cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Macroeconomic impacts of the global financial crisis on the Bangladesh economy

This paper examined the impacts of the current 2007-09 global crisis on the macro-economy of Bangladesh. The evidence suggests that the impact of the crisis had been rather mild with modest slowdown of the economy and a few critical sectors (exports and remittances ), but at the same time, the adverse effects being offset by improvements in some other sectors (agriculture and equity markets ), thus showing remarkable resilience to the crisis. Further, the impact on Bangladesh was much milder than those felt in both developed countries (such as the U.S. and EU countries) and other emerging economies such as India and China. Appropriate and timely policy actions at the global level along with the country's own fiscal and monetary policy stimulus were helpful in achieving these results. Additional factors that helped minimize the adverse impacts include the country's relative non-exposure to the overseas toxic assets, growth of the agricultural sector, and resilience of garment exports and worker remittance sectors. A SWOT analysis of the country indicates that, as the global economy turns around, the country could take advantage of many global opportunities provided the country can capitalize on its strengths, improve upon its weaknesses and deal effectively with emerging threats. Policy actions that may be helpful include strengthening internal and external sector reforms, infrastructure development, export diversification, finding new markets for exports and worker employment abroad, and leveraging benefits from cooperation and partnerships with foreign businesses including overseas Bangladeshi expatriates, among others.
Gender Differences in Mouse and Cursor Movements

Computer cursor and mouse activities such as moving, pointing, selecting, and dragging are essential parts of everyday interactions. Yet it is unknown how men and women differ in the way they move computer cursors. This study examines gender differences in movements of computer cursors. In one experiment, the authors measured trajectories of computer cursors every 20 ms in a simple choice-reaching task and tested the extent to which movement features related to controlling and targeting diverge between male and female participants. Results showed significant gender differences in cursor motions. Female participants deviated from the straight path toward the target location to a larger degree than did male participants, and female participants showed more backward motions (deviating backward from the target location) than did male participants. Implications for sources of these gender differences, user interface and input device design, and musculoskeletal disorders in women are also discussed.
Base composition of ribosomal ribonucleic acid in newborn and adult rat brain.

SummaryIn the adult brain the ribosomes have a higher AMP-level and show a commensurate fall in GMP when compared to the newborn brain. There is a 3-fold total increase of ribosomal RNA in whole adult brain from birth, although the concentration of ribosomal RNA is higher in the young animal brain. There is no difference between neo-natal and adult rat brain ribosomes in their molar concentration of the pyrimidine bases.
EFFECTS OF A SYNTHETIC ANALOGUE OF VASOPRESSIN ON VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE.

SummaryPLV-2, a synthetic analogue of vasopressin, applied topically to the micro-vessels in the rat mesoappendix produces a graded dose response reduction in true capillary blood flow. The various vessel types contract from the venular to the arteriolar loops; the opposite of their normal profile of reactivity. This polypeptide, when injected i.v. in a single dose potentiates constrictor responses to topically applied catecholamines. In contrast to these microcirculatory effects, PLV-2 inhibits norepinephrine-induced contractions in the isolated rabbit aortic strip.
Pleural mesothelial cell response to inflammation: tumor necrosis factor-induced mitogenesis and collagen synthesis

This study examined the effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on pleural mesothelial cell proliferation and collagen synthesis, functions which may be important in the response of the pleura to injury. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha caused a significant increase in proliferation and collagen production by rat pleural mesothelial cells in vitro. Proliferation increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner, resulting in an approximate twofold increase in the uptake of [3H]thymidine relative to control. The uptake of [3H]proline into collagenase-sensitive protein increased in a dose-dependent manner for concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha > or = 1.0 ng/ml. The increase in collagen production were associated with increased steady-state levels of alpha 1(I)-procollagen mRNA. These results suggest that tumor necrosis factor-alpha may have a significant effect on pleural mesothelial cell function in vivo in the setting of inflammation. Increases in pleural mesothelial cell proliferation and collagen synthesis in response to inflammatory mediators, like tumor necrosis factor-alpha, may be important in healing the pleura after injury by a variety of disease processes.
Blood pressure treatment targets for uncomplicated hypertension.

To date, there is no evidence to support treating patients with uncomplicated hypertension to blood pressure goals lower than the standard blood pressure target of less than or equal to 140 to 160/90 to 100 mm Hg. In randomized controlled trials, patients treated to lower blood pressure targets did not have better survival, less heart or kidney failure, or fewer cardiovascular events or strokes compared with those treated to the standard blood pressure target.
What is a referral

Obtaining a referral from a primary care physician to see a specialist is a common experience among patients. Differing definitions of what it means to "have a referral, "however, can lead to gaps between the service provided by the specialist and the expectations of the patients. Empirical research illustrates these varying definitions of "having a referral" among potential patients. The extent of confusion among a presumably educated sample of the patient population suggests that medical group managers should conduct a marketing audit of their policies and procedures to ensure that gaps in service delivery are removed.
Computing disease incidence, prevalence and comorbidity from electronic medical records

Electronic medical records (EMR) represent a convenient source of coded medical data, but disease patterns found in EMRs may be biased when compared to surveys based on sampling. In this communication we draw attention to complications that arise when using EMR data to calculate disease prevalence, incidence, age of onset, and disease comorbidity. We review known solutions to these problems and identify challenges for future work.
Changes in peripheral blood lymphocytes in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia patients treated with pegylated-interferon alpha and correlation with JAK2 V617F allelic burden

Pegylated-interferon alpha (PegINFα) treatment of patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) has resulted in long-term clinical response, decreased JAK2 V617F allelic burden and restoration of polyclonal hematopoiesis. The mechanisms of the beneficial effects of PegINFα are not clear, but available evidence suggests direct suppression of JAK2-mutated clone, induction of dormant stem cells to proliferation, and augmentation of an immune effect against PV and ET clones. We analyzed the phenotype and frequency of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from PegINFα treated patients and compared them to patients treated with hydroxyurea (HU). Samples collected at various time points before and during treatment were analyzed using multicolor flow cytometry. We found that PegINFα increased the frequency of peripheral blood CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg). Highly suppressive Treg, characterized by co-expression of CD39 and HLA-DR, were also increased in PBL from PegINFα treated patients. We observed an augmentation of cycling CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and of poorly activated CD38+CD8+ T cells. Our results also suggest that PegINFα increased the frequency of PD-1+ CD4+ helper cells and PD-1+ CD4+ Foxp3+ Treg cells. None of these changes were present in HU treated patients. We analyzed the correlation between changes in different T cell populations in the peripheral blood with the changes in JAK2 V617F allelic burden in clonal granulocytes. Augmentation of Ki-67+ Treg, HLA-DR+ CD39+ Treg, Helios+ Treg and HLA-DR+ CD38+ CD8+ T cells correlated with an increase in JAK2 V617F allelic burden. We also found a positive correlation between PD-1+ Treg and JAK2 V617F allelic burden; however, the number of available patients was small (n = 7). We report marked changes in frequencies of PBL subsets after PegINFα treatment, suggesting an immunomodulatory effect by PegINFα. Generation of a more suppressive immune response, as measured by an increase in highly suppressive Treg and poorly activated CD8+ T cells, correlated with a poor molecular response. In this study, we have not identified changes in the PBL that would indicate the presence of an effective anti-tumor response.Trial registration NCT01259856, December 7. 2010 and NCT01259817, December 6. 2010, Grant #1P01CA108671-O1A2, July 17. 2006, Sponsor: MPDRC/NIH, NCI-2012-00269, January 12. 2011 and NCI-2012-00268, January 12. 2011
Transient Synthesis Using a Fourier Transform Envelope: An Alternative to Swept-Sine Vibration Testing

Transient vibration test offer an alternative to the conventional swept-sine vibration test, with controllable conservatism. A method of deriving a single vibration test transient from several spacecraft flight transients is described. These transients were from different physical locations on the spacecraft. The test transient was derived by taking the inverse Fourier transform of an envelope of the Fourier transforms of the flight transients. The inverse transformation was performed using the real and imaginary parts of that Fourier transform forming the envelope amplitude at each frequency. The test transient therefore has the same frequency content and maximum amplitudes as the flight transients. A generic test transient was therefore produced that duplicates many operating conditions at separate physical locations. It could be applied to many different structural components of a spacecraft, simplifying a vibration test program. The transient vibration test produces significantly less overtest than a ...
Managing the “Priceless Gift”: Debating Spanish Language Instruction in New Mexico and Puerto Rico, 1930–1950

While Spanish persisted as a foreign language in the United States, its long presence in New Mexico and Puerto Rico provided the opportunity for native Spanish speakers to bolster their regional identity. New Mexico's identity was as a leader valuable to hemispheric goodwill while Puerto Rico solidifed a separate national identity.
The Fatty Acid, Carbonyl, n-Hydrocarbon, and Phenolic Acid Composition of Wheat and Triticale Flours

A comparison of the chemical composition of wheat- and triticale flours demonstrated that their content of fatty acids, carbonyl compounds, and hydrocarbons is quite similar qualitatively but differed quantitatively. The total phenolic acid fraction from triticale grain, flour, bran, and shorts showed the largest amounts of phenolics in the bran and the smallest amounts in the flour. The predominant phenolic acids in all products were vanillic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acid. No marked qualitative or quantitative differences were found amoung various triticale flours nor when comparing wheat- and triticale flours. The differences in flavor between wheat- and triticale flours and baked products from these flours cannot be explained on the basis of kind and amounts of chemical compounds considered since they did not vary appreciably in these two cereal grains.
Associations between cortical thickness and neurocognitive skills during childhood vary by family socioeconomic factors

Studies have reported associations between cortical thickness (CT) and socioeconomic status (SES), as well as between CT and cognitive outcomes. However, findings have been mixed as to whether CT explains links between SES and cognitive performance. In the current study, we hypothesized that this inconsistency may have arisen from the fact that socioeconomic factors (family income and parental education) may moderate the relation between CT and neurocognitive skills. Results indicated that associations between CT and cognitive performance did vary by SES for both language and executive function (EF) abilities. Across all ages, there was a negative correlation between CT and cognitive skills, with thinner cortices associated with higher language and EF scores. Similarly, across all cognitive skills, children from higher-SES homes outperformed their age-matched peers from lower-SES homes. Moderation analyses indicated that the impact of SES was not constant across CT, with SES more strongly predictive of EF skills among children with thicker cortices and more strongly predictive of language skills among children with thinner cortices. This suggests that socioeconomic advantage may in some cases buffer against a neurobiological risk factor for poor performance. These findings suggest that links between brain structure and cognitive processes vary by family socioeconomic circumstance.
DCC promoter hypermethylation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 35 Deleted in Colorectal Cancer ( DCC ) is a putative tumor suppressor gene whose loss has been implicated in colorectal tumorigenesis. Decreased or loss of DCC expression has been demonstrated in a number of human cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this study, we analyzed ESCC cell lines and primary ESCCs as well as their corresponding normal tissues for DCC methylation by bisulfite sequencing and/or quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP). When a qMSP cut-off value for positivity was set to 1.0, DCC methylation was detected in 10 of 12 ESCC cell lines tested, 74% of primary ESCCs (n=70), and 0% of corresponding normal esophageal tissues (n=20). DCC expression was undetectable in the majority of ESCC cell lines, and treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine reactivated gene expression. DCC overexpression suppressed colony formation in ESCC cell lines, suggesting that DCC may function as a tumor suppressor gene in the esophagus. We have demonstrated that DCC methylation is a frequent and cancer-specific event in primary ESCCs with 74% sensitivity and 100% specificity, suggesting that DCC and associated pathways may represent a new therapeutic target. Moreover, detection of DCC promoter methylation may potentially be used as a biomarker in the early detection of human ESCC.
Cancer-induced anorexia and malaise are mediated by CGRP neurons in the parabrachial nucleus

Anorexia is a common manifestation of chronic diseases, including cancer. Here we investigate the contribution to cancer anorexia made by calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) neurons in the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) that transmit anorexic signals. We show that CGRPPBN neurons are activated in mice implanted with Lewis lung carcinoma cells. Inactivation of CGRPPBN neurons before tumor implantation prevents anorexia and loss of lean mass, and their inhibition after symptom onset reverses anorexia. CGRPPBN neurons are also activated in Apcmin/+ mice, which develop intestinal cancer and lose weight despite the absence of reduced food intake. Inactivation of CGRPPBN neurons in Apcmin/+ mice permits hyperphagia that counteracts weight loss, revealing a role for these neurons in a 'nonanorexic' cancer model. We also demonstrate that inactivation of CGRPPBN neurons prevents lethargy, anxiety and malaise associated with cancer. These findings establish CGRPPBN neurons as key mediators of cancer-induced appetite suppression and associated behavioral changes.
Application of Spread-Spectrum Ultrasonic Evaluation to Concrete Structures

Spread-Spectrum Ultrasonic Evaluation (SSUE) is an emerging technology for the global testing of structures and materials [1]. It incorporates the correlation properties of pseudo-random signals into ultrasonic NDE using spread-spectrum technology. The SSUE instrument records the ultrasonic correlation signature that is representation of the aggregate acoustic state of the test sample. The measured ultrasonic correlation signature is used for the detection of changes in the acoustic state of the test object. One major advantage of the SSUE technique is that it provides a global inspection of the material or structure without scanning. Some examples of unique SSUE applications are when; 1) the test object is of complex geometry or too large for scanning or, 2) the test material is a highly attenuative material such as concrete, wood, or composites. This paper reports the progress in applying the SSUE technique to concrete. The aim of the reported research is to study the propagation of the spread-spectrum signal in concrete structures of various sizes and determine the sensitivity of the SSUE correlation signature to changes in the various acoustic properties of the concrete object. A comparison of the SSUE technique with conventional ultrasonic NDE techniques for concrete testing is done and advantages of this technique for standard concrete inspection methods are discussed.
Expression of a cell surface protein during morphogenesis of the reproductive system in Manduca sexta embryos : Both moths and mammals have an indifferent stage of genital differentiation.

New antibody markers have allowed more refined examinations of embryogenesis. Features are being found that were overlooked in whole and sectioned embryos stained with traditional histochemical labels. Two monoclonal antibodies that recognize two different cell surface proteins in Manduca sexta label cells of the developing reproductive system. These specific immunolabels reveal that during a brief period of Manduca embryogenesis, rudiments of both male and female genital ducts are present in a single embryo. This transient phase of genital differentiation parallels the transient indifferent stage known to occur during development of reproductive systems in many vertebrate embryos. At the end of this indifferent stage, one of the two pairs of genital ducts retracts and degenerates. The dynamic expression of the two surface proteins on cells involved in morphogenesis of both the female and male reproductive systems also suggests that these proteins are important in orchestrating the specific cellular interactions that occur between mesodermal cells of the genital ducts and the nearby ventral ectoderm.
Nitrogen-to-Oxygen abundance ratio variation in quiescent galaxies

For the first time, we establish a gas phase abundance pattern calibration for quiescent galaxies using optical emission lines. Quiescent galaxies have warm ionized gas showing line ratios similar to low-ionization nuclear emission line regions (LINER). The ionization mechanism for the gas is still an unsettled puzzle. Despite the uncertainty in the ionization mechanism, we argue that we can still infer certain gas phase abundance pattern from first principles. We show that the relative trend in N/O abundance can still be reliably measured based on [NII]6548,6583/[OII]3726,3729 and a direct measurement of the electron temperature. We construct a composite direct temperature tracer that is independent of extinction correction, by combining [OII] 3726,3729/[OII] 7320,7330 and [SII] 6716,6730/[SII] 4068,4076 and canceling out the effect of extinction, as these involve the easiest-to-detect auroral lines in quiescent galaxies. With theoretical modeling, we establish the calibration for N/O based on [NII]/[OII] and a temperature tracer. We apply this technique to quiescent galaxies in the nearby Universe and find they span a range of 0.35 dex in N/O ratio from 17-percentile to 83-percentiles of the whole distribution. These measurements can shed light on the chemical enrichment history of the warm ionized gas in quiescent galaxies.
Review of Booth, Michael (2017) Shakespeare and Conceptual Blending: Cognition, Creativity, Criticism

This article reviews Shakespeare and Conceptual Blending: Cognition, Creativity, Criticism 978-3-319-62186-9.
Machine Learning-based Development and Validation of a Scoring System for Screening High-Risk Esophageal Varices

Background & Aims Many patients with cirrhosis who undergo esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) screening for esophageal varices (EVs) are found to have no or only small EVs. Endoscopic screening for EVs is therefore a potentially deferrable procedure that increases patient risk and healthcare cost. We developed and validated a scoring system, based on readily-available data, to reliably identify patients with EVs that need treatment. Methods We collected data from 238 patients with cirrhosis undergoing screening EGD from January 2016 through December 2017 at 3 separate hospitals in Los Angeles (training cohort). We abstracted data on patient sex, age, race/ethnicity, platelet counts, and levels of hemoglobin, serum sodium, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, international normalized ratio, albumin, urea nitrogen, and creatinine. We also included etiology of cirrhosis, presence of ascites, and presence of hepatic encephalopathy. We used a random forest algorithm to identify factors significantly associated with the presence of EVs and varices needing treatment (VNT) and calculated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). We called the resulting formula the EVendo score. We tested the accuracy of EVendo in a prospective study of 109 patients undergoing screening EGDs at the same medical centers from January 2018 through December 2018 (validation cohort). Results We developed an algorithm that identified patients with EVs and VNT based on international normalized ratio, level of aspartate aminotransferase, platelet counts, urea nitrogen, hemoglobin, and presence of ascites. The EVendo score identified patients with EVs in the training set with an AUROC of 0.84, patients with EVs in the validation set with and AUROC of 0.82, and EVs in patients with cirrhosis Child-Turcotte-Pugh class A (n = 235) with an AUROC of 0.81. The score identified patients with VNT in the training set with an AUROC of 0.74, VNT in the validation set with and AUROC of 0.75, and VNT in patients with cirrhosis Child-Turcotte-Pugh class A with and AUROC of 0.75. An EVendo score below 3.90 would have spared 30.5% patients from EGDs, missing only 2.8% of VNT. The same cutoff would have spared 40.0% of patients with Child-Turcotte-Pugh class A cirrhosis from EGDs, missing only 1.1% of VNT. Conclusions We algorithmically developed a formula, called the EVendo score, that can be used to predict EVs and VNT based on readily available data in patients with cirrhosis. This score could help patients at low risk for VNT avoid unnecessary EGDs.
WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING OF SCHIZOPHRENIA FAMILIES WITH MULTIPLE AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS

Background It has long been established that schizophrenia is highly heritable and family history is a reliable predictor for the disorder. However, both GWAS and exome sequencing studies fail to answer the question what genetic variants constitute family history. While it is generally believed that cases from families with multiple affected individuals have higher genetic risk loading, it is not clear to what extent and where do these cases differ from sporadic cases where there is no apparent family history of mental disorders. Whole genome sequencing of cases from families with multiple affected individuals may help to answer this question. Methods We selected 20 Chinese families with at least 2 affected siblings and 1 unaffected sibling and conducted whole genome sequencing. Of these families, 7 had both parents. Some of the parents had schizophrenia or other psychiatric disorders. We used the GATK protocols to align sequence reads, call and annotate variants. In the first pass of analyses, we generated a list of variants for each family that were found in affected individuals only. We matched the list across the families and generated a new list of variants that were shared for at least 2 families. Variants in this second list were functionally annotated, and analyzed for enrichment for biological pathways. Results We found that there were 6 SNVs that were found in the affected individuals in 6 families. Three of them were in the ADAD2 gene, a nuclear double stranded RNA binding protein. One of the 3 SNVs in ADAD2 was non-synonymous, rs11149631, changing Gly to Arg. The other 3 were in NUP205, HNF4G and MAGEC1 genes. In the analyses of functional variants, we found that non-synonymous SNVs found in at least two families (640 SNVs in 539 genes) were enriched in EMC-receptor interaction pathway and cell-matrix adhesion process. When we tested whether these genes were enriched in any known diseases, we identified childhood onset schizophrenia. Of the 16 genes involved in childhood onset schizophrenia, 5 genes (SEZ6, PDZRN3, HSPG2, ARL16 and ITGA6) were in our list. Discussion Our overrepresentation enrichment analyses for non-synonymous SNVs found in affected individuals in two or more families indicate that the EMC-receptor interaction and cell-matrix adhesion are involved in schizophrenia, consistent with previous report from other GWAS and sequencing analyses. The same genes are also enriched for genes involved in childhood onset schizophrenia, implying that there may be a link or similarity between childhood onset schizophrenia and cases from families with multiple affected individuals. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such connection. Furthermore, our analyses also suggest that ADAD2 is a top candidate and further validation is justified.
Archaeological Settlement Pattern Data from the Cuautitlan, Temascalapa, and Teotihuacan Regions, Mexico

This volume includes supplementary information related to No. 29 in the Occasional Papers in Anthropology series.
Experimental Validation of Single-Stage Three-Phase Non-Isolated Cuk Rectifier

To reduce the range anxiety of EVs, three-phase topologies have surfaced. In this paper, a single stage non-isolated three-phase integrated magnetics based Cuk rectifier is proposed. A comprehensive ANSYS analysis of the integrated magnetics for achieving ripple cancellation is delineated. The rectifier is operated using a discontinuous modulation scheme (DMS) and a dual-loop control mechanism. The controller gains are tuned using the small signal model of the Cuk rectifier and a trade-off is required between achieving stable dynamic performance and RC damper losses. To validate the control architecture and integrated magnetics design, a 2-kW experimental prototype of the Cuk rectifier has been designed and validated. The experimental results displaying the steady-state and transient operation at 2-kW are provided at an input rated voltage of 208 Vrms L-L. The experimental results validating rectifier operation with a THD and power factor of 1.9 % and 0.998, respectively are provided. Further, efficiency breakdown and parametric plot of efficiency with variation in output power are also provided.
Letting a Good Crisis Go to Waste

The widespread implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) was predicated on hopes that they would rapidly improve care, but initial experiences have been disappointing and thought to be a key part of physician dissatisfaction and burnout. The crisis created by EHR implementation is only in part due to EHRs themselves, and might also be viewed as a crisis that has served to surface longstanding problems in healthcare—ones that if grappled with, will lead to more rapidly effective digital transformation.
Integrated Simulation and State Estimation for Precision Landing on Titan

This paper reports on a study of the application of a ram-air parafoil to Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) on Titan. A comprehensive simulation was constructed to enable simulation of EDL state estimation performance from 10 minutes before entry (E-10 min) to touchdown on the surface of Titan. EDL performance is characterized assuming an entry phase starting at E-10 min followed by a parafoil guided phase for descent and landing to enable precise landing on a predetermined target. Guided descent during the parafoil phase is achieved using the parafoil steering capability while state estimation is accomplished using vision-based Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN). The simulation is used in this study to conduct Monte Carlo analysis of TRN state estimation for a full entry phase sequence followed by a straight line flight path descent and landing.
The efficacy of Norgestomet implants on performance and preventing pregnancy in grazing postpubertal beef heifers

A 240-d study was conducted to assess the efficacy of long-acting, erodible implants containing Norgestomet (NOR; 11β-methyl-17α-acetoxy-19-norprogesterone) on growth performance and preventing pregnancy in grazing postpubertal beef heifers. Nonpregnant, cyclic crossbred beef heifers (n = 240) were stratified by BW (763 ± 7.5 lb [346 ± 3.40 kg]) and assigned to 80 blocks (3 heifers/block). Blocks were allocated randomly to 5 pastures (48 heifers/pasture). Heifers were assigned randomly within block to receive 1 of 3 implants (randomized complete block design) containing 0 (control), 100, or 150 mg NOR (d 0). Heifers grazed mixed fescue-bermudagrass pastures with ad libitum access to mineral-vitamin mix. Heifers were exposed to fertile bulls from d 7 to 200 (≥ 1 bull/25 heifers). Bull breeding soundness evaluations were conducted on d 0, 50, 100, and 150. Heifer BW was recorded pretreatment and on d 50, 100, 150, 200, and 240. Pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasonography on d 50, 100, 150, 200, and 240. Orthogonal contrasts were used to assess the effects of control vs NOR (100 or 150 mg NOR) and dose efficacy (100 vs 150 mg NOR). Control heifers exhibited lower (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) when compared to heifers that received 100 or 150 mg NOR (0.84 vs 1.04 and 1.06 lb [0.38 vs 0.47 and 0.48 kg]/d, respectively). Implants did not completely eliminate pregnancy at any NOR dosage. Pregnancy rates were 90.0 (90% CI = [82.9, 94.4]), 8.9 (90% CI = [4.8, 15.8]), and 12.5% (90% CI = [7.5, 20.0]) for control, 100, or 150 mg NOR, respectively. Heifers that received 100 or 150 mg NOR experienced lower (P < 0.0001) pregnancy rates compared to control heifers. By d 150, 88.8% (71/80) of control heifers were pregnant, and 90.0% (72/80) were pregnant by d 200. Administration of 100 or 150 mg NOR prevented pregnancy in at least 92.5% of heifers for 200 d. Pregnancy rates of heifers that received 100 or 150 mg NOR were not different (P = 0.46). These data suggest that implants containing 100 or 150 mg NOR increased rate of gain and decreased pregnancy rates in grazing postpubertal beef heifers.
Excessive Workload in Special Collections Public Services Librarianship: Challenges, Feelings, and Impact

In the academic librarianship literature, a significant amount of research on burnout, and excessive workload has been conducted. However, researchers frame the issue differently: some view this co...
Race and Diplomacy in Zimbabwe: The Cold War and Decolonization,1960–1984

The 'Rhodesian crisis' of the 1960s and 1970s, and the early 1980s crisis of independent Zimbabwe, can be understood against the background of Cold War historical transformations brought on by, among other things, African decolonization in the 1960s; the failure of American power in Vietnam and the rise of Third World political power at the UN and elsewhere. In this African history of the diplomacy of decolonization in Zimbabwe, Timothy Lewis Scarnecchia examines the relationship and rivalry between Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe over many years of diplomacy, and how both leaders took advantage of Cold War racialized thinking about what Zimbabwe should be, including Anglo-American preoccupations with keeping whites from leaving after Independence. Based on a wealth of archival source materials, including materials that have recently become available through thirty-year rules in the UK and South Africa, it uncovers how foreign relations bureaucracies the US, UK, and SA created a Cold War 'race state' notion of Zimbabwe that permitted them to rationalize Mugabe's state crimes in return for Cold War loyalty to Western powers.
Better Lucky Than Rich? Welfare Analysis of Automobile Licence Allocations in Beijing and Shanghai

Economists often favor market-based mechanisms over non-market based mechanisms to allocate scarce public resources on grounds of economic eciency and revenue generation. When the usage of the resources in question generates type-dependent negative externalities, the welfare comparison can become ambiguous. Both types of allocation mechanisms are being implemented in China’s major cities to distribute limited vehicle licenses as a measure to combat worsening trac congestion and urban pollution. While Beijing employs non-transferable lotteries, Shanghai uses an auction system. This study empirically quanties the welfare consequences of the two allocation mechanisms by estimating a random coecients discrete choice model of vehicle demand to recover consumers’ willingness to pay for a license. Rather than relying on the maintained exogeneity assumption on product attributes in the literature, we employ a novel strategy by taking advantage of a control group as well as information from household surveys to identify structural parameters. Our analysis nds that although Beijing’s lottery system has a large advantage in reducing automobile externalities over auction, the advantage is oset by the signicant allocative cost from misallocation. The lottery system foregone nearly 36 billion RMB ($6 billion) in social welfare in 2012 and a uniform price auction would have generated 21 billion RMB to Beijing municipal government, more than covering all the subsidies to the local public transit system.
Health Maintenance for Adult Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Purpose of review This review serves as a summary of healthcare maintenance items that should be addressed when managing patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This manuscript discusses vaccine-preventable illnesses, cancer prevention recommendations, and other screenings that are important to gastroenterologists and primary care physicians caring for patients with IBD. Recent findings Patients with IBD often require immunomodulator agents and/or biologics to induce and maintain disease remission which can increase the risk of developing several infections. Also, subsets of patients with IBD are at an increased risk for a number of malignancies including colon, cervical, and skin cancers. Summary Staying up-to-date with health care maintenance of patients with IBD is critical, especially given their increased risk for vaccine-preventable infections as well as comorbidities such as cancers, bone health, and mood disorders. Gastroenterologists and primary care physicians should familiarize themselves with the required screenings and vaccines that are recommended for adult patients with IBD, particularly those who are immunosuppressed.
Dyrk1b promotes hepatic lipogenesis by bypassing canonical insulin signaling and directly activating mTORC2 in mice

Mutations in Dyrk1b are associated with metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in humans. Our investigations showed that DYRK1B levels are increased in the liver of patients with non-alcoholic liver steatohepatitis (NASH) and in mice fed with a high fat/sucrose diet. Increasing Dyrk1b levels in the mouse liver enhanced de novo lipogenesis (DNL), fatty-acid uptake, and TAG secretion and caused NASH and hyperlipidemia. Conversely, knockdown of Dyrk1b was protective against high-calorie induced hepatic steatosis and fibrosis and hyperlipidemia. Mechanistically, Dyrk1b increased DNL by activating mTORC2 in a kinase independent fashion. Accordingly, the Dyrk1b-induced NASH was fully rescued when mTORC2 was genetically disrupted. The elevated DNL was associated with increased plasma membrane sn-1,2-diacylglyerol levels and increased PKCe-mediated IRKT1150 phosphorylation, which resulted in impaired activation of hepatic insulin signaling and reduced hepatic glycogen storage. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms that underlie Dyrk1b-induced hepatic lipogenesis and hepatic insulin resistance and identify Dyrk1b as a therapeutic target for NASH and insulin resistance in the liver.
Caja de herramientas para la gestión de centros históricos

In Honduras as an action of urban management Historical Centers have initiated recovery processes, as goal to protect cultural patrimony. Among the identified actions in these processes, is the patrimony documentation. In order to facilitate later retrieval, several criteria and methodologies are required in the gathering of information. So that there is a need to identify instruments that guide these processes territorial management.Technologies as well as specialized software in cartographic data are very useful in this area. Now days the systems of geographic information are a strong tool for the analysis socio - spatial and the territorial planning. As a substantial contribution of the thesis investigation “The geographic information system as a technological tool for the patrimony management”, has been generated conceptually and a methodologically since technical criteria, a box of tools for the historical centers management to provide technological support to the process patrimony management.We present the necessary tools for building geographic information systems, designed as a support tool in the management of the territory, in this case historical centers Hondurans.Revista Ciencias Espaciales, Volumen 8, Numero 2 Otono, 2015; 193-210
Creon's Ghost: Law, Justice, and the Humanities. By Joseph P. Tomain

Creon's Ghost: Law, Justice, and the Humanities. By Joseph P. Tomain. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 320 pp. $75.00 cloth. Joseph Tomain's Creon's Ghost is an episodic meditation on a longstanding legal conundrum: whether (and if so, how) positive law is subject to override by some form of higher law. Tomain's project is to explore rather than to solve this problem, and in the process, to integrate the wisdom of the humanities with the theory and practice of the law. ''Creon's ghost'' is a metaphor representing the inevitable conflicts that arise between positive law and higher law, together with the haunting question of how one should respond to positive law that one regards as unjustFthat is, as inconsistent with one's conception of higher law. The nub of the problem at the heart of Creon's Ghost is this. Positive law is easily ascertainable, but it is unsatisfying because it is not necessarily just. Higher law, by contrast, is grounded in principles of justice, but it is frustrating because it is highly contestable and ultimately indeterminate. Tomain's method in Creon's Ghost is to refine readers' understanding of the problematic relationship between positive law and higher law, and to begin a conversation between law and the humanities, by pairing humanities texts central to the Western tradition with works of legal philosophy and then using the insights gleaned from that comparison to understand a variety of constitutional law decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Tomain begins, appropriately enough, with the tragic conflict between Creon (representing positive law) and Antigone (representing higher law) in Sophocles' Antigone. He pairs Antigone with H. L. A. Hart's exposition of legal positivism in The Concept of the Law, which denies any challenge to positive law based on higher law notions of justice. The conflict in Antigone, of course, ends badly for both Creon and Antigone, and this portends the larger tragedy: High stakes attend the conflict between higher law and positive law, yet a satisfactory resolution of the conflict is beyond one's reach. Tomain builds on Antigone chronologically, analyzing the apparition of Creon's ghost in Plato's philosophy, with special emphasis on the ''Allegory of the Cave'' from the Republic (paired with Ronald Dworkin's writings on legal philosophy); Aquinas's theory of natural law (paired with modern theories of natural law); Machiavelli's The Prince (paired with legal realism and critical legal theory); Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (paired with Robert Cover's Nomos and Narrative); Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. …
Open universes from bubbles: An Introduction and update

An introduction to models of open universes originating from bubbles, including a summary of recent theoretical results for the power spectrum. To appear in the proceedings of the XXXIth Moriond meeting, "Microwave Background Anisotropies."
Fast Alpha Diffusion and Thermalization in Tokamak Reactors

Energy relaxation and spatial diffusion of fast alpha particles are incorporated into a multi-energy group model which is coupled to a fluid transport code for the thermal-plasma species. The multi-energy group equations evolve the temporal- and spatial-dependent alpha-particle distribution function and thus determine alpha-particle heating and loss rates for arbitrary thermalization and diffusion models. The effects of deviations from classical, local thermalization on plasma performance are discussed. It is shown that spatial diffusion can lead to inversion of the fast - ion distribution function even if thermalization remains classical. This inversion may drive instabilities and lead to anomalous thermalization. Ripple-induced spatial diffusion of fast alphas is used to illustrate the importance of extending the analysis to include pitch-angle dependence.
Risks Associated with Predator Immobility, Movement Direction, and Turn Direction Similarly Affect Pursuit‐Deterrent Signaling and Escape by Zebra‐Tailed Lizards (Callisaurus draconoides)

Some prey may signal to deter pursuit by predators. Because deterrence is not needed when risk is low or useful when capture is imminent, most signaling should occur at intermediate risk. Probability of fleeing increases with risk for various risk factors. At low–intermediate risk, more frequent signaling should occur as assessed risk associated with risk factors increases. I examined the effects of three risk factors related to immobility and movement by a predator: standing distance (distance from prey to immobile predator), directions of walking, and turning by the predator. Risk is greater when the predator stands nearer, walks toward prey vs. retreating, and turns toward prey vs. away. In the lizard Callisaurus draconoides, which signals by elevating and waving its tail, signaling was more frequent before fleeing when I stood immobile at the shorter of two distances. All the lizards fled when I walked toward them, regardless of standing distance. Fewer fled when I moved away and only at the shorter standing distance. At the shorter standing distance, signal probability was high and did not differ between movement directions. At the longer standing distance, fewer lizards signaled and only when I moved toward them. Patterns of response of signaling and escape to combinations of standing distance and turn direction were qualitatively identical. When I turned away from lizards, none displayed or fled at the longer standing distance. At the shorter standing distance, probabilities of displaying and fleeing were higher when I turned toward than away from lizards. Standing distance affected signaling interactively with directions of movement and turning in manners readily interpretable from risk. Signaling was affected by risk associated with all factors, being absent or infrequent at both high- and low-risk levels but frequent at intermediate risk, strengthening evidence for pursuit-deterrent signaling.
Genealogies of clones of diploid fibroblasts. Cinemicrophotographic observations of cell division patterns in relation to population age.

Direct assessment of cell division patterns of human diploid fibroblasts (WI-38) has been achieved using techniques of time-lapse cinemicrophotography. Pedigrees of progeny cells in clones from middle and late passage WI-38 cultures are presented. The passage 28 clone exhibited a division pattern that was highly synchronous through four generations and had an average interdivision time that increased linearly from the second through sixth generations. Division was essentially logarithmic through the fourth generation. The passage 53 clone was much more variable in interdivision time, less synchronous, and less motile than the passage 28 clone. While there is considerable overlap in the interdivision times of cells of the passage 28 and 53 clones, the late passage cells generally exhibit more variation in interdivision times. The average population doubling time was 16.8 h in thepassage 28 clone and 32.0 h in the passage 53 clone.
A spline function, DSP based mixed-signal arbitrary waveform generator

As it currently stands, waveform generators are being employed in many diverse areas such as communication systems, radar applications, simulation, and testing. The arbitrary waveform generator introduced in this paper consists of a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a FIFO memory, a video palette, and a PC interface. A program running on the PC creates a digital representation of a waveform according to user parameters and sends it to the DSP's RAM. The DSP algorithmically converts the digital representation to a point-by-point representation of the desired analog signal. The data points are sent to the FIFO buffer, which latches the data to the video palette that serves as the digital to analog converter. The system uses JTAG and a high-speed serial port interface to communicate with the PC, to allow for readily programmed signals. In addition to the production of traditional signals such as sinusoids and squarewaves, a mathematical tool known as splines will be employed to aid in the development of customized arbitrary waveforms. A picture of our new device is presented in the paper, in addition to laboratory measurements.
Modeling the regional electricity network in Southeast Europe

The objective of this analysis is to investigate the potential benefits of a regional electricity market in Southeast Europe in 2005. The study models the operation of electric power systems of seven countries. The primary software tool is the GTMax model, which was used to analyze the operation of individual utility systems, as well as their operation in a regional electricity market. Four typical weeks in different seasons of 2005 are simulated. To capture the variability of hydro inflows and their influence on hydro generation, the analysis is performed for three hydrological conditions: wet, average, and dry. In the analysis of regional electricity market scenario, GTMax is used to calculate hourly values of locational marginal prices for all nodes of the regional network and to optimize power transactions among the utility systems. A comparison of operating costs obtained for the two scenarios showed that regional electricity market provides for significant benefits and cost savings compared to the operation of individual utility systems. Substantial costs savings are achieved in all analyzed periods and under all hydrological conditions.