cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A clinician's guide to tissue Doppler imaging.

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is a relatively new echocardiographic technique that uses Doppler principles to measure the velocity of myocardial motion. We describe the principles behind and the clinical utility of TDI. Doppler echocardiography relies on detection of the shift in frequency of ultrasound signals reflected from moving objects. With this principle, conventional Doppler techniques assess the velocity of blood flow by measuring high-frequency, low-amplitude signals from small, fast-moving blood cells. In TDI, the same Doppler principles are used to quantify the higher-amplitude, lower-velocity signals of myocardial tissue motion. There are important limitations to TD interrogation. As with all Doppler techniques, TDI measures only the vector of motion that is parallel to the direction of the ultrasound beam. In addition, TDI measures absolute tissue velocity and is unable to discriminate passive motion (related to translation or tethering) from active motion (fiber shortening or lengthening). The emerging technology of Doppler strain imaging provides a means to differentiate true contractility from passive myocardial motion by looking at relative changes in tissue velocity. TDI can be performed in pulsed-wave and color modes. Pulsed-wave TDI is used to measure peak myocardial velocities and is particularly well suited to the measurement of long-axis ventricular motion because the longitudinally oriented endocardial fibers are most parallel to the ultrasound beam in the apical views. Because the apex remains relatively stationary throughout the cardiac cycle, mitral annular motion is a good surrogate measure of overall longitudinal left ventricular (LV) contraction and relaxation.1 To measure longitudinal myocardial velocities, the sample volume is placed in the ventricular myocardium immediately adjacent to the mitral annulus. The cardiac …
Sexing Turkeys from Hatching to Maturity

Abstract REQUESTS from turkey growers stimulated an investigation into the possibility of determining the sex of day-old turkey poults. As a result, a simple method has been developed which can be applied to turkeys at any age from hatching to maturity. The method given in this paper is very similar to that used in determining the sex of baby chicks as presented by Shrader, Burrows, and Hammond (1934) and discussed by Jull (1934). It depends upon the appearance of the genital papillae in the vent. The steps in the method are given in a logical order for the benefit of those who may wish to learn or demonstrate it. For the greatest accuracy it is desirable to select a comfortable place to work where strong non-glaring light, such as sunlight, strong daylight, or light from a 200 watt daylight blue bulb is available. The day-old poult is picked up with the . . .
Reactions of transition metal peroxides with n-butyllithium

SUMMARY The ease with which lithium n-butoxide is formed on reaction of n-butyllithium with several peroxy metal compounds decreases in the order MoO(Or)2'HMPA, CrO(O2)2'Py > (Ph3P)3Pt02, (PhrP)rIr(CO)(Or )I ;Nar02. Isotopic labeling experiments confirm that the "peroxy" oxygen atoms are those incorporated into lithium n-butoxide from Mo18o(or)r'HMPA. Reaction of (PhrP)rPto, with nbutyllithium at low temperature yields (Ph.P)rPtBu,: no lithium n-butoxide is formed. The peroxide ion is apparently displaced during this reaction by nucleophilic attack at the platinum atom by n-butyllithium. These observations provide further evidence indicating that the electrophilicity of the peroxy oxygen atoms of d8 and d10 transition metal-oxygen complexes is much lower than that of the peroxymolybdenum(VI) and -chromium(VI) reagents.
What are the barriers to scaling up health interventions in low and middle income countries? A qualitative study of academic leaders in implementation science.

Most low and middle income countries (LMICs) are currently not on track to reach the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). One way to accelerate progress would be through the large-scale implementation of evidence-based health tools and interventions. This study aimed to: (a) explore the barriers that have impeded such scale-up in LMICs, and (b) lay out an “implementation research agenda”—a series of key research questions that need to be addressed in order to help overcome such barriers. Interviews were conducted with fourteen key informants, all of whom are academic leaders in the field of implementation science, who were purposively selected for their expertise in scaling up in LMICs. Interviews were transcribed by hand and manually coded to look for emerging themes related to the two study aims. Barriers to scaling up, and unanswered research questions, were organized into six categories, representing different components of the scaling up process: attributes of the intervention; attributes of the implementers; scale-up approach; attributes of the adopting community; socio-political, fiscal, and cultural context; and research context. Factors impeding the success of scale-up that emerged from the key informant interviews, and which are areas for future investigation, include: complexity of the intervention and lack of technical consensus; limited human resource, leadership, management, and health systems capacity; poor application of proven diffusion techniques; lack of engagement of local implementers and of the adopting community; and inadequate integration of research into scale-up efforts. Key steps in expanding the evidence base on implementation in LMICs include studying how to: simplify interventions; train “scale-up leaders” and health workers dedicated to scale-up; reach and engage communities; match the best delivery strategy to the specific health problem and context; and raise the low profile of implementation science.
Staging a Career, Staging a Life: Strategies for Retirement

I am not going to talk a lot about my career (I have written about it. ) I started working at the age of 16 and retired early at the age of 58. So I worked for 42 years, including several years as a secretary in academia before I was able to go to school and get a graduate education; I got my Ph.D. at the age of 34. I taught for 25 years at Georgia State University.
Heparin-Bonded Polytetrafluorethylene Does Not Improve Hemodialysis Arteriovenous Graft Function.

Background Heparin-bonded polytetrafluorethylene (hep PTFE), when compared with standard PTFE, has been shown to have a modest improvement in distal extremity bypass grafts. The data supporting its usage for dialysis access are less clear. We compared the patency rates, number of interventions, and complications between hep PTFE grafts and nonheparin-bonded PTFE (nonhep PTFE) grafts placed for dialysis access. Methods A retrospective review of all dialysis access procedures between January 2013 and March 2014 entered into a prospectively maintained vascular surgery database was performed. Our primary end point was functional graft patency. Secondary end points were primary, primary assisted, and secondary patency, as well as time to graft abandonment, and number of procedures required to maintain or restore graft patency. The number of interventions required to maintain graft patency and graft-related complications were also reviewed. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to compare the 2 groups. Results Between January 2013 and March 2014, 301-dialysis access procedures were performed, which included 70 arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) comprised 32 hep PTFE (32, 6-mm straight grafts) and 38 nonhep PTFE (35, 4–7-mm taper and 3, 6-mm straight). Mean follow-up was 7.35 ± 5.15 months. At 1 year, Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that functional patency between hep PTFE and nonhep PTFE AVG were 60% and 75%, respectively ( P = 0.37). Primary and secondary patencies were not significantly different between groups; however, primary-assisted patency was significantly improved at 1 year (hep PTFE versus nonhep PTFE: 50% vs. 80%; P = 0.02). The number of hep PTFE grafts undergoing percutaneous thrombectomy was significantly higher than the nonhep PTFE grafts (11 vs. 2; P = 0.009). The incidence and time to graft abandonment were not statistically different. The same was true for the number of complications between the 2 groups. Multivariate analysis showed nonhep PTFE AVG to be advantageous for primary and primary-assisted patency. Conclusions We did not demonstrate a benefit to the routine use of hep PTFE for AVG creation especially given the higher cost of these grafts. Functional patency rates were not improved, and the rates of reintervention and thrombectomy were higher with hep PTFE AVGs.
How Proper Is Sequential Equilibrium

Abstract A strategy profile of a normal form game is proper if and only if it is quasi-perfect in every extensive form (with that normal form). Thus, properness requires optimality along a sequence of supporting trembles, while sequentiality only requires optimality in the limit. A decision-theoretic implementation of sequential rationality, strategic independence respecting equilibrium (SIRE), is defined and compared to proper equilibrium, using lexicographic probability systems. Finally, we give tremble-based characterizations, which do not involve structural features of the game, of the rankings of strategies that underlie proper equilibrium and SIRE. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C70, C72.
Patients' willingness to pay for pharmaceutical care.

Abstract Objective To determine the level at which patients receive pharmaceutical care services and their willingness to pay for comprehensive pharmaceutical care services. Design A mail survey was sent to 2,500 adults in the United States. Setting Surveys were mailed to subjects' homes. Patients or Other Participants Subjects were randomly selected from a marketing database that included representation from each of the 50 states of the United States. Intervention(s) The survey provided a description of comprehensive pharmaceutical care, and survey items asked about the level of care subjects were receiving and their willingness to pay for these services. Main Outcome Measures Level of various pharmacy services subjects reported receiving, and the dollar amount subjects were willing to pay for comprehensive pharmaceutical care. Results The majority of the subjects were not receiving pharmaceutical care services. The average amount all respondents were willing to pay for these services was $13 for a one-time consultation and $28 for this plus 1 year of monitoring. Looking only at those respondents willing to pay (56%), the means rise to $23 and $50, respectively. Conclusion A majority of patients are willing to pay for pharmaceutical care services, even if they are not now receiving this level of care. Direct payment from patients who recognize the therapeutic benefits of pharmaceutical care may be a more viable option than is generally believed, at least until the profession can prove pharmaceutical care's utility and cost-effectiveness to third party payers.
Maintenance of gonads of Xenopus laevis in organ cultures.

SummaryOur study indicates that ovaries and testes, from larvae of Xenopus laevis, placed in organ cultures show progressive development, but gonads removed from larvae prior to or during time of sex differentiation do not differentiate in vitro. Older larval testes retain their normal male characteristics even on a medium containing estradiol. Chorionic gonadotropins stimulate rete apparatus of both ovaries and testes in organ cultures as well as in intact animals.
Philosophical Exemplars: Gertrude Stein's Audiences

Analyse de la distance entre l'exemple et l'exemplaire, a travers l'etude de l'ecriture et de l'auditoire chez G. Stein, de l'ecriture et de la science chez Derrida, de la science et de la musique chez Husserl. Examinant les notions d'internalite et d'externalite, l'A. montre que le modele precede l'exemple et qu'il souligne la preseance structurelle du donne-a-l'auditoire
Diurnal Cycles of Gastric Motility in Normal and Fasted Turkeys

Strain gage transducers were chronically implanted on the muscular stomachs of 12 young turkeys to study diurnal patterns of gastric motility. Continuous recordings were made for several days before and after a period of two or three days of fasting. Pronounced diurnal cycles in gastric motility were observed in which the frequency and amplitude of gastric contractions were increased during the daylight and depressed during darkness. Fasting caused a reduction in both frequency and amplitude and, during fasting, the diurnal cycles were somewhat obscured. Motility improved upon refeeding and cycles were agina apparent. The diurnal cycles appeared to be at least partially regulated by an intrinsic biological rhythm.
What is Meant by Services

The marketing discipline has been concerned primarily with GOODS. Yet SERVICES are claiming an increasing share of the consumer's dollar. This author argues that marketing people should direct more...
Detection Results of Pastry Food in Shuyang County during 2006—2008

[Objective]To understand the food hygiene situation of pastry food produced by food production enterprises in Shuyang,provide scientific basis for hygiene supervision and hygienic evaluation.[Methods]The hygienic bacterium and pathogenic bacteria were detected in pastry food samples collected from 142 food production enterprises in Shuyang during 2006—2008.[Results]Among 717 pastry food samples,hygienic indicator of 625 samples reached the nation standard,with qualified rate of 87.2%.[Conclusion]There were some problems on the food hygiene situation of pastry food in Shuyang.The hygiene supervision and health knowledge education should be strengthened in food production enterprises,especially in small workshops.
Conscious Sedation in the Endoscopy Setting

The typical endoscopy patient is managed adequately under conscious sedation and requires attentive and skilled nurses to manage his/ her care due to the complexity of the procedures performed and the health status of this unique population. Endoscopy nurses need expertise in assessing patients'respiratory and cardiac status to prevent complications and intervene successfully in crisis situations. Endoscopy personnel need to assess and treat complications that can arise from the procedure or from oversedation. Emergency endoscopy patients present a challenge that requires effective team coordination to meet their special needs.
Infection and Renal Transplantation

The recipient of a renal allograft is by necessity a “compromised host;” both his disease and his therapy predispose him to infection with common and opportunistic organisms. Experience with the problem of infection in renal transplantation is reviewed in order to provide insight into the magnitude of the problem and to discuss some general principles of prevention and management. These principles should also apply to the management of patients whose immune systems are compromised by more commonly encountered disorders such as hepatic cirrhosis or neoplastic disease.
A PANI–Cellulose acetate composite as a selective and sensitive chemomechanical actuator for acetone detection

AbstractThis study addresses the role of PANI–CA composites in the detection of acetone vapors with high sensitivity and selectivity in the presence of alcohols. The PANI–CA composites were fabricated by the solution-casting method and were cut to 4 cm × 3 mm rectangular strips of about 20-μm thickness. The composite strips behave as gas sensors/chemoactuators and respond to gaseous species by converting their relative concentration to a corresponding mechanical motion (bending). The bending-recovery responses of PANI/CA sensor was examined thoroughly by exposing it to varying headspace concentrations of acetone and alcohols, and by removing the analyte once the sensor reached its maximum bending angle. Sensitivity was determined by comparing the bending response of the composite strips to different headspace concentrations of acetone. Selectivity was determined through analysis of the angle change in 50/50 ml solutions of four different (potentially interfering) chemicals. The results indicate that the s...
Genetic Diseases of the Aorta (Including Aneurysms)

An aortic dissection or rupture, secondary to an aortic aneurysm, is a major medical emergency and an important source of morbidity and mortality. Aortic dissections are the outcome of a number of genetic and non-genetic-mediated insults to the aorta wall which cause its weakening. Multiple histopathologic findings are associated with aortic disease but are not generally specific to any one syndrome. This chapter will take a step-wise approach to describe the normal aorta and the diseased aorta at both the gross and histologic levels. It will then discuss the important genetic and non-genetic causes of aortic aneurysms and dissections. It will cover the role of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells in both the ascending and abdominal aortas as a shared pathway of aortic disease. Finally, it will conclude with current therapies and future directions for research.
The Morals of Modernity: The Secret Philosophy of Leo Strauss

A Weimar Intellectual “What is it about Strauss' writings that continues to shatter respectable intellectual categories and rules, thereby arousing so much fascination and so much hatred?” This is the question with which Thomas Pangle introduced a recent collection of essays by Leo Strauss. It is not easy to answer. Certainly Strauss was a controversial figure in political philosophy, not least since his death in 1973. His former students, the most famous having been Allan Bloom, guard his memory and his teaching vigilantly. His opponents not only disagree with particular points of his scholarship, but often suggest some dangerous flaw in the character of his mind. Again, why? What prejudices, or what certainties, did he assail? At the heart of Strauss's thinking, as Pangle went on to observe, lay the conviction that there is such a thing as moral truth. In itself, however, this is surely an unlikely spark for the passionate debates that swirl around him. The opposite view, namely that morality is but the expression of group ideology or individual preference, has indeed become a common routine of thought. But Strauss was hardly alone in this century in the defense of the possibility of moral knowledge, and the other champions of “moral cognitivism,” as it is called, have not provoked such extreme reactions. The reasons for Strauss's power to enthrall and repel must lie elsewhere. The key, I think, is the peculiar urgency and direction of Strauss's search for moral truth.
Tripping with Synthetic Cannabinoids (“Spice”): Anecdotal and Experimental Observations in Animals and Man

The phenomenon of consuming synthetic cannabinoids (“Spice”) for recreational purposes is a fairly recent trend. However, consumption of cannabis dates back millennia, with numerous accounts written on the experience of its consumption, and thousands of scientific reports published on the effects of its constituents in laboratory animals and humans. Here, we focus on consolidating the scientific literature on the effects of “Spice” compounds in various behavioral assays, including assessing abuse liability, tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, and potential toxicity. In most cases, the behavioral effects of “Spice” compounds are compared with those of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Methodological aspects, such as modes of administration and other logistical issues, are also discussed. As the original “Spice” molecules never were intended for human consumption, scientifically based information about potential toxicity and short- and long-term behavioral effects are very limited. Consequently, preclinical behavioral studies with “Spice” compounds are still in a nascent stage. Research is needed to address the addiction potential and other effects, including propensity for producing tissue/organ toxicity, of these synthetic cannabimimetic “Spice” compounds.
LIRAGLUTIDE AND WEIGHT LOSS AMONG PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED HEART FAILURE AND A REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION: INSIGHTS FROM THE FIGHT TRIAL

Background: More than 50% of patients with heart failure (HF) and a reduced ejection fraction (EF) are overweight. Although liraglutide is FDA-approved for weight loss, prior clinical trials excluded patients with HF. Methods: Patients with a recent hospitalization for HF and an EF <40% were
Are Bankruptcy Precursors Similar in China and the US

Early warning models are among the most utilized developments in finance. A good early warning model can predict with a high degree of accuracy the likelihood that a healthy company will either go bankrupt or become financially distressed. B2B companies supply products are now global. This paper extends the research comparing indicators of financial health to the subject of how industrial globalization affects early warning models. In specific, it considers model develop across two continents: North America and East Asia. The target of the research are global auto suppliers, those companies deliver parts and equipment to original equipment auto manufacturers. The findings are particularly important because of the collapse and resurrection of US OEMs. The modeling effort tested the ability of a single global model of financial distress to capture the determinants of auto supplier health on two continents. Individual models for each continent proved to be superior to a single model.
GraphPIM: Enabling Instruction-Level PIM Offloading in Graph Computing Frameworks

With the emergence of data science, graph computing has become increasingly important these days. Unfortunately, graph computing typically suffers from poor performance when mapped to modern computing systems because of the overhead of executing atomic operations and inefficient utilization of the memory subsystem. Meanwhile, emerging technologies, such as Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC), enable the processing-in-memory (PIM) functionality with offloading operations at an instruction level. Instruction offloading to the PIM side has considerable potentials to overcome the performance bottleneck of graph computing. Nevertheless, this functionality for graph workloads has not been fully explored, and its applications and shortcomings have not been well identified thus far. In this paper, we present GraphPIM, a full-stack solution for graph computing that achieves higher performance using PIM functionality. We perform an analysis on modern graph workloads to assess the applicability of PIM offloading and present hardware and software mechanisms to efficiently make use of the PIM functionality. Following the real-world HMC 2.0 specification, GraphPIM provides performance benefits for graph applications without any user code modification or ISA changes. In addition, we propose an extension to PIM operations that can further bring performance benefits for more graph applications. The evaluation results show that GraphPIM achieves up to a 2.4X speedup with a 37% reduction in energy consumption.
Obesity, school performance and behaviour of black, urban elementary school children

Nutritional status, school performance and behaviour were assessed in a group of black, inner-city school children. Thirty-five per cent of the children were obese by triceps skinfold thickness criteria. The primary care taker's responses to the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the hyperactivity subscale of the Conners' Parent's Questionnaire indicated that the obese children were more likely to have abnormal scores. On the CBCL subscale scores, obese girls had a significantly higher 'sex problems' score. Although the other subscale scores were not significantly different, there was a significant trend for obese boys and girls to score higher on the CBCL subscale scores. In addition, the proportion of obese children placed in special education or remedial class settings was twice that for non-obese children. These results add to the limited information available concerning obese black children, and are consistent with previous findings suggesting subtle behaviour differences in obese children.
Hand and Wrist Deformities

Pediatric hand and wrist deformities can occur in isolation or as part of a larger syndrome. It is important to be able to recognize these conditions to provide appropriate treatment recommendations and to refer the patient for medical or genetic workup when warranted. There are multiple classification systems that should be understood as these often direct the type of treatment that is indicated. The following information represents the most commonly encountered congenital hand differences.
Delayed Encounter of Parental Genomes Can Lead to Aneuploidy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have investigated an extreme deviation from the norm of genome unification that occurs during mating in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae . This deviation is encountered when yeast that carry a mutation of the spindle pole body protein, Kar1, are mated with wildtype cells. In this case, nuclear fusion is delayed and the genotypes of a fraction of zygotic progeny suggest that chromosomes have “transferred” between the parental nuclei in zygotes. This classic, yet bizarre, occurrence is routinely used to generate aneuploid (disomic) yeast. [ kar1 × wt] zygotes, like [wt × wt] zygotes, initially have a single spindle pole body per nucleus. Unlike [wt × wt] zygotes, in [ kar1 × wt] zygotes, the number of spindle pole bodies per nucleus then can increase before nuclear fusion. When such nuclei fuse, the spindle pole bodies do not coalesce efficiently, and subsets of spindle pole bodies and centromeres can enter buds. The genotypes of corresponding biparental progeny show evidence of extensive haplotype-biased chromosome loss, and can also include heterotypic chromosomal markers. They thus allow rationalization of chromosome “transfer” as being due to an unanticipated yet plausible mechanism. Perturbation of the unification of genomes likely contributes to infertility in other organisms.
The unspeakable, the unnarratable, and the repudiation of epiphany in ‘Recitatif’: a collaboration between linguistic and literary feminist narratologies

The authors bring together feminist-narratological methodologies from literary studies and linguistic anthropology in a reading of Toni Morrison’s short story, ‘Recitatif’. Both authors self-identi...
Hormone ‘resistance’ in breast cancer: The role of normal and mutant steroid receptors

Faithful expression of genetic information is lost in tumor cells due to the formation of spontaneous cell variants. In breast cancer, this evolution is marked by progression of tumors from hormone-dependent, through hormone-responsive, to hormone-resistant states. Many resistant tumors no longer express estrogen receptors (ERs) and progesterone receptors (PRs), and this may be the basis for their hormone resistance. However, half of all advanced breast cancers are receptor positive, yet they too fail to respond to antiestrogen therapy. Both the cellular heterogeneity that mark progression of the disease and the hormone resistance that characterize the end stages of the disease have been longstanding clinical problems that are slowly yielding to basic research focused both on solid tumors taken directly from patients and on breast cancer cell lines derived from such tumors. This chapter discusses how mutant ERs serve as one mechanism for development of resistance. A suggestion is made that subpopulations of tumor cells can be stimulated, rather than inhibited, by antiestrogens like tamoxifen. Our recent work with normal PRs, showing conditions in which progesterone antagonists, too, can have inappropriate, agonist-like effects, is also described. These PR models represent additional mechanisms that may explain the hormone-resistant state. It is suggested that many ‘resistant’ tumors are not simply ignoring the hormone antagonist treatment; instead, in these tumors, the hormone antagonist has become stimulatory rather than inhibitory.
The Reconstituted Sodium Channel from Brain

The voltage-sensitive sodium channel mediates the inward sodium current during the depolarizing phase of an action potential. Because of its central role in impulse conduction, it has been the subject of extensive investigations by electrophysiological and biochemical techniques to understand its structure and function. Sodium channels have been solubilized in detergents and purified from eel electroplax (Agnew et al., 1978; Miller et al., 1983), rat muscle (Barchi et al., 1980; Barchi, 1983), chicken heart (Lombet and Lazdunski, 1984), and rat brain (Hartshorne and Catterall, 1981, 1984; Barhanin et al., 1983; Grishin et al., 1984). The only functional property of sodium channels that is measurable in detergent solution is the binding of certain sodium-channel-specific neurotoxins. Therefore, it is necessary to reconstitute the purified channel protein to establish that it is functionally intact. The reconstitution of the sodium channel purified from eel electroplax (Rosenberg et al., 1984a, b) and rat muscle (Weigele and Barchi, 1982; Tanaka et al., 1983) is described in the two preceding chapters. Reconstitution of purified sodium channels from rat brain has been reported by Hanke et al. (1984). This chapter describes the reconstitution into lipid vesicles (Talvenheimo et al., 1982; Tamkun et al., 1984) and planar lipid bilayers (Hartshorne et al., 1985) of sodium channels purified from rat brain and the measurement of sodium channel function in these two systems.
The structure and physiology of epidermal growth factor and its receptor

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), a small Polypeptide of 53 amino acid residues and a molecular mass of approximately 6000 daltons, was identified and isolated from the mouse submaxillary gland in 1962 (Cohen). Since then, the physiological relevance of EGF and the mechanism by which it stimulates normal cell proliferation have been areas of intense investigation, and a great deal is known about the structure of both EGF and its receptor. It is known that EGF interacts with a plasma membrane receptor in sensitive cells and initiates a number of cellular responses that can be roughly divided into early and late events. The “early” events involve changes in membrane properties, such as protein phosphorylation and nutrient transport, while the “late” events include macromolecular synthesis, which requires nuclear activity and therefore some communication between the cell surface and the nucleus. The mechanism(s) by which these responses are initiated, however, is not yet understood. It is the purpose of this review to summarize recent developments of EGF and EGF receptor-related research.
Correlates of light physical activity among cancer survivors

Objective Emerging evidence demonstrates the positive health benefits of light physical activity (LPA) for cancer survivors. Yet, little research has explored modifiable factors that facilitate or hinder LPA behavior in this population. Correlates of LPA among cancer survivors were examined, and stratified by moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) status. Methods A cross-sectional analysis using the American Cancer Society's Studies of Cancer Survivors-I (N = 1751) was conducted. Correlates of interest were health-care provider support for physical activity, perceived health competence, perceived social support, unsupportive partner behaviors, and perceived susceptibility to cancer recurrence. The primary outcome was self-reported LPA categorized at 0, 1-59, 60-119, and 120+ minutes per week. Multivariable ordinal regressions using forced entry were conducted, stratified by MVPA status. Results Adjusted multivariable models revealed that, among those reporting no MVPA (n = 757), greater provider support for physical activity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.05-2.17; P = 0.03), greater perceived health competence (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.10-1.88; P = 0.01), and greater unsupportive partner behaviors (aOR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.12; P = 0.03) were significantly correlated with higher LPA. No social cognitive constructs were correlated with LPA among those already engaging in MVPA (n = 994). Conclusions LPA interventions targeting cancer survivors not engaging in any MVPA are warranted and may optimize limited intervention resources. Furthermore, interventions may be more efficacious by applying behavior change techniques that incorporate health-care provider support and improves health competence and positive interpersonal skills.
Linking Nicotine, Menthol, and Brain Changes

Abstract Nicotine, the primary addictive component in tobacco products, has been characterized over time to cause many changes in the brain. These changes underscore the mechanisms that lead to nicotine addiction. These brain changes also persist when smokers attempt to quit and contribute to withdrawal and episodes of relapse. The most popular tobacco flavorant, menthol, is now known to cause changes in the brain as well. These menthol-induced changes are similar to those caused by nicotine and are suggested to play a role in enhancing nicotine addiction. This chapter discusses the changes that occur in the brain following exposure to nicotine and menthol and how they contribute to nicotine addiction.
Mother and Father Controlling Feeding Behaviors and Associations With Observed Mealtime Family Functioning.

Objective Mealtime family functioning is important in shaping health behaviors associated with overweight/obesity, particularly for preschool-aged children. Parental controlling feeding behaviors (i.e., restriction and pressure to eat), may impact mealtime family functioning and thus be targets of prevention and intervention efforts. The current study aimed to address literature gaps by examining both mother and father self-reports of controlling feeding behaviors, and the discrepancies between parents' reports. Further, the study examined the associations among controlling feeding behaviors and objective mealtime family functioning in a community sample of preschool-aged children. Methods The sample included 27 children between 2 and 6 years of age and their immediate family members. Two mealtimes were videotaped for each family and coded for family functioning using the Mealtime Interaction Coding System, and self-reports of feeding practices were collected using the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Results Mother controlling feeding behaviors were not significantly related to any mealtime family functioning domain. Father controlling feeding behaviors were only significantly related to interpersonal involvement. However, discrepancies in the use of controlling feeding behaviors accounted for nearly one fourth of the variance in overall family functioning and affect management, with greater discrepancies being related to poorer family functioning. Conclusions Interventions may be designed to reduce parental discrepancies in the use of controlling feeding behaviors. Future research should consider longitudinal design, using larger, more representative samples, to better understand the impact of parental controlling feeding behaviors, particularly the impact of parental discrepancies in these areas, on mealtime family functioning and subsequent health outcomes.
Occupants’ comfort and stress indices in a structural timber school building in the Northeast US in different seasons

The study examines stress indices and occupants’ comfort in a cross-laminated timber school building in the Northeast US in diﬀerent seasons. The case study has won diﬀerent awards for its sustaina...
Social behavioral deficits in NF1 emerge from peripheral chemosensory neuron dysfunction

Abstract Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a neurodevelopmental disorder commonly associated with social and communicative disabilities. The cellular and circuit mechanisms by which loss of neurofibromin 1 (Nf1) function results in social deficits are unknown. Here, we identify social behavioral dysregulation with loss of Nf1 in Drosophila. These deficits map to primary dysfunction of a small group of peripheral sensory neurons, rather than central brain circuits. Specifically, Nf1 regulation of Ras signaling in adult, Ppk23+ chemosensory cells is required for normal social behaviors in flies. Loss of Nf1 results in attenuated ppk23+ neuronal activity in response to pheromonal cues, and circuit-specific manipulation of Nf1 expression or neuronal activity in ppk23+ neurons rescues social deficits. Unexpectedly, this disrupted sensory processing gives rise to persistent changes in behavior lasting beyond the social interaction, indicating a sustained effect of an acute sensory misperception. Together our data identify a specific circuit mechanism through which Nf1 acts to regulate social behaviors, and suggest social deficits in NF1 arise from propagation of sensory misinformation.
Associations between Cigarette Smoking and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adult Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer.

This cross-sectional, secondary data analysis examines the association between cigarette smoking and self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adult survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer. Pooled data for survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer (N = 1495) were drawn from the 2016 and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. Binary logistic regression models were utilized to examine independent associations between each of the four HRQoL domains (i.e., self-related general health, activity limitation days, poor physical, and mental health days) and cigarette smoking. Of the 1495 Adolescent and Young Adult Onset Cancer Survivors (AYAO-CS) in this study, approximately 30% reported currently smoking cigarettes. Relative to never smokers, the odds of reporting fair/poor general health were significantly higher for current and former smokers: (OR = 3.95, 95% CI: 2.08–7.50) and (OR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.46–4.32), respectively. Likewise, current smokers were significantly more likely to report frequent days of poor physical health (OR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.38–5.65). The study findings suggest a significant cross-sectional association between cigarette smoking and poor health-related quality of life in adult survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. These findings, although cross-sectional, underscore the need for prospective studies to examine the longitudinal association between HRQoL and cigarette smoking among cancer survivors. Findings also help establish both the need for smoking cessation programs and the importance of effective strategies for addressing HRQoL issues among cancer survivors.
Preserving the Corporate Tax Base Through Tax Transparency

International corporate tax competition continues to exert pressure on legislatures to reduce corporate tax rates as well as the rate imposed on shareholders. To combat this pressure, this commentary recommends eliminating the corporate income tax. Instead corporations should become tax transparent so that a full tax on corporate income is imposed on corporate owners but collected initially at corporate level through a required withholding tax at the maximum rate applicable to individuals. Contemporary data processing capacity enables corporations to track share ownership and report to shareholders amounts withheld on their behalf so that they may include their shares of corporate income and claim a credit for the withholding.
Prediction Of Early Emergent/Urgent Surgery For Neonates With Prenatal Concern For Congenital Pulmunary Airway Malformation

Background/Purpose: Neonates with severe cases of congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) may require early emergent/urgent surgery for cardiopulmonary compromise. The CPAM volume ratio (CVR) is often utilized for prenatal prognostication; however, the threshold that predicts early surgery is unknown. We hypothesized that a late gestation CVR threshold exists at which neonates with prenatally diagnosised CPAM would require early surgery. Methods: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted of all neonates with …
Multiplexing the Racial and Ethnic Planes: New Chinese American Politics in Global Asian Suburbs

This paper elaborates on the multiple racial and ethnic planes that form the complex environment that is unique to global Chinese suburbs and the nuanced political strategies that Chinese American candidates must pursue through the process referred to as multiplexing. Chinese American candidates must negotiate the racial formations that cast and conflate them and other Asian candidates as “permanent aliens” or “perpetual foreigners” whose interests are seen as suspect and as a threat to the group interests by those Caucasian residents who oppose the demographic shifts and political changes taking shape in these global suburbs. To illustrate the prospects and challenges of new Chinese American politics, this paper draws primarily from the two suburbs of Cupertino, California and Sugar Land, Texas, which are both witnessing dramatic demographic and political shifts among their respectively large Chinese immigrant populations during the last decade. Both cities are emblematic of the complex environments that envelop contemporary global Chinese suburbs and provide cautionary tales on the importance of multiplexing as a necessary political strategy for electoral success.
Cylindrical Algebraic Decomposition by Quantifier Elimination

Cylindrical algebraic decompositions were introduced as a major component of a new quantifier elimination algorithm for elementary algebra and geometry (G. Collins, 1973). In the present paper we turn the tables and show that one can use quantifier elimination for elementary algebra and geometry to obtain a new version of the cylindrical algebraic decomposition algorithm. A key part of our result is a theorem, of interest in its own right. that relates the multiplicities of the roots of a polynomial to their continuity.
No: Software Patents Don't Spur Innovation, but Impede It

One half of a “Journal Reports” debate titled “Should Patents Be Awarded to Software?” The full debate, including this essay and an opposing one by Martin Goetz, is available via the Wall Street Journal's website/archives.
As Many as Six Impossible Things before Breakfast

That there are fashions in the academy is no surprise, but we might spend more time than we do contemplating the possibility that our latest infatuations, like some clothing styles, are neither new nor particularly attractive. Here I want to explore just that possibility in examining the polemic against liberalism offered by that hardy if looseknit troupe of scholars marching under the banner of critical legal studies. My real interest isn't in the novelty of that polemic, about which I will say only a few words. Despite some very chic borrowings from the likes of Derrida and Adorno, the CLS polemic is remarkably old. Indeed, this critique of liberalism is as old as liberalism itself. Roberto Unger's Knowledge and Politics has impressed many in legal circles as a strikingly original work, but for those of us trained in political theory it's quite familiar, a quaint pastiche of Hegelian formulas about the Riddles of Modernity and sentiments reminiscent of nothing so much as de Maistre's reactionary-theocratic indictment of the French Revolution. But novelty isn't the real issue here. After all, if the CLS critique of liberalism is right, it doesn't matter if it's old. So my real interest is in the merits of the polemic, and I will offer no further comments on its genealogy. Liberalism has emerged, however implausibly, as a creaky old doctrine that inspires only groans and boredom on the left. Individual rights, equal opportunity, equality under the law: such familiar liberal categories elicit instant recognition but also political and intellectual fatigue. They seem to many to be trite or worse
Siple Coast Subglacial Aquatic Environments: The Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling Project

The Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project is a 6-year (2009-2015) integrative study of ice sheet stability and subglacial geobiology in West Antarctica, funded by the Antarctic Integrated System Science Program of National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs, Antarctic Division. The overarching scientific objective of WISSARD is to assess the role of water beneath a West Antarctic Ice Stream in interlinked glaciological, geological, microbiological, geochemical, hydrological, and oceanographic systems. The WISSARD's important science questions relate to (1) the role that subglacial and ice shelf cavity waters and wet sediments play in ice stream dynamics and mass balance, with an eye on the possible future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and (2) the microbial metabolic and phylogenetic diversity in these subglacial environments. The study area is the downstream part of the Whillans Ice Stream on the Siple Coast, specifically Subglacial Lake Whillans and the part of the grounding zone across which it drains. In this chapter, we provide background on the motivation for the WISSARD project, detail the key scientific goals, and describe the new measurement tools and strategies under development that will provide the framework for conducting an unprecedented range of scientific observations.
Central charges and U(1)R symmetries in Script N = 1 super Yang-Mills

We use recent results of Intriligator and Wecht [1] to study the phase structure of = 1 super Yang-Mills theory with gauge group SU(Nc), a chiral superfield in the adjoint, and Nf chiral superfields in the fundamental representation of the gauge group. Our discussion sheds new light on [1] and supports the conjecture that the central charge a decreases under RG flows and is non-negative in unitary four dimensional conformal field theories.
Sterol carrier protein hypothesis: requirement for three substrate-specific soluble proteins in liver cholesterol biosynthesis.

The 105,000 x g supernatant (S105) of liver is required for the conversion of squalene to cholesterol by microsomal membranes. Substantial controversy has existed concerning the properties of what was originally considered to be a single sterol carrier protein present in S105 and required for this conversion. We have now resolved this controversy by the discovery that S105 contains several sterol carrier proteins. Based upon experiments with three substrates, three substrate-specific soluble proteins (with different properties) have been identified which operate at distinct points in microsomal cholesterol synthesis. These proteins are provisionally designated sterol carrier protein1 (SCP1), sterol carrier protein2 (SCP2), and sterol carrier protein3 (SCP3). SCP1 is required for the microsomal conversion of squalene to lanosterol, SCP2 for the microsomal conversion of 4,4-dimethyl-Δ8-cholesterol to C27-sterols, and SCP3 for the microsomal conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol. Available evidence is consistent with the proposal that a given sterol carrier protein is a soluble constituent of a single microsomal enzyme or enzyme complex, and that it participates both as a carrier for the water-insoluble substrate and as an essential enzyme constituent facilitating catalysis. It may well be that enzymatic transformations of water-insoluble substrates require both microsomal membranes and substrate-specific soluble proteins. This requirement could be a common biological mechanism for water-insoluble substrates.
Some New Work on Old Problems: The Meter of Beowulf

L'A. rend compte des positions developpees pas Seiichi Suzuki sur la metrique du celebre poeme en vieil anglais «Beowulf». Suzuki rompt avec la tradition de l'etude diachronique, la metrique du poeme n'est envisagee que dans une perspective purement synchronique. L'A. souligne les insuffisances de la theorie developpee par Suzuki