cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cost effectiveness of an internet-delivered lifestyle intervention in primary care patients with high cardiovascular risk.

Abstract Objective To assess the cost-effectiveness of an online adaptation of the diabetes prevention program (ODPP) lifestyle intervention. Methods ODPP was a before–after evaluation of a weight loss intervention comprising 16 weekly and 8 monthly lessons, incorporating behavioral tools and regular, brief, web-based individualized counseling in an overweight/obese cohort (mean age 52, 76% female, 92% white, 28% with diabetes). A Markov model was developed to estimate ODPP cost effectiveness compared with usual care (UC) to reduce metabolic risk over 10 years. Intervention costs and weight change outcomes were obtained from the study; other model parameters were based on published reports. In the model, diabetes risk was a function of weight change with and without the intervention. Results Compared to UC, the ODPP in our cohort cost $14,351 and $29,331 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained from the health care system and societal perspectives, respectively. In a hypothetical cohort without diabetes, the ODPP cost $7777 and $18,263 per QALY gained, respectively. Results were robust in sensitivity analyses, but enrolling cohorts with lower annual risk of developing diabetes (≤ 1.8%), enrolling fewer participants (≤ 15), or increasing the hourly cost (≥$91.20) or annual per-participant time (≥ 1.45 h) required for technical support could increase ODPP cost to >$20,000 per QALY gained. In probabilistic sensitivity analyses, ODPP was cost-effective in 20–58% of model iterations using an acceptability threshold of $20,000, 73–92% at $50,000, and 95–99% at $100,000 per QALY gained. Conclusions The ODPP may offer an economical approach to combating overweight and obesity.
Dopamine and neurotensin storage in colocalized and noncolocalized neuronal populations.

The effects of reserpine on dopamine (DA) and neurotensin (NT) levels were studied in four different brain regions of the rat. Reserpine (0.5-5.0 mg/kg i.p., 6, 18, 48 and 72 hr) produced a dose- and time-dependent decrease in both DA and NT levels in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region innervated by a mixed DA/NT projection. The effect of reserpine was not mimicked by alpha-methylparatyrosine (200 mg/kg i.p.) pretreatment. Furthermore, the reserpine-induced decline in prefrontal cortex DA and NT levels occurred after gamma-butyrolactone (GBL)-induced inhibition of impulse flow (750 mg/kg i.p.). In contrast, in the nucleus accumbens and striatum, regions which contain colocalized (nucleus accumbens) and intrinsic (striatum and nucleus accumbens) neurotensin perikarya, reserpine produced declines in DA and increases in NT levels. alpha-Methylparatyrosine decreased striatal and nucleus accumbens DA levels without altering NT levels in these structures. GBL produced an increase in DA levels in the nucleus accumbens and striatum while decreasing nucleus accumbens and striatal NT levels. Reserpine attenuated the decline in nucleus accumbens and striatal NT levels produced by GBL. In the periaqueductal grey, a brain region densely innervated by NT which has a small population of DA perikarya, reserpine had no effect on NT levels. Because there is no known colocalization of DA and NT in the striatum, the increases in striatal NT levels after depletion of DA may indicate that striatal DA afferents control the release and/or synthesis of NT within NT cells in the striatum, thus leading to alterations in striatal tissue levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fluothane Gas Anesthesia for Newly-Hatched Chicks

Abstract INTRODUCTION One of the greatest problems facing researchers, whose work involves surgical manipulation of birds, especially newly-hatched or young fowl, is the lack of suitable means of anesthesia. Standard barbituates, such as sodium pentathol (Nembutol), are used successfully on small and young mammals but cause very high mortality in newly-hatched chicks and in some adults. One of the most successful barbituate combinations for this purpose has been developed and tested by Church (1957). However, mortality may still exceed 20 percent (Longenecker, 1968). The following technique outlines a method utilising fluothane gas in simple and inexpensive apparatus, which provides excellent control of the level of anesthesia at all times and hence greatly reduces mortality during surgical manipulations (Alsager, 1969). METHOD The apparatus (Figure 1) is set up utilizing: (1) an oxygen source with a fine adjustment regulator, (2) a simple flow-meter tube, (3) a flow pump to inject liquid fluothane (Ayerst…
Genetic Resistance of Tropical Corn Inbreds to Second-Generation European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Diallel crossesamong five resistant (Tzi4, Narin 0330, Hi34, Hi29, Ant.C5) and four susceptible (Hi32, Tx601, B73, Oh43) maize, Zea mays L., inbreds were used to determine the genetic control of resistance to damage by second-generation European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner. The nine parents and their 36 crosseseach received 10 applications of 50 larvae (500 larvae per plant). Six replications of five plants per plot were infested at anthesis. Visual ratings were taken of sheath and collar tissue 50 to 60 d after infestation based on a nine-point rating scale (1, no damage to 9, severe damage). Significant differences for resistance were observed among the nine parents and the 36 crosses.Ratings of individual crosses varied significantly and averaged 3.7 with range of 1.8 (Tzi4 × Narin0330) to 5.3 (B73 × Oh43). Heterotic effects for resistance of the 36 crossesaveraged -19.5%, which was equivalent to a difference of 1.78 on the rating scale. General (GCA) and specificcombining ability (SCA)mean squares were significant with GCA accounting for 82 and SCAfor 18% of the total variation among crosses.Among the nine parents, four (Tzi4, Narino330, Hi34, Ant.C5) showed greater GCA effects for resistance.
What is the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in blood and plasma

The concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in blood and plasma is a measurement that has often been made, but the absolute values remain unsettled due the great variability of results actually published in the literature. As in every tissue, the concentration of H2O2 in blood and plasma is determined by the dynamics of its production versus its removal. The major sources of H2O2 in cells will only be briefly described as they are already well documented, The production of H2O2 in red blood cells will be described as it is less well known. But, the concentration of H2O2 within cells is more problematic. Intracellular H2O2 concentration has been estimated based on the kinetics of production and elimination, while its determination is technically difficult. Furthermore, compartmentalization and gradients result in its quantitation only as an average. The sources of extracellular H2O2, particularly in plasma, will also be described briefly. The major question addressed here however, is the actual concentration of H2O2 in plasma, which has been studied extensively, but still remains controversial.
Viewpoint: Quantifying residential self-selection effects: A review of methods and findings from applications of propensity score and sample selection approaches

The phenomenon whereby individuals self-select into their residential environment based on previously determined preferences for how to travel is known as residential self-selection (RSS). Numerous studies have investigated the influence of RSS on the estimated effect of the built environment on travel behavior. However, surprisingly few have actually quantified its effect in terms of partitioning the total influence of the built environment (BE) on travel behavior into a component attributable to RSS and one attributable to the built environment itself. This paper reviews 10 analyses (found in seven studies) that have quantified the proportion of the total influence of the built environment that is due to the BE itself (which we call the BEP), using either propensity-score or sample-selection approaches to control for RSS. After first outlining the basics of each approach, we then explain the various methods used to compute the BEP, followed by a discussion of the empirical results. The estimated BEPs vary widely, ranging from 34 percent to 98 percent. A number of reasons for these disparities are suggested, but there is considerable divergence in estimates even when many of these factors are held constant. Additional research is called for to better understand the circumstances under which the BEP is higher or lower.
Pulse Width-Dependent Effects of Intestinal Electrical Stimulation for Obesity: Role of Gastrointestinal Motility and Hormones.

Introduction The goals of this experiment were to study therapeutic potential of intestinal electrical stimulation (IES) for obesity, its mechanisms involving gastrointestinal motility and hormones, and role of pulse width in diet-induced obese rats.
Women With Atypical Glandular Cells

To determine the incidence of clinically significant lesions in high-risk patients with atypical glandular cells (AGCs) after 4 to 6 years of follow-up, we reviewed repeated Papanicolaou (Pap) test and surgical pathology results for a 3-year period for 337 patients; 62 (18.4%) had only repeated Pap smears; 84 had Pap smear and histologic evaluations. In a range of repeated Pap smears from 1 to 11 (mean, 4.2), 9 patients had persistent AGCs/atypical squamous cells; remaining Pap smears were judged normal. Histologic follow-up revealed a clinically significant lesion in 110 (40.1%) of 274 patients—low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), 46; high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), 47; endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), 3; endometrial hyperplasia, 4; endocervical or endometrial adenocarcinoma, 10. Among patients with histologic follow-up, 14 lesions (12.7% of patients with clinically significant lesions) were diagnosed after a mean of 37 months (range, 21–59 months): LSIL, 7; HSIL, 4; AIS, 1; endometrial adenocarcinoma, 2. Seven patients had negative cytologic and/or histologic evaluations between the initial cytologic AGC diagnosis and the final histologic diagnosis. Patients with AGCs are at risk of harboring clinically significant uterine lesions and should be followed up for a substantial period despite initial negative findings.
Manganese-Stimulated Kisspeptin Is Mediated by the IGF-1/Akt/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Pathway in the Prepubertal Female Rat

Low-dose administration of manganese chloride (MnCl2) causes release of hypothalamic LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) and advances puberty in rat. Recently, this element was shown to up-regulate mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), kisspeptin gene (KiSS-1), and LHRH gene expressions in the brain preoptic area (POA)/anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) nucleus. Because these genes are critical for puberty, this study was conducted to identify the upstream mechanism by which Mn activates the mTOR/KiSS-1 pathway. On day 12, immature female rats began receiving a daily supplemental dose of 10 mg/kg of MnCl2 or saline by gavage, and POA/AVPV tissues were collected on day 29 for specific protein assessments. Another experiment assessed in vitro IGF-1 release in response to Mn and assessed signal transduction pathways in the POA/AVPV region after Mn delivery into the third ventricle. Chronic Mn exposure increased (P < .05) basal expressions of mTOR and kisspeptin proteins. Mn increased protein kinase B (Akt) and Ras homolog enriched in brain, both capable of activating mTOR. Central Mn delivery increased expressions of phosphorylated IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) (P < .05) and Akt (P < .01) in the POA/AVPV region. The previous central delivery of JB1, an IGF-1R antagonist, blocked Mn-induced expressions of both phosphorylated IGF-1R and Akt. Downstream to Akt, centrally administered Mn increased tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (P < .05), Ras homolog enriched in brain (P < .01), mTOR (P < .05), and kisspeptin (P < .05). Finally, we observed that the early puberty induced by Mn was blocked by the administration of an mTOR inhibitor. These results suggest that Mn acts, at least in part, through the IGF-1/Akt/mTOR pathway to influence prepubertal kisspeptin and LHRH.
Number Of Medicaid Prescriptions Grew, Drug Spending Was Steady In Medicaid Expansion States

Expansions of eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act may have increased the number of Medicaid drug prescriptions. However, the expansions did not drive Medicaid spending on prescription drugs overall in 2014.
Comparing stakeholder perceptions with empirical outcomes from negotiated rulemaking policies: Is participant satisfaction a proxy for policy success?

Abstract Evaluation of natural resource management policies often is made difficult by lack of robust or long-term data on the resource. In the absence of empirical data, natural resource policy evaluation may rely on expert or stakeholder perception of success as a proxy, particularly in the context of policies that depend on multi-stakeholder engagement or negotiated rulemaking. However, few formal evaluations have compared empirical ecological outcomes with stakeholder perception. This study compares stakeholder perceptions of policy outcomes with ecological outcomes from a long-term, ecological dataset as part of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act's Take Reduction Planning process. Structural Equation Models revealed that stakeholder perceptions were significantly and positively related to positive ecological outcomes. Also, perceived success and ecological performance rankings of the Take Reduction Plans were comparable for three of the five plans examined. This analysis suggests that for this particular policy instrument, stakeholder perception aligns well with ecological outcomes, and this positive relationship is likely the result of a commitment and support for stakeholder education and engagement. However, even within a single policy analysis, there was variability suggesting that the relationship between stakeholder perceptions and policy outcomes must continue to be evaluated. This study suggests that stakeholder perception can be an accurate reflection of ecological outcomes, but not necessarily a predictor of them.
Lifetime alcohol use and cognitive performance in older adults

ABSTRACTSubstance use is an important clinical issue in the older adult population. As older adults are susceptible to cognitive disorders, the intersection of the fields of substance use and cognitive neuroscience is an active area of research. Prior studies of alcohol use and cognitive performance are mixed, and inconsistencies may be due to under- or over-adjustment for confounders. This article adds to this literature by conducting a secondary analysis of self-reported lifetime history of alcohol use and cognitive performance in older adults (n = 133). It was hypothesized that current alcohol users would have poorer cognitive performance compared to never/minimal and former alcohol users. Older adult participants were classified into never/minimal alcohol users, former alcohol users, and current alcohol users. A neurocognitive battery included a global cognitive measure and individual measures of attention, memory, fluency, and executive function. A directed acyclic graph-based approach was used to se...
Arsenic Environmental Threshold Surpass in Estuarine Sediments: Effects of Bioturbation

We investigate the distributions of the metalloid arsenic (As) and metals iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in the sediments of two pristine areas of a biological reserve in the Patos Lagoon Estuary. This area is occupied by Spartina alterniflora and by Neohelice granulata crab colonies and low concentrations of As are expected. The bioturbation/bioirrigation of sediments by crabs and the roots of plants lead to the penetration of oxygen below the oxic/suboxix division and the subsequent precipitation of Fe-Mn hydroxides. Ferruginous incrustations and nodules along roots and crab channels propagate to depths of over 35 cm and sediment contains up to 33 mg kg− 1 of As. The metalloid distribution in sediments is strongly correlated with that of Fe but not with Mn. This study revealed that areas with biologically disturbed sediments could demonstrate contamination in As, which is not anthropogenic in origin.
Mechanisms of pathogenesis of emerging adenoviruses

Periodic outbreaks of human adenovirus infections can cause severe illness in people with no known predisposing conditions. The reasons for this increased viral pathogenicity are uncertain. Adenoviruses are constantly undergoing mutation during circulation in the human population, but related phenotypic changes of the viruses are rarely detected because of the infrequency of such outbreaks and the limited biological studies of the emergent strains. Mutations and genetic recombinations have been identified in these new strains. However, the linkage between these genetic changes and increased pathogenicity is poorly understood. It has been observed recently that differences in virus-induced immunopathogenesis can be associated with altered expression of non-mutant viral genes associated with changes in viral modulation of the host innate immune response. Initial small animal studies indicate that these changes in viral gene expression can be associated with enhanced immunopathogenesis in vivo. Available evidence suggests the hypothesis that there is a critical threshold of expression of certain viral genes that determines both the sustainability of viral transmission in the human population and the enhancement of immunopathogenesis. Studies of this possibility will require extension of the analysis of outbreak viral strains from a sequencing-based focus to biological studies of relationships between viral gene expression and pathogenic responses. Advances in this area will require increased coordination among public health organizations, diagnostic microbiology laboratories, and research laboratories to identify, catalog, and systematically study differences between prototype and emergent viral strains that explain the increased pathogenicity that can occur during clinical outbreaks.
Investigating the Aerosol Type and Spatial Distribution During Winter Fog Conditions over Indo-Gangetic Plains

The South Asian region in general and the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) in particular hold about 1/6th of the world’s population is considered as one of the major hotspots of atmospheric pollution. Fog is a major meteorological phenomenon which can generate significant social and economic disruptions. Meteorological stations provide information about the fog episodes only on the basis of point observation. Continuous monitoring as well as a spatially coherent picture of fog distribution can only be possible through the complementary use of satellite imagery. This study focuses on winter fog episodes over South Asian region using the Moderate Resolution Image Spectrometer (MODIS) and OMI Aerosol Product in combination with Fire, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) datasets. MOD04 level 2 Collection 6 data is used to study aerosol load. Spatial distribution and types of aerosols are characterized using aerosol type over land product from MODIS. UV Aerosol Absorbing Index (UVAAI) from ozone monitoring instrument was also used for aerosol characterization over South Asia. The MODIS-derived aerosol optical depth was validated with independent ground-based measurements from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) stations across the Indo-Gangetic plains. A significant correlation between MODIS (AOD) and AERONET Station (AOD) data was identified. The objectives of the study were to map the spatial extent of aerosol and their types during special weather conditions like fog over IGP. Absorbing aerosols originating from biomass burning activities are predominant in IGP. The spatial and temporal correlations between AOD and tropospheric columns of NO2, SO2, and CO are used to infer information about source region and composition of aerosol particles in IGP region.
Locke’s Christology as a Key to Understanding His Philosophy

I begin with some remarks about the title of this chapter, and note that Locke’s Christology is billed only as a key, one among many, that unlocks one of several doors to his mind. Or, I might have said, a light that illuminates the several pathways of his mind. Various keys, or lights, might be employed for this purpose: his doctrine of ideas, substance scepticism, his nominalism, his epistemology as preparation for the new science, personal identity, toleration or political individualism. These ­several themes, to which others might be added, represent Locke’s characteristic concerns and achievements. To label them ‘keys’ is to express the belief that they are not only interesting in themselves, but that they can also be used to gain access to other parts of Locke’s mind, even to the whole of it. Each theme offers a different mode of access to his philosophical thought and, hence, a different prospect. I propose to show, or, more modestly put, to explore the ways in which Locke’s beliefs concerning Christ are integral to his thinking about the central issues that concerned him. What I am undertaking is not without precedent. It is especially appropriate to acknowledge that I am merely moving along a pathway opened up by John Dunn, and that I am proceeding according to his directive to consider how Locke’s Christianity may assist our understanding of his particular texts.
Soil Nitrogen and Carbon Management Project

Introduction An important component for predicting nitrogen (N) application needs (regardless of productivity level) is to estimate the soil capacity to supply plant-available N each year corn is grown. Differences in N supply between fields have been difficult to predict, and are often underestimated when N applications are made to production fields. In a general way differences are incorporated into N recommendation systems (for example crop rotation effects). However, for improving prediction of corn N needs, and especially avoidance of over application and increased environmental consequences, knowing if and how much response may occur in a field is highly desirable. This would be particularly useful to producers if known ahead of preplant N applications. This is important in situations where little to no N fertilization is required, and where rates based solely on yield may direct more N application than the system needs.
Rational Approach to Pediatric Antifungal Therapy

To begin a rational approach to the treatment of pediatric invasive fungal infections, one has to first correctly diagnose the infections. While this is not the focus of this review, the critical nature of the correct diagnosis cannot be overemphasized. For instance, medically important fungi can be generally divided into yeasts and molds, and often that simplistic delineation is the only result the clinician will have for many days while the microbiology laboratory is fully identifying the pathogen. However, even this initial distinction can be crucial to beginning empiric antifungal therapy in the highest risk patients. While a yeast infection can largely include Candida, Cryptococcus, or Trichosporon species, a mold infection is more complicated as they can be further subdivided into septate and aseptate (without hyphal septa).
The Generality of Procedural Justice

The studies discussed in the preceding chapter show that procedural justice phenomena are ubiquitous in law and dispute resolution. Given this finding, it seems reasonable to ask whether phenomena such as the process control effect or the procedural justice enhancement of support for legal institutions are instances of a general human response to social decision-making procedures. Might not people react in much the same way to the myriad procedures that exist in business organizations and political institutions, or, for that matter, in personal relationships, as they do to legal procedures? Or are the procedural justice effects documented above unique to law and dispute resolution? In this chapter and those that follow we consider the substantial body of evidence favoring the first of these alternatives, that procedural justice phenomena appear in much the same form in a wide variety of social settings.
The Human Cytomegalovirus US27 Gene Product Constitutively Activates Antioxidant Response Element-Mediated Transcription through G β γ, Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase, and Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread pathogen that modulates host chemokine signaling during persistent infection in the host. HCMV encodes four proteins with homology to the chemokine receptor family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs): US27, US28, UL33, and UL78. Each of the four receptors modulates host CXCR4 signaling. US28, UL33, and UL78 impair CXCR4 signaling outcomes, while US27 enhances signaling, as evidenced by increased calcium mobilization and cell migration to CXCL12. To investigate the effects of US27 on CXCR4 during virus infection, fibroblasts were infected with bacterial artificial chromosome-derived clinical strain HCMV TB40/E-mCherry (wild type [WT]), mutants lacking US27 (TB40/E-mCherry-US27Δ [US27Δ]) or all four GPCRs (TB40 E-mCherry-allΔ), or mutants expressing only US27 but not US28, UL33, or UL78 (TB40/E-mCherry-US27wt [US27wt]). CXCR4 gene expression was significantly higher in WT- and US27wt-infected fibroblasts. This effect was evident at 3 h postinfection, suggesting that US27 derived from the parental virion enhanced CXCR4 expression. Reporter gene assays demonstrated that US27 increased transcriptional activity regulated by the antioxidant response element (ARE), and small interfering RNA treatment indicated that this effect was mediated by NRF-1, the primary transcription factor for CXCR4. Increased translocation of NRF-1 into the nucleus of WT-infected cells compared to mock- or US27Δ-infected cells was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Chemical inhibitors targeting Gβγ and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) ablated the increase in ARE-driven transcription, implicating these proteins as mediators of US27-stimulated gene transcription. This work identifies the first signaling pathway activated by HCMV US27 and may reveal a novel regulatory function for this orphan viral receptor in stimulating stress response genes during infection.IMPORTANCE Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common congenital infection worldwide, causing deafness, blindness, and other serious birth defects. CXCR4 is a human chemokine receptor that is crucial for both fetal development and immune responses. We found that the HCMV protein US27 stimulates increased expression of CXCR4 through activation of the transcription factor nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1). NRF-1 regulates stress response genes that contain the antioxidant response element (ARE), and HCMV infection is associated with increased expression of many stress response genes when US27 is present. Our results show that the US27 protein activates the NRF-1/ARE pathway, stimulating higher expression of CXCR4 and other stress response genes, which is likely to be beneficial for virus replication and/or immune evasion.
Available Systems and State of the Art

This section gives a brief overview of the state of the art of (commercially) available systems for digital holographic microscopy (DHM) and quantitative phase contrast, 3D-nanopositioning, optical tweezers as well as 3-dimensional lithography by direct laser writing. Those systems, that are utilized for the experimental setups in the following chapters, are introduced in more detail.
Longitudinal Assessment of Post-Ureteroscopic Laser Lithotripsy Pain and Opioid Consumption using Text Messaging: Tailoring Pain Management to the Patient

AbstractIntroduction:We identified patterns of postoperative pain and opioid consumption and associated factors following ureteroscopy for kidney stones by acquiring real-time data through automate...
Distal denervation in the SOD1 knockout mouse correlates with loss of mitochondria at the motor nerve terminal

Abstract Impairment of mitochondrial transport has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of neuropathy and neurodegeneration. However, the role of mitochondria in stabilizing motor nerve terminals at neuromuscular junction (NMJ) remains unclear. We previously demonstrated that mice lacking the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase-1 (Sod1−/−), develop progressive NMJ denervation. This was rescued by expression of SOD1 exclusively in the mitochondrial intermembrane space (MitoSOD1/Sod1−/−), suggesting that oxidative stress within mitochondria drives denervation in these animals. However, we also observed reduced mitochondrial density in Sod1−/− motor axons in vitro. To investigate the relationship between mitochondrial density and NMJ innervation in vivo, we crossed Sod1−/− mice with the fluorescent reporter strains Thy1-YFP and Thy1-mitoCFP. We identified an age-dependent loss of mitochondria at motor nerve terminals in Sod1−/− mice, that closely correlated with NMJ denervation, and was rescued by MitoSOD1 expression. To test whether augmenting mitochondrial transport rescues Sod1−/− axons, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing the mitochondrial cargo adaptor, Miro1. This led to a partial rescue of mitochondrial density at motor nerve terminals by 12 months of age, but was insufficient to prevent denervation. These findings suggest that loss of mitochondria in the distal motor axon may contribute to denervation in Sod1−/− mice, perhaps via loss of key mitochondrial functions such as calcium buffering and/or energy production.
The Philosopher's Corner: A Post-Positivist Answering Back. Part 1: Good for You, Karl Popper!

I am a critical post-Positivist ? and hold it as a badge of honor. To be a Positivist means that you are humbly willing to put your theory to a test that can falsify it ? that is, to show that it is wrong despite all that you have put into it. To be a post-Positivist means believing in that standard but also acknowledging the limitations of Positivism, including limitations of measurement and its theory-dependence as well as acknowledging that there are social processes in science too. A post- Positivist does not claim that other epistemologies are necessarily wrong. It is just that researchers who adhere to the falsification principle are willing to put their money where their claims are, rather than allowing in the temptation to endlessly massage theories so that they are constantly updated to be consistent with new facts. In that vein, Positivism, despite its limitations, can by virtue of the falsification principle put a dent in confirmation bias and the kind of heuristics suggested by Tversky and Kahneman that prejudice our seeing patterns even when they do not exist. It is in that spirit that this paper is written.
Properties and Characteristics of Bioprosthetic Grafts

Bioprosthetic grafts are combinations of synthetic and natural materials intended to serve as high-integrity blood conduits when the ideal natural arterial substitute is not available. This article focuses on those combinations of tissue and synthetic materials, usually stabilized with some cross-linking reagent, that are meant to function from the instant of implantation as thromboresistant conduits inciting minimal reactions on their blood flow surfaces while also fostering integration with the surrounding host tissue. Several major problems associated with bioprosthetic grafts are discussed, as well as their advantages.
A conterminous United States analysis of the impact of Landsat 5 orbit drift on the temporal consistency of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper data

Abstract The Landsat 5 orbit changed more than expected over its three-decade mission life. Previous modelling research indicated that the resulting Landsat 5 overpass time and so acquisition solar zenith differences will have caused non-negligible reflectance and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) temporal differences. Rather than use a modelling approach this paper presents the results of a comprehensive examination of the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) data. Ten years of summer Landsat 5 TM Analysis Ready Data (ARD) sampled at >19.3 million 30 m pixel locations across the conterminous United States (CONUS) are considered. The acquisition solar zenith, red, near infrared (NIR), shortwave infrared (SWIR) (~2.1 μm) surface reflectance, and NDVI, are compared between five consecutive periods (1995 versus 2006, 1996 versus 2007, 1997 versus 2008, 1998 versus 2009, and 1999 versus 2010) that span years with very different Landsat 5 overpass times, and are also compared between 1998 and 1999 that have similar overpass times. The different years of Landsat 5 TM data are plotted against each other and reduced major axis (RMA) regressions passing though the origin are developed and compared with the acquisition solar geometry changes. The red, SWIR and NDVI RMA slopes are proportional to the magnitude of solar zenith change between years and are indicative of CONUS-wide differences due to orbit drift. The greatest differences occurred between 1995 and 2006, the years with the greatest solar zenith differences (median CONUS difference 8.43°) with RMA regression slopes quite far from unity (1.14 for the red and SWIR bands, 0.91 for NDVI). In years with smaller solar zenith differences the RMA slopes are closer to unity. As agricultural crops may be managed inconsistently through time, and as drought may have pronounced effects on reflectance, the analysis is also undertaken masking out crop pixels and considering locations that have similar precipitation and evapotranspiration conditions between years. These experiments indicate that, at CONUS scale, the cause of the changing RMA regression slopes between years is not due to agricultural changes or to the influence of above normal drought or wetness. The results confirm previous published modelling based findings but are based on direct examination of CONUS Landsat 5 TM data. They indicate that certain research and applications that require temporally consistent red, SWIR and NDVI data may need to take Landsat 5 orbit drift effects into account.
The trade in the living: the formation of Brazil in the South Atlantic, sixteenth to seventeenth centuries

This book originally published in Brazil in 2000 has become something of a classic and a required citation as the historiography of colonial Brazil has turned increasingly toward a more Atlantic or...
The 'Free Market' for Marijuana: A Sober, Clear-Eyed Analysis of Marijuana Policy

Marijuana is prohibited at the federal level. At the same time, states are not only decriminalizing marijuana but attempting to provide a regulatory apparatus for its sale. This has created a unique business environment. In some ways there is a true “free market” for marijuana in states where it has been legalized — free, that is, of the legal and financial infrastructure available to fully licit businesses in America. Contracts may not be enforceable because they lack a legal purpose. Relief in bankruptcy court may not be available, either as a debtor or as a creditor. Use of a legal entity to limit liability and take advantage of entity personhood may be impracticable. Federal money laundering and other laws effectively restrict access to the banking system, forcing marijuana businesses to operate as purely cash businesses. The USPTO refuses to register federal marks related to marijuana. Marijuana businesses face challenges in obtaining competent legal counsel to guide them through a market free on one hand regulated on the other. The odd legal posture has implications for considering marijuana policy through an economic lens. Any analysis of marijuana externalities should consider any additional externalities created by that odd legal posture. An analysis of policy options for mitigating negative externalities should also factor in the additional costs for marijuana businesses due to this “free market.” The uncertainty, from a policy perspective, counsels in favor of applying heuristics when considering policy options: this paper offers three and applies each. This is the first paper to use this situation to examine the value offered by our legal and financial infrastructure. An inability to use it hurts marijuana businesses in very real ways. But, at the same time, marijuana businesses are able to operate — to thrive even — nonetheless. That infrastructure is both more and less valuable than is appreciated, and in surprising ways. Ultimately, this paper advocates federal action that facilitates a continued incremental, state-by-state approach to marijuana reform.
Pseudomys novaehollandiae (Top) P. australis (Bottom)

With the exception of pair No. 8 which is distinctly biarmed, the autosomes of P. novaebollandiae are very similar to those of the putative ancestral type illustrated in Folio 475. The X is a large submetacentric and the Y is an acrocentric.
Crowdsourcing to measure financial toxicity in gynecologic oncology.

OBJECTIVE To utilize a novel crowdsourcing method to measure financial toxicity and its effects among a national cohort of gynecologic cancer patients. METHODS Crowdsourcing methods were used to administer an online survey to women in the United States with gynecologic cancers. We used the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) tool to measure financial toxicity and the EQ-5D-3L to measure quality of life (QOL). Based on prior work, we defined high financial toxicity as a COST score ≤ 23. We assessed correlation of COST scores with QOL. We used log-binomial regression to examine associations between high financial toxicity and cost-coping strategies. RESULTS Among the final study sample of 334 respondents, 87% were white, median age at diagnosis was 55 (interquartile range 47-63), 52% had stage III or IV disease and 90% had private insurance or Medicare. Median COST score was 24 (interquartile range 15-32) and 49% of respondents reported high financial toxicity. Greater financial toxicity was correlated with worse QOL (p < 0.001). Participants reporting high financial toxicity were more likely to use cost-coping strategies, including spending less on basic goods (RR: 3.3; 95% CI: 2.1-5.1), borrowing money or applying for financial assistance (RR: 4.0; 95% CI: 2.4-6.9), and delaying or avoiding care (RR: 5.6; 95% CI: 2.6-12.1). CONCLUSIONS Crowdsourcing is an effective tool to measure financial toxicity. Nearly half of respondents reported high financial toxicity, which was significantly associated with worse QOL, utilization of cost-coping strategies and delays or avoidance of care.
The Material Conditional is Sufficient to Model Deliberation

There is an ongoing debate in the philosophical literature whether the conditionals that are central to deliberation are subjunctive or indicative conditionals and, if the latter, what semantics of the indicative conditional is compatible with the role that conditionals play in deliberation. We propose a possible-world semantics where conditionals of the form “if I take action a the outcome will be x” are interpreted as material conditionals. The proposed framework is illustrated with familiar examples and both qualitative and probabilistic beliefs are considered. Issues such as common-cause cases and ‘Egan-style’ cases are discussed.
Evaluating the Impact of Provider Type and Patient Diagnosis on Patient No-Shows to Vascular Clinic.

BACKGROUND No-shows are a source of burden that lead to wasted resources. While prior research has established that many patient-level affect impact no-show rates, the impact of referring provider-level factors, in particular the type of referring provider-and specific diagnosis are still largely unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective chart review examining new patient consults scheduled for outpatient vascular surgery clinic from August 1, 2014 through February 28, 2015 was conducted. The specialty types of the referring physicians and the reason for referral (patient diagnosis) were recorded. RESULTS Of 227 new patient consults scheduled, 30% were no-shows to their appointment. No-show rates were significantly higher when the patient was referred by a primary care physician versus a specialist and differed significantly based on patient diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Given that referring provider type and patient diagnosis significantly affect noshow rates, interventions that integrate the community of providers are needed to reduce noshows.
Basic Ethical Theory

Any study of professional ethics must begin with the basics, so this chapter will open with the question, “What is ethics?” The word ethics is a generic term that could mean many things but generally refers to the study of principles of right and wrong behavior (Fieser 2018). A synonym for ethics is moral philosophy. As a discipline, moral philosophy is broken down into three branches: meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied or professional ethics. Meta-ethics is the study of how moral philosophy is defined, examining such moral concepts as right, wrong, justice, etc. Normative ethics consists of commonly-held principles or theories that can be used by everyone. Applied or professional ethics takes ethical principles and puts them to work. In our case, this will be the realm of pharmacy ethics (Fieser 2018).
Vernunftgründe, Emotionen und Gottes Gegenwart in Anselm von Canterburys Dialog Cur deus homo (mit Bernd Goebel)

Das Kapitel behandelt anhand von Anselms Cur deus homo die besondere Natur von Anselms Rationalismus. Einerseits grundet das Argument des Dialogs fur die Notwendigkeit der Inkarnation Anselm zufolge allein auf Vernunft (auch wenn seine Voraussetzungen zweifelhaft sind). Andererseits erlaubt die dialogische Natur des Werkes, die emotionalen Zustande in einer Weise darzustellen, die geradezu an Kierkegaard erinnert. Anselms Rationalismus schliest die Erfahrung von Angst und Verzweiflung nicht aus, und es ist hier, dass der Glauben einsetzt. Es wird ferner gezeigt, dass Gottes Gegenwart beim Philosophieren logisch kompatibel ist mit der rationalistischen Natur der Untersuchung.
Sustained oxygenation accelerates diabetic wound healing by promoting epithelialization and angiogenesis and decreasing inflammation

Nonhealing diabetic wounds are common complications for diabetic patients. Because chronic hypoxia prominently delays wound healing, sustained oxygenation to alleviate hypoxia is hypothesized to promote diabetic wound healing. However, sustained oxygenation cannot be achieved by current clinical approaches, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Here, we present a sustained oxygenation system consisting of oxygen-release microspheres and a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging hydrogel. The hydrogel captures the naturally elevated ROS in diabetic wounds, which may be further elevated by the oxygen released from the administered microspheres. The sustained release of oxygen augmented the survival and migration of keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts, promoted angiogenic growth factor expression and angiogenesis in diabetic wounds, and decreased the proinflammatory cytokine expression. These effects significantly increased the wound closure rate. Our findings demonstrate that sustained oxygenation alone, without using drugs, can heal diabetic wounds.
Introduction contextualising global flows of competency-based education: polysemy, hybridity and silences

This essay introduces the special issue on competencies or ‘twenty-first century skills’ as learning goals promoted by the OECD and other international organisations. The studies in this issue trac...
On the analytic structure of chaos in dynamical systems

A number of new and exciting results on the chaotic properties of dynamical systems have been recently obtained by studying their movable singularities in the complex time plane. New, integrable systems were identified by requiring that their solutions admit only poles. Allowing for logarithmic singularities, it has been possible to distinguish between “strongly” and “weakly” chaotic Hamiltonian systems, while in some cases natural boundaries with self-similar structure have been found. The analysis is direct, widely applicable and is illustrated here on some simple examples.
American Psychiatric Association: Position Statement on Firearm Access, Acts of Violence and the Relationship to Mental Illness and Mental Health Services

The American Psychiatric Association, ("APA"), with more than 36,000 members at present, is the Nation's leading organization of physicians who specialize in psychiatry. APA provides for education and advocacy and develops policy through Position Statements. It promotes enhanced knowledge of particular topics relevant to psychiatric practice and patient care through Resource Documents. Since 1993, the APA has developed various positions and resource materials related to firearms and mental illness, incorporating evolving themes as new issues emerge. This paper reflects the APA's 2014 Position Statement on Firearm Access, Acts of Violence and the Relationship to Mental Illness and Mental Health Services. Language: en
Storage–trade interactions under uncertainty

Abstract The recent trend towards a more market-oriented global economy has reduced public support to commodity programs and led to a decline in buffer stocks of food grains in several cereal-exporting countries. Countries have to look for alternative means to stabilize prices and consumption particularly when carrying buffer stocks is expensive and self-sufficiency is economically inefficient. In today's market place, any country has the option of consuming food that is produced domestically or imported. This paper shows that trade and buffer stocks are two principal means to reconcile the conflicting realities of unstable harvests and stable consumption needs.
Conditional Independence, Given a Random Vector

The concept of conditional independence of random vectors which we consider in the following sections has been utilized widely in advanced treatments of Markov processes. In such treatments, the concept is usually expressed in terms of conditional expectation, given a sigma field of events. Our immediate goal is to reformulate the essential features of such treatments in terms of the more readily accessible conditional expectation, given a random vector, developed in the preceding sections. We then illustrate the usefulness of the conditional independence concept by showing how it appears naturally in certain problems in decision theory. In Sec El and following, we apply the concept to Markov processes.
Instrumenting network simulators for evaluating energy consumption in power-aware ad-hoc network protocols

In this paper, we describe our work on instrumenting network simulators to enable them to adequately and accurately account for the energy consumed by ad hoc network protocols' communication-related tasks. This is accomplished by explicitly accounting for low-power radio modes and considering the different energy costs associated with each possible radio state, i.e, transmitting, receiving, overhearing, idle, sensing, and sleeping. Our energy consumption instrumentation also allows the energy accounting to be done automatically by the simulator irrespective of what layer of the stack the protocol designer is working. To validate our model, we compare: (1) simulation results using the GloMoSim/QualNet simulation platform with and without our instrumentation for the IEEE 802.11 DCF; (2) analytical results for both 802.11 and S-MAC (a power-aware MAC designed for sensor networks); and (3) simulation results reproducing testbed experiments obtained for the S-MAC protocol. Finally, by comparing S-MAC against 802.11 and AODV against DSR, we showcase the ability of a network simulation platform instrumented with our energy consumption model to evaluate energy consumption in ad-hoc network protocols.