cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stem cells, environment, and cancer risk

Understanding the causes of cancer is one key part of the battle against this devastating disease. Environmental and genetic factors are commonly used to explain who gets cancer and in which tissues it develops. A study by Tomasetti and Vogelstein in January this year put forth a third factor—the total number of stem cell divisions in a given tissue—which they believe accounts for the majority of cancer risk (1). The underlying concept is that oncogenic changes to DNA can occur randomly, rather than as a result of environmental factors, and a greater number of cell divisions increase the risk of error. Plotting the lifetime risk of cancer in a particular tissue type against the total number of stem cell divisions in that tissue during the average lifetime of a human, they found a correlation of 0.81, and this correlation extended across five orders of magnitude. This led some in the general public to conclude that cancer is due merely to “bad luck”. The study identified cancers that are deterministic (influenced by an environmental component) or replicative (due mainly to random errors and representing the majority of cancers). While deterministic tumors can be prevented by vaccines and lifestyle choices, replicative tumors are best combated through secondary measures such as early detection.
Primary care physicians and the laboratory: now and the future.

Steven Kroft,1 past president of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, challenged the laboratory community at the beginning of 2014 to remember 10 things that we must do to face and thrive in the future. His premise: the landscape in health care is changing dramatically, and the laboratory is right in the middle and must adapt. His list included the following: (10) “Be smart about your human resources.” (9)“Get lean.” (8) “Take charge of test utilization.” (7) “Take up permanent residence in the patient-centered medical home.” (6) “Create true value.” (5) “Locate your inner informatician.” (4) “Get out of the lab.” (3) “Quality is not optional.” (2) “Never, EVER forget who our final customers are.” (1) “Don’t fight the future. Embrace it.” A common theme is that laboratorians (pathologists and nonpathologists) must add value to the health care team by providing high-quality and cost-effective results, optimizing utilization of the clinical laboratory, and being visible to be relevant. Serendipitously, Kroft’s advice directly relates to findings of a survey of primary care physicians (PCPs) published soon thereafter in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine .2 The survey was conducted by a group of individuals affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, named Clinical Laboratory Integration into Healthcare Collaborative, or CLIHC (http://www.cdc.gov/ophss/csels/dlpss/eblm/#CLIHC). As the name implies, CLIHC projects aim at defining problems and devising solutions to improve the role of the clinical laboratory in patient care. For this survey of PCPs, Hickner et al2 sent a questionnaire to almost 32,000 physicians across the country. The goal was to identify PCPs’ challenges and their recommended solutions to diagnostic laboratory test utilization issues as they arise in daily practice. The survey was based on live discussions with PCPs in three focus groups in different cities. It had …
Earthworm toxicogenomics: A renewed genome-wide quest for novel biomarkers and mechanistic insights

As sentinel species, earthworms such as Eisenia spp. and Lumbricus spp. have been considered among the best bioindicators or biomonitors for soil ecosystems owing to their close contact with the environment and essential roles in soil pedogenesis, structure, fertility and the terrestrial food chain. Earthworms have also been used extensively for assessing environmental risk and chemical toxicity in laboratory and field settings. In the past two decades, a comprehensive set of transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and bioinformatic tools have been developed and applied to assess ecological impacts of contaminated soils on earthworms. In this review, we summarize recent progress made in earthworm toxicogenomics, with an emphasis on earthworm toxicotranscriptomics, examine novel biomarkers discovered and mechanistic insights gained through toxicogenomics studies, discuss currently existing technical hurdles to be resolved in order to move ahead, and finally provide some remarks on the future perspectives of this interdisciplinary and promising field.
Carotid bypass for carotid occlusion.

The 2-year risk of ipsilateral ischemic stroke following internal carotid artery occlusion (ICAO) in a patient undergoing maximal medical therapy is 5–8 % per year. While medical therapy may reduce the risk of stroke, it does not completely eliminate it. Since the 1985 extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass study, additional trials have been conducted to further investigate the usefulness of EC-IC bypass surgery in more selected patients with cerebral ischemia and impaired hemodynamic reserve. These important studies will be briefly reviewed in this article, as well as a discussion regarding the utility of bypass surgery for ICAO in current clinical practice. In addition, a short discussion regarding the pathophysiology of carotid occlusion will be presented. We will also highlight our own institutional patient selection criteria based on the latest methods for hemodynamic assessment, as well as our intraoperative flow assisted surgical techniques (FAST), and post-operative patient follow-up.
Abstract 1897: Isothiocyanates and their metabolites in the plasma of mice fed broccoli sprouts isothiocyanate extract, broccoli sprouts, sulforaphane or erucin: A potential role in bladder cancer prevention

Background: Epidemiologic evidence suggests that cruciferous vegetables, particularly broccoli, may reduce bladder cancer risk. Our objectives were to characterize glucosinolates (GLUs) and their metabolites, isothiocyanates (ITCs), found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts, define bioactivity in bladder cancer cell lines in vitro, and to determine absorption and bioavailability in mice. Methods: Broccoli and broccoli sprouts GLUs and ITCs were characterized by HPLC-MS-MS and cyclocondensation assay. In vitro effects of non-hydrolyzed (GLUs) and hydrolyzed broccoli and broccoli sprouts (ITCs), and pure ITCs sulforaphane (SFN), erucin (ECN), iberin and allyl ITC, were studied on normal bladder urothelial cells (NBC) and a panel of human bladder cancer cell lines (BCC), representing the spectrum of bladder cancer biology (RT4: non-invasive; J82 and UMUC3: invasive). Cell viability (MTS and SRB assays), apoptosis (caspase-3/7 activity and PARP cleavage) and cell cycle analysis (flow cytometry) were performed. We defined absorption in control female mice and those fed diet containing 4% freeze-dried broccoli sprouts, or 2% freeze-dried broccoli sprouts extract; or gavaged daily with 295 µmol/kg sulforaphane or 295 µmol/kg erucin; for two weeks (n=16/group). Plasma mercapturic acid pathway metabolites of sulforaphane and erucin were extracted and then quantified by UPLC-MS/MS. Results: We observed significant dose-dependent decreases in cell viability of bladder cancer cell lines by broccoli or broccoli sprouts extracts as well as by pure ITCs. Broccoli sprout ITCs and SFN (IC50 = 2.52 µM) followed by ECN (IC50 = 2.24 µM) were the most potent inhibitors. Normal bladder urothelial cells were less sensitive than cancer cells. SFN and ECN resulted in a dose-dependent induction of apoptosis and modulation of the cell cycle in BCC. Metabolites of sulforaphane and erucin were absent in control mice and present in plasma of all treated groups, with dietary and pure phytochemical treatments, resulting in similar plasma metabolite concentrations (micromolar range). N-acetyl cysteine conjugates were found at highest concentrations, followed by cysteinyl and glutathione conjugates and small amounts of detectable cysteinyl glycine conjugates and free SFN. Evidence of inter-conversion of sulforaphane and erucin was seen. Conclusion: Broccoli extracts and pure ITCs inhibit cell viability, induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in non-invasive and invasive human bladder cancer cell lines. In vivo, dietary and gavaged ITCs are readily absorbed and metabolized to various conjugates. The distribution to bladder cancer xenografts will also be discussed. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1897.
Abstract A126: Risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer by tumor dominance, a surrogate for cell of origin

Ovarian tumors traditionally are thought to arise from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE); however recent studies suggest that some tumors may originate in the distal fallopian tube. Differences in the risk factors for tumors of ovarian versus tubal origin may help to explain inconsistent associations observed across studies for some exposures. To determine cell of origin in cancer resections, it is necessary to conduct detailed sectioning of fallopian tubes and ovaries, which is impractical in large epidemiologic studies. However a prior study suggested that tumor dominance, determined from pathology reports, may be an acceptable surrogate for cell of origin, such that tumors arising in the OSE are more likely to involve only one ovary or to show one involved ovary exceeding the other in dimension by more than two‐fold (DOM+), while tumors of tubal origin show symmetric ovarian involvement or an even distribution across the peritoneal cavity (DOM−). Therefore, to explore risk factor associations by cell of origin, we prospectively investigated the relationship of both reproductive/hormonal and non‐reproductive exposures with risk of DOM+ versus DOM− tumors among 403 incident invasive cases of confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer from the Nurses9 Health Study (NHS) and NHSII. Cox proportional hazards regression, stratified by dominance and time period, was used to examine the associations. For each exposure, we calculated the P ‐value for heterogeneity using a likelihood ratio test comparing models with separate estimates for the two subtypes versus a single estimate across subtypes. There were 281 DOM+ and 122 DOM− cases diagnosed between 1976 and 2006. In analyses of reproductive/hormonal exposures, there was no significant heterogeneity across the two subtypes for the associations with age, age at natural menopause, breastfeeding, parity, oral contraceptive use, estrogen use, and hysterectomy ( P ‐heterogeneity ≥ 0.40). However, the association with tubal ligation was significantly stronger for DOM+ (RR=0.51; 95%CI=0.34–0.75) versus DOM− tumors (RR=0.95; 95%CI=0.58–1.56; P ‐heterogeneity=0.05). While associations with several non‐reproductive exposures (e.g., BMI, physical activity, talc use) did not vary by subtype ( P ‐heterogeneity ≥ 0.11), the association with family history of ovarian cancer was stronger for DOM− (RR=3.32; 95% CI=1.52–7.25) versus DOM+ tumors (RR=0.95; 95%CI=0.39–2.32; P ‐heterogeneity=0.04). The results were similar when we limited our analysis to 228 cases with serous invasive or poorly differentiated histology. Although limited by small case numbers, our results suggest that tubal ligation may be more strongly associated with tumors of ovarian origin, while family history of ovarian cancer primarily increases risk of tumors of tubal origin. Characterizing risk factor relationships by tumor dominance may elucidate how these exposures alter risk and help to improve prevention efforts. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):A126.
Quarter, half, and one watt wideband millimeter-wave MMIC amplifiers

Three wideband MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) power amplifier configurations have been realized which deliver output power of 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 W in Ka-band using 0.25- mu m, single-recess, ion-implanted MESFETs. Reactive matching and combining techniques are employed on-chip in the 0.25- and 0.5-W versions. The 1.0-W version utilizes off-chip in-phase combiners. Power-added efficiencies of 8% to 12% have been measured as well as small-signal gains between 6 and 8 dB, depending on the configuration. >
In defense of dualism: Competing and complementary frameworks in religious studies and the sociology of religion:

The term “dualism” is used in quite divergent connotations across religious studies, sociology, theology, anthropology, and other academic fields. This paper characterizes the differing usages of the term, and uses them to explore the sometimes-converging and sometimes-orthogonal relationship between academic fields, with a focus on religious studies and the sociology of religion. I argue that although the two fields have mutually benefited from insights originating on either side of their divide—and thus converged in important ways—substantive differences remain. Their differing understandings of “dualism” represents important theoretical and analytic divergence, and the justified critique of certain forms of dualism has been used to reject all versions of the concept, including some—here termed “embodied dualism” or “experiential dualism”—that remain analytically crucial to the study of social life generally and religion particularly.
Cosmic ray interactions

This book is not a book on high energy physics and particle interactions. We have, however, to give the reader some information on the structure of matter and the interactions between its building blocks, because these are necessary for the understanding of the phenomena of cosmic ray acceleration, propagation in the Universe, and detection.
Changes Across Three Editions of The Suicidal Patient: Clinical and Legal Standards of Care: Relevance to Counseling Centers

ABSTRACTTreating suicidality is one of the most challenging situations managed by college and university counseling centers. The first edition of Bongar’s (1991) The Suicidal Patient: Clinical and Legal Standards of Care, a compendium of empirical knowledge and clinical research regarding standard of care in the treatment of suicidality, was soon considered a valuable resource in the field. The volume was pivotal in the arena of clinical practice because, in addition to compiling state of the art information, it also positioned itself as a benchmark for determining whether standard of care has been met in treatment of suicidal people. Now in its third edition (Bongar & Sullivan, 2013), this resource continues to inform clinical practice. This article examines several noteworthy changes across the three editions of this seminal work. What has changed, possible trends suggested by the changes, and resulting implications of these changes are examined. Of particular importance are changes that represent signi...
SHOOT MERISTEMLESS trafficking controls axillary meristem formation, meristem size and organ boundaries in Arabidopsis

The shoot stem cell niche, contained within the shoot apical meristem (SAM) is maintained in Arabidopsis by the homeodomain protein SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM). STM is a mobile protein that traffics cell-to-cell, presumably through plasmodesmata. In maize, the STM homolog KNOTTED1 shows clear differences between mRNA and protein localization domains in the SAM. However, the STM mRNA and protein localization domains are not obviously different in Arabidopsis, and the functional relevance of STM mobility is unknown. Using a non-mobile version of STM (2xNLS-YFP-STM), we show that STM mobility is required to suppress axillary meristem formation during embryogenesis, to maintain meristem size, and to precisely specify organ boundaries throughout development. STM and organ boundary genes CUP SHAPED COTYLEDON1 (CUC1), CUC2 and CUC3 regulate each other during embryogenesis to establish the embryonic SAM and to specify cotyledon boundaries, and STM controls CUC expression post-embryonically at organ boundary domains. We show that organ boundary specification by correct spatial expression of CUC genes requires STM mobility in the meristem. Our data suggest that STM mobility is critical for its normal function in shoot stem cell control.
Cancer Stem Cells in Pediatric Sarcomas

Sarcomas are the third most common group of malignancies in children. The current treatment strategies for sarcoma patients are outdated, have severe side-effects and increase the probability of secondary neoplasms. Clinical benefit from therapy has reached a plateau and local recurrence is still a major problem. Altering the traditionally held view of sarcomagenesis as a purely genetic disease to accommodate the more recent cancer stem cell paradigm could offer not only fresh insight into sarcoma initiation and progression but also reveal new avenues for therapeutic interventions. Here we critically appraise the evidence for the presence of sarcoma stem cells in various pediatric sarcoma entities such as Rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, Osteosarcoma, Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma and Synovial sarcoma. The functional and molecular characterization of such stem cell-like cells has provided some hints as to the possible origins of sarcoma and it is likely that the sarcoma stem cell phenotype could be dependent on the sarcoma cell of origin and its genetic background. Finally the impact of sarcoma stem cell research in various aspects of patient care is explored. As of yet, the clinically relevant drugs targeting sarcoma stem cells have been sparse and their identification represents a clear need for further research.
Expanding CAP's interventionist model and developing proper learning rubrics

For Frey and Palmer (2014), communication activism pedagogy (CAP) “teaches students how to use their communication knowledge and resources (e.g., theories, research methods, pedagogies, and other p...
Numerical modeling of heat production using geothermal energy for a snow-melting system

Abstract The use of geothermal energy for a snow-melting system can be classified into two categories: the direct use of geothermal energy and the extraction of shallow geothermal energy using a geothermal heat pump. The advantages of a snow-melting system that employs geothermal energy include, but are not limited to, that the system: (1) uses energy that is renewable and sustainable, (2) avoids the need for chemical treatments, (3) increases snow removal safety, and (4) lowers CO 2 emissions. Moreover, by providing a sustainable temperature higher than 0 °C, such a system can substantially reduce maintenance costs that are due to pavement freeze-thaw cycles. A few applications of snow-melting systems have been demonstrated successfully in different areas of the world, including the United States. However, the pilot studies for these systems usually involved a massive financial investment. Thus, simulations of a snow-melting system via numerical methods may provide insights about the important components that are needed to develop a successful system. This study employed the COMSOL finite element code to conduct numerical analysis of heat collection pipes in a heat collection system in order to simplify the complex heat transfer mechanisms associated with heat extraction. The study focused on heat production modeling and the simulation of heat collection pipes in a stabilized subsurface temperature zone. The measured data show that the temperature stabilizes at 7 °C six meters below the ground surface regardless of the season. Specifically, this paper presents the computations for the heat production that is required in a snow-melting system for eastern North Dakota based on the average climatic data and precipitation using Chapman and Katunich’s equation. A heat extraction process that utilizes heat collection pipes was simulated based on the seasonal heat requirements. The results of the numerical analysis also show the effects of the thermal properties of soils and fluid properties for a heat collection system. This study found that higher soil thermal conductivity values and a reasonable volumetric flow rate are favorable conditions for a successful heat collection system in design, and the system is feasible for eastern North Dakota.
Cultivating Skills for Success in Learning Health Systems: Learning to Lead

Fellows-in-training (FITs) and early career professionals (ECPs) are currently practicing in a complex health care environment. Indeed, there are multiple foci of interaction in a 21st-century academic medical center (AMC) extending beyond the traditional commitment to the tripartite mission of
Erratum: Ethanol pre-exposure suppresses HIV-1 glycoprotein 120-induced neuronal degeneration by abrogating endogenous glutamate/Ca2+-mediated neurotoxicity (Neuroscience 104:3 (769-781) PII: S0306452201001397)

A. BELMADANI,a J. Y. ZOU,a M. J. SCHIPMA,a E. J. NEAFSEYb and M. A. COLLINSa* aDivision of Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Loyola University Strich School of Medicine, 2160 South First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153, USA bDepartment of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, 2160 South First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
Association between leukotriene-modifying agents and suicide: what is the evidence?

The US FDA has issued safety alerts and required manufacturers of leukotriene-modifying agents (LTMAs), including montelukast, zafirlukast and zileuton, to include suicide and neuropsychiatric events as a precaution in the drug label. This paper reviews the existing evidence on the potential association between the LTMAs and suicidal behaviour. We conducted a literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts from 1995 to 2010 (inclusive) to identify pertinent studies and reports. We also examined data obtained from the FDA adverse event reporting system. To date, there are no well conducted, comparative, observational studies of this association, and the safety alerts are based primarily on case reports. While the FDA safety alerts apply to all three LTMAs, montelukast (known by its trade name Singulair®) is by far the most widely used of these drugs and most of the reports to date regarding suicide pertain to montelukast. From 1998 to 2009 there were 838 suicide-related adverse events associated with leukotrienes reported to the FDA, of which all but five involved montelukast. Nearly all cases were reported in 2008 and 2009 (96.1%) after the FDA warnings. LTMAs are approved for use in asthma and allergic rhinitis, and are effective drugs. Both of these diseases are also associated with suicide, making confirmation of the association more difficult. Given the lack of good evidence, we recommend that a large observational cohort or casecontrol study be conducted to quantify the association between LTMAs and suicide. Until then, when prescribing LTMAs, clinicians should consider the potential for suicide and monitor patients who may be at elevated risk carefully for suicidal ideation or psychiatric symptoms associated with suicidal behaviour.
Towards best secure coding practice for implementing SSL/TLS

Developers often make mistakes while incorporating SSL/TLS functionality in their applications due to the complication in implementing SSL/TLS and their fast prototyping requirement. Insecure implementations of SSL/TLS are subject to different types of Man in The Middle (MiTM) attacks, which ultimately makes the communication between the two parties vulnerable to eavesdropping and hijacking attacks, thereby violating confidentiality and integrity of the exchanged information. This paper aims to support developers in detecting insecure SSL/TLS implementation in their codes by utilizing a low-cost cross-language static analysis tool called PMD. In the end, two insecure implementations of SSL/TLS have been identified, and subsequently a new PMD rule set is created. This rule set consists of three rules for addressing hostname validation vulnerability and certificate validation vulnerability. The rules have been evaluated over 1,517 code snippets obtained from Stack Overflow, and the results show that 71% of the code snippets contain insecure SSL/TLS patterns. The detection rate of our approach is 100%, while it detects 165 violations inside the vulnerable code snippets in total.
Corrosion Assessment of Zinc-Rich Primers Containing Polyaniline and the Effect of Acid as a Dopant

We investigated how adding the dopant acid for polyaniline (PAni)-containing zinc-rich primers (ZRPs) can influence the resulting ZRP’s corrosion performance. Two organic acids (camphorsulfonic [CS...
Incidence, Presentation, and Treatment of Pediatric and Adolescent Meniscal Root Injuries.

Background:Despite the increasing incidence of sports-related knee injuries in youth athletes, few studies have reported on the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric and adolescent meniscal root inj...
Design of removable vending machine and research on the key implementation technology

As a supplement to physical stores and online stores, vending machines are gradually becoming the third largest consumption mode. This article aims to design a removable vending machine, which can automatically move in front of the users to meet their demands, so as to realise a better shopping experience for people. The network structure for the vending machine was analysed and designed, and research on the wireless location technology and route planning of the vending machine is hoped to provide some reference value for the mobile technology of the vending machine.
Developing behavior analysis at the state level.

Abstract Over the past fifteen years, behavior analysts in Florida have worked together to develop the discipline with a multifaceted system of contingencies. Basing their effort in the area of retardation and with the cooperation of the state's Developmental Services Program Office, they have gradually developed a regulatory manual of programming policy and procedures, a hierarchical system of responsibilities for programming approval and monitoring, a state-sponsored certification program, a professional association, and an active university community. These components are described and discussed in terms of suggested principles for developing the field of behavior analysis within a state.
Recovery of the Soldier and the Necropolitics of Peace in Descendants of the Sun

This essay discusses how the 2016 South Korean television drama Descendants of the Sun attempts to distance the representation of the soldier from the necropolitical. Although various filming techn...
In utero tobacco smoke exposure alters lung inflammation, viral clearance, and CD8+ T-cell responses in neonatal mice infected with respiratory syncytial virus.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and exposure of infants to cigarette smoke are strongly associated with adverse health effects in childhood including higher susceptibility to respiratory viral in...
Skewed adult sex ratios observed early in the North American invasion of Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae)

Abstract The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, (Hemiptera Fulgoridae) is an invasive pest in Korea and the United States, but originating from mainland Asia. Both tree of heaven, Ailanthus altissima, and grapevine (Vitis) are known to be preferred hosts of adults. However, much is unknown about its adult behavior with respect to mating or dispersal patterns. In 2015, just after it was discovered in the United States, we performed an observational study to elucidate movement by adults in relation to host plants. We noted weekly changes in their presence and sex ratio on host plants at four sites in a quarantine zone in Berks County, PA. Just after adult emergence, the trunks of large (>15 cm diameter at breast height) A. altissima hosted nearly exclusively females, while smaller A. altissima, Vitis, Salix nigra, and other less commonly inhabited tree species, had high proportions of males. By October 1st, greater proportions of males were observed on the trunks of the larger A. altissima trees. Pairings of males and females were observed most frequently on the smaller A. altissima and Vitis. At the very end of the season, a large mixed-sex population was found on Salix nigra, which was the only deciduous tree species in the area still bearing green leaves.
Longitudinal Influence of Online Consumer Knowledge on Millennials' Sustainable Clothing Consumption

The purpose of this study was to contribute both theoretical and practical insight by characterizing the longitudinal effects of repeated exposures to online sustainable clothing consumer knowledge. One-hour qualitative interviews were conducted three times during six months in 2016 with 35 Millennial participants. During their interviews, participants were exposed to online sustainable clothing consumer knowledge for five-minutes by using the independent sustainable clothing informational website ProjectJUST.com, which is now offline. Participants were iteratively clustered into four groups based on the behavior changes they described using Andreasen's (1995) stages of change social marketing segmentation model. Segmentation findings supported Andreasen's model. There were only two groups who's behavior changed, and this study, therefore, suggests that a set of more nuanced persuasion strategies that target each of these two groups individually are needed.
Using 1H NMR Spectroscopy to Study the Free Radical Chlorination of Alkanes

The free radical chlorination of an alkane experiment is often used in the undergraduate laboratory curriculum to introduce students to the free radical mechanism, substituent effects, intermediate...
Modern Slavery in Global Supply Chains: Towards a Legislative Solution

Modern slavery is a global problem. Over 25 million people are in forced labor, with many of those people directly or indirectly involved in the production of goods sold in the U.S. through multinational corporations’ supply chains. Corporations benefit from modern slavery and their business practices are often one of its root causes, which is why modern slavery persists despite a societal repulsion to the practice. To hold corporations accountable for their efforts to ensure they are not linked to modern slavery, governments, such as the state of California and the United Kingdom, have relied on mandatory disclosures requirements. This Article shows that such transparency initiatives are ineffective, and despite attempts to improve on their shortcomings, they will continue to be ineffective for achieving corporate accountability. This ineffectiveness results from corporations approaching transparency as an end in itself, with the production of disclosures being disconnected from operational changes. In addition, these disclosures rely heavily on social audits to demonstrate a company’s due diligence efforts, but social audits have not proven to be a reliable way to monitor human rights related impacts in the supply chain. Instead, efforts towards a legislative solution must focus on mandatory human rights due diligence. Such an approach would be consistent with a developing trend in Europe. This Article advocates for the U.S. to move away from transparency-based regulation and towards mandatory human rights due diligence for regulating modern slavery in global supply chains.
Inequitable Impacts of Textbook Costs at a Small, Private College: Results from a Textbook Survey at Gettysburg College

Recognizing that higher education settings vary considerably, librarians at Gettysburg College sought to better understand textbook spending behaviors and the effects of costs on our students. We adapted the Florida Virtual Campus 2016 Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey to suit the context of our small, private, liberal arts college. Most students spent $300 in Fall 2019. Financial aid awards did not cover the cost of required books and course materials for most students receiving aid. Negative effects were more pronounced for first-generation students and Pell Grant recipients, who were more likely to not purchase required books, to not register for a course due to cost, and to struggle academically. Some reported negative effects beyond their academic lives, as well. We recommend adoption of Open Educational Resources as an equity-minded practice that addresses this academic success barrier.
Pengolahan Lahan Pertanian Dan Penyimpanan Hasil Panen Di Desa Pematang Panjang Kecamatan Sungai Tabuk Kabupaten Banjar Provinsi Kalimantan Selatan

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: (1) Aktivitas petani di lahan persawahan pertama marincah sawah menyemprot rumput menggunakan pestisida. Rumput yang telah kering lalu dirincah menggunakan harit. Kedua membuat kutung memilih jenis padi yang sudah masak kemudian direndam sampai tidak ada airnya lalu ditaruh di pekarangan rumah. Ketiga manaradak mencabut kutung yang telah berukuran besar menggunakan asah, lalu membawa padinya ketengah-tengah sawah. Keempat malacak sebelum ditanami padi dibersihkan dahulu rumputnya. Taradak yang sudah besar dilambak ditanam di tengah-tengah sawah. Kelima menanam padi yang sudah dibagi-bagi ditanam kemudian asah ditusuk menggunakan lubang agar ditanam dan memanen menyiapkan harit, karung, dan terpal untuk memanen padi kemudian padi yang sudah masak dipotong menggunakan harit. Proses memanen ada tiga pertama merontoki pemisahan biji padi dengan tangkai padi, kedua malabang setelah dirontoki dijemur, ketiga manggumba pemisahan butir padi yang berisi dan biji padi yang kosong (2) penyimpanan hasil panen lumbung kindai padi yang sudah ditaruh ke lumbung ada yang sebagian dijual dan sebagian disimpan dan padaringan padi yang sudah di lumbung diambil untuk keperluan memasak kemudian padinya digiling menjadi beras dan disimpan di tempat penyimpanan yang disebut padaringan.
Compliance with sentinel lymph node biopsy guidelines for invasive melanomas treated with Mohs micrographic surgery.

Background Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has not been studied for invasive melanomas treated with Mohs micrographic surgery using frozen-section MART-1 immunohistochemical stains (MMS-IHC). The primary objective of this study was to assess the accuracy and compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for SLNB in a cohort of patients who had invasive melanoma treated with MMS-IHC. Methods This retrospective cohort study included all patients who had primary, invasive, cutaneous melanomas treated with MMS-IHC at a single academic center between March 2006 and April 2018. The primary outcomes were the rates of documenting discussion and performing SLNB in patients who were eligible based on NCCN guidelines. Secondary outcomes were the rate of identifying the sentinel lymph node and the percentage of positive lymph nodes. Results In total, 667 primary, invasive, cutaneous melanomas (American Joint Committee on Cancer T1a-T4b) were treated with MMS-IHC. The median patient age was 69 years (range, 25-101 years). Ninety-two percent of tumors were located on specialty sites (head and/or neck, hands and/or feet, pretibial leg). Discussion of SLNB was documented for 162 of 176 (92%) SLNB-eligible patients, including 127 of 127 (100%) who had melanomas with a Breslow depth >1 mm. SLNB was performed in 109 of 176 (62%) SLNB-eligible patients, including 102 of 158 melanomas (65%) that met NCCN criteria to discuss and offer SLNB and 7 of 18 melanomas (39%) that met criteria to discuss and consider SLNB. The sentinel lymph node was successfully identified in 98 of 109 patients (90%) and was positive in 6 of those 98 patients (6%). Conclusions Combining SLNB and MMS-IHC allows full pathologic staging and confirmation of clear microscopic margins before reconstruction of specialty site invasive melanomas. SLNB can be performed accurately and in compliance with consensus guidelines in patients with melanoma using MMS-IHC.
After-School Centers and Youth Development: Case Studies of Success and Failure

This book examines after-school programs in light of their explosive growth in recent years. In the rush to mount programs, there is a danger of promoting weak ones of little value and failing to implement strong ones adequately. But what is quality and how can it be achieved? This book presents findings from an intensive study of three after-school centers that differed dramatically in quality. Drawing from 233 site visits, the authors examine how – and why – young people thrive in good programs and suffer in weak ones. The book features engaging, in-depth case studies of each of the three centers and of six youths, two from each center. Written in a highly accessible style for academics, youth workers, after-school program leaders and policy makers, the study breaks new ground in highlighting the importance of factors such as collective mentoring, synergies among different programs and activities, and organizational culture and practices.
ON THE RELATION BETWEEN VOLTERRA MODELS AND FEEDFORWARD ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

This paper explores the basic relations between nonlinear Volterra models (VM) and a broadly used class of artificial neural networks (ANN) utilizing feedforward connections, in order to achieve possible cross-enhancements from combined use of the two approaches. For instance, the study of nonlinear physiological systems using Volterra models is often impeded by lack of data of sufficient length and/or spectral properties or by inability to estimate high-order kernels. These problems may be mitigated by the cooperative use of ANN models trained with the available data and allowing indirect estimation of system kernels of arbitrary order. On the other hand, the use of ANN has been hindered by lack of clear methodological guidance in selecting the number or type of “hidden units” (critical for determining the efficacy of the training process) or by inability to interpret the obtained results. The latter problem is especially important in applications requiring scientific interpretation of the results, or in cases where it is critical to understand why the obtained empirical models perform the desired tasks. Equivalent VM, obtained by the same da ta training the ANN, may assist in interpreting the corresponding ANN and, furthermore, guide in selecting the proper number and type of “hidden units” to optimize the training process. In deriving explicit relations between VM and ANN, the class of “polynomial ANN” was found particularly useful and efficient in training via back-propagation algorithms. The conditions under which the two approaches may yield equivalent representations of the input-output relation are discussed and illustrated with computer simulations. The feasibility of kernel estimation via equivalent ANN training using back-propagation is also demonstrated by computer-simulated examples. It is shown that the kernel estimation accuracy is comparable to the Laguerre expansion technique (Marmarelis, 1993a) and significantly better than the traditional crosscorrelation technique. Application of this approach to actual experimental data is currently under way.
Corn production with perennial ground covers: evaluation of cover species and their effects on corn growth and development

Corn stover has been identified as an important feedstock for future biofuel production but increased soil erosion will make its removal difficult. To address this issue 35 species of grasses and legumes were evaluated as potential perennial ground covers in corn. Selection of species encompassed both C3 and C4 species with a wide range of developmental and morphological features such as height, vegetative spread rate, and sod and clump forming growth habits. The objectives were to: (i) identify species that could support a high level of corn production while requiring minimal management, and (ii) to identify a potential ideotype for future selections. Species that were low growing and slow spreading were more conducive to corn production but still reduced yields a minimum of 23% when compared to a conventionally managed control. Conditions that slowed corn growth in early development such as cool temperatures, and frost allowed C3 species to gain a competitive advantage. Strip tillage was difficult during initial corn establishment and indicates the need for strip-planting of cover. Species that consistently worked well with corn were meadow fescue, sheep fescue, Canada bluegrass, fowl bluegrass, and colonial bentgrass. These species also offer the most flexibility during spring as they are less aggressive than other species evaluated. Based on these observations an ideotype should be low growing, slow spreading, and late to green-up in the early spring.
Evaluation of a PNP care coordinator model for hospitalized children, adolescents, and young adults with cystic fibrosis.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new model for delivery of care to hospitalized children, adolescents, and young adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) admitted to the adolescent unit at Golisano's Children's Hospital at Strong. SPECIFIC AIM/HYPOTHESIS: The specific aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that children, adolescents, and young adults with CF who were hospitalized under the new model for care delivery would have better experiences and clinical outcomes than they had during previous hospitalizations prior to the implementation of the new model. Methods A pre-post design included all children, adolescents, and young adults with CF admitted to the hospital for treatment of a pulmonary exacerbation during the six-month study period. Each patient's experience was compared with his or her most recent previous hospitalization. Outcomes measured included timeliness of inpatient consultations, change in forced experitory volume in first second (FEV1), weight gain, length of hospital stay (LOS), and patient/parent and nursing/medical staff satisfaction. Results A total of 21 patients completed the study. Compared to the patient's previous admission, there was a significant reduction in the time to complete consultations by ancillary services. The differences between predicted LOS and actual LOS was reduced by 2.47 days (p = .06). Actual LOS was decreased by 1.35 days. Parent/patient satisfaction with new model remained high and health care provider satisfaction was overwhelmingly positive. Conclusions An inpatient Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Care Coordinator (PNP-CC) for CF patients admitted to the hospital can reduce the time for ancillary service consultations, reduce LOS, and improve patient and health care provider satisfaction. This model also can be applied to the treatment of hospitalized children with other chronic illnesses.
Interactions between marine mammals and fisheries: an unresolved problem for fisheries research

Abstract Food web interactions between marine mammals and commercial fisheries have been subject to relatively little attention in fishery research. Three characteristics of marine mammals, commercial fisheries, and the conduct of fisheries research have contributed to this. These include differences between marine mammals and fishermen in prey size capability and ability to adapt to rapid changes, major undocumented ecological changes which have occurred historically making it difficult to interpret present ecosystem states, and a short term focus which was adopted by fishery research during its development towards the direct effects of harvesting. These characteristics need to be considered in designing and implementing research programs to investigate interactions between marine mammals and fisheries.
SRI LANKA, POSTCOLONIAL ‘LOCATIONS OF BUDDHISM’, SECULAR PEACE

The postcolonial (anthropological) thinking about the relation/opposition between religion and politics, peace and violence rests on the sovereign law of ‘decision’. This postcolonial thinking is a necessary thinking about the question of what constitutes secular life/politics. The postcolonial thinking about politics is then as much decisive as it is critical in that it must always decide to separate (secular) life from violence. In a detailed reading of a historicist postcolonial text, I argue that once the possibility of decision is unavailable to the postcolonial sense of secular politics, the seeming relation/opposition between violence and life also becomes unavailable. It is where we have no recourse to such sovereign decision that a different postcolonial thinking (and writing) about ‘politics’ may have a chance.
New class of effective field theories from embedded branes.

We present a new general class of four-dimensional effective field theories with interesting global symmetry groups. These theories arise from purely gravitational actions for ($3+1$)-dimensional branes embedded in higher dimensional spaces with induced gravity terms. The simplest example is the well known Galileon theory, with its associated Galilean symmetry, arising as the limit of a DGP brane world. However, we demonstrate that this is a special case of a much wider range of theories, with varying structures, but with the same attractive features such as second order equations. In some circumstances, these new effective field theories allow potentials for the scalar fields on curved space, with small masses protected by nonlinear symmetries. Such models may prove relevant to the cosmology of both the early and late universe.
Microbiologic Effect of Bovine Cerebrospinal Fluid and Azithromycin Against Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae

Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of azithromycin against reference strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC 49619, Neisseria meningitidis ATCC 13090, and Haemophilus influenzae ATCC 49247 were determined by the macrodilution broth method with and without 10% bovine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) supplementation. The MICs and MBCs were within one to two dilutions for N. meningitidis and S. pneumoniae, and no difference was observed for H. influenzae. Time-kill curves demonstrated enhanced killing by azithromycin when 10% bovine CSF was added to media for N. meningitidis. The minimum azithromycin concentration for a greater than 3 log 10 reduction in inoculum with bovine CSF was 0.03 μg/ml and without CSF was 0.12 μg/ml, a 3-fold difference. Killing was not significantly different for either H. influenzae nor S. pneumoniae.
ON THE MECHANISM OF CO2 ABSORPTION AND DESORPTION

Abstract Recent work by Thomas et al. (1982) showed a significant difference in mass transfer rates between absorption and desorption for a CO2-water system in a film flow, and attributed the phenomena to density-driven convection. Our experiment with a flat-surface stirred cell shows no enhancement of oxygen absorption in simultaneous absorption with CO2 under a turbulent flow condition. Also, a comparison of liquid velocities measured extremely close to the gas-liquid interface with a laser doppler anemometer reveals negligible difference between absorption of air and that of CO2. These results indicate that there is practically no detectable density-driven convection in CO2 absorption.
Exploring the relationship between performance management and program impact: A case study of the job training partnership act

Programs that involve multiple levels of government may suffer from a principal-agent problem: Lower levels of government may wish to pursue different objectives than the higher level of government that provides funding. One strategy for dealing with this problem is to establish a performance management system where units operating the program are accountable for meeting performance standards and are rewarded or sanctioned depending on how well they perform. Title II-A of the Job Training Partnership Act provides training for economically disadvantaged adults and has operated under a performance management system since 1983 when the program was established. The federal government's goal for the program is to maximize impact on the employment and earnings of participants, but because control groups are not available for the 640 local programs, proxy measures of performance must be used. In this paper, data from an experiment in 16 sites are used to determine how closely measured performance corresponds to program impact. It is concluded that there is only a weak correspondence between the two measures and that the Department of Labor should avoid making significant rewards or sanctions based on the current performance management system. © 2000 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.