cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Straight Girls Kissing”? Understanding Same-Gender Sexuality beyond the Elite College Campus

Sexuality researchers have demonstrated how the progressive campuses of selective universities shape hookups, sexual fluidity, and same-gender sex among straight-identified women (“straight girls kissing”). However, this research cannot fully explain a puzzling demographic pattern: women with the lowest levels of educational attainment reported the highest lifetime prevalence of same-gender sex. To make sense of this puzzle, I draw on interviews with 35 women systematically recruited from a demographic survey. I find (1) early motherhood forecloses possibilities to develop or claim LGBTQ identities as women prioritize seemingly incompatible discourses of self-sacrifice and good motherhood; (2) sexual friendships and safety strategies provide opportunities to meaningfully explore same-gender sex and desire; and (3) participants reject “queer” and embrace “bisexual” in the opposite pattern observed among their more privileged peers. This study underscores the situated nature of sexuality knowledge by offeri...
Autoantibodies in Alzheimer's disease: potential biomarkers, pathogenic roles, and therapeutic implications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent and debilitating neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly. The etiology of AD has not been fully defined and currently there is no cure for this devastating disease. Compelling evidence sug-gests that the immune system plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of AD. Autoantibodies against a variety- of molecules have been associated with AD. The roles of these autoantibodies in AD, however, are not well -understood.This review attempts to summarize recent findings on these autoantibodies and explore their potential as diagnostic/ prognostic biomarkers for AD, their roles in the pathogenesis of AD, and their implications in the development of effective immunotherapies for AD.
Language Disorders and ADD

The prevalence rates of speech and language disorders and ADD in 116 children referred for psychiatric services were determined at the Ontario Association of Children’s Mental Health Centres and the Dept of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Abstract 145: Risk Stratification and Assessment for future Cardiac Events in Patients admitted with ACS Using a Novel Critical Pathway and its ` Validation by Framingham Risk Score, an ACAP-PAIN Database Analysis

Background: We developed a novel pathway for management of patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), designed with the acronym of PAIN (P) Priority Risk, (A) Advanced Risk, (I) Intermediate Risk, and (N) Negative Risk that reflects patients most immediate risk stratification upon admission. Our objective was to compare the patient risk stratification upon admission using the PAIN pathway to the Framingham Risk Score (FRS). Methods: A total of 6911 ACS patients admitted to a NYC hospital from Sept., 2004, to Dec., 2010, were enrolled in our prospective ACAP-ACS registry. Patients were stratified and treated according to the PAIN pathway. Mean risk factors for patients in the PAIN pathway were compared with the FRS. Results: The study population consisted of 3761 men (54%) with a mean age 60 ± 14 years and 3150 women (46%) with mean age 66 ± 15 years. On initial stratification P patients had 3.01 traditional risk factors, A patient had 3.50, I patients with 4.3 risk factors, and N patient had 1.9, P Conclusion: I patients according to our PAIN pathway had more risk factors which correlate with a higher risk for future cardiac events as calculated from the Framingham Risk Score. H population would benefit the most from a more aggressive intervention compared to others.
Reference and Truth

Although I have been trying to maintain a division between the psychology and the semantics of mental attitudes the two have already tended to blur in the discussion of representations. There is a similar distinction that is much neater, one between intentional traits and behaviors on the one hand and linguistic reference and meaning on the other. On one opinion intentions can be ascribed to the dumb but meanings to the speech of language users only. A different view, which was at one time proposed by Davidson, is that only a creature that can interpret speech can have beliefs. For beliefs, he says, can be mistaken, and to understand the “possibility of being mistaken ... requires grasping the contrast between truth and error” (Davidson, 1975, pp. 22–23). My theory already belies such a proposal, and theory aside, dumb animals do seem to have mistaken beliefs and are able to correct them on the spot. Any dog tracking by a spoor and losing it is able to back-track and start anew once he gets on it. He can have mistaken beliefs and correct them. Moreover, a theory of truth, say, that seeks a truth definition for a language by abstracting from use, attitude, and the context of use may be doomed to commitment to abstract entities or to reliance on other unanalyzed semantic terms (Field, 1972), possibilities that I wish to avoid as a matter of strictly naturalist policy. The view I am rejecting may be correct (Davidson does not claim that it is), but I want to be clear about my own presuppositions.
Severe Kaposi Sarcoma in an Urban Public Hospital

The national incidence of epidemic Kaposi sarcoma (KS) has decreased dramatically since the availability of combined antiretroviral therapy. Despite national trends, we continue to see admissions for KS. Electronic medical records were queried to identify patients with HIV who were admitted with active KS between 2010 and 2013 and records were reviewed to determine patient characteristics and factors affecting survival. Data were collected from all hospital admissions until death or May 1, 2015. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank tests were used to test for differences in survival and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the prognostic value of variables. Odds ratios were calculated to determine factors associated with death during hospital admissions. Forty-three patients were admitted 141 times, with 81 admissions specifically related to KS. The majority of patients were highly immunosuppressed when KS was diagnosed (median CD4 count: 11), and 68% had multiple organ involvement with KS. Comorbidities at diagnosis included hepatitis B (26%) and pneumocystis pneumonia (33%). Frequent reasons for admission included skin and soft tissue complaints (28.4%) and respiratory complaints (27.2%). The estimated median survival after KS diagnosis was 3.0 years. Lung involvement, liver involvement, poor performance status, and low CD4 T cell count (<50) were associated with lower survival. Lung infections were the only admission diagnoses significantly associated with an increased odds of death during admission (OR: 5.42, 95% CI: 1.04-28.24). KS in our population is associated with poor access to healthcare and management of HIV. Factors affecting survival, including CD4 count and pulmonary involvement of KS, are in accordance with previous studies. Pulmonary KS should therefore be considered early in AIDS patients presenting with respiratory complaints. Our study also demonstrated that respiratory infections are associated with significant morbidity in patients with KS.
Intrauterine Zika virus infection of pregnant immunocompetent mice models transplacental transmission and adverse perinatal outcomes.

Zika virus (ZIKV) crosses the placenta and causes congenital disease. Here we develop an animal model utilizing direct ZIKV inoculation into the uterine wall of pregnant, immunocompetent mice to evaluate transplacental transmission. Intrauterine inoculation at embryonic day (E) 10, but not E14, with African, Asian or American strains of ZIKV reduces fetal viability and increases infection of placental and fetal tissues. ZIKV inoculation at E10 causes placental inflammation, placental dysfunction and reduces neonatal brain cortical thickness, which is associated with increased activation of microglia. Viral antigen localizes in trophoblast and endothelial cells in the placenta, and endothelial, microglial and neural progenitor cells in the fetal brain. ZIKV infection of the placenta increases production of IFNβ and expression of IFN-stimulated genes 48 h after infection. This mouse model provides a platform for identifying factors at the maternal–fetal interface that contribute to adverse perinatal outcomes in a host with an intact immune system. Zika virus infection of pregnant women is associated with congenital neurological disorders. Here, Vermillionet al. develop an immunocompetent mouse model for identification of factors at the maternal-fetal interface that contribute to adverse perinatal outcomes.
Faster transport with a directed quantum walk

We give an example of faster transport with a quantum walk on an inherently directed graph, on the directed line with a variable number of self-loops at each vertex. These self-loops can be thought of as adding a number of small dimensions. This is a discrete time quantum walk using the Fourier transform coin, where the walk proceeds a distance $\ensuremath{\Theta}(1)$ in constant time compared to $\ensuremath{\Theta}(1/n)$ classically, independent of the number of these small dimensions. The analysis proceeds by reducing this walk to a walk with a two-dimensional coin.
Interpretation of significant ground-response and structure strong motions recorded during the 1994 Northridge earthquake

Abstract Some of the largest accelerations and velocities ever recorded at ground-response and structural sites occurred during the Northridge earthquake. These motions are greater than most existing attenuation models would have predicted. Although the motions are large, the correspondence between measured acceleration and damage requires further study, since some sites with high acceleration experienced only moderate damage. Also, some peak vertical accelerations were larger than the horizontal, but in general, they are smaller and fit the pattern observed in previous earthquakes. Strong-motion records processed to date show significant differences in acceleration and velocity waveforms and amplitudes across the San Fernando Valley. Analysis of processed data from several buildings in the San Fernando Valley indicates that short-period buildings such as shear-wall buildings experienced large forces and relatively low inter-story drift during the Northridge earthquake. However, long-period (1 to 5 sec) steel or concrete moment-frame buildings experienced large inter-story drift. For this earthquake, accelerations did not always amplify from base to roof for flexible structures like the moment-frame buildings, but the displacements were always larger at the roof. The drifts at many of the moment-frame buildings were larger than the drift limit for working stress design in the building code. The records from a base-isolated building indicate that high-frequency motion was reduced significantly by the isolators. The isolators deformed about 3.5 cm, which is much less than the design displacement. The records from a parking structure show important features of the seismic response of this class of structure.
Consumptive Chic: The Postfeminist Recycling of Camille in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!

Prostitutes, especially hookers-with-hearts-of-gold, have long tugged at the heartstrings of audiences on stage and in film. While Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! (2001) offers a funky—if not campy—take on the turn-of-the-century Parisian underworld, the film is nonetheless an unmistakable retelling of Dumas fils’ nineteenth-century melodrama Camille (La Dame aux camelias). In fact, Lurhmann’s prostitute-character Satine emblematizes the ‘penitent whore,’ the figure that is scrutinized for her sexual transgressions, who expresses a sense of worthlessness, repents for her sins, and is ultimate punished—usually by death—to reinstate patriarchal order. As Satine, the Sparkling Diamond of the Moulin Rouge, Nicole Kidman is often fetishistically shot with a blue lens, giving her a necrophilic look, creating what Johnson calls ‘consumptive chic.’ The film’s cinematography highlights her fragility, pallid form, and glistening corpse-like whiteness. Satine’s whiteness also functions powerfully as a racial category, which is key to her desirability. Although Luhrmann’s postmodern approach is entertaining, the film eviscerates years of scholarship regarding representations of fallen women, the regulation of women’s sexuality, the politics of women’s work, the process of racialization, and commercialized sex. The film’s popularity can be seen a barometer of dominant culture’s attitudes toward the postfeminist moment and demonstrates the formative role of film in perpetuating misogynistic narratives, whilst giving lip service to women’s liberation. Johnson’s essay takes up the question of representing the hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold and its resonance for postfeminism and media studies by analyzing Cukor’s Camille (1936), two versions of Moulin Rouge (John Huston 1952 and Luhrmann 2001), and the ‘Lady Marmalade’ music video (2002) produced by Missy Elliot.
The Secret Lives of Ebooks: A Paratextual Analysis Illuminates a Veil of Usage Statistics

This study applies the method of paratextual analysis to six electronic books, or ebooks, in an academic library collection at a small liberal arts college. Two books are selected from each of three platforms: ebrary, EBSCO, and SpringerLink. The characteristics of each book are described, including design and readership, as well as 2 years of usage statistics from the specific library, and altmetrics where available. The paratextual study leads to a closer investigation of the usage statistics themselves and concludes that despite industry standards, they are not calculated consistently across vendor platforms and that while these data are invisible to researchers outside of the library, there are also essential elements that librarians mistakenly take at face value when comparing ebook usage from multiple vendors.
Historical aspects of infectious diseases, part I.

The history of infectious diseases is fascinating. The history of mankind may be viewed and analyzed through the lens of infectious disease. Human history has been very much affected by infectious diseases since the dawn of history. The rationale for this issue of the Infectious Disease Clinics of North America is based on the premise that there has been an ongoing interaction between the human and the microbial world. This issue is not a monograph on the history of infectious disease, per se; rather it is a concise overview of selected aspects of infectious diseases in history. Herodotus and Plutarch believed that history is made by individuals and is not the result of geographic, political, or economic cycles. This is certainly true when looking at infectious diseases. The history of infectious disease is also the history of individuals who have either described infections, differentiated one infection from another, isolated or characterized the pathogenic microorganisms, developed diagnostic tests, pioneered treatments,
NOVEL MANAGEMENT OF PULMONARY EMBOLISM THROUGH A FONTAN

The Fontan procedure has resulted in increased survival in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) [1]. Thromboembolic complications are a major factor contributing to morbidity and mortality. A heart team approach is imperative in guiding complex care, and percutaneous interventions are a
TCT-519 A Comprehensive Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Drug-Eluting Stents with Bare-Metal Stents in Saphenous Vein Graft Interventions

Several large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have proven the superiority of drug eluding stents (DESs) over bare metal stents (BMSs) for native coronary stenosis. However, RCTs comparing DESs with BMSs for saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions have predominantly been small in size and have
Selective Nonnuclear Estrogen Receptor Activation Decreases Stroke Severity and Promotes Functional Recovery in Female Mice

Estrogens provide neuroprotection in animal models of stroke, but uterotrophic effects and cancer risk limit translation. Classic estrogen receptors (ERs) serve as transcription factors, whereas nonnuclear ERs govern numerous cell processes and exert beneficial cardiometabolic effects without uterine or breast cancer growth in mice. Here, we determined how nonnuclear ER stimulation with pathway-preferential estrogen (PaPE)-1 affects stroke outcome in mice. Ovariectomized female mice received vehicle, estradiol (E2), or PaPE-1 before and after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo). Lesion severity was assessed with MRI, and poststroke motor function was evaluated through 2 weeks after tMCAo. Circulating, spleen, and brain leukocyte subpopulations were quantified 3 days after tMCAo by flow cytometry, and neurogenesis and angiogenesis were evaluated histologically 2 weeks after tMCAo. Compared with vehicle, E2 and PaPE-1 reduced infarct volumes at 3 days after tMCAo, though only PaPE-1 reduced leukocyte infiltration into the ischemic brain. Unlike E2, PaPE-1 had no uterotrophic effect. Both interventions had negligible effect on long-term poststroke neuronal or vascular plasticity. All mice displayed a decline in motor performance at 2 days after tMCAo, and vehicle-treated mice did not improve thereafter. In contrast, E2 and PaPE-1 treatment afforded functional recovery at 6 days after tMCAo and beyond. Thus, the selective activation of nonnuclear ER by PaPE-1 decreased stroke severity and improved functional recovery in mice without undesirable uterotrophic effects. The beneficial effects of PaPE-1 are also associated with attenuated neuroinflammation in the brain. PaPE-1 and similar molecules may warrant consideration as efficacious ER modulators providing neuroprotection without detrimental effects on the uterus or cancer risk.
Antidiarrheals, Antisecretory Agents, Pancreatic Enzymes

Abstract Medications play a major role in controlling diarrhea and minimizing the complications related to high stool output in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS). Multiple medications are often required to target the various etiologies of diarrhea in patients with SBS and a stepwise approach is recommended to optimize safety and efficacy. Loperamide and diphenoxylate-atropine are considered first-line antimotility agents and are typically used in combination with an antisecretory agent. Proton-pump inhibitors and H2-receptor antagonist are considered first-line antisecretory agents to treat gastric acid hypersecretion that occurs following extensive intestinal resection. Second-line agents used for treatment of diarrhea in patients with SBS include narcotics (antimotility), octreotide (antisecretory), clonidine (antisecretory), and pancreatic enzymes and bile acid replacement therapy used for treatment of fat malabsorption. It is important for clinicians to recognize that patients with SBS will likely require much higher doses of these medications than are typically recommended to compensate for malabsorption.
If the Body Is Part of Our Discourse, Why Not Let It Speak? Five Critical Perspectives

Of the five perspectives set forth in this essay, four of them specify obstacles that block experiential understandings of emotions. The obstacles in one way and another subvert the living body, whether presenting it as a mere face or as an ahistorical adult body, as an embodied phenomenon or as a brain unattached to a whole-body nervous system. Such accounts bypass the affective dynamics that move through bodies and move them to move. Being true to the truths of experience, the fifth perspective, requires recognition of our infancy and even of our prenatal lives, both of which are tethered to developmental movement. It furthermore requires recognition of affective realties as subject-world relationships and recognition of the dynamic congruency of emotions and movement. In the end, the perspectives lead us to inquire about “the things themselves.”
Duodenal Obstruction in Newborns

Intestinal obstruction in neonates can be due to either complete obstruction (atresia) or incomplete obstruction (stenosis). Annular pancreas is associated with duodenal stenosis and atresia due to the inability of the pancreatic ventral anlage to travel around the duodenum. Duodenal atresia is associated with Down’s syndrome in about 31% and with cardiac anomalies in about 49% of the cases (Burjonrappa et al., Pediatr Surg Int 27:437–442, 2011).
Somatic presentation of mental health concerns, stigma, and mental health treatment engagement among college students.

Objective: To identify mental health and treatment utilization correlates of somatic symptoms.Participants: Undergraduate students (N = 184) were recruited through an online research portal from No...
Trunk velocity-dependent Light Touch reduces postural sway during standing

Light Touch (LT) has been shown to reduce postural sway in a wide range of populations. While LT is believed to provide additional sensory information for balance modulation, the nature of this information and its specific effect on balance are yet unclear. In order to better understand LT and to potentially harness its advantages for a practical balance aid, we investigated the effect of LT as provided by a haptic robot. Postural sway during standing balance was reduced when the LT force (~ 1 N) applied to the high back area was dependent on the trunk velocity. Additional information on trunk position, provided through orthogonal vibrations, further reduced the sway position-metric of balance but did not further improve the velocity-metric of balance. Our results suggest that limited and noisy information on trunk velocity encoded in LT is sufficient to influence standing balance.
Patterns of Polysubstance Use among Adults with Tranquilizer Misuse

Background: The misuse of benzodiazepine tranquilizers is prevalent and is associated with increased risk of overdose when combined with other substances. Yet, little is known about other substance...
Revisiting atherosclerosis and dementia

Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) was linked to dementia long ago, but subsequently, Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles have received more attention. A new proteome-wide association study unveils molecular links between intracranial atherosclerosis and dementia, independent of other pathologies, providing new evidence for one of the oldest suspected causes of dementia.
NEBULA: a fast negative binomial mixed model for differential expression and co-expression analyses of large-scale multi-subject single-cell data

Abstract The growing availability of large-scale single-cell data revolutionizes our understanding of biological mechanisms at a finer resolution. In differential expression and co-expression analyses of multi-subject single-cell data, it is important to take into account both subject-level and cell-level overdispersions through negative binomial mixed models (NBMMs). However, the application of NBMMs to large-scale single-cell data is computationally demanding. In this work, we propose an efficient NEgative Binomial mixed model Using a Large-sample Approximation (NEBULA)), which analytically solves the high-dimensional integral in the marginal likelihood instead of using the Laplace approximation. Our benchmarks show that NEBULA dramatically reduces the running time by orders of magnitude compared to existing tools. We showed that NEBULA controlled false positives in identifying marker genes, while a simple negative binomial model produced spurious associations. Leveraging NEBULA, we decomposed between-subject and within-subject overdispersions of an snRNA-seq data set in the frontal cortex comprising ∼80,000 cells from a cohort of 48 individuals for Alzheimer’s diseases (AD). We observed that subpopulations and known subject-level covariates contributed substantially to the overdispersions. We carried out cell-type-specific transcriptome-wide within-subject co-expression analysis of APOE. The results revealed that APOE was most co-expressed with multiple AD-related genes, including CLU and CST3 in astrocytes, TREM2 and C1q genes in microglia, and ITM2B, an inhibitor of the amyloid-beta peptide aggregation, in both cell types. We found that the co-expression patterns were different in APOE2+ and APOE4+ cells in microglia, which suggest an isoform-dependent regulatory role in the immune system through the complement system in microglia. NEBULA opens up a new avenue for the broad application of NBMMs in the analysis of large-scale multi-subject single-cell data.
Fission yeast Opy1 is an endogenous PI(4,5)P2 sensor that binds the PI5-kinase Its3.

Phosphoinositides (PIPs) are a dynamic family of lipids that execute diverse roles in cell biology. PIP levels are regulated by numerous enzymes, but our understanding of how these enzymes are controlled in space and time is incomplete. One role of PI(4,5)P2 is to anchor the cytokinetic ring (CR) to the plasma membrane (PM) in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. While examining potential PI(4,5)P2 binding proteins for roles in CR anchoring, we identified the dual PH domain containing protein Opy1. Although related proteins are implicated in PIP regulation, we found no role for S. pombe Opy1 in CR anchoring, which would be expected if it modulated PM PI(4,5)P2 levels. Our data indicate that while Opy1 senses PM PI(4,5)P2 levels and binds the PI5-kinase Its3, Opy1 does not regulate Its3 kinase activity or PM PI(4,5)P2 levels, a striking difference from its Saccharomyces cerevisiae homolog. However, overexpression of Opy1 resulted in cytokinesis defects, as might be expected if it sequestered PI(4,5)P2. Our results highlight the evolutionary divergence of dual PH domain containing proteins and the need for caution when interpreting results based on their overexpression.
Contrast-Enhanced Subharmonic Aided Pressure Estimation (SHAPE) using Ultrasound Imaging with a Focus on Identifying Portal Hypertension.

Noninvasive, accurate measurement of pressures within the human body has long been an important but elusive clinical goal. Contrast agents for ultrasound imaging are gas-filled, encapsulated microbubbles (diameter < 10 μm) that traverse the entire vasculature and enhance signals by up to 30 dB. These microbubbles also produce nonlinear oscillations at frequencies ranging from the subharmonic (half of the transmit frequency) to higher harmonics. The subharmonic amplitude has an inverse linear relationship with the ambient hydrostatic pressure. Here an ultrasound system capable of performing real-time, subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) is presented. During ultrasound contrast agent infusion, an algorithm for optimizing acoustic outputs is activated. Following this calibration, subharmonic microbubble signals (i.e., SHAPE) have the highest sensitivity to pressure changes and can be used to noninvasively quantify pressure. The utility of the SHAPE procedure for identifying portal hypertension in the liver is the emphasis here, but the technique has applicability across many clinical scenarios.
Definitive radiotherapy for meningeal brainstem melanocytoma: a case report.

Meningeal melanocytomas are rare, benign tumours of the central nervous system arising from the melanocytes of the leptomeninges. First-line treatment consists of either gross or subtotal resection...
Novel use of the Sentinel cerebral protection device during thrombosed septal occluder explant and Atriclip appendage closure.

Background Our case demonstrates a novel use of the Sentinel™ cerebral protection device (SCPD) for prevention of stroke during removal of a thrombus-adherent atrial septal occluder. Case presentation A 45-year-old male with multiple strokes and ostium secundum atrial septal defect closed ten years prior using an Amplatzer Septal Occluder presented with recurrent neurologic symptoms. Over the ensuing year, serial transesophageal echocardiography revealed persistent and worsening device-adherent thrombus despite trial of different anticoagulants. The device appeared to be mal-deployed, prompting the decision for surgical explant. Given concern for embolization during explant, an SCPD was placed. Excision, pericardial patch repair, and Atriclip appendage closure (AAC) were performed. The device demonstrated incomplete endothelialization and microthrombi. SCPD filtration revealed embolic debris. Conclusions We demonstrate the first successful use of an SCPD during surgical excision of a mal-deployed occluder. With its ease of use and safety, SCPD may have utility in surgeries with high cardio-embolic risk.
Strategies for Optimizing Perioperative Pain Management for the Cancer Patient

Effective management of pain in patients with cancer impacts quality of life and willingness to receive disease-directed treatment. This review focuses on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative strategies for management of perioperative pain in the patient with cancer. Managing perioperative pain in special populations, including patients with preoperative opioid use, those with a history of substance abuse, and patients near the end of life are also addressed.
Attitudes of Indigenous Minority Leaders toward Political Events in Their Trans-State National Group: Between Identity, Conflict and Values

How do leaders of indigenous minorities perceive political events among their trans-state national group? What motivates their attitudes toward these events? This article, drawing on a survey and e...
Misallocation in Economies with Financial Frictions and Firing Costs

Emerging economies are characterized as having underdeveloped financial markets. Furthermore, many of these economies have employment protection laws that make it costly for firms to fire workers. Understanding the interaction between these features is key for evaluating financial and labor policy reforms since they have a direct impact on the allocation of resources and aggregate productivity. This paper quantifies the effect on aggregate productivity of an improvement in financial development in economies with firing costs. I develop a small open economy model with heterogeneous firms that face collateral constraints and have to pay firing costs. I calibrate the model using census plant-level data from the manufacturing sector in Chile. I find that aggregate productivity increases by 2.5 percent following a financial reform that makes Chile's level of financial development comparable to that of the United Kingdom. Ignoring firing costs underestimates the impact of the reform, predicting an increase in productivity of 0.3 percent. Acknowledging firing costs introduces two reasons why the financial reform has a stronger impact. First, firms with high past employment hoard labor and, as a result, demand more capital, which makes them more likely to be financially constrained. Second, an increase in wages following the reform increases the effective firing cost and hence discourages firms with low past employment from hiring. As a result, these firms demand less capital than they would if there were no firing costs and are less likely to be financially constrained. Finally, I study the effect on productivity of the interaction between these two frictions when evaluating labor and financial reforms. I do this for a range of economies with plausible initial levels of financial development and firing costs.
Genomic analysis reveals geography rather than culture as the predominant factor shaping genetic variation in northern Kenyan human populations

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic relationships within and among four neighboring populations in northern Kenya in light of cultural relationships to understand the extent to which geography and culture shape patterns of genetic variation. Materials and Methods: We collected DNA and demographic information pertaining to aspects of social identity and heritage from 572 individuals across the Turkana, Samburu, Waso Borana, and Rendille of northern Kenya. We sampled individuals across a total of nine clans from these four groups and, additionally, three territorial sections within the Turkana and successfully genotyped 376 individuals. Results: Here we report that geography predominately shapes genetic variation within and among human groups in northern Kenya. We observed a clinal pattern of genetic variation that mirrors the overall geographic distribution of the individuals we sampled. We also found relatively higher rates of intermarriage between the Rendille and Samburu and evidence of gene flow between them that reflect these higher rates of intermarriage. Among the Turkana, we observed strong recent genetic substructuring based on territorial section affiliation. Within ethnolinguistic groups, we found that Y chromosome haplotypes do not consistently cluster by natal clan affiliation. Finally, we found that sampled populations that are geographically closer have lower genetic differentiation, and that cultural similarity does not predict genetic similarity as a whole across these northern Kenyan populations. Discussion: Overall, the results from this study highlight the importance of geography, even on a local geographic scale, in shaping observed patterns of genetic variation in human populations.
Should asymptomatic cervical stenosis be treated in the setting of progressive thoracic myelopathy? A systematic review of the literature

Unlike tandem stenosis of the cervical and lumbar spine, tandem cervical and thoracic stenosis (TCTS) of the spine is less common, and the approach and order of intervention are controversial. We aim to review the literature to evaluate the incidence and interventions for patients with cervical and thoracic stenosis. We provide illustrative cases to demonstrate that thoracic myelopathy in the setting of asymptomatic cervical stenosis can be treated safely. A systematic review of the literature through electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library was performed to present the current literature that evaluates TCTS as it relates to incidence and surgical interventions. We also present two cases of patients undergoing operative intervention for thoracic myelopathy in the setting of concurrent cervical stenosis. A total of 26 English original studies and case reports were identified. Nine studies evaluated the incidence of TCTS. 20 studies with a total of 168 patients with TCTS presented information on surgical intervention options. There is an overall aggregate incidence of 11.6% (530/4751) based on incidence studies. 165 patients underwent thoracic intervention. Of these patients, 63 patients underwent cervical intervention first, 29 underwent thoracic intervention first, and 73 underwent simultaneous, single-stage intervention. In patients presenting with myelopathy, both cervical and thoracic spine should be evaluated for TCTS. Order of operative intervention is tailored to clinical and radiographic information. In cases of thoracic myelopathy with asymptomatic cervical stenosis, thoracic intervention can be pursued with precautions to prevent further cervical cord injury.
Copper in Nutrition

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the importance of copper, which has quickly leaped from obscurity to prominence in the field of nutrition. Copper is now acknowledged to play a very important part in each of these nutritional relationships. All plants contain copper. The amount of copper in a plant varies, depending on species, soil, the amount of fertilizer used, and other factors. From a physiological point of view, copper is important as a constituent of at least three enzymes: ascorbic acid oxidase, laccase, and tyrosinase. The effects of lack of available copper in the soil appear not only in vegetation growing on these soils, but also in animals feeding on this vegetation. The symptoms in both plants and animals may range all the way from slightly reduced growth to definite pathological symptoms, depending on the severity of the deficiency. Two main groups of plant diseases caused by a lack of copper are recognized. The first comprises those affecting fruit trees, especially citrus, and are referred to as “dieback” diseases or “exanthema.” The second group affects cereals chiefly and is made up of the disorders covered by the term ‘‘reclamation disease.” Many factors influence the degree to which soil copper is available to the plant such as pH value, humus content, nature of the previous crop, amount of clay and sand, etc.; and the effect of other elements that the great copper deficiency that appears in newly cultivated peat soils must be explained by the original low content of available copper, and that this is aggravated by dressings of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; hence, the continued use of copper on these soils.
Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Using a C-H Activated Bis(imino)pyridine Molybdenum Hydroboration Catalyst.

Using a multistep synthetic pathway, a bis(imino)pyridine (or pyridine diimine, PDI) molybdenum catalyst for the selective conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol has been developed. Starting from (Ph2PPrPDI)Mo(CO), I2 addition afforded [(Ph2PPrPDI)MoI(CO)][I], which features a seven-coordinate Mo(II) center. Heating this complex to 100 °C under vacuum resulted in CO loss and the formation of [(Ph2PPrPDI)MoI][I]. Reduction of [(Ph2PPrPDI)MoI][I] in the presence of excess K/Hg yielded (κ6-P,N,N,N,C,P-Ph2PPrPDI)MoH following methylene group C–H activation at the α-position of one PDI imine substituent. The addition of CO2 to (κ6-P,N,N,N,C,P-Ph2PPrPDI)MoH resulted in facile insertion to generate the respective η1-formate complex, (κ6-P,N,N,N,C,P-Ph2PPrPDI)Mo(OCOH). When low pressures of CO2 were added to solutions of (κ6-P,N,N,N,C,P-Ph2PPrPDI)MoH containing pinacolborane, the selective formation of H3COBPin and O(BPin)2 was observed along with precatalyst regeneration. When HBPin was limited, H2C(OBPin)2 ...
Synthesis of amidrazones using an engineered papain nitrile hydratase1

Abstract To demonstrate the usefulness of an engineered papain nitrile hydratase as a biocatalyst, a peptide amidrazone was prepared by incubation of the nitrile MeOCO-Phe-Ala-nitrile with the Gln 19 Glu papain mutant in the presence of salicylic hydrazide as a nucleophile. The amidrazone results from nucleophilic attack by salicylic hydrazide at the imino carbon of the thioimidate adduct formed between the enzyme and the peptide nitrile substrate. Compared to wild-type enzyme, the engineered nitrile hydratase causes a better than 4000-fold increase in the rate of amidrazone formation and yields a product of much higher purity. The advantages over other nitrile-hydrolyzing enzymes and current limitations of the papain nitrile hydratase are discussed.
The spurious effect of unit roots on vector autoregressions: An analytical study

Abstract This paper analyzes whether inclusion of a statistically independent random walk in a vector autoregression can result in spurious inference. The problem was raised originally by Ohanian (1988). In a Monte Carlo simulation based on the VAR's estimated by Sims (1980, 1982), Ohanian found that ‘block exogeneity’ of the genuine variables with respect to an artificially generated random walk variable was rejected too often. In the present paper we attempt a full analytical study of this problem. It can be shown that if the genuine variables are nonstationary, the Wald statistic for testing the ‘block exogeneity’ hypothesis does not have the usual asymptotic chi-square distribution. The derived asymptotic distribution is free of nuisance parameters so that we can unambiguously determine the effect of including the random walk. Some simulated critical values for the asymptotic distribution are reported. Interestingly, it can also be shown that if the genuine variables of the model are stationary, the asymptotic distribution is still chi-square in spite of the inclusion of the random walk.
LTE with listen-before-talk in unlicensed spectrum

We consider the adoption of listen-before-talk (LBT) for Long Term Evolution (LTE) in unlicensed spectrum, which is currently under discussion in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The first and foremost task to be done to allow LTE to use unlicensed spectrum is to study the coexistence with incumbent system, such as the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). In our study, we observe that a proper coexistence mechanism is imperative especially when both LTE Evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and WLANs are located outdoor. The outdoor deployment scenario is considered by the next generation WLAN, the IEEE 802.11ax, with high importance. The implementation of LBT in LTE plays an effective role in this scenario in balancing the performance between LTE and WLAN. In the conventional scenario where WLANs are located indoor and LTE eNBs are located outdoor, a plain coexistence without additional mechanism could be acceptable due to high penetration loss of outdoor walls.
TASI Lectures on Inflation

This series of lectures gives a pedagogical review of the subject of cosmological inflation. I discuss Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology and the horizon and flatness problems of the standard hot Big Bang, and introduce inflation as a solution to those problems, focusing on the simple scenario of inflation from a single scalar field. I discuss quantum modes in inflation and the generation of primordial tensor and scalar fluctuations. Finally, I provide comparison of inflationary models to the WMAP satellite measurement of the Cosmic Microwave Background, and briefly discuss future directions for inflationary physics. The majority of the lectures should be accessible to advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students with only a background in Special Relativity, although familiarity with General Relativity and quantum field theory will be helpful for the more technical sections.
Piston Wetting in an Optical DISI Engine: Fuel Films, Pool Fires, and Soot Generation

Piston-wetting effects are investigated in an optical direct-injection spark-ignition (DISI) engine. Fuel spray impingement on the piston leads to the formation of fuel films, which are visualized with a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) imaging technique. Oxygen quenching is found to reduce the fluorescence yield from liquid gasoline. Fuel films that exist during combustion of the premixed charge ignite to create piston-top pool fires. These fires are characterized using direct flame imaging. Soot produced by the pool fires is imaged using laser elastic scattering and is found to persist throughout the exhaust stroke, implying that piston-top pool fires are a likely source of engine-out particulate emissions for DISI engines.
Inhibition of growth of HT-29 human colon cancer xenografts in nude mice by treatment with bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide antagonist (RC-3095).

Abstract Nude mice bearing xenografts of HT-29 human colon cancer cell line were treated for 4 weeks with a [d-Trp6] agonist of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LH-RH), somatostatin analogue (RC-160), and bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide antagonist (RC-3095). Some inhibitory effect of [d-Trp6] LH-RH microcapsules releasing 25 µg/day on tumor growth was observed that could be due to sex steroid deprivation, but the inhibition was not statistically significant. Microcapsules of RC-160, releasing 50 µg/day, significantly reduced tumor volume after 21 and 24 days of treatment, but at the end of the experiment the inhibition in tumor volume and weight was not significant. Bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide antagonist RC-3095, at a dose of 20 µg/day administered by daily s.c. injections or by continuous infusion using Alzet osmotic minipumps, had the greatest inhibitory effect on tumor growth. Tumor volume, percentage change in tumor volume, and tumor weights were significantly decreased in both groups treated with RC-3095. This is the first report on inhibition of human colon cancer growth in vivo by bombesin antagonists.
A stress corrosion cracking model for pellet-cladding interaction failures in light-water reactor fuel rods

A model for pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) fracture of light-water reactor (LWR) fuel rods is presented, the basis of which is that Zircaloy cladding fails by iodine stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Laboratory data on iodine SCC of irradiated Zircaloy provide the primary input to the model, but unirradiated Zircaloy SCC data and theoretical analyses are utilized to broaden the regime of validity to encompass the various power reactor observations. The PCI model postulates a threshold stress below which cladding cracks are unable to form. The cladding hoop stress must exceed this threshold for a finite time at any particular fission product iodine availability for the crack(s) to form. Crack formation is the controlling event in cladding failure due to SCC, and therefore, "remedies" must address the situation at the cladding inner surface.
An epidemic of intravenous narcoticism deaths associated with the resurgence of black tar heroin.

In the latter part of 1985, a dramatic rise in the number of illicit narcotic (heroin) related deaths in the State of New Mexico became apparent, and this increase persisted through the majority of the following year. A careful inspection of samples of narcotics found at the scenes of death, coupled with changes in the illicit drug traffic detected by local and state law enforcement agencies, revealed that the rising death rate corresponded with the distinctively increased availability of a form of heroin that is produced in Mexico, commonly termed "black tar" heroin. An analysis of heroin deaths, comparing characteristics of cumulative deaths in the six years before the increase with those deaths associated with the apparent epidemic, revealed several significant observations. These factors, along with the distinctive physical features of black tar heroin, suggest that the rise in the narcotic abuse death rate may be related to both unfamiliarity with this type of heroin on the part of the user and the inherent difficulty of diluting nonpowdered forms of the drug to sublethal levels. Language: en
Innovative model of delivering quality improvement education for trainees--a pilot project.

Background : After incorporating quality improvement (QI) education as a required curriculum for our trainees in 2010, a need arose to readdress our didactic sessions as they were too long, difficult to schedule, and resulting in a drop in attendance. A ‘flipped classroom’ (FC) model to deliver QI education was touted to be an effective delivery method as it allows the trainees to view didactic materials on videos, on their own time, and uses the classroom to clarify concepts and employ learned tools on case-based scenarios including workshops. Methods : The Mayo Quality Academy prepared 29 videos that incorporated the previously delivered 17 weekly didactic sessions, for a total duration of 135 min. The half-day session clarified questions related to the videos, followed by case examples and a hands-on workshop on how to perform and utilize a few commonly used QI tools and methods. Results : Seven trainees participated. There was a significant improvement in knowledge as measured by pre- and post-FC model test results [improvement by 40.34% (SD 16.34), p <0.001]. The survey results were overall positive about the FC model with all trainees strongly agreeing that we should continue with this model to deliver QI education. Conclusions : The pilot project of using the FC model to deliver QI education was successful in a small sample of trainees. Keywords: quality improvement; flipped classroom; education innovation; trainees; fellows (Published: 22 September 2015) Citation: Med Educ Online 2015, 20: 28764 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v20.28764