cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are Investments in Daughters Lower When Daughters Move Away? Evidence from Indonesia

Abstract In much of the developing world daughters receive lower education and other investments than do their brothers, and may even be so devalued as to suffer higher mortality. Daughter disadvantage may be due in part to social norms that daughters move away from their parents upon marriage, a practice known as virilocality. We evaluate the effects of virilocality on female disadvantage using data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey. We find little support for the hypothesis. There is no evidence that the overall pattern of rough equality in the treatment of boys and girls in Indonesia masks differences according to post-marital residential practice. Virilocal groups do not have “missing daughters.” Nor is there other evidence of son preference, such as in relatively low height-for-age or education for girls and women in virilocal areas. Explanations of daughter disadvantage as due to virilocality should be subject to further scrutiny.
Evaluation of tracking robustness in real time panorama acquisition

We present an analysis of four orientation tracking systems used for construction of environment maps. We discuss the analysis necessary to determine the robustness of tracking systems in general. Due to the difficulty inherent in collecting user evaluation data, we then propose a metric which can be used to obtain a relative estimate of these values. The proposed metric will still require a set of input videos with an associated distance to ground truth, but not an additional user evaluation.
Influence of tertiary diamines on the synthesis of high-molecular-weight poly(1,3-cyclohexadiene)

The living synthesis of poly(1,3-cyclohexadiene) was performed with an initiator adduct that was synthesized from a 1:2 (mol/mol) mixture of N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) and n-butyllithium. This initiator,which was preformed at 65 °C, facilitated the synthesis of high-molecular-weight poly(1,3-cyclohexadiene) (number-average molecular weight = 50,000 g/mol) with a narrow molecular weight distribution (weight-average molecular weight/number-average molecular weight = 1.12). A plot of the kinetic chain length versus the time indicated that termination was minimized and chain transfer to the monomer was eliminated when a preformed initiator adduct was used. Chain transfer was determined to occur when the initiator was generated in situ. The polymerization was highly sensitive to both the temperature and the choice of tertiary diamine. The use of the bulky tertiary diamines sparteine and dipiperidinoethane resulted in poor polymerization control and reduced polymerization rates (7.0 X 10 - 5 s - 1 ) in comparison with TMEDA-mediated polymerizations (1.5 × 10 - 4 s - 1 ) A series of poly(1,3-cyclohexadiene-block-isoprene) diblock copolymers were synthesized to determine the molar crossover efficiency of the polymerization. Polymerizations performed at 25 °C exhibited improved molar crossover efficiencies (93%) versus polymerizations performed at 40 °C (80%). The improved crossover efficiency was attributed to the reduction of termination events at reduced polymerization temperatures. The microstructure of these polymers was determined with 1 H NMR spectroscopy, and the relationship between the molecular weight and glass-transition temperature at an infinite molecular weight was determined for polymers containing 70% 1,2-addition (150 °C) and 80% 1,4-addition (138 °C).
MACROMOLECULAR SYNTHESES RELATED TO THE REPRODUCTIVE CYST OF TETRAHYMENA PATULA

Macromolecular syntheses in encysted Tetrahymena patula were studied using Feulgen fluorescence cytophotometry, autoradiography, and inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis. Cycloheximide significantly depressed protein synthesis and D-actinomycin effectively blocked RNA synthesis. Under these conditions, the cells within the cyst were unable to divide. Both cytophotometric measurements and autoradiographic data with tritiated thymidine show that DNA synthesis does not occur during the encystment divisions. Excysted cells placed in nutrient broth medium showed a prolonged generation time after the first cell growth cycle, and by the third generation the mean DNA content per cell was almost triple that of starved excysted cells. These findings indicate that ( a ) the encystment divisions require RNA and protein synthesis, which are apparently effected through turnover, ( b ) the encystment division cycles occur in the absence of DNA synthesis, and ( c ) excysted cells placed in culture medium may go through more than one DNA replication per cell cycle.
On the spurious solutions in the high-order finite difference methods for eigenvalue problems

In this paper, the origins of spurious solutions occurring in the high-order finite difference methods are studied. Based on a uniform mesh, spurious modes are found in the high-order one-sided finite difference discretizations of many eigenvalue problems. Spurious modes are classified as spectral pollution and non-spectral pollution. The latter can be partially avoided by mesh refinement, while the former persists when the mesh is refined. Through numerical studies of some prototype eigenvalue problems, such as those of the Helmholtz and beam equations, we show that perfect central differentiation schemes do not produce any spurious modes. Nevertheless, high-order central difference schemes encounter difficulties in implementing complex boundary conditions. We further show that the central difference schemes will produce spurious modes as well, if asymmetric approximation is involved in boundary treatments. In general, central difference schemes are less likely to produce spurious modes than one-sided difference schemes.
The 2009 Hurricane Season in the Eastern North Pacific Basin: An Analysis of Environmental Conditions

AbstractDespite the presence of an intensifying El Nino event, the 2009 eastern North Pacific hurricane season was near normal when considering overall hurricane activity. This is in contrast to the relative lull in activity observed between 1998 and 2008. Previous research has noted that the eastern North Pacific should be subdivided into two development regions, the western development region (WDR; 10°–20°N, 116°W–180°) and the eastern development region (EDR; 10°–20°N, North American coastline to 115.9°W), when examining interannual hurricane variability. In 2009, the EDR saw below average numbers of tropical cyclones of all intensities, while the WDR saw near-normal activity. However, activity in both regions varied sharply from month to month with periods of high activity in August and October and lower activity in July and September. This monthly variability was also observed in primary environmental forcing factors such as total precipitable water, tropospheric vertical wind shear, and low-level re...
Spinal Bone Texture Assessed by Trabecular Bone Score in Adolescent Girls With Anorexia Nervosa.

Context: Trabecular bone score (TBS) is a bone assessment tool that offers information beyond that afforded by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone mineral density (BMD) measurements. Adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) are known to exhibit compromised bone density and skeletal strength. Objectives: This study aimed to determine TBS among adolescents with AN and evaluate the correlation with anthropometric, clinical and densitometric variables. Design: Areal BMD spinal measures were analyzed for TBS. Findings were compared with clinical (height, weight, body mass index [BMI], age, pubertal development, 25-hydroxyvitamin D) and self-reported data (illness duration, amenorrhea, exercise, fracture, family history of osteoporosis, and antidepressant use), and BMD measures by DXA and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Setting and Participants: This was an urban adolescent program consisting of 57 females with AN, age 11–18 y. Interventions: Interventions included DXA (absolute BMD an...
Correlation of specific platelet activation markers with carotid arterial wall thickness

Many studies have shown increased platelet activation in patients with coronary artery, cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular diseases. However, the temporal relationship between platelet activation and arterial atherosclerosis is unclear. To answer this basic question, we measured the plasma concentrations of two specific platelet activation markers, beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) in 459 cases with increased carotid arterial wall thickness and 459 age-, sex-and race-matched controls selected from a cohort of 15,800 men and women, aged 45-64 who participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. These participants had no acute vascular symptoms or known cardiovascular disease. The mean values of beta TG and PF4 were significantly higher in cases than in controls. However, when analyzed by quartiles using conditional logistic regression, only beta TG exhibited a significant association with carotid wall thickness, while PF4 did not. The odds ratio (OR) determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis was significantly higher for the uppermost quartile of beta TG (OR=1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.5) compared to the lower 3 quartiles. This OR was 2.3 in white men (95% CI 1.2-4.2), 1.4 in white women (95% CI 0.6-3.0) and 1.0 in blacks (95% CI 0.4-2.5). This study indicates that plasma beta TG may be useful as a marker for early atherosclerosis in middle aged adults, particularly in white men. It also suggests that platelet activation has an independent role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, although the possibility that this may be a response to carotid atherosclerosis cannot be excluded.
Identity and Spirituality: Conceptual and Empirical Progress

The past 10 years has seen an explosion of interest by psychologists in the scientific study of personal religiousness, spirituality, faith development, and religious maturity. For example, the Jou...
Early Holocene turnover, followed by stability, in a Caribbean lizard assemblage

Understanding how communities are impacted by environmental perturbations is integral for addressing the ongoing biodiversity crisis that impacts ecosystems worldwide. The fossil record serves as a window into ancient interactions and the responses of communities to past perturbations. Here, we re-examine paleontological data from Katouche Bay, Anguilla, a Holocene site in the Lesser Antilles. We reveal that the site was more diverse than previously indicated, with long-term, continuous records of three genera of extant lizards (Anolis, Ameiva, and Thecadactylus), and the early Holocene presence of Leiocephalus, a large ground-dwelling lizard that has since been completely extirpated from the Lesser Antilles. The disappearance of Leiocephalus from Katouche Bay resulted in high turnover, decreased evenness, and decreased species richness—a trend that continues to the present day. Our body size reconstructions for the most abundant genus, Anolis, are consistent with the presence of only one species, Anolis cf. gingivinus, at Katouche Bay throughout the Holocene, contrary to previously published studies. Additionally, we find no evidence of dwarfism in A. cf. gingivinus, which contrasts with a global study of contemporary insular lizards. Our data reveal that the impacts of diversity loss on lizard communities are long lasting and irreversible over millennia.
HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder — pathogenesis and prospects for treatment

In the past two decades, several advancements have improved the care of HIV-infected individuals. Most importantly, the development and deployment of combination antiretroviral therapy (CART) has resulted in a dramatic decline in the rate of deaths from AIDS, so that people living with HIV today have nearly normal life expectancies if treated with CART. The term HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) has been used to describe the spectrum of neurocognitive dysfunction associated with HIV infection. HIV can enter the CNS during early stages of infection, and persistent CNS HIV infection and inflammation probably contribute to the development of HAND. The brain can subsequently serve as a sanctuary for ongoing HIV replication, even when systemic viral suppression has been achieved. HAND can remain in patients treated with CART, and its effects on survival, quality of life and everyday functioning make it an important unresolved issue. In this Review, we describe the epidemiology of HAND, the evolving concepts of its neuropathogenesis, novel insights from animal models, and new approaches to treatment. We also discuss how inflammation is sustained in chronic HIV infection. Moreover, we suggest that adjunctive therapies--treatments targeting CNS inflammation and other metabolic processes, including glutamate homeostasis, lipid and energy metabolism--are needed to reverse or improve HAND-related neurological dysfunction.
Development of a multi-class steroid hormone screening method using Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

Monitoring complex endocrine pathways is often limited by indirect measurement or measurement of a single hormone class per analysis. There is a burgeoning need to develop specific direct-detection methods capable of providing simultaneous measurement of biologically relevant concentrations of multiple classes of hormones (estrogens, androgens, progestogens, and corticosteroids). The objectives of this study were to develop a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for multi-class steroid hormone detection using biologically relevant concentrations, then test limits of detection (LOD) in a high-background matrix by spiking charcoal-stripped fetal bovine serum (FBS) extract. Accuracy was tested with National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) with certified concentrations of cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone. 11-Deoxycorticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, 17-hydroxypregnenolone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, adrenosterone, androstenedione, cortisol, corticosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, estriol, estrone, equilin, pregnenolone, progesterone, and testosterone were also measured using isotopic dilution. Dansyl chloride (DC) derivatization was investigated maintaining the same method to improve and expedite estrogen analysis. Biologically relevant LODs were determined for 15 hormones. DC derivatization improved estrogen response two- to eight-fold, and improved chromatographic separation. All measurements had an accuracy ≤14 % difference from certified values (not accounting for uncertainty) and relative standard deviation ≤14 %. This method chromatographically separated and quantified biologically relevant concentrations of four hormone classes using highly specific fragmentation patterns and measured certified values of hormones that were previously split into three separate chromatographic methods.
Simulation of flame-dynamics of a premixed swirl injector in a model gas turbine engine

A comprehensive numerical analysis has been conducted to study the combustion dynamics of a leanpremixed swirl injector in a model gas turbine engine. The analysis treats the conservation equations in three dimensions, and takes into account ftite-rate chemical reactions and variable thermophysical properties. Turbulence closure is achieved using a large-eddysimulation (LES) technique. The governing equations and the associated boundary conditions are solved by means of a semi-implicit Runge-Kutta scheme along with the implementation of the message passing interface (MPI) parallel computing architecture. Results fi-om the study of a non-reacting swirling flow indicate reasonable agreement with experimental data in terms of both the time-averaged velocity components and turbulence quantities. The unsteady turbulent flame dynamics are carefully simulated so that the oscillatory combustion behavior can be characterized in detail. Good agreement with experimental data is observed in terms of acoustic properties and flame evolution. Several mechanisms responsible for driving combustion instabilities have been identified and quantified. In addition, the basis modes of the unsteady turbulent flame are characterized using a proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis.
Older immunosuppressive agents: Newer approach in liver transplant recipients

C Calcineurin Inhibitors (CI), antiproliferative agents & steroids is now standard immunosuppression post-livertransplantation. Though acute rejection is uncommon nowadays, it is not eradicated. Renal dysfunction is frequent both preand post-transplantation. CIs, known nephrotoxic agents, when included in immunosuppressive cocktails after complicated surgery, with drastic intra-operative hemodynamic changes, only worsen renal impairment. Oral absorption of Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) is <50% in initial weeks after liver transplantation. Intravenous (IV) MMF achieves 100% bioavailability, permitting delayed C
Fitness trackers

Digital activity sensors are no longer confined to research labs; they're in the wild and they come in lime green. They offer the promise to improve our health and even to affect the ways that we interact with others.
Shopfloor Build-in-Quality Improvement

Optimize shopfloor management by quality tools' application, to continuously improve build-in-quality at shopfloor.
Analyzing the decline in the CAD death rate.

When the death rate from coronary heart disease and its sequelae began to decline a quarter century ago, the downward trend caught the medical profession by surprise. To this day, the reasons remain unclear. Although therapeutic advances have undoubtedly abetted the decline, evidence favors an even greater contribution from the recognition and countering of risk factors.
Abstract 4655: Iron chelation inhibits mTORC1 signaling in tumor cells

Iron chelators are commonly used for treatment of iron overload diseases. Recent studies have shown that iron chelators possess potent anticancer activities. Iron chelators (ciclopirox and 3-AP) are in clinical trials for cancer treatment. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the anticancer effect of iron chelation is not well understood. Mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a master kinase, regulating cell growth/proliferation and survival through sensing environmental cues. mTOR functions as at least two complexes (mTORC1/2). Here we show that two iron chelators, ciclopirox olamine (CPX) and Dp44mT, inhibit tumor cell proliferation by suppressing mTORC1 signaling in human rhabdomyosarcoma (Rh30) and lung cancer (A549 and A427) cells. This is evidenced by the findings that treatment with CPX or Dp44mT inhibited the phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and S6K1, two best known effector molecules of mTORC1, which could be blocked by addition of ferrous sulfate. Addition of ferrous sulfate prevented the growth inhibitory effect of CPX. Ectopic expression of constitutively active mTOR also conferred resistance to CPX-induced growth inhibition. Mechanistically, iron chelation inhibition of mTORC1 was partially linked to the activation of AMPK, a negative regulator of mTORC1. Overexpression of a dominant-negative AMPK (DN-AMPK) in Rh30 cells attenuated the inhibitory effect of CPX or Dp44mT on the phosphorylation of S6K1 and 4E-BP1. In addition, iron chelation also transiently stabilized HIF-1α and further upregulated the expression of its downstream effector Bnip3, another negative regulator of mTORC1. Knockdown of Bnip3 partially attenuated the inhibitory effect of iron chelation on mTORC1. Furthermore, we found that iron chelation increased the translocation of mTOR from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. The co-localization of mTOR with the third negative regulator of mTOR, PML (promyelocytic leukemia), increased in the nucleus upon iron chelation. Moreover, iron chelation did not obviously alter the phosphorylation of IGF-1 receptor, PI3K or PTEN. The effect of iron chelation on mTORC2-mediated phosphorylation of Akt was cell line dependent. Taken together, the results suggest that the anticancer effect of iron chelation is in part related to inhibition of mTORC1 signaling, and iron chelation inhibits mTORC1 signaling via multiple mechanisms. (Supported by the FWCC, LSU Health Sciences Center) Citation Format: Chaowei Shang, Hongyu Zhou, Shile Huang. Iron chelation inhibits mTORC1 signaling in tumor cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4655.
Return to Play after Shoulder Instability Surgery in NCAA Division I Intercollegiate Football Athletes

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to evaluate return to play (RTP) rates and variables influencing RTP in division I intercollegiate football athletes following shoulder instability surgery.Methods:Requests for participation in the study were sent to select sports medicine programs caring for athletes participating in football from the PAC-12, SEC, and ACC athletic conferences. After gaining IRB approval, 7 programs were able to participate in the study. Inclusion criteria were restricted to athletes active during the 2004-2013 seasons that required surgical treatment for shoulder instability. Direction of instability, type of surgery, time to resume participation, quality and level of play data both before and after surgery was collected for each athlete. Data was analyzed to determine overall RTP and the influence that scholarship and depth chart position prior to surgery had on RTP. To determine the effect that surgery had on players’ ability to RTP, the percent of games played before and after ...
Stable Drop Shapes under Disjoining Pressure: I. A Hierarchical Approach and Application

The contact line region as affected by the disjoining pressure has been analyzed under the assumption that it can sustain only two types of profiles. Disjoining pressure represents the extra potential in thin films that always exists in the contact angle region where a liquid drop or a wedge thins to meet the solid substrate and in turn affects the contact angle as well as the film profile. It is shown here that the integration of the augmented Young-Laplace equation to yield the above types of drop profiles under the action of disjoining pressure leads to the usual conditions of equilibrium as well as the condition of stability in the same analysis. Other inequality constraints are obtained where the stability condition does not apply. The fact that stability condition coexists with the conditions of equilibrium is pursued to show in one case that the stability modifies half of the predicted outcomes in the drop shapes. In addition, exceptions to the rule are found, which are physically meaningful, and a scale-dependent equilibrium is reported for the first time.
Reduction-Oxidation Chemistry

Reduction-oxidation reactions are defined by oxidation-state changes in electron donor and electron acceptor species. A change in electrochemical potential accompanies the transfer of one or more electrons from donor to acceptor atoms, hence the link with the free energy of reaction Δ r G expressed in the Nernst equation. Chemists interpret of reducing conditions in soils, sediments, and water bodies by plotting experimental electrochemical potential E and pH coordinates on Pourbaix stability diagrams.
Nucleus tractus solitarius: an evaluation by in vivo voltammetry.

Abstract Nucleus tractus solitarius (NIS) is a brainstem nucleus known to play an important role in baroreceptor mediated cardiovascular regulation. As part of our study of the role of monoamines in the function of NTS, we have characterized pharmacologically the in vivo electrochemical signal recorded from the nucleus using carbon paste electrodes and linear sweep voltammetry with semiderivative signal processing in awake, freely moving rats. Two peaks were recorded by these techniques, one at 0.14 V and a second at 0.28 V. The tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor α-methyl-p-tyrosine led to a significant reduction in the peak recorded at 0.14 V whereas it had no effect on the higher potential peal at 0.28 V. The dopamine-β-hydroxylase inhibitor fusaric acid resulted in a large reduction in the 0.14 V peak and led to a 30% increase in the 0.28 V peak height. Pargyline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, did not change the low potential peak but did significantly reduce the 0.28 V peak. Tissue assays provided further support for the interpretation of in vivo electrochemical recordings. Norepinephrine concentration was reduced with fusaric acid. Tissue serotonin was not affected by any of the drugs while the 5-HIAA content was increased with fusaric acid and reduced with pargyline. These experimental findings lead to the conclusion that the first peak in the voltammogram most likely represents norepinephrine with a possible contribution by dopamine but not by DOPAC. The second peak appears to be 5-HIAA.
Feasibility of screening hospitalized cancer patients for palliative care.

176 Background: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Palliative Care (PC) Guideline recommends screening all oncology patients for PC, and to call a consult when the referral criteria are met. There are no data on the feasibility or impact of following this recommendation. Methods: Design: Prospective observational study. From 11/1/10 to 1/31/11, floor nurses screened all admissions under the two teams (“Team A” and “Team B”) of the Gastrointestinal Oncology (GIO) service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Team A patients were also evaluated by the referral criteria. Endpoints: Patients screened ‘positive’ if they had any of the clinical situations nominated in the Guideline. A PC consult was triggered on Team A patients who met the referral criteria. Team B patients got PC consults based on clinical judgment. Outcomes: screening rates, nursing satisfaction survey, clinical and operational metrics. Results: 90% (228 of 254) admissions were screened, typically taking < 5 minutes. Both t...
Seeing Like a State: How Educational Policy Misreads What is Important in Schools

In this study, we examine how the standardizing effects of federal and state education policies in the United States reflect particular ways of understanding the structure and function of education and schooling. This understanding impacts how policies affect schools and those who work and depend upon them. We argue that the disparity between how policy makers see and control schools and how those who live and work in them experiencing this pressure leads to serious problems based on what we argue are the misunderstandings of the needs of local school communities. Standardization attempts to bring a simplistic and linear map to an intrinsically complex ecology, resulting in needless stress, distraction, and dehumanization in schools.
Crowding Out Banks: Credit Substitution by Peer-To-Peer Lending

Through superior technology, financial technology (FinTech) firms may expand credit markets. Alternatively, consumers may substitute one credit provider for another, generating adverse selection problems for incumbent lenders. We analyze the unsecured consumer loan market and identify the influence of FinTech lending on commercial banks using a novel approach that takes advantage of regulatory restrictions for FinTech borrowers and investors. We show that high-risk FinTech loans substitute for bank loans while low-risk loans may be credit expansionary. However, the influence on banks is heterogeneous. Our results highlight the changing landscape of financial intermediation and the regulatory challenges faced by FinTech firms.
Journal Club: Developing a user-friendly report for electronically assisted surveillance of catheter-associated urinary tract infections

The article chosen for this Journal Club commentary describes the development and testing of a report format using automated data to report urinary catheter utilization and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).1 This research sought to address a gap in knowledge regarding the optimal display and content of data reports, communicating to diverse audiences, which used surveillance data from Department of Veterans Affairs' electronic health records. The specific research aim of this project was to develop and pilot test report formats deemed usable and trustworthy by the end user, and discover the best way to deliver to the ideal audience automated data, which is formatted and presented in a way that is acceptable to the end user.
Linear Bounded Automata, Context Sensitive Languages and Type 1 Grammars

A linear bounded automaton (lba) is, in effect, a Turing machine whose computations are restricted to the amount of tape on which the input is written. We can imagine it as consisting of a finite set of states, a finite alphabet (including special right- and left-endmarkers [ and ]), a designated initial state, and a finite set of instructions of the same form as the quadruples for Turing machines. We assume, however, that the input to an lba is given between the designated endmarkers, i.e. as [w], and that the lba has no instructions which allow it to move past these endmarkers or to erase or replace them. Thus, the tape head can move only in the portion of the tape originally occupied by w, although an equivalent formulation of lba’s sets the limit on usable tape not as equal to the length of the input but rather as a linear function of the length of the input. (A linear function in a variable x is of the form ax + b, where a and b are constants. Plotting values of ax + b for each value of x on graph paper gives a straight line, whereas plots of functions involving x2, x3, etc. gives curves.) This is the source of the name for these automata—the allowed computational space is bounded by a linear function of the length of the input string.
Microtubule proteins in the nerve growth factor mediated response. Interaction between the nerve growth factor and its target cells.

Publisher Summary The most outstanding feature of the nerve growth factor (NGF) is the massive increase and rapid production of neurotubules and neurofilaments in the target nerve cells. Embryonic sensory and sympathetic nerve cells cultured in the presence of the NGF produce within a few hours a large amount of filamentous material that assembles in neurotubules and neurofilaments and converges toward the growing axon. This chapter discusses that neurotubules play an important role in transport processes in nerve and other eukaryotic cells. The results discussed in the chapter show that on membrane of both neuroblastoma and sympathetic cells, there is a protein that selectively interacts with NGF. The binding is not significantly affected by divalent cations and is not dependent on cell's metabolic activity. The chapter also explains that microtubule proteins play a prominent role in the chain of events promoted by NGF in nerve cells receptive to its action.
Identification of enteric bacilli directly from primary isolation media using reagent-impregnated paper strips.

A new and rapid method for the identification of enteric bacilli directly from Hektoen enteric agar plates is described. This procedure is based on the use of reagent-impregnated paper strips and requires only 4 to 6 hr. to obtain data from 13 biochemical reactions. Six to 20 well isolated colonies which are morphologically similar are required for this procedure. Nine hundred forty-three clinical specimens were examined both by the direct method from Hektoen enteric agar and by the conventional method of selecting representative colonies from either eosin-methylene blue or Salmonella- Shigella agars, inoculating a triple sugar iron agar tube, and then carrying out biochemical testing. A total of 1,037 organisms was isolated and correctly identified by the direct method and 1,046 by conventional methods. Each biochemical test carried out with paper strips was controlled by standard media, with a 99.3% correlation between results. Of the 943 clinical specimens examined, 842 (89%) were acceptable for the direct method. The remaining 101 either had too few colonies present or were improperly streaked. The average time required to obtain significant biochemical data by the direct method was 5 hr. after isolation on the Hektoen enteric agar plates, while the average time needed to obtain the same biochemical data using conventional methods was 48 hr. There was less than a 0.05% failure of the direct identification system to allow either isolation or identification, compared with conventional systems described in the literature.4
The Substance Over Form Doctrine and the Up-C

The Up-C is an increasingly popular form of IPO that generates significant tax benefits as compared to a traditional IPO. These tax benefits, which are the driving force behind the Up-C, have generally gone uncontested and are achieved by taking a form over substance approach to the Up-C for tax purposes. Governmental officials had never directly addressed the Up-C until recently when the SEC issued an interpretive letter (the Up-C Letter) condoning a substance over form approach to the Up-C for purposes of SEC Rule 144. As a result of the Up-C Letter, owners in an Up-C get the best of both worlds by inconsistently taking a form over substance approach for tax purposes and a substance over form approach for securities law purposes. This Article analyzes whether this disparate treatment of the Up-C is justified from either a technical or policy perspective. It argues that the Up-C Letter supports using a substance over form approach to the Up-C for both securities and tax law purposes because the technical arguments for using a substance over form approach to the Up-C are essentially identical in both the tax and securities law contexts. This matters because if the IRS were to follow the SEC’s substance over form approach to the Up-C, the pre-IPO owners’ tax benefits would be all but eliminated. This Article also explores the possibility that the disparate treatment of the Up-C could be defended because the policy objectives of the applicable securities and tax law doctrines are different.
Dietary Analysis of Northern Diamondback Terrapins ( Malaclemys terrapin terrapin ) in Two New Jersey Coastal Saltmarshes

The diets of two distinct New Jersey populations of Northern Diamondback Terrapins ( Malaclemys terrapin terrapin ) were examined using fecal samples and stomach contents. The frequency of occurrence of shared prey species and prey groups were compared between populations, and between males, females and juveniles within each population. The results show that both populations preyed most frequently on snails followed by fish and bivalves. The overlap between the populations, and between subsets of the populations was found to be very high. These results indicate little, or no, resource partitioning between the assigned size classes of prey, nor between these two geographically close, but distinct, populations.
Schema Mappings: A Case of Logical Dynamics in Database Theory

A schema mapping is a high-level specification of the structural relationships between two database schemas. This specification is expressed in a schema-mapping language, which is typically a fragment of first-order logic or second-order logic. Schema mappings have played an essential role in the study of important data-interoperability tasks, such as data integration and data exchange. In this chapter, we examine schema mappings as a case of logical dynamics in action. We provide a self-contained introduction to this area of research in the context of logic and databases, and focus on some of the concepts and results that may be of particular interest to the readers of this volume. After a basic introduction to schema mappings and schema-mapping languages, we discuss a series of results concerning fundamental structural properties of schema mappings. We then show that these structural properties can be used to obtain characterizations of various schema-mapping languages, in the spirit of abstract model theory. We conclude this chapter by highlighting the surprisingly subtle picture regarding compositions of schema mappings and the languages needed to express them.
Decreasing Cost and Decreasing Length of Stay After Implementation of Updated High-Dose Methotrexate Discharge Criteria.

PURPOSE:High-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) is commonly used for the treatment of osteosarcoma or for CNS involvement in lymphoproliferative neoplasms. It is often given in the inpatient setting becaus...
2,2'-Oxybis[1,3-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1 H -benzo[ d ][1,3,2]diazaborole]

In the title compound, C40H36B2N4O5, the B—O—B bond angle is 132.75 (13) and the dihedral angle between the benzodiazborole rings is 73.02 (5)°. In the crystal, weak C—H⋯O inter­actions link the mol­ecules.
Under-oil autonomously regulated oxygen microenvironments for cell culture

Oxygen levels in vivo are autonomously regulated by a supply-demand balance, which can be altered in disease states. However, the oxygen levels of in vitro cell culture systems, particularly microfluidic cell culture, are typically unidirectionally defined by either supply or demand. Further, the oxygen microenvironment in these systems are rarely monitored or reported. Here, we present a method to establish and dynamically monitor autonomously regulated oxygen microenvironments (AROM) using an oil overlay in an open microfluidic cell culture system. Using this method, the oxygen microenvironment is dynamically defined by both supply and demand of the system. We explore the physical laws governing kinetics of the under-oil oxygen microenvironment and experimentally validate the method using a variety of cell types including mammalian, fungal and bacterial cells. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of this method to establish a co-culture between primary intestinal epithelial cells and human-associated intestinal anaerobic bacteria.
Analysis of ABO and Rh Blood Type Association With Acute COVID-19 Infection in Hospitalized Patients: A Superficial Association Among a Multitude of Established Confounders

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions of people worldwide, and considerable effort is focused on identifying certain populations at increased risk. ABO blood types have been associated with disease susceptibility; however, evidence remains limited. Our aim was to determine the association between ABO/Rh blood type with disease susceptibility and mortality among admitted COVID-19 patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with COVID-19 requiring admission was undertaken. Demographics and pertinent medical history were analyzed with respect to ABO/Rh blood type: between the cases and a control population; as well as with respect to mortality in the COVID-19 population in univariate analysis. Potential confounding factors were evaluated by multivariate models. The main outcomes were disease susceptibility by comparison of blood type prevalence between populations, and mortality within the COVID-19 population. Results: A total of 825 cases (admitted with confirmed COVID-19 infection by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)) and 396 controls (seen at the same institution during the calendar year of 2019) were included. The COVID-19 population was older with male predominance. It was heavily represented by blood types O-positive (53%) and A-positive (23%), while lower representation was observed in groups B-positive (odds ratio (OR): 0.61, P = 0.013) and AB-positive (OR: 0.46, P = 0.014). Neither relationship remained significant in pairwise analysis. Within the COVID-19 population, no mortality difference was appreciated between ABO groups (P = 0.312), but higher mortality was observed in Rh negative group (P = 0.01). The latter of which was significantly confounded by age (P < 0.001), sex (P = 0.022), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.001), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (P < 0.001) in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: While type A blood appears to be weakly more prevalent with respect to B and AB types in hospitalized patients, strong confounders of age and sex dilute this significance. Rh-negative patients appear to have a higher mortality, although this too is strongly confounded. Overall, ABO and Rh blood types do not have a significant relationship with susceptibility and mortality with COVID-19 infection in our population. J Clin Med Res. 2020;12(12):809-815 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr4382
Just a Preference: Descriptive Representation in the LGBT Community

The 2018 midterm election cycle has received attention for its Blue Wave, which could usher a host of new Democratic candidates into office, and its Pink Wave, which has seen record numbers of women candidates, but what about its Rainbow Wave? According to the LGBT Victory Fund, a PAC seeking to increase the number of LGBT elected officials, a record number of LGBT candidates are seeking office in 2018. The potential to change the look, and perhaps the actions, of Congress is garnering media attention, however, despite gains in the racial/ethnic and gender diversity currently only six Members of Congress identify as LGBT and only one of those members identifies as non-white. Existing literature examining LGBT descriptive representation focuses on the election of LGBT candidates or LGBT representative’s effect on policy, but my research is interested in the relationship between LGBT descriptive representatives and LGBT voters, particularly voters who are racial or ethnic minorities. My project asks: All else being equal, do LGBT individuals prefer descriptive representatives? Do LGBT racial and ethnic minorities perceive themselves as represented by current LGBT representatives? Drawing on Strolovitch (2007) and Dovi (2002), I theorize that there is a preference among LGBT voters for descriptive representatives but that their perception of the quality of that representation will vary based on the individual’s race or ethnicity. I hypothesize that LGBT voters of all races will favor descriptive representatives, but that Black LGBT Voters will have less favorable opinions of their LGBT descriptive representatives. I will test my hypotheses using focus group data collected from a sample of college-aged LGBT individuals.
Flavor impartment of mushroom on egg whites and sensory properties of egg whites with mushroom topping using quantitative descriptive analysis

Background Mushroom possesses desirable aroma, taste, texture, health-promoting and disease-preventing dietary components, making it an ideal ingredient, especially for animal-based food substitution. Nevertheless, no study has replaced egg whites partially with mushrooms and investigated their sensory quality. This study aimed to investigate flavor impartment of mushroom on egg whites and the sensory quality of roasting and steaming egg whites replaced by white and crimini mushrooms at 0%, 10%, 20% and 30%, respectively, using a panel trained with aroma chemical references for 31 sensory attributes with 0-10 line scales. Results Roasted and steamed egg whites possessed major sensory attributes of sulfury and egg-like aroma and flavor (intensities > 3). After mushroom topping was added, the dominant sensory attributes shifted to mushroom-based flavor characteristics, including mushroom-like, earthy, dark meat, roasted, hay, soybean, potato, woody, umami, bitter, astringent and firmness texture. Mushroom variety showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) impacts on egg white sensory quality, with crimini introducing more intense flavor. The higher the mushroom proportion with egg whites, the more intense was the flavor associated with mushroom. Mushroom could enhance egg-like flavor in multiple dimensions, including aroma, taste and texture, according to partial least square regression. Conclusion White and crimini mushrooms enriched roasted and steamed egg white sensory quality with introduction of characteristic sensory attributes from mushrooms. Mushroom variety and proportion with egg whites displayed significant impacts on egg white sensory properties. The study contributed to understanding the impact of mushrooms on egg white sensory profile and served as a guide in incorporating mushroom in product development. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP: FEMALE LEADERS IN THE BIBLE

Many scholars have noted that there has been a leadership crisis in both the political and business worlds. It may not be a coincidence that leaders have tended to be males. Throughout recorded history women have participated in important leadership roles – even during antiquity. This paper examines four female leaders in the Bible who display character traits that exemplify what it means to be a leader. If we ever need reminding of what it means to be a strong and effective leader we can always look back to the stories of Deborah, Ruth, Abigail and Esther.
Mid-infrared spectroscopy of liquids by using a modified button sample holder.

Abstract A new approach for mid-infrared spectroscopy measurements of liquids is described. Thin layers of liquid samples are analyzed by using a modified button sample holder that incorporates a reservoir. To obtain spectra, buttons containing liquid samples are placed at the infrared beam focus of a praying mantis diffuse reflection optical system. Infrared radiation absorption path lengths can be adjusted by changing the quantity of liquid added to the reservoir. Thin film transflection spectra are similar to those obtained by transmission measurements. Transflection spectra of thicker layer liquids also resemble transmission measurements, but with increased relative intensities for low absorptivity peaks. Unlike transmission measurements, transflection spectra retain overlapping peak profiles for highly absorbing vibration bands due to multiple path length dynamic range effects. For a fixed effective path length (i.e. constant liquid volume), linear calibration plots of absorbance or integrated absorbance versus concentration are obtained. The button sample holder provides a methodology that is complementary to the transmission cell and attenuated total reflection (ATR) techniques for infrared analyses of neat solids and liquids, and is especially useful for characterizing thick samples and high absorptivity bands.
Development and Implementation of a Fully Online Introductory Data Analysis Course to Better Prepare Students for the Public Health Workforce

The adversity of the 2020 to 2021 academic year highlighted the need for quality online courses. Challenges of teaching data analysis and helping students meet the Council on Education for Public H...
Observational Astronomy: Techniques and Instrumentation

1. Astrophysical information 2. Photometry 3. Positional astronomy 4. Fourier transforms 5. Detection systems 6. Orthodox statistics 7. Stochastic processes and noise 8. Optics 9. Interference 10. Spectroscopy 11. UV, X-ray, and gamma-ray astronomy 12. Radio receivers, spectrometers, and interferometers 13. Modern statistical methods 14. Neutrino detectors 15. Cosmic ray detectors 16. Gravitational waves 17. Polarimetry Index.
Chemistry, Microstructure, and Adhesion of Metal—Polymer Interfaces

In microelectronics, the large-scale integration of devices necessitates the use of multi-layered metallization structures on the chip level and for packaging. Such structures are usually fabricated using alternate metal and insulating layers. This incorporates metal—insulator interfaces throughout the structure which, depending on the configuration and dimension of the devices, can have varying degree of complexities. These interfaces have to be designed with certain functional characteristics, particularly good chemical and adhesion properties. For this purpose, it is important to understand these basic properties of the metal—insulator interface.