cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pediatric Aspects of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Children and adolescents make up from 15 % to 20 % of all newly diagnosed individuals with inflammatory bowel disease. Approximately 30 % of pediatric patients are less than 10 years of age at diagnosis with the remainder in their pre-teen or teenage years. Rarely, children develop IBD in infancy or early childhood. Recent work has demonstrated that very early onset IBD may be associated with a number of monogenic disorders such as loss of function in IL-10 receptor genes. The diagnosis of IBD is usually straightforward and includes standard endoscopic evaluation and biopsy. A push toward minimizing the use of ionizing radiation has prompted increasing utilization of magnetic resonance enterography. As in adults, treatment is directed toward elimination of signs and symptoms of inflammation, but the bar in children is raised even higher as therapy must also promote normal growth and development. The concept of “treat to target “is also now applicable to pediatric IBD with mucosal healing now in reach with the advent of biologic therapy with anti-TNF agents. Whether monotherapy or combination therapy is best continues to be debated though recent evidence strongly suggests that durability of anti-TNF therapy is improved with combination therapy. However, the choice of a thiopurine versus methotrexate as the combination agent continues to engender considerable debate. Risk versus benefit remains an important element of the discussion with patients and families.
Testing for Long Memory Using Penalized Splines and Adaptive Neyman Methods

Testing procedures for the null hypothesis of short memory against long memory alternatives are investigated. Our new test statistic is constructed using penalized splines method and Fan’s (1996) canonical multivariate normal hypothesis testing procedure. Using penalized splines method, we are able to eliminate the effects of nuisance parameters typically induced by short memory autocorrelation. Therefore, under the null hypothesis of any short memory processes, our new test statistic has a known asymptotic distribution. The proposed test statistic is completely data-driven or adaptive, which avoids the need to select any smoothing parameters. Since the convergence of our test statistic toward its asymptotic distribution is relatively slow, Monte Carlo methods are investigated to determine the corresponding critical value. The finite-sample properties of our procedure are compared to other well-known tests in the literature. These show that the empirical size properties of the new statistic can be very robust compared to existing tests and also that it competes well in terms of power.
Paid Search Advertising

This note provides a primer on paid search advertising, which is an important component of digital marketing. The mechanics of paid search is explained using the Google search engine platform. The note covers metrics for evaluating the performance of paid search, the strategic objective of paid search, the relationship between customer lifetime value and search ads, how to overcome sparse data problems using keyword clouds, and the nature of Google AdWords's enhanced campaigns. Excerpt UVA-M-0860 Rev. May 3, 2018 Paid Search Advertising You're in the market for a baseball cap, an espresso maker, and a Ferrari F430 (lucky you). You decide you'd like to purchase each of the items in an online auction. You'd like to pay $ 10 for the hat, $ 1,000 for the coffee maker, and $ 150,000 for the Ferrari, so you set aside $ 151,010 to make sure you land your items. Without understanding the nuances of the bidding structure, you decide to take an average of your total budget and allocate that as your bid amount on each item—$ 50,336.67 for the hat, $ 50,336.67 for the espresso maker, and $ 50,336.67 for the Ferrari. Much to your dismay, you later learn you've won the auctions for the hat and espresso machine but missed out on the Ferrari. As ridiculous as the strategy sounds, this is what can happen when businesses run paid search advertising campaigns without trying to optimize or target their efforts to the business context and nuances of the system at hand. . . .
Anaphylactic Reactions to Insect Stings: A New Approach

Now that the role of IgE in atopic allergy is at least partly understood, a more rational approach to sting anaphylaxis is possible through the use of venoms rather than whole body extracts of Hyme...
Effects of Graphical Versus Textual Representation of Database Structure on Query Performance

A graphical form of representation for database structure was designed to make explicit aspects of database structure that users must discover in order to compose successful queries. In a laboratory experiment, subjects wrote queries using the graphic style of representation as well as the less explicit textual style of documentation. Graphic and textual database representations were compared in both less complex (i.e., three-file) and more complex (i.e., six-file) databases. Results showed that subjects were faster, more accurate, and generally experience less difficulty in writing queries when using the graphic style of representation than when using the textual style of representation. Style of representation did not interact significantly with the complexity of the database in determining query writing performance. The findings from ratings on the difficulty of using the documentation showed that subjects rated the graphic documentation as more helpful only when it made explicit information for writing queries. Implications of the findings for database administration and directions for future research are discussed.
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt migration into rectus femoris muscle

Abstract Shunt migration is a rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts in the treatment of hydrocephalus. This case highlights the migration of a VP shunt through the abdominal wall into the rectus femoris muscle of a 4-year-old girl. The malpositioned shunt was initially visualized in the thigh on an x-ray shunt series for an enteritis work up. It was subsequently visualized on CT scan during an evaluation for appendicitis. Seven months following the initial visualization and 2 months following an appendectomy, the patient presented with symptoms of swelling and pain in the anterior thigh, which prompted laparoscopic repositioning of the shunt. The patient recovered and did not experience additional symptoms of hydrocephalus or shunt migration. The case presented in this article highlights the roles of imaging and laparoscopic surgery in diagnosing shut migration.
VEGF’s Relationship to Brain Aging Biomarkers (P3.029)

Objective: Evaluate whether in amyloid positive, but not amyloid negative, participants, higher cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels would be associated with greater cortical thickness in regions susceptible to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)-related cortical thinning. Background: VEGF is the primary regulator of angiogenesis and has associated neuroprotective properties. VEGF levels may decline with age and AD progression. However, it remains unclear whether VEGF levels in aging adults relate to brain aging biomarkers. VEGF levels may be dependent on the presence of AD-relevant biological stressors, such as amyloid-beta (Aβ). Design/Methods: We evaluated 241 non-demented participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). We calculated MRI-derived surface area and cortical thickness (FreeSurfer 5.3) in the entorhinal cortex, posterior cingulate, mean temporal cortex (superior, middle, and inferior temporal and fusiform gyri), and mean parietal cortex (superior and inferior parietal gyri and precuneus), grouping by their shared variance. We related these cortical thickness regions to baseline CSF VEGF levels according to amyloid status (CSF Aβ ≤ 192 pg/ml; Aβ+). We performed multiple linear regression controlling for age, sex, education, APOE 4 status, and CSF T-tau and used false discovery rate (FDR) to correct for multiple comparisons. Results: In Aβ+ participants, higher CSF VEGF levels were significantly associated with greater temporal cortex thickness (FDR adjusted VEGF partial p =0.027, t = 2.752, omnibus p Conclusions: Higher CSF VEGF levels were positively associated with higher mean temporal cortical thickness measurements in Aβ+, but not Aβ−, participants. These results may indicate that the upregulation of VEGF levels early in AD pathogenesis serves a compensatory neuroprotective role in response to Aβ deposition. This study provides insight into how VEGF, a modifiable factor, relates to brain aging biomarkers, providing focus to future AD research and intervention efforts. Disclosure: Dr. Tubi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Feingold has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fabian has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mostowfi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thompson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Braskie has nothing to disclose.
Semantic Clone Detection: Can Source Code Comments Help?

Programmers reuse code to increase their productivity, which leads to large fragments of duplicate or near-duplicate code in the code base. The current code clone detection techniques for finding semantic clones utilize Program Dependency Graphs (PDG), which are expensive and resource-intensive. PDG and other clone detection techniques utilize code and have completely ignored the comments - due to ambiguity of English language, but in terms of program comprehension, comments carry the important domain knowledge. We empirically evaluated the accuracy of detecting clones with both code and comments on a JHotDraw package. Results show that detecting code clones in the presence of comments, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), gave 84% precision and 94% recall, while in the presence of a PDG, using GRAPLE, we got 55% precision and 29% recall. These results indicate that comments can be used to find semantic clones. We recommend utilizing comments with LDA to find clones at the file level and code with PDG for finding clones at the function level. These findings necessitate a need to reexamine the assumptions regarding semantic clone detection techniques.
The tourism system

It is a recognized fact that a tourism system is a complex and dynamic phenomena and study of tourism requires a systems perspective to understand the bridging dynamics between demand and supply of...
Probation and Race in the 1980s: A Quantitative Examination of Felonious Rearrests and Minority Threat Theory

Black and Latinx persons are overrepresented in the population of people who are incarcerated, on probation and on parole in the United States. Empirical investigations on the breadth and depth of the disparate outcomes for incarcerated Black and Latinx persons remain limited, presenting historical gaps in the understanding of community corrections at different time periods. Taking the position that history repeats itself and that data on racial and ethnic inequalities from the past are as relevant as data in the present, this study examines the relationship between race and community corrections during the 1980s, filling a historical void in the documentation, statistical rigor, and understanding of disproportionate probation outcomes. A nationally representative sample of 12,368 people on probation in the United States during the late 1980s was used to examine Minority Threat Theory, yielding the findings that an individual’s race and ethnicity, as well as the community’s racial and ethnic composition were predictive factors of a probationer being rearrested for a felony charge. The findings suggest that racial and ethnic disparities in community corrections existed almost four decades ago and the crafting of policies that foster a fair community corrections system should look to the past as well as the present when tailoring and implementing community alternatives to incarceration.
Cultural pathways for suicidal ideation and behaviors

Objective Goals were to empirically examine cultural suicide pathways initially theorized by the cultural theory and model of suicide, by examining relationships between cultural (family conflict, minority stress, cultural suicide sanctions), general distress (depression, hopelessness), and cultural idioms of distress factors as predictors of suicidal ideation and attempts. Method Path analysis examined a moderated mediation model with a community sample of 1,077 ethnic minority and/or LGBTQ adults (average age of 24.32 (SD = 10.23) ranging from 18 to 88, 299 LGBTQ, 447 Asian American, 196 Latino/a, 60 Black or African American, 8 Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 6 Arab American, 2 Native American, 187 mixed race). Results Multiple pathways of statistical significance emerged. First, cultural life events (family conflict and minority stress) showed direct paths to ideation and attempts and indirect paths through general (depression and hopelessness) and cultural idioms of distress to ideation and attempts. The path from minority stress to ideation was entirely explained by general/cultural distress. Second, cultural suicide sanctions moderated the relationship between family conflict and ideation. Third, cultural idioms of distress was an important component of overall distress, alongside depression and hopelessness, predicting attempts and ideation. Conclusions Findings elucidated pathways involving both general distress and cultural factors, and pathways from cultural life events to suicide constructs independent of mental illness-related factors. Findings question utilizing mental illness as a primary suicide driver, make theoretical contributions in refining the cultural theory and model of suicide, and advance understandings of roles of cultural factors in suicide research and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Mechanical and functional validation of a perfused, robot-assisted partial nephrectomy simulation platform using a combination of 3D printing and hydrogel casting

There is a scarcity of high-fidelity, life-like, standardized and anatomically correct polymer-based kidney models for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) simulation training. The purpose of this technical report is to present mechanical and functional testing data as evidence for utilizing a perfused hydrogel kidney model created utilizing 3D printed injection casts for RAPN simulation and training. Anatomically correct, tumor-laden kidney models were created from 3D-printed casts designed from a patient's CT scan and injected with poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA). A variety of testing methods quantified Young’s modulus in addition to comparing the functional effects of bleeding and suturing among fresh porcine kidneys and various formulations of PVA kidneys. 7% PVA at three freeze–thaw cycles (7%-3FT) was found to be the formula that best replicates the mechanical properties of fresh porcine kidney tissue, where mean(± SD) values of Young’s modulus of porcine tissue vs 7%-3FT samples were calculated to be 85.97(± 35) kPa vs 80.97(± 9.05) kPa, 15.7(± 1.6) kPa vs 74.56(± 10) kPa and 87.46(± 2.97) kPa vs 83.4(± 0.7) kPa for unconfined compression, indentation and elastography testing, respectively. No significant difference was seen in mean suture tension during renorrhaphy necessary to achieve observable hemostasis and capsular violation during a simulated perfusion at 120 mmHg. This is the first study to utilize extensive material testing analyses to determine the mechanical and functional properties of a perfused, inanimate simulation platform for RAPN, fabricated using a combination of image segmentation, 3D printing and PVA casting.
Law, governance, and finance: introduction to the Theory and Society special issue

After decades of deregulation and innovation, contemporary financial markets remain firmly anchored in law and legal institutions. The idea that private financial actors simply want to escape government oversight and regulation is simplistic as private interests find the coercive powers of the state too useful to forgo. Instead, such actors engage law selectively to create a more certain environment for themselves and their profit-seeking activities. Contract law adds certainty to financial transactions; law shapes how financial actors use information and exploit information technology; law constitutes financial values; and law allows financial institutions to be turned into assets. Law’s application is shaped by changing conceptions of risk, as well as by new business models for financial institutions.
Recent Trends and Perspectives in World Population Growth

Never before has so much attention been given, nationally as well as internationally, to population trends and their economic and social implications. The accelerating population growth, particularly in the low income pre-industrial countries, is causing increasing concern, in view of the large populations involved (more than two-thirds of the total world population), the prevailing acute economic and social problems and the widening gap between the levels of living in these areas, and those in the economically advanced countries. Embedded in the present demographic situation are even higher rates of population growth which are bound to be of crucial importance for the economic, social and political conditions under which mankind will live.
Elastohydrodynamical instabilities of active filaments, arrays, and carpets analyzed using slender-body theory

A linear stability theory is developed to examine the conditions under which self-sustained oscillations occur in elastic filaments attached to a sphere or a wall subject to uniform force applied parallel to the axis of the filament. We shown that N equi-spaced filaments attached to a wall can undergo N different oscillation modes. The mode of first oscillation onset as the magnitude of the tangential force is increased, however, always corresponds to the mode of all filaments oscillating together in-phase. The figure shows the critical load and emergent frequency at the onset of instability for filaments oscillating in phase.
The Downs and Ups of the SNAP Caseload: What Matters?

Since the 1990s, states have received unprecedented flexibility to determine Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and program administration. We investigate the role of state flexibility in explaining SNAP caseloads and find that state SNAP policies accounted for nearly 40 percent of the predicted caseload decline between 1993 and 2000 – primarily through the eligibility restrictions on noncitizens – and nearly one quarter of the 2000-2011 caseload increase. State economic conditions, measured by the unemployment rate, also play a strong role in caseload changes, accounting for more than half of the predicted caseload decline between 1993 and 2000 and almost two-thirds of the increase between 2007 and 2011. We then conduct a number of policy simulations, including simulations of the size of the SNAP caseload if states had not acquired flexibility over program rules between 2000 and 2011. We estimate that, if all required states to adopt policies that would be expected to restrict caseload growth, the caseload would be between 44 percent lower while if all states were required to adopt policies that would be expected to increase the caseload the caseload would be 18 percent higher.
Repairing the Trauma Bonds of Sex Trafficking Victim-Survivors with Animal-Assisted Therapy

In this paper, we discuss the unique trauma experiences of victim-survivors of sex trafficking. In discussion of current counseling practices and the complex trauma endured by these victim survivor...
Price Caps and Scores in Multi-Object,Pay-As-Bid Procurement Auctions

We study three multi-unit, pay-as-bid procurement auction formats where there is one buyer, N sellers, and the buyer has access to a signal of each seller’s opportunity cost. We begin with an analysis of the simple pay-as-bid format, for which we derive a closed-form solution. We then study a format with individual price-caps, where we study the impact of varying the price cap's tightness. Last, we consider two alternative formats based on scores and reference prices determined either exogenously or endogenously. For all formats but the first, we use combined analytical and numerical methods to characterize optimal bidding and equilibrium predictions. These auction formats are proposed in Cramton et al. (2019) as alternatives for the auctions of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and studied empirically using a laboratory experiment. We calibrate our theoretical auction comparisons in terms of optimal bidding, equilibrium, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness matching the parameters used in the cited paper
Fibrinolytic congeners of benzoic and salicylic acid: A mathematical analysis of correlation between structure and activity☆

Abstract Safe, economical, preventive and therapeutic thrombolytic drugs suitable for the general medical practice do not exist. Discovery of numerous organic anions inducing fibrinolytic activity in vitro in humans indicated the potential of a new approach for treatment of thromboembolic disease. Previous attempts to improve the fibrinolytic activity of the organic anions were, although partially successful, rather empirical. In the present study, multiple regression analysis of the correlation between structural features and fibrinolytic activity of these compounds was carried out for establishing guidelines for a more systematic developmental work. Such guidelines resulted and, in the case of salicylates and benzoates, are determined by the relative lipophilic character.
National Board Certified Teachers' Perspectives on Using Growth Measures of Student Learning for Teacher Evaluation.

AbstractThis article examines the perspectives of 20 National Board Certified Teachers on the use of measures of student learning for teacher evaluation. An analysis of responses from four focus groups reveals concern about the validity and efficiency of current measures of student progress, and “gaming” of the systems to ensure positive evaluations. Classroom assessment measures designed by teachers—such as tests, quizzes, and portfolios—are discussed as a promising alternative to the use of large-scale testing.
Teaching and the Human Brain

The assessment process built into student evaluations for such courses should take into account the various learning engagement points that enhanced the learning experience.
The maryland assisted living study: Prevalence, recognition, and treatment of Dementia and other psychiatric disorders in the assisted living population of Central Maryland

Objectives: To obtain a direct estimate of the prevalence of dementia and other psychiatric disorders in residents of assisted living (AL) in Central Maryland, and their rates of recognition and treatment. Design: Comprehensive review of history and cognitive and neuropsychiatric evaluations using widely accepted instruments in a randomized cohort of AL residents, stratified by facility size. An expert multidisciplinary consensus panel determined diagnoses and appropriateness of treatment. Setting: Twenty-two (10 large and 12 small) randomly selected AL facilities in the city of Baltimore and seven Maryland counties. Participants: One hundred ninety-eight volunteers who were residents of AL, 75% were aged 80 and older, and 78% were female. Potential participants were randomly chosen by room number. There was a 67% participation rate. Measurements: Overall rate of dementia, noncognitive active psychiatric disorders, and recognition and adequate treatment of dementia and psychiatric disorders, as determined by consensus panel. Results: Two-thirds (67.7%) of participants had dementia diagnosable according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (81% small facilities and 63% large). Family or caregivers recognized 78% to 80% of dementias. Seventy-three percent of dementias were adequately evaluated, and 52% were adequately treated. Of the 26.3% of participants who had an active noncognitive psychiatric disorder, 58% to 61% were recognized and 52% adequately treated. Conclusion: Dementia and psychiatric disorders are common in AL and have suboptimal rates of recognition and treatment. This may contribute to morbidity and interfere with the ability of residents to age in place.
Caught at the Crossroads: Citizenship, Marginality and the Mbororo Fulani in Northwest Cameroon

This chapter reveals how the social histories and structures of particular groups combine with wider trajectories of state formation and politics in ways that shape citizenship rights and status. It aims to show that the case of the Mbororo'en resonates with the key dimensions and dynamics of citizenship debates within Cameroon, and perhaps suggests a need to rethink the contours of these debates, particularly regarding the role of marginal groups as an internal ?other' against whom dominant notions of citizenship are formed, and the importance of the ?native-stranger' divide within the local and national politics of citizenship. In terms of citizenship formation amongst the Mbororo'en, the first decades of postcolonial rule after 1961 were in part characterised by a return to the margins. The Fulani Council collapsed, and the traditional leaders of the Grassfields Mbororo'en would not gather as a collective again for nearly thirty years. Keywords: Fulani council; Mbororo'en citizenship
Problems in Polar Coördinates

Polar coordinates (r, θ) are particularly suited to problems in which the boundaries can be expressed in terms of equations like r = a, θ = α. This includes the stresses in a circular disk or around a circular hole, the curved beam with circular boundaries and the wedge, all of which will be discussed in this and subsequent chapters.
Some new methods of analysis and synthesis of near-zone fields

In this paper, the following new methods of analysis and synthesis of near-zone, including Fresnel-region, fields will be presented: 1) A principle of subdivision and methods of near-zone field analysis. This principle makes possible the use of far-field techniques in near-zone field analyses. 2) A near-zone field synthesis method based upon the principle of subdivision. This method bears a close resemblance to the Woodward method of far-field synthesis. 3) A focusing theorem and a second near-zone field synthesis method. This method transforms a near-zone synthesis problem into a far-field problem, therefore any synthesis method applicable in the far-field can also be applied here. 4) Fresnel-region field analysis of a circular aperture. The results are expressed in terms of a class of new functions which are closely related to the Lommel's functions of two variables. Simple method of evaluating such functions will also be given. 5) A second focusing theorem and Fresnel-region field synthesis. The synthesis is also based upon far-field methods. Examples of both near-zone synthesis methods are included. Merits of each method are also discussed.
Time-dependent mean-field theory for x-ray near-edge spectroscopy

We derive equations of motion for calculating the near-edge x-ray absorption spectrum in molecules and condensed matter, based on a two-determinant approximation and Dirac's variational principle. The theory provides an exact solution for the linear response when the Hamiltonian or energy functional has only diagonal interactions in some basis. We numerically solve the equations to compare with the Mahan--Nozi\`eres--De Dominicis theory of the edge singularity in metallic conductors. Our extracted power-law exponents are similar to those of the analytic theory, but are not in quantitative agreement. The calculational method can be readily generalized to treat Kohn-Sham Hamiltonians with electron-electron interactions derived from correlation-exchange potentials.
MCM2 is an independent predictor of survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (MCM2) is a component of the prereplicative complex. It is essential for eukaryotic DNA replication and is only expressed in proliferating cells. The prognostic utility of MCM2 compared with Ki-67, another marker of proliferating cells, on survival of patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was studied. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined the immunohistochemical expression of MCM2 and Ki-67 in primary pathologic tumor specimens from 221 NSCLC patients. For each marker, the fraction of tumor cells with positive staining was assessed as a percentage and categorized into four groups: 0% to 24%, 25% to 49%, 50% to 74%, and ≥ 75%. MCM2 and Ki-67 immunoreactivities were compared with each other, and associations with pathologic and clinical parameters predictive of survival were analyzed with the χ2 test. Cox regression models were used to assess associations between MCM2 and Ki-67 and survival while controlling for confounders. RESULTS: Independent variables...
Transgene escape and transplastomics.

at the moment, particularly in Europe. Hysteria seems to have gripped the British press (from the lowbrow tabloids to the highbrow broadsheets) in a furor of at least the magnitude of Salmonella in eggs and BSE in beef (food scares seem to be a special favorite of Fleet Street). Press releases appear weekly with descriptions of the latest anti-GM crop activities of groups like Greenpeace, who have, for instance, deposited 4 tons of GM soybeans on Tony Blair’s doorstep, and filed a lawsuit against the EPA for approving transgenic plants carrying the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin (see http://www.greenpeace.org for details). The UK government is reappraising its stance on commercial growing of GM crops, and Monsanto was fined in Lincolnshire, England for failing to conduct proper field trials. Clearly, the use of transgenic technology—and the perceived threat of uncontrolled transgene spread—is a hot, organically produced, nontransgenic potato. In this issue, Scott and Wilkinson1 assess the probability of pollen-mediated movement of transgenes from transplastomic (rather than nuclear transgenic) Brassica napus to its wild relative Brassica rapa. Proving that transgene escape from
Robust solutions to l/sub 1/, l/sub 2/, and l/sub /spl infin// uncertain linear approximation problems using convex optimization

We present minimax and stochastic formulations of some linear approximation problems with uncertain data in R/sup 2/ equipped with the Euclidean (l/sub 2/), absolute-sum (l/sub 1/) or Chebyshev (l/sub /spl infin//) norms. We then show that these problems can be solved using convex optimization. Our results parallel and extend the work of El-Ghaoui and Lebret on robust least squares, and the work of Ben-Tal and Nemirovski (1995) on robust conic convex optimization problems. The theory presented here is useful for desensitizing solutions to ill-conditioned problems, or for computing solutions that guarantee a certain performance in the presence of uncertainty in the data.
Endoscopic treatment of colonic obstruction.

Purpose of review Over the past 15 years, great strides have been made in the nonsurgical management of malignant large bowel obstruction. Progress continues, particularly in the area of self-expanding metal stents. The purpose of this review is to assess the available endoscopic techniques for colonic decompression and document the inexorable trend toward supremacy of the self-expanding metal stent in this arena. Recent findings Stents are being designed with the structure and function of the colon in mind allowing better and longer-lasting palliation. Improvement in the design of the colonic decompression tube allows a low-tech approach to the palliation of colonic obstruction. Argon plasma coagulation is helpful in restoring continuity of the obstructed colonic lumen in certain circumstances. Summary As a consequence of technological innovation and growing expertise in the community, gastroenterology is becoming the go to specialty in the early management and palliation of malignant bowel obstruction.
The Exploitive Political Distraction: How President George W. Bush and His Administration Used Oppression for Political Gain

The exploitive political distraction is a political maneuver that uses fear and prejudice to achieve special-interest goals and gain power for politicians and special-interest groups. It methodically attacks a vulnerable stereotyped group through a manufactured social crisis, thereby diverting attention from hidden political agendas. This article uses President George W. Bush's call for a constitutional definition of marriage as an exemplar to diagram an exploitive political distraction. Diagramming the process provides social work policy practitioners with potential entry points for both proactive and counteractive advocacy intervention for populations-at-risk.
Child Injury Control: Surveillance and Research Questions

Injury is the leading cause of death for every year but the first of a child's life and, additionally, generates enormous costs in health care, disability, pain, and suffering. Research and programmatic efforts for injury control continue to have low priority relative to their modest costs and potential to reduce health-care and other costs to society. Modest improvements in data systems would lead to more effective targeting of injury control efforts that are useful in preventing injuries. Analytic studies of changeable risk factors and effectiveness of interventions would widen the range of available interventions and their cost-effectiveness.
Thermal effects in rapid directional solidification: linear theory

We study the morphological instability of the planar solid/liquid interface for a unidirectionally-solidified dilute binary mixture. We use a model developed by Boettinger et al. (1985, 1986), Aziz (1982), and Jackson et al. (1980), which allows for nonequilibrium effects on the interface through velocity-dependent segregation and attachment kinetics. Two types of instabilities are found in the linear stability analysis: (1) a cellular instability, and (2) an oscillatory instability driven by disequilibrium effects. Merchant and Davis (1990) characterized these instabilities subject to the frozen-temperature approximation (FTA). The present work relaxes the FTA by including the effects of latent heat and the full temperature distribution. Thermal effects slightly postpone the onset of the cellular instability but dramatically postpone the onset of the oscillatory instability; however, the absolute-stability conditions, at which at high speed the cellular and oscillatory instabilities are suppressed, remain unchanged from the FTA.
On Consumer Self-Direction of Attendant Care Services: An Empirical Analysis of Survey Responses.

Abstract In the context of an attendant care program for severely disabled individuals (“consumers”), independent living is commonly thought to consist of increased involvement in community affairs and consumer self-direction of attendant care services. To assess the extent of and preference for self-direction in the Attendant Care Demonstration in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during its third program year, this study presents and analyzes survey responses by consumers. It is found that a variety of administrative designs for service delivery exist, ranging from the “agency model” to the “consumer model,” and a variety of administrative designs are preferred. It is also found that consumers tend to prefer the type of administrative design that they have experienced, whether consumer- or agency-oriented. One policy implication involves the establishment of a program design which allows for a continuum of choices and allows consumers to take control of more aspects of service delivery as they gain the experience and desire to do so.
The thermal conductivity of and convective onset in liquid3He at saturated vapor pressure above 1.3 K

This paper presents thermal conductivity data for liquid3He taken at saturated vapor pressure (s.v.p.), and also the critical Rayleigh number at which convection begins. The temperature in this experiment ranged from 1.3 K to 3.2 K. We compare the thermal conductivity results with those of earlier experimenters, and find they agree well. The convective onset measurements are the first reported for3He, and we find the critical Rayleigh number Rac = 1500 ± 105, which is similar to the experimental values reported for4He. References are provided for the thermodynamic properties necessary for calculating the Rayleigh number Ra at s.v.p.
Akt Activation Protects Hippocampal Neurons from Apoptosis by Inhibiting Transcriptional Activity of p53

Survival factors suppress apoptosis by activating the serine/threonine kinase Akt. To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying activated Akt's ability to protect neurons from hypoxia or nitric oxide (NO) toxicity, we focused on the apoptosis-related functions of p53 and caspases. We eliminated p53 by employing p53-deficient neurons and increased p53 by infection with recombinant adenovirus capable of transducing p53 expression, and we now show that p53 is implicated in the apoptosis induced by hypoxia or NO treatments of primary cultured hippocampal neurons. Although hypoxia and NO induced p53, treatment with insulin-like growth factor-1 significantly inhibited caspase-3-like activation, neuronal death and transcriptional activity of p53. These insulin-like growth factor-1 effects are prevented by wortmannin, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor. Adenovirus-mediated expression of activated-Akt kinase suppressed p53-dependent transcriptional activation of responsive genes such as Bax, suppressed caspase-3-like protease activity and suppressed neuronal cell death with no effect on the cellular accumulation and nuclear translocation of p53. In contrast, overexpression of kinase-defective Akt failed to suppress these same activities. These results suggest a mechanism where Akt kinase activation reduces p53's transcriptional activity that ultimately rescues neurons from hypoxia- or NO-mediated cell death.
Occult celiac sprue masquerading as severe iron deficiency anemia

Severe iron deficiency was the presenting manifestation in a patient with occult celiac sprue that went unrecognized for a prolonged time. Endoscopic abnormalities and the absence of typical symptoms may contribute to a delay in diagnosis unless a high index of suspicion is maintained.
Fold points and singularity induced bifurcation in inviscid transonic flow

Abstract Transonic inviscid flow equation of elliptic–hyperbolic type when written in terms of the velocity components and similarity variable results in a second order nonlinear ODE having several features typical of differential–algebraic equations rather than ODEs. These features include the fold singularities (e.g. folded nodes and saddles, forward and backward impasse points), singularity induced bifurcation behavior and singularity crossing phenomenon. We investigate the above properties and conclude that the quasilinear DAEs of transonic flow have interesting properties that do not occur in other known quasilinear DAEs, for example, in MHD. Several numerical examples are included.
All Things Being Unequal . . . .

Given the reduction in service demands in the summer and the obvious need for library faculty renewal, why haven't libraries explored alternative summer arrangements?
Sirtuin 1 in lipid metabolism and obesity

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), the mammalian ortholog of yeast Sir2, is a highly conserved NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylase that has emerged as a key metabolic sensor that directly links environmental nutrient signals to animal metabolic homeostasis. SIRT1 is known to be involved in gluconeogenesis in the liver, fat mobilization in white adipose tissue, and insulin secretion in the pancreas. Recent studies have shown SIRT1 to regulate fatty acid oxidation in the liver, sense nutrient availability in the hypothalamus, influence obesity-induced inflammation in macrophages, and modulate the activity of the circadian clock in metabolic tissues. The activity of SIRT1 also appears to be under the control of AMPK and adiponectin. This review focuses on the involvement of SIRT1 in regulating metabolic diseases associated with obesity. It includes brief overviews of sirtuin signaling, with emphasis on SIRT1's role in the liver, macrophage, brain, and adipose tissue as it relates to obesity.
On the minimal density of triangles in graphs

For a fixed ρ ∈ [0, 1], what is (asymptotically) the minimal possible density g3(ρ) of triangles in a graph with edge density ρ? We completely solve this problem by proving that $$ g_3(\rho) =\frac{(t-1)\ofb{t-2\sqrt{t(t-\rho(t+1))}}\ofb{t+\sqrt{t(t-\rho(t+1))}}^2}{t^2(t+1)^2},$$ where $t\df \lfloor 1/(1-\rho)\rfloor$ is the integer such that $\rho\in\bigl[ 1-\frac 1t,1-\frac 1{t+1}\bigr]$ .
Modeling Forest Species Distributions in a Human-Dominated Landscape in Northeastern, USA

Mapping forest species distributions is notoriously difficult in human-dominated mixed temperate forest environments. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of species distribution modeling techniques for estimating the distribution of forest canopy species on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. Binary maps of estimated presence/absence were produced for four canopy species using a classification tree approach and a generalized linear modeling approach, both including and excluding a spatial dependence term, and the results are evaluated using several assessment measures. Secondary goals of the study are to examine the influence of past land use on species distributions at the landscape scale and to consider the effect of explicitly including information on spatial dependence. Findings suggest that these techniques are broadly applicable in such human-dominated landscapes, but that complex disturbance histories introduce significant challenges.
A Persistent Fascination: Recent Publications on the Work of W. G. Sebald

In December 2007, I was boarding a flight to Chicago to attend the annual convention of the Modern Language Association. As I was about to take my seat in the back of the plane, I looked down the aisle where many passengers were busy stowing their luggage and taking out personal belongings before taking their seats. Several of them had taken out books, and I noticed that two of them had a copy of Austerlitz, W.G. Sebald's last prose text, in their hands, one the English edition, the other the German original. Such a coincidence
INJURY IN RELATION TO CELL ORGANIZATION

When a part of a Nitella cell, A, is covered with water and the rest of the cell, B, is in contact with a toxic solution there is an escape of solutes at B. This is followed by the escape of solutes at A which causes the death of A. Water enters at A, flows along inside the cell, and escapes at B carrying solutes with it. When this is prevented by covering A with mineral oil the escape of solutes at A is delayed and the life of A is correspondingly prolonged. It is remarkable that this occurs in spite of the fact that the hydrostatic pressure inside the cell (turgor) drops from 6.4 atmospheres to zero. It would seem that A might not be affected by the death of B if the escape of solutes could be prevented.
The gain-of-function Chinese hamster ovary mutant LEC11B expresses one of two Chinese hamster FUT6 genes due to the loss of a negative regulatory factor.

The LEC11 Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) gain-of-function mutant expresses an α(1,3)fucosyltransferase (α(1,3)Fuc-T) activity that generates the LeX, sialyl-LeX, and VIM-2 glycan determinants and has been extensively used for studies of E-selectin ligand specificity. In order to identify regulatory mechanisms that control α(1,3)Fuc-T expression in mammals, mechanisms of FUT gene expression were investigated in LEC11 cells and two new, independent mutants, LEC11A and LEC11B. Northern and ribonuclease protection analyses, using probes that span the coding region of a cloned CHO FUT gene, detected transcripts in each LEC11 mutant but not in CHO cells or other gain-of-function CHO mutants that express a different α(1,3)Fuc-T activity. Coding region sequence analysis and α(1,3)Fuc-T acceptor specificity comparisons with recombinant human Fuc-TV and Fuc-TVI showed that the cloned FUT gene is orthologous to the humanFUT6 gene. Southern analyses identified two closely relatedFUT6 genes in the Chinese hamster, whose evolutionary relationships are discussed. The blots showed that rearrangements had occurred in LEC11A and LEC11 genomic DNA, consistent with acis mechanism of FUT6 gene activation in these mutants. By contrast, somatic cell hybrid analyses revealed that LEC11B cells express FUT6 gene transcripts due to the loss of atrans-acting, negative regulatory factor. Sequencing of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction products identified unique 5′- and 3′-untranslated region sequences in FUT6 gene transcripts from each LEC11 mutant. Northern and Southern analyses with gene-specific probes showed that LEC11A cells express only the cgFUT6A gene (where cg is Cricetulus griseus), whereas LEC11 and LEC11B cells express only the cgFUT6B gene. In LEC11A × LEC11B hybrid cells, the cgFUT6A gene was predominantly expressed, as predicted if atrans-acting negative regulatory factor functions to suppress cgFUT6B gene expression in CHO cells. This factor is predicted to be a cell type-specific regulator of FUT6 gene expression in mammals.
Management of Hypothalamic Gliomas in Children: An Analysis of 33 Cases

The cases of 33 children with hypothalamic-chiasmatic gliomas are reviewed. Radiation therapy produced clinical or radiographic improvement in 11 (46%) of 24 patients. Progression was documented in 18 patients (54%). Overall, the median time to tumor progression was 60 months; it was 70 months in patients who received radiation therapy and 30 months in those who did not (P less than 0.05). Chemotherapy, either given initially or at the time of progression, caused the tumor to respond or to stabilize in 10 patients. Partial resection of the tumor led to improvement in 3 of 12 patients, obviating the need for a shunt in 2 of them; there were no deaths and postoperative morbidity was transient and minimal (diabetes insipidus, intraventricular hemorrhage, and left hemiparesis in one patient each). The 5- and 10-year survival probabilities were 93 and 74%, respectively. Patients with neurofibromatosis had a better prognosis.
Science, technology and innovation in a 21st century context

Linking the words ‘‘science,’’ ‘‘technology,’’ and ‘‘innovation,’’ may suggest that we know more about how these activities are related than we really do. This very common linkage implicitly conveys a linear progression from scientific research to technology creation to innovative products. More nuanced pictures of these complex activities break them down into components that interact with each other in a multi-dimensional socio-technologicaleconomic network. A few examples will help to make this clear. Science has always functioned on two levels that we may describe as curiosity-driven and need-driven, and they interact in sometimes surprising ways. Galileo’s telescope, the paradigmatic instrument of discovery in pure science, emerged from an entirely pragmatic tradition of lens-making for eye-glasses. And we should keep in mind that the industrial revolution gave more to science than it received, at least until the last half of the nineteenth century when the sciences of chemistry and electricity began to produce serious economic payoffs. The flowering of science during the era, we call the enlightenment owed much to its links with crafts and industry, but as it gained momentum science created its own need for practical improvements. After all, the frontiers of science are defined by the capabilities of instrumentation, that is, of technology. The needs of pure science are a huge but poorly understood stimulus for technologies that have the capacity to be disruptive precisely because these needs do not arise from the marketplace. The innovators who built the World Wide Web on the foundation of the Internet were particle physicists at CERN, struggling to satisfy their unique need to share complex information. Others soon discovered ‘‘needs’’ of which they had been unaware that could be satisfied by this innovation, and from that point the Web transformed the Internet from a tool for the technological elite into a broad platform for a new kind of economy.