cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A functional and structural study of emotion and face processing in children with autism.

Children with autism exhibit impairment in the processing of socioemotional information. The amygdala, a core structure centrally involved in socioemotional functioning, has been implicated in the neuropathology of autism. We collected structural and functional magnetic resonance images (MRI) in children 8 to 12 years of age with high-functioning autism (n = 12) and typical development (n = 15). The functional MRI experiment involved matching facial expressions and people. Volumetric analysis of the amygdala was also performed. The results showed that children with autism exhibited intact emotion matching, while showing diminished activation of the fusiform gyrus (FG) and the amygdala. Conversely, the autism group showed deficits in person matching amidst some FG and variable amygdala activation. No significant between-group differences in the volume of the left or right amygdala were found. There were associations between age, social anxiety and amygdala volume in the children with autism such that smaller volumes were generally associated with more anxiety and younger age. In summary, the data are consistent with abnormalities in circuits involved in emotion and face processing reported in studies of older subjects with autism showing reductions in amygdala activation related to emotion processing and reduced fusiform activation involved in face processing.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDIES ON STREPTOCOCCI : II. GROUP A CARBOHYDRATE

The location of Group A carbohydrate in the streptococcal cell wall has been studied by several ultrastructural techniques. The findings, based largely on use of ferritin- and horseradish peroxidase-conjugated antibodies, are interpreted as demonstrating a discrete laminar distribution of the group-specific polysaccharide. This carbohydrate layer is located on the outermost surface of the cell wall in organisms lacking protein cell wall antigens.
BIST TPG for faults in system backplanes

A built-in self-test (BIST) methodology to test system backplanes by using BIST functionality in each of its constituent boards is presented. Since the configurations of systems change frequently, at the system level, the proposed methodology employs a simple test schedule which can be easily changed whenever the system configuration is changed. Since the boards used in such systems are designed for use in a wide variety of systems, the proposed methodology defines the test objectives to be achieved by a board's BIST circuit in terms of the board's edge pin connections, independent of the configurations of the systems in which the board may be used. It is shown that the combination of the proposed test schedule and the availability, on each board in the system, of any BIST circuit that satisfies the proposed test objectives, guarantees safe testing of faults in backplanes. A programmable test architecture and an algorithm to program the architecture to obtain BIST that satisfies the test objectives is also presented. Finally, the applicability and effectiveness of the methodology is demonstrated via its application to multiple configurations of an example system that uses a VME backplane.
Diabatically Driven Discrete Propagation of Surface Fronts: A Numerical Analysis

Discrete frontal propagation has been identified as a process whereby a surface front discontinuously moves forward, without evidence of frontal passage across a mesoscale region. Numerical simulations are employed to examine the upper-level evolution of a discrete frontal propagation event and to explore the processes that were responsible for the discrete movement. Model results indicate that a frontal pressure trough was not able to penetrate through a deep surface-based layer of cool air created by a precipitating convective system several hundred kilometers in advance of the front. Meanwhile, a new low-level baroclinic zone formed well ahead of the front along the southern side of the cool layer. As the midlevel front moved continuously over the cool layer, a new low-level front developed in the new baroclinic zone and the original low-level front dissipated. At the surface, the simulated front did not pass through the cool layer. Frontogenesis terms reveal that the prefrontal circulation that becomes the new frontal circulation initially forms directly from diabatic frontogenesis. Daytime heating in the prefrontal boundary layer and cooling from thunderstorms combine to create a thermal gradient and a mesoscale pressure perturbation. Winds turn in response to the altered pressure field and form a convergent boundary, resulting in kinematic frontogenesis. The boundary subsequently undergoes rapid intensification. Sensitivity studies were conducted in which latent heating due to precipitation was withheld and the influence of clouds on the radiation scheme was ignored. In a simulation with both of these effects withheld, the original front passes continuously through the region, that is, there is no discrete propagation. Thus, diabatic processes associated with a large complex of thunderstorms were necessary to induce the discrete frontal propagation in this case. This conclusion contrasts with previous studies, where fronts were observed to propagate discretely in dry environments.
USE OF ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC MONITORING FOR QUANTIFICATION OF OPIOID OR BENZODIAZEPINE ANTAGONISM IN ANAESTHETIZED DOGS

Summary Quantitative EEG monitoring is useful for objectively measuring CNS responses to agonist-antagonist adjuncts or responses to noxious stimuli in anaesthetized dogs.
Radiative alpha capture by 38Ar and 36Ar

Abstract The 38 A(α, γ) 42 Ca and 36 Ar(α, γ) 40 Ca reactions have been studied from 3.0 to 6.0 and 3.0 to 5.7 MeV alpha energy, respectively. At least 59 resonances were identified in the 38 Ar(α, γ) 42 Ca reaction and 23 of them were shown to be 1 − . One resonance near E α = 5.619 MeV appears to have been identified in the 36 Ar(α, γ) 40 Ca reaction.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT REPRESENTATION FOR COMMON‐ITEM EQUATING WITH NONRANDOM GROUPS

The equating accuracy of content-representative anchors versus nonrepresen-tative but substantially longer anchors is compared. Content representation was defined as a match between anchors and total test of the percentage of items in each of several content areas. Through a chain of equatings it was found that content representation in anchors was critical for the testing program studied. The results are explained in terms of differences in mean profiles (by content area) of the nonrandom groups used for equating.
Macrophyte Species Assemblages and Distribution in a Shallow, Eutrophic Lake

The objectives of this project were to: assess the presence of aquatic macrophyte species assemblages, associations, and/or communities; assess the distri- bution of Cabomba caroliniana (fanwort) and other macrophytes with water depth; and analyze the spatial distribution of fanwort and other macrophytes using a Geo- graphical Information System (GIS). The study site was a shallow, eutrophic lake in North Reading, MA. Macrophytes were sampled along 36 transects located across the littoral zone. Ordination analysis showed some strong macrophyte associations and the presence of four partially distinct communities. However, the two most abundant species at the site, Cabomba and an aquatic moss (Drepanocladus sp.) had both limited associations with other species and were strongly segregated from one another. Our results show that spatial and distributional analyses can be coupled with macrophyte composition data to provide robust assessments of macrophyte species patterns. These techniques are especially valuable when assessing the extent and influence of non-native, invasive macrophyte species.
An ultra-sensitive nanocomposite pressure sensor patterned in a PDMS diaphragm

This paper introduces an ultra-sensitive pressure sensor with a flexible diaphragm apparatus. Conductive polymer nanocomposite consisting of elastomer poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is used as the sensing element utilizing its flexibility and piezoresistivity. Uniform dispersion of carbon nanotubes as nanofillers is obtained within the polymer matrix, and micropatterns of composite are fabricated through a screen printing process which is assisted by a programmable laser ablation. Mechanical and electrical characterizations are conducted on micropatterns. Under differential pressure across the diaphragm, the sensor device is capable of detecting minute change of pressure—less than 10 Pascal which is a significant improvement over current sensing capabilities. Provided with further development, this sensing format could yield potential applications in areas where accurate monitoring of air/liquid pressure is desired.
Religion as Hatred: Antisemitism as a Case Study

The topic of religion as a source of hatred could be explored through several lenses. I first came to this topic through an analysis and evaluation of the studies done on prejudice in Catholic teaching materials undertaken in the sociology department of St. Louis University. This evaluation of ways in which Catholic textbooks covering literature, social studies, and religion generated stereotypes of religious and racial outgroups opened my eyes to the ways in which religion could become a force for social hatred rather than reconciliation. This initial research has grounded my subsequent work both as a social ethicist and as a scholar concerned about interreligious relations. It has convinced me that any effort to use religion as a source for social reconciliation must be preceded by a thorough examination of how religion has historically contributed to the birth of social prejudice.
Wheat Middlings as an Alternate Feedstuff for Laying Hens

Three long-term experiments were conducted to evaluate the possibility of using wheat middlings (WM) for laying hens and to study the responses of six strains of commercial laying hens fed WM diet. In Experiment 1,320 layers maintained in floor pens were fed diets containing 45% WM with .25 or .75% salt, or 89% WM with .25% or 1.5% salt. Salt supplementation did not show any beneficial effect on egg production. Hen-day egg production by hens fed the 45% WM diet was significantly higher for hens fed 45% WM than for those fed the 89% WM diet (79 versus 67.5%, 44-wk period). Feed, limestone, and water intakes were increased by the 89% WM diet. Yolk color, Haugh units, hen livability, and reproductive parameters were not different among the dietary treatments. In Experiments 2 and 3, laying hens from six commercial strains (four strains each experiment, 240 hens per strain) were maintained in laying cages in each year, and fed either a corn and soybean meal (CSM) or a 25% WM diet. Results show that neither diet nor strain had effects on hen-day egg production; however, egg weights from Strains A, C, and F were heavier than those from Strains B, D, and E. Feed intakes and feed utilizations were similar among the s trains. The 25% WM diet increased egg weight, feed intake, and feed utilization compared with the CSM diet. Livability of hens was 93.8 to 97.5% and was not affected by either strain or diet. It is concluded that commercial strains of laying hens can be fed diets containing 25 to 45% WM and still have normal hen-day egg production although feed utilization will be poorer.
Treatment delayed is treatment denied.

You may delay, but time will not. — —Benjamin Franklin In 1977, Reimer and coworkers published in this journal the results of an experiment that established the basis of reperfusion therapy for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).1 These investigators identified a relationship between the duration of acute coronary occlusion and the magnitude of subsequent myocardial necrosis. In other words, the extent of infarct size that resulted from sustained occlusion could be reduced if the occlusion were interrupted and flow restored. Furthermore, reductions in the duration of occlusion were associated with incremental decreases in infarct size. See Circulation . 2004;109:1223–1225 Such relationships were confirmed in early investigations of thrombolytic therapy for STEMI.2,3 Consequences of earlier treatment were improvements in indices of left ventricular systolic function and reductions in mortality rate. Although there was, in general, a linear relationship between time to treatment and outcome, the very best results were obtained when thrombolysis was initiated within the first hour.4,5 To this point, such a tight relationship between time to treatment and outcome has been less apparent when primary angioplasty is selected as the method for achieving reperfusion. Reports on this subject describe conflicting findings. With these considerations in mind, De Luca and colleagues performed a single-center database analysis and reported their results in the March 16, 2004, issue of Circulation .6 They reviewed the baseline and angiographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of 1791 patients with STEMI who were treated by primary angioplasty. Time to treatment was defined as the elapsed time between symptom onset and the initial balloon inflation. One key finding of their analysis was that time to treatment was influenced by several factors, including advanced age, female gender, and history of diabetes or prior revascularization. Presence of these factors prolonged time to treatment. An explanation …
Giving Credit: Citations and References

You are nearing the end of the process of writing your scientific paper. You have carefully written a concise introduction, provided a detailed description of your methods, reported your results clearly, and discussed the meaning of your results. You may even have the perfect title and abstract ready to go. But the need to keep your focus and attention to detail remains, because there is still an area where you can stumble and hurt your efforts: the citations and references. Lest you consider references to be a minor component of a paper, consider the fact that the Council of Science Editors devotes 86 pages in their style manual to the proper use of references (1) and the AMA Manual of Style (2) includes 41 pages covering references. During the writing process you compiled a file (a stack of photocopied articles or an electronic database) of previously published papers that directly or indirectly contributed to your study. Therefore, it is important to give credit to (cite) the ideas, methods, and results of others. It is also important to tell readers where they can access documentation of this work (references). A citation (typically a number or the author name and year) inserted in the text identifies material that should be attributed to or associated with previously published work. A corresponding reference documents the original source of the material. Citations and references can be a source of information for readers, but they can also become a source of frustration if not selected and used wisely. So let's go over some basics of the use of citations and references. The ideal time to organize (or perhaps reorganize) the materials you might cite is when you begin writing a paper. Organizing potential references at this stage is useful for several reasons. First, the process allows …
Students' perceptions of college technology programs and acquired technology skills

Students, the nation’s potential workforce, must acquire the needed entry-level technology skills demanded in the work environment. Business leaders question whether students are graduating from technology programs with appropriate and adequate technology skills. The purpose of this study was to determine how two-year and four-year college students assess their college technology programs and how they perceive the adequacy of the technology skills they had acquired in meeting workplace needs. A secondary purpose was to determine if differences existed based on demographic characteristics of participants. A survey research design was used in this study. The survey instrument consisted of three sections: Section I sought demographic information, Section II dealt with students’ perceptions of their technology programs, and Section III of the questionnaire was designed to have students assess their skills related to various computer applications and functions. Major skill areas include Word®, Access®, Excel ®, and PowerPoint®. The findings indicated that participants were satisfied with the quality of their technology programs but they expressed some concern with the areas of instructional materials and integrating technology. Four-year college participants agreed that they had acquired the necessary Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access skills. Two-year college participants agreed that they have acquired the necessary Word, Excel, and PowerPoint skills but did not express they had acquired the necessary Access skills. Recommendations included: (a) conducting survey research to identify businesses/industries’ technology needs, (b) improving the questionnaire, (c) interviewing faculty members and students for survey research, (d) conducting a pilot study, (e) establishing validity and reliability for the modified questionnaire, and (f) using research design. Keywords. Word skills; Excel skills; PowerPoint skills; Access skills.
Hepatic Deficiency of Augmenter of Liver Regeneration Exacerbates Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury and Promotes Fibrosis in Mice

Why only a subpopulation (about 15%) of humans develops liver cirrhosis due to alcohol is a critical as yet unanswered question. Liver-specific depletion of augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) protein in mice causes robust steatosis and hepatocyte apoptosis by 2 weeks; these pathologies regress subsequently with return of ALR expression even at lower than control levels, but the mice develop modest steatohepatitis by 8 weeks. We aimed to investigate whether chronic alcohol ingestion promotes excessive hepatic fibrosis in these ALR-deficient mice. Liver-specific ALR-deficient and wild type (WT) female mice (8–10 weeks old) were placed on 4% alcohol-supplemented or isocaloric diet for 4 weeks. Liver sections were examined for histopathology, and parameters of steatosis and fibrosis were quantified. The mRNA expression of alcohol dehydrogenase-1, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase-1 and cytochrome P450-2E1 increased in WT mice but decreased in ALR-deficient mice upon alcohol ingestion. While alcohol induced steatosis and mild inflammation in WT mice, ALR-deficient mice showed minimal steatosis, strong hepatocellular injury and inflammation, prominent ductular proliferation, and robust fibrosis. Compared to the WT mice, alcohol feeding of ALR-deficient mice resulted in significantly greater increase in hepatic TNFα and TGFβ, and oxidative stress; there was also hepatic iron accumulation, robust lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial DNA damage. Importantly, similar to ALR-deficient mice, lower hepatic ALR levels in human alcoholic liver cirrhosis were associated with increased iron content, reduced expression of alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and elevated fibrogenic markers. We conclude that ALR deficiency or anomaly can play a critical role in alcohol-induced hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis, mechanisms of which may involve dysregulation of alcohol metabolism and iron homeostasis, mitochondrial damage and oxidative injury.
Einwanderungsland Bundesrepublik Deutschland? Explaining the Evolving Positions of German Political Parties on Citizenship Policy

German political elites’ public rhetoric concealed a paradigm shift on citizenship policy that took place during the 1980s. This shift, from an exclusive, ethno-cultural understanding of citizenship towards a more universalist, multicultural perspective, was overlooked by the scholarly literature. The Article takes as its starting point a slight liberalization of German citizenship law in 1990 and predicts further reforms. Indeed, within the next decade, landmark changes were enacted that introduced birthright citizenship and allowed dual citizenship. Note: "Einwanderungsland Bundesrepublik Deutschland?" may be roughly translated as, "Is Germany a Country of Immigration?".
The influence of anticipatory emotions, risk perceptions, and managerial experience on escalation of commitment decisions

Escalation of commitment refers to the tendency of decision makers to continue with failing courses of action (Staw, 1981). Research has identified numerous factors that contribute to escalation, however, there have been relatively few studies exploring ways to reduce this costly mistake. This study investigates the role of anticipatory emotions, risk perceptions, and managerial experience in reducing one's tendency to escalate commitments. Results suggest that anticipatory emotions and managerial experience play a significant role in reducing this decision making error. The findings of this study reveal several important practical and theoretical contributions to the field.
Advanced Preparatory Mathematics in England, France and Italy

(1935). Advanced Preparatory Mathematics in England, France and Italy. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 17-34.
Diurnal Variation in Mouse and Rat Liver Sulfhydryl.

SummaryUntreated, sham operated and adrenalectomized male mice and Wistar Strain female rats all exhibited statistically significant diurnal variations in liver NPSH and GSH. High NPSH and GSH values came at 8 a.m. or 12 noon, low at 8 p.m.
Revisiting Racial/Ethnic Composition Effects in a Multicultural Society

In this article, the relationship between racial/ethnic composition and violence is revisited. This includes efforts to conduct a deeper exploration of the ethnic composition effects of discrete Latino-origin populations. This is an important extension for a number of reasons. First, recent research has demonstrated the dangers of pan-ethnic classifications in the study of race, ethnicity, and crime. Different histories of migration, settlement, opportunity, and intergenerational advancement have produced different levels of successful integration for some groups relative to others, with different implications for crime. One of the distinguishing features of the contemporary Latino population is a disproportionately young average age. Specifically, Latinos in the United States include a higher percentage of adolescent and young adults than the national average—a period of the life course where criminal behavior tends to peak. Thus, I also examine how racial and ethnic composition and change in these areas...
Frequency dependence of vestibuloocular reflex thresholds.

How the brain processes signals in the presence of noise impacts much of behavioral neuroscience. Thresholds provide one way to assay noise. While perceptual thresholds have been widely investigate...
Fat Production in Epicoccum Nigrum

Lipids produced in submerged cultures of Epicoccum nigrum Link have been investigated by Foppen and Gribanovski-Sassu (1968), who isolated four carotenoid pigments and identified them as ,f-carotene, y-carotene, rhodoxanthin and torularhodin. Gas liquid chromotography of the fatty acid methyl esters revealed that palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid were present in major quantities, with minor amounts of stearic and linolenic acids. This present work represents an attempt to determine the nutritional conditions most favorable to the formation of fat by E. nigrum. The fat-forming capacity of this organism has not been previously investigated. Stock cultures of a strain of Epicoccum nigrum Link were grown on oatmeal extract agar at 24 C under constant fluorescent light of 538 lm/m2. Oatmeal extract was prepared by simmering 20 g old-fashioned Quaker oats in 1 liter distilled water for 30 min, filtering through cheesecloth, and adding water back to volume. The strain of E. nigrum, Strain KSC, has been described elsewhere (Duncan and Herald, 1974). Strain KSC produces abundant conidia in 12 da and the experimental inocula were prepared by suspending the conidia in sterile distilled water. Approximately 200 conidia were inoculated into 250 ml of experimental medium for surface cultivation, and approximately 200 conidia were inoculated into 50 ml experimental medium for submerged cultivation. The experimental medium consisted of variations of Czapek-Dox broth such that the desired experimental design was achieved. Basic Czapek-Dox medium contained per liter: 3.0 g NaNO3; 1.0 g K2HPO4; 0.5 g MgSO4 7 H20; 0.5 g KC1; 0.01 g FeSO4 7 H20; and 50.0 g sucrose. Sucrose concentrations, ranging from 5.0 g per 100 ml medium up to 40.0 g per 100 ml medium, along with commercial molasses, glucose 412
The Development of Chicken Steak from Breast and Thigh Meat

Abstract THE consumption of poultry meat in the United States is of great concern to the poultry industry. Even though many people in the poultry industry feel that the consumption of poultry meat is high (over 30 pounds per capita) we should not be satisfied. The American people are eating as much hamburg alone (32 pounds) as they are chicken. A “rule of thumb” is that each person eats the equivalent of his or her weight of red meat each year. One of the reasons for this high consumption of red meat is the great variety of items for sale. It is a challenge to the poultry industry to sell poultry meat in a variety of ways including convenience items. The demand for convenience food items has increased greatly in the past few years. With the ever-increasing pace of our society, many homemakers no longer have time to prepare foods as . . .
Marine Microbiology: Some Practical Aspects for Aquaculture

Any in situ culture of marine invertebrates (clams, oysters, prawns, etc,) should consider resident bacterial flora. Resident flora will indicate: l) The degree and type of heterotrophic activity at the decomposition level of the trophic structure; 2) the degree and type of fecal intrusion on water quality.
Detection of Cell Death by Autophagy

Autophagy (Greek: Self digestion) is an intracellular process involved in removal of damaged or misfolded proteins or organelles. Damaged or misfolded proteins or organelles are first engulfed in a membraneous structure called autophagosome, and then the autophagosome fuse with lysosome to form autophagolysosome, where the contents are digested. Autophagy is a catabolic process induced during nutritional depletion via phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase pathway. Autophagy is induced in several diseases such as various cancers, heart failure, etc. When autophagy is induced, several autophagic genes are upregulated that help the formation of autophagosome. Several autophagosome specific marker proteins have been identified, among them MAP1LC3-II protein, which is cleaved from MAP1LC3-I, is specifically incorporated into the autophagosomal membrane. The formation of MAP1LC3-II can be analyzed by Western immunoblotting or immunofluorescence. Detailed methods of detection of MAP1LC3-II by Western immunoblotting and immunofluorescence are described.
Why do we need pharmacists in pharmacovigilance systems

Pharmacovigilance is the science and activity relating to the collection, detection, assessment, monitoring, and prevention of adverse effects with pharmaceutical products. Pharmacovigilance basically targets safety of medicine. Pharmacists have crucial role in health systems to maintain the rational and safe use of medicine for they are drug experts who are specifically trained in this field. Effective use of pharmacists’ workforce will improve the outcome of the pharmacotherapy as well as decreasing the global health costs.
Learning multi-modal grounded linguistic semantics by playing I Spy

Grounded language learning bridges words like 'red' and 'square' with robot perception. The vast majority of existing work in this space limits robot perception to vision. In this paper, we build perceptual models that use haptic, auditory, and proprioceptive data acquired through robot exploratory behaviors to go beyond vision. Our system learns to ground natural language words describing objects using supervision from an interactive humanrobot "I Spy" game. In this game, the human and robot take turns describing one object among several, then trying to guess which object the other has described. All supervision labels were gathered from human participants physically present to play this game with a robot. We demonstrate that our multi-modal system for grounding natural language outperforms a traditional, vision-only grounding framework by comparing the two on the "I Spy" task. We also provide a qualitative analysis of the groundings learned in the game, visualizing what words are understood better with multimodal sensory information as well as identifying learned word meanings that correlate with physical object properties (e.g. 'small' negatively correlates with object weight).
Optimizing Storage in High-Density Shelving: Studying Item Sizing in Theoretical Shelving Configurations

This article is the second in a series exploring approaches to studying the storage density and overall efficiency (as measured in terms of number of items stored) in high-density book storage faci...
Macroeconomic Constraints for Medium Term Growth and Distribution: A Model for Chile

Why are governments drawn to regulate financial markets to the point of financial repression? It appears that post-Communist governments may have inhibited the development of financial institutions to ensure adequate flows of external capital to favored enterprises rather than to finance deficits. Financial systems in developing countries tend to be restricted or repressed through burdensome reserve requirements, interest-rate ceilings, foreign-exchange regulations, rules about the composition of bank balance sheets, or heavy taxation of the financial sector. Why are governments drawn to regulate financial markets to the point of financial repression? To address this question, Denizer, Desai, and Gueorguiev explore preliminary evidence from the post-Communist economies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, where financial regulations have rarely been examined systematically. They find that the public-finance framework has limited ability to explain financial repression in the transition economies, given the peculiar financial lineage of the socialist state. The weak distinction between public and private spheres of finance in transition economies means that the deficit often conveys little information about the governments' real fiscal activities. It is more fruitful to examine how political institutions, by shaping the incentives politicians face, affect financial policy. Their findings suggest that post-Communist governments may adopt repressive financial controls - not to finance deficits more cheaply than would be the case under financial liberalization, but to maintain the authority and ensure the survival of those in power. In countries where pre-reform elites are plentiful in legislative bodies, where interparty competition is low, and where governing parties are well-represented in parliaments, elites have been able to perpetuate a system of implicit subsidies by softening up the financial sector-especially commercial banks - to ensure the continued flow of cheap credit to specific borrowers. The main beneficiaries of these policies - large formerly state-owned industries with tight financial links to the largest commercial banks - are thus able to convert their well-established claims on public resources into preferential access to credit lines. In other words, financial repression in transition economies may simply serve to solidify main-bank, main-firm relations. These results would lend support to the claim of smaller, cash-starved Eastern European entrepreneurs that the commercial banks have taken over the role of the old planning ministries. This paper - a joint product of the International Finance Corporation's Central Asia, Middle East, North Africa Department, and the Private Sector Development Department - is part of a larger effort to understand the workings of financial markets in transition economies. Cevdet Denizer may be contacted at cdenizer@ifc.org.
HIV persistence: clonal expansion of cells in the latent reservoir

While antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce HIV-1 to undetectable levels, the virus generally reappears if treatment is stopped. Resurgence of the virus is due to the reactivation of T cells harboring latent integrated provirus, and recent studies indicate that proliferation of these latently infected cells helps maintain the HIV-1 reservoir. In this issue of the JCI, Lee et al. evaluated CD4+ T cell subsets to determine whether certain populations are more likely to harbor full-length, replication-competent provirus. The authors identified an enrichment of clonally expanded Th1 cells containing intact HIV-1 proviruses, suggesting that this polarized subset contributes to the persistence of the reservoir. Strategies to target these provirus-harboring cells need to be considered for future therapies aimed toward HIV-1 cure.
Update on the Surgical Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Surgical management of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis has seen several technical advances in the past four decades. This chapter will explore the current state of surgical therapy for inflammatory bowel disease, including management of Crohn’s fibrostenotic disease, perianal disease, application of the minimally invasive approach, and approach to determining the choice of surgery in patients with ulcerative colitis.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and frequency of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption among low-income adults in the US.

Background:The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was designed to help low-income people purchase nutritious foods in the US. In recent years, there has been a consistent call for banning purchases of sugar drinks in SNAP.Aim:The aim of this study was to examine the association between SNAP participation and the frequency of sugar-sweetened soft drink (SSD) consumption among low-income adults in the US.Method:Data came from the 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Low-income adults aged ≥20 years with a household income ≤250% of the Federal Poverty Level (N = 1200) were categorized into two groups based on the household’s SNAP receipt: SNAP recipients (n = 393) and non-recipients (n = 807). Propensity-score matching was used to minimize observable differences between these two groups that may explain the difference in SSD consumption, generating the final sample of 393 matched pairs (SNAP recipients, n = 393; non-recipients, n = 393). An ordinal logistic regression was...
Humor in medicine: Can laughter help in healing?

(2017). Humor in Medicine: Can Laughter Help in Healing? Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings: Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 378-381.
Incidence and clinical characteristics of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

Background/aims The literature on the prevalence and demographics of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) is 30–70 years old and largely comprises small sample sizes. This study provides epidemiological findings of this common disorder from the largest cohort reported to date. Methods The medical records of all children ( Results Of 17 713 newborns born during the 10-year study period, 1998 were diagnosed with CNLDO, yielding a birth prevalence of one in nine live births. The diagnosis was made in approximately 90% by a primary care physician, at a median age of 5 weeks, with no gender predilection. Compared with the reference population, CNLDO was associated with premature birth (p=0.005) and was more prevalent among Caucasians (p Conclusions In this large population-based cohort, CNLDO occurred in one in nine live births with no gender predilection. Prematurity and Caucasian race were associated with the development of CNLDO. Mucopurulent discharge was a much more common feature than tearing at initial presentation.
Homing, Survival, and Paracrine Effects of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

In this chapter we describe a snapshot of the ever-changing landscape for the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a therapeutic agent. To be used for cell therapy, they must reach their target and have a therapeutic effect. Determinants of MSC homing are considered in the first part of the chapter, with special emphasis on the dynamic nature of these cells reflected in changes of their chemokine receptor profile with the associated implication of these changes for homing to sites of injury. In the second part of the chapter we consider therapeutic effects of MSCs at their target sites mediated by the paracrine factors they produce.
Rapid temporal control of transdermal drug delivery by electroporation.

Transdermal drug delivery has the potential to be a noninvasive. user-friendly method of delivering drugs at steady or time-varying rates ( 1.2). However, to date it has found limited clinical application. largely because transport of most drugs across human skin is very slow, exhibiting lag times of hours to days and steady-state rates which are often subtherapeutic. Recently, evidence for electroporation of skin has been demonstrated and proposed as a mechanism to enhance transdermal drug delivery (3-7). Electroporation involves the application of a brief electric field pulse which creates aqueous pathways in lipid hilayers. such as cell membranes (8-11). During electroporation, the electric field is believed to increase molecular transport dramatically by a combination of two mechanisms: 1) electropores are created and 2) as pores appear, molecules are rapidly moved through the pores by electrophoresis and/ or electroosmosis due to the local field. Electroporation of skin could have significance for drug delivery. having been shown to cause transdermal flux increases up to four orders of magnitude which are largely or fully reversible. possibly involving transient structural changes in the intercellular lipid bilayers of the stratum corneum (5.12). This study focuses on the rapid kinetics of transdermal transport by electroporation, which may allow rapid onset of therapeutic action and/or complex drug delivery profiles during transdermal drug delivery.
Advice for New and Student Lecturers on Probability and Statistics

Lecture is a common presentation style that gives instructors a lot of control over topics and time allocation, but can limit active student participation and learning. This article presents some i...
The Economics of Just Transition: A Framework for Supporting Fossil Fuel–Dependent Workers and Communities in the United States:

We develop a Just Transition framework for U.S. workers and communities that are currently dependent on domestic fossil fuel production. Our rough high-end estimate for such a program is a relative...
Fast evolution unlocks forbidden communities.

When ecological and evolutionary dynamics occur on similar timescales, otherwise inaccessible stable and diverse communities can spontaneously assemble.
Analysis of H2/Air Polarization Losses of Low-Platinum-Loading Cathodes with Various I/C Ratios and Carbon Supports

Reduction of platinum loading is one of the major challenges for the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The role of catalyst layer microstructure and ionomer content is critically important at ultra-low platinum loading due to enhanced oxygen transport resistance compared to high platinum loading. In the present work, catalyst-coated membranes with two types of carbon supports and various I/C ratios are fabricated using reactive spray deposition technology (RSDT) where low Pt loading (cathode 0.1 mg cm−2, anode 0.05 mg cm−2) catalyst layers are directly deposited on Nafion membranes. Similar performance is obtained at optimal I/C ratios for Pt/Ketjen Black (KB) CCMs and Pt /multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) CCMs, with optimal I/C ratio being 1.0 and 0.5, respectively. Six types of polarization overpotentials are analyzed using a six-step method established in our previous work to elucidate the influence of catalyst layer microstructure and ionomer content on fuel cell performance. Since MWNT requires 50% less ionomer and are chemically more stable than KB, MWNT is a preferred support for ultra-low platinum loading electrodes. The six-step method connects catalyst layer properties with specifically targeted overpotentials and is thus a powerful tool in catalyst layer optimization.
Antibody Levels and Protection After Hepatitis B Vaccine: Results of a 30-Year Follow-up Study and Response to a Booster Dose.

BACKGROUND The duration of protection in children and adults resulting from hepatitis B vaccination is unknown. In 1981, we immunized a cohort of 1578 Alaska Native adults and children from 15 Alaska communities aged ≥6 months using 3 doses of plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine. METHODS Persons were tested for antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) levels 30 years after receiving the primary series. Those with levels <10 mIU/mL received 1 booster dose of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine 2-4 weeks later and were then evaluated on the basis of anti-HBs measurements 30 days after the booster. RESULTS Among 243 persons (56%) who responded to the original primary series but received no subsequent doses during the 30-year period, 125 (51%) had an anti-HBs level ≥10 mIU/mL. Among participants with anti-HBs levels <10 mIU/mL who were available for follow-up, 75 of 85 (88%) responded to a booster dose with an anti-HBs level ≥10 mIU/mL at 30 days. Initial anti-HBs level after the primary series was correlated with higher anti-HBs levels at 30 years. CONCLUSIONS Based on anti-HBs level ≥10 mIU/mL at 30 years and an 88% booster dose response, we estimate that ≥90% of participants had evidence of protection 30 years later. Booster doses are not needed.
Adapting to chronic pain: A focused ethnography of black older adults

This study aimed to understand the coping strategies used by a group of Black older adults to manage chronic pain. To this end, a focused ethnography was completed within a senior housing facility. Following participant observation, 106 residents completed informal interviews and surveys comprised of a demographic tool, the Brief Pain Inventory, the PROMIS Global Health scale, and the Psychological Stress Measure - 9. Further, a subset of 20 participants that reported daily pain completed formal semi-structured interviews, which were recorded and transcribed. Descriptive statistics were completed on survey data while interviews were analyzed contextually and thematically. The adaptive coping strategies used by participants to manage pain included: remaining positive, remaining active, being engaged in the community, prayer/meditation, and maintaining positive support systems. Effective coping strategies lead to compensated levels of adaptation for participants. A middle range schema of pain is presented that may guide future nursing pain management practice.
A rare case of peliosis hepatis in primary immune deficiency.

Peliosis hepatis is a rare condition characterized by blackish-blue blood-filled cavities in hepatic parenchyma caused by dilatation of hepatic sinusoids. Peliosis hepatis has been described in sec...
Assessing Premiums, Service Quality, and Product Attributes in Music CDs' Internet Retailing

This paper empirically investigates relationships among markups, service quality, and product attributes across customer, Internet-retailer, and wholesaler echelons. Recent literature has documented the reality of retail price dispersion, but little is known about how retail markups, in particular, are related to service quality and product attributes. For example, how is service quality associated with markups? How are product characteristics related to Internet retailer markups? To examine these issues, we first developed a model of Internet retail profitability that separates revenues and costs related to sales transactions from other sources of profits. This framework allowed us to position our work alongside the extant literature about Internet retailing. Moreover, it led us to synthesize numerous studies that have focused on service quality dimensions in the Internet retailing space. Subsequently, we developed a critical-event study based on the profit model and the synthesis of service-quality dimensions in order to delineate aspects of service that retailers need to emphasize to address buyers' utility. Finally, we collected data from Internet purchases across retailers in order to isolate markup-service quality relationships along our delineated service characteristics. We find that high markups are associated with superior performance by Internet retailers across several service quality dimensions (a service premium effect). Interestingly, this association also turns out to depend on the popularity of the product purchased.
An Analysis of the External Validity of EEG Spectral Power in an Uncontrolled Outdoor Environment during Default and Complex Neurocognitive States.

Traditionally, quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) studies collect data within controlled laboratory environments that limit the external validity of scientific conclusions. To probe these validity limits, we used a mobile EEG system to record electrophysiological signals from human participants while they were located within a controlled laboratory environment and an uncontrolled outdoor environment exhibiting several moderate background influences. Participants performed two tasks during these recordings, one engaging brain activity related to several complex cognitive functions (number sense, attention, memory, executive function) and the other engaging two default brain states. We computed EEG spectral power over three frequency bands (theta: 4–7 Hz, alpha: 8–13 Hz, low beta: 14–20 Hz) where EEG oscillatory activity is known to correlate with the neurocognitive states engaged by these tasks. Null hypothesis significance testing yielded significant EEG power effects typical of the neurocognitive states engaged by each task, but only a beta-band power difference between the two background recording environments during the default brain state. Bayesian analysis showed that the remaining environment null effects were unlikely to reflect measurement insensitivities. This overall pattern of results supports the external validity of laboratory EEG power findings for complex and default neurocognitive states engaged within moderately uncontrolled environments.
Orthopaedic Resident Arthroscopic Knot-Tying Skills Are Improved Using a Training Program and Knot-Tying Workstation.

Purpose To quantify an orthopaedic trainee’s ability to tie arthroscopic knots before and after a short cadaveric-based arthroscopy training period using a commercially available knot-tying workstation. Methods During a weeklong cadaveric arthroscopic training camp, 15 third- and fourth-year orthopaedic residents were evaluated using a commercially available benchtop knot-tying workstation. At the beginning of the week (baseline), each participant was asked to tie 3 knots of his or her choice backed up by 3 half-hitches using nonabsorbable suture. Successful knots fit the sizer and elongated less than 3 mm after application of a 15-lb load. Afterward, residents watched a video demonstrating a sample knot and were encouraged to practice over the ensuing days. At the end of the week (post-training), residents were asked to tie 3 knots. The time to completion and success of each knot were recorded. To compare baseline and post-training knot success, t tests and χ2 analysis were performed. Results During baseline testing, residents successfully tied 26.7% of their knots (12 of 45 knots) in 352 ± 116 seconds (mean ± standard deviation). During post-training testing, residents successfully tied 66.7% of knots (30 of 45 knots, P = .00014) in 294 ± 63 seconds (P = .023), showing significant improvement in the time and ability to tie arthroscopic knots. Conclusions With a short cadaveric-based training period, orthopaedic trainees showed a significant improvement in their ability to tie arthroscopic knots on a commercially available benchtop knot-tying workstation. Given the initial low percentage of successfully tied knots and the limited opportunities for trainees to improve, trainees should be encouraged to practice and improve their skills. Clinical Relevance With training, residents can improve arthroscopic knot-tying abilities, which may allow them to successfully perform this critical task in the operating room.