cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Craniometric variation, genetic theory, and modern human origins

Recent controversies surrounding models of modern human origins have focused on among-group variation, particularly the reconstruction of phylogenetic trees from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the dating of population divergence. Problems in tree estimation have been seen as weakening the case for a replacement model and favoring a multiregional evolution model. There has been less discussion of patterns of within-group variation, although the mtDNA evidence has consistently shown the greatest diversity within African populations. Problems of interpretation abound given the numerous factors that can influence within-group variation, including the possibility of earlier divergence, differences in population size, patterns of population expansion, and variation in migration rates. We present a model of within-group phenotypic variation and apply it to a large set of craniometric data representing major Old World geographic regions (57 measurements for 1,159 cases in four regions: Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australasia, and the Far East). The model predicts a linear relationship between variation within populations (the average within-group variance) and variation between populations (the genetic distance of populations to pooled phenotypic means). On a global level this relationship should hold if the long-term effective population sizes of each region are correctly specified. Other potential effects on within-group variation are accounted for by the model. Comparison of observed and expected variances under the assumption of equal effective sizes for four regions indicates significantly greater within-group variation in Africa and significantly less within-group variation in Europe. These results suggest that the long-term effective population size was greatest in Africa. Closer examination of the model suggests that the long-term African effective size was roughly three times that of any other geographic region. Using these estimates of relative population size, we present a method for analyzing ancient population structure, which provides estimates of ancient migration. This method allows us to reconstruct migration history between geographic regions after adjustment for the effect of genetic drift on interpopulational distances. Our results show a clear isolation of Africa from other regions. We then present a method that allows direct estimation of the ancient migration matrix, thus providing us with information on the actual extent of interregional migration. These methods also provide estimates of time frames necessary to reach genetic equilibrium. The ultimate goal is extracting as much information from present-day patterns of human variation relevant to issues of human origins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Homogenization expansion for resonances of microstructured photonic waveguides

We develop a homogenization expansion approach to photonic waveguides whose transverse structures are N-fold rotationally symmetric. Examples include microstructured or holey optical fibers with air holes arranged in one or more concentric rings. We carry out a homogenization expansion for large N about the N=∞ limit. Our multiple scale analysis applies to the scalar approximation of structures in which the microfeatures have arbitrary geometry and large index contrasts and lead to a natural efficient computational algorithm for the waveguide modes and spectral characteristics. In this paper we focus on structures that possess leaky modes. The leading order (N=∞) equations describe the modes of an averaged structure. We derive an expansion in powers of 1/N of corrections to the leading order behavior and show that the leading order nontrivial contribution arises at order 1/N2. We numerically calculate this leading order correction to the complex effective indices (scattering resonances) for the leaky modes of various microstructured photonic waveguides whose imaginary parts give the leakage rates. We observe that in many instances a two-term truncation of the homogenization expansion gives good agreement with full simulations, even for fairly small values of N, whereas the leading order (averaged) theory yields a substantial underestimate of the leakage rates.
Is It a Choice? Sexual Orientation as Interpretation

As with so many issues in gay and lesbian philosophy, Claudia Card may have said it best. Sexuality, she tells us, shows that “a more generous vocabulary is needed than is provided by the dichotomy of ‘freely chosen’ on the one hand and ‘fated’ or ‘determined’ on the other.” 1 In this paper I will not claim that theorizing about sexual identity solves the philosophical dilemma of free will and determinism. I will argue, however, that gay and lesbian experience may show us a way to reject a rigid division between traits and aspects of the self (like sexuality) that seem determined and aspects of the self that seem freely chosen. To do this, however, it will be necessary to show that our enduring sexual desire, what we ordinarily think of as sexual orientation, is partly constituted by choice. Showing that our orientation originates partly in our own choices will of course change dramatically our understanding of sexual desire and sexual identity, as well as present a more ambiguous picture of the relationship between aspects of the self that appear determined and those that appear chosen.
Velocital information feature for charting spatio- temporal changes in digital image sequences

This paper introduces a velocital information feature that is extracted for each frame of an image sequence. The feature is based on the optical flow in each frame. A mathematical formulation for the velocital information feature is derived. Charting the feature over a sequence provides a quality metric called velocital informa- tion content (VIC). The relationship of VIC to the spatial and tempo- ral information content is shown. VIC offers a different role from traditional transmission-based quality metrics which require two im- ages: the original input image and degraded output image to calcu- late the quality metric. VIC can detect artifacts from a single image sequence by charting variations from the norm. Therefore, VIC of- fers a metric for judging the quality of the image frames prior to transmission, without a transmission system or without any knowl- edge of the higher quality image input. The differences between VIC and transmission-oriented quality metrics can provide a different role for VIC in analysis and image sequence processing. Results show that VIC is able to detect gradual and sudden changes in an image sequence. Results are shown for using VIC as a filter on electro-optical infrared image sequences where VIC detects frames suffering from erratic noise. © 1999 SPIE and IS&T. (S1017-9909(99)00302-5)
Robust analysis of multiplexed SERS microscopy of Ag nanocubes using an alternating minimization algorithm

To drive the application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) mapping in ex vivo diagnostic imaging and non-biological material characterization, we have designed a robust and accurate multiplex spectral fitting method using an alternating minimization algorithm to extract individual constituent Raman spectra with very small overall fitting error (as low as 2%). For each mixed Raman signal, constituent spectra and mixture coefficients were estimated jointly based on reference spectra that were measured in the lab. Our method is based on a Poisson model to reflect the photon counting nature of Raman signals and includes the nonlinear noise in the measured data, making our method robust against data containing relatively large random noise. In our method, we minimized a cost function consisting of two terms: (1) the overall fitting error between the measured and modeled spectra and (2) the sum of the individual error between each reference spectrum and its corresponding constituent. This method inherently guarantees that the estimates will approach the global minimum with monotonic convergence. The accuracy of our method was validated by applying it to a SERS spectral fitting problem and comparing our results to those from existing methods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Image Compression using Object-Based Regions of Interest

A new architecture for region of interest (ROI) image coding is proposed. ROIs are defined as image regions containing objects of interest, and an efficient algorithm proposed for the detection of such regions. This algorithm is based on the principle of discriminant saliency, under which salient regions are the image regions of strongest response for a set of features that discriminate the object class of interest from all others. The resulting ROI masks are fully compatible with the JPEG2000 standard. Experimental results are presented for images of complex scenes, which contain both objects and background clutter, demonstrating significant gains for object-based ROI coding, in terms of both subjective image quality and SNR. The proposed ROI-based coder is also shown to be trainable with small, informally collected, image collections (e.g. by simple web search). This suggests the possibility of user-trained image coders.
Triangulating Political Responsibility: The Motivated Formation of Responsibility Judgments

This article analyzes the process through which partisan bias arises during the formation of citizens' judgments of political responsibility. Informed by theories of motivated political reasoning, it argues that exposure to partisan cues motivates partisans to pursue directional goals, goals which bias the cognitive processing of information and, in turn, overall judgments of responsibility. It further argues that the nature of this biased processing will be such that partisans devalue information inconsistent with their partisan affect. Using a pair of experiments, I test these hypotheses by manipulating both objective evidence concerning gubernatorial responsibility for a state's fiscal imbalance and the presence of partisan cues. Findings support both sets of expectations. The results also suggest that the effects of partisan bias are greater in judgments tied to institutional actions than in those tied to institutional roles and expectations.
Modulation of Ca2+ channel selectivity and cardiac contraction by photorelease of Ca2+

The effect of rapid increases of extracellular Ca2+ concentration on tension development and Ca2+ channel selectivity has been investigated in frog (Rana pipiens) ventricular myocardium using a novel light-sensitive Ca2+ chelator, dimethoxy-nitrophen. Dimethoxy-nitrophen is a photolabile tetracarboxylate Ca2+ chelator that on photolysis to dicarboxylate fragments alters its affinity (Kd) for Ca2+ from 5 X 10(-9) to 2 X 10(-3) M. A single 160-microseconds ultraviolet light pulse induced the release of approximately 80-100 microM Ca2+ with a half-time of 200 microseconds. In low extracellular Ca2+ concentration, Na+ current through the Ca2+ channel was blocked by photorelease of extracellular Ca2+ in less than 500 microseconds; nevertheless, 60-80 ms were required to activate or enhance tension. Enhancement of tension was more effective when Ca2+ was released during the activation of the Ca2+ channel than during its inactivation. The voltage dependence of enhanced tension, caused by photorelease of Ca2+, was bell shaped and was similar to that of Ca2+ current. These findings suggest that Ca2+ transport through the Ca2+ channel is the primary mechanism for the transport of Ca2+ to activate tension in the frog heart. The use of dimethoxy-nitrophen makes it possible to examine the rapid kinetics of the Ca-dependent processes involved in regulation of channel function and contraction.
Blockchain Thinking : The Brain as a Decentralized Autonomous Corporation [Commentary]

Reports on the concept of blockchains, a new form of information technology that could have several important future applications. One is blockchain thinking, formulating thinking as a blockchain process. This could have benefits for both artificial intelligence and human enhancement, and their potential integration. Blockchain thinking is outlined here as an input-processing-output computational system.
Ant Assemblages of New York State Inland Pine Barrens

Abstract Ants are major contributors to ecological processes including soil development, nutrient cycling, and seed dispersal in the northeastern US and around the world. However, distributions of these influential invertebrates in the inland Pitch Pine barrens of New York State are poorly understood. I used quadrat searches and pitfall traps to systematically sample ant assemblages along transects in open habitats at 3 of these inland barrens. My results demonstrate that (1) inland Pitch Pine barrens in New York support high ant-species density, including rare species; (2) as in other regions, shrubland habitats appear to support higher ant-species density than grassland habitats in the Northeast; and (3) shrubland and grassland ant-assemblages in these barrens are compositionally distinct.
Appendixes One-Three, Getting to Death: Are Executions Constitutional?

Appendixes One-Three follow the article, "Getting to Death: Are Executions Constitutional?" Appendix One contains eight tables specifying a range of information concerning execution methods in the United States, including the following: the methods of execution by state, the author's execution method's test, changing patterns of all execution methods over the last century and a quarter, and types of lethal injection statutes. Appendix Two details post-Gregg botched executions for electrocution, lethal gas, and lethal injection. Appendix Three provides extensive documentation for each change in each execution method for each death penalty state over the last century and a quarter.
Client-Side Detection of Clickjacking Attacks

Clickjacking attacks are emerging threat for web application users where click operations performed by victims lead to security breaches such as compromising webcams and posting unintended messages. Effective client-side defense technique could prevent the possible victims. This paper presents a client side approach to detect clickjacking attacks. The authors' approach examines web page requests and responses; the proposed approach is designed to detect advanced attack types such as cursorjacking, double click, and history object-based attacks. They evaluate the proposed approach with a set of legitimate and malicious websites. The results indicate that our approach has low false positive and false negative rates. The overhead imposed by the proposed approach is negligible.
Activity of Cells in the Deeper Layers of the Superior Colliculus of the Rhesus Monkey: Evidence for a Gaze Displacement Command

When the head is free to move, microstimulation of the primate superior colliculus (SC) evokes coordinated movements of the eyes and head. The similarity between these stimulation-induced movements and visually guided movements indicates that the SC of the primate is involved in redirecting the line of sight (gaze). To determine how movement commands are represented by individual collicular neurons, we recorded the activity of single cells in the deeper layers of the superior colliculus of the rhesus monkey during coordinated eye-head gaze shifts. Two alternative hypotheses were tested. The "separate channel" hypothesis states that two displacement commands are generated by the SC: one signal specifying the amplitude and direction of eye movements and a second signal specifying the amplitude and direction of head movements. Alternatively, a single gaze displacement command could be generated by the SC ("gaze displacement" hypothesis). The activity of collicular neurons was examined during three behavioral dissociations of gaze, eye, and head movement amplitude and direction (metrics). Subsets of trials were selected in which the amplitude and direction of either gaze shifts or eye movements or head movements were relatively constant but the metrics of the other two varied over wide ranges. Under these conditions, the separate channel and gaze displacement hypotheses make differential predictions about the patterns of SC activity. We tested these differential predictions by comparing observed patterns with predicted patterns of neuronal activity. We obtained data consistent with the predictions of the gaze displacement hypothesis. The predictions of the separate channel hypothesis were not confirmed. Thus microstimulation data, single-unit recording data, and behavioral data are all consistent with the gaze displacement hypothesis of collicular function--the hypothesis that a gaze displacement signal is derived from the locus of activity within the motor map of the SC and subsequently is decomposed into separate eye and head displacement signals downstream from the colliculus.
Life Span Civic Development and Voting Participation.

Although a variety of age-related processes are known to affect rates of political participation over the adult life span, little is known about their interrelationships and relative impact. We set out a theory of life span civic development that focuses on how age-related changes in community attachment, strength of partisanship, church attendance, government responsiveness, family income, and civic competence impinge on voting participation. To test the theory, we estimated the coefficients of a structural equation model using data from nine National Election Studies combined into a large, cross-sectional time series data set. The model specifies the age-related processes and also controls for the effects of a large number of other variables. Overall, about one-half of the age-related increases in voting participation were attributable to these processes.
Water Targeting Models for Simultaneous Flowsheet Optimization

This paper presents an approach to perform simultaneous optimization of heat and water integration for a process flowsheet. As opposed to the sequential integration approach where heat and water in...
Mortality rate from early prostate cancer increased 3 fold after 15 years following the diagnosis.

Source Citation Johansson JE, Andren O, Andersson SO, et al. Natural history of early, localized prostate cancer. JAMA. 2004;291:2713-9. 15187052
The Context of Swedish Politics

Since at least the mid-1930s, Sweden has fascinated many outside observers. Some commentators have enthusiastically praised Sweden’s economic and social achievements as a “middle way” between competitive capitalism and state socialism and as a “model for the world.”1 Others, ranging from skeptical conservatives to radical socialists, have criticized the centralization of political and economic power in the hands of public officials, unions, and/or an alleged governing class made up of a small group of wealthy capitalists.2 These diametrically opposed assessments underscore Sweden’s singularity in comparison with more familiar capitalist democracies such as Britain, France, Germany, and the United States.
A “NEW HISTORY” IN AMERICA: Robinson and Beard

[James Harvey Robinson (1863–1936) spent his lifetime battling against the conventional history taught in American schools, and sought to replace it with “The New History.” Trained both in this country and in Germany in the exacting methods of nineteenth century historiography, Robinson became dissatisfied with its exclusively political, constitutional, and military emphasis. After writing an orthodox doctoral dissertation on the German Bundesrath, he edited and translated a series of original sources in European history. A highly effective teacher at Pennsylvania and Columbia Universities, he introduced a novel course on the History of the Intellectual Class of Europe and inspired some of his graduate students—among them Lynn Thorndike, C. J. H. Hayes, Preserved Smith, and James T. Shotwell—to embark on a study of intellectual history. But his greatest influence came through his many, widely-used textbooks, beginning with An Introduction to the History of Western Europe (2 vols. 1902–1903). These high school and college texts stressed the intellectual and social trends of a particular age, and were designed to be more popular in their appeal than the older political chronicles.
AAV-Nrf2 Promotes Protection and Recovery in Animal Models of Oxidative Stress

NRF2 is a transcription factor that drives antioxidant gene expression in multiple organ systems. We hypothesized that Nrf2 overexpression could be therapeutically applied toward diseases in which redox homeostasis is disrupted. In this study, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-Nrf2 was tested in a mouse model of acute acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity and successfully conferred protection from hepatotoxicity, validating the vector design and early onset of NRF2-mediated protection. Furthermore, therapeutic potential of AAV-Nrf2 in chronic disease also was tested in a light-induced mouse model of age-related macular degeneration. Adult BALB/c mice were intravitreally injected with AAV-Nrf2 and subject to light damage following injection. Retinal thickness and function were monitored following light damage using optical coherence tomography and electroretinography, respectively. By 3 months post-damage, injected eyes had greater retinal thickness compared to uninjected controls. At 1 month post-damage, AAV-Nrf2 injection facilitated full functional recovery from light damage. Our results suggest a therapeutic potential for Nrf2 overexpression in acute and long-term capacities in multiple organ systems, opening up doors for combination gene therapy where replacement gene therapy requires additional therapeutic support to prevent further degeneration.
Psychology: Science or nonscience?

Many persons still regard it as a problem whether psychology is an authentic science or at best only a profession. The writer considers the many attempts and failures to provide psychology with a scientific foundation and the primary circumstances attending the difficulties of scientizing the psychological discipline. Further, suggestions are offered as to how psychology can take its place among the physiochemical and biological sciences.
Improving assessment accuracy for lake biological condition by classifying lakes with diatom typology, varying metrics and modeling multimetric indices.

Abstract Site grouping by regions or typologies, site-specific modeling and varying metrics among site groups are four approaches that account for natural variation, which can be a major source of error in ecological assessments. Using a data set from the 2007 National Lakes Assessment project of the USEPA, we compared performances of multimetric indices (MMI) of biological condition that were developed: (1) with different lake grouping methods, ecoregions or diatom typologies; (2) by varying or not varying metrics among site groups; and (3) with different statistical techniques for modeling diatom metric values expected for minimally disturbed condition for each lake. Hierarchical modeling of MMIs, i.e. grouping sites by ecoregions or typologies and then modeling natural variability in metrics among lakes within groups, substantially improved MMI performance compared to using either ecoregions or site-specific modeling alone. Compared with MMIs based on ecoregion site groups, MMI precision and sensitivity to human disturbance were better when sites were grouped by diatom typologies and assessing performance nationwide. However, when MMI performance was evaluated at site group levels, as some government agencies often do, there was little difference in MMI performance between the two site grouping methods. Low numbers of reference and highly impacted sites in some typology groups likely limited MMI performance at the group level of analysis. Varying metrics among site groups did not improve MMI performance. Random forest models for site-specific expected metric values performed better than classification and regression tree and multiple linear regression, except when numbers of reference sites were small in site groups. Then classification and regression tree models were most precise. Based on our results, we recommend hierarchical modeling in future large scale lake assessments where lakes are grouped by ecoregions or diatom typologies and site-specific metric models are used to establish expected metric values.
POP goes the universe

The origins of space and time are among the most mysterious and contentious topics in science. Our February 2017 article “Pop Goes the Universe” argues against the dominant idea that the early cosmos underwent an extremely rapid expansion called inflation. Its authors instead advocate for another scenario—that our universe began not with a bang but with a bounce from a previously contracting cosmos. In the letter below, a group of 33 physicists who study inflationary cosmology respond to that article. It is followed by a reply from the authors. In “Pop Goes the Universe,” by Anna Ijjas, Paul J. Steinhardt and Abraham Loeb, the authors (hereafter “IS&L”) make the case for a bouncing cosmology, as was proposed by Steinhardt and others in 2001. They close by making the extraordinary claim that inflationary cosmology “cannot be evaluated using the scientific method” and go on to assert that some scientists who accept inflation have proposed “discarding one of [science's] defining properties: empirical testability,” thereby “promoting the idea of some kind of nonempirical science.” We have no idea what scientists they are referring to. We disagree with a number of statements in their article, but in this letter, we will focus on our categorical disagreement with these statements about the testability of inflation.
Plasmodium falciparum Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase 2 Is Critical for Male Gametocyte Exflagellation but Not Essential for Asexual Proliferation.

ABSTRACT Drug development efforts have focused mostly on the asexual blood stages of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Except for primaquine, which has its own limitations, there are no available drugs that target the transmission of the parasite to mosquitoes. Therefore, there is a need to validate new parasite proteins that can be targeted for blocking transmission. P. falciparum calcium-dependent protein kinases (PfCDPKs) play critical roles at various stages of the parasite life cycle and, importantly, are absent in the human host. These features mark them as attractive drug targets. In this study, using CRISPR/Cas9 we successfully knocked out PfCDPK2 from blood-stage parasites, which was previously thought to be an indispensable protein. The growth rate of the PfCDPK2 knockout (KO) parasites was similar to that of wild-type parasites, confirming that PfCDPK2 function is not essential for the asexual proliferation of the parasite in vitro. The mature male and female gametocytes of PfCDPK2 KO parasites become round after induction. However, they fail to infect female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes due to a defect(s) in male gametocyte exflagellation and possibly in female gametes. IMPORTANCE Despite reductions in the number of deaths it causes, malaria continues to be a leading infectious disease of the developing world. For effective control and elimination of malaria, multiple stages of the parasite need to be targeted. One such stage includes the transmission of the parasite to mosquitoes. Here, we demonstrate the successful knockout of PfCDPK2, which was previously thought to be indispensable for parasite growth in red blood cells. The PfCDPK2 KO parasites are incapable of establishing an infection in mosquitoes. Therefore, our study suggests that targeting PfCDPK2 may be a good strategy to control malaria transmission in countries with high transmission. Moreover, molecular understanding of the signaling pathway of PfCDPK2 may provide additional targets for malaria control.
Species differences in urine scent-marking and counter-marking in Peromyscus.

Abstract Species comparisons indicate that scent-marking may differ as a function of mating system and co-housing with the opposite sex (“pairing”). We previously demonstrated that pairing may decrease male solicitation to unfamiliar females in the monogamous Peromyscus californicus but not in the non-monogamous P. leucopus . Whether urine scent-marking of females changes following pairing and whether scent-marking of paired males varies in response to scent-marks of their cagemate versus those of an unfamiliar female has not been examined. Therefore, we tested P. californicus and P. leucopus for within and between species differences in urine scent-marking of: 1) paired and non-paired females in an unscented arena, and 2) paired males in response to their female cagemate’s or an unfamiliar female’s scent-marks (counter-marking). Consistent with previous findings, P. californicus of both sexes deposited more urine scent-marks and covered greater surface area than P. leucopus . In both species, female scent-marking did not differ according to pairing status and male counter-marking did not differ in response to the scent-marks of their female cagemate versus an unfamiliar female. More females of both species and more P. leucopus, but not P. californicus, males scent-marked more around the perimeter than centrally. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed.
History of Jugular Paraganglioma

The first description of paraganglia of the temporal bone was by Stacy R. Guild, an anatomist from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Fig. 1.1). In a brief presentation at the American Association of Anatomists at the University of Chicago in April of 1941 entitled “A hitherto unrecognized structure, the Glomus Jugularis, in man,” Guild wrote: “Human temporal bone sections reveal structures in several respects like the carotid body, for which the name glomus jugularis is proposed. Usually they are in the adventitia of the dome of the jugular bulb, immediately below the bony floor of the middle ear and near the ramus tympanicus of the glossopharyngeal nerve…. Each glomus, wherever located, consists of blood vessels of capillary or precapillary caliber with numerous epithelioid cells between vessels. Usually, but not always, the vessels are the more prominent feature. Innervation and blood come from the same trunks that supply the carotid body; namely, glossopharyngeal nerve and ascending pharyngeal artery (through its inferior tympanic branch). Presumably it has functions like the carotid body, perhaps limited to a smaller circulatory region. Suggestion: similar structures may be present along other parts of the peripheral circulatory system” [1].
Evaluating Aging Pedestrian Crash Severity with Bayesian Complementary Log–Log Model for Improved Prediction Accuracy

Reliable prediction accuracy is an essential attribute for crash prediction models. Generally, more severe injury outcomes, such as fatalities, are rarer than less severe crashes, such as property damage only or minor injury crashes. The complementary log–log (cloglog) model, commonly used in epidemiological research, is known for its accuracy in predicting rare events. This study implemented the cloglog model in analyzing pedestrian injury severity and compared its performance with the two conventional models used in injury severity research: the probit and logit models. The three models were developed with data from 1,397 crashes involving aging pedestrians that occurred in Florida from 2009 through 2013. The response variable, injury severity level, was binary and categorized as either fatal or severe injury or minor or no injury. The study used three accuracy metrics (deviance information criteria, prediction accuracy, and receiver operating characteristics curves) to compare the performance of the mo...
Dissonance between formal and informal housing capital: The case of Korea:

This study develops a new way to analyze the evolving dynamics of wealth concentration in the Global South, where indigenous norms and institutions play a crucial role in accumulating wealth. The s...
Campaign finance reform legislation in the United States Congress: A critique

Legislation to reform campaign funding in the United States must produce a system which reduces the potential for corruption, real or perceived, and creates greater equality of fund raising opportunity between incumbents and challengers. Bills before the 104th Congress would require bureaucratic and arbitrary systems of regulation; they would not produce workable reform. Within the existing full disclosure system,two reforms would be most effective: setting maximum dollar amounts for “soft money” contributions; and limiting fund raising by lobbyists. An even more effective system would be to “blind” contributions made to the campaign committees of individual candidates.
Dimensions of International Negotiation: A Test of Iklé's Typology

Results from statistical analyses of 30 cases of international negotiations supported Ikle's typology of negotiating objectives. The cases, sampled from the collection of Pew Case Studies in International Affairs, were distinguished in terms of five objectives: innovation, redistribution, extension, normalization, and side effects. In addition, a sixth objective was identified: negotiations concerning the creation of multilateral regimes. These cases focused on issues that surfaced on the international agenda during the 1980s. Each type had a relatively distinct profile based on such aspects of negotiation as the number of parties and issues, bargaining strategies, media exposure, stability of the process, and types of outcomes. The methodology contributes to the state-of-the art in comparative analysis and the results have implications for the development of middle-range theories of negotiation. They also contribute to practice, by enabling negotiators to evaluate future cases in terms of knowledge about past cases.
Heme Potently Stimulates Tissue Factor Expression By Peripheral Blood Monocytes: A Novel Mechanism For Thrombosis In Intravascular Hemolytic Diseases

Intravascular hemolytic diseases such as sickle cell anemia as well as diseases such as sepsis/DIC in which intravascular hemolysis occurs are frequently complicated by micro- and macrovascular thrombosis but mechanisms underlying this association are unclear. Plasma heme levels in sickle cell anemia are typically 5-30 µM. LPS is a prototypic and potent agonist for peripheral blood monocyte tissue factor expression and by this mechanism contributes to thrombosis in sepsis. Because heme, like LPS, signals by binding to and activating TLR4, we hypothesized that heme would also stimulate tissue factor expression in monocytes and so promote thrombosis in sickle cell anemia. We isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and monocytes, incubated them 4 hours in the presence or absence of 10 µM hemin or 10 ng/ml LPS, made whole cell lysates by freeze-thawing and sonication and measured tissue factor activity using a one-stage clotting assay employing recalcified citrated human plasma. The assay was standardized with recombinant human tissue factor and the tissue factor dependence of the assay was confirmed using the neutralizing anti-human tissue factor antibody ATF. Hemin stimulated PBMC TF activity ca. 40-fold (range 6- to 296-fold) from 53 to 1885 pg/ml/million cells, an extent comparable to that of LPS (1939 pg/ml/million cells). In isolated monocytes heme increased TF activity ca. 70-fold (range 25-115-fold) to 9800 pg/ml/million cells, again comparable to LPS (8500 pg/ml/million cells.) Heme stimulation of monocyte TF expression did not reflect endotoxin contamination of our hemin preparation because it was 1) reproduced with a preparation of hemin made for infusion into patients with intermittent porphyria that had no detectable endotoxin; 2) unaffected by addition of 1 µg polymyxin B, which abrogated LPS stimulation; 3) blocked by 15 µM hemopexin, a high affinity heme-binding protein. qRT-PCR of TF expression in monocytes shows a 140-350-fold increase in TF mRNA levels over baseline between 2 and 4 hours after exposure to heme. Examining pathways for heme signaling, we demonstrate that heme stimulation of TF expression in monocytes is impaired > 90% by inhibitors of TLR4 (TAK242), NADPH oxidase (diphenylene iodonium), PKC (5 µM calphostin) and ERK ½ (10 µM U-0126), impaired 75% by the p50 NF-kB inhibitor 10 µg/ml andrographolide and unaffected by 100 nM wortmannin, an AKT/PI3K pathway inhibitor. We conclude that heme, at concentrations found in intravascular hemolytic diseases such as sickle cell anemia, is a highly potent stimulant of blood monocyte TF transcriptional expression dependent upon signaling through TLR4, PKC, NADPH oxidase, ERK ½ and NF-kB. By this direct mechanism heme may promote thrombosis and contribute to the pathogenesis of sickle cell anemia and other diseases characterized by intravascular hemolysis, including sepsis/DIC. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Wartime Propaganda and the Legacies of Defeat: Russian and Ottoman Newspapers in the War of 1877-1878

The proliferation of popular newspapers during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 transformed the boundaries of public debate in Russia and brought the people into close contact with each other as well as with the outer world. Printing and the press had a parallel effect on the fin-de-siecle Ottoman public sphere. Newspapers of the Sublime Porte utilized defeats against Russia to juxtapose – if not depose – the Sultan’s cult as the sole symbol of unity with a nationalist one. “Wartime Propaganda and the Legacies of Defeat” is a comparative study of the two major newspapers – Golos and Basiret – during this period. I examine the major commonalities between these papers: such as perceived images of the enemy, the war’s aims and purposes, as well as the behavior of the troops portrayed by the war correspondents. My primary purpose is to shed light on the Turkish popular press, which weighed in on the issues of nationalism, defeat and political campaigning just as its Russian counterparts did. Ultimately, this article argues that the emergence of a critically debating public sphere in Russia and Turkey demonstrates how both empires experienced modernity in the sense that most Europeans understood it.
PCBs in Older Buildings: Measuring PCB Levels in Caulk and Window Glazing Materials in Older Buildings

A method for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in caulk and glazing materials was developed and evaluated by application to a combination of 36 samples of caulk and glazing materials, from four schools in the northeastern area of the United States. Quality control analysis showed a range of 45 to 170% for spike recovery from the various samples and a range of 10.9 to 20.1% difference in precision among replicates. The result for the samples analyzed showed that three of the four schools sampled contained caulking and glazing materials with levels of PCBs >50 μg/g (range 54.6 μg/g to 445,000 μg/g). Across the four schools, 24% of collected caulk and glazing samples contained elevated PCB levels relative to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) bulk product waste criterion of 50 μg/g under “The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act.” The PCBs determined in the samples, exhibited characteristic chromatographic patterns similar to those of Aroclors 1242, 1248, 1254, 1260, 1262, and a 1016/1254 mix.
Analysis of Inflammatory Cytokines in Postoperative Fontan Pleural Drainage

Prolonged pleural drainage is a common complication in patients after Fontan palliation and is associated with short- and long- term morbidities. Among many potential etiologies, prolonged drainage has an inflammatory component, but there are no descriptions of cytokines in Fontan pleural drainage to date. This study aimed to examine the inflammatory make-up of Fontan pleural drainage. This prospective age-range-matched cohort study recruited 25 patients undergoing Fontan procedure and 15 bi-ventricular patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Chest tube samples were taken on postoperative day (POD) 1–4, 7, and 10. Cytokines were measured using Bio-Plex Assays. Univariate comparisons were made in patient characteristics and cytokine levels. Median age was 3.7 y (IQR 2.8–3.9) for controls and 2.5 y (IQR 2.1–2.9) in Fontan patients (p = 0.02). Median drainage duration and daily volume was higher in Fontan patients (both p < 0.001). Inflammatory cytokines (IL-17A, IFN-y, MIP-1β, and TNF-α) were higher in Fontan patients than controls (all p < 0.02). There was an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-8, MIP-1β, and TNF-α) from POD1 to the last chest tube day (LCD) in Fontan patients (all p < 0.0001) and a decrease in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (p = 0.001). There was no difference in cytokine concentration from POD1 to LCD among controls. There was a significant association with the cytokine concentration of TNF-α on POD1 and duration of chest tube drainage (p < 0.05). Inflammatory cytokine levels in the pleural fluid of Fontan patients are higher compared to bi-ventricular controls and rise over time where controls do not. This suggests ongoing localized inflammation that is not a result of CPB alone and may be an important contributor to pleural drainage in patients after the Fontan procedure.
Food subsidies of raccoons (Procyon lotor) in anthropogenic landscapes

Food subsidies from human sources are often exploited by free-ranging vertebrates living in human-dominated landscapes. To explore the importance and attempt to estimate the reliance of raccoons (P...
Comparing Diagnosis of Fetal Growth Restriction and the Potential Impact on Management and Outcomes Using Different Growth Curves.

Objectives The diagnosis of fetal growth restriction (FGR) is managed with close fetal surveillance and often requires iatrogenic delivery, as there is an associated increased risk of fetal demise. However, there is no standard reference for fetal growth. We sought to compare the intrauterine growth curve of Hadlock et al (Radiology 1991; 181:129-133) to other known growth curves to determine which one best identifies fetuses at risk without overburdening the patient and health care system with unnecessary intervention. Methods We retrospectively reviewed charts of singleton euploid pregnancies with a diagnosis of FGR (per Hadlock) at a tertiary care center from June 2014 to May 2015. We applied the estimated fetal weights from ultrasound at diagnosis of FGR to 4 population-based growth curves by Brenner et al (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1976; 126:555-564), Williams et al (Obstet Gynecol 1982; 59:624-632), Alexander et al (Obstet Gynecol 1996; 87:163-168), and Duryea et al (Obstet Gynecol 2014; 124:16-22) and reassessed the incidence of FGR using each curve. We reviewed pregnancy demographics, risk factors, pregnancy management, and outcomes of FGR cohorts on each curve to evaluate whether poor outcomes may be missed or interventions may be avoided using the population-based curves. A sensitivity analysis was also done to see how well each curve predicted small-for-gestational-age birth weights. Results Applying any of the population-based growth curves decreased the number of FGR diagnoses, iatrogenic deliveries, and primary cesarean deliveries. Brenner's growth curve identified the least number of FGR diagnoses at 22 of the 107 identified by Hadlock. Williams' growth curve performed best in the sensitivity analysis with sensitivity of 99% and specificity of 97%. A small number of patients with absent/reversed end-diastolic flow would have been missed by applying the population curves. Conclusions Applying the population-based growth curves instead of Hadlock's for diagnosis of FGR decreases its incidence, therefore decreasing the number of visits for ultrasound and fetal surveillance and the number of iatrogenic deliveries. However, using these curves could miss a few fetuses with increased risk of fetal demise.
Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions for Improving Activity Outcomes After Stroke: A Narrative Review of the Literature:

AbstractThe use of cognitive-behavioral interventions for the remediation of motor impairments is receiving increasing scientific attention. Previous investigators have established that interventio...
Study on the Influence of Different Locations of Land and Sea on Geomagnetic Induced Current Based on Finite Element Method

It is of great significance to study the factors affecting the geomagnetically induced current (GIC) for evaluating the influence of geomagnetic storms on the stable operation of power system. The magnitude of the GIC is related to many factors, among which the location of land and sea is very important. In order to study the influence of different locations of land and sea on GIC, nine different locations of land and sea are established on the basis of Quebec layered earth model. The distribution of GIC in different locations of land and sea is calculated based on Finite Element Method. Besides, the potential difference between two points at the same location is compared, the effect of different locations of land and sea locations on GIC is obtained. This can provide theoretical support for explaining the impact of different locations of land and sea on GIC, and also provides reference for evaluating the impact of geomagnetic storms on grid operation.
Transcatheter versus surgical aortic valve replacement in patients with end stage renal disease

OBJECTIVE To assess contemporary national trends of comorbidities, outcomes, and health care resource utilization in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement (TAVR and SAVR). METHODS AND RESULTS The National-Inpatient-Sample was used to study trends in patients with AS and ESRD undergoing TAVR and SAVR between January 2012 and December 2017. Of 12,550 patients, 5,735 underwent TAVR and 6,815 underwent SAVR. Over the years, the utilization of SAVR declined (from 82.0 to 37.7%); and increased for TAVR (from 18.0 to 62.3%; p < .001). Patients receiving TAVR were older (74.6 [9.1] vs. 66.8 years [9.1]), had a higher proportion of females (37.1 vs. 32.5%), Caucasians (68.7 vs. 60.9%) and Asian /Pacific Islanders (3.1 vs. 2.7%; p < .001 for all). The TAVR patients, despite having higher comorbidity burden (anemia, coronary artery disease, chronic pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease) had lower inpatient mortality and complications (ST-elevation myocardial infarction, pneumonia, pneumothorax, pulmonary embolism, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, and need for mechanical ventilators and vasopressors). The median length of stay (13.9-6.5 days; p < .001) and cost of stay ($311,538.16 to $255,693.40; p < .001) reduced with TAVR; but remained unchanged with SAVR. Higher proportion of patients was discharged home after TAVR vs. SAVR. CONCLUSION Among patients with AS and ESRD, despite providing therapy to subjects with higher comorbidity burden, TAVR was associated with lower inpatient mortality, complications, length of stay, cost of care, and higher home disposition rates when compared with SAVR.
Integrating Deep Learning and Explicit MPC for Advanced Process Control

For highly nonlinear systems, using deep learning models to capture complex dynamics is a promising feature for advanced control applications. Recently it has been shown that a particular class of deep learning models can be exactly recast in a mixed-integer linear programming formulation. Recasting a deep learning model as a set of piecewise linear functions enables the incorporation of advanced predictive models in model-based control strategies such as model predictive control. To alleviate the computational burden of solving the piecewise linear optimization problem online, multiparametric programming is utilized to obtain the full, offline, explicit solution of the optimal control problem. In this work, a strategy is presented for the integration of deep learning models, specifically neural networks with rectified linear units, and explicit model predictive control. The proposed strategy is demonstrated on the advanced control of a benchmark chemical process involving multiple reactors, a flash separator, and a recycle stream. The positive results showcase the relevance and strength of the proposed methodology.