cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Belowground carbon pools and processes in different age stands of Douglas-fir

Forest floor material and soil organic matter may act as both a source and a sink in global CO2 cycles. Thus, the ecosystem processes controlling these pools are central to understanding the transfers of carbon (C) between the atmosphere and terrestrial systems. To examine these ecosystem processes, the effect of stand age on temporal carbon source-sink relationships was examined in 20-year-old, 40-year-old and old-growth stands of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) in the Cascade Mountains of south-central Washington State. Belowground C and nitrogen (N) storage and soil respiration were measured. In addition, nylon mesh bags containing homogenized soils from each site were buried at the respective sites to quantify root ingrowth and potential C sequestration and loss. The sites supporting the 20- and 40-year-old stands had soil C stores reflecting the C contributions from logging residue, coarse woody debris and stumps left after harvest. Because the N-fixer red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) comprised 33% of the 40-year-old stand, this site had significantly greater concentrations and pools of N in the forest floor than sites without red alder. This N-rich site had consistently lower soil CO2 efflux rates during the growing season than the sites supporting the 20-year-old and old-growth stands. Estimated annual soil C efflux was 1367, 883 and 1194 g m-2 for the sites supporting the 20-, 40- and old-growth stands, respectively. These values are higher than previously reported values. Root ingrowth was significantly less in the 40-year-old stand than in the 20-year-old stand, and both young stands showed markedly less fine root growth than the old-growth stand. At the sites supporting the young stands, C and N were lost from the soil bags, whereas there was an increase in C and N in the soil bags at the site supporting the old-growth stand. The fine root growth and soil respiration data support the hypothesis that belowground C allocation decreases with increasing fertility. Quantification of the source-sink relationship of soil C at the three stands based on litterfall, relative root ingrowth and soil respiration measurements was compromised because of significant CO2 flux from decaying organic matter in the young stands.
Gendered Language Psychological Principles, Evolving Practices, and Inclusive Policies

The language used to describe concepts influences individuals’ cognition, affect, and behavior. A striking example comes from research on gendered language, or words that denote individuals’ gender...
Currency Returns in Different Time Zones

Currency returns in different time zones have different dynamics. During U.S. business hours European currencies earn positive returns against the dollar, and during European business hours these currencies earn negative returns. I propose a new explanation that is based on market segmentation and financial intermediation in the foreign exchange market. U.S. exporters arrive at the market during U.S. business hours and want to sell foreign currencies, but they cannot find a counterparty because European exporters are sleeping. They rely on financial intermediary to carry the currency position across time zones, who charges a risk premium that leads foreign currencies to appreciate against the dollar during U.S. business hours.
Acute presentation of brachial plexus schwannoma secondary to infarction

Schwannomas of the brachial plexus are rare and typically present as slowly growing masses. We describe a case of a 37-year-old female who presented with acute onset of severe left upper extremity pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 2.3 × 2.1 cm peripherally enhancing centrally cystic lesion in the left axilla, along the cords of the left brachial plexus, with significant surrounding edema and enhancement. The mass was surgically removed. Pathology was consistent with a schwannoma with infarction. The pain completely resolved immediately after surgery.
Rapid and efficient sprayed multilayer films for controlled drug delivery

The speed and scalability of film fabrication can dictate the translation of technologies from the laboratory scale to industrial level mass production. Spray-assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) film assembly enables the rapid coating of geometrically complex and porous substrates with functional polyelectrolyte multilayers. Unfortunately, the encapsulation efficiency can be as low as one percent, making this technique prohibitively costly with even modestly priced materials. Herein, we used containment chambers to separately capture the aerosolized solutions for each step in the spray-LbL process and analyzed the effect of recycling on multilayer film assembly. With potential biomedical applications, we studied the controlled release films of (Poly 2/heparin/lysozyme/heparin)n films and tracked the distribution of lysozyme after film assembly. In a “Conventional” Spray-LbL protocol, only 6% of the aerosolized lysozyme is incorporated into the film. By collecting and returning the expended solutions to their respective reservoirs (Recycle Spray-LbL), we increased this efficiency to 15%. We also tuned the final distribution of lysozyme by adjusting the spray times (Optimized Spray-LbL), which minimized the amount of lysozyme lost to non-specific adsorption and reduced the fraction of lysozyme lost to the wash step from 30% and 75% (Conventional and Recycle Spray-LbL, respectively) to 13%. Despite the changes in film assembly parameters, each film demonstrated similar controlled release properties. With the inherent limitations of time and cost facing Dip and Conventional Spray-LbL technologies, respectively, the implementation of recycling to the latter demonstrates improvements in efficiency and time that may make it more attractive for the manufacture of biomedical coatings. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43563.
Note on weighted sum and linear operator models

Analysis of variance provides a simple, powerful method for testing goodness-of-fit and for estimating parameters for a class of weighted sum models. Certain models for learning and other behavior changes maybe reduced to weighted sum models and analyzed in the same way.
Interfacial free energies and the creep of multilayer thin films

The change of the free energies associated with interfaces in coarsening materials determines whether polycrystalline structures are stable. For fine grained structures where total interfacial free energies are high, techniques for measuring these quantities are of practical as well as fundamental importance. Experimental techniques based on the creep behavior of multilayer materials can be used to determine the interfacial free energy per unit area of interface {gamma}{sub i}, since the number of interfaces, as well as the type of interfaces for textured materials, can be well characterized. Techniques to determine {gamma}{sub i} are described in the literature; they include uniaxial zero creep of free standing multilayer foils and wires and biaxial zero creep of multilayer foils on elastic substrates. To date only experimental results for uniaxial zero creep of Ag/Ni and Ag/Fe multilayer foils have been published. Multilayer foils of Ag/Co exhibit behavior similar to that of Ag/Ni and Ag/Fe multilayers. This behavior, the phenomenon of zero creep, will be described in this paper. The theory for a new technique utilizing tubular foils will then be described.
An Empirical Analysis of Algorithmic Pricing on Amazon Marketplace

The rise of e-commerce has unlocked practical applications for algorithmic pricing (also called dynamic pricing algorithms), where sellers set prices using computer algorithms. Travel websites and large, well known e-retailers have already adopted algorithmic pricing strategies, but the tools and techniques are now available to small-scale sellers as well. While algorithmic pricing can make merchants more competitive, it also creates new challenges. Examples have emerged of cases where competing pieces of algorithmic pricing software interacted in unexpected ways and produced unpredictable prices, as well as cases where algorithms were intentionally designed to implement price fixing. Unfortunately, the public currently lack comprehensive knowledge about the prevalence and behavior of algorithmic pricing algorithms in-the-wild. In this study, we develop a methodology for detecting algorithmic pricing, and use it empirically to analyze their prevalence and behavior on Amazon Marketplace. We gather four months of data covering all merchants selling any of 1,641 best-seller products. Using this dataset, we are able to uncover the algorithmic pricing strategies adopted by over 500 sellers. We explore the characteristics of these sellers and characterize the impact of these strategies on the dynamics of the marketplace.
21 GROWTH, MOTOR, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN BREAST- AND FORMULA-FED INFANTS OF METFORMIN-TREATED WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME.

Objectives In a prospective, 6-month study of 61 breast- and 50 formula-fed infants born to 92 PCOS mothers, all of whom took metformin throughout pregnancy, our hypothesis was that metformin during lactation vs formula would have no adverse effects on infants9 growth, motor-social development, and intercurrent illness. Study Design Growth, motor-social development, and illness requiring a pediatrician visit were prospectively assessed in 61 nursing infants (21 male, 40 female) and 50 formula-fed infants (19 male, 31 female) born to 92 PCOS mothers taking a median of 2.55 g metformin/day throughout pregnancy and lactation. Results Within gender, at 3 and 6 months of age, weight, height, and motor-social development did not differ ( p $ .06) between breast- and formula-fed infants. No infants had retardation of growth, motor, or social development. Intercurrent illnesses did not differ in 30% of breast- and 22% of formula-fed infants by 3 months ( p = .4) and in 46% and 34% by 6 months ( p = .2). Conclusions Growth, motor-social development, and intercurrent illnesses in breast- and formula-fed infants from metformin-treated PCOS mothers did not differ; metformin during lactation appears to be safe and effective in the first 6 months of infancy.
Reflections on the Development of Social Science Journals of Universities

At present,many social science journals of universities lack ability of competitive power and face difficulties. The weak market sense and the unclear characteristics are the intrinsic reasons. We should foster market sense, stress the work of selecting subject and designing to promote the competitive power of social science journals.
Cysteinyl Leukotrienes and Disease

Cysteinyl leukotrienes (cys-LTs) are peptide-conjugated lipid inflammatory mediators generated predominantly by hematopoietic effector cells. Although they were originally recognized based on their capacity to potently induce vascular leakage and smooth muscle contraction, they are now known to elicit a wide range of effects on hematopoietic and structural cells and to have a key role in the initiation and amplification of type 2 immunity and eosinophilic inflammation. The three ligands comprising the cys-LTs, that is, leukotriene (LT)C4, LTD4, and LTE4, mediate their effects through at least three G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), termed the type 1 and type 2 cys-LT receptors (CysLT1R and CysLT2R, respectively), and the recently identified third receptor, GPR99, the only receptor with a binding preference for LTE4. This chapter is concerned primarily with the expanding role of the cys-LTs and their receptors in asthma and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, and touches on the potential implications for other pathobiological processes.
Dengue Fever and Dengue Shock Syndrome

Epidemic dengue fever has been absent from the continental United States since 1945, but recent outbreaks in the Western Hemisphere have been too close for complacency. An understanding of the epidemiologic and pathologic dynamics that interact to escalate a self-limited disease to one of epidemic proportions as well as catastrophic clinical impact provides a basis for preventive strategy.
Extreme Winter: Weaving Weather and Climate into a Narrative Through Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Hard Winter of 1880–1881 was featured in the Laura Ingalls Wilder historical fiction account, The Long Winter, as well as in several local histories across the region. Both meteorological records and historical accounts indicate that the winter was particularly long, snowy, and cold. As a result, homestead settlers in the Great Plains and Upper Midwest regions of the United States were stranded for weeks or months at a time, many in inadequate shelters and with fuel and food supplies that ran short. The compelling narrative of Wilder’s perspective on the Hard Winter, linking scientific information about the winter of 1880–1881 to a cultural icon, provides a natural vehicle with which to communicate weather and climate concepts. A narrative constructed around The Long Winter and other books authored by Wilder provides a means of audience engagement and interest in weather- and climate-related topics, which was at least partially quantified by surveying audiences of the narrative. Overall, the extreme winter weather, combined with a familiar narrative voice, transmits weather and climate understanding to a wide audience.
Histopathology and Pathogenesis of Vascular Tumors and Malformations

Accurate histopathological description combined with knowledgeable clinical and radiological evaluation is an absolute requisite for both study and meaningful diagnosis of vascular anomalies, both neoplastic and malformative. Unfortunately, traditional over-generic use of the hemangioma has caused inappropriate lumping of entities that we now know are both biologically as well as clinically dissimilar. This chapter provides an overview of the current clinical, histological, and immunophenotypical features that distinguish the major types of vascular tumors and malformations presenting in infancy and childhood, and summarizes the diagnostic histopathological criteria and nomenclature currently applied to these lesions in most major vascular anomalies centers around the world. The classification presented is congruent with the latest (2014) guidelines of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies. A general discussion of pathogenesis is also included for most entities, providing correlation between clinical, epidemiological, histo-immunophenotypic, and, for many, genetic features.
Lower Devonian aulacopleuroidean trilobites from Oklahoma

New aulacopleuroidean trilobites from the Lochkovian of Oklahoma include the otarionine Cyphaspis carrolli new species from the Haragan Formation, and the brachymetopid Cordania wessmani new species from the overlying Bois d'Arc Formation. Cyphaspis carrolli is the first record of the genus from the North American Devonian. It is a highly plesiomorphic species, dissimilar to contemporaries from Europe, but closely related to Silurian species from Northern Laurentia and England. Cordania wessmani had previously been interpreted as a possible sexual dimorph of Cordania falcata Whittington, 1960, but new material and information shows that the forms occur separately with no stratigraphic overlap. New information on trilobite occurrence in the Haragan and Bois d'Arc Formations does not support previous hypotheses of trilobite sexual dimorphism, but rather indicates the presence of distinct, stratigraphically successive faunas.
From constructive engagement to renewed estrangement? Securitization and Turkey’s deteriorating relations with its Kurdish minority

ABSTRACTOver the last several years, the political will of the governing AKP in Turkey to make the historic compromises necessary to complete the peace process with the Kurds has sharply declined. This paper will examine the causes of the breakdown in the Turkish-Kurdish peace process and the Turkish government’s lurch in a nationalist direction in its approach towards the Kurdish minority from the standpoint of ‘securitization’ theory. The key catalysts, it is argued, for the re-emergence of a securitization paradigm in Turkey’s handling of the Kurdish issue are: (1) Turkey’s stalled bid for accession to the European Union; (2) the intensifying electoral competition between AKP and the Kurdish movement parties, coupled with the instrumentalization of the Kurdish peace process to serve President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s quest to install a dominant presidential system and (3) the spillover effects of Syria’s civil war on Turkey’s relations with its own Kurdish populace.
Targeting dendritic cells to accelerate T-cell activation overcomes a bottleneck in tuberculosis vaccine efficacy

The development of a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that induces sterilizing immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection has been elusive. Absence of sterilizing immunity induced by TB vaccines may be due to delayed activation of mucosal dendritic cells (DCs), and subsequent delay in antigen presentation and activation of vaccine-induced CD4+ T-cell responses. Here we show that pulmonary delivery of activated M. tuberculosis antigen-primed DCs into vaccinated mice, at the time of M. tuberculosis exposure, can overcome the delay in accumulation of vaccine-induced CD4+ T-cell responses. In addition, activating endogenous host CD103+ DCs and the CD40–CD40L pathway can similarly induce rapid accumulation of vaccine-induced lung CD4+ T-cell responses and limit early M. tuberculosis growth. Thus, our study provides proof of concept that targeting mucosal DCs can accelerate vaccine-induced T-cell responses on M. tuberculosis infection, and provide insights to overcome bottlenecks in TB vaccine efficacy. A delay in T cell responses is postulated as a possible explanation for the limited efficacy of vaccines against tuberculosis. Here the authors demonstrate this T-cell block and remove it by activating endogenous dendritic cells or delivering activated dendritic cells to the lungs, enhancing immunity of mice toMycobacterium tuberculosis.
Several Aspects of Internet and Web-Based Technology in Diabetes Management.

As evidenced by a large number of well-conducted randomized trials, the complications and confounding conditions that can result from mismanagement of diabetes can be reduced or prevented with appropriate medical care (1–5). Observational studies to ascertain the level of glycemic control, blood pressure control, and cholesterol control in people with diabetes provide evidence of poor adherence to established self-management protocols (6–9). Although diabetes shares characteristics with other chronic lifelong diseases that require a model of continuous care, successful management of diabetes is primarily based on patients’ ability to maintain consistency in self-care–related behaviors (10–14). Diabetes care requires long-term self-management and a willingness to adapt to a new lifestyle, which includes changes in eating habits, regular exercise, and adherence to medication schedules (15–19). Thus, diabetes health care providers have limited control over the actual development and treatment of the disease (20–24). Lack of adherence to diabetes self-care protocols is multifaceted but includes factors such as perceived lack of time for check-ins and follow-ups with primary care providers (PCPs), treating providers, and specialist (25). In addition to patient complexities, some strategies used by treating providers and specialists for providing self-management classes or interventions have shown promise but are limited by costs to both education/intervention providers and patients. For providers, costs may include staffing, conducting classes, and securing locations for them; for patients, costs may include transportation, missed time from work, and childcare services. An additional barrier is providers’ inability to provide frequent, long-term contact with patients who have completed such interventions; there are limited available resources to devote to sustaining lifelong intervention to encourage adherence to effective self-management practices (26,27). PCPs normally serve as the central point of care and arrange for patient appointments with other specialists such …
Reduced neutron widths in the nuclear data ensemble: Experiment andtheory do not agree

I have analyzed reduced neutron widths (Γ 0 n ) for the subset of 1245 resonances in the nuclear data ensemble (NDE) for which they have been reported. Random matrix theory (RMT) predicts for the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE) that these widths should follow a χ 2 distribution having one degree of freedom (ν = 1) - the Porter Thomas (PT) distribution. Using the maximum-likelihood (ML) technique, I have determined that the Γ 0 n values in the NDE are best described by a χ 2 distribution having ν = 0.80 ± 0.052, which is 3.8 standard deviations smaller than predicted by RMT. I show that this striking disagreement is most likely due to the inclusion of significant p -wave contamination to the supposedly pure s -wave NDE. Furthermore, when an energy-dependent threshold is used to remove the p -wave contamination, ML analysis yields ν = 1.217 ± 0.092 for the remaining data, still in poor agreement with the RMT prediction for the GOE. These results cast very serious doubt on claims that the NDE represents a striking confirmation of RMT.
Long-wavelength optical logging for high-resolution detection of ash layers in glacier ice

A new instrument for high-resolution optical logging has been built and tested in Antarctica. Its purpose is to obtain records of volcanic products and other scattering features, such as bubbles and impurities, preserved in polar ice sheets, and it achieves this by using long wavelength near-infrared light that is absorbed by the ice before many scattering events occur. Longer wavelengths ensure that the return signal is composed primarily of a single or few backscattering event(s) that limit its spatial spread. The compact optical logger features no components on its body that draw power, which minimizes its size and weight. A prototype of the logger was built and tested at Siple Dome A borehole, and the results were correlated with prior optical logging profiles and records of volcanic products from collected ice core samples.
Variable Selection via Partial Correlation.

Partial correlation based variable selection method was proposed for normal linear regression models by Buhlmann, Kalisch and Maathuis (2010) as a comparable alternative method to regularization methods for variable selection. This paper addresses two important issues related to partial correlation based variable selection method: (a) whether this method is sensitive to normality assumption, and (b) whether this method is valid when the dimension of predictor increases in an exponential rate of the sample size. To address issue (a), we systematically study this method for elliptical linear regression models. Our finding indicates that the original proposal may lead to inferior performance when the marginal kurtosis of predictor is not close to that of normal distribution. Our simulation results further confirm this finding. To ensure the superior performance of partial correlation based variable selection procedure, we propose a thresholded partial correlation (TPC) approach to select significant variables in linear regression models. We establish the selection consistency of the TPC in the presence of ultrahigh dimensional predictors. Since the TPC procedure includes the original proposal as a special case, our theoretical results address the issue (b) directly. As a by-product, the sure screening property of the first step of TPC was obtained. The numerical examples also illustrate that the TPC is competitively comparable to the commonly-used regularization methods for variable selection.
Solubility and Thermodynamic Modeling of Carcinogenic Nitrosamines in Aqueous Amine Solvents for CO 2 Capture

Abstract A better understanding of key fundamental properties of nitrosamines, including their solubility in aqueous amine solvents, is needed to understand and accurately model the vapor-phase emission levels from operating CO2 capture systems. In this work, the first experimental Henry's volatility coefficient of a nitrosamine was obtained with a novel method using static headspace solid phase micro extraction (SPME) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The experimentally determined Henry's volatility coefficient of nitrosopyrrolidine (NPY) was found to be around 0.02 (dimensionless) at 25 °C, and falls in the range of a semi-volatile compound. A linear temperature dependency of the Henry's volatility coefficient can be observed, however additional data is need to verify this trend.
Inhibition of yeast‐to‐filamentous growth transitions in Candida albicans by a small molecule inducer of mammalian apoptosis

The opportunistic fungal pathogen of humans Candida albicans is able to grow in different morphological forms such as round or oval yeasts and filamentous hyphae and pseudohyphae. Morphogenesis, the ability to switch between the yeast and filamentous growth forms, is important for adapting to new microenvironments in the human host and for pathogenesis. The molecular pathways governing morphogenesis are complex and incompletely understood. Previously, we identified several small organic molecules that specifically inhibit the initiation of hyphal growth in C. albicans without affecting cell viability or budded growth. One molecule from that screen is known to induce apoptosis in mammalian cells. In this study, we have screened additional inducers of mammalian apoptosis and identified BH3I-1, as well as several structural derivatives of BH3I-1, that act as specific inhibitors of morphogenesis under a variety of environmental conditions. Chemical epistasis experiments suggest that BH3I-1 acts downstream of the hypha-specific gene regulators Rfg1, Nrg1 and Ume6.
A fast iterative algorithm for support vector data description

Support vector data description (SVDD) is a well known model for pattern analysis when only positive examples are reliable. SVDD is usually trained by solving a quadratic programming problem, which is time consuming. This paper formulates the Lagrangian of a simply modified SVDD model as a differentiable convex function over the nonnegative orthant. The resulting minimization problem can be solved by a simple iterative algorithm. The proposed algorithm is easy to implement, without requiring any particular optimization toolbox. Theoretical and experimental analysis show that the algorithm converges r-linearly to the unique minimum point. Extensive experiments on pattern classification were conducted, and compared to the quadratic programming based SVDD (QP-SVDD), the proposed approach is much more computationally efficient (hundreds of times faster) and yields similar performance in terms of receiver operating characteristic curve. Furthermore, the proposed method and QP-SVDD extract almost the same set of support vectors.
Season-Ending Shoulder Injuries in the National Collegiate Athletic Association: Data From the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program, 2009-2010 Through 2013-2014.

Background:Examination of the incidence of shoulder season-ending injury (SEI) in the collegiate athlete population is limited.Purpose:To determine the incidence of shoulder SEI in the National Col...
Quadpolarization SAR Calibration Using Target Reciprocity

In this paper we present a novel algorithm for radiometric and polarimetric calibration of complex quadpolarization SAR data. It is based partially upon known targets in the image and partially upo...
A Reexamination of Some Black/White Consumption Differences

Past research focusing on the consumption patterns of black and white consumers has often reported distinct differences in their purchase behavior. Many of these studies, however, did not take into account demographic differences among their subjects. Moreover, the intervening years since most of these studies were conducted have witnessed many changes in the American scene that may have altered black buying behavior. This study empirically tests five hypotheses derived from previous studies using data from 68 white and 27 black adult consumers. Although the black and white consumers in the study differed in age, income, and marital status, the results indicate no differences in buying patterns due to race alone.
In vivo and in situ measurements of forage protein degradation in beef cattle.

In vivo and in situ protein degradation measurements were compared using alfalfa (2.62% N) and prairie hay (.88% N) fed to six cannulated cows in a two-period crossover experiment. Additionally, two in situ procedures were evaluated: in P1 samples were ruminally incubated in cows fed the same forage as incubated; in P2 samples were incubated in the rumens of two steers fed a "standard" brome hay (1.38% N). Duplicate bags were incubated for 0, 2, 6, 10, 16, 24, 48, and 72 h. Protein degradability was estimated using residual N from all incubation times fit to a nonlinear, least squares model (full time-series), from the 16-h incubation alone (single-point) and from a combination of the 0-h and 16-h values (double-point). Protein degradability estimates from in vivo, in situ P1, in situ P2, single-point P1 and P2, and double-point P1 and P2 were 83.4 +/- 4.3, 91.5 +/- .6, 87.2 +/- .6, 94.0 +/- .2, 92.4 +/- .8, 90.4 +/- .4, and 88.3 +/- .5, respectively, for alfalfa, and 55.5 +/- 3.5, 58.3 +/- 1.3, 57.2 +/- .4, 50.0 +/- 1.7, 52.0 +/- 2.2, 55.5 +/- 2.1, and 60.0 +/- 2.3, respectively, for prairie hay. Although relatively large differences in rates of degradation and sizes of protein fractions were measured between P1 and P2, differences between procedures for protein degradability estimates were small relative to errors of in vivo measurement. Furthermore, differences in protein degradation using single-point values as compared with full time-series analysis were overcome with the double-point approach.
Molecular Studies of Chromosomal Translocations in Childhood Leukemias

Leukemia is a genetic disease in the sense that at its most fundamental level it involves primary abnormalities of DNA, the genetic material. In acute leukemias, somatically acquired DNA changes frequently take the form of structural alterations of the chromosomes, most notably translocations. Some of these abnormalities have been shown to result in the oncogenic conversion of genes normally involved in the control of cellular growth and differentiation. Two novel translocated genes have recently been described in pediatric acute leukemias. One of these, lyl-l, was activated by juxtaposition with the β T-cell receptor gene. The other, prl, was activated by formation of a fusion gene that codes for a predicted fusion protein. The proteins encoded by both the lyl-1 and prl genes have features that indicate they normally function as transcription factors. The data suggest that genetic aberration of transcription factors plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of some acute leukemias.
Identities of accommodation; identities of resistance: Korean American women and meaning making during and post college

Abstract To explore individual identity narratives of accommodation and resistance in relationship to dominant American social, political and cultural constructs, this paper uses the Listening Guide Method of Qualitative Inquiry (Gilligan et al., 2006) to investigate the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, gender and American identity during and post college among four second-generation, college educated, Korean American women. The analysis, drawing from the emergence of themes across interviews, found that participant women accommodated and/or resisted dominant American social, political, and cultural constructs in service of their individual Korean American identities narratives during and post college.
Diet, Overweight, Elevated Blood Pressure, and Acanthosis Nigricans Among K-9th Grade Native American Students

Childhood overweight is associated with increased rates of hypertension (HTN) and acanthosis nigricans (AN), a known risk factor for diabetes. This cross-sectional study of predominantly Native American students examined relationships between diet and overweight, AN, and HTN among K-9th grade students. Eighty-six students completed a questionnaire regarding fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption and physical activity (PA) behaviors. Anthropometric data, blood pressure (BP), and presence of AN were determined by trained screeners. Fifty-three percent of the Native American study participants were overweight or at-risk-for-overweight (BMI ≥85th percentile), while 35% of the non-Native American participants were overweight or at risk for overweight. At 60% vs. 35% respectively, the percentage of students either overweight or at risk for overweight was significantly higher (p=.02) among fourth through ninth graders compared with students in kindergarten through third grades. Fourteen percent were positive for AN, and 33% had either Pre-HTN or HTN (≥ 90th percentile) based on the first blood pressure reading. Analysis of variance results indicated that students with either pre-HTN or HTN had a significantly higher mean BMI (24.1 ± 8.0) vs. those with normal BP (20.4 ± 5.1; P=.012). BMI was positively correlated with AN (r=0.433, p=.01) such that all students positive for AN had a BMI ≥ 85th percentile (p=.001). Students who agreed with the Likert statement that they usually eat ≥5 F/V a day had a significantly lower mean systolic BP (107mmHg ± 17) vs. those who did not (123mmHg ± 17, P=.001). Regression results indicate that BMI and attitude toward the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption are independent predictors of systolic BP (p=.001). Results suggest that significant numbers of students in this sample are positive for AN, are overweight, and are at risk for hypertension and that more positive attitudes toward fruit and vegetable consumption are associated with lower blood pressure levels. Prevention programs to address these health problems are discussed.
Gender, Equity, and the Venture Funding Impact of Migrant Remittances in Developing Countries

International business and entrepreneurship research provides substantial insight on how women differ from men as new business (venture) founders, but little insight in on how women may differ from...
Toward Affirming Therapy: What Sex Workers Want and Need From Mental Health Providers:

Within the field of psychology, the development of a culture of competency both in training programs and, more specifically, related to working with historically underrepresented and underserved po...
An Analysis of Psychological Distress Profiles and their Correlates in Interdisciplinary Health-care Professional Students.

BackgroundHealth-care professional (HCP) students experience high levels of burnout, characterized by work- and school-related stress. Burnout is associated with a host of negative psychological an...
Real-time hemodynamic effects of 1:100,000 and 1:200,000 injectable epinephrine and placement of topical 1:1000 epinephrine pledgets in patients undergoing endoscopic sinus and skull-base surgery: a randomized, prospective study.

BACKGROUND Intranasal injection of epinephrine and placement of topical epinephrine pledgets are methods to improve visualization during endoscopic sinonasal surgery. Studies comparing the hemodynamic effects of these vasoconstrictors using intraoperative arterial line monitoring are lacking. METHODS Twenty-eight patients undergoing endoscopic skull-base surgery were enrolled in a prospective, randomized study. Patients were randomized to have either 2 mL of 1:100,000 or 2 mL of 1:200,000 epinephrine injected intranasally. Hemodynamic parameters, including pulse, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP), were collected using intraoperative arterial line monitoring for 5 minutes. Afterward, 1:1000 topical epinephrine-soaked pledgets were placed in both groups, and the same parameters were collected for another 5 minutes. RESULTS There was no statistical difference in change in pulse, SBP, DBP, and MAP between the 1:100,000 and 1:200,000 epinephrine groups. However, epinephrine injections did cause an increase in all hemodynamic parameters when compared with baseline (p 75-mmHg increase in SBP. No preoperative characteristics were identified that predicted sensitivity to epinephrine. CONCLUSION There is no statistical difference in changes in hemodynamic parameters between injecting epinephrine 1:100,000 compared with 1:200,000 during endoscopic sinonasal surgery. In a subset of patients, placement of topical 1:1000 epinephrine pledgets had significant hemodynamic elevation requiring intervention and thus should be used judiciously depending on patient comorbidities.
Profit-Sharing, Chinese-Style

One of the most intractable problems of development is the trap of “corruption-causing-poverty-causing-corruption.” In many developing countries, petty predatory corruption is rampant because public employees receive little pay, often at rates below subsistence, and corruption in turn drives away businesses and keeps these countries poor. Once petty predatory corruption becomes endemic, is it possible to break free? This analysis unveils China’s unusual pathway out of this vicious cycle. Its solution was to allow street-level bureaucrats to extract some payments to top up their paltry formal salaries, while also aligning their financial incentives with long-term economic development objectives. Employing mixed methods, I first uncovered how bureaucratic compensation worked through interviews, and I then test these qualitative findings using an original dataset that measures both formal and fringe compensation.
Sustainable Power for Electrification of Transportation

Fossil fuels have been the source of energy for transportation for many decades. However, the exploitation of fossil fuels in these massive sectors have been a major contributing factor for the grave issue of climate change. Thus, it is necessary to bring about a change in the transportation for clean and sustainable utilization. The electrification of the transport sector provides the solution to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. For electrification, the source of power generation and distribution must be clean and cost effective. In this paper, we will discuss how the combination of Photovoltaics for power generation and Lithium-ion batteries for storage can provide the most efficient and cost-effective solution for the smooth transition to electrification of the transport sector.
Interrelations between standard entropy, formation enthalpy and boiling temperature of hydrocarbons

Abstract We show that there exists a relationship between the standard entropy and formation enthalpy of hydrocarbon compounds founded purely on the laws of thermodynamics and by invoking the maximum work concept. The validity of the expression obtained for entropy is examined using the properties of 78 hydrocarbon compounds taken from NIST and Knovel databases. A linear regression analysis of the data led to two different sets of values for the coefficients of the proposed relation. Group (I) consists of 54 compounds comprising alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and aromatics and the remaining 24 hydrocarbons are categorized as Group (II). An additional set of data comprising 33 different hydrocarbons is used as a testing set to examine the predictability of the proposed relation. The average percentage error for all 33 hydrocarbons is found to be 0.5 ± 6.1%. The study also presents derivation of an expression for the normal boiling temperature of hydrocarbons as a function of elemental composition. The accuracy of the boiling temperature relation is assessed by comparing the predicted and measured properties of the same 33 hydrocarbons. On an average basis, the percentage error is found to be −0.3 ± 2.7%. The new relations can be used to predict the standard thermodynamic properties with acceptable accuracy without a need for complex experimental or computational methods.
Malignant Colon Polyps

A “malignant” polyp is defined as the presence of adenocarcinoma that extends beyond the basement membrane. It is important to assess specific characteristics of the polyp in order to decide whether further, more aggressive treatment is needed for adequate removal. Invasive polyps can be pedunculated or sessile. Pedunculated polyps contain a head, neck and stalk whereas sessile polyps are flat. In addition to the morphology of the polyp, important histopathological features including grade of differentiation, the presence of lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion or tumor budding as well as inadequate resection margins (<2 mm) all play a very important role in predicting more aggressive disease in invasive polyps.
Rethinking the diagnosis of mental disorders: data-driven psychological dimensions, not categories, as a framework for mental-health research, treatment, and training

Generations of psychologists have been taught that mental disorder can be carved into discrete categories, each qualitatively different from the others and from normality. This model is now outdate...
Social Determinants of Interpersonal Violence in Lima, Peru

Interpersonal violence has been recognized as an important global public health problem. However, information concerning the risk factors of physical family violence is scarce in Latin America. This study sought to identify the risk factors associated with physical family violence in Lima, Peru. Study participants were (N=308) randomly recruited adults from the Social Services Department at Dos de Mayo Hospital in 2003. Participants completed an interview which included questions about personal history, characteristics of, and attitudes towards family violence. Subjects were also assessed for alcohol-related problems and exposure to family violence in their childhood. Overall, 37% of subjects reported having been victims or aggressors of family violence in the last 12 months. Ninety nine women (39%) reported the occurrence of family violence in their home in the last twelve months. Twenty six (10%) reported that they had been victims of family violence in the last twelve months. Fifty seven (23%) reported having aggressed against a relative. Sixteen men (28%) reported family violence in their home in the last twelve months. Five men (9%) reported that they had been victims. Ten men (18%) reported aggression against a family member in the last twelve months. Results from this study indicate that family violence in Lima, as in the rest of the world, is a prevalent public health problem. Comprehensive bio-psychosocial and environmental studies will be needed to develop culturally appropriate and effective strategies for preventing family violence.
Neuropilin-2 regulates airway inflammation in a neutrophilic asthma model.

BACKGROUND Asthma is a heterogenous disease that can be classified into eosinophilic (type 2-high) and noneosinophilic (type 2-low) endotypes. The type 2-low endotype of asthma can be characterized by the presence of neutrophilic airway inflammation that is poorly responsive to corticosteroids. Dysregulated innate immune responses to microbial products including Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands have been associated with the pathogenesis of neutrophilic asthma. The key molecules that regulate inflammatory responses in individuals with neutrophilic asthma remain unclear. We previously reported that the immunoregulatory receptor neuropilin-2 (NRP2) is expressed by murine and human alveolar macrophage (AM) and suppresses lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neutrophilic airway inflammation. METHODS Here, we investigated the immunoregulatory role of NRP2 in a mouse model of neutrophilic asthma. RESULTS We found that TLR ligands, but not T helper 2 (Th2)-promoting adjuvants, induced NRP2 expression by AM. Using an LPS-mediated model of neutrophilic asthma, we demonstrate that NRP2 was increased in AM and other lung antigen-presenting cells following airway challenge with antigen. Conditional deletion of NRP2 in myeloid cells exacerbated airway inflammation in a neutrophilic asthma model. In contrast, myeloid-specific ablation of NRP2 did not affect airway inflammation in a Th2-mediated eosinophilic asthma model. Myeloid-specific ablation of NRP2 did not affect Th1/Th17 responses to inhaled antigens or expression of neutrophil chemokines but rather resulted in impaired efferocytosis by AM, which is necessary for effective resolution of airway inflammation. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that NRP2 is a negative regulator of airway inflammation associated with neutrophilic asthma.
Perceived stress and smoking-related behaviors and symptomatology in male and female smokers

Introduction Stress has been found to be a significant risk factor for cigarette smoking. Stress affects males and females differently, as does the use of smoking for stress reduction. Few studies have examined gender differences with the interrelation of perceived stress and smoking behaviors and nicotine related symptomatology. Our study investigates this association, as well as the influence of sociodemographic variables.
Family-Support Systems: Their Effect on Long-Term Psychiatric Hospitalizations in Children

Abstract. The IQ's of all admissions to a children's psychiatric hospital over a 5-year period were reviewed. Although the majority of admissions (76%) were of borderline intelligence or above, the hospital population on any one day reflected a majority of children (57%) in the mental retardation range. The latter had most often been referred because they were autistic and had been admitted not because of any change in their own behavior but because of additional family stress. In view of this finding, a variety of family-support systems were developed that decreased the need for total institutional care of the severely emotionally disturbed, low-functioning child
Mesenteric Artery Occlusive Disease

Vascular occlusive disease of the mesenteric vessels is a relatively uncommon but potentially devastating condition that generally presents in patients over 60 years of age and has been recognized as an entity since 1936. The incidence of such a disease is low and represents 2 % of the revascularization operations for atheromatous lesions. The most common cause of mesenteric ischemia is atherosclerotic vascular disease. Autopsy studies have demonstrated splanchnic atherosclerosis in 35–70 % of cases. Other etiologies exist and include fibromuscular dysplasia, nodose panarteritis, arteritis, and celiac artery compression from a median arcuate ligament, but they are unusual and have an incidence of 1/9 compared to that of atherosclerosis.
Suspension polymerization casting of lead zirconate titanate, part I: Acrylamide hydrogel system

Suspension polymerization casting of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) filled acrylamide systems was studied. A high solid loading (51 vol%) PZT slurry with low viscosity (about 280 mPa·s at shear rate 10 s−1) was obtained by optimizing the dispersant amount. The polymerization process for the monomer solution and PZT slurry were characterized with the help of the storage modulus measurement. For the monomer solution, the overall activation energy of gelation was calculated as 60–76 kJ/mol, while for the PZT slurry, this energy increased to 91 ± 9 kJ/mol. The drying, burnout and sintering processes were also addressed.