cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of services in rural income: the case of Vietnam

This paper investigates the role of services in the household response to trade reforms in Vietnam. The relative response of the households and income growth after a major trade liberalization in rice are analyzed aiming to answer the following questions: What type of households, in which locations, having access to what type of services, benefited more from the reforms? It focuses on services that have an impact on transaction costs (roads or quality of roads, public transportation, access to credit, extension services, and availability of markets in communication services) because transaction costs are often cited as a barrier to rural households in responding to the price changes and increased incentives offered by trade and other policy reforms. The results suggest that availability of production related services contributes positively to the impact of trade reforms. Although most of the service variables have a positive and significant effect on growth in income, some that are expected to have an impact are not significant. This may be explained by the exceptional coverage of infrastructure services in Vietnam even before the reforms. When service availability is very similar across different localities, household characteristics become more important in determining the response.
Relativistic quarks bound with a one-body tensor potential

A dipole fit to electromagnetic form factors is used to determine a quark density ρ in the nucleon. A radial tensor potential is used to bind the quarks into states of goodJ, Jz, and parity. The tensor potential radial component is taken to satisfy the equationT′ = T0ρ, whereT0 is a parameter of the model. This linear divergence equation can be simultaneously solved with the Dirac equation for the bound quark wave functions. A self-consistent solution is possible where the mass density used as the source for the binding potential is the same as that determined from the solution for the quark wave functions.
Combining survey methods to estimate abundance and transience of migratory birds among tropical nonbreeding habitats

ABSTRACT Estimating population abundance for territorial species is challenging because individuals often differ in behavior (e.g., transience, multiterritoriality), and thus in detectability. How well prevailing methods detect and quantify individuals using multiple strategies is rarely addressed. In our effort to efficiently quantify avian abundance and transience among diverse nonbreeding habitats, we combined ‘unmarked' (distance sampling) with traditional ‘marked' (territory mapping) survey methods using a migratory passerine, the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), wintering in 3 habitats in Jamaica from 2010 to 2012. We predicted that the ‘unmarked' survey method would detect not only all known (marked) territorial individuals, but also individuals that were transient or nonterritorial in the same habitats. Comparisons of abundance estimates generated by our best distance sampling (unmarked) model with territory mapping data identified high proportions of transient individuals (up to 50%) in 2...
Improving goodput in IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs by using variable size and variable rate (VSVR) schemes

In IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs, channel quality, network load, as well as the protocol itself are time-varying, limiting the goodput performance improvement in wireless LANs. Therefore, it becomes critical to dynamically adjust parameters of MAC and PHY layers according to variations of channel quality. In this paper, we propose variable frame size and variable data rate schemes for goodput enhancement. We first propose two optimal frame size predictors: a goodput regulator to maintain the committed goodput for non-greedy applications and an optimal frame size predictor for maximizing the goodput for greedy applications. Then, we propose a data rate drafting scheme and develop a variable size and variable rate (VSVR) scheme for further goodput improvement. Our extensive simulation results show that the proposed VSVR algorithm can double the channel goodput of current implementations. Moreover, the proposed scheme can be easily integrated with the current implementations of the wireless LAN MAC protocol. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Face to face with emotion : holistic face processing is modulated by emotional state

Negative emotions are linked with a local, rather than global, visual processing style, which may preferentially facilitate feature-based, relative to holistic, processing mechanisms. Because faces are typically processed holistically, and because social contexts are prime elicitors of emotions, we examined whether negative emotions decrease holistic processing of faces. We induced positive, negative, or neutral emotions via film clips and measured holistic processing before and after the induction: participants made judgements about cued parts of chimeric faces, and holistic processing was indexed by the interference caused by task-irrelevant face parts. Emotional state significantly modulated face-processing style, with the negative emotion induction leading to decreased holistic processing. Furthermore, self-reported change in emotional state correlated with changes in holistic processing. These results contrast with general assumptions that holistic processing of faces is automatic and immune to outsi...
Confidence Regions for Stochastic Variational Inequalities

The sample average approximation SAA method is a basic approach for solving stochastic variational inequalities SVI. It is well known that under appropriate conditions the SAA solutions provide asymptotically consistent point estimators for the true solution to an SVI. It is of fundamental interest to use such point estimators along with suitable central limit results to develop confidence regions of prescribed level of significance for the true solution. However, standard procedures are not applicable because the central limit theorem that governs the asymptotic behavior of SAA solutions involves a discontinuous function evaluated at the true solution of the SVI. This paper overcomes such a difficulty by exploiting the precise geometric structure of the variational inequalities and by appealing to certain large deviations probability estimates, and proposes a method to build asymptotically exact confidence regions for the true solution that are computable from the SAA solutions. We justify this method theoretically by establishing a precise limit theorem, apply it to complementarity problems, and test it with a linear complementarity problem.
S.O.S. for safety

Verification of continuous systems remains one of the main obstacles in the safety verification of hybrid systems. In this paper, by exploiting the structure of linear dynamical systems, we convert the exact safety verification of linear systems with certain eigen-structure as an emptiness problem for a semi-algebraic set. Sum of squares (SOS) decomposition is then employed to check emptiness of the set defined by polynomial equalities and inequalities which can be effectively computed by semidefinite programming.
Using the Power of Two Choices to Improve Bloom Filters

We consider the combination of two ideas from the hashing literature: the power of two choices and Bloom filters. Specifically, we show via simulations that, in comparison with a standard Bloom filter, using the power of two choices can yield modest reductions in the false positive probability using the same amount of space and more hashing. While the improvements are sufficiently small that they may not be useful in most practical situations, the combination of ideas is instructive; in particular, it suggests that there may be ways to obtain improved results for Bloom filters while using the same basic approach they employ, as opposed to designing new, more complex data structures for the problem.
ParSets for parallelizing OODBMS traversals: implementation and performance

Describes the design and implementation of ParSets, a means of exploiting parallelism in the SHORE persistent object store. We used ParSets to create and parallelize the graph traversals of the OO7 OODBMS benchmark, and present speedup and scaleup results from parallel SHORE running these traversals on a cluster of commodity workstations connected by a standard Ethernet. For some OO7 traversals, SHORE achieved excellent speedup and scaleup; for other OO7 traversals, only marginal speedup and scaleup occurred. The characteristics of these traversals shed light on when the ParSet approach to parallelism can and cannot be applied to speed up an application. >
Citizens, Experts, and anthropologists: Finding Paths in Environmental Policy

The papers in this special section address anthropology's relationship to the creation and implementation of environmental policy. The authors describe anthropologists attempting to flatten hierarchical decision making by acting as cultural brokers who must navigate public advocacy, multidisciplinary research and collaborations with environmental managers, natural resource exploiters, or government agencies. The essay describes how an anthropology that builds trust via holistic ethnography, ethics, and credibility contributes to policy success and allows for policy collaboration to enhance anthropology as a discipline. Involving students in policy will help them build skills and confidence necessary to engage policy throughout their careers.
Characterization of the avian GLUT1 glucose transporter: differential regulation of GLUT1 and GLUT3 in chicken embryo fibroblasts.

Vertebrate cells that are transformed by oncogenes such as v-src or are stimulated by mitogens have increased rates of glucose uptake. In rodent cels the mechanisms whereby glucose transport is up-regulated are well understood. Stimulation of glucose transport involves an elevation in mRNA encoding the GLUT1 glucose transporter that is controlled at the levels of both transcription and mRNA stability. Cloning and sequencing of chicken GLUT1 cDNA showed that it shares 95% amino acid sequence similarity to mammalian GLUTls. Nevertheless unlike mammalian GLUT1 mRNA it was not induced by v-src serum addition or treatment with the tumor promoter 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate in chicken embryo fibroblasts. Rather the induction of glucose transport in chicken embryo fibroblasts by v-src serum and 12-0- tetradecanoylphorbol13-acetate was associated with induction of GLUT3 mRNA level and GLUT3 transcription. Rat fibroblasts were also found to express both GLUT1 and GLUT3 isoforms but v-src induced GLUT1 and not GLUT3. This suggests that animal cels require both a basal and an upregulatable glucose transporter and that these functions have been subsumed by different GLUT isoforms in avian and mammalian cels. Originally published Molecular Biology of the Cell Vol. 6 No. 11 Nov 1995
End-of-life issues in the acute and critically ill patient

The challenges of end-of-life care require emergency physicians to utilize a multifaceted and dynamic skill set. Such skills include medical therapies to relieve pain and other symptoms near the end-of-life. Physicians must also demonstrate aptitude in comfort care, communication, cultural competency, and ethical principles. It is imperative that emergency physicians demonstrate a fundamental understanding of end-of-life issues in order to employ the versatile, multidisciplinary approach required to provide the highest quality end-of-life care for patients and their families.
Variability of Carbon and Glass Fibers, and the Strength of Aligned Composites

The strength and variability of carbon and glass fibers have been estimated in several ways from tests on single fibers and loose bundles of fibers. These tests involved analyzing the variation of strength with the length of the fibers, the distribution of strengths, multiple fractures of a single fiber, and the shape of the stress/strain curve for a loose bundle. The procedures based on loose bundle tests are considerably easier to perform and provide very similar results. Tows of the same batches of fibers were impregnated with epoxy resin and the tensile strengths of the resulting composites were found to be approximately 2.5 times higher than those of the equivalent loose bundles. A rule-of-mixtures approach is unable to account for this ratio, but two- and three- dimensional probabilistic models provide good predictions of the relative strengths.
Faculty Development to Improve Teaching at a Health Sciences Center: A Needs Assessment

There has been increasing interest at health science centers in improving the education of health professionals by offering faculty development activities. In 2007–08, as part of an effort to expand education-related faculty development offerings on campus, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center surveyed faculty members in an effort to identify faculty development activities that would be of interest. Factor analysis of survey data indicated that faculty interests in the areas of teaching and learning can be grouped into six dimensions: development of educational goals and objectives, the use of innovative teaching techniques, clinical teaching, improving traditional teaching skills, addressing teaching challenges, and facilitating participation. There were significant differences in the level of interest in education-related faculty development activities by academic rank and by the college of appointment. Full professors expressed somewhat less interest in faculty development activities than faculty members of lower ranks. Faculty members in the Colleges of Medicine and Dentistry expressed somewhat greater interest in faculty development to improve traditional teaching skills. The policy implications of the survey results are discussed, including the need for faculty development activities that target the needs of specific faculty groups.
Diskurs – Sprache – Wissen: Ein problematischer Zusammenhang ?

Der vorliegende Band widmet sich der Frage des spezifischen Zusammenhanges von Sprache, Wissen, bzw. gesellschaftlichen Wissensordnungen und Diskursen. Diskursforschung und Diskursanalytik sind seit einigen Jahren bestrebt, zumindest gibt es dahingehend deutliche Tendenzen, die disziplinare Trennung von Sprach- und Wissensforschung aufzubrechen, wenn nicht sogar aufzuheben (vgl. etwa Felder/Muller 2009; Spitzmuller/Warnke 2011).
Structural analysis of the lipid A derived from the lipopolysaccharide of Brucella abortus

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Brucella abortus strain 45/20 was purified using a novel method. Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) was prepared from this LPS, methylated, and purified by high performance liquid chromatography. Chemical, mass spectral, and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed that MPLA consists of heptaacyl lipid As with molecular weights of 2095, 2123, 2151 and 2179. They contained the β-1,6-linked 2,3-diamino-2,3,-dideoxy-glucose disaccharide backbone and a phosphate group at the 4' position. Bisphosphoryl lipid A was also prepared and completely O-deacylated. It contained an additional phosphate group, and either 2 hydroxyhexadecanoic, 1 hydroxytetradecanoic, 1 hydroxydodecanoic acids or 2 hydroxyhexadecanoic and 2 hydroxydodecanoic acids, all in amide linkage. The predominant ester-linked fatty acyl group in acyloxyacyl linkage was hexadecanoate.The purified LPS, bisphosphoryl lipid A, and MPLA from B. abortus showed about 14%, 3% and 1%, respectively, of the B cell mitogen activity of R...
Extended Wind Stress Analyses for ENSO

Abstract Surface wind stresses are fundamental to understanding El Nino, yet most observational stress products are too short to permit multidecadal ENSO studies. Two exceptions are the Florida State University subjective analysis (FSU1) and the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis (NCEP1), which are widely used in climate research. Here, the focus is on the aspects of the stress most relevant to ENSO—namely, the climatological background, anomaly spectrum, response to SST changes, subannual “noise” forcing, and seasonal phase locking—and how these differ between FSU1 and NCEP1 over the tropical Pacific for 1961–99. The NCEP1 stress climatology is distinguished from FSU1 by weaker equatorial easterlies, stronger off-equatorial cyclonic curl, stronger southerlies along the Peruvian coast, and weaker convergence zones with weaker seasonality. Compared to FSU1, the NCEP1 zonal stress anomalies (τ′x) are weaker, less noisy, and show less persistent westerly peaks during El Nino events. NCEP1 also shows a more stationary spec...
The rationale, design, and progress of two novel maintenance treatment studies in pediatric bipolarity.

Introduction: There are no definitively established acute or maintenance treatments for juvenile bipolar disorder.Method: Two randomized, blind, maintenance clinical trials in children and adolescents with bipolar disorders are ongoing at the University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University Stanley Clinical Research Center for bipolar disorder. The first is comparing the safety and effectiveness of lithium carbonate (Li+) to divalproex sodium (VPA) for up to 76 weeks in youths with stabilized bipolar illness (type 1 or 2). The second study is designed to compare the efficacy of VPA to placebo in the acute management of subsyndromal symptoms of bipolar disorder (‘cyclotaxia’) and the prevention of the full syndrome in children at risk. Both studies use the prospective life-chart method as an outcome measure.Results: Sixty-six youths have received study medication as part of the trial that is comparing Li+ to VPA as a maintenance therapy. In addition, 32 youths have received blinded treatment as part of the ‘cyclotaxia’ prevention study. Combination Li+A/PA treatment appears generally well tolerated and seems to have robust anti-manic and antidepressant effects.Discussion: Since the blind has not been broken on either of these clinical trials, conclusions about the maintenance effectiveness of either VPA or Li+ in youths with bipolar disorder type 1 or 2 cannot be made yet. Similarly, it is unclear whether VPA is superior to placebo in genetically high-risk youths with cyclotaxia. The final results of these trials should provide valuable information about the treatment of juvenile bipolar disorders.
Transcription factor fusions in acute leukemia: variations on a theme.

The leukemia-associated fusion proteins share several structural or functional similarities, suggesting that they may impart a leukemic phenotype through common modes of transcriptional dysregulation. The fusion proteins generated by these translocations usually contain a DNA-binding domain, domains responsible for homo- or hetero-dimerization, and domains that interact with proteins involved in chromatin remodeling (e.g., co-repressor molecules or co-activator molecules). It is these shared features that constitute the 'variations on the theme' that underling the aberrant growth and differentiation that is the hallmark of acute leukemia cells.
Advances in Guanidine Ligand Design: Synthesis of a Strongly Electron-Donating, Imidazolin-2-iminato Functionalized Guanidinate and its Properties on Iron.

AbstractImidazolin-2-imines (ImRN-), derived from N-heterocyclic carbenes, have been shown to be strong electron donors when directly coordinated to metals or when used as a substituent in larger ligand frameworks. In an attempt to enhance the electron-donating properties of the guanidine ligand class, the effect of appending an ImRN- backbone onto a guanidinate scaffold was investigated. Addition of 1 equiv of [Li(Et2O)][ImtBuN] to the aryl carbodiimide (dippN)2C (dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) cleanly affords the lithium ImtBuN-functionalized guanidinate [Li(THF)2][(ImtBuN)C(Ndipp)2] (1). Subsequent metalation of the ligand with FeBr2 gives the yellow Fe(II) complex {[(ImtBuN)C(Ndipp)2]FeBr}2 (4) in good yield. Solid-state structural analyses of 1 and 4 show the ImtBuN- group acts as a non-coordinating backbone substituent. Direct structural comparison of 4 to the closely related guanidinate and ketimine-guanidinate complexes {[(X)C(Ndipp)2]FeBr}2 (X = tBu2C=N (5); N(iPr)2 (6)), differing only in their b...
The Oxidase of Rhus Diversiloba

It has often been noticed that when a plant of Rhus diversiloba, T. and G., is injured, the exuding sap rapidly becomes brown and hardens into a black, shiny, varnish-like substance. This phenomenon becomes more interesting when it is realized that the violently irritating properties of the fresh sap are completely lost during the formation of this resin-like body. This change in toxic properties may be readily followed in connection with the darkening of the sap, as the poisonous property of the freshly exuded sap is soluble in 95 per cent, alcohol, as well as its nontoxic black oxidation product. The poisonous and nonpoisonous alcohol-soluble substances may readily be separated, however, for the oxidation product is insoluble in xylol, whereas the toxic substance is soluble in xylol. No evidence is here set forth to prove that the substance darkened is the poison. The darkening of the sap through oxidation is considered here merely as an indicator of the extent of the loss of toxic properties. This darkening and loss of toxic properties seems to be mainly due to oxidation in the presence of moisture, as the following experiments indicate:
Molecular analysis of echovirus 30 responsible for the outbreak of aseptic meningitis in Fujian Province,2011

In Fujian,an outbreak of aseptic meningitis caused by echovirus 30(Echo30) occurred from April to June in 2011,which involved Anxi and Dehua cities of Quanzhou Prefecture,and Fuan city of Ninde Prefecture.In order to explore the characterization of the primary etiologic agent,enteroviruses were isolated from 24 of 40 outbreak cases and 1 sporadic case.The isolates were all identified as Echo30,but were divided into two clusters in phylogenetic tree based on the entire VP1,which suggested that there were at least two transmission chains responsible for the outbreak.Analysis of Echo30 molecular epidemiology showed that 2011 Quanzhou strains weren't developed from the local strains isolated from an outbreak in 2005,but were closely related to an Henan isolate in 2008.Phylogenetic analysis of Echo30 during recent decades revealed that two isolates in 2006 belonged to a new genotype named III genotype and there were existence of multiple genotypes and lineages in Fujian Province.
Congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: the anaesthetist's view.

This paper briefly reviews 48 consecutive patients with congenital pyloric stenosis. Suggested management of these patients in the preoperative and postoperative period together with intraoperative...
Role of Macrophage-Derived Nitric Oxide in Target Cell Injury

Publisher Summary Macrophages can recognize and eliminate tumor cells using, for this purpose, a variety of cytotoxic effectors. Macrophages mobilized to sites of infection are found to undergo functional and morphological modifications characteristic of the activated state, and to acquire the capacity to recognize and destroy neoplastic cells. Abundant evidence supports the concept that nitric oxide (NO) is one of these cytotoxic effectors, capable of inducing apoptotic death in a variety of neoplastic cells. Recent results indicate that NO can suppress apoptosis initiated by exposure to NO and protect cells from other apoptosis-inducing agents. This chapter discusses the characteristics of macrophage tumor cytotoxicity and the potential mechanisms by which NO can induce apoptosis in tumor cells. In addition, observations of spontaneous and acquired resistance to NO are analyzed. The relevance of results obtained using animal cells to the biology of the human macrophage is also considered.
A Non-Cell-Autonomous Role of BEC-1/BECN1/Beclin1 in Coordinating Cell-Cycle Progression and Stem Cell Proliferation during Germline Development.

The decision of stem cells to proliferate and differentiate is finely controlled. The Caenorhabditis elegans germline provides a tractable system for studying the mechanisms that control stem cell proliferation and homeostasis [1-4]. Autophagy is a conserved cellular recycling process crucial for cellular homeostasis in many different contexts [5], but its function in germline stem cell proliferation remains poorly understood. Here, we describe a function for autophagy in germline stem cell proliferation. We found that autophagy genes such as bec-1/BECN1/Beclin1, atg-16.2/ATG16L, atg-18/WIPI1/2, and atg-7/ATG7 are required for the late larval expansion of germline stem cell progenitors in the C. elegans gonad. We further show that BEC-1/BECN1/Beclin1 acts independently of the GLP-1/Notch or DAF-7/TGF-β pathways but together with the DAF-2/insulin IGF-1 receptor (IIR) signaling pathway to promote germline stem cell proliferation. Similar to DAF-2/IIR, BEC-1/BECN1/Beclin1, ATG-18/WIPI1/2, and ATG-16.2/ATG16L all promote cell-cycle progression and are negatively regulated by the phosphatase and tensin homolog DAF-18/PTEN. However, whereas BEC-1/BECN1/Beclin1 acts through the transcriptional regulator SKN-1/Nrf1, ATG-18/WIPI1/2 and ATG-16.2/ATG16L exert their function through the DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor. In contrast, ATG-7 functions in concert with the DAF-7/TGF-β pathway to promote germline proliferation and is not required for cell-cycle progression. Finally, we report that BEC-1/BECN1/Beclin1 functions non-cell-autonomously to facilitate cell-cycle progression and stem cell proliferation. Our findings demonstrate a novel non-autonomous role for BEC-1/BECN1/Beclin1 in the control of stem cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression, which may have implications for the understanding and development of therapies against malignant cell growth in the future.
The Human Development Model of Disability, Health and Wellbeing

This chapter sets the conceptual framework for the book. It introduces a new model, the human development model of disability, health and wellbeing, based on Amartya Sen’s capability approach. Disability is defined as a deprivation in terms of functioning and/or capability among persons with health conditions and/or impairments. The human development model highlights in relation to wellbeing the roles of resources, conversion functions, agency, and it uses capabilities and/or functionings as metric for wellbeing. It does not consider impairments/health conditions as individual characteristics; instead, they are themselves determined by resources, structural factors, and personal characteristics, and thus the model is informed by the socioeconomic determinants of health literature. This chapter also compares the human development model to the main disability models used in the literature.
Friends give benefits: autumn social familiarity preferences predict reproductive output

Fission–fusion dynamics create social instability, as individuals must adjust to changes in group size and composition. In many social species, group changes are associated with increases in aggression, stress responses and individual mortality. It has been hypothesized that fission–fusion processes select for strong bonds between familiar individuals that provide a predictable social environment across group changes. In the present study, I explored whether familiar social networks remain predictable across periods of social instability in brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater, flocks, and whether females who sustain stronger autumn familiarity preferences show higher reproductive output during the spring. During autumn, the organization of familiar social networks remained predictable across a series of introductions with novel flocks. Familiar individuals were able to maintain their relationships with each other despite large-scale group perturbations. During the spring, I found that autumn familiarity preference was the only predictor of reproductive output, with female cowbirds that sustained the strongest familiarity preferences laying more eggs than other females. These findings suggest that familiarity preferences have a cascading influence on later reproductive performance, and that the social dynamics of fission–fusion groups select for a familiarity-based social organization.
Analytical models of transmission probabilities for electron sources

Electron emission from coated surfaces as a result of thermal, field, and photoemission effects is often described theoretically using models dependent on the Kemble approximation for the transmission probability D(k). The validity of the approximation for the simple potential profiles (rectangular, triangular, and parabolic) is examined, and generalizations with respect to the exponential of the Gamow tunneling factor and the coefficients of D(k), which are generally ignored, are examined and extended to when the barriers become wells. As a result, unity transmission probabilities ( D(k)→1) with regard to both resonant tunneling barrier and reflectionless well behavior are contrasted. The adaptation of the findings to a general thermal-field-photoemission equation is considered. Consequences for the usage of general emission equations in beam optics code [e.g., Particle-in-Cell (PIC)] such as MICHELLE are discussed.
Cross-channel cavaliers

ABSTRACTCavalier poetry has often been regarded as quintessentially English: a product of the Caroline court, a fervent aspect of Civil War royalism and a very English version of amorous classicism. This article argues a contrary case: that in significant ways Cavalier verse was indebted to continental poetry in one or other of the European vernacular languages, defined by continental culture and recognized by contemporaries for these qualities. I explore poetry writing in relation to the activities of Cavalier poets in Europe before, during and after the British Civil Wars, either as diplomats, other kinds of political agent, soldiers, tutors, exiles, merchants or just as simple travellers. European poets also came to England, and, while firmly preoccupied in their own business, also directly confronted English matters and people, and wrote poetry about their experiences that may be seen as an integral part of English courtly, literary and royalist identity. I draw on two French examples and one Dutch ex...
Decreases in neprilysin and vasoconstrictors and increases in vasodilators following bariatric surgery.

The aim of this study was to determine if weight loss following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery in morbidly obese patients is associated with a decrease in plasma concentrations of neprilysin, mediators of the renin angiotensin system (RAS), catecholamines and endothelin-1, and also with an increase in the concentrations of vasodilators. Fasting blood samples were obtained from 15 patients with morbid obesity and diabetes prior to and 6 months after RYGB surgery. Circulating levels of neprilysin, vasoconstrictors, vasodilators, and the mRNA expression of related genes in circulating mononuclear cells (MNC) were measured. Six months after RYGB surgery the concentrations of neprilysin, angiotensinogen, angiotensin II, renin and endothelin-1 fell significantly by 27 ±16%, 22 ±10%, 22 ±8%, 35 ±13% and 17 ±6% (P < .05 for all), respectively, while ANP concentrations increased significantly by 24 ±13%. There was no significant change in aldosterone, BNP, cAMP or cGMP concentrations, or angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) expression. These changes may contribute to the reduction of congestive cardiac failure and blood pressure risks after RYGB surgery.
Metabolism of Te132-I132 in lactating sheep

Lactating ewes were administered a single oral dose of Te132-I132 containing small amounts of Te131 and I131. C oncentrations in the milk were measured during the first 4 days post ingestion. Less than 0.2% of the administered Te132 was secreted in milk for any 24 hr period. Comparative values reported for dairy cattle are 0.5% of the administered dose secreted during the first 6 days. Peak milk concentrations occurred between 24 and 36 hr after administration after which Te132 concentrations declined with an apparent half life of about 1 day. Plasma concentrations were approximately equal to those of milk for each sampling period. Although high concentrations of I132 were found in the milk at collection, with its rapid decay rate (2.2 hr half life), the concentration present 24 hr was dependent on the content of Te132. The ratio of I131 to Te132 in the milk varied from 120 at 1 day after administration to p 132 concentration in major tissues were performed for ewes sacrificed at 48, 72, and 96 hr after the Te132 administration. The highest concentration at 48 hr was found in the thyroid, kidney, and liver, which contained 0.006, 0.0014, and 0.004% of the administered dose permore » g, respectively. From these results and work on dairy cattle, it appears that Te132-I132 would not represent a significant hazard to man following a contamination event involving pastures grazed by lactating animals.« less
Insights into Mammalian Genome Organization and Evolution by Molecular Cytogenetics

Over the last two decades comparative genomics has demonstrated that genome organization in placental mammals is generally highly conserved. This conclusion is supported both by comparative gene mapping and by molecular cytogenetics showing that large syntenic tracts of the human genome are conserved across different mammalian orders for tens of millions of years (Chowdhary et al. 1998; Haig 1999; O’Brien et al. 1993; 1999b; Wienberg and Stanyon 1995;1997, for recent reviews). Ohno (1973) postulated many years ago that the mammalian X chromosome was conserved due the special mechanism of dosage compensation. Now it appears that autosomal syntenies are also generally conserved. Such conservation suggests that it is within our reach to identify the ancestral global genome organization for all placental mammals. The present paper reviews the more recent results using cytogenetic techniques for a molecular “excavation” of the mammalian genome.
Radial Maze Performance Deficits Following Lesions of Rat Basal Forebrain

In humans and animals, intact central cholinergic transmission is critical for normal learning and memory (1,6); clinical data from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) patients indicate that dementia severity correlates with degree of cortical cholinergic deficit (24). It is likely that cortical cholinergic neurons, arising from the nucleus basal is of Meynert, mediate many cognitive functions that are impaired in AD. In the rat, neurotoxic lesions of the magnocellular basal forebrain (MNBF) cell bodies, which comprise the homologue of the human nucleus basaiis, decrease cholinergic innervation selectively in cortex and impair acquisition and retention of aversively- and appetitively-motivated behavior (8,9,14,15,17). Young rats with bilateral MNBF lesions display several important features common to AD, thus, the lesion may provide an animal model useful for studying AD.
Examining Japanese American Digital Library Collections with an Ethnographic Lens

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Hawai’i and the Americas. In the past two decades Japanese American history emerged as a key theme on some of the earliest digital library (DL) collections in the United States, mostly focusing on what is commonly called the “internment” or forced incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. This paper looks at DLs in the United States, exploring their development, contents, and then takes a critical lens to question if it shows Japanese American agency. This approach, common in archival studies, remains rare in Library and Information Science, especially in regards to DLs. The paper also explores a community-run DL that offers a different model for consideration and further study.
Perceived stress and obesity-promoting eating behaviors in adolescence: The role of parent-adolescent conflict.

Introduction Stress has been consistently related to obesity-promoting eating patterns (i.e., emotional, external, and restrained eating) throughout the life span, including during adolescence. One particularly salient source of stress within adolescence is parent-adolescent conflict. The current study sought to examine whether parent-adolescent conflict is a significant predictor of adolescent obesity-promoting eating patterns, beyond general adolescent stress. Methods A sample of adolescents (N = 51; 39.2% overweight or obese) completed a study examining stress and eating behaviors. As part of the larger study, adolescents completed measures related to parent-adolescent conflict, general adolescent stress, and obesity-promoting eating patterns. Adolescent height and weight were measured objectively and used to calculate adolescent body mass index (BMI) percentile for age and gender. Results General adolescent stress predicted all three obesity-promoting eating patterns, emotional, external, and restrained eating, controlling for adolescent BMI percentile. Higher levels of parent-adolescent conflict significantly predicted greater restrained eating, controlling for adolescent BMI percentile and general adolescent stress. Conflict did not predict emotional or external eating patterns. Discussion Adolescents' perceptions of parent-adolescent conflict appear to present a unique source of stress, above and beyond general perceived stress, that is, particularly relevant to the experience of restrained eating patterns. These findings provide support for the potential integration of assessment and intervention for parent-adolescent conflict within previously established behavioral weight control interventions to decrease restrained eating behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Alcohol or marijuana first? Correlates and associations with frequency of use at age 17 among black and white girls

Objective:Black youth are more likely than White youth to deviate from the typical sequence of initiating alcohol use before marijuana use. Although potentially informative for prevention efforts, ...
Policies and Practices for Children of Incarcerated Parents: Summarizing What We Know and Do Not Know

A growing body of research shows that a vast number of children in the USA have had a parent incarcerated in prison or jail. Numerous studies also indicate that these children may experience trauma and other detrimental outcomes that can be associated with their parents’ incarceration. However, there is little empirical research on the policies, practices, and programs for children that might mitigate the harmful outcomes associated with parental incarceration. This chapter discusses the gaps in the current knowledge around policy and practice, such as the lack of evidence on the efficacy of programs for parents detained in local jails or in other stages of involvement in the criminal justice system, as well as the limited understanding of how interventions may affect children, their caregivers, and the incarcerated parents differently. This chapter then discusses some of the promising interventions for incarcerated parents and their children, such as parenting classes, visitation, and mentoring. Based on the current state of the field, we conclude this chapter with proposed recommendations for research, policy, and practice.
SACO: Past, Present, and Future

This article discusses the history and development of the SACO (Subject Authority Cooperative) Program of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC). The current proposal process is examined. The...
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Biomarker-Guided Treatment for Metastatic Gastric Cancer in the Second-Line Setting.

Background. The 5-year survival rate of patients with metastatic gastric cancer (GC) is only 5%. However, trials have demonstrated promising antitumor activity for targeted therapies/immunotherapies among chemorefractory metastatic GC patients. Pembrolizumab has shown particular efficacy among patients with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression and high microsatellite instability (MSI-H). The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of biomarker-guided second-line GC treatment. Methods. We constructed a Markov decision-analytic model using clinical trial data. Our model compared pembrolizumab monotherapy and ramucirumab/paclitaxel combination therapy for all patients and pembrolizumab for patients based on MSI status or PD-L1 expression. Paclitaxel monotherapy and best supportive care for all patients were additional comparators. Costs of drugs, treatment administration, follow-up, and management of adverse events were estimated from a US payer perspective. The primary outcomes were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) with a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/QALY over 60 months. Secondary outcomes were unadjusted life years (survival) and costs. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate model uncertainty. Results. The most effective strategy was pembrolizumab for MSI-H patients and ramucirumab/paclitaxel for all other patients, adding 3.8 months or 2.0 quality-adjusted months compared to paclitaxel. However, this strategy resulted in a prohibitively high ICER of $1,074,620/QALY. The only cost-effective strategy was paclitaxel monotherapy for all patients, with an ICER of $53,705/QALY. Conclusion. Biomarker-based treatments with targeted therapies/immunotherapies for second-line metastatic GC patients substantially improve unadjusted and quality-adjusted survival but are not cost-effective at current drug prices.
Beneficial effect of complete response and type of therapy in multiple myeloma.

8541 Background: Achievement of a complete response (CR) to treatment is an important predictor of outcome for patients (pts) with myeloma (MM). The goal of the current study was to assess whether ...
Racial Differences in Urinary Incontinence Prevalence, Overactive Bladder and Associated Bother among Men: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Purpose:We examined the association of race/ethnicity with urinary incontinence subtypes and overactive bladder, and associated bother in older men.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional analys...
Demystifying Python Package Installation with conda-env-mod

Novice users face significant challenges while installing and using Python packages in an HPC environment. Due to the inherent design of tools like Pip and Conda and how packages look for libraries, installing Python packages as a non-root user is complicated and often leads to broken packages with conflicting dependencies. With the growing popularity of Python in the HPC community, supporting users with their package installation needs is an evolving issue for the HPC center staff. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of conda-env-mod-a tool for simplifying the installation and use of Python packages in HPC clusters. conda-env-mod simplifies and streamlines the creation of virtual environments and provides users with environment modules for activating the environments. Users can install individual packages into isolated environments reducing chances of conflict (both current and future) and can activate multiple environments using modules as needed. After users load necessary modules, they can simply run pip and conda to install packages just like they would on their desktop. It also helps create Jupyter kernels and allows users to use external packages in a central JupyterHub installation with ease. conda-env-mod hides the complexity of configuring the package managers and setting up the users' runtime environments and, thereby, reduces the barriers for novice Python users. Over the last three months (June-August, 2020), more than 160 users have used conda-env-mod to install and manage custom Python packages, while our deep learning package installations, facilitated by conda-env-mod, have been used by 60 plus users.
Documentation of PI Process and Meeting Minutes

An effective PI program must thoroughly document its processes. This is not only important for the program but is vital to demonstrating your efforts to regulatory agencies. In this chapter, we discuss the basic documentation of PI processes that are required and provide examples of documentation tools. Documentation is critical to demonstrate to regulators and site visitors the extent of the program’s analysis and discussion. It is also critical that corrective action plans be documented and followed to demonstrate loop closure. We also discuss the practical ways that documentation can be presented to allow evaluators to be able to follow the course of the review and correction.
How are our residents doing on trauma tonight? The frequency of overnight resident-faculty report discrepancies in trauma patients

To determine if preliminary radiology reports issued overnight (10 pm to 7 am) on adult trauma patients cause major changes of high clinical significance or patient harm. Following extraction of preliminary and final radiology reports from the report server, presence of changes was determined by an automated text differential checker. If text changes were present, reports were then subsequently manually graded by an attending radiologist and placed in category by degree of severity. 81 weeks of trauma report data were analyzed by two faculty radiologists. Of the 6063 preliminary reports from 1214 separate overnight trauma patients, 65.5% had no changes in final report text. The remaining reports were graded: A 8.9% (503), B 17.2% (1005), C 7.0% (426), and D 1.3% (100). No reports demonstrated a major change of high clinical significance (E) or patient harm (F). Most preliminary report changes were minor and had no clinical significance. Furthermore, the few that were deemed to be major changes were of little clinical significance, particularly in the setting of the other traumatic injuries that the patient may have sustained. No negative patient safety events were caused by an error in a radiology resident preliminary report.
Predictors of academic career placement and scholarly impact in fellowship-trained rhinologists

Background As rhinology fellowship positions outpace the availability of academic rhinology jobs, it is increasingly important to identify characteristics that are associated with academic placement after fellowship completion. In this study, we evaluated the association of academic characteristics during training with current job placement and posttraining scholarly impact. Methods Previous rhinology fellows were identified using publicly available data. Bibliometric indices, training institutions, graduate degrees, and job placement data were used in bivariate and multivariable regression analyses to assess for association with predictors and academic trajectory. Results Data from 265 rhinologists, all graduating between 1991 and 2020, were included. Most surgeons (n = 185, 70%) held an academic position and 80 (30%) surgeons worked in a nonacademic setting; 93.2% had a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and 80.3% were male. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that a designation of MD, compared with Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO; odds ratio [OR], 5.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.97-21.9), number of publications during fellowship (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02-1.41), and h-index during training (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.07-1.49]) were independently predictive of academic job placement. Meanwhile, number of primary authorships during fellowship (β = 1.47; 95% CI, 1.07-1.88]), h-index during training (β = 0.48; 95% CI, 0.25-0.71), and PhD (β = 4.16; 95% CI, 1.57-6.76) were associated with posttraining h-index. Medical school ranking; graduate degrees, including Master of Science (MS), Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Master of Public Health (MPH); and research metrics before residency were not associated with either academic placement or posttraining h-index. Conclusion The predictors of academic job placement in rhinology are unclear, but h-index during training, and research productivity during fellowship may serve as indicators of an academic career.