cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Politics of Science and the Science of Politics: Feyerabend, Pluralism, and Democratic Challenges

What might be called the new political science provided a strong challenge to older traditions centering on political philosophy, law, history, and institution-giving. Beyond their being seen as inherently normative and thus flawed, one could argue that these glossed over important aspects of the empirical world at the behest of those commitments. The scientific study of politics, by contrast, offered a way to acquire valid knowledge: the way forward. Decades and successive crises of identity later, however, it has become apparent just how much questions of value bleed into this progress. The rages and repudiations of the discipline time and again highlight the tension between shared standards and good work. Concerning the relationship between these, no easy agreement exists. Strikingly, one finds as little agreement concerning our disciplinary canons as there is in politics or even about what constitutes the political. Pluralism is therefore not only an empirical fact in science as in politics but also a fact that science might embrace. I apply Feyerabend’s philosophy of science to political science and explore what political scientist might embrace in such an account. As opposed to efforts to discipline or demarcate our peculiar practice, an account of science and of the science of politics that offers a strong rather than merely tolerant commitment to pluralism better mirrors the diversity and contested nature of political phenomena and is better suited to fruitful pursuit of the study of politics.
Privacy Risk Assessment on Online Photos

With the rising popularity of cameras and people's increasing desire to share photos, an overwhelming number of photos have been posted all over the Web. A digital photo usually contains much information in its metadata. Once published online, a photo could disclose much more information beyond what is visually depicted in the photo and what the owner expects to share. The metadata contained in digital photos could pose significant privacy threats to their owners. Our work aims to raise public awareness of privacy risks resulting from sharing photos online and subsequent photo handling conducted by contemporary media sites. To this end, we investigated the prevalence of metadata information among digital photos and assessed the potential privacy risks arising from the metadata information. We also studied the policies adopted by online media sites on handling the metadata information embedded in the photos they host. We examined nearly 100,000 photos collected from over 600 top-ranked websites in seven categories and found that the photo handling policy adopted by a site largely varies depending on the category of the site. We demonstrated that some trivial looking metadata information suffices to mount real-world attacks against photo owners.
How do you spell assessment

When it's time for initial assessment of a med-surg or critical care patient, think of MAKING IT simple, quick and complete. That's what the easy-to-remember, mnemonic phrase M-A-K-IN-G I-T can help you to do. Those letters stand for all the major elements of assessment for all patients; you can use it to organize your observations. While each patient, of course, has unique needs, you'll want to check these major areas first, lest you get sidetracked too soon. Moreover, what takes two pages here to describe becomes, with practice, a rapid ritual--typically, about 15 minutes long.
Reconnaissance report of the Antigua, West Indies, earthquake of October 8, 1974

A major earthquake ( m b = 6.6; M s = 7.5, U.S. Geological Survey) occurred in the northern Lesser Antilles on October 8, 1974, causing damage of Modified Mercalli intensity VIII on the island of Antigua and lower intensities on the more distant islands. The damage was confined mainly to larger and older buildings, to a petroleum refinery, and to a deep-water harbor. No earthquake-resistant building code exists in most of the Lesser Antilles, and in the majority of cases examined it was clear that structural damage had occurred because the building concerned could not have met the elementary requirements of a typical code. A few people received minor injuries, but no fatality was reported. The hypocenter of the main shock and many of the aftershocks lay about 30 km above the westward-dipping zone defined by activity over the last decade. The earthquake was tectonic in origin since the epicenter was 50 km from the nearest recent volcano.
Effects of long-term consumption of sewage solids on blood, milk and tissue elemental composition of breeding ewes.

Fine-wool ewes received for 2 yr a complete pelleted basal diet (11% protein) or the basal diet fortified with 3.5% cottonseed meal (CSM; 12% protein) or gamma-irradiated (1 megarad) dried solids (SS; 12% protein) from primary (undigested) sewage (Las Cruces, New Mexico, municipal sewage). Five ewes fed each diet were sampled to determine Ag, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb and Zn in blood, milk and tissues. Tissues and blood were sampled at slaughter 40 d after weaning of lambs. Mean whole blood mineral concentrations were similar (P less than .05) among treatments 3 d postpartum; however, at 42 d after lambing (mean +/- SE) both basal- (54 +/- 2 micrograms/ml) and sewage-fed (54 +/- 2 micrograms/ml) ewes had elevated (P less than .05) blood Ca compared with ewes fed CSM (46 +/- 2 micrograms/ml). No biologically important differences were detected in the concentrations of elements in milk. Ewes fed SS had lower (P less than .05) blood Fe than animals in the other groups. Sewage-fed ewes also had higher (P less than .05) liver Fe (1,092 +/- 100 micrograms/g) than basal-fed ewes (626 +/- 100 micrograms/g); whereas Fe in CSM-fed ewes (873 +/- 100 micrograms/g) was similar to both. Basal-fed animals had 1.1- to 1.3 times more (P less than .05) liver Mg and two- to threefold higher liver Na than CSM or SS. Livers from SS-fed ewes had higher concentrations (P less than .05) of Cd (1.5- to 1.6-times) and Pb (1.4- to 1.9-times) than livers from CSM- or basal-fed ewes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Outcome of Tic and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Children with Tourette Syndrome

The clinical course of tic and obsessive-compulsive (OCD) symptoms in children with Tourette syndrome (TS) through adolescence and adult life was evaluated at the Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Conn.
A Petroglyph-Decorated Metate from the Bradshaw Mountains, Arizona

ABSTRACTAn unusual basin metate with a petroglyph on the bottom side was found in the Bradshaw Mountains, Arizona. The metate was lying on the surface in the area of a site, but no distinctive pottery or other artifacts were noted. The design and its relation to the grinding surface form an interesting problem.
Call for FITs/ECs to Become Engaged With Social Media.

#AtrialFibrillation, #AFib, #AF, or #??? In the wake of #ACC16, even those who consider themselves reasonably savvy within the realm of social media can find properly categorizing, or tagging, messages to be discouragingly daunting. Staring blankly at a 140-character void can be unnerving—
Ischemic preconditioning of human myocardium: protein kinase C mediates a permissive role for alpha 1-adrenoceptors

The purposes of this study were to determine whether ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in human atrial trabeculae is mediated by alpha 1-adrenoceptors and protein kinase C (PKC) and whether the protection of IPC is replicated with alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation [alpha 1-adrenoceptor preconditioning (alpha 1-PC)]. Atrial trabeculae were obtained during coronary bypass surgery. The trabeculae were suspended in organ baths containing Tyrode solution and field stimulated at 1 Hz, and developed force was recorded. The trabeculae underwent 45 min of simulated ischemia (SI) and 120 min of reperfusion (I/R injury). IPC trabeculae received transient SI before I/R injury, alpha 1-Adrenoceptor blockade with BE-2254 and PKC inhibition with chelerythrine were independently combined with IPC before I/R injury. alpha 1-PC before I/R was examined with alpha 1-adrenergic agonist (phenylephrine) pre-treatment. Improved recovery of developed force and higher tissue creatine kinase activity were present in IPC trabeculae, and the protective effect of IPC was eliminated with either alpha 1-adrenoceptor blockade or PKC inhibition. alpha 1-PC trabeculae also exhibited enhanced functional recovery after I/R injury but lacked preservation of tissue creatine kinase activity. PKC inhibition eliminated the functional protection of alpha 1-PC. These results suggest that, in human atrial trabeculae, alpha 1-adrenoceptors and PKC mediate, in part, the functional and tissue CK preservation conferred by IPC, but alpha 1-PC does not replicate the protection of IPC.
Putting Life in the Years Incorporating Quality of Life Into Left Ventricular Assist Devices Outcomes

> The important thing is not how many years in your life, but how much life in your years. > > —Edward J. Stieglitz, MD 1 Durable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are now the most widely used surgical therapy for end-stage systolic heart failure. Current-generation LVADs have been proven in clinical trials to extend survival and improve quality of life, but these devices continue to be saddled with unacceptably high adverse events rates. Despite remarkable progress over the past decade, over two thirds of registered mechanical support recipients experience bleeding, infection, device malfunction, stroke, or death within the first year after implant.2 Anticipating which patients will experience an adverse event after LVAD remains challenging given the stochastic nature of device-related complications. Those patients in whom an LVAD would be lifelong destination therapy are the largest segment of the heart failure population undergoing consideration for mechanical support. Older LVAD recipients or those with a greater burden of comorbidities have no bailout option in the form of cardiac transplantation to rescue them from the complications of mechanical support. Some recipients may be left with residual frailty not responsive to mechanical support despite a successful implant.3 Given the potential for extended longevity after LVAD coupled with competing risks, lingering uncertainties, and the burden of living with mechanical support, a framework of patient-provider shared decision making has been encouraged to incorporate the patient’s perspectives, values, and priorities.4 See Article by Arnold et al Patients with heart failure have consistently indicated that quality of life is at least as important to them as survival when considering LVAD support.5,6 Systematic health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessment is essential to defining more clearly the benefit of mechanical support and generating reasonable expectations for those considering LVAD therapy. The acknowledged importance of patient-centered outcome …
Intensity cross correlation in stimulated Raman scattering

We have observed the intensity cross correlation that occurs when broadband laser light is frequency shifted by stimulated Raman scattering.
Genome-wide alterations in CpG island methylation induced by arsenite

Aberrant methylation of tumour suppressor CpG islands, resulting in epigenetic gene silencing, is common in human cancer. However, the mechanism responsible for inducing gene silencing remains unclear. Epidemiologic data have confirmed that the human carcinogen arsenic is associated with epigenetic silencing in several tumour-types. In this study, we set out to investigate the role exposure to arsenic plays in inducing CpG island methylation. To test the effects of the USA Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water arsenic limits (10 ppb), two clonal populations of immortalized human keratinocytes were treated with this level of arsenic, and methylation at CpG islands was compared to pooled, untreated keratinocytes using a 12K genome-wide CpG microarray. Islands with at least a 1.5-fold increase or decrease in methylation were examined. Comparing arrays from duplicate treated, clonal populations, a global decrease in methylation was seen, that involved more than 3000 CpG island loci, with a concomitant increase in methylation at over 500 CpG loci. Between arrays, the specific loci that exceeded the methylation change cutoff had > 99% concordance, demonstrating both reproducibility and specificity. Consistent with alterations from human tumours, this pattern of globally decreased CpG island methylation and local CpG island hypermethylation suggests that arsenic contributes to epigenetic alterations in human cancer.
Gender, migration and care deficits: what role for the sustainable development goals?

This article explores migration to higher income countries in light of collective commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and argues that domestic social protection and labour marke...
Removal of Noninfected Arteriovenous Fistulae after Kidney Transplantation is a Safe and Beneficial Management Strategy for Unused Dialysis Access.

Background Renal transplant recipients often maintain their hemodialysis access in the event of future allograft failure. Patients may develop complications related to the unused dialysis access, and it also limits vein availability for phlebotomy. Accordingly, a change in the current paradigm may be warranted. This study evaluates the indications for, and safety of, arteriovenous fistula (AVF) removal in patients after successful renal transplantation. Methods All patients who underwent AVF excision at a single institution from 2006 to 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Within that cohort, those undergoing removal after renal transplantation were included for analysis. Baseline patient characteristics, including renal function at the time of removal, reason for excision, and age of the AVF, were examined. The primary outcome was the need for dialysis after AVF removal. Results A total of 114 patients, of which 36 (31.6%) were recipients of renal transplants, underwent fistula removal during the study period. Within the transplant cohort, the median fistula age at the time of excision was 1,903 days (interquartile range: 556–3,394 days). The most common indications for excision included aneurysmal degeneration (n = 9, 25%), pain (n = 6, 16.7%), upper extremity steal syndrome (n = 5, 13.9%), thrombosis (n = 5, 13.9%), high cardiac output heart failure (n = 4, 11%), and extremity swelling secondary to venous hypertension (n = 2, 5.6%). Most patients (30, 83.3%) had intact graft function. Average creatinine and eGFR at the time of excision in these patients were 1.6 mg/dL and 52.3 mL/min/m2, respectively. Two of these 30 patients (6.7%), who had creatinine values of 2.0 and 9.7 mg/dL, went on to require dialysis following excision. The remaining 28 have maintained normal renal function with improvement in their preoperative symptomatology. Two patients (5.6%) experienced postoperative complications—a hematoma requiring evacuation and a superficial wound infection requiring oral antibiotics. Conclusions Removal of symptomatic, unused AVFs can be performed safely in renal transplant recipients. Considering the morbidity associated with large AVFs (including high output cardiac failure), the current paradigm of maintaining asymptomatic hemodialysis access in patients with normally functioning renal transplants should be reconsidered.
Clinical and echocardiographic predictors of new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients admitted with blunt trauma.

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia after trauma or burn injury; however, its predisposing factors are not well known. Moreover, little is known about its effect on mortality and other short-term clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVES This study is aimed at identifying risk factors for new-onset AF in patients admitted with blunt trauma or burn injuries at a Level 1 academic trauma center, and to determine its effects on the short-term clinical outcomes. METHODS This case-control study compared patients with new-onset AF with a cohort of patients without AF during the hospital stay after trauma or burn injury. Patients with prior AF or lack of transthoracic echocardiogram were excluded. Demographic, clinical factors including injury severity score and echocardiographic parameters were compared in both cohorts. Risks of short-term clinical outcomes, namely persistent AF, new stroke, myocardial infarction, or death, were compared. RESULTS Older age, sepsis, CHADS2-VASC score >1, larger left atrium (LA) size, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction imposed a significant risk for new-onset AF on univariate analysis. On multivariate, independent predictors of new-onset AF were LA dilation and LVH. LA enlargement increased odds of new-onset AF by 23-fold (OR 23; CI: 5.7-92, P < 0.0001) and the presence of LVH increased the odds of new-onset AF more than 20-fold (OR 20.8; CI: 5-87, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Dilated LA and LVH are independent predictors of new-onset AF in the patients with blunt trauma or burn. New-onset AF did not confer increased risk for in-hospital mortality.
Team-Based Learning in Engineering Classrooms: Feedback Form and Content Adds Value to the Learning Experience

An instructional strategy called Team-Based Learning (TBL) has been implemented by the authors in courses that emphasize fundamental engineering concepts that are core to the discipline. TBL is an alternative to conventional classroom lecture instruction. In a TBL course, students are placed on permanent learning teams and the teams work together, during class time, to apply course concepts and solve discipline-relevant problems called application exercises. The goal of introducing TBL in these engineering courses is to enhance the quality of student learning by incentivizing student engagement with course content and fostering team skills. This is achieved by using application exercises that require student teams to apply critical thinking and decision making abilities. Students on high performing teams routinely report that their team’s success on application exercises is directly attributable to the thorough preparation by individual student team members outside of class, and that the TBL course structure helped them develop and enhance their ability to learn challenging concepts on their own. An important component of TBL course structure is the inclusion of frequent, timely, and varied types of instructional feedback to students. This paper will introduce a taxonomy for instructional feedback and place the feedback mechanisms that are inherent in the TBL course structure within this context. The form and content of instructional feedback used in TBL engineering courses will be examined. This discussion will include suggestions for achieving a balance between the dimensions of feedback to facilitate the professional development of engineering students.
Gender in the Classroom : Foundations, Skills, Methods, and Strategies Across the Curriculum

Contents: Preface. T. McCormick, Strong Women Teachers: Their Struggles and Strategies for Gender Equity. K.W. Cassidy, Gender Differences in Cognitive Ability, Attitudes, and Behavior. K. Zittleman, Teachers, Students, and Title IX: A Promise for Fairness. M.S. Crocco, A.S. Libresco, Citizenship Education for the 21st Century-A Gender Inclusive Approach to Social Studies. S.P. Brown, P. Roy, A Gender Inclusive Approach to English/Language Arts Methods: Literacy With a Critical Lens. J. Koch, A Gender Inclusive Approach to Science Education. K.N. Bell, K. Norwood, Gender Equity Intersects With Mathematics and Technology: Problem-Solving Education for Changing Times. D.M. Sadker, K. Zittleman, Practical Strategies for Detecting and Correcting Gender Bias in Your Classroom. Appendix: Guide to INTASC Principles Reflected in Chapter Interactions.
Deconstructing Information Structure

The paper argues that a core part of what is traditionally referred to as ‘information structure’ can be deconstructed into genuine morphosyntactic features that are visible to syntactic operations, contribute to discourse-related expressive meanings, and just happen to be spelled out prosodically in Standard American and British English. We motivate two features, [FoC] and [G], and we track the fate of those features at and beyond the syntax-semantics and the syntax-phonology interfaces. [FoC] and [G] are responsible for two distinct obligatory strategies for establishing discourse coherence. A [G]-marked constituent signals a match with a discourse referent, whereas a [FoC]-marked constituent invokes alternatives and thereby signals a contrast. In Standard American and British English [FoC] aims for highest prosodic prominence in the intonational phrase, whereas [G] lacks phrase-level prosodic properties. There is no grammatical marking of newness: The apparent prosodic effects of newness are the result of default prosody.
The motor system's [modest] contribution to speech perception

Recent evidence suggests that the motor system may have a facilitatory role in speech perception during noisy listening conditions. Studies clearly show an association between activity in auditory and motor speech systems, but also hint at a causal role for the motor system in noisy speech perception. However, in the most compelling "causal" studies performance was only measured at a single signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). If listening conditions must be noisy to invoke causal motor involvement, then effects will be contingent on the SNR at which they are tested. We used articulatory suppression to disrupt motor-speech areas while measuring phonemic identification across a range of SNRs. As controls, we also measured phoneme identification during passive listening, mandible gesturing, and foot-tapping conditions. Two-parameter (threshold, slope) psychometric functions were fit to the data in each condition. Our findings indicate: (1) no effect of experimental task on psychometric function slopes; (2) a small effect of articulatory suppression, in particular, on psychometric function thresholds. The size of the latter effect was 1 dB (~5% correct) on average, suggesting, at best, a minor modulatory role of the speech motor system in perception.
Representing the Middle East and Africa in social studies education: Teacher discourse and otherness

Representing the Middle East and Africa in social studies education: Teacher discourse and otherness, examines how the classroom discourse of six secondary history teachers represents the diverse p...
P(V) Reagents for the Scalable Synthesis of Natural and Modified Nucleoside Triphosphates

Natural and modified nucleoside triphosphates impact nearly every major aspect of healthcare research from DNA sequencing to drug discovery. However, a scalable synthetic route to these molecules has long been hindered by the need for purification by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Here, we describe a fundamentally different approach that uses a novel P(V) pyrene pyrophosphate reagent to generate derivatives that are purified by silica gel chromatography and converted to the desired compounds on scales vastly exceeding those achievable by HPLC. The power of this approach is demonstrated through the synthesis of a broad range of natural and unnatural nucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs and xNTPs) using protocols that are efficient, inexpensive, and operationally straightforward.
Repair of Critical-Sized Long Bone Defects Using Dipyridamole-Augmented 3D-Printed Bioactive Ceramic Scaffolds.

There are over two million long bone defects treated in the United States annually, of which ~5% will not heal without significant surgical intervention. While autogenous grafting is the standard of care in simple defects, a customized scaffold for large defects in unlimited quantities is not available. Recently, a three-dimensionally (3D)-printed bioactive ceramic (3DPBC) scaffold has been successfully utilized in the of repair critical-sized (CSD) long bone defects in vivo. In this study, 3DPBC scaffolds were augmented with dipyridamole (DIPY), an adenosine A2A receptor (A2A R) indirect agonist, because of its known effect to enhance bone formation. CSD full thickness segmental defects (~11 mm × full thickness) defects were created in the radial diaphysis in New Zealand white rabbits (n = 24). A customized 3DPBC scaffold composed of β-tricalcium phosphate was placed into the defect site. Groups included scaffolds that were collagen-coated (COLL), or immersed in 10, 100, or 1,000 μM DIPY solution. Animals were euthanized 8 weeks post-operatively and the radii/ulna-scaffold complex retrieved en bloc, for micro-CT, histological, and mechanical analysis. Bone growth was assessed exclusively within scaffold pores and evaluated by microCT and advanced reconstruction software. Biomechanical properties were evaluated utilizing nanoindentation to assess the newly regenerated bone for elastic modulus (E) and hardness (H). MicroCT reconstructions illustrated bone in-growth throughout the scaffold, with an increase in bone volume dependent on the DIPY dosage. The histological evaluation did not indicate any adverse immune response while revealing progressive remodeling of bone. These customized biologic 3DPBC scaffolds have the potential of repairing and regenerating bone. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2499-2507, 2019.
Modeling the connection between viewscapes and home locations in a rapidly exurbanizing region

Abstract Low-density exurban development represents a unique form of landscape change motivated by aesthetics and individual choice, whether driven by perceptions of beauty or more broadly as worldviews expressed through outward appearance and actions. However, little is known about how individual preferences for new home sites manifest in landscape patterns of exurbanization. In this study, we examine the extent to which viewscapes - the visible part of a landscape that creates connection between people and their surroundings - drive patterns of development in the Sonoita Plain of Arizona. We mapped the locations of over 2,000 homes built before and after the Great Recession (~2010) and calculated line-of-sight viewscapes of each home with four metrics: viewscape area, privacy (number of visible neighbors), greenness (NDVI), and terrain ruggedness. We found that exurban homes have significantly larger and more private viewscapes compared to suburban homes and what would be expected by chance. After 2010, exurban homes were built at locations with yet larger and more private viewscapes even as settlement density increased. An autologistic model of post-2010 settlement patterns showed that viewscape privacy is positively associated with the probability of exurban development after accounting for road proximity and the area and greenness of viewscapes. Application of the predictive model was made possible through a new open-source algorithm that computes spatially continuous, all-possible vantage points (1.3M). Our algorithm allows planners to visualize wall-to-wall spatial patterns of viewscape drivers across a large region and more comprehensively consider the roles that viewscapes play in landscape change.
Neutron Capture by 79Br, 81Br, and 75As

Neutron capture up to 700 keV was measured for arsenic and bromine and for an enriched sample of 81Br. Individual resonance capture was parameterized in the first several kilo-electron-volts and av...
Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) as a source of insulin-producing cells

Abstract Purpose of review: Pancreas and islet transplantation provide proof-of-principle that replacing deficient β cell function in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes can restore normoglycemia. The dearth of suitable cadaver organs and need for lifelong immunosuppression, however, limit this therapy to only a few thousand individuals. Therapeutic strategies involving human pluripotent stem cell-derived insulin-producing cells (IPCs) and tissues have long been envisioned as a potential solution to this clinical problem. Recent technical advances in deriving IPCs with improved functionality are bringing this vision closer to reality. Transplanting endocrine progenitors contained in macroencapsulation devices is a strategy that has already entered clinical trials. Many questions still need to be answered related to cellular properties, composition and immunogenicity of the graft and how to protect the graft from immune destruction, as well as transplant site and the role of other tissue components such as extracellular matrix. Exciting new technologies such as tissue engineering, genome editing, and interspecies organogenesis are already impacting this field and will likely contribute to the ultimate delivery of stem cell-derived IPCs to patients. This chapter will review the current state of the preclinical technology and review results of a recent industry-sponsored first-in-human clinical trial.
Collected Essays: Volume I

In this second volume of his essays on the history of halakhah, Haym Soloveitchik grapples with much-disputed topics in medieval Jewish history and takes issue with a number of reigning views. His insistence that proper understanding requires substantive, in-depth analysis of the sources leads him to a searching analysis of oft-cited halakhic texts of Ashkenaz, frequently with conclusions that differ from the current consensus. Medieval Jewish historians cannot, he argues, avoid engaging in detailed textual criticism, and texts must always be interpreted in the context of the legal culture of their time. Historians who shirk these tasks risk reinforcing a version that supports their own preconceptions, and retrojecting later notions on to an earlier age. These basic methodological points underlie every topic discussed.In Part I, devoted to the cultural origins of Ashkenaz and its lasting impact, Professor Soloveitchik questions the scholarly consensus that the roots of Ashkenaz lie deep in Palestinian soil. He challenges the widespread notion that it was immemorial custom (minhag kadmon) that primarily governed Early Ashkenaz, the culture that emerged in the Rhineland in the late tenth century and which was ended by the ravages of the First Crusade (1096). He similarly rejects the theory that it was only towards the middle of the eleventh century that the Babylonian Talmud came to be regarded as fully authoritative. On the basis of an in-depth analysis of the literature of the time, he shows that the scholars of Early Ashkenaz displayed an astonishing command of the complex corpus of the Babylonian Talmud and viewed it at all times as the touchstone of the permissible and the forbidden. The section concludes with his own radical proposal as to the source of Ashkenazi culture and the stamp it left upon the Jews of northern Europe for close to a millennium.The second part of the volume treats the issue of martyrdom as perceived and practised by Jews under Islam and Christianity. In one of the longer essays, Soloveitchik claims that Maimonides' problematic Iggeret ha-Shemad is a work of rhetoric, not halakhah - a conclusion that has generated much criticism from other scholars, to whom he replies one by one. This is followed by a comprehensive study of kiddush ha-shem in Ashkenaz, which draws him into an analysis of whether aggadic sources were used by the Tosafists in halakhic arguments, as some historians claim; whether there was any halakhic validation of the widespread phenomenon of voluntary martyrdom; and, indeed, whether halakhic considerations played any part in such tragic life-and-death issues. The book concludes with two essays on Mishneh torah which argue that that famed code must also be viewed as a work of art which sustains, as masterpieces do, multiple conflicting interpretations.
Development of peripheral eosinophilia in inflammatory bowel disease patients on infliximab treated at a tertiary pediatric inflammatory bowel disease center is associated with clinically active disease but does not result in loss of efficacy or adverse outcomes.

Introduction Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consisting of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are inflammatory conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Infliximab (IFX) is a chimeric anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody used to treat moderate to severe IBD. Eosinophils are commonly found in chronically inflamed tissues in IBD. Peripheral eosinophilia (PE) was previously implicated as a marker of disease severity at diagnosis. The main aim of this study was to investigate whether in IBD patients on IFX, development of PE is associated with adverse outcomes and poor IFX efficacy. Methods A comprehensive retrospective chart review of IBD patients on IFX (January 2006 to July 2015) treated at a tertiary pediatric IBD center was performed. Data was collected at time specified points over a 24 month period and included demographics, atopy, disease severity, development of PE, human antichimeric antibodies (HACA), infusion reactions, cancer, psoriasis, and loss of clinical response. Results One hundred twenty-one IBD patients starting IFX (67 male), mean age of 12.4 years (range 4-22 years old), met inclusion criteria. Of them, 36.3% had ≥1 PE episode (CD: 25 male, 11 female; UC: 6 male, 2 female). Mean absolute eosinophil count (AEC) did not change over time. PE was associated with clinically active disease. Among patients who developed PE, adverse outcomes were not significantly different versus those who did not have PE. Conclusions In a cohort of primarily pediatric IBD patients on IFX, PE was associated with clinically active disease; however, PE was not related to increased incidence of adverse outcomes or loss of drug efficacy.
Early brain abnormalities in infants born very preterm predict under-reactive temperament

Abstract Background Early temperament may mediate the association between brain abnormalities following preterm birth and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Aims This exploratory study investigated whether brain abnormalities in infants born very preterm predicted temperament. Study design Infants born prematurely underwent structural MRI at term. Mother self-reported depression symptoms at the scanning visit, and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised-Short (IBQ-R-S) about their infant at 3-months corrected age. Subjects Infants (n = 214) born at ≤32 weeks gestation (M = 29.29, SD = 2.60). Average post-menstrual age at the MRI scan was 42.72 weeks (SD = 1.30). The majority of the infants were male (n = 115), and Caucasian (n = 145) or African American (n = 58). The average birthweight in grams was 1289.75 (SD = 448.5). Outcome measures Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised-Short (IBQ-R-S) subscales. Results Multivariate regression showed white matter abnormalities predicted lower ratings on High Intensity Pleasure and Vocal Reactivity, grey matter abnormalities predicted lower ratings on High Intensity Pleasure and Cuddliness, and cerebellar abnormalities predicted lower ratings on Fear and Sadness IBQ-R-S subscales adjusting for gestational age and sex. The pattern of results was essentially unchanged when maternal depression and socioeconomic status were included in the model. Conclusions Early MRI-diagnosed brain abnormalities in infants born very preterm were associated less vocalization and engagement during cuddling, decreased ability to take pleasure in stimulating activities, and lower emotionality in fear and sadness domains. Although replication is warranted, an under-reactive temperament in infants born preterm may have a neurobiological basis.
Governing New Frontiers in the Information Age: Toward Cyber Peace

Many pressing environmental and security threats now facing the international community may be traced to the frontiers. From climate change and cyber-attacks to the associated challenges of space weaponization and orbital debris mitigation, solutions to all of these issues have at their root some form of regulation over the 'global commons'. Yet governance over these spaces is now transitioning away from multilateral treaties to regional and bilateral accords. This book makes an original contribution by comparing and contrasting some of the principal issues facing the frontiers. It analyzes how and why existing governance structures are often failing to adequately meet global collective action problems, with special coverage on cybersecurity and Internet governance. It proposes a new way forward incorporating lessons from successful regimes as well as the interdisciplinary scholarship on polycentric governance, arguing that multi-stakeholder collaboration is imperative in order to avoid tragedies of the global commons.
Scalable Coherence in Large Scale Second-Order Networks Using High-Gain Observer

We propose a scalable second-order consensus algorithm where by tuning the controller parameter, the convergence rate of the consensus protocol is almost invariant with respect to the size of the network. This is beneficial when the algebraic connectivity of the graph Laplacian decreases towards zero, with an increase in the network size, which leads to degraded closed-loop performance. We realize the controller using a high-gain observer and it is shown that for sufficiently small observer parameter, the convergence rate under output feedback approaches the one under state feedback. We also study the controller performance under stochastic disturbances by first defining a performance output and then calculating the ℋ 2 norm from the disturbance input to the performance output. We show that the ℋ 2 norm for the state feedback controller is scalable as the network size increases. Moreover, we also show that for sufficiently small observer parameter, the ℋ 2 norm under output feedback approaches the one under state feedback.
Normal growth variance by Z scores should be considered when interpreting the growth inhibitory effect of inhaled corticosteroids.

BACKGROUND Randomized clinical trials suggest that long-term inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) treatment significantly inhibits growth velocity (GV) assessed by centimeters/year (cm/year) in primarily prepubescent, mild asthmatics. However, several observational studies measuring normal growth variance by Z score suggest the absence of the ICS inhibitory effect. OBJECTIVE To demonstrate the generalizability of ICS growth inhibition in cm/year by establishing whether this measure exceeds the expected normal changes in GV by Z score for similar age and sex. METHODS This was a retrospective, observational study comparing height and GV across a 2 year period in asthmatics aged 2-10 years, receiving ICS therapy (Group 3) with non-asthmatics, and non-ICS asthmatics (Groups 1 and 2), respectively. Generalized linear model procedure compared GV measures after adjustment for age, gender, and dependence of group differences on the age of the child. RESULTS Before initiation of ICS therapy at baseline, Group 3 patients (n = 22) were shorter than Groups 1 (n = 67) and 2 (n = 44) by mean height in cm, and height for age Z score in the adjusted model (p < .05). GV was also significantly reduced in Group 3 after initiation of ICS therapy versus Groups 1 and 2 by 1.0-1.5 cm/year, respectively, p < .05, but not significantly in comparison to expected normal GV variance determined by Z score, p ≥ .05. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest the need to consider normal growth variance by Z scores in addition to absolute changes (cm/year) when interpreting the inhibitory effect of ICS on GV. Larger sample size studies will be necessary to confirm our findings.
Sustained physical activity in peripheral artery disease: Associations with disease severity, functional performance, health-related quality of life, and subsequent serious adverse events in the LITE randomized clinical trial:

This study investigated cross-sectional associations of peripheral artery disease (PAD) severity (defined by the ankle-brachial index (ABI)) and amounts of daily sustained physical activity (PA) (defined as > 100 activity counts per minute lasting 5 consecutive minutes or more). This study also investigated associations of amounts of daily sustained PA with 6-minute walk (6MW) distance and the Short Form-36 physical functioning domain (SF-36 PF) score in cross-sectional analyses and with serious adverse events (SAEs) in longitudinal analyses of people with PAD. PA was measured continuously for 10 days using a tri-axial accelerometer at baseline in 277 participants with PAD randomized to the LITE clinical trial. In regression analyses, each 0.15 lower ABI value was associated with a 5.67% decrease in the number of daily bouts of sustained PA (95% CI: 3.85-6.54; p < 0.001). Every additional bout of sustained PA per day was associated with a 4.56-meter greater 6MW distance (95% CI: 2.67-6.46; p < 0.0001), and a 0.81-point improvement in SF-36 PF score (95% CI: 0.34-1.28; p < 0.001). Participants with values of daily bouts of sustained PA below the median had higher rates of SAEs during follow-up, compared to participants above the median (41% vs 24%; p = 0.002). In conclusion, among participants with PAD, lower ABI values were associated with fewer bouts of daily sustained PA. A greater number of bouts of daily sustained PA were associated with better 6MW performance and SF-36 PF score, and, in longitudinal analyses, lower rates of SAEs. Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02538900.
The Role of Visibility in Silent Speech Tongue Movements: A Kinematic Study of Consonants.

Purpose To better understand the role of tongue visibility in speech, this study compared the spatiotemporal patterns of silent versus audible speech for lingual consonants of American English. Kin...
TNF signal, ROS, and caspase-11 play important role in HIV gp120 with morphine-Induced Neuropathic Pain.

Recent clinical evidence suggests that repeated use of opioid medications increases chronic pain in individuals living with HIV. It is important to elucidate the exact molecular mechanisms of neuropathic pain (NP) in opioid users living with HIV. HIV-related neuron damage is induced by activating glial cells releasing neurotoxic factors (such as, TNFα). Chronic morphine use also induces TNFα product. Spinal mitochondrial superoxide (mtO2●-) plays important role in neuropathic pain. Non-canonical inflammasome, caspase-11 signal pathway is involved in methamphetamine-induced neuron apoptosis. Increased ROS enhances caspase-11 expression during enteric pathogen infection. In the present study, we investigated the role of TNFRI, mtO2●- and caspase-11 in a HIV coat glycoprotein gp120 with morphine (gp120/M)-induced neuropathic pain state. HIV-gp120 with morphine induced mechanical allodynia lasting for 3 weeks. HIV-gp120/M upregulated the expression of TNFRI, mitochondrial superoxide, with caspase-11, and down-regulated Sirt3 in the spinal dorsal horn. TNFRI-/- knockout mice were higher mechanical threshold and longer thermal latency than that in wildtype mice. Intrathecal administration of antisense oligonucleotides against TNFRI, Mito-Temple (mitochondrial scavenger of mtO2●-), or siRNA agonist caspase-11 mRNA reduced mechanical allodynia in the gp120/M neuropathic pain model. Antisense oligonucleotides against TNFRI reduced the number of MitoSox (a marker of mtO2●-) positive cells in the SCDH in gp120/M group. The rat neuronal neuroblast (B35) cell line (ATCC) were treated with rTNFα (10 ng/mL, Peprotech) increased expression of mtO2●- and caspase-11, and caspase-11 related inflammatory factors such as, caspase-1, and IL-1β. In conclusions, spinal TNFRI signal plays a significant role in the HIV gp120-related neuropathic pain state, and provide evidence for a novel approach to treating chronic pain in opioid users living with HIV. NIH R01DA34749, R01DA047089, and R01DA047157, and R01DA047157-03S1.
An Approach for Humanizing Leadership Education: Building Learning Community & Stakeholder Engagement:

In recent years, scholars have become critical of mainstream leadership development approaches. In particular, Petriglieri and Petriglieri refer to the dehumanization of leadership, whereby leaders...
Feature Interactions in Internet Telephony End Systems

Internet telephony end systems can offer many services. Different services may interfere with each other, a problem which is known as feature interaction. The feature interaction problem has existed in telecommunication systems for many years. The introduction of Internet telephony helps to solve some interaction problems due to the richness of its signaling information. However, many new feature interaction problems are also introduced in Internet telephony systems, especially in end systems, which are usually dumb in PSTN systems, but highly functional in Internet telephony systems. Internet telephony end systems, such as SIP soft-agents, can run on personal computers. The soft-agents can then perform call control and many other functions, such as presence information handling, instant messaging, and network appliance control. These new functionalities make the end system feature interaction problems more complicated. In this paper, we investigate ways features interact in Internet telephony end systems and propose a potential solution for detecting and avoiding feature interactions. Our solutions are based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and the Language for End System Services (LESS), which is a markup language specifically for end system service creation.
Bridging the Time Scale Gap: How Does Foldable Polymer Navigate Its Conformation Space?

We analyze the physical ideas used to analyze the computational Monte Carlo experiments on dynamics of protein folding and dynamics of other complex systems. We show that the concept of reaction coordinate can be formulated in a systematic way using the concept of commitor. This quantity can be usefully described by associating certain system of resistors with the space of conformations of the protein, in which case the flow of current and the distribution of potentials, governed by the Kirchoff rules, give full description of the topology of folding pathways.
The Role of Climatic Change in Alluvial Fan Development

Alluvial fans are semi-conical landforms composed of stream deposits and debris flow materials where a canyon exits a mountain range. Alluvial fans are built in semi-arid, humid-temperate, and proglacial regions (Rachocki 1981, Nilsen and Moore 1984), but they have been studied more in deserts than in any other environment (Bull 1977, Graf 1988). Alluvial fans were worked on sparsely (e.g. Gilbert 1875, McGee 1897, Eckis 1928, Blissenbach 1954) until the 1960s when a flurry of papers brought them into vogue (e.g. Tuan 1962, Beaty 1963, Bull 1964, Denny 1965, 1967, Lustig 1965, Melton 1965, Hunt and Mabey 1966, Hooke 1967, 1968).
Power distribution modeling and decoupling of multilayer printed circuit board

Determining the proper number and value of decoupling capacitors for boards/cards is always a challenging issue for board/card designers. Lack of proper analysis leads to either conservative or aggressive design. This paper presents a methodology for determining the right number and location of decoupling capacitors for a card/board through detailed board modeling. An example has been provided to demonstrate the effect of decoupling capacitors in reducing induced dI/dt noise for a multilayer CPU card with PowerPCT/sup TM/ processor used in IBM's RS/6000 machine.
Manganese-based Permanent Magnets

There is a significant gap between the energy product, BH, where B is the magnetic flux density and H is the magnetic field strength, of both the traditional ferrite and AlNiCo permanent magnets of less than 10 MGOe and that of the rare earth magnets of greater than 30 MGOe. This is a gap that Mn-based magnets could potentially, inexpensively, fill. This Special Issue presents work on the development of both types of manganese permanent magnets. Some of the challenges involved in the development of these magnets include improving the compounds’ energy product, increasing the thermal stability of these metastable compounds, and producing them in quantity as a bulk material.[...]