cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical Context Detection using Wearable Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper presents the architecture of a wearable sensor network and a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) processing framework for stochastic identification of body postures and physical contexts. The key idea is to collect multi-modal sensor data from strategically placed wireless sensors over a human subject’s body segments, and to process that using HMM in order to identify the subject’s instantaneous physical context. The key contribution of the proposed multi-modal approach is a significant extension of traditional uni-modal accelerometry in which only the individual body segment movements, without their relative proximities and orientation modalities, is used for physical context identification. Through real-life experiments with body mounted sensors it is demonstrated that while the unimodal accelerometry can be used for differentiating activityintensive postures such as walking and running, they are not effective for identification and differentiation between lowactivity postures such as sitting, standing, lying down, etc. In the proposed system, three sensor modalities namely acceleration, relative proximity and orientation are used for context identification through Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based stochastic processing. Controlled experiments using human subjects are carried out for evaluating the accuracy of the HMMidentified postures compared to a naive threshold based mechanism over different human subjects.
Fungicide Resistance Assays for Fungal Plant Pathogens

Fungicide resistance assays are useful to determine if a fungal pathogen has developed resistance to a fungicide used to manage the disease it causes. Laboratory assays are used to determine loss of sensitivity, or resistance, to a fungicide and can explain fungicide failures and for developing successful fungicide recommendations in the field. Laboratory assays for fungicide resistance are conducted by measuring reductions in growth or spore germination of fungi in the presence of fungicide, or by molecular procedures. This chapter describes two techniques for measuring fungicide resistance, using the sugarbeet leaf spot fungus Cercospora beticola as a model for the protocol. Two procedures are described for fungicides from two different classes; growth reduction for triazole (sterol demethylation inhibitor; DMI) fungicides, and inhibition of spore germination for quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides.
Cambial Cell Characteristics

The shapes of cambial cells have been a matter of concern from the time they were first recognized. Braun (1854) described cambial cells simply as elongated elements with sloping walls and pointed ends. Nageli (1858) described them similarly, but added that the pointed ends had a tendency to grow in the direction of the axis. Radlkofer (1858) considered cambial cells to be long rectangles approaching the form of a “whetstone” with oblique end walls. Most dissension among workers concerned configuration of the end wall. Muller (1875–76), for example, argued that cambial cells took the form of a pointed fiber, a view contested by Velten (1875), who claimed that Muller’s cambial cells were actually differentiating fibers.
The Nature of Johnson’s Toryism

The twentieth century saw a great revival of interest in Samuel Johnson. For much of the previous century, he had been reduced to the central character of Boswell’s Life, and even then he was often viewed through the lens of Macaulay’s review: ‘The characteristic peculiarity of his intellect was the union of great powers with low prejudices … Many of his sentiments on religious subjects are worthy of a liberal and enlarged mind. He could discern clearly enough the folly and meanness of all bigotry except his own.’1 In the twentieth century, new generations of readers came to respect Johnson as a moralist and to admire the style that Macaulay had labelled ’systematically vicious’.2 This process of rehabilitation also led to an attempt to familiarize Johnson, to make him seem more like us. Johnson, we know from Boswell and others, was a Tory: but what exactly did that mean? For Donald Greene, not much. By the 1760s, Greene suggested, the term had been drained of all ideological content, and the true Johnson was not a Tory at all, but an empiricist in politics, ‘a hard-headed, skeptical, perfectly independent observer and reporter of the complex political scene of his time’.3 John Cannon and Nicholas Hudson saw in Johnson a pragmatic conservative, respectful of tradition and sceptical of abstract principles, in Cannon’s view a forerunner of Edmund Burke.4
Chromatographic Studies of Protein-Based Chiral Separations

The development of separation methods for the analysis and resolution of chiral drugs and solutes has been an area of ongoing interest in pharmaceutical research. The use of proteins as chiral binding agents in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been an approach that has received particular attention in such work. This report provides an overview of proteins that have been used as binding agents to create chiral stationary phases (CSPs) and in the use of chromatographic methods to study these materials and protein-based chiral separations. The supports and methods that have been employed to prepare protein-based CSPs will also be discussed and compared. Specific types of CSPs that are considered include those that employ serum transport proteins (e.g., human serum albumin, bovine serum albumin, and alpha1-acid glycoprotein), enzymes (e.g., penicillin G acylase, cellobiohydrolases, and α-chymotrypsin) or other types of proteins (e.g., ovomucoid, antibodies, and avidin or streptavidin). The properties and applications for each type of protein and CSP will also be discussed in terms of their use in chromatography and chiral separations.
The Economic Ramifications of Article 50: Will the United Kingdom Ever Leave the EU? (Table of Contents)

Negotiating power remains a key point when it comes to deciding how soon – or if ever, the United Kingdom does decide to “exit” from the European Union. With great uncertainty resulting from the quite unexpected outcome of the 23rd June 2016 Referendum – in addition to the shock of the resignation of the then Prime Minister – and several turbulent weeks which followed in the bid to quickly find a successor in the aftermath of such a shock, it was quite some relief when it appeared that some degree of stability and certainty would be restored to the economy. Several weeks and indeed even months, of uncertainty were however, also anticipated in order for calm to be restored to troubled waters. It was therefore quite surprising when “snap elections” were announced – however, these – just like the announcement of the 2016 Referendum, had been expected to favor the Government. Even though it is widely believed that the United Kingdom will eventually leave the European Union, the outcome of negotiations should surely place it in a better economic position in order to justify its decision to leave? If the opportunity is provided – as its currently appears, for a re-think in “Brexit” to be granted, there is also every possibility that such opportunity might be seized – upon realization that an eventually “bad deal” might be struck. Vital issues and immense legislative changes remain to be addressed during the negotiations process – particularly such pivotal points as sovereignty, the very important role and contribution of the monarchy to the economy – as well as possibilities that Scotland may decide to leave the United Kingdom in the event that a decision is made to leave the European Union. For these very reasons, successful negotiating outcomes will be dependent, amongst other considerations, not only on the ability to retain the role and benefits derived from a very important monarchy, but also in ensuring that the triggering of Article 50 does not leave the United Kingdom as a divided one – without Scotland.
Profane Concerns in Sacred Spaces: The Challenges and Consequences of Implementing Security Measures in Religious Congregations

ABSTRACTReligious congregations represent a target for both street and bias-motivated crimes. Addressing these risks presents a challenge, as security measures could undermine the intended social r...
Skilled and Satisfied: Research Findings regarding Executive Pastors

Three hundred one executive pastors from Baptist churches with a weekly Sunday school average of at least 1,000 people participated in a study designed to determine correlations between administrat...
Spontaneous regression of a large calcified thoracic disk extrusion

Although spontaneous regression of herniated disk material has been reported in the lumbar and cervical spine, reports of complete spontaneous regression of calcified thoracic disk herniations are exceedingly rare. In symptomatic patients, surgery is typically the treatment of choice; however, conservative therapy with surveillance may allow time for spontaneous resolution and potentially avoid high-risk surgery. We report a 40-year-old woman with complete spontaneous resolution of a large calcified thoracic disk extrusion with conservative management over an 8-month period.
Epigenetics and Epigenomic Studies in Asthma

Over 235 million people worldwide suffer from asthma and it is the most common chronic disease among children. As a reversible airway disease, asthma is very heterogeneous due to the complex interactions between host genotype and environmental exposures. The epigenome provides an intriguing pathway through which environmental exposures modifies gene function and contribute to disease risk. In this chapter, I reviewed recent studies demonstrating that epigenetic variation plays an important role in asthma development and severity, possibly through interactions with genetic variations and gene expression. The utilization of epigenetic variation in combination with clinical phenotypes and other molecular markers in separating asthma patient subgroups has been suggested.
Identifying and initiating intervention for elder abuse and neglect in the emergency department

Elder abuse and neglect are common and may have serious medical and social consequences but are infrequently identified. An emergency department (ED) visit represents a unique but usually missed opportunity to identify potential abuse and initiate intervention. ED assessment should include observation of patient-caregiver interaction, comprehensive medical history, and head-to-toe physical examination. Formal screening protocols may also be useful. ED providers concerned about elder abuse or neglect should document their findings in detail. ED interventions for suspected or confirmed elder abuse or neglect include treatment of acute medical, traumatic, and psychological issues; ensuring patient safety; and reporting to the authorities.
Early Onset Familial Alzheimer's Disease: Is a Mutation Predictive of Pathology?

In patients with familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) with early onset, mutations have been identified in three genes: Presenilin 1 (PS1), Presenilin 2 (PS2) and amyloid protein precursor (APP). Although many different mutations have been recorded for each gene, in most cases the clinical picture is typical of AD, with earlier onset than in sporadic AD. The question of whether mutations in these genes invariably predict AD pathology is the subject of this review. Almost all mutations in APP, PS1 and PS2 promote the development of neuropathological findings of AD, with deposition of amyloid beta protein (Aβ) to form prominent amyloid pathology. Progress has been made in correlating the effects of mutations on species of Aβ with vascular versus parenchymal deposition of Aβ. There are some exceptions to what appears to be an otherwise inevitable relationship. First, a few innocent mutations in APP and PS1 have been described. Second, in rare families with PS1 mutations, there are mutation-bearing individuals who may have escaped clinical disease. Third, some APP mutations alter the sequence of Aβ and lead to severe angiopathy with hemorrhage, rather than the plaques and tangles of AD. Finally, some families with fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) have shown PS1 mutations. Although neuropathologic studies are limited at present, the FTD association raises questions about whether amyloidogenic disease pathways are the only mechanisms that lead to neuropathological changes in early onset AD with presinilin (PS) mutations.
Perturbations of Order (δR)2

Brown, we recall, in commencing his computation of the inequalities due to the direct and indirect actions of the planets and the figures of the Earth and Moon, proposed to neglect, pro tem, quantities of the order (δR)2
Pharmacokinetic Considerations with the Use of Antiepileptic Drugs in Patients with HIV and Organ Transplants

Antiepileptic drugs are frequently administered to patients with HIV infection or in recipients of organ transplants. The potentially serious drug-drug interactions between the “classic” antiepileptic drugs, antiretrovirals, and immunosuppressants have been extensively studied. Evidence-based information on the second and third generation of antiepileptic drugs is almost non-existent. The purpose of this review is to analyze the pharmacokinetic profile of these newer agents to assess their potential for drug interactions with antiretrovirals and immunosuppressants. As a group, the newer generations of antiepileptic drugs have shown a more favorable drug interaction potential compared to the “classic” ones. A group of moderate enzyme-inducing drugs includes eslicarbazepine acetate, oxcarbazepine, rufinamide, and topiramate. These drugs are not as potent inducers as the “classic” drugs but may potentially decrease the serum concentrations of some antiretrovirals and immunosuppressants. Antiepileptic drugs with no or minimal enzyme-inducing properties include brivaracetam, gabapentin, lacosamide, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, perampanel, pregabalin, and vigabatrin. The newer generations of antiepileptic drugs have expanded the therapeutic options in patients with HIV infection or organ transplants.
Water, anxiety, and the human niche: a study in Southern Province, Zambia

Water (in)security is increasingly recognized as a global threat driven by population increase, water (mis)management, and global climate change. This is particularly true for Sub-Saharan Africa wh...
Influence of γ-Glutamyl Transpeptidase Inactivation on the Status of Extracellular Glutathione and Glutathione Conjugates

Glutathione-S-transferases, which catalyze the conjugation of GSH* with a large number of electrophilic chemicals, have been studied extensively as indicated by the recent review of Chasseaud, 1979. Neither the intermediary fate of these glutathione-Sconjugates nor the extent of extrahepatic sites for the initial hydrolytic reaction catalyzed by γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (EC 2.3. 2.2) is well understood. Biliary excretion of glutathione-Sconjugates from the liver can be quantitative in some instances (Wahllander and Sies, 1979). While GSH may be released from the liver to the systemic circulation, both GSH and GSSG appear to be excreted via the bile (Sies et al., 1978). A majority of the systemic glutathione appears to be degraded extracellularly by the kidney (Hahn et al., 1978; Haberle et al., 1979). In contrast, biliary glutathione and glutathione-S-conjugates may be substrates for γ-glutamyl transpeptidase located in canalicular plasma membranes, plasma membrane of biliary duct epithelial cells (Rutenberg et al., 1969; Tanaka, 1974) and intestinal mucosal cells (Grafstrom et al., 1980).
Endovascular techniques in the treatment of extracranial carotid artery aneurysms.

Abstract Objective Carotid artery aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms (extracranial carotid artery aneurysm [ECCAs]) are relatively rare. The gold standard treatment has historically been open repair; however, there is increasing evidence of successful treatment of ECCAs with endovascular techniques. Our study examines the evolving experience with endovascular management of ECCAs at a tertiary care center. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with ECCAs who underwent endovascular interventions at a single institution from 2010 to 2020. With increasing experience, the techniques evolved from covered stents to stent-assisted coil embolization and finally to braided stents and overlapping closed cell stents. Results There were 18 ECCAs in 17 patients treated with endovascular modalities. The average age was 65.9 years. There were 11 males (64.7%). Seven aneurysms (38.9%) were symptomatic: three patients had painless pulsatile masses, three patients had painful pulsatile masses, and one had transient ischemia attacks. Two (11.1%) were treated with covered stents, 2 (11.1%) were treated with stent-assisted embolization, 2 (11.1%) were treated with flow-diverting braided stents, 10 (55.6%) were treated with overlapping bare metal stents, and 2 (11.1%) were treated with embolization or ligation alone. Technical success was achieved in all patients. The mean duration of follow up was 338 days (range, 8-3039 days). No perioperative or postoperative complications were encountered, including no neurologic deficits and no embolic events. All patients were discharged on postoperative day 1 or 2. All 16 stents (100%) retained vessel patency on follow-up imaging and exclusion of ECCAs was confirmed on postprocedure surveillance imaging. Conclusions Endovascular modalities for the management of ECCAs have evolved with experience. Our study suggests that endovascular management is technically feasible as well as clinically effective and suggests an algorithm for navigating the various treatment modalities.
Migrating eastern North Pacific gray whale call and blow rates estimated from acoustic recordings, infrared camera video, and visual sightings

During the eastern North Pacific gray whale 2014-2015 southbound migration, acoustic call recordings, infrared blow detections, and visual sightings were combined to estimate cue rates, needed to convert detections into abundance. The gray whale acoustic call rate ranged from 2.3-24 calls/whale/day during the peak of the southbound migration with an average of 7.5 calls/whale/day over both the southbound and northbound migrations. The average daily calling rate increased between 30 December-13 February. With a call rate model, we estimated that 4,340 gray whales migrated south before visual observations began on 30 December, which is 2,829 more gray whales than used in the visual estimate, and would add approximately 10% to the abundance estimate. We suggest that visual observers increase their survey effort to all of December to document gray whale presence. The infrared camera blow rate averaged 49 blows/whale/hour over 5-8 January. Probability of detection of a whale blow by the infrared camera was the same at night as during the day. However, probability of detection decreased beyond 2.1 km offshore, whereas visual sightings revealed consistent whale densities up to 3 km offshore. We suggest that future infrared camera surveys use multiple cameras optimised for different ranges offshore.
Quasiclassical modeling of cavity quantum electrodynamics

We model a collection of $N$ two-level systems (TLSs) coupled to a multimode cavity via Meyer-Miller-Stock-Thoss (MMST) dynamics, sampling both electronic and photonic zero-point energies (ZPEs) and propagating independent trajectories in Wigner phase space. By investigating the ground-state stability of a single TLS, we use MMST dynamics to separately study both electronic ZPE effects (which would naively lead to the breakdown of the electronic ground state) and photonic ZPE effects (which would naively lead to spontaneous absorption). By contrast, including both effects, i.e., sampling both electronic and photonic ZPEs, leads to the dynamical stability of the electronic ground state. Therefore, MMST dynamics provides a practical way to identify the contributions of self-interaction and vacuum fluctuations. More importantly, we find that MMST dynamics can predict accurate quantum dynamics for both electronic populations and electromagnetic field intensity in the high saturation limit. For a single TLS in a cavity, MMST dynamics correctly predicts the initial exponential decay of spontaneous emission, Poincar\'e recurrences, and the positional dependence of a spontaneous emission rate. For an array of $N$ equally spaced TLSs with only one TLS excited initially, MMST dynamics correctly predicts the modification of spontaneous emission rate as a function of the spacing between TLSs. Finally, MMST dynamics also correctly models Dicke's superradiance and subradiance, i.e., the dynamics when all TLSs are excited initially, including the correct quantum statistics for the delay time (as found by counting trajectories, for which a full quantum simulation is hard to achieve). Therefore, this work raises the possibility of simulating large-scale collective light-matter interactions with methods beyond mean-field theory.
Research on Clearing Model of Long-Term Transaction Considering Matching Degree between Generation and Load

With the development of new energy and flexible load, there are many kinds of power and load characters in the power grid. It’s necessary to considerate the similarity between generation output and load when it’s market clearing. First, similarity analysis of generation-load curve based on the grey correlation degree is introduced, correlation between power generation enterprises and power users can be calculated. Then, market clearing model is built. market clearing mechanism is set which considering the matching degree between generation and load. The technological process of market clearing is given. Last, the effectiveness of the proposed clearing model is verified by an example.
Salmonella infection as a food industry problem.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the genus Salmonella, which is the most important cause of the infection type of food poisoning. In this chapter the problem is discussed primarily from the standpoint of the presence of these bacteria as contaminants of food and their potential abilities to cause illness in man and other animals and the role to be played by veterinarians, food technologists, farmers, and public health agencies in minimizing food poisoning. The chapter presents the basis for the antigenic classification of the Salmonella which is universally known as the Kauffmann-White schema. Classification according to this system is based on the antigenic structure of the organisms. It tabulates representative examples of the Salmonella types according to the standard procedure. A brief discussion of the techniques for isolation and typing of cultures from food products has been given. The problem of contamination of foods by the Salmonellae resolves itself into methods by which they gain access to the food, length of survival time on or in it under varying conditions, and dosage required to produce symptoms in man and animals.
Utilization of guideline-directed medical therapy in patients with de novo heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: A Veterans Affairs study.

Background: The utilization of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) significantly reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Previous studies have documented the underutilization of GDMT in HFrEF. The present study aimed to determine reasons for underutilization and achievement of target doses of GDMT in patients with de novo diagnosis of HFrEF. Methods: Patients presenting with de novo HFrEF at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center were included. Baseline demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic data were collected. The utilization of target doses of GDMT was assessed at the time of discharge and 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Results: Of the 95 patients who met the criteria for de novo HFrEF, 48 were included in the final analysis. Dose titration of either beta-blocker or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEi/ARB) was attempted in 20 patients (42%) at 1 month, 21 patients (44%) at 3 months, 13 patients (27%) at 6 months, and 14 patients (29%) at 12 months. Nine (19%) patients were on a target dose of beta-blockers and three (6%) patients were on a target dose of an ACEi/ARB at 12 months. The most common reasons for underutilization were patient-level factors, such as hypotension, acute kidney injury/hyperkalemia, and patient noncompliance. Conclusions: Utilization and achievement of target doses of GDMT were suboptimal among patients discharged with de novo HFrEF during a 1-year follow-up. Although patient factors may limit the up-titration of therapies, concerted efforts are needed to support primary care physicians in improving adherence to target doses of GDMT in patients with HFrEF.
UV-assisted direct ink write printing of fully aromatic Poly(amide imide)s: Elucidating the influence of an acrylic scaffold

Abstract High performance engineering thermoplastics exhibit excellent thermomechanical performance and chemical resistance, however, the rigid polymeric main chains that are derived from highly or fully aromatic repeating units impose processing challenges. The design of photo-reactive precursors now enables additive manufacturing of poly(amide imide) (PAI) precursor organo-gels via UV-assisted direct ink write (DIW) printing. Solution rheology revealed prerequisite high solution viscosities and shear thinning behavior of organic solutions of the PAI precursors. Additionally, photorheology of PAI precursors exhibited rapid gelation and high gel strengths, enabling production of self-supporting organo-gels that are necessary for successful DIW. Thermal post-treatment of the printed organo-gels revealed isotropic linear shrinkage as low as 26% during drying and imidization. The reduced chain rigidity of the poly(amide imide), relative to fully-aromatic polyimides, prevented quantitative thermal removal of the poly (hydroxyethyl acrylate) (poly(HEA)) scaffold, resulting in a decreased glass transition temperature (263 °C) relative to commercial PAI (290 °C). Moreover, crosslinking of the PHEA during thermal imidization limited scaffold removal upon solvent extraction, however, suggested the formation of novel multiphase polymers. Selective dissolution of the PAI from the crosslinked PHEA enabled assessment of the role of the scaffold on thermomechanical properties and characterization of printed PAI. Spectroscopic and thermal analysis confirmed the formation of the desired PAI composition with this photochemical synthetic method.
Properties of Schemes

It is immediately apparent from the definition, and the basic examples we studied, that the concept of a scheme is far more general than the concept of a variety as introduced in Chap. 1, just as a topological space is much more general than a subset of \(\mathbb {R}^n\). What are the properties of schemes we should study?
76. Hematocolpos caused by Vulvovaginal Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Background One of the mainstays of treatment of Diamond-Blackfan anemia after failure of initial supportive care is allogeneic transplantation. Of the many sequelae of allogeneic hematopoetic stem cell transplantation in female survivors, graft-vs-host disease of the vulva and vagina remains one of the most common and destructive to quality of life. Labial fusion and adhesions, urethral obstruction, vaginal scarring and more uncommon - hematocolpos - are some of the presentations of severe disease. In this case report, we will discuss the treatment hematocolpos as a sequelae of GVHD following allogeneic transplantation. Case 16 year old with Diamond-Blackfan anemia status post HLA-matched unrelated donor bone marrow transplant presented 7 months post-transplant with 2 days of low abdominal pain. Pain was 8/10, intermittent, nonradiating, worse with movement and completion of urination and improved with heat packs and oral pain medication. Menarche was at age 15, and she experienced one period prior to transplant which lasted 4 days with moderate flow and no pain. Pretransplant, she had received Depot Lupron and then maintained on norethindrone acetate 5mg daily which was increased after she developed breakthrough bleeding following transplant and then stopped taking 4 months after transplant. Following transplant, she developed secondary amenorrhea consistent with hypothalamic suppression. On presentation, she had GVHD with skin, oral and ocular involvement, normal abdominal exam and a pelvic exam with Tanner stage IV development, labia majora without posterior fusion, rugation, or hyperpigmentation, and labia minora without adhesions or lesions. The distal vagina was present with patent hymen, and a Q-tip was unable to be passed beyond 2cm into the vagina. Transvaginal ultrasound was notable for a complex cystic lesion continuous with the uterine edometrium and upper vagina, demonstrating an air-fluid level measuring 5.9 × 5.9 × 5.4cm, consistent with moderate hematocolpos. Left and right ovaries unremarkable. MRI corroborated these findings. She has undergone 3 separate exams under anesthesia with lysis of adhesions but remains nonadherent to topical steroid or estrogen therapy. She takes continuous combined pills for menstrual suppression. Comments This patient highlights an uncommon instance of stenotic vaginal, without vulvar, GVHD. With an absence of external symptoms of GVHD on her genitals, diagnosis may have been delayed. The patient's discomfort with topical therapy necessitates the use of alternative treatment options, which are limited. Menstrual suppression addresses the hematocolpos, but does not address the adhesions, which may impair both future sexual intimacy and overall quality of life.
Delinquency as a consequence of parental warmth and self-efficacy: Total sample and individual male and female mediation analyses

Abstract Introduction This study's purpose was to investigate the mediating effect of parental control self-efficacy on the parental warmth → child delinquency relationship in the mothers and fathers of early to mid-adolescent youth in a test of performance accomplishments as a prelude to parental self-efficacy. Methods Parental warmth and control self-efficacy estimates, representing parental support and control, respectively, were provided by the mothers and fathers of 3934 (2010 boys, 1924 girls) youth from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) and self-reported delinquency was obtained from the child. Results As predicted, parental control self-efficacy mediated the relationship between parental warmth and child delinquency, whereas parental warmth did not mediate the relationship between parental self-efficacy and child delinquency. When analyses were performed separately for boys and girls, the father warmth → father self-efficacy → child delinquency pathway achieved the most consistent results in boys and the mother warmth → mother self-efficacy → child delinquency pathway achieved the only significant effect in girls. Conclusions These results suggest that performance accomplishments, as characterized by a warm parent–child relationship, led to enhanced parental control self-efficacy, which, in turn, served to inhibit future delinquency in the child, thereby lending credence to a social cognitive learning theory interpretation of the parental support–control interface.
Bypassing the Enemy: Distributive Politics, Credit Claiming, and Nonstate Organizations in Brazil

How do incumbents prevent the opposition from claiming credit for government programs? The received scholarly wisdom is that central government authorities favor copartisans in lower tiers of gover...
Analysis of antibody responses after COVID-19 vaccination in liver transplant recipients and those with chronic liver diseases.

Background & Aims Liver transplant (LT) recipients or other immunocompromised patients were not included in the registration trials studying the efficacy of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Although the clinical efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised patients is unknown, many societies have recommended vaccination of this highly vulnerable patient population. Methods In this prospective study, we determined antibody responses to spike protein, 4 weeks after the 2nd dose of mRNA vaccines or after the single dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, in LT recipients and those with chronic liver disease (CLD) with and without cirrhosis. Results Of the 233 patients enrolled so far, 62 were LT recipients, 79 had cirrhosis (10 decompensated) and 92 had CLD without cirrhosis. Antibody titers were defined as undetectable ( 250 U/ml). Of the 62 patients who had LT, antibody levels were undetectable in 11 patients and suboptimal (median titer 17.6, range 0.47–212 U/ml) in 27 patients. Among 79 patients with cirrhosis, 3 had undetectable antibody levels and 15 had suboptimal (median titer 41.3, range 0.49–221 U/L) antibody responses. Of the 92 patients without cirrhosis, 4 had undetectable antibody levels and 19 had suboptimal (median titer 95.5, range 4.9–234 U/L) antibody responses. Liver transplantation, use of 2 or more immunosuppression medications and vaccination with a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were associated with poor immune response on multivariable analysis. No patient had any serious adverse events. Conclusions Poor antibody responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were seen in 61% of LT recipients and 24% of those with CLD. Lay summary The clinical efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised patients is unknown. We performed a prospective study to evaluate immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson) in 62 liver transplant recipients, 79 patients with cirrhosis and 92 with chronic liver diseases without cirrhosis. We found that 17.8% of liver transplant recipients, 3.8% of those with cirrhosis and 4.3% of those with chronic liver diseases without cirrhosis had undetectable antibody levels. In total, 61.3% of liver transplant recipients and 24% of those with chronic liver diseases (with or without cirrhosis) had poor antibody responses (undetectable or suboptimal). Liver transplantation, use of immunosuppressive medications and vaccination with a single dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine were associated with poor antibody responses when adjusted for other factors.
Magnetic Resonance and Relaxation: A Probe of the Phonon Spectrum

The resonance relaxation process is sensitive to the occupation of phonon states with energies much greater than kT. There is no method currently known to the author for the determination of the lifetime of these vibrational states. It is shown how the phonon bottleneck of the resonance relaxation process can be used to determine the anharmonic (frequency shifting) lifetime of these high energy phonons.
A modified microassay for human macrophage activation. I. Activation by antigen-stimulated lymphocytes and correlation with delayed hypersensitivity.

Abstract The degree of activation of glass-adherent human blood monocyte-macrophages cultured with autologous lymphocytes was assessed by measurement of [ 14 C]glucosamine uptake. In the absence of streptokinase-streptodornase (SK-SD) or purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) minimal incorporation of the labeled compound occurred. Enhanced glucosamine uptake in the presence of antigen was positively correlated with cell donor-delayed skin hypersensitivity (PPD) and in vitro lymphoproliferative response (PPD, SK-SD). Increasing antigen or mononuclear cell concentrations resulted in increasing macrophage glucosamine uptake. Lymphoblasts, cell clumping, and macrophages with prominent pseudopodia were seen on stained monolayers of stimulated cells. Radioautography of such monolayers showed that the radiolabel was present only in mononuclear phagocytes. Adherent cell protein also generally increased in stimulated monolayers but did not account for the enhanced glucosamine uptake. Measurement of radioactive glucosamine incorporation into human macrophages is a useful tool to assess their degree of activation by lymphocytes stimulated by specific antigen.
Stimulation of DNA synthesis and c-fos expression in corneal endothelium by insulin or insulin-like growth factor-I.

PURPOSE: To study the growth regulation of bovine corneal endothelium, the effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I on the expression of the c-fos proto-oncogene as well as on DNA synthesis were analyzed. Bovine corneal endothelial cells were also analyzed for the presence of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I receptors. METHODS: Indirect immunofluorescence was used to assess the effect of stimulation by insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I on c-fos protein expression and DNA synthesis quiescent bovine corneal endothelium. Receptor number was determined by 125I-insulin or 125I-IGF-I binding studies. RESULTS: Fetal bovine serum strongly stimulated c-fos protein expression and DNA synthesis. Insulin-like growth factor-I was less effective while insulin was effective only at high concentrations. Scatchard analysis of 125I-insulin-like growth factor-I and 125I-insulin binding to bovine corneal endothelium revealed 180,000 IGF-I receptors and 7,000 insulin receptors. CONCLUSION: The number of insulin-like growth factor-I receptors far exceeds the number of insulin receptors in bovine corneal endothelium, suggesting that the effects of insulin on c-fos gene expression and mitogenesis were likely to be mediated through the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor.
Coordinating information using genres

In this paper, we demonstrate how a community may use genres for coordinating information. Genres help coordinate information related to resources, place and time since members in the community have enacted genres in the past and have expectations of the socially recognized information that genres bring. Using the HICSS website, we illustrate that genres are used for coordinating information addressing aspects of coordination mechanisms such as divisibility, concurrency, accessibility and timing that help people improve the coordination of work processes. We model these aspects using the Process Handbook, a process knowledge repository developed at MIT, and suggest that system designers and users may benefit from an explicit recognition of the coordination provided by using genres and by exploration of similar coordination through the use of this repository.
Regional Variation in Medical Systems Data: Influences on Upcoding

Attempts to minimize over-reimbursement to health care providers have resulted in highly publicized prosecution of health care providers and provider organizations. Such prosecution has led many to propose that upcoding influences exerted upon health care information managers would largely disappear, both within and external to the provider organization. This study seeks to examine the degree of both intra- and extraorganizational influences on reimbursement optimizing practices through a national survey of accredited health information managers. Results suggest that significant upcoding influence continues to occur within organizations, despite the risk of severe counterfraud penalties designed to eliminate such practices. We examine variation in intra- and extraorganizational optimizing influences, finding such influence was found to exist both within and external to the provider organization. We also examine how optimization influences vary across demographic, practice setting, and market characteristics. We find significant variation in influence across practice settings and managed care markets. Ramifications for reimbursement assessment are discussed.
MicroRNAs as Biomarkers in Solid Organ Transplantation

Important progress has been made in improving short-term outcomes in solid organ transplantation. However, long-term outcomes have not improved during the last decades. There is a critical need for biomarkers of donor quality, early diagnosis of graft injury and treatment response. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small single-stranded noncoding RNAs that function through translational repression of specific target mRNAs. MiRNA expression has been associated with different diseases and physiological conditions. Moreover, miRNAs have been detected in different biological fluids and these circulating miRNAs can distinguish diseased individuals from healthy controls. The noninvasive nature of circulating miRNA detection, their disease specificity and the availability of accurate techniques for detecting and monitoring these molecules has encouraged a pursuit of miRNA biomarker research and the evaluation of specific applications in the transplant field. miRNA expression might develop as excellent biomarkers of allograft injury and function. In this minireview, we summarize the main accomplishments of recently published reports focused on the identification of miRNAs as biomarkers in organ quality, ischemia-reperfusion injury, acute rejection, tolerance and chronic allograft dysfunction emphasizing their mechanistic and clinical potential applications and describing their methodological limitations.
Estrogen-Induced Activation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Cerebral Cortical Explants: Convergence of Estrogen and Neurotrophin Signaling Pathways

We have shown that estrogen elicits a selective enhancement of the growth and differentiation of axons and dendrites (neurites) in the developing CNS. We subsequently demonstrated widespread colocalization of estrogen and neurotrophin receptors (trk) within developing forebrain neurons and reciprocal transcriptional regulation of these receptors by their ligands. Using organotypic explants of the cerebral cortex, we tested the hypothesis that estrogen/neurotrophin receptor coexpression also may result in convergence or cross-coupling of their signaling pathways. Estradiol elicited rapid (within 5-15 min) tyrosine phosphorylation/activation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, ERK1 and ERK2, that persisted for at least 2 hr. This extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) activation was inhibited successfully by the MEK1 inhibitor PD98059, but not by the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI 182,780, and did not appear to result from estradiol-induced activation of trk. Furthermore, we also found that estradiol elicited an increase in B-Raf kinase activity. The latter and subsequent downstream events leading to ERK activation may be a consequence of our documentation of a multimeric complex consisting of, at least, the ER, hsp90, and B-Raf. These novel findings provide an alternative mechanism for some of the estrogen actions in the developing CNS and could explain not only some of the very rapid effects of estrogen but also the ability of estrogen and neurotrophins to regulate the same broad array of cytoskeletal and growth-associated genes involved in neurite growth and differentiation.
Males and females respond differently to controllability and antidepressant treatment.

Background Women are much more likely to suffer from stress-related mental illness than men; yet few, if any, animal models for such sex differences exist. Previously, we reported that exposure to an acute stressor enhances learning in male rats yet severely impairs learning in female rats. Here, we tested whether these opposite effects in males versus females could be prevented by establishing control over the stressor or by antidepressant treatment. Methods Learning was assessed using the hippocampal-dependent task of trace eyeblink conditioning. In the first experiment, groups of male and female rats were exposed to controllable or uncontrollable stress and trained. In a second experiment, they were exposed to an uncontrollable stressor after chronic treatment with the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac). In a final experiment, females were exposed to uncontrollable stress after acute treatment with fluoxetine. Results Establishing control over the stressful experience eliminated the detrimental effect of stress on learning in females as well as the enhancing effect of stress in males. Moreover, chronic but not acute treatment with fluoxetine prevented the learning deficit in females after exposure to stress. Treatment with fluoxetine did not alter the male response to stress. Conclusions These data indicate that males and females not only respond in opposite directions to the same stressful event but also respond differently to controllability and antidepressant treatments.
Patterns of regional failure in stage III non-small cell lung cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and resection.

Abstract Purpose Treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) involves definitive chemoradiation therapy (CRT) or neoadjuvant CRT and resection, but radiation treatment volumes remain in question. With CRT, involved-field radiation therapy (IFRT) is replacing elective nodal irradiation, reducing toxicity, and allowing dose escalation. However, prior reports of IFRT describe failures only after radical CRT; with improved local control after resection, IFRT may lead to more regional recurrences. Our objective is to evaluate pattern-of-failure in patients with LA-NSCLC treated with split-course IFRT, chemotherapy, and subsequent surgery. Methods and Materials Patients treated between December 2004 and 2010 were included. Imaging scans demonstrating failure were fused into the radiation therapy planning computed tomography, and recurrent nodes were contoured to determine pattern-of-failure (involved versus elective nodal failure [INF vs ENF]). Locoregional progression-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival were calculated using Kaplan-Meier methodology. The cumulative incidence of regional recurrence (CIRR) was determined with death as a competing risk. Results Forty-five patients met inclusion criteria, and patients with RR had a lower rate of pN0 than those without RR (20% vs 60%, P = .02). With a median follow-up of 2.9 years, median survival was not reached, and 3-year locoregional progression-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival were 53% and 35%, respectively. Two and 3-year CIRR were 25% and 33%, respectively. There were no local failures. Thirteen (29%) patients had RR, 8 with INF only and 5 with ENF alone or both, totaling 27 recurrences. Only 2 (4%) ENF occurred without INF, both with distant metastasis, and no elective node was the first and only site of failure. Conclusions Our data suggest that IFRT does not compromise regional control in the neoadjuvant management of LA-NSCLC. Tailoring nodal volumes may improve treatment-related morbidity and allow for dose intensification of involved nodes. Further research is necessary to improve regional and distant control.
Amniotic fluid concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase 9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 during pregnancy and labor.

Abstract Objective: This study was undertaken to determine whether obstetric factors affect the concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase 9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 in the amniotic fluid. Study Design: We prospectively collected amniotic fluid samples from 109 women at various stages of pregnancy and labor and determined matrix metalloproteinase 9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 concentrations by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent sandwich assay systems. With multiple regression analysis we evaluated relationships between amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase 9 concentration and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 concentration and the following factors: gestational age, presence of labor, cervical dilatation, membrane status, presence of clinical chorioamnionitis, and microbial colonization of the amniotic fluid. Results: The detectable presence of amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase 9 was independently associated with intra-amniotic infection, labor, cervical dilatation, and spontaneous rupture of membranes. Chorioamnionitis and amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase 9 concentrations were correlated with tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 levels. Conclusions: Intra-amniotic infection, advanced labor, and rupture of membranes before the onset of labor were independently associated with the presence of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in the amniotic fluid. Both pathologic and physiologic processes appear to produce shifts in the balance between degradation and synthesis of the extracellular matrix. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;184:159-64.)