN. Repeated analyses excluding the patients with missing HLA data showed that absence of HLA-DQB1*0201 was also a significant predictor for the occurrence of LN (OR = 2.34, CL = 1.13-5.26, P < 0.04). In conclusion, LN occurred significantly more often in Hispanics and African-Americans with SLE. Sociodemographic, clinical and immunologic/immunogenetic factors seem to be predictive of LN occurring after the diagnosis of SLE has been made.
Cross-cultural patterns of growth and nutritional status of breast-fed infants.

Growth patterns and iron status of infants who were breast-fed throughout their first year of life were examined in four populations: 1) a group of high socioeconomic status in California (the DARLING Study), 2) infants of normal birth weight (NBW) but from low-income families in Honduras, 3) low-birth-weight (LBW), full-term infants in Honduras, and 4) infants in Ghana. z Scores were calculated by using both the current National Center for Health Statistics reference data and a pooled data set based on breast-fed infants in six industrialized countries. The NBW infants in Honduras showed rapid growth in the first few months and were similar in weight-for-age to the DARLING infants until 9 mo. By contrast, the LBW infants remained far below the other cohorts throughout the first 12 mo, despite an initial period of catch-up growth. In the Ghanaian infants, weight-for-age faltered beginning at 34 mo, but length-for-age did not falter until after 9 mo. Weight-for-length was highest in the NBW Honduran infants and lowest in the Ghanaian infants. When z scores were adjusted for birth weight and maternal height, no significant faltering was evident in either weight or length in any of the cohorts during the first 12 mo. Thus, when breast-feeding is continued during the first year of life and efforts are made to ensure adequate complementary feeding after 6 mo, if growth faltering occurs it is probably attributable to prenatal factors and maternal stature. Population differences in iron status reflected variation in birth weight and in the use of iron-rich foods. Therefore, efforts to prevent child stunting and malnutrition must pay attention to prenatal as well as postnatal factors.
Coherent scattering from distributed targets

Based on the formulation for coherent backscattering from distributed targets previously published by the first author, this paper presents a unified formalism for incorporating the small amplitude, the small slope, the physical optics as well as a ldquotwo-scale modelrdquo approximation into analyses of backscattering by irregular air-dielectric interfaces. The distinguishing feature of this approach is that it takes explicit account of the antenna radiation properties and provides a direct means of numerically assessing the effects of spatial coherence of the surface irregularities on the receiver response. In particular, this leads to a generalization of the normalized backscattering cross-section which becomes dependent on both the antenna radiation properties and surface scattering characteristics. Numerical results obtained under the small amplitude approximation show that spatial coherence of the surface irregularities can lead to significant deviations from the classical Bragg scattering formula.
Disorders of Higher Cortical Function in Children

The great majority of these who concern themselves with disorders of the higher functions in children are usually interested in the developmental disorders of language, reading, and other behaviors. I have myself not had a special interest in this group of disorders, because of my lack of extensive clinical experience with them and my generally limited contact with pediatric neurology, but probably even more because of the lack of strong anatomic data about these conditions. I have the suspicion that the neurological substrate of many of these cases will be neither damage to structures, nor gross congenital malformations, but rather the small size of certain brain regions. This speculation, however, remains to be confirmed or rejected.
Performance Investigation of a Small Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Equipped With Flexible Blades

Wind turbine technology has improved dramatically over the past decade, to the extent where wind turbine diameters are expected to soon exceed 160m and top 10MW in rated power output. While the development of these larger turbines has become immensely sophisticated, relatively little effort is being put forth to improve performance of smaller wind turbines, typically used in applications otherwise unsuitable for large installations. In this paper we investigate both computationally and experimentally the feasibility of a morphing turbine rotor, wherein blades are constructed of a flexible material and permitted to bend passively in response to external loading. The results indicate that the flexible blades can act as a passive pitch control device, resulting in significant improvements in efficiency when compared to a traditional rigid-blade design.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Inside Juror's Minds: A Hierarchy of Juror Decision-Making

This book discusses the conscious and unconscious psychological factors that influence juror decision-making. Jurors inevitably rely on the same "thinking tools" at trial that they use to solve problems and make decisions in their everyday lives, which makes it almost impossible for them to divorce instinct and emotion from decision-making. Their fight-or-flight reflexes are stimulated not only by predators but by information that makes them fear for their personal safety--even if the threatening information is something they merely imagine.Because self-preservation is a primal instinct, jurors tend to unconsciously respond by disregarding or altering the "threatening" evidence. Information that conflicts with their personal beliefs and biases often elicits a similar response. Therefore, what jurors hear and remember about a case will inevitably be a reflection of who they are, what they value, and what their life experiences have been.Because jurors unconsciously weigh information in a hierarchical fashion, the "hierarchy of juror decision-making" can serve as a blueprint for creating strategies to counteract the most common thinking errors that can skew jurors' perceptions of the case. This is a valuable weapon that should be in every trial lawyer's arsenal.
EMG-based Robot Control Interfaces: Past, Present and Future

Robots are now more than ever capable of performing a plethora of demanding tasks. However, as the presence of robotic technologies in everyday life grows rapidly, the role of humans in controlling the robots becomes of utmost importance. An efficient human-robot control interface is, therefore, required. In particular, an interface that would allow the user to control a robot in a continuous way by performing natural motions with his/her arm would be very effective. Neural interfaces and especially surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were proposed more than 30 years ago for actuating prosthetic limbs. Since then, a wide-range of algorithms and hardware solutions have been proposed. Multi-fingered prosthetic hands and agile arms are now capable of mimicking the function that the human counterparts provide. However, advances in the EMG-based control of prosthetics did not proceed at the same speed. This article will give an overview of the research done on the EMG-based human-robot control interfaces, focusing on the main advantages and disadvantages of this technology. Finally, future directions of the field will be discussed.
Abstract 2007: Concurrent gene promoter hypermethylation and allele loss occurs infrequently in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Malignancies arise as a result of environmental insults that cause an accumulation of molecular changes in the genomes and epigenomes of the affected somatic cells. Numerous models have been described that outline the set of consequential alterations for different tumor types throughout carcinogenesis. The implication of Knudson9s two-hit hypothesis for inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, with regards to the emerging field of integrative genomics, is that this gene silencing can be achieved through deletion of one allele and hypermethylation of the other. We aimed to characterize this process in the upper airway epithelium through an array-based molecular investigation of 19 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). We utilized a genome-wide integrated approach, combining data from DNA methylation arrays (>1400 loci) with SNP-based resequencing (>500K loci) copy number data, and a novel analytical approach involving model-based clustering methods. We found that while methylation and gene copy number were well-correlated for a number of loci, few tumor suppressors exhibited concomitant silencing alterations. In fact, of the commonly altered genes in this disease only CDKN2A possessed both hypermethylation and allele loss, and only at one locus for a minority of tumors (3/18). Three tumors also lacked one copy of the maintenance methyltransferase gene, DNMT1, and these samples had a lower average methylation across all loci measured than those with a normal copy number (P Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2007.
The Pleistocene Bush Dog Speothos pacivorus (Canidae) from the Lagoa Santa Caves, Brazil

Cranial, dental, and postcranial remains of the bush dog, Speothos pacivorus (Lund, 1839) are described from deposits of late Pleistocene-Holocene age in the Lagoa Santa Caves, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This species can be distinguished from the extant S. venaticus , on the basis of larger size, presence of metaconule and hypocone on M1, large M2, and double-rooted M2. Re-evaluation of the phylogenetic relationships of South American canids suggests that Speothos is a member of the Cerdocyon clade (including Cerdocyon, Nyctereutes , Atelocynus , and Speothos ) and is most closely related to the small-eared dog, Atelocynus . The biogeographic history of the bush dog suggests that it is the product of speciation in South America, probably in the Brazilian highlands during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.
On the Fitting of Jonswap Spectra to Measured Sea States

A new technique has been described for the optimal fitting of JONSWAP model spectra to measured sea states. This technique, validated by numerical simulations, can provide enhanced estimations of the peak frequency, the peak enhancement factor and the significant wave height of natural seas.
Introduction: the Euro crisis and the future of Europe

Coming on the heels of the global financial crisis, the Euro crisis was first an issue of banking solvency, then an issue of sovereign indebtedness, and then an issue of the stability and integrity of the Eurozone and its currency. Market agents take bets on the future of the Euro, how it might be saved (or not), and the likely interventions (or not) of leading politicians and their governments as well as the European Central Bank. The integrity, powers and governance structure of the ECB are fundamental issues for the Eurozone, its members and the stability of global financial markets. Just as important are the geographical manifestations of the Euro crisis, since the national and urban and regional effects of the crisis often translate directly into political movements that question the legitimacy of the European project. This special issue brings together a set of papers that provide an overarching perspective on the Euro crisis and maps the uneven spatial effects of the crisis across countries, cities and regions.
Research Techniques Made Simple: Drug Delivery Techniques, Part 2: Commonly Used Techniques to Assess Topical Drug Bioavailability.

Assessing the extent of absorption of topical drugs into the various skin layers has been one of the biggest challenges of recent dermatological research. Although skin biopsy samples can be used to directly measure topical drug absorption, biopsies are invasive and not practical for obtaining kinetic data. Common alternative techniques used to assess the bioavailability of topical drugs include in vitro (Franz cell chamber), ex vivo (isolated perfused skin models), and in vivo (vasoconstrictor assay, tape stripping/dermatopharmacokinetics, and microdialysis) techniques. Despite the popularity of these techniques, each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages that limit its use. Consideration of each technique requires that there is a rational linkage to the drug's clinical endpoint and/or site of action. In this article, we review these in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo techniques, focusing on the basic concepts and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique.
Characterization and activity of Fas ligand producing CD5⁺ B cells.

B lymphocytes make several contributions to immune regulation including production of antibodies with regulatory properties, release of immune suppressive cytokines, and expression of death-inducing ligands. A role for Fas ligand (FasL)-expressing "killer" B cells in regulating T helper cell survival and chronic inflammation has been demonstrated in animal models of schistosome worm infection, asthma, and autoimmune arthritis. Interestingly, a population of CD5(+) B cells found in the spleen and lungs of naive mice constitutively expresses FasL and has potent killer function against T helper cells that is antigen-specific and FasL-dependent. Killer B cells therefore represent a novel target for immune modulation in many disease settings. Our laboratory has recently published methods of characterizing FasL(+) B cells and inducing their proliferation in vitro. This chapter will describe detailed methods of identifying and expanding killer B cells from mice, detecting FasL expression in B cells, and performing functional killing assays against antigen-specific TH cells.
Leaded eye cosmetics: a cultural cause of elevated lead levels in children.

BACKGROUND: Preventing lead exposure is of paramount importance because lead is significantly toxic at subclinical levels, and treating patients with elevated blood lead levels is difficult. Children were evaluated for lead exposure in California through a state-mandated lead screening program that was begun in November 1991. Imported eye cosmetics were identified as a suspected source of lead exposure for Pakistani and Indian children who used these products. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of children at a county hospital clinic was undertaken for the period beginning October 1991 and ending February 1994. Lead exposure questionnaires were filled out at clinic visits, and telephone interviews were conducted with parents or guardians of children from ethnic groups who use eye cosmetics. RESULTS: Lead level results were available for 175 children. The average lead level was 4.3 micrograms/dL (0.21 mumol/L) for Pakistani/Indian children not using eye cosmetics and 12.9 micrograms/dL (0.62 mumol/L) (P = .03) for those using the products. Chemical evaluation of some of the eye cosmetics used by these children revealed high lead content. CONCLUSIONS: Use of eye cosmetics imported from Pakistan was found to be strongly correlated with elevated blood lead levels. Although importation of leaded eye cosmetics is prohibited by law, legislation has not been effective in protecting children from this source of lead exposure. Education regarding low-level lead toxicity and avoidance of substances containing lead is needed, particularly for targeted subpopulations.
Control of an uncertain Euler-Lagrange system with known time-varying input delay: A pde-based approach

A partial differential equation-based tracking controller is developed for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with bounded external disturbances and time-varying input delay. A novel robust controller is designed such that the control input varies with both time and a spatial variable. The designed controller features gains to compensate for the delay and delay derivative independently and further robustness is achieved since the controller does not require exact model knowledge. A novel Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional is used in the Lyapunov-based stability analysis to prove uniform ultimate boundedness of the error signals. Numerical simulation results illustrate the performance of the proposed robust controller.
The Discovery of Parity Nonconservation

This chapter will discuss the discovery of parity nonconservation. In the early 1950s the physics community was faced with a vexing problem, the θ − τ puzzle. There were two elementary particles which, on one set of criteria, mass and lifetime, seemed to be the same particle. On another set of criteria, spin and parity, they seemed to be different particles. Solutions using accepted physics failed to solve the problem. In 1956, T.D. Lee and C.N. Yang suggested that the violation of parity symmetry, a radical solution, would solve the problem. They proposed several experiments that would test their hypothesis. The first, the β decay of oriented nuclei was performed by C.S. Wu and her collaborators. They observed an asymmetry in the decay, more electrons were emitted opposite to the nuclear spin than along the spin direction, thus, demonstrating parity nonconservation. Similar results were obtained in a second set of experiments on π → μ → e decay by Garwin, Lederman, and Weinrich and by Friedman and Telegdi. The question of whether just one of these experiments would have sufficed to demonstrate parity violation will be discussed.