cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities based on hypertension severity and blood pressure levels: the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study

We evaluated the prevalence of major and minor electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities based on blood pressure (BP) control and hypertension (HTN) treatment resistance. We analyzed data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study of 20,932 participants who were divided into presence of major (n = 3782), only minor (n = 8944), or no (n = 8206) ECG abnormalities. The cohort was stratified into normotension (n = 3373), pre-HTN (n = 4142), controlled HTN (n = 8619), uncontrolled HTN (n = 3544), controlled apparent treatment-resistant HTN (aTRH, n = 400), and uncontrolled aTRH (n = 854) groups, and the prevalence ratios (PRs) of major and minor ECG abnormalities were assessed separately for each BP group. The full multivariable adjustment included demographics, risk factors, and HTN duration. Compared with normotension, the PRs of major ECG abnormalities for pre-HTN, controlled HTN, uncontrolled HTN, controlled aTRH, and uncontrolled aTRH groups were 1.01 (0.90-1.14), 1.30 (1.16-1.45), 1.37 (1.23-1.54), 1.42 (1.22-1.64), and 1.44 (1.26-1.65), respectively (P < .001), whereas the PRs of minor ECG abnormalities among each of the above BP groups were similar. Detection of major ECG abnormalities among hypertensive persons with poor control and treatment resistance may help improve their cardiovascular risk stratification and early intervention.
The risk and return of farm real estate and the “bad data problem”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the consequences of appraisal smoothing in the estimation of the risks and returns of farm real estate. It examines the degree to which the risk and return characteristics of farm real estate are an artifact of the methods used to measure aggregate property values. Design/methodology/approach – A multifactor asset pricing model is estimated using farm real estate returns in a manner consistent with prior research, as well as using farm real estate returns calculated using two synthetic unsmoothing procedures developed in the real estate finance literature. Findings – The model suggests that unsmoothed farm real estate returns exhibit characteristics that differ from those suggested by prior research. The unsmoothed returns suggest a stronger correlation with economy wide investment risks. Originality/value – This is the first study to evaluate the impacts of appraisal smoothing in a farm real estate context. It provides a simple framework for addressing ma...
Time to Adoption of Local Option Sales Taxes: An Examination of Texas Municipalities

This study examines the time to adoption of municipal local option sales taxes (LOSTs) in Texas from 1967 to 2012. General-purpose LOSTs were introduced in 1968 and were the only LOSTs available to...
Court of Appeals: NY's High Court Judges, Selection, the Current Court & Decisions on NY's Governance

This is the October 16, 2008 presentation at the Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany, New York by Professor Vincent M. Bonventre. It is the latest update of previous years' presentations, with some substantive additions. It explores the ideological dynamics within the court from the latter years of the chief judgeship of Sol Wachtler through the tenure of Chief Judge Judith Kaye up to spring 2008. It looks at the individual judges and the patterns in their voting records and in the decisional record of the court as a whole. It concentrates on divided criminal law cases which tend to be highly sensitive to ideological leanings. It also considers the patterns in public labor law cases and in the frequency of written dissents. The presentation also outlines and critiques the process for merit selection of the judges, and the evolution of the court through the gubernatorial appointments of Mario Cuomo, George Pataki, and Eliot Spitzer. The result today is a somewhat less conservative, less law and order court, despite the remaining majority of appointees by Republican Pataki. The difference may be the newest appointment to the court by now-former Governor Spitzer. Finally, the presentation looks at decisions over the past several years in which the court has delineated the powers of the separate branches of New York State government, of state agencies, state officials, and municipalities.
Autoimmune hepatitis: review of histologic features included in the simplified criteria proposed by the international autoimmune hepatitis group and proposal for new histologic criteria

Simplified criteria for diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis are based on autoantibodies, serum immunoglobulin G, histologic features, and negative viral serology. A score of 6 points is necessary for the designation of probable autoimmune hepatitis and 7 points or more for definite autoimmune hepatitis. The presence of three histologic features is required for categorizing a case as typical (2 points): interface hepatitis with portal lymphocytic/lymphoplasmacytic cells extending into lobule, emperipolesis, and rosettes. In the absence of all three features, a chronic hepatitis picture is considered compatible with autoimmune hepatitis (1 point). This study examines the validity of these histologic features for the diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis. Clinical data and liver biopsies were reviewed for 88 autoimmune hepatitis, 20 primary biliary cholangitis, and 13 non-autoimmune acute hepatitis cases. Interface/lobular activity, number of plasma cells, copper/CK7 stains, and presence/absence of biliary features were assessed in autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis cases. The simplified criteria score was calculated. Modified histologic criteria were formulated on the basis of interface/lobular activity, number of plasma cells, and presence/absence of biliary features. Using the proposed histologic features, histologic score of 2 increased from 8 to 77%, while total simplified score of >6 increased from 69 to 86%. There was no increase in total simplified score for primary biliary cholangitis or non-autoimmune acute hepatitis. Rosettes and emperipolesis are difficult to interpret, and lack sensitivity and sensitivity for autoimmune hepatitis diagnosis. The current histologic criteria used in the current simplified score lead to underscoring of autoimmune hepatitis cases. The modified histologic criteria based on the inflammatory activity, extent of plasma cells, and results of copper/CK7 staining increased the histologic score in autoimmune hepatitis and led to a probable/definite diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis in 17% of cases that would have otherwise been classified as non- autoimmune hepatitis by simplified score.
Lemmel's Syndrome: A Rare Cause of Obstructive Jaundice Secondary to Periampullary Diverticulum.

In 1934 Lemmel was the first to report the presence of juxtapapillary diverticula and hepatocholangiopancreatic disease, excluding cholelithiasis. Obstructive jaundice caused by periampullary duodenal diverticulum (PAD) in absence of choledocholithiasis or tumor is known as Lemmel syndrome. A patient with an extraluminal duodenal diverticulum presenting with obstructive jaundice and pancreatitis is presented in this case. Although initially managed conservatively, the patient had recurrence of symptoms after 2 months but then had successful surgical resection of the duodenal diverticulum.
Social Structure and Culture: The Macro Context

The larger macro-social context of the hidden injuries of class cannot be ignored. While the world was watching events unfold in 1968 (Democratic Convention, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinated, and the TET Offensive in Vietnam), I was worried—because of a lack of self-confidence—about making an error and losing the Catholic Youth Organization Championship baseball game. We eventually won that game on a key play in which I was involved, which temporarily helped my self-confidence. Despite being in a major “world capital,” we seemed to be living in a bubble, impervious to the political and cultural change of the 1960s, until the Vietnam War and the cultural spread of sex, drugs, and rock and roll came to our small corner of the world. Many of those who fight wars come from neighborhoods like City Line. In fact, I sometimes found myself feeling guilty for not having served in the military (a value that is a product of the neighborhood). It was also during this time that working-class wages peaked, although some people today seem to have forgotten that fact and tend to blame others (blacks, Hispanics, Muslims) for their own social and economic struggles.
The Revolution Begins: All Was Seemingly at Risk

During the Revolutions of 1848 in Bohemia, under conditions of a free press and therewith market-determined success, a liberal-nationalist periodical press emerged as the public voice of opposition to the Austrian Imperial state. This bourgeois public sphere, grounded in a common mid-century liberalism, was, however, forced by the very issues raised by the revolution into separate and increasingly hostile Czech and German camps, despite efforts of German and Czech liberals to maintain amity. The Imperial state, however, while benefitting from the still general moderation of the opposition in Bohemia, was clearly losing its previously singular role in the political affairs of Bohemia to the new prevalence of market forces demanding a public and increasingly rancorous discussion of political issues.
Book Review: Handbook of Nonlinear Optics.By Richard L. Sutherland

The book provides an excellent survey of nonlinear optical materials and macroscopic phenomena, even covering such topics as periodically poled waveguides and cascaded second-order effects. Important equations are highlighted throughout and often are conveniently cataloged into tables.
JAK-ing up the Response to KIT Inhibition

Only a subset of patients with KIT-mutant melanoma derives clinical benefit from KIT inhibition, and the development of resistance is common. Efforts to improve the efficacy of KIT inhibition are limited by a lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying response and resistance to treatment. Findings from Delyon et al. suggest that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation may be an important mediator of response to nilotinib.
Transgenic approaches to western corn rootworm control.

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a significant corn pest throughout the United States corn belt. Rootworm larvae feed on corn roots causing yield losses and control expenditures that are estimated to exceed US$1 billion annually. Traditional management practices to control rootworms such as chemical insecticides or crop rotation have suffered reduced effectiveness due to the development of physiological and behavioral resistance. Transgenic maize expressing insecticidal proteins are very successful in protecting against rootworm damage and preserving corn yield potential. However, the high rate of grower adoption and early reliance on hybrids expressing a single mode of action and low-dose traits threatens the durability of commercialized transgenic rootworm technology for rootworm control. A summary of current transgenic approaches for rootworm control and the corresponding insect resistance management practices is included. An overview of potential new modes of action based on insecticidal proteins, and especially RNAi targeting mRNA coding for essential insect proteins is provided. Open image in new window Graphical Abstract
Adult imitating child speech: A case study using 3D ultrasound

Voice actors are interesting for linguistic study because of their unique abilities to manipulate their vocal tract and convey different social identities. This is essentially a field of professional folk linguistics where professionals manipulate their vocal tracts to convey socially indexed, linguistic features. This study uses Ultrasound paired with acoustic analyses to address what one amateur voice actor does while imitating a child voice. Previous studies have looked at anatomical and acoustic variations defining different character types such as laryngeal setting (Teshigawara, 2003; Teshigawara & Murano, 2004) and breathy voice in Anime (Starr, 2015). This study addresses specific tongue morphology resulting from an adult imitating a child’s voice and serves as a pilot for future study of professional actors. The participant is one adult, amateur actor who produced CV syllables at different places of articulation with different vowel qualities. Notable manipulations are hyoid bone raising, gesture fronting, and tongue “troughing” where the sides of the tongue are used to narrow the oral cavity. The actor constricts the filter in multiple ways to shrink the usable space in the oral cavity and imitate the acoustic signal from a child’s vocal tract. This presentation explores the anatomical manipulations the actor utilizes.Voice actors are interesting for linguistic study because of their unique abilities to manipulate their vocal tract and convey different social identities. This is essentially a field of professional folk linguistics where professionals manipulate their vocal tracts to convey socially indexed, linguistic features. This study uses Ultrasound paired with acoustic analyses to address what one amateur voice actor does while imitating a child voice. Previous studies have looked at anatomical and acoustic variations defining different character types such as laryngeal setting (Teshigawara, 2003; Teshigawara & Murano, 2004) and breathy voice in Anime (Starr, 2015). This study addresses specific tongue morphology resulting from an adult imitating a child’s voice and serves as a pilot for future study of professional actors. The participant is one adult, amateur actor who produced CV syllables at different places of articulation with different vowel qualities. Notable manipulations are hyoid bone raising, gesture ...
Fractional Operators Applied to Geophysical Electromagnetics

A growing body of applied mathematics literature in recent years has focussed on the application of fractional calculus to problems of anomalous transport. In these analyses, the anomalous transport (of charge, tracers, fluid, etc.) is presumed attributable to long-range correlations of material properties within an inherently complex, and in some cases self-similar, conducting medium. Rather than considering an exquisitely discretized (and computationally intractable) representation of the medium, the complex and spatially correlated heterogeneity is represented through reformulation of the PDE governing the relevant transport physics such that its coefficients are, instead, smooth but paired with fractional-order space derivatives. Here we apply these concepts to the scalar Helmholtz equation and its use in electromagnetic interrogation of Earth's interior through the magnetotelluric method. We outline a practical algorithm for solving the Helmholtz equation using spectral methods coupled with finite element discretization. Execution of this algorithm for the magnetotelluric problem reveals several interesting features observable in field data: long--range correlation of the predicted electromagnetic fields; a power-law relationship between the squared impedance amplitude and squared wavenumber whose slope is a function of the fractional exponent within the governing Helmholtz equation; and, a non-constant apparent resistivity spectrum whose variability arises solely from the fractional exponent. In geologic settings characterized by self--similarity (e.g. fracture systems; thick and richly-textured sedimentary sequences, etc.) we posit that diagnostics are useful for geologic characterization of features far below the typical resolution limit of electromagnetic methods in geophysics.
Age of Last Alcohol Use Disorder Relates to Processing Speed Among Older Adults Living with HIV.

Author(s): Paolillo, Emily W; Inkelis, Sarah M; Heaton, Anne; Saloner, Rowan; Moore, Raeanne C; Moore, David J | Abstract: AimsOlder persons living with HIV (PLWH) and past alcohol use disorder (AUD) are at higher risk for neurocognitive deficits compared to those with either condition alone; however, factors underlying this relationship are unknown. Given that aging potentiates multi-system damage from alcohol misuse, the current study examined whether neurocognitive functioning among older adults relates to the age at which they last met criteria for AUD (i.e. 'age of last AUD'), and whether this relationship differed by HIV serostatus.MethodsAll participants (aged between 50 and 75 years) were grouped by HIV/AUD status: 345 HIV+/AUD+, 148 HIV-/AUD+, 273 HIV+/AUD-, and 206 HIV-/AUD-. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed globally and within seven domains. Among only the two AUD+ groups, multivariable linear regressions examined the interaction between age of last AUD and HIV status on neurocognitive functioning, controlling for demographics and clinical characteristics.ResultsOlder age of last AUD related to worse processing speed among PLWH (b = -0.03; P = 0.006); however, this relationship was not significant among persons without HIV (b = 0.01; P = 0.455). The interaction between age of last AUD and HIV status did not predict neurocognitive functioning in other domains. Processing speed appeared clinically important, as slower speed related to worse everyday functioning, including more reported cognitive difficulties (r = -0.26, P l 0.001) and higher rates of functional dependence (OR = 0.87, 95%CI = 0.80-0.95, P = 0.002).ConclusionsOur novel findings, demonstrating slower processing speed when a past AUD occurred at an older age in PLWH, highlight the value in assessing older PLWH for processing speed deficits, even if other cognitive domains appear to be intact.
Finiteness Principles for Smooth Selection

In this paper we prove finiteness principles for $${C^m{({\mathbb{R}^n},{\mathbb{R}^D)}}}$$ and $${C^{m-1,1}(\mathbb{R}^n,\mathbb{R}^D)}$$ selections. In particular, we provide a proof for a conjecture of Brudnyi-Shvartsman (1994) on Lipschitz selections for the case when the domain is $${X=\mathbb{R}^n}$$ .
Shock Therapy: Psychology, Precarity, and Well-being in Postsocialist Russia

Shock Therapy is a masterful ethnography of the psychotherapeutic turn in post-Soviet Russia, told and refracted through three main sites: a private organisation offering psychological training and...
Reconstruction of Objects from Their Averaged Finite Crystal Diffraction Intensity

We outline an image reconstruction algorithm that is capable of reconstructing an object from the averaged Fourier intensity of finite crystals of that object with arbitrary lattice occupancies. The algorithm is tested via simulations where the 3-dimensional electron density of a protein molecule is successfully reconstructed from such intensity measurements.
Outcomes of Gamma Knife radiosurgery, bimodality, and trimodality treatment regimens for patients with one or multiple brain metastases: The Columbia University Medical Center experience.

e13032 Background: To report our Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKRS) outcomes for brain metastases (BM) based on different treatment modalities and number of BM. Methods: We reviewed all patients treated with GKRS at a single institution for BM from 1998 to 2013. We evaluated outcome according to number of BM, treatment modalities, and other prognostic factors. Results: There were 541 patients (231 men) with median age 62 years (range, 21-94). Histology included 264 (48.8%) lung, 99 (18.4%) breast, 69 (12.8%) melanoma, 42 (7.8%) renal cell carcinoma, 28 (5.2%) gastrointestinal, and 39 (7.2%) other primary cancers. 206 (38.1%) patients received GKRS alone, 114 (21.1%) GKRS plus whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), 108 (20.0%) underwent GKRS plus neurosurgical resection (NSG), and 113 (20.9%) all three modalities. The median overall survival (OS) correlated with RPA Class (16.3, 10.8, and 6.05 months for classes I, II, and III, respectively (p<0.001) and GPA score (8.9, 11.7, 10.3, and 17.3 months for scores 0-1, 1...
Phospholipase A2 Receptor Antibody–Positive Pregnancy: A Case Report

Renal course and clinical outcomes in pregnant women with primary membranous nephropathy are not completely understood. In addition, the use of autoantibodies to M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) as a serologic marker throughout pregnancy and postpartum in the mother and baby is not yet fully elucidated. We followed up a pregnant woman with primary membranous nephropathy during pregnancy and postpartum and describe the clinical course and outcomes of mother and baby and the course of PLA2R antibody titers. We show evidence of transplacental transfer of PLA2R antibody from mother to fetus. In addition, we observe the effect of breastfeeding in a PLA2R antibody–positive pregnancy and describe the transfer of this antibody into breast milk. Although pregnancy in women with underlying PLA2R antibody–positive membranous nephropathy is possible, there is an increase in risk to both mother and fetus, requiring a multidisciplinary team approach and careful monitoring of both neonate and mother during pregnancy and postpartum.
Altered Thalamocortical Connectivity in Six-Week Old Infants at High Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Converging evidence from neuroimaging studies has revealed altered connectivity in cortical-subcortical networks in youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Comparatively little is known about the development of cortical-subcortical connectivity in infancy, before the emergence of overt ASD symptomatology. Here we examined early functional and structural connectivity of thalamocortical networks in infants at high familial risk for ASD (HR) and low-risk controls (LR). Resting-state functional connectivity (rsfcMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were acquired 52 six-week-old infants. Functional connectivity was examined between six cortical seeds (prefrontal, motor, somatosensory, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions) and bilateral thalamus. We found significant thalamic-prefrontal underconnectivity, as well as thalamic-occipital and thalamic-motor overconnectivity in HR infants, relative to LR infants. Subsequent structural connectivity analyses also revealed atypical white matter integrity in thalamic-occipital tracts in HR infants, compared to LR infants. Notably, aberrant rsfcMRI and DTI connectivity indices at 6 weeks predicted atypical social development between 6 and 36 months of age, as assessed with eye-tracking and diagnostic measures. These findings indicate that thalamocortical connectivity is disrupted at both the functional and structural level in HR infants as early as six weeks of age, providing a possible early marker of risk for ASD.
Neural activations during self-related processing in patients with chronic pain and effects of a brief self-compassion training - A pilot study.

Abstract Chronic pain negatively affects psychological functioning including self-perception. Self-compassion may improve self-related functioning in patients with chronic pain but understanding of the neural mechanisms is limited. In this study, twenty patients with chronic low back pain read negative self-related situations and were instructed to be either self-reassuring or self-critical while undergoing fMRI. Patients rated their feelings of self-reassurance and self-criticism during each condition, and brain responses were contrasted with neutral instructions. Trait self-compassion measures (SCS) were also acquired. Brain activations during self-criticism and self-reassurance were localized to prefrontal, self- and emotion-processing areas, such as medial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and posterior cingulate cortex. Self-reassurance resulted in more widespread and stronger activations relative to self-criticism. Patients then completed a brief self-compassion training (8 contact hours, 2 weeks home practice). Exploratory pre-post comparisons in thirteen patients found that feelings of self-criticism were significantly reduced and brain activations were greater in the anterior insula and prefrontal cortical regions such as dlPFC. Pre-post increases in dlPFC activation correlated with increased self-compassion (SCS), suggesting that early self-compassion skills might primarily target self-criticism via dlPFC upregulation. Future controlled studies on self-compassion training in chronic pain populations should extend these results.
Design of peptide-PEG-Thiazole bound polypyrrole supramolecular assemblies for enhanced neuronal cell interactions

Brain injuries, and neurodegenerative diseases can result in significant disability, lowered quality of life, and mortality. Current treatments including autologous nerve grafts are insufficient. T...
A classical way forward for the regularity and normalization problems

Bayesian epistemology has struggled with the problem of regularity: how to deal with events that in classical probability have zero probability. While the cases most discussed in the literature, such as infinite sequences of coin tosses or continuous spinners, do not actually come up in scientific practice, there are cases that do come up in science. I shall argue that these cases can be resolved without leaving the realm of classical probability, by choosing a probability measure that preserves ``enough'' regularity. This approach also provides a resolution to the McGrew, McGrew and Vestrum normalization problem for the fine-tuning argument.
Clinical Assessment of Financial Decision-Making Capacity

Financial exploitation often presents to the practitioner in subtle ways. This chapter discusses common hints and warnings that demonstrate that a patient may be at increased risk of financial exploitation and the different clinical presentations of financial exploitation. The process of evaluation of risk and capacity is also explored in this chapter, reviewing the use of validated instruments as well as incorporation of interview techniques incorporating targeted questioning, problem-solving, and assessment of cognitive impairment.
Instability Is the Most Common Indication for Revision Hip Arthroplasty in the United States: National Trends From 2012 to 2018.

Background As primary total hip arthroplasty volume continues to increase, so will the number of revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) procedures. These complex cases represent a significant clinical and financial burden to the health-care system. Methods This was a retrospective review using the National Inpatient Sample. International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th revision codes were used to identify patients who underwent rTHA and create cohorts based on rTHA indications from 2012 to 2018. National and regional trends for length of stay (LOS), cost, and discharge location were evaluated. Results A total of 292,250 rTHA procedures were identified. The annual number of rTHA procedures increased by 28.1% from 2012 to 2018 (37,325 to 47,810). The top 3 indications for rTHA were instability (20.4%), aseptic loosening (17.8%), and infection (11.1%). Over the study period, the proportion of patients discharged to skilled nursing facility decreased from 44.2% to 38% (P < .001). Hospital LOS decreased on average from 4.8 to 4.4 days (P < .001). Infections had the highest average LOS (7.3 days) followed by periprosthetic fractures (6.5 days). Hospital costs decreased over the study period, from $25,794 to $24,555 (P < .001). The proportion of rTHA cases performed at urban academic centers increased (58.0% to 75.3%, P < .001) while the proportion performed at urban nonacademic centers decreased (35.5% to 19.4%, P < .001). Conclusion Instability was the most common indication for rTHA between 2012 and 2018. The proportion of rTHA performed in urban academic centers has increased substantially, away from urban nonacademic centers. While cost and LOS have decreased, significant geographic variability exists.
African Gender Development Gap: Rethinking Strategies to Achieve MDGs

Progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa is mostly marginal; the UN 2012 report found that by 2015, sub-Saharan African countries will not have progressed sufficiently to reach the target if current trends do not change. Goals most closely associated with women have recorded least progress—except in reducing the prevalence of HIV-AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and near-parity in girls’ Primary School enrolment. This chapter argues socio-cultural traditions still drive inequality; MDGs have failed to consider the impact of traditional cultural practices on cultural change. Property ownership and ability to leverage personal property for loan and economic purposes economically disempower women. Without countering the resultant negative effects, MDGs will not be achieved even after the 2015 deadline.
Testing Testicular Function

The two functions of the testes are testosterone production and spermatogenesis. Therefore, the indications for evaluating testicular function revolve around symptoms relating to these two functions, i.e., hypoandrogenism and infertility. The diagnostic tests outlined in this section not only include tests that directly assess the two functions but also extend to involve a description of tests that enter the workup of patients with hypoandrogenism. The tests are discussed in the following manner. First, the tests that assess Leydig cell function and spermatogenesis are discussed. Next, the tests to evaluate the integrity of the hypothalamic—pituitary—gonadal axis are outlined. Third, the tumescence studies, fourth, the chromosomal studies, and finally, the role of testicular biopsy are discussed.
Chapter 8 Environmental Regulation and the Valuation of Life: Interindustry Mobility and the Market Price of Safety

Publisher Summary Public policy debates over environmental regulations for health and safety hazards have often centered on cost-benefit analysis in which the critical parameter is the implied value of life. This necessity to evaluate environmental policy affecting human life in dollar terms is becoming increasingly common in both the United States and Europe. For example, in the United States the FAA proposal in 1985 for all airline manufacturers to strengthen seats depended critically on the assumed value of life estimates. This chapter examines the valuation of life from the economist's perspective of compensating wage differentials. Empirical studies of compensating wage differentials attributable to risk in the workplace assume, most often implicitly, that workers' willingness to pay for risk reduction (safety) is equal to the market “price” of providing this reduction. Thus, it is assumed that labor markets are observed in a state of pure competition in long-run equilibrium. In this regard, workers and their employers are believed to possess perfect information regarding work hazards, the likelihood of adverse outcomes stemming from these hazards, and the cost of providing additional safety in the work place.
¿En efecto no abortó el tiempo, o bien fue todo lo contrario? Racialidades y racismos en las relaciones interétnicas de la novelística de Crispín Amador Ramírez

El presente articulo propone nuevas categorias epistemicas desde las practicas de lectura de las literaturas indigenas. Es importante validar no solo estos espacios experimentales que ocupan las narrativas escritas en lenguas indigenas sino el conjunto de este espacio geo-social ocupado por la indigeneidad contemporanea presuponiendo su mundo como fuente de literariedad, lo cual implica una ruptura con la ontologia occidentalista y representa planteamientos frescos y estrategicamente criticos de nuevas practicas decoloniales. Leer textualidades indigenas es en este caso una tarea sistemica acerca de la responsabilidad de lo etico coadyuvada por un compromiso epistemologico.
Primary cosmic-ray alpha-particles

From the analysis of an emulsion stack exposed to the primary cosmic radiation over Texas on February 8, 1959, the α-particle integral energy spectrum was found to be well represented by a simple power law of the total energyN(W)=CW−γ in the kinetic energy range (2.5÷7.5) GeV/nucleon. The value of exponent was found to beγ=1.56±0.18, which is not appreciably different, but perhaps somewhat lower than a valueγ⋍1.65 found at solar minimum in the kinetic energy range (1.8÷3) GeV/nucleon. A slightly smaller exponent at solar maximum is consistent with a solar modulating mechanism which preferentially removes low-energy particles from the primary cosmic-ray spectrum. These emulsions were exposed at a time near solar maximum, and the result is not consistent with a valueγ=1.0 in this energy range at solar maximum, as has been suggested. By using glass-backed plates and a low-temperature isothermal processing technique, the emulsion noise was reduced to a level where measurements could be extended to α-particle kinetic energies of 7.5 GeV/nucleon. Agreement of the point on the integral spectrum at a kinetic energy of 7 GeV/nucleon with flux values found at Guam during a period of similar cosmic-ray intensity shows that there is no significant noise contribution in these emulsions which varies with cell size in the same way as the Coulomb scattering signal.
Cephapirin: In Vitro Antibacterial Spectrum

Cephapirin, a new semisynthetic cephalosporin derivative, was found to have an antibacterial spectrum similar to that of cephalothin. Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited by cephapirin concentrations of 0.09 to 12.5 mug/ml. S. epidermidis, S. viridans, S. pyogenes, and Diplococcus pneumonia isolates were inhibited by less than 1 mug/ml. The Enterococcus required a concentration of 25 mug of antibiotic per ml for inhibition. Approximately 65% of Escherichia coli, and all Klebsiella, indole-negative Proteus, and Salmonella strains tested were inhibited by the drug. Serratia, Pseudomonas, indole-positive Proteus, and Erwinia strains were highly resistant. Inoculum size was not an important factor in determining the level of sensitivity of S. aureus to cephapirin. The antibiotic does not appear to be significantly bound to serum protein. In vitro development of resistance to the drug was demonstrated with two isolates of S. aureus.
Synthesis, characterization and dielectric properties of new unidimensional quaternary tellurites: LaTeNbO6, La4Te6Nb2O23, and La4Te6Ta2O23

Abstract Three new tellurites, LaTeNbO6 and La4Te6M2O23 (M=Nb or Ta) have been synthesized, as bulk phase powders and crystals, by using La2O3, Nb2O5 (or Ta2O5), and TeO2 as reagents. The structures of LaTeNbO6 and La4Te6Ta2O23 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. LaTeNbO6 consists of one-dimensional corner-linked chains of NbO6 octahedra that are connected by TeO3 polyhedra. La4Te6M2O23 (M=Nb or Ta) is composed of corner-linked chains of MO6 octahedra that are also connected by TeO4 and two TeO3 polyhedra. In all of the reported materials, Te4+ is in an asymmetric coordination environment attributable to its stereo-active lone-pair. Infrared, thermogravimetric, and dielectric analyses are also presented. Crystallographic information: LaTeNbO6, triclinic, space group P−1, a=6.7842(6) A, b=7.4473(6) A, c=10.7519(9) A, α=79.6490(10)°, β=76.920(2)°, γ=89.923(2)°, Z=4; La4Te6Ta2O23, monoclinic, space group C2/c, a=23.4676(17) A, b=12.1291(9) A, c=7.6416(6) A, β=101.2580(10)°, Z=4.
Fearful symmetries: quantum computing, factoring, and graph isomorphism

Historically, the idea of symmetry has played a much greater role in physics than in computer science. While computer scientists typically work against an adversary, physicists are brought up to believe in the benevolence of nature, and to believe that the answers to natural questions are often as simple—and as symmetric—as they possibly could be. Indeed, symmetry is intimately linked to every branch of physics, from classical conservation laws to elementary particles to special and general relativity.
The Automorphism Group of a Self-Dual $[{72,36,16}]$ Code Does Not Contain $Z_{4}$

It has been proven in a series of works that the order of the automorphism group of a self-dual binary $[{72,36,16}]$ code does not exceed five. Up to equivalence, we obtain a parametrization of all self-dual binary codes of length 72 with automorphism of order four, which can be extremal. We use extensive computations in Magma and on a supercomputer to show that the automorphism group of an extremal self-dual binary code of length 72 does not have an element of order four.
Plasma glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, and glycerol concentrations in the postmature rabbit

Plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, glycerol, and glucose concentrations were measured in term and postmature rabbits. The data show that the term and postmature mothers have significantly higher glycemia than their fetuses. However, triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations are lower in the postmature mother than in her fetus. Postmature fetuses are characterized by very high plasma triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations. The results demonstrate that postmaturity is accompanied by maternal and fetal lipid metabolic changes related to a decrease in the transfer of maternal fatty acids through the placenta and to a diminution in fetal liver glucose utilization. The postmature fetus is then in a relative state of fasting and must rely on its own supply of fuel (glycogen and lipids) to provide cells for growth and survival. The maternal metabolic changes can possibly be explained by a decreased utilization of maternal substrates by the fetus, the placenta becoming insufficient. The close interrelationship of fetal and maternal lipid metabolism with the activity of the placenta suggests that an accurate knowledge of the metabolic changes taking place in the fetus during alteration of the maternal environment is indispensable to the understanding of the short- and long-term effects of maternal disease on the fetus.
Feminists who flaunt it: exploring the enjoyment of sexualization among young feminist women

The phenomenon of women enjoying sexualized male attention has recently been operationalized and found to be related to primarily traditional and sexist beliefs, but some argue that enjoying sexiness can be a feminist act. This study assessed the extent to which 326 self-identified heterosexual feminist women reported that they enjoyed sexualization and how this related to beliefs about the need for social change. Results indicated that enjoying sexualization was related to a mix of feminist and traditional beliefs. Paradoxically, feminists who enjoyed sexualization felt empowered but were less likely to notice personal social injustice or continued gender inequity. Whether embracing empowered sexuality is related to a more general gender empowerment is discussed.
Like father like son: Imprisonment of fathers and the psychological adjustment of sons

The present study demonstrates that profiles of children from families with imprisoned fathers were more similar to those of juvenile delinquents and less similar to the norm group than were the profiles of children from divorced families. Based on findings presented, it would not be justified to conclude that father absence and father imprisonmentper se were the causes of negative psychological reactions. Discordant family relationships before the father left the family could have primarily caused the disturbance of these children.
Use of glucose‐responsive material to regulate insulin release from constitutively secreting cells

Genetically-engineered cells offer a solution to the cell availability problem in tissue engineering a pancreatic substitute for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes. These cells can be non-beta cells, such as hepatocytes or myoblasts, retrieved as a biopsy from the same patient and genetically engineered to secrete recombinant insulin constitutively or under transcriptional regulation. However, the continuous or slowly responsive insulin secretion dynamics from these cells cannot provide physiologic glucose regulation in patients. Our objective consists of using such cells as an insulin source and of regulating insulin release by incorporating a glucose-responsive material, which acts as a control barrier for insulin in a cell-material hybrid device. Experiments were performed with insulinoma betaTC3 cells, HepG2 hepatomas, and C2C12 myoblasts, the latter two genetically-modified to constitutively secrete insulin. The control barrier consisted of concanavalin A (con A)-based glucose-responsive material, which forms a gel at low and a sol at high glucose concentrations. Results demonstrated that the device released insulin at a higher rate in response to glucose challenges. In contrast, a device containing an inert hydrogel instead of glucose-responsive material released insulin at an essentially constant rate, irrespective of the surrounding glucose concentration. Necessary material improvements include increased sensitivity to glucose, so that the material responds to physiologically relevant glucose concentrations, and increased stability. The prospects of developing a properly functional, implantable substitute based on engineered non-beta cells and glucose-responsive material, and the material and device improvements that need to be made prior to in vivo experiments, are discussed.
One-Step Sample Concentration, Purification, and Albumin Depletion Method for Urinary Proteomics

Workflows in urinary proteomics studies are often complex and require many steps to enrich, purify, deplete, and separate the complex mixture. Many of these methods are laborious, are time-consuming, and have the potential for error. Although individual steps of these methods have been previously studied, their downstream compatibilities with fractionation technologies such as off-gel electrophoresis have not been investigated. We developed a one-step sample preparation workflow that simultaneously (i) concentrates proteins, (ii) purifies by removing salts and other low molecular weight compounds, and (iii) depletes (albumin) from urine samples. This simple and robust workflow can be multiplexed and is compatible with a diverse range of downstream multidimensional separation technologies. Additionally, because of its high reproducibility and flexibility in processing samples with different volumes and concentrations, it has the potential to be used for standardization of urinary proteomics studies, as well as for studying other body fluids of similar complexity.
Combining reflective mulch and host plant resistance for sweetpotato whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) management in watermelon.

Abstract A study was conducted to evaluate the use of reflective mulch and host plant resistance for the management of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), in watermelon [ Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus (Thunberg) Matsum & Nakai]. Whitefly abundance data were collected under both greenhouse (caged and uncaged) and field conditions. Consistently, a reflective mulch (also called silver or metallic) treatment resulted in a lower incidence of adult whiteflies as compared with a standard black mulch treatment. Moreover, two whitefly resistant Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad genotypes, which are wild relatives of cultivated watermelon, reduced whitefly populations as compared with standard watermelon. There was generally no interaction between the mulch and genotype variables. No effect of mulch color was observed on sticky card capture of Delphastus catalinae (Horn), a whitefly predator, or on capture of an Eretmocerus sp. whitefly parasitoid in caged trials, which suggests no adverse effect on these natural enemies when using reflective mulch. Overall whitefly populations were relatively low during four seasons of field trials (2006–2009). Results from this study suggest that a combination of using reflective mulch and host plant resistance can additively suppress whitefly infestations, which have particular importance in the fast-growing organic vegetable production industry.
Computational Model of Direct Injection Into the Spinal Cord Using in Vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Local infusion, i.e., convection-enhanced delivery (CED), is increasingly being considered as a means to deliver therapeutic agents to nervous tissues. These infusion techniques bypass the blood-brain barrier and overcome problems associated with slow diffusion [1, 2]. Predictive models of extracellular fluid flow and transport during and following CED would be useful in treatment optimization and planning. To account for large infusion volumes, such infusion models should incorporate tissue boundaries and anisotropic tissue properties.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Effects of local heparin administration on coronary thrombin activity during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Simultaneously obtained blood samples from the coronary sinus and systemic arterial circulation were analyzed for antithrombin III (ATIII) activity and fibrinopeptide A (FpA) concentration in nine patients undergoing elective PTCA in order to determine the effects of locally delivered heparin, Samples were obtained at the following designated times: prior to the administration of systemic heparin (period I); 5 min following a loading dose of systemic heparin (period II); 5 min following the final balloon inflation but prior to local delivery (period III); and 5 min following the administration of 4,000 units of unfractionated heparin using a local delivery catheter system (period IV). We found consistent increases in both systemic arterial (P = 0.006) and coronary sinus (P = 0.0002) ATIII activity with systemic heparinization designed to prolong the activated clotting time to 300 sec. However, local delivery of heparin further increased coronary sinus ATIII activity (P = 0.003, period ill vs. period IV). FpA concentration decreased in both systemic arterial (P < 0.0001) and coronary sinus (P < 0.0001) samples following systemic heparinization. Moreover, local delivery of heparin further decreased coronary sinus FpA concentration (P = 0.04). Thus, on a background of intense anticoagulation during PTCA, the local delivery of 4,000 units of unfractionated heparin confers incremental antithrombotic activity. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of forage-concentrate ratio in complete feeds fed ad libitum on feed intake prepartum and the occurrence of abomasal displacement in dairy cows

Abstract Forty Holstein cows were assigned to four complete feeds of: a) 75:25; b) 60:40; c) 45:55; and d) 30:70 forage to concentrate ratios, 28 days before parturition, to examine the effect of ration energy level on the ad libitum consumption of energy in relation to requirements. During 25 days following parturition, 0, 2, 4, and 4 cases of left displacement of the abomasum occurred in the four ration groups, respectively. The mean daily dry matter intake 28 days prepartum did not differ significantly (P Digestible energy consumed during the 28 days before calving averaged 155, 138, 159, and 173% of National Research Council's maintenance requirements for the four treatment groups, respectively.
Experimental demonstration of a classical approach to flexible structure control

This paper describes the results of active structural control experiments performed for the ACES testbed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center as part of the NASA Control-Structure Interaction Phase I Guest Investigator Program. The experimental results successfully demonstrate the effectiveness of a "dipole" concept for line-of-sight control of a pointing system mounted on a flexible structure. The simplicity and effectiveness of a classical "single-loop-at-a-time" approach for the active structural control design for a complex structure such as the ACES testbed are demonstrated. Consequently, the theoretical aspects of large space structure control problems are not elaborated in this paper.