cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The contribution of disease activity on functional limitations over time through psychological mediators: a 12-month longitudinal study in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Objectives. To explore whether helplessness, internality and depression would mediate the relationship between disease activity and functional limitations in patients with AS in a 12-month longitudinal study. Methods. A total of 294 participants with AS meeting modified New York criteria completed clinical and psychological assessments at 6-month intervals. Psychological measures evaluated helplessness, depression and internality. Path analysis evaluated the direct and indirect effects of baseline disease activity on 12-month functional limitations via the psychological measures of helplessness, internality and depression at 6 months. Results. Baseline disease activity demonstrated direct and indirect effects on 12-month functional limitations. Helplessness and depression, but not internality, served as mediators of the relationship between disease activity and functional limitations. Conclusion. Higher baseline disease activity predicted greater functional limitations at 12 months through helplessness and depression. Our findings suggest that helplessness and depression may constitute future treatment targets in reducing functional limitations in patients with AS.
Chain‐Growth Click Polymerization of AB2 Monomers for the Formation of Hyperbranched Polymers with Low Polydispersities in a One‐Pot Process

Hyperbranched polymers are important soft nanomaterials but robust synthetic methods with which the polymer structures can be easily controlled have rarely been reported. For the first time, we present a one-pot one-batch synthesis of polytriazole-based hyperbranched polymers with both low polydispersity and a high degree of branching (DB) using a copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) polymerization. The use of a trifunctional AB2 monomer that contains one alkyne and two azide groups ensures that all Cu catalysts are bound to polytriazole polymers at low monomer conversion. Subsequent CuAAC polymerization displayed the features of a “living” chain-growth mechanism with a linear increase in molecular weight with conversion and clean chain extension for repeated monomer additions. Furthermore, the triazole group in a linear (L) monomer unit complexed CuI, which catalyzed a faster reaction of the second azide group to quickly convert the L unit into a dendritic unit, producing hyperbranched polymers with DB=0.83.
Phenotypic integration in the feeding system of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)

Selection can vary geographically across environments and temporally over the lifetime of an individual. Unlike geographic contexts, where different selective regimes can act on different alleles, age-specific selection is constrained to act on the same genome by altering age-specific expression. Snake venoms are exceptional traits for studying ontogeny because toxin expression variation directly changes the phenotype; relative amounts of venom components determine, in part, venom efficacy. Phenotypic integration is the dependent relationship between different traits that collectively produce a complex phenotype and, in venomous snakes, may include traits as diverse as venom, head shape and fang length. We examined the feeding system of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) across environments and over the lifetime of individuals and used a genotype-phenotype map approach, protein expression data and morphological data to demonstrate that: (i) ontogenetic effects explained more of the variation in toxin expression variation than geographic effects, (ii) both juveniles and adults varied geographically, (iii) toxin expression variation was a result of directional selection and (iv) different venom phenotypes covaried with morphological traits also associated with feeding in temporal (ontogenetic) and geographic (functional) contexts. These data are the first to demonstrate, to our knowledge, phenotypic integration between multiple morphological characters and a biochemical phenotype across populations and age classes. We identified copy number variation as the mechanism driving the difference in the venom phenotype associated with these morphological differences, and the parallel mitochondrial, venom and morphological divergence between northern and southern clades suggests that each clade may warrant classification as a separate evolutionarily significant unit.
The effects of microenvironment and internal programming on plasma cell survival

Two populations of plasma cells (PCs) are formed after immunization. A short-lived population in the spleen and lymph nodes provides rapid protection. A long-lived population, mainly in the bone marrow, provides lasting immunity. The mechanisms responsible for the differences in PCs life span remain largely unknown. The goal of the current study was to compare the intrinsic survival capacity of isolated short-lived (spleen) versus long-lived (bone marrow) PCs. We approached this question by using a previously established in vitro model that measures PC survival in a supportive stromal environment. Regardless of the tissue source or isolation time point after immunization, the two PC populations showed similar intrinsic ability to survive in vitro. To test differences in the stromal microenvironments, stromal cells from marrow, spleen or lymph nodes were evaluated for ability to support PCs survival. Survival of isolated PC was always greater when co-cultured with marrow stromal cells compared with those from spleen (or lymph node) despite the finding that IL-6, necessary for PC survival in culture, was secreted by all three stromal cell sources. Additionally, low expression of B-cell-activating factor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor-family was detected in all three stromal isolates. In contrast, marrow stromal cells were distinguished by cell-surface phenotype and CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL)12, IL-7 and stem cell factor expression. Although CXCL12 has been suggested as a possible survival factor for PC, addition or neutralization of CXCL12 had minimal effect on PC survival. We conclude the mechanisms regulating PC longevity appear extrinsically driven and marrow favored, but the factors that give marrow stromal cells a unique advantage remain unknown.
Importance of evaluating organ parenchyma during screening abdominal ultrasonography after blunt trauma.

Objective. To determine the benefit of screening ultrasonography for parenchymal abnormalities as well as free fluid during screening abdominal ultrasonography in patients with blunt trauma. Methods. A total of 2693 patients with blunt trauma who were triaged to a level 1 trauma center underwent screening abdominal ultrasonography in the resuscitation suite. Examinations were performed by experienced sonographers and included a screen for free intraperitoneal fluid and evaluation of the abdominal organ parenchyma and heart for traumatic injury. Screening ultrasonographic findings were reviewed and compared with findings from autopsy, laparotomy, diagnostic peritoneal lavage, computed tomography, repeated ultrasonography, cystography, and clinical outcome. Imaging studies of all patients with confirmed or suspected injuries were reviewed to identify those in whom parenchymal findings aided diagnosis. Results. One hundred seventy-two patients were found to have evidence of abdominal injury due to blunt trauma on the basis of clinical data, imaging, laparotomy, or autopsy. Forty-four of these patients had no sonographic evidence of hemoperitoneum at the time of initial ultrasonography. Screening ultrasonographic findings were positive for injury in 19 of 44 patients on the basis of parenchymal findings or small retroperitoneal collections of fluid thought to be indicative of trauma. In the remaining 25 patients, screening ultrasonography showed no abnormalities, and injuries were detected by repeated ultrasonography, subsequent computed tomography, or diagnostic peritoneal lavage performed for suspected occult injury on the basis of clinical parameters. In addition, 47 of 126 injured patients with sonographically detected free fluid had parenchymal findings that helped localize injury Sixteen of those patients were taken to the operating room on the basis of clinical and sonographic findings without undergoing computed tomography. Conclusions. The inability to show injuries with no hemoperitoneum or with delayed hemoperitoneum has been shown to be a limitation of ultrasonography in patients with blunt trauma. In our series, 26% of all patients with documented injuries had no free fluid visible on screening ultrasonography. Attention to findings other than free fluid allowed detection in 43% of injured patients without sonographic evidence of hemoperitoneum.
Perspectives on depression, mild cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline.

Context The public health implications of depression and cognitive impairment in late life are enormous. Cognitive impairment and late-life depression are associated with increased risk for subsequent dementia; however, investigations of these phenomena appear to be proceeding along separate tracks. Objectives and Data Source The National Institute of Mental Health organized the conference “Perspectives on Depression, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Cognitive Decline” to consider how the varied perspectives might be better integrated to examine the associations among depression, mild cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline and to illuminate the common or distinct mechanisms involved in these associations. Data Synthesis The following 2 broad questions were addressed: (1) What gaps in our knowledge have the greatest public health significance? (2) Can we more efficiently use our research dollars and participant resources to fill these gaps? Meeting participants included grantees from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Aging and program staff from the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Conclusions One of the most important recommendations to emerge from the meeting discussions is for increased collaboration among clinical and epidemiological investigators whose work focuses in the area of depression with those working primarily in the area of memory disorders. Directions for future research were identified.
Myopicx sequential allocation procedures for bayesian simultaneou estimation

Observations may be taken from two populations where the simultaneous estimation of the population means is of interest. While the total number of observations, or horizon, is fixed, the observations may be taken sequentially with the decision to take an observation from one population or the other at any intermediate stage depending on past information. Such sampling schemes are called sequential allocation procedures or policies. A Bayesian exponential family distributions. For loss and prior distributions of the natural conjugate form, myopic or one—step—ahead sequential allocation procedures are derived and shown to be asymptotically optimal. Also, the asymptotic efficiency of one allocation to another is defined and then considered for the best nonrandom policy and the optimal policy.
The Part is Not the Whole: Weaving Diversity into the Study of Relationships

Future research should include a fuller range of relationships than have been studied to date. Investigating diverse relationships would increase understanding of specific human associations and would advance development and testing of broad theories of relationships.
The emerging field of RNA nanotechnology

Like DNA, RNA can be designed and manipulated to produce a variety of different nanostructures. Moreover, RNA has a flexible structure and possesses catalytic functions that are similar to proteins. Although RNA nanotechnology resembles DNA nanotechnology in many ways, the base-pairing rules for constructing nanoparticles are different. The large variety of loops and motifs found in RNA allows it to fold into numerous complicated structures, and this diversity provides a platform for identifying viable building blocks for various applications. The thermal stability of RNA also allows the production of multivalent nanostructures with defined stoichiometry. Here we review techniques for constructing RNA nanoparticles from different building blocks, we describe the distinct attributes of RNA inside the body, and discuss potential applications of RNA nanostructures in medicine. We also offer some perspectives on the yield and cost of RNA production.
Performance evaluation of mesh-connected wormhole-routed networks for interprocessor communication in multicomputers

Wormhole routing is becoming a popular switching technique in the design of interprocessor communication networks. In this paper, we describe a set of experiments conducted on wormhole-routed Symult 2010 systems to measure the performance of their interprocessor communication networks. We then analyze the results to predict the performance of similar systems. We first show that long path lengths in this mesh have a negligible effect on communication time. Next, we show that the contention for network channels can scale up with the system size, and that the effect is observable in current machines. We also show that resources within a node itself can become a bottleneck. Given current architectural trends, we conclude that contention for network resources, and not path length, will become the primary concern in ensuring fast communication in future multicomputers.
Retrieval-extinction within the memory reconsolidation window does not influence appetitive choice

Influencing choice behavior is key to achieving behavioral change. Traditional means to influence choice behavior rely on effortful self control, which is known to be fragile under several circumstances, rendering these methods ineffectual in maintaining any change in behavior over time. Behavioral maintenance efforts are likely more effective over the long term if they target more automatic processes such as attention or memory. Memories are not set in stone and are vulnerable to change and updating under certain circumstances when retrieved. It is possible to target specific memories for updating. In two studies, we sought to update the memory for an appetitive choice by way of reversal learning following retrieval of the targeted choice behavior. We found that targeting memories of a choice behavior for updating shortly after a reminder did not significantly attenuate the renewal of the targeted choice under extinction conditions. Possible explanations and suggested future directions are discussed.
The Function of Newspapers in Society: A Global Perspective Edited by Shannon E. Martin and David A. Copeland. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003. 179 pp

(2003). The Function of Newspapers in Society: A Global Perspective Edited by Shannon E. Martin and David A. Copeland. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003. 179 pp. American Journalism: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 112-113.
Managing Change: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians: by Susan Carol Curzon. Rev. ed. New York: Neal Schuman Publishers, c2005. (How-To-Do-It Manuals for Librarians, no. 145). 129 p. $55.00. ISBN 1-55570-553-7

The changing landscape librarians face in their departments, colleges, or universities, while not as newsworthy as the changing landscape of politics, is nevertheless every bit as demanding and as ...
Of Financial Rights of Assisted Reproductive Technology: Non-Marital Children and Back-Up Plans

Response to Courtney G. Joslin, Protecting Children(?): Marriage, Gender, and Assisted Reproductive Technology, 83 S. CAL. L. REV. 1177 (2010).This short response argues that Joslin’s parentage rule assessing intent at conception cannot be utilized without a clearer definition of conception and that it should be expanded to assess intent at any point before birth.
A framework for event co-occurrence detection in event streams.

This paper shows that characterizing co-occurrence between events is an important but non-trivial and neglected aspect of discovering potential causal relationships in multimedia event streams. First an introduction to the notion of event co-occurrence and its relation to co-occurrence pattern detection is given. Then a finite state automaton extended with a time model and event parameterization is introduced to convert high level co-occurrence pattern definition to its corresponding pattern matching automaton. Finally a processing algorithm is applied to count the occurrence frequency of a collection of patterns with only one pass through input event streams. The method proposed in this paper can be used for detecting co-occurrences between both events of one event stream (Auto co-occurrence), and events from multiple event streams (Cross co-occurrence). Some fundamental results concerning the characterization of event co-occurrence are presented in form of a visual co- occurrence matrix. Reusable causality rules can be extracted easily from co-occurrence matrix and fed into various analysis tools, such as recommendation systems and complex event processing systems for further analysis.
Gaps in medical marijuana policy implementation: Real-time perspectives from marijuana dispensary entrepreneurs, health care professionals and medical marijuana patients

AbstractAims: There is a need for greater understanding of the recursive processes involved in drug policy development and its impact on stakeholders. The aim of this study was to examine the challenges of implementing marijuana policy in Massachusetts, where recent policy shifts have occurred. Methods: Qualitative data were generated from ethnographic field notes, media reports, public records and in-depth interviews with 25 stakeholders, including six medical marijuana dispensary entrepreneurs, eight health care professionals and 11 medical marijuana patients. Data were triangulated using a grounded theory approach. Findings: Stakeholders expressed confusion and misunderstanding, and demonstrated that they held conflicting interpretations of the policy and regulations. Analyses revealed gaps in policy development and implementation that are organised by three specific core implementation processes and the themes of transparency, communication and education. Conclusions: Findings show a need for more tra...
Helicobacter pylori and gastric carcinogenesis.

Recent epidemiologic evidence indicates that Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk for gastric carcinoma. Infection with H. pylori leads to chronic gastritis, which usually persists for life unless treated with antimicrobial drugs. Because the great majority of gastritis patients never develop neoplasias, research concerning those who do may provide clues about carcinogenesis. In affluent populations, H. pylori infection leads to nonatrophic gastritis, predominantly involving diffusely the antrum (diffuse antral gastritis), the basis lesion seen in patients with duodenal ulcer, which has not been associated with increased risk for gastric carcinomas. In populations with high gastric cancer risk, H. pylori infection is associated with multifocal atrophic gastritis, which frequently advances to intestinal metaplasia, occasionally to dysplasia, and rarely to carcinoma. H. pylori infection increases the rate of proliferation of the gastric epithelial cells and decreases the gastric secretion of ascorbic acid, processes that may modulate the process of carcinogenesis. Infection with H. pylori is characterized by infiltration of lymphocytes, polymorphonuclar leukocytes, and macrophages in the gastric mucosa. There is considerable interest in investigating oxygen radicals originating in white blood cells and the possibility that they induce mutations with carcinogenic potential in the gastric epithelium
Case XXI: Forearm Pain

A 53-year-old male presents with left forearm pain and limited finger extension. This started 3.5 years ago following a car accident. The pain is a discomfort on the extensor surface of the upper forearm and radiates slightly cranially and caudally. It is worse in cold weather, and with using the arm, especially holding the phone to his ear. It is improved with gabapentin. There is no tingling or numbness. PMH: asthma, hypertension, Lyme’s disease, arthritis. PSH: lumbar laminectomy, carpal tunnel release. FH: diabetes in both grandmothers and a sister, lung cancer in the mother, abdominal aortic aneurysm in the father and the paternal grandfather. Socially, he has smoked 1.5 packs of cigarettes per day for 40 years and does not drink alcohol. On examination, finger extension at the MPJ 4, EPL 4, abductor pollicis longus 4+, the remaining muscle groups are 5/5. Sensation is intact to light touch. DTRs are 2+ and symmetric. There is percussion tenderness over the extensor surface of the upper forearm but no Tinel’s sign.
The assessment of balance ability in person with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: The complications such as decrease strength and endurance of lower extremities, degeneration of peripheral neuropathy and retinopathy can lead to risk of falling in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess balance in patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and methods: Two groups of subjects voluntarily participated in the study: patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=30) and normal group (n=30), aged 50-70 years. All subjects undergone Timed Up and Go test (TUG) to measure balance ability. Results: The results showed that balance ability assessed by TUG in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was significantly lower than those in normal group (12.11±2.61 and 9.04±1.04 second, respectively; p<0.0001) Conclusion: Patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus had higher rate of fall risk than those in normal group. Exercise program to increase balance ability is recommended for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
Force, Fraud, and Coercion—What Do They Mean? A Study of Victimization Experiences in a New Destination Latino Sex Trafficking Network:

In response to increasing Latino new destination migration in the United States, Latino sex trafficking networks have emerged in many of these areas. This article examines victimization experiences...
A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, PARALLEL GROUP STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF ALIROCUMAB IN HIGH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK PATIENTS WITH HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA NOT ADEQUATELY CONTROLLED WITH THEIR LIPID-MODIFYING THERAPY IN SOUTH KOREA AND TAIWAN

Background: Alirocumab (ALI), a fully human monoclonal antibody to PCSK9, has been shown to provide significant reductions in LDL-C. Data about its efficacy and safety in patients from South Korea and Taiwan is limited. Methods: Patients (n=199) with hypercholesterolemia at high cardiovascular risk
The Molecular Basis of Histone Demethylation

The methylation of lysine residues on histone tails--and their subsequent demethylation--is among some of the most important covalent post-translational modifications controlling gene expression. When gene expression goes awry, disease ensues and often this disease is some form of cancer. Thus, an understanding of histone tail modification in nucleosomes is critical in mankind’s attempts to eradicate cancers. This chapter examines our present knowledge of the enzymes that demethylate the lysine residues on histone tails, known as KDMs. The substrate-binding specificities of KDMs are quite diverse. The determinants of their specificity goes beyond just the amino acids involved in recognition and catalysis as observed in KDM crystal structures of their catalytic domains but extend to interactions of their many domains to each other and with other proteins in multicomponent complexes. These aspects of all seven known KDM families are reviewed as well as our present knowledge of their involvement in cancers. Control of their aberrant behavior by design of chemical inhibitors, that have the potential to be powerful cancer fighting drugs, is an expanding human endeavor and is chronicled at the end of the chapter.
Centennial to millennial hydroclimatic fluctuations in the humid northeast United States during the Holocene

Paleoclimate records indicate that the hydroclimate of the northeast United States changed continuously during the Holocene, but the signals of multi-century variations have been difficult to distinguish from local effects and noise. Systematic replication of the signals can help diagnose the patterns of change. Here, we use ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and sediment core analyses to extend and compare the regional network of lake-level records. We reconstruct the histories of two lakes in northeast Pennsylvania, which show that multi-century hydrologic changes observed in coastal New England extended to the Susquehanna River watershed. Correlations with isotopic and marine temperature records (r>0.65) indicate that high temperatures coincided with low water at 4.9–3.8 and 2.8–2.0 ka. Widely recognized Holocene events at ca. 4.2 and 2.7 ka, therefore, may have shared similar ocean-atmosphere dynamics in this region. Low water levels in Pennsylvania from ca. 5.5–4.9 ka, however, demonstrate that other multi-century changes had different patterns. At ca. 5.5 ka, anti-phased inland and coastal hydrologic changes followed a sharp temperature decline and produced drought possibly as far inland as the Great Lakes. The long-term increase in water levels since then underscores that current pluvial conditions in the region probably lack a Holocene precedent.
DNA Methylation–Based Classifier for Accurate Molecular Diagnosis of Bone Sarcomas

PurposePediatric sarcomas provide a unique diagnostic challenge. There is considerable morphologic overlap between entities, increasing the importance of molecular studies in the diagnosis, treatment, and identification of therapeutic targets. We developed and validated a genome-wide DNA methylation–based classifier to differentiate between osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and synovial sarcoma.MethodsDNA methylation status of 482,421 CpG sites in 10 Ewing sarcoma, 11 synovial sarcoma, and 15 osteosarcoma samples were determined using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 array. We developed a random forest classifier trained from the 400 most differentially methylated CpG sites within the training set of 36 sarcoma samples. This classifier was validated on data drawn from The Cancer Genome Atlas synovial sarcoma, TARGET-Osteosarcoma, and a recently published series of Ewing sarcoma.ResultsMethylation profiling revealed three distinct patterns, each enriched with a single sarcoma subtype. Within the valida...
A deblurring algorithm for impulse based forward-looking ground penetrating radar images reconstructed using the delay-and-sum algorithm

Presently, the delay-and-sum (DAS) algorithm, also known as the backprojection algorithm, is the most popular way to reconstruct impulse based forward-looking ground penetrating radar (FLGPR) images. Nevertheless, it is widely known that the DAS algorithm has poor clutter rejection capability and generates FLGPR images with low resolution. The advantage of the DAS algorithm is its computational speed and ability to reconstruct scatterers within a scene-of-interest that are sufficiently spaced. In this paper, we propose a deblurring algorithm that is based on a model for DAS images whereby the known system matrix depends on the transmitted signal, and the propagation delays associated with the transmitted and backscattered signals. Using a DAS image as the data, an improved FLGPR image is obtained by estimating the true reflection coefficients via a popular estimation method known as the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The objective function that results from LASSO is minimized using the majorization-minimization optimization technique. We refer to the proposed algorithm as the deblurring DAS (D-DAS) algorithm. Using synthetic data, we provide subjective results where the D-DAS algorithm significantly outperformed the standard DAS algorithm.
Temperature dependence of the Raman spectra of polycrystalline Ba 1 − x Si x TiO 3

We have studied the temperature dependence of the Raman spectra of ceramic bulk and thin-film samples of polycrystalline ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}{\mathrm{TiO}}_{3}$ $(x=0,$ 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) in the range between room temperature and 350 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The ferroelectric to paraelectric phase-transition temperatures ${(T}_{C})$ have been estimated from the loss of intensity for several phonon modes belonging to the tetragonal phase when the samples transform to the paraelectric cubic phase. Similar to single crystalline ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3},$ broad first-order Raman features are found to persist well beyond ${T}_{C}$ in all the samples studied here. For bulk samples, the estimated values of ${T}_{C}$ from the Raman studies agree well with the ${T}_{C}$ values determined from the anomaly in the dielectric constant versus temperature measurements. For thin films, however, the temperature measurements of the dielectric constant do not show any anomaly and the Raman signature viz., the disappearance of several phonon modes at ${T}_{C},$ is used for determining ${T}_{C}.$ We find that the values of ${T}_{C}$ in thin films are higher than those of the bulk samples. This is attributed to the presence of intergrain stresses in the submicron size grains in the thin films which might prevent a complete phase transformation at the expected bulk ${T}_{C}.$ Furthermore, a new Raman mode has been seen at \ensuremath{\sim}620 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ in all the thin-film samples but not in bulk ceramics at all temperatures. This mode has also been observed in polycrystalline bulk ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$ powder under high pressure and it most probably originates from the strain in the grain-boundary regions.
Natural Resources and Total Factor Productivity Growth in Developing Countries : Testing A New Methodology

Estimates of total factor productivity growth, a measure of increases in the efficiency of production, have traditionally been based on a two-factor model of labor and fixed capital. Because profits are measured residually in the System of National Accounts, they implicitly include rents on natural resource exploitation, with the result that the contribution of fixed capital to growth in the inputs to gross domestic product is misstated, particularly in resource dependent developing countries. This leads to incorrect measures of total factor productivity growth. Using data on natural resources from the World Bank's Wealth of Nations database and methods combining the Solow growth accounting model with recent work at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, this paper makes new estimates of total factor productivity growth for 74 developing countries over 1996-2014. In the aggregate, including natural resources as a factor of production increases estimated total factor productivity growth across all country income classes and regions of the world when compared with the traditional two-factor approach. In addition, the estimated total factor productivity growth including natural resources is less volatile over time in the great majority of countries compared with the traditional approach. The availability of World Bank data on natural resource quantities and rents for a wide range of countries suggests that natural resources should be included in total factor productivity growth estimation going forward. Further research could focus on the distinctive roles played by different natural resource endowments.
Proceedings of the 2001 ACM/IEEE conference on Supercomputing

Welcome to the Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE SC2001 Conference. These proceedings are nearly a direct (albeit more portable) copy of the conference Web site. The final snapshot for this Proceedings CD-ROM was taken on October 8, 2001. All information contained herein was current as of this date.By mirroring our comprehensive Web site in these Proceedings, we hope to provide you with a result which closely follows the numerous activities of this conference, serves as a complete archive of all related technical material, and accurately represents the spirit of SC2001.To view the technical papers you will need to be able to open Portable Document Format (PDF) files. At the time these papers were formatted for this CD-ROM, version 4 of "Acrobat Reader" from Adobe was the most common and effective reader for PDF files. Additionally, much of the material included in these Proceedings requires a JavaScript-capable Web browser to be viewed as intended.On behalf of the SC2001 Conference Committee, it is my sincere hope that you find the contents of these Proceedings useful. I encourage you to send in any comments or suggestions you have regarding this CD-ROM to webmaster@sc2001.org. Directions for obtaining additional copies of these Proceedings can be found on the ordering information page. Thank you for your support of the SCXY Conference series.
Disassembly of an Interconjugated Polyelectrolyte Complex Using Ionic Surfactants

The ability to manipulate the state of assembly of light-harvesting molecular materials can be important to control light-induced damage at high illumination intensities. Disassembly of such materials is thus an important consideration from a photoprotection perspective. Here, we show that an artificial light-harvesting antenna based on an interconjugated polyelectrolyte complex can be disassembled using ionic surfactants in aqueous solution. We demonstrate that both anionic and cationic surfactants can do so with comparable efficiency, thereby shutting electronic energy transfer between the exciton donor and acceptor conjugated polyelectrolytes. However, the structural evolution of the aqueous complexes both above and below the critical micelle concentration differed significantly depending on the sign of the ionic surfactant and the relative polyion charge ratio.
The art of observation: a qualitative analysis of medical students' experiences.

Although the inclusion of arts in medical school curricula has garnered attention, little is known about the effect of arts-based interventions on the behaviors, attitudes, and technical skills of students. The Art of Observation is an optional elective at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) in collaboration with educators from the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA). We utilized a qualitative approach to describe in-depth how engaging with art influences the development of medical students’ observation skills and empathy. We analyzed evaluations from 65 medical students who completed the course between 2015 and 2017. Evaluations contained open-ended questions that asked students to reflect upon their experiences and describe their perceptions, thoughts, and feelings after guided museum visits. We used grounded theory to generate a thematic codebook, then employed axial coding to discover thematic relationships. We report three main findings and several subthemes: (1) Enhanced observation skills: by engaging with art and completing relevant activities, students developed the ability to synthesize a compelling narrative in addition to learning technical skills; (2) Improved physician socialization: students reported enhanced self-awareness, increased tolerance of ambiguity, and development of a humanistic view of medicine, key components of physician socialization; and (3) Reduction in burnout symptoms: students reported an enhanced sense of well-being after each session, which mitigates the process of burnout. Fine arts can be used to teach technical skills, stimulate personal reflection, and prevent burnout. A meaningful engagement with the arts can play an important role in developing physicians who are observant, empathetic, and more well-rounded.
Leber Congenital Amaurosis With Coats-Like Reaction and 3 Novel Sequence Variants: A Short Report:

Purpose:This report discusses a patient with Leber congenital amaurosis who presented with severe bilateral Coats-like reaction and 3 novel sequence variants in 2 different genes.Methods:The patien...
Introducing a health information literacy competencies map: connecting the Association of American Medical Colleges Core Entrustable Professional Activities and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Common Program Requirements to the Association of College & Research Libraries Framework

Background: Librarians teach evidence-based medicine (EBM) and information-seeking principles in undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate medical education. These curricula are informed by medical education standards, medical education competencies, information literacy frameworks, and background literature on EBM and teaching. As this multidimensional body of knowledge evolves, librarians must adapt their teaching and involvement with medical education. Identifying explicit connections between the information literacy discipline and the field of medical education requires ongoing attention to multiple guideposts but offers the potential to leverage information literacy skills in the larger health sciences education sphere. Methods: A subgroup of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Competency-Based Medical Education Task Force cross-referenced medical education documents (Core Entrustable Professional Activities and 2017–2018 Liaison Committee on Medical Education Functions and Structures of a Medical School) with the Association of College & Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education using nominal group technique. Results: In addition to serving as a vocabulary, the map can also be used to identify gaps between and opportunities for enhancing the scholarly expectations of undergraduate and graduate medical education standards and the building blocks of information literacy education. This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program .
Clarifying and empirically assessing the concept of human capital resource emergence

The microfoundations agenda suggests that human capital resource emergence (HCRE) is an important aspect of understanding how individual human capital combines to form a valuable unit-level resourc...
Effects of Music-Listening Contingencies on Arithmetic Performance and Music Preference of EMR Children.

A five-phase experiment was designed to investigate (a) whether contingent music-listening would act as a reinforcer to increase arithmetic performance of EMR children and (b) whether this contingent reinforcement would affect preference for that reinforcer. During the three baseline (no reinforcement) phases, subjects returned to their classrooms at the end of the arithmetic work period. During the two treatment phases, experimental subjects meeting criterion were permitted to remain and listen to either rock (high preference) or music classics (low preference). Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between the no-reinforcement and contingent-reinforcement conditions and between the control and four experiment groups during the contingent reinforcement phases. No differential effect between the more or less preferred contingencies was found. Analyses of the music-selection data indicated that the contingencies did not influence music preference.
Response to Mukhdomi and Mukhdomi’s letter to the editor

To the Editor We would like to thank Mukhdomi and Mukhdomi[1][1] for reading our review[2][2] and showing interest in pushing the conversation further by inquiring about some clarification points. Psychedelics lack reinforcing properties in preclinical models (eg, self-administration) when compared
SARS CoV-2 Surveillance and Exposure in the Perioperative Setting with Universal testing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Policies.

BACKGROUND: New York City (NYC) experienced a surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in March and April 2020. Since then, universal polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based surveillance testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) measures are in wide use in procedural settings. There is limited published experience on the utility and sustainability of PCR-based surveillance testing in areas with receding and consistently low community COVID-19 rates. METHODS: The study was conducted at a tertiary care cancer center in NYC from 22 March to 22 August 2020. Asymptomatic patients underwent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing before surgeries, interventional radiology procedures, and endoscopy. Contact tracing in procedural areas was done if a patient with an initial negative screen retested positive within 48 hours of the procedure. RESULTS: From March 22 until August 22, 2020, 11 540 unique patients underwent 14 233 tests before surgeries or procedures at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Overall, 65 patients were positive, with a peak rate of 4.3% that fell below 0.3% after April 2020. Among the 65 positive cases, 3 were presymptomatic and 38 were asymptomatic. Among asymptomatic test-positive patients, 76% had PCR cycle threshold >30 at first detection. Five patients tested newly positive in the immediate postoperative period, exposing 82 employees with 1 case of probable transmission (1.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection identified on preprocedural surveillance was low in our study, which was conducted in an area with limited community spread at the later stage of the study. Universal PPE is protective in procedural settings. Optimal and flexible diagnostic strategies are needed to accomplish and sustain the goals of comprehensive preprocedure surveillance testing.
Characterizing Minimum-Time Solar Sail Geostationary Orbit Transfers Using Pseudospectral Optimal Control

This work examines the problem of planet-centered orbit transfers using solar sail propulsion. Though solar sails offer unlimited ΔV, they place coupled time-dependent restrictions on thrust magnit...
Flexible electrochemical uric acid and glucose biosensor.

Abstract Fully integrated uric acid (UA) and glucose biosensors were fabricated on polydimethylsiloxane/polyimide platform by facile one step laser scribed technique. The laser scribed graphene (LSG) on the thin polyimide film was functionalized using pyrenebutanoic acid, succinimide ester (PBSE) to improve the electrochemical activity of the biosensors. The LSG was further decorated with platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) to promote the electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of UA. Glucose oxidase was immobilized on the PtNPs modified surface for selective detection of glucose. The fabricated biosensors were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical methods (cyclic voltammetry and amperometry measurements). Outstanding electrocatalytic activities toward oxidation of UA and glucose were demonstrated. A wide detection range of 5 µM to 480 µM UA with a high sensitivity of 156.56 µA/mMcm2 and a calculated detection limit (LOD) of 0.018 μM (S/N = 3) were achieved for the UA biosensor. The glucose biosensor exhibited a detection range of 5 µM to 3200 µM with a sensitivity of 12.64 µA/mMcm2 and an LOD of 2.57 µM (S/N = 3). These integrated biosensors offer great promise for potential applications in wearable UA and glucose sensing due to their good sensitivity, selectivity, and stability properties.
Adipokine Apelin/APJ Pathway Promotes Peritoneal Dissemination of Ovarian Cancer Cells by Regulating Lipid Metabolism

Adipose tissue, which can provide adipokines and nutrients to tumors, plays a key role in promoting ovarian cancer metastatic lesions in peritoneal cavity. The adipokine apelin promotes ovarian cancer metastasis and progression through its receptor APJ, which regulates cell proliferation, energy metabolism, and angiogenesis. The objective of this study was to investigate the functional role and mechanisms of the apelin-APJ pathway in ovarian cancer metastasis, especially in context of tumor cell-adipocyte interactions. When co-cultured in the conditioned media (AdipoCM) derived from 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which express and secrete high apelin, human ovarian cancer cells with high APJ expression showed significant increases in migration and invasion in vitro. We also found that cells expressing high levels of APJ had increased cell adhesion to omentum ex vivo, and preferentially "home-in" on the omentum in vivo. These apelin-induced pro-metastatic effects were reversed by APJ antagonist F13A in a dose-dependent manner. Apelin-APJ activation increased lipid droplet accumulation in ovarian cancer cells, which was further intensified in the presence of AdipoCM and reversed by F13A or APJ knockdown. Mechanistically, this increased lipid uptake was mediated by CD36 upregulation via APJ-STAT3 activation, and the lipids were utilized in promoting fatty acid oxidation via activation of AMPK-CPT1a axis. Together, our studies demonstrate that adipocyte-derived apelin activates APJ-expressing tumor cells in a paracrine manner, promoting lipid uptake and utilization and providing energy for ovarian cancer cell survival at the metastatic sites. Hence, the apelin-APJ pathway presents a novel therapeutic target to curb ovarian cancer metastasis. IMPLICATIONS: Targeting the APJ pathway in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma is a novel strategy to inhibit peritoneal metastasis.
Teachers’ Decision-Making about Teaching Novels in Middle School

Middle school is a place where many students are first introduced to more complex novels. Novel instruction in middle school English language arts classrooms is potentially influenced by the elemen...
Single-shot, mid-infrared ultrafast-laser-absorption-spectroscopy measurements of temperature, CO, NO and H2O in HMX combustion gases

This article describes the development of the first single-shot ultrafast-laser-absorption-spectroscopy (ULAS) diagnostic for simultaneous measurements of temperature and concentrations of CO, NO and $$\hbox {H}_2$$ O in flames and aluminized fireballs of HMX (C $$_{4}$$ H $$_{8}$$ N $$_{8}$$ O $$_{8}$$ ). Ultrashort (55 fs) pulses from a Ti:Sapphire oscillator emitting near 800 nm were amplified and converted into the mid-infrared through optical parametric amplification (OPA) at a repetition rate of 5 kHz. Ultimately, pulses with a spectral bandwidth of $$\approx$$ 600 cm $$^{-1}$$ centered near 4.9 $$\mu$$ m were utilized in combination with a mid-infrared spectrograph to measure absorbance spectra of CO, NO, and H $$_2$$ O across a 30 nm bandwidth with a spectral resolution of 0.3 nm. The gas temperature and species concentrations were determined by least-squares fitting simulated absorbance spectra to measured absorbance spectra. Measurements of temperature, CO, NO and H2O were acquired in a HMX flame burning in air at atmospheric pressure and the measurements agree well with previously published results. Measurements were also acquired in fireballs of HMX with and without 16.7 wt% H-5 micro-aluminum. Time histories of temperature and species column densities are reported with a $$1-\sigma$$ precision of 0.4% for temperature and 0.3% (CO), 0.6% (NO), and 0.5% (H $$_2$$ O), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 2.5% for temperature and 2.5% (CO), 11% (NO), and 7% (H $$_2$$ O), thereby demonstrating the ability of ULAS to provide high-fidelity, multi-parameter measurements in harsh combustion environments. The results indicate that the addition of the micron-aluminum increases the fireball peak temperature by $$\approx$$ 100 K and leads to larger concentrations of CO. The addition of aluminum also increases the duration fireballs remain at elevated temperatures above 2000 K.
Wayne Heisler Jr., The Ballet Collaborations of Richard Strauss

Not so long ago, serious musicological consideration of works by Richard Strauss, even such mainstays of the repertory as Salome, Der Rosenkavalier, and Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, would h...