cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Balance and gait in the elderly: A contemporary review

Background The prevalence of balance and gait deficits increases with age and is associated with the increased incidence of falls seen in the elderly population; these falls are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Objectives To review changes in gait and balance associated with aging and the effect of visual perturbations on gait and balance in the elderly to provide a basis for future research. Methods PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched for articles from 1980 to present pertaining to gait and balance in older adults (>60) and younger adults (<60). Search terms included balance, posture, gait, locomotion, gait variability, gait disorders, gait disturbance, elderly, aging, falls, vision, visual, vestibular, and virtual reality. The references section of queried articles was also used to find relevant studies. Studies were excluded if subjects had a diagnosed gait or balance disorder. Results Elderly adults show age-related decline in sensory systems and reduced ability to adapt to changes in their environment to maintain balance. Elderly adults are particularly dependent on vision to maintain postural stability. Distinct changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters are associated with aging, such as slower gait and increased gait variability, which are amplified with exposure to visual perturbations. Increased gait variability, specifically with mediolateral perturbations, poses a particular challenge for elderly adults and is linked to increased falls risk. Virtual reality training has shown promising effects on balance and gait. Conclusion Elderly adults show age-related decline in balance and gait with increased gait variability and an associated increased risk of falls. Level of Evidence 5.
A neuromodulation call to arms.

To the editor: The field of neuromodulation has experienced incredible growth over the past decade. With the assistance of multidisciplinary collaboration, technological advancements have increased our ability to care for a wider range of patients with chronic pain . And while we still face
Common Sexual Problems of Children and Adolescents

The pediatrician is often expected by families to deal with sexual problems of children and adolescents. The physician should be able to identify problems and to guide parents in more meaningful communication and education of their children. Hopefully, he will be able to identify family conflicts and make the appropriate intervention or referral. He should be aware of his own sexual attitudes so as to avoid having his bias interfere with treatment. The childs behavior should not be isolated, but considered in the context of his family, his peers, and his own growth and development. Often, it is more useful to advise the family than to work with a young child. Adolescents present particular problems because of their conflicts over sexual identity, their reluctance to admit to problems, and frequently a mistrust of adults. They often feel a need for a trusting relationship with an adult, however, and are able to relate to a sensitive, non-judgmental professional.
ASIC STA Path Verification Using Semi-Supervised Learning

To counter manufacturing irregularities and ensure ASIC design integrity, it is essential that robust design verification methods are employed. It is possible to ensure such integrity using ASIC st...
Protein Energy Malnutrition Is Associated with Worse Outcomes in Sepsis-A Nationwide Analysis.

Abstract Background Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), resulting from depleted energy and nutrient stores, compromises the body’s defense systems and may exacerbate sepsis and its impact. However, population-based studies examining the association of PEM on the prevalence and health-care burden of sepsis are lacking. Objective To investigate the relationship between PEM and sepsis, influence of PEM on clinical outcomes of sepsis, and impact of PEM on trends in sepsis mortality. Design The primary study is a retrospective cohort analysis of the 2012-2014 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) patient discharge records. Secondary analyses are cross-sectional study on the 2014 NIS and trend analysis on 2007-2014 NIS. Participants/setting The primary study included adult inpatient hospitalizations for sepsis in the United States. Main outcome measures Mortality, complicated sepsis, and 10 other metrics of clinical outcomes and health care utilization. Statistical analysis First, patients with sepsis (2014 NIS) were stratified into two groups: uncomplicated (without shock) and complicated (with shock). The adjusted odds ratio of having sepsis (total, uncomplicated, and complicated) was estimated with PEM as predictor using logistic regressions (binomial and multinomial). Second, among patients with sepsis (2012-2014 NIS), PEM cases were matched to cases without PEM (no-PEM) using a greedy-algorithm based propensity-matching methodology (1:1), and the outcomes were measured with conditional regression models. Finally, the trend in mortality from sepsis was calculated, stratified by PEM status, as an effect modifier, using Poisson models (2007-2014 NIS). All models accounted for the complex sampling methodology (SAS 9.4). Results In 2014, PEM was associated with higher odds for sepsis (3.97 [3.89 to 4.05], P Conclusions PEM is a risk factor for sepsis and associated with poorer outcomes among patients with sepsis. A concerted effort involving all health care workers in the prevention, identification, and treatment of PEM in community-dwelling people before hospitalization might mitigate against these devastating outcomes.
Multiple separate cases of pseudogenized meiosis genes Msh4 and Msh5 in Eurotiomycete fungi: associations with Zip3 sequence evolution and homothallism, but not Pch2 losses

Abstract The overall process of meiosis is conserved in many species, including some lineages that have lost various ancestrally present meiosis genes. The extent to which individual meiosis gene losses are independent from or dependent on one another is largely unknown. Various Eurotiomycete fungi were investigated as a case system of recent meiosis gene losses after BLAST and synteny comparisons found Msh4, Msh5, Pch2, and Zip3 to be either pseudogenized or undetected in Aspergillus nidulans yet intact in congeners such as A. fumigatus. Flanking gene-targeted degenerate PCR primers applied to 9 additional Aspergillus species found (i) Msh4, Msh5, and Zip3 pseudogenized in A. rugulosus (sister taxon to A. nidulans) but intact in all other amplified sequences; and (ii) Pch2 not present at the syntenic locus in most of the 9 species. Topology tests suggested two independent Pch2 losses in genus Aspergillus, neither directly coinciding with pseudogenization of the other three genes. The A. nidulans-A. conjunctus clade Pch2 loss was not associated with significant Ka/Ks changes for Msh4, Msh5, or Zip3; this suggests against prior Pch2 loss directly altering sequence evolution constraints on these three genes. By contrast, Zip3 Ka/Ks tended to be elevated in several other Eurotiomycete fungi with independently pseudogenized Msh4 and Msh5 (Talaromyces stipitatus, Eurotium herbariorum). The coinciding Ka/Ks elevation and/or clear pseudogenization of Zip3 in taxa with pseudogenized Msh4 and Msh5 is consistent with some degree of molecular coevolution. Possible molecular, environmental, and life history variables (e.g., homothallism) that may be associated with these numerous independent meiosis gene losses (Msh4: 3, Msh5: 3, Zip3: ≥ 1, Pch2: 4) are discussed.
Stochastic Model Predictive Control for Scheduling Charging of Electric Vehicle Fleets with Market Power

With the penetration of electric vehicles in local markets, vehicle-induced electricity demand can cause power grid instability. Collaborative smart charging can help stabilize grid demand and mitigate those issues. This paper formulates charge scheduling when connected vehicles constitute a large portion of instantaneous demand. Allowing coordinated charging to sway electricity price, we formulate a multi-objective stochastic optimization problem to minimize cost while maximizing charge in each car. We model stochastic base electricity demand using a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) and solve the certainty-equivalent stochastic optimization problem. We then implement a stochastic model predictive control (SMPC) algorithm and compare performance between a naive policy, a certainty-equivalent optimized policy, and SMPC on a dataset derived from California ISO-serviced demand.
Top ten discoveries of the year: Neurodegeneration

As we embark on a new year of scientific inquiry in neurodegenerative disease research, it is helpful to take a look back and consider the contributions in the field with the potential to be the most impactful. The purpose of this review is to highlight recent advances in 2019 which have the potential to be transformative in the field of neurodegenerative neuropathology. Substantive scientific progress rarely occurs as a “eureka moment”, and when possible, we opted to highlight collaborative efforts and research trends. We also included groundbreaking methodologies and tools. The generous increases in federal funding in the United States and elsewhere have massively expanded the total number of active programs researching Alzheimer’s disease. This exacerbates an imbalance, and an effort was made to highlight innovations across disease categories, and not to permit dementia to crowd out movement disorders, motor neuron disease, ataxias, etc. Thus, our overall goal was to highlight some of the most important discoveries, tools or methods that we feel will most likely directly enhance our ability to understand and diagnose neurodegenerative brain diseases. Given space limitations and the targeted readership of this journal, we selected ten topics most relevant to neuropathologists and clinical neuroscientists: 1. A new neurodegenerative disease category, 2. A new approach to probing gene expression on the single cell level, 3. A new approach merging histology and gene expression profiling, 4. A new computational approach using deep machine learning and computer vision, 5. A neuropathological substrate for sleep disturbance in Alzheimer’s disease, 6. A candidate pathogenic agent for Alzheimer’s disease, 7. A comprehensive approach to morphometric analysis of cerebellar neurodegeneration, 8. The strongest evidence yet linking neurodegeneration to contact sports, 9. Mounting evidence for gut to central nervous system transmission in Parkinson’s disease, and 10. A spotlight on glia in Huntington’s disease.
Development of a Highly Specific Anti-drug Antibody Assay in Support of a Nanoparticle-based Therapeutic.

PEGylated biotherapeutics can elicit anti-PEG (polyethylene glycol) immune responses in patients treated with this category of drugs. While anti-PEG antibody assays for this class of biotherapeutics have become a common element of the clinical immunogenicity testing strategy, the overall antibody incidence induced by the nanoparticle (NP) delivery system (such as ACCURINS®) has not been fully studied to date. To support the immunogenicity assessment of one of Pfizer’s NP-based therapeutics, consisting of gedatolisib (GEDA) encapsulated in ACCURINS® (GEDA-NP), we developed an anti-GEDA-NP antibody (ADA) assay on the MSD platform for the detection of GEDA-NP induced ADA in human serum. The focus of our strategy was on developing a clinically relevant ADA assay and systematically addressing assay interference through rigorous assay optimization. Our efforts led to a fit-for-purpose assay for the detection of anti-GEDA-NP ADA in serum samples obtained from breast cancer patients. Results from method qualification indicated robust assay performance, as highlighted by inter and intra-assay precision within 25% CV for all controls, and reproducible response profiles across multiple runs during the assessment of assay cut points with breast cancer samples. The assay sensitivity was between 4.3 ng/mL and 123 ng/mL for surrogate positive controls of IgG and IgM isotypes, respectively. Additionally, assay interference from nonspecific matrix proteins and circulating drug was addressed, which ensured accurate assessment of ADA incidence that can be attributed to GEDA-NP.
Ontogeny and potential function of poacher armor (Actinopterygii: Agonidae)

Many vertebrates are armored over all or part of their body. The armor may serve several functional roles including defense, offense, visual display, and signal of experience/capability. Different roles imply different tradeoffs; for example, defensive armor usually trades resistance to attack for maneuverability. The poachers (Agonidae), 47 species of scorpaeniform fishes, are a useful system for understanding the evolution and function of armor due to their variety and extent of armoring. Using publically available CT-scan data from 27 species in 16 of 21 genera of poachers we compared the armor to axial skeletal in the mid body region. The ratio of average armor density to average skeleton density ranged from 0.77 to 1.17. From a defensive point of view, the total investment in mineralization (volume * average density) is more interesting. There was 10 times the material invested in the armor as in the endoskeleton in some small, smooth plated species, like Aspidophoroides olrikii. At the low end, some visually arresting species like Percis japonica, had ratios as low as 2:1. We categorized the extent and type (impact vs. abrasion) in 34 Agonopsis vulsa across all 35+ plates in the eight rows along the body. The ventral rows show abrasive damage along the entire length of the fish that gets worse with age. Impact damage to head and tail plates gets more severe and occurs at higher rates with age. The observed damage rates and the large investment in mineralization of the armor suggest that it is not just for show, but is a functional defensive structure. We cannot say what the armor is defense against, but the abrasive damage on the ventrum implies their benthic lifestyle involves rubbing on the substrate. The impact damage could result from predatory attacks or from intraspecific combat.
Racial Disparity in Pancreatoduodenectomy for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Previous studies have found racial disparity in pancreatectomies for resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate if racial disparities were worse in the performance of pancreaticoduodenectomy for borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This study used the National Cancer Database (2004–2016) and included patients with non-metastatic and head of the pancreas borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Multivariable, Poisson regression models with robust standard errors evaluated the relative risk (RR) of undergoing a pancreaticoduodenectomy among non-White patients (Black, Asian, and non-White Hispanic) compared with White patients. A Poisson regression model with hospital fixed effects was performed to evaluate if findings were due to within-hospital or between-hospital variation. Interaction between race and neoadjuvant therapy was also evaluated. There were 15,482 patients (median age 68 years, interquartile range 60–76 years; 48.6% male) with borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma who were predominantly White (84.3%, n = 13,058; non-White, 15.7%, n = 2424). Overall, 18.4% (n = 2853) had a pancreatic resection. Non-White patients had a significantly lower likelihood of undergoing a pancreatic resection for borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma when compared with White patients (RR 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.68–0.83; p < 0.001). These findings persisted in the hospital fixed-effects model. In the interaction analysis, there were no significant differences in the likelihood of pancreatic resection if patients received neoadjuvant therapy. Non-White patients were 25% less likely to undergo a pancreatic resection for borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma compared with White patients. This racial disparity was due to variation in care within-hospitals and disappeared if non-White patients were treated with neoadjuvant therapy.
Evolution of the Primary Aldosteronism Syndrome: Updating the Approach

Context New approaches are needed to address the evolution of the primary aldosteronism syndrome and to increase its recognition. Herein, we review evidence indicating that primary aldosteronism is a prevalent syndrome that is mostly unrecognized, and present a pragmatic and pathophysiology-based approach to improve diagnosis and treatment. Methods Evidence was gathered from published guidelines and studies identified from PubMed by searching for primary aldosteronism, aldosterone, renin, and hypertension. This evidence was supplemented by the authors' personal knowledge, research experience, and clinical encounters in primary aldosteronism. Interpretation of evidence Renin-independent aldosterone production is a prevalent phenotype that is diagnosed as primary aldosteronism when severe in magnitude, but is largely unrecognized when milder in severity. Renin-independent aldosterone production can be detected in normotensive and hypertensive individuals, and the magnitude of this biochemical phenotype parallels the magnitude of blood pressure elevation, the risk for incident hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and the likelihood and magnitude of blood pressure reduction with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist therapy. Expansion of the indications to screen for primary aldosteronism, combined with the use of a pathophysiology-based approach that emphasizes inappropriate aldosterone production in the context of renin suppression, will substantially increase the diagnostic and therapeutic yields for primary aldosteronism. Conclusions The landscape of primary aldosteronism has evolved to recognize that it is a prevalent syndrome of renin-independent aldosterone production that contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Expanding screening indications and simplifying the diagnostic approach will enable implementation of targeted treatment for primary aldosteronism.
Knowledge utilization in the regulatory state: an empirical examination of Schrefler’s typology

When and how do regulatory agencies use expert knowledge? Schrefler (2010. “The Usage of Scientific Knowledge by Independent Regulatory Agencies.” Governance 23: 309–330; 2013. Economic Knowledge i...
Drivers of Landscape Change

Across the globe, many Social-Technical-Ecological-Systems (STES) are buffeted by anthropogenic changes that often exceed the changes experienced by a STES in many generations. These changes are happening rapidly and challenge the capacity of a STES to adapt and anticipate the future. There are many drivers of landscape change, for example: Climate change is altering the abiotic foundations of many systems; land-use change is shifting the primary human use(s) of landscapes; land degradation is causing a loss of landscape functioning; invasive and exotic plants or animals have the capacity to quickly disrupt existing ecological networks; natural disturbance regimes are shifting. These changes are causing, or may soon cause, changes in landscape values and identity. The rate of change will be determined by both natural and managed resistance and resilience.
UN Peacekeeping As Intervention by Invitation. Host State Consent and the Use of Force in Security Council-Mandated Stabilization Operations

Contemporary UN peacekeeping missions often have Chapter VII mandates and wide authorizations to use force, notably to protect civilians. Since 2010, however, the Security Council has created a new generation of stabilization missions to support host governments. Peacekeepers in these missions are expected not only to protect civilians but also to combat armed groups, sometimes jointly with state security forces. While this may seem like just the next step in the UN’s gradual drift from traditional to robust peacekeeping, this article argues that stabilization constitutes a more radical departure from conventional doctrines on the use of force by peacekeepers. In fact, stabilization should be understood as a distinct form of UN-mandated intervention by invitation.
Are breastfeeding intention and choice associated with contraceptive choice

Background: Both breastfeeding and child spacing benefit infant and maternal health, however there is overlap between risk factors for not exclusively breast feeding and for short interval pregnancy, including socioeconomic status, educational level, race and ethnicity, and younger age. Our aim was to determine if prenatal infant feeding and contraceptive intentions were predictive of postpartum choice, and to examine the relationship of breastfeeding to contraceptive choice. Methods: We previously surveyed expectant publicly-insured women about infant feeding and contraceptive intentions; this follow up study recorded their feeding and contraceptive choices postpartum in-hospital and at the postpartum …
The Psychology of Aging

Developmental psychology has investi-gated a multitude of developmentalphenomena in different phases of thelife span and in multiple domains offunctioning. However, the resultingknowledge about human development ingeneral and aging in particular continuesto be fragmented, with relatively littleconnection across disparate strands ofresearch and different research traditions(Baltes,Lindenberger,Staudinger,inpress;Magnusson, 1996). Informed by work ofothers (e.g., Baltes, 1997; Freund & Baltes,2000; Marsiske et al., 1995), a centralobjective of this chapter is to use theconceptual framework of selection, opti-mization, and compensation (SOC; Baltes& Baltes, 1990) as a tool for integratingresearch on adaptive resource allocationin life span development. In addition, wepropose that the SOC framework helpsopen up promising research directions,especially if attempts are made to studythe interplay of SOC mechanisms from adynamic systems perspective.In line with the scope of the SOCframework, the general approach takenin this chapter is inherently life spandevelopmental(e.g.,Baltes etal.,inpress).Our speciﬁc focus, however, is on lateradulthood and old age. We start byintroducing prominent contemporaryconceptual frameworks of developmentalregulation. In this context, we commenton the beneﬁts and limitations of theresource metaphor for studying develop-mental regulation, given that resource-allocation mechanisms play a prominentrole in all considered frameworks. Thenwe describe the SOC framework in moredetail and conclude that this frameworkmayserveasaheuristictoolforarrivingata more integrated picture of human devel-opment and aging. We elaborate thisclaim in two major ways. First, we makeuse ofSOC to integrate evidence ofa greatvariety of different resource allocationprocesses. Here, we selectively reviewconceptual approaches and recent empiri-cal ﬁndings in two research domains:(a) motivational–volitional processes and(b) cognitive–sensorimotor functioning.
Using contingent behavior analysis to measure benefits from rural electrification in developing countries: an example from Rwanda

Hundreds of millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to electricity and will not receive it from national grids in the next few decades. Electricity makes up an important component of rural development and so increasing access can have positive socioeconomic benefits. In this study, we use contingent behavior analysis to quantify the potential benefits of electricity in rural Rwandan villages which currently do not have electricity. The proposed method allows for calculation of net benefits as well as electricity bills. We find that even relatively poor, isolated households would pay for electricity, though amounts vary across households and this affects the financial viability of electrification. Common uses for electricity include lighting, battery charging, and agricultural processing. Despite heterogeneity, opportunities exist to improve rural economic welfare through increased electricity access.
External and Internal Factors Affecting the Tendency to Import

Abstract A critical, missing link in our understanding of export marketing is the nature of customer demand. This study examines the effects of internal and external scale economies upon the propensity to import. By examining results of exporting studies with the predictions of advances in trade theory and economic geography, this study finds that large manufacturing firms are more likely to import than small ones, urban manufacturing firms are more likely to import than rural ones, and manufacturing firms in geographically concentrated industries are more likely to import than those in dispersed industries. These findings may help export marketers understand the import behavior of firms who purchase intermediate and semi-finished goods.
Abstract 17: One Avocado Per Day Lowers Plasma Oxidized-LDL and Increases Plasma Antioxidants in Overweight and Obese Adults

Background: Avocados are a nutrient dense source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and also are high in antioxidants. A previous study has shown that avocados have additional LDL-C lowering effects beyond their MUFA content, especially on small, dense LDL particles, which are susceptible to oxidation in vivo. However, there is little information about the effects of avocados on oxidative stress. Methods and Result: A randomized, cross-over, controlled feeding trial was conducted with 45 healthy, but overweight or obese participants with a baseline LDL-C in the 25-90th percentile. Three cholesterol-lowering diets (6-7% SFA) were fed (for 5 weeks each): a lower-fat diet (LF: 24% fat); two moderate fat diets (34% fat) that provided similar foods and were matched for macronutrients and fatty acids: the avocado diet (AV) included one fresh Hass avocado (136 g) per day whereas the moderate fat diet (MF) used high oleic acid oils mainly to match the fatty acid content of one avocado. Compared to the baseline...
Prevalence of antigen-specific immunoglobulin E on mucosal brush biopsy of the inferior turbinates in patients with nonallergic rhinitis.

Background This study investigates the prevalence of local, antigen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) from mucosal brush biopsy (MBB) of the inferior turbinates in people diagnosed with chronic, idiopathic, nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) based on negative skin and/or in vitro testing. Methods A standard cytology brush was used to harvest epithelial cells from the inferior turbinates of 20 adults. These cells were then processed and tested for the presence of total and antigen-specific IgE to 9 common aeroallergens using immunofluorescence. The relationships between detectable IgE and quality of life (QOL), self-reported seasonal symptoms and season of specimen collection were determined. Results Antigen-specific IgE for at least 1 antigen was detected on MBB in all of 20 (100%) study participants with a mean of approximately 3 sensitizations per participant. IgE to cockroach was present in 18 of 20 (90%) participants. There was no significant association noted between QOL scores or self-reported seasonal symptoms and the presence of specific IgE to any of the study antigens, although the presence of white oak and ragweed IgE was significantly higher in patients tested during the pollen season. Conclusion This study demonstrated that, using MBB of the inferior turbinates, antigen-specific IgE to at least 1 airborne allergen is detectable in 100% of the idiopathic, NAR study population. This rate of sensitization is notably higher than previous reports, suggesting that the prevalence of atopic disease in the general population may be higher than current estimates. Testing for local sensitization should be considered as part of the complete evaluation for atopic disease.
Study of the switching performance and EMI signature of SiC MOSFETs under the influence of parasitic inductance in an automotive DC-DC converter

With low loss, fast switching speed, and high temperature capabilities, silicon carbide (SiC) based devices are beneficial to the automotive power converters in terms of efficiency increase and size reduction. Nevertheless, as a result of fast switching transitions and low on-state resistance of SiC devices, they are prone to overshoots and oscillations on switching waveforms, with the presence of parasitic inductances in the circuit. The overshoots and oscillations further contribute to increased EMI emissions. This paper aims at studying the influence of parasitic inductances on switching performance of SiC MOSFETs and corresponding EMI signatures in automotive DC-DC converters.
Deference to Tax Agencies' Interpretations of Their Regulations

This installment closes a loop begun in the last installment of this column. We have been exploring the degrees of deference accorded by the courts to interpretations and positions taken by state and local revenue agencies. The last installment examined conditional deference doctrines, that is, deference specific to particular situations or conditioned on the existence of particular conditions. That installment noted one line of conditional deference, applying to cases in which agencies are interpreting their own regulations. This is often called Auer deference, after one of the most prominent cases of the line. Because of the richness of the Auer line of cases, we deferred exploration of it to this installment.
Incorporating knowledge of topology improves reconstruction of interaction networks from microarray data

Reconstruction of biological interaction networks from high-throughput experimental data is one of the most challenging problems in bioinformatics.These networks have specific topologies, whose characteristics aredefined by evolutionary relationships between proteins and the physical limitationsimposed on proteins interacting in three-dimensional space. In this study,a method is proposed applying the topology of known biological networks tothe analysis of microarray data for protein-protein binding interactions. In thismethod, genomic biological networks are derived from the body of publishedscientific literature. The numbers of interacting neighbors for proteins of specificmolecular functions are observed. That information is used in the analysisof microarray expression data to regenerate biological networks using a rankbasedalgorithm, Gene Ontology Restricted Value Neighborhood (GRV-N).The results of this analysis demonstrate that incorporating knowledge of networktopology improves the ability of expression analysis to reconstruct interactionnetworks with a high degree of biological relevance.
Gender and Perceptions of Success among Neighborhood Association Activists

Several recent studies have revealed that male and female activists proffer markedly different evaluations of their neighborhood organizations. The authors attempt to examine the impact of various factors, including gender, on perceptions of success among neighborhood association activists. Drawing on survey data collected from neighborhood association activists in Austin, Texas, their study examines the impact of activist experience, political efficacy, and neighborhood context on men's and women's perceptions of organizational success. Their findings reveal that (1) despite remarkably similar background characteristics, female activists are more likely to perceive their neighborhood association as being successful ; (2) both male and female activists' sense of political efficacy and time commitments to their association are positively related to perceived success ; (3) a decline in property values negatively affects male perceptions of success while a decline in neighborhood appearance negatively affects female perceptions of success ; and (4) there are gender differences in the effect of length of residence in the neighborhood. The research findings cast doubt on unqualified evaluations of neighborhood associations as ungendered organizations and highlight some theoretical shortcomings in the community of limited liability approach to neighborhood interaction
Promise and Paradox: Measuring Students' Non-Cognitive Skills and the Impact of Schooling.

We used self-report surveys to gather information on a broad set of non-cognitive skills from 1,368 eighth graders. At the student level, scales measuring conscientiousness, self-control, grit, and growth mindset are positively correlated with attendance, behavior, and test-score gains between fourth grade and eighth grade. Conscientiousness, self-control, and grit are unrelated to test-score gains at the school level, however, and students attending over-subscribed charter schools score lower on these scales than do students attending district schools. Exploiting admissions lotteries, we find positive impacts of charter school attendance on achievement and attendance but negative impacts on these non-cognitive skills. We provide suggestive evidence that these paradoxical results are driven by reference bias or the tendency for survey responses to be influenced by social context.
Using Science to Bridge Management and Policy: Terracette Hydrologic Function and Water Quality Best Management Practices in Idaho☆

On The Ground Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is a leading cause of water quality degradation on 40% of the semiarid lands within the western United States, with sediment from runoff on agricultural lands making up 15%. Managing NPS pollution through best management practices (BMPs) relies on site-specific knowledge and voluntary application. The dominant hydrologic processes in semiarid environments are a product of local climate, vegetation, and soil conditions; therefore, land use and ecosystem resilience invariably hinge on a balance of shifting, and often competing, social and environmental drivers. Our measurements of terracette hydrologic function and existence on more than 159,000 hectares within Idaho enabled an estimate of potential NPS erosion and sediment generation, emphasizing the value of site-specific scientific research for land managers. Our study provides an example of how microtopographic landforms, such as terracettes, are connected with state and federal clean water policy as one exa...
Application of the Hilbert-Huang Transform to the Search for Gravitational Waves

We present the application of a novel method of time-series analysis, the Hilbert-Huang Transform, to the search for gravitational waves. This algorithm is adaptive and does not impose a basis set on the data, and thus the time-frequency decomposition it provides is not limited by time-frequency uncertainty spreading. Because of its high time-frequency resolution it has important applications to both signal detection and instrumental characterization. Applications to the data analysis of the ground and space based gravitational wave detectors, LIGO and LISA, are described.
Salmonellas in Poultry Feeds—A Worldwide Review

During the past 20 years a vast literature has accumulated concerning the occurrence of salmonellas in poultry feeds. This review, an annotated bibliography of 224 references, brings recent finding...
Interactions of the Human LIP5 Regulatory Protein with Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) pathway remodels membranes during multivesicular body biogenesis, the abscission stage of cytokinesis, and enveloped virus budding. The ESCRT-III and VPS4 ATPase complexes catalyze the membrane fission events associated with these processes, and the LIP5 protein helps regulate their interactions by binding directly to a subset of ESCRT-III proteins and to VPS4. We have investigated the biochemical and structural basis for different LIP5-ligand interactions and show that the first microtubule-interacting and trafficking (MIT) module of the tandem LIP5 MIT domain binds CHMP1B (and other ESCRT-III proteins) through canonical type 1 MIT-interacting motif (MIM1) interactions. In contrast, the second LIP5 MIT module binds with unusually high affinity to a novel MIM element within the ESCRT-III protein CHMP5. A solution structure of the relevant LIP5-CHMP5 complex reveals that CHMP5 helices 5 and 6 and adjacent linkers form an amphipathic "leucine collar" that wraps almost completely around the second LIP5 MIT module but makes only limited contacts with the first MIT module. LIP5 binds MIM1-containing ESCRT-III proteins and CHMP5 and VPS4 ligands independently in vitro, but these interactions are coupled within cells because formation of stable VPS4 complexes with both LIP5 and CHMP5 requires LIP5 to bind both a MIM1-containing ESCRT-III protein and CHMP5. Our studies thus reveal how the tandem MIT domain of LIP5 binds different types of ESCRT-III proteins, promoting assembly of active VPS4 enzymes on the polymeric ESCRT-III substrate.
Beyond the bisexual bridge: sexual health among U.S. men who have sex with men and women.

Context Men who have sex with both men and women (MSMW) experience health problems in ways that distinguish them from men who only have sex with men (MSM) and men who only have sex with women (MSW). Historically, an undue focus on MSMW’s potential role in transmitting HIV to women has resulted in limited understanding of these men’s unique sexual health needs. This article discusses the sexual health of MSMW in the U.S. Evidence acquisition The author searched PubMed, Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, and GoogleScholar to acquire peer-reviewed studies pertaining to MSMW that were published during January 2008 and December 2013. Reference lists for these studies provided additional studies not acquired through this search. Evidence synthesis MSMW are more likely than MSW to be infected with HIV. MSMW may be at increased risk for some other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared with both MSW and MSM. Some factors that affect their sexual health include unprotected sex, early sexual debut, forced sexual encounters, increased numbers of sexual partners, substance use, exchange sex, risk behaviors of their male and female partners, and pregnancy-related considerations. These factors uniquely shape MSMW’s vulnerability to HIV/STIs and other sexual health problems. Anti-bisexual sentiment, socioeconomic marginalization, culturally specific masculine ideologies, and sexual identity can negatively influence their sexual partnerships and likelihood of disease acquisition. Conclusions Risk-reduction interventions alone are likely insufficient to improve MSMW’s sexual health. Efforts should also address the social contexts affecting MSMW in order to decrease HIV/STI vulnerability and mitigate other barriers to MSMW’s sexual health.
Ultrafast room temperature NH3 sensing with positively gated reduced graphene oxide field-effect transistors.

Reduced graphene oxide (R-GO) under a positive gate potential (n-type conductance) exhibits an instantaneous response and fast recovery for NH3 sensing, far superior to the performance in p-mode at zero/negative gate potential. Our findings have important implications for fast, repeatable, room temperature gas detection using graphene/R-GO.
Regulation of xenobiotic metabolism, the only signaling function of α-tocopherol?

There is growing concern based on meta-analyses of clinical trials using vitamin E supplements that these supplements increase the risk of all-cause mortality in humans. My laboratory has been investigating the metabolism and disposition of "excess" vitamin E. This review focuses on the various mechanisms that prevent vitamin E intoxication. Non-alpha-tocopherols are aggressively metabolized thereby preventing their tissue accumulation and limiting increases in their plasma concentrations. Moreover, "excess" alpha-tocopherol is also metabolized and its concentrations are limited. The mechanisms for this limitation do not seem to be specific for vitamin E, but rather are general xenobiotic pathways. We suggest that the most relevant cytochrome P450-mediated pathway is the one that is most important for the regulation and activation of vitamin K, specifically the one dependent on CYP4F2.
Problems and paradigms: Is segmentation generic?

When two populations of cells within a tissue mass differ from one another in magnitude or type of intercellular adhesions, a boundary can form within the tissue, across which cells will fail to mix. This phenomenon may occur regardless of the identity of the molecules that mediate cell adhesion. If, in addition, a choice between the two adhesive states is regulated by a molecule the concentration of which is periodic in space, or in time, then alternating bands of non-mixing tissue, or segments, can form. But temporal or spatial periodicities in concentration will tend to arise for any molecule that is positively autoregu-latory. It is therefore proposed that segmentation is a ‘generic’ property of metazoan organisms, and that metamerism would be expected to have emerged numerous times during evolution. A simple model of segmentation, based solely on differential adhesion and periodic regulation of adhesion, can account for segment properties as disparate as those seen in long and short germ band insects, and for diverse experimental results on boundary regeneration in the chick hind brain and the insect cuticle. It is suggested that the complex, multicom-ponent segment-forming systems found in contemporary organisms (e.g., Drosophila) are the products of evolutionary recruitment of molecular cues such as homeobox gene products, that increase the reliability and stability of metameric patterns originally templated by generic self-organizing properties of tissues.
Panic attacks and psychopathology among youth

Objective: To determine the association between panic attacks and mental disorders among youth in the community. Method: Data were drawn from the Methods for the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders study (n = 1285), a community-based sample of youth aged 9–17. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between panic attacks and the range of mental disorders, diagnosed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children 2.3. Results: Panic attacks were prevalent among 3.3% of the sample. Panic attacks were associated with an increased likelihood of any anxiety disorders [OR = 4.6 (2.5, 8.5)] and any affective disorder [OR = 5.8 (2.8, 11.7)], as well as social phobia [OR = 2.3 (1.0, 5.4)], specific phobia [OR = 3.4 (1.1, 10.1)], agoraphobia [OR = 2.9 (1.1, 7.6)], generalized anxiety disorder [OR = 4.8 (1.9, 12.1)], separation anxiety disorder [OR = 3.1 (1.3, 7.7)], major depression [OR = 3.6 (1.6, 8.3)], dysthymia [OR = 6.7 (2.9, 15.5)], and hypomania [OR = 26.1 (5.5, 124.1)]. Conclusion: These data are consistent with, and extend, previous clinical findings by showing that panic attacks are associated with increased likelihood of a range of affective and anxiety disorders, but not substance use disorders, among youth in the community. The use of longitudinal study designs in future investigations may be useful in increasing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these associations.
Purification and characterization of NAD-dependent lactate dehydrogenase from Rhizopus oryzae.

Abstract NAD-dependent lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) of Rhizopus oryzae NRRL 395 was purified 175-fold with a yield of 63% by ammonium sulfate fractionation and Polybuffer exchanger 94 chromatofocusing. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of > 15 units per mg protein, and its sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) pattern showed only one protein band. As estimated by gel filtration, the molecular weight of the native enzyme was 131 000 daltons, and as determined by SDS-PAGE, that of a subunit was 36 000 daltons. The purified enzyme was stable at room temperature. The optimal pH was about 7·5 and the isoelectric point (pI), as determined by chromatofocusing, was about 5·2. The K m values for NADH, pyruvate, and 2-oxobutyrate were 1·48, 6·40, and 54·4 × 10 −4 M, respectively. Activity was inhibited by Cd 2+ , Fe 2+ , Hg 2+ , Pb 2+ and Zn 2+ , but not by EDTA.
FC01-05 Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated psychological problems in Qatari’s female population

Background Dissatisfaction with body weight and the use of unhealthy weight reduction practices have been reported among adolescents. Objective The aim of the present study was to examine the severity of dieting and its association with obesity, body satisfaction and psychological problems in female adolescents. Subjects A representative sample of 800 girls aged 14-19 years were approached during the period October to December 2004 and 566 girls gave consent and participated in the study, thus giving a response rate of 70.8%. Methods Self-reports were obtained from 566 teenage girls using the Adolescent Dieting Scale (ADS) and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) for psychopathology. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity for female adolescents were 13.4% vs 1.8%;-; 39.9% were intermediate dieters, and 8.3% were extreme dieters. Dieting was not associated with age but was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) (p=0.045). Extreme dieting was strongly associated with peer perception of respondent's figure (p Conclusion The present study revealed strong evidence for the association between frequent dieting and overweight, body image dissatisfaction and psychological problems among adolescent females.
Coordinating informal and formal aspects of mathematics : student behavior and textbook messages

In this paper I illustrate difficulties students have coordinating informal and formal aspects of mathematics. I also discuss two ways in which precalculus and calculus textbooks treat mathematics that may make this coordination difficult: emphasizing the informal at the expense of the formal and emphasizing the formal at the expense of the informal. By looking at student difficulties in light of textbook treatments, we see evidence that student difficulties are not merely developmental. Students are not given many opportunities to make the kinds of connections which, while difficult, are an essential component of mathematical thinking.
Ultrasound-Guided Catheterization of the Radial Artery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background Ultrasound guidance commonly is used for the placement of central venous catheters (CVCs). The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recommends the use of ultrasound for CVC placement as one of its 11 practices to improve patient care. Despite increased access to portable ultrasound machines and comfort with ultrasound-guided CVC access, fewer clinicians are familiar with ultrasound-guided techniques of arterial catheterization. The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the utility of real-time two-dimensional ultrasound guidance for radial artery catheterization. Methods A comprehensive literature search of Medline, Excerpta Medica Database, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials by two independent reviewers identified prospective, randomized controlled trials comparing ultrasound guidance with traditional palpation techniques of radial artery catheterization. Data were extracted on study design, study size, operator and patient characteristics, and the rate of first-attempt success. A meta-analysis was constructed to analyze the data. Results Four trials with a total of 311 subjects were included in the review, with 152 subjects included in the palpation group and 159 in the ultrasound-guided group. Compared with the palpation method, ultrasound guidance for arterial catheterization was associated with a 71% improvement in the likelihood of first-attempt success (relative risk, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.25-2.32). Conclusions The use of real-time two-dimensional ultrasound guidance for radial artery catheterization improved first-pass success rate.