cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The safety of treatments for tobacco use disorder.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Tobacco continues to be a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the world. First-line pharmacotherapies for the treatment of tobacco use disorder include nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion sustained-release (SR), and varenicline. We provide an overview of current evidence on the safety of first-line pharmacotherapies for the treatment of tobacco use disorder.Areas covered: Randomized clinical trials published in English up to July 2015 were identified and reviewed through searches of PUBMED using the terms nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion SR, varenicline, smoking, and tobacco cessation.Expert opinion: Nicotine replacement has few contraindications and side effects and can be recommended to almost all tobacco users. Bupropion SR should be used with caution in patients with bipolar disorder or liver or kidney disease, and alternative treatments should be considered for patients with a history of seizures or who are at risk for seizures. The only contraindi...
Nonrevealing Equilibria and Consumption-Based Asset Pricing Models

In the rational expectations equilibrium of this paper, agents have private information and differing information partitions and therefore assign differing conditional distributions to asset payoffs and other economic variables relevant to their investment choices. Standard asset pricing models typically do not recognize the impact of these differing information partitions, and empirical tests based on these models thus measure asset riskiness in a way that may not be relevant to any of the agents' decisions. I show how this can lead to distorted estimates of investment risk and how it can make the equity premium appear difficult to explain.
International Economic Law in U.S. Law Schools: Evaluating its Pedagogy and Identifying Future Challenges

U.S. law schools share with each other and with legal educational institutions worldwide the challenge of preparing students for the increasingly globalized practice of law. International economic law (IEL) encompasses a wide spectrum of subjects including trade in goods and services, financial law, economic integration, development law, business regulation and intellectual property. The expansive scope of the fields of practice and study within the discipline presents challenges for identifying the key issues with which scholars should try to stay current and the relevant material that should be imparted to students. Because of the breadth and depth of developments in the various fields of international economic law, it is imperative that professionals who are engaged in teaching, practicing and writing about international economic law in U.S. law schools, and elsewhere, collaborate on a uniform understanding of essential components that constitute effective teaching of this evolving subject area. In preparation for a seminal conference of the American Society of International Law's Interest Group on International Economic Law held November 9 - 11, 2006 at the historic Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, the conference chairs appointed Stephen T. Zamora (Houston Law Center), Craig L. Jackson (Thurgood Marshall School of Law) and Karen E. Bravo (Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis) Co-Rapporteurs for the Workshop on the Future of Teaching International Economic Law. Charged with fleshing out some of the critical issues or ideas relevant to teaching international economic law that would provide catalysts for future action for developing the discipline of teaching IEL, the Co-Rapporteurs administered surveys to teachers of IEL in U.S. law schools as well as administrators who oversee curricular matters. The results of the survey are presented and discussed here, including the status of the discipline, the trends identified and some challenges and recommendations for the future.
Left Ventricular Volume Determinations of Canine Models

Current techniques of left ventricular performance assessment involve angiographic determinations of ventricular volumes. Echocardiography offers an alternative non-invasive means of determining these volumes. However, current one dimensional techniques, ie.time-motion (T-M) methods, are inherently limited in accuracy because of uncertainties in determining the orientation of the interrogating ultrasonic beam in relation to the spatial geometries of the ventricle. The high resolution, real time, two-dimensional ultrasound imaging system, known as Thaumascan, was utilized in determining left ventricular volumes of canine models in vitro to ascertain this system’s capabilities in volumetric determinations.
Plant Resistance to Five Lepidoptera Attacking Cotton

The characters nectariless and glabrous in Gossypium spp. were evaluated in test strains for resistance to 5 lepidopterous cotton pests. Nectariless caused reductions ranging from 39 to 64% in egg deposition by the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and the tobacco budworm, H. virescens (F.). Glabrous caused a reduction of more than 60% in eggs deposited by the Heliothis spp. Plants with both nectariless and glabrous characters had 80% fewer eggs of these species than a strain that was comparable to commercial varieties. Bolls of nectariless plants had significantly fewer mines formed by pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), larvae, and significantly fewer larvae of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), and the cotton leaf worm, Alabama argillacea (Hubner), on the foliage than the nectaried plants. Numbers of P. gossypiella larval mines and T. ni larvae in or on glabrous and hirsute strains were not significantly different.
Detection of DNA polymerase β mRNA in esophageal ovarian carcinoma tissue

[Objective] To detect DNA polymerase β gene (polβ) mRNA during the stage of progression in epithelial ovarian carcinoma as tissue. [Methods] Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was employed to analyze the polymerase β mRNA in 41 cases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma, 27 cases of serous cystadenocarcinoma, and 4 cases of mucinous cystadenoma, endometrioid tumor, and 31 cases of normal ovarian tissue. [Results] The expression of polymerase β in serous cystadenocarcinoma, mucinous cystadenoma, endometrial carcinoma were not significantly different but were higher than the expression levels in normal ovarian tissue (P 0.05). The expression polymerase β in histological grading two and three was significantly higher than that of one (P 0.05). The expression of FIGO stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ was significantly higher than FIGO stage Ⅰ and FIGO Ⅱ (P 0.05). [Conclusions] There is overexpression of polymerase β mRNA in epithelial ovarian carcinoma tissue. The lower degree of tumor differentiation, and the higher FIGO stage, the overexpression of polymerase β is higher.
Intradialytic Massage for Leg Cramps Among Hemodialysis Patients: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Patients on hemodialysis often experience muscle cramps that result in discomfort, shortened treatment times, and inadequate dialysis dose. Cramps have been associated with adversely affecting sleep and health-related quality of life, depression and anxiety. There is limited evidence available about massage in dialysis; however, massage in cancer patients has demonstrated decreases in pain, inflammation, and feelings of anxiety. These correlations indicate massage may be an effective treatment modality for hemodialysis-related lower extremity cramping. Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of intradialytic massage on the frequency of cramping among hemodialysis patients prone to lower extremity cramping. Participants: 26 maintenance hemodialysis patients with frequent lower extremity cramps. Setting: three outpatient hemodialysis centers in Northeast Ohio. Research Design: randomized controlled trial. Intervention: The intervention group received a 20-minute massage of the lower extremities during each treatment (three times per week) for two weeks. The control group received usual care by dialysis center staff. Main Outcome Measure: change in frequency of lower leg cramping. Results: Patient reported cramping at home decreased by 1.3 episodes per week in the intervention group compared to 0.2 episodes per week in the control group (p=.005). Patient reported cramping during dialysis decreased by 0.8 episodes in the intervention group compared to 0.4 episodes in the control group (p=0.44). Conclusion: Intradialytic massage appears to be an effective way to address muscle cramping. Larger studies with longer duration should be conducted to further examine this approach.
Investigating an Intervention Used to Address Underachievement in Gifted and Non-Gifted High School Students: A Mixed Methodological Study

INVESTIGATING AN INTERVENTION USED TO ADDRESS UNDERACHIEVEMETN IN GIFTED AND NON-GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A MIXED METHODOLOGICAL STUDY Missy C. Sullivan Old Dominion University, 2016 Director: Dr. Peter Baker Recent concerns in the field of gifted education focus on students who are not performing at their ability level. These students can be classified as underachieving gifted students. In their research, Rubenstein, Siegle, Reis, McCoach, and Burton (2012) found that though gifted students are not typically considered at risk, there is a growing group of gifted students who are not motivated to learn, which is frustrating for parents, teachers, and counselors. Highly capable students are not being engaged in their classes which causes underachievement in these students (Kim, 2008). The purpose of this mixed methodological study will be to investigate if a goal-setting intervention impacts academic performance and attitudes in gifted achievers and underachievers as well as non-gifted achievers and underachievers. How students value a goal setting intervention as it relates to a higher level mathematics course will also be addressed. Data were collected through reported grades, intervention meetings, interviews, and student questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and content analysis of interview transcripts. Findings from the study confirm that there is a higher Academic SelfPerception Academic Self-Perception in underachieving gifted students who received the intervention. Results from the exit questionnaire show that though students did not improve academically, they still found value in a goal-setting intervention.
Federalism and Faith

Should the U.S. constitution afford greater discretion to states than to the federal government in matters affecting religion? In recent years, a number of commentators have been asserting that the Establishment Clause should not apply to the states. Justice Thomas has embraced this view, while offering his own refinements to it. Moreover, the Supreme Court's decision in Locke v. Davey (2004) ruled that a state did not run afoul of the Free Exercise Clause when it refused to subsidize religious studies, in a context in which the Establishment Clause would have permitted the subsidy. This paper offers a focused (re)consideration of federalism and faith. Part I offers a succinct look at federal-state relations on the subject of religion prior to Reconstruction. Part II confronts the constitutional developments that emerged from the Civil War and Reconstruction, and traces the Reconstruction story into the 20th century, when the Supreme Court first applied the Religion Clauses to the states. Part III then briskly chronicles the rise of Separationist interpretations of both Religion Clauses, and the incomplete recession to narrow interpretations of the Religion Clauses that mark the past several decades. Part IV represents our contextualized effort to add value to the conversation about faith and federalism. State discretion over religion policy is a function of two considerations - the substantive content of the First Amendment, and the extent to which the First Amendment binds the states. In order to test a series of intuitions about faith and federalism, we analyze in Part IV a series of three problems - one in which the state pursues Separationist goals, and the other two in which the state appears to be promoting or aiding religion. Part IV considers these problems within three, distinct regimes of federalism: 1) the current regime of full incorporation of the First Amendment's Religion Clauses; 2) a regime in which the states remain bound by the Free Exercise Clause but are liberated from the Establishment Clause; and 3) an imagined regime of partial incorporation, designed to maintain core non-Establishment norms while explicitly expanding state discretion in the periphery of non-Establishment. We believe that exploration of these problems, and of contrasting regimes of state discretion, will cast considerable light on what is at stake in the battle over federalism and faith.
Transcanal endoscopic stapedotomy

Transcanal endoscopic stapes surgery has recently been described as an alternative to the traditional microscopic procedure. The principal advantage cited by proponents of the endoscopic approach is improved visualization, whereas the primary limitation of the endoscopic approach is the need for one-handed surgery, which limits the ability to suction and provide retraction with the nondominant hand. The steps of an endoscopic stapedectomy or stapedotomy are generally no different than with a microscope, though it has been suggested that the endoscope reduces the need for bony removal of the posterosuperior canal wall and decreases manipulation of the chorda tympani nerve. Herein, we describe the perioperative workup and management, surgical technique, and published outcomes of endoscopic stapes surgery.
Comparison of Postfire Seeding Practices for Wyoming Big Sagebrush

Wildfires in the Great Basin have resulted in widespread loss of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young), an ecologically important shrub that has proven difficult to establish from seed. We sought to identify optimal seeding practices for Wyoming big sagebrush in the context of postfire seeding operations involving rangeland drills. In an experiment replicated at three burned sites in the northern Great Basin, we compared Wyoming big sagebrush establishment across treatments differing by seed delivery technique, timing, and rate of seed application. A seed mix containing bunchgrasses was drill-seeded in alternate rows using one of two drill-types (conventional or minimum-till), and a mix containing sagebrush was either delivered by drill to the soil surface in remaining rows or broadcast by hand (simulating aerial seeding) following drilling in fall or winter. Drill-delivery of sagebrush seed was accompanied by drag chains (conventional drill) or imprinter wheels (minimum-till drill) to improve seed-soil contact and was carried out at multiple seeding rates (ca. 50,250, and 500 pure live seed m-2). During 2 yr following seeding, sagebrush establishment was lower at two sites (yr 1: ≤ 1.2 plants m-2; yr 2: ≤ 0.8 plants m-2) compared with a third site (yr 1: ≤ 4.1 plants m-2; yr 2: ≤ 2.0 plants m-2) where treatment differences were more pronounced and significant. Wherever density differed between treatments, it was consistently higher in certain treatment levels (minimum-till > conventional drill, drill-delivery > broadcast-delivery, fall broadcast > winter broadcast, and higher rates > lower rates). Densities declined between years at two sites, but we did not find evidence that declines were due to densitydependent mortality. Results indicate that seeding success can likely be enhanced by using a minimum-till imprinter seeding method and using seeding rates higher than typical postfire seeding recommendations for Wyoming big sagebrush.
Deleterious Germline Mutations in Patients With Apparently Sporadic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

PurposeDeleterious germline mutations contribute to pancreatic cancer susceptibility and are well documented in families in which multiple members have had pancreatic cancer.MethodsTo define the prevalence of these germline mutations in patients with apparently sporadic pancreatic cancer, we sequenced 32 genes, including known pancreatic cancer susceptibility genes, in DNA prepared from normal tissue obtained from 854 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, 288 patients with other pancreatic and periampullary neoplasms, and 51 patients with non-neoplastic diseases who underwent pancreatic resection at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 2000 and 2015.ResultsThirty-three (3.9%; 95% CI, 3.0% to 5.8%) of 854 patients with pancreatic cancer had a deleterious germline mutation, 31 (3.5%) of which affected known familial pancreatic cancer susceptibility genes: BRCA2 (12 patients), ATM (10 patients), BRCA1 (3 patients), PALB2 (2 patients), MLH1 (2 patients), CDKN2A (1 patient), and TP53 (1 patient). Patients ...
Quantitative Evaluation of Choroidal Neovascularization under Pro Re Nata Anti–Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy with OCT Angiography

Purpose To use OCT angiography (OCTA)-derived quantitative metrics to assess the response of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) to pro re nata (PRN) anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Prospective, longitudinal cohort study. Participants Fourteen eyes from 14 study participants with treatment-naive neovascular AMD were enrolled. Methods Participants were evaluated monthly and treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF agents under a PRN protocol for 1 year. At each visit, two 3 × 3-mm2 OCTA scans were obtained. Custom image processing was applied to segment the outer retinal slab, suppress projection artifact, and automatically detect CNV. Choroidal neovascularization membrane area and CNV vessel area were calculated. Main Outcome Measures Individual and mean CNV membrane area and CNV vessel area at each visit; within-visit repeatability determined by coefficient of variation. Results Eight eyes showed the entire CNV to be within the 3 × 3-mm2 scanning area and had adequate image quality for CNV quantification. One patient (patient 2) was excluded from analysis because of the presence of a large subretinal hemorrhage overlying the CNV membrane. In the remaining patients, CNV vessel area was reduced by 39%, 50%, 43%, and 41% at months 1, 3, 6, and 12, respectively. Choroidal neovascularization membrane area was reduced by 39%, 51%, 54%, and 45% at months 1, 3, 6, and 12. At month 6, mean change from baseline was not statistically significant for CNV vessel area, whereas it was statistically significant for CNV membrane area. Neither metric was significantly different compared with baseline at month 12. Individual analyses revealed each CNV had a unique response under PRN treatment. Within-visit repeatability was 7.96% (coefficient of variation) for CNV vessel area and 7.37% for CNV membrane area. Conclusions In this small exploratory study of CNV response to PRN anti-VEGF treatment, both CNV vessel area and membrane area were reduced compared with baseline after 3 months. After 1 year of follow-up, these reductions were no longer statistically significant. When anti-VEGF treatment was withheld, increasing CNV vessel area over time often resulted in exudation, but it was not possible to determine exactly when exudation occurs.
Zero Crossings of Temperature Microstructure

Abstract The vertical distribution of temperature microstructure has been examined by locating zero crossings in the temperature gradient. Since these crossings are associated with gradient features that are a few centimeters thick, the diffusive time scales imply that the temperature structures are associated with corresponding velocity fluctuations. By using the zero crossings as an indicator function it is possible to determine the fractions of the profile that are occupied by active microstructure, the thickness of individual events, and their relationship to the finestructure.
Haemodialysis studies with dichloroacetate.

Seven patients undergoing routine thrice weekly haemodialysis for endstage renal failure participated in 12 investigations of dichloroacetate (DCA) pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. DCA doses were 50 mg/kg by i. v. infusion over 30 min. In each investigation single doses were administered to each subject on two consecutive days, one being a day during which the patient was dialyzed. The timing of drug administration, relative to dialysis, was varied to assess the effect of dialysis on the apparent volume of distribution and elimination rate constants of DCA and on its effect on blood glucose and lactate.
How MFN Clauses Used in the Health Care Industry Unreasonably Restrain Trade under the Sherman Act

When used in the health care industry, an MFN clause is a contractual agreement that guarantees a health insurer the same best price as their market competitors. MFN clauses have the effect of unnecessarily raising consumer costs, reducing choice among providers, constraining access to care and preventing the development of alternative health care delivery models. The purpose of this paper is four-fold. First, to design a four-quadrant matrix to evaluate the pro-competitive and anticompetitive purposes and effects of MFN clauses under Section 1 of the Sherman Act. Second, to defeat the jurisprudential presumption that MFN clauses are pro-competitive in the health care industry and to recommend that this presumption be abolished. Third, to examine the U.S. Department of Justice's paradigmatic shift over the last decade toward prosecuting large insurers who employ MFN clauses resulting in U.S. Consent Decrees. Fourth, to outline the indicia of a meritorious claim against an insurer who employs an MFN clause.
Effect of hyperglucagonemia on hepatic glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis after a prolonged fast

The aim of this study was to determine if glucagon can stimulate hepatic glucose production in prolonged fasted (7 days) animals. Two protocols were used; in one ("hormone replacement"; n = 4), intraportal basal replacement amounts of insulin and glucagon were given during a somatostatin infusion, whereas, in the other ("glucagon excess"; n = 5) basal insulin was given along with somatostatin and excess glucagon. Plasma insulin levels were similar and constant throughout both protocols (6 +/- 1 microU/ml). The plasma glucagon was basal in the hormone-replacement protocol (49 +/- 9 pg/ml) but rose from 46 +/- 7 to 448 +/- 35 pg/ml (P less than 0.05) in the other protocol. Plasma glucose levels and the rates of glucose production were unchanged during hormone replacement but rose from 100 +/- 5 to 199 +/- 28 mg/dl and from 1.5 +/- 0.1 to a peak of 5.6 +/- 0.2 mg.kg-1.min-1 at 15 min (P less than 0.05) and an eventual plateau of 2.7 +/- 0.2 mg.kg-1.min-1 (P less than 0.05) in response to glucagon excess. Because of the sluggish increase in gluconeogenic parameters, the early marked rise in glucose production was attributable to increased glycogenolysis. Eventually, however, the gluconeogenic rate rose, with net hepatic uptake of alanine increasing 50% and fractional alanine extraction doubling. Gluconeogenic efficiency and conversion increased in response to glucagon excess by 0.30 +/- 0.05 and 159 +/- 48%, respectively, although it should be noted that these parameters rose 0.15 +/- 0.06 and 150 +/- 49% in the hormone-replacement protocol. In conclusion, even after a prolonged fast physiological glucagon can cause hyperglycemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Perceptual Decision-Making: A Field in the Midst of a Transformation

Major changes are underway in the field of perceptual decision-making. Single-neuron studies have given way to population recordings with identified cell types, traditional analyses have been extended to accommodate these large and diverse collections of neurons, and novel methods of neural disruption have provided insights about causal circuits. Further, the field has expanded to include multiple new species: rodents and invertebrates, for example, have been instrumental in demonstrating the importance of internal state on neural responses. Finally, a renewed interest in ethological stimuli prompted development of new behaviors, frequently analyzed by new, automated movement tracking methods. Taken together, these advances constitute a seismic shift in both our approach and understanding of how incoming sensory signals are used to guide decisions.
CHOICE OF LINGUA-FRANCA IN A MULTI-LANGUA SOCIETY LIKE NIGERIA (A STUDY OF AWKA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

A linguae franca is a language prescribed by law and enforced on the citizens of the land for purposes of communication, learning, government and the law. This paper is on the Choice of Lingua franca in a multi-Lingual society like Nigeria. Nigeria has been faced with the problem of being unable to select a lingua franca due to the multiplicity of languages. The paper seeks to address the question associated with the choice of a lingua franca and also find out the extent the English language has influenced the development of the Nigeria indigenous language. The research instrument is a structured questionnaire which was distributed among one hundred and sixty (160) samples. Part four focuses on the analysis of data, from which it was found out that the English language has a very powerful influence over the Nigeria indigenous languages. The paper recommend that Government should set up a large and professional language centre instead of a largely administrative set up that now exists as a unit of education. The Government should set up linguistic departments in different higher institutions where Nigerian languages would be given adequate attention.
Promoting Physical Literacy for Disadvantaged Youth Living With Chronic Disease

Low levels of physical activity can have adverse effects on youth development due to increased risks for many chronic illnesses and medical conditions. Improving physical literacy (PL), or the abil...
Cycles and Cycling

Dynastic cycles have been recognized for thousands of years, and a comprehensive theory explaining them was developed by Ibn Khaldun of North Africa in the fourteenth century. Recently updated by Peter Turchin, it has shown predictive power. In a typical cycle, a successful leader unites followers, conquers the country, and founds a dynasty. Over time, the elite grows farther and farther from the people; the dynastic and noble families multiply, competition and corruption grow. Finally the dynasty loses popular support and becomes too corrupt to recover, and a new leader conquers it. This description fits Asian cycles, but climate change sometimes affects the timing. This theory is derivable from wider theories of “resilience” and ecological dynamics, which build on the perception of natural cycles in animal populations; such populations grow, peak, succumb to density-dependent factors, and decline, building up again when density is reduced enough for growth to return.
Educational Equity and Rights: The Responsibilities of California's Public Schools towards Immigrant Students and Communities.

Immigration enforcement efforts have become increasingly intrusive and arbitrary in Latino-origin communities in the U.S. As a result, there are very real possibilities that schools which serve large Latino populations may be affected by immigration enforcement activities (also known as "raids") in their communities. This article offers suggestions and recommendations on how California schools can be proactive in protecting immigrant children and parents from undue scrutiny and intimidation while on school grounds.
The light and dark sides of social capital: Depressive symptoms among incarcerated older adults.

Background:Adults aged 55 or above represent a large and growing proportion of the US and international correctional populations and more physical and mental health problems than their non-incarcer...
The Big Picture: The Universe in Five S.T.E.P.S.

Abstract A brief overview of astronomy and cosmology is presented in five different ways, through the lenses of space, time, evolution, process, and structure. Specific topics are chosen for their ...
Heated tobacco product use and associated factors among U.S. youth, 2019.

Abstract Background In April 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the marketing of IQOS Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) in the United States. This study sought to assess self-reported awareness and use of HTPs among U.S. students in 2019. Methods This study analyzed the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), a cross-sectional, school-based, nationally representative survey (n = 19,018). Weighted estimates of the prevalence of self-reported awareness, ever use, and current use (past 30-day) of HTPs were reported and multivariable logistic regression models were performed to examine the factors associated with HTPs awareness and use. Results In 2019, 12.8 % (a population estimate of 3,438,000), 2.4 % (632,000), and 1.6 % (425,000) of U.S. students reported awareness, ever use, and current use of HTPs, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, high school students were less likely than middle school students to report awareness (AOR = 0.7 [0.6−0.8]) of HTPs. Females (vs. males) had a lower odd of reporting ever use of HTPs (AOR = 0.5 [0.4−0.8]), while Hispanics (vs. non-Hispanic Whites) had higher odds of reporting current use of HTPs (AOR = 1.6 [1.1−2.5]). Current cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use, and other tobacco use are associated with higher odds of HTPs ever and current use than non-users. Conclusions HTP use is emerging among U.S. adolescents. This study identified an elevated risk of HTP use among middle school students, Hispanics, current tobacco users, and those who live with a household member using HTPs. Continuous surveillance and educational campaigns on the harmfulness of HTPs are warranted.
Perineal reconstruction after extralevator abdominoperineal resection: Differences among minimally invasive, open, or open with a vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap approaches.

Abstract Background Perineal wound complications after extralevator abdominoperineal resection for cancer are common with no consensus on optimal reconstructive technique. We compared short- and long-term results of laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection with open surgery ± vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap. Methods This is a single-institution retrospective observational study of 204 consecutive patients with advanced low rectal cancer who underwent extralevator abdominoperineal resection from January 2010 to August 2020. Main outcome measures were short-term results, wound complications, and incisional, parastomal, and perineal hernia rates. Results Fifty-five (27%) patients had a laparoscopic approach, 80 (39%) open, and 69 (33%) open + vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap. The groups had similar median length of follow up (P = .75). Patients’ age and radiation, intraoperative and postoperative complications, mortality, and readmission rates were similar among the 3 groups. Perineal wound infection and dehiscence rates were not influenced by surgical approach. Laparoscopy resulted in higher perineal (7.3 vs 2.5 vs 0%; P = .047) and parastomal (23.6 vs 13.8 vs 5.8%; P = .016) hernia rates than did open or open + vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap. Patients who underwent an open approach had a higher body mass index and rate of prior surgeries and preoperative ostomies. Laparoscopic and open approaches had significantly shorter operative times (300 vs 303 vs 404 minutes, respectively; P Conclusion Open and open + vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap approaches for reconstruction after abdominoperineal resection had lower parastomal and perineal hernias rates but similar postoperative morbidity as did the laparoscopic approach.
Textual Ambiguity in Financial Disclosures and Information Asymmetry among Investors

Prior literature documents a temporary spike in information asymmetry between sophisticated and unsophisticated traders around corporate disclosures because the former process new information faster. Using advances in textual analysis, we show that when management issues more ambiguous or less readable financial statements, the resulting spike in information asymmetry is significantly lower than for firms which use less ambiguous text. Furthermore, textual ambiguity measures of the disclosures are negatively associated with Intermarket Sweep Order (ISO) volume, an order type commonly used by sophisticated traders. This suggests sophisticated traders and algorithms are less able to extract value-relevant information from financial disclosures when they are either ambiguous or less readable.
Exploring the Development of Undergraduate Students’ Information Literacy through Their Experiences with Research Assignments

Although information literacy has been fundamental to the work of teaching librarians for decades, the ways in which students develop their information literacy is not well understood. In addition, the sociocultural nature of information literacy is often neglected when attempting to assess students’ information literacy development. The purpose of this study is to discover factors that could potentially enable or constrain the development of undergraduate students’ information literacy through qualitative research that explores first-generation college students’ experiences with research assignments throughout college.
Influence of Particle Shape on the Ability of Plasmonic Metal Core-Silica Shell Nanoparticles Embedded within the Absorbing Layer to Enhance the Opto-electronic Performance of Thin-Film Solar Cells

This computational study investigates the enhancements in the opto-electronic performance of thin-film silicon solar cells due to the use of different shapes of plasmonic metal core-silica shell nanoparticles embedded inside the Si absorbing substrate. The different shapes of the silver core-silica shell nanoparticles that were investigated in this study were cubes, cylinders, pyramids, spheres and spheroids, respectively. Due to morphology-dependent properties, various shaped nanoparticles show unique optical characteristics. The most significant enhancements in the performance of the thin-film solar cells were obtained using a pyramid shaped silver nanoparticle core that was encompassed within a hollow pyramid-shaped silica shell. The conclusion reached in this study were made through rigorous finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations that calculated the plasmon resonance of the different shaped metal core-silica shell nanoparticles, optical absorption enhancement studies, short circuit current density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), fillfactor, output power and optical near-field enhancements. The study concludes with a quick investigation of the feasibility of using a `sandwich' configuration where a spherical homogeneous metal nanoparticle was placed on top of the Si absorbing layer and a metal core-dielectric shell nanoparticle was embedded inside the Si layer to further enhance the opto-electrical performance of the thin-film solar cells.
Depression and Estimated Functional Aerobic Capacity in Young Women: The Good and the Bad of John Henryism Active Coping

The present study assessed the moderating role of depressive symptomology in the interactive role of John Henryism (i.e., persistent striving with daily psychosocial demands) and father's educational attainment in estimated cardiorespiratory fitness in women. Two hundred one female Midwestern college students completed online psychosocial surveys. Among high-John Henryism women who were depressed, higher father's education levels predicted better fitness. Conversely, higher father's education predicted worse fitness for nondepressed low-John Henryism women. Depression may moderate the role of John Henryism and socioeconomic status in health, with higher John Henryism and education associated with optimal health for depressives.
Symbolic Simulation of Microprocessor Models using Type Classes in Haskell

We present a technique for doing symbolic simulation of microprocessor models in the functional programming language Haskell. We use polymorphism and the type class system, a unique feature of Haskell, to write models that work over both concrete and symbolic data. We offer this approach as an alternative to using uninterpreted constants. When the full generality of rewriting is not needed, the performance of symbolic simulation by evaluation is much faster than previously reported symbolic simulation efforts in theorem provers.
Transcriptional Control of Natural Killer Cell Development and Function

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in host defense against tumors and viruses and other infectious diseases. NK cell development is regulated by mechanisms that are both shared with and separate from other hematopoietic cell lineages. Functionally, NK cells use activating and inhibitory receptors to recognize both healthy and altered cells such as transformed or infected cells. Upon activation, NK cells produce cytokines and cytotoxic granules using mechanisms similar to other hematopoietic cell lineages especially cytotoxic T cells. Here we review the transcription factors that control NK cell development and function. Although many of these transcription factors are shared with other hematopoietic cell lineages, they control unexpected and unique aspects of NK cell biology. We review the mechanisms and target genes by which these transcriptional regulators control NK cell development and functional activity.
Adhesion-Dependent Survival of Normal and Leukemic Human B Lymphoblasts on Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

We investigated the requirement for intimate contact between bone marrow stroma and B lymphoblasts from normal donors and children with leukemia. By scanning electron microscopy, both normal and leukemic cells seeded onto stroma were surrounded by folds of stromal cells or were linked to the stroma by fine tendrils and uropods. Separation of normal B progenitors from stroma by use of microporous membranes led to significantly lower cell recoveries compared with results when contact was unimpeded. For instance, 22.5% +/- 1.8% (mean +/- SEM) of CD19+, CD34+ cells (most immature subset) were recovered after a 7-day culture directly on stroma, compared with 5.2% +/- 0.7% after growth on membranes (P < .001 by Student's t test). In 6 of 11 cases of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia, separation of progenitors from stroma resulted in apoptosis and a greater than 60% reduction in cell recovery. In the remaining 5 cases, however, this effect was much less pronounced, with reductions in cell recoveries ranging from 48.5% to less than 1% (median, 39.0%) of control values. Inhibition of very late antigen-4, a surface molecule critical for adhesion of B lymphoblasts to stroma, was associated with a greater loss of normal CD34+ B progenitors compared with that for equivalent leukemic cells. These results establish direct contact with stroma as a survival requirement of normal B lymphoblasts and show marked heterogeneity in stromal dependency among B-lineage leukemic cells.
The Impact of School Lunch Length on Children’s Health

The large number of overweight children in the U.S. has led school administrators and researchers to examine how aspects of the school environment affect children's dietary behavior and health. In addition to consuming nutrient rich food and exercising regularly, nutritionists have suggested that it is important for children to have an adequate amount of time to eat meals. This is because individuals only begin to feel full twenty minutes after they start eating, and as a result, those with a short meal period are more likely to overeat because they do not recognize that they are full within the meal period. This paper examines whether the length of time children are assigned to eat lunch in school has an impact on their nutritional health (as measured by BMI) using data from the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment-III. A parsimonious OLS specification suggests that a ten minute increase in a child's assigned lunch length significantly decreases the probability of being overweight by 1.83 percentage points and reduces BMI by 0.187 points. These results may be biased if there are unobserved characteristics of children and/or schools which are correlated with lunch length and are predictors of BMI. I address this endogeneity in two ways: First, I include an exhaustive set of controls for schools' nutrition policies and children's diet and exercise behavior that are intended to proxy for these unobserved characteristics. The results indicate a similar impact of lunch length: A 1.86 percentage point decrease in the probability of being overweight and a 0.194 reduction in BMI.Second, I include school fixed effects which control for factors that are common to children attending the same school, and and a 10 minute increase in lunch length predicts a 0.227 point decrease in BMI. Although the identification strategy cannot control for the non-random selection of children into schools, the proximity of these estimates to the initial results suggests that there is indeed a negative impact of short lunch length on health. Moreover, this observed relationship does not seem to be explained by unobserved differences among children and schools with different lunch lengths.
Two cases of primary amenorrhea with deletion of the long arm of the X chromosome (46, XXq−)

Abstract Two cases of partial deletion of the long arm of the X chromosome are reported. Both patients presented with other primary complaints and the symptom of primary amenorrhea was elicited on system review. DNA replication studies revealed that the partially deleted X chromosome was predominantly late replicating.
Brown Dwarfs and Planets Around Solar-Type Stars: Searches by Precise Velocities

We review eight major searches for both brown dwarfs and extra-solar planets which use precise velocity measurements to detect the reflex motion of the host primary star. Two searches have reported 11 brown dwarf candidates in total, while the searches having highest velocity precision (~15 ras-1) have revealed none. We examine this apparent conflict by modelling the occurrence and detectability of brown-dwarf companions, including their distribution of mass, orbital period and inclination. The velocities constrain the frequency of brown dwarf companions to be no more than 1% within 5 AU of G, K stars. However, the observed distribution of M2 sini is consistent with two forms of the true companion mass distribution: 1) It is approximately constant at all masses, implying that 1. 0% of solar-type stars have a brown dwarf companion within 5 AU, or 2) It rises gently toward low masses, i. e., dN/dM ∝ M -0.8, but drops for masses below 0.1 M⊙, requiring few or no brown dwarfs. A significant fraction of the current brown dwarf candidates are actually H-burning stars that have somewhat face-on orbital planes. Extra-solar “planets” having masses of ≳3 MJUP are detectable by four different velocity surveys. No such planets have been reported, from 0 to 5 AU, placing the occurrence of such super-Jupiters at less than 5%.
Real time body pose tracking in an immersive training environment

We describe a visual communication application for a dark, theaterlike interactive virtual simulation training environment. Our system visually estimates and tracks the body position, orientation and the arm-pointing direction of the trainee. This system uses a near-IR camera array to capture images of the trainee from different angles in the dim-lighted theater. Image features like silhouettes and intermediate silhouette body axis points are then segmented and extracted from image backgrounds. 3D body shape information such as 3D body skeleton points and visual hulls can be reconstructed from these 2D features in multiple calibrated images. We proposed a particle-filtering based method that fits an articulated body model to the observed image features. Currently we focus on the arm-pointing gesture of either limb. From the fitted articulated model we can derive the position on the screen the user is pointing to. We use current graphic hardware to accelerate the processing speed so the system is able to work in real-time. The system serves as part of multi-modal user-input device in the interactive simulation.
Dependency and Severity of Abuse: Impact on Women's Persistence in Utilizing the Court System as Protection Against Domestic Violence

ABSTRACT This study utilizes data collected from the legal files of a Battered Women's Services Agency in Northern California to identify some factors that inhibit a female client's persistence in obtaining a three-year restraining order. The impact of dependence (familial and economic) on the abuser and of severity of abuse are examined. Choice of these factors are guided by the feminist theory of gendered violence and the theories of cycles of violence and learned helplessness. Results of path analyses suggest that the more dependent the client was on the abuser, the less time she spent pursuing the restraining order. Similarly, the more severe the abuse experienced by the client, the less likely she was to persist in obtaining a restraining order. This research highlights some of the salient factors that may need to be considered if intervention services are to be more effective in helping and offering protection to battered women.
Where Is My Stuff? Augmenting Finding and Re-finding Information by Spatial Locations and Icon Luminance

We studied how spatial locations and luminance affect finding and re-finding information in a desktop environment. In an experiment conducted with computer icons, fixed locations led to more frequent accesses to icons while change of luminance led to worse recall of icon titles and locations. In an analysis of icon access transition, a sequential search pattern was identified in earlier sessions, which suggests that participants were minimizing efforts in external search and were not utilizing internal memory of titles and locations yet. In later sessions, icon accesses were more focused to information directly relevant to search tasks as participants started using titles and locations for re-finding icons. Results are consistent with the notion that information search behavior is adaptive to the cost-benefit structure of the interface, and search strategies are adaptive to different external representations of icons. Results also suggest that both external representations and human information processes are critical in determining the effectiveness of different GUI designs.
What might we learn from a future supernova neutrino signal

Neutrinos from a future Galactic supernova will be detected by several large underground detectors, in particular by SuperKamiokande (SK) and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO). If, as expected, the $\nu_{\mu}$ and $\nu_{\tau}$ neutrinos have somewhat higher energy on average that the electron neutrinos, they will dominate the neutral current response. The ways to separate the neutral and charged current signals will be discussed, and the best strategy to measure the possible time delay of the neutral current events will be outlined. Given the expected count rates, one will be able to measure in this way the $\nu_{\tau}$ mass down to about 30 eV in SNO and to 50 eV in SuperKamiokande. Another application to be discussed is the supernova localization by the neutrino signal, prior to or independently of the electromagnetic signal. The accuracy with which this can be accomplished using the angular distributions of the reactions will be estimated. With two or more detectors one can, in principle, attempt triangulation based on the arrival time of the neutrinos. It will be argued that for realistic parameters this method will be very difficult and likely leads only to crude localization.