cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Loneliness and friendlessness among adolescents in 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean

BACKGROUND Loneliness is a common health problem among the elderly but is not well understood in the adolescent population, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Adolescent loneliness can have adverse impacts on short- and long-term health status. METHODS This study examined rates of self-reported loneliness and friendlessness among 76,982 secondary school students in 25 LMICs in Latin America and the Caribbean who participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). After calculating the rates of reported loneliness and lack of close friends separately for nationally representative samples of boys and girls from each country, we used meta-analysis to pool results for prevalence rates and associations across all 25 countries and territories. RESULTS About 1 in 6 students (18.1% [95% CI: 16.4%, 20.0%]) reported being lonely most or all of the time and/or having no close friends, including 19.9% of girls and 16.2% of boys. Girls were more likely than boys to report being lonely most or all of the time (14.6% vs. 9.2%, p < .05), but boys were more likely than girls to report that they had zero close friends (8.7% vs. 7.2%, p < .05). However, the majority of students who reported being lonely did not report having no close friends, and the majority of students who reported having no close friends did not report being lonely most or all of the time. CONCLUSIONS Asking adolescents about both loneliness and friendships may capture the burden of social isolation among males and females better than a single question about loneliness. Successful interventions for reducing social isolation must be rooted in communities and integrated into comprehensive school and community health plans.
Generalized Forecast Averaging in Autoregressions with a Near Unit Root

This paper develops a new approach to forecasting a highly persistent time series that employs feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) estimation of the deterministic components in conjunction with Mallows model averaging.
Fundamental study of corrosion-preventive compounds: part III—soft films

Soft film corrosion-preventive compounds (CPC) were studied using ASTM B117 accelerated corrosion testing method and a special test specimen. The tested CPCs included a commercial product and homem...
Patients' Use of Social Media for Diabetes Self-Care: Systematic Review.

Background: Patient engagement with diabetes self-care is critical to reducing morbidity and mortality. Social media is one form of digital health that is available for diabetes self-care, although its use for peer-to-peer communication has not been systematically described, and its potential to support patient self-care is unclear. Objective: The primary aim of this systematic review was to describe the use of social media among patients (peer-to-peer) to manage diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The secondary aim was to assess patients’ clinical outcomes, behavioral outcomes, quality of life, and self-efficacy resulting from peer-to-peer social media use. Methods: We conducted a literature search in the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO (January 2008 through April 2019). The inclusion criteria were quantitative studies that included peer-to-peer use of social media for self-care of diabetes mellitus (with all subtypes) and CVD, including stroke. Results: After an initial yield of 3066 citations, we selected 91 articles for a full-text review and identified 7 papers that met our inclusion criteria. Of these, 4 studies focused on type 1 diabetes, 1 study included both type 1 and 2 diabetes, and 2 studies included multiple chronic conditions (eg, CVD, diabetes, depression, etc). Our search did not yield any individual studies on CVD alone. Among the selected papers, 2 studies used commercial platforms (Facebook and I Seek You), 3 studies used discussion forums developed specifically for each study, and 2 surveyed patients through different platforms or blogs. There was significant heterogeneity in the study designs, methodologies, and outcomes applied, but all studies showed favorable results on either primary or secondary outcomes. The quality of studies was highly variable. Conclusions: The future landscape of social media use for patient self-care is promising. However, current use is nascent. Our extensive search yielded only 7 studies, all of which included diabetes, indicating the most interest and demand for peer-to-peer interaction on diabetes self-care. Future research is needed to establish efficacy and safety in recommending social media use among peers for diabetes self-care and other conditions.
Improved ligand-binding- and signaling-competent human NK2R yields in yeast using a chimera with the rat NK2R C-terminus enable NK2R-G protein signaling platform

The tachykinin 2 receptor (NK2R) plays critical roles in gastrointestinal, respiratory and mental disorders and is a well-recognized target for therapeutic intervention. To date, therapeutics targeting NK2R have failed to meet regulatory agency approval due in large part to the limited characterization of the receptor-ligand interaction and downstream signaling. Herein, we report a protein engineering strategy to improve ligand-binding- and signaling-competent human NK2R that enables a yeast-based NK2R signaling platform by creating chimeras utilizing sequences from rat NK2R. We demonstrate that NK2R chimeras incorporating the rat NK2R C-terminus exhibited improved ligand-binding yields and downstream signaling in engineered yeast strains and mammalian cells, where observed yields were better than 4-fold over wild type. This work builds on our previous studies that suggest exchanging the C-termini of related and well-expressed family members may be a general protein engineering strategy to overcome limitations to ligand-binding and signaling-competent G protein-coupled receptor yields in yeast. We expect these efforts to result in NK2R drug candidates with better characterized signaling properties.
Spatial dynamics of feedback and feedforward regulation in cell lineages

Feedback mechanisms within cell lineages are thought to be important for maintaining tissue homeostasis. Mathematical models that assume well-mixed cell populations, together with experimental data, have suggested that negative feedback from differentiated cells on the stem cell self-renewal probability can maintain a stable equilibrium and hence homeostasis. Cell lineage dynamics, however, are characterized by spatial structure, which can lead to different properties. Here, we investigate these dynamics using spatially explicit computational models, including cell division, differentiation, death, and migration / diffusion processes. According to these models, the negative feedback loop on stem cell self-renewal fails to maintain homeostasis, both under the assumption of strong spatial restrictions and fast migration / diffusion. Although homeostasis cannot be maintained, this feedback can regulate cell density and promote the formation of spatial structures in the model. Tissue homeostasis, however, can be achieved if spatially restricted negative feedback on self-renewal is combined with an experimentally documented spatial feedforward loop in which stem cells regulate the fate of transit amplifying cells. This indicates that the dynamics of feedback regulation in tissue cell lineages are more complex than previously thought, and that combinations of spatially explicit control mechanisms are likely instrumental.
Inhibition of histone deacetylase 5 ameliorates abnormalities in 16p11.2 duplication mouse model.

Abstract Microduplication of the human 16p11.2 gene locus is associated with a range of neurodevelopmental outcomes, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mice carrying heterozygous 16p11.2 duplication (16p11.2dp/+) display social deficits, which is attributable to impaired GABAergic synaptic function in prefrontal cortex (PFC) driven by downregulation of Npas4, an activity-dependent transcription factor that regulates GABA synapse formation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the diminished transcription of Npas4 in 16p11.2 duplication remain unknown. Npas4 is one of the target genes regulated by histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5), an epigenetic enzyme repressing gene expression via removal of transcription-permissive acetyl groups from histones. Here we report that HDAC5 expression is elevated and histone acetylation is reduced at the Npas4 promoter in PFC of 16p11.2dp/+ mice. Treatment with the HDAC5 inhibitor LMK235 normalizes histone acetylation, restores GABAergic signaling in PFC, and significantly improves social preference in 16p11.2dp/+ mice. These findings suggest that HDAC5 inhibition is a promising therapeutic avenue to alleviate genetic, synaptic and behavioral deficits in 16p11.2 duplication conditions.
Jewish Identity and Civil Rights in America: First Amendment Issues

Literary critic and First Amendment scholar Stanley Fish has commented that crying “First Amendment” is the modern equivalent to crying “Wolf!” This is particularly true, he argues, in the academy, where “the First Amendment … is invoked ritually when there are no First Amendment issues in sight.” Interestingly, Fish observed that the First Amendment is misused most frequently on college campuses to defend anti-Jewish activities. Fish gave several examples. At the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, a student newspaper printed a letter arguing that Jews manipulate America and urging the president to terminate Jews from all government positions lest they “face another Holocaust.” At Santa Rosa Junior College, a student published an article arguing that anti-Semitism is the result of Jewish behavior. At Harvard, the Education Department invited, disinvited, and then reinvited poet Tom Paulin to deliver a distinguished endowed lecture. Fish notes that Paulin, as we have seen in Chapter 3, had urged that Jewish settlers be shot dead and argued that Israeli police and military forces were the equivalent of the Nazi SS. In all these examples, Fish argues, campus figures have justified their role in anti-Semitic expression by insisting that it was mandated by the First Amendment. In fact, however, as Fish points out, anti-Semites have no constitutional right to receive such invitations and publications. Those who invite such Jew hatred do so out of their own discretion and bad judgment. In the Irvine case, the administration has consistently maintained that the alleged harassment of Jewish students is protected by the First Amendment. Early on, administrators at the University of California at Irvine quoted to Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR’s) San Francisco investigators an OCR guidance letter that I had written for then-Assistant Secretary Gerald Reynolds. That letter clarified that OCR regulations “do not regulate the content of speech” and that “OCR does not require or prescribe speech, conduct or harassment codes that impair the exercise of rights protected under the First Amendment.” Nothing in my First Amendment letter, however, had suggested constitutional protections for the outrageous conduct that Susan Tuchman alleged. Oddly, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Irvine’s widely respected constitutionalist, actually has argued that the allegations at Irvine involve only speech. This is a rather remarkable (and clearly false) argument in light of the nonspeech elements alleged in that case: stone throwing, vandalism, and so on.
Carbon Dioxide Offsets from Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Waste

Anaerobic digestion allows farmers to create renewable energy and significantly reduce manure methane emissions. Methane emission reductions have the potential to be an important source of carbon dioxide offsets under cap and trade climate legislation. Estimates of the aggregate supply curve for CO2e offsets were developed based upon dairy farm data collected by the USDA/ERS Agricultural Resource and Management Survey (ARMS). The results provide insight regarding the potential for methane emission reductions and renewable energy generation on U.S. dairy farms. Offset prices in excess of $15 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent would be required to reduce methane emissions from manure storages by 50 percent from 2005 levels.
Movement variability and speed of performance using a head-operated device and expanded membrane cursor keys

The performance of computer pointing devices is traditionally measured in terms of speed and accuracy. Such measures are important when comparing input devices for specific users. Although speed and accuracy data verify that performance differences exist, researchers are frequently left to speculate as to the cause. This study explores the value of including data on movement variability in investigations comparing performance of computer input devices for persons with disabilities. Movement variability represents the degree to which recorded sample points vary from the straight-line path between a home location and a target. Analysis of movement variability data provides rehabilitation specialists with clinically valuable information beyond what can be ascertained from measures of speed and accuracy alone.
Public Opinion on Environmental Issues: Does It Influence Government Action?

It was V. O. Key Jr. who stated, "Unless mass views have some place in the shaping of policy, all the talk about democracy is nonsense" (Glynn, 1999). According to most scholars "the responsiveness of government policy to citizens' preferences is a central concern in .. .democratic theory"(Page, 1982). This opinion summarizes the motivation behind the vast amount of political science research that has been conducted in an attempt to explore the relationship between public opinion and government action. Since the late 1960s, public opinion on environmental issues has been monitored with varying degrees of attention (Dunlap 1991), and this topic has traditionally been included in those studies examining government accountability (Monroe 1998). Due to the global nature of environmental issues, public opinion and government action in this area needs active monitoring. My hypothesis is that levels of government activity on environmental issues will correlate with changing levels of public opinion support for environmental protection. This article is available in Res Publica Journal of Undergraduate Research: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol6/iss1/8 Public Opinion on Environmental Issues: Does It Influence Government Action?
A simple analysis of inert marker motion in a single compound layer for solid-phase epitaxy and for binary diffusion couples

A simple analysis of marker motion in a single compound layer is presented. The compound layer may either act as a transport layer with invariant thickness, as in the case of solid‐phase epitaxial growth of amorphous silicon through a thin‐film Pd2Si layer on crystalline silicon, or the compound layer may grow itself as in a planar binary diffusion couple. The analysis takes into account possibe volume changes during compound formation and holds for interface‐controlled as well as for diffusion‐controlled growth of the compound layer. Reanalysis of marker motion data in Ni2Si in Ni/Si thin‐film diffusion couple shows that the ratio DNi/DSi of the diffusivities of Ni (DNi) and Si (DSi) in Ni2Si at 325 °C is at least about ten times larger than that evaluated previously. Marker motion data for the growth of Cu6Sn5 at room temperature in a bimetallic Cu/Sn thin‐film diffusion couple are presented and analyzed.
Intersubjectivity and Its Role in Schizophrenic Experience

Social disturbances are common in schizophrenia and can be quite severe, significantly affecting functioning in a variety of ways. Yet the kinds of social disruptions experienced by persons with schizophrenia show a great deal of variability and are difficult to explain with available data. This article considers the variety of intersubjective disturbances that can occur in schizophrenia from a phenomenological perspective, focusing in particular on perceptual disorganization, opacity, loss of common sense, and forms of self-other confusion (petrification and totalization). To explain how these sorts of anomalous experiences might be related to other core disturbances in schizophrenia, the article draws on several prominent phenomenological theories of intersubjectivity, especially Scheler's (1954/1973) “expressive unity” and Stein's (1916/1989) and Ratcliffe's (2012) characterizations of empathy. Finally, the article suggests how these interpersonal disruptions may also play a role in paranoia, solipsism...
Herbal alternatives for menopausal symptoms

Approximately 40% of women interviewed in the National Health Interview Survey used complementary and alternative therapies of some kind in the 12 months before taking the survey.
CCL20 and IL22 Messenger RNA Expression After Adalimumab vs Methotrexate Treatment of Psoriasis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Methotrexate is a first-line systemic agent for treating of psoriasis, although its onset of effects is slower and overall it is less effective than tumor necrosis factor blockers. Objective To differentiate the response of psoriatic disease to adalimumab and methotrexate sodium. Design, Setting, and Participants Single-center, randomized, assessor-blind, 2-arm clinical trial of 30 patients from the outpatient dermatology center of Tufts Medical Center, enrolled from August 18, 2009, to October 11, 2011. Patients aged 18 to 85 years with chronic plaque-type psoriasis, a minimum Physician Global Assessment score of 3 (higher scores indicate more severe disease), and a psoriatic plaque of at least 2 cm were randomized in a 1:1 fashion to receive subcutaneous adalimumab or oral methotrexate. Skin biopsy specimens obtained at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 4, and 16 were given a histologic grade by blinded assessors to evaluate treatment response. Analyses were conducted from April 16, 2013, to January 5, 2015. Interventions A 16-week course of subcutaneous adalimumab (40 mg every 2 weeks after a loading dose) or low-dosage oral methotrexate sodium (7.5-25 mg/wk). Main Outcomes and Measures Changes in genomic, immunohistochemical, and messenger RNA (mRNA) profiles. Results Methotrexate responders experienced significant downregulation of helper T-cell–related (T H 1, T H 17, and T H 22) mRNA expression compared with methotrexate nonresponders. Comparisons among adalimumab-treated patients were limited by the number of nonresponders (n = 1). Between adalimumab and methotrexate responders, we found no significant differences in gene expression at any study point or in the expression of T-cell–related mRNA at week 16. Adalimumab responders demonstrated early downregulation of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 20 ( CCL20 ) mRNA (mean [SE] at week 2, −1.83 [0.52], P P P = .96; week 16, −2.96 [0.51], P IL22 ) mRNA showing early downregulation for adalimumab responders (week 2, −3.17 [1.00], P P P = .64; week 16, −5.14 [0.68], P CCL20 ( P = .03) and IL22 ( P = .006) mRNA comparing adalimumab and methotrexate responders. Conclusions and Relevance Methotrexate is an immunomodulator with effects on helper T-cell signaling in psoriasis. Similar genomic and immunohistochemical response signatures and levels of mRNA downregulation at study completion among adalimumab and methotrexate responders suggest a disease-driven instead of therapeutic-driven pathway regulation. Adalimumab and methotrexate responses are differentiated by patterns of normalization of CCL20 and IL22 mRNA expression and may explain the varied onset and degree of clinical responses by each treatment. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00932113
A reevaluation of submarine groundwater discharge along the southeastern coast of North America

[1] New data of fluxes of radium isotopes and concentrations of radium in coastal groundwater enable an estimation of fluxes of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to a large section of the South Atlantic Bight (SAB). The new fluxes are considerably greater than SGD fluxes to this region estimated earlier. The annual average total SGD fluxes, which represent a range of salinity, are 3 times greater than the river fluxes. The highest fluxes of radium and SGD occur in the summer off the coast of Georgia. When scaled per kilometer of shoreline, the SGD flux is the same for the coastlines of Onslow Bay, NC (140 km), a section of the South Atlantic Bight from Onslow Bay, NC, to Cresent Beach, Florida, United States (600 km), and the entire Atlantic Ocean (75,000 km). The fact that each independent estimate is based on different methods and assumptions gives confidence to the results. These SGD fluxes are not restricted to the shoreline but occur throughout the continental shelf. They are important for supplying not only radium but also nutrients, carbon, metals, and freshwater to these coastal waters. Citation: Moore, W. S. (2010), A reevaluation of submarine groundwater discharge along the southeastern coast of North America, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 24, GB4005, doi:10.1029/2009GB003747.
Making Worlds: los comunes y la práctica del encuentro

The texts explains the work dynamics of Making Worlds, a collective devoted to develop the practice of the commons in New York. Besides giving an idea of the context of emergence of the group within the first year of Occupy Wall Street, it analyzes its form of organization and the activities it carries out.
The Effects of a STEM Intervention on Elementary Students' Science Knowledge and Skills.

The purpose of the study was to assess elementary students' science process skills, content knowledge, and concept knowledge after one year of participation in an elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program. This study documented the effects of the combination of intensive professional development and the use of inquiry-based science instruction in the elementary classroom, including the benefits of using rigorous science curriculum with general education students. The results of the study revealed a statistically significant gain in science process skills, science concepts, and science-content knowledge by general education students in the experimental group when compared with students in the comparison group. Moreover, teacher participation in the STEM program had a statistically significant impact on students' variability in posttest scores. These interim student performance data support the implementation of rigorous differentiated science curriculum focused on improving science concept, content knowledge, and process skills.
Anti-AMPA receptor encephalitis The family of glutamatergic autoencephalitides further expands

Discovered shortly after anti-NMDAR encephalitis, anti–α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) encephalitis remains rare. Patients develop antibodies against AMPA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors, the major brain excitatory neurotransmitter receptors. First described in 2009 in a cohort of 10 patients with limbic encephalitis,1 only 6 patients have subsequently been described. In contrast, hundreds of patients have been reported with anti-NMDAR encephalitis.2 Anti-AMPAR encephalitis appears less prevalent, although it may be underdiagnosed because the typical clinical presentation remains unclear. In this issue of Neurology ®, a study by Hoftberger et al.3 more than doubles the number of described patients, complementing and extending the findings of the initial case series.
Assessment of a new quantitative ultrasound calcaneus measurement: precision and discrimination of hip fractures in elderly women compared with dual X-ray absorptiometry.

The incidence of osteoporotic hip fracture increases in postmenopausal women with low hip bone mineral density (BMD). Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the most commonly used technique for the assessment of bone status and provides good measurement precision. However, DXA affords little information about bone architecture. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) systems have been developed to evaluate bone status for assessment of fracture risk. Our study was designed to assess a new QUS system from Hologic, the Sahara; to compare it with a previous model, the Walker-Sonix UBA 575+; and to investigate whether it is able to discriminate between women with and without fracture. Using both ultrasound devices, the measurements were performed at the heels of 33 postmenopausal women who had recently sustained hip fracture. A control group of 35 age-matched postmenopausal women was recruited for comparison. The total, neck and trochanter femoral BMD values were assessed using DXA for both groups. QUS and DXA measurements were significantly lower in fractured patients (p 0.05). In conclusion, our study indicated that the calcaneal QUS variables, as measured by the Sahara system can discriminate hip fracture patients equally as well as hip DXA.
Raptors lack lower-field myopia

The presence of lower-field myopia (described in chickens, pigeons, quail and amphibians) allows these animals to keep the ground in focus while performing other visual tasks. A relationship has also been reported between the eye height and the degree of myopia observed. All of the animals reported in the literature to date are ground-foraging species. Using infrared neutralizing video retinoscopy and static photoretinoscopy we found a lower-field myopia to be absent in the barn owl ( Tyco alba ), Swainson's hawk ( Buteo swainsonii ), Cooper's hawk ( Accipiter cooperi ) and American kestrel ( Falco sparverius ). These findings suggest that the presence or absence of a lower-field myopia is a function of the visual ecology of the animal.
Heat Flow from Underground Electric Power Cables

The heat resistance of the soil surrounding underground cable ducts is usually large, and the path of the heat through the soil is not simple, especially when there are several adjacent ducts. This heat resistance and the path of the heat flow may be determined graphically, but except in the simpler cases, this method becomes very difficult. The heat resistance of any one of several ducts can be calculated theoretically by making assumptions of unknown magnitudes. To check these calculations by testing actual installations would be slow and expensive. Advantage may be taken of the similarity between the flow of heat and the flow of electricity to set up and test the electrical equivalent of any duct system. In this way the theoretical results can be checked readily with a minimum outlay of equipment. Results obtained by this method show the theoretical calculations to be accurate even for close spacing and also give a picture of the actual path of the heat from a group of several ducts, Thus, the heat resistance of a duct may be found quite accurately if the specific heat resistance of the soil is known.
Pharmacological treatment of Tourette syndrome

Abstract Tourette syndrome (TS) is a highly heritable yet heterogeneous childhood onset disorder. The cardinal movement disorder required for diagnosis is tics. As persons with tics or TS often have obsessive/compulsiveness, inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, and anger outbursts, the presence of tics should prompt clinicians to look for these other conditions. While randomized controlled trials provide valid evidence of efficacy for symptoms in isolation, implications for treatment of complex patients meeting criteria for multiple diagnoses is not always clear. In this review, the authors critically review factors influencing decisions whether and how to treat medically tics as well as OCD and ADHD in the presence of tics.
miR-23 regulation of lamin B1 is crucial for oligodendrocyte development and myelination.

SUMMARY Duplication of the gene encoding lamin B1 ( LMNB1) with increased mRNA and protein levels has been shown to cause severe myelin loss in the brains of adult-onset autosomal dominant leukodystrophy patients. Similar to many neurodegenerative disorders, patients with adult-onset autosomal dominant leukodystrophy are phenotypically normal until adulthood and the defect is specific to the central nervous system despite the ubiquitous expression pattern of lamin B1. We set out to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying this demyelinating phenotype. Increased lamin B1 expression results in disturbances of inner nuclear membrane proteins, chromatin organization and nuclear pore transport in vitro. It also leads to premature arrest of oligodendrocyte differentiation, which might be caused by reduced transcription of myelin genes and by mislocalization of myelin proteins. We identified the microRNA miR-23 as a negative regulator of lamin B1 that can ameliorate the consequences of excessive lamin B1 at the cellular level. Our results indicate that regulation of lamin B1 is important for myelin maintenance and that miR-23 contributes to this process, at least in part, by downregulating lamin B1, therefore establishing novel functions of lamin B1 and miR-23 in the regulation of oligodendroglia development and myelin formation in vitro.
The effects of visuals versus no visuals on learning outcomes from interactive multimedia instruction

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES an experimental investigation of the pedagogical effects of visuals versus no visuals in interactive multimedia instruction (IMI). Two versions of the IMI program “Mission Possible: Listening Skills for Better Communication” (selected as one of the five award winners in higher education in the 1993T.H.E. Journal/Sony “Innovations in Multimedia” contest) were presented to 140 students randomly assigned to two treatment groups. Results of a dummy variable regression analysis indicated no significant difference on cognitive test scores or listening test gain scores for students using IMI with visuals versus IMI with no visuals. Recommendations for refinement of theoretic perspectives toward the use of visuals in IMI are discussed and suggestions for future research on the cost-effective use of visuals in IMI based on task, learner, and visual characteristics are presented.
Pancreatic cancer: lack of association between apparent diffusion coefficient values and adverse pathological features

Aim To identify retrospectively potential associations between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and tumour grade as well as other pathological features, using histopathological assessment from the Whipple procedure as the reference standard. Materials and methods Thirty patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including diffusion-weighted imaging with b-values of 0 and 500 s/mm 2 before the Whipple procedure. Two radiologists independently recorded the ADC values of the tumour and benign pancreas for all cases. ADC values were compared with histopathological findings following the Whipple procedure. Results The intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.689 for benign pancreas and 0.695 for tumours, indicating good inter-reader agreement for ADC values. The mean ADC value was significantly lower in tumours than in benign pancreas for both readers (reader 1: 1.74 ± 0.34 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s versus 2.08 ± 0.48 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s, respectively, p = 0.006; reader 2: 1.69 ± 0.41 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s versus 2.11 ± 0.54 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s, respectively, p −3 mm 2 /s versus 1.78 ± 0.33 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s, respectively, p = 0.491; reader 2: 1.62 ± 0.33 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s versus 1.75 ± 0.49 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s, respectively, p = 0.405). The area under the curve (AUC) for differentiation of poorly and well/moderately differentiated tumours was 0.611 and 0.596 for readers 1 and 2, respectively, and was not significantly better than an AUC of 0.500 for either reader ( p ≥ 0.306). In addition, ADC was not significantly different for either reader between tumours with stage T3 versus stage T1/T2, between tumours with and without metastatic peri-pancreatic lymph nodes, or between tumours located in the pancreatic head versus other pancreatic regions ( p ≥ 0.413). Conclusion No associations between ADC values of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and tumour grade or other adverse pathological features were observed.
Grade-Induced Beliefs About Undergraduate Generalist Social Work Practice Competency

Standardized criterion-referenced achievement testing of undergraduate generalist social work knowledge based on correct answers to specific questions is compared to several norm-referenced measures of student learning, including student self-reports and the instructor-imposed cumulative grade point average (GPA). Two hypotheses are tested, namely, (a) norm-referenced measures systematically overstate content knowledge, and (b) student perception or belief about the ascribed meaning of the GPA inflates self-rated attainments. The implications of additional confirming evidence for the hypotheses are explored with a view to limiting the number of social workers with undergraduate degrees who are permitted to enter the field each year overconfident about their knowledge and practice capabilities.
The Public Faces of Sarah Winnemucca

Sarah Winnemucca (1844-1891), a Northern Paiute woman, pretended to be an American Indian Princess and promoted herself in this image. This is clearly seen in the formal studio portraits she had made. In creating this image, however, she joined herself to a stereotype that on the one hand would make her acceptable to Euro-American mentality, but on the other hand tied her to the 19th-century notion of "Indian Princess," an expression of what Rayna Green has called "the Pocahontas Perplex."' To be an effective Indian activist and a promoter of Indian self-determination (which Sarah Winnemucca attempted) in a period when women in general and Indians in particular had little input into the white male power structure was, I believe, incompatible and even in conflict with this stereotype. The image that she promoted may, in fact, have worked against her and limited her credibility. This study is based on the existent formal studio portraits of Sarah Winnemucca.2 Formal portraits make purposeful statements of how the subject wanted to be known, and can be as revealing as a personal diary. These photographs, however, must be viewed as a group. Individually they cannot tell us much about the subject or patterns in her life, just as a page in a diary gives no holistic view. For any viable study of photographs there must be a critical number that allows us to form a hypothesis and interpretation. That finite number, however, will vary with the subject. In this article I will examine these photographs "as artifacts of culture and the social process surrounding photography as an 'ethnographic' situation revealing of culture" (Ruby 1981:23). These portraits are thus not unrelated, but form a body of visual documents whose study reveals distinctive cultural and social patterns. In general, scholars fail to take photographs seriously and do not use them as primary documents. They are considered too subjective, and difficult to extract reliable facts from. The written word alone carries the validity. I believe that if we approach the visual material critically and with proper historical method we
Pain in multiple sclerosis: an overview of its nature and management.

Abstract:Pain is experienced by approximately two-thirds of all people with multiple sclerosis (MS) at some time during the course of their disease. Pain in MS occurs as a consequence of both the disease and the disability that it produces. Pain in MS is receiving more attention as clinical trials i
Estimation and Testing of Gene Expression Heterosis

Heterosis, also known as the hybrid vigor, occurs when the mean phenotype of hybrid offspring is superior to that of its two inbred parents. The heterosis phenomenon is extensively utilized in agriculture though the molecular basis is still unknown. In an effort to understand phenotypic heterosis at the molecular level, researchers have begun to compare expression levels of thousands of genes between parental inbred lines and their hybrid offspring to search for evidence of gene expression heterosis. Standard statistical approaches for separately analyzing expression data for each gene can produce biased and highly variable estimates and unreliable tests of heterosis. To address these shortcomings, we develop a hierarchical model to borrow information across genes. Using our modeling framework, we derive empirical Bayes estimators and an inference strategy to identify gene expression heterosis. Simulation results show that our proposed method outperforms the more traditional strategy used to detect gene expression heterosis. This article has supplementary material online.
An eigenfunction analysis of axisymmetric jet flow

Abstract The snapshot method is used to analyze a large eddy simulation of axisymmetric jet flow. An ensemble of realizations is collected using a sampling condition that corresponds to the passage of a large scale vortex at a position six diameters downstream from the nozzle. The analysis is performed separately on a variable composed of the primitive flow quantities and the mass fraction of the material originally emerging from the jet nozzle. The fraction of the energy contained by the first ten eigenfunctions in each case is 94% and 80%. A 10-term expansion captures the large scale features of an arbitrary flow.
Wedge-diffraction functions and their use in quasioptics

Asymptotic and other formulas are derived ab initio for the field diffracted by a perfectly conducting wedge when illuminated by a line source. In the transition zone between lit and shadowed regions, the field is decomposed into image and diffraction terms which enable the formulas to be used throughout the region for self-consistent field analyses. The wedge-diffraction functions are finding a growing application in the investigation of electromagnetic problems in which the dimensions are too large for waveguide-mode analysis, but too small for geometric optics to apply. Various formulas are scattered throughout the literature. In this paper, they are derived from first principles and presented in a form in which the areas of use are indicated, and the important transition zone near a shadow boundary is explained in some detail.
On the Probable Influence of Islam on Western Public and International Law

On the occasion of the fifteenth century of the hijra , many scholarly publications will deal with various aspects of Islamic history, among which is the contribution of the Arabo-Muslim culture to Western civilisation. Philosophical and scientific contributions have already been discussed many times. The legacy of Islam in the field of international law has, however, not yet been studied at length.
High-field continuous arterial spin labeling with long labeling duration: reduced confounds from blood transit time and postlabeling delay.

In quantitative perfusion imaging using arterial spin labeling (ASL), variable blood transit times and post-labeling delays are two confounding factors that may compromise the accuracy of perfusion quantifications. In the present study, theoretical analyses and experimental data at 9.4 T demonstrate that increasing labeling duration not only enhances the contrast of the ASL signal, it could also minimize the effect of variable post-labeling delays in multi-slice ASL acquisitions. With a labeling duration of 6.4 s, ASL signal acquired in multi-slice mode (11 slices) is very similar to that acquired in single slice mode. Previous studies have shown that inserting a delay between the spin labeling pulse and the image acquisition pulse could reduce confounds resulting from variable blood transit times at the expense of ASL sensitivity. Our simulations suggest that enhancing the contrast of ASL signal offers the opportunity for extending the post-labeling delay to a longer duration, minimizing systematic errors associated with a wide range of blood transit times, which could have significant implications for applying ASL techniques to perfusion imaging of pathological conditions in animal models.
Strongly consistent game forms

This paper characterizes strongly consistent game forms in terms of power structure and cardinality (i.e. the number of persons, alternatives or strategies). There are three main new results in this paper. First, I give a necessary condition for a game form to be strongly consistent; it is also sufficient in several cases. Second, from the view point of informational requirements and based on the first result, I give a sharp lower bound on the cardinality of each agent's strategy space, for a game form to be strongly consistent and individually rational. Third, I show that the unanimous rule is the unique game form that attains this lower bound for strong implementation of the individually rational Pareto correspondence.
Ab initio assisted process modeling for Si-based nanoelectronic devices

In this paper, we discuss concepts and examples of ab initio calculations assisting physics-based process simulation. We focus on how to determine diffusion and reaction constants, where modern methods such as the nudged elastic band method allow a systematic and reliable search for the minimum energy migration path and barrier. We show that once the saddle point is determined, the underlying harmonic transition state theory also allows to calculate the prefactors. The discussed examples include nitrogen diffusion, boron deactivation and boron interface segregation. Finally, some concepts are discussed for future device technologies such as molecular devices, where the currently prevalent multiscale approach (kinetic parameters used in higher level models like diffusion-reaction or kinetic Monte Carlo modeling) would not be sensible anymore. As an example, we described the ab initio temperature-accelerated dynamics modeling of contact formation in carbon nanotube devices.
Do What They Say, Not What I Teach: A Strategic Look at the Information Systems Skills Gap

There has been a great deal of research conducted to examine the alleged gap between the knowledge and skills taught to students regarding the tools used to design and implement information systems and those tools actually required in industry. However, not as much effort has been put into determining the actual use of those tools. This research examines what tools and procedures are actually being utilized in the creation of information systems in industry. Utilizing semi-structured interviews, a much different view of systems design procedures emerges than what students are led to believe are actually used. The prevalence of "home-grown" processes, or sometimes no definable processes at all, can have a serious impact on employee productivity and, ultimately, a system's ability to fulfill its strategic objectives.
Biospecific Binding of Carbonic Anhydrase to Mixed SAMs Presenting Benzenesulfonamide Ligands: A Model System for Studying Lateral Steric Effects

This work describes the binding of carbonic anhydrase (CA) to mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) presenting benzenesulfonamide ligands at a surface consisting primarily of tri(ethylene glycol) [(EG)3OH] groups. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) quantified the binding of CA to the benzenesulfonamide groups. Two factors influenced the binding of CA: (a) the density of benzenesulfonamide groups at the surface, and (b) the coverage of the surface with molecules of CA adsorbed to these benzenesulfonamide groups. At low mole-fractions of benzenesulfonamide groups in the mixed SAM where the binding of CA is highly (>90%) reversible, we observe: (a) an approximately 10-fold decrease in the observed bimolecular rate constant for association, kon,obs, during the binding of CA (as the fraction of the surface covered by adsorbed CA increases from ∼0.15 to ∼0.35, the value of kon,obs decreases from ∼40 × 103 M-1 s-1 to ∼4 × 103 M-1 s-1); (b) almost no corresponding changes in the observed unimolecular rate constan...
The Economics of Ritual at Late Old Babylonian Kish

A small archive of economic documents from the city of Kish in the late Old Babylonian period records amounts of money owed to the “supervisor of kezertu women” from the kezertu account. The employment of kezertu women in ritual performance is investigated as well as the managerial activities of the “supervisor of kezertu women.” The historical reasons for the migration of the cult of Istar of Uruk to Kish and the economics of ritual performance are considered.
Prevalence of Early Onset Colorectal Cancer in 397 Patients With Classic Li–Fraumeni Syndrome

Background & Aims: Hereditary colorectal cancer is associated most commonly with the hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer or familial adenomatous polyposis syndromes. We investigated the prevalence of early onset colorectal cancer and the frequency of p53 germline mutations in 64 families from a Li–Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) registry. Methods: Patients with documented colorectal cancer and a diagnosis at or before age 50 were included. P53 analyses were performed through germline mutational analyses using standard molecular techniques. Results: Among the 397 patients and 64 families in the classic LFS registry, a total of 11 patients (2.8%) from 10 different families (15.6%) met criteria for classic LFS and had documented colorectal cancer at less than 50 years of age. The mean age at diagnosis in this group was 33 years and of these patients 4 developed colorectal cancer before age 21 (ages, 9, 11, 15, and 20 y). All families that were tested for p53 mutations (8 of 10) had evidence of germline mutations by sequence analysis; therefore, 12.5% of the total number of families in the registry had colorectal cancer at age less than 50 years and a documented germline p53 mutation. Mutations primarily were missense or nonsense and were located between exons 4–10. Conclusions: LFS patients with germline p53 mutations may have an increased susceptibility to colorectal cancer and present up to several decades earlier than the general population. LFS should be considered when a young patient presents with colorectal cancer.