cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality of Life and Depression Among Mexican Americans on Hemodialysis: A Preliminary Report

Health-related quality of life (QOL) and depression burden of Mexican Americans with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are not known. This observational cross-sectional study assessed QOL and depression and examined their inter-relatedness in Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes and ESRD on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) treatment. Prevalent Mexican Americans on HD (N = 40) completed the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQOL-SF) and the Beck Depression Inventory II. The overall median scores for the mental component summary and the physical component summary scales in the KDQOL-SF were 40.9 and 34.0, respectively. The prevalence of severe depression was 40%. The most significant differences between depressed and non-depressed groups were symptom/problem list, cognitive function, and emotional well- being (P < 0.0001 for all). Mexican Americans with depression endure a more dismal QOL compared to non-depressed peers. Significant negative correlations between depression and several QOL scales underscore plausible interactions between the two conditions which warrants further evaluation.
Estimation of lifetime risks of Alzheimer's disease dementia using biomarkers for preclinical disease.

Abstract Introduction Lifetime risks are the probabilities of progressing to Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia during one's lifespan. Here, we report the first estimates of the lifetime and ten-year risks of AD dementia based on age, gender, and biomarker tests for preclinical disease. Methods We used a multistate model for the disease process together with US death rates. Results Lifetime risks of AD dementia vary considerably by age, gender, and the preclinical or clinical disease state of the individual. For example, the lifetime risks for a female with only amyloidosis are 8.4% for a 90-year old and 29.3% for a 65-year old. Persons younger than 85 years with mild cognitive impairment, amyloidosis, and neurodegeneration have lifetime risks of AD dementia greater than 50%. Discussion Most persons with preclinical AD will not develop AD dementia during their lifetimes. Lifetime risks help interpret the clinical significance of biomarker screening tests for AD.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF SEMEN HARVESTED FROM BULLS, RAMS, BOARS AND STALLIONS

Several inherited conditions associated with testicular defects, abnormal spermatogenesis and morphologically abnormal sperm have been found. These usually are controlled by single gene pairs. A notable exception is testicular size, with heritability in young bulls ranging from .42 to .88. Testicular size directly affects sperm output potential. The major contributor to variation in semen quality is the environment. Environmental effects may be temporary or permanent. Permanent effects occurring during prenatal and prepubertal periods and temporary or permanent factors acting after spermatogenesis is initiated can alter semen quality. Semen quality improves during the first few months after puberty and declines in old age. Malnutrition and the ingestion of toxic materials can have a major effect on testicular development and spermatogenesis, but the reproductive system has considerable regenerative capacity unless the dietary deficiencies are severe and prolonged. Elevated testicular temperatures resulting from incomplete descent of the testes (cryptorchidism), high environmental temperatures or inflammation are detrimental to spermatogenesis in all scrotal mammals. Cold temperatures appear to be innocuous unless actual freezing of tissue occurs. During periods of decreasing daylight semen quality declines in stallions and improves in seasonally breeding sheep. The time required to form and transport sperm in bulls, rams, boars and stallions is about 64, 56, 47 and 59 days. Therefore, a considerable potential lag may exist between a testicular event responsible for a change in semen quality and the time that this change is evident in ejaculated semen. Conditions imposed at the time of semen collection such as frequency of ejaculation, degree of sexual preparation and type of semen collection may influence the quality of semen harvested. Finally, certain semen characteristics are more variable than others and investigators should utilize suitable existing data to design the most effective least-cost experiments.
The Incremental Role of Revenue in Valuing Firms

This study examines the role of revenue in valuing firms beyond earnings and investigates whether the ability of revenue to explain stock returns (1) is pervasive or limited to certain situations in which earnings may be less informative, (2) is sensitive to nonlinearity in the relation between returns and earnings, and (3) has changed over time. Our analysis indicates that revenue information is useful both as a summary measure of a firm's performance for valuation purposes and in conveying new information to the market, after controlling for earnings information. These results are not driven by technology firms, firms incurring losses, or firm-quarters with extreme earnings news - situations in which earnings information may be less useful or persistent, or by model misspecification due to nonlinearity in the returns-earnings relation. Further, we find significant nonlinearity in the relation between returns and both earnings and revenue. While the ability of revenue and earnings to summarize information on firm performance is stable across time, the new information conveyed by earnings has declined while the ability of revenue to incrementally convey new information has not diminished.
TCT-590 Pilot evaluation of cognitive function after surgical and transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Prior studies evaluating the prospective associations of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with cognitive function have been limited by lack of a surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) control group. We enrolled patients with severe aortic stenosis scheduled to undergo TAVR or SAVR at
The Longitudinal Effects of STEM Identity and Gender on Flourishing and Achievement in College Physics

Drawing on social identity theory and positive psychology, this study investigated women’s responses to the social environment of physics classrooms. It also investigated STEM identity and gender disparities on academic achievement and flourishing in an undergraduate introductory physics course for STEM majors. One hundred sixty undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory physics course were administered a baseline survey with self-report measures on course belonging, physics identification, flourishing, and demographics at the beginning of the course and a post-survey at the end of the academic term. Students also completed force concept inventories, and physics course grades were obtained from the registrar. Women reported less course belonging and less physics identification than men. Physics identification and grades evidenced a longitudinal bidirectional relationship for all students (regardless of gender) such that when controlling for baseline physics knowledge: (a) students with higher physics identification were more likely to earn higher grades; and (b) students with higher grades evidenced more physics identification at the end of the term. Men scored higher on the force concept inventory than women; although no gender disparities emerged for course grades. For women, higher physics (versus lower) identification was associated with more positive changes in flourishing over the course of the term. High-identifying men showed the opposite pattern: negative change in flourishing was more strongly associated with high identifiers than low identifiers. Overall, this study underlines gender disparities in physics both in terms of belonging and physics knowledge. It suggests that strong STEM identity may be associated with academic performance and flourishing in undergraduate physics courses at the end of the term, particularly for women. A number of avenues for future research are discussed.
The Rise of GEOINT: Technology, Intelligence and Human Rights

The “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P) doctrine and the increasingly interventionist position of UN-mandated peacekeeping operations testify to fundamental changes in the international community’s response to humanitarian and human rights crises. Part of this development involves a growing reliance upon technology designed for the modern battlefield but adapted for peacekeeping operations, which has resulted in the emerging field of human rights-oriented Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) analysis. Centered on visual imagery derived from remote sensing (RS) platforms such as satellites and drones, GEOINT serves to imbed distinct, militaristic epistemologies into human rights narratives. As such, this chapter explores the “vertical geopolitics” of RS imagery and questions the “view from nowhere” that underlies GEOINT. A review of the UN mission in the D.R.C (MONUSCO) highlights both the positive and negative implications that the adoption of GEOINT has had on the rhetoric and practice of crisis response and humanitarian intervention in the twenty-first century.
Reclaiming Public Space: Drawing Lessons from the Past as We Confront the Future

At the dawn of the 2018 New Year, Chief Strategist R. Sharma of Morgan Stanley Investments looked to the recent past, asking a probing question: “Why Experts get it wrong all the time?” (Sharma, “Why Experts Get It Wrong All the Time” The New York Times, December 31, 2017: SR2). After a Great Recession, which hit large swaths of the world, a likewise sharp recovery currently raises questions, with markets hitting the roof, only to self-correct days later. What makes some people wonder is the relative absence of government, at least in “Western democracies”, from such momentous changes, and the uneven distribution of both benefits and burdens resulting from developments in the economic sphere. It looks as if the governments and markets have gone their separate ways, having little effect on one another. With political activity in disarray, not only in the United States but also in Western Europe, and the political class in very low esteem, inevitably questions are raised, especially by those old enough to remember the days when “government was good”. A yawning disconnect has been allowed to grow between what people need and what governments—increasingly beholden to the socio-economic elites (far less than 10 per cent of all the people)—deliver or facilitate. The government’s retreat from people’s staple needs and from preparing the future has been matched by an escalation of military spending, as proxy wars, invasions and covert operations, all mostly in violation of international law, have multiplied. Harking back to distant days, nationalistic rhetoric is on the rise once more. It seeks to rally people around the flag, with governments “exporting discontent”, invoking foreign “enemies” largely in order to divert attention from corruption and failures at home. Endless “forgotten wars” mask a skewed priority order, as pressing claims emerging from growing pockets of poverty and from the UN-sponsored Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) clamour for greater attention.
Differential Misfolding Properties of Glaucoma-Associated Olfactomedin Domains from Humans and Mice

Mutations in myocilin, predominantly within its olfactomedin (OLF) domain, are causative for the heritable form of open angle glaucoma in humans. Surprisingly, mice expressing Tyr423His mutant myocilin, corresponding to a severe glaucoma-causing mutation (Tyr437His) in human subjects, exhibit a weak, if any, glaucoma phenotype. To address possible protein-level discrepancies between mouse and human OLFs, which might lead to this outcome, biophysical properties of mouse OLF were characterized for comparison with those of human OLF. The 1.55 A resolution crystal structure of mouse OLF reveals an asymmetric 5-bladed β-propeller that is nearly indistinguishable from previous structures of human OLF. Wild-type and selected mutant mouse OLFs mirror thermal stabilities of their human OLF counterparts, including characteristic stabilization in the presence of calcium. Mouse OLF forms thioflavin T-positive aggregates with a similar end-point morphology as human OLF, but amyloid aggregation kinetic rates of mouse O...
Drone Use for Environmental Research [Perspectives]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly called drones, have generated a great deal of controversy, partly because of their use for military and police purposes and because of concerns that they pose threats to privacy and safety. At the same time, environmental scientists are finding drones to be a powerful research tool. Because the use of drones has the potential to generate sensitive and incidental information (especially about human activities), environmental scientists must think carefully about how to handle these findings in ethically appropriate ways that do not generate a backlash against their use.
Therapeutic Implication of SOCS1 Modulation in the Treatment of Autoimmunity and Cancer.

The Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family of intracellular proteins has a vital role in the regulation of the immune system and resolution of inflammatory cascades. SOCS1, also called STAT-induced STAT inhibitor (SSI) or JAK-binding protein (JAB), is a member of the SOCS family with actions ranging from immune modulation to cell cycle regulation. Knockout of SOCS1 leads to perinatal lethality in mice and increased vulnerability to cancer, while several SNPs in the SOCS1 gene have been implicated in human inflammation-mediated diseases. In this review, we describe the mechanism of action of SOCS1 and its potential therapeutic role in the prevention and treatment of autoimmunity and cancer. We also provide a brief outline of the other JAK inhibitors, both FDA-approved and under investigation.
Understanding profiles of student binge drinking and eating: The importance of motives.

Abstract Binge drinking and binge eating occur frequently in undergraduates; however, the mechanism driving their co-occurrence is not well-understood. Several theories support the role of motives in driving drinking and eating behavior, especially motivations related to affect regulation (i.e., enhancement/pleasure and coping). This study used a person-centered approach to identify classes of students based on eating and drinking motives and past-month binge behavior and examined class differences in psychopathology, emotion regulation, and impulsivity. Undergraduates (N = 776) completed a drinking timeline follow-back and surveys assessing motives, binge eating, psychopathology, emotion regulation, impulsivity, and quality of life. Mixture modeling was used to group students based on presence/absence of past-month binge eating, binge drinking, and motives for eating and drinking. The analysis resulted in 4 classes: Binge Drinking (with relatively high social and enhancement drinking motives), Binge Eating (with overall high eating motives), Both Bingeing (with high drinking motives, especially coping, and high eating motives), and Low Bingeing (with low motives for both behaviors). ANOVA and post-hoc analyses suggested that the Binge Eating and Both Bingeing groups were most impaired, while the Binge Drinking class rarely differed from the Low Bingeing group across measures of psychological distress. Notably, classes with high eating/drinking motives displayed significant impairment despite not all class members endorsing binge behavior. Findings suggest that binge drinking in addition to binge eating may not imply more psychological impairment and support the importance of assessing motives for eating/drinking among undergraduates and potentially trying to challenge these motives through early intervention.
Finding almost squares IV

In this paper, we continue the study of almost squares; these are integers n representable as n = a · b for some \(a, b \in [1,3\sqrt{n}]\). We show that almost all (in the measure–theoretic sense) short intervals [x, x + (log x)12] contain at least one almost square, and we consider related questions. Moreover, a result of Erdős shows that the exponent 12 cannot be smaller than 0.086 ....
Doing business with the NIH.

Young biotech startups can benefit hugely from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), not least because of the agency's non-dilutive funding, guidance, and opportunities for collaboration. Increasingly, however, there is a fair bit of misunderstanding about what the NIH can and cannot do for a biotech entrepreneur.
Preparing Preservice School Counselors to Serve Students With Disabilities: A Case Study:

Using a case study, researchers examined how preservice school counselors experienced course content and activities related to students with disabilities. Course content, activities, and pedagogica...
Assessing Relationships Among Impulsive Sensation Seeking, Reward Circuitry Activity, and Risk for Psychopathology: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Replication and Extension Study.

Abstract Background High trait impulsive sensation seeking (ISS), the tendency to engage in behavior without forethought and to seek out new or extreme experiences, is a transdiagnostic risk factor for externalizing and mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder. We published a positive association between trait ISS and reward expectancy–related activity in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (L vlPFC) and the ventral striatum. We aimed to replicate this finding and extend it by testing for mediation effects of ISS on relationships between reward expectancy–related activity and measures denoting hypomania. Methods A transdiagnostic sample of 127 adults, 18 to 25 years of age, completed a card-guessing functional magnetic resonance imaging task as well as measures of ISS (inattention, motor impulsivity, fun seeking, positive and negative urgency) and the Moods Spectrum as a measure of hypomania. An original sample of 98 was included for confirmatory and mediation analyses. Results We replicated a positive relationship between reward expectancy–related L vlPFC activity and negative urgency, an ISS component (β = .28, t = 2.44, p = .0169). We combined these data with the original sample, confirming this finding (β = .27, t = 2.41, p = .0184). Negative urgency statistically mediated the relationship between reward expectancy–related L vlPFC activity and Moods Spectrum factors associated with hypomania. No other associations between ISS measures and reward expectancy–related activity were replicated. Conclusions We replicated findings showing that reward expectancy–related L vlPFC activity is a biomarker for negative urgency, the tendency to react with frustration during distressing conditions. Negative urgency also statistically mediated the relationship between L vlPFC activity and measures indicative of hypomanic symptoms.
The Totem Project: Pluralizing Access in the Academic Classroom

Objects as communicative devices have been compulsory among many individuals who are deafblind. Within such communities, deafblind individuals utilize a “talking stick” to orientate corporeal relations that are defined through spatial organization. The talking stick guides individuals toward mutual proximity—one individual orients to the other by occupying each end of the talking stick. This chapter introduces an object called the totem that functions, like the talking stick, to mediate conversation. Whereas the talking stick mediates conversation among two people, the totem is designed to facilitate group conversation.
Herpes wound infection after femoral endarterectomy.

Abstract Wound infection after common femoral endarterectomy is a well-documented phenomenon leading to significant morbidity, especially in the setting of a prosthetic graft. A push has recently been made in the literature for salvage of the prosthetic graft using debridement, antibiotics, and vacuum-assisted closure therapy. Herein we present the case of wound infection after common femoral endarterectomy with bovine patch angioplasty initially presumed to be of bacterial origin that failed to respond to vacuum-assisted closure therapy until the viral nature of the pathogen was discovered. The patient will continue lifelong valacyclovir for suppressive therapy.
P595 Vaginal microbiota among adolescent and young adult women with pelvic inflammatory disease

Background Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a polymicrobial infection currently treated using syndromic management with broad-spectrum antibiotics. There are limited data describing the vaginal microbiota among adolescent and young adult women with PID, and how the post-PID microbial state may predispose to subsequent infection due to ongoing infection and shifts in vaginal microbiota. The purpose of this pilot research is to examine the microbial environment among adolescent and young adult women with acute PID. Methods This analysis utilizes stored samples from 13–25-year-old patients (n=26) diagnosed with acute PID and enrolled in the Technology Enhanced Community Health Nursing (TECH-N) study, a large randomized controlled clinical trial designed to test a multi-faceted intervention for prevention of PID. Vaginal microbiota was characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3-V4 regions) and clustered into community state types (CSTs). Results At baseline, the majority of patients with acute PID were in a low-Lactobacillus or L.iners dominated state (CST I (L. crispatus dominated (N=3, 11.54%), CST III L. iners-dominated (N=7, 26.9%), CST IV Low-Lactobacillus (N=15, 57.69%), CST V L. jensenii-dominated (N=1, 3.85%)). The single CST V case had a relatively low abundance (55%) of L. jensenii. Conclusion Preliminary vaginal microbiota testing among AYA with PID revealed over 1/2 of participants had a low abundance of Lactobacillus spp indicative of bacterial vaginosis and risk to STI. Over 1/4 had L. iners-dominated microbiotas, which are also often associated with BV. Lactobacillus spp and are thought to protect against pathogens; however, the level of protection may vary by strain. Additional research should examine these findings in larger samples, include PID-negative patients for comparison, and assess the changes in the vaginal microbiota associated with successful clearance of pathogens. Such work may improve understanding of the vaginal microenvironment during PID and elucidate a path to shift from syndromic management to precision treatment among affected patients. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Using the Trager® approach to reduce the impact of foot drop: Case report

This case report illustrates how a person with a complex series of injuries and surgeries can regain a capacity of hope and healing utilizing the Trager® Approach. The client presents with a Foot Drop on the right side, severe chronic pain and hopelessness, and a desire and willingness to feel better. He survived a forty-foot fall from a tree, twenty years ago, and has lived with extensive repair to his spine. He has been living with pain from the limited mobility of spinal rods, vertebral fusions, and more recent hip replacements. Now, in an aging body, he seeks alternative care after being told, he "will just have to live with his pain". After a series of sessions by a Senior Trager Practitioner, his mobility, functional status and sleep have improved; and his pain has decreased significantly.
Supporting curiosity in schools and classrooms

Curiosity is associated with increased learning, and developing curious individuals is an educational goal in its own right. This review uses Bioecological Systems Theory to examine how students’ curiosity can be supported in educational contexts. Understanding the nature of curiosity as a biopsychosocial characteristic that can change over time and its relation to other characteristics such as knowledge and epistemic beliefs provides insight into why some students may be more curious than others, or more curious in certain subject areas than others. Scaffolding uncertainty and other practices that instigate curiosity are an important means of increasing curiosity for learning. Overall, the development of students’ curiosity should account for the complex, nested structure of learning environments, including the culture of high-stakes testing.
If you can do it for free, there's some way to do it for money

Markets without Limits defends the claim that there are no inherent limits to markets, in the sense that if something may permissibly be given away or exchanged outside of market or for free, then there is some realistic and plausible way of structuring a market that makes it morally permissible to exchange it for money. This paper reviews the basic strategy of the book, and then responds to criticisms from Geoffrey Hodgson's recent review. Hodgson claims to have identified counterexamples to our main thesis, which we dispute.
LEPTOSPIRA PREVALENCE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH RENAL PATHOLOGY IN MOUNTAIN LIONS (PUMA CONCOLOR) AND BOBCATS (LYNX RUFUS) IN CALIFORNIA, USA

Leptospirosis is reported infrequently in wild and domestic felids. We estimated the prevalence of Leptospira spp. infection and exposure using real-time PCR and serology, respectively, in 136 mountain lions (Puma concolor) and 39 bobcats (Lynx rufus) that died or were euthanized between 2009 and 2017 from several regions of California, US. Felids were classified as Leptospira-positive if they were test-positive using real-time PCR targeting the LipL32 gene of pathogenic Leptospira spp. or microscopic agglutination test for six serovars of Leptospira spp. The overall Leptospira spp. prevalence was 46% (63/136) for mountain lions and 28% (11/39) for bobcats. The most common serovar detected in both felid species was Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona. Age class and geographic location were significantly associated with Leptospira spp. in mountain lions, but not in bobcats. Interstitial nephritis, predominately lymphocytic, was diagnosed in 39% (41/106) of mountain lions and 16% (4/25) of bobcats evaluated histologically and was significantly associated with being Leptospira spp.-positive in both species. Our findings suggest that Leptospira spp. infection is common and widespread in California's wild felids and may have clinical impacts on renal and overall health of individuals. Key words: Bobcat, Leptospira spp., leptospirosis, Lynx rufus, mountain lion, nephritis, pathology, Puma concolor.
Hopi Tradition as Jurisdiction: On the Potentializing Limits of Hopi Sovereignty

In this article I reconsider Hopi tradition as jurisdiction—reflexive moments of Hopi legal discourse that orient to the limits of Hopi sovereignty, even as they presuppose its power. I explore these themes in two significant moments of Hopi political history. First, I consider the uses of tradition in the creation of the contemporary Hopi tribe through the field notes of the US agent charged with drafting the 1936 Hopi Constitution. Then I consider more contemporary uses of tradition in recent Hopi tribal court cases that extended judicial power over matters reserved for local village leadership. Both instances suggest efforts to potentialize tribal power even as they orient explicitly to the limits of that authority. These traditions are thus, ironically, understood not as replaying Euro‐American logics of nationalist totalities, but as indigenous sociopolitical actions that unsettle static representations of Hopi cultural identity and the sovereignty claimed through them.
Perceptions of socialization in interprofessional practice among health science students and first-year practicing professionals

Abstract Background Interprofessional education (IPE) is integrated into health science programs with a goal to prepare practice ready graduates who are able to collaborate effectively. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of health science students and first-year practicing professionals from a variety of disciplines (medical imaging, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology) on interprofessional socialization as it occurs in clinical environments in order to identify gaps that may exist between education and practice. Method A mixed-methods design was used to understand the perceptions of 98 health science students and first-year practicing professionals (medical imaging, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology) using the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (ISVS) along with four open-ended descriptive questions and demographic data. Descriptive statistics examined the ISVS survey responses and thematic analysis was used to explore the perceptions of the participants. Results Survey results indicated that students gained an appreciation for the benefit in interprofessional teamwork and the lowest scores relating to comfort being the leader in a team setting and comfort speaking out within a team. These findings are consistent with the qualitative themes of workplace culture, professional role identity, and worthiness of interprofessional education that emerged from the data. Conclusion This study adds a unique perspective on the experiences of health science students and first-year practicing professionals on interprofessional socialization in the clinical environment. The study suggests that although the value of collaborative practice is emphasized in academia, further strategies are necessary to help prepare students to navigate the transition from interprofessional education (IPE) to interprofessional practice (IPP).
The Impact of the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) Comprehensive Strategy on Crime in the City of Los Angeles

The City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program was conceived as a comprehensive response to gang violence. Unlike most comprehensive approaches, suppr...
An online, single-session intervention for adolescent self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: Results from a randomized trial.

Abstract Background Across 50 years of research, existing interventions for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) in adolescents have remained largely ineffective and inaccessible. Single-session interventions, interventions designed to last one session, may be a low-cost and timely resource for adolescents engaging in SITBs who may not otherwise receive treatment. Method 565 adolescents (Mage = 14.95 years) endorsing recent engagement in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) were randomized to receive a 30-min, web-based, single-session intervention—“Project SAVE”—or an active, attention-matched control program. Proximal outcomes were measured at baseline and immediately post-intervention. Long-term outcomes were measured at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Results Adolescents rated Project SAVE as acceptable; 80% of participants randomized to SAVE completed the intervention. Between-group effects were non-significant for pre-registered outcomes: post-intervention likelihood of future NSSI; 3-month frequencies of NSSI and suicidal ideation at follow-up. Relative to control-group participants, SAVE participants reported short-term improvements in two exploratory outcomes: self-hatred (d = −.35, p Conclusions Project SAVE is an acceptable resource for adolescents engaging in SITBs—with short-term effects on clinically-relevant outcomes. Future research may evaluate SAVE as an easy-to-access, short-term coping resource for youth engaging in SITBs. Clinical Trials.gov identifier NCT04498143.
Accounting for repetition and dropout in contemporaneous cross-section learning profiles: Evidence from Rwanda.

Abstract How much do children learn in a year of school? Longitudinal data that tracks children over time is scarce in developing countries, and so recent studies estimate learning profiles by comparing the ability of people with different amounts of schooling, at a single point in time. Such estimates of the effect of schooling on learning may be biased upwards by not controlling for repetition and dropout. In this paper I estimate contemporaneous cross-section learning profiles for Rwanda, using data from a nationally representative survey of 3053 children aged six to eighteen. I show how adjusting this learning profile for the total number of years enrolled in school (accounting for repetition and dropout), using detailed schooling histories, reduces the average amount learnt per year by over 60 percent. The learning profile for Rwanda is not just too flat, but flatter than previous estimates suggest.
Density of Development in Newly Urbanized Areas Over Time

Initial significant development at the urban fringe is only the beginning of a period of development that continues for at least several decades. Two hypotheses are posited: The density of development in newly urbanized areas will increase over time, and the increase will be greater in urban areas that are growing more rapidly. The percent of housing in newly urbanized areas that is more dense — single-family attached and multifamily housing — is used as the measure of density. Percent more dense housing and its change were examined for the decades after urbanization in the areas newly urbanized from 1960 to 2010 for 59 large urban areas in the United States. Densities increased significantly in the 2 decades after those areas became urban and the increases were greater in faster growing urban areas.
Influence of high carbonization temperatures on key performance indicators of Arundo donax derived biochars

Biochar can be used as a solid fuel for space heating and as soil amendment to improve agricultural production. Availability of biomass feedstock and carbonization temperature are determinant facto...
Estrogen Receptor-Alpha and p53 Status as Regulators of AMPK and mTOR in Luminal Breast Cancer

Luminal breast cancer (LBC) driven by dysregulated estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) signaling accounts for 70% of the breast cancer cases diagnosed. Although endocrine therapy (ET) is effective against LBC, about one-third of these patients fail to respond to therapy owing to acquired or inherent resistance mechanisms. Aberrant signaling via ERα, oncogenes, growth factor receptors, and mutations in tumor suppressors such as p53 impinge on downstream regulators such as AMPK and mTOR. While both AMPK and mTOR have been reported to play important roles in determining sensitivity of LBC to ET, how the ERα-p53 crosstalk impinges on regulation of AMPK and mTOR, thereby influencing therapeutic efficacy remains unknown. Here, we have addressed this important issue using isogenic breast cancer cell lines, siRNA-mediated RNA knockdown, and different modes of drug treatments. Interaction of p53 with ERα and AMPK was determined by in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA), and endogenous gene transcripts were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Further, the effect of concurrent and sequential administration of Fulvestrant-Everolimus combination on colony formation was determined. The studies showed that in cells expressing wild type p53, as well as in cells devoid of p53, ERα represses AMPK, whereas in cells harboring mutant p53, repression of AMPK is sustained even in the absence of ERα. AMPK is a major negative regulator of mTOR, and to our knowledge, this is the first study on the contribution of AMPK-dependent regulation of mTOR by ERα. Furthermore, the studies revealed that independent of the p53 mutation status, combination of Fulvestrant and Everolimus may be a viable first line therapeutic strategy for potentially delaying resistance of ERα+/HER2- LBC to ET.
Racial Disparities in 30-Day Outcomes After Colorectal Surgery in an Integrated Healthcare System.

Racial disparities in colorectal surgery outcomes have been studied extensively in the USA, and access to healthcare resources may contribute to these differences. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare network in the USA with the potential for equal access care to veterans. The objective of this study is to evaluate the VHA for the presence of racial disparities in 30-day outcomes of patients that underwent colorectal resection. Colon and rectal resections from 2008 to 2019 were reviewed retrospectively using the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients were categorized by race and ethnicity. Multivariable analysis was used to compare 30-day outcomes. Cases with “unknown/other/declined to answer” race/ethnicity were excluded. Thirty-six-thousand-nine-hundred-sixty-nine cases met inclusion criteria: 27,907 (75.5%) Caucasian, 6718 (18.2%) African American, 2047 (5.5%) Hispanic, and 290 (0.8%) Native American patients. There were no statistically significant differences in overall complication incidence or mortality between all cohorts. Compared to Caucasian race, African American patients had longer mean length of stay (10.7 days vs. 9.7 days; p < 0.001). Compared to Caucasian race, Hispanic patients had higher odds of pulmonary-specific complications (adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval = 1.39 [1.17–1.64]; p < 0.001). The VHA provides the benefits of integrated healthcare and access, which may explain the improvements in racial disparities compared to existing literature. However, some racial disparities in clinical outcomes still persisted in this analysis. Further efforts beyond healthcare access are needed to mitigate disparities in colorectal surgery. [Outcomes]; [Database]; [Veterans]; [Colorectal Surgery]; [Morbidity]; [Mortality].
Is Adversity in Childhood Linked to Marijuana Use in Adulthood?: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events, which can have long-term, negative consequences. Few studies have examined ACEs' relationship to marijuana use. Objectives: We examined the association between ACEs and past-month marijuana use among adults and the pathways between childhood adversity and marijuana use. Methods: Adults from five states (n = 22,991) who responded to the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System were included. We examined the prevalence of ACEs and marijuana use. We employed generalized structural equation modeling to assess the relationship between ACEs and marijuana use and the role of depression and poor mental and physical health as possible mediators. Results: Overall, 65.0% of the population reported 1+ ACE. Heavy marijuana use and past-month marijuana use prevalence rates were 10.3% and 5.0%, respectively. We found mediation effects for depression and poor mental health but not poor physical health. The number of ACEs was associated with a statistically significant increase in any past-month marijuana use-indirect effects ranged from 1.0 (95% CI, 1.0-1.0) to 1.4 (95% CI, 1.2-1.7), direct effects ranged from 1.1 (95% CI, 07-1.7) to 5.3 (95% CI 3.2-8.8), and total effects ranged from 1.1 (95% CI, 0.7-1.7) to 5.9 (95% CI, 3.6-9.8). Women, married persons, and middle aged and older adults had a lower odds of marijuana use. Reporting at least one HIV risk behavior was associated with an increased odds of marijuana use. Conclusion: ACE exposure was positively associated with marijuana use. Depression and poor mental health separately mediated this relationship.
Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics: A Great Reversal

I used two phrases to describe rural reforms in the 1980s of the last century: “Advancing of non-governmental sector and retreat of the state.” As for the 1990s of the last century, I also have two descriptions – “Advancing of the state and retreat of the non-governmental sector” and “retreat of rights of the people and advancing of the rights of the government.” In the 1980s, the standard of living of the peasants improved day by day and the level of tensions was low in the rural area. In the 1990s, although rural economy continued to develop, the livelihood of the peasants was difficult and the level of tensions in the rural area accelerated considerably. – Li Changping (2005), a former Party secretary in Jianli county of Hubei province We began the last chapter with the story of Mr. Nian, the impoverished and self-deprecating rural entrepreneur who created a marketing storm in the early 1980s with his Idiot's Seeds. The decade also ended with him. In September 1989, Mr. Nian was arrested. The local procuratorate of Wuhu city where Mr. Nian's business was headquartered charged him with crimes of corruption and “embezzlement of state property.” In 1990, the city government shut down his firm. It was an inglorious end to a once sensational brand – and brand-name – of Chinese indigenous capitalism. The charges against Mr. Nian were so trumped up that they did not even pass muster with the low evidentiary threshold of the Chinese courts.
Message to complementary and alternative medicine: evidence is a better friend than power

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is being embraced by an increasing number of practitioners and advocates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). A significant constituency within CAM, however, appears to have substantive doubts about EBM and some are expressly hostile. Many of the arguments raised against EBM within the CAM community are based on a caricature radically at odds with established, accepted and published principles of EBM practice. Contrary to what has sometimes been argued, EBM is not cookbook medicine that ignores individual needs. Neither does EBM mandate that only proven therapies should be used. Before EBM, decisions on health care tended to be based on tradition, power and influence. Such modes usually act to the disadvantage of marginal groups. By placing CAM on an equal footing with conventional medicine - what matters for both is evidence of effectiveness - EBM provides an opportunity for CAM to find an appropriate and just place in health care.
Advances in the Development of EGFR Targeted Therapies for the Treatment of Glioblastoma

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) dysregulated in glioblastoma (GBM) through overexpression, mutation or inappropriate expression of ligand. Activation of the EGFR by these mechanisms contributes to the development and progression of GBM by engaging downstream targets, such as the PI3K pathway. The de2-7 EGFR (or EGFRvIII), a naturally occurring mutation of the EGFR frequently expressed in GBM, preferentially activates this pathway. Clinical trials with EGFR-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been disappointing with very little antitumor activity observed. The outcome of controlled clinical trials with EGFR-specific antibodies is yet to be reported. Encouraging preclinical and preliminary clinical data suggests that the combination of EGFR therapeutics and compounds that target molecules downstream of EGFR might have increased efficacy. Finally, the identification of biomarkers that predict those patients most likely to respond to EGFR inhibition is desperately needed.
The challenge of curriculum modeling for an emerging discipline: software engineering

There are several critical issues facing the area of software engineering as it moves towards being generally recognized as a distinct engineering discipline, including the formulation of a body of knowledge, the development of curriculum models, the accreditation of software engineering degree programs in higher education, the formulation of a code of ethics and professional practice for the discipline and the licensing of professional engineers in software engineering. All of these areas have major efforts currently going on, some of which affect only the United States, with others having global impact. One effort with possible worldwide ramifications is the Guidelines for Software Education currently being developed by the Working Group for Software Engineering Education and Training. The first task of the team the writing the Guidelines' is to develop a detailed undergraduate software engineering curriculum model. This paper discusses how current efforts in other areas such as the body of knowledge, licensing and accreditation are impacting upon the formulation of the Guidelines. The second task of the Guidelines team is to show how software engineering fits within the larger concept of software education across computing disciplines. In this regard the Guidelines demonstrate how software engineering fits into computer science, computer engineering and software engineering curricula. This paper therefore also provides some background concerning developments in software education that have both inspired and impact the Guidelines.
Mapping forest functional type in a forest-shrubland ecotone using SPOT imagery and predictive habitat distribution modelling

The availability of land cover data at local scales is an important component in forest management and monitoring efforts. Regional land cover data seldom provide detailed information needed to support local management needs. Here we present a transferable framework to model forest cover by major plant functional type using aerial photos, multi-date Systeme Pour l’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) imagery, and topographic variables. We developed probability of occurrence models for deciduous broad-leaved forest and needle-leaved evergreen forest using logistic regression in the southern portion of the Wyoming Basin Ecoregion. The model outputs were combined into a synthesis map depicting deciduous and coniferous forest cover type. We evaluated the models and synthesis map using a field-validated, independent data source. Results showed strong relationships between forest cover and model variables, and the synthesis map was accurate with an overall correct classification rate of 0.87 and Cohen’s kappa value o...
Hospice Eligibility and Election: Does Policy Prepare Us to Meet the Need?

A 7-point policy model is used to examine policy on hospice eligibility and election in the United States. Despite the growth of hospice, many eligible patients continue to lack access due to difficulties experienced by providers in discerning 6-month prognoses among chronically ill patients, the inability of patients to elect hospice alongside curative care, and limited reimbursement for hospice providers. Though the landscape of dying has evolved, with more deaths occurring later in life from chronic illness, Medicare hospice eligibility requirements have historically remained the same. Utilization would increase if hospice agencies were able to provide fewer restrictions by including ongoing treatments such as transfusions, intravenous nutrition, or palliative radiation. Hospices would be more likely to enroll critically ill patients who require some ongoing curative measures if Medicare reimbursement rates were higher, and patients would be more likely to seek hospice earlier if Medicare election poli...
Studies with proline-3,4-H3 on the hydroxylation of proline during collagen synthesis in chick embryos

Abstract The recent availability of proline-3,4-H3 has appeared to make it possible to define the mechanism involved in the hydroxylation of proline during collagen synthesis in some detail, but conflicting results with this compound have been reported. Further studies with a mixture of proline-3,4-H3 and uniformly labeled proline-C14 indicated that about 73% of the tritium is retained during the hydroxylation reaction. Enzymatic and chemical degradation of the proline-3,4-H3 employed in the experiments indicated that essentially all of the tritium label was in the 3- and 4-carbon positions. Evidence about the relative distribution of tritium among the four hydrogen positions on the 3- and 4-carbon atoms was not obtained, but a detailed examination of the possible distributions of label and of the possible intermediates in the hydroxylation indicated that 4-ketoproline or 3,4-dehydroproline could not have occurred as intermediates during the hydroxylation unless several improbable assumptions were made. The results, therefore, were interpreted as indicating that tritium from a single hydrogen position was lost in the conversion of proline-3,4-H3 to collagen hydroxyproline.