cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of refluxed acid in pathogenesis of laryngeal disorders

The neuroanatomic proximity of the larynx to the hypopharynx and proximal esophagus make it particularly vulnerable to diseases that occur in those 2 areas. This is particularly true of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). There is increasing awareness of this relationship, and dysphonias from gastroesophageal reflux (GER) are far more common than previously realized. The symptoms and findings of reflux laryngitis, vocal nodules, Reinke's edema, contact ulcer and granuloma, laryngeal stenosis, and paroxysmal laryngospasm are presented, and diagnostic protocols for each disorder are suggested. The treatment varies with the severity of each problem. Conservative lifestyles and dietary control are helpful, but long-term medical therapy with H2, H1, and prokinetic drugs are usually needed. Surgical therapy may be indicated for such life-threatening problems as laryngeal stenosis and paroxysmal laryngospasm. The need for physician and patient awareness, research, and improved and less expensive therapy are discussed.
Comparison of mechanism and functional effects of magnesium and statin pharmaceuticals.

Since Mg2+-ATP is the controlling factor for the rate-limiting enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthesis sequence that is targeted by the statin pharmaceutical drugs, comparison of the effects of Mg2+ on lipoproteins with those of the statin drugs is warranted. Formation of cholesterol in blood, as well as of cholesterol required in hormone synthesis, and membrane maintenance, is achieved in a series of enzymatic reactions that convert HMG-CoA to cholesterol. The rate-limiting reaction of this pathway is the enzymatic conversion of HMG CoA to mevalonate via HMG CoA. The statins and Mg inhibit that enzyme. Large trials have consistently shown that statins, taken by subjects with high LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) values, lower its blood levels 35 to 65%. They also reduce the incidence of heart attacks, angina and other nonfatal cardiac events, as well as cardiac, stroke, and total mortality. These effects of statins derive less from their lowering of LDL-C than from their reduction of mevalonate formation which imp...
The effect of the induction of involvement on psychophysical judgments

The present investigation was based on the concept of invariance, which holds that identical principles govern the judgment of stimuli arrayed on both physically and socially defined scales. Two experiments were conducted in which involvement was manipulated through the use of instructions presented in conjunction with category judgments obtained in a training session. This was followed by an anchor session. Experiment 1 employed a series of weights as stimuli, while Experiment 2 used random pattern dot slides. The experiments were similar, except for the inclusion of two additional features in the weight study. These were: (1) positive feedback, introduced as an independent variable between the judgment sessions and tested for its effect as an enhancer of involvement; and (2) two stimuli in the anchor session not part of the original stimulus series. These weights provided a test for the generality of involvement set. Among various hypotheses tested in both studies was the expectancy that the introduction of involvement associated with the formation of a judgment scale would lessen the impact of an anchor on judgment. This expectancy was based on the observed effects of involvement in social judgment contexts. Results of both experiments supported the judgment maintenance hypothesis.
A transcriptional enhancer of the glutamine synthetase gene that is selective for retinal Müller glial cells.

This article demonstrates that the chicken glutamine synthetase (GS) promoter contains cis-acting elements that direct transcription to retinal Muller glial cells. The transient assay system developed to identify these elements involved electroporation of intact retinal tissue with GS-β-galactosidase fusion genes followed by preparation of primary cultures and histochemical assay of cells expressing β-galactosidase. Plasmids containing β-galactosidase under transcriptional control by two different viral promoters are expressed primarily in neuronal cells after transfection of intact embryonic d 12 retina. In sharp contrast, expression is primarily in Muller glia after transfection with a GS-β-galactosidase fusion gene. Although GS is glucocorticoid inducible, steroid hormone is not required to achieve Muller cell-selective expression of the GS-β-galactosidase fusion gene. Deletion studies indicate that multiple cis-acting elements located between nucleotides −436 and −61 relative to the GS transcription start site contribute to produce Muller cell selectivity. Moreover, these upstream elements enhance expression of a heterologous promoter in Muller cells but not neurons. These results indicate that an enhancer located between 61 and 436 nucleotides upstream of the transcription start site contributes to Muller cell-selective expression of the GS gene in the retina.
Differential tolerance to morphine's immunomodulatory effects following continuous administration

Abstract Rats were continuously infused with either morphine or saline via an osmotic minipump for 20 consecutive days. Effects on immune status were assessed on the twentieth day of the chronic administration period following a bolus injection of morphine administered 1 h prior to sacrifice. The morphine injection suppressed measures of splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity, mitogen-stimulated T-cell proliferation, and γ -interferon (IFN) production in rats that received saline via the minipump. In rats that received chronic morphine via the minipump, the morphine injection also suppressed mitogen-stimulated splenocyte proliferation and γ -IFN production but did not suppress NK cell activity. These data indicate that chronic morphine administration via osmotic minipumps leads to differential tolerance to the immunomodulatory effects of morphine. These findings support previous results indicating differential tolerance development within the immune system following chronic morphine administration via the drinking water.
Towards a Comprehensive Compensation Programme

The recent experience with “toxic torts” — litigation involving those who are suffering slowly emerging injuries and diseases caused by exposure to hazardous substances such as asbestos — has underlined the need for a change in the tort liability system. The burden of asbestos lawsuits prompted UNR Industries of Chicago, the Manville Corporation (the nation's largest asbestos manufacturer), and others to file for protection under federal bankruptcy laws. Some 16,000 lawsuits were reported pending against Manville amounting to between $2 billion and $5 billion in potential liabilities. Several hundred firms are facing similar claims, and according to the Asbestos Compensation Coalition, from 400 to 500 new lawsuits are filed each month against asbestos manufacturers. The magnitude of this problem threatens the viability of the property and liability insurance business and raises the questions about the effectiveness of the present tort liability system in assuring adequate compensation to accident victims.
Social Integration of People with Serious Mental Illness: Network Transactions and Satisfaction

Social integration involves a process through which an individual establishes and maintains meaningful interpersonal relationships characterized by mutual exchange with community members in nonclinical settings. Using self-report data from a probability sample (n = 252) of supportive independent housing residents, transactional (i.e., support exchanges) characteristics of social networks, paying particular attention to reciprocation of exchanges between residents and their network members, were analyzed. The study also examined the extent to which transactional characteristics are related to satisfaction with social relations. Findings indicated considerable reciprocity in social relationships. Controlling for sociodemographic variables and network structure characteristics, mutual exchanges of tangible and problem-solving support were positively associated with network satisfaction. Results suggest that supported socialization services aimed at network and resource development with this population could facilitate more frequent exchanges of tangible resources and problem-solving opportunities between consumers and network members, which, in turn, might promote social integration.
The life cycle and recruitment of the sand shrimp,Crangon septemspinosa, in the Mystic River estuary, Connecticut

Sampling theC. septemspinosa population of the Mystic River Estuary simultaneously in deep water and along the shoreline indicated that this population has two major reproductive periods. Berried females move into the estuary in early spring and late autumn to hatch their eggs. Two-and three-year-old females produce the larvae in the spring and 1.0- to 1.5-year-old females give rise to the larvae in winter. All larvae are carried seaward by the tidal currents and eventually settle as juveniles in the deep water near the mouth of the estuary or on the continental shelf. Juveniles from the spring hatch migrate to the shallow shoreline where they grow, rapidly, 0.15 mg/day. Those that hatch during the late autumn do not migrate shoreward. A model of this life cycle and evidence to support two recruitment mechanisms that involve inshore migration of adults and the offshore drift of the larvae are presented.
Cardiac compression in rheumatoid pericarditis

Abstract Rheumatoid pericarditis occurs in approximately one third of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. However, clinically apparent rheumatoid pericarditis is infrequent. The authors found clinical pericarditis in 12 of 960 patients admited for RA, 5 of whom had manifestations of cardiac compression. These 5 had longer duration of RA, worse functional class, and more extraarticular features than the patients without cardiac compression. Presenting features of cardiac compression included dyspnea, edema, chest pain, and pulsus paradoxus. Treatment of patients with cardiac compression due to rheumatoid pericarditis may include a trial of systemically administered corticosteroids, but this should not delay surgical intervention for impending tamponade. Pericardiocentesis should only be performed as an emergency, life-saving procedure. It may be followed by intrapericardiac injection of corticosteroids, but this does not prevent recurrence. Longer-lasting benefit is obtained by surgical decompression. Two-year mortality in patients with cardiac compression was 100%. The literature on the subject is reviewed.
‘A new world rising’: Albert Camus and the absurdity of neo-liberalism

This article investigates the writings of Albert Camus in light of neo-liberal governmentality. Camus, a pied noir born in Algeria, was a key figure in the debates regarding the trajectory of French colonial rule. While his absurdist sensibility denounced absolute conceptions of justice and history, his cosmopolitan humanism rejected the possibility of an independent Algerian nation-state. By examining his literary and political writings, this article sheds light on his conceptions of the individual, natural limits, and legitimate violence. In so doing, it identifies assumptions common to Camus’ notion of the absurd and neo-liberalism while also arguing that the current neo-liberal climate has shaped many of the recent discussions of his work.
Efferent connections of the brainstem trigeminal complex with the facial nucleus of the rat

The sensory surface of the face of the rat is topographically represented in the brainstem trigeminal complex (Nord, '67), and in parallel with this the underlying facial musculature is also represented in a topographic fashion in the facial nucleus (Papez, '27; Martin and Lodge, '77; Watson and Sakae, '78). It has been recently reported that in the young rat three distinct representations of the vibrissae are present in the sensory portion of the brainstem trigeminal complex (Belford and Killackey, '79). Within this perspective, the specific connectivity between the brainstem trigeminal complex and the facial nucleus was investigated in adult rats by Fink-Heimer technique. The two major sensory nuclei of the brainstem trigeminal complex, the spinal trigeminal nucleus and the principal sensory nucleus, differ in their projection patterns to the facial nucleus. While the principal sensory nucleus sends sparse projections to the ipsilateral lateral and dorsal subdivisions of the facial nucleus, the spinal trigeminal nucleus send differential projections to various subdivisions of the facial nucleus depending on their origin with respect to three cytoarchitectonically different subnuclei that compose the spinal trigeminal nucleus. It is concluded that the magnocellular portion of subnucleus caudalis projects rather heavily to the ipsilateral lateral subdivision of the facial nucleus, while the projections from the subnucleus interpolaris are sparser and distributed more widely to parts of the lateral, dorsal and intermediate subdivisions of the facial nucleus ipsilaterally. In contrast to ipsilateral facial projections from the rest of the brainstem trigeminal complex, the projections from the subnucleus oralis of the spinal trigeminal nucleus are bilateral and confined to the intermediate subdivision of the facial nucleus. However, ipsilateral projections of the subnucleus oralis are denser than the the very sparse contralateral projections. In addition to the facial projections from the brainstem trigeminal complex, projections from the upper portions of the cervical cord to the medial subdivision of the facial nucleus were observed. These projections ar bilateral, and those fibers destined for the contralateral medial subdivision cross over below the level of the pyramidal decussation.
Screening for Sleep Disordered Breathing and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Adolescent Girls with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Objective To determine the prevalence and clinical and metabolic correlates of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in adolescent girls with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Study design Standardized questionnaires were administered to participants with PCOS and age-, sex-, ethnicity-, and body mass index (BMI) z score–matched controls. Medical records were reviewed for anthropometric and metabolic data. Results We studied 103 participants with PCOS (16.9 ± 1.5 years) and 90 controls (16.8 ± 1.7 years). Compared with controls, girls with PCOS had a higher prevalence of SDB (45.6% vs 27.8%; P = .01) and EDS (54.4% vs 35.6%; P z score (2.1 ± 0.5 vs 1.7 ± 0.6; P P P = .003) compared with those without SDB. Similarly, participants with PCOS and EDS had a higher BMI z score (2.0 ± 0.6 vs 1.7 ± 0.6; P = .03), higher homeostatic model assessment index (5.1 ± 2.9 vs 3.8 ± 3.1; P = .01), and higher rate of MetS (39.3% vs. 14.9%; P Conclusions SDB and EDS are highly prevalent in adolescent girls with PCOS compared with matched controls. The MetS is independently associated with SDB and EDS in this group.
Completion of Advance Directives Among Korean American and Non-Hispanic White Older Adults

This study examines completion of advance directives, highlighting ethnic differences between Korean and non-Hispanic White older adults in relation to health beliefs and knowledge. In this study, ...
Tec kinases: modulators of lymphocyte signaling and development.

Abstract The Tec kinases are implicated as important components of the antigen receptor signaling required for proper lymphocyte activation and development. Recent data suggest that these kinases contribute to multiprotein complexes containing LAT and SLP-76 in T cells, and BLNK/SLP-65 in B cells, which are required for activation of PLC-γ and downstream pathways.
Signal regularity and the mindlessness model of vigilance

Robertson, Manly, Andrade, Baddeley, and Yiend (1997) have proposed that detection failures in vigilance tasks result from a 'mindless' withdrawal of attentional effort from the monitoring assignment. To explore that view, they modified the traditional vigilance task, in which observers make button-press responses to signify the detection of rarely occurring critical signals, to one in which button-press responses acknowledge frequently occurring non-signal events and response withholding signifies signal detection. This modification is designed to promote a mindless withdrawal of attentional effort from the task through routinization. The present study challenges the validity of the mindlessness model by showing that with both types of task, observers utilize subtle patterns in the temporal structure of critical signal appearances to develop expectations about the time course of those appearances that affect performance efficiency. Such expectations enhance performance on the traditional vigilance task, but degrade performance on the modified task.
Autocrine Adenosine Signaling Promotes Regulatory T Cell–Mediated Renal Protection

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress the innate inflammation associated with kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), but the mechanism is not well understood. Tregs express CD73, the final enzyme involved in the production of extracellular adenosine, and activation of the adenosine 2A receptor (A2AR) on immune cells suppresses inflammation and preserves kidney function after IRI. We hypothesized that Treg-generated adenosine is required to block innate immune responses in kidney IRI and that the Treg-generated adenosine would signal through A2ARs on inflammatory cells and, in an autocrine manner, on Tregs themselves. We found that adoptively transferred wild-type Tregs protected wild-type mice from kidney IRI, but the absence of adenosine generation (CD73-deficient Tregs) or adenosine responsiveness (A2AR-deficient Tregs) led to inhibition of Treg function. Pharmacologic stimulation of A2AR before adoptive transfer augmented the ability of wild-type and CD73-deficient Tregs to suppress kidney IRI. Microarray analysis and flow cytometry revealed that A2AR activation enhanced surface PD-1 expression on Tregs in the absence of any other activation signal. Treatment of Tregs with a PD-1 blocking antibody before adoptive transfer reversed their protective effects, even if pretreated with an A2AR agonist. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the simultaneous ability to generate and respond to adenosine is required for Tregs to suppress innate immune responses in IRI through a PD-1–dependent mechanism.
First pass metabolism of ethanol: An important determinant of blood levels after alcohol consumption

Abstract Alcohol consumption by rats fed ethanol-containing liquid diets is considerably greater than the measured rate of ethanol elimination from the blood, suggesting that a significant fraction of the alcohol ingested does not enter the systemic circulation. To assess the possibility of a first pass metabolism of ethanol, we compared the areas under the blood ethanol concentration curves after administration of various doses through various routes in alcohol-fed and control rats. In both groups, blood ethanol concentrations were significantly lower after intragastric than after intraportal or intravenous (femoral) administrations and, to a lesser extent, than after an intraduodenal dose. By contrast, the rise in blood acetate, a product of ethanol oxidation, was faster after intragastric administration. Moreover, absorption of the ethanol dose was virtually complete at the time of ethanol disappearance from the blood. The fraction of the dose that did not enter the systemic circulation was proportionally greater with the smaller doses. These results indicate that there is a significant first pass metabolism of ethanol which takes place in the gastrointestinal tract and particularly in the stomach, where alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity is the highest. Chronic alcohol administration decreased gastric ADH activity (probably secondary to gastric mucosal injury) and also decreased the magnitude of the first pass metabolism. The amount of ethanol ingested which does not enter the systemic circulation accounts for the apparent dissociation between alcohol consumption, blood ethanol levels and rate of blood ethanol elimination in alcohol-fed animals.
Identifying driver mutations in sequenced cancer genomes: computational approaches to enable precision medicine

High-throughput DNA sequencing is revolutionizing the study of cancer and enabling the measurement of the somatic mutations that drive cancer development. However, the resulting sequencing datasets are large and complex, obscuring the clinically important mutations in a background of errors, noise, and random mutations. Here, we review computational approaches to identify somatic mutations in cancer genome sequences and to distinguish the driver mutations that are responsible for cancer from random, passenger mutations. First, we describe approaches to detect somatic mutations from high-throughput DNA sequencing data, particularly for tumor samples that comprise heterogeneous populations of cells. Next, we review computational approaches that aim to predict driver mutations according to their frequency of occurrence in a cohort of samples, or according to their predicted functional impact on protein sequence or structure. Finally, we review techniques to identify recurrent combinations of somatic mutations, including approaches that examine mutations in known pathways or protein-interaction networks, as well as de novo approaches that identify combinations of mutations according to statistical patterns of mutual exclusivity. These techniques, coupled with advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing, are enabling precision medicine approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Prestriate afferents to inferior temporal cortex: an HRP study

The inferior temporal (IT) cortex of 6 macaques was injected with horseradish peroxidase. HRP-labeled cells were found throughout IT cortex itself (outside the injection area) but were not found in the polysensory areas that surround IT dorsally, anteriorly and ventrally. Posterior to IT, labeled cells were found in the anterior parts of prestriate cortex. In one animal, the anterior prestriate region was injected with HRP. Labeled cells were then found in the regions of posterior prestriate cortex that receive direct projections from striate cortex. These results suggest that IT cortex receives information from striate cortex after at least two stages of processing in prestriate cortex.
Evidence-based selection of candidates for the levonorgestrel intrauterine device (IUD).

Background: Recent evidence-based guidelines expanded the definition of appropriate candidates for the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS). We investigated correlates of evidence-based selection of candidates for the LNG-IUS by physicians who offer insertion. Methods: We conducted a mixed-mode (online and mail) survey of practicing family physicians and obstetrician-gynecologists in Seattle. Results: A total of 269 physicians responded to the survey (44% response rate). Of the 217 respondents who inserted intrauterine devices, half or fewer routinely recommended the LNG-IUS to women who are nulliparous, younger than 20 years old, or have a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In multivariable analyses, training/resident status was positively associated with recommending the LNG-IUS to women Conclusions: Many family physicians and obstetrician-gynecologists who insert the LNG-IUS are overly restrictive in selecting candidates, although those who train residents are more likely to follow evidence-based guidelines. Interventions that address negative bias and perceptions of risks, in addition to improving knowledge, are needed to promote wider use of the LNG-IUS.
The Impact of Migration on Poverty Concentrations in the United States, 1995-2000

Poverty is frequently conceptualized as an attribute of either people or places. Yet residential movement of poor people can redistribute poverty across places, affecting and reshaping the spatial concentration of economic disadvantage. In this article, we utilize 1995 to 2000 county-to-county migration data from the 2000 United States decennial census to explore how differential migration rates of the poor and nonpoor affect local incidence of poverty, and how migration reconfigures poverty rates across metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore counties. We further examine the impact of differential migration rates on African American and Latino poverty rates, two groups that have experienced higher than average poverty rates and have a sizable presence in rural areas. Our analysis indicates that during the 1990s the poor moved at rates equal to or greater than the nonpoor, and that, especially in micropolitan counties, this movement tended to deepen existing poverty concentrations. Both African American and Latino migration patterns tended to reinforce existing poverty concentrations, a result similar to that of the population as a whole, although the migration patterns of both groups more severely exacerbated poverty in high-poverty noncore counties.
Frequency dependent fluid damping of micro/nano flexural resonators: Experiment, model and analysis

This research systematically investigates the fluid damping for micromachined beam-type resonators with high resonant frequencies. The work is aimed to find a general fluid damping law which can quantitatively be used as a design tool for the resonance-based micro sensors by accurately predicting the quality factor for resonators operated in air or liquid. Micro-cantilevers with different dimensions are fabricated and tested in order to extract the damping characteristics. Combined with dimensional analysis, a novel linear fluid damping model is proposed, considering the effects from both device's dimension and the resonant frequency. Further by numerical analysis, the model is generalized to resonators with differently shaped cross-sections. Also the proposed fluid damping model provides an attractive way to use simple beam-type resonators as fluid viscosity sensors and air pressure sensors.
Langerhans'cell tumor of the eyelid

Light microscopic examination of a cutaneous nodule excised from the eyelid of a 35 year-old woman showed a monotonous proliferation of histiocytes with pagetoid infiltration of the epidermis. Following excision of this lesion, ipsilateral cervical lympadenopathy was noted. An infiltrate of cytologically similar cells was found. Electron microscopic examination showed features of Langerhans' cells including typical Birbeck granules in tumor cells from the lymph nodes. It is suggested that this localized neoplasm originated in the skin and metastasized to the regional lymph nodes.
Metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of the rice response to the bacterial blight pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), gives rise to devastating crop losses in rice. Disease resistant rice cultivars are the most economical way to combat the disease. The TP309 cultivar is susceptible to infection by Xoo strain PXO99. A transgenic variety, TP309_Xa21, expresses the pattern recognition receptor Xa21, and is resistant. PXO99 big up tri, openraxST, a strain lacking the raxST gene, is able to overcome Xa21-mediated immunity. We used a single extraction solvent to demonstrate comprehensive metabolomics and transcriptomics profiling under sample limited conditions, and analyze the molecular responses of two rice lines challenged with either PXO99 or PXO99 big up tri, openraxST. LC-TOF raw data file filtering resulted in better within group reproducibility of replicate samples for statistical analyses. Accurate mass match compound identification with molecular formula generation (MFG) ranking of 355 masses was achieved with the METLIN database. GC-TOF analysis yielded an additional 441 compounds after BinBase database processing, of which 154 were structurally identified by retention index/MS library matching. Multivariate statistics revealed that the susceptible and resistant genotypes possess distinct profiles. Although few mRNA and metabolite differences were detected in PXO99 challenged TP309 compared to mock, many differential changes occurred in the Xa21-mediated response to PXO99 and PXO99 big up tri, openraxST. Acetophenone, xanthophylls, fatty acids, alkaloids, glutathione, carbohydrate and lipid biosynthetic pathways were affected. Significant transcriptional induction of several pathogenesis related genes in Xa21 challenged strains, as well as differential changes to GAD, PAL, ICL1 and Glutathione-S-transferase transcripts indicated limited correlation with metabolite changes under single time point global profiling conditions. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11306-010-0218-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE EUROPEAN DREAM

The European Dream is often portrayed as the benign if not benevolent counterpart to the fading American Dream. Yet, as economic historian Joseph Lough shows in this essay, the European and American dreams are linked by more than their shared embrace of free market capitalism. In this essay Professor Lough exposes the darker side of the European Dream, a side first expressed in the 1990s, but now fully revealed in Europe’s conflict with Greece. As Professor Lough shows, this dark side of the European Dream was already present at its birth in the 19th century, when GWF Hegel allegorized its birth and diffusion through a story about the Self-Moving Substance that is Subject. This story has received mathematically rigorous validation through convergence theories of today’s neoclassical and neoliberal economists. Yet is total domination by this Self-Moving Substance inevitable, much less desirable? Professor Lough shows how Europe could adopt an alternative, more sustainable European Dream to meet today’s pressing challenges.
Generalized focus point and mass spectra comparison of highly natural SUGRA GUT models

Supergravity grand unified models (SUGRA GUTs) are highly motivated and allow for a high degree of electroweak naturalness when the superpotential parameter $\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\sim}100--300\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ (preferring values closer to 100 GeV). We first illustrate that models with radiatively driven naturalness enjoy a generalized focus-point behavior wherein all soft terms are correlated instead of just scalar masses. Next, we generate spectra from four SUGRA GUT archetypes: 1. $SO(10)$ models where the Higgs doublets live in different ten-dimensional irreducible representations (irreps), 2. models based on $SO(10)$ where the Higgs multiplets live in a single ten-dimensional irrep but with $D$-term scalar mass splitting, 3. models based on $SU(5)$, and 4. a more general SUGRA model with 12 independent parameters. Electroweak naturalness implies for all models a spectrum of light Higgsinos with ${m}_{{\stackrel{\texttildelow{}}{W}}_{1},{\stackrel{\texttildelow{}}{Z}}_{1,2}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}300\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ and gluinos with ${m}_{\stackrel{\texttildelow{}}{g}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}2--4\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$. However, masses and mixing in the third generation sfermion sector differ distinctly between the models. These latter differences would be most easily tested at a linear ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ collider with $\sqrt{s}\ensuremath{\sim}$ multi-TeV scale but measurements at a 50--100 TeV hadron collider are also possible.
Trajectories of functional decline in knee osteoarthritis: the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Objective. To describe trajectories of functional decline over 84 months and study associated risk factors among adults initially without limitation who had or were at risk of knee OA. Methods. We used annual measures of WOMAC physical function over 84 months from the OA Initiative. We included knees with no functional limitation (i.e. WOMAC = 0) at baseline. Knee-based trajectories of functional decline from WOMAC were identified from a group-based trajectory model (PROC TRAJ). Results. We identified five trajectories from 2110 knees (1055 participants, age 61.0 ± 9.3, BMI 27.1 ± 4.4, 52% women). Half of the knees (54%) remained free of limitation over 84 months, 26% slowly declined to a WOMAC of 1.5, 9% were limitation free for the first 36 months and declined to a WOMAC of 11.3, 6% rapidly declined over the first 12 months and gradually recovered to a WOMAC of 3.3 and 5% steadily declined to a WOMAC of 13.2. Baseline radiographic disease, knee pain, obesity and depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with trajectories of worse functional decline. Conclusion. Five per cent of our sample initially without limitation was on a trajectory of progressive functional decline over 84 months later. We found worse disease and health status at baseline to be associated with faster decline over time.
Global Capitalism and the Crisis of Humanity

With his latest book, William I. Robinson makes a valuable contribution to the literature on the 2008 financial collapse and the ongoing global financial crisis. He does so with an awareness that w...
Exploration and Practice of the Food Inspecting Technology on Food Quality and Security

Practice Teaching is an important part in the curriculums of the university and is a benchmark in assessing the management and teaching quality in higher education.According to the requirement of the talent cultivation of the food quality and security speciality and the practice teaching reality of College of Arts and Sciences of Beijng Union University,some common problems in practice teaching were discussed in this paper,including the importance of practice teaching and enthusiasm,the deficiency of practice teaching funds and the reformation of practice teaching.Combined with specialty practical,the practice teaching of modularization food inspecting technology for culturing high-quality talents in applied technology was discussed.
The Work Environment in Large Audit Firms: Current Perceptions and Possible Improvements

SUMMARY: This study examines the work environment in the audit division of large public accounting firms. Based on 18 semi-structured interviews (eight partners and ten staff auditors currently or ...
Investigation on Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Tea Samples in Fujian from 2006 to 2007

Objective To understand the situation of organochlorine pesticide residues in tea grown in Fujian province. Method The contents of HCH and DDT of 72 tea samples randomly collected in Fujian province from 2006 to 2007 were determined by capillary gas chromatography based on the national standard GB /T 5009. 19—2003. Results The qualified rate for HCH was 95. 8% and that for DDT was 63. 9% . The major residues of HCH was γ-HCH,while the main residues for DDT was p,p′-DDE. Conclusion The status of organochlorine pesticides residues in tea can not be optimistic in Fujian province. Regulating and monitoring organochlorine pesticides residues in tea should be strengthened.
Investigation of the asthma morbidity rate and risk factors of the children with bronchiolitis in Cangzhou rural area

Objective To investigate the relative risk factors of the morbidity rate of asthma in children with bronchiolitis in rural areas,and to provide clinical reference for the prevention and treatment of asthma. Methods A total of 575 cases of children with bronchiolitis were selected from January 2005 to May 2008 in Cangzhou rural areas.The investigation included 29 factors.Then,the sicked children were carried out the clinical examination and questionnaire survey from May2011 to October 2013.A total of 300 cases completed the investigation and divided into asthma group and non-asthma group,the asthma morbidity rate and risk factors were analyzed by SPSS16.0statistical software.The selected factors(P0.05)were screened by logistic regression analysis. Results Among 300 cases of bronchiolitis children,the morbidity rate was26.33%.Risk factors for asthma were screened and ranked as follows:recurrently lower respiratory tract infection(LRTI)(X10)(OR=65.562;95%CI:21.604~198.963);Allergic rhinitis history of the first or second degree relatives(X6)(OR=8.161;95%CI:2.735~24.350),eczema(X3)(OR=5.538;95%CI:2.322~13.208),personal history of allergy(X4)(OR=3.458;95%CI:1.529~7.823),asthma history of the first or second degree relatives(X5)(OR=3.204;95%CI:1.330~7.721). Conclusion Recurrently LRTI is a strong predictor of asthma,allergic rhinitis history of the first or second degree relatives,eczema,personal history of allergy and asthma history of the first or second degree relatives are the risk factors of onset of asthma of children with bronchiolitis in rural area.
Infantile Cholestasis: Approach and Diagnostic Algorithm

Cholestasis is a central key manifestation of hepatobiliary disease in all age groups. The neonatal liver is more susceptible to cholestasis as compared to older children and adults. The incidence of cholestasis in neonates is 1 in 2500–5000 live births, with the most commonly identified etiology biliary atresia. Every infant presenting with jaundice beyond 2 weeks of age (3 weeks if the infant is breast-fed and has otherwise normal physical examination and history) should be evaluated with a fractionated bilirubin level as clearly stated in the guidelines published by North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) in 2004. Prompt evaluation and diagnosis is important since early intervention and management leads to improved clinical outcome. This chapter outlines the epidemiology, etiology, and diagnostic evaluation for cholestatic jaundice in infants.
High-order disclinations in space-variant polarization

We present the investigation of high-order disinclination patterns in the spatially variable polarization of a light beam. The beam was prepared by encoding two distinct high-order optical vortices on each of the circular polarization components of the beam. As a consequence, we were able to produce high-index lemon and star patterns, which have positive and negative indices, respectively. By varying the asymmetry of one of the vortices we were able to transform one symmetric pattern (lemon or star) into another (lemon or star). With one exception, monstar patterns always appear for specific ranges of asymmetry regardless of the end symmetric patterns. Mapping of all disclinations within each case is contained in a spherical space, where monstar regions are cusp-shaped. We found that high-order monstar patterns can have positive or negative index.
Core Research Traditions Within Language and Social Interaction

Research undertaken by members of the Language and Social Interaction Division of the ICA addresses diverse topics, often topics of interest to scholars in other divisions as well. But it is not the topics that particular studies address that distinguish and coalesce work in language and social interaction (LSI); it is what these studies contribute directly or indirectly to helping us understand. Work within the core traditions of LSI research gives primary emphasis to the discursive practices through which persons construct or produce the realities of social life (e.g., action, relationship, community, identity, conflict or cooperation, organization, power). And a further, more basic, commonality underlying work in LSI is that it contributes to our understanding of what persons do, on what basis, to produce socially meaningful action and achieve (or fail to achieve) mutual understanding. Following an initial overview of LSI research and its main traditions in these basic terms, this essay gives more deta...
Participation in Sports for the Athlete with the Marfan Syndrome

The Marfan syndrome was first described in 1896 by Dr. Antoine Marfan, a French pediatrician [1, 2]. He described a young girl who manifested the classic musculoskeletal findings. This syndrome along with its propensity for aortic dilatation has been recognized across the world as one of the causes of sudden death in high-profile athletes receiving considerable media attention [3]. The Marfan syndrome with aortic dilatation is related to a mutation in the fibrillin I gene [1, 2]. The incidence in the general population is approximately 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 10,000, and it has an autosomal dominance pattern of inheritance [4, 5]. It is a syndrome comprising cardiovascular, visual, and skeletal manifestations, which will be discussed in this chapter.
The Psychiatric Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria in Placebo-Controlled Monotherapy Trials of Bipolar Depression: An Analysis of Studies of the Past 20 Years.

Concerns about the generalizability of pharmacotherapy efficacy trials to “real-world” patients have been raised for more than 40 years. Almost all of this literature has focused on treatment studies of major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of the study was to review the psychiatric inclusion and exclusion criteria used in placebo-controlled trials that assessed the efficacy of medications for bipolar depression (bipolar disorder efficacy trials [BDETs]) and compare the criteria used in BDETs with those used in efficacy trials of antidepressants to treat MDD (antidepressant efficacy trials [AETs]). We searched the MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO databases for articles published from January 1995 through December 2014. We identified 170 placebo-controlled AETs and 22 BDETs published during these 20 years. Two of the authors independently reviewed each article and completed a pre-specified information extraction form listing the psychiatric inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the study. Six inclusion/exclusion criteria were used in at least half of the BDETs: minimum severity on a depression symptom severity scale, significant suicidal ideation, diagnosis of alcohol or drug use disorder, presence of a comorbid nondepressive, nonsubstance use Axis I disorder, current episode of depression being too long, and absence of current manic symptoms. BDETs were significantly less likely than AETs to exclude patients with a history of psychotic features/disorders, borderline personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder and more likely to exclude individuals who scored too low on the first item of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Nearly two-thirds of the BDETs placed an upper limit on the duration of the current depressive episode, three times higher than the rate in the AETs. There was no difference on other variables between the AETs and BDETs. Similar to treatment studies of nonbipolar MDD, the treatment studies of bipolar depression frequently excluded patients with comorbid psychiatric and substance use disorders and insufficient severity of depressive symptoms as rated on standardized scales. These findings indicate that concerns about the generalizability of data from trials of recently approved medications for the treatment of bipolar depression are as relevant as the concerns that have been raised about studies of antidepressants for nonbipolar depression.
The Emerging Role of PET/MR Imaging in Gynecologic Cancers

This article summarizes recent advances in PET/MR imaging in gynecologic cancers and the emerging clinical value of PET/MR imaging in the management of the 3 most common gynecologic malignancies: cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. PET/MR imaging offers superior soft tissue contrast, improved assessment of primary tumor involvement because of high-resolution multiplanar reformats, and functional MR techniques such as diffusion-weighted MR imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging. This article discusses the challenges, future directions, and technical advances of PET/MR imaging, and the emerging new multimodality, multiparametric imaging techniques for integrating morphologic, functional, and molecular imaging data.
In vivo Differential Brain Clearance and Catabolism of Monomeric and Oligomeric Alzheimer's Aβ protein.

Amyloid β (Aβ) is the major constituent of the brain deposits found in parenchymal plaques and cerebral blood vessels of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Several lines of investigation support the notion that synaptic pathology, one of the strongest correlates to cognitive impairment, is related to the progressive accumulation of neurotoxic Aβ oligomers. Since the process of oligomerization/fibrillization is concentration-dependent, it is highly reliant on the homeostatic mechanisms that regulate the steady state levels of Aβ influencing the delicate balance between rate of synthesis, dynamics of aggregation and clearance kinetics. Emerging new data suggest that reduced Aβ clearance, particularly in the aging brain, plays a critical role in the process of amyloid formation and AD pathogenesis. Using well-defined monomeric and low molecular mass oligomeric Aβ1-40 species stereotaxically injected into the brain of C57BL/6 wild-type mice in combination with biochemical and mass spectrometric analyses in CSF, our data clearly demonstrate that Aβ physiologic removal is extremely fast and involves local proteolytic degradation leading to the generation of heterogeneous C-terminally cleaved proteolytic products, while providing clear indication of the detrimental role of oligomerization for brain Aβ efflux. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy studies provide insight into the cellular pathways involved in the brain removal and cellular uptake of Aβ. The findings indicate that clearance from brain interstitial fluid follows local and systemic paths and that in addition to the blood-brain barrier, local enzymatic degradation and the bulk flow transport through the choroid plexus into the CSF play significant roles. Our studies highlight the diverse factors influencing brain clearance and the participation of various routes of elimination opening up new research opportunities for the understanding of altered mechanisms triggering AD pathology and for the potential design of combined therapeutic strategies.
Video frame categorization using sort-merge feature selection

Feature selection for video categorization is impractical with existing techniques. We present a novel algorithm to select a very small subset of image features. We reduce the cardinality of the input data by sorting the individual features by their effectiveness in categorization, and then merging pairwise these features into feature sets of cardinality two. Repeating this sort-merge process several times results in the learning of a small-cardinality, efficient, but highly accurate, feature set. The cost of this wrapper method for learning the feature set, approximately O(F logF) where F is the number of incoming features, is very reasonable, particularly when compared with the impracticality of applying the much higher cost current filter or wrapper learning models to the massive data of this domain. We provide empirical validation of this method, comparing it to both random and hand-selected feature sets of comparable small cardinality.
Working with Survivors of Sexual Violence from a Sex-Positive Perspective

Sexual violence is a widespread social problem with a destructive range of sexual behaviors that are committed without consent and results in physical, psychological, and social consequences (Jewkes et al., 2002). The Center for Disease Control found that approximately 20% of women in the U.S. will be sexually assaulted or experience an attempted assault in their lifetime and more than one in 10 men are victims of sexual violence (Black et al., 2011).
Virtual Glucose Management in the Hospital Setting

The editorialist discusses the strengths of virtual glucose management but speculates that this approach combined with selected bedside care by diabetes specialists may lead to even better control.