cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leveraging social influence to address overweight and obesity using agent-based models: the role of adolescent social networks

The prevalence of adolescent overweight and obesity (hereafter, simply "overweight") in the US has increased over the past several decades. Individually-targeted prevention and treatment strategies targeting individuals have been disappointing, leading some to propose leveraging social networks to improve interventions. We hypothesized that social network dynamics (social marginalization; homophily on body mass index, BMI) and the strength of peer influence would increase or decrease the proportion of network member (agents) becoming overweight over a simulated year, and that peer influence would operate differently in social networks with greater overweight. We built an agent-based model (ABM) using results from R-SIENA. ABMs allow for the exploration of potential interventions using simulated agents. Initial model specifications were drawn from Wave 1 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). We focused on a single saturation school with complete network and BMI data over two waves (n = 624). The model was validated against empirical observations at Wave 2. We focused on overall overweight prevalence after a simulated year. Five experiments were conducted: (1) changing attractiveness of high-BMI agents; (2) changing homophily on BMI; (3) changing the strength of peer influence; (4) shifting the overall BMI distribution; and (5) targeting dietary interventions to highly connected individuals. Increasing peer influence showed a dramatic decrease in the prevalence of overweight; making peer influence negative (i.e., doing the opposite of friends) increased overweight. However, the effect of peer influence varied based on the underlying distribution of BMI; when BMI was increased overall, stronger peer influence increased proportion of overweight. Other interventions, including targeted dieting, had little impact. Peer influence may be a viable target in overweight interventions, but the distribution of body size in the population needs to be taken into account. In low-obesity populations, strengthening peer influence may be a useful strategy.
Potential performance and challenges of an energy recovery linac upgrade to the Advanced Photon Source

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) is a third-generation synchrotron radiation source operating at 7 GeV that has been in operation for over 10 years. In that time, the emittance has been improved from 8 to 3.1 nm, which is close to the practical minimum. Recently, APS undertook an intensive exploration of potential upgrades, including options for a replacement storage ring or Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) injector. Our conclusion was that only the ERL would provide a dramatically new capability. This paper discusses the potential performance available from an ERL upgrade to the APS and reviews the challenges of delivering this performance.
A rapid and reversible change in dopamine transporters induced by methamphetamine

Because high doses of methamphetamine promote free radical formation, and striatal dopamine transporters are rapidly inactivated by oxidative events, we determined the effect of a single high dose of methamphetamine on dopamine transporter activity in striatal synaptosomes. One hour after methamphetamine administration, dopamine uptake decreased by 48%. This dramatic decline was totally reversed by 24 h after treatment. These findings suggest that methamphetamine reversibly decreases dopamine transporter activity by oxidative mechanisms.
Superheating in He II and the extension of the lambda line

Experiments are described which show that liquid He II can persist in metastable thermodynamic states with a degree of superheating considerably larger than previously observed. A unique response is observed when the superheated He II undergoes the phase transition to He I. These results provide unique data for the extension of the λ line into the metastable region of the phase diagram.
Measuring simultaneously translational and angular acceleration with the new translational-angular-piezobeam (TAP) system

Abstract The new translational/angular accelerometer presented in this paper consists of a pair of identical piezoelectric cantilever beams inside a metal housing. Integrated hybrid charge amplifiers convert the piezoelectric charge signals to high level, low impedance voltages. The sensor is easily mounted on the surface of the structure under test by fixing it with wax or glue. It allows the simultaneous measurement of translational and angular acceleration. An example of an estimation of the frequency response function of a free-free beam is presented.
Observation of multiply ionized plasmas with dominant bound electron contribution to the index of refraction

We report anomalous fringe shifts observed in soft X-ray laser interferograms of laser-created Al plasmas. This clear experimental evidence shows that the contribution of bound electrons can dominate the index of refraction of laser-created plasmas at soft X-ray wavelengths, resulting in values greater than 1. The comparison of measured and simulated interferograms shows that this results from the dominant contribution of low-charge ions to the index of refraction. This usually neglected bound electron contribution can affect the propagation of soft X-ray radiation in plasmas and the interferometric diagnostics of plasmas for many elements.
The Incidence and Effectiveness of Prior Actions in Imf-Supported Programs

Prior actions are measures that need to be implemented prior to Board approval of an IMF-supported program. This paper examines whether such prior actions can signal a willingness to implement reforms, especially when the member's track record is weak. We find some support for this signaling role, particularly for programs supported by the General Resources Account (GRA). Controlling for the member's previous track record, prior actions are associated with greater compliance with other structural conditions, suggesting their possible use as a screening device. Moreover, prior actions set at program approval serve as a useful screening device and strengthen the macroeconomic targets set out in the IMF-supported program. The results also reveal a demonstrable screening effect on growth over the medium term, since the growth impact of the ratio of prior actions at the outset versus the rest of the program is significantly positive while the total number of prior actions is not statistically significant.
Localization of goldthioglucose and bipiperidyl mustard lesions near artificial disruptions of the blood-brain barrier

Abstract Administration of goldthioglucose (GTG) or bipiperidyl mutard (BPM) causes obesity and lesions in hypothalamus, medulla, and other regions of the brain. Each of these lesions is adjacent to one of the specialized circumventricular areas that differ from the remainder of the brain in their natural lack of a blood-brain barrier. In the present work, the blood-brain barrier was artificially disrupted by a large thermal injury of the cerebral cortex. In rats and mice prepared in this manner, both chemicals induced lesions in the viable brain tissue adjacent to the thermal injury. This provides strong support for the role of the blood-brain barrier in the localization of GTG and BPM lesions in hypothalamus and medulla. Localization of lesions near thermal injuries was much less with GTG than with BPM. This suggests that factors other than blood-brain barrier are also involved in the localization of GTG lesions. These findings not only help to elucidate the pathogenesis of the hypothalamic lesions, but they also open a new approach to work on the role of receptors, vasoactive substances, and other intermediaries in the mechanism of GTG damage.
Alterations in insulin-like growth factor-1 gene and protein expression and type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptors in the brains of ageing rats.

Ageing in mammals is characterized by a decline in plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 that appears to contribute to both structural and functional changes in a number of tissues. Although insulin-like growth factor-1 has been shown to provide trophic support for neurons and administration of insulin-like growth factor-1 to ageing animals reverses some aspects of brain ageing, age-related changes in insulin-like growth factor-1 or type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptors in brain have not been well documented. In this series of studies, insulin-like growth factor-1 messenger RNA and protein concentrations, and type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor levels were analysed in young (three to four- and 10-12-month-old), middle-aged (19-20-month-old) and old (29-32-month-old) Fisher 344 x Brown Norway rats. Localization of insulin-like growth factor-1 messenger RNA throughout the lifespan revealed that expression was greatest in arteries, arterioles, and arteriolar anastomoses with greater than 80% of these vessels producing insulin-like growth factor-1 messenger RNA. High levels of expression were also noted in the meninges. No age-related changes were detected by either in situ hybridization or quantitative dot blot analysis of cortical tissue. However, analysis of insulin-like growth factor-1 protein levels in cortex analysed after saline perfusion indicated a 36.5% decrease between 11 and 32 months-of-age (P<0.05). Similarly, analysis of type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor messenger RNA revealed no changes with age but levels of type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptors indicated a substantial decrease with age (31% in hippocampus and 20.8 and 27.3% in cortical layers II/III and V/VI, respectively). Our results indicate that (i) vasculature and meninges are an important source of insulin-like growth factor-1 for the brain and that expression continues throughout life, (ii) there are no changes in insulin-like growth factor-1 gene expression with age but insulin-like growth factor-1 protein levels decrease suggesting that translational deficiencies or deficits in the transport of insulin-like growth factor-1 through the blood-brain barrier contribute to the decline in brain insulin-like growth factor-1 with age, and (iii) type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor messenger RNA is unchanged with age but type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptors decrease in several brain regions. We conclude that significant perturbations occur in the insulin-like growth factor-1 axis with age. Since other studies suggest that i.c.v. administration of insulin-like growth factor-1 reverses functional and cognitive deficiencies with age, alterations within the insulin-like growth factor-1 axis may be an important contributing factor in brain ageing.
Optically detected magnetic resonance study of the phosphorescent states of BBr3 complexes of pyridine and isoquinoline

The phosphorescence spectra, lifetimes and zero-field splitting parameters of the triplet state of BBr3 complexes with pyridine and isoquinoline are reported. These results are compared with values obtained for the corresponding protonated azines. For pyridine we find a substantial decrease in both the phosphorescence lifetime and the zero-field splitting parameter D for the BBr3 complex in comparison with the protonated species. For isoquinoline these changes are not so great. We explain these results in terms of inductive and mesomeric effects on the pyridine triplet, from the complexed BBr3. For isoquinoline such effects seem to be less important.
UPPER URINARY TRACT MANIFESTATIONS OF THE VACTERL ASSOCIATION

Purpose: In patients suspected to have the vertebral, anal, tracheoesophageal, renal, radial, cardiac and limb abnormalities (VACTERL) association we studied the frequency of upper urinary tract anomalies, prevalence of these features, predictability of upper tract pathology and proper screening evaluation.Materials and Methods: From 1991 to 1998 we identified 55 patients with the VACTERL association. Upper urinary tract assessment, including initial renal ultrasound and voiding cystourethrography, and followup data were available for 29 boys and 15 girls. Patients were considered to have the VACTERL association when 3 or more organ systems were involved.Results: Average followup was 5.4 years. Upper urinary tract involvement was noted in 41 of the 44 patients (93.2%) and vesicoureteral reflux in 17 (25 renal units). Of the kidneys 21 were hydronephrotic without reflux or obstruction, 10 were solitary, 3 were multicystic dysplastic, 8 were obstructed and only 17 were normal. A total of 27 patients (61%) u...
Donor island harvesting for micro- and minigrafting.

. Donor island harvesting, a method of obtaining micro- and minigrafts from the hair-bearing strip between donor rows, is described.
Rational engineering of the fungal P450 monooxygenase CYP5136A3 to improve its oxidizing activity toward polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A promising polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-oxidizing P450 CYP5136A3 from Phanerochaete chrysosporium was rationally engineered to enhance its catalytic activity. The residues W129 and L324 found to be critical in substrate recognition were transformed by single (L324F) and double (W129L/L324G, W129L/L324F, W129A/L324G, W129F/L324G and W129F/L324F) mutations, and the engineered enzyme forms were expressed in Pichia pastoris. L324F and W129F/L324F mutations enhanced the oxidation activity toward pyrene and phenanthrene. L324F also altered the regio-selectivity favoring C position 4 over 9 for hydroxylation of phenanthrene. This is the first instance of engineering a eukaryotic P450 for enhanced oxidation of these fused-ring hydrocarbons.
Severe Testicular Atrophy does not Affect the Success of Microdissection Testicular Sperm Extraction

Purpose: Men with azoospermia and severe testicular atrophy may be counseled to avoid sperm retrieval due to perceived limited success. We evaluated the outcomes of microdissection testicular sperm extraction in men with severe testicular atrophy (volume 2 ml or less).Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 1,127 men with nonobstructive azoospermia who underwent microdissection testicular sperm extraction followed by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. They were classified into 3 groups based on average testicular volume, including 2 ml or less, greater than 2 to less than 10 and 10 or greater. Sperm retrieval, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were calculated. Clinical features evaluated included age, follicle-stimulating hormone level, cryptorchidism history, Klinefelter syndrome, varicocele and testicular histology on diagnostic biopsy.Results: Testicular sperm were successfully retrieved in 56% of the men. The sperm retrieval rate in those with a testicular volume of 2 ml or less, greate...
RF pulse compression experiment at SLAC

Using RF pulse compression it is possible to boost a 50-100 MW output, expected from high-power microwave tubes operating in the 10-20 GHz frequency range, to the 300-600 MW level required by the next generation of high gradient linear colliders. Experiments have been performed at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center to test, at low power, a two-stage binary energy compressor (BEC) operating at 11.424 GHz. Using over-moded delay lines and 3 dB hybrid couplers, a 312-ns pulse was compressed to 78 ns, giving a power multiplication ratio of approximately 3.2 and a power efficiency of 81%. Individual component insertion losses were measured to be in the range of 0.6% to 8.5%. Overall efficiency calculated using these values agreed with measured values to approximately 1.4%. >
The effect of preemptive queuing in a priority-based real-time network

The paper shows how to make efficient use of priority queues within a real-time multiprocessor system. Simulations show the effect of using priority queues at the entrance to the interprocessor communications network and in the packet switches within this network. Results demonstrate performance improvement when priority queues buffer data at the network entrances. However, results also show that the use of priority queues within the network may degrade performance.
Sustainability Efforts in China: Reflections on the Environmental Kuznets Curve Through a Locational Evaluation of “Eco-Communities”

In contrast to the common dismal view of China's environment, this article highlights local and national sustainability efforts in China and examines the location characteristics of China's Eco-Communities (Shengtai Qu), communities that achieved significant sustainability per the evaluation of the Chinese government. It explores what the Chinese experience implies to the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) concept in the context of nature–society relations and sustainability studies. The research was based on field research in eight Chinese provinces in 2001, 2004, and 2006, in addition to Chinese governmental and academic sources. At the national level, there appeared to be a positive environment–development relationship: The Eco-Communities tended to concentrate in more developed eastern China. The Eco-Communities displayed unique spatial patterns that are strikingly at odds with conventional wisdom, however. They were often found in the periphery of their provinces away from the wealthiest areas, poorer...
Regulation of REDD1 by insulin-like growth factor-I in skeletal muscle and myotubes

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a major anabolic hormone for skeletal muscle and a potent stimulus for protein synthesis and translation initiation. Recent studies suggest that translation can be inhibited by over expression of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) repressor REDD1. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether IGF-I alters the expression of REDD1 and whether this is associated with a concomitant change in protein synthesis in vitro. Subcutaneous injection of IGF-I or intravenous delivery of insulin for 3-4 h increased REDD1 mRNA in skeletal muscle 7-10-fold. A threefold increase in REDD1 was observed when C2C12 myotubes were treated with IGF-I. REDD1 protein continued to be expressed for up to 24 h after addition of IGF-I to cells. Withdrawal of IGF-I from myotubes lead to a rapid loss of REDD1 protein content. IGF-I-induced REDD1 mRNA and protein expression were prevented by inhibitors of transcription and translation. IGF-I had an additive effect with dexamethasone (Dex) on REDD1 protein content in myotubes. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 blocked IGF-I but not Dex induced REDD1. IGF-I also stimulated REDD1 promoter activity. Although REDD1 protein was elevated 5-6 h after addition of IGF-I to myotubes, protein synthesis measured during this 1 h window was paradoxically greater in myotubes expressing more REDD1. In contrast to the IGF-I induced increase in REDD1 mRNA, REDD2 mRNA was decreased by IGF-I. We conclude that IGF-I stimulates REDD1 expression in skeletal muscle and myotubes but under these conditions the REDD1 response is not sufficient to repress protein synthesis.
A phase II study of oxaliplatin and paclitaxel in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of oxaliplatin and paclitaxel as first-line therapy for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods The treatment regimen was given as defined in a phase I investigation in patients with previously treated ovarian cancer. It consisted of paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 (1-h infusion) and oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 (2-h infusion) given every 21 days. Eligible patients had stage IIIB (pleural effusion)/IV NSCLC, measurable disease, no prior chemotherapy, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0–2, and adequate hematological, renal and hepatic function. Results A total of 38 patients were enrolled with the following characteristics: 29% male (n = 11); 71% female (n = 27); median age 64.5 years (range 37–78); performance status of 0–1 84% (n = 32); stage IIIB 8% (n = 3); stage IV 92% (n = 35). One hundred and eighty-one cycles were administered, with a median of four per patient (range one to 12). The overall objective response rate for all 38 patients was 34.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 19.6% to 51.4%]. This response rate includes 13 patients who met criteria for a partial response. No complete responses were observed. Median overall survival time was 9.2 months (95% CI 6–12.4) and median progression-free survival time was 4.3 months (95% CI 2.1–6.5). The 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 37% and 21%, respectively. Hematological toxicity included six patients with grade 4 neutropenia. Non-hematological toxicity consisted mainly of grades 1 and 2 neurosensory toxicity. Laryngodysesthesia was observed in two patients following oxaliplatin infusion. No grade 4 non-hematological toxicities were encountered. Conclusion This regimen is well tolerated, and demonstrates activity in patients with advanced NSCLC.
An Empirical Comparison of Global, Partitioned, and Clustered Multiprocessor EDF Schedulers

As multicore platforms become ever larger, overhead-related factors play a greater role in determining which real-time scheduling algorithms are preferable. In this paper, such factors are investigated through an empirical comparison of global, partitioned, and clustered EDF scheduling algorithms on a 24-core Intel system. On this platform, global EDF proved to be a non-viable choice for hard real time systems, while clusters of size six practically approximated global approaches. For soft real-time systems, clustered EDF scheduling algorithms proved to be particularly effective. This study suggests that future global scheduling research should focus on small-to-medium multicore platforms rather than large platforms.
Enabling instructors to develop sketch recognition applications for the classroom

Instructors and students sketch graphical diagrams in a variety of classes from pre-K through higher education. Hand sketching the diagrams can engage students' creative processes as they watch the diagrams being created in real-time. Animations can help a students' functional understanding. However, hand-sketched diagrams currently remain static and uninterpreted, and animations currently have to be canned pre-made diagrams. Sketch recognition systems recognize hand drawn diagrams, but they take a lot of time and effort to build and require expertise in sketch recognition programming. To simplify the creation of sketch recognition system, we have built LADDER, a language to describe how shapes in a domain are drawn, displayed, and edited for use in sketch recognition, and GUILD, a system to automatically generate user interfaces from LADDER descriptions. The goal of this work is to facilitate the development of sketch recognition systems to allow non-experts in sketch recognition systems, such as teachers develop sketch systems for their classroom. The research is continuously being improved, but thus far, over twenty people have built sketch recognition systems using these technologies.
Selection and genetic gains for juvenile traits in progenies of Hevea in São Paulo State, Brazil

Five yield traits were investigated in three-year-old progenies from open-pollinated rubber trees [Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. de Juss) Muell.-Arg.]. Twenty progenies were evaluated in a randomized, complete block design replicated three times using 10 plants per linear plot at the North Central Experimental Station in Pindorama, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The characters evaluated included the average yield of rubber, growth vigor, bark thickness, total number of latex vessel rings and latex vessel size. Highly significant (p < 0.01) genetic differences were observed among progenies for most traits. The genotypic variance components accounted for 13.2%, 12.3%, 9.4%, 3.4% and 0.23% of the phenotypic variance for yield, growth vigor, bark thickness, total number of latex vessel rings and latex vessel size, respectively. Heritabilities, as well as genotypic and phenotypic correlations among traits, were estimated. Heritabilities for the above traits at the individual plant level () were 37%, 35%, 69%, 10% and 16%, respectively. Significant positive genotypic and phenotypic correlations were found between the yield of rubber and growth vigor (rg = 0.73, rp = 0.70), bark thickness (rg = 0.70**, rp = 0.75**) and the total number of latex vessel rings (rg = 0.64, rp = 0.80). There was no relationship between yield and latex vessel size, growth vigor or total number of latex vessel rings. Based on these data, selecting the best two out of 20 progenies would result in a genetic gain of 12.3% and 6.8% for yield of rubber and growth vigor, respectively. The two best individual ortets within each progeny would result in a genetic gain of 27.7% and 9.1%, with a total gain of 40% and 16% for these two traits, respectively.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Approach to Water Resources Climate Change Adaptation

The magnitude of climate change impacts facing water resources managers in the United States has spurred closer interagency cooperation in developing methods supporting planning and engineering for climate change adaptation. The two largest water resources management agencies in the U.S., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, have partnered to describe climate change challenges, identify user needs for improving tools and information, and assess capabilities to use weather and climate forecasts in federal water resources management. They have also hosted a forum with national and international experts exploring the issue of nonstationary hydrology with respect to climate change. In progress is development of multiagency guidelines for best practices to select from the portfolio of climate information including global climate scenarios, through general circulation models, through downscaling, to regional or watershed-scale hydrological and operations planning models to account properly for climate change and variability at the scale of water-resource operational decisions. This presentation describes collaborative activities and the resulting methods being used as both agencies plan for and implement climate change adaptation measures.
A Longitudinal Study of Cognitive Risks for Depressive Symptoms in Children and Young Adolescents

Youths with high (N = 52) or low cognitive vulnerability (N = 48) for depression were selected from a larger sample (N = 515) of students (7-10 years old), based on their attributional style (AS), negative cognitions (NC), and/or self-competence (SC). Long-term effects of cognitive vulnerabilities on depressive symptoms were examined in a 3-year, three-wave, multiinformant, longitudinal design. Three findings emerged. First, some empirical overlap exists among these three types of cognitive diatheses, especially between NC and SC. Second, the combination of AS, NC, and SC had a significant (but diminishing) relationship to depressive symptoms at 6, 18, and 30 months, primarily due to NC and SC, not AS. Third, interactions between cognitive risk and life events were not significant, suggesting an additive type of diathesis-stress model for depression in young adolescents.
Phonon Scattering in Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 Superlattice

Thermoelectric materials are characterized with the figure of merit, ZT = S2 σT/κ, where T is the temperature, S the Seebeck coefficient, σ the electrical conductivity and κ the thermal conductivity. Many researches have been focused on reducing lattice thermal conductivity through increasing phonon scattering at interfaces. Thin-film superlattices are one of the promising candidates for high ZT thermoelectric materials. Several theoretical models have been used to explain the large ZT in superlattice. One comes from the extra scattering channels at interfaces introduced by the hetero-structure. Another is a result of quantum confinement effect which reduces the phonon group velocity propagating perpendicularly through the superlattice layers through flattening the dispersion curve of acoustic phonons. In this work, ultrafast time-resolved measurements were conducted on Bi2 Te3 , Sb2 Te3 and Bi2 Te3 /Sb2 Te3 superlattice (SL) films to detect coherent acoustic phonons in these materials. Scattering of these phonons is revealed in the Bi2 Te3 /Sb2 Te3 SLs, which comes from the interfaces of the hetero-structure in SL. Also, a decrease of acoustic phonon velocity resulted from folding and flattening of phonons branches is observed. Results show that both interface scattering and the reduced phonon velocity contribute to suppressing the heat transfer process.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
The transformative effects of multistakeholderism in Internet governance

Internet governance issues tend to be contentious, multifaceted, and interconnected among various stakeholders. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was formed as a potentially effective and legitimate multistakeholder governance network that could better ensure cooperation. An evaluation of the impacts of the IGF model in regional contexts, particularly developing country contexts, has gained limited attention. This study is one of the first to explore the function of the IGF model in a regional context by investigating the impacts of the East African Community's (EAC) East Africa Internet Governance Forum (EAIGF), the first regional IGF established globally.International regime theory, the theory of elite competition, and a modified version of the actor-centered institutionalism model were used to examine the power of stakeholders, including impacts of institutional endowments on stakeholder influence within the EAIGF and impacts of participation in the EAIGF on member country Internet governance tactics. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with EAIGF participants, observations of the 2012 EAIGF meeting, and qualitative document analysis of EAIGF documents and related policy documents from EAC member states. Findings reveal the EAIGF promotes capacity building, knowledge sharing, and policy transfer within the region and has contributed to a shift in the balance of power in policymaking processes from state-centric to multistakeholder. However, the forum reinforced influence of states and stakeholders with stronger institutional endowments on the framing of policy issues within the forum. Thus, policy decisions attributed to the forum are likely reflective of the preferences of stronger stakeholders. EAIGF promotes capacity building, knowledge sharing, and policy transfer.EAIGF reinforces influence of stakeholders with stronger institutional endowments.EAIGF policy framing likely reflects preferences of stronger stakeholders.
Protein expression of fatty acid transporter 2 is polarized to the trophoblast basal plasma membrane and increased in placentas from overweight/obese women.

Abstract Background Obese and overweight women are more likely to deliver a large infant or an infant with increased adiposity, however the underlying mechanisms are not well established. We tested the hypothesis that placental capacity to transport fatty acid is increased in overweight/obese women. Methods Pregnant women with body mass index (BMI) ranging from 18.4 to 54.3 kg/m2 and with uncomplicated term pregnancies were recruited for collection of blood samples and placental tissue. Maternal and fetal levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) were measured in plasma. The expression and localization of CD36/fatty acid translocase (FAT), fatty acid transport protein (FATP)2, and FATP4 was determined in fixed placental tissue and in isolated syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes from normal and high BMI mothers. Results Maternal and fetal plasma NEFA levels did not correlate (n = 42). FATP2 and FATP4 expressions were higher in the basal plasma membrane (BPM) compared to the microvillous membrane (P Conclusion The polarization of FATPs to the BPM will facilitate fatty acid transfer across the placenta. In overweight/obese pregnancies, the increased FATP2 expression could contribute to increased fatty acid delivery to the fetus and while we have no direct data we speculate that this could lead accelerated fetal growth or increased fat deposition.
Precision agriculture and agro-environmental policy

A whole-farm model was used to investigate the effects of precision agriculture adoption on production choices under various agro-environmental policy frameworks. Simulation of a typical grain farm in western Kentucky, USA indicated that adoption of precision agriculture does alter responsiveness to policies based on financial incentives for pollution abatement (e.g. emission taxes). Specifically, those farms were less responsive to financial incentives (i.e. abated less pollution), due to higher marginal abatement costs in the form of forgone profits. Policy-makers targeting pollution reductions from agriculture should take into account the increasing use of precision agriculture techniques and their effects on agro-environmental policy.
Schützenberger groups ofH-Classes containing odd degree polynomials-Classes containing odd degree polynomials

In this note we determine when topological simplicity of a subsemigroup implies its simplicity. A measure theoretic approach is used. The main result is: In a locally compact completely simple semigroup whose maximal subgroups are compact, every subsemigroup which is either locally compact or of non-empty interior is completely simple. As a corollary, we have: In a compact semigroup, any topologically simple subsemigroup which is either locally compact or of non-empty interior is simple.
Intraoperative “Micro Breaks” With Targeted Stretching Enhance Surgeon Physical Function and Mental Focus: A Multicenter Cohort Study

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intraoperative targeted stretching micro breaks (TSMBs) on the experienced pain and fatigue, physical functions, and mental focus of surgeons.Background:Surgeons are routinely subject to mental and physical stresses through the course
The Isolation of Brucella abortus from the Blood-Stream of Cattle.

Soule1 has perhaps done the most extensive work on this subject. His method consisted of adding 50 cc. of whole blood to 450 cc. of glycerol-infusion-broth and then incubating under 10% carbon dioxide. More than 5000 ordinary “herd-run” cattle were studied. Two series of tests were made on each animal at intervals of approximately 6 months. In the first series of tests agglutinins were present in the blood of 2,237 of the animals but only 299 gave positive blood-cultures. In the second series agglutinins were present in 2,607 cases with 206 positive blood-cultures. There were 40 positive blood-cultures without concomitant agglutinins.This cultural method evidently requires extreme aseptic precautions in order to prevent contamination of the cultures with extraneous organisms. In our use of this technic, contaminations with molds, spore-forming bacteria, and gram-positive cocci occurred in nearly two-thirds of our cultures and we isolated Brucella abortus but once in 75 attempts.Because of these discouragi...
On Forestry Conventional Law of Tongjiang:A Study Based on Tree Steles

There were rich forestry resources in Tongjiang in the feudal society and the early Republican period. A number of tree steles regarding forest resource protection were scattered in the civil society,which mainly manifested as the protection of the Fengshui trees,the temple trees,the tomb trees,and economic trees. The reasons for those tree steles could achieve the efficacy rely on the recognition of the social public,and insurance of their implementation from the civil authority. Based on this,the tree steles play the role of protecting ecological environment,maintaining social order,and promoting traditional culture of forest zone. To fully exploit the social value of these tree steles has a positive role in promoting the current legal system of forestry.
"Exhausted" T cells: good or bad depends on your point of view.

Functional impairment of antigen-specific T cells is a defining characteristic of many chronic infections, but the underlying mechanisms of T-cell dysfunction are not well understood. To address this question, we analyzed genes expressed in functionally impaired virus-specific CD8 T cells present in mice chronically infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), and compared these with the gene profile of functional memory CDS T cells. Here we report that PD-1 (programmed death 1; also known as Pdcdl) was selectively upregulated by the exhausted T cells, and that in vivo administration of antibodies that blocked the interaction of this inhibitory receptor with its ligand, PD-L1 (also known as B7-H1), enhanced T-cell responses. Notably, we found that even in persistently infected mice that were lacking CD4 T-cell help, blockade of the PD-1//PD-L1 inhibitory pathway had a beneficial effect on the 'helpless' CD8 T cells, restoring their ability to undergo proliferation, secrete cytokines, kill infected cells and decrease viral load. Blockade of the CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4) inhibitory pathway had no effect on either T-cell function or viral control. These studies identify a specific mechanism of T-cell exhaustion and define a potentially effective immunological strategy for the treatment of chronic viral infections.
Predicting erectile function following external beam radiation therapy or brachytherapy for prostate cancer using EPIC-CP

87 Background: EPIC-CP (Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite for Clinical Practice) is a one page, 16-item questionnaire designed and validated to measure patient-reported health related quality of life in prostate cancer (PC) patients at the point of care in the clinical setting. We previously developed and externally validated models predictive of intact sexual function (i.e. achieving an erection firm enough for intercourse) at two years following external beam radiation (EBRT) or brachytherapy (BT) using EPIC-26, the parent tool from which EPIC-CP was derived. We aimed to enable the use of these models in clinical practice by recalibrating them for use with EPIC-CP. Methods: Using a previously described multicenter longitudinal cohort (PROST-QA), we identified 217 men treated with EBRT and 230 with BT with complete sexual domain and model covariate information. We used the established covariates predictive of functional erections in the EPIC-26-based models (baseline sexual score, neoadjuvant horm...
The need for judgement in geotechnical reliability studies

ABSTRACTA core principle of geotechnical engineering practice is the need to exercise judgement in evaluating soil and site conditions and in performing analyses. The requirement for considering judgement applies equally to performing deterministic or probabilistic analyses. In addition, for probabilistic analyses, choices must be made among the possible methods of analysis and the method of characterising variables. Consequently, geotechnical reliability studies inevitably involve significant uncertainties, and judgement is needed to perform reliability analyses and to evaluate the results. Two case histories, briefly described here, show that judgement and experience are essential prerequisites for meaningful assessment of geotechnical reliability.
Image reconstruction of radical prostatectomy specimens using a three dimensional reconstruction algorithm

Describes a three dimensional reconstruction algorithm that utilizes both interpolation and extrapolation techniques to reconstruct an object from parallel planar cross sectional data sets encoded via quadtree data structures. This algorithm has been validated by comparing the volume and shape of the original object against the volume and shape of the reconstructed object. The results (volume and shape) are presented for objects of known geometrical shapes reconstructed using this algorithm. Further, results are presented for small and large wax models with shapes that are found in prostatic carcinoma. Finally, the authors present the results obtained from this algorithm by reconstructing real prostate glands using histologic maps obtained from whole-mount sections. >
Study of improved pilot performance using automatic collision avoidance for tele-operated unmanned aerial vehicles

This paper studies the application of automatic collision avoidance algorithms to help pilots improve their maneuvering of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Automatic collision avoidance technology can help reduce the cognitive workload of a pilot, especially when flying UAVs through cluttered and complex unstructured environments. The feedforward-based algorithm reviewed herein exploits the dynamics of the aerial robot and if a collision is predicted, the algorithm modifies the operator's input to avoid a collision. The algorithm has recently been implemented on a quadcopter UAV with on-board computation and sensing. To quantify the improvement in pilot performance compared to other methods, human-subject studies were conducted using a simulated quadcopter UAV running the collision avoidance algorithms. Specifically, a comparison is made between the feedforward-based algorithm, the basic risk field algorithm (a variant on potential field), and full manual control. Experimental results show that the feedforward-based algorithm performs significantly better than manual control by lowering the number of collisions and increasing the UAV's average speed, both of which are extremely vital, for example, for UAV-assisted search-and-rescue applications. Compared to the potential-field based algorithm, the feedforward algorithm enabled the pilot to operate the UAV with significantly higher average speeds without drastically affecting the number of collisions.
Radiative Shading Effect Of Urban Trees On Cooling The Regional Built Environment

Abstract Land use and land cover changes due to urbanization have led to significant modifications in the built environment at both local and regional scales, making adaptation/mitigation strategies imperative for the sustainable development of cities. While urban trees offer great potential for heat mitigation and enhanced environmental quality, most of the existing urban land surface models do not contain adequate representations of trees, particularly the radiative heat exchange in the canyons. In this study, we incorporated the radiative shading effect of urban trees into the state-of-the-art version of the coupled Weather Research and Forecasting-Urban Canopy Model modeling system. This modeling framework, albeit at its infancy, is applied to the Phoenix Metropolitan area to study the regional cooling effect of trees in an arid environment. Simulation results demonstrated the capacity of urban trees in reducing urban surface and air temperature by about 2 ∼ 9 °C and 1 ∼ 5 °C respectively and increasing relative humidity by 10 ∼ 20% during a mean diurnal cycle; the effect is more prominent during nighttime.
Resisting Dictatorship: Protest, repression and transition in Southeast Asia

Ideas about social conflict underwent a curious change over the twentieth century's last decades. At the height of the Cold War, contentious domestic politics seemed always pregnant with broader conflagration. People on both sides of the ideological fence associated social unrest with worldwide subversion (or proletarian victory), falling dominoes (or a triumphant line of march), and the descent into anarchy (or world historical progress). Middle-class American college students in the 1960s joined “the revolution” while US intelligence officers viewed peasants scrambling to subsist as communist operatives. Many then had difficulty recognizing that social movements often pursued limited objectives from autonomous positions rather than as parts of a larger revolutionary process. Decades after Saigon's “fall,” however, we face an almost complete reversal: as theories about social movements gain credibility and explanatory power, the fears and hopes about revolutionary challenges to state power have quietly yielded to broader assumptions that struggle seeks more modulated influence and access within prevailing systems. Increasingly, analysts examine movement radicalization and violence as signs that participants have become frustrated or disappointed in originally more civil programs of struggle, rather than as inherent aspects of the struggle itself. Of course, attachments to either revolutionary or social movement images have important empirical foundations: for decades world communist organizations did often support revolutions, even where these revolutions remained grounded in local conditions, and the Soviet Union's dissolution, combined with a spate of apparent transitions to democracy, encourage more reform-oriented, less revolutionary protest.
Fitting Data with Correlations and Constraints

Until now, we have usually taken individual measurements as independent. This is often not the case. Furthermore, there may be constraints on the values. We will examine here a general formalism for dealing with these complications if the problem can be approximately linearized and if the errors on each point are approximately normal.
Clues to predict incidental gallbladder cancer

Abstract Background Consequences of incidental gallbladder cancer (iGBC) following cholecystectomy may include repeat operation (depending on T stage) and worse survival (if bile spillage occurred), both avoidable if iGBC were suspected preoperatively. Methods A retrospective single-institution review was done. Ultrasound images for cases and controls were blindly reviewed by a radiologist. Chi-square and Student's t tests, as well as logistic regression and Kaplan–Meier analyses were used. A P ≤ 0.01 was considered significant. Results Among 5796 cholecystectomies performed 2000–2013, 26 (0.45%) were iGBC cases. These patients were older (75.61 versus 52.27 years), had more laparoscopic-to-open conversions (23.1% versus 3.9%), underwent more imaging tests, had larger common bile duct diameter (7.13 versus 5.04 mm) and higher alkaline phosphatase. Ultrasound imaging showed that gallbladder wall thickening (GBWT) without pericholecystic fluid (PCCF), but not focal-versus-diffuse GBWT, was associated significantly with iGBC (73.9% versus 47.4%). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, GBWT without PCCF, and age were the strongest predictors of iGBC. The consequences iGBC depended significantly on intraoperative bile spillage, with nearly all such patients developing carcinomatosis and significantly worse survival. Conclusions Besides age, GBWT, dilated common bile duct, and elevated alkaline phosphatase, number of preoperative imaging modalities and the presence of GBWT without PCCF are useful predictors of iGBC. Bile spillage causes poor survival in patients with iGBC.