cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Instrument Techniques to Forensic Urine Drug Testing

Appropriate GC/MS analytical techniques can provide conclusive confirmatory evidence for the presence of drugs and metabolites in forensic urine drug testing. Although forensic laboratories are required to utilize GC/MS, they have flexibility in selecting instrumentation, modes of operation, and actual analytical methods. Because a laboratory's accreditation status, reputation, and economic well-being depend on consistently accurate results, it is important to use optimal analytical procedures so that reliability and accuracy are maximized. Pitfalls in conventional EI SIM techniques can lead to high rates of false-positive and false-negative results. Different mass spectrometric operating modes such as CI and full-scan can be used to complement SIM analyses. These modes are useful in solving difficult identification problems and in enhancing both specificity and sensitivity. Newer types of GC/MS systems based on ion trapping offer the promise of technologic advances in enhanced analytical performance and productivity gains. Knowledge of the advantages and potential pitfalls of different GC/MS systems as well as different ionization and detection modes is helpful in optimizing the accuracy of compound identification.
Recent Tax Legislation: A Review of Changes Relevant to Finance Research

This article seeks to highlight significant U.S. federal income tax legislation in a manner that is useful to academics performing research in the field of finance. Taxes are a pervasive part of the current financial landscape, and as such it can be important for researchers to be aware of their implications, even for research not traditionally known as tax. It is our intention that this article serve as a convenient resource both to potential researchers who are curious about tax issues and to those whom taxes are merely of tangential interest. It is also our hope that this review will help to spark ideas that lead to creative new research. We will proceed by reviewing relevant tax changes and discussing research settings where they might be especially important to consider. From this perspective, much of our discussion will be based on considerations for researchers utilizing time series or panel data, as opposed to cross-sectional. The analysis will cover the period of 1986 to the present.
Quantitative PCR Assays for Detecting Loach Minnow (Rhinichthys cobitis) and Spikedace (Meda fulgida) in the Southwestern United States

Loach minnow (Rhinichthys cobitis) and spikedace (Meda fulgida) are legally protected with the status of Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and are endemic to the Gila River basin of Arizona and New Mexico. Efficient and sensitive methods for monitoring these species’ distributions are critical for prioritizing conservation efforts. We developed quantitative PCR assays for detecting loach minnow and spikedace DNA in environmental samples. Each assay reliably detected low concentrations of target DNA without detection of non-target species, including other cyprinid fishes with which they co-occur.
Molecular links among non-biodegradable nanoparticles, reactive oxygen species, and autophagy

For nanoparticles to be successful in combating diseases in the clinic in the 21st century and beyond, they must localize to target areas of the body and avoid damaging non-target, healthy tissues. Both soft and stiff, bio-degradable and non-biodegradable nanoparticles are anticipated to be used to this end. It has been shown that stiff, non-biodegradable nanoparticles cause reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and autophagy in a variety of cell lines in vitro. Both responses can lead to significant remodeling of the cytosol and even apoptosis. Thus these are crucial cellular functions to understand. Improved assays have uncovered crucial roles of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in both ROS generation and autophagy initiation after cells have internalized stiff, non-biodegradable nanoparticles over varying geometries in culture. Of particular - yet unresolved - interest is how these nanoparticles cause the activation of these pathways. This article reviews the most recent advances in nanoparticle generation of ROS and autophagy initiation with a focus on stiff, non-biodegradable technologies. We provide experimental guidelines to the reader for fleshing out the effects of their nanoparticles on the above pathways with the goal of tuning nanoparticle design.
P7 Relationship between function, quality of life and balance in persons with chronic ankle instability

Study Design Cross-sectional. Objectives To investigate the relationship between subjective measures of function and quality of life, and objective measures of balance in individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI). Background CAI results due to an inadequately healed ankle sprain, and may impact the individual’s balance and quality of life. However, it is unknown how they are related. Methods and Measures Participants: 1) CAI group (n=18; age 22.4±2.8 years) had a history of at least 1 significant ankle sprain with feelings of instability and/or recurrent sprain, 2) Copers (n=15; age 22.4±3.2 years) also sustained 1 significant ankle sprain, but are able to return to their pre-injury levels without residual symptoms and 3) Control (n=18; 22.2±3.0 years), who never had ankle injury. Static balance was tested using single leg standing on the Biodex Balance System platform set to levels of varying stability. Dynamic balance was tested using Y-balance system. Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) and the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) surveys were administered. Results For CAI group, the FAOS quality of life subscale was negatively correlated with sway index and area when the platform was stable (both r>=−0.52; p =−0.49; p Conclusions For those with a history of ankle sprain, subjective measures seemed to be related to performance on the least challenging static balance and dynamic balance test. Subjective measures of quality of life and function do not seem to be related to more challenging static balance tests.
Roles of Inflammation and Depression in the Development of Gestational Diabetes

Inflammation, the body's response to harmful external agents, has long been found to be associated with depressive symptoms. The relationship between inflammation and depression is well established in the general population of people with depression, but is less so among perinatal women. Depression in the perinatal period is a common disorder, however available data do not indicate that there is a specific inflammatory picture associated with perinatal depression. We suggest that perinatal depression may be a heterogeneous construct, and that inflammation may be relevant to it in the context of other inflammatory morbidities of pregnancy. In this review we explore the available support for the hypothesis that inflammation associated with depression can represent a precipitating insult for the development of gestational diabetes, a known inflammatory morbidity of pregnancy.
The Status of Public School Orchestras in Kansas

The purpose of this study was to investigate string and orchestra programs in Kansas public schools. Website searches were conducted of all 285 Kansas public school districts for evidence of orches...
Hispanic ethnicity, stress psychophysiology and paradoxical health outcomes: A review with conceptual considerations and a call for research

It is not wise to generalize psychophysiological findings from WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) samples to all people and yet this occurs frequently in research. Case-in-point is our understanding of psychophysiological responses to stress which suggest universality despite our knowledge that these pathways are moderated by factors such as ethnicity and culture. Here we discuss the epidemiological phenomenon commonly referred to as the Hispanic health paradox to illustrate the importance of culture in understanding stress. We posit that despite high stress exposure, Hispanics may experience relatively low levels of stress contributing to their paradoxical health advantages. Building on our prior work, we present a new, culturally-tailored stress theory model to illustrate how sociocultural factors may moderate the experience of stress (through appraisals) with downstream effects on psychophysiological mechanisms. We support the model with available data and end this paper with a call for research that more carefully considers cultural and ethnic factors in psychophysiological research.
Broadband Cavity-Enhanced Dual-Comb Spectroscopy of Multiple Trace Gas Species

We report compact and broadband near infrared cavity-enhanced dual-comb spectroscopy (CE-DCS) with 60 nm transmitted bandwidth and pathlength enhancement factor of 11, 000 for CE-DCS. Simultaneous trace detection of four gas species is demonstrated.
Lower‐limb reconstruction with chimeric flaps: The quad flap*

Early soft-tissue coverage is critical for treating traumatic open lower-extremity wounds. As free-flap reconstruction evolves, injuries once thought to be nonreconstructable are being salvaged. Free-tissue transfer is imperative when there is extensive dead space or exposure of vital structures such as bone, tendon, nerves, or blood vessels. We describe 2 cases of lower-extremity crush injuries salvaged with the quad flap. This novel flap consists of parascapular, scapular, serratus, and latissimus dorsi free flaps in combination on one pedicle. This flap provides the large amount of soft-tissue coverage necessary to cover substantial defects from skin degloving, tibia and fibula fractures, and soft-tissue loss. In case 1, a 51-year-old woman was struck by an automobile and sustained bilateral tibia and fibula fractures, a crush degloving injury of the left leg, and a right forefoot traumatic amputation. She underwent reconstruction with a contralateral quad free flap. In case 2, a 53-year-old man sustained a right tibia plateau fracture with large soft-tissue defects from a motorcycle accident. He had a crush degloving injury of the entire anterolateral compartment over the distal and lower third of the right leg. The large soft-tissue defect was reconstructed with a contralateral quad flap. In both cases, the donor site was closed primarily and without early flap failures. There was one surgical complication, an abscess in case 2; the patient was taken back to the operating room for debridement of necrotic tissue. There have been no long-term complications in either case. Both patients achieved adequate soft-tissue coverage, avoided amputation, and had satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcomes. With appropriate surgical technique and patient selection, the quad-flap technique is promising for reconstructing the lower extremity.
Are young children’s preferences and evaluations of moral and conventional transgressors associated with domain distinctions in judgments?

Abstract The current study investigated associations between children’s preferences and evaluations of moral and social-conventional transgressors in a novel puppet task and their links with explicit judgments in a standard interview. Children aged 2–3.25 years (M = 2.53 years, SD = 0.35) and 3.5–5 years (M = 4.38 years, SD = 0.52) watched two pairs of live puppet shows depicting actors committing a moral transgression and a conventional transgression and chose which transgressor they liked more, preferred more as a friend, thought was more wrong, and should get in more trouble; they also distributed resources to the transgressors. At both ages, children allocated fewer resources to moral transgressors than to conventional transgressors, but younger children’s other responses did not exceed chance levels. In contrast, older children chose the moral transgressor as more wrong, more deserving of punishment, and less likeable. Preferences were associated with evaluations in the puppet task, particularly among older children. In contrast, all children differentiated between moral and conventional transgressions in their explicit judgments, with age differences found only in rule independence. More mature moral judgments, as assessed by latent difference scores reflecting moral–conventional distinctions, were associated with preferring to befriend the conventional transgressor and evaluating the moral transgressor as more wrong. Together, these results show age-related increases in children’s moral understanding of—and stronger associations between—preferences and evaluations with age.
Familial Visceral Myopathy

AbstractWe report on a 13-year-old white boy with familial visceral myopathy. The abnormalities of the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts are described and the literature regarding urologic implications of this disorder is reviewed.
Characteristics of Juvenile Wood

There are many characteristics of juvenile wood, described by investigators such as Knigge and Koltzenburg (1965), Foelkel et al. (1976), Thomas (1984), Zobel and Talbert (1984), Krahmer (1986), and Zobel and van Buijtenen (1989). The general attitude of most foresters is that juvenile wood is undesirable. As shown below, this is not always true and currently, with new methods of manufacturing, juvenile wood is sometimes preferred. Such wood has now been accepted as a general part of the wood supply to the industry and steps are being taken to learn how best to use it. The characteristics of juvenile wood, and how they affect the final product, are covered in several sections of this book.
Economic subsystems and the occupational structure: A comparison of Hungary and the United States

This article proposes a new way of looking at social inequality in socialist and nonsocialist societies. In the first section, a conceptual framework for recovering houseworkers for class analysis is introduced, and a historically-based argument for representing them in the occupational structure is advanced. The second section reviews the evolution of social cleavages from the preindustrial era to the present day and discusses the implications of using the same occupational classification scheme to describe both socialist and nonsocialist societies. This occupational classification is illustrated in the concluding section of the paper by reanalyzing data from Hungary and the United States. The results provide new insights into the structure of gender-based inequalities and the effects of socialism on the occupational division of labor.
Effects of Environmental Stress on Primate Populations

Environmental stress on primate populations can take many forms. Abiotic factors, such as temperature and precipitation, may directly influence the behavior of primates owing to physiological deman...
Seed yield and oil quality as affected by camelina cultivar and planting date.

Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] has been identified as a potential oilseed crop for fallow replacement in cropping systems in the semiarid US Great Plains. However, camelina production is li...
Challenges of Prevention and Resolution

Intrastate conflicts are the characteristic of current world affairs. The controls of the Cold War have been removed without replacement but the fuel (arms, troops, money, ideology) that Cold War protagonists often offered to local conflicts is still available from less manageable sources. The rising phenomenon of state collapse creates a vacuum that sucks in neighbors’ involvement. Inter-state conflicts also occur, on their own and as a result of intrastate spillover, and may well return to their former prominence as regional leaders fight out issues of rank and relations among each other.
Sex Differences in the Blood Transcriptome Identify Robust Changes in Immune Cell Proportions with Aging and Influenza Infection.

Summary Sex differences in autoimmunity and infection suggest that a better understanding of molecular sex differences will improve the diagnosis and treatment of immune-related disease. We identified 144 differentially expressed genes, referred to as immune sex expression signature (iSEXS), between human males and females using an integrated multi-cohort analysis of blood transcriptome profiles from six discovery cohorts from five continents with 458 healthy individuals. We validated iSEXS in 11 additional cohorts of 524 peripheral blood samples. When we separated iSEXS into genes located on sex chromosomes (XY-iSEXS) or autosomes (autosomal-iSEXS), both modules distinguished males and females. iSEXS reflects sex differences in immune cell proportions, with female-associated genes showing higher expression by CD4+ T cells and male-associated genes showing higher expression by myeloid cells. Autosomal-iSEXS detected an increase in monocytes with age in females, reflected sex-differential immune cell dynamics during influenza infection, and predicted antibody response in males, but not females.
Examining the Role of DNA Methylation in Transcriptomic Plasticity of Early Stage Sea Urchins: Developmental and Maternal Effects in a Kelp Forest Herbivore

Gene expression plasticity can confer physiological plasticity in response to the environment. However, whether epigenetic marks contribute to the dynamics of gene expression is still not well described in most marine invertebrates. Here, we explored the extent and molecular basis of intra- and intergenerational plasticity in the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, by examining relationships between changes in DNA methylation, transcription, and embryo spicule length. Adult urchins were conditioned in the lab for four months to treatments that represent upwelling (~1100μatm pCO2, 13 °C) and non-upwelling conditions (~500μatm pCO2, 17 °C). Embryos spawned from conditioned adults were reared in either the same adult treatment or the reciprocal condition. Maternal conditioning resulted in significantly differentially methylated CpG sites and differential gene expression in the larvae, despite no evidence of maternal effects on embryo spicule length. In contrast, conditions experienced during development resulted in significant differences in larval spicule length. Intragenerational plasticity in spicule length was strongly correlated to transcriptomic plasticity, despite low levels of intragenerational plasticity in CpG methylation. We find plasticity in DNA methylation and gene expression in response to different maternal environments and these changes have similarities across broad functional groups of genes; yet exhibit little overlap on a gene-by-gene basis. Our results suggest that different forms of environmentally induced plasticity are observable across different time scales and that DNA methylation dynamics may be uncoupled from fast transcriptional responses to the environment and whole organism traits. Overall, this study illuminates the extent to which environmental differences can induce both intra- and intergenerational phenotypic plasticity in a common kelp forest herbivore.
Analysis of surveillance data of suspected adverse events following immunization in Fujian Province from 2011 to 2015

Objective To evaluate the safety of national immunization program (NIP) vaccines and non-NIP vaccines in Fujian Province from 2011 to 2015. Methods The adverse events following immunization (AEFI) case information reported in Fujian Province from 2011 to 2015 was collected from the National AEFI Information Management System and vaccination data of NIP vaccines (11 species) and non-NIP vaccines (19 species) in the same period in Fujian Province were collected from the National Immunization Program Information Management System. The collected monitoring data were descriptively analyzed. The total and severe AEFI reporting rates and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results From 2011 to 2015, a total of 70 976 300 doses of vaccines were inoculated in Fujian Province and a total of 8 987 cases of AEFI were reported, including 192 cases (2.14%) of severe AEFI. The incidence (95%CI) of reported AEFI was 12.66 (12.40-12.93) per 100 000 doses and the incidence (95%CI) of reported severe AEFI was 2.71 (2.34-3.12) per one million doses. A total of 55 702 100 doses of NIP vaccines were inoculated and 7 347 cases of AEFI were reported, of which 138 (1.88%) were severe AEFI cases. The incidence (95%CI) of reported AEFI was 13.19 (12.89-1.49) per 100 000 doses of NIP vaccines and the incidence (95%CI) of reported severe AEFI was 2.48 (2.08-2.93) per one million doses. Among the 11 NIP vaccines, the incidence (95%CI) of reported AEFI ranged from 0.95 (0.88-1.13) per 100 000 doses to 43.71 (40.72-46.75) per 100 000 doses and the incidence (95%CI) of reported severe AEFI ranged from 1.04 (0.32-1.76) per one million doses to 6.41 (2.78-10.04) per one million doses. A total of 15 271 600 doses of non-NIP vaccines were inoculated and 1 640 cases of AEFI were reported, of which 54 (3.54%) were severe AEFI cases. The total incidence (95%CI) of reported AEFI was 10.74 (10.23-11.27) per 100 000 doses and the incidence (95%CI) of reported severe AEFI was 3.54 (2.66-4.61) per one million doses. Among the 19 non-NIP vaccines, the incidence (95%CI) of reported AEFI ranged from 2.06 (0.38-3.71) per 100 000 doses to 45.22 (35.29-55.10) per 100 000 doses and the incidence (95%CI) of reported severe AEFI ranged from 0.52 (0-1.53) per one million doses to 20.89 (0-44.51) per one million doses. Conclusion From 2011 to 2015, the incidences of reported AEFI and severe AEFI for NIP and non-NIP vaccines circulated in Fujian Province were low, which had good safety. Key words: Vaccines; Vaccination; Immunization programs; Drug-related side effects and adverse reactions; Adverse drug reaction reporting systems
Dry Cupping Therapy for Improving Nonspecific Neck Pain and Subcutaneous Hemodynamics.

Context Dry cupping therapy is a noninvasive treatment commonly used to reduce pain and promote the healing process in various populations, including those with nonspecific neck pain; however, no data are available to support most of this method's true physiological benefits. Objective To determine if dry cupping therapy decreased pain and increased subcutaneous blood flow compared with sham cupping and control conditions. Design Controlled laboratory study. Setting Laboratory. Patients or other participants A total of 32 participants (age = 22.5 ± 2.8 years, height = 173.3 ± 10.1 cm, mass = 76.6 ± 18.7 kg) with self-reported nonspecific neck pain. Intervention(s) We used dry cupping and sham cupping interventions and a control condition. For the dry cupping intervention, 1 stationary cup was placed directly over the most painful area for 8 minutes. The sham cupping intervention followed the same procedures as the dry cupping intervention except a sham cup was applied. For the control condition, participants received no treatment. Main outcome measure(s) Subjective pain intensity (visual analog scale); pain-pressure threshold; subcutaneous hemodynamics, including superficial and deep oxygenated, deoxygenated, and total hemoglobin levels; and tissue saturation index. Results We observed differences in the visual analog scale score and the superficial and deep oxygenated and total hemoglobin levels (P values ≤ .002) immediately postintervention compared with baseline. Post hoc tests revealed that the dry cupping group had less pain than the sham cupping and control groups and higher superficial and deep oxygenated and total hemoglobin levels (P values ≤ .008). No differences were found between baseline and 24 hours postintervention. Conclusions A single session of dry cupping therapy may be an effective short-term treatment method for immediately reducing pain and increasing oxygenated and total hemoglobin levels in patients with nonspecific neck pain.
Can landscape heterogeneity promote carnivore coexistence in human-dominated landscapes?

Interspecific competition can limit species distributions unless competitors partition niche space to enable coexistence. Landscape heterogeneity can facilitate niche partitioning and enable coexistence, but land-use change is restructuring terrestrial ecosystems globally with unknown consequences for species interactions. We tested the relationship between landscape heterogeneity and carnivore co-occurrence in natural and human-dominated ecosystems to assess the landscape-mediated impacts of anthropogenic change on coexistence. We used boosted regression trees to model the distributions and co-occurrence of two competing forest carnivores, American martens and fishers, at two contrasting sites in the Great Lakes region, USA: a “natural” site largely devoid of human impacts and a “human-dominated” site with substantial development and a history of land-use change. We assessed the importance of climate and habitat variables for each species, measured spatial niche overlap, and quantified co-occurrence as a function of compositional (patch richness), configurational (landscape shape), and topographical (elevation range) heterogeneity per site. We observed significant differences in the effect of heterogeneity on co-occurrence between sites. The natural landscape exhibited little niche overlap and co-occurrence had a significant, positive relationship with heterogeneity. Conversely, the human-dominated site exhibited high niche overlap with variable effects of heterogeneity on co-occurrence. Elevation, snowpack, and development had strong, contrasting effects on marten and fisher distributions, suggesting that differential use of habitat and anthropogenic features facilitates coexistence. Heterogeneity can facilitate coexistence, but too much may undermine carnivore coexistence in human-dominated landscapes where habitat and space are limited. Moreover, future climate change will likely erode niche partitioning among martens and fishers, with particularly strong consequences for coexistence in human-dominated landscapes and at range boundaries.
Technical evaluation panel summary report. Ceramic and glass immobilization options fissile materials disposition program

This report documents the results of a technical evaluation of the merits of ceramic and glass immobilization forms for the disposition of surplus weapons-useable plutonium. The evaluation was conducted by a Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP), whose members were selected to cover a relevant range of scientific and technical expertise and represented each of the technical organizations involved in the Plutonium Immobilization Program. The TEP held a formal review at Lawrence Liver-more National Laboratory (LLNL) from July 2%August 1, 1997. Following this review, the TEP documented the review and its evaluation of the two immobilization technologies in this report to provide a technical basis for a recommendation by LLNL to the Department of Energy (DOE) for the preferred immobilization form. The comparison of the glass and ceramic forms and manufacturing processes was a tremendous challenge to the TEP. The two forms and their processes are similar in many ways. The TEP went to great effort to accurately assess what were, in many cases, fine details of the processes, unit operations, and the glass and ceramic forms themselves. The set of criteria used by the Fissile Materials Disposition Program (FMDP) in past screenings and down-selections was used to measure-the two options. Onemore » exception is that the TEP did not consider criteria that were largely nontechnical (namely international impact, public acceptance, and effects on other : DOE programs). The TEP' s measures and assessments are documented in detail. Care was taken to ensure that the data used were well documented and traceable to their source. Although no final conclusion regarding the preferred form was reached or explicitly stated in this report (this was not within the TEP' s charter), no "show stoppers" were identified for either form. Both forms appear capable of satisfying all the criteria, as interpreted by the TEP. The TEP identified a number of distinct and quantifiable differences between the forms for several of the criteria. These differences ranged from insignificant to moderate, depending on the specific criterion and the context in which it was applied. No summary statement regarding the overall superiority of either form is presented here, as that would imply a weighting of the various criteria, a judgment the TEP was instructed to avoid. This judgment is deferred to the assessment and peer review that will follow this evaluation. The decision to select one form over another will, of course, require the consideration of many additional factors beyond the technical criteria, including the nontechnical criteria, constraints, and policy issues, all of which were outside the scope of this review.« less
Guideline-Based Statin Eligibility, Coronary Artery Stenosis and Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Stable Chest Pain: A Secondary Analysis of the PROMISE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Recommendations for preventive statin treatment in patients with stable chest pain may be difficult as symptoms can be unspecific. It is unclear if coronary CT angiography (CTA)-detected coronary artery disease (CAD) can optimize statin prescription. Methods: In stable chest pain patients randomized to CTA in the PROMISE trial, statin eligibility was defined per 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines. Primary outcome was a composite of death, myocardial infarction or unstable angina over 26 months median follow-up. Hazard ratios (HR) of non-obstructive (1–69% stenosis) and obstructive (≥70% stenosis) CAD for events were determined using Cox proportional hazard models. Calculated HR were then incorporated into the ACC/AHA pooled cohort equation (PCE) to revised ASCVD risk and assess re-classification of statin eligibility. Results: Among 3986 patients (60.5 ± 8.2 years; 51% female), 72.9% (2904/3986) were statin eligible. Event rates in statin-eligible vs. ineligible patients were 3.3% vs. 2.3% (HR = 1.4 (95% CI 0.9–2.2), p = 0.142). Although the proportion of statin-eligible patients increased with CAD severity, 54% without CAD were statin eligible. Incorporating information on CAD into PCE reclassified 12.7% of patients (1.3% towards statin, 11.4% towards no statin). Similar results were found in stratified analysis of statin naive patients (reclassification of 13.9%, 1.0% towards statin, and 12.9% towards no statin). As a result, revised ASCVD risk improved model discrimination in all patients (c-statistic: 0.59 (95 %CI 0.55–0.62) vs. 0.52 (95 %CI 0.49–0.56); p < 0.001), while reducing statin use by 10.1% (62.7% vs. 72.9% statin eligible, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In stable chest pain patients, integration of CAD into guideline recommendations was associated with greater accuracy to reclassify those at increased risk for incident events and a more efficient use of statins.
Import penetration and the politics of trade protection

Abstract In this paper we reconsider a key empirical prediction generated by an important class of political-economy models of trade policy, namely that trade protection should be higher in sectors characterized by lower import penetration (we call this the ‘standard’ prediction). The existing empirical evidence offers little support for this prediction. In this paper we argue that the standard prediction depends critically on the assumptions that trade taxes are the only policy instruments and that the government has access to non-distortionary taxation. We analyze a model in which the government can use quotas and VERs in addition to trade taxes, and raising public funds may be costly. Under a simple sufficient condition, our model predicts that the protection level increases with import penetration, both in sectors that are protected with tariffs and in sectors that are protected with quantitative restrictions.
Human Capacity Organizational Roadmap for E-Government Interoperability in the Philippines

This paper offers an assessment on the performance of the Philippines’ e-government initiatives particularly in the aspect of interoperability. Benchmarking Canada, Australia, and Singapore—the authors evaluated the successes and failures of the Philippines and created comparative analyses on its initiative performance. Although government funding and human resources on the country is of high magnitude, it is surprising to witness how the Philippines consistently ranks low on UN rankings. Findings revealed that appropriate integration of human factors and dynamics will significantly improve the country’s performance. Likewise, this paper affirms a proposition through a roadmap to that possibility.
Patient-centered approach to managing factor XIII deficiency.

Factor XIII (FXIII) is a thrombin-activated protransglutaminase that plays a key role in blood clot formation. Congenital FXIII A-subunit deficiency represents a rare bleeding disorder that affects one in 2-3 million individuals worldwide and is treated with recombinant FXIII (rFXIII). However, due to the rarity of the disease, clinicians are often left to weigh individual variation in FXIII activity and/or symptoms to optimally guide dosing. Cases often become further complicated when patients experience refractory bleeding, which can be difficult to treat. This report describes an approach to rFXIII dosing in two patients who required deviation from standard protocols to maintain therapeutic FXIII troughs. We highlight limitations in our understanding of FXIII deficiency management, while also providing an example of the application of pharmacokinetic data to individualise therapy for improved outcomes. Finally, the case reminds us of the importance of patient-centered, cost-conscious care and multidisplinary teamwork in complex cases.
Geometric mechanics of folded kirigami structures with tunable bandgap

Abstract We study the geometric mechanics and tunable band structures of a recently developed new class of folded kirigami structures through experiments, theoretical modeling, and numerical simulation. The folded kirigami structures with square and triangular cut patterns are constructed by replacing the point hinge in conventional kirigami sheets with a 3D folding hinge. We find that the folded design can effectively overcome the polarization constraint in the conventional kirigami sheets without folds. Specially, as the creases continue to fold from 0° to 180°, the folded design achieves a unique polarization switch, i.e., the structure expands first and then shrinks to be even smaller than that before folding. Geometric mechanics models are developed to predict how the geometry of the folding hinges determines both the shape changes and structural responses, including nominal strains, polarization switch, Poisson’s ratio, folding rate, surface porosity, and structural stiffness. The models are validated through related experiments. We find that the observed polarization switch corresponds to both the peak nominal strains and stiffness singularity in the structures. Lastly, we numerically explore its shape change induced tunable phononic bandgap structures. We find that for special designs with polarization switch, it leads to symmetric bandgap structures changing with the folding angle. This work could find potential applications in designing kirigami metamaterials, shape-morphing materials, and phononic materials with tunable band structures.
Mapping Sensorimotor Pathways in Rat Brain Using 2-Deoxyglucose Autoradiography and C-Fos Immunocytochemistry

Stimulating whiskers of normal rats increased local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) in principal sensory n. (Pr5) and spinal trigeminal n. (Sp5) of the brainstem; multiple regions of ipsi-and contralateral cerebellum; contralateral ventroposteromedial (VPM) n. of thalamus; and contralateral whisker sensory (barrel) cortex. Though whisker stimulation increased LCGU in Pr5 and Sp5 of subjects that had whisker sensory cortex removed at any time prior to stimulation, whisker stimulation did not increase LCGU in VPM. This suggests that the activated Pr5 and Sp5 neurons cannot metabolically activate axotomized VPM thalamic neurons.
Chapter 35 – 1α,25(OH)2 Vitamin D3Vitamin D Nuclear Receptor (VDR) and Plasma Vitamin D-Binding Protein (DBP) Structures and Ligand Shape Preferences for Genomic and Rapid Biological Responses

Studies have shown that vitamin D is metabolized to a biologically active form, 1α,25(OH) 2 vitamin D 3 [1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 ] that functions as a steroid hormone. 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 can generate at least three functionally different shapes that effectively accommodate the ligand-binding domain requirements of the vitamin D nuclear receptor (VDR) nuc, the caveolae-associated VDR mem, and DBP proteins. The key organ in the vitamin D endocrine system is the kidney where the renal proximal tubule is responsible for producing the hormonal 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 that circulates in the blood in accordance with strict physiological signals. This chapter illustrates a figure that integrates the signal transduction pathways that are used by the nuclear VDR and the membrane-associated VDR with 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 functioning as a conformationally flexible agonist. This model emphasizes the complexity of overlapping and interconnecting signal transduction pathways. Furthermore, it determines whether the membrane VDR can communicate with the nucleus of the cell to modulate gene transcription. It also summarizes that at least five different systems (pancreas β-cell, adipocytes, vascular smooth muscle, intestine, and osteoblasts) where molecular biological evidence has been obtained for the process of crosstalk from 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 rapid responses to changes in gene expression in the cell nucleus. One important challenge is to identify and fully biochemically characterize the membrane-associated VDR.
The In/visible Woman: Mariangela Ardinghelli and the Circulation of Knowledge between Paris and Naples in the Eighteenth Century

ABSTRACTMariangela Ardinghelli (1730–1825) is remembered as the Italian translator of two texts by the Newtonian physiologist Stephen Hales, Haemastaticks and Vegetable Staticks. This essay shows that her role in the Republic of Letters was by no means limited to such work. At a time of increasing interest in the natural history of the areas around Naples, she became a reliable cultural mediator for French travelers and naturalists. She also acted as an informal foreign correspondent for the Paris Academy of Sciences, connecting scientific communities in Naples and France. Unlike other learned women of the time, Ardinghelli was neither an aristocrat nor a member of the ascendant middle class. The essay discusses the strategies she devised to build her authority and her choice of anonymity at the apex of her popularity, when she translated scientific texts by contemporary celebrities such as the abbe Nollet and the comte de Buffon. It argues that, in spite of Ardinghelli's historical invisibility, for her ...
Interlibrary Loan the Wiki Way : An Effective and Free Interlibrary Loan Procedures and Communications Tool

There are limitless possibilities for wiki websites in the library environment. The features of wikis are especially beneficial to interlibrary loan departments that make frequent changes to their (usually electronic) services. GTD Tiddly Wiki is an easy to use and learn tool for staff to keep track of changes. It is free, open-source software available online. Instead of being installed on a web server, it can be saved to a shared network drive. The JavaScript commands, which run behind the scenes, allow postings on multiple topics while the webpage is still saved as a single file on your computer. Permanent procedures can be posted to the GTD Tiddly Wiki website. The ease of updating information makes it an ideal way to share temporary announcements with staff.
Differences in Signaling Molecule Organization between Naive and Memory CD4+ T Lymphocytes

The immunological synapse is a highly organized complex formed at the junction between Ag-specific T cells and APCs as a prelude to cell activation. Although its exact role in modulating T cell signaling is unknown, it is commonly believed that the immunological synapse is the site of cross-talk between the T cell and APC (or target). We have examined the synapses formed by naive and memory CD4 cells during Ag-specific cognate interactions with APCs. We show that the mature immunological synapse forms more quickly during memory T cell activation. We further show that the composition of the synapse found in naive or memory cell conjugates with APCs is distinct with the tyrosine phosphatase, CD45, being a more integral component of the mature synapses formed by memory cells. Finally, we show that signaling molecules, including CD45, are preassociated in discrete, lipid-raft microdomains in resting memory cells but not in naive cells. Thus, enhanced memory cell responses may be due to intrinsic properties of signaling molecule organization.
Assessment Centers: What Impact Have They Had on Career Opportunities for Women?

The assessment center is a process acclaimed for identifying managerial talent, but has it helped women wanting to enter the principalship? The authors, who pursued this question with the more than 600 women who have participated in NASSP's As sessment Center, learned that the Centers have had a major influence on these women.
The Legal Status of Piracy in Medieval Europe

This article discusses the history of maritime theft, or piracy, in medieval Europe, not so much as a crime but rather as a case study in legal pluralism: the operation of competing systems of law across a common region. Although scholarship has often interpreted sources for medieval European piracy through the filter of early modern conditions, the parameters of how disputes over piracy were settled within the conflicting legal systems of medieval Europe may have heuristic implications for understanding twenty-first century piracy. On the one hand, statutes of royal and civic polities across medieval Europe uniformly adhered to Roman legal precedents in condemning piracy as a capital crime. On the other hand, selective campaigns of maritime predation, referred to in the Latin sources as sailing ad piraticam or in cursum, (hence the term corsair), were sanctioned by medieval European polities when directed against political and economic rivals. Legal and narrative sources for maritime theft nevertheless indicate that piracy was often conflated with the operation of enemy corsairs in a manner that carried implications for the imposition of capital penalties on maritime marauders as well as for merchants who attempted to obtain compensation, or restitution, for cargo seized in a corsair raid from polities charged with authorizing their operations. Attempts to obtain restitution could also be complicated by commercial patterns subtly interwoven with maritime theft.
Human Cortical Specialization for Food: a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Investigation

Although specialized cortical pathways that process specific sensory stimuli and/or execute cognitive functions have been identified, the neuro-specificity for food-related stimuli has not been clearly demonstrated. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare neural systems associated with the appreciation of foods and nonfoods. Healthy, normal weight, right-handed men and women (n = 12; age 29.8 +/- 1.8 y, BMI 21.8 +/- 0.8 kg/m(2)) were imaged by fMRI while fasting. Real food and nonfood items were presented to subjects both visually and tactilely, during scanning. Subjects were instructed to pay attention to the items. A randomized 2 x 2 block design consisted of 4 conditions: visual food, visual nonfood, tactile food, and tactile nonfood. Brain regions that were significantly activated to a greater extent during the presentation of foods compared with nonfood items included the anterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, and the insula. These findings support the claim that the presence of food (either seen or felt) elicits a unique cortical response that is differentiated from nonfood items. This neural substrate specialized for processing of foods informs models of food-related behavior.
The role of hope in conflict management and relational maintenance

Rooted in hope theory, this study examined how dispositional and relationship-specific hope influence communication in romantic relationships. In Study 1a, dispositional hope was positively associated with active and constructive conflict responses and negatively associated with passive and destructive conflict responses. In Study 1b, dispositional hope was mainly a positive predictor of active and constructive responses. Hope was also found to predict certain relational maintenance behaviors. Study 2 then examined the influence of hope in specific relational conflict episodes. Dispositional and relationship-specific hope predicted unique variance in conflict goals and styles. High- relative to low-hope individuals reported more prorelationship goals and fewer hostility-domination goals. They also reported greater integrative problem solving and less personal attacking, withdrawal, and third-party assistance.
Helical Conformation of Treponema pallidum (Nichols Strain), Treponema paraluis-cuniculi, Treponema denticola, Borrelia turicatae, and Unidentified Oral Spirochetes

Borrelia turicatae (mouse virulent) and Treponema denticola, a small oral treponeme, formed right-handed helices as determined by scanning electron microscopy. Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain), Treponema paraluis-cuniculi, and two unidentified oral spirochetes displayed left-handed helices.
Interactions of ether groups with saccharides. Enthalpy of dilution of aqueous systems containing S-trioxane and inositol, mannitol, or cyclohexanol

Enthalpies of dilution of aqueous systems containing trioxane, and trioxane with each of mannitol, inositol and cyclohexanol have been determined at 25°C. The data have been treated in terms of the Savage-Wood additivity principle and, in conjunction with literature data on ether compounds a revised estimate of the pairwise group-interaction enthalpy for CH2/−O− and a first estimate for CHOH/−O− are presented. Systems of saccharides and saccharides with alcohols do not conform to the Savage-Wood principle and an explanation in terms of the specific hydration properties of saccharides is offered.
Effects of DMSO on the electrical response of Homarus nerves frozen to −20 °C, −30 °C and at room temperature

Abstract At room temperature, the compound action potential (CAP) of Homarus ventral nerves is found to be broadened and delayed by exposure to DMSO. The effect is cumulative and initially linear in exposure; it increases with DMSO concentration (0–15%). These results are consistent with decreasing the individual axon conduction velocities and are found to be inexplicable on the basis of dilution alone. The effects of DMSO are largely irreversible, particularly on the giant axon response. Nerves with or without perineural sheaths do not survive 0.5 hr exposure to −20 or −30 °C. On the other hand, DMSO in 5% or 10% concentration offers significant cryoprotection for up to 2 hr exposure. The maximum height of the electrical response is usually reduced to 10–20% of its initial value, although 50% reduction has been observed. The effects of freezing temperature, DMSO concentration, and duration of exposure on the preservation of the postfreezing electrical response are investigated; and cryoprotection is reported over a considerable range of those variables.