cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Obesity is associated with increased postoperative complications after operative management of proximal humerus fractures.

Background Distal humerus fractures commonly require surgical intervention, including open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) and, more recently in elderly, low-demand individuals, total elbow arthroplasty (TEA). The association of obesity with complications after either of these procedures has not previously been examined. Methods A national insurance database was queried for ORIF or TEA for management of a distal humerus fracture using procedural and diagnostic codes. Patients in each operative group were then divided into nonobese and obese cohorts. These cohorts were then queried for postoperative complications within 90 days after the surgical procedure using diagnostic and procedural codes. χ 2 tests were calculated to determine statistical significance, with P Results A total of 6928 patients who underwent operative management of a distal humerus fracture were identified, including 4215 ORIF and 2713 TEA procedures. The obese ORIF patients had a significantly increased risk of 90-day local (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; P P P P Conclusions Obesity is associated with significantly higher rates of complications after ORIF and TEA for distal humerus fractures than in nonobese patients.
Historical lessons to watch your assumptions about aging: relevance to the role of International Psychogeriatrics.

For too long, too many in science and society alike viewed aging as offering little that was of value. There was a collective illusion of knowledge that aging was characterized by inevitable, unalterable decrements in functioning that led to a dismal destiny in later life. This was a widespread perspective on aging, especially in the scientific community. To the extent that scientists considered aging as a wasteland of scientific opportunity, they had little interest in studying it. By not studying aging, little new was discovered about it, thereby preserving negative assumptions about what later life held for all of us. Both Freud and Piaget, for example, viewed development of the mind as essentially a first quarter of the life-cycle phenomenon – psychologically for Freud, intellectually for Piaget (Freud, 1978; Piaget, 1972).
Acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing in Gram-negative bacteria: A signaling mechanism involved in associations with higher organisms

Abstract Recent advances in studies of bacterial gene expression have brought the realization that cell-to-cell communication and community behavior are critical for successful interactions with higher organisms. Species-specific cell-to-cell communication is involved in successful pathogenic or symbiotic interactions of a variety of bacteria with plant and animal hosts. One type of cell–cell signaling is acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing in Gram-negative bacteria. This type of quorum sensing represents a dedicated communication system that enables a given species to sense when it has reached a critical population density in a host, and to respond by activating expression of genes necessary for continued success in the host. Acyl-homoserine lactone signaling in the opportunistic animal and plant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a model for the relationships among quorum sensing, pathogenesis, and community behavior. In the P. aeruginosa model, quorum sensing is required for normal biofilm maturation and for virulence. There are multiple quorum-sensing circuits that control the expression of dozens of specific genes that represent potential virulence loci.
Identification of drought-responsive and novel Populus trichocarpa microRNAs by high-throughput sequencing and their targets using degradome analysis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs (sRNAs) with a wide range of regulatory functions in plant development and stress responses. Although miRNAs associated with plant drought stress tolerance have been studied, the use of high-throughput sequencing can provide a much deeper understanding of miRNAs. Drought is a common stress that limits the growth of plants. To obtain more insight into the role of miRNAs in drought stress, Illumina sequencing of Populus trichocarpa sRNAs was implemented. Two sRNA libraries were constructed by sequencing data of control and drought stress treatments of poplar leaves. In total, 207 P. trichocarpa conserved miRNAs were detected from the two sRNA libraries. In addition, 274 potential candidate miRNAs were found; among them, 65 candidates with star sequences were chosen as novel miRNAs. The expression of nine conserved miRNA and three novel miRNAs showed notable changes in response to drought stress. This was also confirmed by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction experiments. To confirm the targets of miRNAs experimentally, two degradome libraries from the two treatments were constructed. According to degradome sequencing results, 53 and 19 genes were identified as targets of conserved and new miRNAs, respectively. Functional analysis of these miRNA targets indicated that they are involved in important activities such as the regulation of transcription factors, the stress response, and lipid metabolism. We discovered five upregulated miRNAs and seven downregulated miRNAs in response to drought stress. A total of 72 related target genes were detected by degradome sequencing. These findings reveal important information about the regulation mechanism of miRNAs in P. trichocarpa and promote the understanding of miRNA functions during the drought response.
Bar holding during partial reinforcement of avoidance responding

Fourteen rats were conditioned to perform a barpress avoidance response. The six animals that avoided most successfully were then required to make multiple responses to avoid a scheduled shock. Bar holding was found to be a common response among all six animals, and holding persisted even when four barpresses served as a single avoidance response. Mean holding time decreased as the response requirement increased but the proportion of session time during which the bar was held was not affected by the response requirement.
GRAPH-GEOMETRIC INVARIANTS FOR MOLECULAR STRUCTURES

The shortest-path distance on graphs might naturally be imagined to be implicated in some sort of innate geometric structure on graphs, such as are oft used to represent molecular structures. In fact it is noted here that in addition to this shortest-path metric, several other metrics may be naturally defined on graphs, sometimes there being more formal similarities with the Euclidean metric, such as can also be associated with a graph once it is embedded in a Euclidean space as is ultimately the case with molecular structures. Five natural purely graph-theoretic metrics are briefly discussed and are utilized in conjunction with several novel graph invariants defined in correspondence with classical geometric invariants for structures in Euclidean space. These graph invariants thereby attain potentially useful geometrical interpretations in terms of curvatures, torsions, and volumina. Such so-interpretable “graph-geometric” invariants then are evaluated for graphs in several different types of sequences, ...
A Revision of the Moss Genus Pohlia Hedw. (Mniaceae) in Australia

Abstract The moss genus Pohlia is most diverse in the Northern Hemisphere, but ten species occur in Australia, mostly in New South Wales and Tasmania. One species, P. clavaeformis, is endemic to Australia; P. tenuifolia is disjunct between Australia and South America; P. flexousa is widespread in southern Asia, and P. inflexa is high-latitude, circum-Antarctic. The remaining six species are more or less widespread in the Northern Hemisphere. Keys, descriptions, synonomy, and illustrations are provided. Pohlia mielichoferia and P. turgens are newly synonymized with P. clavaeformis; P. flexuosa and P. inflexa are newly reported from Australia.
Electron Cross-Field Transport in 2D Hybrid Hall Thruster Simulation

Summary form only given. A two-dimensional radial-axial Hall thruster simulation has been developed with the intent of better understanding the physical phenomena governing Hall thruster operation. In the simulation, the electrons are treated as a one-dimensional fluid, while the ions and neutrals are advanced using a particle-in-cell approach. The two solutions are coupled assuming quasi-neutrality. At each timestep, the transient, spatially-varying electron temperature and plasma potential are calculated through solution of the electron energy equation, a generalized Ohm's law, and a current conservation equation. The computational domain of the simulation corresponds to the interior channel of the Stanford Hall thruster and the near field plume region. Experimentally, electron diffusion across magnetic field lines is observed to be higher than predicted by classical diffusion theory. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to evaluate models for electron cross-field mobility through comparison of simulation results with experimental measurements in the Stanford Hall thruster. In addition to classical transport, models for the enhanced cross-field conductivity will also be examined, such as Bohm mobility and an experimentally based mobility. A third model will attempt to illustrate the cause of the anomalous diffusion through a transient determination of mobility using real-time calculations of the plasma properties. This transient mobility attempts to account for fluctuations and non-local effects including first order spatial and temporal derivatives in the electric field. These quantities modify transport by distorting the electron cyclotron orbit, and adjusting the classical expressions for polarization and cross-field drift. Substantial modifications to electron transport results
Rural school nurses' asthma education needs.

School nurses play an important role in identifying children with asthma and providing care during school hours. Educational programs designed to improve nurses' asthma knowledge and practices have concentrated on urban settings. The purpose of this investigation was to determine asthma-related practices and educational needs of rural school nurses. A survey about asthma was mailed to school nurses in all counties of the state of Maryland and in Washington, D.C. Responses were compared between rural Maryland counties and counties from the remainder of Maryland and Washington, D.C. The survey addressed attitudes and beliefs, function and roles, medication administration, and educational needs about asthma. We found that rural nurses used peak flow meters less often to assess and monitor asthma, requested fewer referrals for asthma, had fewer interactions with health room assistants, and had reduced access to asthma educational resources. Also, they provided less asthma education in the schools than other s...
Distribution of the tfda gene in soil bacteria that do not degrade 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)

The tfdA gene encodes an α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase that catalyzes the initial step in the degradation of the widely used herbicide, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Since its description in Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134, tfdA has been found on plasmids or on the chromosomes of phylogenetically diverse 2,4-D–degrading microorganisms. To assess its distribution in more diverse microbial populations, including bacteria that do not degrade 2,4-D, a collection of 76 soil bacteria that had been isolated on nonselective medium was screened for the presence of this gene by PCR amplification of an internal fragment of tfdA. PCR amplification products of the expected size were generated from the genomic DNA of 37% of these isolates. The products were shown to be highly similar to previously described tfdA sequences, either by hybridization of tfdA gene probes or by DNA sequence analyses. None of the isolates were able to degrade 2,4-D in liquid medium, or incorporate radiolabeled carbon from ring- or chain-labeled 14C-2,4-D. Characterization of these isolates by analysis of 16S rDNA partial sequence data showed the extensive distribution of tfdA in soil isolates from the same soil community. Microorganisms containing tfdA were found in many different phylogenetic groups, including α, β, and γ Proteobacteria, and both the Bacillus-Lactobacillus-Streptococcus subdivision and high G+C group of the Gram-positive phylum. These data suggest that tfdA, or closely related homologs, are widespread among soil isolates and are likely to exist in these organisms for a purpose other than the degradation of 2,4-D.
Female mating preferences, lighting environment, and a test of the sensory bias hypothesis in the bluefin killifish.

Sensory drive proposes that environmental conditions affect signalling dynamics and the evolution of signals and receivers. For visual systems, delineating the effects of lighting on mating preferences is difficult because lighting conditions can affect preferences via three mechanisms: (1) genetic differentiation in mating preferences can result from selection under different lighting conditions, (2) development under different lighting conditions can alter the visual system and presumably female mating preferences and (3) lighting conditions can immediately alter colour perception by filtering wavelengths and altering visual backgrounds. We teased apart these effects by crossing bluefin killifish within and between a spring population and a swamp population that differed in lighting environment. We divided offspring between clear and tea-stained rearing environments (developmental plasticity) and measured preference under tea and clear conditions (immediate effects). We found genetic differentiation: spring offspring showed a strong preference for red males. We also found a three-way interaction between genetics, developmental plasticity and immediate effects on preference for blue males: swamp offspring had the highest levels of preference for blue males when raised and tested under tea-stained conditions. Thus, the environment experienced during development and the immediate conditions during mate selection interact with genetics to determine preference. We also tested the sensory bias hypothesis, which predicts that mating preferences evolve as a correlated response to selection on nonmating behaviours such as foraging. The relationship between mating and foraging preferences was weak and provided little support for sensory bias.
Theorizing about public expenditure decision-making: (as) if wishes were horses ...

There have been several attempts to compare different approaches to modelling public expenditure decision-making. This paper is an extended comment on one such attempt: Fred Thompson and Richard Williams, “A Horse Race Around a Mobius Strip: A Review and a Test of Utility Maximizing and Organizational-Process Models of Public Expenditure Decisions.” In a commentary mode, we: (a) examine why tests of the sort that Thompson and Williams offer are neither definitive in choosing between models nor very useful in improving models; (b) outline a more meaningful test procedure; and (c) offer a somewhat more critical view than Thompson and Williams of the utility-maximizing approach to modelling public expenditure decisions.
SElf-reported social functioning among older patients with schizophrenia

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of a self-report measure of social functioning as an outcome measure for older schizophrenia patients. Sixty-five schizophrenia patients and 39 healthy controls, ranging in age from 45 to 81 years, were evaluated using a modified Social Adjustment Scale (SAS-M), Scales for Assessment of Positive and Negative Symptoms, Depression Subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory, Mini-Mental State Examination, Dementia Rating Scale, measures of social support, and measures of background variables. Compared with controls, fewer patients with schizophrenia engaged in social roles, were married, were parents, or held jobs. Moreover, patients were more impaired in overall functioning, specifically in the domains of social/leisure, extended family, and marital roles than controls. Impairments in most roles were correlated with greater severity of symptoms, but not with degree of cognitive impairment, social environment, or background characteristics. The SAS-M is a useful addition to psychosocial batteries; however, the self-report format may not reflect others' perception of functioning.
Steady-state response attenuation of a linear oscillator–nonlinear absorber system by using an adjustable-length pendulum in series: Numerical and experimental results

Abstract Response attenuation of a linear primary structure (PS)–nonlinear tuned mass damper (NTMD) dynamic system with and without an adaptive-length pendulum tuned mass damper (ALPTMD) in a series configuration is studied by using numerical and experimental methods. In the PS–NTMD system, coexisting high and low amplitude solutions are observed in the experiment, validating previous numerical efforts. In order to eliminate the potentially dangerous high amplitude solutions, a series ALPTMD with a mass multiple orders of magnitude smaller than the PS is added to the NTMD. The ALPTMD is used in order to represent the steady-state behavior of a smart tuned mass damper (STMD). In the experiment, the length of the pendulum is adjusted such that its natural frequency matches the dominant frequency of the harmonic ground motions. In the present study, the proposed ALPTMD can be locked so that it is unable to oscillate and influence the dynamics of the system in order to obtain the benefits provided by the NTMD. The experimental data show good qualitative agreement with numerical predictions computed with parameter continuation and time integration methods. Activation of the ALPTMD can successfully prevent the transition of the response from the low amplitude solution to the high amplitude solution or return the response from the high amplitude solution to the low amplitude solution, thereby protecting the PS.
Impurity transport experiments and effects on MHD in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX)

A first assessment of low-Z impurity transport in beam-heated NSTX H-modes has been performed using magnetic field and current scans at fixed q-profile as well as temperature scans at constant plasma density, current and toroidal field. Impurity diffusivity levels consistent with the neoclassical predictions have been found, whereas a reversal of the convective velocity at low fields indicates an anomalous effect to be at play at the gradient region. Studies on the impact of rotation in low-density H-modes have also shown that heavy and not fully stripped impurities with high Mach numbers can experience core diffusivities several times larger than that of the 'standard' neoclassical transport for stationary plasmas, without the need of invoking the presence of long wavelength core electrostatic turbulence. As a result of a deliberate neon impurity injection we have also observed a correlation between the strength of the emitted radiation, the earlier appearance of tearing modes activity and an enhanced plasma cooling that resulted in enlarged magnetic islands.
Cancer genetics: Tumor suppressor meets oncogene

The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor protein is inactivated by mutations in the majority of colorectal cancers. A recent study has revealed that alterations in the APC signaling pathway can result in the transcriptional activation of the c-MYC gene.
Infrared, Raman, and microwave spectra and conformations of dl-bisoxirane

Abstract The Raman spectra of liquid and solid dl-bisoxirane and the infrared spectra of all three phases have been recorded. The microwave spectrum has been studied in the X- and R-band frequency regions. The vibrational data indicate that the molecule exists as a mixture of at least two conformations in the fluid state. The more stable conformer, which has a trans orientation of the two oxirane rings and persists as the only conformer in the crystalline solid state, has also been observed in the microwave spectrum of the vapor. The rotational constants of the ground vibrational state are (in MHz) A = 10998.186, B = 2340.413, and C = 2126.233. From Stark effect measurements, the dipole moment component μb (along the symmetry axis) is found to be 3.43 ± 0.01 D. Rotational transitions and the Stark effect for two excited vibrational states have also been measured and analyzed. A second conformer, which is 0.23 ± 0.08 kcal/mole (0.96 ± 0.33 kJ/mole) less stable than the trans conformer in the liquid state, is identified as a near-gauche conformer whose dihedral angle is probably between 40° and 50°. The possibility of an additional conformer is considered, and the structure of dl-bisoxirane is discussed in terms of similar molecules.
Learning for distributed artificial intelligence systems

In the context of improving the performance of a group of agents, allowing individual agents to improve their performance may not be enough to improve the performance of the group. To apply learning to the overall group performance the agents need to adapt and learn to work with each other. Indeed, the agents may not need to learn more about the domain, as in the traditional sense of machine learning, to improve group performance. In fact, to improve the performance of the group, the agents may only need to learn to work together and not necessarily improve their individual performance. In addition, not all of the agents must be able to learn or adapt to allow the group to improve. This papers examines the learning potential for different dimensions of distributed artificial intelligence systems. It concerns adaptation and learning at the knowledge and organizational levels. Several existing systems are examined and classified according to the dimensions for learning. The paper does not examine general dimensions for DAI, but only those dimensions that can be used for examining learning in a DAI system. >
Visual Exploration of Spatio-temporal Relationships for Scientific Data

Spatio-temporal relationships among features extracted from temporally-varying scientific datasets can provide useful information about the evolution of an individual feature and its interactions with other features. However, extracting such useful relationships without user guidance is cumbersome and often an error prone process. In this paper, we present a visual analysis system that interactively discovers such relationships from the trajectories of derived features. We describe analysis algorithms to derive various spatial and spatio-temporal relationships. A visual interface is presented using which the user can interactively select spatial and temporal extents to guide the knowledge discovery process. We show the usefulness of our proposed algorithms on datasets originating from computational fluid dynamics. We also demonstrate how the derived relationships can help in explaining the occurrence of critical events like merging and bifurcation of the vortices.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Patient-Provider Communication, Quality-of-Care Ratings, and Patient Activation Among Long-Term Cancer Survivors

Purpose We examined racial and ethnic disparities in patient-provider communication (PPC), perceived care quality, and patient activation among long-term cancer survivors. Methods In 2005 to 2006, survivors of breast, prostate, colorectal, ovarian, and endometrial cancers completed a mailed survey on cancer follow-up care. African American, Asian/Pacific Islander (Asian), Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white (white) survivors who had seen a physician for follow-up care in the past 2 years (n = 1,196) composed the analytic sample. We conducted linear and logistic regression analyses to identify racial and ethnic differences in PPC (overall communication and medical test communication), perceived care quality, and patient activation in clinical care (self-efficacy in medical decisions and perceived control). We further examined the potential contribution of PPC to racial and ethnic differences in perceived care quality and patient activation. Results Compared with white survivors (mean score, 85.16), Hispanic (...
Human monoclonal antibodies against a plethora of viral pathogens from single combinatorial libraries.

Abstract Conventional antibody generation usually requires active immunization with antigen immediately prior to the preparation procedure. Combinatorial antibody library technology offers the possibility of cloning a range of antibody specificities at a single point in time and then accessing these specificities at will. Here we show that human monoclonal antibody Fab fragments against a plethora of infectious agents can be readily derived from a single library. Further examination of a number of libraries shows that whenever antibody against a pathogen can be detected in the serum of the donor, then specific antibodies can be derived from the corresponding library. We describe the generation of human Fab fragments against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, human cytomegalovirus, varicella zoster virus, rubella, human immunodeficiency virus type 1, and respiratory syncytial virus. The antibodies are shown to be highly specific and a number are effective in neutralizing virus in vitro.
Computational aspects of real time simulation of robotic system

Digital computer simulations and computer graphic approach have been successfully applied to research in robotic systems. In order to design various kinds of control algorithms of robots in real time environments, real time simulations and real time dynamics in computer graphics need to be developed. This paper deals with the computation complexity and the approaches to reduce the computation time for real time simulations of robotic systems. Possible parallelism and pipeline processing in the simulation algorithm are investigated. Different algorithms of simulations are compared. Using today's multiprocessor systems and VLSI technology, real time simulation of robotic systems is possible.
Modifying Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Deaf Individuals

Abstract Therapies that rely on written materials, information, or procedures involving familiarity with the dominant culture (e.g., colloquialisms, history) often pose barriers to people who use another language, have low English literacy, or are less familiar with the dominant culture. All this applies deaf individuals. One of the most well-validated mental health treatments for reducing suicidality in those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT; Koons et al., 2001; Linehan et al., 1999 ; Linehan et al., 2006; Linehan et al., 2002; Verheul et al., 2003). Unfortunately, its heavy reliance on written materials, prevalent use of metaphors, and other culture-bound characteristics make DBT inaccessible to the average deaf consumer. We describe the potential benefits that DBT could offer deaf clients, some of which are uniquely related to the life experiences and societal challenges faced by deaf people. Barriers to accessing standard DBT treatment and the materials used are described. Modifications of DBT materials and methods that we have found effective with deaf clients are detailed. It is concluded that DBT materials and methods can be successfully modified for use with this population. Available resources and additional benefits of employing DBT with deaf clients are noted.
An Integrated Model of Quality for Mass Services in the Context of Ghanaian Retailing Banking Sector

This study draws upon the service literature and operationalizes the investment model in the services domain to examine factors that contribute to customers’ desire to maintain service relationships with firms (i.e., retail banks) in an emerging economy in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana. We empirically test the explanatory power and robustness of the investment model using 218 customers of various banking institutions in Ghana. Results from partial least squares—structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM)—reveal that (1) service quality is positively associated with customer satisfaction, investment size, and customer commitment; and (2) while customer satisfaction is positively associated with customer commitment, both investment size and quality of attractive alternatives are not associated with customer commitment. Interestingly, we found investment size to have a positive association with customer commitment only when fully mediated by customer satisfaction. Our model reveals that service quality and customer satisfaction predict 79.3% of the variation in customer commitment toward maintaining a service relationship with their retail banks. Discussion and managerial implications conclude the article. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structure and high-piezoelectricity in lead oxide solid solutions

A review of the recent advances in the understanding of piezoelectricity in lead oxide solid solutions is presented, giving special attention to the structural aspects. It has now become clear that the very high electromechanical response in these materials is directly related to the existence of low symmetry monoclinic phases.
Occupational hearing loss in Washington state, 1984–1991: II. morbidity and associated costs

This study examined 4,547 workers' compensation claims accepted for hearing-related conditions in Washington state between 1984 and 1991; 80% resulted in disability compensation (n = 3,660). Acute hearing-related conditions comprised 11% of accepted conditions (95% confidence interval [CI], 2–15%); most claims were for chronic noise-related hearing loss. Tinnitus was reported in 64% of accepted claims (95% CI, 54–75%). The median binaural-equivalent hearing loss in compensated claims was 12.5% (inter-quartile interval, 5–22%; 90th percentile, 34%), although it declined by 30% during the study period. The number of claims and associated impairment increased with claimant age, but the number of claims dropped dramatically after age 65. Annual total disability settlements almost tripled in 8 years, totaling $22.8 million. This study indicates that occupational hearing-related conditions: 1) are manifested by mild to moderate hearing loss, accompanied by tinnitus in a majority of cases; 2) may be under-recognized in older, formerly noise-exposed individuals; and 3) were associated with substantial increases in compensation and medical costs over time, through 1991. Am. J. Ind. Med. 33:529–536, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A monolithic Ka-band sub-harmonically pumped frequency converter

A GaAs monolithic subharmonically pumped (SHP) Ka-band frequency converter has been developed. The complete frequency converter monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC), having six microwave ports, consists of an SP2T RF switch, LO (local oscillator) buffer amplifier, anti-parallel diode mixer, three-stage IF (intermediate frequency) amplifier, and an SP3T IF switch. To minimize circuit cost, the converter was fabricated with conventional MMIC material and processing. The frequency converter exhibited a conversion gain of 8 dB and a single sideband noise figure of 20 dB. This IC is the first demonstrated monolithic Ka-band SHP frequency converter and has a higher level of integration than previous MMIC SHP mixers. >
Was John Wesley A Political Economist

In 1772 John Wesley wrote a letter to Lloyd's Evening Post which was reprinted in a slightly revised form the following year under the title, Thoughts on the Present Scarcity of Provisions.1 Although intended by Wesley to be an essay exposing the evils of what Thorstein Veblen would later refer to as “conspicuous consumption,” it has been reprinted and cited during the present century primarily as a temperance tract.2 As intended or as adapted it makes for interesting reading but is far more fascinating as a testament of Wesley's economic theories. In terms of length and concern the pamphlet represents, as Wesley's biographer Francis J. McConnell observed “as nearly as anything a statement of his economic views.”3 Undoubtedly it does represent Wesley's most mature (he was in his sixty-ninth year when it was published) and deliberate attempt to express himself in the area of political economics. What does it reveal? Was he a profound theorist? Or did he follow slavishly the current philosophy? In short, was John Wesley a political economist?
A hierarchy of regulatory genes controls a larva-to-adult developmental switch in C. elegans

Abstract The heterochronic genes lin-4 , lin-14 , lin-29 control the timing of specific postembryonic developmental events in C. elegans. The experiments described here examine how these four genes interact to control a particular stage-specific event of the lateral hypodermal cell lineages. This event, termed the "larva-to-adult switch" (L/A switch), involves several coordinate changes in the behavior of hypodermal cells at the fourth molt: cessation of cell division, formation of adult (instead of larval) cuticle, cell fusion, and cessation of the molting cycle. The phenotypes of multiply mutant strains suggest a model wherein the L/A switch is controlled by the stage-specific activity of a regulatory hierarchy: At early stages of wild-type development, lin-14 and lin-28 inhibit lin-29 and thus prevent switching. Later, lin-4 inhibits lin-14 and lin-28 , allowing activation of lin-29 , which in turn triggers the switch in the L4 stage. lin-29 may activate the L/A switch by regulating genes that control cell division, differentiation, and stage-specific gene expression in hypodermal cells.
Fewer crowns rather than large amalgam restorations require additional treatment 10 years after placement.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Teeth with large amalgam restorations and crowns: factors affecting the receipt of subsequent treatment after 10 years. Kolker JL, Damiano PC, Caplan DJ, Armstrong SR, Dawson DV, Jones MP, et al. J Am Dent Assoc 2005;136(6):738-48; quiz 805-6. Level of Evidence 2c Purpose/Question To determine the relative odds of any further treatment and of catastrophic treatment for crowns and large amalgam restorations 10 years after placement. Source of Funding Information not presented Type of Study/Design Retrospective case series
Clinical management of anterior mediastinal tumors in children.

The majority of anterior mediastinal tumors in children are malignant. The most common tumors in this location are lymphomas, germ cell tumors, and thymic masses. Most require an operation, either a biopsy or a resection, for cure. Because of their size and location, patients with these masses are at significant risk for cardiopulmonary complications when general anesthesia is administered. Of the many clinical, functional, and radiologic criteria used to identify the children at greatest risk for anesthetic complications, the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and the tracheal cross-section area seem to be the most reliable. General anesthesia should not be administered to children if the PEFR and a tracheal cross section area are both less than 50% of predicted values. If both are greater than 50% of predicted values, general anesthesia can be administered safely. An algorithm is proposed for the preoperative evaluation and management of children with anterior mediastinal tumors.
Open-loop peak voltage feedforward control of PWM buck converter

DC and small-signal analyses are given for an open-loop buck pulse-width modulated (PWM) DC-DC converter with peak-voltage-modulation (PVM) feedforward control. A DC model is used to derive the DC input-to-output voltage transfer function taking into account parasitic components, such as the MOSFET on-resistance, diode forward resistance, and diode offset voltage. A small-signal model is used to derive the audio susceptibility and the input impedance. It is shown that ideally the audio susceptibility is zero and the input impedance is frequency independent and negative for the buck converter with PVM feedforward control.
Anion size modulates salt taste in rats.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of anion size and the contribution of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and the transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) channel on sodium-taste responses in rat chorda tympani (CT) neurons. We recorded multiunit responses from the severed CT nerve and single-cell responses from intact, narrowly tuned and broadly tuned, salt-sensitive neurons in the geniculate ganglion simultaneously with stimulus-evoked summated potentials to signal when the stimulus contacted the lingual epithelium. Artificial saliva served as the rinse and solvent for all stimuli (0.3 M NH4Cl, 0.5 M sucrose, 0.03–0.5 M NaCl, 0.01 M citric acid, 0.02 M quinine hydrochloride, 0.1 M KCl, and 0.03–0.5 M Na-gluconate). We used the pharmacological antagonist benzamil to assess NaCl responses mediated by ENaC, and SB-366791 and cetylpyridinium chloride to assess responses mediated by TRPV1. CT nerve responses were greater to NaCl than Na-gluconate at each concentration; this was attributed mostly to broadly tuned, acid-generalist neurons that responded with higher frequency and shorter latency to NaCl than Na-gluconate. In contrast, narrowly tuned NaCl-specialist neurons responded more similarly to the two salts, but with subtle differences in temporal pattern. Benzamil reduced CT nerve and single-cell responses only of narrowly tuned neurons to NaCl. Surprisingly, SB-366791 and cetylpyridinium chloride were without effect on CT nerve or single-cell NaCl responses. Collectively, our data demonstrate the critical role that apical ENaCs in fungiform papillae play in processing information about sodium by peripheral gustatory neurons; the role of TRPV1 channels is an enigma.
Performance Characteristics of Hybrid MPI/OpenMP Implementations of NAS Parallel Benchmarks SP and BT on Large-Scale Multicore Clusters

The NAS Parallel Benchmarks (NPB) are well-known applications with fixed algorithms for evaluating parallel systems and tools. Multicore clusters provide a natural programming paradigm for hybrid programs, whereby OpenMP can be used with the data sharing with the multicores that comprise a node, and MPI can be used with the communication between nodes. In this paper, we use Scalar Pentadiagonal (SP) and Block Tridiagonal (BT) benchmarks of MPI NPB 3.3 as a basis for a comparative approach to implement hybrid MPI/OpenMP versions of SP and BT. In particular, we can compare the performance of the hybrid SP and BT with the MPI counterparts on large-scale multicore clusters, Intrepid (BlueGene/P) at Argonne National Laboratory and Jaguar (Cray XT4/5) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Our performance results indicate that the hybrid SP outperforms the MPI SP by up to 20.76%, and the hybrid BT outperforms the MPI BT by up to 8.58% on up to 10Â 000 cores on Intrepid and Jaguar. We also use performance tools and MPI trace libraries available on these clusters to further investigate the performance characteristics of the hybrid SP and BT.
Prepregnancy Dietary Protein Intake, Major Dietary Protein Sources, and the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus A prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE Dietary protein is an important modulator of glucose metabolism. However, studies regarding the association between dietary protein intake and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk are sparse. This study was to examine the association. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Our study included 21,457 singleton pregnancies reported among 15,294 participants of the Nurses9 Health Study II cohort between 1991 and 2001. Included pregnancies were free of chronic diseases before pregnancy or previous GDM. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs. RESULTS After adjustment for age, parity, nondietary and dietary factors, and BMI, multivariable RRs (95% CIs) comparing the highest with lowest quintiles were 1.49 (1.03–2.17) for animal protein intake and 0.69 (0.50–0.97) for vegetable protein intake. The substitution of 5% energy from vegetable protein for animal protein was associated with a 51% lower risk of GDM (RR (95% CI), 0.49 (0.29–0.84)). For major dietary protein sources, multivariable RRs (95% CIs) comparing the highest with the lowest quintiles were 2.05 (1.55–2.73) for total red meat and 0.73 (0.56–0.95) for nuts, respectively. The substitution of red meat with poultry, fish, nuts, or legumes showed a significantly lower risk of GDM. CONCLUSIONS Higher intake of animal protein, in particular red meat, was significantly associated with a greater risk of GDM. By contrast, higher intake of vegetable protein, specifically nuts, was associated with a significantly lower risk. Substitution of vegetable protein for animal protein, as well as substitution of some healthy protein sources for red meat, was associated with a lower risk of GDM.
Possible new electronic phase in semi-metals. - I

In this paper we have studied the problem of the excitonic phase in semi-metals by including a strong electron-phonon interaction term. The pure excitonic phase is found to be unstable under this possible condition. The different situations in which the electronphonon term is important are discussed. A new type of phase similar to the superconducting phase could be found. The different physical implications of such a phase are studied. A self-consistent field method is also developed such that electromagnetic responses can be studied.
Low prevalence of hepatitis C co-infection in recently HIV-infected minority men who have sex with men in Los Angeles: a cross-sectional study

Geographic and sociodemographic characterization of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) has been limited. Our aim was to characterize HCV prevalence, risk factors for HCV co-infection, and patterns of HIV and HCV co-transmission and transmitted drug resistance mutations (DRMs) in newly HIV-diagnosed Los Angeles MSM. Viral RNA was extracted from stored plasma samples from a Los Angeles cohort of newly diagnosed HIV-infected MSM with well-characterized substance use and sexual behavioral characteristics via computer-assisted self-interviewing surveys. Samples were screened for HCV by qPCR. HCV E1, E2, core, NS3 protease and NS5B polymerase and HIV-1 protease and reverse transcriptase regions were amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis was used to determine relatedness of HCV and HIV-1 isolates within the cohort and viral sequences were examined for DRMs. Of 185 newly HIV-diagnosed MSM, the majority (65 %) were of minority race/ethnicity and recently infected (57.8 %), with median age of 28.3 years. A minority (6.6 %) reported injection drug use (IDU), whereas 96 (52.8 %) reported recent substance use, primarily cannabis or stimulant use. High risk sexual behaviors included 132 (74.6 %) with unprotected receptive anal intercourse, 60 (33.3 %) with group sex, and 10 (5.7 %) with fisting. Forty-five (24.3 %) had acute gonorrhea or chlamydia infection. Only 3 (1.6 %) subjects had detectable HCV RNA. Amongst these subjects, HIV and HCV isolates were unrelated by phylogenetic analysis and none possessed clinically relevant NS3 or NS5B HCV DRMs. Prevalence of HCV co-infection was low and there was no evidence of HIV-HCV co-transmission in this cohort of relatively young, predominantly minority, newly HIV-diagnosed MSM, most with early HIV infection, with high rates of high risk sexual behaviors, STI, and non-IDU. The low HCV prevalence in a group with high-risk behaviors for non-IDU HCV acquisition suggests an opportune time for targeted HCV prevention measures.
Hydrogen peroxide cytotoxicity in cultured cardiac myocytes is iron dependent

Because of its potential importance in injury during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, we assessed mechanisms of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) cytotoxicity in cultured chick embryo cardiac myocytes. ...
Psychiatric Consultations in Less-Than-Private Places: Challenges and Unexpected Benefits of Hospital Roommates

Received July 11, 2015; revised August 11, 2015; accepted August 12, 2015. From Harvard Medical School, 260 Longwood Avenue, Suite 168, Boston, MA 02115 (NE); Psychiatry Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (DEM, TAS). Send correspondence and reprint requests to Neir Eshel, Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, 260 Longwood Avenue, Suite 168, Boston, MA 02115; e-mail: Neir_Eshel@hms.harvard.edu & 2016TheAcademy of PsychosomaticMedicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Introduction
The FVO and Firms’ Earnings Management Incentives

This paper examines the incentives utilized by firms in applying the FVO (SFAS 159) by analyzing firms’ application decisions under different circumstances. I confirm the finding in prior literature that firms apply SFAS 159 to manipulate earnings upward to meet or beat earnings target. Additionally, I find that approximately 42% of firms adopting SFAS 159 recognized unrealized losses, this stratagem employed by firms suggests that they elect the fair value option (FVO) to smooth incomes. Although the FASB and prior literature suggest that hedge accounting users are more likely to apply a more cost-savings SFAS 159 over hedge accounting (SFAS 133), my findings dispute cost-savings as the likely reason, suggesting that a hedge accounting user’s decision to adopt FVO is not driven by cost-savings consideration.
Humanitarian Intervention and Communal Civil Wars: Problems and Alternative Approaches

Military intervention to bring about lasting peace in a violent communal conflict fails or even backfires far more often than it succeeds. Policymakers and military officials commonly ignore the characteristics that distinguish communal from ideological conflict, even though those characteristics greatly affect an intervention’s requirements and effectiveness. The United States in general seeks to avoid involvement in communal civil wars, and policymakers are not accustomed to thinking outside the box about how military intervention can be used. Yet despite the preference of both military and political leaders for avoiding such disputes, they may not have the luxury of noninvolvement. Thus they must consider a range of military options. This article tries to further this process by exploring problems with the current approach and identifying six strategies for military intervention in violent communal conflicts. Specific missions worth examining include limiting intervention to providing humanitarian relief to refugees; quarantining the conflict to prevent it from spreading; serving as an arsenal to create a local balance of power; militarily supporting one side to help it win a complete victory; transferring populations to reduce hostile ethnic commingling; and deploying troops before a conflict begins in order to reduce local fears. All these forms of intervention have limited effectiveness and some are politically demanding. If the United States cannot meet the requirements of these missions and live within their limits, however, it should not intervene.