cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Colonial Currency and the Quantity Theory of Money: A Critique of Smith's Interpretation

In a series of recent articles Bruce Smith argued that the relationship between money and prices in the American colonies was inconsistent with the predictions of the quantity theory of money.' He showed that a number of colonial governments were able to sharply increase their currency stocks during the late 1750s and then to sharply decrease those stocks during the 1760s, with relatively little change in either the price level or the (dollar-to-sterling) exchange rate. This note will demonstrate that Smith's findings are not inconsistent with a properly specified modern version of the quantity theory of money. Smith noted that the monetary injections were accompanied by credible revenue policies to retire the notes at a specified future date. He suggested that price-level instability was minimized because the "changes were apparently accomplished without significant effects on the balance sheets of the relevant colonial governments."2 Smith argued that the fact that price-level responses were small relative to the money-supply changes supports the "backing-theory" approach to monetary theory that he developed with Neil Wallace and Thomas Sargent.3 According to these three scholars' view, it is the method by which money is introduced, rather than the quantity of money, that determines its value.4 One of the more startling implications of this view is that, because open market operations simply involve the exchange of one government liability for another, an open market operation that leaves fiscal policy unaltered should have no effect on the price level. In contrast, the quantity theory of money draws a much sharper distinction between money and other government liabilities. For instance, the quantity
Rural-urban differences in breastfeeding initiation in the United States.

Research has noted a rural disadvantage in breastfeeding initiation; however, most previous research has been based on nonrepresentative samples and has been limited in its ability to compare racial/ethnic differences in breastfeeding initiation based on residential location. This research fills this gap by examining a nationally representative sample of births using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort (ECLS—B) to explore associations between rural-urban residence and maternal race/ethnicity on breastfeeding initiation. Results indicate that associations observed for rural-urban breastfeeding initiation differ based on maternal race/ethnicity and poverty status. These patterns likely reflect differences in economic resources, work environments, and social support among rural minority postpartum women. J Hum Lact. 26(2):118-129
Database Schema Matching Using Machine Learning with Feature Selection

Schema matching, the problem of finding mappings between the attributes of two semantically related database schemas, is an important aspect of many database applications such as schema integration, data warehousing, and electronic commerce. Unfortunately, schema matching remains largely a manual, labor-intensive process. Furthermore, the effort required is typically linear in the number of schemas to be matched; the next pair of schemas to match is not any easier than the previous pair. In this paper we describe a system, called Automatch, that uses machine learning techniques to automate schema matching. Based primarily on Bayesian learning, the system acquires probabilistic knowledge from examples that have been provided by domain experts. This knowledge is stored in a knowledge base called the attribute dictionary. When presented with a pair of new schemas that need to be matched (and their corresponding database instances), Automatch uses the attribute dictionary to find an optimal matching. We also report initial results from the Automatch project.
Modeling of self-alignment mechanism in flip-chip soldering. II. Multichip solder joints

A mathematical model to study the self-alignment behavior between a chip and a substrate connected by multiple solder joints is established. This dynamic model is capable of providing the oscillation frequency and amplitude of the chip motion, and characterizing the effects of different joint sizes. This model calculates the dynamics balance between the restoring force for self-alignment, viscous damping force resulting from friction of molten solder, and chip inertia. The developed model is capable of simulating the chip movement, and changing profiles of solder joints and misalignment levels at each time step during the reflow. This model has been used to understand two challenging applications: optical alignment demanding a 1 mu m accuracy and low-cost flip-chip soldering with alignment joints. >
Unique Regulatory Properties of Heterotetrameric Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors Revealed by Studying Concatenated Receptor Constructs

The ability of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3R) to precisely initiate and generate a diverse variety of intracellular Ca(2+) signals is in part mediated by the differential regulation of the three subtypes (R1, R2, and R3) by key functional modulators (IP3, Ca(2+), and ATP). However, the contribution of IP3R heterotetramerization to Ca(2+) signal diversity has largely been unexplored. In this report, we provide the first definitive biochemical evidence of endogenous heterotetramer formation. Additionally, we examine the contribution of individual subtypes within defined concatenated heterotetramers to the shaping of Ca(2+) signals. Under conditions where key regulators of IP3R function are optimal for Ca(2+) release, we demonstrate that individual monomers within heteromeric IP3Rs contributed equally toward generating a distinct 'blended' sensitivity to IP3 that is likely dictated by the unique IP3 binding affinity of the heteromers. However, under suboptimal conditions where [ATP] were varied, we found that one subtype dictated the ATP regulatory properties of heteromers. We show that R2 monomers within a heterotetramer were both necessary and sufficient to dictate the ATP regulatory properties. Finally, the ATP-binding site B in R2 critical for ATP regulation was mutated and rendered non-functional to address questions relating to the stoichiometry of IP3R regulation. Two intact R2 monomers were sufficient to maintain ATP regulation in R2 homotetramers. In summary, we demonstrate that heterotetrameric IP3R do not necessarily behave as the sum of the constituent subunits, and these properties likely extend the versatility of IP3-induced Ca(2+) signaling in cells expressing multiple IP3R isoforms.
Simulating Task Sharing with Delegation for Autonomy and Authority in Air Traffic Control

Computational tools for modeling multi-agent work, including task work and teamwork, are needed to support the design of complex operational concepts involving human operators and automated systems. This paper presents a human performance model of task sharing with delegation where an agent can execute, delay, or delegate assigned task work according to its multi-tasking capacity and other attributes. Using a simulation framework for modeling multi-agent work, several case studies apply the task sharing with delegation model to the evaluation of an air transportation operational concept. The cases demonstrate how multi-tasking capacity, the delegation of task work, and the coordination of delegated task work impact the amount and time requirements of task work (on-time and delayed) and teamwork performed by agents. Thus, integrating human performance models in the simulation framework can inform operational concept development for multi-agent systems.
Simple pricing schemes for consumers with evolving values

We consider a pricing problem where a buyer is interested in purchasing/using a good, such as an app or music or software, repeatedly over time. The consumer discovers his value for the good only as he uses it, and the value evolves with each use. Optimizing for the seller's revenue in such dynamic settings is a complex problem and requires assumptions about how the buyer behaves before learning his future value(s), and in particular, how he reacts to risk. We explore the performance of a class of pricing mechanisms that are extremely simple for both the buyer and the seller to use: the buyer reacts to prices myopically without worrying about how his value evolves in the future; the seller needs to optimize for revenue over a space of only two parameters, and can do so without knowing the buyer's risk profile or fine details of the value evolution process. We present simple-versus-optimal type results, namely that under certain assumptions, simple pricing mechanisms of the above form are approximately optimal regardless of the buyer's risk profile.Our results assume that the buyer's value per usage evolves as a martingale. For our main result, we consider pricing mechanisms in which the seller offers the product for free for a certain number of uses, and then charges an appropriate fixed price per usage. We assume that the buyer responds by buying the product for as long as his value exceeds the fixed price. Importantly, the buyer does not need to know anything about how his future value will evolve, only how much he wants to use the product right now. Regardless of the buyers' initial value, our pricing captures as revenue a constant fraction of the total value that the buyers accumulate in expectation over time.
Education Modules for Networking, Cloud Computing, and Security in Systems Courses

We have developed education modules for topics in networking, security, and cloud computing. A networking instructor could use our modules to enhance the teaching of basic concepts by demonstrating these concepts with real experiments on GENI testbeds. Any systems instructor could use our security or cloud computing modules to begin teaching new topics, or enhance existing topics by adding hands-on experiments on GENI and CloudLab testbeds. Our NSF funded projects to develop these curricular modules have been successfully used by several instructors. Attendees at SIGCSE would comprise exactly the kind of audience, from varied institutions and dedicated to enhancing their curriculum, for whom we've built these modules. Our modules are freely available, and we are committed to helping instructors use our modules in their courses. The underlying testbeds, GENI and CloudLab, are also NSF-funded and thus freely available for instructors to use. Attendees will be provided a handout that contains relevant information, including contact for help, as they go back and begin using our education modules in their curriculum.
Propranolol-induced postoperative hypertension following coronary artery bypass grafting.

Fifteen patients receiving propranolol preoperatively and undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting had serum propranolol levels determined preoperatively and at several times early postoperatively. In addition, the patients' hemodynamic parameters and postoperative sodium nitroprusside dose requirements were monitored. All patients had significant multivessel disease and normal left ventricular function. Preoperative serum propranolol levels ranged from 16 to 243 ng/ml, with a mean level of 92 ± 17 ng/ml; propranolol measured at the end of bypass ranged from 0 to 92 ng/ml, with a mean level of 23 ± 7 ng/ml. Fourteen patients (93%) had hypertension postoperatively and required intravenous sodium nitroprusside to maintain mean blood pressure at or below 90 mm Hg. According to linear regression analysis, the severity of the postoperative hypertension or, specifically, the nitroprusside dose requirements, correlated significantly with the patients' serum propranolol levels postoperatively (correlation coefficient, R = 0.76, with p < 0.001). The one normotensive patient had no detectable serum propranolol at any time postoperatively. No correlation was noted between the patients' preoperative serum propranolol levels and the need for nitroprusside therapy postoperatively. These results demonstrate that there is a significant relationship between residual propranolol and the development of hypertension postoperatively.
Myospherulosis. An electron-microscopic study of a human case.

An electron-microscopic study of a human case of myospherulosis, which involved the nose and maxillary sinus, is reported. Large parent bodies limited by a thick electron-dense wall, enclosing variable numbers of spherules, were seen in cystic tissue spaces or adjacent connective tissue. Free spherules and shrunken degenerative forms were present as well. Similarity of these bodies to sporangium-like structures is suggested. The etiology of the disease remains unsettled.
Power, conflict, and identity in mid-nineteenth-century American medicine: therapeutic change at the Commercial Hospital in Cincinnati.

Over the past two decades, a time when medical power to intervene effectively in disease has been greater than ever before, the medical profession has lamented a decline in its authority and prestige with intensifying stridency. The irony of this situation has not escaped American doctors. Bemoaning an erosion of public trust, a 1985 editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association asserted that "never in modern history has the medical profession been weaker" yet the same editorial went on to cite advances in medical technology and power to intervene as evidence for the counterassertion that "never in modern history has the medical profession been stronger."1 An increasingly conspicuous display of therapeutic interventionism during this period has dramatized clinical expressions of professional power. Epitomized by the implantation of artificial hearts in human beings, therapeutic heroism has also been evident in such bold ventures as bone marrow and heart transplantations and the treatment of leukemia using monoclonal antibodies. Part of the professional meaning of this heroic interventionism its service as a counterbalance to anxieties about professional frailtycomes out of a longer professional subconsciousness with deep historical roots. Analogies from earlier periods cannot explain the new heroic therapeutics, but by underscoring the special meaning heroic therapy can take on in times of professional dislocation and insecurity, this article's case study of interactions among professional identity, therapeutic
A targeted subgenomic approach for phylogenomics based on microfluidic PCR and high throughput sequencing

Advances in high-throughput sequencing (HTS) have allowed researchers to obtain large amounts of biological sequence information at speeds and costs unimaginable only a decade ago. Phylogenetics, and the study of evolution in general, is quickly migrating towards using HTS to generate larger and more complex molecular datasets. In this paper, we present a method that utilizes microfluidic PCR and HTS to generate large amounts of sequence data suitable for phylogenetic analyses. The approach uses a Fluidigm microfluidic PCR array and two sets of PCR primers to simultaneously amplify 48 target regions across 48 samples, incorporating sample-specific barcodes and HTS adapters (2,304 unique amplicons per microfluidic array). The final product is a pooled set of amplicons ready to be sequenced, and thus, there is no need to construct separate, costly genomic libraries for each sample. Further, we present a bioinformatics pipeline to process the raw HTS reads to either generate consensus sequences (with or without ambiguities) for every locus in every sample or—more importantly—recover the separate alleles from heterozygous target regions in each sample. This is important because it adds allelic information that is well suited for coalescent-based phylogenetic analyses that are becoming very common in conservation and evolutionary biology. To test our subgenomic method and bioinformatics pipeline, we sequenced 576 samples across 96 target regions belonging to the South American clade of the genus Bartsia L. in the plant family Orobanchaceae. After sequencing cleanup and alignment, the experiment resulted in ~25,300bp across 486 samples for a set of 48 primer pairs targeting the plastome, and ~13,500bp for 363 samples for a set of primers targeting regions in the nuclear genome. Finally, we constructed a combined concatenated matrix from all 96 primer combinations, resulting in a combined aligned length of ~40,500bp for 349 samples.
Community, Place, and Information Behavior: A Grounded Theory Study of Parents of Children with Down Syndrome and Government-Sponsored Information and Services

This poster will outline a dissertation study that explores relationships between place and place-based community, information behavior, access and practice. Cette affiche resume une etude doctorale sur les liens entre le lieu physique, les communautes rattachees a un lieu physique, les comportements informationnels, l’acces et la pratique.
The Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group: A Regional Collaborative Effort for Continuous Quality Improvement in Cardiovascular Disease

Article-at-a-Glance Background The Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group, a voluntary regional consortium, includes all cardiothoracic surgeons and interventional cardiologists, as well as nurses, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, administrators, and scientists associated with the six medical centers in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont and one Massachusetts-based medical center that support coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Since 1987 the group has met at least three times a year to foster improvements in patient care. Progress in the study of CABG surgery The group's activities have included continued monitoring of outcomes, training in continuous quality improvement, and a benchmarking effort that allowed institutions to learn from one another. In the postintervention period (mid-1991 through early 1992) there were 293 fewer deaths (n = 575) than the 868 expected. In 1995 a new cycle of quality improvement work aimed at identifying the causes and correlates of postoperative mortality began. Study groups for each institution were organized to examine issues related to death from low-output states. Progress in the study of PCIs Major improvement in hospital outcomes have occurred in relation to the improving technology (primarily coronary stenting). Near-twofold variability in the use of stents has led to vigorous discussions about the role of new devices. Lessons learned Randomized clinical trials are very important to assessing the effects of specific treatments, but most of what is known about actual clinical care will come from observational studies. Demonstrating the variability in practice patterns can be a potent stimulus to try to answer the important questions.
Family Medicine Panel Size with Care Teams: Impact on Quality

PURPOSE The demand for comprehensive primary health care continues to expand. The development of team-based practice allows for improved capacity within a collective, collaborative environment. Our hypothesis was to determine the relationship between panel size and access, quality, patient satisfaction, and cost in a large family medicine group practice using a team-based care model. METHODS Data were retrospectively collected from 36 family physicians and included total panel size of patients, percentage of time spent on patient care, cost of care, access metrics, diabetic quality metrics, patient satisfaction surveys, and patient care complexity scores. We used linear regression analysis to assess the relationship between adjusted physician panel size, panel complexity, and outcomes. RESULTS The third available appointments (P < .01) and diabetic quality (P = .03) were negatively affected by increased panel size. Patient satisfaction, cost, and percentage fill rate were not affected by panel size. A physician-adjusted panel size larger than the current mean (2959 patients) was associated with a greater likelihood of poor-quality rankings (≤25th percentile) compared with those with a less than average panel size (odds ratio [OR], 7.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-51.46). Increased panel size was associated with a longer time to the third available appointment (OR, 10.9; 95% CI, 1.36-87.26) compared with physicians with panel sizes smaller than the mean. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated a negative impact of larger panel size on diabetic quality results and available appointment access. Evaluation of a family medicine practice parameters while controlling for panel size and patient complexity may help determine the optimal panel size for a practice.
Towards a Comprehensive Formula

If the sentence—radical approach is as flawed as the numerous preceding examples make it look to be and truth cannot be accorded a central place in the analysis of meaning, what formulation can possibly supply the desired generality and systematicity? Here we come full circle. I began this investigation with the most commonplace observation: speakers express thoughts and convey information by means of language, which is to say, by uttering sentences in virtue of which they represent things as being a certain way. Dummett observes that “learning to use [language] as a medium of discourse involves coming to grasp it as a means of representing reality” (1991: 106). Rundle suggests that in asserting something a speaker “purports to represent things as they are” (1979: 106). Soames declares that “the central semantic fact about language is that it carries information about the world,” adding that “a sentence … represents the world as being a certain way … ” (1989: 575). At this level of generality there hardly looks to be room for disagreement; but, while the word— world connection is surely welcome, if a reduction to truth is rejected, the hope of elucidating meaning in such general terms might be frustrated by their seeming triviality.
A study on universal serial bus latency in a real-time control system

In real-time operation of a computer system, the programs for the processing of input data are constantly operational so that the results will be available within predetermined periods of time. Universal Serial Bus has become an industry standard for attaching peripheral devices to the computer. This paper presents an overview of USB, measures the latencies caused by USB and USB hub and compares their latencies to determine whether USB hub adds overhead to USB. Experimental evaluation shows that USB is a good interface for soft real-time systems that can tolerate delays in the order of few milliseconds. It also provides insight needed for building real-time architectures that depend on USB to collect sensor data.
695. An AAV8 Mutant with Better Transduction in Murine Muscle and Nasal Airway Than AAV8

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy is showing increasing promise, stimulated by encouraging results from clinical trials in recent years. To advance the platform, we have been exploring AAV capsid manipulation. By combining three mutations at hyper-variable regions (HVRs) I, IV, and VIII of the AAV8 capsid - mutations isolated from saturation mutagenesis followed by several rounds of in vivo selection - we created an AAV8 mutant, referred to as AAV8.Triple. In vitro, the AAV8.Triple mutant showed resistance to various antisera of monkey and human, as well as human IVIG (titers that are at levels 2 to 4 fold that of AAV8, with respect to human IVIG). All three mutations contributed to the observed resistance. In mice, the liver transduction efficiency of AAV8.Triple was reduced compared with AAV8, however its muscle transduction was higher than that of AAV8 by approximately 10 fold. In addition, AAV8.Triple demonstrated a higher heparin affinity than AAV8. Interestingly, reducing the positive charges of the HVR.IV mutation decreased the vector's heparin affinity while liver transduction was partially restored. Similar to the trend observed in muscle, intranasal administration of AAV8.Triple resulted in a transduction efficiency 2 to 3 fold greater than that of AAV8, which was further improved to levels approximately 10 fold greater than AAV8 by swapping the VP1 unique region of AAV8.Triple with that of another AAV serotype. Overall, our findings indicate that AAV capsid manipulation was able to generate an AAV8 mutant with improved transduction in both murine muscle and nasal airway compared with wild-type AAV8. These findings may be relevant to disease models where high-efficiency intramuscular or intranasal gene delivery and resistance to pre-existing neutralizing antibodies are desired.
Identification and Characterization of the Sulfazecin Monobactam Biosynthetic Gene Cluster

The monobactams, exemplified by the natural product sulfazecin, are the only class of β-lactam antibiotics not inactivated by metallo-β-lactamases, which confer bacteria with extended-spectrum β-lactam resistance. We screened a transposon mutagenesis library from Pseudomonas acidophila ATCC 31363 and isolated a sulfazecin-deficient mutant that revealed a gene cluster encoding two non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), a methyltransferase, a sulfotransferase, and a dioxygenase. Three modules and an aberrant C-terminal thioesterase (TE) domain are distributed across the two NRPSs. Biochemical examination of the adenylation (A) domains provided evidence that L-2,3-diaminopropionate, not L-serine as previously thought, is the direct source of the β-lactam ring of sulfazecin. ATP/PPi exchange assay also revealed an unusual substrate selectivity shift of one A domain when expressed with or without the immediately upstream condensation domain. Gene inactivation analysis defined a cluster of 13 open reading frames sufficient for sulfazecin production, precursor synthesis, self-resistance, and regulation. The identification of a key intermediate supported a proposed NRPS-mediated mechanism of sulfazecin biosynthesis and β-lactam ring formation distinct from the nocardicins, another NRPS-derived subclass of monocyclic β-lactam. These findings will serve as the basis for further biosynthetic research and potential engineering of these important antibiotics.
Mutations of Sodium Channel SCN8A (Nav1.6) in Neurological Disease

Abstract The voltage-gated sodium channel Na v 1.6, encoded by the SCN8A gene, is one of the most abundant sodium channels in human brain. In the axon initial segment of neurons, Na v 1.6 regulates the initiation of action potentials, and at nodes of Ranvier it contributes to nerve conduction velocity. Complete loss of Scn8a in the mouse results in paralysis due to failure of the neuromuscular junction, while partial loss-of-function mutations result in gait disorders, ataxia, and dystonia. The role of SCN8A in epilepsy has been recently revealed by large-scale exome sequencing. De novo missense mutations of SCN8A account for approximately 1% of cases of early infantile epileptic encephalopathy, designated EIEE13 (OMIM #614558). Heterozygous null mutations of SCN8A mutations can also result in isolated cognitive impairment. In cardiac myocytes, Na v 1.6 is localized to the transverse tubules where it functions in excitation–contraction coupling. Cardiac arrhythmias in patients with EIEE13 may contribute to sudden death (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy). The biophysical and pathogenic effects of missense mutations of SCN8A are being studied in transfected cells and knock-in mouse models. The emerging information suggests that mutations causing hyperactivity of Na v 1.6 result in epileptic encephalopathy, while loss-of-function mutations contribute to cognitive impairment and anxiety, and perhaps to psychiatric disease.
Effect of morphology of root system on adaptability of rice to the deficiency of mineral elements.

The analysis of the effect of deficiency of mineral elements on a number of traits characterizing morphotypes and productivity of rice varieties of Russian, Italian, and Chinese selection was performed in the study. Russian varieties exceeded all studied foreign variety by the weight of the root system, but they exceeded only Italian varieties by the length of root system. The results of the study demonstrated that the deep root system provides significantly higher productivity of the main panicle of plants under stress (phosphorus deficiency). Phosphorus deficiency increased the length of the root system in both groups with shallow and deep root systems, but the increase was more significant in the group with shallow root system.
The paradox of powerlessness in Robert Pinsky’s early Jesus poems:

One of America’s foremost poet-critics, Robert Pinsky has written two relatively unexamined poems about Jesus: “Icicles” and “From the Childhood of Jesus.” These works present three distinct senses...
Unc13 Aligns SNAREs and Superprimes Synaptic Vesicles.

Unc13 proteins are required for vesicle docking and priming during exocytosis. In this issue of Neuron, Lai et al. (2017) demonstrate that Unc13 ensures that the SNAREs assemble into functional subcomplexes. In a second manuscript, Michelassi et al. (2017) identify a previously unknown autoinhibited state for Unc13 mediated by the tandem C1 and C2 domains.
Explaining and Understanding Regional Economic Organizations’ Response to Conventional Security Challenges

Many factors potentially affect REOs’ decisions when confronted with conventional security challenges. When Member States are threatened and Great Powers and global institutions decline to intervene, REOs take on conventional security tasks out of necessity even when they are institutionally undeveloped and Member States are relatively poor and weak. This chapter summarizes how the findings of this study confirm or call into question various literatures on this subject. REOs often undertake conventional security functions to preclude or manage external powers’ intervention in the region. REOs also undertake conventional security tasks because they assume that the security challenge can only be resolved on a regional basis. As security threats multiply and REOs proliferate and become more sophisticated, a network of REOs is being called upon to replace the post-World War II security architecture.
Localized Surface Plasmonic Resonance and Sensing Properties of Ag–MgF2 Composite Nanotriangles

Regular nanotriangular (NT) patterns and thin films composed of a mixture of Ag and MgF2 with different composition ratios are prepared by combining nanosphere lithography and electron beam codeposition. The plasmonic property of Ag–MgF2 composites with a high Ag composition CAg (≥90 at. %) are shown to be a function of CAg as well as the size of the NTs, whereas for samples with low CAg (<90 at. %), a nearly constant localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak appears in all samples, regardless of CAg, NT size, or thin film, which is confirmed to be because of Ag nanoparticles formed during the deposition. Thus, the LSPR property of the composite NTs can be tuned by CAg when CAg ≥ 90 at. %. The resulting LSPR sensor at CAg = 90 at. % with 500 nm diameter polystyrene nanosphere monolayer can achieve a sensitivity of 696 RIU/nm, as compared to 312 RIU/nm for the same NTs with pure Ag. This significantly improved sensitivity is due to the modified dispersion relationship of the dielectric constant by th...
Getting ahead: Social mobility, public housing, and immigrant networks

Getting Ahead: Social Mobility, Public Housing, and Immigrant Networks, by Silvia Dominquez (2010), focuses on the lived experiences of low-income Latin American immigrant women who are socially is...
Photopolarimetric Sensitivity to Black Carbon Content of Wildfire Smoke: Results From the 2016 ImPACT‐PM Field Campaign

Detailed characterization of the aerosol content of wildfire smoke plumes is typically performed through in situ aircraft observations, which have limited temporal and spatial coverage. Extending such observations to regional or global scales requires new remote sensing approaches, such as retrievals that make use of spectropolarimetric, multiangle imaging. In this work measurements made during the Imaging Polarimetric Assessment and Characterization of Tropospheric Particulate Matter (ImPACT‐PM) field campaign in a smoke plume near the town of Lebec in Southern California by the Navy Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies Twin Otter aircraft on 8 July 2016 are used in conjunction with near‐coincident measurements from the Airborne Multiangle SpectroPolarimetric Imager (AirMSPI) on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ER‐2 high‐altitude research aircraft to assess the sensitivity of spectropolarimetric measurements to the black carbon content of the plume. Tracking visible features in the smoke through the sequence of AirMSPI observations allowed the height of the plume to be estimated through geometric techniques. Then, by constraining the fractional amounts of the aerosol constituents with the in situ data, radiative closure was obtained through simulations performed with a polarimetric radiative transfer code, demonstrating the ability to constrain the black carbon mass fraction to approximately 5%, given the uncertainties in the AirMSPI measurements and the assumption of external mixing of aerosol components. The AirMSPI retrieval, made using a limited set of observations from the 470 nm polarimetric spectral band alone, was also generally consistent with operational retrievals of aerosol optical depth and surface reflectance made by the Multi‐Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction algorithm at 1 km resolution.
Lumping Techniques for Mixed Finite Element Diffusion Discretizations

We are interested in positivity preserving spatial discretizations applicable to arbitrary order mixed finite element spatial discretizations of the radiative diffusion equations. Though not guaran...
Evolutionary Psychology, Altruism, and Kin Selection

Darwin suggested that evolution would shed new light on human psychology. There have been various attempts in the ensuing century and a half to articulate exactly what that might mean. Evolutionary psychology is the most recent program aiming to explain the relevance of Darwinism to psychology. This program of research is varied, but in general it takes a strongly selectionist perspective, guided by a series of assumptions about the evolutionary process. One of the most promising applications of evolutionary theory involves the explanation of incest avoidance, as an instance of altruism to be explained in terms of kin selection. Evolutionary psychologists typically assume that ancestral hominids lived in compact groups that are kin based. Assuming this is so, kin selection could have been a crucial influence in explaining altruism, and in particular incest avoidance. This case highlights not only the promise of evolutionary psychology but also the inadequacies of the program when it is applied to the evolution of human psychological and social capacities. The evolutionary program could be improved considerably by taking account of more recent work in evolutionary biology, though this is unlikely to deal with the epistemological problems the program confronts.
Raman Spectra of Molecular Impurities in Alkali Halides

Spontaneous Raman measurements have been made on various alkali halide crystals doped with CN-, OH-, or NO 2 - . Two effects have been observed: spectra due to the internal or stretching vibrations of the molecule (in the range of 1000–4000 cm-1) and lower frequency modes (0 ~1000 cm-1) due to either the rotational or translational degrees of freedom of the undistorted molecule. The Q(0) mode of the stretching vibration is less than. 5 cm-1 even at 300°K and is more than two orders of magnitude more intense than any combinational mode. Differences between the observed I. R. and Raman spectra for the same impurity host system can be explained in terms of the rotational motion of the impurity. The low frequency Raman structure is harder to understand since modes of the impurity may resonate with the phonon spectrum of the pure crystal. We have had some success in analyzing signals from CN- doped systems in the low frequency region as arising from an impurity induced first order Raman effect.
Human Subjects’ Protection

Federal regulations for protection of human subjects in biomedical and behavioral research have been in place since 1974. Preceded by the Belmont Report, which described ethical principles for human research, regulations known as the Common Rule (common across federal agencies) followed. They may be found at 45 CFR 46 and are administered by the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP). Updated regulations have been approved and are expected to be in effect by early 2018.
CloudMiner: A Systematic Failure Diagnosis Framework in Enterprise Cloud Environments

Applications and network services in enterprise cloud environments have direct and indirect dependencies. The configuration of these services varies based on business needs. However, accurate and complete documentation of the configuration may not exist at all times. Thus, failure diagnosis becomes further complex with such unknown/uncertain dependencies. To cope with this, some probing stations need to be installed in suitable locations in the network to provide full monitoring and diagnosing capability. In this paper we develop a novel CloudMiner architecture for failure diagnosis in enterprise clouds that consist of developing intelligent probing station selection, failure detection and diagnosis across the network components using the minimum set of network probes, considering the inter-dependencies across the network services/components. Extensive simulation results show that CloudMiner can always identify the faulty components among the list of a small set of suspected components, the size of which is as low as ~3 for a network with 460 components.
Stochastic Modeling of Fatigue Crack Propagation

Deterministic fatigue crack propagation models, such as the Paris-Erdogan model, cannot account for random variability of time-histories observed in experiments. Therefore, more realistic models are proposed in which a random process is introduced as a multiplicative factor to deterministic laws. This factor is assumed to be a train of randomly arriving pulses with random amplitudes, permitting simple computation of the statistical properties of the fatigue crack size at any given time. Approximate probability distributions can then be calculated using a general scheme called cumulant-neglect closure. Results obtained from retaining only the first two cumulants are compared with available experimental data and with previously calculated distributions when the crack size was treated as a Markov process.
An improved synthesis of 5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐1,7‐naphthyridine ‐ a conformationally‐restricted analog of 2‐(3‐pyridyl)ethylamine

The 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1,7-naphthyridine (7) pharmacophore has the potential to serve as a confor-mationally-locked analog of the pharmacologically active 2-(3-pyridyl)ethylamine (1) core structure. This paper describes the synthesis of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1,7-naphthyridine (7) via a five-step sequence, which affords a significant improvement over previously reported syntheses.
Total Penis, Scrotum, and Lower Abdominal Wall Transplantation

Total Penis, Scrotum, and Lower Abdominal Wall Transplantation This letter describes transplantation of the penis, scrotum, and lower abdominal wall in an injured veteran who had sustained traumati...
Laser Assisted Cold Spray Deposition

This chapter will review the current state of the utilization of lasers to enhance the cold spray process both during and after deposition. While high and low-pressure cold spray has been successfully applied to a variety of metallic alloys, there is a need to increase deposition efficiency, permit the use of heavier and less expensive spray gases, and to tailor the microstructure of the sprayed material. Over the past decade, laser-assisted cold spray (LACS) has been introduced and developed to address these needs. In this process, the laser acts as a localized heat source softening the substrate and the deposited powder particles. This thermal softening in turn facilitates the deposition of hard materials and also enhances the deposition behaviour at lower powder particle velocities, allowing the use of less expensive processing gases like nitrogen. LACS has been applied in both co-axial and off-axis forms. The off-axis geometry has shown improvements in the deposition of titanium alloys, stellite, tungsten, and even oxide dispersion strengthened steel. While LACS can improve the deposition efficiency, it will also impact the microstructure of the sprayed material, either positively or negatively, depending upon the heat input used. Recent work has shown an increase in grain size and coarsening of precipitates during the LACS process. Understanding and controlling heat input during LACS are key to correctly producing the desired microstructure and mechanical properties of the deposited material. This chapter will introduce the LACS approach, present its applications to different alloy systems, discuss its advantages and disadvantages and offer some thoughts about its development in the near future.
Gastric cancer: lessons learned from high-incidence geographic regions

Gastric cancer is a global health concern. There is a marked geographical variability in the incidence of gastric cancer, with higher incidence in East and Central Asia followed by Latin America and Eastern Europe. Survival rates in gastric cancer are low and strongly stage dependent. Due to the limited survival benefit achieved from currently available therapeutic options, prevention and early diagnosis are essential to minimize morbidity and mortality from this disease. Countries with high incidence of gastric cancer have pioneered the development and implementation of prevention and screening programs. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication and dietary modifications are the main preventive strategies. Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy is the mainstay screening strategy for early diagnosis. In this article, we review the lessons learned for gastric cancer diagnosis and treatment from high-incidence areas and discuss their applicability for treatment in the Western world to reduce morbidity and mortality from this disease.
Relationship Between Symptom Severity and Caregiver Burden Experienced by Parents of Adults With Autism

This study examined the relationship between the severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and caregiver burden among parents of adult children with ASD. Using a mixed-methods study, 320 parents o...
The Effect of Osmotic Stabilizers on the Radiometric Detection of Osmotically Sensitive Populations of Some Gram-Negative Bacteria

The effect of four osmotic stabilizers on the radiometric detection of osmotically sensitive populations of E. coli, S. typhimurium, and E. cloacae was studied. The addition of sucrose, sorbitol, glycerol, or ethylene glycoll to BACTEC 6B blood culture medium failed to improve the sensitivity of the system and produced an inhibitory effect on the level of 14CO2 released by organisms previously exposed to lysozyme and ECTA or to penicillin followed by the lysozyme treatment. The same effect was observed both in blood free media and simulated blood cultures. The addition of proline to sucrose-containing hypertonic media had no effect on growth index readings.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors prevent H2O2 from inducing stress granule formation.

Abstract Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are generated as by-products of aerobic metabolism. The production of ROS increases during xenobiotic stress and under multiple pathological conditions. Although ROS are considered harmful historically, mounting evidence recently indicates a signaling function of ROS, preceding to and regulating transcriptional or post-transcriptional events, contributing to cell death or cell survival and adaptation. Among the cellular defense mechanisms activated by ROS is formation of stress granules (SGs). The stalled translational apparatus, together with mRNA, aggregates into microscopically detectable and molecularly dynamic granules. We found that with H2O2, the dose most potent for inducing SGs in HeLa cells is 400–600 μM. With 200 μM H2O2, 2 h treatment induced the highest percentage of cells containing SGs. Whether ROS signaling pathways regulate the formation of SGs was tested using pharmacological inhibitors. We probed the potential role of PI3K, MAPKs, PKC or histone deacetylation in SG formation. Using deferoxamine as a positive control, we found a lack of inhibitory effect of wortmannin, LY-294002, JNK-I, SB-202190, PD-98059, or H89 when the percentage of cells containing SGs was counted. About 35% inhibition was observed with HDAC6 inhibitor Tubastatin A, whereas general HDAC inhibitor Trichostatin A provided a complete inhibition of SG formation. Our data point to the need of investigating the role of HDACs in SG formation during oxidative stress.
Good for the Goose, Bad for the Gander: International Labor Standards and Comparative Development

The international labor rights movement, led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), argues that developing countries are currently ready for more stringent labor standards. This paper investigates this claim by examining the timing of labor standard adoption in highly developed countries. These nations were all once as poor as today's developing countries and made the tradeoff between labor standards and income at some point in their past. Their experience therefore suggests a safe income threshold for adopting similar labor standards in the developing world. We find that every ILO-proposed labor standard is highly premature for the developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. These countries are between 100 and 300 years from reaching this threshold. ILO-proposed policy is exactly backward. A substantial relaxation of labor standards is the appropriate labor policy for this part of the developing world.
Technique and Outcomes of Hand-Assist Laparoscopic Continent Cutaneous Ileocecocystoplasty

ABSTRACT Background Continent cutaneous ileocecocystoplasty (CCIC) involves reconfiguring the ileocecal segment for use as a bladder augment and continent catheterizable channel. CCIC requires release of the hepatic flexure of the colon, which necessitates a longer midline laparotomy than would be required for a standard bladder augmentation. This is associated with high rates of ventral and parastomal hernias. Objectives To describe the technique of hand-assist laparoscopic CCIC and to compare outcomes to open CCIC. Materials and Methods We found pure laparoscopic colon mobilization difficult due to significant colonic distension in patients with neurogenic bladder and bowel. We modified our approach to hand-assisted laparoscopic mobilization for better retraction of the bowel. A 12-mm camera port is placed through the umbilicus, which later serves as the stoma site, and a 5-mm assist port is placed a handbreadth cephalad to the 12-mm port. A Pfannenstiel incision is made for use as the hand port. After colonic mobilization is completed the remainder of the procedure is performed in an open fashion through the Pfannenstiel incision. The primary outcome was 90-day Clavien grade 2 or greater complications. Secondary outcomes included revision rates, wound infection, urinary continence, operative time, and length of stay. Data was analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test. Results Thirty-two laparoscopic and 21 open procedures were reviewed. Those who underwent open procedures were more likely to have undergone prior catheterizable channel or bladder augmentation (7 vs 1, P Conclusion Hand-assist laparoscopic CCIC offers a minimally invasive alternative to open CCIC with fewer short-term complications and comparable long-term outcomes.
Legal Relief for Children in Immigrant Families

Background: Immigration status is a known social determinant of health that can negatively impact the physical and emotional well-being, stability and self-actualization of families. Research shows that securing legal representation increases the likelihood of being released from detention, appearing in court, winning removal cases, and seeking relief from deportation. However, there is little research on how to address immigration status in a clinical setting given funding restrictions of medical-legal partnerships. The goal of this study was to better understand how a clinical-community partnership can effectively address immigration concerns …