cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accounting for Militarized Interstate Disputes

This chapter consists of three sections, the first two of which convey the results of data analysis in accounting for MID involvement, and the third provides a case study. The first section presents a series of logistic regression models that preserve continuity with the general approach taken in the field. The second section follows up on the potentially pathbreaking method put forward by Beck et al. (2000) with respect to the application of neural networks to the study of international conflict, crisis, and war. Taken together, the empirical results from the two sections of the analysis should provide a good sense of whether civil-military dynamics and political communications are relevant to the new quest for international peace. The third and final section of this chapter addresses the most persistent anomaly in the findings, namely, the apparent connection of diplomatic channels with MID involvement. The role of diplomacy is reassessed through a contemporary case: the interactions of the United States with North Korea over the latter’s nuclear program during the first term of President George W. Bush.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease consisting of distinct biological subtypes and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are those that lack expression of the breast cancer prognostic markers ER, PR and HER2. TNBC often follows an aggressive disease course with poorer disease-specific survival compared to other breast cancer subtypes. Recent increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the initiation and propagation of this breast cancer subtype has been gained through gene expression profiling, the study of cancer genetics and the study of host antitumor immunity. A subset of TNBCs express the androgen receptor (AR) and trials are underway to assess the efficacy of androgen receptor antagonists in this subgroup. In addition to germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation status, biomarkers of genomic instability have been developed that detect genomic “scarring” caused by accumulated DNA damage. Therapeutic strategies are currently being investigated to assess whether these germline and genetic biomarkers can identify groups of patients with TNBC with underlying DNA repair deficiency more likely to benefit from DNA repair defect targeted therapies. A role of host antitumor immunity has also been implicated in TNBC and studies are underway to assess immune checkpoint blockade and other immunotherapeutic strategies in these patients. While we currently lack targeted therapeutic strategies for patients with TNBC, the discovery of novel biomarkers and the development of selective therapies targeting these biomarkers offer tremendous promise for the future.
Agronomic evaluation of high-protein and high-oil soybean genotypes for specialty markets

ABSTRACTSoybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) are mainly grown for protein and oil purposes. The objectives of this study were to: 1) evaluate maturity group (MG) IV and V soybean genotypes for traits associated with local adaptability (yield, plant height, and maturity), and 2) determine seed protein and oil concentrations, their correlation with yield, and respective heritabilities. A total of 40 MG IV or V genotypes were evaluated in four Arkansas locations in 2008 and 2009. The results showed that the genotype x year x location effect was significant for all traits studied, except maturity. Protein and oil concentrations were negatively correlated (−0.91) and highly heritable (0.89–0.93 and 0.82–0.83, respectively). Four promising high-yielding genotypes with moderately high to high protein or oil levels were identified: R05-4682 (high protein) and R05-4256 (high oil) in the MG IV test, and R05-1772 (high protein) and R05-71 (high oil) in the MG V test. These genotypes could potentially bring added value ...
Luxury Brands in China and India

As the business world’s obsession with data and metrics continues, Atwal’s and Bryson’s Luxury Brands in China and India reminds us that none of it can be interpreted outside of context. Thoroughly...
Surface sampling collection and culture methods for Escherichia coli in household environments with high fecal contamination

Empiric quantification of environmental fecal contamination is an important step toward understanding the impact that water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions have on reducing enteric infections. There is a need to standardize the methods used for surface sampling in field studies that examine fecal contamination in low-income settings. The dry cloth method presented in this manuscript improves upon the more commonly used swabbing technique that has been shown in the literature to have a low sampling efficiency. The recovery efficiency of a dry electrostatic cloth sampling method was evaluated using Escherichia coli and then applied to household surfaces in Iquitos, Peru, where there is high fecal contamination and enteric infection. Side-by-side measurements were taken from various floor locations within a household at the same time over a three-month period to compare for consistency of quantification of E. coli bacteria. The dry cloth sampling method in the laboratory setting showed 105% (95% Confidence Interval: 98%, 113%) E. coli recovery efficiency off of the cloths. The field application demonstrated strong agreement of side-by-side results (Pearson correlation coefficient for dirt surfaces was 0.83 (p < 0.0001) and 0.91 (p < 0.0001) for cement surfaces) and moderate agreement for results between entrance and kitchen samples (Pearson (0.53, p < 0.0001) and weighted Kappa statistic (0.54, p < 0.0001)). Our findings suggest that this method can be utilized in households with high bacterial loads using either continuous (quantitative) or categorical (semi-quantitative) data. The standardization of this low-cost, dry electrostatic cloth sampling method can be used to measure differences between households in intervention and non-intervention arms of randomized trials.
Microvascular Adaptations to Exercise: Protective Effect of PGC-1 Alpha.

Background Sedentary behavior and obesity are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Regular physical activity has independent protective effects on the cardiovascular system, but the mechanisms responsible remain elusive. Recent studies suggest that the protein peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) participates in the response to exercise training. We hypothesized that the arterioles of athletes maintain dilation to flow despite combined inhibition of multiple vasodilators, but loss of PGC-1α renders these vessels susceptible to inhibition of a single vasodilator pathway. In addition, arterioles from overweight and obese individuals will display an an exercise-like phenotype when PGC-1α is activated. Methods Isolated arterioles from exercise-trained (ET) and from mildly overweight or obese subjects (body mass index >25) were cannulated, and changes in lumen diameter in response to graded increases in flow were recorded in the absence and presence of compounds that inhibit various endothelium-dependent vasodilators. Results Microvessels of ET subjects displayed robust dilation that could not be inhibited through targeting the combination of nitric oxide, prostaglandins, and hydrogen peroxide, but were inhibited via interference with membrane hyperpolarization. Loss of PGC-1α (siRNA) in the microcirculation of ET subjects eliminates this vasodilatory robustness rendering vessels susceptible to blockade of H2O2 alone. Pharmacological activation of PGC-1α with alpha-lipoic acid in isolated microvessels from sedentary, overweight, and obese subjects increases arteriolar resistance to vasodilator blockade and protects against acute increases in intraluminal pressure. Conclusions These findings suggest that the microvascular adaptations to exercise training, and the exercise-induced protection against acute vascular stress in overweight/obese subjects, are mediated by PGC-1α.
Personalized medicine finds the MAPK for breast cancer

Whole-exome sequencing and RNA-seq on a mouse model of triple-negative breast cancer reveal actionable therapeutic targets for precision medicine guided treatment.
Reflections on contributing to “big discoveries” about the fly clock: Our fortunate paths as post-docs with 2017 Nobel laureates Jeff Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Mike Young

In the early 1980s Jeff Hall and Michael Rosbash at Brandeis University and Mike Young at Rockefeller University set out to isolate the period (per) gene, which was recovered in a revolutionary genetic screen by Ron Konopka and Seymour Benzer for mutants that altered circadian behavioral rhythms. Over the next 15 years the Hall, Rosbash and Young labs made a series of groundbreaking discoveries that defined the molecular timekeeping mechanism and formed the basis for them being awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Here the authors recount their experiences as post-docs in the Hall, Rosbash and Young labs from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, and provide a perspective of how basic research conducted on a simple model system during that era profoundly influenced the direction of the clocks field and established novel approaches that are now standard operating procedure for studying complex behavior.
DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF MOIST SOIL TO SHOCK LOADING

The dynamic response of dry and moist Eglin sand was measured by shock loading a test sample 15 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm thick. The loading was produced by a large bore (15.5 cm) light gas gun, and shock strengths of 1-3 KBar were produced. Manganin gages were used to measure the normal stress vs time loading profile at the front and rear of the test sample. The test sample was configured so that a uni-axial strain was produced, which enabled analysis of the data with relatively simple models. The shock Hugoniots, combined with an equation of state for the moist sand based on the rule of mixtures, was found to approximately predict the initial shock strengths. The calculated initial shock loading was used in the snowplow model to predict the shock propagation through the test sample. The data and the model provide preliminary dynamic stress vs strain relations for dry and moist sand.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

The diagnosis of AML rests on demonstration that the marrow contains > 20% blasts of myeloid lineage. The overarching therapeutic decision is whether the patient should receive standard or investigational therapy. Appreciation of prognostic factors predicting response to the former is fundamental to this decision. These factors include those associated with early death (for example performance status) and with resistance (for example cytogenetics and various genetic markers). The latter is the principal cause of therapeutic failure even in fit patients in their 70s. Here we review pre- and post-treatment prognostic factors and discuss various new therapeutic options.
Imagining Latin American Social Science from the Global South: Orlando Fals Borda and Participatory Action Research

1970s Latin America was a hotbed of theoretical and methodological innovation in the social sciences and the arts, developing novel approaches to studying social reality to support social movements. This article uses Colombian sociologist Orlando Fals Borda’s field notes and his four-volume work Historia doble de la Costa to analyze how he and his colleagues, working in collaboration with the Asociacion Nacional de Usuarios Campesinos on the Caribbean coast, developed the methodology of participatory action research, which attempted to erase the distinction between researchers and researched, and to rewrite the history of the peasantry from below using novel formats. Durante la decada de los setentas America Latina se convirtio en un semillero de innovacion teorica y metodologica en las ciencias sociales y las artes, desarrollando diversos enfoques para el estudio de la realidad social en apoyo a los movimientos sociales de la epoca. Este articulo utiliza las notas de campo del sociologo colombiano Orlando Fals Borda y su proyecto organico de cuatro volumenes Historia doble de la Costa para analizar como el y sus colegas, trabajando en colaboracion con la Asociacion Nacional de Usuarios Campesinos en la costa del Caribe, desarrollaron la metodologia de Investigacion Accion Participativa (IAP), cuyo objetivo era borrar la distincion entre investigadores e investigados y reescribir la historia del campesinado desde abajo utilizando formatos novedosos y controversiales.
Phase separation of RNA-binding proteins in physiology and disease: An introduction to the JBC Reviews thematic series.

In recent years, there has been a jarring awakening that liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) of key protein and nucleic acid scaffolds underpins the biogenesis of diverse membraneless organelles, including P granules and stress granules in the cytoplasm and nucleoli and paraspeckles in the nucleus. These biomolecular condensates are proposed to be critical organizers of subcellular biochemistry and to control the flow of information from genotype to phenotype. Despite clear biological utility, LLPS can also have deleterious outcomes. Phase-separated compartments can concentrate specific RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), such as TDP-43 and fused in sarcoma (FUS), that through low-complexity, prion-like domains have an intrinsic tendency to form self-templating fibrils that are closely tied to fatal neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. This series of reviews illuminates the molecular language underlying membraneless organelle biogenesis, how prion-like domains and post-translational modifications regulate phase behavior, how cells exploit the phase-separation process for adaptive modalities, and how phase separation is corrupted in neurodegenerative diseases. Collectively, these pieces provide a cutting-edge view of our functional and mechanistic understanding of phase separation in physiology and disease.
Risk of Mortality Associated With Therapeutic Hypothermia Among Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivors With Known Heart Failure.

Current guidelines do not inform about use of therapeutic hypothermia among heart failure (HF) patients who suffer from cardiac arrest. We assessed the risk of mortality associated with hypothermia among cardiac arrest survivors with HF. This analysis includes 1,416 comatose patients with cardiac arrest who achieved return of spontaneous circulation on admission and had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessment or HF admission within the previous year. HF was defined as either previous episode of HF or presence of left ventricular ejection fraction
The Utility of EMRs in Student Run Clinics

BACKGROUND A student-run free clinic (SRFC) is a health care delivery system in which undergraduate medical students assume the responsibility of an outpatient health clinic. This provides a unique opportunity for early exposure to patients in a student's pre-clinical years. METHODS Pre- and post-experience electronic surveys were sent out to first-year medical students who were required to complete a minimum of three sessions as a volunteer at one of two SRFCs in the metro Detroit area. The Fisher's exact test was used to assess for a significant change after clinic experience with p < 0.05. RESULTS Thirty-one students completed the pre-experience survey. Twenty-five students completed the post-experience survey. The Fisher's exact test demonstrated a significant increase in the proportion of positive answers for questions concerning comfort with taking a medical history (p = 0.002) and comfort with using an electronic medical record (EMR) (p = 0.048). There was no significant difference in comfort working as part of a team (p = 0.581), discussing a patient with a physician (p = 0.602) or interacting with different socio-economic backgrounds (p = 0.720). CONCLUSION SRFCs provide a beneficial opportunity for early patient and clinical exposure for pre-clinical medical students, including practice using an EMR, which is an essential tool in our electronic era. More research, however, is needed to determine the most effective way to teach skillful EMR use.
Detecting control system misbehavior by fingerprinting programmable logic controller functionality

Abstract In recent years, attacks such as the Stuxnet malware have demonstrated that cyberattacks against control systems cause extensive damage. These attacks can result in physical damage to the networked systems under their control. In this paper, we discuss our approach for detecting such attacks by distinguishing between programs running on a programmable logic controller (PLC) without having to monitor communications. Using power signatures generated by an attached, high-frequency power measurement device, we can identify what a PLC is doing and when an attack may have altered what the PLC should be doing. To accomplish this, we generated labeled data for testing our methods and applied feature engineering techniques and machine learning models. The results demonstrate that Random Forests and Convolutional Neural Networks classify programs with up to 98% accuracy for major program differences and 84% accuracy for minor differences. Our results can be used for both online and offline applications.
Quenching active swarms: effects of light exposure on collective motility in swarming Serratia marcescens.

Swarming colonies of the light-responsive bacteria Serratia marcescens grown on agar exhibit robust fluctuating large-scale flows that include arrayed vortices, jets and sinuous streamers. We study...
Extracellular Vesicles as Drug Delivery Vehicles to the Central Nervous System

Effective drug delivery to the CNS to achieve the desired therapeutic response is a significant challenge in the field of drug delivery. In central nervous system (CNS), blood brain barrier (BBB) restricts the desired therapeutic responses due to inefficient targeting, release kinetics, and failure to reach therapeutic concentrations in the brain. Therefore, most potentially beneficial diagnostic and therapeutic agents are not able to reach to the brain upon systemic administration. Despite the existence of many invasive techniques to promote drug deliveries across BBB, novel strategies of drug delivery system which can cross BBB effectively are required, otherwise translation of novel neurotherapeutics from bench to bedside will be difficult to achieve. In this review, we briefly outline the existing and emerging strategies for CNS drug deliveries with a focus on potential and challenges of using extracellular vesicles (EVs) in CNS drug delivery system. EVs are emerging as a promising tool for therapeutic delivery owing to its favorable intrinsic features of biocompatibility, stability, stealth capacity, ability to overcome natural barriers and inherent homing capability. EVs are nanovesicles that allow cell-cell communication. The EVs-cargo reflects the physiological as well as the pathophysiological state of a cell. EVs are shown to play a role in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and dissemination, which contributes to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In the context of HIV-1 infection, this review also outlines the role of EVs in dissemination, challenges faced in EVs research in HIV-1 co-morbid conditions and potential of nanotechnologies, especially EVs in Neuro-AIDS. Graphical Abstract EVs are used for the delivery of small molecule drugs, protein, and nucleic acid to the CNS as well as imaging molecules for in vivo tracking. For the purpose of delivery, EVs may or may not be subjected to membrane modification. The advantages of EVs, including its biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and low toxicity profiles, can be exploited to potentially devise novel therapeutic delivery system for CNS drug targeting. This article outlines the challenges in potential EV-based therapeutic delivery.
In vivo spectral guided removal of composite from tooth surfaces with a CO2 laser

Dental composites are used as restorative materials to replace tooth structure after the removal of caries, shaping, covering teeth for esthetic purposes and as adhesives. Dentists spend more time replacing existing restorations that fail than they do placing new restorations. Tooth colored restorations are difficult to differentiate from the surrounding tooth structure making them challenging to remove completely without incidental removal of healthy tooth structure. Previous studies have demonstrated that CO2 lasers in conjunction with spectral feedback can be used to selectively remove composite from tooth surfaces. In addition, we assembled a system feasible for clinical use that incorporates a spectral feedback system, scanning system, articulating arm and a clinical handpiece and subsequently evaluated the performance of that system on extracted teeth. The purpose of this study was to test this system in vivo to demonstrate its efficacy relative to dental clinicians. Eight test subjects with premolar teeth scheduled for extraction for orthodontic reasons had bilateral premolars prepared with small occlusal cavity preparations and filled with dental composite. The laser scanning system was used to remove the composite from one of the preparations and a dental handpiece was used to remove the composite from the other. Cross polarization optical coherence tomography was used to measure the volume of the preparation before and after composite placement and removal. There was no significant difference in the loss of enamel and residual composite between the laser and the handpiece. This study demonstrated that a computer controlled spectral guided CO2 laser scanning system can be used in vivo to selectively remove composite from tooth surfaces.
Metal/BaTiO 3 / $\beta$ -Ga 2 O 3 Dielectric Heterojunction Diode with 5.6 MV/cm Breakdown Field

$\beta$ -Ga203 is an emerging ultra-wide bandgap (~4.7 eV) semiconductor with great potential for power electronics. The large breakdown electric field (6–8 MV/cm predicted) due to wide band gap combining with electron mobility of 250 −300 cm2/Vs offers a higher figure of merit for power electronic than SiC and GaN. In the absence of a p-type dopant, the low Schottky barrier height is a fundamental challenge for achieving the theoretically predicted limit for $\beta$ -Ga 2 O 3 power electronic devices. $\beta$ -Ga 2 O 3 Schottky barrier diodes with more than 1 kV breakdown voltage have been demonstrated but the maximum breakdown field in these devices was limited below 3.5 MV/cm due to metal to Ga203 Schottky barrier height (1.5-1.7 eV). In this work, we design and demonstrate the use of high dielectric heterojunctions to engineer electrostatics and transport within the diode and achieve high breakdown electric field (5.6 MV/cm) in a metal/BaTiO 3 $\beta$ -Ga 2 O 3 heterojunction diode. This is the highest reported breakdown field for any $\beta$ -Ga 2 O 3 vertical diode, and it provides a general framework for future design of unipolar high voltage diodes based on wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors.
Clinical significance of brain metastases in patients with bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine tumors: A population-based analysis.

e21575Background: The clinical significance of brain metastases in patients with bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine (NE) tumors is unknown; we therefore conducted a population based analysis to evalua...
Rapid Critical Care Training of Nurses in the Surge Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: In response to the coronavirus pandemic, New York State mandated that all hospitals double the capacity of their adult intensive care units In this facility, resources were mobilized to increase from 104 to 283 beds. OBJECTIVE: To create and implement a 3-hour curriculum to prepare several hundred non-critical care staff nurses to manage critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019. METHODS: Critical care nursing leaders and staff developed and implemented a flexible critical care nursing curriculum tailored to the diverse experience, expertise, and learning needs of non-critical care nursing staff who were being redeployed to critical care units during the surge response to the pandemic. Curricular elements included respiratory failure and ventilator management, shock and hemodynamics, pharmacotherapy for critical illnesses, and renal replacement therapy. A skills station allowed hands-on practice with common critical care equipment. RESULTS: A total of 413 nurses completed training within 10 days. As of June 2020, 151 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 still required mechanical ventilation at our institution, and 7 of 10 temporary intensive care units remained operational. Thus most of the nurses who received this training continued to practice critical care. A unique feature of this curriculum was the tailored instruction, adapted to learners' needs, which improved the efficiency of content delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Program evaluation is ongoing. As recovery and restoration proceed and normal operations resume, detailed feedback from program participants and patient care managers will help the institution maintain high operational readiness should a second wave of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 be admitted.
Effective Pedagogical Strategies for STEM Education from Instructors’ Perspective: OER for Educators

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) OpenCourseWare (OCW) was launched in 2001. It is one of the earliest Open Educational Resources (OER). MIT OCW has published more than 2,400 courses which are available at no cost, the majority of which are STEM related. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the pedagogical strategies through reviewing instructor insights of 15 MIT OCW STEM courses using thematic analysis. The most effective pedagogical strategies used found by instructors were active learning, personalizing instruction, engaging learners, providing feedback, building learning community, and clarifying learning objective. Instructors used in-class formative assessment, such as quizzes and oral exams, for just-in-time teaching and online automatic assessment environments for students’ self-assessment. The primary summative assessments were final exams and projects. Instructors encountered challenges such as assessing students’ learning and changing pedagogical beliefs. Implications for practice were discussed as well.
Evaluation and treatment of osteoporosis in patients undergoing spine surgery

Abstract Osteoporosis is a prevalent condition among adults that causes degenerative changes to the microarchitecture of bone and can have implications for patients undergoing spine surgery. Orthopaedic surgeons can evaluate patients pre-operatively for osteoporosis through both laboratory screening as well as imaging studies. Perioperative optimization of patients with osteoporosis includes treatment with medications such as bisphosphonates and intermittent parathyroid hormone. Furthermore, intraoperative techniques such as cement screw augmentation may also be utilized. These treatment modalities have shown efficacy in reducing osteoporosis-related complications following surgery. Management of osteoporosis in spine surgery requires a multidisciplinary approach to optimize patients perioperatively to maximize patient function and pain relief.
c-Jun N-terminal Kinase Mediates Ligand-independent p75NTR Signaling in Mesencephalic Cells Subjected to Oxidative Stress

The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) is a multifunctional protein that regulates cellular responses to pathological conditions in specific regions of the nervous system. Activation of p75NTR in certain neuronal populations induces proteolytic processing of the receptor, thereby generating p75NTR fragments that facilitate downstream signaling. Expression of p75NTR has been reported in neurons of the ventral midbrain, but p75NTR signaling mechanisms in such cells are poorly understood. Here, we used Lund Human Mesencephalic cells, a population of neuronal cells derived from the ventral mesencephalon, to evaluate the effects of oxidative stress on p75NTR signaling. Subjection of the cells to oxidative stress resulted in decreased cell-surface localization of p75NTR and intracellular accumulation of p75NTR fragments. Oxidative stress-induced p75NTR processing was reduced by pharmacological inhibition of metalloproteases or γ-secretase, but was unaltered by blockade of the ligand-binding domain of p75NTR. Furthermore, inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) decreased p75NTR cleavage induced by oxidative damage. Altogether, these results support a mechanism of p75NTR activation in which oxidative stress stimulates JNK signaling, thereby facilitating p75NTR processing via a ligand-independent mechanism involving induction of metalloprotease and γ-secretase activity. These findings reveal a novel role for JNK in ligand-independent p75NTR signaling, and, considering the susceptibility of mesencephalic neurons to oxidative damage associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), merit further investigation into the effects of p75NTR on PD-related neurodegeneration.
Perceived Importance of Career Engagement Initiatives in Hospitality Education

Students are seeking ways to enhance their networking and skills to secure employment opportunities after graduation. To facilitate this endeavor, hospitality programs are taking on different initi...
Introduction to measuring emotions in the face

Abstract In this chapter, we introduce a conceptual overview and description of fundamental methods to measure facial expressions of emotion, and describe how facial expressions of emotions have been measured from classical studies to contemporary research. Core concepts regarding the face are also introduced as background knowledge. As technology and systems that can explore and assess emotions in the face have constantly evolved, there are a variety of meaningful and valid measurement systems, which support the field in promising ways. Among them, we highlight the main measurement systems that have been commonly used in research so that readers can grasp what has been achieved, as well as missed, in the field of emotion assessment via the face. We also describe an example of how facial measurement can be applicable in an industrial context for readers who may have questions as to the connection between research applications and real life. We conclude with suggestions for potential future directions to address current gaps in the literature concerning measuring emotions in the face.
Acculturation, Mental Health, and Wellbeing Among Hispanic/Latinx Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

Purpose: Ethnic disparities in childhood cancer survivor (CCS) mental health have been identified, although prior survivorship research has focused predominantly on non-Hispanic/Latinx (H/L) white ...
Urban Economic Aggregates in Monocentric and Non-monocentric Cities

the agriculturalrent.Consider an individual’s choice of residential location. If she moves a unit distancefurther from the CBD her transport costs increase by t. If lot rent falls by less than t, sheprefers the more central location; if it falls by more than t, she prefers the more distantlocation; and if it falls by exactly t, she is indifferent between the two locations. To satisfythe equilibrium condition that the supply of land equal the demand for land at all locationstherefore requires that RxT t′()=−. It also requires that all households obtain a lot, andthat at the urban boundary, x , the urban rent equals the agricultural rent, NT x=Π
Atom lithography using standing-wave quenching

We used spatially dependent optical pumping in a standing wave to create nanostructures using metastable argon and resist-based atom lithography. Although the localization is caused by spontaneous emission, the matter wave diffraction and the mechanical effects of the light affect the resulting atomic localization. We investigate the role of the spontaneous emission.
Chronic ethanol consumption impairs the circadian rhythm of pro-opiomelanocortin and period genes mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of the male rat

Certain psychiatric disorders are known to alter the body's biological rhythms. However, currently, very little information is known about the effect of chronic ethanol administration on the circadian clock or the rhythm of β-endorphin-containing neurons that participate in the control of the reward and reinforcement of alcohol drinking. Here, we report that administration of ethanol, via a liquid diet paradigm for a period of 2 weeks, abolishes the circadian rhythm of pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA expression of β-endorphin neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. The circadian expression of the clock governing rat period genes (rPeriod1 mRNA and rPeriod2 mRNA) in the arcuate nucleus was significantly altered, suggesting that ethanol administration disrupted the internal clock. Moreover, ethanol consumption altered the circadian rhythms of rPeriod2 and rPeriod3 mRNA levels in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, suggesting that ethanol also affected the function of the central pacemaker. Our findings identified the vulnerability of the body's clock machinery and its opioidergic system to chronic alcohol drinking.
Performance analysis of partial parallel interference cancellation in synchronous DS-CDMA systems over frequency selective fading channels

In this paper, we investigate the performance of partial interference cancellers in forward link DS-CDMA over time-invariant frequency selective fading channels. An analytical tool to find the bit error probability is presented. We also compare the analysis with computer simulation. The results show that the presented approximation can predict the performance at low to moderate signal to noise ratios.
Walnut Consumption Changes the Relative Abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in the Gut

Eating walnuts is associated with health benefits that include reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. These chronic diseases are linked to changes in the gut microbiome; for example, a shif...
Effects of acute endotoxemia and glucose administration on circulating leukocyte populations in normal and diabetic subjects

Abstract Effects of intravenous endotoxin and glucose administration on circulating leukocyte populations were compared in seven normal subjects and seven patients with juvenile-onset diabetes by means of automated cytochemical differential counting to quantitate each cell type. Both groups had comparable control cell counts that were unaffected by glucose tolerance testing but altered significantly by endotoxin. Different patterns of response to endotoxin were observed for different circulating cell types. The response of diabetics was parallel to that of normals but showed lower neutrophil and monocyte rebound, longer lasting depression of lymphocytes and eosinophils, and greater rebound of basophils on the day following endotoxin exposure. Characterization of distinctive normal response patterns of circulating leukocyte populations to endotoxin and comparison with responses in diabetics revealed abnormalities under conditions of stress that may impair the diabetic's ability to cope with acute infection.
The analysis of plant growth in ecological and evolutionary studies.

Abstract Plant growth rate is often assumed to be an ecologically important life history trait. However, conventional plant growth analysis, while providing a useful accounting of rates of weight gain and its components, is ill-suited for testing relationships between growth and fitness, particularly in natural populations. Two new approaches that are suitable for testing such relationships have evolved over the past several years. The first — the population biology of plant parts, or ‘modular demography' — permits non-destructive measures of growth rate in natural field populations. When modular demography is performed using matrix population models, controls over growth rate can be examined, as well as consequences of growth variation for reproduction. The second — demographic growth analysis — provides growth parameters analogous to those of conventional growth analysis, but can be performed in natural field populations. Demographic growth analysis allows measures of individual growth-rate variation, which, in turn, can be related to plant performance.
The incidence of positive contralateral inguinal exploration among preschool children—A retrospective and prospective study

Abstract Retrospective and prospective studies were undertaken to evaluate the true incidence of bilateral inguinal involvement in preschool children in an established general pediatric population. Unbiased, anatomically based criteria were established for a "positive" exploration. It was found that bilateral inguinal involvement was highest during the first year of life (68%) and decreased through the advancing years, to just above 50% at 6 years of age. Because a widely patent processus vaginalis may be a precursor of indirect inguinal hernia, contralateral exploration may carry lifelong benefits in those who have the processus vaginalis ligated. Based on the authors' observations, contralateral exploration can be offered to all preschool children, and in selected cases (difficult preoperative preparation, anesthetic high risk, strong family history, etc), even beyond this age. Contralateral exploration is a safe, effective, and cost-wise practive when performed in an appropriate setting.
Synthesis and evaluation of six-membered GDP-iminocyclitol

Fructose-diphosphate aldolase was employed in the chemoenzymatic synthesis of six-membered GDP-iminocyclitols. These compounds were evaluated for activity against α-1,3-fucosyltransferases and found to be potent inhibitors.
Cardiac Surgery in the Elderly: Indications and Management Options to Optimize Outcomes

The elderly have increasingly benefited from the advances in cardiac surgical techniques and perioperative care. Compared to the same procedures in younger patients their operations can be more technically demanding and their level of reserve leaves less margin should complications occur. The importance of using realistic indications for operations with a focus on improving the quality of their lives and of optimal preoperative preparation of patients is emphasized.
Simulation of aperture synthesis with the Large Binocular Telescope

The large binocular telescope (LBT) will have two 8.4 m apertures spaced 14.4 m from center to center. Adaptive optics will be used to recover deep, long exposure diffraction-limited images in the infrared. The LBT configuration has a diffraction-limited resolution equivalent to a 22.8 m telescope along the center-to-center baseline. Using simulated LBT images and an iterative blind deconvolution algorithm (IBD--Jefferies and Christou, 1993) a sequence of three exposures, at sufficiently different parallactic angles, allows recovery of imagery nearly equivalent to that of the circumscribing 22.8 m circular aperture. To establish a credibility basis for these simulations we have studied the performance of IBD for image constructions of several examples of atmospherically perturbed and partially corrected stellar and galactic data. IBD is robust against influences of real, non-ideal data obtained from large astronomical telescopes, including partial anisoplanicity and Poisson noise from object, sky, and thermal background. For faint objects, which are sky-background and photon-statistics limited, the use of adaptive optics is presumed in these simulations. IBD removes the dilute aperture point spread function effects in the set of parallactic angle-diverse images linearly combined to produce the circumscribed aperture result. Optimal image combination strategy is considered for multi-aperture imaging array configurations.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The neuronal growth cone as a specialized transduction system

Neuronal growth and remodelling are guided by both intracellular gene programs and extracellular stimuli. The growth cone is one site where the effects of these extrinsic and intrinsic factors converge upon the mechanical determinants of cell shape. We review the growth cone as a transduction device, converting extracellular signals into mechanical forces. A variety of soluble, extracellular matrix and membrane bound molecules control growth cone behavior. In addition, GAP-43 is discussed as a possible component of the intraneuronal gene program which modulates growth cone activity. The GTP-binding protein, Go, is a major growth cone membrane protein that may transduce signals not only from outside the cell, but from within as well. This may provide a molecular site in the growth cone for the coordination of a genetic growth program with environmental signals.
ENERGY METABOLISM AND HEMATOLOGY OF WHITE-TAILED DEER FAWNS

Resting metabolic rates, weight gains and hematologic profiles of six newborn, captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns (four females, two males) were determined during the first 3 mo of life. Estimated mean daily weight gain of fawns was 0.2 kg. The regression equation for metabolic rate was: Metabolic rate (kcal/kg0.75/day) = 56.1 + 1.3 (age in days), r = 0.65, P < 0.001). Regression equations were also used to relate age to red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume, white blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin. The age relationships of Hb, MCHC, and smaller RBC's were indicative of an increasing and more efficient oxygen-carrying and exchange capacity to fulfill the increasing metabolic demands for oxygen associated with increasing body size.
Metal sandwich plates optimized for pressure impulses

Survival of a plate against an intense, short duration impulsive loading requires the circumvention of failure modes, including those associated with excessive overall deflection and shear-off at supports and webs. All-metal sandwich plates have distinct advantages over comparable weight monolithic plates, especially for intense water loadings. A recently developed mechanics of dynamically loaded sandwich plates by N. A. Fleck and V. S. Deshpande is extended and modified to address the problem of the minimum weight design of plates of given span that must sustain a uniformly distributed impulsive wave in air or water environments. Requirements for core crushing strength and energy absorption are discussed, as are conditions governing shear-off of the face sheet. Dimensionless parameters governing optimal designs are identified. Specific results are presented for plates with square honeycomb cores outlining trends for the best performance that can be achieved and the optimal distribution of mass between faces and core. Optimally designed sandwich plates can sustain water shocks that are two to three times as large monolithic plates of the same mass and material. The model is used to discuss a number of issues relevant to the design of effective metal sandwich plates, including differing requirements for air and water environments, face sheet shear-off resistance, the role of core strength, and the relation between small-scale tests and full-scale behavior.
Gm and Inv (Km) studies of melanesian people on the Huon Peninsula in northeast Papua New Guinea: Polymorphism for a Gm1,5,10,11,13,14,17,21,26 haplotype

Blood samples from 448 people living in six villages in the Huon Peninsula in northeast Papua, New Guinea, were tested for Gm(1,2,3,5,6,10,11,13,14,17,21,24,26) and Inv(1) [Km(1)]. All the people are non-Austronesian (NAN) speakers. As expected, there was a low frequency of the Gm1,3,5,10,11,13,14,26 haplotype, but in contradiction to expectations there was a complete absence of the Gm1,2,17,21,26 haplotype. In addition, samples from people in one village (Yupna) and probably those for two other villages (Irumu 13 and 14) have the rare haplotype Gm1,5,10,11,13,14,21,26 at polymorphic frequencies. Two samples from people living in Yupna had the rare phenotype Gm(1,3,17,21,26), indicating the presence of any one of several rare haplotypes that had been observed in other populations. These are discussed.
Somatostatin cyclic octapeptide analogs which preferentially bind to SOMa receptors block a calcium current in rat superior cervical ganglion neurons

To characterize further the somastatin (SOM) receptor mediating Ca2+ current reduction in rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons, the effects of three synthetic SOM octapeptide analogs, D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Cys-Thr-NH2 (IM-4-82), D-Nal-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Cys-Thr-NH2 (DC 13-116), and D-Phe-Cys-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Cys-Thr-OL (SMS 201-995), which bind preferentially to pituitary SOM receptors (SOMa) were investigated. Ca2+ currents were recorded using the whole-cell variant of the patch-clamp technique from neurons isolated enzymatically from adult rat SCG. Application of the SOM analogs (0.003-3 microM) produced a rapid, reversible, and concentration-dependent decrease in Ca2+ current amplitude in addition to slowing the rising phase of the Ca2+ current. Estimates of the concentration producing half-maximal block (EC50) and maximum attainable block (Bmax) for DC 13-116, IM 4-28, and SMS 201-995 were 196, 67, and 9.5 nM, respectively, and 52, 57, and 48%, respectively. The results suggest that the SOM receptor on SCG neurons more closely resembles the SOMa receptor of the anterior pituitary than the SOMb receptor of cerebral cortical membranes.
Nutrients and mass in litter and top soil of ten tropical tree plantations

The importance of litter to nutrient and organic matter storage and the possible influence of species selection on soil fertility in ten stands each consisting of a separate tree species were examined in this study. The plantations had been grown under similar conditions in an arboretum in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. The species involved were: Anthocephalus chinensis, Eucalyptus × patentinervis, E. saligna, Hernandia sonora, Hibiscus elatus, Khaya nyasica, Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis, P. elliottii var. densa, Swietenia macrophylla, and Terminalia ivorensis. After 26 yr, litter mass ranged from 5 mg ha-1 in the H. sonora stand to 27.2 Mg ha-1 in the P. caribaea stand. Nutrients in the litter (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) also varied widely, but stands were ranked in different order when ranked by nutrients in the litter than then ranked according to accumulation of mass. Only E. saligna and A. chinensis stands were ranked similarly in accumulation of both nutrients and mass, and the stand of H. elatus was ranked higher with respect to nutrient accumulation than to accumulation of mass. The nutrient concentration in standing leaf litter generally increased in the order of recently fallen <old intact< fragmented. Nutrient concentration of standing leaf litter appears to increase with age and depth in the litter layer. The amount of nutrients stored in the litter compartment of these plantations was in the same order of magnitude as the quantity of available nutrients in the top 10-cm of mineral soil. Total litter mass was negatively correlated with the mass-weighted concentration of N, K, and Mg. The same relationship was found for Ca in the leaf litter and N in the fine wood litter compartments. In some stands (notably P. caribaea, P. elliottii, and E. saligna), leaf litter derived from species other than the species planted in that particular stand had higher nutrient concentration than leaf litter from the planted species. Soils of the 10 stands were classified in the same soil series and had similar texture (clay soils). However, significantly different chemical characteristics were found. Results obtained by analysis of covariance and by limiting comparisons to adjacent stands with similar soil texture, indicate that different species have had different influences on the concentration of available nutrients in soil.