cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Notched Unidirectional Boron/Aluminum: Effect of Matrix Properties

The manner in which matrix properties affect the notched behavior of unidirectional boron/aluminum is assessed. Data are presented for center- notched tensile specimens of as-fabricated boron reinforced 1100 and 6061 aluminum. Results are also given for a heat-treated B/6061. The notched response of these materials shows significant differences. A shear-lag analysis, formulated for finite-dimensioned monolayers made from work-hardening constituents, is shown capable of explaining such effects. The calculated rela tion between load and notch opening displacement for a uniform traction boundary condition is indistinguishable from that for a displacement condition when the matrix yield strength is sufficiently high. For such cases, the predicted relation is in excellent agreement with experiment. Specimens with a relatively low matrix yield strength exhibit different behavior: the predicted relation be tween load and notch opening displacement depends strongly on the type of boundary condition applied. This ...
Macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) modulates a differentiation-specific inward-rectifying potassium current in human leukemic (HL-60) cells.

A voltage-activated inward-rectifying K+ conductance (Iki) appears in human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells during phorbol ester-induced differentiation into macrophages. This conductance was detected in the cells 24 hours after exposure to phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), as the cells began to express the macrophage phenotype, and continued to increase for 4 days after PMA exposure. The magnitude of inward current was a function of external K+; current was blocked by extracellular or intracellular Cs+ and by extracellular Ba++. Hyperpolarization produced activation at membrane potentials more negative than −80 mV, and a slower, partial inactivation also occurred at potentials more negative than −100 mV. This conductance was not detected in proliferating cells nor in granulocytes derived from HL-60 cells which were induced to differentiate with retinoic acid (RA). Exposure of differentiated macrophages to recombinant human CSF-1 produced inhibition of the Iki beginning within 1 minute after exposure. CSF-1 inhibition of Iki channels in cell-attached patches indicated that channel modulation was via intracellular mediators. The rapid inhibition of the inward rectifier by the macrophage-specific CSF-1 appears to be one of the earliest cellular responses to this factor.
Frequency of euploid miscarriage is increased in obese women with recurrent early pregnancy loss

Objective To determine whether the frequency of euploid miscarriage is increased in obese women with recurrent early pregnancy loss (REPL). Design Observational cohort study using prospectively collected data. Setting Academic RPL program. Patient(s) A total of 372 women with REPL, defined as ≥2 pregnancy losses Intervention(s) Body mass index (BMI) was measured at the initial consultation and at each subsequent pregnancy. Conventional cytogenetic analysis and, when indicated, microsatellite analysis and/or comparative genomic hybridization was performed. Main Outcome Measure(s) Frequency of euploid miscarriage in obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 ) and nonobese (BMI 2 ) subjects, before and subsequent to REPL evaluation. Result(s) There were 578 miscarriages with chromosome results. Of the subjects, 18% were obese at the time of miscarriage. The mean maternal age at miscarriage was similar between the obese and nonobese groups. Due to the high rate of maternal cell contamination in the prior miscarriages, only subsequent miscarriages with chromosome results were included in the primary analysis. Of the 117 subsequent miscarriages, the frequency of an euploid miscarriage among obese women was 58% compared with 37% of nonobese women (relative risk=1.63; 95% confidence interval 1.08–2.47). Conclusion(s) Obese women with REPL have an increased frequency of euploid miscarriage, which is a known risk factor for subsequent miscarriage.
THE GENETICS OF FLORAL DIVERGENCE AND POSTZYGOTIC BARRIERS BETWEEN OUTCROSSING AND SELFING POPULATIONS OF ARENARIA UNIFLORA (CARYOPHYLLACEAE)

The genetic architecture of floral traits involved in the evolution of self-pollination provides a window into past processes of mating system divergence. In this study, we use two generations of crosses between highly selfing and predominantly outcrossing populations of Arenaria uniflora (Caryophyllaceae) to determine the minimum number, average dominance relationships, and pleiotropic effects of genetic factors involved in floral divergence. Comparison of the F1 and F2 phenotypic means with the expectations of a completely additive model of gene action revealed a primarily additive genetic basis for floral characters associated with mating system variation. The exception was flower life span, which showed partial dominance of the outcrosser phenology. In contrast to similarly divergent species, the substantial differences in flower size between these A. uniflora populations appear to involve relatively few genes of large effect (minimum number of effective factors = 2.2 ± 2.8 SE). In addition, correlations among traits in the F2 generation indicate that pleiotropy may be an important feature of the genetic architecture of floral evolution in A. uniflora. The evolution of selfing via major modifiers of floral morphology is consistent with other evidence for ecological selection for preemptive self-pollination in A. uniflora. Analyses of the genetic basis of autonomous selfing were complicated by hybrid breakdown in both F1 and F2 generations. Only F1 hybrids showed reductions in female fertility, but about 30% of F1 and F2 hybrids exhibited partial or complete male sterility. Male sterile flowers were characterized by short stamens, reduced petals, and a lack of protandry, as well as indehiscent anthers. This morphological breakdown mimics environmental disruptions of floral development and may result from novel genic interactions in hybrids.
#INDEBTED: Disciplining the Moral Valence of Mortgage Debt Online

The 2008 mortgage crash and the online publics that have emerged in its aftermath have reshaped American interpretations of indebtedness. Combining research among homeowners facing foreclosure in California’s Sacramento Valley with an analysis of the national online forums they frequent, I show how participants rethink the moral scaffolding of debt relations within what I describe as online publics of indebtedness. Anonymous online publics foster experiences of disembodied autonomy that encourage debt refusal and discipline the middle-class ethics of debt abandonment, as participants distinguish between mortgagors who deserve not to pay their debts and those they deem irresponsible for defaulting on their loans. In contrast, participation in semipublic social networks and online forms of publicity emphasizes new affective orientations toward debt obligations. My analysis contributes to an anthropological scholarship on moral economies by exploring the role of distinct forms of new media in shaping everyday experiences of indebtedness in late-capitalist financial markets.
Video matching

This paper describes a method for bringing two videos (recorded at different times) into spatiotemporal alignment, then comparing and combining corresponding pixels for applications such as background subtraction, compositing, and increasing dynamic range. We align a pair of videos by searching for frames that best match according to a robust image registration process. This process uses locally weighted regression to interpolate and extrapolate high-likelihood image correspondences, allowing new correspondences to be discovered and refined. Image regions that cannot be matched are detected and ignored, providing robustness to changes in scene content and lighting, which allows a variety of new applications.
The Camel and the Last Straw or the Frog and the Boiling Water: Pick Your Parable

We all know the two parables that title this article. In the first, an already overburdened camel collapses after a piece of straw is added to the pile already on his back. The message of course is that it wasn’t a single piece of straw that caused the camel to collapse; it was the cumulative weight of the load. In the second, we are told that a frog will calmly boil to death in a tepid pot of water that’s on a high flame; the poor thing doesn’t notice the gradual rise in temperature until it’s too late. By contrast, if you toss a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will instantly recoil and hop out. It’s the author's concern that, if approved, FINRA’s recently announced arbitrator classification rule filing – on top of the many rule changes over the last several years that have come at the expense of the securities industry – may be the last straw for the industry and FINRA arbitration. Stated differently, the securities industry may step back, see that the securities arbitration pot is boiling, and jump out in whole or in part. And that would not be a good thing – for either side.
Comparison of realistic and idealized breathing patterns in computational models of airflow and vapor dosimetry in the rodent upper respiratory tract

AbstractContext: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of airflows coupled with physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling of respiratory tissue doses of airborne materials have traditionally used either steady-state inhalation or a sinusoidal approximation of the breathing cycle for airflow simulations despite their differences from normal breathing patterns.Objective: Evaluate the impact of realistic breathing patterns, including sniffing, on predicted nasal tissue concentrations of a reactive vapor that targets the nose in rats as a case study.Materials and methods: Whole-body plethysmography measurements from a free-breathing rat were used to produce profiles of normal breathing, sniffing and combinations of both as flow inputs to CFD/PBPK simulations of acetaldehyde exposure.Results: For the normal measured ventilation profile, modest reductions in time- and tissue depth-dependent areas under the curve (AUC) acetaldehyde concentrations were predicted in the wet squamous, respirato...
Akt recruits Dab2 to albumin endocytosis in the proximal tubule.

Proximal tubule epithelial cells have a highly sophisticated endocytic machinery to retrieve the albumin in the glomerular filtrate. The megalin-cubilin complex and the endocytic adaptor disabled-2...
Construction and identification of the eukaryotic coexpression plasmid p-IRES-P1-3CD

Objective To amplify P1 and 3CD gene from patient infected with EV71 and construct the eukaryotic co-expression plasmid encoding P1 and 3CD.Methods The internal ribosomal entry site(IRES) from encephalomyocarditis virus(EMCV) was amplified and inserted into eukaryotic vector pcDNA3.0,named pc-IRES.Then the cDNA encoding P1 and 3CD were obtained by RT-PCR amplification from the fecal of patient infected with EV71 and cloned into pc-IRES vector.The constructed plasmid p-IRES-P1-3CD was confirmed by restriction enzymolysis and PCR.Results A 2.5 kb and 1.9 kb fragment were obtained from amplification,the sequences were confirmed to be EV71 P1 and 3CD gene by sequence analysis.PCR and double endonucleases results confirmed that the eukaryotic coexpression plasmid p-IRES-P1-3CD was successfully constructed.Conclusion The successful construction of eukaryotic expression plasmid p-IRES-P1-3CD establishes an experimental basis for virus like particle vaccine of EV71.
Searching for certainty: findings predictive of appendicitis in equivocal ultrasound exams

Ultrasound (US) is the preferred imaging modality for evaluating suspected pediatric appendicitis. However, borderline appendiceal enlargement or questionable inflammatory changes can confound interpretation and lead to equivocal exams. The purpose of this study was to determine which findings on equivocal US exams are most predictive of appendicitis. All US exams performed for suspected pediatric appendicitis from July 1, 2013, through July 9, 2014, were initially interpreted using a risk-stratified scoring system. Two blinded pediatric radiologists independently reviewed US exams designated as equivocal and recorded the following findings: increased wall thickness, loss of mural stratification, peri-appendiceal fat inflammation, peri-appendiceal fluid, appendicolith and maximum appendiceal diameter. A third pediatric radiologist resolved discrepancies. US features were correlated with the final diagnosis via multivariate analysis. During the study period, 162/3,750 (4.3%) children had US exams initially interpreted as equivocal (mean age 9.8 +/- 3.8 years). Five outpatients were lost to follow-up. Forty-eight of the remaining 157 (30.6%) children had an operative diagnosis of appendicitis. Findings significantly associated with appendicitis were loss of mural stratification (odds ratio [OR] = 6.7, P=0.035), peri-appendiceal fat inflammation (OR = 10.0, P<0.0001) and appendicolith (OR = 15.8, P=0.025). While appendiceal diameter tended to be larger in patients with appendicitis, the difference was not statistically significant. Loss of mural stratification, peri-appendiceal fat inflammation and an appendicolith are significant predictors of appendicitis in children with otherwise equivocal US exams. While maximum appendiceal diameter is not statistically associated with appendicitis in our study, mean appendiceal diameter of 6.7 mm in those without appendicitis suggests that the customary upper normal limit of 6 mm is too sensitive.
Mucosal Iron Retention and Plasma Iron Absorption in the Duodenum and Jejunum of Dogs

Two groups of non-anemic dogs, one with normal tissue iron stores and one with decreased tissue iron stores, underwent a surgical construction of two equal segments of duodenum and jejunum. A solution of 0.1 mg ferrous sulfate and 1 mg ascorbic acid was injected into the lumen of each segment. The solution for the duodenal segment contained 30 muc of iron59, for the jejunum segment 60 muc of iron55. The solutions were left in the segments for 2 1/2 hours before washout. On the 14th postoperative day, iron59 and iron55 radioactivity per ml/RBC was measured, and iron uptake by segments determined in two ways. Bone marrow, liver, and spleen were histologically assessed of iron stores. In dogs with normal iron stores, percent iron retained was slightly higher in jejunum that duodenum. In dogs with decreased iron stores percent retention was always higher in duodenum; in this group iron retained was about four times higher than in dogs with normal iron stores. This indicates that mucosal uptake of iron from lumen and mucosal transfer of iron from plasma vary inversely with body iron stores, but compared to mucosal uptake, mucosal transfer is more restricted to duodenum, more affected by body iron stores, more limited, and more crucial to regulation of iron absorption.
Inhibition by Diphenylhydantoin of Folic Acid Absorption in Man

The association of folate deficiency and diphenylhydantoin administration is well known but not well understood. We have investigated the effect of diphenylhydantoin on absorption of tritiated pteroylglutamic acid with a triple lumen perfusion system. There was a significant reduction in tritiated folic acid absorption when diphenylhydantoin 20 μg per ml, was added to the perfusion solution. A similar effect occurred with diphenylhydantoin, 100 μg per ml. Increasing folic acid concentration from 25 ng per ml to 100 ng per ml did not diminish the inhibitory effect. Inhibition was partially sustained in some subjects for 2 hr. Diphenylhydantoin inhibited water and sodium transport in some subjects; this was a variable finding and did not significantly correlate with changes in folate absorption. Diphenylhydantoin concentration in the intestinal lumen after ingestion of a 100-mg Dilantin tablet exceeded the concentration used in perfusion solutions in this study. Inhibition of folic acid absorption may explain, at least in part, the association of diphenylhydantoin therapy and folate deficiency.
BRAF-V600 mutational status affects recurrence patterns of melanoma brain metastasis.

Brain metastasis is common and carries a poor prognosis in melanoma. A single institution, retrospective cohort of 225 melanoma patients was analyzed to determine if BRAF-V600 mutational status was associated with brain metastasis. Eighty-three of the 225 patients (37%) had BRAF-V600 mutations. At initial diagnosis, BRAF-V600 mutations were associated with younger age (p ≤ 0.001), higher proportion of females (p = 0.0037), higher AJCC stage (p = 0.030), regional lymph node involvement (p = 0.047), and family history of cancer (p = 0.044). Compared to BRAF-WT, BRAF-V600 patients had an increased risk of brain metastasis in multivariate analysis (OR = 2.24; 95% CL = 1.10-4.58; p = 0.027). However, BRAF-V600 patients treated with a selective BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) had a similar risk of brain metastasis compared to BRAF-WT patients (OR = 1.00; 95% CL = 0.37-2.65; p = 0.98). Moreover, treatment with BRAFi significantly prolonged the time from initial diagnosis to brain metastasis diagnosis (HR = 0.30; 95% CL = 0.11-0.79; p = 0.015). Compared to other tissues, the brain was the most frequent site of metastasis in BRAF-V600 patients without BRAFi (42% ± 7%). The frequency of brain metastasis was lower in BRAF-WT and BRAF-V600 patients with BRAFi (25% ± 4% and 25% ± 8%, respectively). The proportion of patients with brain metastasis as the only site was 40%, 60%, and 0% in the BRAF-WT, BRAF-V600 without BRAFi, and BRAF-V600 with BRAFi groups, respectively. This study provides evidence on the clinical importance of BRAF-V600 mutations and BRAF inhibition in the progression to melanoma brain metastasis.
Scaling-up innovation as a means of tackling health inequalities. Commentary.

Issue. The introduction of inclusive healthcare innovations as a means of improving the welfare of marginalized groups is now being witnessed in developing countries as a crucial process of modernization and industrialization. Towards this end, there has been much discussion regarding the most effective strategies of scaling up innovative health interventions in these parts of the world. Evidence. The topics of discussion have included accessibility and cost-effectiveness; sustainability; infrastructure to support implementation; political will; advocacy; strong leadership; tailoring the scaled-up approach to the local context; and various potential models of funding. Implications. Because policy advocacy plays a critical role in creating a favourable environment for inclusive healthcare innovations, intensive lobbying will be necessary as a means to achieve effective scaling-up in addition to tackling the respective development challenges more efficiently. With this in mind, funders will need to mobilize substantial investment for innovations that respond to the most pressing global public health issues.
Fetal Alcohol Exposure and Attention Deficits

Twenty six children of mothers who abused alcohol during pregnancies were followed throughout childhood and were examined at 11 to 14 years of age for neuropsychiatric, psychological, and social problems in the Sahlgren University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden.
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus interacts with host cellular micro-RNA processing machinery to facilitate viral replication

August 20-22, 2012 V Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) causes disease in both equine and humans that exhibit overt encephalitis in a significant percentage of cases. Despite being recognized as an emerging threat, relatively little is known about the virulence mechanisms of VEEV. Interference with critical host-pathogen interactions is an important area that can be utilized for therapeutic development. Recent publications implicate miRNA interactions in the pathogenesis of various viral diseases. While many viruses down-regulate the miRNA pathway to facilitate replication, some viruses such as Hepatitis C Virus utilize specific miRNAs and the RNAi machinery to enhance their replication. Based on this, we have begun to study miRNA processing in connection with VEEV replication. Our data indicate that knockdown of miRNA processing machinery significantly hinders VEEV replication. Loss of Drosha and DGCR8 had the greatest effect on VEEV production, indicating the need for nuclear processed miRNAs. In addition, siRNA knockdown of Ago2 decreased viral replication, which was confirmed with Ago2 null cells. Ago2 null cells also demonstrated significantly reduced VEEV capsid production and VEEV-GFP expression driven from the subgenomic promoter. These results were confirmed with a small molecule inhibitor of miRNA processing (ACF). Bioinformatic analysis indicated that five cellular miRNAs have complementarity to the VEEV subgenomic promoter. Anti-miRNA inhibitors to these 5 cellular miRNAs demonstrated that inhibition of miR-3683 reduced VEEV replication. Taken together, these findings indicate that loss of RNAi machinery severely limits VEEV replication and that specific cellular miRNAs contribute to VEEV replication.
Race, religion and resistance: revelations from the Juba archive

ABSTRACTThere is scant information on Angelo Tutuo, the first Zande Catholic priest, beyond his entries in two biographical dictionaries. In recent years, however, I have discovered letters written by and about Tutuo in the Comboni Archives and the recently organized South Sudan National Archives. These letters disclose unpublished information about his life, including accusations of racism against the Verona Fathers, his parliamentary campaign, and his thoughts as a member of the Anyanya movement. This article uses these writings to examine the broader dimensions of South Sudanese resistance language during the late colonial and early independence periods. While some expressed fears of “enslavement” from Northern Sudanese leading up to independence, patriots like Tutuo forged a spiritualized, separatist lexicon after independence. This strategy marked an important development in the evolution of South Sudanese political thought and points to the role of Sudanese priests as key architects of liberation vo...
Vaping Synthetic Cannabinoids: A Novel Preclinical Model of E-Cigarette Use in Mice:

Smoking is the most common route of administration for cannabis; however, vaping cannabis extracts and synthetic cannabinoids (“fake marijuana”) in electronic cigarette devices has become increasingly popular. Yet, most animal models used to investigate biological mechanisms underlying cannabis use employ injection as the route of administration. This study evaluated a novel e-cigarette device that delivers aerosolized cannabinoids to mice. The effects of aerosolized and injected synthetic cannabinoids (CP 55,940, AB-CHMINACA, XLR-11, and JWH-018) in mice were compared in a battery of bioassays in which psychoactive cannabinoids produce characteristic effects. The most potent cannabinoids (CP 55,940 and AB-CHMINACA) produced the full cannabinoid profile (ie, hypothermia, hypolocomotion, and analgesia), regardless of the route of administration. In contrast, aerosolized JWH-018 and XLR-11 did not produce the full profile of cannabimimetic effects. Results of time course analysis for hypothermia showed that aerosol exposure to CP 55,940 and AB-CHMINACA produced faster onset of effects and shorter duration of action than injection. The ability to administer cannabinoids to rodents using the most common route of administration among humans provides a method for collecting preclinical data with enhanced translational relevance.
Application of a Robust Stabilization Technique to Robotics

Abstract In this paper we suggest a robust stabilization technique for use in the control of Robotic manipulators. It can be applied to models which are linear and involve parametric type uncertainty. The objective is to guarantee stability of the overall system for all values of the parameters in some range. We test our results by hardward implementation, in the computer control of a planar two link robotic manipulator.
A therapeutic robotic system for the upper body based on the Proficio robotic arm

Robotic-assisted technology has given the researchers new opportunities to augment traditional physical rehabilitation with technologically advanced devices. The goal is to leverage robotic technology to improve the efficacy of physical therapy and expedite the recovery period of patients. Robotic systems can take on an important role in physical therapy - assisting, guiding, and motivating patients to do their prescribed physical exercises correctly. In this work, we present a comprehensive physical therapy system using the Proficio robotic arm. Our system interprets the 3D kinetic and kinematic properties of a person's movement with the Proficio arm, evaluates the performance of the person, and recommends adjustment to the difficulty level of the exercise. The Proficio can be also used to enhance user training by moving their arm according to the required exercise. Our system has a graphical interface so that users can view their own task performance during the exercise. In addition, we propose a Microsoft Kinect-based system to complement our design. This system analyzes the trajectory of the user during an exercise, and performs evaluations regarding the posture and movement of the body. The proposed system also enables the therapist to remotely monitor the daily exercise of a person in real time so that he or she can give feedback and motivation.
Biomimetic Reactivity of Oxygen-Derived Manganese and Iron Porphyrinoid Complexes

Heme proteins utilize the heme cofactor, an iron porphyrin, to perform a diverse range of reactions including dioxygen binding and transport, electron transfer, and oxidation/oxygenations. These reactions share several key metalloporphyrin intermediates, typically derived from dioxygen and its congeners such as hydrogen peroxide. These species are composed of metal–dioxygen, metal–superoxo, metal–peroxo, and metal–oxo adducts. A wide variety of synthetic metalloporphyrinoid complexes have been synthesized to generate and stabilize these intermediates. These complexes have been studied to determine the spectroscopic features, structures, and reactivities of such species in controlled and well-defined environments. In this Review, we summarize recent findings on the reactivity of these species with common porphyrinoid scaffolds employed for biomimetic studies. The proposed mechanisms of action are emphasized. This Review is organized by structural type of metal–oxygen intermediate and broken into subsection...
MicroRNA expression changes in association with changes in interleukin-1ß/interleukin10 ratios produced by monocytes in autism spectrum disorders: their association with neuropsychiatric symptoms and comorbid conditions (observational study)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a major role in regulating immune responses at post-transcriptional levels. Previously, we have reported fluctuating interlukine-1s (IL-1s)/IL-10 ratios produced by peripheral blood monocytes (PBMo) in some patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study examined whether changes in miRNA expression by PBMo are associated with changes in IL-1s/IL-10 ratios and how such changes are associated with ASD clinical features. miRNA expression by purified PBMo from ASD subjects (N = 69) and non-ASD controls (N = 27) were determined by high-throughput sequencing. Cytokine production by PBMo in responses to stimuli of innate immunity, and behavioral symptoms [assessed by aberrant behavioral checklist (ABC)] were also evaluated at the same time of sample obtainment. As a whole, there was no difference in miRNA expression between ASD and control non-ASD PBMo. However, when ASD cells were subdivided into 3 groups with high, normal, or low IL-1s/IL-10 ratios as defined in the “Results” section, in comparison with the data obtained from non-ASD controls, we observed marked changes in miRNA expression. Namely, over 3-fold changes in expression of miR-181a, miR-93, miR-223, miR-342, and miR-1248 were observed in ASD PBMo with high or low IL-1s/IL-10 ratios, but not in ASD PBMo with normal ratios. These miRNAs that had altered in expression are those closely associated with the regulation of key signaling pathways. With changes in IL-1s/IL-10 ratios, we also observed changes in the production of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-s) other than IL-1s/IL-10 by ASD PBMo. The association between behavioral symptoms and cytokine levels was different when ASD cells exhibit high/low IL-1s/IL-10 ratios vs. when ASD cells exhibited normal ratios. Non-IgE-mediated food allergy was also observed at higher frequency in ASD subjects with high/low IL-1s/IL-10 ratios than with normal ratios. Changes in cytokine profiles and miRNA expression by PBMo appear to be associated with changes in ASD behavioral symptoms. miRNAs that are altered in expression in ASD PBMo with high/low IL-1s/IL-10 ratios are those associated with inflammatory responses. Changes in IL-1s/IL-10 ratios along with changes in miRNA expression may serve as biomarkers for immune-mediated inflammation in ASD.
Postwar Urban Redevelopment and the Politics of Exclusion: The Case of San Francisco’s Chinatown:

This article examines the landscape changes of San Francisco's Chinatown resulting from urban redevelopment after World War II. It describes the contested process of community development and docum...
A Group Home Program in a Family Agency

By recreating a family living situation in a private home atmosphere, foster parents and professional staff can use everyday realities to resocialize youths
MCS-based response surface metamodels and optimal design of experiments for gravity dams

Deterministic seismic analysis of dam-foundation-water does not usually reflect the true behavior of the system due to presence of different epistemic uncertainties. On the other hand, the crude Mo...
The Political Morality of the Eighth Amendment

Since the early twentieth century, the Supreme Court has interpreted the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment as a progressive mandate that draws its meaning from “the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society.” In applying this standard, the Court looks to such objective considerations as legislative enactments, patterns of jury decision making, and international opinion as measures of contemporary values. At the same time, the Court intermittently invokes its “own judgment” as an independent gauge of constitutionality. This article assesses the viability of the “evolving standards” doctrine, concluding that, as presently conceived, it has produced an incoherent Eighth Amendment jurisprudence. In particular, by relying on majoritarian factors as a test of constitutionality, the Court has misconceived the nature and significance of a constitutional right. For in its zeal to avoid the charge that the subjective policy preferences of individual justices drive its decision making, the Court has embraced a form of moral skepticism that is inconsistent with the history and character of the Constitution. Despite the Court’s missteps, the evolving standards formulation is worth preserving because it highlights a number of important liberal-democratic values. According to this alternative conception, the touchstone of Eighth Amendment analysis is neither political popularity nor personal morality but the political morality of our liberal democracy – the best account of how our political values should shape and constrain the institution of punishment.
Guillain-Barré syndrome: a team approach to diagnosis and treatment.

Guillain-Barre syndrome is the most frequently acquired demyelinating peripheral polyneuropathy. In approximately two-thirds of cases, Guillain-Barre syndrome is preceded by a viral respiratory or gastrointestinal infection. The mechanism of injury is unclear but is believed to be immunologic. The cardinal clinical feature is symmetric and rapidly progressive weakness. Aspiration and respiratory failure are the major concerns. Sensory symptoms, such as paresthesias, are common. The most severe stage of the disease is reached two to four weeks after onset. Dysautonomia has replaced respiratory failure as the most common cause of death. Recovery is variable: 50 percent of patients recover completely, about 35 percent experience permanent neurologic sequelae, and 15 percent are significantly and permanently damaged. About 10 percent relapse before complete recovery, and 2 to 5 percent experience recurrence after full recovery. Laboratory confirmation of Guillain-Barre syndrome includes the typical cerebrospinal fluid cytoalbumin dissociation (elevated protein without white blood cells). Treatment is primarily symptomatic and preventive. Convalescent patients require intensive inpatient physical and occupational therapy to improve strength and prevent disabling contractures.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants A Balancing Act of Dialectically Theorizing Conceptual Understanding on the Grounds of Vygotsky’s Project

Defining knowledge and theorizing concepts is a difficult task if only because the target notions/phenomena are centrally (albeit often tacitly) implicated, right from the start and throughout the whole process, in the very ways and procedures employed in this endeavor. How can one define the ways through which we know the world, including concepts, conceptual understanding and thinking, while these very concepts and methods of knowing need to be applied to the task at hand? There seems to be an inherent complexity involved in resolving epistemological issues that are akin to what is infamously known as an attempt to pull oneself by one’s own hair. This complexity, though rather obvious, is paradoxically not often reflected upon by researchers involved with epistemological issues—judging by the largely overlooked situation when the stated epistemic conceptualizations are often at odds with the methods employed to arrive at them. For example, claims about collective and distributed nature of knowing and concept development as never belonging to the individual realm seem to contradict methodology behind these claims employed by individual researchers that often represents a single-handedly construed process of solitary analysis apparently disconnected from collaborative pursuits. It would appear that researchers, who state the radical position on mind as being distributed and not attributable to anything at the individual level, have to struggle to reconcile their position with their own claims to individual authorship and authenticity of theoretical arguments, concepts, and views.
From Petrarch to Bacon, Technécology Style: Introduction

When Petrarch undertook his mission to cast off his putatively dark ages, his Renaissance world was radically different than that of Francis Bacon several centuries later. This was due, in no small measure, to the rise of three technologies (ones Bacon himself had emphasized for their import): the printing press, which engendered a revolution in communication; gunpowder, which did so in warfare; and the magnetic compass, which rewrote navigation and knowledge of the globe. This chapter lays out how these three technologies are methodologically handled in the book apropos their impact on literature, and on humanism more particularly, and, in doing so, underscores how literature, or culture, or technology, cannot so easily be disassociated or disentangled from other aspects of the environment.
Connections Between Adolescents’ Parasocial Interactions and Recollections of Childhood Imaginative Activities:

Parasocial interactions (PSIs; one-sided communication imagined with a media figure) in adolescence and imaginative activities in childhood, such as imaginary companions and role play, have a share...
Biomarker discovery in pre-Type 1 Diabetes; Th40 cells as a predictive risk factor.

CONTEXT The incidence of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is increasing worldwide. The quest to understand T1D etiology as well as how to predict diabetes is ongoing and, in many ways, those goals intertwine. While genetic components associate with T1D, not all T1D individuals have those components and not all subjects with those components develop disease. OBJECTIVE More robust methods for prediction of T1D are needed. Can high CD4+CD40+ T cell (Th40) levels be used as a biomarker in addition to other markers? METHODS Th40 levels were assessed along with other parameters in blood collected from prediabetic TrialNet subjects. RESULTS Pre-diabetic subjects, stratified according to their Th40 cell levels, demonstrate patterns that parallel those seen between control and T1D subjects. Cytokine patterns are significantly different between Th40-high and -low subjects and a CD4/CD8 double-positive population is more represented in Th40-high groups. Subjects experiencing impaired glucose tolerance present a significantly higher Th40 level than control subjects do. HLA DR4/DR4 and DQ8/DQ8, HLAs associated with T1D, are more likely found among Th40-high subjects. Interestingly, HLA DR4/DR4 subjects were significantly older compared with all other subjects, suggesting that this haplotype together with a high Th40 level may represent someone who will onset after age 30, which is reported for 42% of T1D cases. CONCLUSION Considering the differences found in relation to prediabetic Th40 cell level, it may be possible to devise methods that more accurately predicts who will proceed toward diabetes and, possibly, at what stage of prediabetes a subject is.
A Diving Autonomous Surface Vehicle for Multi-Robot Research and Development

An economical marine vehicle was designed for environmental monitoring and field-implementation of multi-robot behaviors. This vehicle, classed as a diving autonomous surface vehicle, is capable of maneuvering along the surface using port and starboard thrusters. A variable buoyancy chamber, or buoyancy engine, allows the vehicle to take a vertical profile of the water column by pumping water into and out of a trio of actuated syringes. The operational concept of transiting along the surface and stopping to take a vertical profile, is intended to efficiently measure water column parameters in a manner suitable for expansion to multiple vehicles. Although the same task could be performed by one or more traditional autonomous underwater vehicles, the infrastructure for underwater communication and navigation is cost prohibitive at the level of efficiency achieved by the proposed fleet of diving autonomous vehicles. After progressing through two prototype phases, one vehicle is currently undergoing in-water trials. The other is being used to explore interfaces using the Robot Operating System on its Raspberry Pi control computer. Unifying the independent progress to upgrade both vehicles will result in the first two-vehicle field tests of the control system. Production copies with follow for developing true multi-vehicle adaptive behaviors suitable for marine environmental measurements.
Resonance behavior in the 24Mg

We have measured excitation functions for elastic and inelastic scattering of the nonsymmetric alpha-particle system of /sup 24/Mg+ /sup 28/Si, in the energy range 90.95 MeV
Skeletal Muscle Mass Change During Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background/aim Skeletal muscle mass loss is an emerging concern in oncology. Our systematic review and meta-analysis identified the mean difference in skeletal muscle index pre- to post-chemotherapy and synthesized potential key factors. Materials and methods We searched primary original research published through October 2019 in four databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Embase. Results Fifteen studies were included, 60% published in the past 2 years (2018-2019). Advanced non-small cell lung cancer was the most frequently reported cancer, and overall survival the most often identified key related factor. Mean difference in skeletal muscle index during chemotherapy was 2.72 (95%CI=1.77-3.67, p=0.00), with muscle loss in males (4.52, 95%CI=3.34-5.71, p=0.00) about 1.6 times higher than that in females (2.86, 95%CI=0.81-4.92, p=0.01). Conclusion Oncologists should recognize sex-specific differences in skeletal muscle mass loss during chemotherapy and consider adjusting treatment accordingly.
Discount advertisement in social platform: algorithm and robust analysis

As a marketing strategy, discount promotion is adopted by plenty of companies, which can be regarded as a variant of the previous Profit Maximization (PM) problem. Based on a discount-based marketing scenario, we propose a Profit Maximization with Discount Advertisement (PMDA) problem. Then, we show that the objective function of PMDA is submodular but not monotone, which can be categorized as an instance of Unconstrained Submodular Maximization problem. Even that similar problem has been studied before, the approximation performance is not satisfactory. Learned from the latest results, we combine the idea of greedy algorithm and randomized double greedy algorithm to solve our problem, which overcomes the shortcomings of both and obtains a more acceptable approximation ratio. It can be used as a general algorithmic framework. Moreover, the existing researches about PM only considered to maximize total profit based on certain diffusion probabilities. Because of the uncertainty of diffusion probabilities, we study the robustness of PMDA and propose Robust-PMDA problem further. It aims to acquire the maximum worst ratio between the profit of selected seed set and the optimal seed set. To solve the Robust-PMDA, we design LU-PMDASolver algorithm first, and then, we propose P-UniSampling algorithm to improve the robustness by reducing the uncertainly of diffusion probabilities, which is implemented by the technique of uniform sampling. Finally, the correctness and performance of our proposed algorithms are verified by conducting experiments on real-world social networks.
Fundamentals of the collision reaction interface in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: Using ion kinetic energies and collision cross section measurements to characterize the collision region

Abstract The collision reaction interface (CRI) removes polyatomic ions in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) by introducing a collision gas directly into the plasma expansion as ions are extracted into the mass spectrometer. Many collisions and reactions occur in a relatively short region (~ 2 mm long), much shorter than with other instruments that use multipole collision cells. In this paper, experiments are first described for the estimation of the collision cross sections of singly charged cations employing the use of a hexapole collision cell. Based on those determined cross sections, general characteristics of the collision region in the CRI are determined and discussed.
Family Mealtimes: Promoting Health and Well-being

Family mealtimes are associated with a host of important health outcomes. This chapter uses a systems approach in applying the socio-ecological model to the complex relations among family dynamics during mealtimes, food consumption, and children’s health. Three health outcomes are considered: mealtime routines and communication as protective factors for pediatric chronic health conditions, distractions and chaos in relation to nutritional health, and acculturation and adapting mealtime practices in the face of globalization and the influence of advertising on dietary habits. The chapter concludes with limitations of current research and directions for future research.
Electroejaculation in men with spinal cord injury: a step-by-step video demonstration.

Objective To demonstrate the proper technique to perform electroejacuation (EEJ) in men with spinal cord injury (SCI) for the purpose of inducing ejaculation. Design A video demonstration of the proper technique to perform EEJ in men with SCI using the Seager model 14 electroejaculation machine. Setting Major university medical center. Patient(s) Men with SCI; institutional review board approval was obtained, and all subjects signed an informed consent form. Intervention(s) Spinal cord injury occurs mostly in young men where the majority suffer from ejaculatory dysfunction. The method of choice to induce ejaculation in penile vibratory stimulation (PVS). PVS is successful in 86% of men with SCI whose level of injury is T10 or rostral. If PVS fails or the level is Caudal to T10, the patient is referred for EEJ. This video will demonstrate the proper technique for successful ejaculation using EEJ. Patients with history of autonomic dysreflexia or their level of injury is T6 or rostral are pretreated with 10–20 mg of nifedipine sublingually 10 minutes before stimulation. The patient is then placed in the lateral decubitus position. The bladder is emptied, and a buffer is instilled. An anoscopy is performed, and a rectal probe is placed. A current is delivered until an antegrade ejaculation is retrieved. A retrograde specimen is collected and examined for sperm identification. Patients with complete SCI (no sensory or motor function is preserved in sacral segments S4–S5) can undergo EEJ without anesthesia. Patients with incomplete SCI (significant nerve sparing or normal sensations) will experience pain during stimulation, and general anesthesia is recommended without the use of muscle relaxing agents. Main Outcome Measure(s) Successful ejaculation after performing EEJ in men with SCI. Result(s) Electroejacuation is successful in 95% of men with SCI and in nearly 100% if general anesthesia is used. Outcomes of in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection after EEJ showed 37.5% pregnancy rate per cycle, 50.0% pregnancy rate per couple, 33.3% live birth rate per cycle, and 43.8% live birth rate per couple. No complications due to EEJ were observed in 953 trials, and none occurred in the patients presented in this video demonstration. Conclusion(s) Electroejacuation is a safe and reliable method for induction of ejaculation in men with SCI who fail a trial of PVS.
Evaluation of chronic urticaria in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis.

The coincidence of Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) and chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is a commonly observed phenomenon in western New York. Previous literature suggested that there may be a direct relationship between them. We undertook these studies to determine whether humoral or cell-mediated mechanisms might link HT and CIU. Skin biopsies from patients with CIU, with or without HT, were indistinguishable by light microscopy. No immune complex deposition was observed, although only the skin from patients with CIU and HT contained perivascular fibrin deposits. Similarly, immunohistochemical studies evaluating cellular expression of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, and CD68 failed to differentiate between CIU with or without HT. Analysis of Vβ restriction in thyroid tissue of patients with HT and the skin of patients with CIU and HT by in situ polymerase chain reaction failed to reveal any oligoclonal T-lymphocyte subpopulations. In contrast, only patients with CIU and HT had anti-FceRI antibodies in their sera that could induce degranulation of normal basophils. Some sera from patients with CIU and HT caused degranulation of normal basophils in the absence of anti-FceRI. The factor causing basophil degranulation in these sera was not determined. Patients with CIU and HT failed to improve clinically with thyroid replacement therapy. All CIU patients were equally well managed with symptomatic therapies. In conclusion, HT likely represents a marker of other autoimmunity, rather than being a direct causative agent in CIU. Management of CIU, with or without HT and with or without anti-FceRI antibodies, should be the same. Future studies will have to examine whether cell-mediated responses participate in CIU, especially in association with HT.
Race, Gender, and Class in Criminology : The Intersections

These essays, first published in 1996, focus on class, race, and gender as organising and analytical concepts in criminology. For many years, their importance in studying how the world relates to crime and its control was minimized or ignored. It is clear, however, that these concepts are of critical importance in understanding societal issues, especially crime and societal responses to it. This title will be of interest to students of criminology.