cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response to methadone maintenance treatment of opiate dependent patients with and without significant pain

Background: Both clinicians and researchers have expressed doubt that opiate dependent patients with significant pain can be effectively treated in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs; however, little research exists on this topic. Patients who report significant pain in the month preceding entry to MMT present with a distinct and more severe pattern of polysubstance use, medical and psychosocial problems than do those without pain. The present study investigated the 1-year treatment outcomes of MMT patients with opiate dependence and pain. Methods: Analyses were based on a national sample of 200 patients presenting in MMT programs for treatment of opiate dependence. Substance use and related problems were measured at treatment entry and 12 months later. Patients reported pain severity over the month preceding treatment entry. Results: Compared to patients without significant pain, patients who reported significant pain at baseline ( n = 103) showed similar substance-related functioning, but poorer psychosocial functioning at 1 year. Conclusions: Patients with and without significant pain experience comparable reductions in substance use when provided with standard care in MMT programs. However, additional medical and/or mental health treatment is needed for their pain and other problems. © 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Who Gets Legislation Passed in a Marginal Legislature and is the Label Marginal Legislature Still Appropriate?: A Study of the Honduran Congress

This article explores who gets legislation passed in a marginal legislature and what types of legislation it is? Mezey defines a marginal legislature as one with modest policy-making power and little support from political elites. The assumption in Latin American politics is that assemblies are marginal, rubber stamps for the executive. The case of the Honduran Congress is used to empirically test these assumptions. As expected, the executive sponsors most of the bills that become law. However, deputies also sponsor significant numbers of national-level bills and laws. In addition, deputies do not pass much particularistic and local-level legislation that could enhance their local patron status. These findings call into question the continued utility of Mezey's typology of legislatures given the new realities of the third wave of democracy. A new method of classifying legislatures is proposed based on the incentives that deputies have to act independent of the executive.
Plasma and synovial fluid concentration of doxycycline following low-dose, low-frequency administration, and resultant inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-13 from interleukin-stimulated equine synoviocytes

Summary Reasons for study To determine whether low-dose, low-frequency doxycycline administration is capable of achieving chondroprotective concentrations within synovial fluid (SF) while remaining below minimum inhibitory concentration 90 (MIC90) of most equine pathogens and would be an option in the management of osteoarthritis. Objectives To determine whether low-dose, low-frequency oral administration of doxycycline can attain in vivo SF concentrations capable of chondroprotective effects through reduction of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 activity, while remaining below MIC90 of most equine pathogens. Study design Descriptive pharmacokinetic study with crossover design. Methods Two groups of 6 horses received oral doxycycline. Plasma and SF doxycycline concentrations were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Group 1 received 5 mg/kg bwt q. 24 h with 21 blood and 8 SF samples collected over 120 h; Group 2 received 5 mg/kg bwt q. 48 h with 27 blood and 11 SF samples collected over 192 h. Cultured synoviocytes were treated with interleukin-1α (1 ng/ml) for 24 h to stimulate MMP synthesis, and then SF was added to the culture medium for 96 h. MMP-13 protein and mRNA were measured in synoviocyte culture medium and synoviocytes, respectively. Results Mean doxycycline concentration ≥0.043 μg/ml (previously demonstrated to inhibit MMP-13) was achieved in plasma by t = 0.25 h and SF by t = 48 h in Group 1, and in plasma by t = 0.17 h and SF by t = 1 h in Group 2. Synoviocyte culture medium containing doxycycline from Groups 1 and 2 had significantly decreased active MMP-13 protein concentration, and synoviocytes cultured in this medium had significantly decreased MMP-13 gene expression compared to controls. Plasma doxycycline concentration in both groups and SF doxycycline concentration in Group 2 demonstrated a cumulative effect. Conclusions Low-dose orally administered doxycycline achieves SF concentrations in vivo capable of diminishing MMP-13 expression. This study supports the use of doxycycline as a disease modifying osteoarthritic drug.
Modified laparoscopic Sugarbaker repair decreases recurrence rates of parastomal hernia

Background Parastomal hernia (PH) is a frequent complication of stoma formation, and recurrence after repair is common. A laparoscopic modified Sugarbaker technique (SB) may decrease the recurrence of PH compared with other methods. Methods A retrospective review, approved by the institutional review board, of patients who underwent PH repair between 2004 and 2014 was performed. Demographics, factors for ostomy formation, hernia risk factors, intraoperative and postoperative information, and recurrence data were compared among SB and other techniques. Time to recurrence was compared between SB versus other techniques with the Kaplan-Meier method and adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression modeling. Results Sixty-two PH repairs were performed: 39 (61%) paraileostomy and 23 (39%) paracolostomy. Repairs included 25 laparoscopic modified SB and 37 from other techniques. There was no difference in demographics. Postoperative complication rate was lesser in SB versus all other groups (40% vs 76%, P = .02). Recurrence rates were lesser for SB versus all others (16% vs 60%, P Conclusion A laparoscopic modified SB technique provides decreased rates of recurrence and postoperative complications compared with other approaches.
The effects of pyridoxine deficiency and of caloric restriction on lipids in the developing rat brain.

— The effects of dietary deficiency of pyridoxine upon the contents of lipids in the brain were determined at several times after birth for three groups of rats. The mothers of the nursing pups were fed one of the following dietary regimes: pyridoxine-deficient diet ad lib., pyridoxine-supplemented diet ad lib., or pyridoxine-supplemented diet in restricted amounts. At 7 and 14 days of postnatal age there were no significant differences between supplemented and deficient animals for any of the cerebral lipids studied. At 21 days the content of sphingomyelin in the brains of deficient animals was significantly lower than that in brains from the supplemented or calorically restricted animals in terms of percentage of total lipid and phospholipid phosphorus or tissue weight. On a per brain basis the content of sphingomyelin in the brains of calorically-restricted rats was significantly lower than in the brains of rats fed the supplemented diet ad lib. The contents of cerebrosides but not of sulphatides or ceramides were also significantly lower in brains of the deficient group than in brains from the other two groups. The contents of pyridoxine in brains and in livers of the deficient animals were considerably lower than the contents found in the same organs of the other dietary groups. The results suggest that one reason for the abnormal development of the brains of rats on a pyridoxine-deficient diet during the early postnatal period may be due to decreased quantities of sphingolipids.
Multiple Deformation and Metamorphism from Structural Analysis in the Eastern Pennsylvania Piedmont

Mesoscopic structures and microtextures in pelitic schist, psammitic gneiss, and amphibolite of the Wissahickon Formation near Philadelphia reveal a complex history involving five structural events and two independent(?) episodes of metamorphism, M 1 and M 2 . The dominant folds, F 2 , are overturned to the southeast. They probably developed during uplift of the basement gneiss complex along vertical faults during the main phase of deformation, D 2 . The F 2 folds deform older D 1 structural elements and M 1 synkinematic, metamorphic fabrics, including L 1 mineral lineations and S 1 schistosity. S 1 is generally parallel to bedding, but locally it is parallel to axial planes of isoclinal, similar F 1 folds. The F 2 folds are overprinted by horizontal crenulation and fracture cleavages. S 3 , which are parallel to axial planes of local, open F 3 folds. The M 2 episode of metamorphism was prekinematic, synkinematic, and postkinematic with respect to D 3 and produced the staurolite, kyanite, and sillimanite zones of metamorphism marginal to a zone of granitized schist. D 3 structural elements are overprinted by late M 2 crenulation cleavage, S 4 , which dips southeast and is parallel to axial planes of local, open F 4 folds. F 4 folds become more intensely developed northwest and are probably the dominant folds near the Martic line. They are probably correlative with late Paleozoic structures in the Appalachians. D 5 (?) structural elements consist of steeply plunging folds and mullions, in a narrow cataclastic belt along the northern margin of the granitized zone, and weakly developed crenulation lineations that rake steeply in schistosity farther north. Evidence of mineral growth during D 2 has not been found, which suggests that D 2 was a low temperature deformation, perhaps late Taconic in age, separating early Taconic events D 1 and M 1 from Acadian events D 3 and M 2 . Although amphibolite faces metamorphism occurred during both orogenies, the profound recrystallization, granitization, and present zones of metamorphism reflect the Acadian orogeny.
World War I and the “System of 1896”

Realignment theory has long offered the primary framework for understanding American political history, particularly as it relates to the party system. The “System of 1896” is central to the theory and holds that William McKinley’s victory in that year ushered in a Republican-dominated era lasting until Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt’s election in 1932. The 10 years of partial—and six years of total—Democratic control of Congress and the White House (1910–20) during this 36-year stretch (1896–1932) remains an anomaly among realignment theorists. I conduct content analyses of Democratic and Republican party documents and media commentary and find that World War I played a crucial role in the GOP’s resurgence in 1920. This conclusion highlights realignment theory’s failure to account for the important role of international events and contingency in general.
The Decline in Shared Collective Conscience as Found in the Shifting Norms and Values of Etiquette Manuals

In this article we address Emile Durkheim's theory that norms and values become more generalized and abstract in a society as it becomes more complex and differentiated. To test Durkheim's theory we examine etiquette manuals—the common texts that define normative manners and morals in American society. We perform a deductive content analysis on past and present etiquette manuals to understand what changes have occurred regarding shifting behavioral norms and values over time. Our findings suggest that a change has occurred in the presentation and language of contemporary etiquette manuals, reflecting a greater change in the normative order. We find—as Durkheim would expect—that three main shifts have occurred: a shift from specific to general expectations for behavior in social settings, a shift from demanding to more suggestive rules of behavior in social situations, and a weakening in the severity of sanctions for breaches of etiquette.
Improving Scalability of OpenMP Applications on Multi-core Systems Using Large Page Support

Modern multi-core architectures have become popular because of the limitations of deep pipelines and heating and power concerns. Some of these multi-core architectures such as the Intel Xeon have the ability to run several threads on a single core. The OpenMP standard for compiler directive based shared memory programming allows the developer an easy path to writing multi-threaded programs and is a natural fit for multi-core architectures. The OpenMP standard uses loop parallelism as a basis for work division among multiple threads. These loops usually use arrays in their computation with different data distributions and access patterns. The performance of accesses to these arrays may be impacted by the underlying page size depending on the frequency and strides of these accesses. In this paper, we discuss the issues and potential benefits from using large pages for OpenMP applications. We design an OpenMP implementation capable of using large pages and evaluate the impact of using large page support available in most modern processors on the performance and scalability of parallel OpenMP applications. Results show an improvement in performance of up to 25% for some applications. It also helps improve the scalability of these applications.
Effect of Certain Types of Paper on Sexual Maturation of the Insect Pyrrhocoris apterus

ON reading the article entitled “Juvenile Hormone Activity for the Bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus”, by Slama and Williams1, I was struck by a likely correlation.
Photochemically Patterned Biliary Stents with Integrated Permanent Magnets and Deformable Assembly Features for Wireless Magnetoelastic Tissue Growth Sensing

Sludge accumulation in biliary stents causes a loss of patency, leading to complications such as jaundice. We report batch-fabricated biliary stents with integrated magnetoelastic sensors for monitoring tissue growth. Integrated neodymium magnets bias the sensor and remove a source of measurement error. Paraffin mass loads up to 44.2 mg simulated tissue growth on 37.5times2 mm2, 28 mum thick sensors. A resonant frequency shift from 58.81 kHz to 34.42 kHz was observed. The sensor provides a usable signal to the interrogation system if present within at least a 320 cm3 volume adjacent to the interrogation coils.
Genome-Wide Linkage Mapping for Valve Calcification Susceptibility Loci in Hypertensive Sibships: The Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network Study

It remains unclear whether genetic factors contribute to the susceptibility to valve calcification. Accordingly, echocardiograms and genotyping were performed in 1871 hypertensive siblings who participated in the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network Study. Genome-wide affected sibpair nonparametric linkage analysis was conducted using the allele-sharing method implemented in the Merlin computer program. A total of 1014 sibships from 858 families were evaluated for aortic valve sclerosis or mitral annular calcification. Of these, 78 sibships from 68 families contained > or =2 affected siblings with > or =1 type of valve calcification (142 affected siblings). All 3 of the traits showed a modest degree of familial aggregation, with sibling recurrence risk (SD) and sibling recurrence risk ratio (95% CI) being 0.25 (0.035) and 2.31 (1.72 to 3.11) for aortic valve sclerosis, 0.25 (0.035) and 1.78 (1.36 to 2.33) for mitral annular calcification, and 0.31 (0.030) and 1.52 (1.24 to 1.85) for aortic valve sclerosis and mitral annular calcification, respectively. Affected sibpair linkage analysis revealed the highest logarithm of odds score (3.14) in chromosome 16 at 105.6 cM for aortic valve sclerosis. Other chromosomal regions with logarithm of odds score > or =1.9 were found in chromosomes 19 (2.88), 16 (2.63), 1 (2.12), and 2 (2.03) for aortic valve sclerosis and chromosome 13 (2.12) for any valve calcification. There was no logarithm of odds score > or =1.9 for mitral annular calcification. Our study shows strong linkage of aortic valve sclerosis to chromosome 16q22.1-q22.3 and suggestive linkage to chromosome 19p13.11-p11 and identifies several other promising genomic regions that may contain specific susceptibility loci for valve calcification.
A current-comparator-based system for calibration of optical instrument transformers with analog and digital outputs

Summary form only given. An overview of the development of a system comprising of instruments, based on the current-comparator technology, for calibration of optical instrument transformers with analog and digital outputs is presented. The instruments include a transimpedance amplifier for operation of input currents from 1 A to 10,000 A, a high voltage active divider for operation of input voltages from 1 kV to 500 kV, a current-comparator bridge, and two sampling voltmeters. The current comparator is used in a feedback loop to correct the magnitude and phase of the outputs of the transimpedance amplifier and the high voltage active divider to an accuracy of better than 10 parts per million and 10 /spl mu/rad, respectively. The sampling voltmeters are effectively used as 18-bit A/D converters.
ANNUAL CYCLES IN BODY MASS AND REPRODUCTION OF CHIRICAHUA FOX SQUIRRELS (SCIURUS NAYARITENSIS CHIRICAHUAE)

Abstract The Chiricahua fox squirrel (Sciurus nayaritensis chiricahuae) is an uncommon subspecies endemic to the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. We monitored annual cycles of body mass and reproduction to elucidate factors shaping the ecology of the sexes. Body mass of adult males did not fluctuate seasonally, although males tended to be heavier in winter. Body mass of adult females fluctuated seasonally, with lower body masses in summer than winter. Males and females did not differ in body mass in summer and fall, but females were heavier than males in winter and spring. Males with scrotal testes were found in the population during all seasons, but were especially prevalent in winter and spring. The majority of lactating females were present in spring and summer. Annual cycles in reproduction and body mass of Chiricahua fox squirrels are similar to more widespread species of tree squirrels, although males did not exhibit typical body mass fluctuations. Extreme spatial and temporal fluctuati...
The Strategy Project

Strategy is central to political science. Wars, elections, treaties, and bargains – the outcomes we care most about turn on the strategies actors adopt to pursue their desired ends. Strategy is also one of the few political science concepts with widespread utility outside the classroom and the study of politics. Students who grasp what it means to act, compete, and cooperate strategically will have a decisive edge in the war room, boardroom, or courtroom. Unfortunately, teachers who want to expose students to this critical way of thinking quickly find that there are few effective tools for doing so. This is especially true at the undergraduate level. From Clausewitz to Schelling, the canonical literature on strategy makes for dry reading. Game theory is similarly inaccessible to most college students (at least those without an abiding passion for math or deer hunting with Rousseau). Even contemporary national security strategy documents are a poor model for how to think strategically. They tend to read like a laundry list of goals and objectives. This overlooks the most important aspect of any strategic interaction: the other side has a say in the outcome too.Two years ago a group of Princeton students began searching for a way to fill this gap. Working under the auspices of the University’s Center for International Security Studies (CISS), this team developed a simulation-based approach to strategic education. Since then their efforts have evolved into a coherent series of simulation exercises. One set of simulations teaches students about the bureaucratic obstacles to strategic action in a crisis. Another set focuses on grand strategy, helping students understand the challenges of investing today in the tools you need tomorrow. Both types are designed to be realistic yet accessible to the average undergraduate. To date over 225 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students have participated in one of these simulations.This paper recounts the origins of this initiative. It then describes the structure and results of the crisis simulation (as grand strategy simulation is still being refined). The goal is to share ideas with departments and research centers that are also interested in finding new ways to teach security studies and strategy. The key takeaway is that simulations are a low-cost, high yield way to fill an important gap while increasing student interest in the subject. In our experience they convey lessons of both theoretical and substantive value, doing so in a way that student-participants find more interesting and easier to remember than traditional lectures, readings, and discussions. They also attract students from a wide variety of disciplines and majors, including many with no prior exposure to the field.
Abstract 3635: Mentoring a Stroke Program Coordinator: A Planned, Staged Approach

Background and Issues: Transitions between stroke coordinators can have a deleterious effect upon stroke program development and operations. Typically, a one-month notice of resignation is given. This allows insufficient time to advertise, interview, hire and train or orient new staff. Complicating the issue, the number of experienced stroke coordinators has not kept pace with demand. Hence, extensive training may be required for the replacement if one with experience is not available. Purpose: The purpose of our project was to prepare for a seamless transition between a retiring stroke coordinator and her replacement while maintaining quality and adding neurovascular intervention to the program. Methods: Our facility provides a phased-retirement program that allows gradual transition between full time employment and retirement. In July 2009, a eighty percent stroke coordinator position was split between a coordinator mentee and the experienced coordinator mentor. Over an eighteen-month period, responsibilities were gradually shifted to the replacement with ongoing education, guidance and support from the previous coordinator. For the first six months, orientation and coaching took place on an almost daily basis. Over the following year, progressive periods were planned for independent program management with available backup and support Results: A cerebrovascular intervention program was successfully implemented during the period. Primary Stroke Center Certification was maintained. Compliance with stroke performance measures did not decrease. The Get with the Guidelines Gold Plus Award was received for 2009, 2010 and 2011. Acute stroke treatment rates increased due to program enhancements and improvements during the period. Conclusions: This planned, progressive approach to program leadership transition allowed sufficient training for the replacement coordinator. At the conclusion of the process, the mentee stepped into the full-time position. This seamless transition provided for successful program operations and development.
Powerful methods for detecting introgressed regions from population genomic data

Understanding the types and functions of genes that are able to cross species boundaries-and those that are not-is an important step in understanding the forces maintaining species as largely independent lineages across the remainder of the genome. With large next-generation sequencing data sets we are now able to ask whether introgression has occurred across the genome, and multiple methods have been proposed to detect the signature of such events. Here, we introduce a new summary statistic that can be used to test for introgression, RNDmin , that makes use of the minimum pairwise sequence distance between two population samples relative to divergence to an outgroup. We find that our method offers a modest increase in power over other, related tests, but that all such tests have high power to detect introgressed loci when migration is recent and strong. RNDmin is robust to variation in the mutation rate, and remains reliable even when estimates of the divergence time between sister species are inaccurate. We apply RNDmin to population genomic data from the African mosquitoes Anopheles quadriannulatus and A. arabiensis, identifying three novel candidate regions for introgression. Interestingly, one of the introgressed loci is on the X chromosome, but outside of an inversion separating these two species. Our results suggest that significant, but rare, sharing of alleles is occurring between species that diverged more than 1 million years ago, and that application of these methods to additional systems are likely to reveal similar results.
Community-Based Obesity Prevention and Intervention Approaches: From Infancy to Adulthood

How is it, that despite our increased awareness and knowledge on health and wellness, the prevalence of obesity in the United States continues to be alarmingly high? Nationally, over one-third of adults and almost 17% of youth were obese in 2009-2010 (CDC, 2012; Ogden, Carroll, Kit & Flegal, 2012). Across the U.S., nine states had an obesity prevalence of over 30% in 2009 compared to no states in 2000, and none of the 50 states met the Healthy People 2010 objective of lowering obesity prevalence to 15%. And in 2008, medical bills for obesityrelated conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers amounted to about $147 billion (CDC, 2010).
ID: 34: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN VITAMIN D AND GASTRIC CANCER

Background and Objectives Vitamin D deficiency is linked to several gastrointestinal malignancies including gastric cancer and affects a multitude of cellular processes involved in tumorigenesis. Vitamin D is presumed to have anticancer actions by inducing differentiation and cell cycle arrest in malignant cells. Furthermore, it significantly promotes apoptosis in the undifferentiated gastric cancer cell line HGC-27. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) associated with vitamin d deficiency. Methodology A retrospective case-control study was conducted at Elmhurst Hospital Center from 2005–2015. Three hundred and four patients who were diagnosed with GA were selected as cases. Of 304 individuals with GA, 255 were excluded, because they did not have vitamin D levels, 49 patients were included in our study. The data was compared to a matched control group of 49 patients with no known malignancies who had vitamin D levels. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was compared between cases and controls using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. Results The mean age of the case sample was 63.96 vs 60.43% in the control group. The gender distribution was the same, 49% male and 51% female. Hispanic patients were predominant in both samples accounting for 61.2% of the groups (table 1). Of 49 patients with GA included in our study, 20.48% were stage I; 36.7% were stage II; 24.9% were stage III, and 18.4% were stage IV. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the case group (GA) was significantly higher than in the control group 19[38.8%] vs 7[14.3%] respectively (OR: 3.8, 95% CI 1.42–10.18, P value 0.0079) figure 1. Conclusion The results of our study suggest that there is a positive correlation between vitamin D deficiency and gastric adenocarcinoma. More specifically patients with vitamin D deficiency have an increased association with GA. Additional multicenter randomized double blind clinical trials are required to further assess this association and the potential benefit of vitamin D supplementation in preventing gastric adenocarcinoma.
Undergraduate Student Perceptions of the Pedagogy Used in a Leadership Course: A Qualitative Examination.

This exploratory, qualitative, descriptive study examined undergraduate student perspectives of pedagogy used in an undergraduate leadership elective course to describe how students view the effectiveness and impact of pedagogies used in the course. Undergraduate students (n = 28) reflected on the effectiveness of the pedagogies and the learning environment created by the pedagogies used in the undergraduate leadership course elective. Student reflections at the end of the semester revealed student perspectives on the effectiveness of the pedagogies and were grouped into three themes: contribution to overall effectiveness, openness to different perspectives, and learning from peers. Two themes emerged for students’ perceptions of the learning environment including overcoming challenges with discussion and class logistics. This study lends support for discussion as a pedagogy used by leadership instructors which can be effective for learning leadership as perceived by undergraduate students.
Effect of conservation tillage on European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) populations

The influence of four tillage systems and two crop rotations on populations of first- and second-generation European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), was determined. In six of the eight years, populations of European corn borer were influenced by either crop rotation or tillage. It is suspected that population dynamics were directly affected by crop maturity at time of egg deposition and early larval establishment and development.
Preinvasive and invasive carcinoma of cervix uteri; pathogenesis, detection, differential diagnosis, and the pathologic basis for management

Abstract The majority of squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix arise within the endocervical canal at or near the external os, therefore biopsies should include this area. Cervical squamous cell carcinomas may be classified into three groups; preinvasive, covert invasive, and overt invasive cancer. Each group represents a stage of development over a period which averages eleven years. Preinvasive carcinomas, the incipient cancers, are asymptomatic and can only be detected by microscopic examination. Preinvasive carcinomas have been detected by examination of vaginal and cervical smears followed by microscopic examination of biopsies and endocervical curettings. It is necessary to differentiate preinvasive carcinomas from covert invasive carcinomas. The presence of a covert invasive carcinoma may not be anticipated and therefore a biopsy of the cervix and curettement of the endocervix should be a routine procedure before subtotal or total hysterectomy. Total hysterectomy is recommended for proved preinvasive carcinomas, and ovariectomy is not necessarily indicated.
Macroscopic Fourier Ptychography

We propose using camera arrays coupled with coherent illumination to improve spatial resolution in long distance images by a factor of ten and beyond. Our experimental results for our prototype system increase resolution by 4x—7x. Article not available.
Building the Oral Language of Young Hispanic Children through Interactive Read Alouds and Vocabulary Games at Preschool and at Home.

Abstract We conducted two studies to examine the effects of an interactive read aloud and vocabulary intervention on the vocabulary knowledge of Spanish-speaking preschoolers living in the U.S. In Study 1, 68 children (n = 34 in the treatment group) and 6 parents in the treatment group received the intervention in Spanish at home, and in Spanish and English in the preschool. Results indicated a significant effect of the intervention on children's receptive and expressive vocabulary knowledge in Spanish favoring the treatment group. Effect sizes were moderate to large. English outcomes were significant for the treatment group only on the receptive vocabulary measure. Children who participated in the Home plus Preschool intervention (n = 6) made significant gains on their Spanish vocabulary knowledge with large effect sizes. In Study 2 we conducted a single subject design study with four preschool children and their mothers. The intervention was provided at home. Results indicated a change from baseline to ...
Cost and Predictors of Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care - Sensitive Conditions Among Medicaid Enrollees in Comprehensive Managed Care Plans.

Introduction:Preventable hospitalizations are responsible for increasing the cost of health care and reflect ineffectiveness of the health services in the primary care setting. The objective of thi...
Do Americans want to tax wealth? Evidence from online surveys

Abstract A vast theoretical literature in public finance has studied the desirability of capital taxation. This discussion largely ignores the political feasibility of taxing wealth. We provide, to our knowledge, the first investigation of individuals' preferences over jointly taxing income and wealth. We provide subjects with a set of hypothetical individuals' incomes and wealth and elicit subjects' preferred (absolute) tax bill for each individual. Our method allows us to unobtrusively map both income earned and accumulated wealth into desired tax levels. Our regression results yield roughly linear desired tax rates on income of about 14%. Respondents' suggested tax rates indicate positive desired wealth taxation. When we distinguish between sources of wealth we find that, in line with recent theoretical arguments, subjects' implied tax rate on wealth is 3% when the source of wealth is inheritance, far higher than the 0.8% rate when wealth is from savings. Textual analysis of respondents' justifications for their tax rates imply limited concern for the elasticity of tax bases with respect to net-of-tax rates.
Shell Morphology in the Kinosternidae: Functional and Evolutionary Patterns

Abstract: Turtles in the Kinosternidae are well-known to have unique shell shapes and shell constructions, including hinged plastrons in many species. Members of this group also live in a wide range of habitats. Despite this variability, and the likely importance of shell shape in determining fitness across this clade's range, no studies have comprehensively surveyed the variation in shell shape in this clade, nor the allometric or ecomorphological patterns possible among these species. This study used geometric morphometric methods to quantify shape in the shells of 25 of the 26 species in Kinosternidae. We assessed carapace strength using finite element modeling and calculated several morphometric measures that are correlated with the ability of turtles to right themselves when overturned. These morphological and functional data were used to describe patterns of morphological and functional evolution, and to test hypotheses about the ecological or functional morphology within this group. No patterns in ...
Could Guinevere ever be a superhero? Depictions of a warrior queen in Camelot 3000 (1982–1985)

ABSTRACTCamelot 3000, one of Arthuriana’s most influential comic series, has reimagined Queen Guinevere as a heroic warrior who attempts to atone for previous transgressions by slipping on a minidress, picking up a futuristic gun and battling invading aliens. In this book, Guinevere has transcended medieval and modern assumptions of women by occupying a traditionally male sphere and being able to fight with the Knights. She has not, however, been able to transcend medieval and modern assumptions about women’s bodies and sexuality, which remain overly emphasised throughout her storylines, most of which revolve around her emotional and sexual turmoil. The need to sexualise Guinevere, position her as a damsel in distress and perpetuate literary traditions, found especially in Malory, hobbles her transformation into a hero and exemplifies the difficulties that medieval female characters often face when they enter the pages of comic books as warriors.
La-related protein 6 controls ciliated cell differentiation

La-related protein 6 (LARP6) is an evolutionally conserved RNA-binding protein. Vertebrate LARP6 binds the 5′ stem-loop found in mRNAs encoding type I collagen to regulate their translation, but other target mRNAs and additional functions for LARP6 are unknown. The aim of this study was to elucidate an additional function of LARP6 and to evaluate the importance of its function during development. To uncover the role of LARP6 in development, we utilized Morpholino Oligos to deplete LARP6 protein in Xenopus embryos. Then, embryonic phenotypes and ciliary structures of LAPR6 morphants were examined. To identify the molecular mechanism underlying ciliogenesis regulated by LARP6, we tested the expression level of cilia-related genes, which play important roles in ciliogenesis, by RT-PCR or whole mount in situ hybridization (WISH). We knocked down LARP6 in Xenopus embryos and found neural tube closure defects. LARP6 mutant, which compromises the collagen synthesis, could rescue these defects. Neural tube closure defects are coincident with lack of cilia, antenna-like cellular organelles with motility- or sensory-related functions, in the neural tube. The absence of cilia at the epidermis was also observed in LARP6 morphants, and this defect was due to the absence of basal bodies which are formed from centrioles and required for ciliary assembly. In the process of multi-ciliated cell (MCC) differentiation, mcidas, which activates the transcription of genes required for centriole formation during ciliogenesis, could partially restore MCCs in LARP6 morphants. In addition, LARP6 likely controls the expression of mcidas in a Notch-independent manner. La-related protein 6 is involved in ciliated cell differentiation during development by controlling the expression of cilia-related genes including mcidas. This LARP6 function involves a mechanism that is distinct from its established role in binding to collagen mRNAs and regulating their translation.
Understanding readmissions in children undergoing surgery: A pediatric NSQIP analysis

Abstract Background Readmission is increasingly being utilized as an important clinical outcome and measure of hospital quality. Our aim was to delineate rates, risk factors, and reasons for unplanned readmission in pediatric surgery. Materials and methods Retrospective review of pediatric patients (n=130,274) undergoing surgery (2013–2014) at hospitals enrolled in the Pediatric National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP-P) was performed. Logistic regression was used to model factors associated with unplanned 30-day readmission. Reasons for readmission were reviewed to determine the most common causes of readmission. Results There were 6059 (n=4.7%) readmitted children within 30days of the index operation. Of these, 5041 (n=3.9%) were unplanned, with readmission rates ranging from 1.3% in plastic surgery to 5.2% in general pediatric surgery, and 10.8% in neurosurgery. Unplanned readmissions were associated with emergent status, comorbidities, and the occurrence of pre- or postdischarge postoperative complications. Overall, the most common causes for readmission were surgical site infections (23.9%), ileus/obstruction/gastrointestinal (16.8%), respiratory (8.6%), graft/implant/device-related (8.1%), neurologic (7.0%), or pain (5.8%). Median time from discharge to readmission was 8days (IQR: 3–14days). Reasons for readmission, time until readmission, and need for reoperative procedure (overall 28%, n=1414) varied between surgical specialties. Conclusion The reasons for readmission in children undergoing surgery are complex, varied, and influenced by patient characteristics and postoperative complications. These data inform risk-stratification for readmission in pediatric surgical populations, and help to identify potential areas for targeted interventions to improve quality. They also highlight the importance of accounting for case-mix in the interpretation of hospital readmission rates. Level of evidence 3.
Do Institutional Investors Really Care About 10b-5? Evidence from Investor Trading Behavior Following Morrison v. National Australia Bank Ltd. (201'7

Using an abrupt change in U.S. securities law, this paper examines the value institutional investors place on the private right of action under Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In June 201'8 a combination of a U.S. Supreme Court case and Congressional legislation ensured that U.S. institutional investors would henceforth no longer be permitted to pursue private 10b-5 actions against many of the non-U.S. issuers in their international equity portfolios. Rather, the U.S. antifraud regime that had increasingly been used by institutional investors to police foreign issuers would thereafter be limited to the domain of the Securities and Exchange Commission. With this new regime of 10b-5 enforcement, however, came one critical exception for U.S. investors seeking to maintain their power to bring private 10b-5 actions: Investors purchasing securities traded on a U.S. stock exchange could continue to bring 10b-5 actions against the issuing company regardless of its domicile. In effect, the combination of this new bright-line rule and the fact that so many non-U.S. firms trade on both foreign and U.S. exchanges provided investors with something that had historically been difficult to achieve—the power to choose whether a security comes with the right to sue under Rule 10b-5. By analyzing a proprietary data set of equity trades made by 315 institutional investors during 201'8 this paper examines whether investors exercised this new-found power by reallocating their international buy-orders from foreign markets to U.S. exchanges. Controlling for investor- and security-fixed effects, the results indicate only the slightest increase in U.S.-exchange based purchases from July through December 201'3 Moreover, even this modest increase was localized almost entirely among money managers rather than pension fund sponsors, notwithstanding sponsors’ strong public opposition to the new 10b-5 regime. Overall, the absence of any significant change in trading behavior among this significant group of investors suggests that whatever concerns animate institutional investors’ public policy positions when it comes to Rule 10b-5 are not likely to be shared by their trading desks.
Classical and Geometric Invariant Theory for Products of Classical Groups

In this chapter we will study the invariant theory of products of classical groups acting on the tensor product of their defining representation.
Plain journalism: The maintenance of a “vocabulary of kinship” in an Amish newspaper

Media may serve as avenues for the expression of common ideals and values that help individuals place themselves in a community of like-minded people. Using Benedict Anderson’s notion of a mediated...
The Role of Government in Tourism: Linking Competitiveness, Freedom, and Developing Economies

In recent years, governments of developing countries have been much more active in destination management and development than they used to be in the past. However, the challenge many governments face is to determine an appropriate level of involvement. This study investigates the role government plays in tourism competitiveness by applying a panel data analysis to the Central American region. The results reveal that government plays an important role in tourism. The data provide evidence that a new theory may emerge as it pertains to tourism and developing countries. Furthermore, such discovery only reinforces the issue of free riders tourism faces and the role of ‘shadow’ economy in the Central American region.
Glia expression of MHC during CNS infection by neurotropic coronavirus.

Interferons are responsible for signaling leading to the initiation of the anti-viral state. Stimulation through the interferon-gamma (IFNγ) receptor primarily follows the JAK/STAT pathway, but interplay between cytokine signaling and type I interferons regulates a large number of genes involved in viral immunity. Of particular interest are genes involved in the processing and presentation of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class I and II pathways. LMP2/7 proteasomal subunits replace normally expressed beta subunits. This assembled immunoproteosome preferentially cleaves peptides for Class I presentation. Also required are Transporters 1/2 (TAP1/2) that translocate peptides into the ER for assembly with Class I and s2-microglobulin. IFNγ can also induce the primary transactivator controlling Class II gene expression, CIITA. In addition to direct antiviral effects, IFNγ is crucial for antigen presentation by glial cells and engagement of Tcell effector function. The JHMV variant v2.2-1 is a neurotropic MHV that infects microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendroglia. Despite elimination of detectable infectious particles, virus persists in the CNS in the form of viral RNA. Clinical symptoms progress from limited mobility to paralysis during a time frame of 6–10 days postinfection. Primary demyelination occurs most prominently 10–21 days postinfection, but continues throughout persistence. CD8 T cells play a critical role in clearing JHMV from the CNS using perforin and IFNγ-mediated mechanisms. Perforin mediated cytolytic activity by virus specific CD8 T cells is effective in clearing virus from astrocytes and microglia, but is insufficient for clearing virus from oligodendroglia. mice exhibit a more severe disease course and a strong association of viral antigen in oligodendroglia. Infected SCID mice receiving CD8 T cells from immunized wt, perforin knock-out (PKO) or GKO mice support the strict reliance on IFNγ for viral clearance from oligodendroglia. IFNγ also induces Class II and enhances Class I surface expression on microglia, coincident with maximal T-cell infiltration during infection.
Biosensor studies of the binding of extracellular matrix components with immobilized Escherichia coli O157:H7 and inhibition by polysulfated polysaccharides

Binding interactions of immobilized E. coli O157:H7 with collagen I, fibronectin, laminin and glucoaminoglycans were studied utilizing a surface plasmon resonance biosensor. A model system was developed to evaluate the inhibition of collagen-laminin binding on the E. coli sensor surface with polysulfated polysaccharides such as heparan sulfate and carrageenans. Results showed that carrageenans inhibited 71–99% while heparan sulfate inhibited 39–41% of collagen/laminin binding to E. coli sensor surface. These studies allowed a rapid assessment of compounds for carcass treatment to inhibit or detach pathogens from meat and poultry.
Selenium Nutrition During Lactation and Early Infancy

The nutritional importance of selenium has only recently been discovered. Selenium was originally considered only to be a toxic element after it was found to cause the disabling Alkali Disease and the Blind Staggers in livestock grazing in parts of the western United States during the early 1900’s. These areas were and still are sites of selenium-accumulat ing plants. About 50 years later the beneficial aspects of selenium began to be recognized when Schwarz and Foltz (1) found that selenium prevented liver necrosis in rats.
Initiators of Multicriteria Optimization

Multicriteria optimization is what one attempts to carry out in every applied decision process. Perhaps this was most evident to the early political economists such as Edgeworth and Pareto who laid the foundations of the subject in their competitive equilibrium and welfare theories. For mathematicians, such as Cantor and Hausdorff, it was reflected in the consideration of ordered sets. For anyone who studied economics, a theory of psychological games would seem to be useful in outtrading the other participants to achieve one’s economic ends. Not surprisingly, Borel first constructed such a theory, and economics and game theory were properly united by von Neumann and Morgenstern. The subject was further developed by Koopmans within the niceties of a linear theory of the firm. It eventually gained mathematical recognition when Kuhn and Tucker provided a proper definition of a vector maximum,and mathematical acceptance with Hurwicz’s treatment of the subject in topological vector spaces.