cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy on Attention and Mood in Women Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study

Purpose/objectives To explore the efficacy of mindfulness- based music therapy (MBMT) to improve attention and decrease mood distress experienced by women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Design Quantitative, descriptive, longitudinal approach. Setting A comprehensive cancer hospital and a university in southern Florida. Sample 15 women with a diagnosis of breast cancer, stages I-III, receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods Participants individually received MBMT for one hour per week for four weeks. The sessions consisted of varied music activities accompanied by mindfulness attitudes, or mental strategies that enhance moment-to-moment awareness, and weekly homework. Demographic information was collected at baseline. Main research variables Attention was measured using Conners' Continuous Performance Test II. Mood was measured using the Profile of Mood States-Brief Form. Narrative comments collected from the homework assignments served to reinforce quantitative data. Findings Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that attention improved significantly over time. Although all mood states significantly improved from the beginning to the end of each MBMT session, the mood state of fatigue decreased significantly more than the other mood states. Conclusions MBMT enhances attention and mood, particularly the mood state of fatigue, in women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. . Implications for nursing A preferred music listening and mindfulness exercise may be offered to women with breast cancer who experience attention problems and mood distress.
Females' labor force participation and intimate femicide: An empirical assessment of the backlash hypothesis

Using data from the Supplementary Homicide Reports in conjunction with 1990 U.S. census data in a cross-sectional analysis, this paper tests the proposition that increased participation of women in the paid labor force will elevate the incidence of females' intimate homicide victimization. In part, results support the backlash hypothesis. Specifically, they suggest that a growth in the female labor force participation rate decreases the poverty rate. Reductions in the poverty rate, in turn, augment the incidence of intimate lethal violence against women. We discuss the theoretical implications of these results.
IMMUNOLOGIC INHIBITION OF ENDOGENOUS OR EXOGENOUS THYROTROPIN IN VARIOUS SPECIES.

SummaryA modification of the Querido bio-assay for thyrotropin is presented along with log dose-response curves for USP Reference Standard Thyrotropin in 2 different strains of mice. The immimobiologic effects of antisera to bovine thyrotropin (TSH) on either endogenous or exogenous TSH were determined in guinea pigs, intact or hypophysectomized rats and mice. In thyroxinized guinea pigs and thyroxinized intact or hypophysectomized rats, passively administered rabbit antiserum to bovine TSH neutralized the biologic activity of exogenous bovine TSH. Rabbit antiserum passively administered to guinea pigs, rats or mice inhibited the effects of propylthiouracil (PTU) on goitrogenesis and on radioactive iodine uptake, indicating biologic neutralization of endogenous TSH in these species. These findings suggest a molecular similarity of guinea pig, rat and mouse thyrotropin.
A Difference in Erythropoietin Production between Anemic and Hypoxic Mice

SummaryA strain difference in the response to hypoxia of the CAF1 and CF1 mice is described. The CF1 strain developed significant erythropoietin production in response to hypoxia, and after 3 weeks marked polycythemia. In the CAF1 mouse both erythropoietin production and polycythemia were minimal. Both strains produced comparable amounts of erythropoietin in response to post-hemorrhagic or hemolytic anemia. The implications of these differences are discussed.
Gestational thyrotoxicosis, antithyroid drug use and neonatal outcomes within an integrated healthcare delivery system.

Background: Increasing attention has focused on the prevalence and outcomes of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy, given concerns for hepatotoxicity and embryopathy associated with antithyroid drugs (ATDs). Methods: In an integrated health care delivery system, we examined the prevalence of thyrotoxicosis and gestational ATD use (propylthiouracil [PTU] or methimazole [MMI]) in women with delivered pregnancies from 1996 to 2010. Birth outcomes were compared among all infants and those born to mothers with diagnosed thyrotoxicosis or ATD therapy during gestation, with examination of ATD-associated hepatotoxicity and congenital malformations in the latter subgroups. Results: Among 453,586 mother–infant pairs (maternal age 29.7±6.0 years, 57.1% nonwhite), 3.77 per 1000 women had diagnosed thyrotoxicosis and 1.29 per 1000 had gestational ATD exposure (86.5% PTU, 5.1% MMI, 8.4% both). Maternal PTU-associated hepatotoxicity occurred with a frequency of 1.80 per 1000 pregnancies. Infants of mothers with diagnosed thyro...
Review Essay: Making the Personal Political: Women's History and Oral History

(1989). Review Essay: Making the Personal Political: Women's History and Oral History. The Oral History Review: Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 107-116.
Happiness and Sexual Minority Status

We used logistic regression on nationally representative data (General Social Survey, N = 10,668 and N = 6680) to examine how sexual minority status related to happiness. We considered two central dimensions of sexual minority status-sexual behavior and sexual identity. We distinguished between same-sex, both-sex, and different-sex-oriented participants. Because individuals transition between sexual behavior categories over the life course (e.g., from both-sex partners to only same-sex partners) and changes in sexual minority status have theoretical associations with well-being, we also tested the associations of transitions with happiness. Results showed that identifying as bisexual, gay, or lesbian, having both male and female partners since age 18, or transitioning to only different-sex partners was negatively related to happiness. Those with only same-sex partners since age 18 or in the past 5 years had similar levels of happiness as those with only different-sex partners since age 18. Additional tests showed that the majority of these happiness differences became non-significant when economic and social resources were included, indicating that the lower happiness was a product of structural and societal forces. Our findings clearly and robustly underscored the importance of taking a multi-faceted approach to understanding sexuality and well-being, demonstrating that not all sexual minority groups experience disadvantaged happiness. Our study calls for more attention to positive aspects of well-being such as happiness in examinations of sexual minorities and suggests that positive psychology and other happiness subfields should consider the role of sexual minority status in shaping happiness.
Fatigue life study on excavator booms under actual loading

Due that it is difficult to simulate the complex loading during the fatigue analysis on excavator working devices,the big errors exist.Accordingly,an actual-loading-driven fatigue life method is first proposed for working device design.Then,a dynamical model is established using the Denavi-Hartenberg(D-H)method.According to the pressure and displacement variation curves of hydraulic cylinders from sensors,the actual loading from boom hinges is obtained based on force-balanced equation.Finally,the boom fatigue analysis is conducted for life contour via fatigue analysis software.Therefore,the result of 16.8 years minimum life provides a reference for excavator structural design on working devices.
Hv1 Proton Channel Resting-State Voltage Sensor Model Structures are Refined by Experimental Mapping of Zinc-Coordinating Residues

Voltage sensor (VS) activation likely involves an outward movement of the S4 helix from its resting state conformation, but high resolution resting-state VS structures are rare and experimental data is needed to spatially constrain model structures. Zn2+ potently (EC50 ≈ 1 uM, pHO 6.5) attenuates H+ currents in the human voltage-gated proton channel (hHv1) by shifting the apparent POPEN-V relation toward more positive potentials (Cherny, et al. 1999). Zn2+ is likely to be coordinated by two extracellularly-accessible His residues, H140 (S2 helix) and H193 (S3-S4 linker) in the resting conformation of the Hv1 VS domain (Ramsey et al., 2006). The intermediate potency (EC50 20-70 uM) of Zn2+ in single H140A or H193A mutant channels suggests that additional residues may also participate resting-state Zn2+ coordination. Candidate residues include the acidic side chains of E119 (S1) and D123 (S1-S2 linker), which may be near H140 and H193 in the mouse Hv1-based voltage sensor chimeric protein mHv1cc (Takeshita et al., 2014). To identify Zn2+-coordinating residues in hHv1, we mutated candidate acidic residues to His in the background of either H140A or H193A and measured the potency of Zn2+ to attenuate voltage-gated H+ currents. We find that E119H, but not D123H or D130H, is sufficient to reconstitute potent (low micromolar EC50) block of current by Zn2+ when combined with either H193A or H140A, indicating that E119 is likely to coordinate Zn2+ in conjunction with H140 and H193 in WT hHv1. Our experimental data limit the distances of E119, H140 and H193 side chains from the coordinated Zn2+ ion and therefore strongly constrain the positions of these groups, allowing us to generate refined resting-state hHv1 VS model structures.
Lower extremity insufficiency fractures: an underappreciated manifestation of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome

This report describes the presence of lower extremity insufficiency fractures in 10 women prior to the clinical and biochemical diagnosis of endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS). Osteoporosis is a well-recognized complication of overt CS resulting in a high rate of vertebral and other fractures. After institutional review board (IRB) approval, we did a retrospective chart review of patients with lower extremity (LE) insufficiency fractures (IF) and CS. This chart review found 10 women in whom LE-IF preceded the diagnosis of endogenous CS. Low bone density was found in all but one patient. The CS was considered to be mild (or subclinical) in five patients. LE-IF should be considered part of the skeletal spectrum of CS. Physicians caring for patients with LE-IF should have a low threshold for the consideration of CS even in patients without overt physical evidence of cortisol excess.
The crime prevention effect of CCTV in public places: a propensity score analysis

AbstractThis study measures the effect of CCTV in Newark, NJ across three separate crime categories: auto theft, theft from auto, and violent crime. CCTV viewsheds, denoting camera line-of-sight, were units of analysis. Viewsheds for treatment units were created by digitizing live CCTV footage within a geographic information system (GIS). Control viewsheds were created with GIS tools and aerial imagery from Google maps. Treatment cases were matched with control cases via propensity score matching (PSM) to ensure statistical equivalency between groups. Effect was measured via odds ratios and average treatment on the treated statistics. Findings offer modest support for CCTV as a deterrent against auto theft while demonstrating no effect on the other crime types. These results suggest that CCTV appears to be a viable option for jurisdictions wishing to target auto theft. Agencies suffering from other street-level crime problems may not benefit from CCTV and may need to deploy CCTV alongside other evidence-b...
Combination Treatment to Target KIT Mutant Cells

Potent and specific kinase inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of kinase-driven cancers by providing targeted inhibition of known cancer driving kinases. However, disease resistance and disease persistence have prevented targeted kinase therapy from being curative. Depending upon the disease state, kinase inhibitors may be effective for many years or only a few months before secondary resistance develops. Even for diseases where treatment is efficacious for many years, patients must be treated continuously, as interruption of the therapy results in disease growth within a few weeks or months. The goal of this thesis work was to address both disease resistance and persistence in KIT-mutant mast cell cancer models through the development of novel combination therapies. Activating KIT mutations have been found in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), mast cell tumors, melanoma, seminoma, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). This thesis focuses on KIT-mutant cell lines derived from mast cell tumors. Mast cell tumors have historically been difficult to treat with targeted kinase inhibitors because 90% of patients have a highly resistant KIT mutation driving their tumors – KIT D816V. The first portion of this thesis is focused on the investigation of a hypothesis that originated from a chronic mylogenous leukemia (CML) model. In the CML model, imatinib was found to synergize with cyclosporine A (CSA) to inhibit the proliferation and survival of BCR-ABL+ CML cell lines. This synergy required inhibition of calcineurin (CN) enzyme activity and hyperphosphorylation of NFAT species. Given similarities in kinase signaling between CML and mast cells with activating KIT mutant alleles, I hypothesized that combining a KIT inhibitor with a CN phosphatase inhibitor such as CSA would synergistically inhibit the growth and survival of KIT-mutant mast cells. To
Measurement of nonlinear optical response functions of common organic solvents

The nonlinear optical (NLO) response functions of 24 widely used organic solvents are measured, including both bound-electronic and nuclear contributions. The response function establishes a self-consistent reference for predicting the outcomes of various NLO experiments.
Gene expression in the addicted brain.

Addiction is due to changes in the structure and function of the brain, including neuronal networks and the cells that comprise them. Within cells, gene expression changes can track and help explain their altered function. Transcriptional changes induced by addictive agents are dynamic and divergent and range from signal pathway-specific perturbations to widespread molecular and cellular dysregulation that can be measured by “omic” methods and that can be used to identify new pathways. The molecular effects of addiction depend on timing of exposure or withdrawal, the stage of adaptation, the brain region, and the behavioral model, there being many models of addiction. However, the molecular neural adaptations across different drug exposures, conditions, and regions are to some extent shared and can reflect common actions on pathways relevant to addiction. Epigenetic studies of DNA methylation and histone modifications and studies of regulatory RNA networks have been informative for elucidating the mechanisms of transcriptional change in the addicted brain.
A SYNOPTIC CLIMATOLOGY OF TORNADOES IN VIRGINIA

Although tornadoes are microscale meteorological features, their occurrence is linked to the larger synoptic-scale environment. Most conceptual models of synoptic situations that give rise to torna...
Grocery games: How ethnically diverse low-income mothers support children’s reading and mathematics

Abstract Parent-child interactions are an important source of variability in children’s learning. We asked: (1) to what extent do low-income and ethnically diverse mothers engage in maternal writing support, math support, and directiveness in a grocery shopping game; (2) do these maternal behaviors predict gains in children’s reading and mathematics from age 5 (T1) to first grade (T2), and (3) what role do ethnicity and children’s baseline skills (T1) play in these associations. Participants were 212 low-income African American, Dominican, Mexican, and Chinese mothers and their 5-year-old children. Maternal writing support predicted gains in children’s reading skills but math support did not predict gains in children’s mathematics. Maternal directiveness negatively predicted gains in both children’s reading and mathematics. Ethnicity and children’s baseline skills did not moderate these associations. Implications for family-focused interventions serving low-income and ethnically diverse populations are discussed.
Bayesian penalized spline model-based inference for finite population proportion in unequal probability sampling.

We propose a Bayesian Penalized Spline Predictive (BPSP) estimator for a finite population proportion in an unequal probability sampling setting. This new method allows the probabilities of inclusion to be directly incorporated into the estimation of a population proportion, using a probit regression of the binary outcome on the penalized spline of the inclusion probabilities. The posterior predictive distribution of the population proportion is obtained using Gibbs sampling. The advantages of the BPSP estimator over the Hajek (HK), Generalized Regression (GR), and parametric model-based prediction estimators are demonstrated by simulation studies and a real example in tax auditing. Simulation studies show that the BPSP estimator is more efficient, and its 95% credible interval provides better confidence coverage with shorter average width than the HK and GR estimators, especially when the population proportion is close to zero or one or when the sample is small. Compared to linear model-based predictive estimators, the BPSP estimators are robust to model misspecification and influential observations in the sample.
Abdominal Wall Reconstruction in the Pediatric Population

Definitive closure of large congenital abdominal wall defects poses a challenge to surgeons due to the degree of visceroabdominal disproportion and the loss of abdominal domain. Additionally, many patients have an underdeveloped abdominal cavity and can have a large abdominal wall defect making primary fascial closure difficult. Although the armamentarium of strategies to treat congenital abdominal wall defects continues to expand, no single operative technique has achieved universal acceptance or success. In this chapter, we review current surgical treatment options for neonates born with gastroschisis and omphalocele.
Growth of wide-bandgap nitride semiconductors by MBE

This paper reviews progress in the heteroepitaxial growth of Ill-Nitride semiconductors. The growth of wurtzite and zinc-blende allotropic forms of GaN on various substrates with hexagonal and cubic symmetry respectively were discussed. In particular we addressed the growth on the various faces of sapphire, 6H-SiC and (001) Si. It has been shown that the kinetics of growth by plasma-MBE or ammonia-MBE are different. Specifically, in plasma-assisted MBE smooth films are obtained under group-III rich conditions of growth. On the other hand in ammonia-MBE smooth films are obtained under nitrogen rich conditions of growth. High quality films were obtained on 6H-SiC without the employment of any buffer. The various nucleation steps used to improve the two dimensional growth as well as to control the film polarity were discussed. The n- and p-doping of GaN were addressed. The concept of increasing the solubility of Mg in GaN by simultaneously bombarding the surface of the growing film with a flux of electrons (co-doping GaN with Mg and electrons) was discussed. The influence of the strength of Al-N, Ga-N and In-N bonds on the kinetics of growth of nitride alloys was pointed out. Specifically, it was shown that in both the nitrogen-rich and group-III rich growth regimes, the incorporation probability of aluminum is unity for the investigated temperature range of 750-800° C. On the other hand the incorporation probability of gallium is constant but less than unity only in the nitrogen-rich regime of growth. In the group-III regime the incorporation probability of gallium decreases monotonically with the total group-III flux, due to the competition with aluminum for the available active nitrogen. Alloy phenomena such as phase separation and atomic ordering and the influence of these phenomena to the optical properties were addressed. InGaN alloys are thermodynamically unstable against phase separation. At compositions above 30% they tend to undergo partial phase separation. Furthermore, InGaN alloys were found to undergo 1x1 monolayer cation ordering. AlGaN alloys do not show evidence of phase separation but they were found to undergo multiple type of superlattice ordering. Under nitrogen-rich growth conditions they show one monolayer periodicity, while under group-III rich growth it was found that the structure is a superposition of a seven monolayer and twelve monolayer superlattices. Finally, the growth of heterostructures and MQWs and the use of the MBE method for the fabrication of optical, electronic and electromechanical devices were discussed.
Physical Fitness in Young Men between 1975 and 2015 with a Focus on the Years 2005-2015.

ABSTRACTPurposeThe purpose of the present study was to investigate changes in physical fitness and anthropometry of young men entering the military service in Finland during the years 1975–2015.MethodsThe study included the fitness test results of 627,142 healthy young male conscripts (age 19.1 ± 0.
A toolkit for facilitating accessible design with blind people

This extended abstract outlines my dissertation work, to assemble a toolkit for facilitating accessible design workshops with blind people. I first exemplify how inclusive design strategies don't always provide accessible tools and techniques but instead focus on accessible end products. I continue with proposed activities beginning with an exploration of current making practice by blind people. I then propose distilling toolkit content by incorporating findings from blind makers into workshops where blind and sighted people, including industry designers, make together.
On the feasibility of p-type Ga2O3

We investigate the various cation substitutional dopants in Ga2O3 for the possibility of p–type conductivity using density functional theory. Our calculations include both standard density functional theory and hybrid functional calculations. We demonstrate that all the investigated dopants result in deep acceptor levels, not able to contribute to the p–type conductivity of Ga2O3. In light of these results, we compare our findings with other wide bandgap oxides and reexamine previous experiments on zinc doping in Ga2O3.
Identification and screening of potent antimicrobial peptides in arthropod genomes.

Abstract Using tBLASTn and BLASTp searches, we queried recently sequenced arthropod genomes and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) using a database of known arthropod cecropins, defensins, and attacins. We identified and synthesized 6 potential AMPs and screened them for antimicrobial activity. Using radial diffusion assays and microtiter antimicrobial assays, we assessed the in vitro antimicrobial effects of these peptides against several human pathogens including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. We also conducted hemolysis assays to examine the cytotoxicity of these peptides to mammalian cells. Four of the six peptides identified showed antimicrobial effects in these assays. We also created truncated versions of these four peptides to assay their antimicrobial activity. Two cecropins derived from the monarch butterfly genome (Danaus plexippus), DAN1 and DAN2, showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in the range of 2–16 μg/ml when screened against Gram-negative bacteria. HOLO1 and LOUDEF1, two defensin-like peptides derived from red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) and human body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus), respectively, exhibited MICs in the range of 13–25 μg/ml against Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, HOLO1 showed an MIC less than 5 μg/ml against the fungal species Candida albicans. These peptides exhibited no hemolytic activity at concentrations up to 200 μg/ml. The truncated peptides derived from DAN2 and HOLO1 showed very little antimicrobial activity. Our experiments show that the peptides DAN1, DAN2, HOLO1, and LOUDEF1 showed potent antimicrobial activity in vitro against common human pathogens, did not lyse mammalian red blood cells, and indicates their potential as templates for novel therapeutic agents against microbial infection.
Conditional summertime day-ahead solar irradiance forecast

Abstract We investigated the accuracy of numerical weather prediction (NWP)-based global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and clear-sky index forecasting over southern Nevada. Accurate forecasts of solar irradiance are required for electric utilities to economically integrate substantial amounts of solar power into their power generation portfolios. Solar irradiance forecasting can enhance the value of renewable energy by anticipating fluctuations in these variable resources. Summertime cloud variability depends largely on the combination of tropical and extratropical synoptic-scale forcing, most of which is observable, predictable, and highly related to the North American Monsoon moisture surge events. We used high-resolution realtime NWP output based on the weather and research forecasting (WRF) model to study the ability of the model to deliver day-ahead GHI and clear-sky index forecasts for a the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)-University of Nevada site, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. High-resolution forecast products were obtained from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) archived real-time numerical weather forecasting products. Results showed the importance of developing a site-specific seasonal and weather-dependent model output statistics (MOS) approach to improving forecast accuracy, which removes the bias and reduces the overall relative root-mean – square error (rRMSE) of GHI by as much as 6%, when compared to the uncorrected model output; improving forecast accuracy is obtained by adding information that relates regional-scale circulation patterns driving cloudiness, hence irradiance variability to the target area. We show the seasonal dependence of the NWP forecast accuracy and demonstrate that intelligent weather functions provide a pathway to improve accuracy of solar forecasts further.
Downburst-induced transient response of a long-span bridge: A CFD-CSD-based hybrid approach

Abstract The long-span bridges, frequently located in the coastline and mountainous areas, are prone to suffering from the transient downburst winds associated with the thunderstorms. Therefore, it is important to examine the behaviors of long-span bridges under such wind events. In this study, the time history of non-turbulent downburst wind field is modeled using the impinging jet-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. It has demonstrated high-fidelity simulations of the downburst wind field, especially for the near-surface radial winds that are particularly significant for present investigation of bridge aerodynamics and aeroelasticity, with a reasonable computational cost. The simulated time-varying mean wind velocity field of a typical downburst event is validated using available field measurements. The correlated nonstationary fluctuations of the downburst are stochastically simulated by the Hilbert-wavelet scheme based on full-scale data, and then superimposed onto the CFD-based transient mean wind field. The obtained turbulent downburst wind field is employed as the dynamic inputs to the line-element-based three-dimensional (3-D) finite element model of the long-span bridge, and its downburst-induced transient response is acquired using the computational structural dynamics (CSD) approach. The aerodynamic and aeroelastic couplings between the downburst winds and the long-span bridge are modeled using the two-dimensional (2-D) indicial response functions that could well represent the transient bridge aerodynamics under non-synoptic winds. The time-domain buffeting response analysis of a long-span suspension bridge under the traveling downburst has been carried out utilizing the CFD-CSD-based hybrid methodology. The results highlight the importance of the transient and nonstationary effects on the non-synoptic wind-induced structural dynamic response.
Problems of turbocharging of automotive engines

As mentioned in section 2.3, the supercharging of spark ignition aero-engines was already highly advanced at the time when they were superseded by the gas turbine. During and after World War I, the engines were mechanically supercharged, around World War II exhaust turbocharged. There was, however, little incentive to supercharge automobile engines other than those in sports- and racing cars, because it was simpler and cheaper to obtain more power by increasing the size of the engine.
Simulation as a training modality

Simulation has become an increasingly important training modality in the training of our obstetrics and gynecology residents. There are number of reasons for this trend: patient safety, work hour restrictions, increases in minimally invasive procedures, and improvement in communication and team dynamics in a group situation.
Stability Measurements of A Large Nb3Sn Force-Cooled Conductor

The Westinghouse coil for the Large Coil Program (LCP) [1] at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will use a cable-in-conduit conductor made of copper-stabilized, multifilamentary (MF) Nb3Sn strands enclosed in a stainless steel jacket, which provides a channel around the conductor to allow forced cooling by supercritical helium. The operating current will be 16 kA with an 8-T maximum field. In this study, the performance of a subsize conductor similar in construction, but with only one-third as many active strands in the cable, was investigated.
Who believes in fiscal and monetary stimulus? Evidence from a survey of Pennsylvania residents

Does the public believe that fiscal and monetary stimulus reduce unemployment? I present survey evidence on this question from a random sample of Pennsylvania residents. Few respondents express a consistently Keynesian view of fiscal or monetary stimulus. In fact, the typical respondent believes that an increase in government spending makes unemployment worse. Views on monetary stimulus depend on how the question is framed. The typical respondent believes that Fed money creation worsens unemployment while a Fed interest rate cut improves it. Beliefs about policy effectiveness fall largely, but not entirely, along partisan lines. The Democratic "tilt" towards government spending - in terms of its alleged positive employment effects - appears stronger than the Republican tilt towards tax cuts.
Substance-Based Bibliometrics: Identifying Research Gaps by Counting and Analyzing Substances.

Identifying research gaps and generating research questions are often a first step in developing ideas for writing a research paper or grant proposal. The concept of substance-based bibliometrics uses the counts of substances in the scientific literature to better understand, assess, and clarify the state and impact of information in the chemical sciences. Connecting substances indexed to specific bioactivity or target indicators can lead to assessing the biochemical, biological, and medicinal relevance of substances as well as developing ideas for expanding drug design and discovery through identifying and modifying the structural features of molecules. This study uses Chemical Abstracts through the SciFinder database to count for the occurrence of substances in the scientific literature. The study sets out search strategies for discovering potential research gaps and new ideas through visualization of chemical structures with known bioactivity and target indicators. The author recommends that subject li...
Registered Apprenticeship and Career Advancement for Low-Wage Service Workers:

Registered apprenticeship is a time-tested approach to building technical skills through a combination of classroom and closely supervised on-the-job training. This study explores the growth of reg...
Neuron subtype-specific effector gene expression in the Motor Ganglion of Ciona

Abstract The central nervous system of the Ciona larva contains only 177 neurons. The precise regulation of neuron subtype-specific morphogenesis and differentiation observed in during the formation of this minimal connectome offers a unique opportunity to dissect gene regulatory networks underlying chordate neurodevelopment. Here we compare the transcriptomes of two very distinct neuron types in the hindbrain/spinal cord homolog of Ciona, the Motor Ganglion (MG): the Descending decussating neuron (ddN, proposed homolog of Mauthner Cells in vertebrates) and the MG Interneuron 2 (MGIN2). Both types are invariantly represented by a single bilaterally symmetric left/right pair of cells in every larva. Supernumerary ddNs and MGIN2s were generated in synchronized embryos and isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting for transcriptome profiling. Differential gene expression analysis revealed ddN- and MGIN2-specific enrichment of a wide range of genes, including many encoding potential “effectors” of subtype-specific morphological and functional traits. More specifically, we identified the upregulation of centrosome-associated, microtubule-stabilizing/bundling proteins and extracellular matrix proteins and axon guidance cues as part of a single intrinsic regulatory program that might underlie the unique polarization of the ddNs, the only descending MG neurons that cross the midline.
New Evidence of the Marginal Predictive Content of Small and Large Jumps

In an important paper, Bollerslev, Li, and Zhao (2019) find that there is significant predictive content in signed total jump variation. In this paper, we further decompose jumps into small and large (signed) variation. Our primary purpose is to investigate the marginal predictive content of small versus large jump variation, when forecasting oneweek ahead cross-sectional equity returns. However, we also examine earnings announcements, in order to shed new light on the linkages between (small and large) jumps and news. One of our key findings is that sorting on signed small jump variation leads to greater value-weighted return differentials between stocks in our highest and lowest quintile portfolios (i.e., high-low spreads) than when either signed total jump or signed large jump variation is sorted on. Moreover, in a key case, the high-low spread is not significantly different from zero when signed large jump variation is sorted on. Indeed, including large jump variation can actually decrease predictive accuracy, in the sense that average returns and alphas for high-low portfolios are lower when total jump variation is utilized in our prediction experiments rather than small jump variation. These results suggest that there may be a threshold, beyond which “large” jump variation contains no marginal predictive ability, relative to that contained in small jump variation. Analysis of returns and alphas based on industry double-sorts indicates that the benefit of small signed jump variation investing is driven by stock selection within an industry, rather than industry bets. Investors prefer stocks with a high probability of large positive jump variation, but they also tend to overweight safer industries. Additionally, the fact that large and small (signed) jump variation have differing marginal predictive content is explained at least in part by our observation that in double-sorted portfolios, the content of signed large jump variation is negligible when controlling for either signed total jump variation or realized skewness. By contrast, signed small jump variation has unique information for predicting future returns, even when controlling for total jump variation or realized skewness. Further, we find that large jumps are closely associated with “big” news, as might be expected. In particular, large earning announcement surprises increase both the magnitude and occurrence of large jumps. While such news related information is embedded in large jump variation, the information is generally short-lived, and dissipates too quickly to provide marginal predictive content for subsequent weekly returns. Finally, we find that while large jump variation is closely associated with large earnings surprises (“big” news), small jumps tend to be more closely associated with idiosyncratic risks, and can be diversified away.
Defining the Genetics of Basosquamous Carcinoma.

Basosquamous carcinoma (BSC) is a rare form of skin cancer with both basaloid and squamous morphology. Chiang et al. (2019) genetically define BSCs and demonstrate that BSCs likely originate as basal cell carcinomas that partially squamatize through accumulation of ARID1A mutations and RAS/MAPK pathway activation.
SURGICAL VERSUS TRANSVENOUS PACING OUTCOMES IN ADULT CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE

Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) often require cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED). To date, there is no data comparing transvenous (TV) or epicardial (EPI) approaches in an exclusively adult population. A retrospective review was performed for all CIED implants at the Ahmanson
Chapter 9 – Distribution and Density Functions

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on distribution and density functions. The probability distribution induced by a real-valued random variable X characterizes the random variable in a manner which is sufficient for many purposes. The probability distributions for simple, and most elementary, random variables are easy to describe and to visualize, as they concentrate probability mass at those points on the real line that represent possible values of the random variable. However, for more complicated distributions it is necessary to employ more sophisticated means of description. In any case, it is highly desirable to have analytical descriptions. The chapter discusses analytical tools for describing the probability distribution induced on the real line by a single, real-valued random variable. The chapter reviews the probability distribution function and a cumulative distribution function. Several examples of probability distributions are discussed that play very important roles in a variety of applications. One of the most widely encountered continuous probability distributions is the normal distribution.
(Pro)renin receptor in the kidney: function and significance.

(Pro)renin receptor (PRR), a 350-amino acid receptor initially thought of as a receptor for the binding of renin and prorenin, is multifunctional. In addition to its role in the renin-angiotensin s...
Non-Smooth Extremum Seeking Control with User-Prescribed Fixed-Time Convergence

This paper introduces a new class of non-smooth extremum seeking controllers (ESCs) with convergence bounds given by class- $\mathcal{K}\mathcal{L}$ functions that have a uniformly bounded settling time. These ESCs are characterized by nominal average systems that render \emph{uniformly globally fixed-time stable} (UGFxTS) the set of minimizers of the response map of a stable nonlinear plant. Given that, under suitable tuning of the parameters of the controllers, the ESCs inherit the convergence properties of their average systems, the proposed dynamics can achieve a better transient performance compared to the traditional ESCs based on gradient descent or Newton flows. Moreover, for the case when the plant is a static map, the convergence time of the proposed algorithms can be prescribed a priori by the users for all initial conditions without the need of re-tuning the gain of the learning dynamics of the ESC. In order to establish our results, we make use of averaging and singular perturbation tools for set-valued systems, which further allows us to consider ESCs with discontinuous vector fields.
Through the Lens of Scientific Racism: Patient Race Should Not Be Included in the Oral Presentation

Medical students are taught to include the patient demographics of age and gender in the oral presentation; the inclusion of race is controversial. Epidemiology demonstrates that race, as a social determinant of health, can be a risk factor for disease. However, race, as a social construct, is not a biological cause for disease. In the USA, the relationship between race and health is stained by a long history of scientific racism, and the misuse of science does not rest in our past. Given the complexity and persistence of scientific racism, race should not be included in the oral presentation.
The Impact of Employer Education Assistance on Enrollment

Policymakers incentivized university enrollment through the creation of Section 127 of the United States Internal Revenue Code. This policy provides a tax deduction to employers that provide ﬁnancial assistance for employee education. This paper ﬁnds that before and after extensive correction, the policy fails to increase enrollment meaningfully. Evidence from 1992 through 2017 indicates adverse linear and total eﬀects of interest. H-1B policy is explored as a correction variable and emerges as a comparatively preferred policy tool. Results are validated using vector auto-regression (VAR), dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), and instrumental variable (IV) analysis.
New developments in digital dermatitis control

Recent work has provided a greater understanding of the etiopathogenesis of digital dermatitis (DD) infection within cattle populations. With enhanced lesion scoring and an understanding of the transitioning between lesion stages, coupled with improved data-gathering systems, we now understand the significance of the chronic stages of the disease in herd-infection dynamics. Herd control of DD must begin during the heifer-rearing period. Breeding resistant animals and use of in-feed organic trace mineral supplements are coupled with active surveillance for early acute stages of the disease. Combined with strategic foot bathing and hoof-trimming, when fully implemented on a farm, these strategies can reduce the incidence of the disease and provide a sustainable solution to this troublesome problem.
Update: Gender differences in CABG outcomes-Have we bridged the gap?

Background Appreciation of unique presentation, patterns and underlying pathophysiology of coronary artery disease in women has driven gender based risk stratification and risk reduction efforts over the last decade. Data regarding whether these advances have resulted in unequivocal improvements in outcomes of CABG in women is conflicting. The objective of our study was to assess gender differences in post-operative outcomes following CABG. Methods Retrospective analyses of institutional data housed in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database for patients undergoing CABG between 2002 and 2020 were conducted. Multivariable regression analysis was conducted to investigate gender differences in post-operative outcomes. P-values were adjusted using Bonferroni correction to reduce type-I errors. Results Our final cohort of 6,250 patients had fewer women than men (1,339 vs. 4,911). more women were diabetic (52.0% vs. 41.2%, p 48 hours (OR: 1.65 [1.21, 2.45], p = 0.002) and cardiac readmissions (OR: 1.56 [1.27, 2.30], p = 0.003). After adjustment for comorbidity burden, mortality rates in women were comparable to those of age-matched men. Conclusion The findings of our study indicate that despite apparent reduction of differences in mortality, the burden of postoperative morbidity is still high among women.
Relational Graphical Models of Computational Workflows for Data Mining

Collaborative recommendation is the problem of analyzing the content of an information retrieval system and actions of its users, to predict additional topics or products a new user may find useful. Developing this capability poses several challenges to machine learning and reasoning under uncertainty. Recent systems such as CiteSeer [1] have succeeded in providing some specialized but comprehensive indices of full documents, but the kind of probabilistic models used in such indexing do not extend easily to information Grid databases and computational Grid workflows. The collection of user data from Grid portals [4] provides a test bed for the underlying IR technology, including learning and inference systems. To model workflows created using the TAVERNA editor [3] and SCUFL description language, the DESCRIBER system, shown in Figure 1, applies score-based structure learning algorithms, including Bayesian model selection and greedy search (cf. the K2 algorithm) adapted to relational graphical models. Figure 2 illustrates how the decision support front-end of DESCRIBER interacts with modules that learn and reason using probabilistic relational models,. The purpose is to discover interrelationships among, and thereby recommend, components used in workflows developed by other Grid users.
Advances in the Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers

The sections in this article are Introduction Bimolecular Approach Unimolecular Approach Homodifunctional Approach Heterodifunctional Approach Ring-Expansion Approach Conclusions Keywords: cyclic polymers; polymer macrocycles; ring closure; ring expansion polymerization
Evaluation of Monoclonal Antibody DF3 Conjugated with Ricin as a Specific Immunotoxin for in Vitro Purging of Human Bone Marrow

DF3 is an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (MAb) generated against a Mr 350,000-400,000 glycoprotein expressed by approximately 80% of human breast cancers. We have coupled MAb DF3 to ricin. Purification of the immunotoxin (DF3-IT) was obtained by affinity and size exclusion chromatography. DF3 antigen-positive breast cancer cell lines (ZR-75-1, BT-20, and MCF-7) and DF3 antigen-negative lung cancer cell lines (A549 and CALU6) were tested for cytotoxicity with metabolic labeling and clonogenic assays. The cells were exposed for 3 h to different concentrations of DF3-IT, MAb DF3, ricin, and a combination of unconjugated MAb DF3 and ricin. In the presence of 100 mM lactose, DF3-IT specifically inhibited protein synthesis of lines expressing DF3 antigen on their cell surface. Moreover, clonogenic survival experiments demonstrated that DF3-IT at a concentration of 1 x 10(-9) M specifically kills 2.6-2.8 log of ZR-75-1 and BT-20 cells and 1.6 log of MCF-7 cells. At the same concentration, nonspecific toxicity of DF3-IT resulted in a 30% reduction of bone marrow granulocyte and macrophage colony formation. In bone marrow-purging experiments, tumor cells were mixed with an excess of bone marrow cells and treated with DF3-IT or ricin. Tumor cell clonogenic survival assays demonstrated that the presence of bone marrow cells had no detectable effect on activity or specificity of the DF3-IT. These results thus indicate that MAb DF3 is an effective vehicle to specifically deliver toxins to cancer cells which express DF3 antigen on their surface and that DF3-IT may be useful for in vitro purging of bone marrow.
Chapter 13. Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance

Publisher Summary Bacterial resistance to antibiotic therapy constitutes a serious problem in human medicine. Resistant organisms have been responsible for many fatal hospital infections and several epidemics have taken a heavy toll of human life. An important tool in overcoming this problem is an understanding of the mechanisms underlying this resistance. There are several relevant reviews covering different aspects of antibacterial resistance mechanisms. This chapter discusses those mechanisms that have been identified in clinical isolates of human pathogens. These mechanisms generally fall into one of three categories: altered target site, altered permeability, and enzymatic drug inactivation. The recent application of recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques has greatly facilitated the elucidation of many aspects of the mechanisms of antibacterial resistance and their regulation at the molecular level. Drug inactivation mechanisms reviewed at a molecular level, while other mechanisms discussed at a more general level of detail. The bacterial resistance mechanisms to β-Lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, and sulfonamides are discussed in this chapter. Figures are given to explain the structural aspects. Study of resistance mechanisms has led to two basic approaches to overcoming them: discovery of new antibiotics impervious to the resistance mechanism and development of agents that render resistant bacterial pathogens susceptible to a known antibiotic by disabling their resistance mechanism.