cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abnormalities of Cingulate Gyrus Neuroanatomy in Schizophrenia

Objective and methods: Abnormalities of the neuroanatomy of the gray matter of the cingulate gyrus, especially its anterior segment, have been suggested to be an important characteristic of schizophrenia. In this study, T1-weighted magnetic resonance scans were collected in 53 individuals with schizophrenia and 68 comparison subjects matched for age, gender, race and parental socioeconomic status. We applied Labeled Cortical Mantle Distance Mapping to assess the volume, surface area and thickness of the cortical mantle within the anterior (AC) and posterior (PC) segments of the cingulate gyrus, excluding the paracingulate gyrus, and related these anatomical measures to measures of psychopathology and illness duration. Results: After covarying for total cerebral volume, individuals with schizophrenia showed smaller AC gray matter volume (p=0.024), thickness (trend, p=0.081), but not surface area (p=0.16), than comparison subjects. Similar group differences were found for PC gray matter volume (p=0.0005) and thickness (trend, p=0.055), but not surface area (p=0.15). Across both groups, there was a significant L>R asymmetry in thickness of the AC, and a significant L>R asymmetry in the surface area of the PC. However, there were no significant group-by-hemisphere interactions. In the individuals with schizophrenia, thinning of the AC, but not the PC, was correlated with a longer duration of illness and a greater severity of psychotic symptoms. Conclusions: Individuals with schizophrenia showed smaller gray matter volumes across the entire cingulate gyrus, mostly due to a reduction in cortical mantle thickness. However, structural measures of the AC were more closely related to clinical features of the illness.
A New Species of Trichostrongyloid in African Buffalo ( Syncerus caffer ) (Artiodactyla: Bovinae) from Uganda

Africanastrongylus giganticus n. sp. is described based on large ostertagiine nematodes occurring in the abomasum of African buffalo, Syncerus caffer, from Uganda; this represents the second species recognized in the genus. Specimens of A. giganticus are characterized by large size (15-19 mm in total length), a strongly tapering synlophe in the cervical region, and a great number of ridges at all levels of the body (maximum 72 attained in the third quarter); numbers of ridges exceed that reported among any known genera and species of the Ostertagiinae. We refer A. giganticus to this genus based on a strongly tapering lateral synlophe, relatively large numbers of ridges at all levels of the body, miniscule cervical papillae, poorly demarcated divisions of the ovejector, absence of vulval cuticular inflations, and the presence of slightly protruding lips at the vulva. It is distinguished from its congener, Africanastrongylus buceros, in total length, maximum number of ridges (68-72 vs. 53, respectively), structure and disposition of the synlophe, presence of strongly spiraled ovarian tracks, and eggs that are distributed in 3 or more rows in the uterus. A superficial resemblance to Longistrongylus meyeri, the only other large ostertagiine in the African fauna, is evident; these species, however, are distinct based on the synlophe and other characters. Recognition of a second species of Africanastrongylus represented by nematodes of large size suggests that prior reports of L. meyeri in Syncerus caffer may be attributable to A. giganticus.
The effects of low-level laser therapy in patients with wrist pain: is this Mickey Mouse science?

Objective: Low level laser treatment (LLLT) is widely used in physical therapy practice. It is combined with physical therapy or LLLT alone. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of LLLT on patients` perception of general wrist pain. Design: Longitudinal study. Methods: Forty-eight subjects with wrist pain who were in the age range of 18-70 years old were examined. The subjects were asked, via an interview and a visual analog scale, to grade their wrist pain. They were asked to rotate their wrists through full range of motion and the angle at which any pain occurred was assessed. Each subject was then exposed to one of the following: 1) treatment with an infrared laser with the power turned off (placebo), 2) treatment with an infrared therapeutic laser, 3) treatment with a red therapeutic laser, 4) treatment with an ultraviolet laser, 5) treatment with a blue laser, 6) treatment with a Mickey Mouse flashlight. The duration of the treatment was 3 sessions in 3 days. Results: The results of the experiments showed that while pain was reduced both immediately after and the next day after laser therapy (p<0.05), there was no significant difference between the laser groups and the placebo group. However, the Mickey Mouse flashlight treatment groups had a greater range of motion than the laser groups (p<0.05). Conclusions: While pain was reduced in all laser groups, it was probably a placebo effect. The Mickey Mouse flashlight group probably received benefit from the heat of the flashlight.
N-Directed aliphatic C-H borylation using borenium cation equivalents.

Highly electrophilic boron cations derived from hindered amine borane complexes have been shown to undergo intramolecular aliphatic C–H borylation.
MultiRTA: A simple yet reliable method for predicting peptide binding affinities for multiple class II MHC allotypes

Background The binding of peptide fragments of antigens to class II MHC is a crucial step in initiating a helper T cell immune response. The identification of such peptide epitopes has potential applications in vaccine design and in better understanding autoimmune diseases and allergies. However, comprehensive experimental determination of peptide-MHC binding affinities is infeasible due to MHC diversity and the large number of possible peptide sequences. Computational methods trained on the limited experimental binding data can address this challenge. We present the MultiRTA method, an extension of our previous single-type RTA prediction method, which allows the prediction of peptide binding affinities for multiple MHC allotypes not used to train the model. Thus predictions can be made for many MHC allotypes for which experimental binding data is unavailable.
Automatic Coupling of Answer Extraction and Information Retrieval

Information Retrieval (IR) and Answer Extraction are often designed as isolated or loosely connected components in Question Answering (QA), with repeated overengineering on IR, and not necessarily performance gain for QA. We propose to tightly integrate them by coupling automatically learned features for answer extraction to a shallow-structured IR model. Our method is very quick to implement, and significantly improves IR for QA (measured in Mean Average Precision and Mean Reciprocal Rank) by 10%-20% against an uncoupled retrieval baseline in both document and passage retrieval, which further leads to a downstream 20% improvement in QAF1.
Suggested Strategies For Effective Implementation Of Strategic Leadership Practices In This Globalization Era

This study briefly explored the concepts of global economy and the new competitive landscape. The study also summarized strategic leadership practices that help firms to achieve and maintain competitiveness. Critical issues facing top management in the 21 st century are also touched on. Finally the study examined the perceptions of CEOs toward suggested strategies (growth orientation, knowledge management, mobilization of human capital, developing an effective organizational culture, and remaining future focused) for CEOs and their top management teams to effectively implement strategic leadership practices. The results of this study indicate that a majority of the CEOs of multinational corporations who were surveyed agreed that the recommended strategies will help in the effective implementation of strategic leadership practices.
Esmolol vs. nitroglycerin: attenuating hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation

Hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation is a common occurrence with the potential for harmful effects. Many drugs have been utilized throughout the years to attenuate this response with mixed results. This review compares the efficacy of two drugs, esmolol and nitroglycerin, in attenuating hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation. A systematic review was performed compiling all previous studies detailing the efficacy of esmolol in comparison to nitroglycerin for this purpose. Esmolol was found to consistently attenuate hemodynamic responses of blood pressure and heart rate with greater efficacy than nitroglycerin, and is thus recommended over nitroglycerin for use in this role.
Association of Pain With Physical Function, Depressive Symptoms, Fatigue, and Sleep Quality Among Veteran and non-Veteran Postmenopausal Women

PURPOSE OF STUDY To characterize the prevalence and longitudinal effects of pain in older Veteran and non-Veteran women. DESIGN AND METHODS Data on 144,956 participants in the Women's Health Initiative were analyzed. At baseline, Veteran status, pain severity, and pain interference with activity were assessed. Outcomes of physical function, depressive symptoms, fatigue, and sleep quality were reported at baseline by all study participants and longitudinally on two follow-up occasions (3 years and 13-18 years after baseline) in the observational study participants (n = 87,336). RESULTS At baseline, a total of 3,687 (2.5%) had a history of military service and 22,813 (15.8%) reported that pain limited their activity level moderately to extremely during the past 4 weeks. Prevalence of pain interference did not differ in Veterans and non-Veterans (16.8% and 15.7%, respectively; p= .09). At baseline, women with moderate-to-extreme pain interference had substantially worse physical function and greater symptoms of depression, fatigue, and insomnia than those with less pain (p .2), indicating that the effect of pain interference on outcomes at baseline did not vary between Veterans and non-Veterans. Moderate-to-extreme pain interference was associated with a greater rate of decline in physical function over time (p < .001) and higher incidence of limited physical functioning (p < .001), but these effects did not vary by Veteran status. Similar results were observed with pain severity as the exposure variable. IMPLICATIONS As the Veteran population ages and the number of women exposed to combat operations grows, there will be an increased need for health care services that address not only pain severity and interference but also other disabling comorbid symptoms.
Cultivar Resistance and Arthropod Predation of Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Affects Incidence of Deadhearts in Louisiana Sugarcane

A 3-yr study on overwintering populations of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), showed cultivar resistance provided significant reductions in numbers of sugarcane, a complex hybrid of Saccharum spp., deadhearts in the spring of 1986 and 1987. Although differences in infestation levels of D. saccharalis caused by arthropod predation were not detected in the fall, significantly greater numbers of deadhearts occurred in the spring where predators were suppressed. The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), was the dominant predator in these studies. Incorporating a covariable representing the number of larvae infesting sugarcane stalks in the fall did not adequately account for the variation in sugarcane shoots with deadhearts. Results from this study indicate that, in addition to the anticipated effect of cultivar resistance and predation on the stalk damage caused by D. saccharalis during the growing season, substantial reductions in the incidence of spring deadhearts can also be expected. The effect of cultivar resistance and arthropod predation of D. saccharalis on deadhearts is additive.
Differential Rates of Diffusion of Mannitol from Phases of Extracellular Compartment in Edematous States

Conclusions1. The plasma clearance of mannitol observed during morning hours was significantly decreased in this series of cases of cirrhosis with ascites and congestive heart failure with edema. 2. Rates of diffusion of mannitol from various recesses of the extracellular compartment were not uniform in two -edematous states, namely, cirrhosis with ascites and congestive heart failure with edema. 3. The mannitol method as determined by the infusion-slope procedure cannot be applied to the measurement of the extracellular fluid compartment in certain edematous states.
Disability incarcerated: imprisonment and disability in the United States and Canada

It has been argued that people with disabilities are not inherently disabled by their diagnoses or differences, but rather that they are disabled by society’s inability to work around and accommoda...
Put It in Writing or Be Prepared to Go for a Ride: A Case Study in Due Process

Steve Milam is the coordinator of Compliance for Medical Affairs and an affiliate assistant professor in the Department of Medical History and Ethics of the School of Medicine at the University of Washington. Cheryl A. Cameron is the associate vice provost and a professor in the Department of Dental Public Health Sciences of the School of Dentistry at the University of Washington. Correspondence regarding this feature should be addressed to Steve Milam, JD, at: University of Washington, Box 358220, Seattle, WA 98195-8220; telephone: 206-543-3910; fax: 206-221-2999; email: smilam@u.washington.edu or to Cheryl A. Cameron , PhD, JD, at: University of Washington, Box 351237, Seattle, WA 98195-1237; telephone: 206-543-6616; fax: 206-685-3218; email: ccameron@u.washington.edu. It is important to note that the comments and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are not intended to serve as legal advice for anyone. These opinions and comments are intended for the scholarly discussion of legal principles applicable to physician assistant (PA) education.
Microscale Integrated Sperm Sorter

This chapter describes the design and fabrication of a passively driven microfluidic sperm sorter using soft lithographic microfabrication techniques. This self-contained device can separate motile sperm from nonmotile sperm and other cellular debris. The sorting system is small (coin sized) and structurally simple. It comprises two inlets; two outlets; a sorting channel; and arrays of horizontally oriented reservoirs that function as passively driven, constant-flow-rate pumps. Sperm with higher motility are sorted out from the rest of the semen samples based on their ability to swim through interfaces between adjacent laminar streams into separate streamlines, whereas the nonmotile sperm and debris remain in their initial streamlines. The device, which we call a microscale integrated sperm sorter, does not rely on any external power sources or controllers and incorporates all sample loading and sorting functions necessary to prepare high-quality sperm for in vitro fertilization. This self-contained, inexpensive, and portable device may also be useful for developing convenient sperm motility assays that can be used at the point of care or at home.
Initial assessment and resuscitation

Initial priorities for the patient in shock include insurance of a patent airway, control of rapid external bleeding, and assessment of cardiovascular status. When these measures have been taken, the patient undergoes a second examination, and a definitive diagnosis is made.
Abstract A1-20: Genetic control of Kras mutation specificity in mice

The selection and specificity of mutations occurring in genes that drive cancer is a highly complex process that remains poorly understood for even the most well studied oncogenes. The specific pattern of RAS mutations across different cancers is thought to be modulated by differences in carcinogen exposure and metabolism, local DNA features and repair mechanisms, tissue-specific expression patterns and functional differences of the RAS isoforms1. Less is known about functional differences between the various activating mutations in RAS that may lead to selection of particular mutants in mouse or human cancers. Studies of mouse cancer models have provided evidence for strong genetic background effects on allele-specificity of Ras mutations2 as well as on selection of particular mutations at Kras codon 61 in lung adenomas3. We have also recently demonstrated a major role of germline Kras status in mutation selection during initiation, where carcinogen-induced lung tumors from Kras WT mice carry mostly (94%) Q61R Kras mutations, while those from Kras heterozygous mice carry mostly (92%) Q61L mutations4. These data support the possibility that mutation specificity at Kras is influenced by genetic factors that may modulate, in trans, the levels or activity of Kras. In order to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of Kras mutation specificity, we characterized Kras mutations in carcinogen-induced lung tumors from a population of nearly 300 M. Musculus x M. Spretus backcrossed mice and performed genome-wide quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. Kras mutations occurred with complete specificity on the allele inherited from the susceptible strain, in agreement with previous observations. In addition, QTL mapping of lung cancer susceptibility was performed, and no Kras QTL was identified, in contrast to previous data obtained using other strains and breeding strategies. These approaches provide a framework for understanding the interactions between germline and somatic events that control Ras mutation specificity in cancer. References: 1. Prior, I. A., Lewis, P. D. & Mattos, C. A comprehensive survey of Ras mutations in cancer. Cancer Res 72, 2457–2467 (2012). 2. To, M. D. et al. A functional switch from lung cancer resistance to susceptibility at the Pas1 locus in Kras2LA2 mice. Nat. Genet. 38, 926–30 (2006). 3. Dwyer-Nield, L. D. et al. Epistatic interactions govern chemically-induced lung tumor susceptibility and Kras mutation site in murine C57BL/6J-ChrA/J chromosome substitution strains. Int J Cancer 126, 125–132 (2010). 4. Westcott, P. M. K. et al. The mutational landscapes of genetic and chemical models of Kras-driven lung cancer. Nature (2014). doi:10.1038/nature13898 Citation Format: Peter MK Westcott, Minh D. To, Reyno Delrosario, Kyle D. Halliwill, Allan Balmain. Genetic control of Kras mutation specificity in mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Translation of the Cancer Genome; Feb 7-9, 2015; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(22 Suppl 1):Abstract nr A1-20.
Analysis of monday night football viewership

We conduct a three-pronged analysis of one of the most watched television series in history: Monday Night Football MNF. First, we identify factors that affect the viewership of MNF from 1993 to 2014. This descriptive model explains over 90% of the variability in viewership, but includes factors known only ex post facto and the week of the game. As the Monday Night Football schedule must be set prior to the beginning of the season, we construct an alternative regression model to predict the full season's viewership of potential games. This predictive model relies only on factors that are known before the release of the National Football League schedule in April preceding the season. Using the predictive regression model to estimate the objective function coefficients for potential games, we then recommend MNF schedules that maximize the total season viewership using an integer programming formulation. We conduct simulations to determine the impact of forecast error on the structure of our optimal MNF schedule. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining: The ASA Data Science Journal, 2016
Ethics and Accountability in a Context of Governance and New Public Management

(2000). Ethics and Accountability in a Context of Governance and New Public Management. Public Integrity: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 264-267.
Flavonoid Enhances the Glyoxalase Pathway in Cerebellar Neurons to Retain Cellular Functions

Oxidative stress is damaging to cells and contributes to aging and neurodegenerative disease. This state is mediated by production of imbalanced molecules, and reactive dicarbonyl compounds - mainly methylglyoxal. The glyoxalase pathway is an antioxidant defense system utilized to detoxify methylglyoxal and neutralize free radicals. Pathway dysfunction leads to overproduction and accumulation of toxic, prooxidant compounds. We hypothesize flavonoid treatment as a means to enhance the glyoxalase pathway’s ability to detoxify in neurons. This study found that flavonoid treatment in methylglyoxal treated cerebellar neurons increased the functioning of glyoxalase pathway by enhancing expression of glyoxalase-1 and glyoxalase-2 proteins, decreased cell death and increased cellular viability. Flavonoids also significantly contributed in the retention of synaptic functions (VGLUT1 and GAD65) in cerebellar neurons. In addition, flavonoids were found to be involved in pAkt - NF-κB signaling pathway through a reduction in phosphorylation of Akt. The data here show flavonoid compounds have the potential to protect the brain from aging and neurodegenerative disease.
Subnanogram proteomics: Impact of LC column selection, MS instrumentation and data analysis strategy on proteome coverage for trace samples

One of the greatest challenges for mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is the limited ability to analyze small samples. Here we investigate the relative contributions of liquid chromatography (LC), MS instrumentation and data analysis methods with the aim of improving proteome coverage for sample sizes ranging from 0.5 ng to 50 ng. We show that the LC separations utilizing 30-μm-i.d. columns increase signal intensity by >3-fold relative to those using 75-μm-i.d. columns, leading to 32% increase in peptide identifications. The Orbitrap Fusion Lumos MS significantly boosted both sensitivity and sequencing speed relative to earlier generation Orbitraps (e.g., LTQ-Orbitrap), leading to a ~3-fold increase in peptide identifications and 1.7-fold increase in identified protein groups for 2 ng tryptic digests of the bacterium S. oneidensis. The Match Between Runs algorithm of open-source MaxQuant software further increased proteome coverage by ~ 95% for 0.5 ng samples and by ~42% for 2 ng samples. Using the best combination of the above variables, we were able to identify >3,000 proteins from 10 ng tryptic digests from both HeLa and THP-1 mammalian cell lines. We also identified >950 proteins from subnanogram archaeal/bacterial cocultures. The present ultrasensitive LC-MS platform achieves a level of proteome coverage not previously realized for ultra-small sample loadings, and is expected to facilitate the analysis of subnanogram samples, including single mammalian cells.
Risk of Complications After Intracranial Procedures at High Altitude.

Background Postoperative hemorrhagic or ischemic complications cause significant morbidity and mortality after craniotomy. High altitude creates a state of relative hypoxia, resulting in increased cerebral blood flow for compensation. This potentially creates an increased risk at high altitude of having increased morbidity from hemorrhagic or ischemic events, and some neurosurgeons forbid air travel to patients immediately after craniotomy for this reason. We hypothesized there was no difference in postoperative complications based on altitude. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all craniotomies performed at a high-altitude medical center to assess whether originating, surgical, or destination altitude affected postoperative outcomes. Results Between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2016, 1807 craniotomy procedures were performed. There were 53 (2.9%) postoperative hemorrhagic or ischemic complications during the first 30 days after surgery, 44 (2.4%) hemorrhagic events, and 9 (0.5%) ischemic events. From the 36 patients who had postoperative complications at the hospital, 10 of them lived in an altitude below the hospital, 26 lived in an altitude above the hospital, and 1 has no record of address. Excluding the patients who had complications at the hospital, we had 8 patients discharged to a ZIP code below the altitude of the hospital (7 hemorrhagic events and 1 ischemic) and 9 were discharged to a location at an altitude above that of the hospital (8 hemorrhagic events and 1 ischemic). There were no statistically significant differences between cohorts. Conclusions Altitude does not appear to have a significant impact on postoperative rates of hemorrhagic or ischemic complications.
Faith Is the First Step: Faith-Based Solutions to Homelessness

This brief guides faith leaders interested in providing homeless services on their land, highlighting legal and operational considerations and community education and outreach. Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have been important social services providers throughout history. Today, they continue to play an important role with specific legal protections. Indeed, FBOs enjoy special legal protections for their religious practice, which may allow them to provide shelter even if otherwise prohibited by local law. Any FBO with the desire to address homelessness on its land should be able to do so, and this brief sets forth best practices based on successful case studies in Washington and Colorado. Among other recommendations, this brief recommends FBO hosts build partnerships with other organizations, be prepared to face opposition from neighbors and politicians by communicating effectively about homelessness, and make an effort not to exclude groups of homeless people who are often not welcome in shelters.
The Organization Man and the Innovator: Theoretical Archetypes to Inform Behavioral Information Security Research

Behavioral information security research exhibits a preoccupation with security policy, bureaucratic control, and policy compliance and noncompliance. This preoccupation implicitly treats employees as the sociological archetype described by Whyte (1956), the Organization Man. In doing so, the literature has dedicated less time to the study of other archetypes. In this paper, we compare the Organization Man to the Innovator, an amalgam of the Bricoleur and Engineer archetypes identified by Levi-Strauss (1966). We posit that the Innovator archetype may be more prevalent during times of organizational strain and excess. We develop a theoretical framework to explain how situational factors, namely organizational strain and excess, affect individuals' risk perceptions and their willingness to adopt different archetypal personae (i.e., dispositional factors). The framework further suggests that each archetypal persona will behave differently to common security situations. Finally, the framework suggests that the organization's perceptions of employee behavior will provide a feedback loop that further affects the adoption of different archetypes.
The impact of nasal airflow on sinus mucosa: A radiographic review

Abstract Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a disease of widespread prevalence and high morbidity. Many suggest that the introduction of toxins and allergens via nasal airflow plays a significant role in the development of CRS. In patients who have undergone total laryngectomy, nasal airflow is disrupted, providing an opportunity to examine the role of nasal airflow in sinonasal pathology. Methods All patients who received a total laryngectomy between 2002 and 2012 with preoperative and postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans were retrospectively reviewed. The Lund-Mackay (LM) score for each sinus was recorded for both scans. The assessment of differences in pre-operative and post-operative LM scores was analyzed utilizing paired t-tests. Results 56 patients underwent total laryngectomy and had both preoperative and postoperative CT scans. There were no significant differences in the LM scores between pre-operative and post-operative scans within each sinus (frontal sinus, p = 1.0; anterior ethmoid sinus, p = 0.77; posterior ethmoid sinus, p = 0.45; maxillary sinus, p = 0.90; sphenoid sinus, p = 0.63; ostiomeatal complex, p = 0.78) or in the total LM scores (p = 0.97). Furthermore, patients with pre-operative sinonasal mucosal thickening (total LM score > 0) showed no significant change in their total LM score post-operatively (p = 0.13). Conclusion In total laryngectomy patients, studies demonstrate that a disruption in nasal airflow is correlated to altered sinonasal physiology and decreased subjective symptoms. However, our study shows that the disruption of nasal airflow results in no significant change in radiographic evidence of sinonasal mucosal thickening.
THE ORGANIZATION AND EXPRESSION OF THE NATURAL OVALBUMIN GENE

Abstract: The sequence organization of the structural ovalbumin gene and flanking sequences in native chick DNA was studied by restriction mapping and filter hybridization using a nick-translated probe generated from p0V230, a recombinant plasmid which contains a full-length ovalbumin DNA synthesized from ovalbumin mRNA. The structural sequences of the ovalbumin gene in native chick DNA were found to be non-contiguous because at least two restriction endonucleases that do not cut the structural sequence do cleave the natural gene into multiple fragments by cleaving within non-structural sequences interspersed between the structural sequences. The observation that all ovalbumin DNA-containing sequences were contained within a single DNA fragment generated by Bam HI digestion of total chick DNA has allowed the construction of an inclusive restriction map of the natural ovalbumin gene which contains at least two “insert sequences”. Both “insert sequences” were located within the peptide-coding regions of the gene and the sizes of these “insert sequences” were estimated to be approximately 1.0 and 1.5 Kb, respectively. The same amazing ovalbumin gene organization is present in chick liver, oviduct and embryonic DNA. Pure single-stranded hybridization probes to each of the separate regions of the ovalbumin gene were prepared and hybridized to total chick DNA and oviduct nuclear RNA. Results indicate that transcription of the separated structural regions are coordinately regulated by estrogen.
One Government, Multiple Systems: Hong Kong Public Administration in Transition

This study addresses the impact of a transformative political event—the reversion of sovereign authority—on the policy-making roles of public organizations and public administrators in Hong Kong. With the transfer of sovereignty, the environment of public administration in Hong Kong became increasingly politicized. Civil servants now encounter pressures and conflicting demands from Beijing, from pro-democracy forces, from the Chief Executive, from members of the Legislative Council, and from the business community. Although the public bureaucracy retains its policy-making preeminence, its authority no longer is unquestioned and unchecked. The Central Government exerts hidden influence. Members of the Legislative Council are striving to become respected players in the policy-formulation process. The Chief Executive aims to introduce means of ensuring heightened bureaucratic responsiveness. The result has been a fragmented and volatile political-administrative environment. In the ongoing transition from colonial to reunited polity, the Special Administrative Region's one government is composed of competing systems of governance superimposed uncomfortably and inconclusively upon one another. The most probable governance outcome, at least until the possible popular election of a Chief Executive and Legislative Council on a competitive political-party basis in 2007, is for fragmentation, role conflict, and interest-accommodation to continue to characterize the policy-making process in the SAR.
Assessment of attitudes about weight and dieting among college-aged individuals.

Etude par l'intermediaire d'un questionnaire «Are you dying to be thin» des tendances du comportement alimentaire de jeunes adultes. Desequilibre alimentaire, anorexie mentale et boulimie. Poids corporel et alimentation
Role of Oxygen Free Radicals and Lipid Peroxidation in Cerebral Reperfusion Injury

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the known pathophysiology of reperfusion injury and outlines some current areas of research that attempt to therapeutically minimize cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury. There are several possible mechanisms for free radical formation during ischemia and reperfusion. In the absence of oxygen to serve as a terminal electron acceptor, the electron transport chain within mitochondria becomes significantly reduced. In this reduced state oxygen radical formation may result, particularly when oxygen is resupplied. Furthermore, during ischemia the release of excitatory amino acids can stimulate N -methyl- D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors within brain to produce nitric oxide (NO). NO with its unpaired electron is able to initiate free radical chain reactions in the presence of superoxide anion. Cerebral ischemia is associated with the rapid failure of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent ionic pumps. In an ATP-deficient environment, phospholipase A may also cause the breakdown of phospholipid in cell membranes. As a result, ischemia produces a rapid increase in free fatty acids. The concentrations of fatty acids and arachidonic acid correlate with the duration of ischemia. During ischemia, in addition to the rapid increase in arachidonic acid, there is also an increase in interstitial adenosine and hypoxanthine. Lipid peroxidation appears to be a major mechanism by which radicals produce brain injury. Because of the high concentration of polyunsaturated fats in brain, this organ may be particularly susceptible to insult. Several endogenous free radical scavengers or antioxidants have been tested for their efficacy in reducing neurological, biochemical, metabolic, or histological injury from cerebral ischemia. α -Tocopherol, an endogenous antioxidant, reduces lipid peroxidation when administered prior to ischemia. Deferoxamine, an iron-chelating agent, presumably acts to decrease the amount of free iron available during reperfusion for hydroxyl radical formation. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase are endogenous free radical scavengers that may act to scavenge tonically produced free radicals under normal conditions.
The Legal and Institutional Framework to Address Food Security Needs

This chapter begins by discussing the authorities under which China’s food and food security system operate: the 1982 constitution, the framework of laws, and both regulations and policies. It introduces the most important central ministries, classifying them into agencies emphasizing food production, food consumption, system-wide control functions, and related agencies. Then, devolution of authority and enforcement powers to sub-national governments is examined, showing weakened government authority at the local level while the central government attempts to improve integration and coordination throughout the system. The role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in food security is treated, with a focus on Greenpeace’s campaigns in China. The chapter then analyzes the important network of laws and institutions dealing with food security. The most recent is China’s new food safety regime. Discussion centers on how China handled international criticism of its “tainted products,” through revising the structure of the food safety system, revision of laws and regulations, and adoption of corrective measures.
A Resilient Consensus-Based Distributed Energy Management Algorithm Against Data Integrity Attacks

This paper addresses the vulnerability of consensus-based distributed energy scheduling algorithm to data integrity attacks. A reputation-based neighborhood-watch mechanism is introduced to detect the false information and achieve optimal operating point in the presence of misbehaving controllers. The reputation-based neighborhood watch algorithm has three major functions: 1) verifying the correctness of neighbors’ information based on two-hop shared information; 2) identifying the compromised controller based on reputation indexes; and 3) maintaining the correctness of local information estimation in the presence of false information. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated through simulation analyses in the future renewable electric energy delivery and management system.
Investigating the Moderating Effects of Perceived Technological Change on Sales Force Acceptance

Purpose: Prior literature has shown that the acceptance of new technologies can improve the long-term performance of sales forces and firms. However, new technologies are likely to introduce obstac...
Effect of Differences in Metabolic Activity of Melanoma Models on Response to Lonidamine plus Doxorubicin

Lonidamine (LND), a metabolic modulator, sensitizes DB-1 human melanoma to doxorubicin (DOX) chemotherapy by acidifying and de-energizing the tumor. This report compares the effects of LND on two human melanoma lines, DB-1 and WM983B, which exhibit different metabolic properties. Using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and Seahorse analysis, we show that DB-1 was more glycolytic than WM983B in vitro. 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) indicates that LND (100 mg/kg, i.p.) induces similar selective acidification and de-energization of WM983B xenografts in immunosuppressed mice. Over three hours, intracellular pH (pHi) of WM983B decreased from 6.91 ± 0.03 to 6.59 ± 0.10 (p = 0.03), whereas extracellular pH (pHe) of this tumor changed from 7.03 ± 0.05 to 6.89 ± 0.06 (p = 0.19). A decline in bioenergetics (β-NTP/Pi) of 55 ± 5.0% (p = 0.03) accompanied the decline in pHi of WM983B. Using 1H MRS with a selective multiquantum pulse sequence and Hadamard localization, we show that LND induced a significant increase in tumor lactate levels (p < 0.01). LND pre-treatment followed by DOX (10 mg/kg, i.v.) produced a growth delay of 13.7 days in WM983B (p < 0.01 versus control), a growth delay significantly smaller than the 25.4 days that occurred with DB-1 (p = 0.03 versus WM983B). Differences in relative levels of glycolysis may produce differential therapeutic responses of DB-1 and WM983B melanomas.
Bespoke Booklets: A Method for Situated Co-Speculation

We present Bespoke Booklets: a design research method utilizing booklets of situated, imaginary, and personalized conceptual sketches to co-speculatively envision alternative futures (in our case for domestic Internet of Things). The Bespoke Booklets create a space where designers and participants can co-imagine alternative futures while also engaging each other at the level of embodied experiences. After refining our method, we discovered it had many qualities previously championed by feminist HCI and STS theorists. To this end, we draw out, analyze, and critique our method using feminist concepts as a lens to emphasize four specific qualities: collaborative, post-functional, situated, and partial. We found that the booklets, as material artifacts, were a productive tool to generate a physical record of our co-speculation and a fruitful catalyst for research that reflects feminist theory, offering an example of how it can be used as a heuristic for design methodologies.
Manufacturing mesenchymal stromal cells for clinical applications: A survey of Good Manufacturing Practices at U.S. academic centers

Abstract Background aims Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have gained prominence in the field of regenerative medicine due to their excellent safety profile in human patients and recently demonstrated efficacy in late-stage clinical studies. A prerequisite to achieving successful MSC-based therapies is the development of large-scale manufacturing processes that preserve the biological potency of the founder cell population. Because no standardized manufacturing process exists for MSCs, understanding differences in these processes among U.S. academic facilities would allow for better comparison of results obtained in the clinical setting. Methods We collected information through a questionnaire sent to U.S. academic centers that produce MSCs under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions. Results The survey provided information on the number and geographic location of academic facilities in the United States and major trends in their manufacturing practices. For example, most facilities employed MSCs enriched from bone marrow by plastic adherence and expanded in media supplemented with pooled human platelet lysate. Sterility testing and product identification via cell surface phenotype analysis were commonly reported practices, whereas initial and working cell plating densities, culture duration, product formulation and the intended use of the MSC product were highly variable among facilities. The survey also revealed that although most facilities assessed product potency, the methods used were limited in scope compared with the broad array of intended clinical applications of the product. Conclusions Survey responses reported herein offer insight into the current best practices used to manufacture MSC-based products in the United States and how these practices may affect product quality and potency. The responses also provide a foundation to establish standardized manufacturing platforms.
Nitrogen budgets of the Long Island Sound estuary

Abstract Nitrogen (N) inputs to coastal ecosystems have significant impacts on coastal community structure. In N limited systems, increases in N inputs may lead to excess productivity and hypoxia. Like many temperate estuaries, Long Island Sound (LIS), a major eastern U.S. estuary, is a N limited system which has experienced seasonal hypoxia since the 1800s. This study is the first effort to constrain the total N cycle in this estuary. The approach utilizes data collected over the last two decades in the LIS time series with hydrodynamic model results to generate both monthly and annual N budgets between 1995 and 2016. Of the total N that is delivered to LIS through rivers and atmospheric inputs, 40% is exported to the adjacent continental shelf on the order of 10.8 ± 8.9 × 106 kg N/year. Of this export, 41% is dissolved organic N, 29% is particulate organic N, 32% is nitrate + nitrite, and −3% is ammonium. The remaining 60% of the N delivered to LIS is either buried in sediments or lost through denitrification. This inferred internal loss rate is equivalent to 5.4 g N/(m2year). This study serves as an example of the significant inter-annual variations that estuarine budgets undergo as efforts to understand coastal biogeochemical cycles move forward.
Influence of cellulose nanocrystal/sisal fiber on the mechanical, thermal, and morphological performance of polypropylene hybrid composites

Polypropylene (PP)/sisal fiber (SiF)/cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) hybrid composites were prepared at a variable weight percentage of SiF/CNC loading (29:1, 27:3, 25:5, and 23:7) using melt-blending technique followed by injection molding. The dispersion of the CNCs and SiFs within the nonpolar PP matrix was enhanced by using maleic anhydride grafted PP (MAPP) as a compatibilizer. Furthermore, the mechanical properties like tensile, flexural, and impact properties of the hybrid composites were evaluated. High tensile strength and modulus of 47.02 MPa and 2820.26 MPa, respectively, were observed for the hybrid composite with the incorporation of SiF/CNC (27:3 wt%) in the presence of 5 wt% MAPP. Additionally, an increment of 30.87% and 14.81% was observed for corresponding flexural strength and modulus as compared to their counterparts without MAPP. The elastic moduli obtained experimentally were compared with the theoretical elastic moduli using Cox–Krenchel and Ouali model in combination with the Halpin–Tsai model. Surface morphology by field emission scanning electron microscopy observed that the CNCs and SiFs were well dispersed within the PP matrix in the presence of MAPP. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms showed no measurable changes in the melting temperature (Tm) of PP in PP hybrid composites; however, an increment in the crystallization temperature (Tc) was observed. The thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the enhancement in the thermal stability of PP hybrid composites due to the synergistic effect of hybridization within the PP matrix. Partial substitution of CNCs along with SiFs within the matrix polymer shows an increment in the stiffness of the hybrid composites as evident by dynamic mechanical analysis.
Role of hematopoietic aging in cognitive decline

Abstract We recently demonstrated that transplantation of young bone marrow cells rescued hippocampal learning and memory in old recipient mice. Our study also implicated CCL11/eotaxin-1 in microglial reactivity during aging, which likely underlies neurotoxicity and synapse loss. CCL11 was reduced in the circulation of old recipients of young bone marrow, which likely contributed to their improved cognitive function. Thus, targeting CCL11 or its receptor may be an effective strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The Psychometric Analysis of an Instrument to Measure the Perceived Workload for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

Background and purpose In a previous study, the CRNA Workload Perception Scale (CWPS) was developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometrics of the CWPS. Methods The CWPS was tested in a population of CRNAs. This study was conducted in two phases. Phase I consisted of classical psychometrics; the 12-item instrument was piloted in a sample of 265 CRNAs. Phase II consisted of qualitative analysis to provide feedback on items that did not perform well. Results Phase I: Instrument demonstrated good reliability (r = .77). Parametric and nonparametric analysis indicated 6 of 12 items were good fit to measure perception of workload. Phase ii Qualitative analysis resulted in refinement of four items, addition of one item, and elimination of two items. Conclusions A revised 11-item CWPS was developed.
Spatial analysis of shared e-scooter trips

Abstract Shared e-scooters have become a common mode of transportation in many cities around the world. E-sooters provide convenient and quick rides for short distances and can act as a connection for first/last mile trips. To date, limited studies have explored the spatial variation of e-scooter trips and there is knowledge to be gained by investigating variables associated with e-scooter trip generation. This study implemented a spatial analysis approach, Geographical Weighted Regression (GWR), to explore how factors relating to demographics, density, diversity, design, urbanism scores, distance to transit and other transportation-related variables influence e-scooter trips in Louisville, KY. More than 400,000 e-scooter trips across 159 Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs) were included in the study. Results show TAZ-level factors including land use, age distribution, gender distribution, Walk Score and Park Score impacted the density of e-scooters trips in the TAZ. The GWR model showed improvements over a global Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model. Local goodness of fit ranged from 0.732–0.895 across the study area. This study can help governments and e-scooter sharing companies develop policies that maximize e-scooter use, equity, and accessibility while improving the mobility of cities.
Idealized Design: Three Reactions

This precis identifies strengths and weaknesses of the idealized design approach and suggests why and how it might be used to better effect.