cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surrogate Estimates of Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Youth along the Spectrum of Glucose Tolerance from Normal to Prediabetes to Diabetes

Context: In epidemiological studies of childhood obesity, simple and reliable surrogate estimates of insulin sensitivity are needed because the gold standard, the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, is not feasible on a large scale. Objective: To examine the correlation of fasting and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-derived surrogate indices of insulin sensitivity with the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in obese adolescents with normal glucose tolerance, prediabetes, and diabetes. Patients and Design: A total of 188 overweight/obese adolescents (10 to <20 yr old) who completed a standard 2-h OGTT and 3-h hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp were included. Fasting-derived surrogates [fasting glucose (GF), fasting insulin (IF), 1/IF, GF/IF, homeostasis model assessment and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index] and OGTT-derived surrogates [whole-body insulin sensitivity index and the ratio of glucose and insulin areas under the curve (GlucAUC/InsAUC)] were calculated. Main Outcome Measures: We eval...
Protein kinase D: coupling extracellular stimuli to the regulation of cell physiology

Protein kinase D (PKD) mediates the actions of stimuli that promote diacylglycerol (DAG) biogenesis. By phosphorylating effectors that regulate transcription, fission and polarized transport of Golgi vesicles, as well as cell migration and survival after oxidative stress, PKDs substantially expand the range of physiological processes controlled by DAG. Dysregulated PKDs have been linked to pathologies including heart hypertrophy and cancer invasiveness. Our understanding of PKD regulation by trans- and autophosphorylation, as well as the subcellular dynamics of PKD substrate phosphorylation, have increased markedly. Selective PKD inhibitors provide new, powerful tools for elucidating the physiological roles of PKDs and potentially treating cardiac disease and cancer.
The Reliability of 1- and 3Rm Tests of Unilateral Strength in Trained and Untrained Men and Women

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of the 1- and 3RM tests for the modified unilateral squat. Thirty untrained (22 women, 8 men) and 22 trained (12 women, 10 men) subjects participated in the study. The trained group had a minimum of 1 year lower-body training experience but had not participated in unilateral training prior to the study. After practicing proper technique with light loads, the subjects used the barbell squat to complete a 1- and 3RM pretest and posttest. In each group half of the subjects completed the 1RM tests prior to the 3RM tests while half of the subjects completed the 3RM tests first. A rest period of 48 hours was allowed between each test. Twenty subjects, randomly selected from the two groups, completed a third session of the 1RM test 3 days after the 1RM posttest. Intraclass correlation coefficients were recorded. Differences between pre- and posttest measures were determined by the paired-sample t-test. The 1- and 3RM tests were found to be significantly reliable for trained men, r = 0.98 and r = 0.97, untrained men, r = 0.99 and r = 0.97, trained women r = 0.99 and r = 0.94, and untrained women, r = 0.97 and r = 0.87, respectively. Posttest scores for the 1- and 3RM tests significantly improved above baseline levels in each group (p < 0.05). Strength scores did not significantly increase during the third 1RM test (p = 0.22). The data indicate that the modified unilateral squat can be measured with high reliability using the 1- and 3RM tests. The improved posttest scores indicate that a pretest session should take place before recording baseline measurements. Key PointsThe modified unilateral squat is a reliable test for trained and untrained men and women.The 1RM and 3RM tests are reliable and safe for trained and untrained subjects.A practice session and pretest should be conducted prior to baseline testing.
wannier90: A tool for obtaining maximally-localised Wannier functions ✩

We present wannier90, a program for calculating maximally-localised Wannier functions (MLWF) from a set of Bloch energy bands that may or may not be attached to or mixed with other bands. The formalism works by minimising the total spread of the MLWF in real space. This is done in the space of unitary matrices that describe rotations of the Bloch bands at each k-point. As a result, wannier90 is independent of the basis set used in the underlying calculation to obtain the Bloch states. Therefore, it may be interfaced straightforwardly to any electronic structure code. The locality of MLWF can be exploited to compute band-structure, density of states and Fermi surfaces at modest computational cost. Furthermore, wannier90 is able to output MLWF for visualisation and other post-processing purposes. Wannier functions are already used in a wide variety of applications. These include analysis of chemical bonding in real space; calculation of dielectric properties via the modern theory of polarisation; and as an accurate and minimal basis set in the construction of model Hamiltonians for large-scale systems, in linear-scaling quantum Monte Carlo calculations, and for efficient computation of material properties, such as the anomalous Hall coefficient. wannier90 is freely available under the GNU General Public License from http://www.wannier.org/.
Evaluating rater quality and rating difficulty in online annotation activities

Gathering annotations from non-expert online raters is an attractive method for quickly completing large-scale annotation tasks, but the increased possibility of unreliable annotators and diminished work quality remains a cause for concern. In the context of information retrieval, where human-encoded relevance judgments underlie the evaluation of new systems and methods, the ability to quickly and reliably collect trustworthy annotations allows for quicker development and iteration of research. In the context of paid online workers, this study evaluates indicators of non-expert performance along three lines: temporality, experience, and agreement. It is found that user performance is a key indicator for future performance. Additionally, the time spent by raters familiarizing themselves with a new set of tasks is important for rater quality, as is long-term familiarity with a topic being rated. These findings may inform large-scale digital collections' use of non-expert raters for performing more purposive and affordable online annotation activities.
Performance Regimes and Marketing Policy Shifts

Even in mature markets, managers are expected to improve their brands' performance year after year. When successful, they can expect to continue executing on an established marketing strategy. However, when the results are disappointing, a change or turnaround strategy may be called for to help performance get back on track. In such cases, performance diagnostics are needed to identify turnarounds and to quantify the role of marketing policy shifts in this process. This paper proposes a framework for such a diagnosis and applies several methods to provide converging evidence for two main findings. First, contrary to prevailing beliefs, the performance of brands in mature markets is not always stable. Instead, brands systematically improve or deteriorate their performance outlook in clearly identifiable time windows that are relatively short compared to windows of stability. Second, these shifts in performance regimes are associated with the brand's marketing actions and policy shifts, as opposed to competitive marketing. Promotion-oriented marketing policy shifts are particularly potent in improving a brand's performance outlook.
Transcriptional regulation of the cyclin D1 gene at a glance

Regulated progression through the cell cycle requires sequential expression of a family of proteins called cyclins. Upon their induction, cyclins form complexes with specific cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), creating active holoenzymes that phosphorylate target proteins that are required for cell-
JND Analysis of Texture Roughness Perception using a Magnetic Levitation Haptic Device

This paper describes the use of a magnetic levitation haptic device (MLHD) to study the psychophysics of texture roughness. Studies of texture roughness perception performed using real textures can be time consuming and expensive. By using a MLHD to simulate texture we are able to quickly and easily adjust texture parameters. A dithered textured surface composed of conical elements is simulated using a constraint surface algorithm. The constraint surface shape is defined by the geometry of the elements as well as the size and shape of the virtual probe. The spacing of the elements and the size of the probe can be varied continuously and in real time. Just noticeable difference (JND) experiments were conducted over the parameters of probe radius and texture spacing. The JND of roughness was determined with respect to element spacing using unforced weighted up-down adaptive threshold estimation. JND's were found to vary for texture spacing and probe size. JND's for constant probe size decreased with increasing texture spacing to a minimum and then increased again. JND's for constant spacing increased as probe size increased. These results are consistent with a geometric model of probe-texture interaction
Steady-state analysis of a three-term fuzzy controller

The steady-state response of a fuzzy logic controller that uses fuzzy addition as the basis for its decision making process is analyzed mathematically. The nature of the look-up table constructed from fuzzy addition enables the decomposition of the fuzzy controller into three one-dimensional-multilevel relays. Unlike the sinusoidal-input describing function technique, the steady-state response of the closed-loop system is analyzed. The sufficient conditions derived depend on the parameters of the controller and can be used as guidelines to achieve a good step response at steady-state, one that does not lend itself to sustained oscillations or limit cycles. >
Suppression of Foxo1 activity and down-modulation of CD62L (L-selectin) in HIV-1 infected resting CD4 T cells

HIV-1 hijacks and disrupts many processes in the cells it infects in order to suppress antiviral immunity and to facilitate its replication. Resting CD4 T cells are important early targets of HIV-1 infection in which HIV-1 must overcome intrinsic barriers to viral replication. Although resting CD4 T cells are refractory to infection in vitro, local environmental factors within lymphoid and mucosal tissues such as cytokines facilitate viral replication while maintaining the resting state. These factors can be utilized in vitro to study HIV-1 replication in resting CD4 T cells. In vivo, the migration of resting naive and central memory T cells into lymphoid tissues is dependent upon expression of CD62L (L-selectin), a receptor that is subsequently down-modulated following T cell activation. CD62L gene transcription is maintained in resting T cells by Foxo1 and KLF2, transcription factors that maintain T cell quiescence and which regulate additional cellular processes including survival, migration, and differentiation. Here we report that HIV-1 down-modulates CD62L in productively infected naive and memory resting CD4 T cells while suppressing Foxo1 activity and the expression of KLF2 mRNA. Partial T cell activation was further evident as an increase in CD69 expression. Several other Foxo1- and KLF2-regulated mRNA were increased or decreased in productively infected CD4 T cells, including IL-7rα, Myc, CCR5, Fam65b, S1P1 (EDG1), CD52, Cyclin D2 and p21CIP1, indicating a profound reprogramming of these cells. The Foxo1 inhibitor AS1842856 accelerated de novo viral gene expression and the sequella of infection, supporting the notion that HIV-1 suppression of Foxo1 activity may be a strategy to promote replication in resting CD4 T cells. As Foxo1 is an investigative cancer therapy target, the development of Foxo1 interventions may assist the quest to specifically suppress or activate HIV-1 replication in vivo.
Experiences using Agile Software Development for a Marketing Simulation

Agile software development methodologies present an enticing alternative to the heavyweight plan-driven methods that are traditionally employed. This paper describes how the authors used a home-ground chart (B. Boehm and R. Turner, 2005) to determine which approach to apply in the development of international market (IM), an online tool to administer shopping simulations for marketing studies. In addition, the paper gives a brief overview of extreme programming (XP), the agile methodology selected by the authors, and discusses the authors' adherence to the 13 practices of XP as outlined by Ron Jeffries (2001). This discussion should prove beneficial to those developers considering the adoption of agile practices
Studies on agammaglobulinemia. VI. Hemostasis in patients with agammaglobulinemia.

Summary and Conclusions1. The activity or concentration of the clotting factors recognized at the present time have been determined in 7 patients with agammaglobulinemia. Four of the patients had the congenital-hereditary form of agammaglobulinemia and three had the acquired form of the disease. 2. An elevated platelet count was observed in 5 of the 7 patients. No abnormalities in plasma clotting factors were found. 3. Data presented are consistent with the following conclusions: (a) none of the plasma coagulation factors is a gamma globulin, (b) agammaglobulinemia is probably the result of an isolated deficiency in protein synthesis, c) the deficiency of gamma globulin synthesis in these patients does not involve the liver but rather depends on an anomaly of protein metabolism existing elsewhere in the reticuloendothelial system.
Transfusion-Transmitted Babesia spp.: Bull's-Eye on Babesia microti

Babesia spp. are intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites of animals and humans that cause babesiosis, a zoonotic disease transmitted primarily by tick vectors. Although a variety of species or types of Babesia have been described in the literature as causing infection in humans, the rodent parasite Babesia microti has emerged as the focal point of human disease, especially in the United States. Not only has B. microti become established as a public health concern, this agent is increasingly being transmitted by blood transfusion: estimates suggest that between 70 and 100 cases of transfusion-transmitted Babesia (TTB) have occurred over the last 30 years. A recent upsurge in TTB cases attributable to B. microti, coupled with at least 12 fatalities in transfusion recipients diagnosed with babesiosis, has elevated TTB to a key policy issue in transfusion medicine. Despite clarity on a need to mitigate transmission risk, few options are currently available to prevent the transmission of B. microti by blood transfusion. Future mitigation efforts may stress serological screening of blood donors in regionalized areas of endemicity, with adjunct nucleic acid testing during the summer months, when acute infections are prevalent. However, several hurdles remain, including the absence of a licensed blood screening assay and a thorough cost-benefit analysis of proposed interventions. Despite current obstacles, continued discussion of TTB without proactive intervention is no longer a viable alternative.
Compatibility of an Organically Based Insect Control Program with Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Pollination in Cantaloupes

The application of azadirachtin to foliage of cantaloupes did not significantly reduce successful pollination by commercially managed honey bees, Apis mellifera L., as measured by numbers of foraging honey bees and yield. Similar results were obtained when the synthetic insecticide imidacloprid (used as a standard by cantaloupe growers) was applied to the soil. Fruit yield and quality, as a function of bee pollination, were statistically equal between the two treatments, and equal to that of the untreated control. The standard treatment of imidacloprid gave significantly better control than azadirachtin of one pest (cucumber beetle) early in the season. Fruit maturity was delayed in untreated plots, consistent with light insect pressure observed. These results indicate that an organically based insect control approach will not alter bloom acceptance and bee forager activity in cantaloupes.
Is Government Inevitable

—————— ✦ —————— andall G. Holcombe’s article “Government: Unnecessary but Inevitable” (2004) offers excellent insights into the sustainability of anarchy and the creation of government. Holcombe recognizes that “government was not created for the benefit of its citizens, it was created for the benefit of those who rule.” Although he agrees that government is unnecessary for the provision of public goods, he believes that libertarian anarchists ignore more practical questions about the sustainability of anarchy. He argues that because the stronger individuals will always get their way and form a government, the relevant debate among advocates of liberty should be about how weaker individuals can “create and sustain preemptively a liberty-preserving government.” The inevitability of the state forces society to decide between evils. Instead of advocating anarchy, Holcombe believes that libertarians should advocate the establishment of minimal governments that can prevent takeover by more tyrannical ones. Inspired by Holcombe’s discussion, we reconsider here some of his claims. Despite Holcombe’s interesting hypothesis, we believe that his argument fails on two counts: he does not show, first, that anarchy must break down and, second, that limited government will remain limited. The arguments he uses against the viability of anarchy can be applied to the viability of limited government, and the arguments he uses for the viability of limited government can be applied to the viability of anarchy. In this comment, we discuss the problems of Holcombe’s theoretical arguments and the historical evidence that shows he cannot have his cake and eat it too. Holcombe,
The Supreme Court and the Dig: An Empirical and Institutional Analysis

Almost all of the Supreme Court's cases reach its docket through discretionary grants of writs of certiorari. Sometimes the Court reverses course and dismisses the writ of certiorari as improvidently granted, or DIGs the case. The Court's use of DIGs raises a set of intellectually challenging and interrelated empirical and jurisprudential issues that have received relatively little attention in the scholarly literature. This article fills that gap in several ways. First, it comprehensively documents the cases the Court has DIGed in the Warren, Burger and Rehnquist Courts (1954 through 2004 Terms). It then considers related empirical issues, including whether these cases share characteristics, how often the Court collectively or through the opinions of individual Justices justifies, or criticizes, the DIG, and how often the issue raised in a DIGed case returns to the Court in subsequent litigation. The article then revisits several jurisprudential issues that have been the subject of some debate on the Court itself and in the scholarly literature. Chief among these is how DIGs potentially undermine the long-accepted norm that only four votes are necessary to grant certiorari. The conventional though not universally accepted response is that to support the Rule of Four, at least six votes should be necessary to DIG a case. Support for this position on the Court is strong though not absolute, and the article explores why the Rule of Six for DIGs has enjoyed robust if not ironclad support. The article then turns to the reasons that ought to justify a decision to DIG, and whether the Court should issue opinions explaining the DIG. In over half of the cases, the Court has not issued such opinions, either collectively or through individual Justices. The article closes with an examination of whether DIGs should be conceptualized as an example of strategic behavior by the Justices, and concludes that in most instances that characterization is not warranted.
Effect of TRH and triiodothyronine on prolactin release in sheep.

SummaryThe intracarotid injection of TRH, sufficient to increase serum TSH, brought about a considerable rise in serum prolactin levels in three female anestrous ewes and one vasectomized male ram. The peak in serum prolactin was seen 5 and 10 min after injection of TRH; then the levels declined, but they were still elevated 60 min later. Pretreatment of the sheep with T3 inhibited the rise in serum prolactin as well as serum TSH after injection of TRH.
Paving an alternative route : Gender differences in managerial networks

This research uses the network-analytic concepts of homophily, tie strength, and range to explore gender differences in characteristics of middle managers' information and career support networks. When the effects of position and potential for future advancement were held constant, women's networks were less homophilous than men's. Women high in advancement potential, however, relied to a greater extent than both high-potential men and less high-potential women on close ties and relationships outside their subunits. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that different types of networks may provide alternative routes to similar career resources for men and for women.
Staphylococci from the Liver, Gallbladder and Intestine of Normal Dogs

The bile is usually considered sterile under normal conditions in the vast majority of animals that have been examined, including man. Toida 1 has reviewed the literature, in which one finds many conflicting statements. Rabbits, guinea-pigs and dogs have been used mostly for experimental work. Many authors do not state clearly whether the animals were living or dead at the time the specimens were taken for examination; others do not record the amount of material used for seeding, nor do they mention the culture medium they used. It is known that the intestinal flora ascends into the biliary tract shortly after death. Boardman 2 studied the bacterial flora of the duodenal contents obtained
340 PERFORMANCE OF URINE IL-18 IN DIAGNOSIS AND RISK-STRATIFICATION OF ACUTE RENAL FAILURE

Background In acute renal failure (ARF) the production and clearance of serum creatinine is affected by several non-renal factors and the serum creatinine rises days after initial renal tubular injury. Thus, a urinary biomarker of renal injury is being sought. We have demonstrated that IL-18 is a mediator of ischemic ARF in mice and that urinary IL-18 levels are elevated in established human ARF. As a next step we investigated the performance of urine IL-18 test as an early diagnostic marker of ARF. Methods We performed a nested case-control study within the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) network trial. ARF was defined as an increase in serum creatinine by at least 50% from baseline within the first 6 days of ARDS study enrollment. 52 cases of ARF were eligible for our study. Each case of ARF was randomly matched with 2 controls that did not develop ARF. Urine samples were collected on study days 0, 1 and 3 and a total of 400 urine specimens were analyzed. Results Median urine IL-18 levels were significantly higher in ARF cases as compared to controls on day 0 (126 vs. 0), day 1 (65 vs. 0) and day 3 (88 vs. 0) (P≤ 0.001). On multivariable analysis after adjusting for demographic and clinical variables, urine IL-18 values predicted development of ARF 24 and 48 hours later. The adjoining figure demonstrates that urine IL-18 performs well as a diagnostic test with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 73% at 24 hours before clinical diagnosis. The sensitivity and specificity range from 75% to 98% (Figure). The urine IL-18 values were also significantly different between survivors and non-survivors with ARF on days 0, 1 and 3. (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion Urinary IL-18 test can be used for the early diagnosis and risk-stratification of ARF in ICU.
Expression and significance of hypoxia inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor in infantile hemangioma

Objective: To investigate the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α( HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor( VEGF) in infantile hemangioma and normal skin. Methods:The expression of HIF-1α and VEGF was investigated in infantile hemangioma and normal skin by immunohistochemical S-P staining assay. Results: The differences of the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF between infantile hemangioma and normal skin were statistically significant( P 0. 05).There was a positive correlation between the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF in infantile hemangioma. Conclusion: There was a positive expression of HIF-1α and VEGF in infantile hemangioma,indicating that HIF-1α and VEGF may participate in the angiogenesis of hemangioma.
Calf production by Angus-Hereford and Brahman-Hereford cows on two native rangeland forage systems

Calf birth weights, weaning weights, and preweaning gain of Simmental-sired calves from Angus-Hereford (AH) and Brahman-Hereford (BH) F1 cows grazing native rangeland (NR) or native rangeland-complementary forage (NRCF) systems in the southern Great Plains mixed prairie were evaluated. Calves from AH dams were heavier (P < .001) at birth than calves from BH dams in both forage systems (40 and 37 kg, respectively). However, birth weights of calves from BH dams were 2 kg heavier (P < .001) in the NRCF fall-calving system. Calves in the NRCF system were 122 d older and heavier (P < .001) than the NR calves at weaning (343 and 256 kg, respectively). During the preweaning period, the NR calves gained faster (P < .001) than the NRCF calves. When calves from both systems were evaluated at 200 d of age, NR calves were heavier (P < .001) than NRCF calves. Calves from BH cows were 8 to 16 kg heavier (P < .001) that calves from AH cows at 200 d of age and at weaning. The increased age at weaning associated with the NRCF did not reduce reproductive efficiency. The NRCF system requires less land than a traditional NR system to support a cow-calf pair and seems to be more economically efficient.
WISDOM OF USING STRUCTURAL CERAMICS: New Thinking in the Field of Structural Ceramics

Publisher Summary Ceramics should no longer be characterized as nonflammable, corrosion-proof, and hard; instead, they should be characterized as contributory to high-speed, precise, and stable operation. According to the conventional notion, the advantages of structural ceramics lie in their static characteristics, that is, incombustibility, resistance to corrosion, and hardness. However, the concept of structural ceramics for machinery must be renewed to incorporate dynamic aspects comprising time-related factors. This new concept will help clarify the social significance of this type of ceramics in the future. The most conspicuous development in the field of ceramic engine valves is the recent progress of silicon nitride materials, resulting in the increase of flexural strength Weibull module. As ceramics have a high stiffness to weight, they require a relatively short time for transition from movement to rest and therefore, they do not cause vibration. In addition to that, they are not greatly influenced by temperature because of low heat conductivity and a low thermal expansion. Moreover, ceramics are free of rust and the marks of impact, which are detrimental to high-precision machine parts. This chapter discusses the applications of structural ceramics for machinery, precision machining process, and strategy for corporate survival.
A multi-feed antenna for antenna-level power combining

This paper proposes a multi-feed antenna structure that synthesizes the desired radiation characteristics with antenna-level power combining. Compared with an antenna array that spatially combines the radiation E-field and H-field at the far-field, the proposed multi-feed antenna combines the radiation power from different feeds directly on the antenna. Such a unique structure occupies a much smaller footprint and offers the flexibility to optimize the antenna driving impedances based on the locations of the antenna feeds. As two proof-of-concept designs, a two-feed 0.5λ slot antenna and a three-feed 0.7λ slot antenna with the input feeding networks are designed at 10.3GHz. A conventional single-feed 0.5λ slot antenna and a single-feed 0.7λ slot antenna are also implemented as the reference designs. Well matched radiation patterns between the proposed multi-feed antennas and the conventional single-feed antennas are observed, demonstrating the antenna-level power combining capability of the proposed multi-feed antennas.
Tribal and Peasant Economies: Readings in Economic Anthropology

(1967). Tribal and Peasant Economies: Readings in Economic Anthropology. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 362-365.
Management of hidradenitis suppurativa in pregnancy

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a debilitating inflammatory skin disease with a chronic course and often disappointing response to treatment. Though a minority of persons (20%) reports symptom remission during pregnancy, the vast majority experiences no relief (72%), and few experience clinical deterioration (8%). Disease flares are also observed post-partum. The pathophysiological basis for pregnancy-associated fluctuations in clinical status is currently unknown. Because most women with HS require ongoing management throughout pregnancy, it is important to evaluate the suitability and safety of current treatment options for pregnant women. The following review will outline current management strategies for HS and their compatibility with pregnancy and lactation.
Tpl2 promotes neutrophil trafficking, oxidative burst, and bacterial killing.

Tumor progression locus 2 (Tpl2) is a serine/threonine kinase that promotes inflammatory cytokine production by activating the MEK/ERK pathway. Tpl2 has been shown to be important for eliciting the inflammatory properties of macrophages; however, there is relatively little known about the contribution of Tpl2 to neutrophil effector functions. This is an important consideration, as neutrophils provide the first line of defense against infection in the innate immune system. We found that Tpl2 is expressed in both human and murine neutrophils, suggesting a potential function for Tpl2 in this lineage. Despite significantly higher proportions of bone marrow (BM) neutrophils in Tpl2-deficient (Tpl2-/- ) mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice, Tpl2-/- mice have significantly reduced proportions of circulating neutrophils. Tpl2-/- neutrophils show impaired recruitment to thioglycollate, which was primarily a result of neutrophil-extrinsic factors in the host. In response to infection, neutrophils secrete inflammatory cytokines and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which promote bacterial killing. Tpl2 ablation impaired neutrophil TNF secretion in response to LPS stimulation, superoxide generation in response to the chemotactic peptide fMLP, and killing of the extracellular bacterium, Citrobacter rodentium, despite normal bacterial phagocytosis. These results implicate Tpl2 in the regulation of multiple neutrophil antimicrobial pathways, including inflammatory cytokine secretion and oxidative burst. Furthermore, they indicate that Tpl2 functions early during infection to bolster neutrophil-mediated innate immunity against extracellular bacteria.
Jeremy L. Wallace, Cities and Stability: Urbanization, Redistribution, and Regime Survival in China

Investigating the mechanism of authoritarian regime survival, Wallace’s book provides us with some great insights into the relationship among China’s rural-urban migration, urbanization and regime survival through a geopolitical perspective. He explicitly argues that it is through short-circuiting “the Faustian Bargain of urban bias” (p.121) that not only has the authoritarian regime in China successfully survived but also prospered in the past three decades. 왈라스의 책은 권위주의 체제의 생존 메커니즘을 조사하여 중국의 도시-농촌 이주, 도시화 그리고 체제 생존에 관한 통찰을 지정학적 관점에서 제시한다. 그는 중국의 권위주의 체제가 성공적으로 생존할 수 있었을 뿐만 아니라 번창할 수 있었던 것은 도시적 편견의 파우스트적 경매였음을 명백하게 주장한다.
A Look at Lived Hierophany: Eroticism, Ethics and the Eucharist in a Greek Orthodox Hermitage

Based on two months of research in a small monastery in Northern Greece, this paper explores the conceptions, definitions and practices of Orthodox Christianity as understood by Father Makarios, the monastery's abbot. I describe his emphasis on the sensuality of Christian practice, first examining how his definition of Christianity revolves around an individual’s pursuit of Christ, a pursuit which rests upon both Christ’s love for humanity (demonstrated in the Crucifixion) and humanity’s seeking love for Christ. I go on to analyze this sensuality of monastic daily life, arguing that Makarios’ definition of Christianity informs the ideal of his own pursuit of God (in which he seeks union with Christ). This definition and pursuit are mirrored in two daily examples: the consumption of the Eucharist, and Makarios’ relationship with his disciple. I contend that in this monastery, sensuality is the medium and technique through which Christ is sought and the ineffable is made tangible in the everyday practices of the monks. Sensuality becomes a lived hierophany – a manifestation of the sacred.
Poa laegaardiana, a new species from Ecuador (Poaceae, Pooideae, Poeae, Poinae)

Poa laegaardianasp. nov., is described and illustrated. The new species was found growing on sandy, volcanic soil in Festuca-Calamagrostis dominated grasslands southwest of Ambato and 2.2 km from Fecundo Vela in Provincia de Bolivar. The new species is morphologically similar to Poa gigantea but differs in having glumes 3/4 to 7/8 as long as the adjacent lemmas, a callus with a sparse, short, dorsal tuft of woolly hairs, culms 50-72 cm tall and spikelets 4.1-4.8 mm long. In addition, we include a key to the narrow-spikelike panicled species of Poa in Ecuador.
Desquamative gingivitis: Clinical, histopathologic, and immunopathologic investigations☆

Desquamative gingivitis is not a disease sui generis but is a descriptive term for a condition that requires thorough clinical evaluation and histopathologic and immunopathologic studies for accurate diagnosis. The present study emphasizes this statement. Six of seven patients with "desquamative gingivitis" were placed in a category of "possible cicatricial pemphigoid." During a 3-year observation period, five of six cases evolved into unequivocal cicatricial pemphigoid. Our studies lend credence to a hypothesis that immunopathologic mechanisms are operative in some forms of desquamative gingivitis.
TALL LARKSPUR AND CATTLE ON HIGH MOUNTAIN RANGES

I. ABSTRACT This report presents information and data to illustrate the impact of larkspur on the livestock industry from the pioneer period to the present period. Results of grazing management, grubbing, and chemical control are discussed. Data are presented demonstrating advances and environmental safety of containing barbey larkspur (Delphinium barbeyi Huth) with herbicides.
Choreographing Death: A Social Phenomenology of Medical Aid-in-dying in the United States

This article draws on ethnographic research on the implementation of Vermont's 2013 medical aid-in-dying (AID) law to explore a fundamental paradox: While public discourse characterizes AID as a mechanism for achieving an individually controlled autonomous death, the medico-legal framework that organizes it enlists social support and cultivates dependencies. Therefore, while patients pursuing AID may avoid certain types of dependency-such as those involved in bodily care-the process requires them to affirm and strengthen other bureaucratic, material, and affective forms. By tracing the social phenomenology of several AID deaths, I illustrate how AID results in distinctive forms of sociality and dependency that require terminally ill people and caregivers to embrace a collaborative stance toward choreographing death. I argue that assisted dying offers an opportunity to resist dominant U.S. cultural narratives that view dependency in purely negative terms and reimagine the relationships between disability, dependency, and care at the end of life.
Abstract TP384: Safety of Rapid Therapy Evaluation for Tissue Plasminogen Activator Treated Patients

Background: Many patients who receive tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) are medically stable, yet current practice is to keep all patients on bedrest for a minimum of 24 hours. Purpose: The purpo...
Replication Stress: An Achilles' Heel of Glioma Cancer Stem–like Cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive form of cancer that is resistant to standard therapy with concurrent radiation and temozolomide, two agents that work by inducing DNA damage. An underlying cause of this resistance may be a subpopulation of cancer stem-like cells that display a heightened DNA damage response (DDR). Although this DDR represents an attractive therapeutic target for overcoming the resistance of GBMs to radiotherapy, until now, the cause of this DDR upregulation has not been understood. In a previous issue of Cancer Research, Carruthers and colleagues investigated DNA replication stress as an underlying mechanism responsible for upregulation of the DDR and hence the radiation resistance of glioma stem-like cells. Furthermore, the authors explore the efficacy of combined ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related kinase and PARP inhibitors as a strategy to leverage these mechanisms and overcome radiation resistance.See related article by Carruthers and colleagues, Cancer Res; 78(17); 5060-71.
Engaging with Cultural Sport Psychology to Explore Systemic Sexual Exploitation in USA Gymnastics: A Call to Commitments

In this article, we engage with cultural sport psychology (CSP) to explore sexual exploitation in USA Gymnastics. Specifically, using critical reflexivity on the Larry Nassar case, we bring to life...
External Financing and Financing Constraints

We look at how firms conduct external financing policies under financing constraints. Rather than focusing on leverage ratios to understand debt and equity issuance decisions, we look at the substitution effect between internal and external financing in the firm's investment optimization problem. In the absence of capital market frictions, firms are able to find financing for all positive NPV projects. In this case, there exists a strong negative relation between operating cash flows and the demand for new external financing when firms prefer using internal funds to invest. When firms face costly access to external funds, however, the optimal, endogenous response of investment to income shocks causes the external-internal funding substitution effect to be strictly weaker (or even disappear). We use data from US firms over the 1971-2001 period to test these predictions. Our tests show that the sensitivity of external financing to cash flow innovations is negative and significant for firms typically regarded as financially unconstrained (those that distribute large amounts of cash dividends, are large in size, and whose bonds and commercial papers are rated). In contrast, external-internal financing sensitivities are insignificant for constrained firms. Importantly, our results indicate that these patterns hold separately for both debt and equity financing. We also find that differences in external-internal financing sensitivities across constrained and unconstrained firms are magnified in the aftermath of macroeconomic movements that tighten financial constraints, such as economic downturns. Our evidence suggests that investment funding constraints have first-order cross-sectional and inter-temporal effects on firm financing decisions, effects that have been overlooked by the capital structure literature.
Commodity Futures in Asset Allocation: A New Approach with the Extreme Value Theory

This paper presents an alternative approach to address the issue of diversification benefit of commodity futures. Instead of running the mean-variance optimization to obtain optimal capital weights to different asset classes, a number of portfolio sets is constructed by adding different fraction of commodity futures into traditional portfolio with stocks and bonds. These portfolio's VaR level and Reward-to-VaR ratio are estimated using the Extreme Value Theory. Adding commodity futures into traditional portfolio can reduce portfolio's VaR and improve portfolio's performance measured by Reward-to-VaR ratio. However, diversification benefit of commodity futures is not identical for different initial traditional portfolios. The main benefit of adding commodity futures to traditional portfolio with most bonds is expected return improvement, while the main benefit for traditional portfolio with most stocks is potential risk reduction. The more stocks are included in initial traditional portfolio, the more commodity futures can be added into the portfolio to reduce portfolio risk.
Review of Cephennomicrus and Pomphopsilla of the Seychelles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae)

All species of the cephenniine genus Cephennomicrus known to occur in the Seychelles were described by Scott (as Neseuthia) nearly a century ago. The descriptions were based on external characters, which does not allow for species identification. All the species are redescribed here: C. cordithorax, C. cornutus, C. minor, C. perexiguus, C. politus and C. typicus. Cephennomicrus crenatus is transferred to another genus, resulting in Pomphopsilla crenata comb. n. Lectotypes are designated for Neseuthia minor, N. perexigua and N. crenata. A new species group within Cephennomicrus is proposed to accommodate all species treated here, which share, among other characters, a long flagellum with a broad proximal portion, very short setae on the pronotum and elytra, five pronotal antebasal pits, a transverse groove connecting three of them, and unique modifications of the head in males.
Factor Analysis of the Apathy Scale in Parkinson's Disease

Author(s): Lopez, Francesca V; Eglit, Graham ML; Schiehser, Dawn M; Pirogovsky-Turk, Eva; Litvan, Irene; Lessig, Stephanie; Filoteo, J Vincent | Abstract: BackgroundThe Apathy Scale (AS), a popular measure of apathy in Parkinson's disease (PD), has been somewhat limited for failing to characterize dimensions of apathy, such as those involving cognitive, behavioral, and emotional apathy symptoms. This study sought to determine whether factors consistent with these apathy dimensions in PD could be identified on the AS, examine the associations between these factors and disease-related characteristics, and compare PD patients and healthy control (HCs) on identified factors.MethodsConfirmatory (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were conducted on AS scores of 157 nondemented PD patients to identify AS factors. These factors were then correlated with important disease-related characteristics, and PD and HC participants were compared across these factors.ResultsPreviously proposed AS models failed to achieve an adequate fit in CFA. A subsequent EFA revealed two factors on the AS reflecting joint cognitive-behavioral aspects of apathy (Motivation-Interest-Energy) and emotional apathy symptoms (Indifference). Both factors were associated with anxiety, depression, health-related quality of life, and independent activities of daily living, with Indifference associated more with the latter. In addition, only the Indifference factor was associated with cognitive functioning. PD patients reported higher levels of symptoms than HCs on both factors, with the group difference slightly larger on the Motivation-Interest-Energy factor.ConclusionThe AS can be decomposed into two factors reflecting Motivation-Interest-Energy and Indifference symptoms. These factors are differentially associated with clinical variables, including cognition and independent activities of daily living, indicating the importance of evaluating apathy from a multidimensional perspective.
Agronomic Management of Malting Barley and Research Needs to Meet Demand by the Craft Brew Industry

Malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) requires agronomic management that maximizes grain yield while meeting quality standards. The majority of published literature on agronomic management of malting barley is from the US Northwest and Northern Rockies and Plains where barley is traditionally grown. However, the majority of craft breweries are located in the Upper Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Northeast, creating a demand for locally sourced grain. The objectives of this review were to: (i) summarize the current body of knowledge regarding agronomic management of malting barley, and (ii) identify research needs in the Upper Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Northeast. Across all regions, planting date and N management were major factors influencing grain yield and quality. Timely planting of malting barley generally improved yield and quality. Barley yield tended to increase with N application rate while quality decreased due to increased protein concentration. Planting malting barley following corn (Zea mays L.) or small grains resulted in disease problems that could affect grain quality and yield. In the Upper Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Northeast regions, the prospect of double crop soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production after winter malting barley should be investigated, in addition to typical cropping sequences. Agronomic strategies to mitigate the negative effects of late-planting situations are also needed as these regions often have delayed planting due to wet soil conditions. Furthermore, N fertilizer management is much different in humid regions compared with the Northwest and Northern Rockies and Plains, and warrants future research on developing in-season N management strategies.
Using a modified theory of planned behavior to examine teachers' intention to implement a work safety and health curriculum.

Background Workplace safety and health is a major public health concern, but largely absent from the school health curriculum. Little is known about teachers' perceptions of teaching workplace safety and health topics. Methods We administered a 41-item questionnaire reflecting the theory of planned behavior, modified to measure knowledge, to 242 middle and high school teachers in career and technical education and academic subjects. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis to assess the measures' psychometric properties and factorial ANOVAs to compare differences among participants' knowledge, attitude toward, self-efficacy, and intention (to teach) workplace safety and health by sex, prior work injury, and main subject taught. Results Confirmatory factor analyses indicated the measures reflected the theory. Factorial ANOVAs suggested female teachers had statistically significantly lower mean self-efficacy scores than did male teachers to teach workplace safety and health. Male occupational career and technical education teachers demonstrated higher mean knowledge scores than male teachers in other subjects. Participants not injured at work had higher knowledge scores than those who had been injured. Conclusion Self-efficacy (influenced by sex) and knowledge (influenced by subject taught and previous workplace injury) revealed factors that may affect teachers' provision of workplace safety and health education, a critical yet overlooked component of school health.