cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel and inexpensive ballistic gel phantom for ultrasound training.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography use is increasing in emergency departments, and ultrasound education is now recommended in resident training. Ultrasound phantoms are used in many institutions for training purposes. The purpose of this study is to describe an inexpensive and simple method to create ultrasound-imaging models for the purpose of education and practice using clear ballistic gel. METHODS: Clear ballistic gel is used to simulate tissue for firing practice and other military evaluations. RESULTS: The transparent and durable ultrasound phantom we produced was clear and contained four vessel lumens. The images obtained using the phantom were of high quality and compared well to normal sonographic anatomy. CONCLUSIONS: The clear ballistic brand gel is unique because it is inexpensive, does not dry out, does not decay, is odorless, and is reusable. The ultrasound images obtained using the phantom are realistic and useful for ultrasound education.
Neoliberal contradictions in two private niches of educational ‘choice’

ABSTRACTThis article brings together ethnographies of two privileged educational settings in the United States – a private school in California’s Central Valley following the progressivist Sudbury model, and an affluent New England boarding school’s summer enrichment program. Each of these institutions serves as an alternative to and/or extension of publicly accessible education institutions during a neoliberal era of marketization and growing educational inequality. By comparing findings from ethnographic studies of each institution, we find that both celebrate open access and socially responsible pedagogical values in ways that obscure mechanisms of exclusion and an entrenched individualist ideology. We discuss two particular contradictions that manifest in both settings: first, a discourse of openness and inclusivity that belies the ways in which access is mediated by constructions of who best ‘fits’ the special learning community; and second, an outspoken allegiance to socially engaged values of diver...
Effect of Calorie Restriction on Mood, Quality of Life, Sleep, and Sexual Function in Healthy Nonobese Adults: The CALERIE 2 Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Calorie restriction (CR) increases longevity in many species and reduces risk factors for chronic diseases. In humans, CR may improve health span, yet concerns remain about potential negative effects of CR. Objective To test the effect of CR on mood, quality of life (QOL), sleep, and sexual function in healthy nonobese adults. Design, Setting, and Participants A multisite randomized clinical trial (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy Phase 2 [CALERIE 2]) was conducted at 3 academic research institutions. Adult men and women (N = 220) with body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 22.0 to 28.0 were randomized to 2 years of 25% CR or an ad libitum (AL) control group in a 2:1 ratio favoring CR. Data were collected at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months and examined using intent-to-treat analysis. The study was conducted from January 22, 2007, to March 6, 2012. Data analysis was performed from July 18, 2012, to October 27, 2015. Interventions Two years of 25% CR or AL. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-report questionnaires were administered to measure mood (Beck Depression Inventory-II [BDI-II], score range 0-63, higher scores indicating worse mood, and Profile of Mood States [POMS], with a total mood disturbance score range of −32 to 200 and higher scores indicating higher levels of the constructs measured), QOL (Rand 36-Item Short Form, score range 0-100, higher scores reflecting better QOL, and Perceived Stress Scale, score range 0-40, higher scores indicating higher levels of stress), sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI], total score range 0-21, higher scores reflecting worse sleep quality), and sexual function (Derogatis Interview for Sexual Function–Self–report, total score range 24-188, higher scores indicating better sexual functioning). Results In all, 218 participants (152 women [69.7%]; mean [SD] age, 37.9 (7.2) years; mean [SD] BMI, 25.1 [1.6]) were included in the analyses. The CR and AL groups lost a mean (SE) of 7.6 (0.3) kg and 0.4 (0.5) kg, respectively, at month 24 ( P P P Conclusions and Relevance In nonobese adults, CR had some positive effects and no negative effects on health-related QOL. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00427193
Present situation of garbage and sewage treatment in rural areas of Shijiazhuang City

[Objective]To understand the present situation of garbage and sewage treatment in rural areas of Shijiazhuang City,provide evidences for formulating strategy of garbage and sewage treatment in rural areas.[Methods]By stratified random sampling,6 counties(cities) were collected,and 20 villages were randomly sampled from each County.[Results]75.83% of villages carried out garbage stacking in fixed-location,only 3.33% of villages collected the garbage together.46.67% of villages discharged the domestic sewage at random,no village discharged domestic sewage into the sewage treatment plant,and industrial sewage and aquaculture wastewater of most villages were directly discharged without treatment.[Conclusion]It is necessary to strengthen the management of garbage and sewage,as well as the environmental health infrastructure construction in the rural areas,improve the health consciousness of farmers,and establish a long-term management system of environmental health.
Survey of job burnout and sexual satisfaction among different occupational groups

[Objective]Through the survey and analysis of job burnout and sexual satisfaction and their influencing factors among different professional groups,to understand their psychosomatic health,and adopt related measures to improve their professional life quality.[Methods]The employees of enterprise and institutions in Hubei Province were taken as the study objects.The self-designed "comprehensive rating scale of professional people life quality" was used to investigate of job burnout and sexual satisfaction among different professional groups,finally,1 886 valid questionnaires were collected.[Results] The results showed that there were statistically significant differences of emotional depletion and sexual concept and attitudes between different age groups(P0.05).Also there were statistically significant differences of emotional depletion,sexual satisfaction,concept and attitudes between different professions(P0.05).Emotional depletion and losing character was negatively correlated with sexual satisfaction,respectively.(P0.05).[Conclusion]The different professional groups all appear job burnout to different degree,and the sexual satisfaction is not high among them,so corresponding preventive measures should be taken.
The Modernism of Frank Capra and European Ethical Thought

For many, Frank Capra remains the quintessential American director. In numerous ways, America was a dramatically different place at the time of his death on 3 September 1991 than the America of his classic films from the 1930s to early 1950s. The differences between the America of small town values, railroads, the radio, and classic cars and the America of the computer, cell phone, instant media, and sex are nearly as great as the gap between his origins in Sicily on 18 May 1897 and the American icon he had become. His greatest and most successful films such as It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can’t Take It With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) exude a quality of simplicity, honesty, and sentimentality that people termed ‘Capracorn’ but, nonetheless, many of them still consider the real America. While Capra’s style and ideology of hope, optimism, and national identity run counter to current trends in popular and critical thinking and tastes, years of scholarship and criticism by outstanding film scholars such as Robert Sklar, Ray Carney, Robert Ray, Charles Maland, Joseph McBride, among many others, demonstrate how the depth and complexity of Capra’s best work contradict simplistic and superficial understandings of his films (Maland 1980; Sklar 1981; Ray 1985; Carney 1986; McBride 1992; Poague 1994).
Cray Network Supercomputing

Wahrend Supercomputer traditionell mit Mainframes als Front-End im Batch-Mode betrieben wurden, steht heute die Integration von Supercomputern in die Workstationumgebung im Vordergrund. Basierend auf Netzwerk-Standards entwickelt sich ein Modell der kooperativen Datenverarbeitung, wobei mehrere Rechner an der Losung eines Problems arbeiten und dabei den Anteil ubernehmen, fur den sie aufgrund ihrer Architektur, Peripherie oder Software am besten geeignet sind.
Parallelism with IBM's relational Database2 (DB2)

The current use of parallelism in the IBM Database2 (DB2) is discussed, along with future trends. Parallelism is necessary for relational database managers to achieve modern performance goals of high throughput for both homogeneous and heterogeneous workloads and fast response times for increasingly complex queries. A transaction appears to DB2 as a set of serially requested database operations using the Structured Query Languages (SQL). High throughput levels are achieved by multiprocessing. Multiprocessing levels in excess of a hundred are quite common. DB2 provides peer-to-peer communication, allowing applications on one DB2 computer system to access data on another DB2 computer system. That implementation is more favorable for ad hoc queries than for transactions. Parallelism plays a key role in DB2's performance, where it is most visible in intertransaction multiprocessing to achieve high throughput and, to a lesser extent, in intraquery parallelism to reduce response time. >
Use of biomass predicted by regression from cover estimates to compare vegetational similarity of sagebrush-grass sites

Regressions between vegetational cover, estimated with a two - tiered, gridded sampling frame, and biomass were used to obtain predicted biomass values from cover values. Comparisons of eight sites based on predicted biomass data and comparisons of the sites based on cover data indicate that predicted biomass data may better identify differences among sites. Also, some suggestions are made regarding the methods of using cover - biomass regressions to obtain predicted biomass values.
Naturphilosophie und Enzyklopädistik

Sowohl die naturwissenschaftliche Farbung der »Tropen und Rathselsprache« (II, 485: 1) in Glauben und Liebe als auch das Verfahren des »Romantisiren[s]« (II, 545: 105) in den Vorarbeiten zu verschiedenen Fragmentsammlungen aus dem Winter und Fruhjahr 1798 verdanken Hardenbergs Studienaufenthalt an der Bergakademie Freiberg bereits sehr viel. In dem wichtigen Brief an August Wilhelm Schlegel vom 24. Februar 1798, mit dem Hardenberg seine Vermischten Bemerkungen zum Druck unter dem Namen »Novalis« schickte und in dem zum ersten Mal von einem »Anfang, unter dem Titel, der Lehrling zu Sais« (IV, 251) die Rede war, heist es wenig spater: »Kunftig treibe ich nichts, als Poesie — die Wissenschaften mussen alle poetisirt werden« (IV, 252). Ein solcher Vorsatz hat aber auch zur Folge, dass die Dichtung verwandelt wird durch das Studium der Naturwissenschaften und auch der Mathematik — von der Hardenberg in jenem Brief allerdings noch ziemlich geringschatzig spricht (IV, 251), die er aber innerhalb der kommenden Monate zum integralen Bestandteil seines asthetischen Programms erhebt: »Romantisiren ist nichts, als eine qualitative] Potenzirung. Das niedre Selbst wird mit einem bessern Selbst in dieser Operation identificirt. So wie wir selbst eine solche qualit[ative] Potenzenreihe sind« (II, 545: 105).
Nonlinear programming: Global use of the Lagrangian

In some constrained nonlinear programming problems possessing several local optima, a local optimum can be recognized as the global optimum by looking closely at the Lagrangian, the augmented function. Similarly, classes of constrained optimization problems, such as geometric programming problems, can be recognized as possessing at most a single local optimum.
Sensor fusion for ecologically valid obstacle identification: Building a comprehensive assistive technology platform for the visually impaired

Sensor fusion represents a robust approach to ecologically valid obstacle identification in building a comprehensive electronic travel aid (ETA) for the blind and visually impaired. A stereoscopic camera system and an infrared sensor with 16 independent elements is proposed to be combined with a multi-scale convolutional neural network for this fusion framework. While object detection and identification can be combined with depth information from a stereo camera system, our experiments demonstrate that depth information may be inconsistent given material surfaces of specific potential collision hazards. This inconsistency can be easily remedied by supplementation with a more reliable depth signal from an alternate sensing modality. The sensing redundancy in this multi-modal strategy, as deployed in this platform, may enhance the situational awareness of a visually impaired end user, permitting more efficient and safer obstacle negotiation.
Banned from the IV League: Advocating the Extension of the Choice of Evils Defense to Protect Blood Manufactures from Liability for Taking Donations from Individuals at “High-risk” of Transmitting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) During Times of Extreme Emergency

A-positive to O-negative, men who have sex with men face an uphill battle when attempting to give the greatest gift of all, life itself. Current FDA Regulation places a twelve-month deferral on MSM from their last sexual encounter. Many previous articles seek to attack the constitutionality of this ban; others seek to recommend reducing the ban; still others advocate no change. This article differs from these, however, by assuming the constitutionality of the ban and, instead, advocating protection for blood manufacturers who, under certain narrow but extreme circumstances, are justified in taking donations from high-risk donors.
The Complex Road Ahead for Preexposure Prophylaxis: A Primary Care Physician Perspective

The article discusses the use of preexposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention in relation to primary care and advice about condom use. Topics include recommendations about condom use during oral sex, the participation of men who have sex with men in risky sexual behavior, and the need for health communication by primary care physicians regarding HIV prevention and risk.
Features in the Spectrum of Cosmic-Ray Positrons from Pulsars

Pulsars have been invoked to explain the origin of recently observed high-energy Galactic cosmic-ray positrons. Since the positron propagation distance decreases with energy, the number of pulsars that can contribute to the observed positrons decreases from $O({10}^{3})$ for positron energies $E\ensuremath{\gtrsim}10\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ to only a few for $E\ensuremath{\gtrsim}500\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$. Thus, if pulsars explain these positrons, the positron energy spectrum should become increasingly bumpy at higher energies. Here, we present a power-spectrum analysis that can be applied to seek such spectral features in the energy spectrum for cosmic-ray positrons and for the energy spectrum of the combined electron/positron flux. We account for uncertainties in the pulsar distribution by generating hundreds of simulated spectra from pulsar distributions consistent with current observational constraints. Although the current AMS-02 data do not exhibit evidence for spectral features, we find that such features would be detectable at the $2\ensuremath{\sigma}$ lavel in $\ensuremath{\simeq}10%$ of our simulations, with 20 years of AMS-02 data or three years of DAMPE measurements on the electron-plus-positron flux.
Examining Teacher Talk in an Engineering Design-Based Science Curricular Unit

Recent science education reforms highlight the importance for teachers to implement effective instructional practices that promote student learning of science and engineering content and their practices. Effective classroom discussion has been shown to support the learning of science, but work is needed to examine teachers’ enactment of engineering design-based science curricula by focusing on the content, complexity, structure, and orchestration of classroom discussions. In the present study, we explored teacher-student talk with respect to science in a middle school curriculum focused on genetics and genetic engineering. Our study was guided by the following major research question: What are the similarities and differences in teacher talk moves that occurred within an engineering design-based science unit enacted by two teachers? Through qualitative and quantitative approaches, we found that there were clear differences in two teachers’ use of questioning strategies and presentation of new knowledge that affected the level of student involvement in classroom discourse and the richness and details of student contributions to the conversations. We also found that the verbal explanations of science content differed between two teachers. Collectively, the findings in this study demonstrate that although the teachers worked together to design an engineering designed-based science curriculum unit, their use of different discussion strategies and patterns, and interactions with students differed to affect classroom discourse.
Total Synthesis of L-156,373 and an oxoPiz Analogue via a Submonomer Approach.

The first chemical synthesis of L-156,373 (1), a potent oxytocin receptor antagonist isolated from Streptomyces silvensis, is reported. Assembly of the unusual d-Piz-l-Piz dipeptide subunit was achieved through a sequential electrophilic amination–acylation–deprotection strategy followed by late-stage Piz ring formation. Synthesis and incorporation of a novel N-hydroxy-l-isoleucine building block is also described. This submonomer approach was further applied to the expedient synthesis of a di-δ-oxopiperazic acid analogue of 1 starting from Fmoc-Glu(tBu)-OH building blocks.
External Factors and Geostrategic Considerations

This chapter evaluates the hypothesis about MERCOSUR and EU’s transformation from hegemonic to counterhegemonic projects. This analysis reveals that external motivations for integration in MERCOSUR are different from those of the EU, and that the impact of US involvement in the affairs of the two blocs has also been of different character and strength. In the external context, MERCOSUR’s integration aims to consolidate the bloc’s economic capabilities, while the EU is trying to achieve greater political influence. Relations between MERCOSUR and the EU are also important. The EU takes MERCOSUR as an ally in the attempts to counterbalance the USA. At the same time European interests in relation to MERCOSUR economies are not different from those of the US interests in relation to MERCOSUR and other peripheral economies. Obviously, MERCOSUR and the EU have different positions in the hierarchy of international relations.
Allogeneic marrow grafting for treatment of aplastic anemia.

Twenty-four patients with severe aplastic anemia, 14 due to unknown cause, four associated with hepatitis, four drug or chemical related, one with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and one possibly associated with a Fanconi syndrome did not show spontaneous recovery after 2-24 mo of conventional therapy. Eleven were infected and nine were refractory to random platelet transfusions at the time of admission. All received marrow grafts from HL-A identical siblings. Eighteen were conditioned for grafting by cyclophosphamide (CY), 60 mg/kg on each of 4 successive days, and 6 by 1000 rad total body irradiation (TBI). All received intermittent methotrexate (MTX) therapy within the first 100 days postgrafting to modify graft-versus-host disease (QvHD). One patient died on the day of grafting of congestive heart failure possibly related to CY cardiac toxicity. One died on day 6 with septicemia. One died on day 24 without engraftment. Twenty-one patients showed prompt hemopoietic engraftment indicated by rising blood counts, return of marrow cellularity, and in most instances confirmed by blood genetic markers. Four rejected the graft and died on days 33, 41, 51, and 67. Four died between days 46 and 86 with GvHD. One died of cytomegalovirus infection on day 91. One with chronic active hepatitis died on day 427 of unknown causes. Eleven are alive with grafts and without GvHD more than 141, 144, 163, 186, 189, 255, 344, 472, 641, 746, and 823 days after grafting, and ten have returned to normal activity. These results show that normal stem cells will repopulate the marrow in patients with aplastic anemia and demonstrate that long-term stable chimerism is possible in man. They suggest that marrow grafting in patients with complete marrow failure and an HL-A matched sibling should be undertaken before major infections and refractoriness to blood transfusions complicate their course.
Obesity and Cancer: Overview of Mechanisms

This chapter provides an overview of the putative pathophysiological mechanisms explaining the positive association between obesity and various cancers. After presenting each of the major factors and pathways involved in obesity-related carcinogenesis and their potential synergisms from a physiological, epidemiological and mechanistic perspective, we conclude with a discussion of the therapeutic opportunities to reduce obesity and obesity-related cancers.
On dynamic bit-probe complexity

This work present several advances in the understanding of dynamic data structures in the bit-probe model: *We improve the lower bound record for dynamic language membership problems to @W((lgnlglgn)^2). Surpassing @W(lgn) was listed as the first open problem in a survey by Miltersen. *We prove a bound of @W(lgnlglglgn) for maintaining partial sums in Z/2Z. Previously, the known bounds were @W(lgnlglgn) and O(lgn). *We prove a surprising and tight upper bound of O(lgnlglgn) for the greater-than problem, and several predecessor-type problems. We use this to obtain the same upper bound for dynamic word and prefix problems in group-free monoids. We also obtain new lower bounds for the partial-sums problem in the cell-probe and external-memory models. Our lower bounds are based on a surprising improvement of the classic chronogram technique of Fredman and Saks [Michael L. Fredman, Michael E. Saks, The cell probe complexity of dynamic data structures, in: Proc. 21st ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing STOC, 1989, pp. 345-354], which makes it possible to prove logarithmic lower bounds by this approach. Before the work of M. Pa@?trascu and Demaine [Mihai Pa@?trascu, Erik D. Demaine, Logarithmic lower bounds in the cell-probe model, SIAM Journal on Computing 35 (4) (2006) 932-963. See also SODA'04 and STOC'04], this was the only known technique for dynamic lower bounds, and surpassing @W(lgnlglgn) was a central open problem in cell-probe complexity.
Endocrine Conditions in Older Adults: Adrenal Tumors

Incidentally discovered adrenal masses, referred to as adrenal incidentalomas, are fairly common given the routine use of imaging as part of clinical care in a variety of settings. Adrenal incidentalomas most frequently are benign and hormonally inactive tumors. However, approximately 11% to 15% are hormonally active, which can lead to diagnosis of clinically relevant conditions that affect morbidity and mortality. Thus, all adrenal incidentalomas should be tested for production of hormones at initial diagnosis. A 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test is the initial screening test. Patients then should be referred for appropriate treatment. Among the adrenal mass subtypes, pheochromocytomas are associated with the highest risk of mortality. Every effort should be made to exclude the presence of these tumors. Patients with hypertension and adrenal incidentalomas should be evaluated for aldosterone excess with an aldosterone to renin ratio. Primary malignancy represents a low percentage of adrenal incidentalomas. A minority of adrenal malignancies are primary adrenocortical tumors, which are associated with a poor prognosis and for which management often is palliative.
A qualitative study on existential suffering and assisted suicide in Switzerland.

In Switzerland, people can be granted access to assisted suicide (AS) on condition that the person whose wish is to die performs the fatal act, that he has his decisional capacity and that the assisting person’s conduct is not selfishly motivated. No restrictions relating to the ground of suffering are mentioned in the act. Existential suffering as a reason for wanting to die, however, gives raise to controversial issues. Moreover, existential suffering lacks definition and no consensus exists on how to evaluate and manage it. This study explores the perspectives of care professionals and volunteers from a “right-to-die organization” on existential suffering as a motive for assisted suicide requests. A qualitative study based on face-to-face interviews was conducted with twenty-six participants: palliative care and primary care providers as well as EXIT right-to-die organization volunteers. Elements from the grounded theory approach were used. The twenty-six participants described existential suffering in a multiplicity of individual ways. In total, sixty-three stories were recounted. Their representations were grouped into eight categories: physical decline and its consequences, loneliness, fear of the future, life is over, loss of social significance, loss of hope for a better future, being a financial burden and loss of pleasurable activities. According to all participants, suffering coming from the loss of self-identity was always linked to physical decline, as if one’s image completely defined someone’s identity. Society’s perception of old people and vulnerable people were also often questioned. Another interesting point was that only four stories referring to a “pure” existential suffering were found. This suffering was related to a feeling that life has come to an end, without identification of any other related restriction or suffering. Existential suffering is multifaceted. Legislators and right-to-die organisations have to address the question of what make a AS acceptable. The plurality of existential suffering implies the need of a very personalized care. A better understanding of what it is made of could provide a “toolbox” to people concerned by these requests, helping them to explore it in order to offer suffering people a wider range of alternatives.
Profiling the Users of Automated Teller Machines

Automated teller machines that are capable of handling most routine banking transactions are now widely available. This innovation in the exchange process has not been adopted as quickly as many had expected, however, and a minority of bank customers currently utilize this service. This paper examines the characteristics of consumers who have used ATM’s and presents a profile of this segment.
Increasing Access to Transit: Localized Mobile Information

While several studies note the challenges that people with disabilities face when using public transit, little work has investigated how mobile transit information apps affect accessibility. To add...
Abstract #5182: Genome wide assessment of epigenetic alterations in Ewing Sarcoma

Background: Epigenetic alterations are common in many cancer types and play an important role in their pathogenesis. However, the role of aberrant DNA methylation in Ewing Sarcoma (ES), a malignant neoplasm of bone and soft tissues in adolescents and young adults, is currently poorly understood. Aim: To determine the role of aberrant DNA methylation in the molecular pathology of ES Methods: We used a genome wide approach to identify genes hypermethylated in these neoplasms. Genomic DNA was isolated from formalin fixed, paraffin embedded primary ES tumors and cell lines. We compared the methylation signatures of 13 tumors and 3 ES cell lines with human mesenchymal stem cell primary cultures (hMSCs). Illumina Goldengate methylation analysis was used to determine the methylation status of 800 genes known to be altered in human cancer. Validation of the array results was performed with methylation specific PCR and sodium bisulfite sequencing. Results: The Illumina Goldengate arrays were found to be both sensitive and reproducible. After filtering out genes methylated in hMSCs, we determined that primary ES tumors and cell lines could be stratified into low and high methylator groups. In addition, we identified a group of genes that were methylated in >30% of ES primary tumors (range 30-100%) but not in hMSCs. Known tumor suppressor genes and genes methylated in other cancers were included in this group, including RASSF1A, a known tumor suppressor gene methylated in both adult and pediatric cancers. Methylation specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing analysis of RASSF1A confirmed the aberrant methylation detected by the methylation arrays in the ES cell lines. Furthermore, treatment of the cell lines with 5-aza-2\#8217;deoxycytidine induced RASSF1A expression in the cell lines with methylated RASSF1A demonstrating that RASSF1A is epigenetically silenced in ES cell lines due to DNA hypermethylation. Conclusions: Aberrant DNA methylation occurs in ES, demonstrating that epigenetic alterations play a role in pediatric tumors of mesenchymal origin. Determination of the genes affected by this process will provide further insights into the molecular pathology of ES. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 5182.
Impact of rapid socioeconomic development in China on nutritional status in children: two sides of a coin

Primary malnutrition, the one caused by socioeconomic factors, is still common problem in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC). Even today, estimated world prevalence of undernutrition is 10% with the highest rate in the Eastern and Sub-Saharan Africa (30.8%, 22.8%, respectively) (1). Malnutrition is usually described as undernutrition or wasting [body weight under −2 standard deviation (SD)] or as chronic undernutrition or stunting (body height under −2 SD) (2). Surely, the most vulnerable population are children due to very high energy and protein requirements and low body reserves. Undernourishment in children has many devastating consequences including increased risk for infectious diseases and early death. While long lasting effects prevent children to reach their full physical and cognitive potential causing the impaired work capacity and quality of life in adulthood (3).
Cultivar differences in boron uptake and distribution in celery (Apium graveolens), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Species and cultivar differences in boron (B) uptake at low B availability and tolerance to high external B are known for many species but mechanisms explaining such differences remain obscure. Here we contrast B uptake and distribution between two cultivars of tomato and celery that differ significantly in their susceptibility to B deficiency. The celery cultivar S48-54-1 and tomato cultivar ‘Brittle’ are known to be more susceptible to B deficiency (inefficient) than the closely related cultivars ‘Emerson Pascal’ and ‘Rutgers’ (efficient), respectively. B uptake and distribution was also compared in two wheat lines differing in tolerance to B excess (‘Chinese Spring’, sensitive and Lophopyrum Amphiploid, tolerant). Results showed that there is no significant difference in either the specific uptake rate (IM) of 10B or the relative growth rate (RGR) between the efficient cultivar (Emerson Pascal) and less efficient cultivar (S48-54-1) of celery. However, the distribution of 10B among plant organs (leaves, stems and roots) of Emerson Pascal was different from S48-54-1. In Emerson Pascal more than 63% of accumulated B was present in the shoots while in S48-54-1 only 45% of accumulated B was present in shoots. In tomato plants, in addition to differences in B distribution among plant organs between the efficient (Rutgers) and less efficient (Brittle) cultivars, the specific uptake rate of 10B was significantly higher in the efficient cultivar. In wheat, the tolerant line (Amphiploid) took up less B than the less tolerant cultivar (Chinese Spring), and the pattern of B distribution among plant organs was different with a greater percentage of B found in roots of Chinese Spring compared to Amphiploid. Differences in sensitivity to B deficiency and excess amongst cultivars and species were a consequence of either reduced B uptake as in wheat (Amphiploid), a restriction in B translocation from roots to shoot as in celery (S48-54-1) or a combination of both process as in tomato (Brittle).
Flipping the Classroom on Respiratory Physiology: The National Neonatology Curriculum

The flipped classroom (FC) is an adult-centered learning strategy where educational materials are independently reviewed prior to case-based group discussion. FC is designed to engage higher level thinking skills, such as application and analysis, that are often not employed in traditional didactics (TD). FC is well-accepted and improves knowledge retention, but is not commonly used in graduate medical education. A respiratory physiology curriculum for neonatology training programs based on the American Board of Pediatrics board content specifications was created to standardize content and distribute the work of creating and peer reviewing …
Hypogeusia as the initial presenting symptom of COVID-19.

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which first arose in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has since been declared a pandemic. The clinical sequelae vary from mild, self-limiting upper respiratory infection symptoms to severe respiratory distress, acute cardiopulmonary arrest and death. Otolaryngologists around the globe have reported a significant number of mild or otherwise asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 presenting with olfactory dysfunction. We present a case of COVID-19 resulting in intensive care unit (ICU) admission, presenting with the initial symptom of disrupted taste and flavour perception prior to respiratory involvement. After 4 days in the ICU and 6 days on the general medicine floor, our patient regained a majority of her sense of smell and was discharged with only lingering dysgeusia. In this paper, we review existing literature and the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 in relation to the reported symptoms of hyposmia, hypogeusia and dysgeusia.
Cascaded Plasma Mirrors for Enhanced Relativistic Harmonic Generation

Relativistic harmonic generation is a waveform-dependent process that can be enhanced by multi-color driving pulses. We experimentally demonstrate higher-efficiency harmonics from a plasma mirror cascade, where an initial plasma mirror produces the multi-color beam.
Executive Compensation and Short-Termist Behaviour in Speculative Markets

We present a multiperiod agency model of stock-based executive compensation in a speculative stock market, where investors have heterogeneous beliefs and stock prices may deviate from underlying fundamentals and include a speculative option component. This component arises from the option to sell the stock in the future to potentially overoptimistic investors. We show that optimal compensation contracts may emphasize short-term stock performance, at the expense of long-run fundamental value, as an incentive to induce managers to pursue actions which increase the speculative component in the stock price. Our model provides a different perspective on the recent corporate crisis than the “rent extraction view” of executive compensation. Copyright 2006, Wiley-Blackwell.
A Morphometric Analysis of Hamate Autograft for Proximal Scaphoid Reconstruction.

Objective Recently, authors have investigated using the proximal hamate as osteochondral autograft for proximal pole scaphoid reconstruction in the case of nonunion with avascular necrosis. The aim of our study was to analyze the morphology and anatomic fit of the proximal hamate compared with the proximal pole of the scaphoid using cadaveric specimens. Materials and Methods Ten cadaver specimens (five males and five females) were dissected. Scaphoid and proximal hamate bones were measured by two independent investigators using electronic calipers and radius of curvature gauges. After measurements were determined to have good correlation, the average value of the two observers' measurements were used for further analysis. Sagittal radius of curvature (ROC), coronal ROC, depth, width, and maximum graft length were compared. Results The average depth of the scaphoid proximal pole was 12.3 mm (standard deviation [SD] = 1.12) compared with 11.3 mm (SD = 1.24) for the proximal hamate (p = 0.36). The average width was 7.8 mm (SD = 1.00) in the scaphoids compared with 8.6 (SD = 1.05) in the hamates (p = 0.09). There was also no significant difference in the sagittal ROC between hamates (9.1 mm, SD = 1.13) and scaphoids (9.5 mm, SD = 0.84; p = 0.36). All of these average measurements were within 1 mm. There was a significant difference between the coronal ROC of the hamate (23.4 mm) and scaphoid (21.1 mm) bones in our samples (p = 0.03). Females were on average smaller than their males, but there was no significant difference in fit based on sex alone. Conclusion The proximal pole of the hamate has similar morphology and size as the scaphoid, with similar depth, width, and sagittal ROC. It has potential as an osteochondral autograft for proximal pole scaphoid reconstruction.
Things About a Highly Strung Evangelist, 1818–1838

About the family farm, boarding school, and chapel, the young Richard Congreve encountered conflicting social outlooks. He faced the radical thinking of farmhands, the severe conservativism of his father, and a rigid evangelical pedagogy at uncle Walter Bury’s French boarding school. Then at Rugby and Oxford, the young, socially awkward poet-historian embraced the idealism of Percy Bysshe Shelley, accepted the manly Christian duties of S. T. Coleridge, reflected on Robert Owen’s socialist utopias, and absorbed Thomas Arnold’s Broad Church thinking. These contrasts that he encountered as a student, shaped and shook his adolescent persona: the unbending evangelical. This chapter argues that Congreve’s study of history, utopias, and Christian virtue spoke to him of how the past experiences of life could light the way to a new, brighter future.
Rapid tranquilization of the agitated patient in the emergency department: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Safe and effective tranquilization of the acutely agitated patient is challenging, and head-to-head comparisons of medications are limited. We aimed to identify the most optimal agent(s) for rapid tranquilization of the severely agitated patient in the emergency department (ED). Methods The protocol for systematic review was registered (PROSPERO; CRD42020212534). We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Database/CENTRAL from inception to June 2, 2021. We limited studies to randomized controlled trials that enrolled adult ED patients with severe agitation and compared drugs for rapid tranquilization. Predetermined outcomes were: 1) Adequate sedation within 30 min (effectiveness), 2) Immediate, serious adverse event – cardiac arrest, ventricular tachydysrhythmia, endotracheal intubation, laryngospasm, hypoxemia, hypotension (safety), and 3) Time to adequate sedation (effect onset). We extracted data according to PRISMA-NMA and appraised trials using Cochrane RoB 2 tool. We performed Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method with random-effects model and vague prior distribution to calculate odds ratios with 95% credible intervals for dichotomous outcomes and frequentist NMA to calculate mean differences with 95% confidence intervals for continuous outcomes. We assessed confidence in results using CINeMA. We used surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) curves to rank agent(s) for each outcome. Results Eleven studies provided data for effectiveness (1142 patients) and safety (1147 patients). Data was insufficient for effect onset. The NMA found that ketamine (SUCRA = 93.0%) is most likely to have superior effectiveness; droperidol-midazolam (SUCRA = 78.8%) is most likely to be safest. There are concerns with study quality and imprecision. Quality of the point estimates varied for effectiveness but mostly rated “very low” for safety. Conclusions Available evidence suggests that ketamine and droperidol have intermediate effectiveness for rapid tranquilization of the severely agitated patient in the ED. There is insufficient evidence to definitively determine which agent(s) may be safest or fastest-acting. Further, direct-comparison study of ketamine and droperidol is recommended.
Importance Weight Sensitivity in the Hybrid Conjoint Model

This paper examines the issue of importance weight sensitivity in the hybrid conjoint model through empirical analysis of two real data sets.Specifically, the question of whether the retention of a subset of the total attributes is actually better from a prediction standpoint is addressed.
The role of carbohydrates in the biology of Cestodes. VI. The carbohydrates metabolized in vitro by some Cyclophyllidean species.

Abstract As indicated by manometric measurements of metabolism, Hymenolepis citelli and H. nana metabolize glucose and galactose but do not metabolize fructose, mannose, maltose, trehalose, lactose or sucrose. Using the same method of measurement, Cittotaenia sp. was found to metabolize glucose, galactose, maltose, and sucrose but does not metabolize fructose, mannose, lactose, or trehalose. Using a direct chemical procedure for measuring carbohydrate disappearance from the suspending medium, it was found that Mesocestoides latus utilizes glucose, galactose, and to a lesser extent, xylose. Fructose, mannose, maltose, trehalose, and lactose are not utilized to a significant extent by Mesocestoides. Cittotaenia sp. and Taenia taeniaeformis show a linear strobilar gradient in endogenous metabolic rate. The data obtained are briefly compared with similar data on other species of cestodes.
Dysanaptic growth of lung and airway in children with post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans.

Rationale Post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PBO) is a rare form of chronic obstructive lung disease associated with small airway fibrosis following a severe insult to the lower respiratory tract. It has been suggested that PBO is a non-progressive disease. However, evidence supporting this statement is limited. In this case series, we sought to determine the changes of pulmonary function tests (PFT) over time in children with PBO. Methods Seven children with PBO, ages 6–15 years old, were retrospectively studied between 1994 and 2012. Spirometry and lung volumes tests were performed in accordance with American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines and were monitored over time. The average rate of change was calculated using generalized linear mixed models. Results The median baseline values for forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), the FEV1/FVC ratio and forced expiratory flow 25%–75% (FEF25%–75%) were 57%, 50%, 87% and 29%, respectively. FVC increased at a rate of 1.8% per year (P = 0.008). There was no significant change in FEV1 over time (P = 0.112). However, the FEV1/FVC ratio decreased by 2.6% per year (P < 0.001). Conclusion PFT in childhood PBO was characterized by significant airway obstruction. Over time, FVC (lung parenchyma) increased and FEV1 (airway) remained stable, but FEV1/FVC ratio declined more than expected, suggesting a mismatch in the growth of the airway and lung parenchyma (dysanaptic growth). Further studies in larger populations are needed to validate these observations.
D2D communication underlay uplink cellular network with fractional frequency reuse

Embedding device-to-device (D2D) communication into a cellular network can benefit the entire system by efficiently reusing cellular licensed frequency resources[2][3]. However, the interference between D2D user equipments (DUEs) and cellular user equipments (CUEs) must be properly handled to realize the expected gain. Fractional frequency reuse (FFR) is a promising technique to mitigate the interference between DUEs and CUEs and hence improve the performance as well as reliability of the entire system [4]. In this paper, the coverage performance of both CUEs and DUEs are analyzed in an FFR based D2D underlay uplink cellular network. We model the spacial distribution of DUEs as a homogeneous Poisson Point Process (PPP), which can facilitate tractable mathematical coverage analysis. Theoretical analysis is validated by numerical results.
Molecular cloning of a cDNA for rat hepatic glutaminase. Sequence similarity to kidney-type glutaminase.

Mammalian liver possesses a unique isozyme of phosphate-activated glutaminase which plays an important role in the regulation of glutamine catabolism. Antibodies to hepatic glutaminase were used to screen a lambda gt11 rat liver cDNA library. One cDNA to hepatic glutaminase was identified. Changes in the relative abundance of hepatic glutaminase mRNA were determined by hybridization to this cDNA. The mRNA is found only in liver; it is not present prior to birth but its abundance increases dramatically at birth. The abundance of the mRNA is increased approximately 4-fold in diabetes. The sequence of the cDNA was compared to that recently published for kidney (brain)-type glutaminase (Banner, C., Hwang, J.-J., Shapiro, R.A., Wenthold, R.J., Nakatani, Y., Lampel, K.A., Thomas, J.W., Huie, D., and Curthoys, N.P. (1988) Mol. Brain Res. 3, 247-254). When the predicted amino acid sequences were compared a region of 123 amino acids with greater than 80% identity was found. The presence of scattered amino acid substitutions within stretches of identical amino acids suggests that the glutaminase isozymes are encoded by separate genes. This is the first demonstration of any similarity between the two glutaminases at the molecular level.
Purification of human melanocytes by monoclonal antibody combined with PercollTM gradients

Abstract Cultures of human melanocytes obtained by differential plating of human epidermal cells in 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) were purified using a monoclonal antibody R 24 which detects a restricted glycolipid antigen present on melanoma cells and melanocytes. Melanocytes were rosetted using protein A-conjugated human red blood cells and separated from non-rosetted ftbroblasts on discontinuous Percoll ™ gradients. 100% pure cultures of melanocytes obtained in this fashion were then successfully grown in tissue culture in the presence of PMA and cholera toxin for at least thirty passages (corresponding to approx. sixty cell doublings). We conclude that: 1. 1. Pure cultures of melanocytes are a prerequisite for the establishment of long-term cultures. 2. 2. Since most human melanomas express substantial levels of R 21 antigen, this method can be applied to purification of melanomas and can be easily adapted to separation of subpopulations of melanocytes and melanoma cells recognized by specific monoclonal antibodies.