cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fiscal Manipulation in Non-Democratic Regimes: The Case of Egypt

This paper’s main objective is to examine whether fiscal policy in the pre-revolution Egypt has been systematically affected by the political budget cycle (PBC). According to the PBC theory, we should not find evidence of electoral manipulation of the economy, since politicians in non-democratic regimes do enjoy a wide range of tools that can be used to bias an election in their favor. We verify this hypothesis. Our analysis suggests that public revenues, rather than expenditures, are the ones that suffer from a political cycle. More particularly, we find that tax revenues are negatively affected ahead of election years, suggesting that incumbent governments may be resorting to tax cuts in exchange of political finance. The paper also sheds some light on political finance rules in Egypt, an institutional aspect that is necessary to avoid fiscal manipulation for political reasons.
Disaster as Opportunity: Post-Katrina Public Education in New Orleans

How and why did governance change in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina? Most research on the subject focuses upon disaster-related policies, but this paper examines education governance and policy. After Katrina, the governor, superintendent of state education, and state legislature expanded charter schools, choice, and takeovers of schools; these policies had most antecedents in the pre-Katrina period. The federal government and outside foundations provided the financial resources to enact these policy changes; local business leaders supported the changes. Outside teaching organizations provided the human capital necessary to enact these policy changes. The governor, federal government, foundations, state legislators from outside New Orleans, superintendents of state education and others who favored market-style reforms displaced New Orleans’s education cartel after Katrina. Those in favor of market-style reforms created charter schools and a system by which the state could take over schools before the storm, but Katrina provided an opportunity to expand reforms and assume power and authority over the district. Narratives often dominate post-disaster politics and policies. The tension between democracy and reform and the idea that the city had an opportunity to reform the school system were two narratives that dominated education politics and policies in post-Katrina New Orleans.
Prostate cancer: Case volume and improved outcomes across cancer care.

The positive association between hospital case volume and surgical outcomes is well established in cancer care. Recent reports have increasingly indicated that this relationship also applies to other cancer disciplines, including radiation therapy. Characterizing the extent to which cancer centre experience drives oncological outcomes is critical for patient decision making.
Feed-forward control of purge flow in internal combustion engines

Presented is a feed-forward controller that coordinates engine fueling with a purge event to reduce air–fuel ratio excursions. The controller employs a linear parameter-varying model to estimate th...
Exposure of rat hippocampal astrocytes to Ziram increases oxidative stress.

Pesticides have been shown in several studies to be the leading candidates of environmental toxins and may contribute to the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. Ziram (zinc-bis(dimethyldithiocarbamate)) is an agricultural dithiocarbamate fungicide that is used to treat a variety of plant diseases. In spite of their generally acknowledged low toxicity, dithiocarbamates are known to cause a wide range of neurobehavioral effects as well as neuropathological changes in the brain. Astrocytes play a key role in normal brain physiology and in the pathology of the nervous system. This investigation studied the effects of 1.0 µM Ziram on rat hippocampal astrocytes. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assay performed showed a significant increase in malondialdehyde, a product of lipid peroxidation, in the Ziram-treated cells. Biochemical analysis also revealed a significant increase in the induction of 70 kDa heat shock and heme oxygenase 1 stress proteins. In addition, an increase of glutath...
Balance and Gait Represent Independent Domains of Mobility in Parkinson Disease

Background The Instrumented Stand and Walk (ISAW) test, which includes 30 seconds of stance, step initiation, gait, and turning, results in many objective balance and gait metrics from body-worn inertial sensors. However, it is not clear which metrics provide independent information about mobility. Objective It was hypothesized that balance and gait represent several independent domains of mobility and that not all domains would be abnormal in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) or would change with levodopa therapy. Design This was a cross-sectional study. Methods A factor analysis approach was used to identify independent measures of mobility extracted from the ISAW in 100 participants with PD and 21 controls participants. First, a covariance analysis showed that postural sway measures were independent of gait measures. Then, the factor analysis revealed 6 independent factors (mobility domains: sway area, sway frequency, arm swing asymmetry, trunk motion during gait, gait speed, and cadence) that accounted for 87% of the variance of performance across participants. Results Sway area, gait speed, and trunk motion differed between the PD group in the off-levodopa state and the control group, but sway frequency (but not sway area) differed between the PD group in the off-levodopa state and the control group. Four of the 6 factors changed significantly with levodopa (off to on): sway area, sway frequency, trunk motion during gait, and cadence. When participants were on levodopa, the sway area increased compared with off levodopa, becoming more abnormal, whereas the other 3 significant metrics moved toward, but did not reach, the healthy control values. Limitations Exploratory factor analysis was limited to the PD population. Conclusions The different sensitivity various balance and gait domains to PD and to levodopa also support neural control of at least 6 independent mobility domains, each of which warrants clinical assessment for impairments in mobility.
Effect of Vibrational Mode Excitation of N2 in Plasma Actuators on Shockwave Induced Boundary Layer Separation Control.

In this study analysis of the effect of energy deposition and subsequent release from the vibrational modes of N2 is done using an efficient numerical code for shockwave boundary layer interaction (SWBLI) that was developed earlier. Non-thermal surface plasma actuation using Lorentz force is evaluated further for effective shockwave induced boundary layer separation control within supersonic inlets using this modified numerical scheme. A significant part of the electrical power from the power supply is deposited in the vibrational modes of N2, 5 which may be released as heat over many molecular collisions. A time dependent computational 2D Navier-Stokes solver including the equation of state and parametric vibrational relaxation of N2 for shockwave boundary layer interaction is developed. To replicate the experiments done at large boundary layer thickness, the code is divided in time independent and time dependent regimes to significantly reduce computation time. Further, time and space dependent force and volumetric heating are included to account for effects of plasma actuation. Computational results show that vibrational mode excitation and subsequent energy release due to vibration-translation (VT) relaxation have a very low impact on the performance of plasma actuation due to high relaxation times, low residence time of excited species in the test section and small size of recirculation bubble at high actuation currents.
Abdominal varicosities secondary to inferior vena cava filter thrombosis

A 43-year-old man with a medical history of multiple deep vein thrombosis and right inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement, was evaluated for shortness of breath and venous claudication. Vital signs showed an O2 saturation of 90% on room air and a respiratory rate of 24 breaths/min. Physical examination revealed grossly dilated veins of the abdomen, chest wall and inguinal areas (figure 1), as well as dilated veins in the patient's legs. Lung examination was notable for crackles in the left lower lobe. Given the elevated Wells’ score, and clinical findings of shortness of breath and history …
Enhanced Activity and Stability of TiO2-Coated Cobalt/Carbon Catalysts for Electrochemical Water Oxidation

TiO2-coated Co/C catalysts prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were used to study the effect of TiO2 overcoating on a Co/C catalyst for electrochemical water oxidation. The Co/C catalyst with a thin-layer overcoating of TiO2 (ALD(TiO2)-Co/C) demonstrated 2.5 times higher turnover frequency (TOF) than the Co/C catalyst for the reaction. The TOF of the ALD(TiO2)-Co/C catalyst increased when the ALD(TiO2) coating cycle number was increased from 5 to 60. In addition, the stability of the 60 cycle ALD(TiO2)-Co/C catalyst was enhanced compared to the Co/C catalyst. This work shows how the ALD synthesis technique can be used to improve the catalytic activity and stability of nonprecious-metal-based catalysts like Co/C for electrochemical water oxidation.
Applying WHO's health systems performance assessment in Pakistan: critical reflections.

Abstract The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a health systems performance assessment framework in 2000, which met with quick and often severe criticisms in terms of process, methods and utility. However, a country specific reflection for the potential application of this framework has not been published to-date from South Asia. This paper reviews the recent literature and critiques and analyzes the potential for applying the framework in Pakistan. Deconstruction of the framework into its five component parts--health (level, distribution), responsiveness (level, distribution) and fair financing--allows an assessment of data needs for generation of specific indicators. This paper proposes that three of the five components may be attempted in Pakistan due to the availability of specific data; however the two components of responsiveness will require the collection of new primary data and present a considerable challenge. The conduct of a burden of disease study, assessment of health expenditures using household consumption surveys, and use of numerous national surveys will allow for optimal utilization of available information in Pakistan. The assimilation and analysis of available data will also be critical in informing national health decision-making.
Genetics of Syndromes with Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease(CHD) is the common disorder in the pediatrics,there are more than 300 clinical syndromes associated with CHD at present.It concentrates some aspects on the Alagille syndrome,CHARGE syndromes,Holt-Oram syndrome,Noonan syndrome,Turner syndrome,VACTERL syndromes,Williams syndrome,22q11 deletion syndrome and 13,18,21 trisomy syndrome related with genetical CHD,including their epidemiology,clinical phenotype,heredity aetiology and clinical diagnosis,so as to provide some clinical information for prenatal and neonatal diagnosis,conjecturing the prognosis and risk of recurrence.
Glomerular effects of angiotensin II require intrarenal factors.

Glomerular ultrafiltration coefficient (Kf) of glomeruli isolated from kidneys of normovolemic rats decreases following infusion of angiotensin II (ANG II). Kf from isolated glomeruli after ANG II infusion in vivo and from isolated perfused kidneys following infusion of ANG II in vitro was measured to determine whether the decrease required the presence of systemic factors. Filtration was induced in vitro and the maximum rate of change in glomerular volume was used to calculate Kf. Glomerular capillary hydraulic conductivity (Lp) was calculated from Lp = Kf/A where the basement membrane area A was calculated as 3 X pi X D2. ANG II infusion in vivo in rats diminished Lp from 3.19 +/- 0.19 to 1.96 +/- 0.13 and to 1.82 +/- 0.11 microliters.min-1.mmHg-1.cm-2, respectively. ANG II infusion into isolated kidneys caused a similar decrease in Lp (3.55 +/- 0.11 to 2.37 +/- 0.07). ANG II infusion either in vivo or during isolated kidney perfusion decreases Kf and Lp. ANG II effects do not require the presence of extrarenal factors but depend on perfusion in situ since incubation of isolated glomeruli with ANG II did not alter Kf.
Silicon photonic on-chip trace-gas spectroscopy of methane

We demonstrate a silicon photonic chip sensor for absorption spectroscopy of methane near λ=1651 nm. Noise analysis demonstrates 8.5×10−4 Hz−1/2 minimum fractional absorption and Gaussian noise performance with 20 ppmv detection limit at ∼103 s.
Brassfield Compsocrinina (Lower Silurian crinoids) from Ohio

Four compsocrinine camerate crinoids are described from the Lower Silurian Brassfield Formation of southwestern Ohio. These late early or early middle Llandoverian crinoids are assigned to the Periechocrinidae and include Tirocrinus trochos n. gen. and sp., Ibanocrinus petalos n. gen. and sp., Acacocrinus anebos n. sp., and the taxon Dimerocrinites? vagans Foerste, herein referred to periechocrinid incertae sedis. These Brassfield forms are the oldest known members of the Periechocrinacea and Periechocrinidae. Diagnoses of these supergeneric concepts are broadened to include the morphologic variability embodied within the Brassfield forms but not otherwise present in later periechocrinaceans.
Social Decisions without Social Preferences

One of the most sacred foundations of economic reasoning is that decisions are a reflection and implementation of preferences. Consumers ’ decisions reveal ‘revealed preference ’. Business decisions are intended to maximise profits because businessmen prefer higher profits to lower. All decisions are intended to obtain the more preferred in lieu of the less preferred.
The Feminist Geographer as Killjoy: Excavating Gendered Urban Power Relations

In this article, I place Ahmed's notion of the feminist killjoy into conversation with feminist geography literature to explore possibilities and praxis in research endeavoring to illuminate uneven power relations and the moral orders that frame them. According to Ahmed, a feminist killjoy is one who exposes sexism, heterosexism, and racism, only to be criticized for disrupting happiness and social consent. Drawing on fieldwork on urban politics and development, I explore the implications—both promise and peril—of adopting feminist killjoy research subjectivities, emphasizing the important role of affect. I suggest that when feminist researchers direct killjoy research not just at mainstream institutions but also at progressive endeavors, they risk being construed as double killjoys who disrupt supposed joy and solidarity within progressive politics.
A General Tool for Engineering the NAD/NADP Cofactor Preference of Oxidoreductases.

The ability to control enzymatic nicotinamide cofactor utilization is critical for engineering efficient metabolic pathways. However, the complex interactions that determine cofactor-binding preference render this engineering particularly challenging. Physics-based models have been insufficiently accurate and blind directed evolution methods too inefficient to be widely adopted. Building on a comprehensive survey of previous studies and our own prior engineering successes, we present a structure-guided, semirational strategy for reversing enzymatic nicotinamide cofactor specificity. This heuristic-based approach leverages the diversity and sensitivity of catalytically productive cofactor binding geometries to limit the problem to an experimentally tractable scale. We demonstrate the efficacy of this strategy by inverting the cofactor specificity of four structurally diverse NADP-dependent enzymes: glyoxylate reductase, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, xylose reductase, and iron-containing alcohol dehydroge...
Personal growth, symptoms, and uncertainty in community-residing adults with heart failure.

Abstract Background Personal growth has not been studied extensively in heart failure (HF). Objectives To characterize personal growth in HF and its relationships with symptom burden, uncertainty, and demographic and clinical factors. Methods Associations among personal growth, uncertainty, symptom burden, and clinical and demographic variables were examined in adult outpatients with HF using bivariate correlations and multiple regressions. Results Participants (N = 103; 76% male, mean age = 74 years, 97% New York Heart Association classes II and III) reported moderate levels of personal growth, uncertainty, and symptom burden. Personal growth was weakly correlated with age and symptom burden but not with other study variables. In a regression model, age, sex, ethnicity, disease severity, time since diagnosis, symptom burden, and uncertainty were not significant independent correlates of personal growth. Conclusions Community-residing patients with HF report moderate personal growth that is not explained by uncertainty, symptom burden, or demographic and clinical variables.
Neuroimaging Findings in FXTAS

In this chapter, we review the neuroimaging findings associated with fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). We review what is currently known about radiological signs of the disorder including both white matter lesions and mild to severe cortical loss. We also review findings on the integrity of white matter tracts in the brain (using diffusion tensor imaging) and in vivo brain function (using functional magnetic resonance imaging) in individuals with the FX premutation with and without FXTAS. Brain-molecular relationships in FXTAS including associations that have been observed between cortical and white matter changes and molecular variables such as CGG repeat length are also discussed. Similarly, we review relationships that have been reported between brain abnormalities and the neuropsychological phenotype in FXTAS. While much knowledge has been gained about the neuropathology of FXTAS, future work will focus on continuing our understanding of the developmental time course of this pathogenesis as well as searching for brain biomarkers of the disease in asymptomatic premutation carriers.
Plume estimation using static and dynamic formations of unmanned aerial vehicles

This paper presents a model based approach for the real-time estimation of a gaseous plume using a time-varying formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Such a dynamic formation is necessitated by sensor technology limitations that can only obtain concentration measurements and not spatial gradients of concentration. It is assumed that gas is released in the atmosphere by a stationary or a moving aerial source. Each UAV in the flying formation has a single concentration sensor onboard. The estimation scheme, which uses the concentration measurements provided by the UAVs, is built in the form of a Luenberger observer. The plume is reconstructed by solving numerically, and in real-time, the advection-diffusion equation using the finite volume method on a dynamically adapted computational grid. A leader-follower approach is used for the control scheme of the formation flight in order to provide approximations of the spatial gradients. The control signals for the leader, which are provided by the Lyapunov-redesign method, incorporate the concentration gradient measurements. The latter is approximated by simultaneous concentration measurements from the followers. The follower-UAVs keep physics-based prescribed distances from the leader, which are dictated by the performance of the estimator and must follow the estimated length scale for meaningful approximation of spatial gradients of the plume concentration. The numerical simulation results demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach.
Cisplatin Cross-Linked Multifunctional Nanodrugplexes for Combination Therapy.

Combination therapy efficiently tackles cancer by hitting multiple action mechanisms. However, drugs administered, simultaneously or sequentially, may not reach the targeted sites with the desired dose and ratio. The outcomes of combination therapy could be improved with a polymeric nanoparticle, which can simultaneously transport an optimal combination of drugs. We have demonstrated a simple one-pot strategy to formulate nanomedicines based on platinum coordination and the noncovalent interactions of the drugs. A naturally occurring polymer, hyaluronan (HA), was chosen as the building scaffold to form a nanodrugplex with cisplatin and aromatic–cationic drugs. The platinum coordination between cisplatin and HA induces the formation of a nanocomplex. The aromatic–cationic drugs are tightly packed by an electrostatic interaction and π–π stacking. The nanodrugplex bears excellent flexibility in drug combination and size control. It is stable in storage and has favorable release kinetics and targeting capabil...
DNA mismatch repair protein defects and endometrial cancer in women age 40 and younger

5579 Background: The significance of the hereditary basis of endometrial cancer is apparent in young women with endometrial cancer. The objective of this study was to describe the incidence and prognostic implications of DNA mismatch repair protein defects in a series of patients age 40 years and younger with endometrial cancer. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients age 40 years or less who were diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma between 1/93 and 5/08. Clinical and pathologic data were extracted from medical records. Paraffin-embedded slides from hysterectomy specimens were obtained and DNA mismatch repair (MMR) immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed. Cases were analyzed according to presence of DNA MMR protein defects. Standard two-sided statistical tests were performed. Results: Of the 71 identified patients, the median age was 37 years (range, 24–40), with a median follow-up of 47 months (range, 1–178). The majority were of endometrioid histology (94%), stage I (73%), and F...
Dynamic Laxity Evaluation

Dynamic laxity tests as the pivot shift test are superior over static laxity tests in simulating the complex multiplanar kinematics of the knee, simulating the “giving way” feeling of the patient and test specificity. However, the pivot shift is known to have a high inter-rater variability and the grading is subjective. Therefore, over the last two decades, several authors have aimed to overcome these restrictions by quantifying the pivot shift test.
Stability, control and small delays

Abstract In the implementation of any stabilizing feedback control, it is very likely that time delays will occur. It is therefore important to understand the sensitivity of stability with respect to these delays. This paper is devoted to explaining the underlying mechanism for preserving stability for for such perturbations for neutral and retarded delay differential equations as well as difference equations.
Transfusion Support of the Patient with Sickle Cell Disease Undergoing Transplantation

Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) mitigates many complications of sickle cell disease (SCD), though hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative therapy to date. Complications of transfusion therapy, including alloimmunization and iron overload, may potentially impact curative future HSCT. These sequelae may influence decisions relating to hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) donor selection, the level of conditioning regimen intensity to use, and processing of the graft; they may also impact transfusion management in the peri-transplant period. Continued transfusion support is required in the posttransplant period, with transplant physicians often employing higher RBC and platelet transfusion thresholds for SCD patients compared to other HSCT populations. However, hemoglobin and platelet thresholds and ideal levels of antigenic matching remain unknown. Close collaboration between transplant physicians, hematologists, and transfusion medicine physicians, as well as continued research of best practices, is necessary moving forward for optimal transplant outcomes in patients with SCD.
The PEWTER Study: Breaking Bad News Communication Skills Training for Counseling Programs

The efficacy of teaching communication skills for breaking bad news in graduate-level counseling programs was examined. A structured model, PEWTER (Prepare, Evaluate, Warning, Telling, Emotional Response, Regrouping; Keefe-Cooperman and Nardi 2004), provides a method for this difficult task. Prior to training in using the model, students reported not feeling adequately trained or comfortable giving bad news. The PEWTER training undertaken was significantly related to students’ increased feelings of preparedness and comfort. Breaking bad news is a universal experience across cultures and the structured protocol seems to offer value in helping counselors in training be better prepared for such a challenging task.
Cuerpo y subjetividad en narraciones de Andrea Maturana, Ana María del Río y Diamela Eltit

Este ensayo examina tres relatos de escritoras chilenas publicados entre 1986 y 1993 en los que las protagonistas aparecen representadas como mujeres enfermas. Esta forma de representacion, que subraya la materialidad del cuerpo, sugiere una concepcion de la subjetividad en la que cuerpo y mente no pueden concebirse separadamente. Al enfocarse en personajes femeninos que sufren de desordenes relacionados con la dieta, bulimia y anorexia, y en una madre enferma y su hija que esta por dar a luz, estas narraciones muestran diversos modos en que las protagonistas se relacionan con su medio social, especialmente en lo que se refiere a su posicion como mujeres. Los tres textos ofrecen diferentes reacciones frente a las expectativas sociales en cuanto a los roles femeninos prescritos, y varios grados de resistencia frente esos modelos. This essay examines three stories by Chilean women writers published between 1983 and 1993, in which the protaginists appear in the condition of sick women. The form of representation, underscoring the materiality of the body suggests a view of subjectivity in which body and mind cannot be conceived as separate. In focusing on femenine characters suffering fron disorders related to diet, bulimia and anorexia, and also on a sick mother with a daughter who is about to give birth, these narratives show different ways for the protagonists to relate to their respective social milieu, specially in what affects their gender condition. The three texts offer different reations to social expectations deriving from established femenine roles with various degrees of resistance to those prescribed models.
Shared conservation of America's geological heritage through the National Natural Landmarks Program

ABSTRACT The National Natural Landmarks Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of sites that contain outstanding biological and geological resources. Sites are designated by the Secretary of the Interior for their condition, illustrative character, rarity, diversity, and value to science and education. The National Park Service administers the program and works cooperatively with landowners, managers and partners to promote conservation and appreciation of the nation's natural heritage. There are currently 599 National Natural Landmarks nationwide; with nearly 60% of the sites determined to be significant, in full or in part, because of the geologic resources they contain. Besides fostering the basic program goals of natural heritage recognition and advancing science and education, some National Natural Landmarks are the best remaining examples of a type of feature in the country and sometimes in the world.
A Gift Grows in the Ghetto: Reimagining the Spiritual Diagnosis of Black Men

This essay explores the spiritual diagnosis of Black men in the American ghetto. The ghetto is viewed as a place of desolation, a place where nothing of value thrives—quite simply, a place where it is hard to grow. But is it also something more? By using the biblical story of Hagar and her son Ishmael being abandoned in the wilderness, the author argues that it is within deleterious environs, whether the wilderness or the ghetto, that one’s gift is discovered and then, through divine assistance, allowed to develop. This offers a useful tool in terms of spiritual diagnosis, especially for Black men, because one of the main criteria to be assessed becomes the person’s awareness of his gift and how the gift is being developed. In the end, Black men are encouraged to become more aware of their specific gift and the ways in which this gift, when properly cared for, develops—i.e., grows up—in such a way that it protects them, above all, in an uncaring environment.
A Matter of Perspective: Exploring Wearable Personal Cameras as a Reflection Tool for Undergraduate Recreation Leadership Students

Students in a 100-level recreation leadership class facilitated two leadership experiences that were video recorded using both a stationary camera and a wearable personal camera. The students used these videos to inform their reflections on their own facilitation practice. A multimethod approach was employed to identify the utility of wearable personal cameras as an educational tool and to analyze student attitudes toward use of wearable personal cameras and traditional cameras as reflection tools. Students in this study reported that the overall video reflection process was helpful, if uncomfortable, and that the two video camera perspectives supported their reflection in different ways. Further, three quarters of the students reported that they found the participant perspective, provided by the wearable personal camera, as the most useful to their reflection processes. The study offered an opportunity to explore how wearable personal cameras could best be incorporated into student reflection exp...
BID PROTESTS: The RAND Study of DOD Protests at the GAO and the COFC

This short piece discusses the congressionally mandated study of bid protests of (or disappointed offeror litigation related to) U.S. defense department procurements. It describes the report, which reflects a serious and objective analysis of some frequently polarizing issues: among other things, it describes stakeholder perspectives on the bid protest system, chronicles and analyzes a decade of bid protest volume; provides some supplemental data on discrete aspects of the data set; and offers some thought-provoking recommendations. The essay generally applauds the study effort for dispelling some urban myths; reminding us that - with regard to protests - the devil is in the details; providing new insights that familiar, macro-level data had not previously revealed (e.g., the rarity with which the leading defense contractors protest to the U.S. Court of Claims); and, of course, raising interesting policy questions, that may, in turn, merit further study.
Highlights in the History of Spectral Theory

(1973). Highlights in the History of Spectral Theory. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 80, No. 4, pp. 359-381.
Characteristics, Treatment Patterns, and Economic Outcomes of Patients Initiating Injectable Medications for Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Japan: Results from a Retrospective Claims Database Analysis

This study’s objective was to describe characteristics, treatment patterns, and economic outcomes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients initiating injectable antidiabetic medications in Japan. Adults (≥ 18 years) with T2DM, ≥ 2 claims for injectable antidiabetics between 1 August 2011 and 31 July 2015 (first claim = index date), no evidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus, ≤ 1 claim for insulin, no claims for GLP-1RA before index, and continuous enrollment for 6 months before (baseline) and 12 months after index (follow-up) were selected from the Japan Medical Center Database. Patient characteristics and outcomes during the baseline and follow-up periods were described overall and by provider, using the proxy setting of index medication [hospital (including outpatient departments) for specialists; clinic for general practitioner (GP)]. Of the 2683 patients included (mean age: 50 years, 67% male), 1879 (70%) initiated injectable antidiabetics with specialists and 804 (30%) with GPs. The specialist cohort had a significantly greater comorbidity burden, but lower HbA1c levels during baseline, and was more likely to receive intensified treatment at index than the GP cohort. Almost 40% of patients (almost 30% of GP cohort) did not use antidiabetics during baseline; the remaining patients received oral medications, primarily from GPs. During follow-up, patients used the index medication for approximately 7 months. Independent of specialist vs. GP setting, patients received antidiabetics and medications for T2DM-related comorbidities and complications during the baseline and follow-up periods from the same provider, primarily GPs. The overall average healthcare costs were ¥350,404 during baseline and ¥1,856,727 during follow-up. In Japan, most T2DM patients initiated injectable antidiabetics with specialists vs. GPs. There were considerable differences in characteristics of patients treated by specialists vs. GPs. After initiation, injectable antidiabetics were largely prescribed by GPs. Future research should evaluate the factors associated with different provider practices and communication channels between specialists and GPs to improve patient management. Eli Lilly and Co.
U2504 Determines the Species Specificity of the A-Site Cleft Antibiotics:: The Structures of Tiamulin, Homoharringtonine, and Bruceantin Bound to the Ribosome

Structures have been obtained for the complexes that tiamulin, homoharringtonine, and bruceantin form with the large ribosomal subunit of Haloarcula marismortui at resolutions ranging from 2.65 to 3.2 A. They show that all these inhibitors block protein synthesis by competing with the amino acid side chains of incoming aminoacyl-tRNAs for binding in the A-site cleft in the peptidyl-transferase center, which is universally conserved. In addition, these structures support the hypothesis that the species specificity exhibited by the A-site cleft inhibitors is determined by the interactions they make, or fail to make, with a single nucleotide, U2504 (Escherichia coli). In the ribosome, the position of U2504 is controlled by its interactions with neighboring nucleotides, whose identities vary among kingdoms.
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Metamemory Monitoring: Understanding Metamemory Processes, Subjective Levels Expressed, and Metacognitive Accuracy

Metamemory has been broadly defined as knowledge of one’s own memory. Based on a theoretical framework developed by Nelson and Narens (Psychol Learn Motiv 26:125–141, 1990), there has been a wealth of cognitive research that provides insight into how we make judgments about our memory. More recently, there has been a growing interest in understanding the neural mechanisms supporting metamemory monitoring judgments. In this chapter, we propose that a fuller understanding of the neural basis of metamemory monitoring involves examining which brain regions: (1) are involved in the process of engaging in a metamemory monitoring task, (2) modulate based on the subjective level of the metamemory judgment expressed, and (3) are sensitive to the accuracy of the metamemory judgment (i.e., when the subjective judgment is congruent with objective memory performance). Lastly, it is critical to understand how brain activation changes when metamemory judgments are based on different sources of information. Our review of the literature shows that, although we have begun to address the brain mechanisms supporting metamemory judgments, there are still many unanswered questions. The area with the most growth, however, is in understanding how patterns of activation are changed when metamemory judgments are based on different kinds of information.
The Effects of Menopausal Hormone Therapy on Breast Cancer: Evidence from the Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials

Within the past decade, comprehensive evidence about the risks and benefits of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), formerly referred to as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), has been published from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) randomized placebo-controlled trials of combined estrogen plus progestin therapy and estrogen-only therapy. Current, widely accepted practice, which arose after two 1975 landmark studies reported increased endometrial cancer risk in women who were using “unopposed” estrogen, i.e., estrogen-only, is to administer estrogen to women who have undergone prior hysterectomy (with either surgical or natural menopause) and to use a combination of estrogen and progesterone (E plus P) in women with an intact uterus. Progesterone is added in these women to prevent endometrial hyperplasia, which is known to be increased by unopposed estrogen, and is believed to prevent endometrial carcinoma, the risk of which increases substantially with long duration estrogen-only use and remains elevated for several years after discontinuation of hormone therapy. Understanding results of these trials is extremely helpful as many women have used various forms of hormone replacement and are often concerned about the associated cancer risk. In addition, healthy women without breast cancer histories will often inquire about the use of hormone replacement and the potential impact on breast cancer risk.
“That background knowledge”: What junior and senior undergraduate transfer students need from their libraries

Abstract Undergraduate students who transfer from one institution to another do so at wildly variant points in their college careers. The range of stages at which students transfer raises questions for librarians who support these students. This article presents the findings from the second phase of a two-phase, multi-campus research project, examining incoming transfer students' experiences related to research and information literacy (IL) instruction. Grounded in the dual theories of transfer deficit and transfer student capital, this article uses the results of follow-up interviews with junior and senior transfer students to identify the difficulties these newly arrived students experience with using library resources to conduct research, as well as the research strategies and other strengths these students bring with them from their previous institutions.
A peer navigation intervention to prevent HIV among mixed immigrant status Latinx GBMSM and transgender women in the United States: outcomes, perspectives and implications for PrEP uptake.

The Latinx population in the United States is disproportionately affected by HIV. Our community-based participatory research partnership developed, implemented and evaluated a Spanish-language peer navigation intervention designed to increase HIV testing and condom use among social networks of immigrant Spanish-speaking Latinx gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and transgender women (TW). We randomized 21 social networks of Latinx GBMSM and TW, ages 18–55?years, to the intervention, known as HOLA, or a waitlist control group. Social network participants (n?=?166) completed structured assessments at baseline and 12-month follow-up (24?months after baseline). Follow-up retention was 95%. Individual in-depth interviews with a sample of participants documented their intervention-related experiences, needs, and priorities to inform future research. At follow-up, HOLA participants reported increased HIV testing (adjusted odds ratio?=?8.3; 95% CI?=?3.0–23.0; P < 0.0001). All study participants reported increased condom use; there was no significant difference between HOLA and waitlist control participants. In-depth interviews identified critical intervention elements and impacts and community needs and priorities. The HOLA intervention is effective for increasing HIV testing among Latinx GBMSM and TW, an initial step within the HIV prevention and care continua, and may be adaptable to promote pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake.
Autograph Albums and the Commercialization of Memory in the United States

This chapter examines the creation and use of autograph albums as tools for memory-making and identity performance in the nineteenth-century United States. It problematizes the notion of separate spheres, especially in the supposed separation of personal versus commercial, that persists in historical examinations of the nineteenth century. As objects that circulated in the culture of sentimental exchange and memorialization, autograph albums provided a semi-private venue for emotional expression and displays of virtue. A large commercial industry evolved to support album-making, and autograph albums became critical to middle-class displays of character. This chapter argues that such displays depended upon consuming commercial goods; albums can thus help reconstruct both the material and commercial dimensions of memory-making and identity performance.
Earth’s soil harbours ancient carbon

Organic carbon in the top metre of Earth’s soils is far older than previously thought, averaging 4,800 years old. These radiocarbon-derived age estimates require us to recalibrate our expectations of ecosystem gains and losses of carbon.
The Relationship Between Presurgical Pain and Early Postbariatric Surgery Outcomes

Background: Individuals with obesity frequently contend with pain, but few studies address the clinical impact of comorbidity within this population. This study compared the early weight loss outco...
Hybridized plasmon resonant modes in molecular metallodielectric quad-triangles nanoantenna

Abstract In this study, we examined the plasmon response for both metallic and metallodielectric nanoantennas composed of four gold (Au) triangles in a quadrumer orientation. Tailoring an artificial metallic quad-triangles nanoantenna, it is shown that the structure is able to support pronounced plasmon and Fano resonances in the visible spectrum. Using plasmon transmutation effect, we showed that the plasmonic response of the proposed cluster can be enhanced with the placement of carbon nanoparticles in the offset gaps between the proximal triangles. It is verified that this structural modification gives rise to formation of new collective magnetic antibonding (dark) plasmon modes. Excitation of these subradiant dark modes leads to formation of narrower and deeper Fano resonances in the spectral response of the metallodielectric nanoantenna. To investigate the practical applications of the metallodielectric structure, we immersed the nano-assembly in various liquids with different refractive indices to define its sensitivity to the environmental perturbation as a plasmonic biological sensor.
Anatomical reciprocity between magnocellular peptides and noradrenaline in putative cardiovascular pathways.

Publisher Summary Changes in blood pressure and blood volume are accompanied by appropriate changes in plasma vasopressin concentration, for example, a fall in blood pressure results in the release of vasopressin. Noradrenaline has been implicated in the mediation of the response by vasopressin neurons to changes in cardiovascular status. This chapter describes the potential reciprocity between noradrenergic neurons of the brainstem and oxytocin and vasopressin neurons of the hypothalamus. The occurrence of neurophysin-positive varicosities in juxtaposition to noradrenaline-containing perikarya of the Al and A2 medullary groups raises the possibility of a reciprocal link between aminergic and peptidergic neurons. Some of the central neurons synthesize noradrenaline as a transmitter and send ascending axons through the ventral noradrenergic bundle to terminate in the paraventricular (PVN) nuclei; noradrenaline can be involved in the cardiovascular regulation of vasopressin release. The PVN sends afferent pathways to a number of central loci, including the caudal medulla where vasopressin and oxytocin fibres appear to ramify throughout the A1 and A2 regions. This reciprocal connection between the A1 noradrenaline neurons and the magnocellular peptidergic neurons can serve as a short-loop feedback system modulating the release of vasopressin in response to cardiovascular signals. The PVN projection to the A2 neurons, which has been described morphologically and electrophysiologically, may participate in the central regulation of blood pressure and heart rate.
The Virgin of Guadalupe and the Conversos. Uncovering Hidden Influences from Spain to Mexico

In his book, Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Origins and Sources of a Mexican National Symbol, 1531–1797 (Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1995), Stafford Poole states, ‘If Guadalupe is a powerf...
Integrated Process Models

Capability Maturity Models (CMM®s) (The following trademark symbols are used in this article: ®—CMM and Capability Maturity Model are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; SM—CMM Integration and CMMI are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University.) are reference models that provide guidance for improving organizational performance. These models are repositories for best practices that have been shown to be effective through widespread use in government and industry. Organizational performance can be measured and improved by comparing actual practice to essential practices contained in CMMs. The original CMMs were developed to improve performance within a single discipline, such as software engineering or systems engineering or software acquisition. Although many best practices are generic by nature, in single-discipline models they are organized and expressed to focus guidance within a single-discipline view. These models were developed by different teams, for different sponsors, and at different times. As a result, whereas certain underlying process improvement principles are embedded in all these models, they are represented and expressed in different ways. Furthermore, although there are similarities and relationships among many processes that are performed across disciplines, these similarities are not explicitly recognized in the single-discipline models. For an organization concerned with improving its performance, but whose business processes encompass more than one discipline, the use of multiple single-discipline CMMs to guide an overall improvement effort can be confusing because of the different ways of expressing similar concepts. It can be ineffective and suboptimal because of the lack of guidance for achieving cross-discipline, enterprisewide improvement; it can be inefficient because of potentially redundant effort expended in separate improvement efforts without recognizing similarities and overlaps. The use of an integrated CMM helps eliminate these problems by providing guidance for integrated process improvement. What this process is, what integration entails, and the future of this process are discussed here. Keywords: capability maturity models; integrated process improvement; model development
On Output Regulation Problems Involving Exogenous Signals

We consider output regulation problems for smooth nonlinear plants driven by exogenous signals. Sample formulations include disturbance signals to be asymptotically rejected, reference signals to be asymptotically tracked, and gain scheduling signals. Using a nonlinear coordinate transformation that depends on the relative degree of the plant linearization, we design nonlinear, static, state feedback control laws that depend also on the exogenous signal and a certain number of its time derivatives. Perturbation results are used to analyze the closed-loop system, and to relate the accuracy of regulation to properties of the exogenous signals.
INFLUENCE OF DOXAPRAM HYDROCHLORIDE ON RECOVERY FROM THIOPENTAL ANAESTHESIA.

Cross-over experiments performed in dogs showed that Doxapram hydrochloride in a single-dose injection was as effective asd- amphetamine in shortening the recovery time from a standardized dose of thiopental anaesthesia and was more effective than methylphemdate in the dosages that were compared No untoward effects were observed in any of these experiments
Zahlentheoretisches über Potenzreihen

Das Produkt von irgendwelchen m konsekutiven ganzen Zahlen ist durch das Produkt der m ersten positiven ganzen Zahlen teilbar.