cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A pilot project examining the predicted preferences of patients and physicians in the primary prophylaxis of variceal hemorrhage.

Screening for esophageal varices and use of prophylactic therapies to prevent a first variceal hemorrhage is an essential component of care for patients with cirrhosis (1). Two treatment options have been proven to be effective in preventing first variceal bleed in patients with cirrhosis and large varices: non-selective beta-blockers (beta-blockers) and endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) (1, 2). Meta-analyses show that, compared to no treatment or placebo, beta-blockers reduce the risk of first variceal hemorrhage from approximately 30% to 14% over two years in patients with medium/large varices (3) and improve survival (4). Two recent meta-analyses of studies comparing beta-blockers and EVL show that EVL is marginally more effective than beta-blockers in preventing first variceal hemorrhage without any differences in mortality (5, 6). Expert consensus recommends beta-blockers as first line therapy and EVL for those with contraindications or intolerance to beta-blockers (7). The principles of patient autonomy and informed consent prescribe that patients should be informed of all available treatment options and that their preferences should be incorporated into treatment decisions made in conjunction with their treating physician. This is particularly important when there is controversy as to the best treatment option, or when there are significant differences between treatments in terms of their likelihood, impact, or types of complications (8). To the best of our knowledge, patients’ preferences regarding treatment for primary prophylaxis for variceal hemorrhage have not been examined. Moreover, although guidelines have been published, clinicians’ values for the trade-offs involved in choosing EVL versus beta-blockers have not been described. Given this background, our objective was to assess patient and physician preferences for beta-blockers versus EVL in patients with cirrhosis who are candidates for primary prophylaxis of variceal hemorrhage.
Gas chromatographic analysis of the mycotoxins kojic acid, terreic acid, and terrein.

Abstract An analytical procedure based on gas chromatography of silyl derivatives is described for separation and quantitation of the mycotoxins kojic acid, terreic acid, and terrein. The method can be used for as little as 0.1 μg of the compounds and appears to be suitable for separating these substances from each other and from other mold metabolites in crude extracts. A cleanup procedure, based on silica gel column chromatography, is also described for separation of kojic acid from other metabolites of Aspergillus flavus and for purification and crystallization of kojic acid.
The development of the series of U.S. cancer atlases: implications for future epidemiologic research.

An historic perspective on the development of the National Cancer Institute's series of cancer atlases is provided. Emphasis is placed on the role which emergent questions concerning environmental determinants of cancer played in the acquisition and utilization of data resources. Studies which were fielded as a consequence of the atlases are highlighted. The legacy of the collective effort of many persons who worked on the development of the cancer atlases – the facilitation of many current epidemiologic investigations – is discussed.
Insertional Mutagenesis by a Hybrid PiggyBac and Sleeping Beauty Transposon in the Rat

A hybrid piggyBac/Sleeping Beauty transposon-based insertional mutagenesis system that can be mobilized by simple breeding was established in the rat. These transposons were engineered to include gene trap sequences and a tyrosinase (Tyr) pigmentation reporter to rescue the albinism of the genetic background used in the mutagenesis strategy. Single-copy transposon insertions were transposed into the rat genome by co-injection of plasmids carrying the transposon and RNA encoding piggyBac transposase into zygotes. The levels of transgenic Tyr expression were influenced by chromosomal context, leading to transgenic rats with different pigmentation that enabled visual genotyping. Transgenic rats designed to ubiquitously express either piggyBac or Sleeping Beauty transposase were generated by standard zygote injection also on an albino background. Bigenic rats carrying single-copy transposons at known loci and transposase transgenes exhibited coat color mosaicism, indicating somatic transposition. PiggyBac or Sleeping Beauty transposase bigenic rats bred with wild-type albino rats yielded offspring with pigmentation distinct from the initial transposon insertions as a consequence of germline transposition to new loci. The germline transposition frequency for Sleeping Beauty and piggyBac was ∼10% or about one new insertion per litter. Approximately 50% of the insertions occurred in introns. Chimeric transcripts containing endogenous and gene trap sequences were identified in Gabrb1 mutant rats. This mutagenesis system based on simple crosses and visual genotyping can be used to generate a collection of single-gene mutations in the rat.
Combination therapy for infection due to human immunodeficiency virus type 1

The preliminary results of the Concorde trial demonstrated the transient clinical benefit of monotherapy with zidovudine (AZT) in asymptomatic persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). This result, which has been widely disseminated and discussed, was predictable given the previous demonstration of the development of resistance to AZT in isolates from individuals receiving prolonged treatment with the drug and given the finding that didanosine (ddI) is more efficacious than continued therapy with AZT in individuals who have received > or = 6 months of AZT monotherapy. On the basis of these findings, interest in combinations of antiretroviral agents has continued to grow. Many in vitro studies of nucleoside and nonnucleoside inhibitors of reverse transcriptase combined with interferon-alpha or inhibitors of protease have been published. In addition, numerous clinical trials of various combinations have been completed or are under way. Dr. Martin Hirsch and his colleagues at the Massachusetts General Hospital have been among the leaders of this effort. He and Dr. Angela Caliendo review, in this AIDS Commentary, the current state of our knowledge regarding the potential utility of combination therapy for infection with HIV-1.
Logarithmic behavior of the conductivity of electron-beam deposited granular Pt/C nanowires

We found that granular Pt/ C composite nanowires have a logarithmic temperature dependence of conductivity in a wide range of temperatures. The logarithmic dependence can be explained by Coulomb interaction between Pt grains in a conductive carbon matrix. We stress the difference of the conductivity mechanism in the composite nanogranular material and known mechanisms in bulk metals/semiconductors and low-dimensional systems, including logarithmic dependence in systems with two-dimensional weak localization. Our observations show that local voltage fluctuations between grains result in the logT dependence for the samples with high conductivity annealed nanowires, while the samples with low conductivity as fabricated nanowires appear to be insulators with a Coulomb gap.
Nanometer-Scale Oxide Particles in Gesi Films Grown by Wet Oxidation

Amorphous GeSi films with different thicknesses and oxygen contents were electron beam evaporated onto Si(100) wafers and wet oxidized at 900 °C for 30 min. If there was no oxygen in the as-deposited film, an epitaxial GeSi film would be grown after wet oxidation. For the samples with oxygen, epitaxial growth broke down when the thickness of the epitaxy exceeded about 200 A and polycrystalline GeSi films were formed. A dedicated STEM (scanning transmission election microscope) was used to characterize the sample after oxidation. STEM BF (bright field), ADF (annular dark field), and energy filtered images revealed the presence of small oxide particles in the polycrystalline GeSi films. X-ray microprobe analysis with a windowless detector was employed to identify the oxide particles. The failure of the epitaxy is explained by the random nucleation and growth of GeSi grains on the oxide particles.
Modeling pressure response into a fractured zone of Precambrian basement to understand deep induced-earthquake hypocenters from shallow injection

Abstract Analysis of the spatiotemporal distribution of seismic events in Youngstown, Ohio, from previous studies has revealed that the seismicity was triggered by injection during January through December 2011 into a brine-disposal well (North Star #1 well). Investigation of the hypocenters of induced earthquakes, which were substantially deeper than the injection zones in the well, brings the question of how pore pressure could migrate more than a kilometer below the injection zone into the Precambrian basement rock to cause induced seismicity. By doing numerical modeling of brine injection into the North Star #1 well, it is possible to better understand the relationship among induced-seismicity hypocenter locations, pressure diffusion, and formation geology. The effects of geologic and geomechanical characteristics of subsurface formations have been studied, the potential of hydraulic fracturing during brine injection has been considered, and the potential presence of conductive fault or fractured zone...
Beyond Deservingness: Congressional Discourse on Poverty, 1964—1996:

Much of the research explaining the generosity of antipoverty programs has focused on the perceived deservingness of the poor. While the notion of deservingness is useful in explaining the scope and general outlines of policy, it does not help us understand the development and change of the specific policy instruments that constitute antipoverty policies. The author argues that to better understand the development of antipoverty policy tools aimed at changing the behavior of the poor, we need to analyze how policy elites frame both the causes of poverty and the nature of the poor. He illustrates the utility of this approach by analyzing congressional antipoverty discourse in two periods, comparing the “Great Society” period of 1964 to 1968 and the “neoliberal” era of 1981 to 1996, and shows how policymakers’ frames about the causes of poverty and about the capacities and desires of the poor shaped the specific antipoverty policies adopted in each period.
Quantifying regolith erosion rates with cosmogenic nuclides 10Be and 26Al in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

[1] The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica (MDV) are among the oldest landscapes on Earth, and some landforms there present an intriguing apparent contradiction such that millions of years old surface deposits maintain their meter-scale morphology despite the fact that measured erosion rates are 0.1–4 m Ma−1. We analyzed the concentration of cosmic ray-produced 10Be and 26Al in quartz sands from regolith directly above and below two well-documented ash deposits in the MDV, the Arena Valley ash (40Ar/39Ar age of 4.33 Ma) and the Hart ash (K-Ar age of 3.9 Ma). Measured concentrations of 10Be and 26Al are significantly less than expected given the age of the in situ air fall ashes and are best interpreted as reflecting the degradation rate of the overlying sediments. The erosion rate of the material above the Arena Valley ash that best explains the observed isotope profiles is 3.5 ± 0.41 × 10−5 g cm−2 yr−1 (∼0.19 m Ma−1) for the past ∼4 Ma. For the Hart ash, the erosion rate is 4.8 ± 0.21 × 10−4 g cm−2 yr−1 (∼2.6 m Ma−1) for the past ∼1 Ma. The concentration profiles do not show signs of mixing, creep, or deflation caused by sublimation of ground ice. These results indicate that the slow, steady lowering of the surface without vertical mixing may allow landforms to maintain their meter-scale morphology even though they are actively eroding.
Second-order analysis of lossless and lossy versions of Lempel-Ziv codes

We present an overview of several recent results (some new and some known) on the asymptotic performance of different variants of the Lempel-Ziv coding algorithm, in both the lossless case and the lossy case. The results are based on the asymptotic behavior of waiting times, following the general methodology introduced by Wyner and Ziv (1989). We show that, in this framework, very precise statements can be made about the second-order (asymptotic) properties of the codeword lengths.
Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Cancer

Many cancer patients use therapies promoted as literal alternatives to conventional medical care. Such “alternative” modalities are unproven or were studied and found worthless. These can be harmful. An even greater proportion of cancer patients uses “complementary” therapies along with mainstream cancer treatment. Most are helpful adjunctive approaches that control symptoms and enhance quality of life. This review describes alternative as well as complementary therapies commonly used today by cancer patients. Herbal remedies also are discussed. Evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) is reviewed, and implications for oncologists are discussed. To encourage open communication of CAM use by patients, oncologists should be knowledgeable about the most popular remedies and know where to find reliable information for themselves and for their patients. The Oncologist 2004;9:80-89
Semi-Hyperbolic Waves in Two-Dimensional Compressible Euler Systems

We describe a patch in the self-similar plane as a semi-hyperbolic wave which is locally hyperbolic, but not all characteristics in the patch leads to given boundary data, for the two-dimensional compressible Euler system of equations.
Current gain-Early voltage products in heterojunction bipolar transistors with nonuniform base bandgaps

The tradeoff between common-emitter current gain ( beta ) and Early voltage (V/sub A/) in heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) where the bandgap varies across the base has been studied. The Early voltage depends exponentially on the difference between the bandgap at the collector side of the base and the largest bandgap in the base, allowing very high Early voltages with only very thin narrow bandgap regions. Using Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si HBTs with a two-layer stepped base, beta V/sub A/ products of over 100000 V have been achieved for devices with a cutoff frequency expected to be about 30 GHz. >
Desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon in the horse with use of a tenoscopic approach to the carpal sheath.

Objective— To describe a tenoscopic approach to the carpal sheath for desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon. Study Design— The surgical procedure was developed with use of normal forelimbs from equine cadavers and experimental horses. Animals or Sample Population— Twelve equine cadaveric forelimbs, 4 forelimbs from 2 horses anesthetized for terminal surgical laboratories, and 10 forelimbs from five experimental horses were used. Methods— The limbs were positioned lateral side up with the carpus slightly flexed. After distention of the carpal sheath, a portal was made approximately 2 cm proximal to the distal radial physis for arthroscope insertion. An instrument portal was made approximately 0.2 cm proximal to the distal radial physis. After flexion of the limb to 90°, the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon was palpated and desmotomy was performed. Cadaveric limbs were dissected to confirm complete desmotomy. Experimental horses were monitored for short- (perioperative) and long- (4 weeks) term postoperative complications. Results— A tenoscopic approach to the carpal sheath provided adequate surgical access to the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon for desmotomy. Most of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon could be easily seen within the sheath, except for the proximal 2 cm that could be readily palpated and subsequently transected. Important technical considerations were location of the arthroscope portal, adequate sheath distention, limb flexion to 90°, and desmotomy location. It was beneficial, but apparently not essential, to avoid the proximal perforating vessel. Postoperatively, some horses had swelling but were not lame and had normal range of motion of the carpus. Conclusions— Desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon could be performed by using a lateral tenoscopic approach to the carpal sheath. Clinical Relevance— Desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon by using a tenoscopic approach to the carpal sheath is an alternative technique to the medial incisional approach.
Noninvasive Intracranial Compliance From MRI-Based Measurements of Transcranial Blood and CSF Flows: Indirect Versus Direct Approach

Intracranial compliance (ICC) determines the ability of the intracranial compartment to accommodate an increase in volume without a large increase in intracranial pressure (ICP). The clinical utilization of ICC is limited by the invasiveness of current measurement. Several investigators attempted to estimate ICC noninvasively, from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of cerebral blood and cerebral spinal fluid flows, either using indirect measures of ICC or directly by measuring the ratio of the changes in intracranial volume and pressure during the cardiac cycle. The indirect measures include the phase lag between the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and its driving force, either arterial inflow or net transcranial blood flow. This study compares the sensitivity of phase-based and amplitude-based measures of ICC to changes in ICC. In vivo volumetric blood and CSF flows measured by MRI phase contrast from healthy volunteers and from patients with elevated ICP were used for the comparison. An RLC circuit model of the craniospinal system was utilized to simulate the effect of a change in ICC on the CSF flow waveform. The simulations demonstrated that amplitude-based measures of ICC are considerably more sensitive than phase-based measures, and among the amplitude-based measures, the ICC index provides the most reliable estimate of ICC.
Quantifying and generalizing hydrologic responses to dam regulation using a statistical modeling approach

Summary Despite the ubiquitous existence of dams within riverscapes, much of our knowledge about dams and their environmental effects remains context-specific. Hydrology, more than any other environmental variable, has been studied in great detail with regard to dam regulation. While much progress has been made in generalizing the hydrologic effects of regulation by large dams, many aspects of hydrology show site-specific fidelity to dam operations, small dams (including diversions), and regional hydrologic regimes. A statistical modeling framework is presented as a predictive tool to quantify and generalize hydrologic responses to varying degrees of dam regulation at large spatial scales. In addition, the approach provides a method to expand sample sizes beyond that of traditional dam-hydrologic-effect analyses. Model performance was relatively poor with models explaining 10–31% of the variation in hydrologic responses. However, models had relatively high accuracies (61–89%) in classifying the direction of hydrologic responses as negative or positive. Responses of many hydrologic indices to dam regulation were highly dependent upon regional hydrology, the purpose of the dam, and the presence of diversion dams. In addition, models revealed opposite effects of dam regulation in systems regulated by individual dams versus many upstream dams, suggesting that the effects of dams may be countered by other dams in basins experiencing intensified cumulative disturbance. Results also suggested that particular contexts, including multipurpose dams, high cumulative regulation, diversions, and regions of unpredictable hydrology are all sources of increased error when predicting hydrologic responses to dams. Statistical models, such as the ones presented herein, show promise in their ability to generalize the directionality of hydrologic responses to dam regulation and provide parameter coefficients to inform future site-specific modeling efforts.
A Statistical Study of Poor Relief in Massachusetts

Statistics relating to the nature and extent of poor relief have been compiled with far greater thoroughness in England than in America.' The central government of the United Kingdom gathers statistics of the number of paupers in institutions and also of the number in receipt of outdoor relief. Not only is there no central body of our federal government which collects statistics on poor relief, but in a large number of states not even figures are available for all the counties. In England and in Wales the total public expenditure for the support of the poor is also carefully ascertained annually, while in this country only a few of the states gather statistics relating to the amount expended from the public funds for the relief of the poor.' The field for historical investigation of poor relief in the United States is therefore limited to a few of the older states where records have been kept for a considerable period of years. It is the purpose of this study to discover if possible any tendencies relating to the nature and extent of poor relief in Massachusetts, where statistics relating thereto are available for a period of over fifty years, and incidentally to investigate the methods employed in recording the data bearing upon this subject. Questions at once arise as to the percentage of the population of Massachusetts dependent upon public relief; the age, sex, and nationality of the recipients; the nature of the relief given; and the cost involved. Trends and analyses of the variability of these factors over a period of years may be expected to indicate significant aspects of the historical development of poor relief in Massachusetts. By attempting correlations of the percentage of the population in receipt of relief with such measures of business conditions as bank clearings or commercial failures, and average wages, we may still further investigate this problem of poverty. The number per thousand of the population which received public relief during the years 1892 to 1920 is shown in Table I.2 Vagrants, the insane, and the feebleminded are intended to be excluded from this enumeration, but owing to imperfect methods of classification and to differences in diagnosis this exclusion is incomplete. Previous to the
Effect of inhomogeneities on streamer propagation: I. Intersection with isolated bubbles and particles

The branching of streamers in high pressure gas discharges and discharges in liquids is an almost universal occurrence having many causes. In this paper, we discuss results of an investigation of one possible cause—inhomogeneities in the media through which the streamer propagates. These inhomogeneities produce corresponding enhancements or decreases in ionization and excitation as the avalanche front encounters them, some of which may produce branching. Three types of inhomogeneities were investigated—negative bubbles (regions having a lower density than ambient), positive bubbles (having a higher density) and solid bubbles (particles). Depending on the size and density of the bubble, the streamer can be focused into the bubble (negative small bubble), deflected and split (positive bubbles and particles) or refracted (large negative bubble). In the case of gaseous bubbles, this behavior is partly explained by the larger E/N (electric field/gas number density) in the negative bubble, producing more ionization by electron avalanche, and smaller E/N in the positive bubble, producing less ionization. A streamer may diverge into a negative bubble located off axis due to seeding of electrons in the bubble by photoionization and subsequent avalanching in the large E/N. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Preparation of Temperature- and pH-Sensitive, Stimuli- Responsive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) Nanoparticles

The effects of the monomer ratio, surfac- tant, and crosslinker contents on the particle size and phase-transition behavior of the copolymer poly(N-isopro- pylacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) (PNIPAAm-MAA) were investigated with Fourier transform infrared, differ- ential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic laser scattering techniques. In addition to the thermoresponsive property of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), ionized methacrylic acid groups brought pH sensitivity to the PNIPAAm-MAA co- polymer particles. The polymer particle size varied with the amounts of the monomer ratio, surfactant, and cross- linker. As the monomer ratio and crosslinker content increased and the amount of the surfactants decreased, the particle size increased. The influence of the crosslinker content on the particle size was less significant than the effect of the monomer ratio and surfactants. When the temperature increased, the particles tended to shrink and decreased in size to near or below 100 nm. Particle sizes at 208C decreased to less than 100 nm with increased surfac- tant content. The control of the particle size within the 100-nm range makes PNIPAAm-MAA copolymer particles useful for biomedical and heavy-metal-ion adsorption applications. 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 108: 2226-2232, 2008
Study of airfoil gust response alleviation using an electro-magnetic dry friction damper. Part 1: Theory

In Part 1 of this work, a theoretical simulation study of the non-linear gust response of a three degree-of-freedom typical airfoil section with a control surface using an electro-magnetic dry friction damper is presented. For validation of this theoretical model, an electro-magnetic dry friction damper has been designed and an experimental investigation of the gust response has been carried out in a wind tunnel. Results for both periodic and linear frequency sweep gust excitations have been computed and measured. The fair to good quantitative agreement between theory and experiment verifies that the present electro-magnetic dry friction damper can be used to alleviate the gust response, especially for the plunge and pitch responses. It also shows that the present theoretical method can be successfully applied to determine the non-linear gust response when an electro-magnetic dry friction damper is used in the linear aeroelastic system.
Challenges And Lessons Learned From Communities Using Evidence To Adopt Strategies To Improve Healthy Food Environments.

Communities across the United States are increasingly tackling the complex task of changing their local environments and cultures to improve access to and consumption of healthy food. Communities t...
Identification of proteins that putatively bind the promoter of the stomatal master regulator gene, MUTE

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v LIST OF FIGURES vii LIST OF TABLES viii LITERATURE REVIEW 1 METHODS 18 RESULTS 35 DISCUSSION 65
Toward Understanding Amines and Their Degradation Products from Postcombustion CO2 Capture Processes with Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

Amine-based postcombustion CO2 capture (PCCC) is a promising technique for reducing CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning plants. A concern of the technique, however, is the emission of amines and their degradation byproducts. To assess the environmental risk of this technique, standardized stack sampling and analytical methods are needed. Here we report on the development of an integrated approach that centers on the application of a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) for characterizing amines and PCCC-relevant species. Molecular characterization is achieved via ion chromatography (IC) and electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The method has been optimized, particularly, by decreasing the AMS vaporizer temperature, to gain quantitative information on the elemental composition and major nitrogen-containing species in laboratory-degraded amine solvents commonly tested for PCCC applications, including ethanolamine (MEA), methyldiethanolamine ...
Two Experiments Investigating the Effects of Control-Display Gain and Method of Cursor Control on Touch Tablet Performance

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of control-display gain, method of cursor movement, and target resolution on target selection performance with a touch tablet. A relatively low gain of approximately 0.8 to 1.0 resulted in faster rates of target selection and fewer entries into the target prior to confirmation than did higher or lower gains. In addition, an absolute mode of cursor movement in which the cursor appears on the display in a position corresponding to the location of the finger on the touch tablet resulted in better performance than a relative cursor movement mode. Finally, large targets were selected more quickly and with less errors and target entries than were smaller targets.
Calcitonin, serotonin and parafollicular cell granules during the hibernation activity cycle in the bat.

SummaryA seasonal covariation in calci-tonin and serotonin content of bat thyroid has been found. Whereas the mean level of thyroidal calcitonin in active bats ranged between 30 and 48 MRC mU/mg of protein, a two- to threefold increase in this level was observed prior to and during early hibernation. Associated with this increase, a relative hypocalcemia was observed. In late hibernation, thyroidal calcitonin level returned to the range observed in active bats. A parallel seasonal profile was found for bat thyroid serotonin content, which varied from a mean of 4.1 μg/g during the active phase of the annual life cycle to a peak close to 13 μg/g observed in early hibernation. The seasonal covariation of calcitonin and serotonin reflects ultrastructural changes observed in the secretory granules of thyroid parafollicular cells during the annual life cycle of the bat.The authors wish to acknowledge the competent technical assistance rendered by Mary Ann Viloria and John Patrikes.This work was supported in par...
Techniques of Television Lighting

Practical TV studio-lighting procedures are outlined with emphasis on monochromatic TV. Solutions are suggested for some of the lighting problems arising from the technical limitations of the TV system, the key-light system of TV lighting is contrasted with the base-light system, and considerations in the selection and placement of instruments are presented. Practical methods of controlling light so that it may contribute to the aesthetic realization of the show are touched upon.
β-Adrenoceptor density and adenylyl cyclase activity in obese rabbit hearts

Objective: To determine whether decreased cardiac responsiveness to isoproterenol in obesity is associated with alterations in β-receptors and/or adenylyl cyclase activity. Animals and Design: After 12 weeks of control or ad libitum high-fat diets, left ventricular tissue from lean and obese female New Zealand white rabbits was assayed for β-receptor binding density (11 lean, 11 obese) and isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity (eight lean, 10 obese). Measurements: Nonlinear least squares regression analysis was used to determine maximum density of β-receptors and receptor affinity for 125I-iodocyanopindolol. Four-parameter logistic regression was used to determine minimum, maximum, slope and EC50 for isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity. Results: Obese rabbits had elevated resting blood pressure and heart rate, and higher ventricular weights. However, β-adrenoceptor density and affinity were not significantly different in lean and obese rabbits. Basal and maximum isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity did not differ between lean and obese rabbits. In addition, maximal stimulation in response to sodium flouride did not differ between lean and obese. EC50 for isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity did not differ between lean and obese rabbits. Conclusion: Obesity-related decreases in responsiveness of the isolated heart to isoproterenol are not associated with alterations in β-receptor density and affinity. In addition, adenylyl cyclase activity appeared unchanged in ventricular preparations from obese rabbits. Decreased responsiveness to isoproterenol in obesity may be due to defects downstream of adenylyl cyclase activation of cyclic AMP.
Occult Renal Cell Carcinoma Presenting as Rhyroid Mass: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 3% of adult malignancies and 90%-95% of neoplasms arising from the kidney. RCC may remain clinically occult for most of its course. One-third of patients with newly diagnosed RCC will have metastatic disease at presentation. Common sites of metastasis are lung, bone, liver, …
Analysis of HIV antibody detection in different populations of Zongyang county from 2005 to 2011

Objective To investigate the infection status of HIV in different populations and provide basis for HIV/AIDS monitoring and prevention.Method Data of HIV antibody detection from different populations in Zongyang from 2005 to 2011 were collected and analyzed.Results A total of 31 470 cases in different populations received HIV-antibody test,and 29 patients were confirmed HIV antibody positive,of which 19 cases were males and 10 were females.Their age ranged from 2 to 65 years.Twenty cases(68.97%) were infected through heterosexual transmission and 7 via homosexual transmission.Conclusion The number of people from different populations infected by HIV was increasing.The specific target population screening should be strengthened to maximize the discovery of HIV/AIDS for HIV/ADIS control and prevention.
Analysis on Application of Anti-icing Paint of Insulators

Aiming at lack of effective measures and methods for anti-icing flashover of insulators and scarcity of field application,the paper introduces research status of preventing icing on insulators by painting at home and abroad.Furthermore,it analyzes feasibility of anti-icing principle of an anti-icing paint of organic semiconductor(hereinafter referred to as semiconductive anti-icing paint) combining hydrophobic behavior with surface heating brought forward by Tsinghua University in respects of impact of anti-icing paint on ice form and current leakage of insulators.Field tests of semiconductive anti-icing paint in winter in Guan-Lang line,Yang-Dian line and other severely iced transmission lines in Qingyuan and Shaoguan show that semiconductive anti-icing paint is feasible in principle and effective in anti-icing on insulators.
Networked control of unmanned vehicle using wavelet-based generalized predictive controller

We present a networked control system for nonlinear plants with unknown dynamics using a wavelet neural network (WNN) with feedforward component and generalized predictive controller (GPC). The WNN with feedforward term is used to adaptively model the nonlinear plant using its input and output history. The WNN uses the traditional back propagation algorithm and the feedforward term uses the recursive least-squares error algorithm for training. The model predictive controller predicts the optimal plant input in the presence of sensor and actuator delay. We apply our approach to the control of an unmanned autonomous vehicle and demonstrate its efficacy in the presence of fixed and random network delays. Simulation results show that adding the feedforward component to WNN drastically reduces the number of hidden layer nodes of the WNN and makes it more suited to online identification and control.
THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER: Toward an Ethic of Sustainability

First paragraphs: Sustainable farming is ultimately an ethical commitment. As I have written in a previous column, "There are lots of other occupations where people can make more money with far fewer physical and intellectual challenges...Unless they truly believe that farming is their 'calling,' I advise would-be farmers to choose other occupations" (Ikerd, 2015a, p. 10). A purpose or calling determines what a person should and should not do with their lives and thus is a matter of ethics. In a previous column, I proposed a Food Ethic as a guide for purposeful eating (Ikerd, 2015b). I think we also need an Ethic of Sustainability as a guide for purposeful living, in farming or any other way of life. I propose: A thing is right when it tends to enhance the quality and integrity of both human and nonhuman life on earth by honoring the unique responsibilities and rewards of humans as members and caretakers of the earth's integral community. A thing is wrong when it tends otherwise. First, the ethic goes beyond defining sustain-able practices or even principles by defining some things we might do as "right" and others as "wrong." Questions of right and wrong cannot be answered using currently accepted scientific methods. These are matters of belief or faith. Thus scientists tend to ignore them, and consequently so do most advocates of sustainability. This has allowed the concept of sustainability to be trivialized and coopted by corporations and marginalized by government agencies....
Making mindset matter

Alia Crum and colleagues argue that acting on the growing evidence about the influence of patient mindset and social context on response to healthcare can improve outcomes
Policy Forum: Patent Box Regimes - A Vehicle for Innovation and Sustainable Economic Growth

Innovation is widely recognized as the key to sustainable economic growth. Because people and projects are mobile in this global marketplace, companies have many investment options, and countries must compete for business investment. Research and development incentives are therefore very important, and patent box regimes are becoming more and more popular. However, there are also international concerns about harmful tax practices and base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). Patent box regimes are addressed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in action 5 of its BEPS action plan. In this article, the authors review the concept of the patent box and consider the effectiveness of this type of incentive in driving innovation and prosperity. A review of patent box regimes around the world is provided, with summaries of new regimes enacted or proposed in a number of key jurisdictions. Finally, Canadian developments in this area - existing and potential - are considered.
Design of a Haptic Virtual System for Improving Fine Motor Skills in Children with Autism

Fine motor skills, including gripping, holding and reaching, are useful and necessary in fundamental daily activities. However, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show deficits and delays in fine motor skills compared to their peers. In this paper, we propose a virtual training system enabling the assessment and improvement of fine motor skills for children with ASD through haptic interaction in a low-cost and engaging virtual environment with real-time feedback (e.g., haptic, auditory and visual feedback). This system consists of a Haptic Gripper allowing users to manipulate (e.g., grip and move) virtual balls in the games and thus provides opportunities for users to improve finger and hand motor control. We present the system design, and a small usability study which verified the system functionality and indicated the potential of this system in improving fine motor skills of the users in move and grip manipulations.
Identifying Visual Cues to Improve Independent IndoorNavigation for Blind Individuals

The idea of using technology to help those with visual impairments navigate has been studied extensively. However, most of these systems focus on getting the user from place to place, rather than helping the person get a better sense and intuition of their environment. Providing blind people with the same intuitive clues that sighted persons have may allow them to better navigate physical spaces, and also feel more empowered to freely explore the physical location. For this purpose, we have begun to study the process that sighted individuals use for familiarizing and getting a sense of their environment. We believe our results will show it is possible to enhance the navigational capabilities of blind people by providing access to the same clues used by sighted people to get a sense of their environment.
The Management of Myelomeningocele Study: full cohort 30-month pediatric outcomes.

Background Previous reports from the Management of Myelomeningocele Study demonstrated that prenatal repair of myelomeningocele reduces hindbrain herniation and the need for cerebrospinal fluid shunting, and improves motor function in children with myelomeningocele. The trial was stopped for efficacy after 183 patients were randomized, but 30-month outcomes were only available at the time of initial publication in 134 mother-child dyads. Data from the complete cohort for the 30-month outcomes are presented here. Maternal and 12-month neurodevelopmental outcomes for the full cohort were reported previously. Objective The purpose of this study is to report the 30-month outcomes for the full cohort of patients randomized to either prenatal or postnatal repair of myelomeningocele in the original Management of Myelomeningocele Study. Study Design Eligible women were randomly assigned to undergo standard postnatal repair or prenatal repair Results The data for the full cohort of 183 patients corroborate the original findings of Management of Myelomeningocele Study, confirming that prenatal repair improves the primary outcome composite score of mental development and motor function (199.4 ± 80.5 vs 166.7 ± 76.7, P = .004). Prenatal surgery also resulted in improvement in the secondary outcomes of independent ambulation (44.8% vs 23.9%, P = .004), WeeFIM self-care score (20.8 vs 19.0, P = .006), functional level at least 2 better than anatomic level (26.4% vs 11.4%, P = .02), and mean Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition, psychomotor development index (17.3% vs 15.1%, P = .03), but does not affect cognitive development at 30 months. On subgroup analysis, there was a nominally significant interaction between gender and surgery, with boys demonstrating better improvement in functional level and psychomotor development index. For patients receiving prenatal surgery, the presence of in utero ankle, knee, and hip movement, absence of a sac over the lesion and a myelomeningocele lesion of ≤L3 were significantly associated with independent ambulation. Postnatal motor function showed no correlation with either prenatal ventricular size or postnatal shunt placement. Conclusion The full cohort data of 30-month cognitive development and motor function outcomes validate in utero surgical repair as an effective treatment for fetuses with myelomeningocele. Current data suggest that outcomes related to the need for shunting should be counseled separately from the outcomes related to distal neurologic functioning.
Integrative Data Analysis of Gender and Ethnic Measurement Invariance in Nicotine Dependence Symptoms.

Little research has evaluated whether conflicting evidence for gender and racial/ethnic differences in nicotine dependence (ND) may be attributed to differences in psychometric properties of ND symptoms, particularly for young Hispanic smokers. Inadequate racial/ethnic diversity and limited smoking exposure variability has hampered research in young smokers. We used integrative data analysis (IDA) to pool DSM-IV ND symptom data for current smokers aged 12–25 (N = 20,328) from three nationally representative surveys (1999, 2000 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and Wave 1 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA) tested symptom measurement invariance in the pooled sample containing greater ethnic and smoking exposure variability. There was study noninvariance for most symptoms. NESARC participants were more likely to report tolerance, using larger amounts or for longer periods, inability to cut down/quit, and more time spent smoking at higher levels of ND severity, but reported emotional/physical health problems at lower ND severity. Four symptoms showed gender or race/ethnicity noninvariance, but observed differences were small. An ND severity factor score adjusting for symptom noninvariance related to study membership, gender, and race/ethnicity did not differ substantively from traditional DSM-IV diagnosis and number of endorsed symptoms in estimated gender and race/ethnicity differences in ND. Results were consistent with studies finding minimal gender and racial/ethnic differences in ND, and suggest that symptom noninvariance is not a major contributor to observed differences. Results support IDA as a potentially promising approach for testing novel ND hypotheses not possible in independent studies.
Shadows of Colonialism: Structural Violence, Development and Adivasi Rights in Post-Colonial Madhya Pradesh

This paper examines the status of tribal communities in central India through the lens of structural violence. In the process, a new and normatively grounded definition of violence is put forward w...
Monitoring VHA Optometric Eye Exam Services, Nation-Wide, 2014-2016.

INTRODUCTION It is important to monitor the use of optometric services by Veterans and consider the implications for other optometric and vision rehabilitation services. We did not find public health reports documenting the recent utilization of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) optometric eye exam services. METHODS A cross-sectional study design was used in this secondary data analysis report. We were interested in reporting on the number of Veterans using the VHA system with at least one VHA optometric eye exam service in 2014, 2015, or 2016 within a VHA optometry clinic. The data from Veterans were derived from the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse. RESULTS The number of unique Veteran patients who had at least one indication of VHA optometric eye exam service, nation-wide, increased from 1.4 million Veteran patients in 2014 to 1.6 million patients in 2016. The percentage of Veterans using VHA optometric eye exam services out of all unique VHA patients receiving care in the VHA system in 2014, 2015, and 2016 was 25.4%, 25.8%, and 26.8%, respectively. During each year of this time period, about 94% of the Veteran patients were male using optometric eye exam services. Florida, California, Texas, Ohio, and New York had the largest number of Veterans using optometric eye exam services, at least once, in 2014, 2015, or 2016. CONCLUSION Veteran patients who made at least one VHA optometric eye exam service visit, nation-wide, increased from 2014 to 2016. Data showed that Veteran patients in the older age groups (age 55 and greater) used optometric eye exam services differently when compared with Veterans in the younger age groups. This difference may invite consideration of the differing optometric needs of these two, broad groups of eligible Veterans in order to expand access to VHA optometric clinical services.