cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low Yield of Extensive Workup for Embolic Sources in Lacunar Stroke Patients.

Objective We aimed to evaluate the yield of extensive etiologic workup in lacunar stroke patients. Background As lacunar strokes are infrequently caused by thromboembolism, the clinical relevance of extensive workup for thromboembolic sources is questioned. Methods Among consecutive stroke admissions to a single center over 3 years, the 100 cases initially classified as lacunar stroke and a sample of 100 cases classified as non-lacunar ischemic strokes were studied. Review of brain imaging resulted in reclassification of 24 cases, and exclusion of 3 cases, producing a final cohort of 86 confirmed lacunar strokes and 111 confirmed non-lacunar strokes. In each of these cases, results of echocardiographic and vascular imaging studies were evaluated. Results Echocardiography was performed in 93% of both the lacunar stroke cases and non-lacunar stroke cases. High-risk cardiac embolic sources were found less often in lacunar than in non-lacunar stroke cases (19% versus 34%). Findings potentially requiring anticoagulant therapy were found exclusively in the non-lacunar stroke patients. Vascular imaging studies (computed tomography angiography or magnetic resonance angiography) were also performed in similar proportions of lacunar and non-lacunar stroke cases (85% versus 84%). Cerebrovascular occlusions or high-grade stenoses were frequent (62%) in non-lacunar stroke patients but less frequent (25%) in lacunar stroke patients. In the non-lacunar stroke patients, identified vascular lesions were very frequently in a vessel anatomically related to the infarction, but in lacunar stroke patients, this occurred in only 6 cases. Conclusions Echocardiography and vascular imaging studies rarely disclose findings of etiologic relevance, or of likelihood to change management, in patients with lacunar strokes.
The role of nicotinic receptor genes (CHRN) in the pathways of prenatal tobacco exposure on smoking behavior among young adult light smokers

Abstract Background Prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) is associated with more frequent smoking among young, light smokers. Little is known about how nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (CHRN) genes may contribute to this relationship. Methods Data were drawn from a longitudinal cohort of young light smokers of European ancestry (N = 511). Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among offspring, rs16969968 and rs6495308 in CHRNA5A3B4 and rs2304297 in CHRNB3A6, were analyzed with respect to whether they 1) predict PTE status; 2) confound the previously-reported effects of PTE on future smoking; 3) have effects on youth smoking frequency that are mediated through PTE; and 4) have effects that are moderated by PTE. Results rs2304297 and rs6495308 were associated with increased likelihood and severity of PTE, respectively. In a path analysis, rs16969968 directly predicted more frequent smoking in young adulthood (B = 1.50, p = .044); this association was independent of, and not mediated by, PTE. The risk of rs16969968 (IRR = 1.07, p = .015) and the protective effect of rs2304297 (IRR = 0.84, p Conclusions The association between offspring CHRNB3A6 and PTE is a novel finding. The risk of rs16969968 on youth smoking is independent and unrelated to that of PTE among young, light smokers. PTE moderates the protective effect of rs6495308 on youth smoking frequency. However, PTE's pathway to youth smoking behavior was not explained by these genetic factors, leaving its mechanism(s) of action unclear.
A STUDY OF V REGION GENES USING ALLOTYPIC AND IDIOTYPIC MARKERS

ABSTRACT Allotypic and idiotypic markers of homogeneous rabbit antibodies to streptococcal carbohydrates have been employed to study genes controlling biosynthesis of antibody variable regions. Hapten prepared from Group C streptococcal carbohydrate inhibited binding of the antibodies to idiotypic antisera but not to group a allotypic antisera. The inheritance of idiotypic markers was supported by studies with partially inbred rabbits. Linkage between idiotype and group a allotype was observed in this study. Examination of the idiotypic determinants of homogeneous antibodies suggested that genes encoding antibody binding sites may be distinct from those encoding group a allotypes and other V region determinants. Antibodies with identical or crossreactive idiotypes but differing in other V region markers including group a allotype and VL region structure have been observed.
Vitamin B6 transport and metabolism: Clues for delivery of bioactive compounds

The transport of vitamin B6 into mammalian cells is facilitated and exhibits relative specificity that permits the 4′ linkage of diverse amines. The latter thereby gain enhanced transport into cells followed by metabolic release.
Enriched Stratified Systems for the Foundations of Category Theory

This is the fourth in a series of intermittent papers on the foundations of category theory stretching back over more than 35 years. The first three were “Set-theoretical foundations of category theory” (1969), “Categorical foundations and foundations of category theory” (1977), and much more recently, “Typical ambiguity: Trying to have your cake and eat it too” (2004). The present paper summarizes the results from a long (in two senses) unpublished manuscript,“Some formal systems for the unlimited theory of structures and categories” (1974), referred to below simply as “Unlimited”. That MS can be found in full on my home page at http://math.stanford.edu/ feferman/papers/Unlimited.pdf; the lengthy proof of its main consistency result is omitted here but the methods involved are outlined briefly in the Appendix below.
Diseases of Dairy Animals | Non-Infectious Diseases: Milk Fever

In dairy cows, hypocalcemia causes progressive neuromuscular dysfunction with flaccid paralysis, circulatory collapse, and depression of consciousness. Hypocalcemia in goats causes varying combinations of tetany and flaccid paralysis. Although clinical cases of milk fever generally respond well to treatment, the costs of this disease are very high owing to clinical complications and milk production losses. The clinical signs of milk fever are not difficult to recognize, and the diagnosis is most often based on response to calcium therapy. The pathogenesis of milk fever is complex and involves several interdependent pathways that control calcium homeostasis. Several strategies for preventing milk fever have been proposed; these include dietary calcium restriction, dietary acidification, dietary supplementation with zeolite A, dietary magnesium and sulfur supplementation, vitamin D treatment, and prophylactic calcium administration.
The Parameters of Structure

We shall express structure in terms of three kinds of parameters: 1. Dimensionality 2. Valency 3. Extent
Perturbing Anticipation: Jazz, Effective-History, Dialogue, and the Nonrepresentational Movement of Hermeneutic Understanding

Process ontologies focus on the constitutive activity of becoming-other and describe the movement of hermeneutic understanding as it performs its mode of being anew. Inherent to this process is the...
Establishing Credibility for Medical Marijuana: The Proposed Prometheus Dispensary Registry for Botanical Cannabis

A previous commentary in INNOVATIONS in Pharmacy argued that, given the lack of evidence for outcomes in medical marijuana, outside of a handful of randomized clinical trials and even fewer observational studies, good clinical practice points to the need for monitoring patients who received cannabis through certified medical marijuana dispensaries. The commentary noted the lack of standards for monitoring cannabis patients and the lack of feedback from the dispensary to providers. Botanical cannabis administration was occurring in, effectively, an evidence vacuum. More to the point, dispensary owners and investors seem uninterested in establishing a robust evidence base for cannabis outcomes. Given the range of conditions and symptoms presented by patients, to include the prevalence of multiple symptoms together with the range of potential cannabis formulations, dosing regimens and delivery options, a failure to monitor patients over the course of their exposure to cannabis in not acceptable. The purpose of this commentary is to report on a proposed on-line registry structure proposed by Prometheus Research for medical marijuana dispensaries in the US. The registry tracks and reports on patients over the course of treatment with botanical cannabis with the focus on severe or chronic non-cancer pain, severe nausea, persistent muscle spasms and seizures, together with prevalent comorbidities – fatigue, anxiety, depression and sleep. This is the first time a registry has been developed for dispensaries in the United States as a model for a robust evidence base to support botanical cannabis as a therapy option. Article Type: Commentary
Factors Influencing Exercise Engagement When Using Activity Trackers: Nonrandomized Pilot Study

: It is well reported that tracking physical activity can lead to sustained exercise routines, which can decrease disease risk. However, most stop using trackers within a couple months of initial use. The reasons people stop using activity trackers can be varied and personal. Understanding the reasons for discontinued use could lead to greater acceptance of tracking and more regular exercise engagement. : The aim of this study was to determine the individualistic reasons for nonengagement with activity trackers. : Overweight and obese participants (n=30) were enrolled and allowed to choose an activity tracker of their choice to use for 9 weeks. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning and end of the study to collect data on their technology use, as well as social, physiological, and psychological attributes that may influence tracker use. Closeout interviews were also conducted to further identify individual influencers and attributes. In addition, daily steps were collected from the activity tracker. : The results of the study indicate that participants typically valued the knowledge of their activity level the activity tracker provided, but it was not a sufficient motivator to overcome personal barriers to maintain or increase exercise engagement. Participants identified as extrinsically motivated were more influenced by wearing an activity tracker than those who were intrinsically motivated. During the study, participants who reported either owning multiple technology devices or knowing someone who used multiple devices were more likely to remain engaged with their activity tracker. : This study lays the foundation for developing a smart app that could promote individual engagement with activity trackers.
Breast Screening Utilization and Cost Sharing Among Employed Insured Women After the Affordable Care Act.

Abstract Objective To assess changes in screening mammography cost sharing and utilization before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the revised US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines. To compare mammography cost sharing between women aged 40 to 49 and those 50 to 74. Methods We used patient-level analytic files between 2004 and 2014 from Clinformatics Data Mart (OptumInsight, Eden Prairie, Minnesota). We included women 40 to 74 years without a history of breast cancer or mastectomy. We conducted an interrupted time series analyses assessing cost sharing and utilization trends before and after the ACA implementation and USPSTF revised guidelines. Results We identified 1,763,959 commercially insured women aged 40 to 74 years. Between 2004 and 2014, the proportion of women with zero cost share for screening mammography increased from 81.9% in 2004 to 98.2% in 2014, reaching 93.1% with the 2010 ACA implementation. The adjusted median cost share remained $0 over time. Initially at 36.0% in 2004, screening utilization peaked at 42.2% in 2009 with the USPSTF guidelines change, dropping to 40.0% in 2014. Comparing women aged 40 to 49, 50 to 64, and 65 to 74, the proportion exposed to cost sharing declined over time in all groups. Conclusions A substantial majority of commercially insured women had first-dollar coverage for mammography before the ACA. After ACA, nearly all women had access to zero cost-share mammography. The lack of an increase in mammography use post-ACA can be partially attributed to a USPSTF guideline change, the high proportion of women without cost sharing before the ACA, and the relatively low levels of cost sharing before the policy implementation.
The role of male coloration and ornamentation in potential alternative mating strategies of the dimorphic jumping spider, Maevia inclemens

Polymorphism can arise across taxa due to various selection pressures and potentially lead to alternative mating or antipredator strategies. For male jumping spiders, sexual selection and predation risk are often intertwined when courting cannibalistic females and may be a driving factor in the polymorphism of the jumping spider, Maevia inclemens. The dimorphic males of M. inclemens differ dramatically in their complex courtship behavior and display traits that may function as alternative mating strategies to reduce female aggression and maximize mating success. We hypothesized that males of the “tufted” morph honestly communicate condition or body size to females with three conspicuous tufts of setae on their head and males of the “striped” morph reduce female aggression with coloration commonly found in aposematic animals (here, yellow-orange pedipalps and striped legs). We examined correlations between tuft length and symmetry and metrics of body size and condition in field-collected spiders and conducted prey color choice tests (with live color-manipulated prey) to determine if yellow-orange and striped prey are avoided. Tuft length was variable and correlated with male size (but not condition). All prey color types were attacked at equal rates, but spiders oriented to striped prey more often, suggesting that male stripes may attract female attention without increasing predation. This study provides insight into the potential functions of the different courtship and visual displays of M. inclemens males. Using jumping spiders to study polymorphism can provide new insight into how multiple morphs can evolve, as males use mating strategies not only to impress females but also avoid getting eaten by their potential mates. Understanding the selection pressures that shape and maintain polymorphisms in natural populations is an active area of inquiry, yet most of what we know comes from a small handful of well-studied vertebrate taxa. The unique biology of jumping spiders and the fact that males have to avoid cannibalism during courtship, makes them well-suited to provide novel insights into the functions and maintenance of dimorphic male traits. The unusual male dimorphism of M. inclemens captured the attention of naturalists as early as the 1800s, yet we still do not understand why the two male morphs differ so dramatically in morphology and courtship behavior. Here, we propose and test a novel hypothesis that provides insight into the long-studied but still largely unexplained phenomenon of male dimorphism in this species.
Updating the Basic Reading List in Psychiatry: The Decade 1970–1980

Many psychiatric education programs distribute reading lists to students and residents but these lists rapidly become out of date. The authors polled experts in 20 psychiatric specialty areas, asking for up to ten recent publications of lasting value. Nearly 1300 citations were received from over 200 respondents. The authors discuss the Jack of consensus by experts in areas such as neurobiology and psychopharrnacoiogy as well as the much higher proportion of books (versus articles) cited by experts from psychosocial compared to biological specialty areas.
Surrounding landscape and spatial arrangement of honey bee hives affect pollen foraging and yield in cranberry

Abstract Honey bees are the most important managed pollinator in the world. Recent trends suggest, however, that the demand for their pollination services is growing faster than the available supply. Therefore, it is critical to determine the most efficient management practices to maximize their use for crop production. One factor known to influence the efficiency of crop pollination is the availability of alternative, non-crop floral resources. These resources can vary as a function of the landscape surrounding a farm as well as local management practices within a farm. However, little is known about how the foraging behavior of honey bees on the target crop responds to the spatial arrangement of hives or the composition of the surrounding landscape. In this study, we collected pollen from pollen traps on honey bee hives placed on commercial cranberry marshes in central Wisconsin (USA). Individual marshes were selected to fall across a gradient of surrounding landscape from high- to low-woodland. Within each marsh, hives were placed either adjacent to wooded habitat, adjacent to a water reservoir, or in the center of the marsh. Honey bees from hives near water reservoirs collected a lower proportion of cranberry pollen than honey bees near the wooded area or at the center of the marsh. However, honey bees collected the same number of cranberry pollen grains and total pollen biomass irrespective of hive location or the surrounding landscape. Honey bees from hives located near water reservoirs, relative to the other two hive locations, tended to collect more pollen from fewer plants (low evenness). Cranberry yield did not vary as a function of the proportion of cranberry pollen collected or total number of cranberry pollen grains collected, but yield was higher at marshes located in low-woodland landscapes relative to those in high-woodland landscapes. We conclude that the location of hives on a cranberry marsh in relation to non-crop habitat does not affect yield allowing growers to place hives where it is convenient, although placing hives near water reservoirs should provide bees with a more diverse pollen diet.
Survival After Norwood Procedure in High-Risk Patients.

Background Multiple single-ventricle populations are noted to be at increased risk for mortality after the Norwood procedure. Preoperative risk factors include low birth weight, restrictive/intact atrial septum, obstructed pulmonary veins, ventricular dysfunction, and atrioventricular valve regurgitation. We report outcomes of the Norwood procedure in standard- and high-risk patients in the recent era. Methods All patients born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome between 2006 and 2016 who underwent a Norwood procedure at our institution were included. Patient data were retrospectively reviewed, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate survival between groups. Results The cohort included 177 patients. Fifty patients were determined high-risk preoperatively: low birth weight (n = 18), ventricular dysfunction/atrioventricular valve regurgitation (n = 13), intact or restrictive atrial septum/obstructed anomalous pulmonary venous return (n = 14), and multiple factors (n = 5). There were 2 (1.6%) deaths before Glenn in the standard-risk group, with a total of 10 (20%) from the high-risk groups (P Conclusions Outcomes after the Norwood procedure have improved for standard-risk patients. Those with preoperative risk factors account for most of the early deaths after the Norwood procedure. This high-risk status does not resolve after Glenn, because longer-term survival continues to diverge from the standard-risk group.
Surface chemistry dictates stability and oxidation state of supported single metal catalyst atoms

Single atom catalysts receive considerable attention due to reducing noble metal utilization and potentially eliminating certain side reactions. Yet, the rational design of highly reactive and stable single atom catalysts is hampered by the current lack of fundamental insights at the single atom limit. Here, density functional theory calculations are performed for a prototype reaction, namely CO oxidation, over different single metal atoms supported on alumina. The governing reaction mechanisms and scaling relations are identified using microkinetic modeling and principal component analysis, respectively. A large change in the oxophilicity of the supported single metal atom leads to changes in the rate-determining step and the catalyst resting state. Multi-response surfaces are introduced and built cheaply using a descriptor-based, closed form kinetic model to describe simultaneously the activity, stability, and oxidation state of single metal atom catalysts. A double peaked volcano in activity is observed due to competing rate-determining steps and catalytic cycles. Reaction orders of reactants provide excellent kinetic signatures of the catalyst state. Importantly, the surface chemistry determines the stability, oxidation, and resting state of the catalyst.
Get out the vote – or else: the impact of fear of election violence on voters

Previous research has found little systematic evidence that election violence has any uniform effect on voter turnout. Nonetheless, its continued strategic use, especially by incumbent governments,...
Enrollment of Older Patients, Women, and Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups in Contemporary Acute Coronary Syndrome Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review

Importance Although age, sex, and race/ethnicity are important factors when generalizing the findings of clinical trials to routine practice, trends in the representation of these groups in contemporary acute coronary syndrome (ACS) trials are not well defined. Objective To characterize the representation of older patients, women, and racial/ ethnic minorities in ACS randomized trials. Evidence Review A systemic search was conducted of ACS trials published in 8 major medical journals between January 2001 and December 2018. Overall, 1 067 520 patients from 460 trials were included. Findings were compared with epidemiologic studies of patients with ACS. Findings The median number of participants per trial was 711 (interquartile range, 324-2163) and the median number of sites per trial was 21 (interquartile range, 5-73). Overall, 207 trials (45.0%) studied drug therapy, and 210 (45.7%) evaluated procedural interventions. The mean (SD) age of trial participants was 62.9 (10.7) years and increased from 62.3 (11.2) years in 2001-2006 to 64.0 (10.4) years in 2013-2018 (P = .01). The corresponding mean (SD) age was 66.4 (14.8) years in US epidemiologic studies and 70.0 (13.5) years in European epidemiologic studies. The overall proportion of women enrolled was 26.8% and decreased over time, from 27.8% in 2001-2006 to 24.9% in 2013-2018 (P = .21 for trend). The corresponding weighted proportions of women were 38.0% in US epidemiologic studies and 32.0% in European studies. The distribution of racial/ethnic groups was reported in only 99 trials (21.5%). In trials with reported data, 15.0% of the trial participants were nonwhite, which increased from 12.0% in 2001-2006 to 14.0% in 2013-2018. Black patients represented 3.7% of all patients during the entire study time frame, Asian patients represented 9.6%, and Hispanic patients represented 7.8%. Trends in the representation of black patients remained unchanged from 2001-2006 (5.2%) to 2013-2018 (4.9%), while the enrollment of Asian and Hispanic patients increased from 2001-2006 to 2013-2018 (from 1.9% to 10.8% for Asian patients and from 5.4% to 14.5% for Hispanic patients). Conclusions and Relevance Older patients and women are underrepresented in contemporary ACS trials compared with epidemiologic studies. Over time, there has been modest improvement in the representation of older patients but not women patients. More than three-quarters of trials did not report race/ethnicity data, with available data suggesting a modest increase in the enrollment of nonwhite patients owing to the enrollment of Asian and Hispanic patients. Enrollment of black patients remained low over time.
Adolescent Sexual Health Interventions: Innovation, Efficacy, Cost, and the Urgent Need to Scale

* Abbreviations: FTT — : Families Talking Together HCP — : health care provider African American and Latinx adolescents in the United States are at high risk for experiencing poor sexual health outcomes. Compared with their white peers, African American and Latina girls are nearly twice as likely to give birth before age 20.1 Rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are also higher for racial and/or ethnic minority adolescents.2 The persistence of these sexual health disparities, despite decades of intervention efforts, necessitates prevention approaches that are innovative, efficacious, cost-effective, and scalable. In this issue of Pediatrics , Guilamo-Ramos et al3 provide rigorous evidence for a highly promising intervention, a triadic version of Families Talking Together (FTT). The triadic FTT intervention is innovative in that it involves African American and Latinx youth in early adolescence, their female caregivers, and their health care providers (HCPs). Of more than two dozen sexual health interventions for African American and/or Latinx adolescents that have been evaluated in randomized clinical trials,4,5 FTT is the first of which we are aware that incorporates adolescents, parents, and HCPs in a single program. Incorporating both parents and HCPs into intervention efforts is wise for several reasons: HCPs can lend additional credibility to intervention … Address correspondence to Laura Widman, PhD, Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, 640 Poe Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695. E-mail: lmwidman{at}ncsu.edu
Adaptive evolution in DNMT2 supports its role in the dipteran immune response

Abstract Eukaryotic nucleic acid methyltransferase (MTase) proteins are essential mediators of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulation. DNMT2 belongs to a large, conserved family of DNA MTases found in many organisms, including holometabolous insects like fruit flies and mosquitoes, where it is the lone MTase. Interestingly, despite its nomenclature, DNMT2 is not a DNA MTase, but instead targets and methylates RNA species. A growing body of literature suggest DNMT2 mediates the host immune response against a wide range of pathogens, including RNA viruses. Evidence of adaptive evolution, in the form of positive selection, can often be found in genes that are engaged in conflict with pathogens like viruses. Here we identify and describe evidence of positive selection that has occurred at different times over the course of DNMT2 evolution within dipteran insects. We identify specific codons within each ortholog that are under positive selection, and find they are restricted to four distinct domains of the protein and likely influence substrate binding, target recognition, and adaptation of unique intermolecular interactions. Additionally, we describe the role of the Drosophila-specific host protein IPOD, in regulating the expression and/or function of fruit fly DNMT2. Finally, heterologous expression of these orthologs suggest that DNMT2’s role as an antiviral is host dependent, indicating a requirement for additional host-specific factors. Collectively, our findings highlight the adaptive evolution of DNMT2 in Dipteran insects, underscoring its role as an important, albeit non-canonical, regulator of host-pathogen interactions in mosquitoes and fruit flies.
Stealing scientific secrets: American cold war efforts to use scientists as spies

In the wake of World War II, scientific advancements seemed integral to national security. They also spelled the potential demise of national security if an adversarial country achieved those cruci...
State Landlord–Tenant Policy and Eviction Rates in Majority-Minority Neighborhoods

This article assesses (a) the extent to which state landlord–tenant legislation may influence local evictions and (b) whether those laws may influence eviction-related outcomes within communities o...
Securing an InfiniBand Network and its Effect on Performance

The InfiniBand network architecture, which delivers very high bandwidth and low latency, is one of the leading interconnects used in high performance computing. As its popularity increases, applications of InfiniBand in the critical infrastructure are growing, which creates the potential of new security risks.
Michigan Local Government Leaders’ Views on Medical and Recreational Marijuana

This report presents information from Michigan’s local government officials regarding the status of medical marijuana facilities in their jurisdictions as of spring 2018, as well as officials’ opinions on the impacts of medical marijuana on local communities. In addition, the report looks at local officials’ support for or opposition to legalizing recreational marijuana. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2018 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS).
The Committee of Safety in Northumberland County During the American Revolution

Whenever a nation declares war, one of the first precautions taken is the organization of a system of civilian defense that will give warning and protection against raids, attacks, and all the other dangers that come with war. A few months after the battles of Lexington and Concord the provincial assembly of Pennsylvania provided for a Committee of Safety, which had as its responsibility the protection of the frontier against groups of Indians engaged by the British to molest the forts and outlying settlements. On June 30, 1775, the provincial assembly appointed twenty-five men, who met on July 3, with Benjamin Franklin as president.1 The United States has felt the need of a similar provision during the present war. The German air raids over Britain and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor indicated that an effective means of defense for the protection of the civilian popu lation was necessary. The main difference between the Committee of Safety and the present civilian-defense system lies in the fact that the former intervened time and again to minimize attacks which would have otherwise been disastrous, while the latter, fortunately, has had only to carry out test raids and black-outs. Otherwise there are striking parallels between the two organiza tions. Basically the same set-up was used for both. The present civilian-defense system is nation wide, but the popu lation is directly affected by the state and local divisions. In a country the size of the United States air raids naturally would affect only certain objectives rather than the whole nation, and
Identification And Mechanism Of Action Of A Novel Small Molecule Inhibitor Of Arenavirus Multiplication

UNLABELLED Several arenaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever disease in humans and represent important public health problems in the regions where these viruses are endemic. In addition, evidence indicates that the worldwide-distributed prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is an important neglected human pathogen. There are no licensed arenavirus vaccines and current antiarenavirus therapy is limited to the use of ribavirin that is only partially effective. Therefore, there is an unmet need for novel antiarenaviral therapeutics. Here, we report the generation of a novel recombinant LCM virus and its use to develop a cell-based high-throughput screen to rapidly identify inhibitors of LCMV multiplication. We used this novel assay to screen a library of 30,400 small molecules and identified compound F3406 (chemical name: N-[3,5-bis(fluoranyl)phenyl]-2-[5,7-bis(oxidanylidene)-6-propyl-2-pyrrolidin-1-yl-[1,3]thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-4-yl]ethanamide), which exhibited strong anti-LCMV activity in the absence of cell toxicity. Mechanism-of-action studies revealed that F3406 inhibited LCMV cell entry by specifically interfering with the pH-dependent fusion in the endosome compartment that is mediated by LCMV glycoprotein GP2 and required to release the virus ribonucleoprotein into the cell cytoplasm to initiate transcription and replication of the virus genome. We identified residue M437 within the transmembrane domain of GP2 as critical for virus susceptibility to F3406. IMPORTANCE Hemorrhagic fever arenaviruses (HFA) are important human pathogens that cause high morbidity and mortality in areas where these viruses are endemic. In addition, evidence indicates that the worldwide-distributed prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a neglected human pathogen of clinical significance. Concerns posed by arenavirus infections are aggravated by the lack of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-licensed arenavirus vaccines and current antiarenaviral therapy being limited to the off-label use of ribavirin that is only partially effective. Here we describe a novel recombinant LCMV and its use to develop a cell-based assay suitable for HTS to rapidly identify inhibitors arenavirus multiplication. The concepts and experimental strategies we describe in this work provide the bases for the rapid identification and characterization of novel anti-HFA therapeutics.
Self-Targeting Accuracy in the Presence of Imperfect Factor Markets: Evidence from Food-for-Work in Ethiopia

Effective targeting of transfers is a key issue in public policy to combat poverty. Much faith is presently placed in self-targeting mechanisms such as public employment schemes supported by food-for-work transfers. Where targeting errors have been observed, these are usually attributed to mismanagement of key operational details, such as the project's wage rate. Using a unique data set from rural Ethiopia, we demonstrate that targeting errors may also have structural causes in some low-income countries. We hypothesis that imperfect factor markets generate a predictable dispersion across households in reservation wage rates that breaks down the unconditionally positive relation between income and shadow wages on which the theory of self-targeting public employment programmes rests. Our results confirm that the inaccuracy of FFW targeting stems from the fact that, in rural Ethiopia, higher income households are endowed with more labour per unit of land or animal. Due to poor factor markets in land and livestock these labour-abundant households have lower marginal labour productivity on farm, thereby depressing the reservation wage rates they find acceptable for FFW participation.
Panel Count Data

Panel count data usually refer to data arising from studies on recurrent events in which study subjects are followed or observed only periodically rather than continuously. In these situations, the objective of interest is about the occurrence of some events that can occur multiple times or repeatedly and the studies resulting in this type of information are often referred to as event history studies. There are many fields that produce panel count data and they include medical studies, reliability experiments and social science. This article will review some basic concepts about panel count data, some common issues and questions of interest in their analysis as well as the corresponding statistical procedures that are available. In particular, we will discuss estimation of the mean function of the underlying counting process characterizing the occurrence of the events, comparison of several processes and regression analysis of panel count data. Some discussion will also be provided for situations that involve dependent or informative observation processes. Keywords: Recurrent events; event history studies; reliability experiments; counting process; regression analysis; panel count data; dependent observation processes; informative observation processes; repetitive measurements; parametric inference; nonparametric inference
Verifying Liveness Properties by Verifying Safety Properties

Conventional techniques for automatically verifying liveness properties of circuits involve explicitly modeling infinite behaviors with either infinite paths through a Kripke structure or with strings in an ω-regular language. This paper describes how timed trace structures [2, 3] can be used to convert liveness properties (including unbounded liveness properties such as strong fairness) to safety properties. Such properties can then be modeled and verified using only finite traces. No new algorithms are needed. All that is required is a new interpretation of what behaviors are represented by the finite traces. A mapping is defined between timed trace structures and complete trace structures [5], which contain infinite traces, to show that this new interpretation makes sense. The method is demonstrated on a fair mutual exclusion circuit.
Association between asthma and obesity among immigrant Asian Americans, California Health Interview Survey, 2001-2011.

Our objective was to study the comorbidity of asthma and obesity among foreign-born Asian Americans, by subgroups. Public data from the California Health Interview Survey, 2001–2011, were analyzed by using independent logistic regressions, yielding the association between asthma and obesity (Asian and standard cutoffs for body mass index [BMIs]) of 19,841 Asian American immigrant respondents. Chinese, Filipino, South Asian, and Japanese immigrants had a positive association between lifetime asthma and obesity, whereas among Korean immigrants, a positive association was found between lifetime asthma and overweight status (standard BMI cutoffs). Routine screening for this comorbidity is warranted among immigrant Asian Americans.
The Accumulating Effects of Shared Expectations

This research examined whether self-fulfilling prophecies and perceptual confirmation effects accumulated across people. Trios of same-sex participants, each consisting of two interviewers and one target, were randomly assigned to one of three conditions that served to manipulate interviewers' expectations (i.e., non-hostile vs. hostile) and the similarity of their expectations (i.e., similar vs. dissimilar) for targets. Each trio participated in an interaction in which interviewers asked targets questions. Targets' hostility during the interaction and interviewers' impressions of targets' hostility following the interaction served as the primary dependent variables. Results indicated that perceptual confirmation effects accumulated across interviewers. Even though targets' behavior during the interaction did not differ across conditions, interviewers nonetheless judged targets as more hostile when both interviewers expected targets to be hostile than when only one did. The authors discuss these findings in terms of the potential implications for those who have multiple inaccurate and unfavorable expectations held about them. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hypothesis tests when decomposing differences in the first moment

Recently the Oaxaca decomposition for wage differentials has been extended to study the differences in the first moment. For example, this type of decomposition can be used to study differences in labor market participation rates by race, where the participation equation may be estimated by logit or probit. This paper develops a simple test for the significance of characteristics and coefficients effects in a decomposition analysis of differences in the first moment at aggregate and individual variable levels. In order to derive the test statistics, the asymptotic variances of the characteristics and coefficients effects at both aggregate and individual variable levels are calculated using the well-known delta method. The significance test for the Oaxaca decomposition is incorporated as a special case of this proposed test.
THORACIC DEFORMITY AND RESPIRATORY FAILURE IN INFANTS WITH GIANT CMPHALOCELE

Although respiratory failure in infants with abdominal wall defects has been attributed to increased intra-abdominal pressure after closure, we have observed prolonged respiratory insufficiency in several such infants despite operations designed to minimize intra-abdominal pressure. We therefore reviewed the charts of 108 infants from 1975-82 who had abdominal wall defects: gastroschisis - 54; small amphalocele - 29; liver-containing or giant amphalocele (GO) - 21; and cloacal extrophy-4. Nine of 21 infants with GO (43%) had prolonged respiratory insufficiency and 5 eventually died. Only 2 of 87 infants with other abdominal wall defects had prolonged respiratory insufficiency and neither died of respiratory failure. Infants with GO required longer durations of both oxygenation (p<.01, ANOVA, = 122 days, range 0-1030) and ventilation (p<.001, ANOVA, = 66 days, range 0-387) than infants in the other groups. Clinical observation suggested that infants with GO have small, narrow chests resembling thoracic dystrophy. Therefore, chest radiographs from all groups were examined for several parameters of thoracic size. After correction for birth weight, the chests of babies with GO were significantly narrower than the chests of the other babies (p<.001, ANOVA). Prolonged respiratory insufficiency in infants with giant amphaloceles appears to be explained by pulmonary hypoplasia or by the narrow chest deformity which limits lung expansion.
Electrochemistry of [V(III)EDTA]- in Ethylene Glycol−Water Mixtures. 2. Kinetic Aspects: Solvation of the Transition State

The effect of the solvent composition for water−ethylene glycol (EG) mixtures in the mole fraction range XEG = 0−1 on the kinetics of the ethylenediamine-N,N,N‘,N‘-tetraacetatovanadate(III/II) redox reaction has been investigated at a mercury electrode using convolution potential sweep voltammetry. Capacitance data for the mercury/solvent mixture interface have been obtained at two different concentrations of NaClO4 at each solvent composition. Observed electron transfer rates and transfer coefficients have been corrected for double-layer effects using these data. It has been shown that the change of the corrected electron transfer rates with solvent composition is due to differences in the solvation of the complex and can be described by a two-step solvent exchange mechanism. In addition, Gibbs energies of reorganization have been estimated using the experimental results. The logarithm of the corrected electron transfer rate constant also corrected for variation in the outer sphere contribution to the Gi...
Algae Under Pressure and in Hot Water

Algae grow quickly, can be cultivated to have a high oil (triacylglyceride) content, and can be grown on nonarable land with brackish or salt water. These characteristics make them an attractive source of biomass for renewable biofuels. The U.S. Navy and commercial airlines have demonstrated the use of algal biofuel in ships and planes; blending algal biofuel with ultralow-sulfur diesel fuel reduced the pollutants and particulate matter and improved fuel economy during the operation of a marine vessel on the Great Lakes ( 1 ). Algae-derived fuel is very expensive, however, and most of the cost is associated with producing the biomass. The U.S. Navy has contracted to pay $12 million for 450,000 gallons (1.7 million liters) of biofuel, which works out to about $27/gallon or 10 times the U.S. cost of petroleum-derived fuel [see, for example, ( 2 )]. Chemical reactions in hot, compressed water (hydrothermal reactions) and in supercritical fluids can provide new, potentially cheaper paths to renewable fuels from wet algal biomass ( 3 ).
LC/UV/MS-MRM for the simultaneous determination of water-soluble vitamins in multi-vitamin dietary supplements

The purpose of this study was to optimize chromatographic and detection conditions for the simultaneous determination of water-soluble vitamins in multi-vitamin dietary supplements using a single chromatographic run. An approach using liquid chromatography with diode array and/or mass spectrometry for quantitation of seven B-complex vitamins [thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), nicotinamide (B3), pyridoxine (B6) pyridoxine, biotin, pantothenic acid, and folic acid] in multi-vitamin/multi-mineral daily supplements is described. This approach utilizes a reversed phase C18 column (4 μm; i.d.: 250×2.0 mm) with a gradient mobile elution profile, performed at a flow rate of 0.25 ml/min. After a 5-min isocratic elution at 100% A (0.1% formic acid in water), a linear gradient to 50% A and 50% B (0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile) at 15 min and then to 5% A and 95% B at 17 min was employed. Detection was performed with a photodiode array detector (DAD) in sequence with a triple-quad mass spectrometer in the multiple reaction mode (MS-MRM). Although good chromatographic separation of ascorbic acid was also obtained in extracts from multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplements, the ascorbic acid could not be quantified properly due to rapid oxidation catalyzed by the minerals. This method was initially applied to determine water-soluble vitamins in representative multi-vitamin/multi-mineral tablets following the extraction of ground samples with a phosphate buffer (10 mM, pH 2.5). For multi-vitamin supplement tablets, this approach does not require any sample clean-up/pre-concentration steps except for centrifugation and filtration of the extract.
The host-parasite relationship between freshwater crayfish and the crayfish disease fungus Aphanomyces astaci: responses to infection by a susceptible and a resistant species.

SUMMARY: In studies of the responses to infection by the crayfish disease fungus Aphanomyces astaci of the susceptible European crayfish Astacus astacus and the resistant Western American species Pacifastacus leniusculus, the latter was consistently more resistant to infection by injection or via aquarium water; the difference in resistance was more striking in the second method. The American crayfish was only slightly less sensitive than the European crayfish to the toxic action of large numbers of dead spores of A. astaci and to infection by living spores of another phycomycete, Entomophthora apiculata, which is not a natural parasite of crayfish. A. astacus acquired a significantly higher degree of resistance to infection by injection or via the ambient water as a result of two previous exposures to sublethal numbers of spores of the pathogenic fungus. The two strains of Aphanomyces astaci tested behaved identically within the cuticular layer of the exoskeleton of both crayfish species, showing strain-dependent degrees of ability to penetrate and grow within the cuticle. The epicuticle offered a major barrier to penetration in both hosts. The fungus was unable to establish growth within the musculature and developed only sparsely along the ventral nerve cord of living animals of both species; fungal growth was luxurious shortly before and after the death of both crayfish. Aggregation of injected spores and their encirclement by haemocytes occurred rapidly in living Astacus astacus as well as in Pacifastacus leniusculus, but melanization of the spore aggregates and hyphal elements was considerably more pronounced in the resistant crayfish, P. leniusculus. The observations suggest the participation of at least some active processes of native and acquired resistance of crayfish to the crayfish disease fungus, particularly in the internal tissues and the epicuticle.