cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abnormal Sciatic Nerve Myo-inositol Metabolism in the Streptozotocin-diabetic Rat: Effect of Insulin Treatment

The metabolism of myo -inositol and its hospholipids has been studied in the sciatic nerves of control, two weeks9 streptozotocin-diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic rats. The concentrations of glucose, fructose, and sorbitol were increased and the concentration of myo -inositol was decreased in the sciatic nerves of the diabetic animals; these abnormalities were only partially corrected by insulin therapy that was adequate to obviate hyperglycemia. Whereas the space of distribution of 2- 3 H- myo -inositol was found to exceed the total water space of the nerves of control animals, the 2- 3 H- myo -inositol space approximated the water space in the nerves of diabetic animals and was only slightly increased after insulin therapy. During the first 2 h after the intraperitoneal injection of 2- 3 H- myo -inositol, the recovery of radioactivity in nerve lipids was decreased by 69% in the untreated diabetics and by 77% in the insulin-treated diabetics. Analysis of the individual phosphoinositides revealed a proportional increase in the radioactivity recovered with phosphatidylinositol and a decrease in the recovery with triphosphatidylinositol in the diabetic nerves. CDP-diglyceride:inositol transferase activity was decreased by 44% in homogenates of sciatic nerves from untreated diabetic rats, but it was normal in nerve homogenates from insulin-treated diabetics. The pattern of incorporation of radioactivity into phospholipids after 1 h of incubation of nerve homogenates with 2- 3 H- myo -inositol was similar to that observed in vivo. The fractional recovery of radioactivity with phosphatidylinositol was increased, whereas the recovery of label as triphosphatidylinositol was decreased by 11% in the presence of homogenates of sciatic nerves from diabetic rats. These observations indicate that 2 wk of acute streptozotocin diabetes results in a decrease in the sciatic nerve content and space of distribution of myo -inositol and suggests that nerve myo -inositol transport may be defective in the diabetic animal. The observed abnormalities in the amount and pattern of incorporation of 2- 3 H- myo -inositol into diabetic nerve phospholipids could be explained, in part, by decreased activities of CDP-diglyceride:inositol transferase and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate kinase activities in the diabetic nerves. However, the fact that the incorporation of 2- 3 H- myo -inositol into phospholipids was decreased in the nerves of insulin-treated—diabetic animals despite a normal CDP-diglyceride:inositol transferase activity suggests that defective myo -inositol transport may also contribute to the abnormal neural phosphoinositide metabolism in this model. The possibility that these abnormalities are related to the development of the structural and functional changes associated with diabetic neuropathy requires further investigation.
Distributions of Runs Revisited

Distributions of runs have important applications in many fields, including biological sequence analysis. The generating function (GF) method provides a unified approach to tackle different run-related problems in multistate trials. By utilizing this method, various run-related distributions are derived in a systematic way for both conditional and unconditional models. The GF approach also naturally yields the asymptotic distributions. For all the distributions considered, the limiting distributions are Gaussian, with mean, variance, and covariance linear functions in the size of the system.
Tradeoff between time and money: The asymmetric consideration of opportunity costs

Abstract This paper investigates how consumers make tradeoffs between time and money with and without reminders to consider the opportunity costs of these currencies and finds an asymmetric pattern in opportunity cost consideration on the part of consumers. When reminded about the opportunity costs of time and money, consumers act to save time but not money when they acquire an experiential possession, and they act to save money but not time when they acquire a material possession. Process tests show that when a consumer acquires a possession that is both material and experiential in nature, her focus shifts to the possession's experiential (material) features when she is reminded about her time's (money's) opportunity cost, and it is this shift in her mindset which leads her to favor saving time over money (saving money over time) to acquire the possession.
QSAR of chemical polarizability and nerve toxicity. 2.

Polarizability is a property of molecules that has long been of interest to scientists from a variety of viewpoints. However, in the area of the QSAR of chemical−biological interactions, it has received little attention. Recently we have shown that one can use the simple summation of the valence electrons (H = 1, C = 4, O = 6, etc.) in a molecule as a measure of its polarizability. We have found this parameter to correlate nerve toxicity of a wide variety of chemicals acting on nerves of frogs, rabbits, cockroaches, and humans.
Model-based analysis of chemical-looping combustion experiments. Part II: Optimal design of CH4-NiO reduction experiments

There is significant controversy in the reduction kinetics of chemical-looping combustion (CLC) between NiO and CH4. We propose an application of a model-based framework to improve the quality of CLC experiments with respect to model discrimination and parameter estimation. First, optimal experiments are designed and executed to reject inadequate models and to determine a true model structure for the reaction kinetics of the CH4-NiO system. Then, kinetics with statistical significance is estimated from experiments aimed at reducing parameter uncertainty. To maximize the observability of the NiO reduction reactions, fixed bed experiments should exhibit a peak separation of the concentration profiles, an initial high methane slip, and low overall CO2 selectivity. Several case studies are presented to check the adequacy of the recommended model and evaluate its predictive ability and extrapolation capabilities. The model resulting from this work is validated and suitable for application in process design and optimization. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 2432–2446, 2016
The Experience of Audiometric Measurement for the Shinkansen Railroad Conductors

In 1975, 530 conductors on working for the Shinkansen railroad were studied by questionares referring to deafness, tinnitus and fullness in the ears. The hearing of 37 persons with one or other complaints were measured by an audiometer, but the hearing of 15 persons among them were normal. It was found that the results of study on hearing impairment by questionare contained about 50% false positive.The audiogram of the hearing impaired did not showed hearing loss at frequencies under 2, 000 Hz.The hearing loss over 25dB at 4, 000Hz were recognized in 14 persons. The audiogram of 5 persons among them showed C5 dip.The rate of hearing impairment over 21dB=C4+2C5+C6/4 tested by us was 0.19% which was less than the results (3.5%) obtained by Kubo in 1963 concerning to hearing impairment in the railroad conductors.The hearing impairment showed by us might be caused by noise in passenger coach in Shinkansen railroad, it might also be accelerated by working in Shinkansen railroad after they exposed to noise in working, as former railroad conductros in a certain period of time.
Acceptor PCP Pincer Iridium(I) Chemistry: Stabilization of Nonmeridional PCP Coordination Geometries

The preparation of a series of four-coordinate complexes (CF3PCP)Ir(L) (L = CO, DBU, nbe, coe, MeP(C2F5)2 (dfmp)) and five-coordinate complexes (CF3PCP)Ir(L)(L′) (L = L′ = CO, dfmp, nbd, cod, (C2F5...
Brief Introduction of Hydrogen Economy of Foreign Countries

The paper spells out the realization way of hydrogen economy from policy and market guarantee and technical realization,and introduces the challenges to which the hydrogen economy is facing with consideration of the safety of the hydrogen(flammability) and energy loss incurring during the generation,storage,and transport of hydrogen.With the description of hydrogen energy development strategy features of countries,the paper shows the broad prospects for development of hydrogen energy and hydrogen economy in the future.
Brief Introduction and Analysis of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition

Since the publication and use of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition(WISC-IV) in North America in 2003,numerous school psychologists,child psychologists,and clinical psychologists have made positive comments on its clinical utility and ecological validity.A significant difference between WISC-IV and its predecessors lies in the fact that VIQ and PIQ no longer coexist with the factor Index Scores.Instead,the Index Scores become the core composite scores,which include Verbal Comprehension Index,Perceptual Reasoning Index,Working Memory Index,and Processing Speed Index,in addition to FSIQ. The primary advantage of the Index Scores is that an individual's functioning is to be represented in more narrowly defined domains,and the clinician is able to evaluate more clearly specific aspects of cognitive functioning.This paper aims at describing the theories and structure of the WISC-IV,the design and rationales of subtests and composites,psychometric properties(e.g.,validity,reliability),interpretation of the assessment results,and relevant clinical applications.It is hoped that the innovations in WISC-IV will bring focus and insights into the value of intelligence assessment in other cultures and countries.
The influence of different feeding way on growth of preterm/small for gestational age infants

Objective To study the effect on small for gestational age child's weight,length,head circumference with different feeding way. Methods The 215small for gestational age children were divided into five groups:preterm children after discharge formula-fed group,breast-fed group,full-term child formula-fed group,breast+preterm children after discharge formula-fed group,breast+full-term child formula-fed group.Weight,length and head circumference of each group were recorded at birth,1month,3months,6months,12months,18months and 24months. Results The effects on small for gestational age child weight,length,head circumference with different feeding were statistically significant(P0.05). Preterm children after discharge formula-fed group and mixed feeding with breast milk child development indicators were better than breast feeding and full-term children formula-fed group,the difference was statistically significant(P0.05).Conclusion Using preterm children after discharge formula or breast-feeding or mixed feeding can contribute to growth of weight,length,head circumference,achieve catch-up growth and reduce or avoid extrauterine growth retardation.
Principles of Planetary Climate: The Big Questions

OVERVIEW This chapter will survey a few of the major questions raised by observed features of present and past Earth and planetary climates. Some of these questions have been answered to one extent or another, but many remain largely unresolved. This will not be a comprehensive synopsis of Earth and planetary climate evolution; we will be content to point out a few striking facts about climate that demand a physical explanation. Then, in subsequent chapters, we'll develop the physics necessary to think about these problems. Although we hope not to be too Earth-centric in this book, in the present chapter we will perforce talk at greater length about Earth's climate than about those of other planets, because so much more is known about Earth's past climate than is known about the past climates of other planets. A careful study of Earth history suggests generalities that may apply to other planets, and also raises interesting questions about how things might have happened differently elsewhere, and it is with this goal in mind that we begin our journey. CLOSE TO HOME When the young Carl Linnaeus set off on his journey of botanical discovery to Lapland in 1732, he left on foot from his home in Uppsala. He didn't wait until he reached his destination to start making observations, but found interesting things to think about all along the way, even in the plant life at his doorstep.
Defects of the urea cycle

The elimination of waste nitrogen as urea is a final and central step of amino acid catabolism. It is accomplished by one of the most essential pathways of terrestrial animals, the urea cycle. This article describes the basic function of the 5 catalytic enzymes, the two transporters, and the cofactor synthesizing enzyme that comprise the urea cycle as well as the consequences of their deficiencies and ways to treat them. The article then elaborates on related disorders of metabolism that may either cause hyperammonemia or elevation of an amino acid that is key to urea cycle function.
Clinical Production and Therapeutic Applications of Alloreactive Natural Killer Cells

Recent advances have improved our understanding of natural killer (NK) cell-mediated alloreactivity after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) or with adoptive transfer. NK cells contribute to a graft-versus-leukemia effect and may play a role in preventing graft-versus-host disease or controlling infectious diseases after allogeneic HCT. New discoveries in NK cell biology, including characterization of NK cell receptors and their interactions with self-HLA molecules and a better understanding of the mechanism of NK cell education have led to the development of novel strategies to exploit NK cell alloreactivity against tumors. While early studies using autologous NK cells lacked efficacy, the use of adoptively transferred NK cells to treat hematopoietic malignancies has been expanding. The production of allogeneic donor NK cells requires efficient removal of T- and B cells from clinical-scale leukapheresis collections. The goal of this chapter is to review NK cell biology, NK cell receptors, the use of NK cells as therapy and then to discuss the clinical decisions resulting in our current good manufacturing practices processing and activation of human NK cells for therapeutic use.
Characterization of optically pumped semiconductor lasers in pulsed mode as a function of temperature

Self-heating of Optically Pumped Semiconductor (OPS) chip has been identified as the major limiting factor of power scaling in OPS-based lasers in continuous wave (cw) mode. In this work, characterization of OPS lasers in short pulse (100 ns) and low duty cycle (1%) regime, where self-heating is negligible, as a function of the heat sink temperature is presented. This data, combined with a rigorous thermal model, allows us to predict OPS chip performance in new cooling configurations for power scaling.
Hypothalamic Ventromedial Lin28a Enhances Glucose Metabolism in Diet-Induced Obesity

The Lin28a/Let-7 axis has been studied in peripheral tissues for its role in metabolism regulation. However, its central function remains unclear. Here we found that Lin28a is highly expressed in the hypothalamus compared with peripheral tissues. Its expression is positively correlated with positive energy balance, suggesting a potential central role for Lin28a in metabolism regulation. Thus, we targeted the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMH) to selectively overexpress (Lin28aKIVMH ) or downregulate (Lin28aKDVMH ) Lin28a expression in mice. With mice on a standard chow diet, body weight and glucose homeostasis were not affected in Lin28aKIVMH or Lin28aKDVMH mice. On a high-fat diet, although no differences in body weight and composition were observed, Lin28aKIVMH mice showed improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity compared with controls. Conversely, Lin28aKDVMH mice displayed glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. Changes in VMH AKT activation of diet-induced obese Lin28aKIVMH or Lin28aKDVMH mice were not associated with alterations in Let-7 levels or insulin receptor activation. Rather, we observed altered expression of TANK-binding kinase-1 (TBK-1), which was found to be a direct Lin28a target mRNA. VMH-specific inhibition of TBK-1 in mice with diet-induced obesity impaired glucose metabolism and AKT activation. Altogether, our data show a TBK-1-dependent role for central Lin28a in glucose homeostasis.
Contemporary Incidence and Outcomes of Prostate Cancer Lymph Node Metastases

Purpose: The incidence of localized prostate cancer has decreased with shifts in prostate cancer screening. While recent population based studies demonstrated a stable incidence of locoregional prostate cancer, they categorized organ confined, extraprostatic and lymph node positive disease together. However, to our knowledge the contemporary incidence of prostate cancer with pelvic lymph node metastases remains unknown.Materials and Methods: We used SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) data from 2004 to 2014 to identify men diagnosed with prostate cancer. We analyzed trends in the age standardized prostate cancer incidence by stage. The impact of disease extent on mortality was assessed by adjusted Cox proportional hazard analysis.Results: During the study period the annual incidence of nonmetastatic prostate cancer decreased from 5,119.1 to 2,931.9 per million men (IR 0.57, 95% CI 0.56–0.58, p <0.01) while the incidence of pelvic lymph node metastases increased from 54.1 to 79.5 per million ...
Inverse Drug Screening of Bioelectric Signaling and Neurotransmitter Roles: Illustrated Using a Xenopus Tail Regeneration Assay

Xenopus embryos and larvae are an ideal model system in which to study the interplay between genetics, physiology, and anatomy in the control of structure and function. An important emerging field is the study of bioelectric signaling, the exchange of ion- and neurotransmitter-mediated messages among all types of cells (not just nerve and muscle cells), in the regulation of growth and form during embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer. To facilitate the mechanistic investigation of bioelectric events in vivo, it is necessary to identify the endogenous signaling machinery involved in any patterning process of interest. This protocol uses the tail regeneration assay in Xenopus to perform an inverse drug screen; tiers of known compounds are used to probe the involvement of increasingly specific classes of bioelectric and neurotransmitter machinery. By using a hierarchical approach, large classes of targets are ruled out in early rounds, focusing attention on progressively narrower sets of proteins. Such a screen avoids many of the limitations of a molecular-genetic targeting approach and provides a rapid and efficient way to focus on specific targets. Usually, <10 experiments are needed to determine whether bioelectrics and/or neurotransmitter signaling are involved in the process of interest. This protocol describes the strategy in the context of a semiquantitative analysis of tail regeneration but can be applied to any assay in Xenopus or other small aquatic model system (e.g., zebrafish). Given the ever-increasing toolkit of chemical genetics, such screens represent a powerful and versatile methodology for probing the physiological circuits underlying pattern regulation.
The Integrated Approach Versus the Traditional Approach: Analyzing the Benefits of a Dance and Transportation Integrated Curriculum

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a dance and transportation integrated curriculum on student learning and engagement. The curriculum, entitled Consequences of Our Actions: Dan...
Lifecycle Management of Biotherapeutic Dosage Forms

Lifecycle management of biotherapeutic dosage forms has become an increasingly important strategy for providing patients with enhanced convenience during storage and administration as well as providing companies with an opportunity to compete in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Often, lifecycle management is first considered after a product becomes available for commercial distribution. This approach can cause delays in innovation and result in a loss of opportunity to serve patients and remain competitive. A thoughtful approach to lifecycle management of dosage forms should begin in early product design, providing a framework for continuous improvement and the ability to take advantage of cumulative learning of both the specific compound as well as the therapeutic area and patients’ needs.
Dependability then and now: commentary on Donald MacKenzie, "a view from the Sonnenbichl"

Donald MacKenzie has written an insightful account of the evolution of the term “dependability” and its relationship with the efforts of the software engineering community to produce reliable software artifacts. All I need to do here is underline some of his findings and supply some examples of such efforts that I have encountered in my work as a practitioner of software engineering so far. I will also comment on the still evolving nature of dependability and hazard some predictions about the challenges that future dependability procurement will entail given the rapidly changing computing infrastructure of our time.
A Framework for Physiological Response Prediction with Joint Activity State optimization

Physiological responses are essential for health monitoring. However, modeling the complex interactions be- tween them across activity and environmental factors can be challenging. In this paper, we introduce a framework that identifies the state of an individual based on their activity, trains predictive models for their physiological response within these states, and jointly optimizes for the states and the models. We apply this framework to respiratory rate prediction based on heart rate and physical activity, and test it on a dataset of 9 individuals performing various activities of daily life.
Geospatial Mapping of Late-Life Couplehood: Dimensions of Joint Participation.

For older adults aging in place, community mobility affects a constellation of interconnected occupations and can become a problematic aspect of the person–place relationship. The purpose of this r...
Elucidating the reaction and diffusion network of oxygen interstitial atoms near a TiO2(1 1 0) surface

Abstract The kinetics and diffusion mechanism of surface-injected oxygen interstitials (Oi) in TiO2(1 1 0) were investigated using a microkinetics model in order to determine the effects of different conditions upon to the Oi reaction-diffusion network. Extended defects, whether incipient or pre-existing, may act as a source or sink for Oi. The present work uses a quantitative microkinetic model to describe this diffusion and reaction network based upon isotopic gas-solid exchange experiments. Pertinent outputs from the model determined that the activation barrier for surface injection of Oi is 2.4 eV, while dissolution of Oi from extended defect is 3.3 eV. The interstitial sequestration mechanism through extended defects leads to kinetic coupling effects that other sequestration mechanisms would not typically induce.
A Microbiology Teaching Lab: Using Koch's Postulates to Determine the Cause of “Peep Pox” in Marshmallow Peeps

Koch9s postulates are regularly included in the lecture portion of microbiology courses, but rarely are they demonstrated in a microbiology teaching lab. This is understandable given the logistical challenges of undergraduates working with pathogenic bacteria, ethical concerns using animals, and limited time constraints of a weekly lab period. Here we present a cost-effective, time-friendly lab activity that demonstrates the principles of microbial isolation and infection assays that are part of fulfilling Koch9s postulates. The disease is “peep pox” caused by a gelatinase-positive bacterial species hydrolyzing marshmallow peeps that proxy as infected animals.
Federalizing Federalism: Limiting the Effect of Interstate Markets on the Diversity of State Regulations

This Article describes the effect that the interstate movement of regulated goods has on the ability of states to regulate independently of one another, and it posits a model for federal intervention designed to preserve the theoretical benefits of federalism’s allocation of power between the federal government and the states. In particular, this Article uses the example of firearms trafficking to create an empirical picture of the effect that interstate markets have on local regulations. By analyzing data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Article quantifies the interstate market for firearms, identifies how that market targets particular states based on their comparatively high levels of regulation, and then dilutes that regulation through the importation of firearms from states with less strict regulatory regimes. Firearms serve as a remarkable illustration of the problem, but the case study is also significant on its own as states, the federal government, and the courts struggle with the need to preserve flexibility to address local conditions through gun laws. The Article then applies the lessons derived from that quantitative analysis to the theoretical debate surrounding federalism, evaluating in turn the ability of states to achieve benefits of federalism articulated by both scholars and the Supreme Court in the face of interstate market forces. Ultimately, the Article concludes that a federal response is needed, but not the sort of state-preemption response to which Congress usually turns. Instead, the Article examines particular enumerated powers, in the original understanding of the Commerce Clause, the Interstate Compacts Clause, and the Guarantee Clause to define a more limited model for federal action, focused on addressing the markets at issue, while leaving the substance of the underlying issue to the states.
Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: Noninvasive Strategies for Patient Phenotyping and Risk Assessment

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is relatively common among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). PH is most prevalent in patients undergoing hemodialysis, ranging from 32%-58%, depending on the d...
Maternal predictors of infant beverage consumption: Results from the Nurture cohort study

OBJECTIVE The goal of the present study was to estimate prevalence and maternal risk factors for infant beverage consumption. DESIGN Observational birth cohort. SETTING Central North Carolina, USA. PARTICIPANTS Mothers 20-36 weeks pregnant were surveyed every 3 months through their infant's first year (n 666) on their sociodemographics and infant's consumption frequency of 100 % fruit and vegetable juices and sugar-sweetened-beverages (SSB). Repeated-measure models, using a compound symmetry covariance structure, were used to assess the association of sociodemographic and maternal predictors with introducing juice and SSB separately and explored interaction terms with time to determine how the effects of the predictors change over time. RESULTS On average, mothers were 28 years old, 72 % were non-Hispanic Black and 59 % were low-income. We found time by race, income, education, maternal age and breast-feeding duration interactions for both juice and SSB consumption. At approximately 6-7 months of age through 12 months of age, being Black, having a lower income (≤$US 20 000 v. >$US 20 000 per year) and education (less than high-school degree v. high-school degree or higher), being younger (<26 years v. ≥26 years) and breast-feeding for fewer than 26 weeks were each associated with introduction of both juice and SSB consumption. CONCLUSIONS Future efforts are needed to raise awareness on the importance of national recommendations of limiting juice and SSB for infants, together with decreasing disparities in unhealthy beverage intake early in life.
Seek and You Shall Find — Unknown Pathogens?

Over the past decade, there has been a renaissance of virus discovery fueled by the advent of new technologies such as next-generation sequencing; these technologies have greatly accelerated the pa...
Fracture characterization of a random fiber composite material

A short-glass fiber composite material, SMC-R50, was tested under uniaxial loading at ambient temperature and humidity conditions over two orders of magnitude of loading rate. The test method, experimental results, and analytical characterization of fracture behavior are described. Baseline information on the strength of 1.27-cm and 2.54-cm wide unnotched tension specimens indicate that effects of size and test orientation (relative to molding orientation) are not significant. Fracture behavior of notched samples was studied on specimens of two different widths (2.54 and 5.08 cm); each sample had two symmetrically cut, crack-like notches. For each sample size, the effect of four different notch lengths and loading rates on ultimate strength, ultimate strain, and the overall stress-strain curve were investigated. Loading rate was found to have no significant effect on sample response. The stress-strain curves of notched and unnotched samples in terms of nominal stress a and strain e obey the power law σ ∼ ∈ 0 . 7 8 out to failure. In spite of this nonlinearity, it was possible to characterize the fracture stress behavior using linear elastic fracture mechanics theory and a constant fracture toughness. The effect of notch length on sample compliance and on failure strain was found to obey this theory if ∈ 0 . 7 8 is used in place of ∈.
Water Saving and High Yielding Irrigation Model on Lowland Paddy Field

Abstract: A 5-year (1984-1988) research aimed at the optimum drainage-irrigation model that makes the best utilization of rainfall to effectuate a high yield with a least amount of water consumption in irrigation and discharge in drainage, has been carried out on plots at experimental station of CNRRI, Hangzhou. Among the treatments of the test, various water depth over the paddy under irrigation and depth to water within the soil under drainage are specified for the various growth period of the rice plant. The water budget of the irrigation and drainage as an integral is obtained from the unified management of the rainfall, irrigation water applied, soil water and ground water that takes part in the hydraulic cycle.
Integrating Local Community Global Health Experiences into Resident Education

Background The demand for Global Health (GH) experiences in pediatric residencies has grown dramatically. These experiences do not need to be limited to international settings. Through the required advocacy training in residency, many residents have experiences with underserved populations similar to populations in GH settings. In addition, there are various GH experiences within the local communities. Two separate institutions (Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical …
Competitors as advisors: Peer assistance among small business entrepreneurs

For small business owners, competitors present a potentially excellent source of advice but one which many owners may view with skepticism. Drawing from the knowledge-based view and peer support frameworks, this study explores coopetition among small business entrepreneurs by examining owners' use of advice and support from both their direct and indirect competitors. Survey results from over six hundred small business owners indicate that their reliance on advice from these two types of peer competitors depends on both their perceptions of advisors’ ability to provide quality advice and whether they perceive their industry environment as more competitive or more cooperative.
Abstract C090: Association between hypertension and prostate cancer risk in black and white men in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study

Background: A diagnosis of hypertension (HTN) has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of total and aggressive prostate cancer (PCa) in some studies. In this study, we evaluated the association between HTN and total and lethal PCa in African-American (AA) and Caucasian-American (CA) men. Given that AA men are disproportionately burdened by both HTN and PCa, especially aggressive disease, we hypothesized that the positive association between HTN and total and lethal PCa is stronger in AA than CA men. We alternatively hypothesized that the positive association between HTN and PCa is the same in AA and CA men, but the higher HTN prevalence in AA men results in a greater PCa burden in AA men. Methods: We studied 1,590 AA men and 5,094 CA men from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study without a history of cancer at the first study visit (1987-1989) and who were followed through 2012. HTN was defined based on clinic-measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure and self-reported use of antihypertensive drugs at Visit 1. First primary total PCa (N=266 in AA men, 565 in CA men) and lethal PCa (metastatic at baseline or progressed to death from prostate cancer, N=39 in AA men, 59 in CA men) were ascertained by cancer registry linkage, medical records, and death certificates. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of total and lethal PCa comparing CA men with HTN, AA men without HTN, and AA men with HTN to CA men without HTN. We adjusted for age, education, and purported risk factors including body mass index, waist to hip ratio, smoking, physical activity, diabetes, cholesterol-lowering medication use, and aspirin use. Results: AA men had a higher prevalence of HTN (54.6%) than CA men (28.6%) at baseline. Compared with CA men without HTN, CA men with HTN had a higher risk of total PCa (HR=1.23, 95% CI=1.01-1.49, p=0.040), and as expected, AA men without HTN had an elevated PCa risk (HR=2.41, 95% CI=1.94-3.01, p Conclusions: Our prospective findings support some prior studies that HTN is associated with an increased risk of total and possibly lethal PCa in CA men. Counter to our hypothesis, HTN was not associated with total or lethal PCa in AA men. Support: NHLBI, NCI, NPCR, UMMC Office of Research. Citation Format: Wanmei Wang, Eldrin Bhanat, Kenneth R. Butler, Corinne E. Joshu, Thomas H. Mosley, Elizabeth A. Platz, Christian R. Gomez. Association between hypertension and prostate cancer risk in black and white men in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr C090.
Food security and alternative food acquisition among US low-income households: results from the National Food Acquisition and Purchasing Survey (FoodAPS).

Objective: To determine the characteristics of US low-income households that use alternative food acquisition strategies and to examine the association between food security and alternative food acquisition. Design: Cross-sectional analysis. The ten-item Adult Food Security Survey Module was used to determine food security status. Self-reported data were used to determine food acquisition from community food sources, social networks and household food production. Setting: The National Food Acquisition and Purchasing Survey (FoodAPS), 2012. Participants: The sample consisted of 2534 low-income households (≤185 % of the federal poverty line) in the USA. Results: Households using alternative food acquisition strategies were more likely to have a primary respondent who was non-Hispanic White, born in the USA, and female, and more likely to live in a rural area, have higher income and own a home than households not using alternative acquisition strategies. Very low food security was positively associated with the use of community food sources (aOR = 2·26 (95 % CI 1·15, 4·46)). There was no association between food security and food acquisition from social networks or household food production. Conclusions: Use of alternative food acquisition strategies varied by specific demographic characteristics among low-income households, suggesting opportunities for outreach and promotion of alternative acquisition strategies in specific subpopulations in the USA. Future research should examine whether quantity and quality of food received from these sources are associated with food security.
Police demilitarization and violent crime

Policymakers and advocates make contradictory claims about the effects of providing military equipment to local law enforcement, but this intervention is not well understood because of severe data limitations and inferential challenges. I use 3.8 million archived inventory records to estimate the magnitude of sources of bias in existing studies of the 1033 Program. I show that most variation in militarization comes from previously unobserved sources, which implies that studies that show crime-reduction benefits are unreliable. I then leverage recent policy changes to evaluate the effect of military equipment: the Obama Administration recalled property under Executive Order 13688, which resulted in a forced demilitarization of several hundred departments. Difference-in-difference estimates of agencies that retained similar equipment show negligible or undetectable impacts on violent crime or officer safety. These findings do not suggest that similar scale federal reforms designed to demilitarize police would have the downside risks proposed by proponents of military transfers. Lowande shows that existing estimates of the effect of police militarization in the United States are based on incomplete data. When military surplus was recalled from local police, there were negligible or undetectable impacts on violent crime and officer safety.
The French Métropole: How It Gained Status as a Legal Metropolis

France’s long history of centralized governance has generated debates as to what powers should remain with the State and what powers should devolve to sub-national governments. To ameliorate the fragmentation resulting from the small size of France’s 36,000 plus municipalities, called communes, the State authorized the creation of general-purpose, inter-communal public institutions to perform municipal functions on behalf of the communes on a greater economy of scale. The article examines the trajectory that led to the creation in 2010 of the metropole, or metropolis, the most recent of these inter-communal bodies that is designed to undertake public functions in large metropolitan areas. The article first describes France’s territorial organization of sub-national units and the decentralization movements that resulted in the devolution of more power from the State to local and regional governments. The article presents the rationale for this decentralization and analyzes the conditions that led to the State’s transfer of more power to the metropolitan level of governance. It concludes that the cooperative arrangements among the communes, structured by inter-communal bodies, was instrumental to the creation of the metropole with legal status. An examination of the French experience with metropolitan governance should prove helpful to other entities or individuals engaged in the formation and evaluation of metropolitan governments.
Technical Note: A Rapid Method to Estimate Root Production in Grasslands, Shrublands, and Forests

Net primary production (NPP) is a critical ecosystem property that researchers and land managers attempt to quantify across ecosystems globally. Although the belowground NPP (BNPP) component of total NPP often contributes 50% or more to total NPP, it is infrequently measured due to the amount of labor involved. Here, I present a rapid method to estimate BNPP or fine root production in rangelands using sequential or root ingrowth cores and modifications to existing root-washing methods. The details provided should allow anyone to estimate BNPP in rangelands worldwide with minimal investment in materials and labor.
Catalytic Synthesis of Conjugated Azopolymers from Aromatic Diazides.

Conjugated polymers containing main chain azoarene repeat units are synthesized by a dinickel catalyzed N=N coupling reaction of aromatic diazides. The polymerization exhibits broad substrate scope...
Assessment of Financial Conflicts of Interest Related to the Use of Dermal Substitutes in Burn Management.

This study aims to systematically review the accuracy of the self-reporting of conflicts of interest (COI) among studies related to the use of dermal substitute products in burn management and evaluate factors associated with increased discrepancies. To do so, a literature search was done to identify studies investigating the use of dermal substitutes in burn management published between 2015 - 2019. Industry payments were collected using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Open Payments database. Declared COI were then compared with the listed payments. Studies and authors were considered to have a COI if they received payments totaling >$100 for each company. A total of 51 studies (322 authors) were included for analysis. Thirty-eight studies (75%) had at least one author received an undisclosed payment from industry. From 2015 to 2019, 1391 general payments (totaling $1,696,848) and 108 research payments (totaling $1,849,537) were made by 82 companies. When increasing the threshold on what would be considered an undisclosed payment, the proportion of authors with discrepancies gradually decreased, from 88% of authors with undisclosed payments >$100 to 27% of authors with undisclosed payments >$10,000. Author order, journal impact factor, and study type were not significantly associated with increased risk of discrepancy. We found that the majority of studies investigating the use of dermal substitute products for burn management did not accurately declare COI, highlighting the need for a uniform declaration process and greater transparency of industry sponsorship by authors when publishing peer-reviewed burn surgery research papers.
The Role of Reactive Energy in the Radiation by a Dipole Antenna

The spatio-temporal distribution of the near field around an antenna is of fundamental importance in understanding its radiative properties, since it can affect the radiated power flow emitted by the device. In this work, we consider the simplest case of a harmonic point dipole antenna activated at some point in time, and study the distribution of the energy flow velocity and reactive energy in space and time. We discuss how the reactive energy building up around the radiator affects quite strongly the flow of energy in the vicinity of the dipole, while in the far field, the expected radiation features are restored. The reactive energy in the near field decelerates or even inverts the overall energy flow, resulting in partial standing waves near the feed. We also investigate the transient response of the stored reactive energy and identify the convergence to steady state, which is demonstrated through time-averaged quantities. Our results shed interesting observations on the radiation properties of antennas in their near field, as time progresses.
Differential response of striatal dopamine and muscarinic cholinergic receptor subtypes to the loss of dopamine: I. Effects of intranigral or intracerebroventricular 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the mesostriatal dopamine system

Abstract Quantitative autoradiography was utilized to examine the response of the dopamine (DA) and muscarinic cholinergic system within the striatum to lesions of the mesostriatal DA system following intranigral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) injections. In addition, the response of DA system was examined in the striatum of animals treated with low, medium, or high doses of 6-OHDA made intracerebroventricularly (icv). Three weeks following removal of the mesostriatal DA fibers with intranigral 6-OHDA, there was an almost complete depletion of DA and [ 3 H]mazindol binding throughout the striatum. The resulting increase in D2 receptors labeled with [ 3 H]spiroperidol (27%) was most evident in the lateral striatum and topographically correlated with an increase in choline uptake sites labeled with [ 3 H]hemicholinium-3 (20%). There was a smaller but significant decrease in D1 receptors labeled with [ 3 H]SCH 23390 (15–18%) that was not topographically related to changes in [ 3 H]spiroperidol or [ 3 H]hemicholinium-3 binding. All doses of icv 6-OHDA produced a significant loss of DA and of [ 3 H]mazindol binding as compared to vehicle injections that was more pronounced in the medial than in the lateral striatum. No increase in D1 receptors was observed with any dose of 6-OHDA and greater than 90% loss of DA and [ 3 H]mazindol resulted in an increase in D2 receptors in the lateral striatum and a reduction in D1 receptors in the dorsal striatum. These data are consistent with the evidence that there is independent regulation of the two subtypes of the DA receptor. Moreover, the distribution and regulation of the subtypes of the muscarinic receptor were independent. Muscarinic M2 receptors ([ 3 H]- N -methylscopolamine in presence of excess pirenzepine) showed a lateral to medial gradient (highest laterally) that was related to the pattern of choline uptake sites and D2 receptors. Loss of DA resulted in a reduction in M2 receptors (24–30%) that was correlated with the increase in choline uptake sites. In contrast, M1 ([ 3 H]pirenzepine) receptors showed a reverse gradient from the M2 receptor and a smaller reduction following loss of DA.
Features of calmodulin that are important in the activation of the catalytic subunit of phosphorylase kinase.

Abstract Calmodulin (CaM) is an integral subunit, called delta, of the phosphorylase kinase hexadecamer, and the activity of the isolated catalytic gamma-subunit of the kinase is stimulated by CaM. We report here the first analysis of functionally important features of CaM for activation of the gamma-subunit. A set of genetically engineered CaMs, in which acidic residues in each of the four E-helices of the "EF-hands" were changed to basic lysine residues, was used to probe the relative importance of charge features in each domain of CaM. The maximal activation of the isolated gamma-subunit was diminished by all of the charge reversal mutations. The gamma-subunit was especially sensitive to reversals in the second and third E-helix of CaM (residues 45-47 and 82-84), the latter being present in the central helix. The results suggest the functional importance of electrostatics in the interactions between the delta-subunit (CaM) and the catalytic gamma-subunit of phosphorylase kinase, which is similar to results obtained with CaM-dependent myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) from chicken gizzard and CaM-dependent protein kinase II (CaMPK-II). However, novel features of the interaction between CaM and the gamma-subunit of phosphorylase kinase are the significant contribution of electrostatics throughout the CaM molecule, including residues in both halves and on more than one face of CaM, and the lack of a major effect of the CaM mutations on substrate kinetic parameters, unlike the effects observed with MLCK and CaMPK-II. These results are consistent with a model in which the delta-subunit (CaM) of phosphorylase kinase interacts with an extended region or multiple regions of the gamma-subunit and suggest that the mechanism of CaM activation of the gamma-subunit may have features that are distinct from those of MLCK and CaMPK-II.
Printability study of reticle defects on wafer using Reticle Defect Review on E-beam review tools

In this paper we evaluate the Reticle Defect Review feature on KLA-Tencor's e-beam review tool, eDR™-7110, and study defect printability of reticle defects on wafer. The RDR feature is able to read KLA-Tencor's reticle inspection results directly without any intermediate format, thus allowing what-you-see-is-what-you-get setup on the wafer review tool. Compared with a conventional reticle to wafer approach using KLA Results Files, Reticle Defect Review provides faster time to results, more accurate defect disposition and increased ease of use, which have been demonstrated by the printability study of reticle defects on a focus exposure matrix wafer.
A Review of “THE TASTE OF PLACE: A CULTURAL JOURNEY INTO TERROIR”

One of the ironies of twenty-first century terroir is that it need not have anything to do with local food culture. Such is the case in San Francisco, at least, where many restaurant-goers would pr...