cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Constitutive equations and reciprocity

The differential equations that must be satisfied for most fields (physical variables) in geophysics are determined primarily by conservation equations which relate the divergence of the flux of the field, the field's time rate of change, and its sources and sinks. These conservation (or equilibrium) equations do not provide sufficient constraints to determine the fluxes and fields even when boundary conditions (both in space and time) are specified. To constrain the fields completely, it is necessary to introduce the properties of the media; that is, the constitutive equations. Because the conservation equations can be determined without considering the properties of the media, these equations are valid for the most general media; that is, heterogeneous, anisotropic, time-varying, non-linear, etc. media in which many field variables can interact or be coupled. When the fields can be described by ‘self-adjoint’ differential equations in space–time, these media exhibit reciprocity; that is, upon interchange of ‘sources’ and ‘detectors’, the same result is obtained. We show that viscoelastic, elastodynamic problems relating to generalized Kelvin–Voigt and generalized Maxwell media satisfy the conditions for reciprocity. In addition, we show that the introduction of tensor ‘densities’ (which relate the inertial-force density to the particle-acceleration, particle-velocity and particle-displacement vectors in the inertial force's constitutive equation) do not invalidate the reciprocity conditions. The two constitutive equations (the stress/strain and the inertial-force ones) lead to dispersion and attenuation in the propagation of the fields even though none of the material constants in the constitutive or conservation equations is complex (i.e. with real and imaginary parts). Complex material properties cannot exist in nature for actual materials or media; nor can the material constants or properties be functions of frequency. However, ‘apparent’ or ‘equivalent’ properties may be complex and functions of frequency if time-harmonic fields are assumed to exist.
Impact of removal of males with sex-pheromone-baited traps on suppression of the peach-twig borer, Anarsia lineatella (Zeller)

The peach-twig borer, Anarsia lineatella (Zeller), is one of the most important pests of peaches, almonds, and other stone fruits in the western United States (Bailey 1948), with larvae infesting both twigs and fruit. Infested fruit cannot be marketed and twig injury is damaging to young trees because the young worms burrow into the tender terminal growth of the twigs and cause the rapidly growing twigs to wilt. In this way, infestations by the peach-twig borer interfere with development in young orchards (Newcomer 1966).
Comparison of Adult Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Sampling Methods

Studies were conducted in Kansas corn and soybean fields during 1997 to compare various sampling methods, traps, and trap components for capturing three species of adult corn rootworms: western (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Leconte), southern (D. undecimpunctata howardi Barber), and northern (D. barberi Smith & Lawrence). Lure constituents affected the species of beetle attracted to the trap. Traps with a lure containing 4-methoxycinnamaldehyde attracted more western corn rootworms, those with a lure containing eugenol were more attractive to northern corn rootworms, and those containing trans-cinnamaldehyde were most attractive to southern corn rootworms. Multigard sticky traps caught more beetles than did Pherocon AM sticky traps. In corn, a newly designed lure trap caught more beetles than did sticky traps on most occasions. Also, lure-baited sticky traps caught more beetles than did nonbaited sticky traps. Varying the color of the lure trap bottom did not affect the number caught. In soybeans, the new lure traps captured more beetles than did the nonbaited Multigard or Pherocon AM sticky traps. Results of this study suggest the new lure trap may provide a more accurate assessment of corn rootworm populations than traditional monitoring techniques and may be more esthetically pleasing to growers and consultants.
Impact of the leakage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) on Santiago Air Quality

The leakage of unburned liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a major source of urban nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) in the air of Santiago, Chile. Roughly 5% of the LPG that is sold in Santiago leaks in its unburned form to the atmosphere. Because of the leakage, propane is the most abundant NMHC in Santiago's air, even under heavy traffic conditions. NMHCs are an important precursor to the formation of ground-level ozone, and the LPG leakage may contribute as much as 15% to the excess ozone levels in Santiago. Improvement to the local air quality may be obtained by lowering the rates of LPG leakage, and by minimizing the use of alkene-rich LPG formulations.
Microspheres targeted with a mesothelin antibody and loaded with doxorubicin reduce tumor volume of human mesotheliomas in xenografts

Malignant mesotheliomas (MMs) are chemoresistant tumors related to exposure to asbestos fibers. The long latency period of MM (30-40 yrs) and heterogeneity of tumor presentation make MM difficult to diagnose and treat at early stages. Currently approved second-line treatments following surgical resection of MMs include a combination of cisplatin or carboplatin (delivered systemically) and pemetrexed, a folate inhibitor, with or without subsequent radiation. The systemic toxicities of these treatments emphasize the need for more effective, localized treatment regimens. Acid-prepared mesoporous silica (APMS) microparticles were loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and modified externally with a mesothelin (MB) specific antibody before repeated intraperitoneal (IP) injections into a mouse xenograft model of human peritoneal MM. The health/weight of mice, tumor volume/weight, tumor necrosis and cell proliferation were evaluated in tumor-bearing mice receiving saline, DOX high (0.2 mg/kg), DOX low (0.05 mg/kg), APMS-MB, or APMS-MB-DOX (0.05 mg/kg) in saline. Targeted therapy (APMS-MB-DOX at 0.05 mg/kg) was more effective than DOX low (0.05 mg/kg) and less toxic than treatment with DOX high (0.2 mg/kg). It also resulted in the reduction of tumor volume without loss of animal health and weight, and significantly decreased tumor cell proliferation. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of tumor tissue confirmed that APMS-MB-DOX particles delivered DOX to target tissue. Data suggest that targeted therapy results in greater chemotherapeutic efficacy with fewer adverse side effects than administration of DOX alone. Targeted microparticles are an attractive option for localized drug delivery.
Modeling cellular thermal damage from radio-frequency ablation

Solid tumors can be ablated with minimal invasiveness using radio-frequency (RF) heating under guidance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To analyze the thermal damage in tissue produced under different input power and RF probe conditions, we developed a bio-heat model of the three dimensional (3D) temperature distribution dynamics in tissue. In this model, the tissue temperature was increased by RF heating, decreased by perfusion, and distributed by heat conduction. Furthermore, we associated a probability model that relates perfusion to thermal damage locally. Thermal damage (and blood coagulation) was determined by the temperature history at each position in the tissue. During the ablation process, the local perfusion begins to decrease when the temperature rises above 43/spl deg/C. Our model of thermal damage includes the probability of cell death and recovery from damage. The rate coefficients of this model depend on the local temperature history. The aim of this model was to predict when tumor cells in a local region are truly dead rather than simply damaged. This tissue-damage model provides a fundamental basis for quantifying changes in the perfusion coefficient of the bio-heat equation. We compare model predictions with MR lesion images repeatedly over time when ablation ceases as well as with histological tissue studies.
Structures of normal single-stranded DNA and deoxyribo-3'-S-phosphorothiolates bound to the 3'-5' exonucleolytic active site of DNA polymerase I from Escherichia coli.

The interaction of a divalent metal ion with a leaving 3‘ oxygen is a central component of several proposed mechanisms of phosphoryl transfer. In support of this are recent kinetic studies showing ...
Dynamic Response of Cantilevered Rail Guns Attributed to Projectile/Gun Interaction—Theory

An analytic approach is proposed to investigate the dynamic behavior of laboratory rail guns resulting from launching a projectile. The rail gun is modeled as a beam of finite length sitting on an elastic foundation with cantilevered support at the breech end of rails. The structural response of the rail is governed by a transient fourth-order differential equation with an extra term of elastic support (containment and insulator) subjected to a transient forcing function (a moving magnetic pressure). The complete solution of the governing equation is derived and illustrated in details. The displacement solution can be further derived to obtain strain and stress profile as well as dynamic response of the rail gun. This paper mainly reports the theoretic solution which provides a step forward to predict the dynamic behavior of rail guns
A Survey of the Unionid Mussels in Six Tributaries of the Lower Neosho River (Kansas)

Abstract Most unionid mussel surveys in the Neosho River watershed have been conducted in the river and not its tributaries. In the spring and fall of 1996, unionid mussels were surveyed in six tributaries of the lower Neosho River in southeastern Kansas. The streams were: Canville, Hickory, Flatrock, Cherry, Lightning, and Labette creeks. A 100-m baseline was established along the stream bank with 11 perpendicular transacts at 10-m intervals. Live mussels were collected from consecutive square meter quadrats along each transect. Fifteen species were present from 28 of the 40 sites that had live mussels. Pyganodon grandis (giant floater) was the most abundant species, comprising 33% of the total collection, occurring in all six streams and at half the sites. Lasmigona complanata (white heelsplitter) and Ligumia subrostrata (common pond mussel) were second most abundant, each comprising 11.4% of the collection. Lampsilis teres (yellow sandshell) is a species in need of conservation (SINC) in Kansas, occurs...
Predictors of Pathologic Complete Response Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer

Some patients with rectal cancer who receive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) achieve a pathologic complete response (pCR) and may be eligible for less radical surgery or non-operative management. The aim of this study was to identify variables that predict pCR after nCRT for rectal cancer and to examine the impact of pCR on postoperative complications. A retrospective review was performed of the NCDB from 2006 to 2011. Patients with rectal cancer who received nCRT followed by radical resection were included in this study. Multivariable analysis of the association between clinicopathologic characteristics and pCR was performed, and propensity-adjusted analysis was used to identify differences in postoperative morbidity between pCR and non-pCR patients. A total of 23,747 patients were included in the study. Factors associated with pCR included lower tumor grade, lower clinical T and N stage, higher radiation dose, and delaying surgery by more than 6–8 weeks after the end of radiation, while lack of health insurance was linked with a lower likelihood of pCR. Complete response was not associated with an increased risk of major postoperative complications. Several clinical, pathologic, and treatment variables can help to predict which patients are most likely to have pCR after nCRT for rectal cancer. Awareness of these variables can be valuable in counseling patients regarding prognosis and treatment options.
Impact of Marsy's Law on Parole in California: An Empirical Study (Updated)

Marsy’s Law (Proposition 9) purported to increase Victims’ Rights by making significant changes to parole in California. Supporters of Marsy’s Law intended to decrease lifer inmate’s “chances” to obtain parole by statutorily lengthening the amount of time between parole hearings, and to increase victim presence at parole hearings by creating greater opportunities for victim participation. I conducted an analysis of 211 randomly selected parole hearing transcripts in California both before and after Marsy’s Law was implemented. I found that the passage of Marsy’s Law nearly doubled the amount of time set by the Parole Board between parole hearings and has increased victim participation. This paper was prepared for presentation at the Midwestern Political Science Association Conference in Chicago
Chronic effects of chlorothiazide on reabsorption by the proximal tubule of the rat.

1. The renal response to a low-sodium diet alone and a low-sodium diet plus the daily oral administration of chlorothiazide was examined in rats. Sodium restriction resulted in a decrease in sodium excretion until day 4, after which it remained constant. The administration of chlorothiazide resulted in an initial natriuresis. By day 6, however, the natriuresis had abated and thereafter sodium excretion remained the same as that of the low-sodium group. 2. After the animals were in balance on their respective regimens, clearance and micropuncture studies were performed. The glomerular filtration rate was lower in the chlorothiazide-treated rats than in control rats and/or in the low-sodium group. End proximal tubule TF/P inulin ratios were higher in the diuretic-treated animals than in control rats. TF/P inulin ratios in low-sodium animals were lower than in the diuretic-treated animals but higher than in control rats. 3. These studies demonstrate that the escape from the chronic effects of chlorothiazide is due to a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate and to an increase in fractional reabsorption in the proximal tubule, resulting in a reduction in delivery of filtrate to the cortical diluting segment where chlorothiazide exerts its major inhibitory effect.
LOCALIZATION IN DISSIPATIVE TUNNELING SYSTEMS DRIVEN BY MONOCHROMATIC LIGHT

This lecture reviews recent theoretical work on the role of continuous-wave radiation in extending the lifetime of localized states in dissipative two-state systems. Through a combination of path integral methods and semiclassical arguments it is shown that strong fields can stabilize localized states over long time intervals. At moderate dissipation strength this phenomenon is quite robust and insensitive to details of the phonon spectrum , temperature and driving frequency , depending primarily on the intensity of the applied field.
Risk factors for neutropenic fever in lymphoma patients receiving chemotherapy

19616 Background: Neutropenic fever (NF) can be a serious complication of chemotherapy (CT) in lymphoma patients (pts), however the exact incidence with the current regimens and risk factors for NF...
Commentary on Basu (1956)

For statistical estimation problems, it is typical and even desirable that more than one reasonable estimator can arise for consideration. One natural and time-honored approach for choosing an estimator is simply to compare the sample sizes at which the competing estimators meet a given standard of performance. This depends upon the chosen measure of performance and upon the particular population distribution F.
STAT3 Inhibitors in Cancer: A Comprehensive Update

STAT3 is an important signaling molecule that modulates a wide range of genes by relaying extracellular signals from the plasma membrane to the nucleus in response to peptide hormone binding. It is known to play a prominent role in the initiation and progression of cancer, as it is constitutively activated in 25–100 % of more than 25 different malignancies and has been implicated in nearly all the hallmarks of cancer. In addition, STAT3 contributes to development and maintenance of cancer stem cells, as well as to cancer immune evasion and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, making it an even more attractive target for cancer therapy. In this chapter, we give an overview of strategies involved in targeting STAT3 and discuss recent advances in the development of STAT3 modulating agents.
Barriers to Accessing Optimal Esophageal Cancer Care for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Patients

Background The 5-year survival of patients with low socioeconomic status (SES) and esophageal cancer is significantly lower than that in patients with high SES. It is poorly understood what causes these worse outcomes. We hypothesized that a qualitative approach could elucidate the underlying causes of these differences. Methods Patients with a diagnosis of esophageal cancer were recruited through flyers in regional cancer centers as well as through Facebook advertisements in cancer support groups and newspapers; they participated in a 1-hour semistructured interview or completed an online survey. Patients were stratified into low- and high-SES groups and were surveyed about their health history and access to cancer care. Data were coded into common themes based on participant responses. Results Eighty patients completed the interviews or surveys, with 38 in the high-SES group and 42 in the low-SES group. There were no clinically significant differences between the groups in comorbidities and cancer staging. Patients with low SES were offered operative treatment at significantly lower rates (19 of 42 [44.7%] versus 29 of 38 [76.3%]; p = 0.0048), had a decreased rate of second opinions (10 of 42 [23.8%] versus 25 of 38 [65.8%]; p = 0.00016), and were more likely to lose their jobs (14 of 42 [33.3%] versus 1 of 38 [2.6%]; p = 0.00044) than their high-SES counterparts. Thematic analysis found that communication difficulties, lack of understanding of treatment, and financial troubles were consistently reported more prominently in the lower-SES groups. Having a facilitator (eg, social worker) improved care by helping patients navigate complex treatments and financial concerns. Conclusions Financial and communication barriers exist, which may lead to disparities in cancer outcomes for patients with low SES. There is a critical need for medical advocates to assist patients with limited resources.
A NOVEL SYSTEM TO ADDRESS ADHERENCE BARRIERS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE DECREASES ALLOGRAFT REJECTION FOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANT PATIENTS

Background Patient-identified barriers to taking immunosuppressive medications are associated with rejection and allograft loss in kidney transplant patients, yet interventions targeting adherence barriers are rarely integrated into clinical practice. Objectives To decrease occurrences of allograft rejection by improving immunosuppressant adherence through development and implementation of an integrated in-clinic system to address adherence barriers in our population of 105 kidney transplant patients. Methods Using the Model for Improvement and iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, we implemented system components to identify and address barriers to adherence including: (1) pre-clinic automated screening for adherence risk using data from the electronic health record, (2) in-clinic assessment of 14 common barriers to adherence using a standardized checklist, (3) shared decision aids for barrier-specific, patient-centered interventions, and (4) optional electronic adherence monitoring. Using statistical process control, we performed time series analysis of process measures, individual patient adherence using electronic monitoring and our primary outcome measure of active patient days between late-rejection episodes (G-chart). Results Within 5 months of implementing all system components, we achieved 10,451 active patient days between rejection episodes, nearly twice the previous high of 5,943 and above the upper control limit (7,939), indicating special cause. The reduction in expected rejections compared to the median (1,345) resulted in estimated savings of $680,000 in hospital charges. Conclusions An integrated system to address adherence barriers in the clinic was associated with reduced late-rejection episodes in kidney transplant patients. This approach may help address adherence barriers in other chronic conditions thereby improving health outcomes while reducing cost.
A Brief History of Women and the Olympic Games

Comparing women’s roles dating to the days of the ancient Olympic Games—when their fair gender was forbidden observation, never mind participation, even being refused as spectators at their revival, in 1896—it is a thrill to monitor how far female Olympians have come in terms of their sheer numbers on national teams, their sporting competitions, and the numerous obstacles they have overcome. Their history is one of endurance, resistance, and global organization. Beginning with golf as a case study in 1900 Paris, this abbreviated review traces key female Olympians in terms of newly introduced sports, ever-breaking records, and increasing global forces recognizing them.
Forced changes to twentieth century ENSO diversity in a last Millennium context

The El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exhibits considerable differences between the evolution of individual El Nino and La Nina events (‘ENSO diversity’), with significant implications for impacts studies. However, the degree to which external forcing may affect ENSO diversity is not well understood, due to both internal variability and potentially compensatory contributions from multiple forcings. The Community Earth System Model Last Millennium Ensemble (CESM LME) provides an ideal testbed for studying the sensitivity of twentieth century ENSO to forced climate changes, as it contains many realizations of the 850–2005 period with differing combinations of forcings. Metrics of ENSO amplitude and diversity are compared across LME simulations, and although forced changes to ENSO amplitude are generally small, forced changes to diversity are often detectable. Anthropogenic changes to greenhouse gas and ozone/aerosol emissions modify the persistence of Eastern and Central Pacific El Nino events, through shifts in the upwelling and zonal advective feedbacks; these influences generally cancel one another over the twentieth century. Other forcings can also be quite important: land use changes amplify Eastern Pacific El Nino events via modulating zonal advective heating, and orbital forcing tends to preferentially terminate twentieth century Central Pacific El Nino events due to enhanced eastern Pacific cooling during boreal winter and spring. Our results indicate that multiple anthropogenic and natural forcings can have substantial impacts on ENSO diversity, and suggest that correctly representing the net ENSO diversity response to climate change will depend on the precise balance between all these influences.
Dissipative Physico-Chemical Transport in the Pycnocline Region of the Ocean

This paper presents an analysis of the vertical structure of the ocean and the dissipative processes occurring in it. The analysis is based on thermodynamic principles used in conjunction with a suitable physico-chemical model of sea water. The limitations of this model are thoroughly discussed and particular attention is given to the manner in which the chemical potentials of the sea water constituents must be modified when they are applied to systems of geophysical scale.
Total Perfect Codes in Tensor Products of Graphs.

A total perfect code in a graph is a subset of the graph’s vertices with the property that each vertex in the graph is adjacent to exactly one vertex in the subset. We prove that the tensor product of any number of simple graphs has a total perfect code if and only if each factor has a total perfect code.
Vitamin a Deficiency Control Programs in Eastern and Southern Africa: A Unicef Perspective

In several Eastern and Southern African countries between one-third and one-half of the children are vitamin A deficient. Not just one strategy but a combination of supplementation fortification and dietary diversification will provide the solution to the elimination of vitamin A deficiency. Food diversification in general is limited by increasing poverty and household food insecurity. Supplementation coverage rates increased from an average of 22% to 68% during the last four years. This was mainly due to integration of supplementation into national immunization days. Now the challenge is to integrate supplementation into sustainable delivery systems. Several countries have started or are planning maize and/or sugar fortification initiatives but most of the experience so far has been on a pilot scale and little is known about the impact of the interventions. There is a need to develop strategies for vitamin A supplementation and fortification of different foods to reach all areas and individuals in a country. (authors)
Ventromorphins: A New Class of Small Molecule Activators of the Canonical BMP Signaling Pathway.

Here, we describe three new small-molecule activators of BMP signaling found by high throughput screening of a library of ∼600 000 small molecules. Using a cell-based luciferase assay in the BMP4-responsive human cervical carcinoma clonal cell line, C33A-2D2, we identified three compounds with similar chemotypes that each ventralize zebrafish embryos and stimulate increased expression of the BMP target genes, bmp2b and szl. Because these compounds ventralize zebrafish embryos, we have termed them “ventromorphins.” As expected for a BMP pathway activator, they induce the differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts to osteoblasts. Affymetrix RNA analysis confirmed the differentiation results and showed that ventromorphins treatment elicits a genetic response similar to BMP4 treatment. Unlike isoliquiritigenin (SJ000286237), a flavone that maximally activates the pathway after 24 h of treatment, all three ventromorphins induced SMAD1/5/8 phosphorylation within 30 min of treatment and achieved peak activity within 1 h...
Genetic Variation for Tolerance to Terminal Heat Stress in Dasypyrum villosum

Heat stress substantially reduces the grain yield and quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 2n = 6x = 42, AABBDD genome) and poses a major challenge to sustaining productivity because of global warming. Across wheat-growing regions in the United States and globally, wheat often experiences terminal heat stress during the postflowering period. Dasypyrum villosum, a wild relative of wheat, has been a useful genetic resource for the improvement of several traits in wheat. Here we report a first survey of terminal heat tolerance in D. villosum. Twenty accessions of D. villosum from seven countries and three common wheat cultivars (checks) were compared. Agronomic traits including single kernel weight, total grain weight, grain number, and shoot weight were evaluated in both nonstress (22°C day, 17°C night) and heat stress (36°C day, 30°C night) conditions in two independent experiments. The results showed that there was significant genetic variation for heat tolerance during the grain-filling period in D. villosum and that single kernel weight was less affected by heat stress in D. villosum than in common wheat. Three accessions, TA10228 and TA10225 originating in Italy and TA2172 in Turkey, showed the highest terminal heat tolerance. This work suggests that D. villosum may be a useful novel resource for the improvement of heat tolerance in common wheat.
Exploring the Dynamics of Volunteer and Staff Interactions: From Satisfaction to Conflict

The quality of the relationships between volunteers and paid staff can have far-reaching consequences for organizations that utilize volunteer programs to support service delivery. We utilize a mixed methods case study design to explore volunteer and staff perceptions of their mutual interactions within a large library system in the southeastern United States. We consider which areas of these interactions might be vulnerable to conflict. Our findings suggest that conflict is likely to arise due to communication problems, behavioral or attitudinal issues, perceptions of job vulnerability, divergent expectations, lack of trust, and workflow integration hurdles. We argue that to avoid these tensions and promote effective service delivery, staff members must have appropriate training and preparation to interact successfully with volunteers.
Molecular Confirmation of Frogs (Anura) as Hosts of Corethrellidae (Diptera) in the Southeastern United States

Flies in the family Corethrellidae Edwards 1932 (Diptera) are known to be attracted to the mating calls of male frogs. For the first time, the hosts of corethrellids were identified to species by analyzing bloodmeals taken from resting female flies. A portion of the cytochrome b gene was amplified and sequenced from blood-engorged flies using vertebrate-specific primers. The flies were collected over 6 yr at two locations in the southeastern United States from resting boxes and natural resting sites (rodent burrows). Potential host abundance focused on frog surveillance, and estimation relied on visual encounters, passive trapping (artificial refugia), and call surveys. This study confirms that corethrellids take blood from tree frogs (Hylidae); however, it was found that true frogs (Lithobates Fitzinger 1843 (Ranidae: Anura) sp.) were the principal host selected by Corethrella brakeleyi (Coquillett 1902) (~73% of identified bloodmeals). These preliminary data suggest that host selection of Corethrella Freeman 1962 sp. is not necessarily correlated with host calling abundance.
Diminished Androgen and Estrogen Receptors and Aromatase Levels in Hypogonadal Diabetic Men: Reversal with Testosterone

Aims One-third of males with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have hypogonadism, characterized by low total and free testosterone concentrations. We hypothesized that this condition is associated with a compensatory increase in the expression of androgen receptors (AR) and that testosterone replacement reverses these changes. We also measured estrogen receptor and aromatase expression. Materials and methods This is a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-two hypogonadal and 32 eugonadal men with T2DM were recruited. Hypogonadal men were randomized to receive intramuscular testosterone or saline every 2 weeks for 22 weeks. We measured AR, ERα and aromatase expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC), adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in hypogonadal and eugonadal males with T2DM at baseline and after 22 weeks of treatment in those with hypogonadism. Results The mRNA expression of AR, ERα (ESR1) and aromatase in adipose tissue from hypogonadal men was significantly lower as compared to eugonadal men, and it increased significantly to levels comparable to those in eugonadal patients with T2DM following testosterone treatment. AR mRNA expression was also significantly lower in MNC from hypogonadal patients compared to eugonadal T2DM patients. Testosterone administration in hypogonadal patients also restored AR mRNA and nuclear extract protein levels from MNC to that in eugonadal patients. In the skeletal muscle, AR mRNA and protein expression are lower in men with hypogonadism. Testosterone treatment restored AR expression levels to that comparable to levels in eugonadal men. Conclusions We conclude that, contrary to our hypothesis, the expression of AR, ERα and aromatase is significantly diminished in hypogonadal men as compared to eugonadal men with type 2 diabetes. Following testosterone replacement, there is a reversal of these deficits.
Examining Our Past, Considering Our Future: A Study of Email Reference, 2000–2015

This study into the continued use and relevance of email reference examines 15 years of questions (N = 3026), contextualized by an extensive review of literature, looking at volume and associations...
A Review of 'The History Manifesto'

I review Jo Guldi and David Armitage's The History Manifesto. I argue that the author's call for historians to return to the studying the longue-duree is indeed important. Nevertheless, I show that the History Manifesto does not succeed in making a persuasive case for privileging the role of historians in studying the longue-duree. It is a deeply flawed book that mischaracterizes numerous debates in economic history and other social sciences.
Hybrid programming in high performance scientific computing

An application programmer interface (API) is developed to facilitate, via OpenMP, the par­ allelization of the double precision general matrix multiply routine called from within GAMESS [1] during the execution of the coupled-cluster module for calculating physical properties of molecules. Results are reported using the ATLAS library and the Intel MKL on an Intel machine, and using the ESSL and the ATLAS library on an IBM SP.
The Poverty of Theory

In the early decades of the World Bank’s ambitious mission of crafting a “World Without Poverty,“ aid to education was accorded low priority among its extensive loan packages and policy formulations aimed at developing nations. Development scholars lamented the World Bank’s benign neglect of education, especially given its directive role in establishing development priorities that were followed by other multilateral and bilateral agencies. The World Bank’s focus for much of the 1960s and 1970s was on large infrastructure projects such as hydroelectric dams, modernizing agricultural production and in the social sectors on reducing maternal mortality, infant mortality and promoting family planning for population control.
Behavioral Gerontology: State of the Science

Baer, Wolf and Risley's (1968) dimensions of applied behavior analysis are used as an organizing framework to review and discuss current research on the application of behavioral principles to the solution of social problems faced by older adults. Implications for future research are discussed.
Asynchronous Event-Based Self-Powering, Computation, and Data Logging

Asynchronous self-powering refers to an energy scavenging approach where energy for sensing, computation, and nonvolatile storage is harvested directly from the signal being sensed. The approach eliminates the need for energy regulation modules, energy storage, analog-to-digital converters, microcontrollers, and random-access memory, all of which are commonly used in traditional energy scavenging sensors. In this chapter, we describe the fundamental principles of asynchronous self-powering by considering a case study of a sensor designed for structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. In this regard, we describe how the device physics governing the operation of nonvolatile analog memory could be combined with the physics of piezoelectric and electrostatic transducers such that the resulting circuits can operate at fundamental limits of self-powering. For the sake of completeness, we describe an architecture of a system-on-chip that uses ambient strain variations to asynchronously self-power and compute signal-level and signal-velocity statistics.
Flexible Coding of In-depth Interviews: A Twenty-first-century Approach:

Qualitative coding procedures emanating from grounded theory were limited by technologies of the 1960s: colored pens, scissors, and index cards. Today, electronic documents can be flexibly stored, ...
Simulating nitrogen management impacts on maize production in the U.S. Midwest.

Nutrient loss reduction strategies have recently been developed in the U.S. Midwest to decrease the environmental footprint associated with nitrogen (N) fertilizer use. Although these strategies generally suggest decreasing N rates and shifting the timing of N application from fall to spring, the spatiotemporal impacts of these practices on maize yield and fertilizer N use efficiency (NUE, kg grain yield increase per kg N applied) have not been assessed at the watershed scale using crop simulation models. We simulated the effects of N fertilizer rate (0, 168, 190, 224 kg N ha-1) and application timing [fall-applied N (FN): 100% N applied on 1 December; spring-applied N (SN): 100% N applied 10 days before planting; split N: 66% N applied on 1 December + 34% N applied 10 days before planting] on maize grain yield (GY) across 3042 points in Illinois during 2011-2015 using the DSSAT-CERES-Maize model. When simulations were scaled up to the watershed level, results suggest that increases in average maize GY for SN compared to FN occurred in years with higher than average winter rainfall (2011, 2013), whereas yields were similar (+/- 4%) in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Accordingly, differences in NUE for SN compared to FN were small (0.0-1.4 kg GY/kg N) when cumulative winter rainfall was 500 mm at both 168 kg N ha-1 and 224 kg N ha-1. The combined practice of reducing N fertilizer amounts from 224 kg N ha-1 to 190 kg N ha-1 and shifting from FN to SN resulted in a wide range of yield responses during 2011-2015, with the probability of increasing yields varying from 70% of simulation points within a watershed. Positive impacts on both GY and NUE occurred in only 60% of simulations for this scenario, highlighting the challenge of simultaneously improving yield and NUE with a 15% N rate reduction in this region.
USA300 Staphylococcus aureus persists on multiple body sites following an infection.

USA300 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a community- and hospital-acquired pathogen that frequently causes infections but also can survive on the human body asymptomatically as a part of the normal microbiota. We devised a comparative genomic strategy to track colonizing USA300 at different body sites after an initial infection. We sampled ST8 S. aureus from subjects at the site of a first known MRSA infection. Within 60 days of this infection and again 12 months later, each subject was tested for asymptomatic colonization in the nose, throat and perirectal region. 93 S. aureus strains underwent whole genome shotgun sequencing. Among 28 subjects at the initial sampling time, we isolated S. aureus from the nose, throat and perirectal sites from 15, 11 and 15 of them, respectively. Twelve months later we isolated S. aureus from 9 subjects, with 6, 3 and 3 strains from the nose, throat and perirectal area, respectively. Genome sequencing revealed that 23 patients (ages 0–66 years) carried USA300 intra-subject lineages (ISLs), defined as having an index infection isolate and closely related colonizing strains. Pairwise distance between strains in different ISLs was 48 to 162 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the core regions of the chromosome, whereas within the same ISL it was 0 to 26 SNPs. Strains in ISLs from the same subject differed in plasmid and prophage content, and contained deletions that removed the mecA-containing SCCmec and ACME regions. Five strains contained frameshift mutations in agr toxin-regulating genes. Persistence of an ISL was not associated with clinical or demographic subject characteristics. We inferred that colonization with the ISL occurred about 18 weeks before the first assessment of asymptomatic colonization. Clonal lineages of USA300 may continue to colonize people at one or more anatomic sites up to a year after an initial infection and experience loss of the SCCmec, loss and gain of other mobile genetic elements, and mutations in the agr operon.
Decline in dopamine agonists prescribing and characteristics of drugs prescribed during ambulatory office visits for restless legs syndrome: the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 2007-2015.

Abstract Objective To examine prescribing of drugs treating or exacerbating restless legs syndrome (RLS) during U.S. physician office visits for RLS for the years 2007–2015; and to assess potential prescribing predictors of these drugs. Methods Using the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study. We calculated weighted percentages of RLS-related office visits associated with RLS treatment drugs (alpha-2-delta ligands, dopamine agonists, and other drugs used for RLS) and exacerbating drugs. Using logistic regression, we examined the adjusted association between potential predictors and prescribing of major RLS treatment (dopamine agonists and alpha-2-delta ligands) and exacerbating drugs. Results A total of 456 RLS-related office visits were included for analysis, representing approximately 9.9 million visits. The weighted percentages of visits with dopamine agonists (excluding levodopa) decreased from 50% to 22% (RR 0.44; 95% CI 0.26, 0.77). A visit to a neurologist was associated with a 76% increase in prescribing of the major RLS treatment drugs compared with a visit to a family/general or internal medicine physician (RR 1.76; 95% CI 1.29, 2.42). RLS exacerbating drugs were listed in 28% (95% CI 21–36) of RLS-related visits, mostly for antidepressants (83%). Younger age groups (18–44 and 45–64) were predictors of RLS exacerbating drug prescribing, compared with the older age group (RR 2.46; RR 2.00, respectively). Conclusion Prescribing of dopamine agonists during RLS-related visits decreased during 2007–2015, but prescribing of RLS exacerbating drugs remained high. More investigation is necessary concerning whether clinicians assess the appropriateness of RLS exacerbating drugs for RLS patients before newly prescribing or continuing those drugs. Also, future research would need to investigate what factors contribute to the difference in the RLS treatment prescribing patterns between neurologists and family/general or internal medicine physicians.
Coordination of Care or Conflict of Interest? Exempting ACOs from the Stark Law

Exempting ACOs from the Stark Law Care coordination has become a central theme of new payment and delivery systems. There is, however, at least one downside to care coordination arrangements: they ...
The relationship between substance use, experiential avoidance, and personally meaningful experiences.

Background: High rates of substance use among college students have been associated with a wide range of detrimental consequences. Psychological inflexibility, characterized by both experiential av...
Separating the Impact of Individual Land Surface Properties on the Terrestrial Surface Energy Budget in both the Coupled and Uncoupled Land–Atmosphere System

AbstractChanges in the land surface can drive large responses in the atmosphere on local, regional, and global scales. Surface properties control the partitioning of energy within the surface energ...
CRISPR Repeat Sequences and Relative Spacing Specify DNA Integration by Pyrococcus Furiosus Cas1 and Cas2

Acquiring foreign spacer DNA into the CRISPR locus is an essential primary step of the CRISPR-Cas pathway in prokaryotes for developing host immunity to mobile genetic elements. Here, we investigate spacer integration in vitro using proteins from Pyrococcus furiosus and demonstrate that Cas1 and Cas2 are sufficient to accurately integrate spacers into a minimal CRISPR locus. Using high-throughput sequencing, we identified high frequency spacer integration occurring at the same CRISPR repeat border sites utilized in vivo, as well as at several non-CRISPR plasmid sequences which share features with repeats. Analysis of non-CRISPR integration sites revealed that Cas1 and Cas2 are directed to catalyze full-site spacer integration at specific DNA stretches where guanines and/or cytosines are 30 base pairs apart and the intervening sequence harbors several positionally conserved bases. Moreover, assaying a series of CRISPR repeat mutations, followed by sequencing of the integration products, revealed that the specificity of integration is primarily directed by sequences at the leader-repeat junction as well as an adenine-rich sequence block in the mid-repeat. Together, our results indicate that P. furiosus Cas1 and Cas2 recognize multiple sequence features distributed over a 30 base pair DNA region for accurate spacer integration at the CRISPR repeat.
Aggression in Physically Abused Children

While child physical abuse is related to a heightened risk of aggression, the majority of abused children do not become aggressive (Widom, 1989). Factors which put some physically abused children at increased risk for aggressive behavior remain to be clarified. A transactional, biopsychosocial model of development suggests that aggressive behavior problems arise when intrinsic child vulnerabilities interact with a nonoptimal environment (Sanson, Smart, Prior, & Oberklaid, 1993). Internalizing problems, such as anxiety and depression, have been found to be markedly higher in youth with vs. without conduct disorder (Hinshaw, Lahey, & Hart, 1993). This suggests that vulnerability to emotional distress (i.e., emotion dysregulation) may be one intrinsic child vulnerability related to later aggression.
Pediatric AIDS in Asia

Pediatric HIV infection is generally of two types; that which is acquired from the mother before, during, or shortly after birth (perinatal infection), and that which is acquired later during childhood. In the latter category are infections transmitted through blood transfusions or other introductions of contaminated material through the skin (e.g., injection drug use, ritual scarification), sexual abuse, and early risky sexual behavior. The last category belongs in the field of “pediatrics” when local definitions of the pediatric age group include sexually active teenagers. In most societies, adolescents, particularly girls in their teens, are one of the most vulnerable groups for sexual transmission of HIV. Whether or not they are considered “children,” it is important to highlight this problem in an effort to find ways to prevent it.
What Does Government Do

This chapter provides a treatment of what government does. It is common to speak of government as if it has intentions, beliefs, plans, and fears. However, government is an extended network of offices, bureaus, departments, analysts, decision-makers, and authority structures, each of which has extensive internal structure. This implies the likelihood of a lack of coherence in the intentions and actions of government. Chief executives at a range of levels often have the aspiration of directing the organization as a tightly unified and purposive unit. However, it is plain that the behaviors of functional units within organizations are only loosely controlled by the will of the executive. This ontological fact makes the strategic action field model of organizations directly pertinent to understanding the processes and dynamics of government. The chapter argues that we must also take into account the influence of powerful outsiders on legislation and policy formation. The chapter also considers the role that scientific expertise plays within government policy creation, and identifies some of the sources of pressure and distortion to which scientific experts are subject in policy development.