cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase transitions in BaTiO3 from first principles.

We develop a first-principles scheme to study ferroelectric phase transitions for perovskite compounds. We obtain an effective Hamiltonian which is fully specified by first-principles ultrasoft pseudopotential calculations. This approach is applied to BaTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, and the resulting Hamiltonian is studied using Monte Carlo simulations. The calculated phase sequence, transition temperatures, latent heats, and spontaneous polarizations are all in good agreement with experiment. The order-disorder versus displacive character of the transitions and the roles played by different interactions are discussed.
COMPATIBILITY OF BORROW MATERIAL FOR BEACH FILLS

A simple method is presented for estimating the relative compatibility of borrow material being considered for beach fill purposes. The method defines the "compatible" fraction of the material as that coarser portion with the same mean diameter (in "phi" measure) as the native material on the beach. A single graph is presented which allows determination of the number of units of borrow material required to obtain one unit of compatible material. Use of this method requires that the size distributions be reasonably represented by the "lognormal" relationship and also requires knowledge of the means of the native and borrow materials and the standard deviation of the borrow material (all in phi measure). This method overcomes shortcomings of the Krumbein-James method published in 1965. Several examples are presented illustrating the application of the method presented in this paper.
Minding the Gap: Addressing Discrepancies Between Career Aspirations and Realities

This symposium examines the nature of career gaps and how individuals do, or can address these caps. A first paper discusses how individuals' mindsets guide their thoughts, feelings and behavior in...
A direct inverse solution for AVO/FWI parameter estimation objectives

A direct inverse solution is derived from the operator identity relating the change in a medium’s properties and the commensurate change in the wavefield. The direct solution is in the form of a series, called the inverse scattering series (ISS). Each term in the series is directly computed in terms of the recorded data, and, without subsurface information. There are isolated task inverse scattering subseries that perform: free surface multiple removal, internal multiple removal, depth imaging, parameter estimation and Q compensation, and each achieves its objective directly and without subsurface information. The general operator identity is combined with the elastic wave equation to form a specific direct solution for changes in elastic properties and density. This paper describes the resulting data requirements and algorithms, a distinct ISS parameter estimation subseries, that provides a fundamental framework and platform for all seismic amplitude analysis and is directly relevant for the objectives of AVO and FWI. A view of a balanced and appropriate role for direct and indirect methods will be presented, as well.
OBSERVATION ON AIR DISINFECTION EFFICACY OF CHLORINE DIOXIDE DISINFECTANT

Objective To observe the air disinfection efficacy of chlorine dioxide disinfectant.Methods The microbiological aerosol sampler and the culture method were used for laboratory and field air disinfection tests of chlorine dioxide arosol.Results Aerosol spraying disinfectant containing 585 mg/L chlorine dioxide of 14 ml/m3 for 30 min could kill 100% of Staphylococcus albus sprayed artificially in aerosol chamber.In the field trial,the same dosage for 30 min could eliminate over 90% natural bacteria in indoor air.Conclusions The efficacy of chlorine dioxide spray in killing artifically contaiminating bacteria and natural bacteria in indoor air can reach the requirement of disinfection standards.
Use of transgenic mice with human MHC class 1 gene (HLA-A2).

Studies of MHC restriction in T cell antigen recognition (1) suggest that the two sets of multigene families, i.e. MHC class 1 and 2 genes on the one hand and T cell antigen receptor genes on the other, evolved in parallel. The notion of Jerne (2) that germ-line v-genes encode combining sites of antibodies or T cell receptors which have specificities for all MHC alleles of the species almost predicted the MHC restriction found several years later (1).
Draft Genome Sequences of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Wounded Military Personnel

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacterium that causes severe hospital-acquired infections, is grouped as an ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogen because of its extensive drug resistance phenotypes and effects on human health worldwide. Five multidrug resistant P. aeruginosa strains isolated from wounded military personnel were sequenced and annotated in this work.
Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty

Approximately 1.2 million people in the United States live with HIV infection. Medical advancements have increased the life expectancy and this cohort is aging. HIV-positive individuals have a high incidence of frailty (~20%) characterized by depression and sedentary behavior. Exercise would be healthy, but due to the frail status of many HIV-positive individuals, conventional exercise is too taxing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of a novel game-based training program (exergame) in ameliorating some aspects of frailty in HIV-infected individuals. Ten older people living with HIV were enrolled in an exergame intervention. Patients performed balance exercises such as weight shifting, ankle reaching, and obstacle crossing. Real-time visual/audio lower-extremity joint motion feedback was provided using wearable sensors to assist feedback and encourage subjects to accurately execute each exercise task. Patients trained twice a week for 45 min for 6 weeks. Changes in balance, gait, psychosocial parameters and quality of life parameters were assessed at the beginning, midterm and at conclusion of the training program. Ten patients completed the study and their results analyzed. The mean age was 57.2 ± 9.2 years. The participants showed a significant reduction in center of mass sway (78.2%, p = .045) during the semi-tandem balance stance with eyes closed and showed a significant increase in gait speed during a dual task motor-cognitive assessment (9.3%, p = .048) with an increase in stride velocity of over 0.1 m/sec. A significant reduction in reported pain occurred (43.5%, p = .041). Preliminary results of this exergame intervention show promise in improving balance and mobility while requiring older people living with HIV to be more active. The exergame can be continued at home and may have long term as well as short-term benefits for ameliorating frailty associated with HIV infection.
On the interference due to cooperative cognitive radios in the presence of multiple low-power primary users

We analyze a cognitive radio network where the low-power primary users and cognitive radio (CR) devices are distributed according to two independent homogeneous Poisson processes over the k-dimensional space, where k = 1, 2, 3. The CRs cooperate among themselves in detecting the beacons transmitted by the primary users, to ensure that they cause reduced interference at the primary users. A range of cooperative sensing schemes including the no (NC), partial (PC) and full cooperation (FC) scenarios are analyzed. Using the concepts of stochastic geometry, we assess the impact of the presence of the multiple primary users on the distribution of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at a given primary user, for each cooperation scheme. Further, we characterize the improvement in the spectrum usage due to the CR operation in the licensed frequency band in terms of the probability, denoted by rho, that a CR is able to operate within the k-dimensional space. Using our calculations of the SINR at the primary user and rho, it is shown that the PC scheme achieves enhanced spectrum usage vis-a-vis the FC scheme and an improved SINR as compared to the NC scheme. Moreover, the PC scheme can be tuned in such a way that any desired value for spectrum usage and SINR is achievable.
Philadelphia Chromosome (Ph’) Negative, MLL-Rearranged AML Arising in a Patient Treated with Imatinib for CML.

Background: Imatinib has become standard front-line therapy for CML. In ~3% of patients treated with imatinib, abnormalities including trisomy 8 and/or monosomy 7 occur in Ph’ negative subclones and dysplasia occasionally is present, but transformation to AML is rare. We describe the first known case of AML with an MLL translocation during an imatinib-induced molecular remission of CML. Methods: The Ph’ and the t(11;19)(q23;p13.1) were detected and monitored in sequential marrows using cytogenetic and FISH analyses. The BCR-ABL1 fusion transcript was traced by RT-PCR. The MLL translocation was identified and characterized in the AML blasts by Southern blot analysis, panhandle PCR-based methods and conventional PCR. Clinical History and Results: The patient presented with chronic phase CML at age 53 and was treated with hydroxyurea for 6 weeks, IFN-α for 20 months and imatinib for 32 months. Complete cytogenetic response was achieved at 10 months. Molecular remission, as indicated by absence of the BCR-ABL1 transcript, occurred after 15 months of imatinib (37 months from CML diagnosis). Mild dysgranulopoiesis was noted 6 months after imatinib was started and increased on subsequent studies. After 28 months of imatinib (50 months from CML diagnosis), there was marked trilineage dysplasia and the karyotype showed t(11;19)(q23;p13.1) in cells that were Ph’ negative and negative for the BCR-ABL1 fusion transcript. FAB M5b AML was diagnosed four months later. The patient succumbed to AML despite aggressive management with chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Southern blot analysis of the AML revealed two MLL bcr rearrangements. The reciprocal breakpoint junctions on the der (11) and der (19) chromosomes indicated a translocation of intron 8 of MLL and intron 1 of the known MLL partner gene ELL , which encodes a transcription elongation factor. The involved region of MLL was more 5′ than the secondary leukemia translocation breakpoint hotspot. The der (11) fusion transcripts joined MLL exon 7 to ELL exon 2, which is consistent with alternative splicing, and the der (19) fusion transcript joined ELL exon 1 to MLL exon 9. Conclusions: Secondary leukemias with MLL translocations have been associated with topoisomerase II poisons, but not with the agents administered to this patient. The entity that we describe is distinct from blast crisis, in which Ph’ positive subclones evolve to acquire additional alterations. This case establishes that persistent clonal abnormalities and/or dysplasia in Ph’ negative cells following imatinib therapy may not be benign and may herald AML transformation. With effective and selective molecular eradication of the Ph’ positive clone, the emergence of leukemia with independent abnormalities may become more common. This is a highly concerning clinical complication to consider with BCR-ABL targeted agents.
Best practices in social and behavioral research: report from the Enhancing Clinical Research Professional's Training and Qualifications project.

Introduction This article discusses the process of defining competencies and development of a best practices training course for investigators and clinical research coordinators who conduct social and behavioral research. Methods The first project phase established recommendations for training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and was done in conjunction with representatives from 62 Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs. Diversity in behavioral clinical trials and differences in regulation of behavioral trials compared with clinical trials involving drugs, devices, or biologics necessitated a separate Social and Behavioral Work Group. This group worked with CTSA representatives to tailor competencies and fundamental GCP principles into best practices for social and behavioral research. Results Although concepts underlying GCP were deemed similar across all clinical trials, not all areas were equally applicable and the ways in which GCP would be enacted differ for behavioral trials. It was determined that suitable training in best practices for social and behavioral research was lacking. Discussion Based on the training need, an e-learning course for best practices is available to all CTSA sites. Each institution is able to track outcomes for its employees to help achieve standardized competency-based best practices for social and behavioral investigators and staff.
Mapping the human atria with optical coherence tomography

Atrial structure plays an important role in the mechanisms of atrial disease. However, detailed imaging of human atria remains limited due to many imaging modalities lacking sufficient resolution. We propose the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT), which has micrometer resolution and millimeter-scale imaging depth well-suited for the atria, combined with image stitching algorithms, to develop large, detailed atria image maps. Human atria samples (n = 7) were obtained under approved protocols from the National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI). One right atria sample was imaged using an ultrahigh-resolution spectral domain OCT system, with 5.52 and 2.72 μm lateral and axial resolution in air, respectively, and 1.78 mm imaging depth. Six left atria and five pulmonary vein samples were imaged using the spectral domain OCT system, Telesto I (Thorlabs GmbH, Germany) with 15 and 6.5 μm lateral and axial resolution in air, respectively, and 2.51 mm imaging depth. Overlapping image volumes were obtained from areas of the human left and right atria and the pulmonary veins. Regions of collagen, adipose, and myocardium could be identified within the OCT images. Image stitching was applied to generate fields of view with side dimensions up to about 3 cm. This study established steps towards mapping large regions of the human atria and pulmonary veins in high resolution using OCT.
Clonally expanded cytotoxic CD4+ T cells and the pathogenesis of IgG4-related disease

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic condition of unknown cause characterized by highly fibrotic lesions, with dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates containing a preponderance of IgG4-expressing plasma cells. CD4+ T cells and B cells constitute the major inflammatory cell populations in IgG4-RD lesions. IgG4-RD patients with active, untreated disease show a marked expansion of plasmablasts in the circulation. Although the therapeutic depletion of B cells suggests a role for these cells in the disease, a direct role for B cells or IgG4 in the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD is yet to be demonstrated. Among the CD4+ T-cell subsets, Th2 cells were initially thought to contribute to IgG4-RD pathogenesis, but many previous studies were confounded by the concomitant history of allergic diseases in the patients studied and the failure to use multi-color staining to definitively identify T-cell subsets in tissue samples. More recently, using an unbiased approach to characterize CD4+ T-cell subsets in patients with IgG4-RD - based on their clonal expansion and ability to infiltrate affected tissue sites - CD4+ CTLs have been identified as the major CD4+ T-cell subset in disease lesions as well as in the circulation. CD4+ CTLs in affected tissues secrete pro-fibrotic cytokines including IL-1β, TGF-β1, and IFN-γ as well as cytolytic molecules such as perforin and granzymes A and B. In this review, we examine possible mechanisms by which activated B cells and plasmablasts may collaborate with the expanded CD4+ CTLs in driving the fibrotic pathology of the disease and describe the lacunae in the field and in our understanding of IgG4-RD pathogenesis.
A Descriptive Analysis of Tactical Casualty Care Interventions Performed by Law Enforcement Personnel in the State of Wisconsin, 2010-2015.

Introduction Based upon military experience, law enforcement has developed guidelines for medical care during high-threat conditions. The purpose of the current study was to provide a descriptive analysis of reported outcomes of law enforcement medical interventions. Methods This was a descriptive analysis of a convenience sample of cases submitted to the Wisconsin Tactical Medicine Initiative (Wisconsin USA), after the provision of successful patient care, between January 2010 and December 2015. The study was reviewed by the Mayo Foundation Institutional Review Board (Rochester, Minnesota USA) and deemed exempt. Results Nineteen agencies submitted information during the study period. Of the 56 episodes of care reported, four (7.1%) cases involved care provided to injured officers while 52 (92.9%) involved care to injured civilians, including suspects. In at least two cases, on-going threats existed during the provision of medical care to an injured civilian. Law enforcement rendered care prior to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrival in all but two cases. Conclusions The current case series demonstrates the life-saving potential for law enforcement personnel trained and equipped under current Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)/ Committee on Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (C-TECC) tactical casualty care guidelines. Although originally developed to save the lives of wounded combat personnel, in the civilian sector, the training appears more likely to save victims rather than law enforcement personnel. Stiles CM , Cook C , Sztajnkrycer MD . A Descriptive Analysis of Tactical Casualty Care Interventions Performed by Law Enforcement Personnel in the State of Wisconsin, 2010-2015. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(3):284–288.
Accountability & International Financial Institutions: Community Perspectives on the World Bank's Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman

The World Bank Group (“World Bank”) created the Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) in 1999 to ensure that development projects financed by its private-sector lending arm are environmentally and socially sound. This study examines the effectiveness of CAO in addressing complaints by private citizens about World Bank-financed companies. The study uses quantitative and qualitative methods to offer an empirical view of how CAO works, what factors influence its approach and outcomes, and when communities believe it is effective and fair. The study finds that during its first decade of operation (2000-2011), CAO had some success facilitating agreements between affected communities and World Bank-financed companies, but failed to produce an agreement or conduct an audit in the majority of its cases. Our data also suggests that several factors — such as the wealth of the company, the involvement of international NGOs, and the size of the World Bank’s loan — may have influenced CAO’s process and outcomes. A forthcoming study will examine cases filed with CAO between 2011-2016. In CAO, the World Bank has created the expectation of accountability, but seldom the reality. We recommend that the World Bank strengthen CAO’s accountability mandate. CAO currently does not have the authority to hold accountable the bank or the private companies the bank finances for breaches of bank social and environment policies. Nor does CAO have the authority to provide a remedy for harms caused by development projects. We also suggest ways CAO should address power imbalances between parties and create opportunities for meaningful participation by affected communities throughout its complaint process. Today, every major International Financial Institution (IFI), including the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank, has established an accountability mechanism similar to CAO. These IFI accountability mechanisms are often the only form of recourse available to affected communities.
Automated surface-scanning detection of pathogenic bacteria on fresh produce

This paper investigates the effects of surface-scanning detector position on the resonant frequency and signal amplitude of a wireless magnetoelastic (ME) biosensor for direct pathogen detection on solid surfaces. The experiments were conducted on the surface of a flat polyethylene (PE) plate as a model study. An ME biosensor (1 mm × 0.2 mm × 30 μm) was placed on the PE surface, and a surface-scanning detector was brought close and aligned to the sensor for wireless resonant frequency measurement. The position of the detector was accurately controlled by using a motorized three-axis translation system (i.e., controlled X, Y, and Z positions). The results showed that the resonant frequency variations of the sensor were -125 to +150 Hz for X and Y detector displacements of ±600 μm and Z displacements of +100 to +500 μm. These resonant frequency variations were small compared to the sensor's initial resonant frequency (< 0.007% of 2.2 MHz initial resonant frequency) measured at the detector home position, indicating high accuracy of the measurement. In addition, the signal amplitude was, as anticipated, found to decrease exponentially with increasing detection distance (i.e., Z distance). Finally, additional experiments were conducted on the surface of cucumbers. Similar results were obtained.
History of Minimally Invasive Techniques for Radical Cystectomy with Urinary Diversion

This chapter looks to briefly educate the reader on the history of minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer. It will discuss the evolution of both purely laparoscopic and robotic approaches. The authors will go on to discuss briefly where the various procedures stand today in terms of feasibility (operative times, physical demand on the surgeon, etc.), complications (including but not limited to ureteral stricture formation, blood loss, and length of stay), and oncological outcomes (positive margin rates, pelvic lymphadenectomy, and overall survival).
Gamma-Ray imaging for nuclear security and safety: Towards 3-D gamma-ray vision

Abstract The development of portable gamma-ray imaging instruments in combination with the recent advances in sensor and related computer vision technologies enable unprecedented capabilities in the detection, localization, and mapping of radiological and nuclear materials in complex environments relevant for nuclear security and safety. Though multi-modal imaging has been established in medicine and biomedical imaging for some time, the potential of multi-modal data fusion for radiological localization and mapping problems in complex indoor and outdoor environments remains to be explored in detail. In contrast to the well-defined settings in medical or biological imaging associated with small field-of-view and well-constrained extension of the radiation field, in many radiological search and mapping scenarios, the radiation fields are not constrained and objects and sources are not necessarily known prior to the measurement. The ability to fuse radiological with contextual or scene data in three dimensions, in analog to radiological and functional imaging with anatomical fusion in medicine, provides new capabilities enhancing image clarity, context, quantitative estimates, and visualization of the data products. We have developed new means to register and fuse gamma-ray imaging with contextual data from portable or moving platforms. These developments enhance detection and mapping capabilities as well as provide unprecedented visualization of complex radiation fields, moving us one step closer to the realization of gamma-ray vision in three dimensions.
Management of Retinal Detachment

I present what, in my opinion, is the optimal technique of managing primary simple retinal breaks and retinal detachment. For the preoperative examination, I recommend indirect stereoscopic ophthalmoscopy with scleral depression. The macula and suspected small peripheral breaks are studied with the biomicroscope and a three-mirror contact lens. Retinal breaks without retinal detachment are treated with cryotherapy if they are located anteriorly; with laser photocoagulation if they are posterior. Breaks with frank detachment can be treated with Lincoff's balloon, a procedure I prefer over pneumatic retinopexy. Multiple retinal breaks and those associated with fairly extensive chorioretinal degeneration are best treated with a permanent scleral buckling, the various modalities of which, along with their indications, I discuss in some detail.
Nephrosclerosis and Hypertension

Approximately 60 million people in the United States have hypertension. Many are undiagnosed or untreated. Different populations have different risks and different consequences of hypertension. Increased hypertension is seen with aging, positive family history, African-American race, and exogenous factors such as smoking. Although African Americans make up only 12% of the U.S. population, they are fivefold overrepresented among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) presumed due to hypertension (1,2). Hypertension is associated with significant morbidity and mortality due both to cardiovascular and renal diseases (1–5).
Legal and Forensic Psychology in Latin America

Legal and Forensic Psychology has been an area of recent development in Latin America, although it had its origins in the first decades of the twentieth century. This chapter analyzes the law-psychology relationship, the training of forensic and legal psychologists at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the roles of the psychologist, the relationships with other professionals such as lawyers and psychiatrists, the organizations related to justice in Latin America, and the associations of legal and forensic psychologists and their role in the development of the profession. The author includes in her analysis a wide range of Latin American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Costa Rica, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Active Learning and Student Performance in a Material and Energy Balances Course

This paper focuses on the incorporation of active learning techniques and collaborative problemsolving teams in an introductory sophomore-level Material and Energy Balances course. It details a course redesign and evolution over a five-year period from the perspective of a new instructor. Major outcomes of the course redesign, including midterm and final exams and homework grades, are followed throughout the study and are interpreted in terms of statistical differences in performance between the annual course offerings.
Surrogate-Based Promising Area Search for Lipschitz Continuous Simulation Optimization

We propose an adaptive search algorithm for solving simulation optimization problems with Lipschitz continuous objective functions. The method combines the strength of several popular strategies in...
Dysregulation in Genital Tract Soluble Immune Mediators in Postmenopausal Women is Distinct by HIV Status.

A rise in new HIV diagnoses among older adults is characterized by poor prognosis and reduced survival times. Although heterosexual transmission remains the main route of infection in women, little is known regarding immune functions in the genital tract of postmenopausal women, especially those who are HIV positive. Furthermore, effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the genital tract immune system are unclear. Using the Women's Interagency HIV Study repository, we obtained cervical-vaginal lavage (CVL) samples from premenopausal and postmenopausal HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, some of whom were on HRT. Samples were assayed for interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), Elafin, human beta defensin-2 (HBD2), and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-3α using ELISA. Anti-HIV activity in CVL was measured using TZM-bl indicator cells. Among HIV-positive women, the plasma viral load was significantly higher and CD4 count was significantly lower in postmenopausal compared with premenopausal women. Postmenopausal women, irrespective of HIV status, had significantly lower levels of HBD2 compared with premenopausal women. Among the HIV-negative individuals, postmenopausal women had significantly lower levels of MIP-3α, IL-6, and SLPI compared with premenopausal women. In contrast, HIV-positive postmenopausal women had significantly higher levels of TNF-α compared with HIV-positive premenopausal women. In most cases, HRT groups resembled the postmenopausal groups. No significant differences in anti-HIV activity by menopausal or by HIV status were noted. Our findings indicate that the female genital tract immune microenvironment is distinct by menopausal status and HIV status. Further studies are needed to assess the risk of HIV acquisition/transmission in this population.
(In)Congruence in Organizations’ Positions in the Product Market and Audience Classification Scheme

This study examines how audiences’ attention and consensus on organizations depend on the extent that organizations' positions in product markets are congruent with audiences' classification scheme...
Venice Biennale: The Art of Communicating Resistance, Resistance as Art

ABSTRACTThis essay examines contemporary art as a tool of political resistance against existing and emerging ideologies as well as controversial and discriminatory cultural norms. On the example of...
African American adolescent substance use: The roles of racial discrimination and peer pressure.

Abstract Peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol is one of the strongest predictors of adolescent substance use. In addition to this normative adolescent stressor, African American adolescents often also face race-related stress in the form of racial discrimination, which has been linked to maladaptive coping responses such as substance use. The interaction of these stressors may help explain substance using behaviors for African American adolescents. The present study explored the relationship between eighth-grade school-based racial discrimination experiences, peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol, and gender to predict 11th-grade marijuana and alcohol use (N = 610; 49% female). Logistic regression analyses indicated teacher- and peer-perpetrated racial discrimination experiences were related to higher alcohol use. Eighth-grade peer pressure to use drugs moderated the relations between teacher- and peer-perpetrated racial discrimination and 11th-grade marijuana use. Overall, results indicate that school-based racial discrimination increases risk for adolescent substance use, and peer pressure moderates this relation for multiple types of racial discrimination. No moderation by gender was found. The importance of considering race-related stress in conjunction with more general adolescent stress to understand African American adolescent substance use is discussed.
Rehabilitation as the Wage of Starvation: The 1941 Local 313 Sharecropper Strike's Critical Theory of Normativity

This paper examines the 1941 pamphlet “Down with Starvation-Wages!,” written by Local 313 striking sharecroppers in Southeast Missouri, as it both anticipates and places into deep historical tension theories of normativity that would come to be associated with continental European critique after World War Two. The pamphlet's contents are both a local response to and critical theory of New Deal struggles over the meaning and bureaucratic administration of rehabilitation. I first examine the schematic history of federal Rehabilitation programs as they emerged in the biomedical context of the First World War and were then transformed in the agricultural-economic context of the New Deal era. Across these contexts, I demonstrate that their main discursive and procedural function was the cultivation of their white beneficiaries as economic and political self-sovereigns. I then argue that the brief attempt to extend this Agricultural Adjustment Administration-administered form of Rural Rehabilitation programming, ostensibly an index of citizenship, to 1939 striking sharecroppers constituted one attempt to dull the normative force of an organized population, which had long been treated as surplus. I outline the relocation of remaining protesters to the farming cooperative of Cropperville by the St. Louis Committee for the Rehabilitation of Sharecroppers as an intermediary mode of social management that aimed to prevent organized sharecropper protest without extending the promise of full citizenship. The Local's 1941 subsequent “starvation-wage” is thus a relational theory of racist exploitation that allowed the state of starvation to emerge among black persons. In its maintenance of various orders of black persons’ virtual value as perpetually unrealized, its economy is made to run through cycles of starvation, bondage, and debt; as well as nutrition, rehabilitation, and repair. The Local's subsequent endorsement of the 1941 strike and of coalitional organizing with white sharecroppers thus instrumentalizes the very uneven racist distribution of history and life chances by the starvation-wage as a political resource in elaborating potentially novel arrangements of life.
Trends in cardiovascular care and event rates among First Nations and other people with diabetes in Ontario, Canada, 1996-2015.

BACKGROUND: Rates of cardiovascular disease among people with diabetes have declined over the last 20–30 years. To determine whether First Nations people have experienced similar declines, we compared time trends in rates of cardiac event and disease management among First Nations people with diabetes and other people with diabetes in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 20 to 105 years with diabetes between 1996 and 2015, using linked health administrative databases. Outcomes compared were the annual incidence of each admission to hospital for myocardial infarction and heart failure, and death owing to ischemic heart disease. Management indicators were coronary revascularization and prescription rates for cardioprotective medications. Overall rates and annual percent changes were compared using Poisson regression. RESULTS: Incidence rates for all cardiac outcomes decreased over the study period. The greatest relative annual decline among First Nations men and women were observed in ischemic heart disease death (4.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0 to 5.9) and heart failure (5.4%, 95% CI 4.5 to 6.4), respectively. Among other men and women, the greatest annual declines were seen in ischemic heart disease death (6.3%, 95% CI 6.1 to 6.5 and 7.3%, 95% CI 7.1 to 7.6, respectively). However, all absolute cardiac event rates were higher among First Nations people (p INTERPRETATION: Over the last 20 years, the incidence of cardiac events has declined among First Nations people with diabetes, but remains higher than other people with diabetes in Ontario. For continued reductions in incidence, future efforts need to recognize First Nations people’s unique social and cultural determinants of health.
Keep the Days: Reading the Civil War Diaries of Southern Women

With elegant prose and a critical eye for historical understanding, Steven Stowe invites us to evaluate southern women’s Civil War diaries as historical and personal texts. Keep the Days urges hist...
Exploring the suitability of MERRA-2 reanalysis data for wind energy estimation, analysis of wind characteristics and energy potential assessment for selected sites in Pakistan

Abstract In the first part of this study, correlation between MERRA-2 reanalysis wind data and ground data is assessed for 12 selected locations. The correlation coefficient ranges from 0.17 to 0.75 among the sites. Sites with higher average wind speeds show comparatively stronger correlation. Besides, site specific factors are also investigated. In the second part, wind energy potential at same 12 locations is evaluated using high frequency (10-min interval) ground observed data. The diurnal, monthly and annual means for the sites are calculated and wind speed variance is observed utilizing wind data at six altitude levels (10m, 20m, 40m, 50m, 60m and 80m). The data is fitted to the Weibull distribution. Most probable wind speeds, wind speeds carrying maximum energy and wind power densities for all the locations are calculated for 50m and 80m height wind data. Significant variation of wind power density is observed along the height. A low cut-in speed wind turbine is selected, and annual energy production and capacity factors are estimated. Four locations with high wind power densities, namely Sujawal (355.6 W/m2), Sanghar (312.9 W/m2), Tando Ghulam Ali (288.2 W/m2) and Umerkot (252.8 W/m2) showed good potential to add wind share to global energy mix.
Topological resonance in Weyl semimetals in a circularly polarized optical pulse

We study theoretically the ultrafast electron dynamics of three-dimensional Weyl semimetals in the field of a laser pulse. For a circularly polarized pulse, such dynamics is governed by topological resonance, which manifests itself as a specific conduction band population distribution in the vicinity of the Weyl points. The topological resonance is determined by the competition between the topological phase and the dynamic phase and depends on the handedness of a circularly polarized pulse. Also, we show that the conduction band population induced by a circularly polarized pulse that consists of two oscillations with opposite handedness is highly chiral, which represents the intrinsic chirality of the Weyl points.
The SAGE genetic toolkit enables highly efficient, iterative site-specific genome engineering in bacteria

Sustainable enhancements to crop productivity and increased resilience to adverse conditions are critical for modern agriculture, and application of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a promising method to achieve these goals. However, many desirable PGPR traits are highly regulated in their native microbe, limited to certain plant rhizospheres, or insufficiently active for agricultural purposes. Synthetic biology can address these limitations, but its application is limited by availability of appropriate tools for sophisticated, high-throughput genome engineering that function in environments where selection for DNA maintenance is impractical. Here we present an orthogonal, Serine-integrase Assisted Genome Engineering (SAGE) system, which enables iterative, site-specific integration of up to 10 different DNA constructs at efficiency on par or better than replicating plasmids. SAGE does not require use of replicating plasmids to deliver recombination machinery, and employs a secondary serine-integrase to excise and recycle selection markers. Furthermore, unlike the widely utilized pBBR1 origin, DNA transformed using SAGE is stable without selection. We highlight SAGE′s utility by constructing a 287-member constitutive promoter library with a ~40,000-fold dynamic range in P. fluorescens SBW25. We show that SAGE functions robustly in diverse γ- and α-proteobacteria, thus providing evidence that it will be broadly useful for engineering industrial or environmental bacteria.
3D Printed Microfluidic Supported Liquid Membrane Module for Radionuclide Separations

Microfluidic supported liquid membrane extraction is a promising technique for microliter-scale radionuclide separations because it requires very small reagent volumes and combines extraction and s...
Experimental study on skew inverted-T bent caps with minimum traditional and skew transverse reinforcing

Abstract In this paper, the shear behavior of six full-scale Inverted-T Bent Caps (ITBC) specimens with skew angles of 30°, 45°, and 60° are reported to study the effect of skew angle and rebar arrangement on structural performance. The transverse reinforcement in skewed ITBCs is designed as per the traditional methods the TxDOT Bridge Design Manual LRFD, which conform to the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. The traditional design of flaring the transverse rebar in skew ITBCs brings notable difficulty in manufacturing. An alternative way is to apply uniform skewed reinforcing, which is compared to traditional design in this research. The minimum ratio of transverse reinforcement required by AASHTO LRFD specifications was adopted in this research to investigate the most unfavorable design. The load–displacement curves, the internal force diagrams, the strength and displacement capacity, and the strain measuring results are reported in detail. The specimens with a skew angle of 30° or 45° fail in shear-critical mode, while the specimens with a skew angle of 60° fail in torsion-critical mode. The experimental results show that replacing the traditional reinforcement with the skew reinforcement does not reduce the capacity of ITBCs. The cracking behavior of ITBCs with skew rebar are better than the ITBCs with traditional rebar. Based on the extensive experimental study on ITBCs, general design guidelines for the design and construction of the skewed reinforcing in ITBCs are provided.
Bioelectrical approaches to cancer as a problem of the scaling of the cellular self.

One lens with which to understand the complex phenomenon of cancer is that of developmental biology. Cancer is the inevitable consequence of a breakdown of the communication that enables individual cells to join into computational networks that work towards large-scale, morphogenetic goals instead of more primitive, unicellular objectives. This perspective suggests that cancer may be a physiological disorder, not necessarily due to problems with the genetically-specified protein hardware. One aspect of morphogenetic coordination is bioelectric signaling, and indeed an abnormal bioelectric signature non-invasively reveals the site of incipient tumors in amphibian models. Functionally, a disruption of resting potential states triggers metastatic melanoma phenotypes in embryos with no genetic defects or carcinogen exposure. Conversely, optogenetic or molecular-biological modulation of bioelectric states can over-ride powerful oncogenic mutations and prevent or normalize tumors. The bioelectrically-mediated information flows that harness cells toward body-level anatomical outcomes represent a very attractive and tractable endogenous control system, which is being targeted by emerging approaches to cancer.
Leader’s Ostracism Predicts Subordinates’ Deviant Behaviors via Emotional Dissonance and Well-being

There is growing research interest in workplace ostracism, due to its detrimental effects. Ostracized employees may react to ostracism in a social exchange manner by enacting counterproductive work...
Neural correlates of doubt in decision-making

Abstract The experience of doubt, the lack of confidence in one's perceptions, internal states, memory and attention, can be due to the variability in occurrence of a phenomenon or can be driven by the internal experience of uncertainty based on subjective evaluation of the environment. Although the experience of some doubt is adaptive in normal cognitive functioning, excessive doubt can significantly impair decision-making and in extreme cases give rise to psychopathology. Although neuroimaging studies have provided some insight into the network of brain areas that is engaged when decision-making involves uncertainty, it remains unclear if dysfunction in these areas also gives rise to the experience and pathological expression of doubt. This study examined the neural correlates of doubt using neuroimaging during the performance of a forced-choice perceptual decision-making task under varying levels of uncertainty in participants who reported either low or high doubt. Participants reporting high doubt exhibited increased activation in the bilateral inferior parietal lobule (IPL) during perceptual decision-making which was not observed in participants who reported low doubt. Furthermore, activity in the IPL in high doubt participants was associated with clinical measures of doubt and showed functional connectivity differences between the high and low doubt groups. The findings of the current study suggest a key role of the IPL and provide a network of brain regions that may play a role in the experience and expression of doubt.
Thymoquinone inhibits TNF-α-induced inflammation and cell adhesion in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts by ASK1 regulation

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by monocytes/macrophage that plays a pathological role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we investigate the effect of thymoquinone (TQ), a phytochemical found in Nigella sativa, in regulating TNF-α-induced RA synovial fibroblast (RA-FLS) activation. Treatment with TQ (1–5 μM) had no marked effect on the viability of human RA-FLS. Pre-treatment of TQ inhibited TNF-α-induced interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 production and ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and cadherin-11 (Cad-11) expression in RA-FLS (p < 0.01). Evaluation of the signaling events showed that TQ inhibited TNF-α-induced phospho-p38 and phospho-JNK expression, but had no inhibitory effect on NF-κB pathway, in RA-FLS (p < 0.05; n = 4). Interestingly, we observed that selective down-regulation of TNF-α-induced phospho-p38 and phospho-JNK activation by TQ is elicited through inhibition of apoptosis-regulated signaling kinase 1 (ASK1). Furthermore, TNF-α selectively induced phosphorylation of ASK1 at Thr845 residue in RA-FLS, which was inhibited by TQ pretreatment in a dose dependent manner (p < 0.01). Pre-treatment of RA-FLS with ASK1 inhibitor (TC ASK10), blocked TNF-α induced expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and Cad-11. Our results suggest that TNF-α-induced ASK1-p38/JNK pathway is an important mediator of cytokine synthesis and enhanced expression of adhesion molecule in RA-FLSmore » and TQ, by selectively inhibiting this pathway, may have a potential therapeutic value in regulating tissue destruction observed in RA. - Highlights: • Evolving evidence suggests that ASK1 plays a central role in rheumatic arthritis (RA). • TNF-α activates ASK1, which regulate downstream signaling through JNK/p38 activation in RA-FLS. • ASK1 may be used as a potential therapeutic target in RA. • Thymoquinone was able to selectively inhibit TNF-α-induced phosphorylation of ASK1 in RA-FLS. • Thymoquinone might serve as a potential small-molecule inhibitor in RA.« less
Segal crystallinity index revisited by the simulation of X-ray diffraction patterns of cotton cellulose Iβ and cellulose II.

Abstract The Segal method estimates the amorphous fraction of cellulose Iβ materials simply based on intensity at 18° 2θ in an X-ray diffraction pattern and was extended to cellulose II using 16° 2θ intensity. To address the dependency of Segal amorphous intensity on crystal size, cellulose polymorph, and the degree of polymorphic conversion, we simulated the diffraction patterns of cotton celluloses (Iβ and II) and compared the simulated amorphous fractions with the Segal values. The diffraction patterns of control and mercerized cottons, respectively, were simulated with perfect crystals of cellulose Iβ (1.54° FWHM) and cellulose II (2.30° FWHM) as well as 10% and 35% amorphous celluloses. Their Segal amorphous fractions were 15% and 31%, respectively. The higher Segal amorphous fraction for control cotton was attributed to the peak overlap. Although the amorphous fraction was set in the simulation, the peak overlap induced by the increase of FWHM further enhanced the Segal amorphous intensity of cellulose Iβ. For cellulose II, the effect of peak overlap was smaller; however the lower reflection of the amorphous cellulose scattering in its Segal amorphous location resulted in smaller Segal amorphous fractions. Despite this underestimation, the relatively good agreement of the Segal method with the simulation for mercerized cotton was attributed to the incomplete conversion to cellulose II. The (1 −1 0) and (1 1 0) peaks of cellulose Iβ remained near the Segal amorphous location of cellulose II for blends of control and mercerized cotton fibers.