cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of Race from the Skeleton through Forensic Anthropological Methods.

Metric and morphological techniques employed by forensic anthropologists for determination of race are reviewed. Included are several studies which examine cranial morphological techniques such as presence of the oval window of the inner ear, which occurs more frequently in Whites than in Native Americans; or the shape of the alveolar region which distinguishes between Asian, African, and North American Indian groups. A table of common cranial morphologic traits is presented. Metric techniques have also been used to determine race from the skull. Regression equations derived from measurements of the cranial base indicate a 70-90% accuracy for classifying Blacks and Whites, while multivariate discriminant functions for discriminating Blacks, Whites, and Native Americans correctly classify 82.6% of the males and 88.1% of the females. FORDISC, a computer program developed at the University of Tennessee, is another metric technique reviewed that not only distinguishes Whites, Blacks, and Native Americans but also male Hispanics, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Platycnemia, femoral curvature and other morphological attributes of the post-cranial skeleton may be used in support of a racial determination; however, several investigators have turned to post-cranial elements not only to use in support of cranial findings but for use when cranial information is not available. As a result, several discriminant functions from measurements of the pelvis, femur, tibia or combinations of these elements have been developed. Accuracy for these techniques varies from 57% to 95%, depending on the sample and technique used. Other aspects of the femur, such as the diameter of the neck, height of the intercondylar notch and femoral curvature, have been measured for assessment of race. Also included is a brief historical survey of race and current thoughts on the concept of race.
Sentencing recommendations are insensitive to juvenile offender’s age and maturation

AbstractResearch on perceptions of juvenile criminals has long sought to understand what drives punishment of juvenile. While some researchers argue that age influences the punishment of juvenile offenders, others argue that more severe crimes receive harsher punishments. However, in much past research, information about the juvenile and the details surrounding the crime have been manipulated, yielding inconsistent results. In this study, we manipulated age, maturity, crime severity, and offender characteristics and measured blame, sentencing recommendations, and likelihood of a guilty verdict. We expected more severe crimes would garner harsher judgments. We also expected information about the juvenile’s reasons for acting would influence judgments. Results indicate that crime severity explained the largest amount of variance in sentencing. However, age and maturity influenced judgments about blame and guilt. This study helps clarify the effects of age and maturity on punishment-related judgments by demo...
A Low-Cost Mixed Clock Generator for High Speed Adiabatic Logic

Low power and robust circuitry are permanent hots pots in VLSI design. Adiabatic logic is one of potential breakthroughs for these goals. Especially, designing reliable clock tree is very significant for adiabatic logic due to four-phase clocked power required for pipelined data transmission in adiabatic system. In this paper, we present analysis of charging speed and clock types that influence power dissipation in adiabatic logic and comparison of current mainstream clock generators suitable for adiabatic system. Based on the characteristics of current designs, using TSMC 180nm fabrication process, we propose a novel mixed clock generator, including four-phase source, switch controller and clock MUX to build a robust clock using only one reference clock. The test shows that below 600MHz, the proposed design has negligible signal attenuation with low power dissipation. We have also compared our work and current designs in device cost, and suitable work frequency based on circuit structure.
Testosterone may increase rat anterior cruciate ligament strength

Background Women are more likely than men to injure the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Human and animal trials have linked circulating estradiol to injury rate and ligament strength. Fewer studies have examined the role of testosterone. The purpose of this study was to determine if male rats with normal testosterone levels would have stronger ACLs than castrated rats. Methods Eight castrated (group C) and eight normal (group N) 12-week-old, male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the study. Mean testosterone levels were 0.14ng/mL (95% CI: 0.10 to 0.17) in group C and 3.54ng/mL (95% CI: 1.32 to 5.76) in group N. After euthanasia, ACL cross-sectional area was calculated, and a servohydraulic material testing unit was used to measure ligament properties. Results Specimens from both groups had similar cross-sectional area, but N specimens showed greater mean load-to-failure (34.5N [95% CI: 31.6 to 37.4] vs 29.2N [95% CI: 27.9 to 30.6]) and ultimate stress (38.7MPa [95% CI: 34.1 to 43.3] vs 31.8MPa [95% CI: 29.8 to 33.8]). Mean energy was 27.7mJ (95% CI: 23.1 to 32.2) in the N group and 23.4mJ (95% CI: 18.2 to 28.6) in the C group. Conclusions Rats with normal circulating testosterone had higher ACL load-to-failure and ultimate stress, indicating that testosterone may influence ACL strength and the injury rate of the ligament.
A critical assessment on kidney allocation systems

The kidney allocation system that took effect on December 4, 2014 represents a significant improvement over the prior approach. It seeks to improve outcomes by longevity matching - pairing kidneys expected to function the longest with recipients expected to live the longest. It addresses the biological barriers faced by highly sensitized patients in an evidence based fashion and it begins to introduce the concept of medical need into kidney allocation by crediting time from the starting dialysis to a patient's waiting time. Additionally, it adds a more granular and continuous approach to classifying deceased donor kidneys through the kidney donor profile index and moves away from the dichotomous and flawed, standard criteria/extended criteria approach to allocating kidneys. Despite these changes, access to kidney transplantation across the age spectrum has remained intact and equitable. However even with these numerous positive improvements the system is not without its flaws. The increased sharing and by extension shipping of kidneys have created logistical challenges for organ procurement organizations and transplant centers. Early results seem to indicate that there have been an increase in cold ischemic time, an increase in delayed graft function and an increase in organ discard rate. There is also a reduced offer rate for children and while not a statistically significant decline in the number of transplants, it is a trend that requires close monitoring. Finally, the new kidney allocation system has done nothing to address the glaring deficiencies in the multi-organ allocation practices, all of which include a kidney, in the United States. Therefore despite the improvements made in kidney allocation, there is work yet to be done to ensure that the allocation of life saving and life prolonging organs for transplantation is done in a fashion consistent with ethical principles, based on science and free from local self interest so that this national resource is used for the betterment of the population it is meant to serve.
Desire to be ethical or ability to self‐control: Which is more crucial for ethical behavior?

Promoting ethical decisions and behaviors is challenging for any organization. Yet managers are still required to make ethical decisions under conditions which deplete their self‐control resources, such as high stress and long hours. This study examines the relationships among symbolic and internal moral identity, self‐control, and ethical behavior, and investigates whether self‐control acts as the mechanism through which moral identity leads to ethical behavior. Findings indicate that internal moral identity overrides symbolic moral identity in the relationship with self‐control and that self‐control fully mediates the relationship between internal moral identity and ethical behavior. The implications for organizations is that while rules, procedures, and ethics training are useful, managers with a strong moral compass will be more likely to practice self‐control leading to more ethical behaviors.
The Mechanical Response Evaluation of Advanced Claddings During Proposed Reactivity Initiated Accident Conditions

This study investigates the failure mechanisms of advanced oxidation resistant FeCrAl nuclear fuel cladding at high-strain rates, similar to conditions characteristic of design basis reactivity initiated accidents (RIAs). During a postulated RIA, the nuclear fuel cladding may be subjected to complex loading which can cause multiaxial strain states ranging from plane-strain to equibiaxial tension. To achieve those accident conditions, the samples were deformed by the expansion of high strength Inconel alloy tube under pre-specified pressure pulses, simulating strains rates occurring in a postulated RIA. The mechanical response of the advanced claddings, in the unirradiated state with ample ductility, was compared to that of hydrided zirconium-based nuclear fuel cladding. The hoop strain evolution pulses were collected in situ; the permanent diametral strains of both accident tolerant fuel (ATF) claddings and the current nuclear fuel alloys were determined after rupture. Both zirconium-based alloys and FeCrAl alloys exhibited ductile behavior. FeCrAl model alloys without microstructural control and strengthening mechanism were used in this demonstration study that showed reduced diametral strain (less than 0.15) compared to the diametral strain for the unirradiated zirconium-based alloy (approximately 0.2).
Defect-mediated leakage in lithium intercalated bilayer graphene

Lithium intercalation in bilayer graphene has been investigated for battery applications, but it also provides a potentially stable method for n-type doping for electronics applications. Here, we use density functional theory to investigate the stability of lithium-intercalated bilayer graphene with respect to migration through lattice defects. By calculating energy barriers for through-defect migration, we find that only multivacancies with more than two missing atoms pose a significant threat for lithium egress. Furthermore, entry through a divacancy is significantly more energetically favorable than exit, implying that divacancies may be beneficial for thermal creation of intercalated bilayers. The calculations also show that, though energy barriers for through-defect Li diffusion are significantly different in monolayer and bilayer graphene, additional over-layers (such as hexagonal boron nitride) do not significantly alter the exit barrier in an intercalated bilayer.
Effects of landscape fragmentation on land loss

Abstract Coastal Louisiana has been facing a serious land loss problem over the past several decades, and extensive research has been undertaken to address the problem. However, the importance of landscape fragmentation on land loss has seldom been examined. This paper evaluates the effects of landscape fragmentation on land loss in the Lower Mississippi River Basin region. The research hypothesis is that the higher the degree of fragmentation in a locality, the greater the amount of land loss in the next time period. We used Landsat-TM data with a pixel size of 30 m × 30 m in 1996 and 2010 and transformed the images into either land or water pixels. We then calculated the fractal dimension and Moran's I spatial autocorrelation statistics and used them to represent the degree of landscape fragmentation. Four sample box sizes, including sizes of 101 × 101, 71 × 71, 51 × 51, and 31 × 31 pixels, were used to detect if there is a relationship between fragmentation and land loss at different neighborhood (context) scales. For each box size, 100 samples were randomly selected. To isolate the fragmentation effect so that it can be better evaluated, we used only sample boxes with a 50% land-water ratio. Regression results between fragmentation and land loss show that the R2 values for box sizes of 71 × 71, 51 × 51 and 31 × 31 were statistically significant (0.20, 0.45, 0.35; p
Early childhood aggression among child welfare involved children: The interplay between the type of child maltreatment and ecological protective factors

Abstract The current study examined four types of maltreatment (i.e., physical, sexual, emotional, neglect) and ecological protective factors (i.e., child prosocial skills, parental warmth, parental well-being, neighborhood safety) as predictors of aggressive behavior among young children in the child welfare system. Further, this study explored interaction effects between maltreatment types and protective factors on early childhood aggression. Ordinary least squares (OLS) hierarchical multiple regression was performed on a sample of 499 children (ages 4–5) drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-I). Physical abuse was associated with higher levels of early childhood aggression whereas living in a neighborhood with fewer problems was associated with lower levels of aggression. Novel interaction effects also emerged; the protective effects of child prosocial skills and parental well-being on aggression were significantly stronger in emotionally abused children than in children who were not emotionally abused. The findings suggest that interventions that address both the type of maltreatment and ecological protective factors may be effective in reducing early childhood aggression among at-risk children.
Sexual Deviance and Forensic Psychology: A Primer

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses sexual deviance among adults and the role of forensic psychology in relation to this deviant behavior. Psychology meets the legal system around the issue of sexual deviance at several points following the alleged commission of a sexual crime. Responsibility, dangerousness, and appropriateness for treatment are the major issues psychology is asked to address throughout the legal process. It is ordinarily the presence of a major mental disorder that may have produced sexually deviant behaviors that is in question. Psychoanalysts maintain that sexual deviance is the result of unresolved conflicts in psychosexual development and a regression to earlier developmental levels in an attempt to reenact individuation from the mother and resolve castration anxiety. Mental health professionals in forensic settings are often required to assess risk of reoffending for their patients.
Early in-hospital clinical deterioration is not predicted by severity of illness, functional status, or comorbidity

BACKGROUND Prior studies concentrated on unplanned intensive care unit (ICU) transfer to gauge deterioration occurring shortly following hospital admission. However, examining only ICU transfers is not ideal since patients could stabilize with treatment, refuse ICU admission, or not require ICU evaluation. To further explore etiologies of early clinical deterioration, we used rapid response team (RRT) activation within 48 hours of admission as an index of early clinical worsening. METHODS A retrospective analysis of prospectively gathered admissions from the emergency department in an academic medical center was done. Data were reviewed independently by two physicians. We assessed severity of illness, functional status, comorbidity, the frequency of ICU and palliative care consultations, and changes in advance health care directives. RESULTS Of 655 rapid responses (RRs) within the study period, 24.6% occurred within 48 hours of admission. Disease trajectory was the most frequent perceived reason for RRs (55.6% and 58.9%, reviewer 1 and 2, respectively) followed by medical error (15.6% and 15.2%). Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE-II) and modified early warning scores (MEWS) were higher at the time of RR compared to admission (p<0.0001). However, admission APACHE-II, MEWS, functional status, and comorbidity scores did not predict early RRs. One third of RRs resulted in ICU consultation and 95% were accepted. Palliative care consults were requested for 15%, the majority (65%) after RR and all resulting in advance directive change. CONCLUSION Disease trajectory accounted for most clinical deterioration and medical error contributed to 15%. Our data suggest that it is difficult to predict early clinical deterioration as none of the measured parameters were associated with RRT activation.
Serum Levels of Substance P Are Elevated in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease and Increase Further During Vaso-Occlusive Crisis

As a mediator of neurogenic inflammation and pain, we hypothesized that levels of the neuropeptide Substance P (SP) would be elevated in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) with vaso-occlusive pain crisis. SP is a known stimulator of tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) release and a promoter of interleukin-8 (IL-8), which are reported to be increased in SCD. These cytokines enhance adhesion of leukocytes to endothelium and may play a role in vaso-occlusive events. Serum levels of IL-8, TNF, and SP were studied in three groups of children aged 2 to 18 years: 30 well children with SCD, 21 with SCD in pain crisis, and 20 healthy age-matched controls. Serum levels of SP were elevated in all SCD patients and were highest in patients in pain crisis. The percentage of sera with detectable levels of IL-8 (>5.0 pmol/L) was increased in SCD patients as compared with the control group. IL-8 levels were similar for well SCD patients and those with pain. TNF levels were not significantly different among the three groups. In three children with SCD, SP was measured at baseline and again during pain crisis. In each case, serum levels during pain crisis were higher than they were when the patient was well. We conclude that levels of SP are high in patients with SCD and increase during pain crisis. These results imply that SP plays a prominent role in the pain and inflammation of SCD and may be a measurable laboratory marker of vaso-occlusive crisis. We speculate that neurokinin receptor antagonists may have a therapeutic potential in the treatment of crisis pain. © 1998 by The American Society of Hematology.
Beyond Blue and White Collar: Age-Related Decline, Occupation, and Retirement Timing

Retirement timing research has accounted for age-related decline in ability to work by classifying occupations as blue or white collar, but this rough categorization may throw out information. Instead, this article presents a susceptibility index that measures how susceptible the abilities required by an occupation are to early decline. The results suggest that (1) considerable variance exists, especially within white-collar occupations, in the importance of abilities that are known to show early decline; (2) this variance, as captured by the index, is predictive of early retirement; and (3) this variance captures more information than the common white- and blue-collar distinction.
Postural Control and Head Impact Exposure in Youth Football Players: Comparison of the Balance Error Scoring System and a Force Plate Protocol.

Postural control testing is often used by clinicians and athletic trainers to assess the health of athletes during recovery from a concussion. Characterization of postural control as a clinical tool for use with youth athletes is limited though. The objective of this study was to compare performance on the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and a force plate protocol at the beginning and end of a season of football within a cohort of 34 healthy youth football players (average age of 9.9 ± 0.6 y). A secondary aim was to investigate if changes in measures of balance from the postseason to the preseason were correlated with head impact exposure. Players completed testing at the beginning and end of the youth football season. There were no significant differences between BESS scores before the season and after the season (P = .54). Performance on the BESS was not associated with any of the center of pressure metrics considered in this study. No correlation was observed between measures of balance and head im...
The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins

Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2015. vii and 331 pp., photos, notes, index. $29.95 cloth (ISBN 978-0-691-16275-1); $19.95 paper (ISBN 978-0-691-62751).Anthropolog...
Companion Animals as Technologies in Biomedical Research

In this paper we examine the use of companion animals (pets) in studies of drugs and devices aimed at human and animal health and situate it within the context of philosophy of technology. We argue...
The Implementation of Lean Production and EnvironmentalSustainability Practices in the Indian ApparelManufacturing Industry

In response to global environmental issues and stiffer business competition, the last few decades have witnessed a tremendous increase in the awareness of environmental impact and the usage of production management systems such as lean production. A focus on reducing adverse impact on the environment has promoted the use of sustainable business practices. Sustainability, which promotes harmonious coexistence of the human race and nature, allows for development without unintended negative consequences on the environment and natural resources (EPA, 2012).
Numerical Simulations of Subcritical Crack Growth by Stress Corrosion in An Elastic Solid

A front-tracking finite element method is used to compute the evolution of a crack-like defect that propagates by stress driven corrosion in an isotropic, linear elastic solid. Depending on material properties, loading, and temperature, we observe three possible behaviors for the flaw: (i) gross blunting at the crack tip; (ii) stable, quasi-steady state notch-like growth; and (iii) unstable sharpening of the crack tip. The range of material parameters and loadings that cause each type of behavior is computed. Our results also confirm the existence of a threshold stress level (known as the fatigue limit) that leads to crack sharpening and ultimately to catastrophic fracture. Contrary to earlier predictions, however, our simulations show that the fatigue threshold is determined not only by the driving force for crack extension but also by the kinetics associated with the chemical reaction at the crack tip. Our results suggest that the fatigue threshold is likely to decrease as temperature is reduced. Finally, we have computed the steady state crack tip velocity as a function of applied load in the regime of steady state crack growth. Our predicted crack growth law is in good qualitative agreement with experiment, but uncertainties in material data make quantitative comparison difficult.
Auxiliary Verbs in \bar X-Theory

In this chapter, I will examine basic constructions involving perfective have and progressive be, such as those in (1)—(2), with respect to the phrase structure of the verbal predicate(s) of IP: (1) John has read that book. (2) John is reading that book.
University 403(b) Plan Litigation

There have been a number of class action lawsuits filed against Section 403(b) retirement plans sponsored by prominent private sector universities alleging breaches of fiduciary responsibility and ...
Nonconvex Semi-infinite Optimization

In this chapter we continue the study of SIPs in infinite-dimensional spaces while considering now problems without any convexity assumptions.
Computational and experimental insights into the circadian effects of SIRT1.

The circadian clock orchestrates 24-h rhythms in physiology in most living organisms. At the molecular level, the dogma is that circadian oscillations are based on a negative transcriptional feedback loop. Recent studies found the NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase, SIRT1, directly regulates acetylation status of clock components and influences circadian amplitude in cells. While Nakahata et al. [Nakahata Y, Kaluzova M (2008) Cell 134:329–340] reported that loss of SIRT1 increases amplitude through BMAL1 acetylation, Asher et al. [Asher G, Gatfield D (2008) Cell 134:317–328] reported that loss of SIRT1 decreases amplitude through an increase in acetylated PER2. To address this SIRT1 paradox, we developed a circadian enzymatic model. Predictions from this model and experimental validation strongly align with the findings of Asher et al., with PER2 as the primary target of SIRT1. Further, the model suggested SIRT1 influences BMAL1 expression through actions on PGC1α. We validated this finding experimentally. Thus, our computational and experimental approaches suggest SIRT1 positively regulates clock function through actions on PER2 and PGC1α.
Implementation and evaluation of Stanford Health Care store-and-forward teledermatology consultation workflow built within an existing electronic health record system:

IntroductionTeledermatology services that function separately from patients’ primary electronic health record (EHR) can lead to fragmented care, poor provider communication, privacy concerns and bi...
The “Immersive” as a Model for Action in Artworks from the Brazilian Avant-Garde

The concept of “immersive” gives us a practical direction to embodying the understanding of art works created by avant-garde Brazilian artists. Building upon Simone Osthoff’s seminal argument about the legacy of “interactivity” in works by Helio Oiticica and Lygia Clark, in this paper I suggest that the “immersive” presents a better model for encompassing the experience of works by artists like Antonio Dias and Anna Maria Maiolino, in their historical and material potencies. By looking at works of painting and photography by these artists, instead of installations or objects, we need to consider “immersion” beyond its technological capacity, activating, then, its parallel with Oswald de Andrade’s modernist concept of Anthropophagy, which was actualized by these artists in the 1960s and 70s, and continues to resonate with many of our current search for the decolonial.
Oxidative decomposition mechanisms of lithium peroxide clusters: an Ab Initio study

Oxidative decomposition of solid lithium peroxide is an important part of the charging process in a Li-O2 battery. In this paper, we investigate oxidative decomposition mechanisms of lithium peroxi...
Anesthetic Implications of Malarial Infection in a Child

Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne parasitic disease, with a wide clinical spectrum and multisystem involvement. It is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity worldwide, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia. Cases are now being reported in developed countries resulting from global and international travel. Given the varied presentation and multisystem involvement, patients with malaria may present for surgery, thereby necessitating anesthetic care. We present a 4-year-old child from Burkina Faso, Africa, with a known diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, who presented for anesthetic care for a magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine, requiring general anesthesia. The etiology and presentation of malaria are discussed and its end-organ involvement is reviewed with emphasis on the anesthetic implications of the disease. J Med Cases. 2019;10(3):84-88 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3267
Assessment of Pharmacology, Safety, and Metabolic activity of Capsaicin Feeding in Mice

Capsaicin (CAP) activates transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily 1 (TRPV1) to counter high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Several studies suggest that CAP induces the browning of white adipocytes in vitro or inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) in vivo. However, there is a lack of data on the dose-response for CAP to inhibit HFD-induced obesity. Therefore, we first performed experiments to correlate the effect of various doses of CAP to prevent HFD-induced weight gain in wild-type (WT) mice. Next, we performed a subchronic safety study in WT mice fed a normal chow diet (NCD ± CAP, 0.01% in NCD) or HFD ± CAP (0.01% in HFD) for eight months. We analyzed the expression of adipogenic and thermogenic genes and proteins in the iWAT from these mice, conducted histological studies of vital organs, measured the inflammatory cytokines in plasma and iWAT, and evaluated liver and kidney functions. The dose-response study showed that CAP, at doses above 0.001% in HFD, countered HFD-induced obesity in mice. However, no difference in the anti-obesity effect of CAP was observed at doses above 0.003% in HFD. Also, CAP, above 0.001%, enhanced the expression of sirtuin-1 and thermogenic uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) in the iWAT. Safety analyses suggest that CAP did not cause inflammation. However, HFD elevated plasma alanine aminotransferase and creatinine, caused iWAT hypertrophy and hepatic steatosis, and CAP reversed these. Our data suggest that CAP antagonizes HFD-induced metabolic stress and inflammation, while it does not cause any systemic toxicities and is well tolerated by mice.
Impaired relational memory in the early stage of psychosis

Abstract Background Humans constantly take in vast amounts of information, which must be filtered, flexibly manipulated, and integrated into cohesive relational memories in order to choose relevant behaviors. Relational memory is impaired in chronic schizophrenia, which has been linked to hippocampal dysfunction. It is unclear whether relational memory is impaired in the early stage of psychosis. Methods We studied eye movements during a face-scene pairs task as an indirect measure of relational memory in 89 patients in the early stage of psychosis and 84 healthy control participants. During testing, scenes were overlaid with three equally-familiar faces and participants were asked to recall the matching (i.e. previously-paired) face. During Match trials, one face had been previously paired with the scene. During Non-Match trials, no faces matched the scene. Forced-choice explicit recognition was recorded as a direct measure of relational memory. Results Healthy control subjects rapidly (within 250–500 ms) showed preferential viewing of the matching face during Match trials. In contrast, preferential viewing was delayed in patients in the early stage of psychosis. Explicit recognition of the matching face was also impaired in the patient group. Conclusions This study provides novel evidence for a relational memory deficit in the early stage of psychosis. Patients showed deficits in both explicit recognition as well as abnormal eye-movement patterns during memory recall. Eye movements provide a promising avenue for the study of relational memory in psychosis, as they allow for the assessment of rapid, nonverbal memory processes.
Teaching Conjuncturally: Cultural Studies as the Practice of Conjunctural Analysis

Cultural studies is often hesitant to define or determine the limits of its own project. While this helps us to maintain a certain intellectual and academic fluidity, it presents a number of pedagogical challenges. One of the most persistent challenges in teaching cultural studies is getting students to understand what is meant by cultural studies. This chapter (intended to be read in tandem with Megan M. Wood’s chapter “Conjuncturally Teaching: Cultural Studies Pedagogy Beyond Common Sense”) incorporates conceptual and theoretical developments with the lessons I learned from teaching an undergraduate cultural studies course, so as to offer an understanding of cultural studies as the practice of conjunctural analysis. I begin with a consideration of how the concept of conjuncture developed through Marxist and cultural studies scholarship in order to contextualize my arguments concerning conjunctural analysis. These considerations form the basis for discussing the design and implementation of the course Practices of Cultural Studies as taught at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill. I offer practical information on course design, syllabus construction, reading selections and implementation of group assignments. This chapter ends with a brief description of an actual group project that was produced over the course of a semester, in order to demonstrate the utility of teaching cultural studies as the practice of conjunctural analysis.
Lay Pharmacovigilance and the Dramatization of Risk: Fluoroquinolone Harm on YouTube.

Sociologists have documented how the pharmaceutical industry has corrupted pharmacovigilance (PV), defined as the practices devoted to detecting and preventing adverse drug reactions (ADRs). In thi...
Combustion of explosively dispersed Al-Mg-Zr composite particles

Abstract Micron-sized composite particles consisting of an Al-Mg alloy and Zr were produced via mechanical milling. Three different particle chemistries were prepared with varying ratios of the Al-Mg alloy to Zr. In addition, the prepared powders were size selected using mechanical sieves. Explosively launched combustion properties of these powders were independently measured as a function of the particle stoichiometry and particle size. Ignition temperatures were measured utilizing a heated filament experiment while combustion efficiency was characterized by measuring the dynamic pressure produced in a closed bomb in which the powder was explosively dispersed under fixed enthalpy conditions. Commercial Al powder, Valimet H-2, was also tested alongside these materials as a benchmark. High-speed video and thermocouple measurements were also obtained for the closed bomb experiments. We observed an increase in combustion efficiency from 30% to 80–90% in the composite materials compared to the pure Al. Furthermore, reaction products were collected and analyzed by powder x-ray diffraction to gain further insight into combustion efficiency and reaction pathways. We observed significant improvement of combustion under these experimental conditions, including higher quasi-static pressures and higher rates of pressure rise, with composite fuels compared to pure Al, even without a secondary oxidizer additive.
Deep-subthreshold Schottky barrier IGZO TFT for ultra low-power applications

Abstract This study reports the deep subthreshold characteristics (≤1 V) of low thermal budget Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) with Schottky barrier source/drain contacts. The Schottky barrier was analyzed and a consistent ideality factor was observed across the devices. A deep subthreshold region was extracted from the nominal characteristics and barrier influence was observed in the low voltage region. This operation led to high output impedance (~1012Ω) and excellent trans-conductance leading to a high voltage gain (>100) due to hard saturation of the output characteristics. Positive bias stress and stability tests were conducted within this region that showed minimal drift in the transfer characteristics. Such characteristics make these devices an excellent choice for low-power deep subthreshold and weak signal applications.
Incidence of Intracranial Melanoma Progression in the Setting of Positive Extracranial Response to Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy: An Indication for More Frequent Screening in This Population?

Background and objective The incidence of intracranial metastases from melanoma is on the rise. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of intracranial disease progression in patients on BRAF/MEK targeted therapy and immunotherapy in the setting of controlled or improving extracranial disease. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective review that involved patients who underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for intracranial metastatic melanoma between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018. We focused on BRAF/MEK mutation status and dates of treatment with BRAF/MEK targeted therapy, immunotherapy [ipilimumab (Yervoy), nivolumab (Opdivo), or pembrolizumab (Keytruda)], and combination targeted and immunotherapy. Results A total of 51 patients were enrolled: 36 males and 15 females. The average age of the patients was 58.6 years, and 26 among them were BRAF mutation-positive. Seventeen had prior surgery with SRS as adjuvant therapy. The other 34 had SRS as primary treatment. Forty-two patients had extracranial disease present at the time of SRS. There were 34 patients treated with targeted and immune therapy. Overall, 16 patients (47.1%) demonstrated controlled or improving extracranial disease, and 18 (52.9%) demonstrated progressing extracranial disease at the time of SRS. In the subgroup analysis, patients treated with BRAF/MEK targeted therapy demonstrated a 75% rate of extracranial disease control. The extracranial disease was controlled in 43.75% of patients on immunotherapy with intracranial progression, while it was controlled in 30% of patients on both BRAF/MEK targeted therapy and immunotherapy with intracranial progression. Sixteen patients (47.1%) developed intracranial metastasis in our study while having a stable systemic disease with BRAF/MEK targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or a combination of the two. Conclusion Based on our findings, a systemic response to targeted therapy and immunotherapy does not necessarily parallel intracranial protection.
Online Appendix: The Impact of Cryptocurrency Regulation on Trading Markets

This file contains additional analyses to support Feinstein & Werbach, "The Impact of Cryptocurrency Regulation on Trading Markets," Journal of Financial Regulation (forthcoming).
Single-Component, Photocatalytic H2 Production Through Acceptorless Alcohol Dehydrogenation: Atypical Metal-Ligand Cooperativity in a Ruthenium(II)-PN/P Complex

Metal-ligand cooperativity (MLC) involving reversible aromatization/dearomatization of pyridine-derived pincer ligands is considered important in acceptorless (de)hydrogenation for dihydrogen generation and storage. Dehydrohalogenation of pyridine-derived pincer ruthenium complexes often leads to dearomatized moieties. Thus, we were surprised to find an aromatized kappa-3-NCP binding mode in [{LutP`}Ru(CO)(H)(PPh3)] (2) upon dehydrohalogenation of the lutidine-derived PN/P complex [{LutP}Ru(CO)(Cl)(H)(PPh3)] (1) with KOtBu. The reaction of H2 with 2 results in formation of a cis-dihydride [{LutP}Ru(CO)(H)2(PPh3)] (3) and labeling studies confirm cooperative metal-ligand activation. 3 exhibits reversible photochemistry that we leveraged to demonstrate a unique strategy for unsensitized single-component photocatalytic H2 production via acceptorless alcohol dehydrogenation. Although labeling studies implicate MLC processes during the photocatalytic reaction, they may be off-path intermediates, emphasizing that aromatization/dearomatization may not be necessary for acceptorless transformations.
First report of Southern blight, caused by Athelia rolfsii (syn. Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.), on Hellebores in North America.

Lenten rose (Hellebores hybridus) is an herbaceous perennial grown in landscapes and valued for early spring flowers and high levels of deer resistance. An additional benefit as a landscape plant c...
Localized alopecia and suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in dogs following treatment with difluprednate 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion (Durezol®).

BACKGROUND Despite the common use of topical ophthalmic corticosteroids in dogs, detailed reports on systemic and dermatologic adverse effects are limited. RESULTS Nine purpose-bred research Beagles were treated with difluprednate 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion in one or both eyes 2-3 times daily. Some difluprednate treated dogs developed mild to severe alopecia of the periocular region, face, and distal pinna (5/9). The median duration of treatment prior to onset of dermatologic signs for difluprednate treated dogs was 550 days (453-1160 days). Diagnostic testing included complete blood count (CBC) and serum biochemistry, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation testing combined with endogenous ACTH measurement, and skin biopsy. The CBC and chemistry were within normal limits for all dogs. There were varying degrees of suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis with difluprednate treatment. Dogs with the most profound alopecic changes had less pronounced HPA axis suppression compared to dogs with no integumentary changes. Skin biopsies demonstrated follicular atrophy and follicular keratosis. When topical difluprednate was reduced to unilateral therapy, the hair regrew on the untreated side of the face. In addition to the affected research dogs, a 7-year old female spayed Chihuahua that was being treated as a clinical patient with long-term difluprednate 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion developed generalized hypotrichosis on the head and body and a potbellied appearance. ACTH stimulation testing revealed suppression of the HPA axis with a mild increase in serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and a urine specific gravity of 1.016. The combination of clinical signs and laboratory abnormalities was supportive of iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism. CONCLUSIONS In dogs long-term use of difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion results in HPA axis suppression and in some cases iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism. A novel pattern of localized alopecia is suspected to be related to dermal absorption and local action due to superior potency and penetration compared to other commonly utilized ophthalmic corticosteroids.
Problem-Solving Therapy: A Treatment Manual

Problem-solving therapy (PST) has been increasingly used to treat a great variety of health and mental health problems due to its flexibility and proven effectiveness. This text, written by the co-developers of PST, is a comprehensive and detailed manual of how to apply PST for a variety of populations and situations. The book reflects the most current research and applications of PST and provides specific treatment guidelines, sample client-therapist dialogues, clinical exercises and activities, homework assignments, client handouts, clinical case examples, and worksheets. These are based on a "stepped-care" model of PST which takes into account the nature of a client's problems, the intensity of these problems, the setting and treatment structure, and treatment goals, in order to determine the best way to conduct PST. The manual is structured to offer clients three major "toolkits" which include multitasking guides to help overcome "cognitive overload" when under stress, guides to overcome barriers to effective problem solving regarding a negative problem orientation, and guides to overcome barriers to effective problem solving regarding ineffective problem-solving strategies. Digital accompaniments include patient handouts, worksheets, and toolkits. . Key Features: * Describes an increasingly popular psychotherapeutic intervention that works in a variety of client/populations and can be combined with other treatment modalities * Authored by the co-developers of PST * Provides the most up-to-date, detailed guidelines to PST * Presents treatment guidelines, case examples, and numerous clinical aids * Includes digital components such as patient handouts, homework worksheets, and toolkits
Team-Based Care for Outpatients with Heart Failure

Management of heart failure requires a multidisciplinary team-based approach that includes coordination of numerous team members to ensure guideline-directed optimization of medical therapy, frequent and regular assessment of volume status, frequent education, use of cardiac rehabilitation, continued assessment for the use of advanced therapies, and advance care planning. All of these are important aspects of the management of this complex condition.
Three-dimensional Internet developments

This paper describes the application of Internet-based three-dimensional (3-D) user interfaces, comparing them with more traditional two-dimensional (2-D) interfaces. The modelling of 3-D worlds in the Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML) is described, together with an overview of VRML and its likely future direction. Multi-user shared environments, which enable Internet users to meet and communicate with each other in cyberspace via avatars (3-D representations of users), are then introduced. A shared information garden is described which allows people to meet and share information in a dynamic, information-rich, virtual environment.
Graphene via large N : A renormalization group study

We analyze the competing effects of moderate to strong Coulomb electron-electron interactions and weak quenched disorder in graphene. By using a one-loop renormalization group calculation controlled within the large-$N$ approximation, we demonstrate that at successively lower energy (temperature or chemical potential) scales, a type of non-Abelian vector potential disorder always asserts itself as the dominant elastic scattering mechanism for generic short-ranged microscopic defect distributions. Vector potential disorder is tied to both elastic lattice deformations (``ripples'') and topological lattice defects. We identify several well-defined scaling regimes, for which we provide scaling predictions for the electrical conductivity and thermopower, valid when the inelastic lifetime due to interactions exceeds the elastic lifetime due to disorder. Coulomb interaction effects should strongly figure into the physics of suspended graphene films, where ${r}_{s}g1$; we expect the vector potential disorder to play an important role in the description of transport in such films.
Restriction and modification activities from Streptococcus lactis ME2 are encoded by a self-transmissible plasmid, pTN20, that forms cointegrates during mobilization of lactose-fermenting ability.

A self-transmissible (Tra+) plasmid encoding determinants for restriction and modification activities (R+/M+) from Streptococcus lactis ME2 was isolated and characterized. The 28-kilobase (kb) plasmid (pTN20) was detected in lactose-fermenting (Lac+) transconjugants generated from matings between S. lactis N1, and ME2 variant, and a plasmid-free recipient, S. lactis LM2301. The plaquing efficiencies of prolate- and small isometric-headed phages were reduced on transconjugants containing either pTN20 (R+/M+ Tra+) or 100-kb plasmids encoding Lac+, R+/M+, and Tra+. Lac+ transconjugants which harbored pTR1040 (Lac+) and pTN20 (R+/M+) were phenotypically R-/M- and transferred Lac+ at low frequency in subsequent matings to give rise to 100-kb R+/M+ plasmids. R+/M+ activities and high-frequency conjugal transfer ability were detected in Lac+ transconjugants that contained pTR1041 (Lac+) and pTN20 (R+/M+). No 100-kb R+/M+ plasmids were recovered after these matings, suggesting that pTR1041 was mobilized by pTN20 through a process that resembled plasmid donation. pTR1041 was identical to pTR1040 but contained an additional 3.3-kb DNA fragment. These data suggested that phenotypic expression of R+/M+ and Tra+ is affected by coresident Lac+ plasmids. Restriction enzyme analysis and hybridization reactions demonstrated that the 100-kb R+/M+ plasmid was formed by a cointegration event between pTR1040 (Lac+) and pTN20 (R+/M+ Tra+) during conjugal transfer via a conductive-type process. This is the first report that defines self-transmissible restriction and modification plasmids in the lactic streptococci. Images