cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Paper Birch Condensed Tannin on Whitemarked Tussock Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Performance

This research tested the effects of paper birch, Betula papyrifera Marshall, condensed tannin on larval performance of the whitemarked tussock moth, Orgyia leucostigma (J. E. Smith). We conducted laboratory bioassays on fifth stadium larvae. Larvae were reared on one of three diets: control (no condensed tannin), moderate condensed tannin (8.8% dry mass), and high condensed tannin (17.6% dry mass). Although survivorship was not different between the treatments, larvae fed diets amended with condensed tannin exhibited increased stadium duration, decreased relative growth rate, and decreased food conversion efficiencies. Prolonged development times enabled larvae to compensate for low consumption and growth rates such that insects on tannin diets ate more and grew larger than insects on the control diet. Analysis of tannin levels in food, frass, and body tissue indicated that larvae do not metabolize condensed tannin, but concentrate and egest it. Our results show that paper birch condensed tannin has both positive and negative effects on the performance indices of whitemarked tussock moths. However, whether the benefits of increased final size (and possibly fecundity) outweigh the risks of increased development time and prolonged exposure to natural enemies remains unclear.
Identity theft and routine activities : a test of victimization using college students.

IDENTITY THEFT AND ROUTINE ACTIVITIES: A TEST OF VICTIMIZATION USING COLLEGE STUDENTS Brian D. Fell April 14, 2006 This thesis examines the link between routine activity theory and identity theft victimization using college students. Using data collected from 308 undergraduate students attending a southeastern university, this study seeks to present the likelihood that college students will become a victim to identity theft in the future. In doing so, the study also seeks to present the college student's perception that they could become a victim of identity theft in the future. Overall, this study has the main objective of determining if a link exists between college student's routine activities and the risk of them becoming victims of identity theft. The results specifically showed that how college students guard their credit card information (i.e., receipts) directly affects their likelihood of identity theft victimization. Additionally, support was found for two elements of routine activity theory, suggesting routine activity theory is important to the study of identity theft victimization. Policy implications for these findings are discussed.
The International Monetary Fund in the Global Economy: Global finance and IMF lending to South Korea, 1983–1997

Thus far, both the statistical evidence and the Mexican case studies lend strong support to both the common agency theory and my core argument linking changes in patterns of financial globalization to variation in IMF lending policies. In this chapter, I conduct a final empirical test by focusing on IMF lending to South Korea from 1983 to 1997. As with the Mexican loans in the 1980s and 1990s, the IMF's three loans to South Korea in this period varied significantly in both size and conditionality. To what extent do changes in the composition of international capital flows – through their impact on G-5 countries' domestic financial interests and the IMF staff's expectations about catalytic financing – explain this variation? In order to answer this question, I once again follow the strategy adopted in the previous chapter. For each South Korean loan, I consider the factors leading the country to request IMF assistance, and I then explore the roles of G-5 governments, the IMF staff, and changing patterns of financial globalization in shaping the Fund's lending decisions. In addition, I assess the extent to which alternative political and economic factors influenced the IMF's decisions in these cases. South Korea's international debt composition, 1983–97 Although it ranked behind only Mexico and Brazil as the largest sovereign borrower in the 1980s, South Korea was a markedly smaller player in world financial markets.
Actions of D-cycloserine at the N-methyl-D-aspartate-associated glycine receptor site in vivo

The antibiotic, D-cycloserine has been shown to be a partial agonist at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-coupled, strychnine-insensitive glycine receptor by in vitro receptor binding. This partial agonism was further investigated in an in vivo system, by monitoring changes in levels of cyclic guanosine-monophosphate (cGMP), a well characterized second messenger response, mediated by the NMDA receptor complex, in the cerebellum of the mouse. Parenteral injections of D-cycloserine produced a biphasic dose-response curve which suggested partial agonism. In support of this contention, when intracerebellar injections were made together with D-serine, a glycine agonist, D-cycloserine attenuated the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated increase in levels of cGMP. Likewise, systemic administration of D-cycloserine attenuated increases in cGMP induced by pentylenetetrazol. These data are relevant to the study of N-methyl-D-aspartate-mediated neurotransmission, since D-cycloserine is a parenterally bioavailable compound, with both agonist and depressant properties at the N-methyl-D-aspartate-associated glycine receptor.
The Evolution and Diffusion of User Roles in Online Health Communities: A Social Support Perspective

Online Health Communities (OHCs) have become a major source of social support for people with health problems. Using a case study of an OHC among breast cancer survivors, we revealed the types of social support embedded in each post using text-mining techniques. Then we aggregated users' activities related to different types of social support and identified different roles that users play in an OHC via unsupervised machine learning techniques. By analyzing how users' roles change over time, we constructed a transition graph to illustrate the evolution of users' roles in the OHC. We also discovered that a user's reception of social support is correlated with the evolution of her role. In addition, by examining whom a user interacted with, we found evidence for "role diffusion"anashusers tend to adopt roles of her network neighbors. Our research has implications for OHC operators to manage and sustain an OHC.
Novel packet architecture for ultrafast all-optical networks

Optical sampling techniques1–3 have recently been proposed for demodulating data streams at bit rates far beyond the speed of conventional photoreceivers. These techniques may be used in ultrafast all-optical packet-switching networks to read the header and to demodulate the packet. A synchronized sampling optical pulse is sent on the desired bit slot in the received packet to test whether a pulse is present or not. The sampler works as an optical and gate that outputs the bit pulse if this is present and outputs no signal otherwise. The pulse out of the and gate is then sent onto a photodiode, and just a single short pulse will have to be detected in a time much longer than the bit time. With a parallel bank of optical samplers, packet detection is converted into a parallel detection of deltalike spikes at a repetition rate suitable for electronic detection.
Organized self-assembly of Janus micromotors with hydrophobic hemispheres.

Organized self-assemblies of Janus catalytic motors, induced by hydrophobic surface interactions involving multiple motor/motor and motor/nonmotor particles, display controlled coordinated self-propulsion. The influence of the self-assembled structures upon the motion behavior is investigated. A dynamic ‘on-the-fly’ assembly is observed during the continuous movement of the individual components, along with changes in the motion behavior. Organized assemblies of multiple motor/nonmotor particles are also illustrated toward optimal cargo transport and delivery. Such controlled structures and motion of chemically powered Janus micromotor assemblies hold considerable promise for the creation of intelligent nanomachines that perform collective tasks.
Trends in Sex Roles in Television Commercials

This study reports trends in role portrayals of male and female characters in television commercials between 1971 and 1976. Several comparisons are made between portrayals in TV commercials and rol...
Feminist practice and breast cancer: "The patriarchy has claimed my right breast...".

Breast cancer is lhe leading cause of death of women between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five. Women of color and lesbians are particularly vulnerable populations. In this article, a feminist social worker weaves her personal experience with breast cancer, the literature on social work and breast cancer, and her research on feminist practice to propose some guidelines for services and practice
Murine MIF does not contain Ia determinants.

In recent years, a number of soluble lymphocyte factors have been found to contain determinants encoded by genes within the I-region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) of the mouse. These factors, such as those described by Taussig (1), Tada (2), Kapp (3), and co-workers either enhance, support, or suppress various immune responses. Furthermore, they can generally be categorized as being antigen-specific in nature and also as displaying certain MHC restrictions in their action on cells of the immune system. In the studies reported here, the lymphokine murine MIF, (migration inhibitory factor), also a soluble lymphocyte mediator, has been investigated for the presence of I-region gene products, using anti-la immunoadsorbants. Murine MIF, in contrast to the above-mentioned factors, is not antigen-specific and does not display MHC restrictions in its action on cells of the immune system.
Memory of arterial receptor activation involves reduced [Ca2+]i and desensitization of cross bridges to [Ca2+]i.

Rabbit femoral arteries retain a memory of previous maximum receptor activation for up to 3-4 h after complete cessation of the stimulus, as reflected by a reduction in the steady-state contraction...
ERP Responses of Elementary-Age Children to Video Game Simulations of Two Stimuli Types: Study 1 and 2 Comparisons.

ABSTRACTThe hypothesis that brain activity may differ during varied types of video game play was investigated in two studies of event-related potentials exhibited by children age 7 to 12 when processing game-based stimuli requiring correct/incorrect responses or choices between two imaginative alternative responses. The first study had 22 children of families from the university community and the second (replication) study had 22 children from a diverse group of community families. These participants also were interviewed regarding the children’s video game habits. In Study 1, mean amplitude of P300 in the two conditions showed significant differences at P100 and N200 locations. Study 2 results showed greater N200 and P300 positive amplitude in the choice condition at Pz. Both studies found significant frontal lobe interaction for younger children in mixed conditions, suggesting they put more attention resources into the mixed task. Implications of video game play effects on brain development during the e...
Measurement of Liability to Addiction: Dimensional Approaches

Background: Biomedical research and its applications, particularly in complex disorders, have historically been guided by the group-defined disease-oriented perspective rather than a person-centered health-oriented approach. This has been an obstacle to the development of prevention and treatment methods. There is thus a need to redirect studies to augment diagnostic systems with individualized phenotypic measurement. Objectives: The goal of this paper is to develop a pragmatic dimensional perspective on the complex traits underlying probabilities of disorder development. Method: Selective literature review of the foundation and methods for measuring liabilities to complex disorders and its aspects, and consultation on practical approaches. Results: The paper presents novel applications of the person-centered principle in psychiatric research, particularly addiction science, which can be used in any translation-oriented etiological health studies. These applications focus on the quantitative measurement of the individual phenotype along the full scale of the latent trait of liability and its understudied aspect, resistance to the disorder. Conclusions: The novel perspective and methodology we introduce facilitate a shift from the group-defined “disease” to the person-centered individual liability phenotype, and from the factors that lead to and determine risk for disease to the mechanisms that result in health and determine resistance to a disorder.
Expanding the social performance of food production landscapes: measuring health and well-being benefits

Advocates of integrating food production landscapes within urban, suburban, campus and other design arenas cite multiple and integrated benefits, including enhanced food security and quality; land ...
Abstract 21333: Persistent Decreased Survival in Diabetic Subjects With HFrEF Despite Advances in Therapy

Background: With the advancement in diabetic management throughout the years, this study aimed to compare the effect of diabetes mellitus on mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods: The VA’s databases were queried to identify all patients diagnosed with HFrEF from 2007 to 2015. A total of 61,400 diabetic patients were matched to as many non-diabetic patients using propensity score matching with replacement. To estimate the impact of diabetic patients on overall mortality of HFrEF patients, the Cox proportional hazard model was used on the matched sample and adjusted for patient characteristics. Results: From the overall sample of 114,010 patients with HFrEF, 61,400 (54%) had diabetes mellitus. On the matched sample, after adjusting for patient characteristics such as age, sex, high beta blocker dose, heart rate quartile, carvedilol, metoprolol, comorbidities, and medications, we found that the diabetic patients were associated with a higher overall mortality compared to non-diabetic patients (HR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.48-1.53, p Conclusions: Diabetic HFrEF patients have a higher risk of mortality than non-diabetic HFrEF patients despite controlling for beta blocker dose, medications and comorbidities.
Parent Responses to Child Pain During Intensive Interdisciplinary Pain Treatment and 1-Year Follow-Up.

Abstract Targeting parents’ responses to their child's pain during intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) could influence child functioning. This longitudinal, observational study investigated changes in these responses and concurrent relationships between parent responses and changes in levels of child functioning and pain. Parents of youths 10 to 19 years of age (mean = 15 years, SD = 1.98 years) participated in twice weekly, parent-only groups while their teens were enrolled in IIPT (mean length of treatment = 3.93 weeks, SD = 1.16 weeks). Parent responses to child symptoms, as well as child pain and functional disability, were assessed weekly during treatment (n = 114) and at 3 follow-up visits: 1 month (n = 96), 6 months (n = 68), and 12 months (n = 45). Longitudinal multilevel modeling analyses indicated statistically significant decreases during treatment in parents’ protective, monitoring, and minimizing responses and further improvement in all responses during follow-up. These changes were associated with concurrent changes in child disability. However, changes in parent behaviors occurred independently from changes in child pain levels. Baseline child characteristics affected neither baseline parent responses to pain nor changes over time. Results indicate that, in the context of IIPT, parental responses are amenable to change and that these changes may impact child pain-related functioning, providing further support for the role of parent-specific programming within IIPT. Perspective During intensive IIPT, parents made statistically significant changes in responses to their child's pain, which was associated with improvements in child disability, but not child pain. Changes were sustained through 1-year follow-up. Targeting parental responses to child pain is feasible and may relate to improved child functioning.
Application of Small Decentralized Computers in the Management of Bacteriologic Data in the Clinical Laboratory

Hospitals and their clinical laboratories have been a major area for application of the advances in computer technology of the last decade. In particular, hospital information systems (HIS) and the numeric results produced by clinical chemistry and hematology laboratories have been well served by a wide variety of computer hardware and software systems. Fewer satisfactory systems have been developed for clinical microbiology laboratories primarily due to the increased complexity of both the workflow in the laboratory and the unique formatting requirements of patient reports. Adaptations of systems designed primarily to handle numeric data have generally not been successful in clinical microbiology.
Stress, Strain, growth, and remodeling of living organisms

Biomechanics deals with living organisms. In the beginning, biomechanics differed from the mechanics of ordinary engineering and physics mainly by the special geometric features of living organisms, by the usually large deformations, by the unusual constitutive equations, or by the very large range of Reynolds numbers of interest in biofluid motion. In dealing with the growth, disease, and healing in life, however, one encounters biological media whose chemical, cellular, and extracellular constitutions, geometrical structures, dimensions, and mechanical properties change with time. If we knew how a tissue would change under various chemical, physical, and mechanical conditions, then it is possible that we can learn to control and “engineer” the tissue to do what we want it to do. Thus began a new field of “tissue engineering”.
Field Application of Microcomputer Controllers

Chapters 1 through 17 have provided a foundation for the understanding and design of microcomputer-based control systems. The final chapter in this book addresses considerations in the field application of microcomputer controllers to thermal and mechanical systems. The chapter opens with a review of the linear proportional-integral (PI) control laws previously discussed in Chapters 16 and 17 and a discussion of their limitations. PI control algorithms suitable for field application are then described in Secs. 18-3 and 18-4.
Non-Wage Job Characteristics and the Case of the Missing Margin

I use the NLSY79 to estimate a job search model that distinguishes the relative importance of hiring wages, on-the-job wage growth potential and non-wage characteristics in workers' job choices. I find that non-wage characteristics are more important than initial hiring wages in determining job choices. To demonstrate the importance of accounting for non-wage characteristics and wage dynamics when evaluating public policies, I apply this model to estimate how workers value the improved non-wage characteristics and on-the-job wage growth potential that result when unemployment insurance enables them to search longer.
The Determinants of Cigarette Consumption: A Meta-Analysis:

This study summarizes econometric findings from time-series research on the relationships between cigarette consumption and advertising, price, and income using a meta-analysis methodology. The stu...
A Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Research Using Mathematics Manipulatives with Students at Risk or Identified with a Disability.

Manipulatives are widely considered an effective practice and have been recommended as an evidence-based practice for students identified with a learning disability when used within the concrete–re...
Contrast Feature Dependency Pattern Mining for Controlled Experiments with Application to Driving Behavior

A controlled experiment is an empirical interventional study method to evaluate the causal impact of an intervention, by identifying the dynamic feature dependency patterns in the contrast multivariate time series (CMTS) collected from the control and experimental groups. Manually labeling or interpreting the effects caused by the intervention from the CMTS data has become an infeasible task even for domain experts. Thus, it is imperative to develop an integrated technique, preferably in an unsupervised manner, that can simultaneously identify and characterize feature dynamic dependencies and their contrast patterns in CMTS, which we call the contrast dynamic feature dependency (CDFD) patterns. In this paper, we propose a generative model with partial correlation-based feature dependency regularization to help analysts understand the CMTS data by jointly 1) characterizing a set of comparable multivariate Gaussian distributions from CMTS, and 2) determining whether the intervention causes the changes between two comparable distributions. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of the proposed method. The proposed method applied to a driving behavior application demonstrates its utility and interpretability.
An Indoor Navigation and Localization System

This paper introduces a mobile navigation and localization system suitable to guide visitors in environments indoors without GPS help. This guidance is especially useful in large multilevel structures such as hospitals, shopping malls, airports, and can be beneficial for people with special needs. The system is implemented on smart phone platforms equipped with several embedded sensors. The proposed localization technique is based on a combination of (a) Wi-Fi signal strength capturing from pre-built sample area points and (b) a pedestrian step and stride identification using embedded sensory data. The method has been implemented and tested in a large hospital building.
Measuring Learning and Engagement during Debriefing: A New Instrument

Abstract Background Debriefing is considered to be where the bulk of learning takes place. Examination of debriefing is needed to help determine if facilitation methods effectively contribute to the learning process. More instruments are needed to evaluate all key debriefing elements, and no tools exist that evaluate participant engagement in the learning process. Method Kolb's experiential learning theory was used to inform tool development. The focus of the new instrument is behaviors that indicate engagement with the learning process as the learner moves through Kolb's learning cycle. A qualitative study of debriefing facilitators was performed, and a behaviorally anchored instrument was then created. A subject matter expert review process was used to help establish validity. Reliability was evaluated in a research study looking at inter-rater consistency. Results The new instrument is used to count learning and engagement behaviors that are exhibited in a debriefing session. Conclusion The instrument is ready for use in debriefing research studies, helping evaluate participant engagement in the learning process by identifying learning and engagement behaviors that they may exhibit during a debriefing.
Study on phylogenetic analysis of Coxsackievirus group A type 16 strains in Jilin province from 2009 to 2011

Objective To analyze the phylogenetic characteristics of Coxsackievirus group A type 16 (CA16) causing the epidemic of hand,foot and mouth disease(HFMD) in Jilin province from 2009 to 2011.Methods To choose 54 CA16 strains isolated from HFMD in Jilin province to do the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequences of VP1 coding genes,and to analyze the sequence by the software of Mega4.0.Results 28 strains of 54 CA16 strains were B1a genotype and 26 strains of those were B1b genotype in Jilin province from 2009 to 2011 ; the proportion of B1a genotype was 86.7％,47.1％ and 31.8％ yearly,and the proportion of B1b genotype was 13.3％,52.9％,68.2％ yearly from 2009 to 2011.28 strains of B1a genotype formed one dominant and one small transmission chain,26 strains of B1b genotype formed one dominant and two small transmission chains.Conclusion The proportion of B1a genotype showed increased year by year,and the proportion of B1b genotype showed decreased year by year.The transmission mode was showed that the two genotypes have one dominant transmission chain and one or two small transmission chains respectively which co-circulated together. Key words: Coxsackievirus infections; Genes
Decreased vision as a presenting symptom of acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura relapse

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare, life‐threatening, blood disorder caused by a severe deficiency in von Wildebrand factor cleaving protease activity due to inhibitory an...
Inadequate left ventricular unloading during ramp is associated with hospitalization or death during left ventricular assist device support.

A combined right and left-sided heart catheterization (RHC/LHC) protocol was recently reported to optimize patients supported by left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Using this platform, we sought to evaluate the prognostic significance of several hemodynamic indices, including left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and transaortic gradient (peak aortic pressure - peak left ventricular pressure in systole, TAG). We evaluated all patients undergoing RHC/LHC at our institution from 2015 through 2018, and comprehensive clinical data were obtained. Primary end points were (1) a composite outcome that included hospitalization or death and (2) 1-year overall survival after catheterization. Forty-two patients were included in the analysis. Optimization resulted in normalization of hemodynamic parameters; all variables were significantly improved from baseline (P ≤ .05). On univariate modeling, final LVEDP was associated with the primary end point (hazard ratio [HR], 1.2 per 1-mm Hg increase; 95% CI, 1.1-1.3; P = .002). After adjusting for LVAD speed, TAG, and cardiac index in a multivariate model, the association between LVEDP and the composite end point remained significant (HR, 1.2 per 1-mm Hg increase; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4; P = .001). In the setting of LVAD support, inadequate LV unloading was a significant marker of poor outcomes with time, suggesting that LVEDP is a central prognostic marker in this population.
RENAL ARTERY THROMBOSIS IN COVID-19.

COVID-19 has been described to have association with hypercoagulable state and thromboembolic events in major blood vessels, pulmonary artery, major limb vessels causing limb ischemia. associated with neurological symptoms and complications including stroke. We present a unique case of renal artery thrombus formation secondary to COVID-19. To the best of our knowledge this is the fourth manuscript describing renal artery thrombosis with evidence on imaging studies in medical literature.
A Double-Blind Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser Therapy on Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause.

Abstract Background Despite some prospective case series showing effectiveness of vaginal laser to treat genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), there is a paucity of placebo-controlled level one evidence. Aim To assess the effect of fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy to treat GSM against a sham comparator. Methods We conducted a parallel, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial to compare menopausal women treated with fractional CO2 laser against sham treatment for improvement in GSM-related dyspareunia. Three treatments were given 6 weeks apart, and participants attended a 6-month visit from study start for primary (proportion improved) and secondary (vaginal health index, VHI; visual analogue scale, VAS; modified global assessment, PGI-I; Female Sexual Function Index, FSFI; Day-to-Day Impact of Vaginal Aging, DIVA; Urinary Distress Inventory short-form, UDI-6) assessments. Outcomes The primary endpoint was a 2-stage improvement in GSM-related dyspareunia from baseline to 6 months determined by a severity scale, and the proportion of subjects who achieved this were compared between groups. Results Thirty participants were randomized to laser (n = 14) or sham (n = 16). In the treatment arm, 13 attended all treatments, and 1 attended at least 2 while in the sham arm, 14 attended all treatments, and 2 attended at least 2 treatments. Twelve (86%) in the treatment arm and 16 (100%) in the sham arm attended the 6-month visit. There were no differences in the proportion improved between treatments and controls (64% vs. 67%, respectively, P = 1.000). Both arms showed significant within-group improvements based on VHI and VAS, but not between groups. Similar findings were observed on sexual impact questionnaires with improvements within both groups from baseline to 6 months but not by median differences between the groups at 6 months. There were no adverse events in either of the arms. Clinical Implications Further well-powered research is needed to determine efficacy of fractional CO2 laser for the treatment of GSM, especially in light of a potential placebo effect. Strengths & Limitations We present a sham-controlled double-blinded randomized trial using validated tools; the main limitation included an underpowered proportion of sexually active participants for the primary outcome. Conclusion This study was underpowered to draw conclusions regarding the efficacy of fractional CO2 laser therapy in the treatment of GSM. We did observe improvements in the sham-arm to suggest a possible placebo contribution. Further well-powered level one research is needed to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of this novel modality. Cruff J, Khandwala S, A Double-Blind Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser Therapy on Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause. J Sex Med 2021;18:761–769.
Limited Flexor Sheath Incision and Drainage in the Emergency Department in the Management of Early Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis.

BackgroundPyogenic flexor tenosynovitis (PFT) has been considered a surgical emergency. Varying operative approaches have been described, but there are limited data on the method, safety, and effic...
JUN promotes hypertrophic skin scarring via CD36 in preclinical in vitro and in vivo models

Pathologic skin scarring presents a vast economic and medical burden. Unfortunately, the molecular mechanisms underlying scar formation remain to be elucidated. We used a hypertrophic scarring (HTS...
Immigrant family legal clinic: A case of integrated student supports in a community school context

Research is growing on the ways K-12 schools can address immigration policy and assist in mediating its impact on students and families. Community schools are poised to address these issues through integrated student supports by taking an asset-based perspective that views community members and organizations as powerful constituents in the struggle for educational equity. We report the findings of a qualitative case study of the implementation of a school-based legal clinic for immigrant families in a high-poverty urban neighborhood. We applied an equity-minded school change framework to examin the range of services offered by the clinic, the process of integrating the clinic’s work into the life of the school, and the perspectives of teachers regarding the intersection between immigration and education.
The Oil Cycle, the Resource Curse, and the Tax-Spend Hypothesis: A VAR Analysis for Angola

The intertemporal relationship between oil revenues, real government spending and real output over the oil cycle is investigated for the case of Angola, the second largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. The results of a trivariate VAR, impulse response functions, and variance decomposition analysis provide empirical support for the tax-spend hypothesis. In addition, the Angolan economy is found victim of the resource curse, as real output does not respond to aggregate demand shocks such as changes in real government spending. The policy implications for Angola are twofold. First, to alleviate the constraints associated with the resource curse, Angola needs to find ways to diversify its economy. Second, given the direction of causality found between government expenditures and oil revenues, in order to avoid fiscal disequilibria, efficient management of oil revenues is as important as controlling public spending.
Alcohol use and selected health conditions of 1991 Gulf War veterans: survey results, 2003-2005.

INTRODUCTION: A sizable literature has analyzed the frequency of alcohol consumption and patterns of drinking among veterans. However, few studies have examined patterns of alcohol use in veterans of the first Gulf War or factors associated with problem drinking in this population. We examined the frequency and patterns of alcohol use in male and female veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War or during the same era and the relationships between alcohol use and selected health conditions. METHODS: We analyzed data from a follow-up survey of health information among population-based samples of 15,000 Gulf War and 15,000 Gulf Era veterans. Data had been collected from 9,970 respondents during 2003 through 2005 via a structured questionnaire or telephone survey. RESULTS: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), unexplained multisymptom illness (MSI), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)-like illness were more frequent among veterans with problem drinking than those without problem drinking. Approximately 28% of Gulf War veterans with problem drinking had PTSD compared with 13% of Gulf War veterans without problem drinking. In multivariate analysis, problem drinking was positively associated with PTSD, MDD, unexplained MSI, and CFS-like illness after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, branch of service, rank, and Gulf status. Veterans who were problem drinkers were 2.7 times as likely to have PTSD as veterans who were not problem drinkers. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that access to evidence-based treatment programs and systems of care should be provided for veterans who abuse alcohol and who have PTSD and other war-related health conditions and illnesses. Language: en
Metformin as Initial Oral Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes.

1.68; 95% CI, 1.57-1.79), thiazolidinediones (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.43-1.80), and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.47-1.79) was associated with an increased hazard of intensification. Alternatives to metformin were not associated with a reduced risk of hypoglycemia, emergency department visits, or cardiovascular events.
Mandated Disclosure and Literary Hybrid Speech

This Article, written for the Washington Law Review’s 2013 Symposium, The Disclosure Crisis, argues that hidden sponsorship creates a form of non-actionable influence rather than causing legally cognizable deception that mandatory disclosure can and should cure. The Article identifies and calls into question three widely held assumptions underpinning much of the regulation of embedded advertising, or hidden sponsorship, in artistic communications. The first assumption is that advertising can be meaningfully discerned and separated from communicative content for the purposes of mandating disclosure, even when such advertising occurs in "hybrid speech." The second assumption is that the hidden promotional aspects of hybrid speech create a form of legally cognizable deception. The final assumption holds that disclosure is normatively desirable, to inform audiences of hybrid speech of its hybridity, and in so doing, to remedy the perceived harms that flow from hidden sponsorship. The Article challenges these three assumptions by using as an example the little-remarked phenomenon of sponsored literature, literary texts in and around which advertising is inserted, as well as literary texts that owe their existence to commissioning advertisers. The standard disclosure literature does not consider contexts such as these, in which the decision-making process does not involve crucial questions of life or death, shelter or homelessness, solvency or bankruptcy. Thus the entertainment context of hybrid speech demands different regulatory treatment. The Article concludes that mandatory disclosure is the wrong regulatory response to hidden sponsorship because the harms that it ostensibly creates are rooted in influence, rather than deception.
Influence of expectations about symptoms on delay in seeking treatment during myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Patients having cardiac symptoms often delay for hours before seeking treatment. Educational programs have had little impact on reducing this delay time. OBJECTIVES To identify symptoms expected by a patient during a myocardial infarction and to examine whether a discrepancy between expectations and experience influenced delay in seeking treatment. METHODS A retrospective, descriptive design was used. The setting was a large northeastern medical center. The convenience sample included 65 patients (mean age, 57; 74% men) after their first myocardial infarction. Data were collected with the Symptom Representation Questionnaire, a semi-structured interview guide that identified subjects' expectations about heart disease, actual symptom experience, and strategies used to manage the experience. RESULTS The majority of subjects reported that they had expectations about the symptoms of heart disease that focused on location, intensity, associated symptoms, and quality. Expectations did not match the symptom experience of 74% of subjects. Subjects whose expectations did not match their experience delayed significantly longer before seeking treatment than subjects whose expectations did match their experience. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that patients have expectations about symptoms of heart disease that may influence their behavior during a myocardial infarction.
Reducing power loss, cost and complexity of soc power delivery using integrated 3-level voltage regulators

Traditional methods of system-on-chip (SoC) power management based on dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) is limited by 1) cores/IP blocks sharing a voltage domain provided by off-chip voltage regulators (VR) and 2) slow voltage scaling time (<0.1V/µs). This global, slow DVFS cannot track the increasingly heterogeneous, fluctuating performance requirements of individual microprocessor cores and SoC components. Furthermore, traditional off-chip VRs add significant area overhead and component cost on the board. This thesis explores replacing a large portion of existing off-chip VRs with integrated voltage regulators (IVR) that can scale the voltage at a 50 mV/ns rate, which is 500 times faster than microsecond-scale voltage scaling with existing off-chip VRs. IVRs occupy 10 times smaller footprint than off-chip VRs, making it easy to duplicate them to provide per-core or per-IP-block voltage control. This thesis starts by summarizing the benefits of using IVRs to deliver power to SoCs. Based on a simulation study targeting a 1.6W, 4-core SoC, I show that greater than 20% energy savings is possible with fast, per-core DVFS enabled by IVRs. Next, I present two stand-alone IVR test-chips converting 1.8V and 2.4V to 0.4-1.4V while delivering maximum 1W to the output. Both test-chips incorporate a 3-level VR topology, which is suitable for integration because the topology allows for much smaller inductors (1nH) than existing inductor-based buck VRs. I also discuss reasons behind lower-than-simulated efficiencies in the test-chips and ways to improve. Finally, I conclude with future process technologies that can boost IVR conversion efficiencies and power densities.
Conditioned changes in nucleus accumbens dopamine signal established by intravenous cocaine in rats

To explore the role of cocaine-induced conditioning in the regulation of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) activity, high-speed chronoamperometry with Nafion-coated carbon fiber electrodes was used to measure changes in nucleus accumbens (NAc) DA-dependent signal induced by a light stimulus previously paired and not paired with intravenous cocaine (0.85 mg/kg per injection), and cocaine injections paired and not paired with light. A small phasic DA signal increase was found after light presentation in drug-naive rats, whereas greater and longer signal increases were induced by the same light after it had been repeatedly paired with cocaine. The DA signal changes associated with repeated cocaine injections paired with light differed from those induced by cocaine alone and occurring during drug self-administrations. These data suggest that cocaine-related sensory cues, acting alone, may induce a conditioned mesolimbic DA activation, and, acting in the presence of the drug, may significantly modify the DA response to the drug.
Multiple photon induced chemistry in mixtures of C2F6 with H2 or C6H14

CO2 laser induced chemistry is demonstrated to occur efficiently in mixtures of C2F6 with H2 or C6H14 at a fluence of 6 J/cm2 and for a 30 cm-1 red-shift from the C2F6 absorption maximum. H2 or C6H14 pressure may be used to control the distribution of product species.
A Clinical Study of Competency to Consent to Hospitalization and Treatment in Geriatric Inpatients

: This study used a Competency Questionnaire modified for medical surgical patients (CQ-Med). Twenty-nine patients (ages 65–94 years) admitted to a geriatric medicine unit were studied. Along with the CQ-Med, patients were administered several WAIS-R subtests, the Blessed Dementia Scale (BDS), and Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE). Additionally, a blind forensic evaluation for competency to consent to hospitalization and treatment was performed for the purpose of validation of the CQ-Med. Results of the study found that, as expected, increased age was correlated with decreasing performance on the CQ-Med and decreased findings of competence by clinical exam. However, there was great variability within each age group, demonstrating individual differences in the progress of declining competency. CQ-Med scores also correlated well with the WAIS-R subtest raw and scaled scores. Scores on the MMSE and BDS were less well correlated. The CQ-Med may be a useful adjunct in assessing declining competency in geriatric patients.
A whitening transformation for two-color blood cell images

Abstract An image enhancement technique is described for the preprocessing of stained white blood cell images which have been digitized through two different color filters from either end of the visible spectrum. Typically, corresponding picture elements (or pixels) from blood cell images digitized in this manner exhibit slight changes in grey-level due to the color filtering, but remain strongly correlated in optical density with each other. Also, color and density information are interrelated in the pixels of both of the filtered images. The technique described is a whitening transformation on the bivariate distribution of image pixels, this results in two uncorrelated axes, one relating to density and the other relating to color. The spatial effect on the two original images is to produce two separate, transformed, “color” and “density” images.
Community health workers in Bolivia: Adapting to traditional roles in the Andean community

Community health workers (CHW) constitute an outreach program where community members become involved in their health concerns and elect someone to be trained and administer primary health care. A major problem is that CHWs do not fit into leadership roles of either modern or traditional medicine. CHWs of Oruro, Bolivia, are discussed to examine the success of this program in which CHWs adapted to political, economic, and cultural patterns of Andean communities.
Aerosol delivery in infants and young children.

ABSTRACT Despite extensive use of aerosol therapy to treat infants and young children with respiratory disease, our knowledge of factors influencing drug delivery in this age group remains relative...
Fine‐needle aspiration cytopathology in diagnosis and classification of malignant lymphoma: Accurate and reliable?

Diagnosis of malignant lymphoma by fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) remains a topic of skepticism and controversy. Because of the limitations of pure morphology, subclassfication of non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma (NHML) by FNAB often requires ancillary studies which impose a challenge not typically required of other FNAB diagnoses. Despite the dubiousness expressed by many, the evidence shows that a large percentage of NHML cases can be recognized and correctly classified using FNAB. Diagnostic accuracy is dependent on several factors including the type of NHML. The emergent WHO classification of lymphomas is one that appears to more readily accommodate the cytologic methods for NHML diagnosis.
Perspectives on the origin of cycads and cycadeoids

Abstract Available evidence seems to indicate that the earliest cycads and cycadeoids were slender plants, without a persistent armor of leaf bases and often with small leaves. One prevailing viewpoint is that earliest cycads had entire leaves, and that pinnation was a derived state, coming about by progressive incising of a taeniopterid leaf. An alternative suggestion is presented here, proposing that a dissected leaf could have been a primitive one for cycads, and that occurrence of pinnately compound cycad or cycad-like leaves in the Triassic Period may be interpreted as a manifestation of this early dissected state. It is further proposed that the primitive cycad megasporophyll need not have been one with a taeniopterid distal lamina, but one derived from a dissected leaf. Tinsleya texana is suggested as representing a possible ancestral state. The absence of compelling evidence to support any single viewpoint permits the proposing of more than one hypothesis.
ESSENTIAL AND REGULATORY LIGHT CHAINS OF PLACOPECTEN STRIATED AND CATCH MUSCLE MYOSINS

ATPase activities of molluscan adductor muscle myosins show both muscle and species specific differences: ATPase activity of catch muscle myosin is lower than that of phasic muscle myosin; a 4–5-fold difference exists between the activities of phasic striated muscle myosins from the bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) and sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus). To characterize the light chains of these myosins we determined the cDNA sequences of the essential light chains and the regulatory light chains from Placopecten striated and catch muscle. The nucleotide sequences of the essential light chains from Placopecten striated and catch muscle myosins are identical and show 94% identity and 98% homology to the Argopecten essential light chain indicating that the tissue and species specific differences in ATPase activities are not due to the essential light chain. We identified three regulatory light chain isoforms, one from striated and two from catch muscle. Sequence differences were restricted to nucleotides encoding some of the N-terminal 52 amino acids. The three recombinant Placopecten regulatory light chain isoforms and the Argopecten regulatory light chain were incorporated into hybrid myosins that contained the essential light chain and heavy chain from Placopecten striated, Placopecten catch, or Argopecten striated muscle. Measurement of the ATPase activities of these hybrids indicates clearly that it is the myosin heavy chain and not the regulatory light chains that are responsible for the muscle and species specific differences in enzymatic activities. Analysis of genomic DNA indicated that these regulatory light chain isoforms are products of a single regulatory light chain gene that is alternatively spliced in the 5′ region only.
Sexual homicide: Differentiating catathymic and compulsive murders

Abstract Difficulties encountered in the study of sexual homicide are reviewed along with a discussion of two types of sexual murder—catathymic and compulsive. Historical, behavioral, psychodynamic, and prognostic factors are presented, as well as a discussion of differential diagnosis. Forensic issues and implications for intervention, prevention, and investigation are also considered.