cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increasing power: multivariate analysis of metabolic networks reveals novel atherosclerosis loci.

Many of the phenotypic risk markers that are known, or suspected, to be involved in disease are interrelated. Given that many genes have pleiotropic effects, where the genetic variant is associated with multiple outcome variables, it is likely that multiple related phenotypes have a common genetic basis. At present, majority of genome-wide association studies analyze the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on individual phenotypes in univariate analyses. Where multiple phenotypes are examined, applying a traditional Bonferroni correction for multiple testing may be overly stringent, and does not take into account the common genetic origin of the correlated phenotypes. Inouye et al hypothesized that by analyzing multiple related phenotypes together in a multivariate genetic analysis, rather than individually in a typical univariate analysis, they would have increased power to detect genetic associations with disease-related phenotypes. The discovery effort focused on 2 separate population-based cohorts from Finland with genome-wide SNP genotypes, and extensive serum metabolite profiles. Using data from 6,600 individuals, the authors first identified 11 metabolic networks from the 130 metabolites profiled. This metabolic panel included metabolites …
Confucian Ethics and Labor Rights

In this article I inquire into Confucian ethics from a non-ideal stance investigating the complex interaction between Confucian ideals and the reality of the modem workplace. I contend that even Confucian workers who regularly engage in social rites at the workplace have an internal, Confucian reason to appreciate the value of rights at the workplace. I explain, from a Confucian non-ideal perspective, why I disagree with the presumptuous idea that labor (or workplace) rights are necessarily incompatible with Confucian ideals and values. Specifically, I argue that if managers were "sages," the highest moral exemplars and authorities in the Confucian tradition, they would perceive that social rituals alone are often not a contextually intelligent and valued response for the development of intimate communities in the modem workplace. The sage perspective will lead Confucian managers to realize, from their own moral perspective, that they have good reason to balance rites with rights, so long as the adoption is extrinsically valuable and consistent with the Confucian ideal. This article contributes to the debates about Confucianism's compatibility with rights, helps Western human rights scholars better contextualize their arguments in Confucianism-influenced cultures, and contributes to the development of a Confucian or Chinese approach to business ethics
Endocarditis Due to Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background Endocarditis due to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) is rare, and the literature consists almost exclusively of reports of single cases. Methods We report a case of VRE prosthetic valve endocarditis and review 18 cases of native and prosthetic valve VRE endocarditis reported in the literature. Results The majority of cases were due to Enterococcus faecium. Nearly all of these infections were hospital acquired, and the vast majority of patients had significant underlying disease processes, including dialysis and transplantation. More than three-quarters of cases were left-sided, and the aortic valve was most commonly involved. Peripheral stigmata of endocarditis were not reported in any of the cases. Approximately 40% of patients developed cardiac complications. Nearly three-quarters of patients survived, despite the difficulties associated with providing bactericidal antimicrobial therapy, and only 4 patients underwent valve replacement. Conclusions VRE endocarditis is an uncommon nosocomial infection that affects patients with significant comorbid conditions. Most cases are due to E. faecium, and the aortic valve is involved in at least one-half of cases. One-third of patients require surgical treatment. Optimal antimicrobial therapy remains undefined, but an attempt to identify bactericidal combination therapy should be sought.
The energetic cost of locomotion: humans and primates compared to generalized endotherms.

Abstract A wide range of selective pressures have been advanced as possible causes for the adoption of bipedalism in the hominin lineage. One suggestion has been that because modern human walking is relatively efficient compared to that of a typical quadruped, the ancestral quadruped may have reaped an energetic advantage when it walked on two legs. While it has become clear that human walking is relatively efficient and human running inefficient compared to “generalized endotherms”, workers differ in their opinion of how the cost of human bipedal locomotion compares to that of a generalized primate walking quadrupedally. One view is that human walking is particularly efficient in comparison to other primates. The present study addresses this by comparing the cost of human walking and running to that of the eight primate species for which data are available and by comparing cost in primates to that of a “generalized endotherm”. There is no evidence that primate locomotion is more costly than that of a generalized endotherm, although more data on adult Old World monkeys and apes would be useful. Further, human locomotion does not appear to be particularly efficient relative to that of other primates.
Adipose tissue insulin resistance in adolescents with and without type 2 diabetes

Summary What is already known about this subject Type 2 diabetes is increasing in youth, but little is known about the underlying pathophysiology. Elevated fasting free fatty acids and failure of insulin to suppress lipolysis are well described in adults. Small studies suggest that obese youth with and without type 2 diabetes have impaired suppression of lipolysis, but there are little data on associated factors. What this study adds Assessment of insulin suppression of lipolysis in a larger cohort of adolescents using hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp technique at higher insulin doses than have been previously reported. Novel finding that some obese youth with and without type 2 diabetes have impaired suppression of lipolysis even at very high doses of insulin. Factors associated with impaired insulin suppression of lipolysis include high triglycerides, high alanine aminotransferase and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Background The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is increasing in youth, yet little is known about the underlying pathophysiology. Decreased insulin suppression of lipolysis and elevated non-esterified free fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations are known to be associated with insulin resistance and T2D in adults, but less is known about the relationship in adolescents. Objectives This study aimed to assess adipose tissue insulin resistance (IR; insulin suppression of lipolysis) and its metabolic correlates in lean, obese and T2D adolescents. Methods Forty-seven lean, obese and T2D youth underwent hyperinsulinaemic (80 mU*m−2*min−1) euglycaemic clamps. NEFAs were measured at baseline and during steady state. Insulin-mediated suppression of lipolysis (%NEFA suppression from baseline) was calculated, and metabolic risk factors were assessed by %NEFA suppression tertile. Results There was expected variability in %NEFA suppression within obese and T2D youth, but a subset had significantly reduced suppression of lipolysis. NEFA suppression tertile was significantly inversely associated with fasting triglycerides (P = 0.0001), log alanine aminotransferase (ALT; P = 0.02) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.0002). Conclusions Marked adipose tissue IR occurs in some obese and T2D adolescents, which may result in release of triglycerides into the circulation and liver deposition of fatty acids, as evidenced by higher ALT in poor NEFA suppressors.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Regulates Human MicroRNAs by Using Mechanisms Involving Beta Interferon and NF-κB

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common viral cause of severe lower respiratory tract illness in infants and children. The virus replicates in polarized epithelial cells in the airway and, to a lesser extent, infects airway antigen- presenting cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs). RSV possesses a number of expressed genes that antagonize the effect of type I in- terferons and other related host factor pathways that inhibit replication efficiency. Virus infection alters host gene transcription and the translation of host transcripts through specific antagonism of the function of host proteins, through induction of RNA stress granules, and through induction of altered patterns of host gene expression. In healthy cells, microRNAs (miRNAs) regu- late gene expression by targeting the noncoding region of mRNA molecules to cause silencing or degradation of transcripts. It is not known whether or not RSV infection alters the level of microRNAs in cells. We profiled the pattern of expression of host cell microRNAs in RSV-infected epithelial cells or DCs and found that RSV did alter microRNA expression but in a cell-type-specific manner. The studies showed that let-7b was upregulated in DCs, while let-7i and miR-30b were upregulated in epithelial cells in a process that required viral replication. Interestingly, we found that the RSV nonstructural genes NS1 and NS2 antagonized the upregulation of let-7i and miR-30b. RSV appears to manipulate host cell gene expression through regulation of expression of miRNAs related to the interferon response. The data suggest a new mechanism of virus-host cell interactions for paramyxovi- ruses. IMPORTANCE Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of serious lower respiratory tract illness in infants and children. The human innate immune response inhibits RSV replication early after inoculation, principally through the effect of substances called interferons. The virus, however, has developed several mechanisms for counteracting the host innate immune response. It is not known whether or not RSV infection alters the expression of host microRNAs, which are short RNA sequences that are posttranscriptional regulators. This paper shows that RSV does induce unique patterns of microRNA expression related to the NF-B pathway or interferon pathways. The microRNA profiles differed depending on the cell type that was infected, air- way cell or antigen-presenting cell. Interestingly, the virus appears to counteract the microRNA response by expressing non- structural viral genes in the cell that reduce microRNA induction. The data suggest a new way in which paramyxoviruses regu- late the host cell response to infection.
Locomotor sensitization to EtOH: contribution of β-Endorphin

Alcohol use disorders, like all drug addictions, involve a constellation of adaptive changes throughout the brain. Neural activity underlying changes in the rewarding properties of alcohol reflect changes in dopamine transmission in mesolimbic and nigrostriatal pathways and these effects are modulated by endogenous opioids such as β-Endorphin. In order to study the role of β-Endorphin in the development of locomotor sensitization to repeated EtOH exposure, we tested transgenic mice that vary in their capacity to synthesize this peptide as a result of constitutive modification of the Pomc gene. Our results indicate that mice deficient in β-Endorphin show attenuated locomotor activation following an acute injection of EtOH (2.0 g/kg) and, in contrast to wildtype mice, fail to demonstrate locomotor sensitization after 12 days of repeated EtOH injections. These data support the idea that β-Endorphin modulates the locomotor effects of EtOH and contributes to the neuroadaptive changes associated with chronic use.
Comprehensive School Reform and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis reviews research on the achievement effects of comprehensive school reform (CSR) and summarizes the specific effects of 29 widely implemented models. There are limitations on the overall quantity and quality of the research base, but the overall effects of CSR appear promising. The combined quantity, quality, and statistical significance of evidence from three models, in particular, set them apart. Whether evaluations are conducted by developers or by third-party evaluators and whether evaluators use one-group pre-post designs or control groups are important factors for understanding differences in CSR effects. Schools that implemented CSR models for 5 years or more showed particularly strong effects, and the benefits were consistent across schools of varying poverty levels. A long-term commitment to research-proven educational reform is needed to establish a strong marketplace of scientifically based CSR models.
Mechanics on Duty: The Limitations of a Technical Definition of Moral Expertise for Work in Applied Ethics

(1982). Mechanics on Duty: The Limitations of a Technical Definition of Moral Expertise for Work in Applied Ethics. Canadian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 12, Supplementary Volume 8: New Essays in Ethics and Public Policy, pp. 1-18.
Democracy in Justice Kennedy's America: Reading Obergefell with Tocqueville

AbstractJustice Anthony Kennedy cites Alexis de Tocqueville in support of the majority opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges. But Kennedy's citation leaves much out of Tocqueville's original text. Looking at what Kennedy erases in his quotation of Tocqueville indicates some of the broader cultural and historic erasures that are present in the Obergefell decision (and in the Supreme Court's latter-day treatment of marriage and the family in general). Standing Obergefell next to Tocqueville yields suggestive possibilities for evaluating the evolution of recent Supreme Court jurisprudence—and recent American political thought, more generally speaking—on questions of marriage and family. Specifically, reading Obergefell with Tocqueville reveals the intellectual and political weakness of the contemporary Supreme Court.
A Propensity Scoring Approach to Characterizing the Effects of Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy on Offspring’s Initial Responses to Cigarettes and Alcohol

When examining the effects of prenatal exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) on later offspring substance use, it is critical to consider familial environments confounded with MSDP. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of MSDP on offspring’s initial reactions to cigarettes and alcohol, which are indicators of future substance-use related problems. We tested these effects using two propensity score approaches (1) by controlling for confounding using the MSDP propensity score and (2) examining effects of MSDP across the MSDP risk distribution by grouping individuals into quantiles based on their MSDP propensity score. This study used data from 829 unrelated mothers with a reported lifetime history of smoking to determine the propensity for smoking only during their first trimester (MSDP-E) or throughout their entire pregnancy (MSDP-T). Propensity score analyses focused on the offspring (N = 1616 female twins) of a large subset of these mothers. We examined the effects of levels of MSDP-E/T on offspring initial reactions to their first experiences with alcohol and cigarettes, across the distribution of liability for MSDP-E/T. MSDP-E/T emerged as significant predictors of offspring reactions to alcohol and cigarettes, but the effects were confounded by the familial liability for MSDP. Further, the unique MSDP effects that emerged were not uniform across the MSDP familial risk distribution. Our findings underscore the importance of properly accounting for correlated familial risk factors when examining the effects of MSDP on substance related outcomes.
Electrochemical model of all vanadium redox flow battery and its charge/discharge analysis

With various advantages,all vanadium redox flow battery is a promising technology in power system.However,the simulation model of vanadium redox battery has not yet been united.Based on the electrochemical principal,the voltage function with the initial ion concentrations and the state of charge as parameters was deduced.The proposed model was then verified by comparing the simulations results with measured data taking from three different actual systems.Moreover,simulations of the constant power charging and constant current charging methods were taking out and their efficiencies were analyzed.
Application of Infrared Thermography to the Testing of Building Energy Conservation

The infrared thermography was used to estimate the thermodynamic disfigurement in this article.The experiment shows that infrared spectra can correctly provide the temperature distribution of the structural surface,which helps solve the problem of the judgement of the thermodynamic disfigurement.At the same time,under the premise of undestroying the envelope structure,from the surface temperature and the area of the thermal detection we can determine whether the thermodynamic disfigurement of the energy-saving building exist or not.This new method provides a highly efficient and accurate means of detection,which will conduce to the comprehensive testing of the energy conservation.
Endonucleolytic cleavages by RNase E generate the mature 3′ termini of the three proline tRNAs in Escherichia coli

We demonstrate here for the first time that proline tRNA 3' end maturation in Escherichia coli employs a one-step endonucleolytic pathway that does not involve any of the six 3' → 5' exonucleases (RNase T, RNase PH, RNase D, RNase BN, RNase II and polynucleotide phosphorylase [PNPase]) to generate the mature CCA terminus. Rather, RNase E is primarily responsible for the endonucleolytic removal of the entire Rho-independent transcription terminator associated with the proK, proL and proM primary transcripts by cleaving immediately downstream of the CCA determinant. In the absence of RNase E, RNase G and RNase Z are weakly able to process the proK and proM transcripts, while PNPase and RNase P are utilized in the processing of proL The terminator fragment derived from the endonucleolytic cleavage of proL transcript is degraded through a PNPase-dependent pathway. It is not clear which enzymes degrade the proK and proM terminator fragments. Our data also suggest that the mature 5' nucleotide of the proline tRNAs may be responsible for the cleavage specificity of RNase E at the 3' terminus.
Foundations and Background

Chapter 2 covers the foundations and background that are needed to study operating systems. These include computer hardware system, CPU operations, memory models, virtual address and physical address, major functions of operating systems, program development steps, dynamic and static linking, program execution and termination, function calls and stack usage, linking C programs with assembly code, linear to block address conversion algorithm and EXT2 file system. It also explains the login process and command execution in a typical operating system.
Communication, Organization, and Crisis

Communication is increasingly recognized as an important process in organizational crisis and crisis management. The Three Mile Island incident, the Bhopal Union Carbide accident, the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill can all be described as specific, unexpected, and nonroutine events or series of events that created high levels of uncertainty and threat or perceived threat to an organization’s high-priority goals. Crises disrupt employees and communities, damage corporate reputations, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Crises also serve as the impetus for investigations and organizational change. This review organizes a dynamic and growing body of communication and organizational literature dealing with crisis, including various developmental approaches used to describe crisis, decision making, public relations, rhetorical approaches, organizational legitimacy, and methodologies for crisis communication research. Research themes and new directions are identifie...
Using Virtual Shopping to Gain a Better Understanding of Consumer Purchase Decisions

The retail shopping environment is highly complex, providing numerous visual and aural cues to aid shoppers in making purchase decisions. Attempting to understand the individual stimulae that drive the purchase decisions is a frustrating task for researchers. The use of choice modeling has helped separate out some of the choice elements and determine their relative importance. However, this approach has some inherent flaws, in that the many cues found in the shopping experience is not reflected in the choice modeling task presented to respondents.
Conceptualizing Spirituality and Religion for Mental Health Practice: Perspectives of Consumers With Serious Mental Illness

Studies show that a high percentage of people with serious mental illness (SMI) draw upon spirituality and religion, resulting in a call for practitioners to incorporate these as part of recovery-related services. A challenge is that there are differing definitions of spirituality and religion presented in the literature which could lead to confusion in practice settings. A qualitative study was conducted with 18 participants with SMI. Findings reveal that there are important nuances, and much overlap, related to how people with psychiatric disabilities define and conceptualize spirituality and religion. Three major conceptualizations of spirituality and religion are presented. Insights from this study are relevant to practitioners interested in incorporating spirituality as part of recovery-oriented practice.
Neurologic manifestations of major electrolyte abnormalities

The brain operates in an extraordinarily intricate environment which demands precise regulation of electrolytes. Tight control over their concentrations and gradients across cellular compartments is essential and when these relationships are disturbed neurologic manifestations may develop. Perturbations of sodium are the electrolyte disturbances that most often lead to neurologic manifestations. Alterations in extracellular fluid sodium concentrations produce water shifts that lead to brain swelling or shrinkage. If marked or rapid they can result in profound changes in brain function which are proportional to the degree of cerebral edema or contraction. Adaptive mechanisms quickly respond to changes in cell size by either increasing or decreasing intracellular osmoles in order to restore size to normal. Unless cerebral edema has been severe or prolonged, correction of sodium disturbances usually restores function to normal. If the rate of correction is too rapid or overcorrection occurs, however, new neurologic manifestations may appear as a result of osmotic demyelination syndrome. Disturbances of magnesium, phosphate and calcium all may contribute to alterations in sensorium. Hypomagnesemia and hypocalcemia can lead to weakness, muscle spasms, and tetany; the weakness from hypophosphatemia and hypomagnesemia can impair respiratory function. Seizures can be seen in cases with very low concentrations of sodium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphate.
Dust Mite Tablet Immunotherapy: How Does It Compare and Where Does It Fit?

House dust mite (HDM) sensitization plays a major role in allergic rhinitis and asthma worldwide. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in its various formulations has been increasingly utilized for the treatment of these conditions in the past several years. HDM-SLIT tablets have been recently introduced with three formulations currently under investigation. SLIT tablets offer the advantage of a more standardized dose than liquid SLIT products. Several studies suggest that HDM-SLIT tablets may be safe and effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma in adults, though further investigations will be necessary to fully establish their use in adults and especially in children. The use of HDM-SLIT tablets appears to be very promising and can usher in a new era to potentially stop the “allergic march” from HDM sensitization in early life to the development of asthma.
Abstract 007: Titration From Low/moderate to High Intensity Statins Following Myocardial Infarction Among Patients With Diabetes

Background: High intensity statins have been shown to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events after a myocardial infarction (MI). Recent studies report that most people with diabetes who experience a coronary heart disease event are already taking a statin, but little is known about the percentage who are titrated to a high intensity statin following hospital discharge for a MI. Methods: We compared the percentage of patients with versus without diabetes who titrated from a low/moderate to a high intensity statin within 30 days following hospital discharge for MI in 2014. The analyses included 3,629 patients with diabetes and 3,502 patients without diabetes. All patients were 66 to 74 years of age, had government insurance through Medicare, and filled a low/moderate intensity statin without any high intensity statin fills within 365 days prior to having a MI. Also, all patients filled a statin within 30 days following hospital discharge. Statin fills were identified through pharmacy claims; high intensity statins included atorvastatin 40 or 80 mg and rosuvastatin 20 or 40 mg. Results: Titration from low/moderate to high intensity statins following hospital discharge for MI occurred among 37.7% and 43.7% of beneficiaries with and without diabetes, respectively. After adjustment for demographics, low socioeconomic status and comorbidities, having diabetes was not associated with titrating to a high intensity statin following hospital discharge (risk ratio [RR]: 1.03; 95% CI 0.96-1.10). Among those with diabetes, African Americans compared with whites (RR 1.16; 95% CI 1.02-1.32) and men compared with women (RR 1.14; 95% CI 1.05-1.25) were more likely to titrate from a low/moderate statin to a high intensity statin. Also, titration to a high intensity statin was less common among those with a history of heart failure (RR 0.79; 95% CI 0.69-0.90), those who had seen a cardiologist in the year prior to their MI (RR 0.90; 0.81-1.00), and those who had filled a non-statin lipid-lowering medication within 30 days following hospital discharge (RR 0.50; 95% CI 0.38-0.64). Titration to a high intensity statin was more common among those with diabetes filling a beta blocker (RR 1.15; 95% CI 1.02-1.28) or antiplatelet agent (RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.04-1.24) and attending cardiac rehabilitation (RR 1.22; 95% CI 1.09-1.36) within 30 days following hospital discharge. Only 9.0% of patients with diabetes whose first statin fill following hospital discharge was for a low/moderate-intensity dose filled a high intensity statin within the next 6 months. Conclusions: Most patients with diabetes do not titrate to a high intensity statin following hospital discharge for MI, potentially leaving substantial residual risk for recurrent MI. Further research into the under treatment of patients with diabetes is needed.
Insight for Mindfulness Learning and Practice

There is much misunderstanding concerning learning and practicing mindfulness meditation. This chapter points out several common misunderstandings regarding mindfulness, and aims to provide readers with insight on how to learn and practice mindfulness efficiently. There are many ways of learning, but in general there are two types of learning strategies: implicit learning and explicit learning. Most people only believe and apply explicit learning to mindfulness meditation, but ignore implicit learning, which is also an effective method of skill acquisition. Based on many years of IBMT practice and teaching experience, this chapter proposes a novel and efficient way to learn and practice mindfulness both implicitly and explicitly.
Chinese Female Students in the United States, 1880s–1990s

In 1881, the first recorded Chinese female students arrived in the United States. Since then, the trickle of Chinese female students into the United States has continued. Although their increasing visibility over the years has attracted some scholars’ attention, a number of fundamental issues concerning their socioeconomic backgrounds in China, their experiences in the United States, and their contributions to the Chinese American history still remain unexplored. A comprehensive and systematic study of Chinese female students is therefore needed. This chapter is a step toward providing such a comprehensive work on Chinese female students in the United States. It examines the impact of the U.S. immigration policies on Chinese female students in the United States from the late nineteenth century to the 1990s by studying both Chinese official policies on study abroad and the evolution of American immigration regulations. It also examines the various aspects of Chinese female students, including their cultural, socioeconomic background in China, and their academic, political, and social lives in the United States. The sources of the work are drawn primarily from archival documents, immigration records, government records, census statistics, contemporary newspapers in both English and Chinese, oral history interviews, surveys, and secondary works.
The power of absolute discounting: all-dimensional distribution estimation

Categorical models are a natural fit for many problems. When learning the distribution of categories from samples, high-dimensionality may dilute the data. Minimax optimality is too pessimistic to remedy this issue. A serendipitously discovered estimator, absolute discounting, corrects empirical frequencies by subtracting a constant from observed categories, which it then redistributes among the unobserved. It outperforms classical estimators empirically, and has been used extensively in natural language modeling. In this paper, we rigorously explain the prowess of this estimator using less pessimistic notions. We show that (1) absolute discounting recovers classical minimax KL-risk rates, (2) it is \emph{adaptive} to an effective dimension rather than the true dimension, (3) it is strongly related to the Good-Turing estimator and inherits its \emph{competitive} properties. We use power-law distributions as the cornerstone of these results. We validate the theory via synthetic data and an application to the Global Terrorism Database.
Biomechanical Principles of Spine Stabilization

Understanding the fundamentals of spine biomechanics, both physiological and pathological, is imperative to making appropriate surgical decisions when attempting to stabilize the spine. In this chapter, the basic principles of various subjects, such as spinal anatomy, pathology, fusion, and constructs, are briefly reviewed. There is a specific focus on how these principles affect the thought process evoked when making surgical decisions and how certain techniques should be properly utilized to minimize poor outcomes. A poor understanding of how the spine would respond to each different intervention and treatment could ultimately lead to inadequate patient care.
American penology: Words, deeds, and consequences

A primary argument underlying this paper is that it is possible to capture a particular theory or conceptual rationale in the development of a penal program strategy. Further, it is possible to implement the program in a way that corresponds to both the program strategy and theory and then to evaluate the program to determine the adequacy of both the program strategy and the theory upon which it is based. The history of U.S. penal reform does not illustrate this potential, however. Rather, U.S. penal reforms have been implemented without evaluation and have resulted in a pattern of unintended consequences, most notably increased social control and an associated undermining of democratic rights and individual freedoms, without any corresponding decline in crime. These trends and outcomes are documented in order to draw penal program and evaluation policy implications for the U.S. and their ever expanding penal complex and the Czech Republic in their ongoing efforts to implement a penal system consistent with their newly emerging democratic society.
Random Variables and Their Distribution

The purpose of performing experiments and collecting data is to gain information on certain quantities of interest called random variables. The exact value of these quantities cannot be known with absolute precision, but rather we can constrain the variable to a given range of values, narrower or wider according to the nature of the variable itself and the type of experiment performed. Random variables are described by a distribution function, which is the theoretical expectation for the outcome of experiments aimed to measure it. Other measures of the random variable are the mean, variance, and higher-order moments.
Synchronicity Assessment Using a Non-parametric Dynamic Dissimilarity Measure

In this paper, we introduce a non-parametric dynamic dissimilarity measure (DDM) of synchronicity based on recurrence plots, which is particularly suited to use in small samples. The measure attempts to capture the dissimilarity of the topology of the dynamics of time series, based on an epoch analysis of the cumulative sums of data series. The measure is applied to US State macroeconomic data and is used to assess how synchronous US State business cycle variables are with US aggregates.
Signatures of Life

In this chapter we will elaborate on how evidence for life on other worlds can be sought, and if present, possibly detected. The best evidence for extraterrestrial life, of course, would be recovery of actual specimens or their fossils. For the next one or two decades, the possibility of obtaining such direct evidence is almost surely restricted to samples from Mars and Venus, and possibly from some moons of the outer Solar System such as Europa and Enceladus. So detection of life beyond our nearest neighbors will be dependent for the near future on remote sensing. As technology of robotic exploration and remote sensing improves, the possibility of detecting extraterrestrial life will grow. While the size of individual organisms makes their detection at a distance virtually impossible, organisms in the aggregate alter their environments, generating signatures of their functional processes. These direct consequences of biological activity are referred to as “biosignatures”. Other effects of the presence of living systems may be detected in global or geological features. These alterations of the geological environment due to life processes, we call “geosignatures”. Even on worlds too remote, small, or difficult for whatever reason to monitor for the existence of explicit signatures of life, certain planetary characteristics can be detected that are more likely to be consistent with the presence of life than others. These we refer to as “geoindicators.” They consist of parameters that are consistent with life as defined in Chap. 2, and the requirements for life as described in subsequent chapters, including a flow or gradient of energy, presence of an appropriate solvent, and availability of complex polymeric chemistry. While geoindicators point to the potential for supporting life, they do not confirm its existence. Most geoindicators can be detected by remote sensing methods with relative ease, however, and thus can be used in assessing the plausibility of the existence of life. At the end of the chapter, we apply our discussion of signatures and indicators of life to assess the relative plausibility for the existence of life on other bodies in our Solar System. How to detect and confirm living processes with life detection experiments will be discussed in Chap. 10.
Electrochemical Detection of N G -Hydroxy-L-Arginine

NG-hydroxy-L-arginine (NOHA) is a stable intermediate product in the consumption of L-arginine in the urea cycle by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to produce nitric oxide (NO) and L-citrulline. Research has shown that the urea cycle is disrupted in various diseases. As one of the few electrochemically active species in the urea cycle, NOHA shows promise as a marker for detection of various diseases. Electrochemical detection is an established, cost-effective method that is able to successfully detect low levels of analyte concentrations. NOHA, to the best of our knowledge, has not been electrochemically detected previously. Using cyclic voltammetry with a glassy carbon electrode, we have found that NOHA has an oxidation peak at 355 mV with a sensitivity of 5.4 nA/μM. We also investigated detecting NOHA with differential pulse voltammetry, which shows similar sensitivity and oxidation peaks. While there is significant work ahead to understand the kinetics of NOHA detection, the results here represent the first steps in making a NOHA biosensor.
“Je n’ai point ambitionnée d’être neuf”: Modern Geometry in Early Nineteenth-Century French Textbooks

This article aims to show how early nineteenth-century French geometry textbooks incorporated concepts from modern geometry. As will be shown, textbook authors in this time period rarely incorporated new developments from research mathematics into their teaching material. Modern geometry could only enter textbooks when authors had opportunities to learn new research and were willing to challenge the increasingly prescribed state geometry curriculum. Finally, and most importantly, the types of modern geometry that entered textbooks had to have perceived value for a student audience. A systematic study will illustrate how pedagogical values shaped the presentation and integration of modern geometry in ways that persisted through twentieth-century iterations.
Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits Parity

Traditionally mental health and substance abuse disorders have been treated less generously than medical/surgical benefits in employment-provided health plans and health insurance contracts. That c...
Generative computing: African-American cosmetology as a link between computing education and community wealth

ABSTRACTRecent scholarship in computer science (CS) education shifts from a focus on the technical-cognitive skills of computational thinking to the socio-cultural goal of computational participati...
A retrospective analysis of Laos’s Nam Theun 2 Dam

I was appointed in 1997 at the start of the World Bank’s independent International Environmental and Social Panel of Experts for the Nam Theun 2 Dam. I made over 20 visits to Laos to carry out our ...
More than consent for ethical open-label placebo research

Recent studies have explored the effectiveness of open-label placebos (OLPs) for a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, cancer-related fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome. OLPs are thought to sidestep traditional ethical worries about placebos because they do not involve deception: with an OLP, patients or subjects are told outright that they are not given an active substance. As deception is framed as the primary hurdle to ethical placebo use, the door is ostensibly opened to ethical studies of OLPs. In this article, I suggest that even though OLPs seemingly do not involve deception, there are other ethical considerations in their clinical investigation and subsequent use. Research ethics often focusses on informed consent-of which, deception and honesty are a piece-as a means to justify research practices with human subjects. Yet, it is but one of the ethical considerations that should be taken into account. With research into placebo effects in particular, I argue that the history of clinical placebo use grounds special considerations for OLP research that go beyond respect for the autonomy of individual patients through informed consent and encompass structural concerns about the type of patient for whom a placebo has historically been thought appropriate.
Procrastination and Delayed Assignment Submissions: Student and Faculty Perceptions of Late Point Policy and Grace

An exploratory study using a questionnaire was conducted among 597 full-time enrolled online students and 53 full-time online faculty teaching at a private university in the Southwest. Results are presented in frequency tables and participant feedback to compare differences and similarities of instructor and student perceptions of reasons for late assignment submission, late point policy, and leniency. Some differences in perception between student and faculty participants are noted. Further inquiry into the impact late assignment submissions, late point policies and instructor leniency have on student success rates, satisfaction, and persistence is warranted.
PrEP Attitudes from MSM and Transwomen in the Largest Suburban HIV Epidemic in the USA

Long Island has the largest suburban human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in the USA with an estimated 5,730 people living with HIV/AIDS in 2018 (most recent data). While pre-exposure prophlaxis (PrEP) is a promising primary intervention strategy to reduce HIV incidence, the uptake of this biomedical prevention strategy has been very low. Factors such as homophobia, stigma, and discrimination against men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women still exist in the community through provider interactions, and negatively affect the well-being of these populations. The aim of this study was to examine PrEP knowledge, attitudes, and practices among MSM and transgender women on Long Island. Fifteen interviews were conducted with MSM and transgender women; interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an inductive method involving constant comparison. Four main themes emerged from our analysis: (1) participants have high agency in accessing and utilizing HIV-related biomedical prevention services; (2) participants had limited understanding of what PrEP is and what it means to be on PrEP; (3) PrEP-user stigma and costs are the biggest barriers to initiating and remaining on PrEP; and (4) E-health, credible Internet-resources, and technology-based programming are needed to support current and potential PrEP users. This study, the first study of PrEP attitudes in a suburban environment, highlights the need for evidence-based health promotion and sexual health interventions designed for suburban gender and sexual minorities that are evidence-based and go beyond goal setting and improving self-efficacy.
Targeted Discreditation Attack against Trust Management in Connected Vehicles

Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems in the U.S. rely on IEEE 1609.2 security protocols for message authentication using digital signatures. A key requirement for trust management in such systems is the ability to detect misbehaving vehicles, e.g., when vehicles are repeatedly forging signatures. However, this creates a new attack surface where receivers cannot determine whether the causes of signature verification failures are indeed malicious attacks. In this paper, we present our novel, open-source, USRP-based testbed and utilize it to demonstrate how a stealthy reactive jammer can exploit this vulnerability. Our novel, targeted attack is highly efficient (even given the short validity period for vehicle pseudonyms) and difficult to detect. Our experimental results show that our attack can successfully discredit a victim in prominent misbehavior detection schemes with just two minutes of jamming. Finally, we discuss the capabilities and extensibility of our testbed as well as the challenges of potential attack mitigation techniques.
Micro systems for probing cellular forces and cellular mechanical properties

Abstract Mechanical signals are universal in live cells and tissues, and they play a vital role in regulating various physiological and pathological processes. Although conventional tools are able to obtain aggregate forces generated by live cells and obtain mechanical properties of bulk tissues, it is challenging to probe mechanical forces or obtain mechanical properties at the cellular level using conventional tools. This is because of the lack of capability in simultaneous force probing at a large number of sites of interest and providing mechanical mapping with a high spatial resolution. Micro systems and micro/nanotechnologies have provided a powerful toolset to enable cellular mechanotransduction at small scales thanks to their high spatial resolution and high measuring sensitivity. In this chapter, we review the current development of micro systems for cellular force measurements and mechanical profiling in live cells as well as in live tissues. We specifically focus on the sensing principles and configurations of these microsensors. The limitations of current technologies are also discussed. We expect this chapter may provide a useful overview of this field to readers of interest and inspire new sensing mechanisms to fulfill the unmet needs in cellular/tissue force probing and mechanical profiling.
Is the #MeToo Movement for Real? Implications for Juror's Biases in Sexual Assault Cases

For decades the conventional wisdom asserted that law enforcement, the judiciary, and jurors were skeptical of claims of sexual violence and largely unsympathetic to the plight of victims. Many high profile cases highlighted this reality. These include the acquittal of R. Kelly for rape despite some video evidence, the sentencing of Brock Turner to less than a year incarceration for sexual assault of an unconscious woman, and the guilty plea of Jeffrey Epstein to minor charges despite significant evidence of the sex trafficking of minors. This perception of a lack of justice for sexual violence victims is also generally supported by the documented attrition rates of sexual violence cases as they progress through the criminal justice system. Scholars suggest many reasons for this bias against sex crime victims including victim blaming, discrimination, a desire to not want to believe the abuse occurred, stereotypes of the victims, acceptance of the rape myth, or the perceived credibility of the offenders. In October of 2017, a public social movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault emerged on the national level (although it previously existed), entitled the “Me Too Movement.” This movement awakened a revelation in the United States of the prevalence of the sexual harassment and abuse experienced by women. By underscoring the frequency with which women are assaulted, the movement forced a reluctant public to face the breadth of the problem and the trauma experienced by these women. A body of research exists regarding the lack of sympathy of jurors to victims of sexual violence. A new body of research is emerging documenting the effect of the #Me Too Movement on societal perceptions of rape and other forms of sexual violence. This article examines the latter focusing on the effect the movement could have on contemporary societal norms regarding sexual assault. It explores whether these effects may alter previously accepted assumptions regarding jurors, perhaps suggesting a shift not only in public perception, but jury perception of sexual violence. It argues that the Movement has significant potential to ameliorate the attrition problem in sexual assault cases, but not in expected ways. For this positive change to occur, it requires work of prosecutors and judges in these trials rethink evidence and jury selection and incorporate some of the lessons learned.