cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pericardial rather than epicardial fat is a cardiometabolic risk marker: an MRI vs echo study.

Background Several studies using echocardiography identified epicardial adipose tissue (EPI) as an important cardiometabolic risk marker. However, validation compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography has not been performed. Moreover, pericardial adipose tissue (PERI) has recently been shown to have some correlation with cardiovascular disease risk factors. The aims of this study were to validate echocardiographic analyses compared with MRI and to evaluate which cardiac fat depot (EPI or PERI) is the most appropriate cardiovascular risk marker. Methods Forty-nine healthy subjects were studied (age range, 25–68 years; body mass index, 21–40 kg/m 2 ), and PERI and EPI fat depots were measured using echocardiography and MRI. Findings were correlated with MRI visceral fat and subcutaneous fat, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, triglycerides, cholesterol, insulin, glucose, and 10-year coronary heart disease risk. Results Most cardiac fat was constituted by PERI (about 77%). PERI thickness by echocardiography was well correlated with MRI area ( r = 0.36, P = .009), and independently of the technique used for quantification, PERI was correlated with body mass index, waist circumference, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, and coronary heart disease risk. On the contrary, EPI thicknesses correlated only with age did not correlate significantly with MRI EPI areas, which were found to correlate with age, body mass index, subcutaneous fat, and hip and waist circumferences. Conclusions Increased cardiac fat in the pericardial area is strongly associated with features of the metabolic syndrome, whereas no correlation was found with EPI, indicating that in clinical practice, PERI is a better cardiometabolic risk marker than EPI.
Understanding Pesticide Misuse in Developing Countries

Pesticide misuse is a widespread problem in developing countries (Weir and Schapiro 1981; Wright 1990; Murray 1994; Thrupp 1995; Arbona 1998). It can lead to severe health problems, contaminate the environment, facilitate resistance to pesticides, and create financial burdens for farmers.
Results of repeated percutaneous interventions on failing arteriovenous fistulas and grafts and factors affecting outcomes

Objective Repeated percutaneous interventions on failing arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) and arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) for hemodialysis are common, but the outcomes are largely unknown. We sought to determine the results of the second percutaneous intervention on failing AVGs and AVFs and to identify factors associated with loss of patency. Methods For the purpose of this study, the second percutaneous intervention was identified as the index procedure. We reviewed the second percutaneous interventions on failing AVFs and AVGs at a single institution between 2007 and 2013. Patient comorbidities, graft or fistula configuration, lesion characteristics, and procedural characteristics of the intervention performed were analyzed with respect to technical success, primary patency, primary assisted patency, and secondary patency. Patency was defined per Society for Vascular Surgery recommended reporting standards and was determined from the time of the index procedure. Cox proportional hazards multivariable modeling was performed to identify independent determinants of loss of patency. Results Among 91 patients, 96 second-time percutaneous interventions were performed on 52 AVFs and 44 AVGs. Patients included 56% men and 44% women with a mean age of 64 ± 17 years. The lesions intervened on were primarily located along the accessed portion of the outflow in AVFs and within the length of the graft and at the venous anastomosis in AVGs. Transluminal angioplasty alone was performed in 82 procedures (85%), and uncovered or covered stents were placed in 15 procedures (16%). Pharmacomechanical thrombectomy was performed in 32 patients (34%) and was more commonly performed in AVGs compared with AVFs (53% vs 17%; P = .0002). Technical success was achieved in 90 procedures (97%; n = 92). One-year primary patency, assisted primary patency, and secondary patency rates were 35%, 86%, and 86%, respectively. One-year primary patency did not differ between AVFs and AVGs, but secondary patency was lower for AVG in comparison to AVF ( P = .04). On multivariable analysis, only the need for pharmacomechanical thrombectomy significantly predicted failure of primary patency (hazard ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-4.3). The presence of an AVG rather than an AVF independently predicted failure of secondary patency (hazard ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-8.2). Conclusions The second percutaneous interventions on AVFs and AVGs are associated with excellent technical success but poor primary patency. The need for pharmacomechanical thrombectomy predicts the need for additional percutaneous intervention to maintain patency. With additional interventions, acceptable secondary patency out to 5 years can be achieved, although AVGs have inferior secondary patency to AVFs. To develop optimal practice management algorithms, the effectiveness of repeated percutaneous interventions for failing AVGs and AVFs vs creation of a new access should be further investigated.
Degenerate Frequency Two-Beam Coupling in Organic Media via Phase Modulation with Nanosecond Pulses

This work presents a theoretical treatment using population redistribution and the thermo-optic effect to mediate degenerate frequency two-beam coupling (TBC) in the nanosecond regime in third-order nonlinear organic solutions. We show experimentally that the energy transfer is indeed a result of TBC and can be modeled using self- and cross-phase modulation to produce the required frequency shift. As a result of the relatively long lifetimes and large phase shifts induced by population redistribution and thermo-optic effects, the coupling efficiency can be significant. For the special case when a single input beam is aligned to overlap with the Fresnel reflection of the sample/air interface, coupling efficiencies can easily exceed 50% of the incident pump energy, which can account for a severe deleterious effect in nonlinear transmission experimentation.
Lateral parabrachial lesions attenuate ingestive effects of area postrema lesions

Lesions of the area postrema and adjacent nucleus of the solitary tract (AP lesions) cause rats to consume increased amounts of palatable food in short duration tests. Because the lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN) receives a prominent afferent projection from the AP and adjacent nucleus of the solitary tract, it is possible the lPBN plays a role in the altered ingestive behaviors observed in AP-lesioned rats. The present study examines the role of the lPBN in overingestion of highly palatable foods subsequent to AP lesions. We found that lesions of the lPBN alone did not cause rats to consume increased amounts of palatable food. Rather, when lPBN lesions were produced before AP lesions, increased intake of highly palatable food did not occur. Moreover, when AP-lesioned rats received subsequent lPBN lesions, the previously established overingestion of palatable foods was abolished. These results indicate that the lPBN is necessary in the pathogenesis of AP lesion-induced overingestion of highly palatable foods.
Radiation Damage Assessment in the Reactor Pressure Vessel of the Integral Inherently Safe Light Water Reactor (I2S-LWR)

One of the major limiting factors to nuclear reactors lifetime is the radiation- induced material damage in the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV). While older reactors were designed assuming a 40-year operating lifetime, new reactor designs are expected to have lifetimes up to 100 years. For safe operation, the integrity of the RPV must be ensured against significant material property changes. In this work, typical neutron damage indicators are calculated in the RPV of the I 2 S-LWR (Integral Inherently Safe LWR) Power Plant, including DPA (displacements per atom) and fast neutron fluence (>1 MeV and >0.1MeV). I 2 S-LWR is a PWR of integral design, which means that its wider downcomer provides additional shielding to the vessel. However, its higher core power density and longer lifetime may offset this advantage. In order to accurately represent the neutron environment for RPV damage assessment, a detailed model based on the preliminary design specifications of the I 2 S-LWR was developed to be used in the MAVRIC (Monaco with Automated Variance Reduction using Importance Calculations) sequence of the Scale6.1 code package. MAVRIC uses the CADIS (Consistent Adjoint-Driven Importance Sampling) methodology to bias a fixed-source MC (Monte Carlo) simulation. To establish the upper limit of a bounding envelope, a flat-source distribution was used. For the low limit, a center- peaked source was generated using the KENO-VI criticality sequence assuming uniform fresh fuel core. Results based on the preliminary I 2 S-LWR model show that DPA rates and fast fluence rates are conservatively 75% lower than in typical PWRs being operated currently in the US.
Polarization in the American Polity? Trends and Patterns in Social Group Conflict

Conventional wisdom about American politics views current political conflict as exceptionally intense, with sharp and growing political and social cleavages dividing Americans into warring camps. While a vigorous debate has emerged on the topic of partisan cleavages, little empirical research has investigated conflict among social groups. This paper explores social group cleavages and the dynamics of social group polarization by examining group members' sense of psychological affiliation toward their own group (in-group) and their group's counterpart across a cleavage (their out-group), on the social cleavages of race, gender, class, and age. Using NES times series and panel data, I assess the current levels of polarization among social groups on either side of important social cleavages in the U.S., changes in polarization since 1972, and the beliefs and attitudes that underlie group polarization. Preliminary findings indicate that, with minor exceptions, measures closeness and warmth toward social groups have not become more polarized over time. However, there is also no clear evidence of decreasing polarization, and the continuing influence of these social divisions is evident in the lack of change in many of the attitudes that underpin group differences. The final results of the analysis will provide an empirical assessment of claims concerning social fragmentation and the putative consequences of multiculturalism and identity politics.
Exploring Alternatives to Subpart F

This paper considers possible changes to the subpart F rules that would be intended to achieve a balance between deferral for a controlled foreign corporation's active business operations and current taxation in circumstances where a controlled foreign corporation earns passive income or uses tax havens or base company techniques to erode the tax base of countries where economic activity actually occurs. While the discussion is in terms of the U.S. rules, the basic principles could be applied by the increasing number of countries that have adopted foreign controlled company rules that trigger current taxation of the company's income in the hands of a resident. The paper begins with a description of the existing U.S. rules for taxation of foreign income relevant to the following discussion, with particular reference to the subpart F anti-deferral rules. In order to highlight the current subpart F rules' technical deficiencies, the paper then reviews some of the "plain-vanilla" planning techniques used to avoid subpart F. Without endorsing any proposal, the paper next considers alternatives that would in differing respects address these deficiencies. While the author would prefer to see a more systemic approach that would broadly eliminate the deferral privilege, the conclusion of the paper is that there are potential reform proposals that likely would be an improvement over current law. These proposals at least should be considered as part of the ongoing debate over the future of subpart F.
What kind of person would do something like that? A Christian ecological virtue ethic

In my book For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision of Creation Care (2001, rev edn 2010) I develop a set of ecological virtues from a Christian perspective. Although there are now monograph...
Galois representations with open image

We describe an approach to constructing Galois extensions of \({\mathbf{Q}}\) with Galois group isomorphic to an open subgroup of \(GL_n({\mathbf{Z}}_p)\) for various values of n and primes p. The approach involves studying a certain topological generating set for a Sylow pro-p subgroup of \(SL_n({\mathbf{Z}}_p)\). It also involves finding algebraic number fields which admit a Galois extension with Galois group isomorphic to a free pro-p on n generators.
Flipping Radiology Education Right Side Up.

Rationale and Objectives In flipped learning, medical students independently learn facts and concepts outside the classroom, and then participate in interactive classes to learn to apply these facts. Although there are recent calls for medical education reform using flipped learning, little has been published on its effectiveness. Our study compares the effects of flipped learning to traditional didactic instruction on students' academic achievement, task value, and achievement emotions. Materials and Methods At three institutions, we alternated flipped learning with traditional didactic lectures during radiology clerkships, with 175 medical students completing a pretest on general diagnostic imaging knowledge to assess baseline cohort comparability. Following instruction, posttests and survey examinations of task value and achievement emotions were administered. Linear mixed effects analysis was used to examine the relationship between test scores and instruction type. Survey responses were modeled using ordinal category logistic regression. Instructor surveys were also collected. Results There were no baseline differences in test scores. Mean posttest minus pretest scores were 10.5% higher in the flipped learning group than in the didactic instruction group (P = 0.013). Assessment of task value and achievement emotions showed greater task value, increased enjoyment, and decreased boredom with flipped learning (all P Conclusions Flipped learning was associated with increased academic achievement, greater task value, and more positive achievement emotions when compared to traditional didactic instruction. Further investigation of flipped learning methods in radiology education is needed to determine whether flipped learning improves long-term retention of knowledge, academic success, and patient care.
Three-Dimensional Combustion Diagnostics Based on Computed Tomography of Chemiluminescence

This paper describes an approach to obtain three-dimensional (3D) imaging measurements in combustion systems based on computed tomography of chemiluminescence (CTC). Past efforts have already recognized the capabilities of CTC for obtaining instantaneous 3D measurements with high temporal resolution. However, past efforts have largely relied on the so-called parallel beam assumption. Such an assumption allows the 3D tomographic problem to be solved as a series of 2D problems, significantly simplifying the mathematics involved in the tomographic inversion. However, as shown by the results obtained in this work, such a parallel-beam approach has several drawbacks. Therefore, this work describes an alternative and more general approach to obtained 3D combustion measurements based on CTC. A raytracing technique based on Monte Carlo was developed to analyze the tomographic problem with nonparallel beam (i.e., arbitrary). A hybrid algorithm, which combines traditional Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (ART) with the Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm, was then developed to solve the inversion problems. The paper reports simulation results to illustrate the advantages of the new approach, and also proof-of-concept experimental demonstrations of the new approach.
Abstract 981: Study of altered metabolism due to anoikis resistance in ovarian cancer

Cancer cells have recently been shown to be resistant to anoikis, a form of cell death due to detachment, thus decreasing responsiveness to therapy. Catecholamines, antioxidants, and oncogenes have been shown to rescue metabolic defects caused during cell detachment. Thus, there is a strong motivation to study metabolic alterations associated with anoikis resistance in cancer. Despite efforts to understand the link between anoikis and cancer metabolism, extensive metabolic analysis of cancer cells is lacking. Tissue engineering of cancer cells to create three-dimensional cell environments can also be used as a model system to study cancer metabolism. We postulate that anoikis can be regulated by metabolism in tissue engineered cultures of ovarian cancer (OC) cells. Our findings using quantification of metabolites by conducting Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography and metabolic assays pertaining to central carbon and nitrogen metabolism provided clues as to which pathways relevant to glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the TCA and urea cycles, lipid cycle, and amino acid and nucleotide metabolisms, may be altered by anoxia in cancer cells, resulting in identification of dominant factors which regulate OC metabolism. Amino acid supplementation significantly increased the TCA cycle flux at the level of citrate synthase and the fatty acid-derived acetyl-CoA to CO2. The information we have gained elucidates the critical role of metabolism in anoikis resistance in OCC in tissue engineered cultures. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 981. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-981
Research on Impacted Factors to Dynamic Performance Parameters of Single Piston Rod Hydraulic Cylinder

The designed single piston rod hydraulic cylinder was selected as the research object,the mathematical model of the hydraulic cylinder was established. It was received by analyzing that the natural frequency and damping ratio of the hydraulic cylinder were related to the factors such as equivalent mass,load capacity,piston area,the elastic modulus of hydraulic medium. In the process of the piston rod stretching out,the changes of natural frequency and damping ratio of thye hydraulic cylinder were obtained,which had important reference value to the mathematical modeling and analysis for valve controlling cylinder system and cubage controlling rate system.
Dynamic Matrix Control based on Weighted Correction of the Predicted Error

An algorithm with weighted correction is provided to improve the capability of eliminating the disturbance in the system.Theoretical analysis and simulation show that the algorithm is effective.
The Prognostic Significance of Sentinel Lymph Node Status for Patients with Thick Melanoma

Background Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is recommended for patients with intermediate-thickness melanoma, but the use of SLNB for patients with thick melanoma is debated. This report presents a single-institution study investigating factors predictive of sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis and outcome for thick-melanoma patients .
Preparation of metal-doped thermochromic VO2 films for smart window coatings

Tungsten-doped thermochromic VO2 films for smart widow were deposited onto glass and silicon substrates by dual-target co-sputtering and characterized by XRD, RBS, AFM and spectrophotometry. The doping depressed Xc by 24°C per at.% of W and a small doping level near the 1 at.% range was capable of decreasing τc significantly without deterioration of the thermochromism.
Toward automated detection of malignant melanoma

In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy shows promise for the early detection of malignant melanoma (MM). Two hallmarks of MM have been identified: the presence of pagetoid melanocytes in the epidermis and the breakdown of the dermal papillae. For detection of MM, these features must be identified qualitatively by the clinician and qualitatively through automated pattern recognition. A machine vision algorithm was developed for automated detection. The algorithm detected pagetoid melanocytes and breakdown of the dermal/epidermal junction in a pre-selected set of five MMs and five benign nevi for correct diagnosis.
Mixed results in strategic IT alignment research: a synthesis and empirical study

The alignment of business strategy and IT has been a top managerial concern for decades. Yet despite much investigation, the effect of strategic IT alignment on organizational performance remains unclear, with mixed results reported in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of mixed findings in IT alignment research. We first examine inconsistent findings reported in two streams of alignment research: the traditional firm-level IT alignment literature and the emerging literature into process-level IT alignment. We then empirically investigate whether firm- and process-level conceptualizations of IT alignment lead to different conclusions about the effect of alignment on performance. Using data from a survey of 120 firms, we show that firm-level IT alignment and process-level IT alignment yield different conclusions when testing the same theory under the same conditions. We also show that differences in firms’ strategic orientations can help explain these results. This research provides evidence that firm- and process-level conceptualizations of IT alignment are not interchangeable and that the choice of conceptualization can mean the difference between accepting and rejecting a theory.
'The Conversion of the Barbarians': Comparison and Psychotherapists’ Approaches to Buddhist Traditions in the United States

The use of Buddhist teachings and practices in psychotherapy, once described as a new, popular trend, should now be considered an established feature of the mental health field in the United States and beyond. Religious studies scholars increasingly attend to these activities. Some express concern about what they view as the secularizing medicalization of centuries old traditions. Others counter with historical precedent for these phenomena comparing them to previous instances when Buddhist teachings and practices were introduced into new communities for healing benefit like medieval China. I reveal that a growing number of clinicians also describe their activities in comparison to moments of Buddhist transmission like medieval China. Drawing on the models of scholars like Robert Ford Campany and Pierce Salguero, I outline the possible benefits and limits of such comparisons. I ultimately conclude that scholars use comparison to normalize these contemporary phenomena as cohering to a historical pattern and their interpretations are subsequently employed by clinicians to legitimate their activities.
Video Journalism for the Web: A Practical Introduction to Documentary Storytelling

As newspapers and broadcast news outlets direct more resources toward online content, print reporters and photojournalists are picking up video cameras and crafting new kinds of stories with their lenses. Creating multimedia video journalism requires more than simply adapting traditional broadcast techniques: it calls for a new way of thinking about how people engage with the news and with emerging media technologies. In this guide, Kurt Lancaster teaches students and professional journalists how to shoot better video and tell better stories on the web, providing a strong understanding of cinematic storytelling and documentary production so their videos will stand out from the crowd. Video Journalism for the Web introduces students to all the basic skills and techniques of good video journalism and documentary storytelling, from shots and camera movements to sound and editing—as well as offering tips for developing compelling, character-driven narratives and using social media to launch a successful career as a "backpack journalist." Shooting, editing, and writing exercises throughout the book allow students to put these techniques into practice, and case studies and interviews with top documentary journalists provide real-world perspectives on a career in video journalism. This book gives aspiring documentary journalists the tools they need to get out in the field and start shooting unforgettable multimedia stories.
Repeated, Close Physician Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Teams Associated with Greater Teamwork

Objective To determine whether observed patterns of physician interaction around shared patients are associated with higher levels of teamwork as perceived by physicians. Data Sources/Study Setting Michigan Medicare beneficiaries who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures at 24 hospitals in the state between 2008 and 2011. Study Design We assessed hospital teamwork using the teamwork climate scale in the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire. After aggregating across CABG discharges at these hospitals, we mapped the physician referral networks (including both surgeons and nonsurgeons) that served them and measured three network properties: (1) reinforcement, (2) clustering, and (3) density. We then used multilevel regression models to identify associations between network properties and teamwork at the hospitals on which the networks were anchored. Principal Findings In hospitals where physicians repeatedly cared for patients with the same colleagues, physicians perceived better teamwork (β-reinforcement = 3.28, p = .003). When physicians who worked together also had other colleagues in common, the reported teamwork was stronger (β clustering = 1.71, p = .001). Reported teamwork did not change when physicians worked with a higher proportion of other physicians at the hospital (β density = −0.58, p = .64). Conclusion In networks with higher levels of reinforcement and clustering, physicians perceive stronger teamwork, perhaps because the strong ties between them create a shared understanding; however, sharing patients with more physicians overall (i.e., density) did not lead to stronger teamwork. Clinical and organizational leaders may consider designing the structure of clinical teams to increase interactions with known colleagues and repeated interactions between providers.
Quantification of organic content in shales via near-infrared imaging: Green River Formation

Abstract We demonstrate the applicability of near-infrared (NIR) imaging for quantifying the spatial distribution of kerogen content in organic-rich shales with sub-millimeter resolution over cores that can span hundreds of feet in depth. We develop models that are validated for the thermally immature oil shale of the Mahogany zone in the Green River Formation. They utilize either all or part of the NIR reflectance spectrum thereby providing some flexibility in the choice of instrumentation and, thus, cost. The models accurately recover fine-scale (sub-millimeter) variabilities in kerogen content from calibrations to a few coarse-scale (centimeter to meter) measurements, a process known as downscaling. This obviates slow, costly, and discrete fine-scale measurements in favor of a rapid, inexpensive, and continuous mapping approach. It also has implications for mapping thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of organic-rich shales, given that they strongly depend on kerogen content. Since our models utilize kerogen-specific absorption bands, they may also find use in other hydrocarbon-bearing source rocks.
Erratum to: Inferring and quantifying the role of an intrinsic current in a mechanism for a half-center bursting oscillation

This paper illustrates an informatic technique for inferring and quantifying the dynamic role of a single intrinsic current in a mechanism of neural bursting activity. We analyze the patterns of the most dominant currents in a model of half-center oscillation in the leech heartbeat central pattern generator. We find that the patterns of dominance change substantially over a cycle, allowing different local reductions to be applied to the model. The result is a hybrid dynamical systems model, which is a piecewise representation of the mechanism combining multiple vector fields and discrete state changes. The simulation of such a model tests explicit hypotheses about the mechanism and is a novel way to retain both mathematical clarity and scientific detail in answering mechanistic questions about a complex model. Several insights into the central mechanism of “escape-release” in the model are elucidated by this analysis and compared with previous studies. The broader application and extension of this technique is also discussed.
Land Use Impacts on Floodplain Water Table Response to Precipitation Events

Two floodplain sites were instrumented, a bottomland hardwood forest and a historic agricultural field. Continuous, automated, in situ shallow groundwater monitoring was paired with a gridded sampling design to facilitate detailed spatiotemporal analysis of water table response to precipitation events. Data were collected at 30 minute intervals for the duration of the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 water years. A total of 403 precipitation events were observed, with median depth of 3 mm. Results show significantly (p < 0.001) greater study site median water table response at the agricultural site (0.02 m), relative to the forest (0.01 m). The ratio of water table response magnitude to precipitation depth was 8.3 and 3.3 at the agricultural and forest sites, respectively, a difference of more than 150%. Median shallow groundwater level lag time was shorter with respect to both precipitation and streamflow at the agricultural site (10 and 2 hrs. for precipitation and flow, respectively), relative to the forest (11.5 and 4.5 hrs. for precipitation and flow, respectively). Longer lag times indicated slower water table response and potentially increased flood attenuation capacity by the forest site. Results show the agricultural site water table responded to a greater number of precipitation events (including smaller events), reflecting potentially reduced relative flood attenuation capacity. Observed differences highlight the various impacts of forest vegetation on water table dynamics and emphasize the benefits of floodplain forests as a water resource management tool, including flood mitigation, in mixed-land-use watersheds.
An Analysis of Treatment-Seeking Behavior in Individuals with Gambling Disorder

Gambling disorder affects approximately 1.1–3.5% of the population, with the rates being higher in young adults. Despite this high prevalence, little is known regarding which pathological gamblers decide to seek treatment. This study sought to examine the differences in three groups of pathological gamblers: those who did not seek treatment (n = 94), those who sought therapy (n = 106) and those who sought medication therapy (n = 680). All subjects were assessed on a variety of measures including demographics, family history, gambling history, comorbid psychiatric disorders and an assortment of clinical variables such as the Quality of Life Inventory, Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales, Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Pathologic Gambling (PG-YBOCS), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Eysenck Impulsiveness Questionnaire and select cognitive tasks. Those seeking treatment were more likely to be Caucasian, have lost more money in the past year due to gambling, and were more likely to have legal and social problems as a result of their gambling. Those seeking therapy or medical treatment also scored significantly higher on the PG-YBOCS. This study suggests that pathologic gamblers seeking treatment were more likely to exhibit obsessive–compulsive tendencies likely leading to the increased legal and social problems that exist in this group.
Sculpting ion channel functional expression with engineered ubiquitin ligases

Cells are surrounded by a membrane that separates the outside of the cell from its inside. Proteins called ion channels are embedded within this membrane and allow charged ions to move in and out of the cell. The movement of ions generates electrical currents that are essential for many processes that keep us alive, including our heartbeat and the activity within our brain. Like many other proteins, newly made ion channels undergo several steps before they mature and become active. Cells destroy any proteins that do not mature properly, as well as those that become damaged or are simply no longer needed. A small protein called ubiquitin helps to mark such unwanted proteins for destruction. Enzymes known as E3 ligases attach ubiquitin to target proteins in a process known as ubiquitination. This process regulates both the quality and amount of proteins within cells. To understand the role of a particular protein, it is often necessary to remove it from the cell and then examine the consequences. In the past, researchers have harnessed the ubiquitin system to remove many kinds of proteins, but this approach had not previously been used to target an ion channel. Now, Kanner et al. set out to selectively eliminate ion channels via targeted ubiquitination. The experiments showed that previous approaches that could destroy proteins within the cell were not effective against ion channels. Kanner et al. then engineered a particular E3 ligase so that it could selectively attach ubiquitin to the desired ion channels. This approach successfully prevented the channels from reaching the cell membrane, thereby silencing the electrical currents that they normally generate. Additionally, a new tool was developed to stop ion channels in their tracks, essentially with a flip of a chemical switch. Kanner et al. then used this approach to manipulate ion channels in a highly controlled manner, within their normal environment of heart muscle cells. These new approaches form a toolset that scientists can now exploit to study diverse ion channels. In the future, the toolkit could potentially be used to develop treatments for disorders such as epilepsy, chronic pain, and irregular heartbeats, where too many channels are active or present at the cell membrane.
Magic, an appreciation

Response to comments on Jones, Graham M. 2017. Magic’s reason: An anthropology of analogy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Oral History in Latin America: Unlocking the Spoken Archive. By David Carey Jr

In Oral History in Latin America, David Carey Jr. presents a provocative book meant to “provide a synthesis of the impressive range of oral history scholarship … that also serves as a practical gui...
Plant Genome Engineering Using Zinc Finger Nucleases

Gene targeting is a valuable tool to precisely integrate transgenes into predefined genomic locations. This technique allows transgenes to be targeted into any chosen locus in the genome to create plants with novel traits. Gene targeting by homologous recombination (HR) is also a useful approach for studying gene function because it allows the modification of specific genes, or sequences, within their native genomic context. A major aim of plant biotechnology now is the establishment of techniques for the precise manipulation of plant genomes. Until recently, despite multiple promising approaches, gene targeting in plants remained an elusive goal. Recently, however, zinc finger endonucleases (ZFN) have provided a means by which targeted double stranded breaks can be introduced at pre-defined genomic locations, and thus to stimulate recombination and repair processes at specific target sites. ZFN-mediated gene targeting is likely to become a powerful technique for precise modification and directed mutagenesis of plant and mammalian genomes.
Sorting Charles Tiebout: The Construction and Stabilization of Postwar Public Good Theory

A substantial and diverse literature in economics traces its intellectual roots to Charles Tiebout’s 1956 article, “The Pure Theory of Local Expenditure.” Its present recognition, frequently attributed to originating the idea of “voting with your feet, ” however, contrasts sharply with its obscurity during Tiebout’s academic career, which was tragically cut short by his passing in 1968. Penned as a qualification to Paul Samuelson’s “pure theory,” the article failed to influence the stabilization of postwar public good theory, despite Tiebout ’s engagement with key figu res in its construction . Moreover, his death preceded the application of its central mechanism to public, urban, and environmental topics via hedonic, sorting, and computational general equilibrium models. Viewed in this way, the history of Tiebout’s article, and thereby the history of public economics, has remarkably little to do with Tiebout himself. Professionally, though, the article reflected Tiebout ’s lifelong interest in issues of local economies and governance. The social and political context of urban sprawl and political fragmentation that accompanied the rapid growth of metropolitan areas, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle, raised novel questions in local public finance for researchers before a knowledge community existed to credit their work. For Tiebout, it stimulated his collaboration with Vincent Ostrom and Robert Warren and later involvement in the burgeoning interdisciplinary field of regional science.
Transport and Optical Properties of DNA

The structure of DNA is now very well known. The two helices that form the backbone are made up of alternating sugar and phosphate groups. Attached to the sugars are the bases, organic compounds consisting of one or two planar heterocycles and associated N, O, and H. There are four bases in DNA—guanine, cytosine, adenine, and thymine. In what follows these will be abbreviated G, C, A, and T, respectively. Hydrogen bonds connect one base from each helix with its complementary base from the other helix. Thus G is paired with C, A with T. The bases all have closed electronic shells. Guanine has the distinction of its highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) having the highest energy. Thus holes added to a DNA stack would tend to sit on a G.
Charismatic, ideological, & pragmatic (CIP) model of leadership: A critical review and agenda for future research

Abstract Criticisms of the dominant leadership perspectives in the literature are increasing and, as such, a growing number of scholars are calling for more complex and conceptually sound theories of leadership. With a multi-faceted perspective on effective leadership, detailed conceptual underpinnings, and increasing body of empirical support, the Charismatic, Ideological, and Pragmatic (CIP) model of leadership has the potential to address many of these concerns and substantively contribute to our understanding of effective leadership. Despite such advantages, however, wide scale proliferation of the model remains elusive. As such, this effort provides the first comprehensive review of the CIP model to analyze its potential to expand our understanding of leadership in science and practice. In doing so this review frames and organizes the existing CIP literature, identifies key strengths of the model, addresses key limitations of the model, and outlines future research opportunities that would benefit from adopting a CIP perspective.
Born to Donate: Proposals for “Savior Sibling” Regulation in Latin America

Los llamados Savior Sibling son bebes creados con la tecnica de la fertilizacion in vitro y el diagnostico preimplantacional genetico, con el fin de servir como donantes a un hermano afectado por una enfermedad fatal. Se crean con el diagnostico genetico de fertilizacion in vitro y preimplantacion y, en el proceso, las normas eticas para la donacion de organos a ninos son menos exigentes. Por esta razon, proponemos que la autorizacion para llevar a cabo esta tecnica considere, como obligatorio, la opinion de un tercero que sea imparcial y que pueda garantizar el bienestar del nino. Se hizo un analisis critico de las leyes que regulan la creacion de estos bebes que sirven como donantes de organos. Evaluamos bajo que circunstancias, las organizaciones que participan en estas decisiones cumplen con los estandares eticos para permitir la donacion de organos a ninos
Evaluating improvements to exposure estimates from fate and transport models by incorporating environmental sampling effort and contaminant use.

Abstract Widespread chemical contamination represents one of the largest threats of the Anthropocene. The Pesticide in Water Calculator (PWC) is a fate and transport model used by the Environmental Protection Agency and Health Canada to estimate pesticide exposures in lentic freshwater ecosystems and make pesticide registration decisions. Here, we show that maximum measured concentrations of 31% of herbicides and 42% of insecticides exceeded maximum estimated environmental concentrations (EECs) produced by the PWC, suggesting that EECs often do not represent worst-case exposure as they have been purported to do. Based on this observation, we generated statistical models using EECs and over 600,000 field measurements of 31 common insecticides and herbicides to document if the congruence of EECs and maximum field measurements could be improved by accounting for environmental sampling effort (number of times a pesticide is sampled) and contaminant application, factors commonly ignored in most fate and transport models. For lentic systems, variance in pesticide field measurements explained by EECs increased by 50% when sampling effort was included. For lotic systems, variance explained increased by only 4%, most likely because lotic systems are sampled over 4.9 times as much as lentic systems. Including use more than doubled the ability of the EECs to predict maximum pesticides concentrations in lentic systems. Our results suggest that exposure characterization in risk assessment can likely be improved by considering sampling effort and use, thus providing more defensible environmental standards and regulations.
Controlling the extent of atomic ordering in intermetallic alloys through additive manufacturing

Abstract Control of the atomic structure, as measured by the extent of the embrittling B2 chemically ordered phase, is demonstrated in intermetallic alloys through additive manufacturing (AM) and characterized using high fidelity neutron diffraction. As a layer-by-layer rapid solidification process, AM was employed to suppress the extent of chemically ordered B2 phases in a soft ferromagnetic Fe-Co alloy, as a model material system of interest to electromagnetic applications. The extent of atomic ordering was found to be insensitive to the spatial location within specimens and suggests that the thermal conditions within only a few AM layers were most influential in controlling the microstructure, in agreement with the predictions from a thermal model for welding. Analysis of process parameter effects on ordering found that suppression of B2 phase was the result of an increased average cooling rate during processing. AM processing parameters, namely interlayer interval time and build velocity, were used to systematically control the relative fraction of ordered B2 phase in specimens from 0.49 to 0.72. Hardness of AM specimens was more than 150% higher than conventionally processed bulk material. Implications for tailoring microstructures of intermetallic alloys are discussed.
The Freemartin Cattle and Clinical Transplantation: From the Ancients to Modern Day

This historical retrospective explores the study of the freemartin condition and its impact on the discovery of immunologic tolerance and the field of transplant surgery-from the ancient Romans, to early modern anatomists Valsalva, Scarpa, and Hunter, to contemporary immunologists Owen, Medawar, and Billingham, and to legendary transplant surgeon Joseph Murray. The legacy of freemartin cattle in the understanding of acquired tolerance and transplant immunology represents generations of scientific inquiry guided by careful observation and occasional serendipity, and the present-day immunologists and surgeons exploring immune transplant tolerance owe much to the history of the freemartin, several millennia in the making.
Skiing: Cross-Country

Cross-country skiing is a low-impact, highly aerobic sport with relatively few injuries. Most injuries are of the overuse variety. Due to the variety of cross-training that most skiers employed due to limited availability of snow, some injuries are more related to the cross-training activities, though some injuries are quite specific for cross-country skiers. Low back pain occurs more frequently in cross-country skiers than the general population. Fractures, while infrequent, can occur, usually as a result of falls. Collisions between skiers can also cause injuries. Environmental factors, usually due to cold temperatures coinciding with snowy climates, and hydration and nutrition issues related to longer duration events should also be considered in preparing for participation and medical coverage of this sport.
Engage, Ignore, Stand Up: Exploring How (and Why) Early Adolescents Respond to Sexual Harassment:

Sexual harassment is a common experience among middle and high school students across the United States. Being the target of and even witnessing sexual harassment is associated with a number of neg...
Randomized study of G-TL and global media for blastocyst culture in the EmbryoScope: morphokinetics, pregnancy, and live births after single-embryo transfer.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of two different in vitro fertilization culture media for blastocyst development, pregnancy, and live birth rate. Global (GB) medium (used without refreshment) and G-TL medium (designed specifically for culture in time-lapse incubators) were compared. Design Prospective randomized study of sibling embryo culture in two culture media. Setting In vitro fertilization clinic. Patient(s) Women undergoing fresh or frozen cycles using autologous or donor oocytes. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) The primary endpoints were implantation, pregnancy, and live birth rate (LBR) after single blastocyst transfer. Secondary endpoints included embryo morphokinetics, development of good-quality blastocysts, and euploidy rate. Result(s) Kinetic data from 10,768 sibling pronucleate embryos cultured in the EmbryoScope were compared. GB embryos initiated compaction earlier and formed morula sooner than their G-TL counterparts. The mean timing for start of blastulation did not differ. The interval between start of blastulation and time of blastocyst formation was observed to be Conclusion(s) Uninterrupted culture in a time-lapse incubator without medium refreshment was well supported by both media tested. Differences in morphokinetics did not necessarily dictate the superiority of one media over the other. Both pregnancy and LBR were not significantly influenced by choice of culture medium. The euploidy rate was also independent of culture medium.
SBA-16-Mediated Nanoparticles Enabling Accelerated Kinetics in Cyclic Methane Conversion to Syngas at Low Temperatures

To meet the globally growing energy demands, it is essential to develop schemes with higher fuel conversion efficiency at temperatures <1000 °C while suppressing emissions of CO2. Iron oxide nanopa...