cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cartilage and Muscle Cell Fate and Origins during Lizard Tail Regeneration

Human cartilage is an avascular tissue with limited capacity for repair. In contrast, certain lizards are capable o musculoskeletal tissue regeneration following tail loss throughout all stages of their lives. This extraordinary ability is the result of a complex process in which a blastema forms and gives rise to the tissues of the regenerate. Blastemal cells have been shown to originate either from dedifferentiated tissues or from existing progenitor cells in various species, but their origin has not been determined in lizards. As reptiles, lizards are the closest relatives to mammals with enhanced regenerative potential, and the origin of blastemal cells has important implications for the regenerative process. Hence, the aim of this study is to determine the cellular origin of regenerated cartilage tissues in reptiles using the mourning gecko lizard as the regenerative model. Methods: To trace the fate and differentiation potential of cartilage during tail regeneration, cartilage cells pre-labeled with the fluorescent tracer DiI were injected into lizard tails, and the contribution of cartilage cells to regenerated tail tissues was assessed by histologic examination at 7, 14, and 21 days post-tail amputation. The contribution of muscle cells to regenerated tail tissues was evaluated using muscle creatine kinase promoter-driven cre recombinase in conjunction with the cre-responsive green-to-red fluorescence shift construct CreStoplight. 21 days after amputation, tail tissues were analyzed by histology for red fluorescent protein (RFP)-positive cells. Results: At 7 days post-amputation, DiI-labeled cartilage cells localized to the sub-apical space contributing to the blastema. At 14 and 21 days post-amputation, DiI-labeled cells remained in the sub-apical space and colocalized with Collagen 2 (Col2) staining in the cartilage tube and myosin heavy chain (MHC) staining in regenerated muscle. Lineage tracing of myocytes showed colocalization of RFP with Col2 and MHC in differentiated tissues at 21 days post-amputation. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that differentiated cartilage cells contribute to both regenerated muscle and cartilage tissues following tail loss, and in turn, differentiated muscle cells contribute to both tissue types as well. These findings suggest that de-differentiation and/or transdifferentiation are at least partially responsible for the regenerative outcome in the mourning gecko.
Acute and chronic resistance training downregulates select LINE-1 retrotransposon activity markers in human skeletal muscle

Herein, we examined if acute or chronic resistance exercise affected markers of skeletal muscle long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposon activity. In study 1, 10 resistance-trai...
The role of targeted therapy in the management of patients with AML

Drug therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is finally undergoing major changes in 2017. This is due to the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of several new, targeted agents (midostaurin, enasidenib, and gemtuzumab ozogamicin). Paired with the recent approval of a novel liposomal formulation of daunorubicin/cytarabine (CPX-351/Vyxeos), the standard of care is changing rapidly in AML for subgroups. This review will focus on currently approved agents and promising novel agents in development and will highlight controversial areas in targeted treatment.
Shattered Masculinity and Violence in Walker Percy's Lancelot: Apocalypse Now

Although it is not one of Walker Percy’s most popular novel, Lancelot is certainly one of his most complicated. Critics like Vaulthier and Hebert have discussed the masculinity of protagonist Lancelot Lamar in depth, building on theories linking Lamar’s shattered masculinity with male homosocial behavior, particularly homosocial relationships between Lamar and Merlin and Lamar and Percival. Critical discussions leave out, however, an exploration of the violence that pervades the entire text. This is problematic because Lamar’s dissatisfaction with the homosocial roles in the triangulated relationships created by his wife’s affair is what sparks his obsession with violence as a cleansing act. His wife’s lover is not manly enough for Lamar, shattering Lamar’s sense of masculinity and enraging him. As the narrative progresses, it becomes filled with his vision for the future—a world brought on by apocalypse where the women are sexually pure and the men are “pure in heart.” Lamar clearly regards violence as the only way to restore the patriarchal order that his experience of triangulated relationships has thwarted.
Perception of Physical Fitness and Exercise Self-Efficacy and Its Contribution to the Relationship between Body Dissatisfaction and Physical Fitness in Female Minority Children.

Body Dissatisfaction (BD) and low physical self-concept and exercise efficacy have been linked to poor physical fitness levels and adverse health outcomes in children. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between BD, physical fitness, exercise self-efficacy, and self-Perception of Physical Fitness (PFP) in Latina and Black female children. Twenty-eight Latina and Black children enrolled in an elementary afterschool program, aged 8–12, completed surveys evaluating body dissatisfaction, exercise efficacy, PFP, and measures of physical fitness. Subjects exhibited moderate but significant inverse relationships between BD and PFP in strength (r = −0.459), agility (r = −0.382), aerobic fitness (r = −0.354), and flexibility (r = −0.461) (p 0.05). Findings suggest that positive PFP and positive performance in several physical fitness measures are associated with lower levels of BD in minority female children. Furthermore, evidence suggests exercise efficacy and PFP can mediate the relationship body image and aerobic fitness. These findings suggest that PFP, more so than measured physical fitness, was associated with lower levels of BD in minority female children. These results have important implications for programs designed to improve physical fitness and mental health in minority children.
The impact of prematurity and maternal socioeconomic status and education level on achievement-test scores up to 8th grade

Background The relative influence of prematurity vs. maternal social factors (socioeconomic status and education level) on academic performance has rarely been examined. Objective To examine the impact of prematurity and maternal social factors on academic performance from 3rd through 8th grade. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of infants born in 1998 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The study sample included 58 extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGANs, 23‒<28 weeks), 171 preterm (≥28‒<34 weeks), 228 late preterm (≥34‒<37 weeks), and 967 term ((≥37‒<42 weeks) infants. Neonatal and maternal variables were collected including maternal insurance status (proxy measure for socioeconomic status) and education level. The primary outcomes were literacy and mathematics achievement-test scores from 3rd through 8th grade. Linear mixed models were used to identify significant predictors of academic performance. All two-way interactions between grade level, gestational-age (GA) groups, and social factors were tested for statistical significance. Results Prematurity, social factors, gender, race, gravidity, and Apgar score at one minute were critical determinants of academic performance. Favorable social factors were associated with a significant increase in both literacy and mathematic scores, while prematurity was associated with a significant decrease in mathematic scores. Examination of GA categories and social factors interaction suggested that the impact of social factors on test scores was similar for all GA groups. Furthermore, the impact of social factors varied from grade to grade for literacy, while the influence of either GA groups or social factors was constant across grades for mathematics. For example, an ELGAN with favorable social factors had a predicted literacy score 104.1 (P <.001), 98.2 (P <.001), and 76.4 (P <.01) points higher than an otherwise similar disadvantaged term infant at grades 3, 5, and 8, respectively. The difference in their predicted mathematic scores was 33.4 points for all grades (P <.05). Conclusion While there were significant deficits in academic performance for ELGANs compared to PT, LPT, and term infants, the deficit could be offset by higher SES and better-educated mothers. These favorable social factors were critical to a child’s academic achievement. The role of socioeconomic factors should be incorporated in discussions on outcome with families of preterm infants.
Words and Meaning

This chapter develops a positive sketch of our capacity for meaningful speech, and hence of our capacity for word-mediated thought. More precisely, this chapter sketches an account of how there might be words with both content and meaning. We will soon flesh out this abstract story in coherently conceivable and apparently plausible resources, but it also fits with the alternative account of thought realization pursued in Part Three.
Embryology and Anatomy of the Human Spine

The development of the human spine is a very rapid embryological phenomenon. During a period of a few brief weeks, the entire anatomical pattern of a lifetime of spinal stability or abnormality is established.
Evidence against Formation of a Pyrophosphoryl Enzyme Intermediate in the Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate Synthetase Reaction

Abstract Highly purified phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase from Salmonella typhimurium reacts with [γ-32P]ATP, but binds not more than 0.001 mole of phosphate per mole of enzyme subunit under conditions optimal for the PRPP synthetase reaction. Use of [γ-32P]-, [β, γ-32P]-, [β-32P]-, and [3H]ATP showed that the bound radioactivity probably arose from very tight binding of intact ATP and binding of the γ-phosphate of ATP, possibly to a trace contaminant in the enzyme preparation. A series of analogues of ribose-5-P was investigated as substrates and inhibitors of PRPP synthetase. One of these, 1,4-anhydro-dl-ribitol-5-P, was devoid of activity as a substrate and was a competitive inhibitor with respect to ribose-5-P. This analogue effectively inhibited [14C]AMP-ATP exchange catalyzed by PRPP synthetase, which exchange had been previously shown to be stimulated by ribose-5-P. This result indicates that ribose-5-P probably stimulates the AMP-ATP exchange reaction by acting as an intermediate pyrophosphoryl group carrier rather than by inducing changes in the rate of an already existing exchange reaction, i.e. acting as a substrate synergist. The failure to isolate a pyrophosphoryl enzyme and the demonstration of the inability of PRPP synthetase to catalyze AMP-ATP exchange in the absence of ribose-5-P controvert previously published evidence in favor of participation of a pyrophosphoryl enzyme intermediate in the PRPP synthetase reaction. Simple chemical syntheses of methyl (α,β)-d-ribofuranoside-5-P and 1,4-anhydro-dl-ribitol-5-P are presented.
ON THE BOCHNER INTEGRAL

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a theorem for Bochner integrable functions. The theorem makes possible a very simple development of the elementary theory of the Bochner integral. The chapter presents an account of this development, which is essentially self-contained. The chapter also discusses Bochner indefinite integrals and presents the establishment of the Radon–Nikodym theorem. The strong Borel field S for E is the σ-field generated by the class of open subsets of E; its members are strongly measurable. The weak Borel field W is the smallest σ-field such that each member ϕ of E' is W measurable. The point-wise limit of a sequence {f n } n of strongly measurable E-valued functions is strongly measurable.
Social and Emotional Development Theories

This article focuses on social and emotional development in young children. In the first section, several definitions of emotion and brief descriptions of widely held theories of early emotional development are presented. Next, important universal milestones in emotional and social development are reviewed following their developmental sequence. Additionally, temperament is presented as a central means of identifying normative individual differences in early social and emotional development. This is followed by a discussion of early emerging social and emotional problem behaviors and their relation to specific risk and protective factors in the young child’s ecology, including family, community, and cultural influences.
The Estimated Electrode-Neuron Interface in Cochlear Implant Listeners Is Different for Early-Implanted Children and Late-Implanted Adults.

Cochlear implant (CI) programming is similar for all CI users despite limited understanding of the electrode-neuron interface (ENI). The ENI refers to the ability of each CI electrode to effectively stimulate target auditory neurons and is influenced by electrode position, neural health, cochlear geometry, and bone and tissue growth in the cochlea. Hearing history likely affects these variables, suggesting that the efficacy of each channel of stimulation differs between children who were implanted at young ages and adults who lost hearing and received a CI later in life. This study examined whether ENI quality differed between early-implanted children and late-implanted adults. Auditory detection thresholds and most comfortable levels (MCLs) were obtained with monopolar and focused electrode configurations. Channel-to-channel variability and dynamic range were calculated for both types of stimulation. Electrical field imaging data were also acquired to estimate levels of intracochlear resistance. Children exhibited lower average auditory perception thresholds and MCLs compared with adults, particularly with focused stimulation. However, neither dynamic range nor channel-to-channel threshold variability differed between groups, suggesting that children’s range of perceptible current was shifted downward. Children also demonstrated increased intracochlear resistance levels relative to the adult group, possibly reflecting greater ossification or tissue growth after CI surgery. These results illustrate physical and perceptual differences related to the ENI of early-implanted children compared with late-implanted adults. Evidence from this study demonstrates a need for further investigation of the ENI in CI users with varying hearing histories.
Transcavernous Transclinoidal Half-and-Half Approach for Clipping of Twice-Recurrent Stent-Coiled Giant Basilar Tip Aneurysm: 3-Dimensional Surgical Video

The authors present a 3-dimensional surgical video of a half-and-half, transcavernous approach for microsurgical clipping of a giant basilar tip aneurysm that recurred twice after endovascular treatment. The case refers to a 60-year-old man who presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage, was treated with coiling, and had a good clinical and radiographic outcome. At 3 months, he was found to have recurrent filling at the neck of the aneurysm and was treated again endovascularly with stent coiling. Three months after his second treatment, again he was found to have filling of the base of the aneurysm and was referred for microsurgical clipping. The video analyzes the surgical steps of the half-and-half transcavernous approach for the microsurgical clipping of the basilar tip aneurysm. After positioning, an orbitozygomatic craniotomy is performed, followed by an extradural anterior clinoidectomy and dissection of the temporal dura from the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus. The dura is then opened, and the sylvian fissure is split widely, followed by extensive arachnoidal dissection to completely free the temporal from the frontal lobes. The transcavernous approach is then performed, followed by a posterior clinoidectomy and division of the posterior communicating artery. After multiple failed clipping attempts, the aneurysm was trapped and opened to remove some of the coils from the neck. This accommodated permanent clipping with preservation of all major vessels and complete obliteration of the aneurysm neck.
Are U.S. lung cancer mortality rates converging

Abstract This study considers whether lung cancer death rates are converging in the United States. Using annual data for the contiguous U.S. states during 1968–2016, the findings indicate the occurrence of β -convergence in lung cancer deaths among various demographic groups. The convergence is more prevalent in the Midwest, non-Black Belt region, and non-coastal states. Given the declining trends in lung cancer incidence and death rates, such a convergence implies an improvement in lung cancer prevention strategies of the states that were not doing quite well in the past. The findings have important policy implications regarding the dissemination of lung cancer prevention strategies across specific groups and regions.
Electromagnetically induced transparency and slow light with optomechanics

We demonstrate electromagnetically induced transparency and slow light in an optomechanical cavity, at cryogenic and ambient conditions, and show effects analogous to electromagnetically induced absorption.
SES and correlated factors do not explain the association between periodontal disease, edentulism, and cancer risk.

Abstract Purpose Severe periodontal disease and edentulism have been previously reported to be significantly associated with cancer risk and mortality, including in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (2018); however, complex sources of confounding by socioeconomic status (SES), and characteristics correlated with SES, could have been present in earlier analyses. Methods To capture life course SES and its correlates, we generated a propensity score and included it, along with other potential confounders such as smoking and obesity, into a Cox regression model to examine the association between periodontal disease and cancer risk. In addition, we stratified the model with the propensity score by low and high SES. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Compared with our previous study, the associations for severe periodontitis and cancer incidence remained comparable after weighting by the propensity score (e.g., for total cancer: before weighting, hazard ratio = 1.24, 95% confidence interval = 1.07–1.42 vs. after weighting, hazard ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval = 1.05–1.44 when comparing severe periodontitis to no or mild periodontitis). Associations were comparable in low and high SES strata and statistically significant among participants with high SES. Conclusions Complex sources of confounding by SES and its correlates are unlikely to fully account for the positive associations observed for periodontal disease and edentulism and cancer risk.
Use of Repeated Within-Subject Measures to Assess Infants’ Preference for Similar Others

Research employing single-choice paradigms in which an infant is asked to make a single choice between two puppets suggest that infants show a preference for prosocial others and those who are similar to themselves. However, the extent to which infants' preference for similar others is stable is unknown, as are other factors within the paradigm that may influence infants' choices. The purpose of this study (two experiments, N = 44 infants, aged 8-15 months) was to replicate and extend previous work by including (1) within-subject repeated measures and (2) an experimental manipulation of a plausible demand characteristic. Results for the first-choice trial indicated a majority of the infants did not choose the similar puppet. Results from the within-subject repeated trials also indicated that a majority of the infants did not choose the similar puppet but a majority did choose a puppet from the same side. The experimental manipulation of the demand characteristic showed no effect on infant puppet choices. These results suggest that a closer examination of the single-choice puppet paradigm for assessing infants' social evaluation is warranted. These findings also support recommendations made by others, including publishing null findings, standardizing data collection and reporting methods, and examining individual differences by employing within-subject designs with repeated measures.
Altruistic self-regulation in young children

We investigated whether children would be willing to sustain delaying their own gratification in order to benefit someone else. We used a modified version of the classic "marshmallow task," in which children must sustain delaying gratification in the presence of the immediate reward for an unspecified amount of time in order to receive a larger reward later. Children were assigned to one of three conditions. In the Self condition, children were given a food item and were told that if they waited to eat it, they would receive a second food item. In the Prosocial condition, children also were given a food item but were told that if they waited to eat their food item, another child would get a food item. In the Nonsocial Control condition, children were given a food item but were told that waiting to eat it would not benefit anyone. We found that children waited significantly longer in both the Self and Prosocial conditions than in the Nonsocial Control condition, and children's wait durations in the Self and Prosocial conditions were not significantly different. Our results suggest that children are willing to engage in effortful self-regulation in order to benefit another child.
SCART: Predicting STT-RAM Cache Retention Times Using Machine Learning

Prior studies have shown that the retention time of the non-volatile spin-transfer torque RAM (STT-RAM) can be relaxed in order to reduce STT-RAM’s write energy and latency. However, since different applications may require different retention times, STT-RAM retention times must be critically explored to satisfy various applications’ needs. This process can be challenging due to exploration overhead, and exacerbated by the fact that STT-RAM caches are emerging and are not readily available for design time exploration. This paper explores using known and easily obtainable statistics (e.g., SRAM statistics) to predict the appropriate STT-RAM retention times, in order to minimize exploration overhead. We propose an STT-RAM Cache Retention Time (SCART) model, which utilizes machine learning to enable design time or runtime prediction of right-provisioned STT-RAM retention times for latency or energy optimization. Experimental results show that, on average, SCART can reduce the latency and energy by 20.34% and 29.12%, respectively, compared to a homogeneous retention time while reducing the exploration overheads by 52.58% compared to prior work.
Current situation and influencing factors of dietary behaviors among children in Wuxi city

Objective To explore the current situation and influencing factors of dietary behaviors among children aged 7 months up to 3 years old in Wuxi of Jiangsu province. Methods According to the convenience sampling, the study investigated 627 parents of seven months to three years old children by "Children′s dietary behavior questionnaire" in Wuxi city from February to September 2015. The data were collected including the general information, children′s dietary behavior problems, and parents′ responses to these problems. Results The average prevalence rate of dietary behavior problems was 67.62% in children aged from 7 months to 3 years old, with the highest prevalence rate among 2-3 years old children. The most prevalent problem was "the bad diet habit" , however, 80.9% parents responded by wrong coping methods. The logistic analysis demonstrated that the preterm infants and infants with low birth weight tended to have more diet behavior problems, and the influencing factors referred to the education level of the parents (especially mothers) and the economic level of the families (P<0.05). Children were likely to have diet problems if their parents had bad feeding behaviors (P<0.05). Conclusions The dietary behavior problems universally exist among children aged seven months up to three years old in Wuxi. Thus, related interventions should be conducted by nursing staffs as early as possible. Key words: Children; Dietary behavior; Influencing factors
Thoracoscopic Versus Endoscopic Therapy for Small Sub-epithelial Esophageal Tumors

Esophageal sub-epithelial tumors (SETs) are lesions that develop below the level of the mucosal layer resulting in a mucosa-covered protrusion into the esophagus. The relative rarity of esophageal SETs, accounting for less than 1% of esophageal tumors, the broad differential with variable risk profiles, and their frequent asymptomatic presentation at small sizes ( 4 cm, and inability to perform lymph node dissection. Based on the available evidence, for resection of small esophageal SETS (<2 cm), we recommend endoscopic enucleation using STER and reserving minimally invasive surgical enucleation for larger tumors.
Sleep-Related Cannabis Expectancy Questionnaire (SR-CEQ): Initial Development among College Students.

A growing body of literature demonstrates that cannabis is commonly used to aid sleep. Consistent with social cognitive theory, there is a vast literature documenting the role of outcome expectanci...
Speedballing with needle embolization: case study and review of the literature

Foreign-body embolization is not an uncommon occurrence. However, to our knowledge, there are only ten reported cases of needle embolization associated with intravenous drug use. We report the sudden death of a 49-year-old white male with a known history of crack cocaine abuse. At autopsy, suspicious needle marks were noted on the right lower extremity. The lungs were of increased weight at 1000 and 1090 g and appeared edematous. The heart weighed 520 g and had a normal red-brown myocardium. Upon sectioning, a broken hypodermic needle of very small caliber was identified in the right ventricular myocardium protruding into the right ventricular chamber. This needle apparently traveled from the injection site to the right ventricle. The right ventricle was dilated and hypertrophied, and microscopic examination showed hyperemic myocardium surrounding the needle. Sections of lung showed numerous foreign-body type giant cells containing polarizable foreign material consistent with intravenous drug use. Toxicological analysis revealed the presence of ethanol (36 mg/dL), cocaine (0.098 mg/L), benzoylecgonine (2.16 mg/L), and morphine (0.841 mg/L). Urine and blood were positive for the presence of 6-monoacetylmorphine. Based on the toxicological analysis, the cause of death was determined to be cocaine and heroin toxicity, and the manner accidental. The needle embolus was considered an incidental finding.
Combined transcranial magnetic stimulation and brief cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial in veterans

At least 17 veterans die every day from suicide. Although existing treatments such as brief cognitive behavioral therapy (BCBT) have been found to reduce suicide attempts in military personnel, a number of patients go on to attempt suicide after completing therapy. Thus, finding ways to enhance treatment efficacy to reduce suicide is critical. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive technique that can be used to stimulate brain regions that are impaired in suicidal patients, that has been successfully used to augment treatments for psychiatric disorders implicated in suicide. The goal of this study is to test whether augmenting BCBT with TMS in suicidal veterans reduces rates of suicidal ideation, attempts, and other deleterious treatment outcomes. One hundred thirty veterans with a suicide plan or suicidal behavior in the prior 2 weeks will be recruited from inpatient and outpatient settings at the Providence VA Medical Center in the USA. Veterans will be randomly assigned to receive 30 daily sessions of active or sham TMS in concert with a 12-week BCBT protocol in a parallel group design. Veterans will complete interviews and questionnaires related to psychiatric symptoms, suicidal ideation and behavior, treatment utilization, and functioning during a baseline assessment prior to treatment, at treatment endpoint, and 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Primary analyses will use mixed effect regressions to examine effects of treatment condition on suicidal behaviors, improvements in psychosocial functioning, and psychiatric hospitalization. Similar models as well as exploratory latent growth curve analyses will examine mediators and moderators of treatment effects. This protocol provides a framework for designing multilayered treatment studies for suicide. When completed, this study will be the first clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of augmenting BCBT for suicide with TMS. The results of this trial will have implications for treatment of suicide ideation and behaviors and implementation of augmented treatment designs. If positive, results from this study can be rapidly implemented across the VA system and will have a direct and meaningful impact on veteran suicide. This study was registered prior to participant enrollment with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03952468 . Registered on May 16, 2019. Robert O’Brien (VA Health Services R&D), robert.obrien7@va.gov
Multiple bovine abortions with evidence of fetal locoism from pre-clinically intoxicated dams

Chronic consumption of specific plant species from the genera Oxytropis, Astragalus, lpomeoa, and Swainsonia, commonly known as locoweeds, is well known to induce locoism in grazing animals. Locoism in cattle is characterized by sensory deficits, ataxia, behavior changes, loss of condition, and failure to grow. The toxic principle swainsonine is rapidly absorbed and distributed through the bloodstream to multiple organs where it inhibits cellular lysosomal alphamannosidase and Golgi mannosidase II, leading to lysosomal dysfunction and disruption of glycoprotein processing. Excessive mannose-rich oligosaccharide accumulations cause cytoplasmic vacuolation and cellular dysfunction. In addition to neurologic disease, chronic consumption of locoweeds is known to induce abortion and embryonic death in neurologically affected dams. We describe multiple cases of bovine abortion associated with chronic locoweed ingestion in non-clinical dams from a herd in southeastern Colorado. Neurons from the cerebral cortex, brainstem, cerebellum, and renal tubular epithelial cells displayed the characteristic cytoplasmic vacuolation observed in adult cases of locoism in the aborted animals. Although chronic ingestion of locoweed is widely known to cause early gestation embryonic death, late-term hydrops amnii, and fetal fluid accumulation, locoweed-induced abortion should be considered as a differential diagnosis for cases ofnon-infectious abortion in grazing cattle, even in the absence of maternal clinical signs. These findings indicate that the bovine fetus may be more sensitive to the abortive effects of swainsonine than previously thought.
The cost of a global tariff war: A sufficient statistics approach

Abstract Tariff wars have reemerged as a serious threat to the global economy. Yet measuring the prospective cost of a global tariff war remains computationally prohibitive, unless we restrict attention to a small set of countries and industries. This paper develops a new methodology that measures the cost of a global tariff war in one simple step as a function of observable shares, industry-level trade elasticities, and markup wedges. Applying this methodology to data on 44 countries and 56 industries, I find that (i) the prospective cost of a global tariff war has more-than-doubled over the past fifteen years, with small downstream economies being the most vulnerable. (ii) Meanwhile, due to the rise of global markup distortions, the potential gains from cooperative tariff policies have also elevated to unprecedented levels.
Association Between Coffee Intake and Incident Heart Failure Risk: A Machine Learning Analysis of the FHS, the ARIC Study, and the CHS.

Background: Coronary heart disease, heart failure (HF), and stroke are complex diseases with multiple phenotypes. While many risk factors for these diseases are well known, investigation of as-yet ...
The Golden Dawn’s “Nationalist Solution”: Explaining the Rise of the Far Right in Greece: by Sofia Vasilopoulou and Daphne Halikiopoulou, New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015, 110 pp., $95.00 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-1-349-50390-2

This book is an important monograph that gives a detailed overview of the rise of Golden Dawn, a far right political party in Greece. Written by two political scientists who are native born Greeks,...
Tele-History and Tele-Examination

Tele-stroke has been gaining popularity in the present time not only in the Unites States but also in other parts of the world. It helps to give a timely access in an emergency situation and caters to a large section of population, making geographical barriers less significant. Due to its numerous advantages, this has been adopted by various healthcare institutions across the world, necessitating healthcare providers to adapt to these new methods. This chapter attempts to discuss tele-stroke through a model case and focuses on some main components of tele-neurology in general, which play a vital role in a tele-neurology encounter: history, physical examination, and documentation.
Science, Technology & Innovation for Sustainability in Small Island States: Key Implications for Policy and Practice

This Policy Brief follows the discussions of two online workshops the Island Policy Lab conducted in 2020. The webinars received speakers from different fields – academics, think-tanks, governmental officials and analysts from intergovernmental organizations – and discussed innovation and technology acquisition and implementation issues in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as well as ways to improve efforts for SIDS to get access to newer technologies.
Evaluation of microglia in a rodent model of Parkinson’s disease primed with L-DOPA after sub-anesthetic ketamine treatment

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), characterized by motor dysfunction. While PD symptoms are well treated with L-DOPA, continuous use can cause L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). We have previously demonstrated that sub-anesthetic ketamine attenuated LID development in rodents, measured by abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs), and reduced the density of maladaptive striatal dendritic mushroom spines. Microglia may play a role by phagocytosing maladaptive neuronal spines. In this exploratory study, we hypothesized that ketamine would prevent AIMs and change microglia ramified morphology – an indicator of a microglia response. Unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rats were primed with daily injections of L-DOPA for 14 days, treated on days 0 and 7 for 10-hours with sub-anesthetic ketamine (i.p.), and we replicated that this attenuated LID development. We further extended our prior work by showing that while ketamine treatment did lead to an increase of striatal interleukin-6 in dyskinetic rats, indicating a modulation of an inflammatory response, it did not change microglia number or morphology in the dyskinetic striatum. Yet an increase of CD68 in the SNpc of 6-OHDA-lesioned hemispheres post-ketamine indicates increased microglia phagocytosis suggestive of a lingering microglial response to 6-OHDA injury in the SNpc pointing to possible anti-inflammatory action in the PD model in addition to anti-dyskinetic action. In conclusion, we provide further support for sub-anesthetic ketamine treatment of LID. The mechanisms of action for ketamine, specifically related to inflammation and microglia phagocytic functions, are emerging, and require further examination.
The Pseudouridine Residues of rRNA: Number, Location, Biosynthesis, and Function

This chapter focuses on the pseudouridine (5-β-D-ribofuranosyluracil; Ψ) residues in rRNA. This subject has been reviewed previously both in a detailed analysis of the work on eukaryotic rRNA up to circa 1990, which also includes methylated nucleosides, and in a review of more recent work. The chapter talks about number and locations of Ψ in small-subunit (SSU) and large-subunit (LSU) rRNAs. Synthesis of cytoplasmic rRNAs in eukaryotic cells involves the action of a large population of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs). Site selection in each case involves base pairing of a guide snoRNA with the rRNA segment to be modified, and selection of a nucleotide located at a constant distance from an additional determinant(s) in the snoRNA. The two types of guide function are provided by snoRNAs in separate families known as the box C/D and H/ACA box families, respectively. Each family contains snoRNAs required for rRNA processing, but the main function of these RNAs is the modification of rRNA nucleotides. There is no firm evidence so far for an essential role for any in the cell, and a number of cases are known where deletion of a single Ψ has no obvious effect. It is likely that additional pseudouridine synthases will be identified and characterized and that they will come from new and familiar sources.
Dissolved zinc in the subarctic North Pacific and Bering Sea: Its distribution, speciation, and importance to primary producers

[1] The eastern subarctic North Pacific, an area of high nutrients and low chlorophyll, has been studied with respect to the potential for iron to control primary production. The geochemistry of zinc, a critical micronutrient for diatoms, is less well characterized. Total zinc concentrations and zinc speciation were measured in near-surface waters on transects across the subarctic North Pacific and across the Bering Sea. Total dissolved zinc concentrations in the near-surface ranged from 0.10 nmol L−1 to 1.15 nmol L−1 with lowest concentrations in the eastern portions of both the North Pacific and Bering Sea. Dissolved zinc speciation was dominated by complexation to strong organic ligands whose concentration ranged from 1.1 to 3.6 nmol L−1 with conditional stability constants (K′ZnL/Zn′) ranging from 109.3 to 1011.0. The importance of zinc to primary producers was evaluated by comparison to phytoplankton pigment concentrations and by performing a shipboard incubation. Zinc concentrations were positively correlated with two pigments that are characteristic of diatoms. At one station in the North Pacific, the addition of 0.75 nmol L−1 zinc resulted in a doubling of chlorophyll after 4 days.
Proceedings of the 8th ACM SIGPLAN-SIGSOFT workshop on Program analysis for software tools and engineering

This volume constitutes the proceedings of Program Analysis for Software Tools and Engineering (PASTE) 2008, held November 9--10, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, co-located with SIGSOFT 2008 Symposium on Foundations of Software Engineering. This year PASTE solicited both short (three-page) and long (six-page) papers. In both cases the length excluded the formal bibliography, which could be as long as necessary. Every paper received a minimum of four reviews, and many had five. Out of twenty-six submissions, we accepted thirteen. The program committee met by software and telephone. The workshop was kicked off on the first day with an invited presentation by Tevfik Bultan on modularity, interfaces, and verification, and on the second day with an invited presentation by Somesh Jha on retrofitting legacy code for security.
Follicular Determinants of Corpus Luteum Function in the Human Ovary

The corpus luteum is a direct continuation of follicle development. It forms after ovulation from the haemorrhagic tissues of the ruptured follicle and it becomes the major source of progesterone circulating in plasma. The main site of progesterone synthesis in the human corpus luteum is presumed to be the granulosa-lutein cells: these cells secrete appreciable amounts of progesterone in tissue culture (~6 pg/cell/day) (1) and they are the most numerous of the various cell-types present.
Matching on the disease risk score in comparative effectiveness research of new treatments

Purpose We use simulations and an empirical example to evaluate the performance of disease risk score (DRS) matching compared with propensity score (PS) matching when controlling large numbers of covariates in settings involving newly introduced treatments. Methods We simulated a dichotomous treatment, a dichotomous outcome, and 100 baseline covariates that included both continuous and dichotomous random variables. For the empirical example, we evaluated the comparative effectiveness of dabigatran versus warfarin in preventing combined ischemic stroke and all-cause mortality. We matched treatment groups on a historically estimated DRS and again on the PS. We controlled for a high-dimensional set of covariates using 20% and 1% samples of Medicare claims data from October 2010 through December 2012. Results In simulations, matching on the DRS versus the PS generally yielded matches for more treated individuals and improved precision of the effect estimate. For the empirical example, PS and DRS matching in the 20% sample resulted in similar hazard ratios (0.88 and 0.87) and standard errors (0.04 for both methods). In the 1% sample, PS matching resulted in matches for only 92.0% of the treated population and a hazard ratio and standard error of 0.89 and 0.19, respectively, while DRS matching resulted in matches for 98.5% and a hazard ratio and standard error of 0.85 and 0.16, respectively. Conclusions When PS distributions are separated, DRS matching can improve the precision of effect estimates and allow researchers to evaluate the treatment effect in a larger proportion of the treated population. However, accurately modeling the DRS can be challenging compared with the PS. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Osteomyelitis in the Patient with Sickle-Cell Disease

A review of the hospital records of all patients coded with a discharge diagnosis of hereditary hemoglobin abnormality and acute or chronic osteomyelitis at the Johns Hopkins Hospital during the period 1958 to 1968 identified ten children with hemoglobinopathies and fully documented bone infections caused by gram-negative organisms. The ages of these patients ranged from eleven months to nine years. Seven had SS hemoglobin; two, S-thalassemia; and one, SC hemoglobin. The infections were caused by Salmonella typhimurium in three patients, by Salmonellaheidelberg in two, and by Salmonella derby, Escherichia coli, and Haemophilus influenzae in one each. One patient died of a fatal septicemia. The others survived and recovered completely from their bone infection. There were no joint infections. The notable findings in this study were as follows: The unique susceptibility of patients with sickle-cell disease to bone infection, especially Salmonella paratyphosa infection, was confirmed and the possible causative factors were reviewed and discussed. The characteristic and inevitable roentgenographic osseous changes were found not to be related to the type of infecting organism, its virulence, or the success or failure of therapy, but rather to the combined effects of the abnormality in hemoglobin and the infection. The problems and pitfalls in diagnosis and treatment were illustrated and discussed. The effectiveness of chloramphenicol in eradicating salmonella infection despite the presence of pronounced roentgenographic changes in the affected bone or bones was demoustrated. The complications of chloransphenicol therapy and their prevention were also described.
Effects of the HELPS Reading Fluency Program when Implemented by Classroom Teachers with Low‐Performing Second‐Grade Students

The Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) Program was developed by integrating eight evidence-based fluency-building instructional strategies into a systematic program that can be feasibly implemented and accessed for free by all educators. This study examined the effects of HELPS when implemented by teachers with low-performing second-grade readers. Findings showed that students receiving HELPS significantly outperformed control group students across five measures of early reading, with effect sizes ranging from medium to large. Previous research indicated positive effects for students receiving HELPS, but this was the first study in which HELPS was implemented by classroom teachers (opposed to research assistants) and solely with low-performing readers. Implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.
Diffraction effects in freeform optics

Freeform optics is a relatively new field; it uses the methods necessary to describe surfaces lacking symmetry, and/or surfaces that create non-symmetrical irradiance distributions. The Supporting Quadrics Method (SQM) developed by Oliker is a superb for generating any desired irradiance distribution. The SQM uses an envelope of quadrics to create prescribed irradiance distributions. These optical systems are tested in ray trace software, where diffraction effects are not taken into account. It is important to understand the diffraction effects present in an optic, when moving from the ray trace stage to the prototype stage. Here we study the diffraction effects of Supporting Quadrics Method.
Chromosomal localization of human haemoglobin structural genes.

WE have hybridized radioactive RNA specific for the production of haemoglobin with human metaphase chromosomes. The regions on the chromosomes which may contain the corresponding structural genes have been identified by autoradiography.
A photometric adaptation of the zinc uranyl acetate method for sodium.

SummaryA photometric method is described based on the gravimetric procedure of Butler and Tuthill in which the precipitated sodium zinc uranyl acetate is dissolved in water, giving a yellow color which is read with a suitable filter against a standard curve at 430 mμ. Phosphates in the normal urine were found to exert negligible interference. Recoveries and comparison values show the method to be more rapid and at least of equivalent accuracy with the gravimetric procedure.
A low cost weather balloon borne solar cell calibration payload

Calibration of standard sets of solar cell sub-cells is an important step to laboratory verification of on-orbit performance of new solar cell technologies. This paper, looks at the potential capabilities of a lightweight weather balloon payload for solar cell calibration. A 1500 gr latex weather balloon can lift a 2.7 kg payload to over 100,000 ft altitude, above 99% of the atmosphere. Data taken between atmospheric pressures of about 30 to 15 mbar may be extrapolated via the Langley Plot method to 0 mbar, i.e. AM0. This extrapolation, in principle, can have better than 0.1% error. The launch costs of such a payload are significantly less the the much larger, higher altitude balloons, or the manned flight facility. The low cost enables a risk tolerant approach to payload development. Demonstration of 1% standard deviation flight-to-flight variation is the goal of this project. This paper describes the initial concept of solar cell calibration payload, and reports initial test flight results.
Forward-backward asymmetry in the inelastic scattering of electrons from highly charged ions

Energy-dependent, absolute differential cross sections for 1s2l excitation in F8+ by the scattering of quasi-free target electrons have been measured. The formation and subsequent decay of the F7+ (3lnl´) (n3) doubly excited intermediate states gives rise to a resonant inelastic scattering amplitude which is coherent with the nonresonant inelastic scattering. A strong forward-backward asymmetry was found for the inelastically scattered electrons due to the interference between these two scattering amplitudes. Close-coupling R-matrix calculations show excellent agreement with the experiment and thereby demonstrates a method for obtaining high-resolution, angle-resolved differential inelastic electron-ion scattering cross sections.