cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modern Management of Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids require therapy only when they cause symptoms. Early symptoms troubling the patient only occasionally are readily managed by dietary measures that increase the intake of fluids and fiber, such as bran, often supplemented by hydrophilic bulk-forming colloids, so that a bulky, soft stool is produced regularly. Rubber band ligation is the treatment of choice for small or moderate sized hemorrhoids with minimal prolapse, whether or not they bleed. Such bands should be applied to the mucosa at the anorectal junction and not directly to the hemorrhoidal tissue. Patients with large prolapsing or acutely thrombosed hemorrhoids are best managed by a closed type of hemorrhoidectomy. This technique is effective and safe and has great advantage with rapid healing and minimal postoperative care, which provides the patient with the maximum comfort. Complications are few and, in particular, anal stenosis or stricture is rare. Hemorrhoids occurring in association with other conditions require specific treatment only if they are responsible for symptoms in their own right, distinct from the associated condition. Other treatments discussed are effective but have particular disadvantages that make them unsuitable for routine use. Moreover, they offer no advances on the treatment regimens proposed.
Behavioral Analysis of Taste Function in Rodent Models

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss some basic interpretive properties of standard behavioral tasks that have been and can be used to infer the taste capabilities of animals and to provide some examples of how several of these paradigms have been successfully used in efforts to reveal the functional organization of the gustatory system. Specifically, we review the two-bottle preference test, brief-access taste testing, operant detection and discrimination paradigms, conditioned taste aversion, progressive ratio schedules, and the taste reactivity test and their applications in discovering the functional organization of the gustatory system.
Influence of Polyamines on Breast Cancer Biology

More than 200,000 women are diagnosed yearly with breast cancer in the United States. Despite the significant improvement in survival introduced by both adjuvant hormonal therapy (restricted to estrogen receptor-positive tumors) and chemotherapy, approx 40,000 American women still die yearly from this malignancy. Therefore, improved understanding of the steps involved in carcinogenesis, cancer cell proliferation, and tumor progression is of critical importance to develop specifically targeted preventive and therapeutic regimens. The appreciation of the major role played by estrogens in human breast cancer biology has led to the development of effective treatments aimed at blocking either estrogen action with antiestrogens (1) or estrogen biosynthesis with aromatase inhibitors (2). Both classes of compounds represent classical examples of biologically based therapies and have been found to be highly effective in the treatment of advanced disease, in the adjuvant setting and, at least with antiestrogens, in breast cancer prevention (1,2). Unfortunately, these compounds are ineffective in the treatment of tumors that are either already hormone independent at diagnosis (approximately two-thirds of breast cancers) or which have progressed to hormone independence after an initial period of hormone responsiveness. Therefore, considerable effort is being placed in targeting multiple growth factor and other oncogenic signaling pathways whose activation may be responsible for the development of hormone resistance. It is hoped that these treatments may either prevent progression to hormone independence or may induce regression of tumors that have already become hormone resistant.
Predicting Perceived Brand Personality with Social Media

Brand personality has been shown to affect a variety of user behaviors such as individual preferences and social interactions. Despite intensive research efforts in human personality assessment, little is known about brand personality and its relationship with social media. Leveraging the theory in marketing, we analyze how brand personality associates with its contributing factors embodied in social media. Based on the analysis of over 10K survey responses and a large corpus of social media data from 219 brands, we quantify the relative importance of factors driving brand personality. The brand personality model developed with social media data achieves predicted R 2 values as high as 0.67. We conclude by illustrating how modeling brand personality can help users find brands suiting their personal characteristics and help companies manage brand perceptions.
Treatment of Diuretic Refractory Pleural Effusions with Bevacizumab in Four Patients with Primary Systemic Amyloidosis (AL).

Abstract Introduction Refractory pleural effusions present a challenging management problem and are associated with a poor prognosis in patients with primary systemic amyloidosis (AL). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been implicated to play a role in both malignant and non-malignant pleural effusions through its ability to regulate vascular permeability. VEGF can induce morphologic changes in vascular endothelial cells, regulate gene expression, stimulate cell proliferation and migration, and inhibit apoptosis. We report a series of four patients with AL who presented with bilateral pleural effusions that were refractory to diuretic therapy. After treatment with bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF antibody, three of the four patients had improvement in their pleural effusions, peripheral edema, and functional status. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted four patients with AL and refractory pleural effusions who received bevacizumab. Three of the patients had documented renal amyloid by biopsy and two had suspected cardiac involvement. Serum creatinine ranged from 1.3–3.8 mg/dL (mean=2.15 mg/dL), 24 hour urine protein ranged from 190 mg – 12.5 grams per 24 hours (mean=6.1 grams). Bevacizumab 5 mg/kg was administered for 1–4 cycles (mean=2). Results Three of the four patients had demonstrable improvement in their pleural effusions, peripheral edema and functional status after a single dose of bevacizumab. One patient had no objective response to treatment. The three responders experienced a 2–7 kg (mean= 4.6 kg) decrease in weight within two weeks after receiving bevacizumab. This effect was observed in patients who were re-treated. All three patients received concurrent diuretic therapy, however, they had not previously responded to diuretic therapy. Two weeks after the first dose of bevacizumab, the 24 hour urine protein of the patient who received four cycles of bevacizumab increased to 18.2 grams per 24 hours, however it returned to baseline (12.5 grams per 24 hours) one week later, and increased slightly to 13.3 grams per 24 hours after the fourth dose. A second patient also experienced an increase in 24 hour protein excretion (6.9 grams per 24 hours to 9.2 grams per 24 hours) after the first dose of bevacizumab. One patient experienced a deep vein thrombosis after the third cycle of bevacizumab. No hemorrhagic complications were observed. Conclusion Bevacizumab may represent a novel non-invasive management strategy for patients with systemic amyloidosis and diuretic-refractory pleural effusions, however, additional studies are needed to further define the role of bevacizumab in the management of this group of patients.
How Offenders and Victims Interact: A Case-Study from a Public Transport Reform

This paper models crime rates as a function of the interaction between potential offenders and victims. I present a simple model of these strategic interactions, and empirically test its basic predictions taking advantages of a reform to the public transport sector in Santiago, Chile (Transantiago). The specific features of this reform allow me to identify the effect of two particular shocks that have clear implications in other crime settings. First, I discuss the extent to which a decline in the use of cash for economic transactions affects crime. Theory suggests that due to the highly liquid nature of cash, places where a large amount of economic transactions are made in cash may have more crime opportunities. I find a large decrease in cash-related robberies coinciding with the replacement of cash fares with a cashless card. This finding is robust to multiple identification strategies. In addition, I study the transition period of Transantiago, prior to the replacement of the payment system, and find a large increase in robbery. During this period compensation structure of bus drivers was required to change from being paid from a portion of revenue to receiving fixed salaries. This particular crime response can be described under a moral hazard framework between bus owners (principal) and drivers (agent) which may have induced a large increase of criminal opportunities.
A Screenplay in the Form of a Comic Strip: Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Drawings for La terra vista dalla luna

AbstractThis article analyzes the drawings that Pier Paolo Pasolini made for his short film, La terra vista dalla luna, in 1967. Pasolini originally intended to publish his sketches in a comic book that, in the end, he did not complete. These drawings eschew any clear-cut definition. They are an attempt at a comic book, but they also visualize Pasolini’s screenplay so closely that they could be the film’s storyboard. Whether they are functional to the film or conceived to tell the same story in a different medium, these drawings represent a residual text that sheds light on Pasolini’s conversion to the figurative arts. His hand-drawn images investigate the function of colour, while exemplifying Pasolini’s observations on linguistic contamination, the merging of high- and lowbrow expressive forms, free indirect style and the new literary monstra represented by hybrid narrative structures.
Coding for Community

Pertinent current research and older observation will be brought to bear on a short list of urban metrics: network morphology permeability, legibility, and enclosure. Performance, implying as it does quantities to be measured, may not capture the indispensable mutuality upon which the community of a neighborhood depends. Such concerns are more difficult to measure but arguments, nonetheless, can be made for places to appeal to shared meaning and, even in beauty, to their inhabitants.
The ABCs of granule-mediated cytotoxicity: new weapons in the arsenal

Granule exocytosis is the main pathway for the immune elimination of virus-infected cells and tumour cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. After target-cell recognition, release of the cytotoxic granule contents into the immunological synapse formed between the killer cell and its target induces apoptosis. The granules contain two membrane-perturbing proteins, perforin and granulysin, and a family of serine proteases known as granzymes, complexed with the proteoglycan serglycin. In this review, I discuss recent insights into the mechanisms of granule-mediated cytotoxicity, focusing on how granzymes A, B and C and granulysin activate cell death through caspase-independent pathways.
Contactless laser fabrication and propulsion of freely moving structures

Abstract Origami-inspired folding is a well-established method for creating 3D shapes from two dimensional sheets. Here we demonstrate for the first time using a laser to fold, assemble and propel the resulting free-moving part, all without any need for handling. Being able to remotely assemble and move complex parts is an important manufacturing innovation, with potential for controlling doors and latches as well as launching parts off of the build platform without direct assistance. Beginning with only a blank sheet of metal, the parts are first cut and folded using laser forming, where a laser is used to create localized plastic stresses to bend the workpiece. After dropping into place with a final cut, the resulting rotor is actuated with laser ablation propulsion, using a jet of ablated material to apply thrust.
Cosmological Studies with γ-Ray Bursts

Gamma-Ray Burst explosions from the first generation of stars offer an exciting opportunity to probe the epoch of reionization. Clues about how and when the intergalactic medium was ionized can be read off their UV emission spectrum. Roughly one percent of all GRBs should be strongly gravitationally lensed by intervening stars. A microlensed light curve can be inverted to reconstruct the surface brightness profile of the GRB image on the sky with micro-arcsecond resolution.
The Ecological Model of Emotional Disturbance in Children: A Status Report and Proposed Synthesis:

The ecological model does not yet offer a coherent framework for understanding emotional problems in children. The purpose of this paper is to present one systematic approach which would begin to i...
Experiences on Processing Spatial Data with MapReduce

The amount of information in spatial databases is growing as more data is made available. Spatial databases mainly store two types of data: raster data (satellite/aerial digital images), and vector data (points, lines, polygons). The complexity and nature of spatial databases makes them ideal for applying parallel processing. MapReduce is an emerging massively parallel computing model, proposed by Google. In this work, we present our experiences in applying the MapReduce model to solve two important spatial problems: (a) bulk-construction of R-Trees and (b) aerial image quality computation, which involve vector and raster data, respectively. We present our results on the scalability of MapReduce, and the effect of parallelism on the quality of the results. Our algorithms were executed on a Google&IBM cluster, which became available to us through an NSF-supported program. The cluster supports the Hadoop framework --- an open source implementation of MapReduce. Our results confirm the excellent scalability of the MapReduce framework in processing parallelizable problems.
Inhbition of RNA synthesis in salivary glands of Drosophila melanogaster by 5'-methylthioadenosine.

Abstract 5′-Methylthioadenosine (MTA) inhibits the incorporation of [3H] uridine into RNA in salivary glands of Drosophila melanogaster . This effect is not due to an inhibition of [3H] uridine uptake into the glands. The inhibition of RNA synthesis by MTA is concentration dependent and maximum inhibition is observed after 45 minutes of incubation in the presence of 1 mM MTA. Experiments utilizing α-amanitin suggest that the synthesis of heterogeneous RNA is completely inhibited.
Fourier Scattering Subspaces

In the literature of quantum mechanical scattering one finds that the scattering states are often being thought of as “the orthogonal complement of the bound states”, or as “the outgoing states”, or as “the asymptotic states”, etc.; somewhat more precisely, as the physically realizable evolutions “possessing incoming and outgoing asymptotic free states”, or a little more precisely, as evolutions whose initial values (at t = 0) are in the range of a wave operator or operators (e.g. , in \({{\mathcal{R}}^{ + }} \cap {{\mathcal{R}}^{ + }}\)), etc. Recently there has been considerable interest in seeking a more fundamental understanding of scattering states; in this paper we wish to show and to emphasize, albeit in a brief and not yet complete manner, the use of the Fourier theory as an essential ingredient in such investigations. In particular, we will obtain from a mathematical point of view some orderings of important types of scattering subspaces now under consideration.
Deformation, Mechanisms and Other Characteristics of Shape Memory Alloys

Although only a curiosity a few years ago, the shape memory effect (“marmem” (1) = martensite memory effect) is now a field of intense investigation which has reached a maturity level high enough to warrant an international conference devoted to the subject alone. At one time, the “uncoiling wire experiment” was used to amuse various audiences, small and large, and I, and many colleagues as well, have had fun with “Nitinol” in front of prospective metallurgy students and others who once thought that the primary function of a metallurgist was in the steel mill. In the past few years, we have seen the list of memory materials getting longer and longer, patents being issued, and useful devices fashioned. There is now thought about using the shape memory effect (SME) for energy conversion, and several “engine” prototypes have been built.
Forward-Weighted CADIS Method for Variance Reduction of Monte Carlo Reactor Analyses

Current state-of-the-art tools and methods used to perform “real” commercial reactor analyses use highfidelity transport codes to produce few-group parameters at the assembly level for use in low-order methods applied at the core level. Monte Carlo (MC) methods, which allow detailed and accurate modeling of the full geometry and energy details and are considered the “gold standard” for radiation transport solutions, are playing an ever-increasing role in correcting and/or verifying the several-decade-old methodology used in current practice. However, the prohibitive computational requirements associated with obtaining fully converged system-wide solutions restrict the role of MC to benchmarking deterministic results at a limited number of state-points for a limited number of relevant quantities. A goal of current research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is to change this paradigm by enabling the direct use of MC for full-core reactor analyses. The most significant of the many technical challenges that must be overcome is the slow non-uniform convergence of system-wide MC estimates and the memory requirements associated with detailed solutions throughout a reactor (problems involving hundreds of millions of different material and tally regions due to fuel irradiation, temperature distributions, and the needs associated with multi-physics code coupling). To address these challenges, research has focused on development in the following two areas: (1) a hybrid deterministic/MC method for determining high-precision fluxes throughout the problem space in k-eigenvalue problems and (2) an efficient MC domain-decomposition algorithm that partitions the problem phase space onto multiple processors for massively parallel systems, with statistical uncertainty estimation. The focus of this paper is limited to the first area mentioned above. It describes the FWCADIS [1] method applied to variance reduction of MC reactor analyses and provides initial results for calculating group-wise fluxes throughout a generic 2-D pressurized water reactor (PWR) quarter core model. METHODS
Bacterial Whole-Genome Determination and Applications

More and more bacterial whole genomes have been sequenced and used for different applications. Compared to the traditional Sanger method, the next-generation sequencing technologies significantly decrease the cost and time of genome sequencing. After the whole genome sequence is obtained, the genes and their functions are predicted by computational methods. The genome sequence with gene annotations are then submitted to a repository such as GenBank. Many genomes within a specific bacterium can be used to run pan-genome and phylogenetic tree analyses. Furthermore, the genome sequences can be used to predict different features including subcellular localization and adhesin probability. Reverse vaccinology starts with bioinformatics analysis to predict virulence factors and vaccine candidates. Genome sequencing-based methods have also frequently been used for clinical diagnosis, genomic epidemiology, metagenomics and microbiome profiling. Many challenges and opportunities co-exist in genome sequencing technology and applications.
Preventive Fungicidal Control of Cytospora leucostoma in Peach Orchards in Colorado.

In western Colorado, Cytospora leucostoma is ubiquitous in peach orchards and has developed into a major limiting factor of peach production. The pathogen is unable to invade healthy intact phloem ...
Splenic Angiosarcoma Diagnosed on Bone Marrow Biopsy: Case Report and Literature Review.

Abstract Primary splenic angiosarcoma carries a poor prognosis and is among the rarest forms of malignancy. An overwhelming majority of patients with splenic angiosarcoma will develop metastases. However, osseous metastatic disease is rare. We present an 83 year old hispanic female who was diagnosed with primary splenic angiosarcoma on bone marrow biopsy performed for a hematologic workup. We highlight key historical, laboratory, imaging, and pathological features of splenic angiosarcoma. The synthesis of both imaging features and clinical history is essential for establishing early diagnosis in these patients.
Cultural Influences on Childhood Obesity in Ethnic Minorities: A Qualitative Systematic Review:

Introduction: Childhood obesity remains an unrelenting public health problem disproportionately affecting ethnic minorities. Although research has examined ethnicity as a factor of childhood obesity, few studies have examined cultural influences. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the qualitative evidence of cultural influences on childhood obesity in ethnic minority groups. Methodology: Selective sampling of studies since 2008 yielded 251 articles. Twelve articles that addressed cultural influences on childhood obesity were identified for review. The Culture Care Theory Sunrise Enabler factors were used as an a priori framework for theme coding. Results: Nine themes emerged: child feeding, family, gender roles, food, healthy child appearance, physical activity, sedentary activity, food cost, and obesogenic environment. Discussion: Cultural care practices such as traditional foods and family meals are protective factors in childhood obesity and should be encouraged by nurses caring for and working with ethnic minority populations.
Why do patients die after status epilepticus

The epidemiology of status epilepticus (SE) and predictors of outcome in particular have been well described with consistent findings around the world. Understanding of the actual causes of death in patients hospitalized with SE is limited. The following is a summary of published information about causes of death in patients hospitalized with SE and a reconciling of conflicting studies examining the influence of continuous intravenous anesthetic drugs on the mortality of SE. A recently published paper was presented at the Colloquium and is summarized here, along with new data addressing an audience question about withdrawal of care in SE. In the spirit of the conference, we end with a call to arms and invitation for collaborators. Proceedings of the 7th London-Innsbruck Colloquium on Status Epilepticus and Acute Seizures.
A Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis Patient with Multisystem Complications and a Prolonged Course.

The prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is 30% at the time of diagnosis.1 Cerebral edema is a rare, but life-threatening complication of DKA, occurring in only 0.3 – 1% of cases.2 Deep vein thrombosis and acute pancreatitis are other rare complications of DKA. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) as a complication of pediatric DKA has been reported.3 A unique case of a pediatric patient who had multiple rare complications of DKA including cerebral edema, venous thrombosis, and hypertriglyceridemia associated acute pancreatitis is presented. The SVT episode encountered during the admission was due to complications arising from a procedure and not due to DKA itself.
12 – Indeterminate Forms and Improper Integrals

Publisher Summary This chapter presents indeterminate forms and improper integrals. It also presents a theorem which states that L′Hopital's rule for the indeterminate form 0/0. If f and g be two functions having the property that lim x→x0 f(x) = 0 and limx→x0 g(x) = 0. Then the function f/g has the indeterminate form 0/0 at x0. If f and g be two functions having the property that limx→x0 f(x) = ± ∞ and limx→x0 g(x) = ± ∞, where x0 is real, +∞, or −∞. Then the function f/g has the indeterminate form ∞/∞ at x0.
Neurosarcoidosis: Longitudinal experience in a single-center, academic healthcare system.

Objective To characterize patients with neurosarcoidosis within the University of Utah healthcare system, including demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment, and long-term outcomes. Methods We describe the clinical features and outcomes of patients with neurosarcoidosis within the University of Utah healthcare system (a large referral center for 10% of the continental United States by land mass). Patients were selected who met the following criteria: (1) at least one International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification, 9th revision code 135 or International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification, 10th revision code D86* (sarcoidosis) and (2) at least one outpatient visit with a University of Utah clinician in the Neurology Department within the University of Utah electronic health record. Results We identified 56 patients meeting the study criteria. Thirty-five patients (63%) were women, and most patients (84%) were white. Twelve patients (22%) met the criteria for definite neurosarcoidosis, 36 patients (64%) were diagnosed with probable neurosarcoidosis, and 8 patients (14%) were diagnosed with possible neurosarcoidosis. A total of 8 medications were used for the treatment of neurosarcoidosis. Prednisone was the first-line treatment in 51 patients (91%). Infliximab was the most effective therapy, with 87% of patients remaining stable or improving on infliximab. Treatment response for methotrexate and azathioprine was mixed, and mycophenolate mofetil and rituximab were the least effective treatments in this cohort. Conclusions This is a comprehensive characterization of neurosarcoidosis within a single healthcare system at the University of Utah that reports long-term response to treatment and outcomes of patients with neurosarcoidosis. Our results suggest the use of infliximab as a first-line therapy for neurosarcoidosis.
Analyses of the postcranial skeleton for sex estimation

Abstract In lieu of the pelvis and skull, multiple methods have been created and used to estimate sex from the postcranial skeleton. These include a multitude of metric methods, predominantly focusing on comparing measurements of joint surface, as well as several morphological methods. Visual inspection of both the rhomboid fossa of the clavicle and a suite of traits on the distal humerus yields high accuracy rates for sex estimation. As the distal humerus fuses relatively early, the latter method may be applicable for assessing sex in adolescents. Observations of sexual dimorphism in long bone robusticity and rugosity among archaeological populations have been used to infer sex-based division of labor and gendered activity patterns, but recent research delving into the complexities of bone functional morphology have suggested that these traits should be employed with caution for sex estimation.
Ferroelectric Capacitor based Adaptive Differential Equalizer

In this paper, a novel architecture of passive adaptive differential equalizer is reported. The proposed architecture has a fixed PCB layout, yet it provides bandwidth control of the frequency response using a ferroelectric tunable capacitor. The equalizer circuit occupies an area of 5 mm2 and demonstrates a wide tuning range of 1 GHz for a DC bias range of 1-10V.
Design and application of a knowledge network for automatic prioritization of drug mechanisms

Abstract Motivation Drug repositioning is an attractive alternative to de novo drug discovery due to reduced time and costs to bring drugs to market. Computational repositioning methods, particularly non-black-box methods that can account for and predict a drug’s mechanism, may provide great benefit for directing future development. By tuning both data and algorithm to utilize relationships important to drug mechanisms, a computational repositioning algorithm can be trained to both predict and explain mechanistically novel indications. Results In this work, we examine the 123 curated drug mechanism paths found in the drug mechanism database (DrugMechDB) and after identifying the most important relationships, we integrate 18 data sources to produce a knowledge graph, MechRepoNet capable of capturing the information in these paths. Applying the Rephetio repurposing algorithm to MechRepoNet, using only a subset of relationships known to be mechanistic in nature, we find adequate predictive ability on an evaluation set with AUROC value of 0.83. The resulting repurposing model allows us to prioritize paths in our knowledge graph to produce a predicted treatment mechanism. We find that DrugMechDB paths, when present in the network are rated highly among potential mechanisms. We then demonstrate MechRepoNet’s ability to use mechanistic insight to identify a drug’s mechanistic target, with a mean reciprocal rank of .525 on a test set of known drug-target interactions. Finally, we walk through a repurposing example of the anti-cancer drug imantinib for use in the treatment of asthma, to demonstrate this method’s utility in providing mechanistic insight into repurposing predictions it provides. Availability and implementation The Python code to reproduce the entirety of this analysis is available at: https://github.com/mmayers12/metapaths Contact asu@scripps.edu Supplementary information Supplemental information is available at Bioinformatics online.
Epididymal epithelium propels early sexual transmission of Zika virus in the absence of interferon signaling

Recognition of Zika virus (ZIKV) sexual transmission (ST) among humans challenges our understanding of the maintenance of mosquito-borne viruses in nature. Here we dissected the relative contributions of the components of male reproductive system (MRS) during early male-to-female ZIKV transmission by utilizing mice with altered antiviral responses, in which ZIKV is provided an equal opportunity to be seeded in the MRS tissues. Using microRNA-targeted ZIKV clones engineered to abolish viral infectivity to different parts of the MRS or a library of ZIKV genomes with unique molecular identifiers, we pinpoint epithelial cells of the epididymis (rather than cells of the testis, vas deferens, prostate, or seminal vesicles) as a most likely source of the sexually transmitted ZIKV genomes during the early (most productive) phase of ZIKV shedding into the semen. Incorporation of this mechanistic knowledge into the development of a live-attenuated ZIKV vaccine restricts its ST potential.
The trajectory and determinants of loneliness during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

In March of 2020, state governments in the United States began implementing stay-at-home orders in an attempt to curtail the spread of COVID-19. As a result, most people experienced a decrease in f...
Active Aging through Volunteerism: A Longitudinal Assessment of Perceived Neighborhood Safety as a Predictor among Older Adults, 2008-2018.

Volunteering can play an important role in active aging. The resource theory of volunteering posits that volunteerism depends on human, social, and cultural capital. Benefits of volunteering have been documented at the micro-, meso-, and macrolevels, positively affecting individual older people as well as their local communities and society at large. Taking a process-oriented theoretical approach, this study focused on the mesolevel factor of the environment with the purpose of determining the relationship between perceived neighborhood safety and volunteerism over the course of a decade and the extent to which this relationship differs by gender and race. Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study in the United States of America between 2008 and 2018 were used ( adults 60 years and older). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) with robust standard errors were employed while controlling for a number of covariates. A third of the sample volunteered in the past year (33%). The probability of volunteering among older adults who rated their perceived neighborhood safety as excellent was greater compared with those who rated their perceived neighborhood safety as fair/poor after controlling for all other model covariates (ME: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.05). Among males rating their perceived neighborhood safety as excellent, the probability of volunteering was higher (ME: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.07). Among females, the probability of volunteering was higher among those who perceived their neighborhood safety to be excellent (ME: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.05) or very good (ME: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.04). White respondents who rated their neighborhood safety as excellent (ME: 0.05, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.07) or very good (ME: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.06) had a higher probability of volunteerism. Results were not significant among Black respondents and those who described their race as “other.” This study’s process-oriented theoretical approach indicates that initiatives aimed at improving neighborhood safety and older adults’ perceptions of neighborhood safety could increase social capital and lead older adults to engage in more volunteering, providing benefits at micro-, meso-, and macrolevels—to older individuals, their local communities, and society at large.
Deletion of Nf2 in neural crest-derived tongue mesenchyme alters tongue shape and size, Hippo signalling and cell proliferation in a region- and stage-specific manner.

Objectives The mammalian tongue develops from the branchial arches (1-4) and comprises highly organized tissues compartmentalized by mesenchyme/connective tissue that is largely derived from neural crest (NC). This study aimed to understand the roles of tumour suppressor Neurofibromin 2 (Nf2) in NC-derived tongue mesenchyme in regulating Hippo signalling and cell proliferation for the proper development of tongue shape and size. Materials and methods Conditional knockout (cKO) of Nf2 in NC cell lineage was generated using Wnt1-Cre (Wnt1-Cre/Nf2cKO ). Nf2 expression, Hippo signalling activities, cell proliferation and tongue shape and size were thoroughly analysed in different tongue regions and tissue types of Wnt1-Cre/Nf2cKO and Cre- /Nf2fx/fx littermates at various stages (E10.5-E18.5). Results In contrast to many other organs in which the Nf2/Hippo pathway activity restrains growth and cell proliferation and as a result, loss of Nf2 decreases Hippo pathway activity and promotes an enlarged organ development, here we report our observations of distinct, tongue region- and stage-specific alterations of Hippo signalling activity and cell proliferation in Nf2cKO in NC-derived tongue mesenchyme. Compared to Cre- /Nf2fx / fx littermates, Wnt1-Cre/Nf2cKO depicted a non-proportionally enlarged tongue (macroglossia) at E12.5-E13.5 and microglossia at later stages (E15.5-E18.5). Specifically, at E12.5 Nf2cKO mutants had a decreased level of Hippo signalling transcription factor Yes-associated protein (Yap), Yap target genes and cell proliferation anteriorly, while having an increased Yap, Yap target genes and cell proliferation posteriorly, which lead to a tip-pointed and posteriorly widened tongue. At E15.5, loss of Nf2 in the NC lineage resulted in distinct changes in cell proliferation in different regions, that is, high in epithelium and mesenchyme subjacent to the epithelium, and lower in deeper layers of the mesenchyme. At E18.5, cell proliferation was reduced throughout the Nf2cKO tongue.
Discrimination in an Unequal World

PREFACE PART I: STUDYING GLOBAL DISCRIMINATION 1. Miguel Angel Centeno, "Discrimination in an Unequal World" 2. Thomas Weisskopf, "Reflections on Globalization, Discrimination, and Affirmative Action" 3. Devah Pager, "Measuring Discrimination" PART II: CASE STUDIES 4. Jeremy Seekings, "Racial and Class Discrimination in Assessments of Desert in Post-Apartheid Cape Town" 5. Justine Burns, "Race and Trust in a Segmented Society" 6. Michael Cosser, "Race and Opportunity in the Transition from School to Higher Education in South Africa" 7. Carlos Antonio Costa Ribeiro, "Class, race, and Social Mobility in Brazil" 8. Kunihiro Kimura, "Trends of Sex Discrimination in Japan, 1965-2000: The Gender Gap in Wage and the 'Marriage Bar'" 9. Koyo Miyoshi, "Male-Female Wage Differentials in Japan." 10. . Katherine Newman and Ashwini Deshpande, "Roadblocks at the High End: The Role of Caste in Post- University Employment" 11. Katherine S. Newman and Surinder S. Jodhka, "The Language of Globalization: Meritocracy, Productivity and the Persistence of Caste-Based Stereotypes among Indian Employers" 12. Paul Attewell, Sukhadeo Thorat "Caste is not Past: The Persistence of Discrimination in India's Formal Labor Market" 13. Paul Attewell and S. Madheswaran. "The Price of Globalization: Wage Penalties and Caste Inequality in Liberal India"
Relationship between Strength and Work Load in Push-Ups

Fifteen well-conditioned college women, who had been thoroughly trained in the correct technique for women's push-ups, were tested for maximal pushing strength in two positions and for the number o...
The Molecular Biology of the Na,K-ATPase and Other Genes Involved in the Ouabain-Resistant Phenotype

Na,K-ATPase is the membrane-embedded enzyme responsible for the active transport of sodium and potassium ions in most animal cells. This protein, commonly referred to as the sodium pump, plays a central role in mediating the electrical activity of the brain. In neurons, the activity of the sodium pump maintains the ion gradients that provide the driving force for the action potential (Thomas, 1972). The uptake of neurotransmitters and the efflux of calcium from neurons are also coupled to the activity of the ATPase (Iverson and Kelly, 1975). In glia, the sodium pump plays a critical role in potassium uptake during periods of intense neuronal activity (Hertz, 1977).
Neural convergence and divergence in the mammalian cerebral cortex: from experimental neuroanatomy to functional neuroimaging.

A development essential for understanding the neural basis of complex behavior and cognition is the description, during the last quarter of the twentieth century, of detailed patterns of neuronal circuitry in the mammalian cerebral cortex. This effort established that sensory pathways exhibit successive levels of convergence, from the early sensory cortices to sensory-specific association cortices and to multisensory association cortices, culminating in maximally integrative regions; and that this convergence is reciprocated by successive levels of divergence, from the maximally integrative areas all the way back to the early sensory cortices. This article first provides a brief historical review of these neuroanatomical findings, which were relevant to the study of brain and mind-behavior relationships using a variety of approaches and to the proposal of heuristic anatomo-functional frameworks. In a second part, the article reviews new evidence that has accumulated from studies of functional neuroimaging, employing both univariate and multivariate analyses, as well as electrophysiology, in humans and other mammals, that the integration of information across the auditory, visual, and somatosensory-motor modalities proceeds in a content-rich manner. Behaviorally and cognitively relevant information is extracted from and conserved across the different modalities, both in higher-order association cortices and in early sensory cortices. Such stimulus-specific information is plausibly relayed along the neuroanatomical pathways alluded to above. The evidence reviewed here suggests the need for further in-depth exploration of the intricate connectivity of the mammalian cerebral cortex in experimental neuroanatomical studies.
Chaos Has Come Again

Under normal circumstances, fluctuations in a laser's output power or frequency would be cause for concern. But such fluctuations may be a manifestation of deterministic chaos, which can be harnessed for communication at high data rates. In his research commentary, Gauthier discusses work published in the same issue by [VanWiggeren and Roy][1] in which an erbium-doped ring laser was used to produce chaotic light, into which a message was embedded and later recovered. The results demonstrated the feasibility of private, high-bandwidth optical communication with chaotic systems. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/279/5354/1198
EINSTEIN/YANG-MILLS EQUATIONS*

In this paper, we shall describe some recent results, ([6,7]), concerning the existence of smooth, globally defined static solutions of the Einstein /Yang-Mills (EYM) equations. The EYM equations extend Einstein’s celebrated gravitational field equations, to include other “force” fields: electromagnet ism, and the weak and strong nuclear force fields. It turns out that solutions of such coupled systems of equations, in n = 4 space-time dimensions, have some very interesting mathematical and physical properties. Thus for the non-abelian gauge group G = SU (2), we can prove the existence of infinitely many non-singular globally defined solutions - a result that fails to hold if G = U (1), (the coupling of gravity to electromagnetism). Since the (classical) Yang-Mills equations with G = SU (2) correspond to the weak nuclear force, our result indicates that coupling gravity to the weak nuclear force can prevent singularity formation in space-time. Furthermore, these solutions give rise to constants which correspond to masses. In other words, numbers representing masses are a direct consequence of our theory, and need not be prescribed in an ad-hoc manner - as is usually done in physical theories.
Palliative care in pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a formidable health problem, representing the 10th most common malignancy in the United States and the 4th most common cause of all cancer deaths. The overall 5-year survival rate is 4%, making this disease a model tumor in which to address the specialized care issues of palliative medicine. Methods: General considerations in both medical decision-making and symptom management are reviewed. Treatment of patients with locally unresectable, recurrent, or metastatic disease is individualized, based on considerations that include patient age, patient wishes, family influence, insurance constraints, and geographic practice variations. Results: Success in managing progressive symptoms is needed to palliate patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Common problems include biliary obstruction, depression, pain, intestinal obstruction, and fatigue. Conclusions: Relief of pain and suffering associated with critical illness is required in managing patients with cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a model illness that mandates this need. The principal role of the clinician for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer is to manage progressive symptoms and relieve pain and suffering.
Turbulence Spectra in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere at Periods Between 2 Hours and 40 Days

Abstract Zonal and meridional wind measurements made with the Poker Flat MST radar over a 40-day period are used to calculate the frequency power spectra at heights between 5.99 and 14.69 km. The winds used in the analysis are 1 h averages of samples taken every 4 min. We find that the spectra follow an f−5/3 power law in the range of periods from 2 to 50 h. If the Taylor transformation is valid in this frequency range, this would imply a k−5/3 wavenumber spectrum, corresponding to an inertial subrange for two-dimensional turbulence at the atmospheric mesoscale. These observations support and extend earlier studies which also show a −5/3 power law behavior in the atmospheric mesoscale.
A Community of Knowledge Management Practitioners: Mirroring Power across Social Worlds

In our previous study, we focused on two spaces: a community of knowledge management (KM) practitioners and their respective work organizations. We found that the "community" largely existed to legitimize KM practices, rather than to learn KM practices. Our current study builds upon this work by uncovering how in fact power relationships in work organizations are transferred and mirrored into the community. Consequently, these relationships shape and define the community's processes: they set up boundaries of the community, reinforce the knowledge sharing practices among the members, and institutionalize community members' beliefs of KM. We have adopted Strauss's social world perspective to better understand how the actions and interactions outside of the community impact and mold the community.
Sleep Dysfunction and EEG Alterations in Mice Overexpressing Alpha-Synuclein

Author(s): McDowell, Kimberly A; Shin, David; Roos, Kenneth P; Chesselet, Marie-Francoise | Abstract: BackgroundSleep disruptions occur early and frequently in Parkinson's disease (PD). PD patients also show a slowing of resting state activity. Alpha-synuclein is causally linked to PD and accumulates in sleep-related brain regions. While sleep problems occur in over 75% of PD patients and severely impact the quality of life of patients and caregivers, their study is limited by a paucity of adequate animal models.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine whether overexpression of wildtype alpha-synuclein could lead to alterations in sleep patterns reminiscent of those observed in PD by measuring sleep/wake activity with rigorous quantitative methods in a well-characterized genetic mouse model.MethodsAt 10 months of age, mice expressing human wildtype alpha-synuclein under the Thy-1 promoter (Thy1-aSyn) and wildtype littermates underwent the subcutaneous implantation of a telemetry device (Data Sciences International) for the recording of electromyograms (EMG) and electroencephalograms (EEG) in freely moving animals. Surgeries and data collection were performed without knowledge of mouse genotype.ResultsThy1-aSyn mice showed increased non-rapid eye movement sleep during their quiescent phase, increased active wake during their active phase, and decreased rapid eye movement sleep over a 24-h period, as well as a shift in the density of their EEG power spectra toward lower frequencies with a significant decrease in gamma power during wakefulness.ConclusionsAlpha-synuclein overexpression in mice produces sleep disruptions and altered oscillatory EEG activity reminiscent of PD, and this model provides a novel platform to assess mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for sleep dysfunction in PD.
Molecular Credentialing of Rodent Bladder Carcinogenesis Models

Cancer of the urinary bladder is often a result of exposure to chemical carcinogens. Models of this disease have been developed by exposing rodents to N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine (OH-BBN). The resultant tumors are histologically similar to human disease, but little is known about genetic similarities to the latter. Such knowledge would help identify or corroborate genes found important in human bladder cancer and suggest biologically appropriate mechanistic studies. We address this need by comparing gene expression profiles associated with urothelial carcinoma for three different species: mouse, rat, and human. We find that many human genes homologous to those differentially expressed in carcinogen-induced rodent tumors are also differentially expressed in human disease and are preferentially associated with progression from non-muscle-invasive to muscle-invasive disease. We also find that overall gene expression profiles of rodent tumors correspond more closely with those of invasive human tumors rather than non-muscle-invasive tumors. Finally, we provide a list of genes that are likely candidates for driving this disease process by virtue of their concordant regulation in tumors of all three species.