cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Obesity among Adolescents in the United States Using Modified Logistic Model

Obesity among adolescents is still on the rise and various reasons have been attributed to this increase. Obesity has been associated with many diseases, as well as, increase in healthcare costs. Concentration index and logistic regression have been extensively used to measure inequalities in health, including obesity, but these methods require each parameter to be calculated discretely. In this study, the logistic regression model is modified to predict the degree of obesity distribution that might be associated with multiple variables including income and race among adolescents in the United States. Unlike the methods currently used, the modified logistic model (MLM) can capture all variables at the same time in a single equation. The results produced by the model are comparable with those obtained when concentration index is used in a shorter time. It is hoped that this study will shorten the time to estimate or predict obesity rates among various races using existing Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data based on socioeconomic status. The ultimate goal is to develop targeted intervention strategies. Using existing data yields faster, reliable results since the sampling and collection utilize standard procedures. Results can easily be generalized due to random sampling and the MLM has the potential to predict the rate of obesity without performing further statistical analysis.
Electrical behaviour of myenteric neurones in the gastric corpus of the guinea-pig.

1. Intracellular microelectrodes were used to study the electrical behaviour of ganglion cells in the myenteric plexus of the antrum of the guinea-pig stomach. In the absence of any information on antral myenteric neurones, the aim was to characterize the electrical behaviour and identify biophysical properties of the neurones that could be related to specialized organization of the neural microcircuits in this physiologically important division of the stomach. 2. Myenteric neurones in the gastric antrum were classified into four subtypes based on electrophysiological properties. These were gastric I, II, III and AH/type 2 neurones. Gastric I neurones were characterized by repetitive spike discharge during intraneuronal injection of depolarizing current, by higher input resistances and by lower resting membrane potentials than the other cell types. Gastric II neurones did not discharge repetitively. They discharged one or two spikes only at the beginning of depolarizing current pulses. Gastric III neurones did not discharge action potentials in response to depolarizing pulses. These neurones had higher membrane potentials and lower input resistances than the other types. A fourth type of neurone discharged one or more spikes during depolarizing current pulses and had long-lasting hyperpolarizing after-potentials associated with the spikes. The behaviour of these neurones was like AH/type 2 neurones found elsewhere in the enteric nervous system. 3. Action potentials in gastric I and II neurones were abolished by tetrodotoxin. Spikes of the AH/type 2 cells were not abolished by tetrodotoxin due to a calcium component of the inward current. Application of tetraethylammonium broadened the spikes. This was reversed by removal of Ca2+ from the bathing medium. 4. The hyperpolarizing after-potentials of AH/type 2 neurones were suppressed by removal of Ca2+ from the bathing medium. Treatment with 4-aminopyridine decreased the amplitude and duration of the after-hyperpolarization, whereas tetraethylammonium increased the duration and amplitude of the after-potentials. The hyperpolarizing after-potentials were unaffected by apamin. 5. Elevation of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate by forskolin resulted in excitation of all AH/type 2 neurones and some of the gastric III cells. Gastric I and II neurones were unaffected. 6. The electrophysiological behaviour of myenteric neurones in the antrum was similar in some respects and different in others from neurones in the gastric corpus and the small and large intestine of the same animal. The differences may reflect distinct organization of the microcircuits for the specialized neural control of the effector functions which characterize the gastric antrum.
Towards finding a cybernetic safe place: illustrations from people of Indian origin

This article explores the way in which a specific immigrant group – Indians outside India – utilizes the dwelling space offered by the synthesis of real spaces and virtual spaces to create a unique immigrant identity. The argument is offered that the combination of the real and the virtual produces a cybernetic space where the immigrant identity can thrive without being controlled within the increasing anti-immigrant sentiments of the real world. Using illustrations from internet discourse it is demonstrated that cybernetic space offers a ‘safe’ alternative living space where the marginalized immigrant can find a voice.
EMPATHY: A COGNITIVE SKILL FOR DECODING THE MODERNIZATION IMPORT OF THE MASS MEDIA

Designed to test the hypothesis that empathy plays a role "in assisting the (traditional) individual to decode the modernization import of the mass media to which he is exposed," the study finds modest support for the assertion. The role played by empathy, however, appears to be more complex than assumed in the hypothesis. Gordon C. Whiting is an assistant professor in communication at the University of Wisconsin. He has done research on the role of communication in development in Brazil and Afghanistan. A PPROACHES TO MODERNIZING underdeveloped countries divide into those focusing on changes in individuals and those seeking changes in larger systems. While individual modernization is certainly not the whole story, there is considerable agreement with the position expressed by Frey that a large part of the modernization problem centers on literally changing men's minds.' Minds that have accumulated the meanings, outlook, values, and behavioral strategies appropriate for success in a traditional, subsistence setting must change. New demands and new opportunities make the traditional orientations inappropriate and, to a degree, dysfunctional. Occasionally, modern existence is thrust upon traditional man, as when he flees to the city and finds employment in a factory. More frequently, perhaps, opportunities are proffered traditional men which go unnoticed or are not taken advantage of since the orientations and skills are lacking which would make for successful adaptation to circumstances or exploitation of
The origin of light emission in the atomic hydrogen-acetylene flame

Acetylene catalyzes the gas phase recombination of hydrogen atoms, and frequently the reaction is accompanied by a bright flame. It is shown that the light emission is not the result of the catalytic recombination, but is caused by traces of water in the hydrogen. The possible reactive intermediates, OH, HO$\_2$ and atomic oxygen, have been individually generated and added to the mixture of hydrogen atoms and acetylene. Only oxygen atoms are effective in causing luminescence. Hydrogen atoms are not necessary for light emission, but they do alter the spectrum somewhat. Two different mechanisms for the formation of electronically excited C$\_2$ are required. The mechanism for the reaction of atomic oxygen with acetylene is discussed.
Evidence for selective health maintenance organization enrollment among children and adolescents covered by medicaid

Objective: To determine whether children and adolescents are selectively enrolled in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) based on age, gender, diagnosis, or prior utilization. Design: Case-control study. New HMO enrollees were compared with a control population of non-HMO enrollees. Setting: Medicaid claims data and HMO participation records for the Medicaid and Aid to Families of Dependent Children sector in Baltimore, Md. Results: Controlling for age, significant differences in prior health care utilization as measured by Medicaid expenditures and hospital days were noted. Children enrolling in HMOs had significantly lower prior utilization than children from the control population as measured by dollar expenditures and hospital days. Young children enrolling in HMOs were only half as likely to have prior claims for asthma. Conversely, adolescents enrolling in HMOs had significantly higher prior utilization than adolescents from the control population. The difference among adolescents was due to a higher birth rate among new HMO enrollees in that age bracket. Conclusions: Voluntary HMO enrollment of children covered by Medicaid and Aid to Families of Dependent Children sector was subject to selection biases that may be economically favorable to the HMOs and may undermine the cost-containment goals of prepaid health care for Medicaid participants. Voluntary capitated systems where fee-for-service remains a significant alternative must monitor for these selection biases that are not allowed for in the adjustments to capitation rates. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996;150:503-507)
Power for Agriculture and Small Industries in Economically Underdeveloped Areas

The regional approach to economic development using small industries is being tested in Brazil. A fundamental limitation on the rate at which development can proceed is imposed by the lack of power. The feasibility of 1) a farmer's cooperative to produce wood fuel for irrigation use and 2) a compact nuclear power plant to provide power for a small industrial complex is examined.
Development of Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Detonation and Supersonic Combustion

A discontinuous Galerkin algorithm for the simulation of realistic detonation and supersonic combustion systems is developed. This algorithm enables to consider complex and temperature/mixture-dependent thermodynamic transport properties, detailed and stiff reaction chemistry, and the robust shock-capturing. In order to evaluate all relevant algorithmic aspects, the DG-method is applied to a series of test-cases of increasing physical complexity: Begin with binary thermal advection and multi-species shock-tube problems, the accuracy and conservation properties of the double-flux formulation and the shockcapturing scheme are investigated. Following this analysis, simulations of a multi-species Argon-diluted Hydrogen/Oxygen detonation system are conducted using a detailed chemical kinetics mechanism. By considering refinement in polynomial order, mesh-refinement, and comparisons with second-order FV-solution, it is shown that optimal convergence rates are achieve and that polynomial refinement provides advantages in better resolving the
THREE'S A CROWD Third Parties and WTO Dispute Settlement

In spite of the recent failure of two referendums, the drafting of a constitution for the second biggest economic power in the world, the European Union (EU), remains a major event in the history of European integration. Whether the constitution or a revised version of it will come into force or not, several important questions emerge. How did an increased number of twenty-five member states reach a conclusion, whereas a lower number of fifteen had failed at previous intergovernmental attempts? In particular, how did the constitutional convention differ from previous intergovernmental conferences (igcs) at which the EU exclusively bargained its treaty documents in the past? How can one explain the outcomes of the convention, which proposes redistribution of power and resources among twenty-five or more member states? This article uses the positions of the delegates of the EU's constitutional convention to examine bargaining in a setting with few formal rules. The authors use theoretical insights from a spatial model and new survey data to determine the implicit voting rule used at the convention. They find that the convention differed from previous igcs because the convention was governed by consensus, whereas previous EU bargains on treaties had always required unanimous support. The level of consensus was higher than simple majority rule but lower than unanimity. Since this threshold impacted who won and who lost at the convention, the authors also examine the sources of bargaining power, such as delegates' distance to the status quo, distance to the median, population size, and domestic constraints. The results confirm several findings in the EU bargaining and two-level game literature, for example, that actors closer to the status quo hold a stronger bargaining position and that actors from larger member states are neither more likely nor less likely to win at the negotiating table than are actors from smaller states. The findings on the irrelevance of domestic constraints also indicate why the popular votes in France and the Netherlands failed.
An analytical and experimental study of molecular radiative transfer in nonisothermal gases

Approximate relations are derived for calculating the spectral distribution of the net radiance at the boundary of a nonisothermal gaseous region, given the distributions of temperature, pressure, and emitter concentration within the region and the appropriate experimentally measured values of isothermal absorptance. Molecular bands are characterized as either overlapping or nonoverlapping; equations of radiative transfer are obtained for these two limiting cases. For overlapping lines, the well-known integral expression of the general equation of transfer is shown to be appropriate. A corresponding relation was derived for the case of strong nonoverlapping lines; for use in this relation, two quantities—a strong-line parameter and a mean-line strength ratio—must be determined by isothermal experiment at optical depths representing square-root and linear growth, respectively. An experimental study of nonisothermal radiative transfer in hot gases is described. The apparatus provides for both absorption and emission measurements at moderate resolution for path lengths to 60 cm and temperatures to 1000°C. Some preliminary results are presented for pure water vapor in the 2.3- to 3.4-micron region.
4-Aminopyridine increases acetylcholine release without diminishing membrane phosphatidylcholine.

: 4-Aminopyridine (10-4–10-5M) increased severalfold the release of acetylcholine from rat striatal slices superfused with an eserine-containing, choline-free medium, and caused stoichiometric decreases in the release of choline. It had no effect on tissue acetylcholine and choline levels. Electrical stimulation of the striatal slices increased acetylcholine release without affecting that of choline. Superfusion of the stimulated slices with 4-aminopyridine decreased choline release and increased the ratio of acetylcholine to choline in superfusates. As shown previously, electrical stimulation of the striatal slices decreased their contents of phospholipids, principally phosphatidylcholine; 4-aminopyridine fully protected against these membrane changes. In synaptosomal preparations, 4-aminopyridine was found to enhance the high-affinity uptake of [14C]choline and its conversion to [14C]acetylcholine. This effect on choline uptake may underlie 4-aminopyridine's ability to enhance acetylcholine release in the absence of supplemental choline while suppressing the “autocannibalism” of membrane phospholipids.
An algorithm for reducing a linear, time-invariant differential system to state form

This paper presents an algorithm for obtaining a state representation for linear, time-invariant, multiple-input, multiple-output, differential systems, of the form L(p)y = M(p)u .
How Bayesians Debug

Manual debugging is expensive. And the high cost has motivated extensive research on automated fault lo- calization in both software engineering and data mining communities. Fault localization aims at automatically locating likely fault locations, and hence assists manual debugging. A number of fault localization algorithms have been developed in recent years, which prove effec- tive when multiple failing and passing cases are avail- able. However, we notice what is more commonly en- countered in practice is the two-sample debugging prob- lem, where only one failing and one passing cases are available. This problem has been either overlooked or insufficiently tackled in previous studies. In this paper, we develop a new fault localization al- gorithm, named BayesDebug, which simulates some manual debugging principles through a Bayesian ap- proach. Different from existing approaches that base fault analysis on multiple passing and failing cases, BayesDebug only requires one passing and one failing cases. We reason about why BayesDebug fits the two- sample debugging problem and why other approaches do not. Finally, an experiment with a real-world program grep-2.2 is conducted, which exemplifies the effective- ness of BayesDebug.
Nova Target Experiments

The Nova laser, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, provides unique opportunities for target experiments. It has unprecedented energy on target and significant flexibility. The paper presented by John Hunt1 described the capabilities and the status of Nova. This paper discusses our plans for future experiments using Nova, and the present status of target experiments.
Activation of tracheal smooth muscle responsiveness by fMLP-treated HL-60 cells and neutrophils.

We assessed the effects of cultured human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils) isolated from peripheral human blood on tracheal smooth muscle responsiveness in 40 male Hartley guinea pigs. Undifferentiated HL-60 cells (16-25 passages) were activated in vitro by incubation with 1 microM f-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP), and force of contraction was measured isometrically using an in situ preparation of tracheal smooth muscle. Increasing concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh; 10(-10) to 10(-6) mol/cm2 tracheal surface) were applied topically to the epithelial surface pretreated with 4 x 10(6) fMLP-activated HL-60 cells, 4 x 10(6) fMLP-activated neutrophils, 4 x 10(6) sham-activated HL-60 cells, fMLP+vehicle, or vehicle control. Topical application of fMLP-activated HL-60 cells caused a maximum active tension (AT) of 1.13 +/- 0.2 g/cm after 5 min; fMLP-activated neutrophils, sham-activated HL-60 cells, or fMLP+vehicle had no effect. The fMLP-activated HL-60 cells also caused substantial augmentation of tracheal contraction to ACh (P 10(-9) mol/cm2). Although fMLP treatment caused 247 +/- 28% increase from baseline level in O2-. production, neither direct contraction nor augmentation of muscarinic stimulation was demonstrated after topical application of 4 x 10(6) neutrophils. In 12 other preparations, fMLP-activated HL-60 cells were pretreated with either 10 microM indomethacin (Indo) or 100 microM A63162, a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. Pretreatment with Indo caused complete blockade of direct tracheal contraction and 88 +/- 13% blockade of muscarinic augmentation; there was no effect after A63162.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Bending the Frame: Photojournalism, Documentary, and the Citizen

Fred RitchinBending the Frame: Photojournalism, Documentary, and the Citizen176 pagesNew York: Aperture • 2013After reading Fred Ritchin's Bending the Frame: Photojournalism, Documentary, and the C...
Simultaneous determination of roxithromycin and three tetracyclines in manure by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of roxithromycin,oxytetracycline,tetracycline and chlortetracycline in manure was developed by solid phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector.A centrifuged sample(2 g) was ultrasonically extracted with 15 mL of a mixture of EDTA and McIlvaine buffer(citric acid and sodium orthophosphate) for 15 min.Then the extract was evaporated and cleaned up on a HLB cartridge.The final eluate(methanol) was concentrated before injection.Using acetonitrile and 0.03 mol /L ammonium dihydrogen phosphate(pH 2.0) as the mobile phase,roxithromycin was obtained good linear calibrations in the range of 1.5 ~ 600 mg /L,oxytetracycline,tetracycline and chlortetracycline were obtained good linear calibrations in the range of 0.25 ~ 100 mg /L.And the correlation coefficients were 0.9995 ~ 0.9999,respectively.The limits of detection(LOD) and the limits of quantification(LOQ) were 0.06 ~0.38 mg/kg(S/N =3) and 0.2 ~1.2 mg/kg(S/N =10) in manure,respectively.The average recoveries were in the range of 52.2% ~ 64.7% when the spiked concentrations were 15 mg /kg roxithromycin,2.5 mg /kg oxytetracycline,tetracycline and chlortetracycline.The RSD ranged from 7.3% to 8.4%.This method is accurate,rapid and sensitive during the inspection of antibiotics in real samples.
Self-reported arthritis burden and management in South Carolina.

OBJECTIVE Arthritis has garnered national attention as the leading cause of disability, yet it is important to survey the burden and management of this disabling condition at the state and local levels. This study explored the self-reported burden and management of arthritis in South Carolina using state-based data relative to other prominent chronic diseases. METHODS Data from 9580 adults in South Carolina who participated in the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to quantify the self-reported burden and management of arthritis within the past year. RESULTS Estimates indicate that 31% (3043) of adults in South Carolina were diagnosed as having arthritis in 2009. The burden of arthritis was evident with 49% (1954) of the individuals with arthritis experiencing activity limitations, 39% (1500) reported arthritis affected their employment, 92% (3705) reported living with pain, and 44% (1787) reported restricted social activities. Self-reported arthritis management included advice to lose weight (37%), encouragement to exercise (57%), and limited education on proper management (11%). The majority (75%) of individuals reported that arthritis interferes with their ability to accomplish what they want. CONCLUSIONS Arthritis is more prevalent and burdensome for individuals in South Carolina when compared with national estimates. These findings suggest that there are potential educational opportunities to increase awareness of the disease and its burden, as well as improve education and disease management.
Indomethacin reduces ischemia-induced alteration of blood-brain barrier transport in piglets.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (Isc-Rep) alters blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport properties in piglets. Pretreatment with superoxide dismutase and catalase partially attenuates these effects. Act...
What Kind of Macroeconometric Model for Developing Economies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses macroeconometric models for developing economies. Econometric models were first built and seriously applied in Holland, the United States, and Canada. This kind of research has understandably lead to similar efforts in the United Kingdom, Japan, India, Israel, Greece, and other countries. In some of the first Japanese models, the parametric structure of equations and definitions of variables were made to look almost like those of established United States models. Those were not successful or lasting models, and they have been replaced by more useful schemes that build in local institutions and behavioral differences. The chapter highlights that a model of Israel should give great weight to population growth, through immigration and natural increase, unilateral international transfers, military expenditures for defense, the trade balance, and domestic capital formation. In addition, Israel has been a disequilibrium economy and this should be taken into account.
The Teacher's Role in Character Education:

A comprehensive model of classroom character education is described in terms of nine components: the teacher as caregiver, model, and mentor; creating a caring classroom environment; moral discipli...
Processing Binding Relations in Specific Language Impairment.

Purpose This sentence processing experiment examined the abilities of children with specific language impairment (SLI) and children with typical language development (TD) to establish relations bet...
Radiative Correction to β Decays

The ultraviolet divergent part of the radiative correction to the pion $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay is evaluated generally, including the term induced by the radiative correction to the axial current. Although the divergence remains for the quark model, there exists a case when the divergences canal, and this corresponds to a model where the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay is due to the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of a fermion of unit negative charge. The model is applied to the general hadronic $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decays, and it is shown that the correction to the vector current is always finite, although no definite conclusion can be drawn for the axial current.
When You Care Enough to Pay Someone to Send the Very Best: The Outsourcing of Greeting Card Inscriptions

It is now possible for individuals and businesses to hire a service to inscribe, by hand, the greeting cards they send. Based on a content analysis of Web sites that provide this service, and drawing from the ideas of Erving Goffman, I argue that beyond simply writing cards for their clients, what these providers ultimately offer them is the ability to be presented as someone who performed a particular presentation ritual (i.e., the sending of a card with a personal inscription) for another when, in fact, they did not. This can be seen in terms of how outsourced inscriptions are presented as ones that have not been outsourced and/or how many providers employ defensive practices seemingly designed to prevent recipients from discovering that an inscription was outsourced. As such, a kind of misrepresentation seems necessary if outsourced inscriptions are to have all the instrumental and symbolic benefits the providers of this service claim they offer. Some key implications and consequences of this kind of misrepresentation are explored.
Predicting Kindergarteners' Achievement and Motivation From Observational Measures of Teaching Effectiveness

ABSTRACTWe investigated the premise that observation measures of instruction are indicators of effective teaching, using the definition of effectiveness articulated by departments of education: teaching that boosts student achievement. We argued that student motivation is equally as important as achievement in the evaluation of teaching effectiveness (TE); therefore, we examined students' (N = 145) achievement and motivation outcomes. We scored 40 lessons (from 10 kindergarten teachers) with two TE observation measures: the content-independent Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and the content-specific Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP). We found that the two measures' scores were related differently to student outcomes. Instructionally supportive practices (CLASS and RTOP total) predicted achievement and motivation. Emotional support (CLASS) was positively related to motivation but not to achievement. Classroom organization (CLASS) was negatively related to both motivation and achieve...
Development of the heterogametic gonad: a model system for embryonic induction.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a discussion on the development of the heterogametic gonads. The chapter presents a historical perspective of the development process and discusses the role of the H–Y antigen in the process. The chapter also considers several serologically defined cell surface systems, showing how they may contribute to the organogenesis of the mammalian testis. The chapter emphasizes recent studies of (1) the “male-specific” H-Y antigen and its gonadal receptor, (2) the P2-microglobulin-major histocompatibility complex H-Y antigen anchorage site, and (3) the newly defined Sertoli cell-lineage antigens. The chapter also discusses the role of several other cell surface structures—such as the major histocompatibility complex, Daudi cells, and sertoli cell—in the development process. The chapter explores the mechanism of the development of the heterogametic gonad and discusses several hypotheses associated with it. The chapter concludes by developing a model system for embryonic induction.
Pneumothorax Occurring with Dialysis Catheter Insertion

This chapter discusses the case of a patient with end-stage renal disease who was referred to the dialysis access center for the placement of a tunneled dialysis catheter. In this case, the patient experienced a pneumothorax as a complication of the procedure.
Differential contribution of Ca2+ sources to day and night BK current activation in the circadian clock.

Large conductance K+ (BK) channels are expressed widely in neurons, where their activation is regulated by membrane depolarization and intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i). To enable this regulation, BK channels functionally couple to both voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) and channels mediating Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. However, the relationship between BK channels and their specific Ca2+ source for particular patterns of excitability is not well understood. In neurons within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)—the brain’s circadian clock—BK current, VGCC current, and Ca2+i are diurnally regulated, but paradoxically, BK current is greatest at night when VGCC current and Ca2+i are reduced. Here, to determine whether diurnal regulation of Ca2+ is relevant for BK channel activation, we combine pharmacology with day and night patch-clamp recordings in acute slices of SCN. We find that activation of BK current depends primarily on three types of channels but that the relative contribution changes between day and night. BK current can be abrogated with nimodipine during the day but not at night, establishing that L-type Ca2+ channels (LTCCs) are the primary daytime Ca2+ source for BK activation. In contrast, dantrolene causes a significant decrease in BK current at night, suggesting that nighttime BK activation is driven by ryanodine receptor (RyR)–mediated Ca2+i release. The N- and P/Q-type Ca2+ channel blocker ω-conotoxin MVIIC causes a smaller reduction of BK current that does not differ between day and night. Finally, inhibition of LTCCs, but not RyRs, eliminates BK inactivation, but the BK β2 subunit was not required for activation of BK current by LTCCs. These data reveal a dynamic coupling strategy between BK channels and their Ca2+ sources in the SCN, contributing to diurnal regulation of SCN excitability.
Association of 1p/19q Codeletion and Radiation Necrosis in Adult Cranial Gliomas After Proton or Photon Therapy

Purpose To analyze the incidence of and risk factors for clinically significant radiation necrosis (cRN) in adult cranial oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas treated with proton or photon therapy. Methods and Materials Between 2007 and 2015, 160 patients with grade 2 or 3 oligodendrogliomas (with 1p/19q codeletion, n = 53) or astrocytomas (without 1p/19q codeletion, n = 107) were treated with proton (n = 37) or photon (n = 123) therapy. Clinically significant radiation necrosis (RN) was defined as symptomatic RN or asymptomatic RN that resulted in surgery or bevacizumab administration. The cumulative incidence was calculated using competing risks. Risk factors were identified using Cox proportional hazards. Results After a median follow-up period of 28.5 months, cRN developed in 18 patients (proton, 6; photon, 12). The 2-year cumulative incidence of cRN for proton and photon therapy was 18.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.5%-33.8%) and 9.7% (95% CI, 5.1%-16%), respectively (P = .16). On multivariate analysis, risk factors for cRN included oligodendroglioma (hazard ratio [HR], 3.57; 95% CI, 1.38-9.25; P = .009) and higher prescription dose (in gray relative biological equivalents [GyRBE]) (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.05-1.61; P = .015). The 2-year cumulative incidence of cRN in oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas was 24.2% and 6.2%, respectively (P = .01). The relative volume (percentage) of brain receiving 60 GyRBE was a significant dosimetric predictor of cRN in oligodendrogliomas (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03-1.20; P = .005). Conclusions The study showed that 1p/19q codeleted oligodendroglioma was a significant risk factor associated with cRN and the relative volume (percentage) of brain receiving 60 GyRBE was an important dosimetric predictor of cRN for oligodendroglioma patients. There is insufficient evidence at this time to conclude a significant difference in the incidence of cRN between proton and photon therapy.
Conversion of RpoS- Attenuated Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Vaccine Strains to RpoS+ Improves Their Resistance to Host Defense Barriers.

ABSTRACT The vast majority of live attenuated typhoid vaccines are constructed from the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi strain Ty2, which is devoid of a functioning alternative sigma factor, RpoS, due to the presence of a frameshift mutation. RpoS is a specialized sigma factor that plays an important role in the general stress response of a number of Gram-negative organisms, including Salmonella . Previous studies have demonstrated that this sigma factor is necessary for survival following exposure to acid, hydrogen peroxide, nutrient-limiting conditions, and starvation. In addition, studies with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and the mouse model of typhoid fever have shown that RpoS is important in colonization and survival within the infected murine host. We converted 4 clinically studied candidate typhoid vaccine strains derived from Ty2 [CVD908 -htrA , Ty800, and χ9639(pYA3493)] and the licensed live typhoid vaccine Ty21a (also derived from Ty2) to RpoS + and compared their abilities to withstand environmental stresses that may be encountered within the host to those of the RpoS − parent strains. The results of our study indicate that strains that contain a functional RpoS were better able to survive following stress and that they would be ideal for further development as safe, effective vaccines to prevent S . Typhi infections or as vectors in recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccines (RASVs) designed to protect against other infectious disease agents in humans. The S . Typhi strains constructed and described here will be made freely available upon request, as will the suicide vector used to convert rpoS mutants to RpoS + . IMPORTANCE Recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccines (RASVs) represent a unique prevention strategy to combating infectious disease because they utilize the ability of Salmonella to invade and colonize deep effector lymphoid tissues and deliver hetero- and homologous derived antigens at the lowest immunizing dose. Our recent clinical trial in human volunteers indicated that an RpoS + derivative of Ty2 was better at inducing immune responses than its RpoS − counterpart. In this study, we demonstrate that a functional RpoS allele is beneficial for developing effective live attenuated vaccines against S . Typhi or in using S . Typhi as a recombinant attenuated vaccine vector to deliver other protective antigens.
Dynamic mode II crack growth along an interface between an elastic solid and a plastic solid

Abstract Dynamic crack growth is analyzed numerically for a planar bimaterial block with an initial edge crack subject to mode II impact loading along the side of the block. The crack is constrained to grow along a weak interface directly ahead of the initial crack tip. A cohesive constitutive relation, that relates tractions and displacement jumps, is specified across the weak interface. The normal traction along the interface is taken to be a linear function of the normal displacement across the interface while the shear traction is taken to be a nonlinear function with the shear traction approaching zero for large displacement jumps, thus allowing mode II crack propagation. The material on the impact side of the interface is taken to be a linear elastic (actually hypoelastic) solid while the material on the other side of the interface is taken to be an isotropically hardening elastic-viscoplastic solid. Both plastically incompressible and plastically compressible solids are considered. Results are presented for the effects of plastic deformation on the evolution of near crack tip fields, on the crack speed history, and on the tractions that develop at the interface. The effects of various parameter variations are also explored. It is found that plasticity can result in tensile normal tractions developing on the interface in the crack tip vicinity and that the transition to an intersonic crack speed via a daughter crack mechanism can take place in the presence of small amounts of plastic straining.
Measuring Your Organization’s Boardroom Language

This chapter endeavors to answer the question, “Can a reliable and valid instrument be developed from concepts outlined in the boardroom boldness model?” By invoking the eight-step guidance of Robert Devellis and soliciting a sampling size of 256, eight sub-scales were produced. Each sub-scale registered an acceptable Cronbach’s alpha and thus provided an affirmative answer to the research question. The utilization of such sub-scales can help organizations make better empirical choices, better manage the ethical health of their cultures, and help to cultivate a climate of bold followership.
Least-commitment action selection

The principle of least commitment was embraced early in planning research. Hierarchical task networks (HTNs) reason about high-level tasks without committing to specific low-level steps. Partial-order planning arose from a complementary desire to avoid unnecessary ordering commitments. But most of today's partial-order planning algorithms commit to a single producing step when supporting an open condition — even when multiple alternatives exist. Each possibility results in a different child plan, and therefore a branch in the search tree. If the various choices have common features, computation may be duplicated unnecessarily on the various branches. The FABIAN planner attempts to avoid such waste. FABIAN separates the decision to add a step from the choice of which step to add. FABIAN supports an open condition by adding an abstract action to the plan representing the disjunction of possible new supporting steps; only later does it refine this choice to a particular concrete action. We show that this abstraction can lead to exponential savings, and argue that in the worst case FABIAN never explores more than a slightly larger space of plans than does a traditional planner such as SNLP.
Age-Specific Difference in Pulmonary Cellular Injury and Mitochondrial Damage

The impact of lung-targeted toxicants on the respiratory system of developing and aging animals is not well defined, let alone the role that mitochondria may play in the cascade of factors involved in cellular injury. Environmentally induced pulmonary cell injury is often due to exposure to bioactivated toxicants or oxidant gases. The major defense mechanisms against these insults are the antioxidant and xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. The age-specific expression of these enzymes and their roles in protecting the lung from specific toxicants is discussed as well as the interrelationship with mitochondrial function. A review of the literature reveals evidence of the mitochondrial involvement in cellular injury during lung development and aging. Whether the alterations of mitochondria are critical early steps in lung injury or an outcome of a cascade of processes during lung development and aging is not clear at this time.
Racial and ethnic differences in chemical mixture correlation networks

Introduction: Behaviors or source exposures may differ across socioeconomic groups and result in varied chemical mixture exposures. The objective of this study was to visualize and statistically co...
BNIP3L/NIX and FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy is required for mitochondrial network remodeling during cardiac progenitor cell differentiation

Cell-based therapies represent a very promising strategy to repair and regenerate the injured heart to prevent progression to heart failure. To date, these therapies have had limited success due to a lack of survival and retention of the infused cells. Therefore, it is important to increase our understanding of the biology of these cells and utilize this information to enhance their survival and function in the injured heart. Mitochondria are critical for progenitor cell function and survival. Here, we demonstrate the importance of mitochondrial autophagy, or mitophagy, in the differentiation process in adult cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs). We found that mitophagy was rapidly induced upon initiation of differentiation in CPCs. We also found that mitophagy was mediated by mitophagy receptors, rather than the PINK1-PRKN/PARKIN pathway. Mitophagy mediated by BNIP3L/NIX and FUNDC1 was not involved in regulating progenitor cell fate determination, mitochondrial biogenesis, or reprogramming. Instead, mitophagy facilitated the CPCs to undergo proper mitochondrial network reorganization during differentiation. Abrogating BNIP3L- and FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy during differentiation led to sustained mitochondrial fission and formation of donut-shaped impaired mitochondria. It also resulted in increased susceptibility to cell death and failure to survive the infarcted heart. Finally, aging is associated with accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in cells and we found that acquiring mtDNA mutations selectively disrupted the differentiation-activated mitophagy program in CPCs. These findings demonstrate the importance of BNIP3L- and FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy as a critical regulator of mitochondrial network formation during differentiation, as well as the consequences of accumulating mtDNA mutations. Abbreviations: Baf: bafilomycin A1; BCL2L13: BCL2 like 13; BNIP3: BCL2 interacting protein 3; BNIP3L: BCL2 interacting protein 3 like; CPCs: cardiac progenitor cells; DM: differentiation media; DNM1L: dynamin 1 like; EPCs: endothelial progenitor cells; FCCP: carbonyl cyanide-4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone; FUNDC1: FUN14 domain containing 1; HSCs: hematopoietic stem cells; MAP1LC3B/LC3: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MFN1/2: mitofusin 1/2; MSCs: mesenchymal stem cells; mtDNA: mitochondrial DNA; OXPHOS: oxidative phosphorylation; PPARGC1A: PPARG coactivator 1 alpha; PHB2: prohibitin 2; POLG: DNA polymerase gamma, catalytic subunit; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; TMRM: tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester.
Hemobilia following Percutaneous Liver Biopsy in the Setting of Malignancy (with Video): Diagnosis and Management of a Rare Cause of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

A 57-year-old gentleman with a past medical history of well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) with liver metastases was transferred to our hospital with abdominal pain. He underwent percutaneous liver biopsy three days prior to admission as a part of a study protocol for treatment of his progressive NET. He developed gastrointestinal bleeding and was found to have a distended gallbladder filled with high density material on ultrasound. During initial upper endoscopy, it was noted that he had blood emanating from the duodenal papilla consistent with hemobilia and he was ultimately diagnosed with post-liver biopsy hemorrhage. At first, he was managed conservatively with supportive care, but bleeding persisted resulting in the need for arterial embolization as a more effective treatment modality. Hemobilia is a rare entity and in the modern era it is most commonly the result of iatrogenic injury. Appropriate management depends on the underlying etiology with most cases resolving with conservative management. The avoidance of unnecessary surgery and the use of embolization are key principles in management.
Role of Counsel in Directing Royal Rage

One of the clearest marks of a good and just king was that he willingly listened to the advice of sage counselors on various matters, including the need to repress his anger. Ecclesiastical authors describe in favorable terms those kings who acknowledged that their anger was not always justified and might need to be reined in by their counselors. This chapter examines the role of both ecclesiastical and lay counselors in directing the king’s anger. It also examines the dangers posed by evil counsel in inappropriate displays of royal anger.
Optimum time for angle visualization during ab interno glaucoma surgery: Before or after phacoemulsification.

Purpose To determine whether it is more advantageous to perform ab interno glaucoma surgeries involving the angle before or after phacoemulsification. Setting University of Colorado Health Eye Center, Aurora, USA. Design Retrospective case series. Methods Video recordings were taken of eyes having phacoemulsification with or without angle surgery. From the videos, still images of the angle before and after cataract surgery were obtained. Four glaucoma physicians independently reviewed the images and were masked to whether the images presented side-by-side were captured before or after cataract surgery. The reviewers used a 5-point rating scale to assess which of the 2 presented images showed the best visualization of the angle. Patient and ocular characteristics were analyzed to determine predictive factors for better view before or after phacoemulsification. Results Twenty side-by-side comparisons (20 eyes of 20 patients) were reviewed and rated. The mean rating of all surgeons was 2.93, nearing the “3-no difference” response. The most common response was “3-no difference” between each photograph (32.5%), followed by “4-post phacoemulsification image somewhat better” (30%), and “2-pre-phacoemulsification image somewhat better” (27.5%). No ocular characteristic, including anterior chamber depth, angle pigmentation, or cumulative dissipation energy, was found to be predictive of surgeon preference. Conclusion In combination phacoemulsification and angle-based glaucoma procedures, there appears to be no significant angle visualization difference whether the surgeon chooses to complete angle surgery before or after phacoemulsification; therefore, the decision of surgical order should rely on surgeon preference.
Literacy Interventions that Promote Home-to-School Links for Ethnoculturally Diverse Families of Young Children

From the moment children come into the world, they begin to participate in everyday activities within their communities that play a critical role in shaping their development. As children take part in these everyday activities, they develop the cognitive, language, and socio-emotional skills, as well as the social knowledge and competence needed to become full-fledged members of their community. Through this process, they acquire a toolkit of cultural resources that can be drawn upon as they take action and make meaning in their everyday lives. This toolkit continuously expands as children grow, develop, and are exposed to different ways of being, doing, thinking, acting, and learning. In this chapter, we argue that capitalizing on these cultural resources can foster children’s early educational success, not only through the acquisition of new knowledge and skills but also by forging positive and productive home-school connections. In doing so, we review interventions that integrate the cultural practices of Latino families as points of leverage to support young children’s early language and literacy development.