cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying factors that affect patients' willingness to pay for inhaled insulin.

Abstract Predictors of patients' willingness to pay for inhaled insulin are unknown. This study found patients with higher annual household income and those who were dissatisfied with their current insulin therapy were willing to pay for inhaled products. Background Not all diabetes patients are receptive to taking injectable insulin and may therefore be noncompliant. Inhaled insulin has been shown to be as efficacious as subcutaneous insulin, but determinants of patients' willingness to pay (WTP) for inhaled insulin are unknown. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between various patient characteristics and patient satisfaction variables with WTP for inhaled insulin. Methods Exploratory cross-sectional study using a random sample of patients with diabetes from a national database. Data were collected using a mailed survey focusing on patient satisfaction with current insulin therapy, WTP, and general patient information. Any WTP (categorical) and the amount (continuous) patients were willing to pay were the 2 dependent variables in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.15.0. Descriptive statistics as well as linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results One hundred twenty-eight patients responded. The logistic regression analysis indicated that annual household income ( P =.038) and patient satisfaction ( P =.002) predict WTP. Additionally, the current cost of insulin therapy ( P =.009) and annual household income ( P =.049) were found to predict the amount patients were willing to pay. On average, patients were willing to pay $55.49 out of pocket for inhaled insulin per month. Conclusions The out-of-pocket cost that patients were willing to pay was the same as the amount patients pay presently for their insulin and syringes. Although Exubera ® is no longer on the market, the study findings can have an impact on pharmaceutical companies working on new inhaled insulin products in their efforts to care for patients with diabetes.
Space saving statistics: An introduction to constant error, variable error, and absolute error.

Abstract Research results in the field of orientation and mobility (O&M) and in related fields are increasingly being reported in terms of subjects’ constant error, variable error, and absolute error. These three descriptive statistics are used to quantify fundamentally different characteristics of distributions of spatially directed behavior. This article introduces the three statistics, illustrates them with examples, and argues that their use in O&M research and practice is a positive development for the field.
A Systems Therapy

Family therapy has become an increasingly popular mode of treatment over the last two decades (Epstein & Bishop, 1973; Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, 1970; Gurman & Kniskern, 1978, 1981; Haley, 1971; Olson, 1970; Zuk, 1971). Its acceptance has not been limited to psychiatry and other mental health fields, for it is increasingly viewed as an important development by family medicine (Comley, 1973; Epstein & McAuley, 1978; McFarlane, Norman, & Spitzer, 1971; McFarlane, O’Connell, & Hay, 1971; Patriarche, 1974; Stanford, 1972), by pediatrics (Finkel, personal communciation, 1974; McClelland, Staples, Weisberg, & Bergin, 1973; Tomm, 1973), and by those working with the disabled (Bishop & Epstein, 1980). Training programs and study curricula in family therapy have grown tremendously in the last 10 years (Bishop & Epstein, 1979; Liddle & Halpin, 1978). Reports of a significant amount of research have also appeared (DeWitt, 1978; Glick & Haley, 1971; Gurman & Kniskern, 1978; Guttman, Spec-tor, Sigal, Rakoff, & Epstein, 1971; Olson, 1970; Santa-Barbara, Woodward, Levin, Streiner, Goodman, & Epstein, 1977, 1979; Wells, Dilkes, & Trivelli, 1972; Woodward, Santa-Barbara, Levin, & Epstein, 1978; Woodward, Santa-Barbara, Levin, & Epstein, 1978; Woodward, Santa-Barbara, Levin, Goodman, Streiner, Muzzin, & Epstein, 1974). Several authors have pointed to the need for clear descriptions of conceptual orientations and the specifics of the therapy process (Epstein & Bishop, 1973; Liddle & Halpin, 1978).
Commentary on the effect of steroid use in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery; a randomized controlled trial by Shiveindra B. et al. Journal of Neurosurgery Spine 2015;23:137-43.

Dr. Epstein has carefully and methodically dissected this paper, exposing what we thought had been reported, and what was reported. An example is the true length of follow-up of some of the patients. Moreover, that issue is one of the significant messages in the study. However, this paper also contains some smaller messages which are creeping into clinical scientific papers, especially papers on spine surgery. I refer to the increasing numbers of patient assessment scales and indices that are being used in patient assessment. They are presented as objective measurements of clinical phenomena, because they consist of numbers which can yield averages, means, standard deviations, and ultimately statements of statistical significance. They are often used in a way which provides direct patient input into the determination of outcome. Perhaps, one of the earliest of these indices to be used is the VAS. The main one in this study was the FOSS. Others include the Oswestry Disability Index, the SF-12, and the modified JOA. One I met recently, but not included here, is the patient report outcome. I have no concern that these tools are used to simplify the gathering and reporting of clinical information. What concerns me is that they are often presented as having been “statistically validated,” or “scientifically valid” without proper references of authority. In this paper, the authors address the results of the FOSS several times. They state it has been shown to be valid and reliable, without a citation, and then proceed to declare its use as a limitation of the study. It would not surprise me to see in the near future, a paper stating the outcome swallowing scale (FOSS) score was reliable, with a reference to this paper. It seems when this subject is addressed, proponents justify the use of these patient input oriented parameters as including in the final conclusions and measurements of quality of life. Give to the surgeon the science, and let her through her physician/patient relationships that address the quality of life questions.
Regulation of the Skeletal Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ Pump by Phospholamban in Reconstituted Phospholipid Vesicles

Phospholamban is the regulator of the Ca2+-ATPase in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The mechanism of regulation appears to involve inhibition by dephosphorylated phospholamban, and phosphorylation may relieve this inhibition. Fast-twitch skeletal muscle SR does not contain phospholamban, and it is not known whether the Ca2+-ATPase isoform from this muscle may be also subject to regulation by phospholamban in a similar manner as the cardiac isoform. To determine this we reconstituted the skeletal isoform of the SR Ca2+-ATPase with phospholamban in phosphatidylcholine proteoliposomes. Inclusion of phospholamban was associated with significant inhibition of the initial rates of Ca2+ uptake at pCa 6.0, and phosphorylation of phospholamban by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase reversed the inhibitory effects on the Ca2+ pump. Similar effects of phospholamban were also observed using phosphatidylcholine: phosphatidylserine proteoliposomes, in which the Ca2+ pump was activated by the ne...
Commentary on Bessen and Meurer's Patent Failure: An Industry Perspective

The paper is from a 2008 Symposium at the University of Georgia devoted to the book by James Bessen and Michael J. Meurer, "Patent Failure: How Judges, Bureaucrats, and Lawyers Put Innovators At Risk". The paper provides an Overall Comment as to the conclusions of the book, Topical Comments as to specific items in the book, and then concludes with the author's proposals for Patent Reform to Foster Innovation.The Overall Comment notes that the conclusions of the Bessen-Meurer book are sound. The U.S. patent system is not working for innovators or consumers. But the problems of the U.S. patent system go beyond the "imperfect notice" problem noted by the book's authors. Not addressed by the book is the question of to what extent, if any, is patent ownership essential for innovation. References cited in the book suggest that patents owned by innovators are only infrequently important for innovation, and patents owned by others than the innovator can be impediments to innovation. The policy suggestion that flows the foregoing is that a patent system that fosters innovation requires high standards for patentability that result in fewer marginal patents to impede innovation.The Topical Comments note, among other things, that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit was established (in 1982) despite the recommendation against a specialist patent court by the Hruska Commission in 1975, and that it almost immediately lowered the standards for patentability in the United States despite assurances to the contrary.The Two Fundamental Patent Reforms proposed by the author are (1) restoration to patent law of a self-correcting structure like that which applies to most other areas of federal law, and (2) enabling the United States Patent & Trademark Office to obtain final decisions as to the patentability of applications it has examined. The former reform can be accomplished by adopting the Nard-Duffy proposal for parallel appellate tracks for patent appeals or by restoring appellate jurisdiction in patent infringement cases to the regular courts of appeals. The latter reform can be achieved by abolishing all forms of continuing patent applications except for divisional applications filed pursuant to a 35 U.S.C. § 121 requirement for restriction so as to eliminate the ability of patent applicants to evade such final decisions.
THE JEWS AND CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS AFTER THEODOSIUS I CUNCTOS POPULOS

To the men and women of the Middle Ages the figure of Constantine loomed large over the fourth century. Born a pagan, he converted to Christianity and became the first Christian emperor, the convenor of councils, the defender of orthodoxy, the builder of churches, the herald of a new age, the founder of Christian Europe. But to the men and women of the later fourth century, the generation of John Chrysostom, it was not Constantine, but Julian, raised a Christian only to forsake his “hereditary piety,” Julian the pagan emperor, Julianus Apostata , whose deeds were alive in their memory. The age of Constantine was part of past history, but Julian's actions, abortive as they may have appeared to later generations, were still remembered not only by the old, says John Chrysostom, but also by the “young people” of our day.
Regulation of the synthesis of heat-shock proteins in heat-resistant variants of Chinese hamster fibroblasts.

The synthesis of the major heat-shock proteins (hsp) was compared in normal and heat-resistant Chinese hamster fibroblasts which express higher levels of the 70 kDa heat-shock protein (hsp70). Following exposure to a variety of experimental conditions that induce the elevated synthesis of the hsp, higher relative levels of hsp70 and lower relative levels of hsp89 and hsp 10 were found in the heat-resistant variants. This effect was observed with all inducers tested. The relatively greater synthesis of hsp70 and relatively lower synthesis of hsp89 occurred at all temperatures tested and was found to be independent of cell culture conditions. The relatively greater increase in the levels of hsp70 in the heat-resistant variants after a mild heat shock was found to be a reflection of elevated levels of messenger RNA coding for this polypeptide. These results indicate that the heat-shock response in mammalian cells displays coordinate regulatory features and that the alteration of the expression of one of the hsp may affect the expression of
Lipoma, benign tumor of soft oral structure. Report of a case.

Abstract A case of lipoma of the lip and oral mucosa is presented. This benign neoplasm had been present for approximately eighteen years, growing slowly and painlessly. It was composed of adult fatty tissue, and it was Iobulated and well encapsulated.
Practical Application of the Revised Guidelines for the Provision and Assessment of Nutrition Support Therapy in the Adult Critically Ill Patient: A Case Study Approach.

Background: Nutrition therapy is an essential component of the care plan for critically ill and injured patients. There is consensus that critically ill patients are at risk for malnutrition, and the associated consequences of increased infectious morbidity, multiorgan dysfunction, prolonged hospitalization, and disproportionate mortality can be minimized with specialized enteral and/or parenteral nutrition therapy. Methods: In this article, we describe 2 case studies that are intended to introduce the nutrition support clinician to key updates in the recently released Guidelines for Provision and Assessment of Nutrition Support Therapy in the Adult Critically Ill Patient: Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.). Results: The case studies demonstrate a pragmatic approach to nutrition therapy in the intensive care unit (ICU) and are intended to elicit dialogue for timely, appropriate nutrition care at policy meetings, professional conf...
Identification of flavanone metabolites in rat urine by combined gas–liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

1. The metabolism of flavanone in the rat was studied after oral or intraperitoneal administration of the compound. Flavone and flav-3-ene together with five other unidentified minor metabolites were excreted in the urine. 2. The formation of flavanone metabolites was not suppressed by the administration of high doses of the antibacterial compounds aureomycin and phthaloylsulphathiazole. 3. No aromatic acids that could be attributed to ring cleavage of flavanone were detected. 4. Administration of 100 or 200mg of flavanone daily per rat caused some deaths during the 7–14-day period. 5. The application of combined gas–liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and proton nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy to the separation and identification of the flavanone metabolites is described. 6. Measurement of the two major flavanone metabolites was carried out by gas–liquid chromatography.
Radiological protection of a subway X-ray luggage inspection system

[Objective]To know the status of radiological protection of a subway X-ray luggage inspection system,assess the effect on health of inspectors and public during operation.[Methods]The detection was carried out according to the Radiological protection standards for X-ray luggage inspection system(CBZ 127-2002).[Results]In two types of X-ray luggage inspection system,the leakage radiation levels of inlet side of the luggage were the highest(the maximum value was 1.36 μGy/h),followed by the export side(the maximum value was 0.45 μGy/h) and the cabinet roof(the maximum value was 0.22 μGy/h),and those of left and right side plate were close to the level of background radiation.The radiation levels of operation seat and passenger channel were close to the level of background radiation.The radiation maximum value of passenger sending inlet side and passenger taking side was 0.83 μGy/h and 0.29 μGy/h respectively.[Conclusion]The status of radiological protection of 34 subway X-ray luggage inspection systems are good,and the leakage radiation levels meet the national standards.Under normal operating conditions,this system cannot damage the health and safety of inspectors and public.
Foot and foot-related injuries in the young athlete.

This article discusses the more common pediatric problems of the foot associated with microtrauma. In the author’s experience, most pediatric foot problems in sports are related to the biomechanics of the foot and lower extremity and most of their treatment is directed toward improving the immediate problem at hand and either at the same time or at a future time improving the biomechanics associated with the problem. It is the author’s opinion that much of the macrotrauma is also related to the biomechanical parameters of the foot type and lower leg function, indirectly or directly contributing to the mechanism of injury. This article elaborates on these mechanisms.
FOUP purge performance improvement using EFEM flow converter

Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) purging with nitrogen or clean dry air (CDA) is well known as the most effective method to protect wafers inside FOUPs from internal as well as external contaminations, e.g. particles, airborne molecular contaminants, humidity and oxygen, which can potentially damage integrated circuits (IC) and significantly impact manufacturing yields. Entegris, Inc. developed a diffuser purging concept that has demonstrated exceptional purge performance over conventional methods under the FOUP door open purging condition, however some unexpected test results were reported in field tests because the diffuser purge performance is significantly affected by Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) flow patterns. Since the EFEM flow is much stronger than the purging flow, in some cases the purging flow cannot overcome the EFEM flow deflected toward the FOUP opening. Furthermore, most of the EFEM flow patterns cannot be easily defined due to the variety of the EFEM designs and operation conditions, which makes it difficult to design a universal diffuser that works with all EFEMs in the field. Therefore, a need exists to develop a simple way to mitigate the effect of the EFEM air flow on the FOUP purging flow. This research was conducted to investigate the feasibility of the EFEM flow converter (EFC) concept, which is a screen mesh installed above the FOUP opening. The test results demonstrated that the EFC can dramatically improve the diffuser purge performance by converting non-uniform EFEM flow in front of the FOUP opening into uniform downward laminar flow that is favorable to FOUP purging.
After Colorblindness: Teaching Antiracism to White Progressives in the U.S.

Much of the attention of critical race studies in the United States has been targeted at colorblindness in white America. This paper considers a small but significant subset of whites who have received far less attention: politically progressive whites who are race cognizant. Drawing from my teaching experiences in the U.S. and research experience in Brazil, I review what I have found to be the principal barriers to antiracism among this population and in the process advance a number of theoretical debates within critical race studies. I also offer pedagogical strategies for enabling progressive whites to become more effective antiracists. These teaching recommendations include demonstrating how racial literacy is learned, underscoring how whites, pay a price for white supremacy, challenging instrumentalist assumptions about white resistance to antiracism, and pushing whites to engage with antiracist counterpublics of color.
High-performance beam-plasma neutron sources for fusion materials development

The design and performance of a relatively low-cost, plasma-based, 14-MeV deuterium-tritium neutron source for accelerated end-of-life testing of fusion reactor materials are described. An intense flux (up to 5 [times] 10[sup 18] n/m[sup 2][center dot]s) of 14-MeV neutrons is produced in a fully ionized high-density tritium target (n[sub e] [approx] 3 [times] 10[sup 21] m[sup [minus]3]) by injecting a current of 150-keV deuterium atoms. The tritium plasma target and the energetic D[sup +] density produced by D[sup 0] injection are confined in a [<=] 0.16-m-diam column by a linear magnet set, which provides magnetic fields up to 12 T. Energy deposited by transverse injection of neutral beams at the midpoint of the column is transported along the plasma column to the end regions. Three variations of the neutron source design are discussed, differing in the method of control of the energy transport. Emphasis is on the design in which the target plasma density is maintained in a region where electron thermal conduction along the column is the controlling energy-loss process.
Die interne Seite einer digitalen Transformation

Technologien wie Cloud Computing, Analytics, mobile Gerate und soziale Medien haben Auswirkungen auf Geschaftsmodelle und Prozesse in Unternehmen, vor allem im externen Zusammenspiel mit den Bezugsgruppen. Es bleibt aber nicht nur dabei, anders auf Kunden zuzugehen. Auch die internen Prozesse bedurfen einer Revision und es muss in neue Technologien investiert werden. Das fuhrt zu einer Transformation hin zu einem digitalen Unternehmen, in dem Netzwerkstrukturen und Projektarbeit eine hohere Bedeutung bekommen werden. Damit das Projekt erfolgreich ist, mussen alle wichtigen Bereiche im Unternehmen aktiv mitwirken. Und jedem sollte klar sein, dass sich auch das Fuhrungsmodell andern wird. Hierzu kann man viel vom Profifusball lernen, denn dort wurde das Thema Teamfuhrung wie nirgends sonst optimiert. Die Reise ist damit aber nicht zu Ende: Schon bald werden uns kognitive Systeme unterstutzen und die Arbeitsweisen nochmals stark verandern.
MECHANISM OF ACTION OF THE PHOTOREACTIVATING ENZYME FROM E. COLI: RECENT RESULTS

ABSTRACT Purified photoreactivating enzyme (PRE) from E. coli has an absorption maximum at 257 nm, but no well defined absorption band for λ > 300 nm, the wavelength region which is required for photorectivation. When PRE is mixed with ultraviolet irradiated DNA (uvDNA), there is an increase in absorption for λ >300 nm. Absorbance changes are not observed if PRE is mixed with unirradiated DNA nor is the increase for λ > 300 nm due to an increase in light scattering. Thus, the long sought “chromophore” appears to be a molecular complex which exists only when E. coli PRE interacts with dimercontaining DNA and leads us to ask what are the moieties of the dimer and the PRE which interact to produce the new absorption band. A preliminary step in identifying the interacting moieties of the dimer is determining whether the PRE approaches the dimer from the major the minor groove of the DNA. If the PRE approaches from the major grove it can interact with the cyclobutyl ring while if it approaches from the minor groove, it might interact with the two carbonyl groups at the 2 positions of the pyrimidine ring which are common features of all photoreactable dimers. Recent data show that the basic peptide antibiotic netropsin, which is known to bind in the minor groove, inhibits binding of the PRE to uvDNA. This result supports the hypothesis (but does not prove)that the carbonyl groups at position 2 of the pyrimidine rings may be key moieties in the interaction between the E. coli PRE and uvDNA.
POSTOPERATIVE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION.

Abstract Myocardial infarction and acute coronary insufficiency are important postoperative complications of surgery. Prevention and management depend on recognition and control of the precipitating factors related to anesthesia and surgery. These factors are anesthetic anoxia, tachycardia and hypotension, postoperative hypotension and shock, hemorrhage, dehydration, infection and sepsis, and cardiac arrhythmias. The treatment of the acute attack must be directed primarily to the correction of hemodynamic alterations induced by surgery. The general measures include: (1) relief of pain and sedation; (2) relief of anoxia with oxygen and adequate ventilation; (3) treatment of shock with morphine, oxygen, vasopressor agents and rapid digitalization; (4) treatment of pulmonary edema and heart failure with oxygen, digitalization and diuretics; (5) treatment of thromboembolism with anticoagulants; (6) bed-and chair-rest to reduce the work of the heart; and (7) general measures to minimize postoperative venous stasis and thromboembolism.
Low-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasm Involving the Endometrium and Presenting with Mucinous Vaginal Discharge

Primary appendiceal mucinous lesions are uncommon and represent a spectrum from nonneoplastic mucous retention cysts to invasive adenocarcinoma. Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMNs) represent an intermediate category on this spectrum and can be classified according to whether or not they are confined to the appendix. Although LAMNs are frequently confined to the appendix, they can also spread to the peritoneum and clinically progress as pseudomyxoma peritonei (i.e., mucinous ascites). Thus, the appropriate classification of appendiceal primary neoplasia is essential for prognosis and influences clinical management. In addition, the precise classification, management, and clinical outcome of patients with disseminated peritoneal disease remain controversial. Here, we report an unusual case of LAMN with pseudomyxoma peritonei that initially presented with mucinous and bloody vaginal discharge. Pathological evaluation revealed low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm with secondary involvement of the peritoneum, ovaries, and endometrial surface. Therefore, LAMN should be considered in the differential diagnosis of mucinous vaginal discharge.
Novel Biological Process for L-DOPA Production from L-Tyrosine by P-Hydroxyphenylacetate 3-Hydroxylase

A novel biological method was developed for the production of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) from L-tyrosine by p-hydroxyphenylacetate 3-hydroxylase of Escherichia coli strain W (ATCC 11105). About 48 mM (or 1% w/v) L-DOPA was obtained by a fed batch operation in 50 h when a recombinant strain constitutively producing the enzyme was used.
Fructose in Breast Milk Is Positively Associated with Infant Body Composition at 6 Months of Age

Dietary sugars have been shown to promote excess adiposity among children and adults; however, no study has examined fructose in human milk and its effects on body composition during infancy. Twenty-five mother–infant dyads attended clinical visits to the Oklahoma Health Sciences Center at 1 and 6 months of infant age. Infants were exclusively breastfed for 6 months and sugars in breast milk (i.e., fructose, glucose, lactose) were measured by Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and glucose oxidase. Infant body composition was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at 1 and 6 months. Multiple linear regression was used to examine associations between breast milk sugars and infant body composition at 6 months of age. Fructose, glucose, and lactose were present in breast milk and stable across visits (means = 6.7 μg/mL, 255.2 μg/mL, and 7.6 g/dL, respectively). Despite its very low concentration, fructose was the only sugar significantly associated with infant body composition. A 1-μg/mL higher breast milk fructose was associated with a 257 g higher body weight (p = 0.02), 170 g higher lean mass (p = 0.01), 131 g higher fat mass (p = 0.05), and 5 g higher bone mineral content (p = 0.03). In conclusion, fructose is detectable in human breast milk and is positively associated with all components of body composition at 6 months of age.
Structural connectomics of anxious arousal in early adolescence: Translating clinical and ethological findings.

Abstract Etiological explanations of clinical anxiety can be advanced through understanding the neural mechanisms associated with anxiety in youth prior to the emergence of psychopathology. In this vein, the present study sought to investigate how trait anxiety is related to features of the structural connectome in early adolescence. 40 adolescents (21 female, mean age = 13.49 years) underwent a diffusion-weighted imaging scan. We hypothesized that the strength of several a priori defined structural connections would vary with anxious arousal based on previous work in human clinical neuroscience and adult rodent optogenetics. First, connection strength of caudate to rostral middle frontal gyrus was predicted to be anticorrelated with anxious arousal, predicated on extant work in clinically-diagnosed adolescents. Second, connection strength of amygdala to rostral anterior cingulate and to medial orbital frontal cortex would be positively and negatively correlated with anxious arousal, respectively, predicated on rodent optogenetics showing the former pathway is anxiogenic and the latter is anxiolytic. We also predicted that levels of anxiety would not vary with measures of global network topology, based on reported null findings. Results support that anxiety in early adolescence is associated with (1) the clinical biomarker connecting caudate to frontal cortex, and (2) the anxiogenic pathway connecting amygdala to rostral anterior cingulate, both in left but not right hemisphere. Findings support that in early adolescence, anxious arousal may be related to mechanisms that increase anxiogenesis, and not in a deficit in regulatory mechanisms that support anxiolysis.
Poverty and Income of Older People in OECD Countries

The analysis presented in this paper indicates that OECD member countries differ significantly in terms of the poverty rate of older retired persons. Making use of the OECD Income Distribution Database and a country-specific relative poverty line, the paper finds that almost 13 per cent of the older persons (aged above 65) living in OECD countries are poor. Countries with low poverty rates for the elderly generally have a good social safety net in the form of a basic pension (e.g. the Netherlands, New Zealand and Canada) and/or they offer strong redistribution in the earnings-related contributory pension schemes in the form of minimum guaranteed pensions (e.g., Austria). The overlapping groups of single women and the oldest age cohort (aged 75 ) have, in general, a much higher poverty rate compared with other subgroups. For women, this is mainly due to the features of their shorter working career; while for the oldest individuals the reason lies in the lack of pension coverage during the earlier part of their working career and in the indexation of pension benefits to prices rather than earnings. The paper also shows that poverty rates for all age groups above 50 declined (during the period between mid-1980s to mid-2000s), while those for people below that age rose, and this can be attributed to the success of past pension policies in providing adequate pension benefits. However, the paper also notes that recent pension reforms have scaled down the level of public pension benefits, mainly for the fact that these reforms were initiated in view of financial sustainability concerns, and with little con. Thus, in the absence of longer work careers and/or good returns from supplementary pension system, it is likely that future generations of retirees will be poorer more often than the rest of the population. The paper argues that a holistic approach to pension reforms, looking across all components of a pension system as well as labour market measures, is required in developing solutions which are both financially and socially sustainable in the long term.
Immune Mechanisms in Infectious Diarrhea

The most important factors that determine the occurrence and severity of diarrheal disease include a safe environment, consisting of an efficient water source and sewage removal system; adequate personal and food hygiene; and good standards of nutrition. Despite the presence of these factors, the human body is exposed continually to pathogenic and nonpathogenic microorganisms, toxic substances, and chemicals which would be damaging or fatal if not efficiently excluded by the gastrointestinal tract. Once organisms are swallowed, the occurrence of a diarrheal syndrome will depend upon the pathogenic potential of the agent (virulence), the number of viable cells or viruses ingested, and the status of host defense factors.
One size does not fit all: Universal livelihood insurance in St. Lucia

Abstract In 2015 the G7 countries announced the InsuResilience project to quadruple, by 2020, the number of people in the Global South who have financial risk management tools against climate change. A principal way this will occur is through weather index insurance (WII), a type of insurance that pays out according to estimated losses rather than actual ones. In this paper, I examine one WII product that has been for sale in St. Lucia since May 2013, called the Livelihood Protection Policy, which has been discussed as a model WII product for InsuResilience. This article is based on twelve months of fieldwork conducted in St. Lucia, interviewing people involved in the design, implementation, and distribution of LPP, and actual and potential purchasers of LPP. In this article, I argue that LPP's design as a microinsurance product that can be purchased by any St. Lucian no matter their livelihood has made it largely undesirable because it does not fit anyone's needs well. This occurs for two main reasons. First, rather than primarily being used to help low-income St. Lucians adapt to climate change, LPP was used to test out how an abstract index insurance product can be sold without directly subsidizing the premiums of policyholders. Second, by not being designed for particular livelihoods, LPP suffers from not addressing hazards, such as drought, that many St. Lucians are highly exposed to, and from not compensating policyholders at meaningful wind and rainfall thresholds.
A Thin-Layer Volume Integral Equation Formulation for Linear and Non-Linear Magnetostatic Problems

A thin-layer approximation of the magnetostatic volume integral equation (VIE) method is presented. This method, referred to as the thin-VIE (TVIE), utilizes a thin approximation of Green’s function. The TVIE approximates both the transverse and the normal magnetization in the material represented by a surface mesh, dramatically improving the accuracy of the method. The TVIE is solved via a locally corrected Nystrom formulation, supporting high-order meshing and solution accuracy. A high-order singularity extraction method is used to compute the hypersingular terms required by near-field local corrections, leading to a very efficient algorithm. The method is applied to linear media, as well as non-linear, anisotropic, and hysteretic medium. The method is also hybridized with the VIE method, allowing for mixed meshes for solving general problems.
Insights Into Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells From Macroscopic-Scale First-Principles Mathematical Modeling

Abstract Mathematical models based on first principles can describe individual processes occurring inside dye-sensitized solar cells as well as overall cell performances. In particular, the temporal variation of the overall J–V cell performance as well as spatial and temporal variations of iodide ion, triiodide ion, and electron concentrations inside a cell can be described by a macroscopic-scale first-principles model. This chapter explains how such a macroscopic-scale model can be developed and reviews the applications of such a model for estimating cell parameters, gaining insight into cell internal processes, describing the overall temporal behavior of a cell, and investigating the effects of polymer-electrolyte chemistry on interfacial properties and overall cell performance.
Clinical implication of monitoring PD-L1+ circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving immunotherapy.

e14044Background: CTCs not only constitute a cellular component of liquid biopsy for dynamic, longitudinal information of malignancies, but also pose a continuous threat to seed new metastasis. Det...
Comparative analysis of the DYRK1A-SRSF6-TNNT2 pathway in myocardial tissue from individuals with and without Down syndrome.

Abstract Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is characterized by genome-wide imbalances that result in a range of phenotypic manifestations. Altered expression of DYRK1A in the trisomic context has been linked to some Down syndrome phenotypes. DYRK1A regulates the splicing of cardiac troponin (TNNT2) through a pathway mediated by the master splicing factor SRSF6. Here, we documented the expression of the DYRK1A-SRSF6-TNNT2 pathway in a collection of myocardial samples from persons with and without Down syndrome. Results suggest that “gene dosage effect” may drive the expression of DYRK1A mRNA but has no effect on DYRK1A protein levels in trisomic myocardium. The levels of phosphorylated DYRK1A-Tyr321 tended to be higher (~35%) in myocardial samples from donors with Down syndrome. The levels of phosphorylated SRSF6 were 2.6-fold higher in trisomic myocardium. In line, the expression of fetal TNNT2 variants was higher in myocardial tissue with trisomy 21. These data provide a representative picture on the extent of inter-individual variation in myocardial DYRK1A-SRSF6-TNNT2 expression in the context of Down syndrome.
The Role of Fleeting Glance in Eyewitness Identifications Following R v Dossett

This piece discusses the significance and role of weak eyewitness identifications in English law of evidence following the Court of Appeal decision in R v Dossett. It contrasts the reasoning given by the Crown Court with that delivered by the Court of Appeal, and finds that the latter adopts a narrower view of what constitutes a fleeting glance. This Court of Appeal-endorsed narrower approach is criticised for introducing uncertainty and arbitrariness, and reducing protection afforded to defendants.
SCARF: a scalable data management framework for context-aware applications in smart environments

This paper proposes a context data management framework for efficient context data collection and evaluation to support context-aware applications. The proposed framework named SCARF leverages two architectures: a server-based centralized architecture and an edge-based architecture to address the problem of scalability of context collection and evaluation. SCARF collects the context data efficiently from resource constrained mobile/edge and multiple in-situ sensors (not resource constrained) deployed in smart environments. In particular, SCARF takes a set of contextual queries from applications and optimizes the rate at which the context data needs to be collected and/or transmitted from the sensor to the server. Furthermore, SCARF decides whether the code for evaluating context should be executed on the server or on the edge. Execution on the edge will result in reduced communication between the server and the edge but can result in low performance due to resource constraints of the edge. On the other hand, evaluation of context on the server, will require SCARF to transmit sensor data from the sensor to the server but can result in high performance due to high resource availability of the server. SCARF is an adaptive framework which generates an optimal context acquisition plan and a context evaluation plan such that the overall latency is minimized.
Sleep quality and depression in adults with durable left-ventricular assist devices.

Poor sleep quality and depression remain understudied in patients implanted with a left-ventricular assist device (LVAD). This study aimed at describing sleep quality and depression pre and 6 month...
Assessment of music experience after cochlear implantation: A review of current tools and their utilization.

Abstract Objective To provide an overview of the current available music assessment tools after cochlear implantation (CI); to report on the utilization of music assessments in the literature; to propose potential future directions in music assessment after CI. Methods A thorough search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library through October 31, 2020. MeSH search terms, keywords, and phrases included “cochlear implant,” “cochlear prosthesis,” “auditory prosthesis,” “music,” “music assessment,” “music questionnaire,” “music perception,” “music enjoyment, and “music experience.” Potentially relevant studies were reviewed for inclusion, with particular focus on assessments developed specifically for the cochlear implant population and intended for widespread use. Results/conclusions Six hundred and forty-three studies were screened for relevance to assessment of music experience among cochlear implantees. Eighty-one studies ultimately met criteria for inclusion. There are multiple validated tools for assessment of music experience after cochlear implantation, each of which provide slightly differing insights into the patients’ subjective and/or objective post-activation experience. However, no single assessment tool has been adopted into widespread use and thus, much of the literature pertaining to this topic evaluates outcomes non-uniformly, including single-use assessments designed specifically for the study at hand. The lack of a widely accepted universal tool for assessment of music limits our collective understanding the contributory and mitigating factors applicable to current music experience of cochlear implantees, and limits our ability to uniformly evaluate the success of new implant technologies or music training paradigms.
Kumarajiva and Kucha in His Time

Of Kumarajiva (c. 400), outstanding translator of Buddhist texts into Chinese, especially of the Mahayana tradition, is known to us only from Chinese sources. This article collects such information...
Large-scale serum analysis identifies unique systemic biomarkers in psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa

BACKGROUND Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is now recognized as a systemic inflammatory disease, sharing molecular similarities with psoriasis. Direct comparison of the systemic inflammation in HS with psoriasis is lacking. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the serum proteome of HS and psoriasis, and to identify biomarkers associated with disease severity. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 1536 serum proteins were assessed using the Olink Explore (Proximity Extension Assay) high-throughput panel in patients with moderate-to-severe HS (n = 11), patients with psoriasis (n = 10) and age- and body mass index-matched healthy controls (n = 10). RESULTS HS displayed an overall greater dysregulation of circulating proteins, with 434 differentially expressed proteins (absolute fold change ≥ 1·2; P ≤ 0·05) in patients with HS vs. controls, 138 in patients with psoriasis vs. controls and 503 between patients with HS and patients with psoriasis. Interleukin (IL)-17A levels and T helper (Th)1/Th17 pathway enrichment were comparable between diseases, while HS presented greater tumour necrosis factor- and IL-1β-related signalling. The Th17-associated markers peptidase inhibitor 3 (PI3) and lipocalin 2 (LCN2) were able to differentiate psoriasis from HS accurately. Both diseases presented increases of atherosclerosis-related proteins. Robust correlations between clinical severity scores and immune and atherosclerosis-related proteins were observed across both diseases. CONCLUSIONS HS and psoriasis share significant Th1/Th17 enrichment and upregulation of atherosclerosis-related proteins. Despite the greater body surface area involved in psoriasis, HS presents a greater serum inflammatory burden.
Review of the Book Handbook of Spatial Point-Pattern Analysis in Ecology, by Thorsten Wiegand and Kirk A. Moloney

As a lone statistician within a science center of a government agency, many times I am asked statistical questions frommy ecological colleagues in passing. The questions may pertain to my area of expertise, but oftentimes not. In most instances, my time available for assisting and exposure to their research are both limited. Consequently, I prefer to suggest a userfriendly textbook that guides them through the process of data analysis as opposed to having them rely on me directly. Oftentimes, my struggle is identifying appropriate references that are applied in nature yet remain methodologically comprehensive. Several of these texts reside on my bookshelf, and I am pleased to be adding Professors Wiegand and Moloney’s Handbook of Spatial Point Pattern Analysis in Ecology to the collection. Their emphasis on common spatial ecological hypotheses of interest, and the data types used to address these research questions are a huge benefit when trying to make a complex topic accessible to practitioners. I recommend this text to those interested in detecting spatial patterns within a dataset constructed as a complete census of objects with corresponding spatial coordinates within a defined temporal window and spatial extent. Alternatively, the book would also be useful for a researcher interested in conducting more confirmatory investigations of hypothesized spatial process(es) that result in specific spatial structures (or patterns) of ecological objects. Wiegand and Moloney use a helpful star notation throughout the book to distinguish chapters with the core material for all readers (Chaps. 1–2) from those that contain more technical material (Chap. 3) or present specific examples (Chap. 4). Chapter 1 introduces more general analyses of spatial patterns, and then provides some examples of how spatial
Bayesian profiling of molecular signatures to predict event times

It is of particular interest to identify cancer-specific molecular signatures for early diagnosis, monitoring effects of treatment and predicting patient survival time. Molecular information about patients is usually generated from high throughput technologies such as microarray and mass spectrometry. Statistically, we are challenged by the large number of candidates but only a small number of patients in the study, and the right-censored clinical data further complicate the analysis. We present a two-stage procedure to profile molecular signatures for survival outcomes. Firstly, we group closely-related molecular features into linkage clusters, each portraying either similar or opposite functions and playing similar roles in prognosis; secondly, a Bayesian approach is developed to rank the centroids of these linkage clusters and provide a list of the main molecular features closely related to the outcome of interest. A simulation study showed the superior performance of our approach. When it was applied to data on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), we were able to identify some new candidate signatures for disease prognosis. This multivariate approach provides researchers with a more reliable list of molecular features profiled in terms of their prognostic relationship to the event times, and generates dependable information for subsequent identification of prognostic molecular signatures through either biological procedures or further data analysis.
Doing Feminist Peace

The history of the oldest international women's peace organization, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), presents a practical lesson for individuals and organizations interested in bringing about social change, as well as a theoretical lesson for those concerned with conceptualizing social change. WILPF's positions on decolonization between 1945 and 1975 show how historical circumstances and ideological environment intersected with the organization's ideas about peace to determine different policy choices. An unprecedented resolution in the early 1970s on the inevitability of violent revolutions resulted from a shift in ideological beliefs. While the international environment of the 1960s and 1970s favored this shift, WILPF arrived at its new policies thanks to its reliance on a theoretically-informed feminist critical methodology. This allowed WILPF to increasingly critique entrenched assumptions and reach a better informed understanding of peace, thereby contributing to the re...
Adaptation-based explanation: extending script/frame theory to handle novel input

The ability to develop hypotheses to explain new, unexpected experiences is a hallmark of human intelligence. It is also a crucial concern within artificial intelligence, since intelligent computer systems need to construct explanations in order to guide learning, to recover from planning failures, and to make sense of the stories that they read. The principal issue in designing a computer program that builds explanations is how to bring the system's causal knowledge to bear on a problem so that it can efficiently infer an unseen cause of observed events. In this paper we discuss some drawbacks of previous approaches to this problem, and present an alternative. The alternative involves extending script/frame theory via a system that adapts its stored explanations to new situations. We discuss the types of explanation failures that occur, and how the system employs adaptation strategies to repair those failures. The execution of one of the strategies is demonstrated.