cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fibrous Tourmaline: A Sensitive Probe of Fluid Compositions and Petrologic Environments

Abstract Tourmaline supergroup minerals with fibrous morphology record and respond to changing conditions in fluid-rich hydrothermal environments. Based on published data, hand-specimen and optical observations, and new chemical analyses of fibrous tourmalines from localities worldwide, several commonalities are apparent. Fibers typically nucleate on a preexisting substrate of tourmaline, but the fibers generally have a dramatically different composition than the substrate tourmaline. When fibers nucleate on a single tourmaline crystal, fibrous growth is restricted to the +c pole of the tourmaline. Tourmaline fibers also nucleate on or in other minerals without preexisting tourmaline. Most fibrous tourmalines form late in the paragenetic sequence of a geologic environment and generally where there is an open fluid-filled space, e.g ., at the end of the tourmaline crystallization sequence in a pegmatite pocket or in a hydrous fluid-rich fracture system. Fibrous tourmaline compositions can be foititic, schorlitic, dravitic, or elbaitic, reflecting the dissolved components in the fluxing aqueous fluids. While some fibers are homogeneous, many fibers are chemically zoned with irregular, patchy, or oscillatory zoning, and the zoning tracks the chemical evolution trends in the host environment. Using newly derived expressions relating X-site cationic occupancy to aqueous fluid compositions, Na and Ca contents in aqueous fluids in local equilibrium with fibrous tourmaline suggest that in all petrologic settings fibrous tourmalines equilibrated with aqueous fluids having variable Na concentrations (0.07–0.48 mol/l Na with the lower ranges associated with foititic fibrous tourmaline) and with generally low Ca concentrations (
Premature clinical trial discontinuation in all and genitourinary (GU) cancers in the era of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).

394Background: Clinical trial completion is critical for evaluating new therapies. Premature termination or withdrawal of clinical trials is common, impairs progress and results in waste of resources. We assessed features and reasons of early terminated and withdrawn cancer trials focusing on trials with ICI (anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1). Methods: We reviewed all adult, intervention, cancer clinical trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov from November 16, 2011 to April 16, 2015 to identify all early terminated and withdrawn trials. Reasons for termination were captured. Logistics regression model was used to identify factors associated with early termination or withdrawal. Discontinuation rate was compared between ICI and all trials (χ2); p < 0.05 was set as significant. Results: We identified 12875 clinical trials (35% industry-funded, 12% federal-funded; 772 in prostate and 386 in non-prostate GU cancers); 8.5% of all trials were prematurely terminated (5%) or withdrawn (3.5%); main reason for d...
A survey of alternate methods and implementations of an intelligent transportation system

The idea of having a cohesive and collaborative union between interconnected vehicles and their surrounding infrastructure is not new. Numerous standards and protocols have been developed in the past few decades to pave the way to that reality, however, the deployment of these technologies have been slow. Many interim solutions have been designed and developed to act as a bridge between the current driver centered model to a future driverless centric one. This paper provides an overview of the alternate techniques that are currently being implemented to drive us toward an interconnected infrastructure and vehicle future. Relative research from the author will also be discussed.
Abstracting Partially Feedback Linearizable Systems Compositionally

Symbolic controller synthesis offers the ability to design controllers enforcing a rich class of specifications such as those expressible in temporal logic. Despite the promise of symbolic controller synthesis and correct-by-design control software, this design methodology is not yet widely applicable due to the complexity of constructing finite-state abstractions for large continuous systems. In this letter, we investigate a compositional approach to the construction of abstractions by exploiting the cascading structure of partially feedback linearizable systems. We show how the linearized part and the zero dynamics can be independently abstracted and subsequently composed to obtain an abstraction of the original continuous system. We also illustrate through examples how this compositional approach significantly reduces the time required for construction of abstractions.
Maternal residential proximity to unconventional gas development and perinatal outcomes among a diverse urban population in Texas

Objective To assess associations between unconventional natural gas development (UGD) and perinatal outcomes. Methods We conducted a retrospective birth cohort study among 158,894 women with a birth or fetal death from November 30, 2010-November 29, 2012 in the Barnett Shale, in North Texas. We constructed three UGD-activity metrics by calculating the inverse distance-weighted sum of active wells within three separate geographic buffers surrounding the maternal residence: ≤½, 2, or 10-miles. We excluded women if the nearest well to her residence was >20 miles. Metrics were categorized by tertiles among women with ≥1 well within the respective buffer; women with zero wells ≤10 miles (the largest buffer) served as a common referent group. We used logistic or linear regression with generalized estimating equations to assess associations between UGD-activity and preterm birth, small-for-gestational age (SGA), fetal death, or birthweight. Adjusted models of fetal death and birthweight included: maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, pre-pregnancy body mass index, parity, smoking, adequacy of prenatal care, previous poor pregnancy outcome, and infant sex. Preterm birth models included all of the above except parity; SGA models included all of the above except previous poor pregnancy outcome. Results We found increased adjusted odds of preterm birth associated with UGD-activity in the highest tertiles of the ½- (odds ratio (OR) = 1.14; 95% confidence interval 1.03, 1.25), 2- (1.14; 1.07, 1.22), and 10-mile (1.15; 1.08, 1.22) metrics. Increased adjusted odds of fetal death were found in the second tertile of the 2-mile metric (1.56; 1.16, 2.11) and the highest tertile of the 10-mile metric (1.34; 1.04–1.72). We found little indication of an association with SGA or term birthweight. Conclusions Our results are suggestive of an association between maternal residential proximity to UGD-activity and preterm birth and fetal death. Quantifying chemical and non-chemical stressors among residents near UGD should be prioritized.
Strategies for Tracking the Origin and Fate of Odontoblasts and Pulp Cell Progenitors

Odontoblasts are exclusively dentin-producing cells that are morphologically and functionally distinct from osteoblasts secreting the bone matrix. Although much has been learned about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the progression of hematopoietic population and osteoprogenitor cells into fully differentiated cell types, not much is known about the regulatory mechanisms involved in the differentiation program of odontoblasts. This has been due at least in part to difficulties in obtaining homogenous populations of progenitor cells for molecular analysis and the lack of suitable markers for identifying the intermediate stages of odontoblast differentiation.
Sperm retrieval from terminally ill or recently deceased patients: a review.

OBJECTIVE Requests for sperm extraction in terminally ill or recently deceased patients have been increasing with the gained acceptance and success of assisted reproductive techniques such as in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. This review aims to outline the many challenges associated with these requests. MATERIALS AND METHODS The medical literature surrounding ethical and legal issues of posthumous sperm extraction was examined. RESULTS Several issues within the field of sperm extraction in the terminally ill patient and the postmortem patient still arouse a significant amount of debate and controversy. One controversial factor surrounds the issue of consent for the tissue extraction and determining when family consent is valid. Other discussions have involved ethical issues, logistics (including cost), and legal issues. CONCLUSIONS A medical center protocol governing sperm extraction from terminally ill or recently deceased patients would be beneficial, and would likely alleviate stress among the patients' families and healthcare providers. To overcome some of the difficulties surrounding the issue of consent, it might also be valuable for men about to get married or enter into a similar relationship to document their wishes for sperm retrieval should a tragic situation arise. This could be done in the same way that they would prepare a living will.
Una Teoría Alternativa De la Batalla de San Jacinto, 14 de Septiembre de 1856

En Nicaragua uno de los primeros elementos que los alumnos de la primaria aprenden muytemprano en sus estudios es el nombre de la Batalla de San Jacinto y su fecha, el 14 de Septiembrede 1856. Ademas, se habla de una batalla de cuatro horas de duracion cuando las fuerzas delCoronel Jose Dolores Estrada fueron atacados por 200 filibusteros. Estrada, despues de un largocombate, gano.Un dia hace 14 anos yo recorri el campo de la batalla con el Dr. Alejandro Bolanos Geyer,medico e historiador que habia pasado 25 anos estudiando y recuperando la historia de Walkery su impacto en Nicaragua. Su trabajo rindio cinco tomos y miles de documentos y sin duda labase de datos mas completa que ha existido o ya existe sobre el tema.Despues de leer los reportes de testigos oculares y conocer algo de las armas que los dos gruposusaban, llegue a una conclusion que la batalla duro mucho menos tiempo, tal vez 10 minutos otal vez menos. Don Alejandro reia, y contesto que yo estaba fumando cigarrillos raros. Perodespues de explicar mis inquietudes, no rio mas.
A Stochastic Optimal Enhancement of Feedback Control for Unicycle Formations

We consider an optimal feedback control approach for multiple nonholonomic vehicles to achieve a distance-based formation with their neighbors using only local observations. Beginning with a non-optimal feedback formation control, each agent determines an additive correction term to its non-optimal control based on an elliptic Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation so that its actions are optimal and robust to uncertainty. In order to avoid offline spatial discretization of the stationary, high-dimensional cost-to-go function, we exploit the stochasticity of the distributed nature of the problem to develop an equivalent estimation problem in a continuous state space using a path integral representation. Consequently, each agent independently computes its optimal feedback control using a discrete-time Unscented Kalman smoother. Our approach is illustrated by a numerical example in which five agents achieve a pentagon with aligned and equal velocities.
Mesoscale mobile robots for gastrointestinal minimally invasive surgery (MIS)

Abstract: Wireless capsule endoscopes, swallowable devices such as commercial pill cameras designed for minimally invasive surgery of the gastrointestinal tract, are reviewed, and the basic modules of robotic capsules are described. Latest research results in the development of robotic capsules are presented, and a perspective on the future prospects for clinical implementation of wireless robotic capsule-based surgical systems is presented.
Estimation of heart mitochondrial creatine kinase flux using magnetization transfer NMR spectroscopy

In heart, both enzyme and substrate of the creatine kinase (CK) reaction are compartmentalized: 0-25% of total CK activity is associated with the mitochondrial CK isoenzyme (mito-CK); 2-30% of the total ATP pool is in the mitochondria. Because most ATP is produced by oxidative phosphorylation, this ATP may be the preferred substrate for the mito-CK reaction. Thus flux through the mito-CK reaction should increase in proportion to the amount of mito-CK, until the enzyme becomes saturated. We previously developed a model of saturation-transfer nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy that permits calculation of mito-CK flux. Here, we test the model for consistency in two ways: 1) we compare fluxes in rabbit hearts with 0% mito-CK and with 6% mito-CK at two rates of ATP synthesis and 2) we analyze six groups of rat and rabbit hearts with differing amounts of mito-CK and differing work loads. Hearts with no detectable mito-CK activity do not increase their baseline low level of mito-CK flux in response to the increased demand of contraction, but mito-CK flux increases with increased work in hearts with measurable amounts of mito-CK. Furthermore, mito-CK flux increases monotonically with increasing ATP synthesis rates but increases and then saturates with increasing mito-CK activity. Calculated mito-CK flux is of the same order of magnitude as ATP synthesis rate, as would be expected from the coupling of the mito-CK reaction to adenine nucleotide translocase. Thus the model predicts the appropriate relationship between mito-CK activity and mito-CK flux.
Decision-analytic valuation of clinical information systems: application to an alerting system for coronary angiography.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Many patients who need coronary angiography fail to get it and they have decreased survival as a result. This study demonstrates the use of decision analysis to predict the survival value of an alerting system for necessary angiography. METHODS: Data on the use of angiography and survival after myocardial infarction (MI) were taken from a published cohort study. The expected value of information (EVI) was calculated for alerts that angiography is necessary. Maximal EVI was estimated by assuming that alert advice is always followed. Sensitivity analysis relaxed that assumption. Hypothetical data were generated to demonstrate EVI analysis for narrower subcohorts. RESULTS: A maximally effective alerting system would increase survival in this cohort by 2.2% over 1-4 years after MI. The system would therefore need to be applied to 46 people to prevent one death. Its effectiveness would decrease linearly with decreasing adherence to its advice. Given sufficiently detailed outcome and prevalence data, EVI analysis could also predict the survival value of the system's individual data elements. CONCLUSIONS: An alerting system that ensures necessary angiography post-MI should have a survival value comparable to the value of t-PA over streptokinase. EVI analysis provides a framework for predicting the overall effectiveness of information systems and for understanding the contribution of individual features to a system's effectiveness.
Treatment of Chronic Neuropathic Pain

Some drugs used to treat new onset sciatica are also effective for treating chronic sciatica but there can be problems with long-term usage. For example, anti-inflammatory COX inhibitors such as the NSAIDs are helpful for treating chronic sciatica associated with inflammation such as due to osteoarthritis. With chronic high doses, however, irritation and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract are common. Toward the end of the twentieth century pharmaceutical companies rushed to develop COX inhibitors with fewer side effects. In 1999 Merck and Co. received FDA approval for the selective COX-2 inhibitor, rofecoxib (Vioxx) and in 2001, Searle and Co. obtained FDA approval for celecoxib (Celebrex). Both companies marketed the drugs as the new wonder drugs for treating chronic arthritic pain.
Varieties of Adolescent Creativity and the High School Environment

To test the hypothesis that creativity is associated with social alienation, self reported creativity in the visual arts, science, performing arts, music, and writing (with the criterion of prize and award winning) and in group leadership was predicted from biographical questionnaire items and intelligence, using simple, multiple, and canonical correlations. The analyses, conducted on national random samples of 2,225 boys and 741 girls, directly contradicted the hypothesis by suggesting that adolescent creativity is associated, although weakly, with (a) involvement in school activities, (b) stimulating home environments, (c) perseverance in spite of difficulties, and (d) intellectual motivation but not intelligence.
Persistent disparities over time in the distribution of sugar-sweetened beverage intake among children in the United States.

Background Recent research suggests that sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has been declining among US children aged 2-18 y. However, most studies focused on changes in mean intake, ignore high SSB consumers and do not examine intake among vulnerable groups and, including adolescents, low-income households, and several racial/ethnic minorities. Objective The aim was to estimate usual SSB intake from NHANES surveys from 2003-2004 to 2013-2014 to examine shifts at both the median and 90th percentile among US children, evaluating the extent to which intake disparities in total SSBs and subtypes have persisted. Design Children 2-18 y from NHANES 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. SSBs were all non-diet beverages sweetened with sugars including revising all beverages to as consumed status and excluding soy and dairy based beverages. The NCI usual intake method was used to estimate usual intake from two 24-hour recalls. A 2-part correlated model accounted for nonconsumers. Quantile regression was then used to examine differences in SSB usual intakes at the 50th and 90th percentiles by race-ethnicity, and examine interactions indicating whether racial-ethnic disparities in intake were modified by income. Results Despite considerable declines, children's SSB intake remains high, particularly among heavy consumers. Among adolescents, median SSB intake in 2013-2014 was on the order of 150-200 kcal/d, and heavy intake at the 90th percentile was on the order of 250-300 kcal/d. There were important disparities in intake that persisted over time. Although high household income was associated with lower SSB intake in non-Hispanic white (NHW) children, intakes of non-Hispanic black (NHB) and Mexican-American (MA) children from these households were similar to or higher than those from poor households. There were also large racial/ethnic differences in the types of SSBs consumed. The consumption of regular sodas by NHB children was somewhat lower than among MA and NHW children, whereas fruit drink intake was markedly higher. Conclusions Overall, these findings suggest that, despite recent declines, strategies are needed to further reduce SSB consumption, and particularly heavy intake, especially among NHB children where fruit drinks also are key source of SSBs.
Multi-modal characterization of polymeric gels to determine the influence of testing method on observed elastic modulus.

Abstract Demand for materials that mechanically replicate native tissue has driven development and characterization of various new biomaterials. However, a consequence of materials and characterization technique diversity is a lack of consensus within the field, with no clear way to compare values measured via different modalities. This likely contributes to the difficulty in replicating findings across the research community; recent evidence suggests that different modalities do not yield the same mechanical measurements within a material, and direct comparisons cannot be made across different testing platforms. Herein, we examine whether “material properties” are characterization modality-specific by analyzing the elastic moduli determined by five typical biomaterial mechanical characterization techniques: unconfined-compression, tensiometry, rheometry, and micro-indentation at the macroscopic level, and microscopically using nanoindentation. These analyses were performed in two different polymeric gels frequently used for biological applications, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and agarose. Each was fabricated to span a range of moduli, from physiologic to supraphysiologic values. All five techniques identified the same overall trend within each material group, supporting their ability to appreciate relative moduli differences. However, significant differences were found across modalities, illustrating a difference in absolute moduli values, and thereby precluding direct comparison of measurements from different characterization modalities. These observed differences may depend on material compliance, viscoelasticity, and microstructure. While determining the underlying mechanism(s) of these differences was beyond the scope of this work, these results demonstrate how each modality affects the measured moduli of the same material, and the sensitivity of each modality to changes in sample material composition.
Alternatives to conventional ensemble averages for thermodynamic properties

Long-established molecular theories often can provide good analytical estimates of thermodynamic properties for simple molecular models. Molecular simulation, on the other hand, can provide exact properties for the same models, or others that are arbitrarily realistic, but requires significantly more computational expense. Recent developments enable molecular simulation to improve performance by exploiting information available from approximate theories. The connection is formed via alternative ensemble averages, which allow direct calculation of the correction to the theory. In favorable cases this correction is small and can be computed with low uncertainty. Alternative ensemble averages of this type can be formulated systematically using a recently introduced framework, known as mapped averaging.
Conversations between Preservice Teachers and Latina Mothers: An Avenue to Transformative Mathematics Teaching

Mathematics education researchers agree that students’ mathematical learning can be positively impacted by making connections to their out of school experiences through a funds of knowledge lens. T...
Characterization of the Ultralow Interfacial Tension in Liquid–Liquid Phase Separated Polyelectrolyte Complex Coacervates by the Deformed Drop Retraction Method

Dilute droplets form upon changing the temperature of a phase separated polyelectrolyte complex coacervate. This provides an in situ approach to measure the interfacial tension between supernatant (dilute droplet) and dense coacervate by the deformed drop retraction (DDR) method. The aqueous coacervate, formed via a model 1:1 by charge stoichiometric polyelectrolyte blend, exhibits ultralow interfacial tension with the coexisting phase. DDR finds the interfacial tension scales as γ = γ0(1 – Cs/Cs,c)μ, with μ = 1.5 ± 0.1, γ0 = 204 ± 36 μN/m, and Cs,c = 1.977 mol/L. The value of μ independently validates the classical exponent of 3/2. The scaling holds between Cs/Cs,c of 0.75 to 0.94, the closest measurements to date near the critical salt concentration (Cs,c). The temperature dependence of the interfacial tension is consistent with observed lower critical solution phase behavior and classical scaling. A detailed account of the DDR method and validation of assumptions are demonstrated.
Stress and timing associated with Caenorhabditis elegans immobilization methods.

Abstract Background Caenorhabditis elegans is a model organism used to study gene, protein, and cell influence on function and behavior. These studies frequently require C. elegans to be immobilized for imaging or laser ablation experiments. There are a number of known techniques for immobilizing worms, but to our knowledge, there are no comprehensive studies of the various agents in common use today. New method This study determines the relationship between concentration, immobilization time, exposure time, and recovery likelihood for several immobilization agents. The agents used in this study are 1-Phenoxy-2-propanol, levamisole, sodium azide, polystyrene beads, and environmental cold shock. These tests are conducted using a humidified chamber to keep chemical concentrations consistent. Each of these agents is also tested to determine if they exhibit stress-related after effects using the gcs-1, daf-16, hsp-4, hif-1, hsp-16.2, and tmem-135 stress reporters. Results We present a range of quick mount immobilization and recovery conditions for each agent tested. This study shows that, under controlled conditions, 1-Phenoxy-2-propanol shows significant stress from the daf-16 reporter. While 1-Phenoxy-2-propanol and sodium azide both create stress related after effects with long term recovery in the case of the hsp-16.2 reporter. Comparison with existing method(s) This study shows that commonly used concentrations of immobilizing agents are ineffective when evaporation is prevented. Conclusions To improve reproducibility of results it is essential to use consistent concentrations of immobilizing agents. It is also critically important to account for stress-related after effects elicited by immobilization agents when designing any experiment.
Regulation of Flagellum Biosynthesis and Motility in Caulobacter

This chapter describes the molecular events that lead to the biogenesis of the Caulobacter crescentus flagellum and how these events are integrated into the generation of a new daughter cell type. Flagellar biogenesis is the best-known aspect of cellular differentiation in C. crescentus. The C. crescentus flagellum has been observed by electron microscopy and possesses a structure that is typical of flagella from gram-negative bacteria. Growth of the newly divided or differentiated stalked cell is accompanied by the formation of a swarmer cell at the pole opposite the stalk. Flagellar biogenesis in the stalked and predivisional cell is regulated by both cell cycle and flagellar assembly events. The molecular dissection of the cell cycle events resulting in the timed expression of flagellar genes has yielded important information about how bacteria utilize the cell cycle to regulate gene expression. A hallmark of the C. crescentus developmental program is the asymmetric positioning of proteins in the predivisional cell. The most likely candidate for the regulator of compartmentalized transcription is the transcriptional activator, FlbD. The cellular distribution of FliF was found to parallel that of methyl-accepting chemotaxis receptor (MCP). The FliF that is present in swarmer cells is degraded upon differentiation into a stalked cell.
Assessment of assumptions underlying models of prokaryotic pangenome evolution

The genomes of bacteria and archaea evolve by extensive loss and gain of genes which, for any group of related prokaryotic genomes, result in the formation of a pangenome with the universal, asymmetrical U-shaped distribution of gene commonality. However, the evolutionary factors that define the specific shape of this distribution are not thoroughly understood. We investigate the fit of simple models of genome evolution to the empirically observed gene commonality distributions and genome intersections for 33 groups of closely related bacterial genomes. A model with an infinite external gene pool available for gene acquisition and constant genome size (IGP-CGS model), and two gene turnover rates, one for slow- and the other one for fast-evolving genes, allows two approaches to estimate the parameters for gene content dynamics. One is by fitting the model prediction to the distribution of the number of genes shared by precisely k genomes (gene commonality distribution) and another by analyzing the distribution of the number of genes common for k genome sets (k-cores). Both approaches produce a comparable overall quality of fit, although the former significantly overestimates the number of the universally conserved genes, while the latter overestimates the number of singletons. We further explore the effect of dropping each of the assumptions of the IGP-CGS model on the fit to the gene commonality distributions and show that models with either a finite gene pool or unequal rates of gene loss and gain (greater gene loss rate) eliminate the overestimate of the number of singletons or the core genome size. We examine the assumptions that are usually adopted for modeling the evolution of the U-shaped gene commonality distributions in prokaryote genomes, namely, those of infinitely many genes and constant genome size. The combined analysis of genome intersections and gene commonality suggests that at least one of these assumptions is invalid. The violation of both these assumptions reflects the limited ability of prokaryotes to gain new genes. This limitation seems to stem, at least partly, from the horizontal gene transfer barrier, i.e., the cost of accommodation of foreign genes by prokaryotes. Further development of models taking into account the complexity of microbial evolution is necessary for an improved understanding of the evolution of prokaryotes.
Androgen receptor and its splice variant, AR-V7, differentially induce mRNA splicing in prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer (PCa) is dependent on the androgen receptor (AR). Advanced PCa is treated with an androgen deprivation therapy-based regimen; tumors develop resistance, although they typically remain AR-dependent. Expression of constitutively active AR variants lacking the ligand-binding domain including the variant AR-V7 contributes to this resistance. AR and AR-V7, as transcription factors, regulate many of the same genes, but also have unique activities. In this study, the capacity of the two AR isoforms to regulate splicing was examined. RNA-seq data from models that endogenously express AR and express AR-V7 in response to doxycycline were used. Both AR isoforms induced multiple changes in splicing and many changes were isoform-specific. Analyses of two endogenous genes, PGAP2 and TPD52, were performed to examine differential splicing. A novel exon that appears to be a novel transcription start site was preferentially induced by AR-V7 in PGAP2 although it is induced to a lesser extent by AR. The previously described AR induced promoter 2 usage that results in a novel protein derived from TPD52 (PrLZ) was not induced by AR-V7. AR, but not AR-V7, bound to a site proximal to promoter 2, and induction was found to depend on FOXA1.
Making Rights a Reality: Access to Health Care for Afro-Colombian Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

In 2008, Colombia enacted Law 1257, which states that “women’s rights are human rights,” and that women’s rights include “the right to a dignified life,” including the right to “physical health” and “sexual and reproductive health.” In 2016, the Colombian government signed a peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (“FARC”), which included groundbreaking racial and gender justice provisions. In the years since, the government has failed to fully implement the accord’s protections against gender violence and has failed to rectify disparities in the availability, accessibility, and quality of women’s health services throughout Colombia. Indigenous and Afro-Colombian women in rural and remote areas have felt these failures more than anyone else. The intersection of race, class, and gender creates unique issues for Afro- Colombian victims of sexual violence, which can result in a complete lack of health care options. This Article spotlights the many structural barriers that Afro-Colombian women face in realizing their right to health and health care in Colombia. The Article draws heavily from conversations and interviews with Afro-descendant Colombian members of Proceso de Comunidades Negras (“PCN”) and community leaders and activists from the rural Pacific Afro-Colombian river communities of San Juan and Naya River. Part I of this Article gives a brief overview of the history of race discrimination and violence against women in Colombia and of the specific situation of Afro-Colombian women. Part II then gives an overview of the health care system in Colombia and the national health law, which guarantees health care as a right to all citizens, including free and compulsory basic health services. Part III details the many obstacles that cut off populations of Afro-Colombians from access to appropriate medical care altogether, despite the national guarantee of the right to health care. Finally, in the Conclusion, the Article proposes some basic responses to the deficits highlighted in Part III. To bring the provision of health services in line with the law’s mandate, policy makers must consider how the intersection of race, class, and gender uniquely affects Afro-Colombian victims of sexual violence. To obtain health equity, policy makers must address structural and institutional issues that cause the disparities.
The experimental tobacco marketplace: Effects of low-ventilated cigarette exposure.

Abstract Objectives Regulating filter ventilation will change the relative reinforcing value of products resulting in nicotine/tobacco users facing the explore/exploit dilemma (ie, choice between unfamiliar and familiar options). This study examined the effects of price increases in higher-ventilated cigarettes (HVCs) and exposure to lower-ventilated cigarettes (LVCs) on explore/exploit patterns of tobacco-product purchasing in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (ETM). Methods HVC smokers (N = 20) completed one assessment session and 3 ETM sessions separated by weeks of at-home LVC exposure. In each ETM session, participants made 7-days of tobacco-product purchases as HVCs price increased across trials. Results Prohibitive prices of HVC decreased the likelihood of HVCs purchases and increased the likelihood of LVC purchases. Initial exposure (week 1) to LVC reduced the number of cigarettes purchased when HVC prices were high and increased exploration of alternative tobacco products. Successive exposure to LVC (repeated access in weeks 2,5,6,9,10) decreased likelihood of HVCs and alternative product purchases and increased the likelihood of LVCs purchases. Conclusions Regulating filter ventilation may initially increase exploration of alternative tobacco products but lead to exploitation of LVCs over time. Tobacco control strategies should take advantage of this transition period when smokers seek information on unfamiliar products to implement harm reduction strategies.
The Structure of Empirical Science: Local and Global

Publisher Summary The chapter outlines a method of describing the logical structure of related empirical theories employing a concept of intertheoretical link. The global structure of empirical science is represented as a net of linked theories. The “content” of such a net is the class of all structured arrays of individuals that are consistent with the theories and links in the net. This concept of “content” is used to formulate local empirical claims of theories in a net without formulating a global claim for the net. Characterizations of the distinction between theoretical and non-theoretical concepts, relative to a given theory, and the intended applications of a theory are provided. The fundamental concept of intertheoretical link is a generalization and clarification of the concept of “bridge laws” as discussed in the chapter.
The Moral Identity, Status, Moral Emotions, and the Normative Order

Publisher Summary Moral emotions that actors experience serve as an important mechanism that simultaneously preserves and reinforces the self–society relationship. While there are patterned regularities in human action, there are also patterned regularities in people's responses to their actions as reflected in their emotional reactions to what they do. Because individual action is oriented toward the accomplishment of individually held goals, the pattern of which constitutes social structure, the valence of one's emotional arousal signals how well an actor is doing vis-a-vis his or her goals. This chapter examines how the moral self as expressed in one's moral identity guides behavior in interaction and influences reports of moral emotions, both of which serve to uphold the normative order. Three types of moral emotions are examined: the other-critical emotion of anger, the other-suffering emotion of empathy, and the self-critical emotions of shame and guilt. Data is collected from over 500 undergraduate students at a large southwestern university. The results provide information as to how actors' moral identities, together with the structural position of the self and others in the situation, influence actors' emotional reactions to their behavior.
Optimum Search Strategy for Randomly Distributed CW Transmitters

The relative probability of detecting randomly distributed CW transmitters as a function of the fraction of the sky which is searched (in a fixed time interval) is given. It is shown that the probability of detecting such a class of transmitters with a given receiving system is a maximum if the entire sky is searched, provided that the receiving system is sufficiently sensitive to detect the nearest transmitter in the allocated time and that the integration time — bandwidth product in a specified direction is greater than 8.
Interplanetary shock effects on the nightside auroral zone, magnetosphere and ionosphere

Abstract Responses of the nightside magnetosphere and auroral zone to interplanetary shocks are studied using WIND solar wind data and POLAR UV imaging data. It is found that the nightside magnetospheric/ionospheric response depends on the interplanetary magnetic field upstream of the shock. When the IMF B z is strongly southwward upstream (up to 1.5 hr) of the shock, a substorm expansion phase is triggered by th shock. If the IMF B z is ≈0, the interplanetary shock triggers a pseudobreakup. If the B z is northward, the shock does not trigger nightside auroral activity. Shock compression effects on the magnetotail are discussed, as well as potential substorm triggering mechanisms. A schematic model for tail plasma “loading” and “unloading” is presented. One conclusion of this paper is that it may now be possible to predict what type of auroral activity ours after interplanteray shock impingement on the magnetosphere/magnetotail. A “dripping, tilting bucket” model is presented to explain the observations. The model incorporates the possibility that the magnetotail has a nonlinear response to unusually strong interplanetary shocks.
Thymic stromal lymphopoietin-mediated extramedullary hematopoiesis promotes allergic inflammation (INC5P.328)

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) refers to the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into effector cells that occurs in compartments outside of the bone marrow. Previous studies linked pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-expressing HSCs, EMH and immune responses to microbial stimuli. However, whether EMH operates in broader immune contexts remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate a previously unrecognized role for thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in promoting the population expansion of progenitor cells in the periphery and identify that TSLP-elicited progenitors differentiated into effector cells including macrophages and granulocytes; and that these cells selectively contributed to type 2 cytokine responses. The frequency of circulating progenitor cells was also increased in allergic patients with a gain-of-function polymorphism in TSLP, suggesting the TSLP-EMH pathway may operate in human disease. These data demonstrate that TSLP-induced EMH contributes to the development of Th2 cytokine-mediated inflammation and indicate that EMH is a conserved mechanism of innate immunity.
Preface: Tumor invasion and brain cancer

It is widely appreciated that the pathophysiology of advanced brain cancer is intimately related to the extent of tumor invasiveness. A pre-requisite for comprehensively understanding neuro-oncology is therefore the elucidation of the biochemical and molecular properties of tumor cells that contribute to their invasiveness. An understanding of tumor invasion for central nervous system tumors is crucial since malignant brain tumors are very highly invasive and extensively destroy adjacent neural brain tissue. Moreover, they are angiogenesis-dependent and lead to the death of patients by expanding within the limited space of the cranium. As more specific insights are gained towards a full understanding of the complex processes of tumor invasiveness of brain tumor cells, it should be possible to design strategies for the early diagnosis and treatment of invasive, advanced brain tumors. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand the cellular properties of brain tumor cells responsible for invasiveness. The investigation of the properties of tumor invasiveness has been and continues to be the intense focus of many basic research and clinical laboratories with interests in tumor progression including the establishment and outgrowth of tumor metastases [reviewed in 1-25]. Studies of tumor invasiveness have centered on: tumor cell attachment to microvascular endothelial cells and to subendothelial extracellular matrices, i.e. basement membranes; localized degradation of extracellular matrices mediated by tumor cell-associated proteolytic enzymes, and tumor cell migration into and through regions of the extracellular matrix degraded by proteolysis, which can be influenced by chemotactic factors. The continued invasion of the extracellular matrix may take place by cyclic repetition of these sequential, biochemical steps that characterize tumor invasion through extracellular matrices [reviewed in 1-25]. It is noteworthy that molecular events accompanying tumor invasion, including degradation of extracellular matrix basement membrane by tumor-associated proteases, share features associated with neovascularization. Since unusually high levels of tumor angiogenesis factors are also elaborated by tumor cells as brain cancer progression ensues, it is also important to consider that an intimate relationship may exist between tumor invasion and tumor angiogenesis in invasive brain cancer. This special issue of the Journal of Neuro-Oncol
Super Granular Shrink-SVM Feature Elimination (Super GS-SVM-FE) Model for Protein Sequence Motif Information Extraction

Protein sequence motifs are gathering more and more attention in the sequence analysis area. These recurring regions have the potential to determine protein 's conformation, function and activities. In our previous work, we tried to obtain protein sequence motifs which are universally conserved across protein family boundaries. Therefore, unlike most popular motif discovering algorithms, our input dataset is extremely large. In order to deal with large input datasets, we provided two granular computing models (FIK and FGK model) to efficiently generate protein motifs information and Super GSVM-FE model to do the feature elimination for improving the quality of motif information. In this article, we tried to further improve our SVM feature elimination model to achieve three goals: Reduce time execution by half, further improve motif information quality and add the ability of adjusting the number of filtered segments. Compared with the latest results, our new approach shows great improvements.
Otolaryngology consultation for peritonsillar abscess in the pediatric population.

Objective To assess clinical outcomes of children seen in consultation for peritonsillar abscess treated without the routine use of computed tomography or needle aspiration. Study Design Retrospective review of patients evaluated in the emergency department for possible peritonsillar abscess. Patient outcomes are reviewed with a statistical analysis of children grouped according to age. Methods A series of 102 patients, ages 8 months to 19 years, who were evaluated by the emergency department with otolaryngology consultation for possible peritonsillar abscess. All patients were admitted and given intravenous fluid replacement, antibiotics, and analgesia. Patients who responded to 24 hours of medical treatment were discharged, whereas patients who did not respond underwent elective tonsillectomy. Main Outcome Measure Outcome of patients evaluated for peritonsillar abscess treated without immediate surgery, needle aspiration, or computed tomography. Outcomes are correlated with age and clinical findings. Results Fifty-two patients were discharged after initial medical therapy. Fifty patients underwent elective tonsillectomy; 40 of these patients were found to have abscesses at the time of surgery. When analyzed according to age, patients ages 8 months to 6 years were more likely to respond to medical treatment than children ages 7 to 12 and 12 to 19 (P = .023). Significant differences in the mean age of children requiring surgery (11.0 y) compared with those who responded to medical treatment (7.9 y) were observed (P = .003). Younger children who underwent tonsillectomy had a lower incidence of surgically confirmed abscess. Conclusions A significant number of children presenting with odynophagia, malaise, pharyngotonsillar bulge, and decreased oral intake respond to medical therapy without radiological evaluation or surgical intervention. Additionally, younger children (1–6 y) are more likely to respond to medical treatment than older children. Pertinent clinical data, as well as advantages and disadvantages of this approach, are discussed.
Principal Curved Based Retinal Vessel Segmentation towards Diagnosis of Retinal Diseases

The extraction of retinal vessels plays an important role in the diagnosis and study of retinal diseases, such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). Vessel diameters, tortuosity, branch lengths, angles, and bifurcations are essential to diagnosing these diseases. However, this is a challenging task due to high noise levels, the low contrast of thin vessels to the background, non-uniform illumination, and the central light reflex. Our goal here is to develop a framework to accurately segment the retinal vessels as a preprocessing step for the feature extraction of the vessels towards the future disease diagnosis. In this paper, we present a principal curve based retinal vessel segmentation approach to achieve this goal. We first use the isotropic Gaussian kernel Frangi filter to enhance the retinal vessels and measure the diameters of them. A multiscale principal curve projection and tracing algorithm is then proposed to identify the centerlines of the vessels in the output image of the Franfi filter using the underlying kernel smoothing interpolation of the intensities. The estimated vessel radius from the Frangi filter are used as the bandwidth of the kernel interpolation in the principal curve projection and tracing step. The vessel features toward diagnosing and analyzing the diseases can be extracted from our segmentation results. The presented approach is implemented on a publicly available DRIVE database [16].
A symbolic solution to intelligent real-time control

Pearson, D.J., Huffman, S.B., Willis, M.B., Laird, J.E. and Jones, R.M., A symbolic solution to intelligent real-time control, Robotics and Autonomous Systems 11 (1993) 279-291. Autonomous systems must operate in dynamic, unpredictable environments in real time. The task of flying a plane is an example of an environment in which the agent must respond quickly to unexpected events while pursuing goals at different levels of complexity and granularity. We present a system, Air-Soar, that achieves intelligent control through fully symbolic reasoning in a hierarchy of simultaneously active problem spaces. Achievement goals, changing to a new state, and homeostatic goals, continuously maintaining a constraint, are smoothly integrated within the system. The hierarchical approach and support for multiple, simultaneous goals gives rise to multi-level reactive behavior, in which Air-Soar responds to unexpected events at the same granularity where they are first sensed.
Inter- and Intramolecular Experimental and Calculated Equilibrium Isotope Effects for (silox)₂(ᵗBu₃SiND)TiR + RH (silox = ᵗBu₃SiO): Inferred Kinetic Isotope Effects for RH/D Addition to Transient (silox)₂Ti=NSiᵗBu₃

This article discusses inter- and intramolecular experimental and calculated equilibrium isotope effects.