cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trajectories of post-traumatic stress and externalizing psychopathology among maltreated foster care youth: A parallel process latent growth curve model

Few longitudinal studies have analyzed how violence exposure (e.g. child maltreatment, witnessing community violence) influence both externalizing and Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) symptoms among children in foster care. Data from three waves of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (1999-2007) (NSCAW; National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect, 2002) were analyzed to investigate the change trajectories of both externalizing and PTS symptomatology among children with a substantiated report of child maltreatment by Child Protective Services (CPS) between October 1999 and December 2000. This study uses data collected at three time points: baseline and approximately 18 (Wave 3) and 36 (Wave 4) months post-baseline. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scale measured externalizing symptoms and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder section of a version of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) provided the measure of current trauma-related symptoms or distress. Analyses were conducted using a parallel process growth curve model with a sample of n=280 maltreated youth between the ages of 8 and 15 following home removal. Findings revealed that initial levels of externalizing and PTS symptomatology were both significantly and positively related and co-develop over time. Externalizing symptom severity remained in the borderline range during the first two years in out-of-home care. Both direct and indirect forms of interpersonal violence exposure were associated with initial level of externalizing symptom and PTS symptom severity, respectively. Taken together, our results suggest an underlying process that links early violence exposure to the co-development and cumulative impact of PTS on externalizing behavior above and beyond experiences of maltreatment. We conclude by discussing the key points of intervention that result from a more nuanced understanding of the longitudinal relationship between PTS and externalizing symptoms and the effect of complex trauma on growth in these symptoms over time.
From the Cold War to the warmed globe: planning, design-policy entrepreneurism, and the crises of nuclear weapons and climate change

Faced with two existential threats – nuclear war and climate change – planners have responded by proposing sweeping reforms for city-regions, often deploying the newfound rationales to re-package e...
Comparing Two Means

You have been studying the application of inference techniques to various situations involving genuine data. In the previous two topics you have investigated problems which call for inferences about a population mean. With this topic you will examine the case of comparing two sample means where the samples have been collected independently (as opposed to the paired comparisons design that you studied in the last topic). The inference procedures will again be based on the t-distribution; the reasoning behind and interpretation of the procedures remain the same as always. Also as always, you will see the importance of visual and numerical examinations of the data prior to applying formal inference procedures.
The Rule of Prior Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies: Theory and Practice in International Human Rights Procedures

The rule of exhaustion of domestic remedies is arguably the most important admissibility requirement in international human rights procedure. It plays a pivotal role, as an interface between international and national legal systems. Starting from the practice of diplomatic protection and some very succinct statutory provisions, it evolved over time, by and large through jurisprudential elaboration. Because international human rights bodies insist in applying it flexibly—treating it more as a golden rule than a rule set in stone—and because the number of exceptions over time has grown considerably, there is significant doubt as to the exact scope of the rule and its exceptions. This uncertainty causes twofold confusion. It leads to an excessive amount of petitions being filed when they should not, but also causes many petitions to remain unfiled because of doubts as to their admissibility. It is argued here that it is time for authoritative codification of the sprawling jurisprudence on this rule.
The Teaching of Ethics in Undergraduate Nonethics Courses

In his first paper for me in an upper-level literature course, a graduating college senior argued that Meursault, the protagonist of Camus’ The Stranger, should be seen as heroic. As he explained it, “Even though Meursault murdered someone, he is still a hero because he did it only in passing.” In a conference the next day, the student verified that he had expressed himself accurately. The problem was not, as I had hoped, his writing.
7.2 Biophysics of Cell-Matrix Adhesion

Most biological cells must adhere to other cells or extracellular matrix (ECM) to perform normal physiological functions. How cells adhere to their environment determines, to a large extent, the architecture of the tissue – its shape, strength, organization, and the arrangement of different cell types. The cell-cell and cell-ECM junctions are also sites for both biochemical and mechanical signals to be transduced between the inside and outside of the cell. The biophysics of cell-ECM adhesion discussed in this chapter deals with the mechanics and kinetics of interactions between transmembrane receptors and their ECM ligands. They are an integral part of other molecular interactions in the ECM and inside the cell that govern the properties and behavior of the cell in a wide range of processes such as migration, spreading, differentiation, growth, and healing. Thus, quantitative understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesions is crucial for advancing conceptual understanding of the organization, function, and dynamics of multicellular structures.
Chemotherapeutic and Immunological Considerations on the Response of Choriocarcinomas

Choriocarcinoma can originate either from the products of conception, or from the germinal cells of the gonads of either sex. Rarely, it may arise from embryonal rest cells in extra-gonadal sites such as the mediastinum, pineal body, lung, stomach, urinary bladder, and tissues in the retroperitoneal area. Although choriocarcinoma of different origins are similar in their histological appearance, in the production of chorionic gonadotropin and in their clinical behaviour and rapid dissemination, they respond differently to chemotherapeutic agents and they differ in their host-tumor relationships. The present report deals with the findings of investigations on these two topics.
A Tale of Two Translations: Rhetorical Style and the Post-Conciliar English Translations of the Mass:

John O’Malley’s study of the rhetorical style of Vatican II bears also on the question of post-conciliar vernacular translations of the liturgy. This article proposes a “hospitality” model of litur...
Plane Wave Synthesis in a Reconfigurable Over-the-air Chamber

This work explores the accuracy with which a reconfigurable over-the-air chamber is able to synthesize a plane wave, as a basic component of a multipath field, in a test zone in which a wireless device under test is to be placed for performance evaluation. The excitations and reflection coefficients required to synthesize the plane wave are determined from a gradient descent optimization seeded with a convex optimization of a linear approximation of the problem. Results show that the chamber is able to synthesize a plane wave with high fidelity over a test zone circle whose diameter is approximately 40 % of the chamber side dimension.
A Pragmatic Approach to Phonological Systems of Deaf Speakers

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the similarities and differences between the phonological systems of normally hearing adults and children and deaf adults and children. The more recent literature concerning language development in the deaf has provided substantial insight into relationships between deaf speakers' sound errors and those of young, normally hearing children. While it is true that similar errors in deaf speakers and hearing children may indicate that one effect of deafness is generally to retard phonological development, it is not true that general retardation is the only effect of deafness on phonology. The chapter presents some methods of data acquisition in research on deaf speech
Social Group Characteristics and Health Behavior

How does the organization of social relationships affect human responses to potentially disruptive situations like illness or the possibility of illness? After several decades of speculation and research, much has been learned, although most of what we know in this area continues to be challenged and reinterpreted through ongoing research. In the field of sociology, these challenges have taken several different directions. New and more sophisticated methodologies continue to be applied to earlier data sets in an effort to substantiate, refute, or modify previous research findings. Once-popular theories and modes of explanation like systems theory and functionalism have given way to alternative approaches like network theory. Replications of research using diverse population groups have helped to clarify and, in many cases, correct previous conclusions of how key variables combine to influence behavior.
Systematic review with meta-analysis: prevalence of prior and concurrent Barrett's oesophagus in oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND The proportions of patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) diagnosed by Barrett's oesophagus surveillance or with pre-existing Barrett's oesophagus are unclear. AIM To estimate the prevalence of prior and concurrent Barrett's oesophagus diagnosis among patients with OAC or oesophagogastric junction adenocarcinomas (OGJAC). METHODS We searched PubMed and Embase to identify studies published 1966-1/8/2020 that examined the prevalence of prior (≥6 months) or concurrent Barrett's diagnosis (at cancer diagnosis) among OAC and OGJAC patients. Random effects models estimated overall and stratified pooled prevalence rates. RESULTS A total of 69 studies, including 33 002 OAC patients (53 studies) and 2712 patients with OGJAC (28 studies) were included. The pooled prevalence of prior Barrett's oesophagus diagnosis in OAC was 11.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 8.4%-15.6%). The prevalence of prior Barrett's oesophagus diagnosis was higher in single-centre resection studies (16.0%, 95% CI 8.7%-24.9%) than population-based cancer registry studies (8.4%, 95% CI 5.5%-11.9%). The prevalence of concurrent Barrett's oesophagus in OAC was 56.6% (95% CI 48.5%-64.6%). Studies with 100% early stage OAC had higher prevalence of concurrent Barrett's oesophagus (91.3%, 95% CI 82.4%-97.6%) than studies with <50% early OAC (39.7%, 95% CI 33.7%-45.9%). In OGJAC, the prevalence of prior and concurrent Barrett's oesophagus was 23.2% (95% CI 7.5%-44.0%) and 26.3% (95% CI 17.8%-35.7%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Most patients with OAC have Barrett's oesophagus. Our meta-analysis found ~12% of OAC patients had prior Barrett's diagnosis, but concurrent Barrett's oesophagus was found in ~57% at the time of OAC diagnosis. This represents a considerable missed opportunity for Barrett's oesophagus screening.
Children's Health Insurance Status and Emergency Room Utilization: An Examination of Complex Survey Data

Since the Children's Health Insurance Program's passage into law in 1997, the program has increased in cost to over $15 billion in recent years. Emergency room usage has also increased throughout the United States, leading to nationwide issues in overcrowding and surges in service costs. This study seeks to examine emergency room utilization of children insured under Children's Health Insurance Program to determine if Children's Health Insurance Program enrollees use the emergency room more or less frequently than their privately insured counterparts. The data used in this study were from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey. SAS statistical software was used to conduct a multinomial regression assessing the relationship between insurance type (private v. Children's Health Insurance Program) and frequency of emergency room utilization over the last 12 months. The analysis results indicate no statistically significant difference between Children's Health Insurance Program insured and privately insured children in terms of frequency of emergency room utilization and suggest a need to explore other factors that more directly influence Children's Health Insurance Program costs.
Never again left in prison cells: Black girl’s citizenship making in an era of anti-Black girlhoods

This sociohistorical analysis situates Black girls experiences in alternative schools as a fight for citizenship. In this era of what we call antiblack girlhoods we describe how Black girls are red...
The corporate rich and the power elite in the twentieth century: how they won, why liberals and labor lost: by G.William Domhoff, New York, Routledge, 2020, 546 pp., $59.95 (softcover), ISBN 978-0-367-25389-9

G. William Domhoff’s latest book applies and extends the theoretical framework for the study of power in American politics that he first put forward in 1967 in Who Rules America? This book, The Cor...
Robotic-assisted percutaneous iliac screw fixation for destructive lumbosacral metastatic lesions: an early single-institution experience

Robotic-assisted surgery is becoming more widely applied in surgical subspecialties due to its intraoperative and postoperative advantages such as minimally invasive approach, reduced blood loss, shorter hospital stay, and decreased incidence of postoperative complications. However, robotic devices were only recently introduced in the field of spinal surgery. Specifically, percutaneous approaches involving computer-assisted image guidance are relatively new in iliac screw fixation. Previous methods focused on the use of S2-alar-iliac (S2AI) screw fixation which allows for pelvic fixation without a need for side connectors. However, for patients with destructive lesions of the sacrum, placement of these S2AI screws may not be feasible. The purpose of this technical note is to illustrate the implementation of robotic-assisted percutaneous iliac screw fixation in two cases which allows for minimally invasive attachment to the proximal lumbar screws without a side connector and eliminates a potential source of instrumentation failure. Robotic-assisted percutaneous iliac screw fixation was performed on two patients. The robotics system was used to merge the fluoroscopic images with intraoperative computed tomography (CT) images to plan the trajectories for placement of bilateral pedicle and iliac screws. Intraoperative CT scan was again performed to confirm proper placement of all screws. Rods were then engaged bilaterally with the pedicle and iliac screws without the use of side connectors. The patients did not experience immediate postoperative complications and had stable hardware at one-month follow-up. Our cases demonstrate the surgical efficiency of robotic-assisted lumbo-iliac instrumentation which obviates the need to use a side connector, which is commonly used in iliac fixation. This eliminates a step, which can reduce the possibility of instrumentation failure. Robotic-assisted percutaneous iliac screw fixation is a safe and feasible technique to improve operative and clinical outcomes in complex spinal instrumentation surgeries.
Application of Deep CNN-LSTM Network to Gear Fault Diagnostics

Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is an optimum predictive maintenance framework that proposes maintenance actions based on monitoring the state data of an asset. Diagnostics is a principle concept in this framework and deals with fault detection, identification and isolation. Improving performance of diagnostics methods is of importance since it can result in reducing downtimes, improving operation reliability, reducing operations and maintenance costs. On the other hand, development of computational resources and sensory facilities could contribute highly to data based diagnostics approaches. The current paper studies one of these approaches that is categorized under deep learning (DL) concepts for a fault classification problem. A convolutional neural network (CNN) is used along with a long short term memory (LSTM) network for fault classification of vibration data of a helicopter gearbox mockup system. In experimental tests, multiple gears at different conditions e.g. healthy gear and defective gears with root crack on one tooth, multiple cracks on five teeth and missing tooth, are taken into account. A deep learning model is built and its performance is evaluated using post processing techniques.
CHAPTER 244 – Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors

The development of FTIs during the past ten years constitutes a convoluted story. Originally designed to treat Ras-related cancers by inhibiting oncogenic Ras function, FTIs are now thought to be ineffective against N- and K-Ras due to alternative prenylation, and to exert their effects primarily through inhibition of the farnesylation of other substrate proteins or the induction of proteins such as RhoB. With so many potential FTI targets, each with a different cellular function and sensitivity to FTIs, the task of unraveling the mechanism of FTI action is complex. But even in the absence of an understanding of which specific substrates mediate which specific consequences, it is clear that FTIs do have utility as anti-cancer agents, and can be useful tools to demonstrate the contribution of farnesylated proteins to the control of a particular signaling pathway.
Why Many Developing Countries Just Aren't

Annual income/capita varies across countries of the world by a factor of almost 100. Past literature has often associated income with culture, geography, history, and religion, but these cannot be easily changed. We seek to uncover mutable determinants of income. There is good news. More than 80% of the cross-country variation in per capita income can be explained by mutable determinants. Among these are property rights, black market activity, regulation, civil liberties, press freedom, government spending, trade barriers, inflation, and political rights. Data for five recent years 1995-99 were used in this determination. To check that these factors were causes and not the effects of high income, the trajectories of income before and after democratic and anti-democratic events were traced using data over the past half century. After a democratic event, income rises on average dramatically while the reverse is true after an anti-democratic event. We conclude that countries can develop faster by enforcing strong property rights, fostering an independent judiciary, attacking corruption, dismantling burdensome regulation, allowing press freedom, and protecting political rights and civil liberties. These features define a healthy environment for economic activity. Trade per se is not causative, but rather follows after the establishment of these conditions.
The interstitial cells in the testis of Ichthyophis glutinosus Linn

The interstitial tissue of the testis ofIchthyophis glutinosus varies in quantity and distribution in the active and resting conditions of the testis. In the former it is in the form of scattered groups of cells in the interstices of the locules, while in the latter it occurs as large number of nests of cells between the locules. Fat is a characteristic cytoplasmic content of the interstitital cell and is believed to have arisen by the activity of the Golgi bodies. The significance of this fat or the general functional significance of the interstitial tissue of the testis is unknown.
Full‐Field Sensing: Three‐Dimensional Computer Vision and Digital Image Correlation for Noncontacting Shape and Deformation Measurements

Computer vision methods using digital image correlation for image matching, with emphasis on stereovision systems for three-dimensional shape and displacement measurements, are described. Basic theoretical developments and details regarding a recent application of the methodology to quantify deformations in structural components are presented. Results indicate that vision-based methods can be used successfully to quantify shape and deformation in a wide range of structural and component configurations. Keywords: noncontacting measurements; digital image correlation; subpixel image registration; stereovision; full-field surface shape; deformation and motion measurements
Structure of the O-glycosidically linked carbohydrate units of fetuin.

Abstract Fetuin isolated from fetal calf serum was shown to contain 3 carbohydrate units which are attached to serine and threonine residues on the peptide chain and are distinct from the 3 asparagine-linked heteropolysaccharides previously reported to occur in this protein. The O-glycosidically linked saccharide units were obtained as reduced oligosaccharides after alkaline borohydride treatment of fetuin and as glycopeptides subsequent to pronase digestion of this protein. Gel filtration and Dowex 1 chromatography of the oligosaccharides resulted in the isolation of a tri- and a tetrasaccharide which were made up of sialic acid, galactose, and N-acetylgalactosaminitol residues and could be converted after selective removal of the sialic acid to the same disaccharide (galactosyl-N-acetylgalactosaminitol). Studies employing periodate oxidation and glycosidase digestion indicated that the structure of the tetrasaccharide was N-acetylneuraminyl-(2 →3)-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1 →3)[N-acetylneuraminyl-(2 →6)]-N-acetylgalactosaminitol and that the trisaccharide differed only by the absence of the sialyl residue linked to the N-acetylgalactosaminitol. Glycopeptides containing the alkali-labile carbohydrate units were purified on Sephadex and diethylaminoethylcellulose columns. In this manner peptides distinguished by a high proline content and containing 1 tetrasaccharide, 1 trisaccharide, or 2 trisaccharides were obtained. Alkaline sulfite treatment of these glycopeptides indicated that 2 serine and 1 threonine residue in each fetuin molecule is involved in the attachment of carbohydrate units. The tetrasaccharide was found to be linked only to serine while attachment of trisaccharide units involved a serine and a threonine residue which were located in close proximity in the peptide chain. Smith periodate degradation of sialic acid-free glycopeptides resulted in removal of the galactose and yielded a product from which complete release of N-acetylgalactosamine was accomplished by digestion with α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase although no cleavage of this sugar was effected by the action of β-N-acetylhexosaminidase. This indicated that the alkali-labile units of fetuin are attached to the peptide chain by α-D-N-acetylgalactosaminyl-(1 →3)-serine (threonine) bonds. Of the total carbohydrate of fetuin 21%, including all three of the galactosamine residues, was shown to be located in the O-glycosidically linked units with the remainder occurring in the more alkali-stable N-glycosidically bound form. The alkaline sulfite treatment employed in this investigation produced in good yield the sulfonyl derivatives of the amino acids and amino sugar involved in the glycopeptide linkage. Since the cysteic acid and α-amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid obtained in this manner do not separate on the amino acid analyzer, a chromatographic procedure employing Dowex 1 was developed which permitted resolution of these two components.
Resolution and Recurrence of Vitiligo Following Excision of Congenital Melanocytic Nevus

Vitiligo associated with halo congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN) is rare. There are limited reports in the literature, especially with regard to CMN excision. We present the case of a 5-year-old girl who presented with vitiligo of the periorbital and axillary regions and halo formation around CMN of the buttock. The lesion was excised, and all areas of vitiligo improved, but 18 months postoperatively, a halo of depigmentation appeared around the excision scar and later in the periorbital and axillary regions. In review of literature, there is only one report of excision of halo CMN and resultant improvement of vitiligo. Although initial resolution of vitiligo in this case was promising, the recurrence indicates that this complex process is not reliably controlled with excision of the inciting lesion.
Compatibility of Major U.S. Christian Denominations with Evolution

Public school teachers sometimes encounter the sentiment that the study and acceptance of evolutionary theory is contrary to the Christian faith. This perception can pose a significant barrier to the teaching of evolution and other sciences if students assume beforehand that the topic contradicts what they are supposed to believe from a religious standpoint. An informal survey of major Christian organizations and denominations in the United States, based mostly on publicly available statements, indicates that in fact most Christians, as represented by their governing bodies, view evolution as being compatible with their faith. Although on a worldwide basis this is largely a result of the high number (estimated at 1.2 billion) of adherents to Catholicism, even in the United States, where Protestants outnumber Catholics and where anti-evolution sentiment runs high, there is more acceptance than non-acceptance of evolution among Christians, based on statements from their organizing bodies or spokespersons. Protestant groups are divided on the issue, with more “mainstream” denominations (e.g., Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian) accepting evolutionary biology as being compatible with their faith, and more fundamentalist or Pentecostal groups denying compatibility or rejecting evolution. Relevant statements from denominations or organizations both pro and con are included.
Evaluating the Feasibility of Biomass Pyrolysis Oil for Spray Combustion Applications

Current fuel conversion technology is a result of decades of experience with fossil fuels. The liquid fuels derived from the pyrolysis of biomass are significantly different from fossil fuel oils. The chemical and physical properties of typical pyrolysis oils were investigated and compared to fossil fuels. Special fuel handling requirements for the bio-oil were incorporated into a fuel delivery system design and a laboratory scale spray combustor system was constructed. The implications of the viscosity and surface tension on the atomization were analyzed, leading to an experimental combustion chamber and air swirler design. Hot-gas filtered pyrolysis oil made from poplar wood at NREL was used in the combustion experiments. Emissions were monitored and CFR 40 part 60 methods were used to sample stack gas. These results were used to determine optimal operating conditions. It was concluded that, within specific constraints, an industrial size boiler or furnace could be constructed and operated to reliably b...
A Rapid, Manual Method to Map Coronal-Loop Structures of an Active Region Using Cubic Bézier Curves and Its Applications to Misalignment Angle Analysis

A rapid and flexible manual method is described that maps individual coronal loops of a 2D EUV image as Bezier curves using only four points per loop. Using the coronal loops as surrogates of magnetic-field lines, the mapping results restrict the magnetic-field models derived from extrapolations of magnetograms to those admissible and inadmissible via a fitness parameter. We outline explicitly how the coronal loops can be employed in constraining competing magnetic-field models by transforming 2D coronal-loop images into 3D field lines. The magnetic-field extrapolations must satisfy not only the lower boundary conditions of the vector field (the vector magnetogram) but also must have a set of field lines that satisfies the mapped coronal loops in the volume, analogous to an upper boundary condition. This method uses the minimization of the misalignment angles between the magnetic-field model and the best set of 3D field lines that match a set of closed coronal loops. The presented method is an important tool in determining the fitness of magnetic-field models for the solar atmosphere. The magnetic-field structure is crucial in determining the overall dynamics of the solar atmosphere.
Tracing copper bell trade patterns in the greater Southwest using the Los Alamos nuclear microprobe

Abstract The Los Alamos nuclear microprobe has been used for trace-element analysis of cast copper crotals (bells) by proton induced X-ray emmission (PIXE). Small spot sizes were used because the copper bells have mineral inclusions and intercrystalline grain boundaries on the order of 40 μm. Information on the trace element metallurgy of copper bell castings is important for the establishment of early trade patterns. Results show that the PIXE technique has potential for tracking copper bell trade patterns using trace-elements at the 5 μg g level.
Localizing glucose transport proteins: Active investigation of passive carriers

The “liver” isoform of the facilitated diffusion glucose transporter is expressed predominantly in liver, intestine, kidney, and pancreatic islet α-cells. The apparent molecular mass of the transporter in liver, kidney, and intestine is different, as detected by Western blot analysis of membrane proteins using antipeptide antibodies. However, as assessed by Northern blot analysis and molecular cloning, the same mRNA is expressed in these tissues, indicating that there are tissue-specific posttranslational modifications of the same transporter polypeptide. As determined by immunofluorescence analysis on frozen tissue sections, the liver glucose transporter is present on the sinusoidal membrane of hepatocytes, on the basolateral membrane of fully differentiated absorptive intestine epithelial cells, and on the basolateral membrane of proximal tubule cells of the kidney nephron. This localization is consistent with the involvement of the liver glucose transporter in several key steps of glucose metabolism: glucose uptake and release by the liver and absorption or reabsorption by epithelial cells of the intestine and kidney, respectively. The localization of two glucose transporter isoforms was mapped in the rat kidney: the high-Michaelis constant (Km; 15-20mM) low-affinity “liver” transporter and the low-Km (1-2mM) high-affinity erythroid/brain transporter. Both are basolateral membrane proteins, but the liver transporter was present exclusively in the S1 part of the proximal tubule, whereas the erythroid/brain transporter was expressed at variable levels in different nephron segments. Staining intensity was low in the straight proximal tubule (S3), intermediate in the medullary thin and thick ascending limbs, and highest in connecting segments and collecting ducts. In the collecting duct, the erythroid/brain glucose transporter was expressed at the highest level in intercalated cells; less was present in principal cells. In the papilla, only intercalated cells expressed this transporter isoform. These results suggest specific involvement of each transporter isoform in transepithelial glucose reabsorption by different segments of the proximal tubule. They also indicate that while the liver glucose transporter is present in gluconeogenic cells, there is a good correlation between the level of expression of the erythroid/brain glucose transporter and the glycolytic activity of the different nephron segments.
Printing nanotube/nanowire for flexible microsystems

Printing has become an emerging manufacturing technology for mechanics, electronics, and consumer products. Additionally, both nanotubes and nanowires have recently been used as materials for sensors and electrodes due to their unique electrical and mechanical properties. Printed electrodes and conductive traces particularly offer versatility of fabricating low-cost, disposable, and flexible electrical devices and microsystems. While various printing methods such as screen printing have been conventional methods for printing conductive traces and electrodes, inkjet printing has recently attracted great attention due to its unique advantages including no template requirement, rapid printing at low cost, on-demand printing capability, and precise control of the printed material. Computer generated conductive traces or electrode patterns can simply be printed on a thin film substrate with proper conductive ink consisting of nanotubes or nanowires. However, in order to develop nanotube or nanowire ink, there are a few challenges that need to be addressed. The most difficult obstacle to overcome is that of nanotube/nanowire dispersion within a solution. Other challenges include adjusting surface tension and controlling viscosity of the ink as well as treating the surface of the printing substrate. In an attempt to pave the way for nanomaterial inkjet printing, we present a method for preparing carbon nanotube ink as well as its printing technique. A fully printed electrochemical sensor using inkjet-printed carbon nanotube electrodes is also demonstrated as an example of the possibilities for this technology.
Measuring Adherence to Alternative vs. Conventional Agricultural Paradigms: A Proposed Scale*

Current debates and conflicts in agriculture appear to reflect the competing perspectives of two increasingly distinct camps of agricultural stakeholders: proponents of “alternative agriculture” and proponents of “conventional agriculture.” Several analysts have argued that members of these two camps hold fundamentally divergent paradigms of agriculture, and thus, literally see the world quite differently. The purpose of this paper is to describe an instrument—the Alternative-Conventional Agriculture Paradigm Scale (or ACAP Scale)—developed to measure the basic beliefs and values assumed to constitute the two competing perspectives in agriculture. Items designed to tap all of the major dimensions identified in the alternative-conventional agriculture debate were included in surveys of known groups of alternative and conventional agriculturalists, as well as in a statewide survey of farmers. The items discriminate significantly between the three samples (with the statewide farmer sample taking the intermediate position), suggesting their validity as measures of the elements of the competing agricultural paradigms. The items also exhibit a high degree of internal consistency, indicating the appropriateness of combining them into a single instrument to measure adherence to alternative versus conventional agriculture. As expected, the known groups provide more consistent responses than do the statewide sample of farmers, presumably reflecting the greater ideological coherence of social movement and interest group members. However, the alternative agriculturalists are far more consistent than are the conventional agriculturalists, and potential explanations for this finding are drawn from recent work on social movements.
Portal cirrhosis with ascites: An analysis of 200 cases with special reference to prognosis and treatment

In our study, alcohol was the most frequently encountered contributing etiologic factor. Fifty-one per cent of the patients gave a history of the consumption of alcoholic beverages in excessive amounts. The average duration of life for the 158 patients who died after the onset of ascites was 12.9 months; the forty-two patients who were alive at the completion of this study had survived for an average of 45.5 months. The most frequent causes of immediate death were coma, gastro-intestinal hemorrhage and infection. Satisfactory results of treatment were obtained for 30.7 per cent of the patients who received a high carbohydrate diet and diuretic agents, as compared to excellent results for 44 per cent in the group that received a high carbohydrate, high vegetable protein diet and large doses of vitamins. Diuretic remedies, on which so much therapeutic reliance has been placed in the past, probably do more harm than good except in selected cases. Omentopexy for ascites proved to be a failure.
A systematic literature review of actionable alert identification techniques for automated static code analysis

ContextAutomated static analysis (ASA) identifies potential source code anomalies early in the software development lifecycle that could lead to field failures. Excessive alert generation and a large proportion of unimportant or incorrect alerts (unactionable alerts) may cause developers to reject the use of ASA. Techniques that identify anomalies important enough for developers to fix (actionable alerts) may increase the usefulness of ASA in practice. ObjectiveThe goal of this work is to synthesize available research results to inform evidence-based selection of actionable alert identification techniques (AAIT). MethodRelevant studies about AAITs were gathered via a systematic literature review. ResultsWe selected 21 peer-reviewed studies of AAITs. The techniques use alert type selection; contextual information; data fusion; graph theory; machine learning; mathematical and statistical models; or dynamic detection to classify and prioritize actionable alerts. All of the AAITs are evaluated via an example with a variety of evaluation metrics. ConclusionThe selected studies support (with varying strength), the premise that the effective use of ASA is improved by supplementing ASA with an AAIT. Seven of the 21 selected studies reported the precision of the proposed AAITs. The two studies with the highest precision built models using the subject program's history. Precision measures how well a technique identifies true actionable alerts out of all predicted actionable alerts. Precision does not measure the number of actionable alerts missed by an AAIT or how well an AAIT identifies unactionable alerts. Inconsistent use of evaluation metrics, subject programs, and ASAs in the selected studies preclude meta-analysis and prevent the current results from informing evidence-based selection of an AAIT. We propose building on an actionable alert identification benchmark for comparison and evaluation of AAIT from literature on a standard set of subjects and utilizing a common set of evaluation metrics.
Clinical translation section: accelerating the pace from bench to bedside

Cell and gene therapy clinical trials have been conducted for various indications such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune disorders for more than 20 years.
Comparison of Clinical Indicators in Two Nursing Homes

Objective: Pressure ulcer prevalences in 30 VA nursing homes in 1986 ranged from 0% to 15%. The institutions with lowest (“A”) and highest (“B”) prevalence were selected for further examination. Design: Analysis of nursing home files for five study periods, each lasting 6 months. Setting: A and B were 60-bed rural and 280-bed urban facilities, respectively. Measurements: Eleven outcome indicators were calculated for each study period: prevalences and incidences of pressure ulcer, aggressive behavior and disruptive behavior, 6-month declines in each of the four activities of daily living (ADLs), and prevalence of underweight. Results: Populations in A and B were similar with regard to age, sex, length of stay, degree of dependency, and level of nursing care. All indicators for the first study period were more favorable in A than in B. In addition, underweight (body mass index <22 kg/M2) was significantly less prevalent in A than in B. The differences between the two institutions in the indicators were persistent over the five study periods from 1988 to 1991. Conclusions: The populations of A and B were similar in the available measures of severity of illness. Nevertheless, the residents in nursing home A were significantly less likely to experience adverse outcomes than were the residents in nursing home B. The virtual absence of pressure ulcers, physical aggression, and verbal disruption in nursing home A, despite the presence of many immobile and demented residents, suggested that these complications can mostly be prevented.
HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors in Chronic Kidney Disease

The incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on the rise in the USA. Cardiovascular events are the leading cause of death in this patient population, therefore reducing the risk of these events has become a major focus. The aim of this review is to assess current literature on the use of statins in CKD and end-stage renal disease. Cholesterol reduction is important in preventing the development and progression of coronary heart disease and its negative effects. Statins have been widely studied and proven to reduce cardiovascular risk in the general population. The information gained from trials has been extrapolated to special populations, including CKD, despite these patients often being excluded. However, recent studies have begun to focus on CKD, hemodialysis, and transplant patients and the use of cholesterol-lowering agents and the potential association with decreased cardiovascular events. In addition, due to the unique pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes that occur in these patients, choosing the appropriate cholesterol-lowering agent becomes important for both safety and efficacy. The complexity of CKD patients is an important consideration when choosing cholesterol-lowering medication. Patients with CKD are often on medications that may interact with many of the cholesterol-lowering agents. Ensuring drug interactions are minimized is essential to the prevention of adverse events from the medications.
Health literacy in diabetes care: explanation, evidence and equipment

The exchange of complex health information among patients, providers, health organizations and the public is often described as health literacy. Low levels of health literacy is common and associated with processes of healthcare and important health outcomes. In diabetes, health literacy is related to diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy and self-care behaviors and glycemic control. Health literacy may also provide a better understanding of racial disparities observed in patients with diabetes. Strategies to address health literacy, based upon this understanding of its role, provide a means to improve diabetes care. This article describes the concept of health literacy and its assessment and the evidence of its impact on patients with diabetes, and offers suggested methods and tools that may be implemented to improve clinical care.
Early mortality and AIDS progression despite high initial antiretroviral therapy adherence and virologic suppression in Botswana.

BACKGROUND: Adverse outcomes occurring early after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation are common in sub-Saharan Africa despite reports of high levels of ART adherence in this setting. We sought to determine the relationship between very early ART adherence and early adverse outcomes in HIV-infected adults in Botswana. METHODS: This prospective cohort study of 402 ART-naive HIV-infected adults initiating ART at a public HIV clinic in Gaborone Botswana evaluated the relationship between suboptimal early ART adherence and HIV treatment outcomes in the initial months after ART initiation. Early adherence during the interval between initial ART dispensation and first ART refill was calculated using pill counts. In the primary analysis patients not returning to refill and those with adherence <0.95 were considered to have suboptimal early adherence. The primary outcome was death or loss to follow-up during the first 6 months of ART; a secondary composite outcome included the primary outcome plus incident opportunistic illness (OIs) and virologic failure. We also calculated the percent of early adverse outcomes theoretically attributable to suboptimal early adherence using the population attributable risk percent (PAR%). RESULTS: Suboptimal early adherence was independently associated with loss to follow-up and death (adjusted OR 2.3 95% CI 1.1-4.8) and with the secondary composite outcome including incident OIs and virologic failure (adjusted OR 2.6 95% CI 1.4-4.7). However of those with early adverse outcomes less than one-third had suboptimal adherence and approximately two-thirds achieved virologic suppression. The PAR% relating suboptimal early adherence and primary and secondary outcomes were 14.7% and 17.7% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Suboptimal early adherence was associated with poor outcomes but most early adverse outcomes occurred in patients with optimal early adherence. Clinical care and research efforts should focus on understanding early adverse outcomes that occur despite optimal adherence.
Alkali-ion desorption energies on polycrystalline refractory metals at low surface coverage.

Alkali-ion desorption energies measured on polycrystalline refractory metals at low surface coverage by electron work function
Increasing enemy biodiversity strengthens herbivore suppression on two plant species.

Concern over biodiversity loss, especially at higher trophic levels, has led to a surge in studies investigating how changes in natural enemy diversity affect community and ecosystem functioning. These studies have found that increasing enemy diversity can strengthen, weaken, and not affect prey suppression, demonstrating that multi-enemy effects on prey are context-dependent. Here we ask how one factor, plant species identity, influences multi-enemy effects on prey. We focused on two plant species of agricultural importance, potato (Solanum tuberosum), and collards (Brassica oleracea L.). These species share a common herbivorous pest, the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), but vary in structural and chemical traits that affect aphid reproductive rates and which may also influence inter-enemy interactions. In a large-scale field experiment, overall prey exploitation varied dramatically among the plant species, with enemies reducing aphid populations by ∼94% on potatoes and ∼62% on collards. Increasing enemy diversity similarly strengthened aphid suppression on both plants, however, and there was no evidence that plant species identity significantly altered the relationship between enemy diversity and prey suppression. Microcosm experiments suggested that, on both collards and potatoes, intraspecific competition among natural enemies exceeded interspecific competition. Enemy species showed consistent and significant differences in where they foraged on the plants, and enemies in the low-diversity treatment tended to spend less time foraging than enemies in the high-diversity treatment. These data suggest that increasing enemy diversity may strengthen aphid suppression because interspecific differences in where enemies forage on the plant allow for greater resource partitioning. Further, these functional benefits of diversity appear to be robust to changes in plant species identity.
GROWING RICE GRAIN WITH CONTROLLED CADMIUM CONCENTRATIONS

ABSTRACT Two solution studies were conducted a) to investigate the uptake of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) by rice plants (Oryza sativa L.) and interaction between these elements, and b) to determine experimental conditions for growing rice grain with desired Cd concentration for an animal feeding study. In both studies, free metal activities of cadmium and cationic microelements were buffered by an excess of chelating agents. The first study was a factorial design with two Zn levels (1.0 and 3.89 ÂμM) and four Cd levels (0.81, 1.44, 2.56 and 4.55 ÂμM) in the solution. In the second study, rice was grown in two solutions of different micro- and macro-element compositions and three Cd levels (0.0, 0.5, and 2.0 ÂμM). In the first study, solution Zn concentration of 3.89 ÂμM and corresponding free metal activity (pZn2+) of 6.00 was toxic to young rice plants. With time, Zn concentrations in rice plants decreased while Cd concentrations increased. Toxic concentration of Cd in roots (about 100 mg kg−1) associated...
A criticism of “dimensions of source credibility: A test for reproducibility”

(1974). A criticism of “dimensions of source credibility: A test for reproducibility”. Speech Monographs: Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 293-294.