cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discussion on the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Ecotourism in Wolong National Nature Reserve

This paper deals with the features of ecotourism resources of Wolong National Nature Reserve,the current status of ecotourism exploitation and the problems urgent to be solved,and has a discussion on the principles of ecotourism and sustainable development strategies.
Application of Magnetic Flux Leakage Technology in Detection of Water-Cooled Tubes for Boiler

Leakage accident of water-cooled tube for boiler affects the security and economy operation of a whole supply system.The magnetic flux leakage testing(MFLT) is an emphasis mode of NDT(non-destructive testing).The MFLT detection of water-cooled tubes for boilers is unacted on superficial state of pipelines and the probe needn′t come into contact with pipes.The detecting sensitivity to pipe inside surface or outside surface is the same.The detecting velocity and medium in pipeline are independent of detecting outcome.The MFLT equipment possesses less cubage,light weight and carry-home feature.The application of MFLT in detection of water-cooled tube for boiler,the structure of the MFLT system,and the cha-racteristics of water-cooled tube of boiler are analyzed.The result of detection indicates that the technology is effective.
Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand (1869–1948)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule, was given the title “Mahatma” (“Great Soul”) by the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore for introducing the world to the power of nonviolent political resistance. The Gandhian movement was the first and most important mass movement for freedom in the twentieth century that was based entirely on the discourse and practice of nonviolent resistance. What sets Gandhi apart from the founders of major modern polities and gives his life and thought enduring relevance not only as an Indian but also as a world leader was his single-minded commitment to nonviolence. His unique form of nonviolent politics, which sought to resist all forms of oppression while at the same time transcending the divisions, conflicts, and violence inherent in a politics of identity based on race, nation, and community, has provided inspiration to many antiauthoritarian movements all over the world. Keywords: colonialism; Gandhi; justice; movements
Comparison of anti-Tac and anti-transferrin receptor-conjugated liposomes for specific drug delivery to adult T-cell leukemia

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is a rapidly progressive and usually fatal malignancy of mature T cells characterized by the expression of large numbers of interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptors on the cell surface. Anti- Tac, a monoclonal antibody directed against the IL-2 receptor, was conjugated to liposomes and compared with anti-transferrin receptor (anti-TFR) conjugates for specific binding, internalization, and intracellular drug delivery to ATL cells. Two independent assays were used: a fluorimetric assay with liposome encapsulated 1-hydroxypyrene- 3,6,8-trisulfonic acid, a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye, and a growth inhibition assay using methotrexate-gamma-aspartate, a liposome- dependent cytotoxic drug. MT-1 and HUT-102 cell lines derived from patients with ATL were compared with Molt-4, a leukemia cell line that does not express IL-2 receptors in an uninduced state. Fluorimetric studies showed specific binding and internalization of anti-Tac- conjugated liposomes by HUT-102 and MT-1 but not by the Tac-negative cell line Molt-4, demonstrating the lack of nonspecific or Fc receptor- mediated uptake. Anti-TFR-conjugated liposomes were effectively bound and internalized by all three cell lines and consistently showed the highest degree of cellular liposome uptake. Drug-containing liposomes conjugated to anti-Tac were more than tenfold more effective in causing growth inhibition of ATL cells than the nonspecific control conjugates. Anti-Tac conjugates caused minimal growth inhibition of Molt-4 cells over the concentration range effective against the ATL cells. Anti-TFR- coupled liposomes gave better growth inhibition of HUT-102 and MT-1 cells (40- to 60-fold) than anti-Tac conjugates. Both anti-Tac-directed and anti-TFR-directed liposomes are effective for intracellular drug delivery to ATL cells and may represent a useful method of treatment in this disease.
Treatment for favorable localized Hodgkin lymphoma: the final answer is awaited.

The likelihood that combined-modality therapy will provide a small progression-free survival advantage is real but not likely to be equated to an overall survival advantage, as it depends on when one looks at the data. The studies to date demonstrate a late fall-off in survival due to one or another toxic effect of radiation.
The Microeconomics of Risk Aversion

Before I describe the economic approach to decision making in risky circumstances, let me offer some truth in advertising. It would not be unfair to conclude by now that most individuals do not behave as homo economicus, that uber-rational decision making fiction employed by economists to permit us to use the tools of rationality to analyze markets and human behavior. A simple example will demonstrate this.
Long and Short Isoforms of the Human Cytomegalovirus UL138 Protein Silence IE Transcription and Promote Latency

HHS \ NIH \ NIH Office of the Director (OD) [AI074984, AI079059]; NSF \ NSF Office of the Director (OD)
To protect or neglect? Design, monitoring, and evaluation of a law enforcement strategy to recover small populations of wild tigers and their prey

Many remaining wild tiger populations persist in small numbers at sites where densities are less than half of their estimated carrying capacity and will continue to decline if not protected from poaching. Although law enforcement is frequently used to protect tigers and their prey, the conditions under which enforcement is likely to be effective in recovering small populations of wild tigers are not well understood. We evaluated the effectiveness of a law enforcement strategy to recover tigers and their prey in Lao PDR where extensive habitat provided favorable conditions for large increases in tiger numbers if protected from poaching. Over a seven-year period, we monitored along a theory of change to evaluate assumptions about the causal linkages between intermediate results and biological outcomes. Although we found a strong positive correlation between funding for enforcement and days patrolled (rs = 0.786, n = 7, p = 0.05) and a significant negative correlation between days patrolled and overall hunting catch per unit effort (rs = − 0.893,n = 7, p < 0.05), ultimately a proliferation in snaring was associated with decline in several indices of tiger abundance. We conclude that actions were sufficient to reduce poaching and increase prey populations, but insufficient to curtail extirpation of tigers. Recovering small populations of high-value wildlife such as tigers in promising source sites is dependent on establishing a complete enforcement regime, complimentary strategies that build support for the enforcement regime, and a nimble monitoring and evaluation system for agile adaptive management.
Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) refers to a collection of syndromes, characterized by infiltration of various tissues by Langerhans cells (LC). Langerhans cells are dendritic antigen-presenting cells that normally reside within squamous epithelium, peri-epithelial connective tissue, and lymphatics and in areas of lymph node. Studies to date suggest that LCH is a heterogeneous disease with an unclear etiology. A clonal expansion of Langerhans cells has been demonstrated in many cases.
All-Payer Claims Databases — Uses and Expanded Prospects after Gobeille

To permit research that could improve health care system functioning, some states have established all-payer claims databases. Though a March 2016 Supreme Court decision prohibited state-mandated reporting from self-insured employer plans, it suggested a path forward.
Primary Osteosarcoma of the Bone with Rhabdoid Features: A Rare, Previously Undescribed Primary Malignant Tumor of Bone

Primary osteosarcoma of the bone with rhabdoid features is a rare malignant tumor of bone, not previously described in the literature. Here we report a 69-year-old female who originally presented with a right femur pathologic fracture. Radiographs of the injury showed an aggressive-appearing lesion of the distal femur. Initial biopsy was done, which was not diagnostic; additional advanced imaging studies were performed, which failed to show any other site within the body with detectable disease process. Accordingly, the patient underwent radical resection of the distal femur and reconstruction with endoprosthesis. Histopathology obtained from the operative specimen showed osteosarcoma with rhabdoid features. Two months after surgery, the patient is symptom-free and doing well; she is currently pending adjuvant chemotherapy. Although rhabdoid features have been described in extraskeletal osteosarcoma, this appears to be the first mention of osteosarcoma of bone with rhabdoid features in the literature.
Taking Sides in Wars of Attrition

Third parties often have a stake in the outcome of a conflict and can affect that outcome by taking sides. This article studies the factors that affect a third party's decision to take sides in a civil or interstate war by adding a third actor to a standard continuous-time war of attrition with two-sided asymmetric information. The third actor has preferences over which of the other two actors wins and for being on the winning side conditional on having taken sides. The third party also gets a flow payoff during the fighting which can be positive when fighting is profitable or negative when fighting is costly. The article makes four main contributions: First, it provides a formal framework for analyzing the effects of endogenous intervention on the duration and outcome of the conflict. Second, it identifies a “boomerang” effect that tends to make alignment decisions unpredictable and coalitions dynamically unstable. Third, it yields several clear comparative-static results. Finally, the formal analysis has implications for empirical efforts to estimate the effects of intervention, showing that there may be significant selection and identification issues.
Abortion in the United States: The continuing controversy:

In the United States, abortion rates have been falling for several decades while attitudes have remained relatively stable. Given this background, this paper examines the current status of the flui...
Geophysics Dissertation AbstractsDetermination of seismic anisotropy parameters from multicomponent vertical seismic profiles for improved seismic imaging and reservoir characterization

ABSTRACT Geophysics publishes abstracts of dissertations and titles of master’s theses both in print and online. Recent graduates are invited to submit their abstracts or titles by completing and submitting the appropriate form found at http://seg.org/dissertationabstracts. Abstracts and titles will be reviewed and accepted or rejected based on their relevance to the readers of Geophysics. Abstracts must be written in English and defended in 2009 or later.
Estimating the scale of biomedical data generation using text mining

While the impact of biomedical research has traditionally been measured using bibliographic metrics such as citation or journal impact factor, the data itself is an output which can be directly measured to provide additional context about a publication9s impact. Data are a resource that can be repurposed and reused providing dividends on the original investment used to support the primary work. Moreover, it is the cornerstone upon which a tested hypothesis is rejected or accepted and specific scientific conclusions are reached. Understanding how and where it is being produced enhances the transparency and reproducibility of the biomedical research enterprise. Most biomedical data are not directly deposited in data repositories and are instead found in the publication within figures or attachments making it hard to measure. We attempted to address this challenge by using recent advances in word embedding to identify the technical and methodological features of terms used in the free text of articles9 methods sections. We created term usage signatures for five types of biomedical research data, which were used in univariate clustering to correctly identify a large fraction of positive control articles and a set of manually annotated articles where generation of data types could be validated. The approach was then used to estimate the fraction of PLOS articles generating each biomedical data type over time. Out of all PLOS articles analyzed (n = 129,918), ~7%, 19%, 12%, 18%, and 6% generated flow cytometry, immunoassay, genomic microarray, microscopy, and high-throughput sequencing data. The estimate portends a vast amount of biomedical data being produced: in 2016, if other publishers generated a similar amount of data then roughly 40,000 NIH-funded research articles would produce ~56,000 datasets consisting of the five data types we analyzed.
Risk factors for severe anaphylaxis in the United States

Abstract Background Anaphylaxis is an acute systemic allergic reaction and may be life-threatening. Objective To assess risk factors associated with severe and near-fatal anaphylaxis in a large observational cohort study. Methods We analyzed administrative claims data from Medicare Advantage and privately insured enrollees in the United States from 2005 to 2014. Severe anaphylaxis was defined as anaphylaxis resulting in hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) admission, requiring endotracheal intubation, or meeting criteria for near-fatal anaphylaxis. Results Of 38,695 patients seen in the emergency department for anaphylaxis during the study period, 4,431 (11.5%) required hospitalization, 2,057 (5.3%) were admitted to the ICU, 567 (1.5%) required endotracheal intubation, and 174 (0.45%) were classified as having a near-fatal episode. Multivariable analysis revealed that medication-related anaphylaxis (odds ratio [OR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38–1.63; P P P P Conclusion In this large contemporary cohort study, 11.6% of patients had severe anaphylaxis. Age of 65 years or older, medication as a trigger, and presence of comorbid conditions (specifically cardiac and lung disease) were associated with significantly higher odds of severe anaphylaxis. Additional studies examining risk factors for severe anaphylaxis are needed to define risk assessment strategies and establish a framework for management.
Variation in Octopus bimaculatus Verrill, 1883 Diet as Revealed through δ13C and δ15N Stable Isotope Analysis: Potential Indirect Effects of Marine Protected Areas

Anthropogenic impacts on marine environments can be far-reaching and variable, and in an effort to mitigate these impacts, marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established globally. Indirect effects of MPAs on marine food webs and consumer behavior can be revealed through the diet of generalist predators, like octopuses, since their diet is a reflection of both preference and prey availability. Octopuses (Octopus bimaculatus Verrill, 1883) and invertebrate prey species were collected around Santa Catalina Island, CA in the summer of 2012, 2013, and 2014, and muscle tissues were analyzed for δ13C and δ15N. The δ13C and δ15N signature of octopuses caught within the MPA area and the non-MPA area were compared within diet space. Estimated contribution of prey species to octopus diet was calculated using a Bayesian mixing model. Octopuses caught in MPA areas had significantly different isotopic signatures than octopuses caught outside MPA areas in 2012 and 2013, but not 2014. Prey contributions to diet were highly variable between areas and years. Bivalves were a consistent contributor to MPA octopus diet, and the large snail Megastrea undosa (W. Wood, 1828) made up a relatively large proportion of the diet of octopuses from all areas and years. Additionally, there were more moray eels, a nocturnal predator outside MPA areas but more diurnal predators inside MPA areas. These results suggest octopus foraging behavior could be influenced by variation in predation risk reveal an indirect impact of diurnal predator recovery in the MPA. To fully understand the impact of anthropogenic change on marine environments, we must assess changes in the entire community and the interactions that drive community function.
Psychobiological Markers of Disease

Identifiable psychobiological factors predispose certain patients to the development of particular diseases, such as hypertension, ulcer, and heart disease. Since the etiology, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology of such diseases differ in their subforms, we can no longer assume that the psychology of all patients with a disease is the same. Constellations of psychobiological factors, however, increase the probability that a given disease will occur and will specify its nature.
Death due to sepsis in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND To examine the prevalence and determinants of death due to sepsis in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer (Pca). PATIENTS AND METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of 910 986 patients diagnosed with Pca between 1992 and 2010 identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Prevalence of death due to sepsis after diagnosis was determined. Trends in incidence-based mortality rate (IBMR) due to sepsis were compared with those of patients diagnosed with other common cancers. Competing risk analysis was utilized to examine the determinants of the endpoint of sepsis-specific death (SSD) in Pca patients. RESULTS Of the Pca patients examined, 2593 died because of sepsis. Sepsis-related IBMR in Pca patients increased by 19-folds from 0.62/1000 000 in 1992-12.26/1000 000 in 2010. Compared with other selected cancers, patients with Pca had the highest IBMR due to sepsis post-cancer diagnosis, and the highest annual percentage change in IBMR due to sepsis (average annual percentage change, 13.1%; 95%CI, 9.4-16.9%). Age, race, education, marital status, and definitive therapy were all significant predictors of death due to sepsis after Pca diagnosis (all P values < 0.05). CONCLUSION Patients diagnosed with Pca are at increased risk of dying from sepsis, and the sepsis-related IBMR in these patients is increasing over time. There are significant disparities in the outcome of sepsis among Pca patients that require further research.
Longitudinal and transverse flows in fiber tows: Evaluation of theoretical permeability models through numerical predictions and experimental measurements

Abstract Tow permeability is a very important input in the dual-scale flow and void formation studies in Liquid Composite Molding processes for manufacturing polymer composites. In this comparative study aimed at checking the accuracy of various theoretical models for permeability, we evaluated the permeability of unidirectional fibrous media at tow scale for flow transverse and parallel to the fiber directions. The falling-head parameter was adapted to measure the permeability along and across the fibers within tows for three different cases of fiber volume fractions (fvf). Unit cells corresponding to the measured fvf and fiber diameters were generated using GeoDict. Two separate simulations, one using GeoDict to solve Stokes flow and the other using COMSOL to solve Whitaker’s closure-formulation, were done. Eighteen different analytical models were evaluated.
Coding the Everyday Discrimination Scale: implications for exposure assessment and associations with hypertension and depression among a cross section of mid-life African American women.

Background Studies suggest that racial discrimination impacts health via biological dysregulation due to continual adaptation to chronic psychosocial stress. Therefore, quantifying chronicity is critical for operationalising the relevant aetiological exposure and hence maximising internal validity. Using one of the most common discrimination scales in the epidemiological literature, we develop a novel approach for more accurately assessing chronicity and compare it with conventional approaches to determine whether coding influences differential exposure classification and associations with hypertension and depression among African American women. Methods Data are from a socioeconomically diverse cross section of 208 mid-life African American women in Northern California (data collection: 2012–2013). Racial discrimination was assessed using the Everyday Discrimination Scale (α=0.95), and was coded using two conventional approaches: (1) situation-based coding: number of different situations ever experienced; (2) frequency-based coding: sum of Likert scale responses ranging from 9never9 to 9almost everyday9; and (3) a new chronicity-based coding approach: sum of responses, weighted to capture annual chronicity (eg, ‘a few times a month’=3×12=36×/year). Outcomes are hypertension and depressive symptomatology (10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale). Findings Exposure classification differed by coding approach, by up to 41%. There was a positive association between racial discrimination and hypertension prevalence for chronicity coding only (prevalence ratio=1.61, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.49). For depressive symptoms, a dose–response relationship of similar magnitude was observed for all three coding approaches. Conclusion Scale coding is an important methodological consideration for valid exposure assessment in epidemiological research. Coding can impact exposure classification and associations with important indicators of African American women’s mental and physical health.
Later voices on ethics in nanotechnology

Chris Toumey continues his journey through ethics in nanotechnology by examining literature published in the past decade.
Additive manufacturing and processing of architected materials

Architected materials are a unique and emerging class of materials where performance is fundamentally controlled by geometry at multiple length scales, from the nano- to the macroscale, rather than chemical composition alone. As a result, the realization of these remarkable materials is contingent upon the ability to faithfully reproduce the designed architecture. This presents fundamental challenges in fabrication due to the required three-dimensional complexity, multiple length scales, range of material constituents, possibility of multiple materials in a single architecture, and overall manufacturing throughput. Additive manufacturing (AM) processes can provide solutions to some of these challenges and are discussed in this article. Specifically, light-based and extrusion-based processes and associated materials are presented with an emphasis on recent developments, including volumetric additive manufacturing, and on-the-fly mixing of materials in extrusion-based printing systems. While remarkable advancements have been made in AM for architected materials, bringing these materials and processes to industrial realization remains a significant challenge.
Data-Driven Energy and Population Estimation for Real-Time City-Wide Energy Footprinting

Energy footprinting has the potential to raise awareness of energy consumption and lead to energy saving behavior. However, current methods are largely restricted to single buildings; these methods require energy and occupancy monitoring sensor deployments, which can be expensive and difficult to deploy at scale. Further, current methods for estimating energy consumption and population cannot provide fine enough temporal or spatial granularity for a reasonable personal energy footprint estimate. In this work, we present CityEnergy, a data-driven system for city-wide estimation of personal energy footprints. CityEnergy takes advantage of existing sensing infrastructure and data sources in urban cities to provide energy and population estimates at the building level, even in built environments that do not have existing or accessible energy or population data.
Foot Self-Care Experiences Among Patients With Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.

Research that explores foot self-care practices and clinical foot care recommendations for persons with diabetes mellitus is limited. Purpose: The aim of this systematic review was to understand the gaps between the American Diabetes Association clinical recommendations on preventive foot self-care and perceptions of and actions taken by patients with diabetes and diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Methods: PubMed, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Online Library, Psychological Information Database, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for qualitative research literature published in English from January 1, 2001, to October 21, 2016, using the MeSH terms diabetes mellitus, diabetic foot ulcers, foot care, experiences, and perception to examine the experiences of patients with diabetes regarding foot self-care practices. Publications were screened for inclusion according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, and The Standard for Reporting Qualitative Research was used to appraise trustworthiness and publication bias. Publication details (author, year, title, country in which the study was conducted, and the type of publication), study aims, design (study methodology, method of sampling, and analysis method), and participant details were abstracted to Excel sheets for analysis of foot self-care experiences and to determine common themes (foot self-care issues) among patients with diabetes. Results: Of the 14 publications identified, 9 (that included 113 patients with diabetes [95 with or history of DFUs and 18 with no DFUs] and 28 health care professionals [14 podiatrists, 8 physicians, and 6 registered nurses]) met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Research included 4 qualitative descriptive design studies, 2 descriptive phenomenology studies, 1 grounded theory study, 1 interpretive phenomenology study, and 1 exploratory qualitative design study. Four (4) studies were found to lack transparency, and 7 studies did not address trustworthiness. The common themes identified were the high clinical and lifestyle burden of DFUs, poor foot self-care knowledge, perception barriers and resistance, adoption of self-management practices, and discordance between patient and provider impressions and expectations. Conclusion: Several barriers to optimal foot care in persons with diabetes with and without foot ulcers were identified and may be explained and addressed by considering the Health Belief Model. Clinical interventions should be individualized to identify and address patient-specific barriers to optimal foot self-care. Future clinical studies are needed to examine the outcomes of individualized interventions.
The Business of Healthcare: The Role of Physician Integration in Bundled Payments

Under the prevailing fee-for-service payments (FFS), hospitals receive a fixed payment, while physicians receive separate fees for each treatment or procedure performed for a given diagnosis. Incentives of hospitals and physicians are therefore misaligned under FFS, leading to large inefficiencies. Bundled payments (BP), an alternative to FFS unifying payments to the hospital and physicians, are expected to encourage care coordination and reduce ever increasing healthcare costs. However, as hospitals differ in their relationships with physicians in influencing care (level of physician integration), the expected effects of bundling in hospital systems with varying level of physician integration remains unclear. To fill this gap, we formulate game-theoretic models to study (1) the impact of the level of integration between the hospital and physicians in the uptake of BP, (2) the consequences of bundling with respect to overall care quality and costs/savings across the spectrum of integration levels. We find that (1) hospitals with low to moderate levels of physician integration are more likely to bundle as compared with hospitals with high physician integration; (2) to engage physicians, hospitals need to gainshare savings with physicians, a mechanism that was not available in traditional FFS-based payment models; (3) when feasible, BP is expected to reduce care intensity, and this reduction in care intensity is expected to result in quality improvement and cost savings in hospital systems with low to moderate level of physician integration; (4) however, when bundling happens in hospital systems with relatively higher level of physician integration, BP may lead to underprovision of care and ultimately quality reduction, and (5) in an environment where hospitals are also held accountable for quality, the incentives for bundling will be higher for involved parties, yet quality vulnerabilities due to bundling can be exacerbated. Our findings have important managerial implications for policy-makers and payers such as CMS, and hospitals: (1) policy makers and payers should be aware of and account for potential negative effects of current BP design on a subset of hospital systems, including a possible quality reduction, and (2) in deciding whether to enroll in BP, hospitals should consider their level of physician integration and possible implications for quality. Based on our findings, we expect that a widespread use of BP may trigger further market concentration via hospital mergers or service-line closures.
An Expanded Martensite Variant Selection Theory Accounting for Transformation Rotations and Applied Stress Fields: Predictions of Variant Clusters in Titanium

An expanded strain energy-based criterion for predicting preferred martensite variants and multivariant clusters is developed and verified. Building upon previous inclusion-based formulations that considered only the strain energy of lattice stretches, here the authors also incorporate the strain energy of lattice rotations that result from martensitic transformations. Using this more complete single-variant strain energy formulation as a foundation, a micromechanical construct is developed to calculate energy reductions from transforming to clusters of multiple martensite variants from a single austenite crystal. Using elastic constants calculated at the β-transus temperature for pure titanium via molecular dynamics simulations, this new energy criterion is verified to exactly predict the same eight preferred self-accommodation variant cluster triplets identified in previous experiments. Finally, a modification to the strain energy formulation is made to consider externally applied fields. Using this modification, effects of applied loads during transformation are considered in calculating predictions of stress-accommodating multivariant triplets.
Realising Young Children’s Right to Health Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child: The Promise – and the Reality in Bangladesh and Kenya

I consider young children’s right to health under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, using an established medical and social science framework for studying children’s health and the complete reporting histories under the crc of two countries, Bangladesh and Kenya. Although the crc recognises rights corresponding to almost all of the factors that contribute to child mortality and growth faltering, its effectiveness has been reduced by substantive limitations on those rights, procedural limitations in enforcing those rights, and an inefficient state party reporting process. Kenya’s few successes in realising those rights all occurred recently and mainly involved societal factors, which have not yet produced significant improvements in young children’s right to health. Bangladesh achieved earlier successes that primarily involved proximate factors and it has experienced significant decreases in child mortality and growth faltering rates, but its failure to address broader societal factors may make it difficult to further reduce those rates.
Targeting the p-D-C: easy as C-D-1-2-3?

In this issue of Blood, Xiao et al have reliably defined a previously elusive entity, that of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN)-like acute myeloid leukemia (AML), or pDC-AML, which occurs in ∼5% of AML cases. Remarkably, in the vast majority of cases, pDC-AML is associated with occurrence of somatic mutations of RUNX1.
Informational uniqueness, corporate disclosure and information environment

The study examines how the lack of comparable public peers (“informational uniqueness”) is related to a firm’s disclosure policy and information environment. Having less information spillover from other public firms may present an information deficiency if it is not compensated by other components of the information environment. Consistent with firms attempting to mitigate the information deficiency through strengthening their tacit commitment to continued disclosure, I find that informational uniqueness is associated with a higher propensity by firms to provide ongoing bundled guidance. Overall, I find a strong negative relationship between informational uniqueness and the quality of corporate information environment only among firms without regular bundled guidance. This suggests that, while informational uniqueness can generate significant information deficiency, firms with strong tacit disclosure commitment are able to largely compensate for the lack of information spillover from peers. JEL-code: D82, G14, G17, M41
Coupling of shoulder joint torques in individuals with chronic stroke mirrors controls, with additional non-load-dependent negative effects in a combined-torque task.

BACKGROUND After stroke, motor control is often negatively affected, leaving survivors with less muscle strength and coordination, increased tone, and abnormal synergies (coupled joint movements) in their affected upper extremity. Humeral internal and external rotation have been included in definitions of abnormal synergy but have yet to be studied in-depth. OBJECTIVE Determine the ability to generate internal and external rotation torque under different shoulder abduction and adduction loads in persons with chronic stroke (paretic and non-paretic arm) and uninjured controls. METHODS 24 participants, 12 with impairments after stroke and 12 controls, completed this study. A robotic device controlled abduction and adduction loading to 0, 25, and 50% of maximum strength in each direction. Once established against the vertical load, each participant generated maximum internal and external rotation torque in a dual-task paradigm. Four linear mixed-effects models tested the effect of group (control, non-paretic, and paretic), load (0, 25, 50% adduction or abduction), and their interaction on task performance; one model was created for each combination of dual-task directions (external or internal rotation during abduction or adduction). The protocol was then modeled using OpenSim to understand and explain the role of biomechanical (muscle action) constraints on task performance. RESULTS Group was significant in all task combinations. Paretic arms were less able to generate internal and external rotation during abduction and adduction, respectively. There was a significant effect of load in three of four load/task combinations for all groups. Load-level and group interactions were not significant, indicating that abduction and adduction loading affected each group in a similar manner. OpenSim musculoskeletal modeling mirrored the experimental results of control and non-paretic arms and also, when adjusted for weakness, paretic arm performance. Simulations incorporating increased co-activation mirrored the drop in performance observed across all dual-tasks in paretic arms. CONCLUSION Common biomechanical constraints (muscle actions) explain limitations in external and internal rotation strength during adduction and abduction dual-tasks, respectively. Additional non-load-dependent effects such as increased antagonist co-activation (hypertonia) may cause the observed decreased performance in individuals with stroke. The inclusion of external rotation in flexion synergy and of internal rotation in extension synergy may be over-simplifications.
Identifying Strategies for Robust Survivorship Program Implementation: A Qualitative Analysis of Cancer Programs.

PURPOSEThe Commission on Cancer seeks to promote robust survivorship programs among accredited cancer programs. In practice, cancer programs' survivorship programs range from cursory (eg, developin...
Genome-wide transcriptome analysis of nerve sheath tumors

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 824 Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive soft tissue tumors that arise from neurofibromas in patients with neurofibromatosis but also occur sporadically. Malignant transformation is a life threatening complication in patients with neurofibromatosis. The transformation of neurofibromas into MPNSTs is not completely understood at a molecular level. The goal of this study is to identify genes that will serve as molecular markers for progression of neurofibroma to MPNST, and to identify novel potential therapeutic targets. Gene expression profiling using 43000 spot cDNA microarrays was performed on 32 cases of MPNSTs, 23 schwannomas, 20 neurofibromas and 16 synovial sarcomas. Using unsupervised hierarchical clustering, most tumors grouped together according to tumor type. There appear to be at least two subtypes of MPNSTs. Analysis employing ‘significance analysis of microarrays' identified genes that were differentially expressed in various nerve sheath tumors. A major trend in transformation from neurofibroma towards MPNST is accompanied by the loss of expression of a large number of genes, rather than widespread de novo increase in gene expression upon transformation. NF1 is one of the genes for which loss of expression was noticed in most of the MPNSTS. Potential signaling pathways were identified using ‘Gene Set Enrichment Analysis' method. The expression of genes associated with MET and TFGB signaling pathways in the majority of neurofibromas, but not in MPNST, suggest that these pathways are affected during malignant transformation. A detailed list of genes and the signaling pathways that are associated with various nerve sheath tumors will be discussed.
The Wide World of State Recognition

Recognizing States: International Society and the Establishment of New States Since 1776. By Mikulas Fabry. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. 256 pp., $85.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-19-956444-6). The international politics of recognizing new states, as the author of Recognizing States: International Society and the Establishment of New States Since 1776 readily concedes, could be thought of as “a somewhat arid, even tedious, topic” (p. 2). Thankfully, in this case there is no need for such self-deprecation. For in the right hands, telling the story of the politics of recognition actually reveals a great deal about the formation and ongoing evolution of our international system, as this fine book amply demonstrates. This is because the practice of recognition, important of itself, is also intimately connected to a host of related principles and practices of international relations: the many dimensions of sovereignty both internal and external, standards of legitimacy, arguments and practices surrounding self-determination, the principle of territorial integrity, the rights of conquest, and more. Because he deftly weaves all these in with the titular “recognition,” Mikulas Fabry's study of system membership standards in effect addresses the history of the international system itself, making important contributions along the way. What entities should qualify for recognition as sovereign, independent states? Historically, achieving recognition has been difficult (with key exceptions). Those states already members of the international community have generally oscillated between two standards, conceiving self-determination either as a negative or a positive international right. The negative conception prevails far more commonly: would-be states/communities must earn …
Steroid Hormone Receptors in Brain and Pituitary

That steroid hormones influence brain function and behavior has been an experimentally documented observation since the work of Berthold (1849) on the testicular control of mating and aggressive behavior in roosters. The role of gonadal steroids in the control of mating behavior is perhaps best described as a permissive action in which physical stimuli from the sexual partner actually trigger the behavior. However, the primary permissive role of gonadal steroids such as estradiol and testosterone does not appear to be that of a costimulus in that the hormone does not necessarily have to be present at the time that the behavior is elicited. This circumstance can now be better understood in the light of new information concerning a cellular mechanism of steroid hormone action that appears to be universal for all steroid target tissues, neural and nonneural. It is the purpose of this chapter to describe this cellular mechanism of steroid hormone action and to review evidence of its operation in the central nervous system and the pituitary gland in relation to the specific behavioral and neuroendocrine processes that are regulated by steroid hormones.
Impedance: What it is, and why it must be matched

All probes in NMR spectrometers must be “tuned” and “matched” to obtain optimum sensitivity. In the simplest electronic circuits, tuning and matching are accomplished by adjusting variable capacitors. These adjustments determine the impedance of the circuit; i.e., the extent to which the circuit opposes, or impedes alternating-current flow. This impedance is the vector sum of the individual oppositions owing to the presence of resistors, inductors and capacitors in the circuit. When the impedance of the probe circuitry is equal to (matches) that of the high-power, pulsed, radio-frequency transmitter, power is efficiently transferred to the probe and pulse-widths are minimized. Similarly, when the impedance of the probe circuitry matches that of the small-signal preamplifier, the detected signal power is efficiently transferred to the amplifier and the signal-to-noise ratio is maximized.
T1-T2N0 Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Glottic Larynx Treated With Radiation Therapy

PURPOSE: The end results after radiation therapy for T1-T2N0 glottic carcinoma vary considerably. We analyze patient-related and treatment-related parameters that may influence the likelihood of cure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred nineteen patients were treated with radiation therapy and had follow-up for ≥ 2 years. Three patients who were disease-free were lost to follow-up at 7 months, 21 months, and 10.5 years. No other patients were lost to follow-up. RESULTS: Local control rates at 5 years after radiation therapy were as follows: T1A, 94%; T1B, 93%; T2A, 80%; and T2B, 72%. Multivariate analysis of local control revealed that the following parameters significantly influenced this end point: overall treatment time (P < .0001), T stage (P = .0003), and histologic differentiation (P = .013). Patients with poorly differentiated cancers fared less well than those with better differentiated lesions. Rates of local control with laryngeal preservation at 5 years were as follows: T1A and T1B, 95%; T2A, 82...
High-resolution observations of the polar magnetic fields of the sun

High-resolution magnetograms of the solar polar region were used for the study of the polar magnetic field. In contrast to low-resolution magnetograph observations which measure the polar magnetic field averaged over a large area, we focused our efforts on the properties of the small magnetic elements in the polar region. Evolution of the filling factor - the ratio of the area occupied by the magnetic elements to the total area - of these magnetic elements, as well as the average magnetic field strength, were studied during the maximum and declining phase of solar cycle 22, from early 1991 to mid-1993. We found that during the sunspot maximum period, the polar regions were occupied by about equal numbers of positive and negative magnetic elements, with equal average field strength. As the solar cycle progresses toward sunspot minimum, the magnetic field elements in the polar region become predominantly of one polarity. The average magnetic field of the dominant polarity elements also increases with the filling factor. In the meanwhile, both the filling factor and the average field strength of the non-dominant polarity elements decrease. The combined effects of the changing filling factors and average field strength produce the observed evolution of the integrated polar flux over the solar cycle. We compared the evolutionary histories of both filling factor and average field strength, for regions of high (70°–80°) and low (60°–70°) latitudes. For the south pole, we found no significant evidence of difference in the time of reversal. However, the low-latitude region of the north pole did reverse polarity much earlier than the high-latitude region. It later showed an oscillatory behavior. We suggest this may be caused by the poleward migration of flux from a large active region in 1989 with highly imbalanced flux.
Development of a pepper pot emittance probe and its application for ECR ion beam studies

A pepper pot-scintillator screen system has been developed and used to measure the emittance of DC ion beams extracted from a high-intensity permanent magnet ECR ion source. The system includes a fast beam shutter with a minimum dwell time of 18 ms to reduce the degradation of the CsI(Tl) scintillator by DC ion beam irradiation and a CCD camera with a variable shutter speed in the range of 1 {micro}s-65 s. On-line emittance measurements are performed by an application code developed on a LabVIEW platform. The sensitivity of the device is sufficient to measure the emittance of DC ion beams with current densities down to about 100 nA/cm{sup 2}. The emittance of all ion species extracted from the ECR ion source and post-accelerated to an energy of 75-90 keV/charge have been measured downstream of the LEBT. As the mass-to-charge ratio of ion species increases, the normalized RMS emittances in both transverse phase planes decrease from 0.5-1.0 {pi} mm mrad for light ions to 0.05-0.09 {pi} mm mrad for highly charged {sup 209}Bi ions. The dependence of the emittance on ion's mass-to-charge ratio follows very well the dependence expected from beam rotation induced by decreasing ECR axial magnetic field. The measuredmore » emittance values cannot be explained by only ion beam rotation for all ion species and the contribution to emittance of ion temperature in plasma, non-linear electric fields and non-linear space charge is comparable or even higher than the contribution of ion beam rotation.« less
Changing epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in paediatric intensive-care units.

SUMMARY Community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) accounts for a growing proportion of hospital-onset infections, and colonization is a risk factor. This study aimed to determine changes in the prevalence of CA-MRSA colonization in paediatric intensive-care units (ICUs). A total of 495 paediatric patients colonized with MRSA from neonatal, medical, surgical, and cardiac ICUs between 2001 and 2009 were identified. Isolates were characterized by spa type, staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) mec type and the presence of the genes encoding Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL). The proportion of patients colonized with MRSA remained stable (average 3 . 2 %). The proportion of isolates with spa type 1, SCCmec type IV and PVL increased over time to maximums in 2009 of 36 . 1% (P<0 . 001), 54 . 2% (P=0 . 03) and 28 . 9% (P=0 . 003), respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns showed increasing proportions susceptible to clindamycin, gentamicin, tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (P values <0 . 001). In conclusion, the proportion of MRSA-colonized children in ICUs with CA-MRSA increased significantly over time.