cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying the Effects of Central Bank Intervention

Most intervention studies have been silent on the assumed structure of the economic system - implicitly imposing implausible assumptions - despite the fact that inference depends crucially on such issues. This paper proposes to identify the cross-effects of intervention with the level and volatility of exchange rates using the likely timing of intervention, macroeconomic announcements as instruments and the nonlinear structure of the intervention reaction function. Proper identification of the effects of intervention indicates that it is moderately effective in changing the levels of exchange rates but has no significant effect on volatility. The paper also illustrates that such inference depends on paying careful attention to seemingly innocuous identification assumptions.
Screen channel liquid acquisition device bubble point tests in liquid nitrogen

Abstract The primary parameter for gauging performance of a liquid acquisition device (LAD) is the bubble point pressure, or differential pressure across a screen pore that overcomes the surface tension of the liquid at that pore. Recently, cryogenic bubble point tests were conducted in liquid nitrogen across a parametric trade space to examine the influential factors that govern LAD performance, and 1873 data points were collected. Three fine mesh screen samples (325 × 2300, 450 × 2750, 510 × 3600) were tested over a wide range of liquid temperatures (67–114 K) and pressures (0.032–1.83 MPa), using both autogenous (gaseous nitrogen) and non-condensable (gaseous helium) pressurization schemes. Experimental results in liquid nitrogen are compared to recently reported results in liquid hydrogen, oxygen, and methane. Results indicate a significant gain in performance is achievable over the baseline 325 × 2300 reference bubble point by using a finer mesh, operating at a colder liquid temperature, and pressurizing and subcooling the liquid with the noncondensable pressurant. Results also show that the cryogenic bubble point is heavily affected by enhanced heating and cooling at the screen liquid/vapor interface by evaporation and condensation.
Technology literacy issues for freshmen education majors in a leading teacher program

In this chapter, the literacy issues of a preservice leading teacher education program are discussed. The leading teacher program is constructed on the foundation of the three major themes of leadership, diversity, and technology. The technology theme ensures that the preservice teacher is cognizant of information literacy issues and instructional technology principles and practices. The student is well-prepared to become a leading teacher in the nation's schools, where he or she is entrusted to prepare a citizenry that will communicate and collaborate to solve complex problems in the new millennium.
Improving Treatment Adherence in Schizophrenia

Poor treatment adherence among people with schizophrenia is associated with several negative outcomes, including increased risk of symptom relapse, persistent psychotic symptoms, frequent hospitalizations, increased emergency room use, and suicide attempts. In addition, the benefits of treatment adherence in this population include improved quality of life and reduced treatment costs. Clearly, feasible and effective strategies to maximize treatment adherence are essential. Interventions to promote adherence to medications include environmental cues and supports, technology-based interventions, medication management coordinators, adherence therapy, and the use of long-acting injectable medications. Interventions to promote continuity of care between inpatient and outpatient treatment include Assertive Community Treatment, transitional care models, and the use of peer support personnel as care navigators. Transitional care models have also demonstrated effectiveness in promoting adherence to primary care follow-up among people with schizophrenia and comorbid medical illnesses. In the context of complex treatment regimens for psychiatric and medical illnesses, thorough education and skill development on illness management and health promotion, tailored to the unique learning needs of PWS, are essential. In addition, more research is needed to address understanding of medical illnesses, the accuracy in which people with schizophrenia implement activities for medical illness self-management, and development of strategies to promote engagement in health promotion activities among people with schizophrenia.
Application of Key Element Assessment Method in Mini Van Stamping and Welding Parts Development

Through analysis and comparison of automobile product development processes,it depended on the experiences of Stamping and welding parts development of manufacturing quality control,and proposed key element assessment method,introduced principle of key element selection,described application of key element assessment method,gaved examples on the effects of application of the method,summerized lessons learned,and pointed out direction of improvement in the future.
Analysis of the Challenge and Countermeasure in the Quality Education of Modern Undergraduates

Quality Education is the combinations ofthinking moralquality, culture quality, vocational qualityand body and mind quality.we should take proper measures in a lively form to strengthen moralquality education and foster studying types of people to catch up with the times development and carry out creative competition to foster creative people and hold the colorful culture activities to release students' mental pressure.So that we can develop moral, intelligence, PE and virtue all-round development socialists and successors .
The deletion in both common types of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin is approximately 105 kilobases

The most common forms of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) involve large deletions that remove the adult delta and beta genes but leave the paired fetal genes (G gamma and A gamma) intact. The size of these deletions has previously eluded exact definition. Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and the enzyme SfiI, which cuts only rarely in genomic DNA, we have constructed a large-scale restriction map of the beta-globin cluster in normal and HPFH DNA. The deletions in HPFH-1, which occurs in American blacks, and in HPFH-2, which occurs in Ghanaian blacks, are found to be approximately 105 kilobases (kb) in length, though the endpoints are staggered by approximately 5 kb. The fact that two previously reported gamma delta beta-thalassemia deletions to the 5' side of the beta-globin cluster are also about 100 kb suggests a common mechanism, possibly involving the loss of a complete chromatin loop.
THE ACQUISITION AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF RAPID 3D FMRI DATA

In this work, we introduce a new approach toward the acquisition and statistical analysis of fMRI data. Our acquisition strategy is based on repeatedly measuring the low spatial frequencies present in the MR signal, allowing us to ob- tain a low spatial resolution snapshot of the brain with extremely high temporal resolution (100 ms compared to the standard 2,000 ms). The increased resolution allows us to study changes in oxygenation in the 3D brain immediately following activation. This in turn opens the possibility of shifting the statistical analysis of brain function closer toward the actual time frame of the underlying neuronal acti- vation driving the process than is possible in standard fMRI experiments. However, this ability necessitates the introduction of new statistical techniques for analyzing the resulting data. We introduce one such approach in this paper. The feasibility and efficiency of the combined acquisition and analysis technique is confirmed using data from a visual-motor and an auditory-motor-visual task. The results of these experiments provide a proof of concept of our combined rapid imaging and analysis technique. It also indicates that our approach may provide important information regarding the initial negative BOLD signal, which can be used to obtain accurate temporal ordering of the various regions of the brain involved in a cognition experi- ment. Conversely, we show that the conventional approach of studying the positive BOLD signal will, at times, give inaccurate temporal ordering of the same regions. Thus, we believe that our approach will become an important tool for studying any cognition task which involves rapid mental processing in more than one region.
Cost-Effectiveness of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: A Case Based on Facts Not in Evidence?

The idea that mechanical intervention to close the left atrial appendage (LAA) might reduce complications from atrial fibrillation (AF) is at least 70 years old.1 Early attempts to test this idea in humans with surgical ligation were abandoned after only a few years for 2 reasons. First, proponents soon realized that they had no way to choose the candidates believed most likely to benefit without the ability to image the LAA preoperatively. Second, interest was rapidly growing in what appeared a much more promising new therapy, chronic oral anticoagulation.2 Fast forward about a half century. Transesophageal echocardiography provides excellent imaging data about the LAA, clinical risk scores are used to guide therapy, and major research efforts are underway to develop an effective pharmacological alternative to warfarin, which doctors really do not like using and patients really do not like taking. At the same time, some in the field think a better approach still might be to occlude the LAA, thereby eliminating the need for lifetime anticoagulation altogether. See Article by Freeman et al Even with transesophageal echocardiography and modern percutaneous device technology, the path to an approved LAA occluder device for clinical use in the United States was not easy. The first catheter-based occlusion device for the LAA, the Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Transcatheter Occlusion (PLAATO) device (2001, Medtronic), was removed from the market because of safety concerns with implantation, despite early favorable evidence of stroke reduction.3 The Amplatzer device (2002) was developed into the Amplatzer Plug (2008, St Jude Medical) specifically for LAA occlusion, but no clinical trials of the device have yet been completed.4 The Watchman Device (2002) is the only percutaneously delivered LAA occlusion device to have its efficacy and safety measured in 2 randomized controlled trials5,6 and to receive …
Effect of temperature and pH on the survival of Campylobacter fetus.

Test strains of C. fetus subsp. jejuni and C. fetus subsp. intestinalis failed to survive heating in skimmilk at 60 C for 1 min. A few strains survived heating in skimmilk at 55 C for 1–3 min. D50C values for C. fetus subsp. jejuni and C. fetus subsp. intestinalis in skimmilk ranged from 1.3–4.5 and from 1.0–3.7, respectively. No survivors of C. fetus subsp. jejuni and C. fetus subsp. intestinalis were detected in beef roasts inoculated at levels of 106–107 viable cells per g when the final temperature in the center was 57 and 55 C, respectively. At an internal temperature of 50–53 C, survivors of C. fetus were detected in beef roasts. Storage of skimmilk, beef and ground beef inoculated with C. fetus at −20, 1, 10, 20, 30 or 40 C resulted in decreases in C. fetus count. Survival of C. fetus was best at 1 and 10 C. Rapid increases in C. fetus counts occurred at 37 C in Brucella broth adjusted to pH 6–8. At pH 5, no survivors were detected after 24 h. At pH 9, counts of C. fetus subsp. jejuni decreased rap...
Mu-opioid receptor and delta-opioid receptor differentially regulate microglial inflammatory response to control proopiomelanocortin neuronal apoptosis in the hypothalamus: effects of neonatal alcohol

Opioid receptors are known to control neurotransmission of various peptidergic neurons, but their potential role in regulation of microglia and neuronal cell communications is unknown. We investigated the role of mu-opioid receptors (MOR) and delta-opioid receptors (DOR) on microglia in the regulation of apoptosis in proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons induced by neonatal ethanol in the hypothalamus. Neonatal rat pups were fed a milk formula containing ethanol or control diets between postnatal days 2–6. Some of the alcohol-fed rats additionally received pretreatment of a microglia activation blocker minocycline. Two hours after the last feeding, some of the pups were sacrificed and processed for histochemical detection of microglial cell functions or confocal microscopy for detection of cellular physical interaction or used for gene and protein expression analysis. The rest of the pups were dissected for microglia separation by differential gradient centrifugation and characterization by measuring production of various activation markers and cytokines. In addition, primary cultures of microglial cells were prepared using hypothalamic tissues of neonatal rats and used for determination of cytokine production/secretion and apoptotic activity of neurons. In the hypothalamus, neonatal alcohol feeding elevated cytokine receptor levels, increased the number of microglial cells with amoeboid-type circularity, enhanced POMC and microglial cell physical interaction, and decreased POMC cell numbers. Minocycline reversed these cellular effects of alcohol. Alcohol feeding also increased levels of microglia MOR protein and pro-inflammatory signaling molecules in the hypothalamus, and MOR receptor antagonist naltrexone prevented these effects of alcohol. In primary cultures of hypothalamic microglia, both MOR agonist [D-Ala 2, N-MePhe 4, Gly-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) and ethanol increased microglial cellular levels and secretion of pro-inflammatory cell signaling proteins. However, a DOR agonist [D-Pen2,5]enkephalin (DPDPE) increased microglial secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines and suppressed ethanol’s ability to increase microglial production of inflammatory signaling proteins and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, MOR-activated inflammation promoted while DOR-suppressed inflammation inhibited the apoptotic effect of ethanol on POMC neurons. These results suggest that ethanol’s neurotoxic action on POMC neurons results from MOR-activated neuroinflammatory signaling. Additionally, these results identify a protective effect of a DOR agonist against the pro-inflammatory and neurotoxic action of ethanol.
Challenges for Insured Patients in Accessing Behavioral Health Care.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that health insurance plans include sufficient access to behavioral health providers, but lacks specific guidelines to define sufficient access. Using a secret shopper methodology, we called behavioral health providers in the Denver metropolitan area networked with 3 large insurance companies. We found that, depending on insurance company and level of training, 9.8% to 59% of providers could offer a new patient appointment, with psychiatry appointments being particularly difficult to schedule. These findings are consistent with similar studies conducted in other regions, suggesting that access to outpatient behavioral health care is limited despite existing ACA regulations.
Hepatitis A Virus Genome Organization and Replication Strategy

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a positive-strand RNA virus classified in the genus Hepatovirus of the family Picornaviridae It is an ancient virus with a long evolutionary history and multiple features of its capsid structure, genome organization, and replication cycle that distinguish it from other mammalian picornaviruses. HAV proteins are produced by cap-independent translation of a single, long open reading frame under direction of an inefficient, upstream internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Genome replication occurs slowly and is noncytopathic, with transcription likely primed by a uridylated protein primer as in other picornaviruses. Newly produced quasi-enveloped virions (eHAV) are released from cells in a nonlytic fashion in a unique process mediated by interactions of capsid proteins with components of the host cell endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) system.
Genetic Modifiers of Pathogenic LRRK2 G2019S Neurodegeneration in Drosophila

Disease phenotypes can be highly variable among individuals with the same pathogenic mutation. There is increasing evidence that background genetic variation is a strong driver of disease variability in addition to the influence of environment. To understand the genotype-phenotype relationship that determines the expressivity of a pathogenic mutation, a large number of backgrounds must be studied. This can be efficiently achieved using model organism collections such as the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). Here, we used the DGRP to assess the variability of locomotor dysfunction in a LRRK2 G2019S Drosophila melanogaster model of Parkinson's disease. We find substantial variability in the LRRK2 G2019S locomotor phenotype in different DGRP backgrounds. A genome-wide association study for candidate genetic modifiers reveals 177 genes that drive wide phenotypic variation, including 19 top association genes. Genes involved in the outgrowth and regulation of neuronal projections are enriched in these candidate modifiers. RNAi functional testing of the top association and neuronal projection-related genes reveals that pros, pbl, ct and CG33506 significantly modify age-related dopamine neuron loss and associated locomotor dysfunction in the Drosophila LRRK2 G2019S model. These results demonstrate how natural genetic variation can be used as a powerful tool to identify genes that modify disease-related phenotypes. We report novel candidate modifier genes for LRRK2 G2019S that may be used to interrogate the link between LRRK2, neurite regulation and neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease.
Adult Siblings Who Have a Brother or Sister with Autism: Between-Family and Within-Family Variations in Sibling Relationships

Prior research on the sibling relationship in the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has included only one sibling per family. We used multi-level modeling to examine aspects of the sibling relationship in 207 adults who have a brother or sister with ASD from 125 families, investigating variability in sibling relationship quality and pessimism within and between families. We found that there was greater variability in aspects of the sibling relationship with the brother or sister with ASD within families than between families. Sibling individual-level factors were associated with positive affect in the sibling relationship, while family-level factors were associated with the sibling's pessimism about their brother or sister's future. The findings illustrate the unique experiences of siblings within families.
The lupus anticoagulant and pregnancy

The lupus anticoagulant has been understood for more than 40 years. However, reports of obstetric cases, although available, are not frequent. The author reviews the literature on this subject, including current recommendations on managing the problem in pregnancy. He reports a single case that involved a spontaneous abortion and a subsequent pregnancy in the same person. The second pregnancy during which the patient received prednisone and aspirin therapy, had a successful outcome.
Visual outcomes after cataract surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Purpose To assess the relation between diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity, duration of diabetes, insulin dependence, and preoperative hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with visual outcome after phacoemulsification for cataract in patients with type 2 diabetes. Setting Kaiser Permanente Northern California, USA. Design Retrospective case series. Methods Information was obtained from the electronic medical record for patients, June 1, 2010, through May 31, 2015. Confounding factors and clustering of eyes within patients were controlled for using linear mixed-effects regression models for continuous outcomes and general estimating equations for dichotomous outcomes. Results The study included 65 370 patients; 28% had type 2 diabetes without DR, 5% nonproliferative DR, and 1.2% proliferative DR. Patients with diabetes and no DR were as likely as those without diabetes to achieve a corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of 20/20 (odds ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.10). The odds of a postoperative CDVA of 20/25 or worse increased with the severity of retinopathy duration of diabetes and insulin dependence, but not with the preoperative HbA1c. Although the odds of a postoperative CDVA of 20/20 was lower in patients with DR, every DR group averaged 4 lines of CDVA improvement, the same as patients without diabetes. A longer duration of diabetes, insulin dependence, and elevated HbA1c were not associated with worse postoperative outcomes. Conclusion Patients with DR and cataracts were less likely to achieve a CDVA of 20/20 vision but gained as many lines of CDVA from phacoemulsification as patients without diabetes, showing no evidence that cataract surgery should be delayed in diabetic patients with elevated HbA1c.
Colorectal cancer characteristics and outcomes in patients less than age 50: A comparison of an urban university hospital with the NCI SEER database.

3621 Background: Cancer of the colon and rectum is the third most commonly occurring cancer, as well as the third leading cause of cancer deaths in American men and women. Colorectal cancer in youn...
Water Flow Driven Sensor Networks for Leakage and Contamination Monitoring in Distribution Pipelines

In this article, we introduce the concept of Water Flow Driven Sensor Networks for leakage and contamination monitoring in urban water distribution systems. The unique aspect of our work is that the sensor network can be deployed in the underground water network with only access to connection points (through manholes) and driven only by water harvested energy without the need for AC power or frequent battery changes. Although water systems may be affected by a large variety of contaminants, only a few sensors can be practically deployed. Thus, many types of contaminants are sensed via “proxy sensing,” which may not be 100% reliable. The main problems addressed are (a) adaptation of the network to the available energy to maximize leak/contamination detection and (b) minimal artificial water circulation or leakage to improve detectability during periods of almost zero natural water flow. The article shows, through extensive simulations, that the proposed approach can drastically reduce the leakage/contamination reporting time (from 3.5h up to ∼6min), and the adaptation can reduce this circulation by ∼33% and yet enhance the collected/transmitted data by 30%.
Use of Prefabricated Dosage Forms in Extemporaneous Compounding

Extemporaneous drug compounding as the best option and most of the times the only option available to provide medicine to patients with special needs is discussed in this chapter with creative calculations implicated in the preparation of commonly compounded dosage forms such as suspensions, powders, capsules, and suppositories.
Broadband wide-view Pancharatnam-Berry phase deflector

We demonstrate a high-efficiency achromatic, wide-view Pancharatnam–Berry phase deflector (PBD) based on a three-layer multi-twist structure. A practical method to measure the thickness and twist angle of liquid crystal (LC) polymer films is developed based on Jones matrix of twist-nematic liquid crystals. With the help of this new measurement method, we fabricated a three-layer multi-twist PBD. The imaging performance and the angular response of the achromatic wide-view PBD are also characterized. Potential application of PBD for near-eye displays is foreseeable.
Affective Alternatives to Sectarianism in Maroun Baghdadi’s Documentaries

Cinema during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) was a medium that depicted and engaged with the myriad of issues surrounding the violence. In particular, the war was a fecund moment for the Lebanese left in presenting their understandings, critiques, and aspirations for society and the nation. Maroun Baghdadi (1950–1993) was one of the leading Lebanese cineastes, who produced a raft of documentaries at the outset of the war. These documentaries agitated for revolution against the sectarian order understood as part of the wider capitalist infrastructure. Baghdadi disseminated these ideas on discursive, emotional, and affective registers. After the heady initial years of the war, the left splintered and the war became an increasingly internecine conflict bereft of its earlier revolutionary aspirations. Baghdadi’s later documentaries agitated not for revolution but rather a peaceful coexistence that would precede reforms by agreement rather than arms.
Research and intervention in metabolic syndrome combined with cardiac function damage

Metabolic syndrome is a clinical syndrome,which includes obesity,hypertension,dyslipidemia,hyperglycemia,and insulin resistance.These components cause and aggravate the cardiac damages when exists alone or in combination.Studies showed that the overall risk of metabolic syndrome was more than the simple sum of the risk of its components.Obesity,hypertension,dyslipidemia,hyperglycemia and insulin resistance involved in the change of myocardial structure and function through several mechanisms,the treatment should follow the principle of comprehensive and individual intervention. Key words: Metabolic syndrome ; Cardiac function ; Insulin resistance
Peer Assessment of Operative Videos with Sleeve Gastrectomy to Determine Optimal Operative Technique

Background Global assessments of technical skill have been associated with surgical outcomes. More detailed understanding of which specific aspects of technique combine to make the “optimal” sleeve gastrectomy are necessary to help surgeons improve their practice. Study Design Practicing bariatric surgeons (n = 30) voluntarily submitted a de-identified video of a typical sleeve gastrectomy that was reviewed by a minimum of 10 peer surgeons on the technical quality of 9 operative maneuvers (ie mobilization of the fundus, stapler location, and sleeve width). An “optimal sleeve gastrectomy score” (OSGS) was calculated as a percentage of the total possible optimal maneuvers performed. Risk-adjusted 30-day complication rates and 1-year weight loss were compared between surgeons in the top and bottom quartile for OSGS for all patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy during the time period. Results OSGS ranged from 49.1% to 82.9%. Surgeons in the top quartile for OSGS had lower rates of surgical complications (1.54% vs 2.75%; odds ratio 0.56; 95% CI 0.35 to 0.88; p = 0.013), hemorrhage (0.61% vs 1.48%; odds ratio 0.49; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.86; p = 0.013) and reoperation (0.37% vs 0.91%; odds ratio 0.4; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.81; p = 0.010) compared with surgeons in the bottom quartile. The median bougie size was 34F and the optimal location of the stapler near the pylorus and incisura was 5 cm and 2.25 cm, respectively. Conclusions Sleeve gastrectomy videos thought to have “optimal” technique by peer surgeons were associated with lower complication rates. Understanding how to quantify and assess optimal vs suboptimal techniques can serve as a guide for surgeons to improve their practice.
Modeling and Mapping High Water Table for a Coastal Region in Florida using Lidar DEM Data

Predicting and mapping high water table elevation in coastal landscapes is critical for both science application projects like inundation risk analysis and engineering projects like pond design and maintenance. Previous studies of water table mapping focused on the application of geostatistical methods, which cannot predict values beyond an observation spatial domain or generate an ideal pattern for regions with sparse measurements. In this study, we evaluated the multiple linear regression (MLR) and support vector machine (SVM) techniques for high water table prediction and mapping using fine spatial resolution lidar-derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, and designed an application protocol of these two techniques for high water table mapping in a coastal landscape where groundwater, tide, and surface water are related. Testing results showed that SVM largely improved the high water table prediction with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.22 feet and root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.22 feet compared to the application of the ordinary Kriging method which could not generate a reasonable water table. MLR was also promising with a MAE of around 2 feet and RMSE of around 3 feet. The study suggests that both MLR and SVM are valuable alternatives to estimate high water table elevation in Florida. Fine resolution lidar DEMs are beneficial for high water table prediction and mapping.
Conceptual Design of a Next-Generation All-Sky Gamma-Ray Telescope Operating at TeV Energies

The next generation all-sky monitor operating at TeV (0.1 - 30 TeV) energies should be capable of performing a continuous high sensitivity sky survey, and detecting transient sources, such as AGN flares, with high statistical significance on timescales of hours to days. We describe an instrument concept for a large area, wide aperture, TeV ground-based Gamma-ray telescope. The conceptual design is comprised of 20000 sqm scintillator-based pixels arranged in a densely packed mosaic. In addition to fast timing, the dense array of pixels also provides a unique imaging capability; the shower image, the spatial distribution of secondary particles at ground level, can be exploited to identify and reject hadronic backgrounds. The good angular resolution and background rejection capabilities lead directly to high sensitivity, while retaining a large field of view, large effective area, and high duty cycle. An instrument such as the one described here complements the narrow field of view air-Cherenkov telescopes and could, in conjunction with future space-based instruments, extend the energy range for continuous monitoring of the Gamma-ray sky from MeV through TeV energies.
How the concavity of reproduction/survival trade-offs impacts the evolution of life history strategies.

Previous works using different mathematical techniques, however, show that the concavity of the trade-off relationship can alter the expected life history strategies. Thus we developed a model and ...
Economic Life: global capital, financial journalism, and independent media:

This article examines financial journalism in Morocco during the 1990s, focusing on the tenure of French press magnate Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber at La Vie economique (LVE) and the entrance of glo...
Serotonin Pathway in Cancer.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a biogenic monoamine produced from the essential amino acid tryptophan. Serotonin’s role as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and a motility mediator in the gastrointestinal tract has been well defined, and its function in tumorigenesis in various cancers (gliomas, carcinoids, and carcinomas) is being studied. Many studies have shown a potential stimulatory effect of serotonin on cancer cell proliferation, invasion, dissemination, and tumor angiogenesis. Although the underlying mechanism is complex, it is proposed that serotonin levels in the tumor and its interaction with specific receptor subtypes are associated with disease progression. This review article describes serotonin’s role in cancer pathogenesis and the utility of the serotonin pathway as a potential therapeutic target in cancer treatment. Octreotide, an inhibitor of serotonin release, is used in well-differentiated neuroendocrine cancers, and the tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) inhibitor, telotristat, is currently being investigated in clinical trials to treat patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors and advanced cholangiocarcinoma. Several in vitro studies have shown the anticancer effect of 5-HT receptor antagonists in various cancers such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, urinary bladder, colorectal cancer, carcinoid, and small-cell lung cancer. More in vivo studies are needed to assess serotonin’s role in cancer and its potential use as an anticancer therapeutic target. Serotonin is also being evaluated for its immunoregulatory properties, and studies have shown its potential anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, it would be of interest to explore the combination of serotonin antagonists with immunotherapy in the future.
California Dentists' Engagement in Media Advocacy for Sugar Restriction Policies.

Objectives:Increasing dentists’ visibility in the media to make the case for sugary beverage taxes can help advance public policy that improves oral health outcomes. We assessed California dentists...
Structure of Usutu virus SAAR-1776 displays fusion loop asymmetry

Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging arbovirus in Europe that has been increasingly identified in asymptomatic humans and donated blood samples and is a cause of increased incidents of neuroinvasive human disease. Treatment or prevention options for USUV disease are currently nonexistent, the result of a lack of understanding of the fundamental elements of USUV pathogenesis. Here, we report two structures of the mature USUV virus, determined at a resolution of 2.4 A, using single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy. Mature USUV is an icosahedral shell of 180 copies of envelope (E) and membrane (M) proteins arranged in the classic herringbone pattern. However, unlike previous reports of flavivirus structures, we observe virus subpopulations and differences in the fusion loop disulfide bond. Presence of a second, unique E glycosylation site could elucidate host interactions, contributing to the broad USUV tissue tropism. The structures provide a basis for exploring USUV interactions with glycosaminoglycans and lectins, the role of the RGD motif as a receptor, and the inability of West Nile virus therapeutic antibody E16 to neutralize the mature USUV strain SAAR-1776. Finally, we identify three lipid binding sites and predict key residues that likely participate in virus stability and flexibility during membrane fusion. Our findings provide a framework for the development of USUV therapeutics and expand the current knowledge base of flavivirus biology.
Quantification Metrics and Analysis of Human Factor, Workload, and Road Infrastructure:

This paper describes how human factors (HF) and user workload (WL) can be used by highway designers and traffic engineers to quantify the potential safety of sections of highway. Users’ WL is a qua...
Development of a System to Study the Impact of Headlight Glare in a Driving Simulator

We report on the development of a realistic dynamic simulation of oncoming headlamp glare in a driving simulator. To our knowledge, no such simulation had been attempted or achieved previously. The simulation is based on superposition of a bright LED display through a beam splitter on the simulator screen and synchronizing the illuminated LED position to the image of the simulated oncoming car. LED brightness is adjusted to result in the level of light that such headlights would cause in the driver’s eyes, enabling the testing of glare effect on drivers of different ages and impact (reduction or increase) of various vision devices.
つづみ形π 錯体の化学(その1) -とくにその触媒化学的な意義-

1918年以来Franz Heinによって発表された一連のポリフェニルクロム化合物の構造確認に関して水素化アルミニウムリチウムによる還元分解を行ない, この結果と他の物理化学的性状から考察して, フェニル基とクロムとの間に共有結合を有するHeinらの古典構造式を誤りであるとし, 中性のつづみ形π錯体としての新構造式を与えた。この構造決定は中性の芳香族炭化水素やオレフィンのπ錯体を合成する端緒となった。芳香族炭化水素あるいはシクロペンタジェン-遷移金属のπ錯体の構造が日本古来の楽器であるつづみの形に似ているので, 著者はつづみ形化合物あるいはつづみ形π錯体と名づけた。その後十数年の間に著者らはつづみ形π錯体についてとくに触媒化学と生化学への発展を中心とした研究を進めてきた。触媒化学においては, 0価遷移金属が特殊活性触媒であることをアリール基のカップリングから発見した。この反応の機構についてσ-π 転位機構を提案し, 金属原子の配位の特異性によってオレフィンの二量化に立体特異性を与えるという新事実を発見した。また, 価遷移金属の活性を利用してアセチレンの環化を行ない, シクロブタジエンなどの不安定ベンゼノイド化合物を補捉する手法を見いだした。 さらにこれに関連してつづみ形π錯体のいくつかの新合成法を発見した。その間幾多の遷移金属化合物の触媒作用が研究されたが, 著者の提案するπ錯体機構は遷移金属化合物による触媒作用において重要な一因子であると思われる。
Hedge Fund Issues and Performance

2008 was a watershed year in the hedge fund industry. Assets under management (AUM) by hedge funds dropped by unprecedented levels, and the concept of managing for absolute returns (positive returns) was, in part, invalidated by significant losses. This chapter evaluates the issues related to fall of hedge funds and it performance. As a result of losses, investor withdrawals increased substantially. This withdrawal activity, combined with reductions in asset values, resulted in a drop in AUM by approximately 25%, from almost $1.9 trillion at the end of 2007 to just over $1.4 trillion by the end of 2008. Part of the problem during 2008 was that too many funds bought the same assets. As markets fell, many hedge funds sold these assets to gain liquidity, pushing prices even lower. Compounding this problem was the need for some investors to raise cash when the equity market decline caused minimum equity allocation benchmarks to be breached, triggering a need to take money out of hedge funds and reinvest directly in equity instruments. The Fund Weighted Composite Index tracked by Hedge Fund Research (HFR) fell by 19.0% during the year compared to the drop in Standard & Poor's 500 stock index of 38.5%, including dividends. Therefore, even though hedge fund losses were significant, they were substantially less than the broader equity market. In 2009, hedge funds regained some of their historical momentum and ended in positive return territory for the first half of the year. The Fund Weighted Composite Index was up 9.5% at the end of June.
Maternal distress and amniotic fluid viscosity in rabbits

Abstract Amniotic fluid viscosity (AFV) was measured in 173 offspring of 23 rabbits. Maternal pulmonary disease was associated with a highly significant elevation of AFV. Experimentally induced maternal hypoxia, hypercarbia, and ischemia did not affect AFV. The possibility remains that a high AFV may result from altered fetal mucous secretions and may be a factor responsible for neonatal respiratory distress.
Agent Based Security for the Active Network Infrastructure

Security in Active Networks is still in its infancy! This paper presents a new Agent-Based Security architecture for the Active Network Infrastructure (ABSANI). It is explained why agents in combination with Java are considered the appropriate solution for security architecture and how this can be applied in the Active Networks. An agent-based Active Node architecture is introduced and ABSANI is placed within that approach. Subsequently, all the basic components of the ABSANI are analyzed arguing for the benefits they offer. Finally an application scenario of Place-oriented Virtual Private Networks is demonstrated.
Gendered Appeals Online: A Study of Female Representatives' Websites

When crafting their messages, U.S. representatives must carefully consider the audience they are addressing. Consequently, the messages they emphasize often vary in response to political (i.e. electoral) considerations and constituent characteristics. Overlaying these important political considerations for female members of Congress are voters’ gender-based expectations, which may influence the messages representatives choose to communicate. In the past, several scholars found significant gender differences in the extent to which candidates and elected officials emphasize so called “male” and “female” traits and issues. Conversely, a number of recent examinations demonstrate that differences in politicians’ messages may be due to factors largely unrelated to gender, indicating that gender may no longer constrain the messages female elected officials emphasize as it once did. This study represents a departure from previous work, much of which has considered the impact of gender either during a campaign or non-campaign period, rarely comparing the two. Relying on a content analysis of U.S. Representatives’ official and campaign websites prior to the 2006 election, I find evidence that representatives’ choice to adhere to or buck gender stereotypes is influenced by the people (e.g. potential voters, general constituents) they are trying to communicate with. Both women and men tend to play up gender stereotypes more frequently while in the campaign context (on campaign websites), than in their general roles as representatives (on official sites). The implications of these findings for contemporary female elected officials and the literature are discussed.
From the Fundamental Legal Conceptions of Hohfeld to Legal Relations: Refining the Enrichment of Solely Deontic Legal Relations

The Hohfeldian fundamental legal conceptions that deal with solely deontic LEGAL RELATIONS, the duty/privilege and right/no-right pairs, require not only an adequate definition of agency for the person who is obligated or permitted to act, but also the same of patiency for the person to-or-for whom that action is directed. Person-i’s DUTY to see-to-it-that that state-of-affairs-s is so for the benefit of person-j is defined here in terms of a deontic OBLIGATION operation and DONE-BY (D2) and DONE-FOR (D4) relations between a state of affairs and persons. This paper is a refinement of the author’s earlier efforts to modify, extend, and enrich Hohfeld’s fundamental legal conceptions into a more general notion of LEGAL RELATIONS (defined concepts are expressed in all capital letters.) In particular, the agency concept of DONE-BY is being brought into closer conformity with Belnap’s emerging stit logic, with the modifications of deontic logic accompanying such changes. The S4–D2 action modal logic considered here is intended to be a part of the A-HOHFELD logic in which LEGAL RELATIONS are defined and from which a representation language called the A-HOHFELD language is derived. The A-HOHFELD language is being used as a representation language for constructing MINT (Multiple INTerpretation) interpretation-assistance systems for helping lawyers to detect alternative structural interpretations of sets of legal rules.
Pediatric pain management and therapeutic strategies.

The treatment of pain in children has improved considerably in the last 10 years with the development of organized services throughout the country. In part due to the efforts of a number of child advocates, analgesics and local anesthetics are now routinely used to treat and prevent pain in children. Though pain assessment continues to be difficult in young children, the use of continuous infusions of opioids and local anesthetics has provided better and simpler methods for treating post-operative pain. A number of pharmacologic and physiologic studies have delineated safe and effective doses of analgesics for even the youngest of children. Patient-controlled analgesia, epidural analgesia and peripheral blockade are now routinely applied in most pediatric hospitals for treatment and prevention of pain. Since children often have to undergo painful procedures as a part of diagnosis and treatment, some institutions now provide deep sedation/general anesthesia for children who must undergo such procedures as bone marrow aspirates, gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures or repeated lumbar punctures.
Semi-invasive fiber-optic tonometer

A semi-invasive method for the instantaneous and continuous measurement of absolute blood pressure in small arteries is developed using the principle of arterial tonometry. This is accomplished with a miniature implantable fiber-optic sensor enclosed in an applanation ring and positioned around the artery. A reflective stainless-steel diagram (0.005 mm) bonded to a stainless-steel block is used to deflect the artery. Light is conveyed through a cable to the vibrating diaphragm by a method that causes the intensity of the reflected light to vary proportionally to the displacement of the diaphragm. Measures of reflected light are obtained by a phototransistor amplifier. Operating stability is 4 mm Hg/h with a signal-to-noise ratio of 42.4 dB (resolution is 0.59 mm Hg). The measured external pressure was found to have nearly unity correlation with the internal pressure. Animal studies were performed to determine the accuracy of the method utilizing the invasive methods as a reference. The errors found were 6.16% for systolic, -7.53% for diastolic, and -2.26% for mean pressure. The tonometer is indirectly calibrated and can be applied to vessels of varying sizes. >
Use of canonical analysis in time series model identification

SUMMARY The second-order moment structure of time series models is used to derive a canonical analysis in time series modelling. Consistency properties of certain canonical correlations and the corresponding eigenvectors are shown. Based on these properties, a canonical correlation approach for tentative order determination in building autoregressivemoving average models is proposed. This approach can handle directly nonstationary as well as stationary processes and it also provides consistent estimates of the autoregressive parameters involved. The asymptotic distribution of the identification statistic is discussed.
Sequence Determination of Reduction Potentials by Cysteinyl Hydrogen Bonds and Peptide Dipoles in [4Fe-4S] Ferredoxins

A sequence determinant of reduction potentials is reported for bacterial [4Fe-4S]-type ferredoxins. The residue that is four residues C-terminal to the fourth ligand of either cluster is generally an alanine or a cysteine. In five experimental ferredoxin structures, the cysteine has the same structural orientation relative to the nearest cluster, which is stabilized by the SH...S bond. Although such bonds are generally considered weak, indications that Fe-S redox site sulfurs are better hydrogen-bond acceptors than most sulfurs include the numerous amide NH...S bonds noted by Adman and our quantum mechanical calculations. Furthermore, electrostatic potential calculations of 11 experimental ferredoxin structures indicate that the extra cysteine decreases the reduction potential relative to an alanine by approximately 60 mV, in agreement with experimental mutational studies. Moreover, the decrease in potential is due to a shift in the polar backbone stabilized by the SH...S bond rather than to the slightly polar cysteinyl side chain. Thus, these cysteines can "tune" the reduction potential, which could optimize electron flow in an electron transport chain. More generally, hydrogen bonds involving sulfur can be important in protein structure/function, and mutations causing polar backbone shifts can alter electrostatics and thus affect redox properties or even enzymatic activity of a protein.
Methods for detecting circulating cancer stem cells (CCSCs) as a novel approach for diagnosis of colon cancer relapse/metastasis

Methods for detecting circulating cancer stem cells (CCSCs) as a novel approach for diagnosis of colon cancer relapse/metastasis
Oxidation of 2-keto-4-hydroxyglutarate by pig heart and Escherichia coli alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex.

Abstract Enzyme preparations from pig heart and Escherichia coli have been found to catalyze a NAD + - and CoASH-dependent oxidation of 2-keto-4-hydroxyglutarate. Several independent lines of evidence indicate that 2-keto-4-hydroxyglutarate is a substrate for the well-known α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex of the citric acid cycle. The evidence includes (a) a constant ratio of specific activity values for the two substrates throughout purification, (b) identical elution profiles from a Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 gel-cellulose column, (c) the same sucrose density sedimentation patterns, (d) similar responses in controlled heat inactivation studies, and (e) identical pH-activity curves.
Cytoprotection: concepts and challenges

Clinical trials with several toxicity protectors (cytoprotective or chemoprotective agents) have been performed during the past decade. These trials are quite complex since they must include sufficient dose-limiting events for study, and assessment of both toxicity (and therefore the efficacy of protection) and antitumor effects must be carried out. However, it is inevitable that with greater understanding of drug actions, one seeks to manipulate these for greater antitumor activity (biochemical modulation) or for lesser dose-limiting toxicity (cytoprotection) or for both. Examples of cytoprotective agents include dexrazoxane (ICRF-187), protecting against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity, and amifostine protecting against the myelosuppression of platinum and alkylating agents. In spite of the challenges encountered in the clinical development of these drugs, studies of cytoprotectors have led to a considerable understanding of important therapeutic issues and tangible clinical benefit in specific clinical situations.