cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protein dynamics: imidazole and 2-mercaptoethanol binding to the Rhodobacter capsulatus cytochrome c2 mutant, glycine 95 proline

Abstract The Class I c-type cytochromes can bind exogenous ligands in the oxidized state, with the kinetics of ligand binding providing information on naturally occurring intramolecular dynamics. Typically, nitrogenous bases are used as ligands; however, it is less well known that 2-mercaptoethanol (BME), a commonly used cytochrome reducing agent, can form a complex with the heme. To better understand the cytochrome–mercaptan interaction, we have investigated the kinetics of binding of BME to wild type and mutants of Rhodobacter capsulatus cytochrome c2 and to horse cytochrome c. Complex formation with the G95P mutant is apparent from the formation of a green color and a shift in the Soret peak to 418 nm from 410 nm upon addition of BME. Unlike horse cytochrome c and wild-type R. capsulatus cytochrome c2, G95P permits the kinetics of formation of the BME–G95P complex to be measured since complex formation and reduction kinetics can be resolved. The affinity constant for the binding of BME to mutant G95P was strong (∼ 1.5×10 5 M −1 ) and the kinetics of formation of the BME–G95P complex were found to undergo a change in rate-limiting step consistent with a concentration-independent protein rearrangement (68 s −1 ) followed by second-order binding of BME (∼ ∼1.3×10 5 M −1 s −1 ). The most remarkable characteristic of mutant G95P is the relatively large amount of high-spin species in equilibrium with the low- spin form, which can be estimated to be ∼3% at pH 7. The BME binding kinetics, coupled with the kinetics of imidazole binding to G95P, allow us, for the first time, to specify all four rate constants describing the ligand binding reaction. Moreover, we can use the kinetic results to estimate the rate constants for ligand binding with the wild-type cytochrome c2. This has also allowed us to quantify and more fully interpret cytochrome dynamics.
THE SHAUL INDEX OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Mr. Shaul's work on an index of economic activity is welcomed as a notable contribution to economic statistics in the Federation or Rhodesia and Nyasaland. He has introduced an index of such practical importance, especially in the absence of official quarterly estimates of gross domestic product that attention should be given to its theoretical basis. In Mr. Shaul's paper greater attention was given, however, to the conception of the index and the choice of variable. The method of Factor Analysis used by Mr. Shaul has had wide application in other scientific fields, particularly psychology, but has only in recent years received support for its use as a powerful method in economics. Although this paper is primarily concerned with the mathematical theory of the index, it is hoped that the treatment is sufficiently general to be of wide interest to economic statisticians in Southern Africa.
Biomarkers of Vitamin D Status and Risk of ESRD

Background Disordered mineral metabolism is characteristic of decreased kidney function. However, the prospective associations between circulating levels of vitamin D binding protein, vitamin D, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have not been extensively evaluated in epidemiologic studies. Study Design Nested case-control study. Setting & Participants Middle-aged black and white men and women from 4 US communities. Predictors Baseline levels of vitamin D binding protein, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH] 2 D) were measured in blood samples collected at study visit 4 (1996-1998) of the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study. Outcome ESRD cases (n=184) were identified through hospitalization diagnostic codes from 1996 to 2008 and were frequency matched to controls (n=251) on categories of estimated glomerular filtration rate, albuminuria, diabetes mellitus, sex, and race. Measurements Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between mineral metabolism biomarkers (vitamin D binding protein, 25(OH)D, and 1,25(OH) 2 D) and incident ESRD, adjusting for age, sex, race, estimated glomerular filtration rate, albuminuria, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, education, specimen type, and serum levels of calcium, phosphate, and parathyroid hormone. Results Higher vitamin D binding protein levels were associated with elevated risk for incident ESRD (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.22-2.54; P =0.003). Higher free and bioavailable 25(OH)D levels were associated with reduced risk for incident ESRD (ORs of 0.65 [95% CI, 0.46-0.92; P =0.02] and 0.63 [95% CI, 0.43-0.91; P =0.02] for free and bioavailable 25[OH]D, respectively). There was no association between ESRD and overall levels of 25(OH)D (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.58-1.19; P =0.3) or 1,25(OH) 2 D (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.48-1.13; P =0.2). Limitations Lack of direct measurement of free and bioavailable vitamin D. Conclusions In the general population, blood levels of vitamin D binding protein were positively associated and blood levels of free and bioavailable 25(OH)D were inversely associated with new-onset ESRD during follow-up.
Cycles of the fourth kind: A reply to Mohler's cycles of values

. Mohler (1987) claims that German culture does not display thematic cycles like those found by Namenwirth and Weber (1987) in America and Great Britain. We argue that Mohler's claim is not supported by the emperical evidence he presents. We also find his claim to be flawed conceptually and theoretically.
Primary Care Physicians' Use of Screening Echocardiography

Objective. To survey primary care physicians to understand their reasons for using echocardiography to screen for congenital heart disease in children and to assess their understanding of the costs associated with cardiology services. Design. A questionnaire. Participants. Eight hundred sixty-seven pediatricians and family physicians in our region were surveyed, 494 (57%) responded and 466 were used for the analysis. Results. The majority of pediatricians and family physicians in our area do not know the relative costs associated with cardiology consultation and echocardiography. They also believe it likely that a cardiologist will routinely obtain an echocardiogram as part of their evaluation of a child with a murmur, although this is not the case. The availability and convenience of specialist appointments was found to significantly influence the decision to order an echocardiogram. Family physicians were significantly more likely than pediatricians to order an echocardiogram for a variety of clinical indications. Conclusions. Improving primary care physicians' knowl- edge of the costs associated with cardiology services and current cardiology practice patterns, in addition to improving the availability of cardiology referrals, may reduce the number of expensive and unnecessary echocardiograms. echocardiography, heart murmur, congenital heart disease, cost-effectiveness.
The Role of CD4 T Cells in the Pathogenesis of Murine AIDS

LP-BM5, a retroviral isolate, induces a disease featuring retrovirus-induced immunodeficiency, designated murine AIDS (MAIDS). Many of the features of the LP-BM5-induced syndrome are shared with human immunodeficiency virus-induced disease. For example, CD4 T cells are critical to the development of MAIDS. In vivo depletion of CD4 T cells before LP-BM5 infection rendered genetically susceptible B6 mice MAIDS resistant. Similarly, MAIDS did not develop in B6.nude mice. However, if reconstituted with CD4 T cells, B6.nude mice develop full-blown MAIDS. Our laboratory has shown that the interaction of B and CD4 T cells that is central to MAIDS pathogenesis requires ligation of CD154 on CD4 T cells with CD40 on B cells. However, it is not clear which additional characteristics of the phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous CD4 T-cell compartment are required. Here, in vivo adoptive transfer experiments using B6.nude recipients are employed to compare the pathogenic abilities of CD4 T-cell subsets defined on the basis of cell surface phenotypic or functional differences. Th1 and Th2 CD4 T cells equally supported MAIDS induction. The rare Thy1.2(-) CD4 subset that expands upon LP-BM5 infection was not necessary for MAIDS. Interestingly, CD45RB(low) CD4 T cells supported significantly less disease than CD45RB(high) CD4 T cells. Because the decreased MAIDS pathogenesis could not be attributed to inhibition by CD45RB(low) CD25(+) natural T-regulatory cells, an intrinsic property of the CD45RB(low) cells appeared responsible. Similarly, there was no evidence that natural T-regulatory cells played a role in LP-BM5-induced pathogenesis in the context of the intact CD4 T-cell population.
Empirical Models of TCP and UDP End-User Network Traffic from NETI@home Data Analysis

The simulation of computer networks requires accurate models of user behavior. To this end, we present empirical models of end-user network traffic derived from the analysis of NETI@home data. There are two forms of models presented. The first models traffic for a specific TCP or UDP port. The second models all TCP or UDP traffic for an end-user. These models are meant to be network- independent and contain aspects such as bytes sent, bytes received, and user think time. The empirical models derived in this study can then be used to enable more realistic simulations of computer networks.
Experiments and theory of undulatory locomotion in a simple structured medium

Undulatory locomotion of micro-organisms through geometrically complex, fluidic environments is ubiquitous in nature and requires the organism to negotiate both hydrodynamic effects and geometrical constraints. To understand locomotion through such media, we experimentally investigate swimming of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans through fluid-filled arrays of micro-pillars and conduct numerical simulations based on a mechanical model of the worm that incorporates hydrodynamic and contact interactions with the lattice. We show that the nematode's path, speed and gait are significantly altered by the presence of the obstacles and depend strongly on lattice spacing. These changes and their dependence on lattice spacing are captured, both qualitatively and quantitatively, by our purely mechanical model. Using the model, we demonstrate that purely mechanical interactions between the swimmer and obstacles can produce complex trajectories, gait changes and velocity fluctuations, yielding some of the life-like dynamics exhibited by the real nematode. Our results show that mechanics, rather than biological sensing and behaviour, can explain some of the observed changes in the worm's locomotory dynamics.
A(nother) scientific strategy to prevent breast cancer in postmenopausal women by enhancing estrogen-induced apoptosis?

The new innovation of combining bazedoxifene plus conjugated estrogen provides a new opportunity for women’s health. The finding by the Women’s Health Initiative that the administration of conjugated equine estrogen alone to women in their 60s who have had a hysterectomy results in a decrease in the incidence of breast cancer and a drop in mortality was unanticipated but can now be exploited for another gain in women’s health. The issue to be considered is how postmenopausal women can improve their lifestyle to take advantage of conjugated equine estrogen alone therapy? The Food and Drug Administration approval of a combination of bazedoxifene /conjugated estrogen now provides an opportunity for postmenopausal women to reduce hot flashes and potentially selectively sensitize occult breast cancer cells to the apoptotic actions of estrogen. Clinical trials are proposed to advance women’s health and reduce the incidence of breast cancer.
Structural earnings losses and between-industry mobility of displaced workers, 2003–2008

Abstract This article investigates structural sources of earnings losses in the U.S. labor market, analyzing data from the Outgoing Rotation Groups and Displaced Worker Supplements of the 2003–2008 Current Populations Survey. After introducing the data and methodology, a descriptive model of inter-industry earnings differentials in the full labor market between 2003 and 2008 is presented to motivate a baseline claim that industry of employment represents a salient partition of the distribution of good and bad jobs over this time period. Then, the current wages of two groups of workers in 2006 and 2008, who were displaced from their jobs in the prior 3 years, are modeled. Earnings losses of re-employed workers are analyzed, conditional on re-employment in alternative industries, while simultaneously adjusting for observed determinants of selection into employment. The findings demonstrate that displaced workers who are then re-employed suffer from earnings losses in their new jobs. These losses are larger among those who switch industries, especially among those who move to traditional low-wage industries in the service sector. The losses are also larger for those who held their prior jobs for 3 or more years, and they cannot be explained away by differences in the skill requirements between the jobs from which individuals are displaced and those in which they are re-employed. The findings are discussed with reference to structural theories of labor market inequality from sociology and economics, which represent valuable complementary perspectives to individualistic skill-based accounts of earnings differences.
Theory of sorption hysteresis in nanoporous solids: Part II Molecular condensation

Abstract Motivated by the puzzle of sorption hysteresis in Portland cement concrete or cement paste, we develop in Part II of this study a general theory of vapor sorption and desorption from nanoporous solids, which attributes hysteresis to hindered molecular condensation with attractive lateral interactions. The classical mean-field theory of van der Waals is applied to predict the dependence of hysteresis on temperature and pore size, using the regular solution model and gradient energy of Cahn and Hilliard. A simple “hierarchical wetting” model for thin nanopores is developed to describe the case of strong wetting by the first monolayer, followed by condensation of nanodroplets and nanobubbles in the bulk. The model predicts a larger hysteresis critical temperature and enhanced hysteresis for molecular condensation across nanopores at high vapor pressure than within monolayers at low vapor pressure. For heterogeneous pores, the theory predicts sorption/desorption sequences similar to those seen in molecular dynamics simulations, where the interfacial energy (or gradient penalty) at nanopore junctions acts as a free energy barrier for snap-through instabilities. The model helps to quantitatively understand recent experimental data for concrete or cement paste wetting and drying cycles and suggests new experiments at different temperatures and humidity sweep rates.
Propositions on the Pharmaceutical Marketing System

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper was to compare and contrast the pharmaceutical marketing system to the aggregate marketing system. First, five unique characteristics were identified and discussed. Although no characteristic was unique by itself, the combination of these made the pharmaceutical marketing system vastly different from other marketing systems. Then, the pharmaceutical marketing system was examined using ten identified propositions of the aggregate marketing system in light of these unique characteristics. This paper was not meant to be a comprehensive review of the pharmaceutical marketing system, but a small selection of similarities to and differences from the aggregate marketing system.
Alterations in Connectivity on Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Provocation of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A MAPP Research Network Feasibility Study of Urological Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes

Purpose: Urological chronic pelvic pain syndromes have refractory bladder or pelvic pain as the dominant symptom. This has been attributed to changes in the central nervous system caused by a chronic barrage of noxious stimuli. We developed what is to our knowledge a novel challenge protocol that induced bladder distention in study participants to reproduce pain and urinary symptoms. We tested to see whether it could discriminate between persons with urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome-like symptoms and asymptomatic controls.Materials and Methods: We recruited 10 female twin pairs who were discordant for urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome-like symptoms. Before scanning each twin urinated to completion and then consumed 500 cc water. Each twin was scanned with our resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging protocol immediately and approximately 50 minutes after consumption. Time series were extracted from the right and left periaqueductal gray, and the right and left amygdala subregions. ...
Bosonic topological phase in a paired superfluid

We study an effective model of two interacting species of bosons in two dimensions, which is amenable to sign problem free Monte Carlo simulations. In addition to conventional ground states, we access a paired superfluid which is also a topological phase, protected by the remaining $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ symmetry. This phase arises from the condensation of a composite object, the bound state of vortices and antivortices of one species, to a boson of the second species. We introduce a bulk response function, the Ising analog of the quantized Hall effect, to diagnose the topological phase. The interplay of broken symmetry and topology leads to interesting effects such as fractionally charged vortices in the paired superfluid. Possible extensions towards realistic models of cold atomic bosons are discussed.
Pushing the power of stochastic greedy ordering schemes for inference in graphical models

We study iterative randomized greedy algorithms for generating (elimination) orderings with small induced width and state space size - two parameters known to bound the complexity of inference in graphical models. We propose and implement the Iterative Greedy Variable Ordering (IGVO) algorithm, a new variant within this algorithm class. An empirical evaluation using different ranking functions and conditions of randomness, demonstrates that IGVO finds significantly better orderings than standard greedy ordering implementations when evaluated within an anytime framework. Additional order of magnitude improvements are demonstrated on a multi-core system, thus further expanding the set of solvable graphical models. The experiments also confirm the superiority of the MinFill heuristic within the iterative scheme.
Preserving the Medieval City of Ani

Despite its architectural fame, the medieval city of Ani in eastern Turkey, once an Armenian capital on the Silk Road, was endangered until recently. Preserving the Medieval City of Ani: Cultural Heritage between Contest and Reconciliation traces the evolution of Ani since the late nineteenth century as an object of preservation and the subject of debate about heritage. As a primarily non-Muslim site in a modern, majority-Muslim country, Ani poses dilemmas shared by other cultural heritage sites in postconflict societies: it presents economic opportunity through tourism, but its history prompts questions about a painful recent past the state refuses to acknowledge. Analyzing the recent developments in cultural heritage management in Turkey involving international heritage organizations, especially for Christian and Armenian monuments, and highlighting the civil society debate about rediscovering long-suppressed episodes of Turkish history, Heghnar Zeitlian Watenpaugh argues that despite daunting difficulties beleaguering acknowledgment of the past, cultural heritage can provide a medium for reconciliation rather than contestation.
State Slogans:: The Case of the Missing USP

State tourism advertising slogans fail to communicate Unique Selling Propositions (USP). This is mostly due to the fact that states themselves are geologically and culturally diverse entities whose many and diverse appeals cannot be captured in a single slogan. We make two basic recommendations to remedy this. First, we recommend breaking states into smaller regions that can legitimately present a unique selling position to prospective tourist. Second, we recommend that geologically and culturally similar regions in adjoining states band together in strategic alliances in order to share advertising expenses and reduce unnecessary advertising clutter. Both suggestions require at least some decentralization of state tourism bureaus.
Farewell to the Man in the Red Beret, Enter the Man in the White Silk Mitre: "There Is a Crack in Everything, That's How the Light Gets In".

This essay examines the legacy of the late President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez Frias. Shortly after the death of President Chavez, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th and current pope of the Catholic Church and took the name, Francis. The essay contrasts the demonization of Hugo Chavez by the Western corporate media with the adulation of the newly elected Pope. The author recounts his work in Venezuela building socialism as part of the Bolivarian Revolution initiated by the Chavez government. The Bolivarian Revolution has been a powerful challenge to the catastrophe of finance capitalism and has helped Venezuela's poor tremendously. The author then discusses the traditional role of the Catholic Church in Latin America to protect the class of wealth and property. He notes the controversy surrounding the role Pope Francis played during the days of the military dictatorship in Argentina where the Pope was serving as a bishop of the Church. Some reason to be optimistic about the new pope is contained ...
Oviposition site choice under conflicting risks demonstrates that aquatic predators drive terrestrial egg-laying

Laying eggs out of water was crucial to the transition to land and has evolved repeatedly in multiple animal phyla. However, testing hypotheses about this transition has been difficult because extant species only breed in one environment. The pantless treefrog, Dendropsophus ebraccatus, makes such tests possible because they lay both aquatic and arboreal eggs. Here, we test the oviposition site choices of D. ebraccatus under conflicting risks of arboreal egg desiccation and aquatic egg predation, thereby estimating the relative importance of each selective agent on reproduction. We also measured discrimination between habitats with and without predators and development of naturally laid aquatic and arboreal eggs. Aquatic embryos in nature developed faster than arboreal embryos, implying no cost to aquatic egg laying. In choice tests, D. ebraccatus avoided habitats with fish, showing that they can detect aquatic egg predators. Most importantly, D. ebraccatus laid most eggs in the water when faced with only desiccation risk, but switched to laying eggs arboreally when desiccation risk and aquatic predators were both present. This provides the first experimental evidence to our knowledge that aquatic predation risk influences non-aquatic oviposition and strongly supports the hypothesis that it was a driver of the evolution of terrestrial reproduction.
Chronic Trauma Effects on Personality Traits in Police Officers.

The impact of cumulative occupational exposure to traumatic events (TEs), posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, and work environment stress on personality traits over time was examined in 38 police officers from an urban agency. California Psychological Inventory (CPI) personality trait scores from prehire evaluations were compared with follow-up CPI scores to test whether exposure to traumatic events was correlated with changes in traits from baseline to 5-10 years later. Measures of occupational TEs, PTS symptoms, and police work environment stress were administered. Mean trait scores declined on all CPI traits analyzed in the study. Trait change was evaluated using the Reliable Change Index; change in participants' scores unlikely to occur by chance ranged from 11% to 63% in the traits examined. All participants reported substantial TE exposure. PTS symptoms were correlated with steeper decline in 4 of 5 traits, with effect sizes ranging from r = -.47 to r = -.67. Scores on measures of job-related TEs were negatively correlated with only one CPI trait (empathy) at T2 (r = -.31), and were unrelated to slope of trait change. Work environment stress was significantly related to gender, with female officers reporting higher levels of operational (r = .45) and organizational (r = .54) stress.
The relationship of social support with treatment adherence and weight loss in Latinos with type 2 diabetes.

Objective Little is known about the effects of social support on weight loss in Latinos. This study determined whether sex moderated and treatment adherence mediated the association between social support and weight loss. Methods Data from 278 Latino males and females with type 2 diabetes in the Intensive Lifestyle Intervention of the Look AHEAD trial were analyzed. Multivariable modeling tested for moderation and parallel multiple mediator modeling simultaneously tested the mediating effects of adherence to physical activity, diet, and session attendance on the relationship between baseline social support and percent weight loss at 1 year. Results Social support for physical activity (having family and friends join in physical activity) was related to weight loss. Adherence to physical activity was related to both social support for physical activity and weight loss. Sex did not moderate these relationships. Adherence to physical activity completely mediated the relationship between social support for physical activity and weight loss. Conclusions Increasing companionship for physical activity may be an effective intervention strategy to promote behaviors important for weight loss among Latinos.
Effect of Water on Lateral Force Microscopy in Air

Lateral force microscopy (LFM) images on polymeric and inorganic substrates demonstrate how water is transported to and from a substrate by the capillary formed by the LFM tip and sample. Although it is known that water qualitatively affects the atomic force microscopy and LFM measurements, herein we report the condition dependent range of sizes of the water menisci formed in the capillary during such measurements. The effect of water in air can change the force of friction by a factor ≥2, with the magnitude of this effect dependent on the chemical nature of the sample and tip dynamics. These results have important implications for any analytical measurement of friction by LFM in air.
Traditional Medicare Versus Private Insurance: How Spending, Volume, And Price Change At Age Sixty-Five.

To slow the growth of Medicare spending, some policy makers have advocated raising the Medicare eligibility age from the current sixty-five years to sixty-seven years. For the majority of affected adults, this would delay entry into Medicare and increase the time they are covered by private insurance. Despite its policy importance, little is known about how such a change would affect national health care spending, which is the sum of health care spending for all consumers and payers—including governments. We examined how spending differed between Medicare and private insurance using longitudinal data on imaging and procedures for a national cohort of individuals who switched from private insurance to Medicare at age sixty-five. Using a regression discontinuity design, we found that spending fell by $38.56 per beneficiary per quarter—or 32.4 percent—upon entry into Medicare at age sixty-five. In contrast, we found no changes in the volume of services at age sixty-five. For the previously insured, entry int...
Antimicrobial resistance testing in clinical practice

Previously unrecognized or underrecognized antimicrobial resistant bacteria, including NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, were recently identified in health care facilities in Japan. Vigilance in the clinical microbiology laboratory for these organisms is the key to early recognition of their emergence. Many of these organisms can be confirmed or at least suspected through routine susceptibility testing, which can then be referred to reference laboratories for further phenotypic or genetic testing. Antimicrobial resistance testing plays a crucial role in patient management, infection control and monitoring of local as well as national and international epidemiology.
Helping parents live with the hole in their heart: The role of health care providers and institutions in the bereaved parents' grief journeys.

Background Bereaved parents experience significant psychosocial and health sequelae, suggesting that this population may benefit from the ongoing extension of support and resources throughout the grief journey. The interaction of hospital staff with patients and families at the end of a child's life and after death profoundly affects parental grief, offering a unique opportunity for the medical community to positively impact the bereavement experience. The current study was conducted to explore the role of the health care team and medical institutions in the grief journeys of parents whose child died a cancer-related death. Methods Eleven bereaved parents participated in 2 focus groups. Responses to each of the 3 main prompts were coded and analyzed independently using semantic content analysis techniques. Results Four main concepts were identified within the parental narratives, including the importance of strong and ongoing relationships between providers and bereaved families, the importance of high-quality communication, the effect of negative experiences between providers and families on parental grief, and the importance of the institution's role in the grief journeys of bereaved parents. Conclusions Bereaved parents consistently identified the critical role played by medical staff and medical institutions throughout the grief journey. Key components of bereavement support identified by parents should serve to guide the actions of providers as well as provide a template for the development of a comprehensive bereavement program within an institution. Cancer 2016. © 2016 American Cancer Society. Cancer 2016;122:2757-2765. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
1118 Non-invasive estimation of the pulmonary capillary pressure with echo-Doppler in patients without left ventricular dysfunction

s S 181 culated from the SM data to increase correspondently. Fig. 1 shows Strain as a function of deformation amplitude at different crystal positions (C2-5 and L2-5). The crystals C1 and L1 were fixated and continuously measured the distance to the remaining crystals hereby generating data for TDI calculations.
The Russians and Germans: Rape during the War and Post-Soviet Memories

No one will ever know exactly how many German women were raped by Soviet soldiers at the end of the Second World War and the beginning of the peace. It may have been tens of thousands or more likely hundreds of thousands. If one includes all of the instances of rape, gang-rape, and rape murder during the Soviet offensives against and occupation of East Prussia, Silesia, Pomerania, Austria, the Czech lands and other German-inhabited areas of Eastern Europe, the numbers of victims might reach as many as two million. Some have suggested that over 125,000 women were raped in greater Berlin alone during and after the victorious offensive.1
The Evolution of Regulatory Influences on Research with Human Subjects

For at least the past two decades, ethical considerations involving experimentation with human subjects have become national issues of law and public policy. The federal government, sponsor of so much basic and clinical research in medicine, behavioral sciences, and other fundamental and applied fields, has promulgated guidelines and regulations of increasing explicitness and strictness (Frankel, 1972; Swazey, 1978). Despite efforts to provide guidelines for protocol review, informed consent, and risk/benefit assessment, many critical questions remain at every level of the academic and bureaucratic hierarchy. It is to these ubiquitous regulatory influences that the present volume is addressed, and it is fitting that some attention be directed to the historical antecedents which contributed to their evolution.
Risk Factors for Acute and Chronic Gvhd after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (allo-HCT): Relative Risks with Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) and Matched Related Donors (MRD)

Abstract Despite continued improvement in outcomes after allo-HCT, acute (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD (cGVHD) remain major causes of morbidity and transplant related mortality (TRM). UCB has emerged as an important alternative donor source with clinical outcomes similar to those after HCT with 8/8 allele matched unrelated and related donor. While prior studies have indicated differences in risks and natural history of GVHD between hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) sources, we sought to provide a more detailed analysis taking advantage of the homogeneity in grading criteria, treatment plans, and graft selection criteria at a single center. To identify incidence and risk factors for acute and chronic GVHD, we retrospectively studied 1180 adult (≥18 years, n=801) and pediatric (n=379) recipients of single (sUCB, n=295), double (dUCB, n=416) UCB and MRD (n=469) allografts transplanted between 2000-2012. We estimated cumulative incidence of aGVHD and cGVHD with non-GVHD deaths modeled as competing risks. Analysis of risk factors for GVHD was performed separately in the three cohorts. sUCB, dUCB, and MRD differed in age (median 8, 44, 47 years, respectively), gender (54%, 63%, 62% males), conditioning (myeloablative in 80%, 40%, 55%; ATG was used in 60%, 23%, 16%), CsA/MMF GVHD prophylaxis (66%, 99%, 48%), total nucleated cells (median 0.5, 0.4, 7.7 x 108 cells/kg), CD34 dose (median 0.5, 0.5, 5.4 x 106 cells/kg), and CD3 dose (median 0.2, 0.1, 3.6 x 108 cells/kg). sUCB transplants had lower incidence of grade II-IV aGVHD (26%), grade III-IV aGVHD (7%) and cGVHD (7%) as compared to dUCB (56% aGVHD II-IV; 21% aGVHD III-IV; 26% cGVHD) and MRD (37% aGVHD II-IV; 16% aGVHD III-IV; 40% cGVHD) (all p Download : Download high-res image (121KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Primary stability and viscoelastic displacement of mini-implant system under loading.

Abstract Background The objectives of the current study were to examine the effects of mini-implant diameters on 1) primary stability before bone properties are changed by active peri-implant bone remodeling and 2) the time-dependent displacement of mini-implant systems in bone under a functional radial loading and their associations with bone mineral density. Methods Twenty one, 8 mm length mini-implants (7 each for 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, and 2 mm diameters) were placed in mandibular sections of human cadavers (4 males and 3 females, average 69.7 (SD 13.1) years of age). Displacement of the mini-implant in wet bone was assessed during initial and subsequent continuous radial loading of 2 N in the mediolateral direction for 2 h. Mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation of peri-implant bone mineral density were obtained using histograms of cone-beam computed tomography attenuation values. The cortical thickness along with the miniscrew site was also measured. Findings The primary stability and displacement of mini-implants in bone were not significantly different between the 3 diameter groups (p > 0.147, n = 21). Moderate positive correlations of time-dependent viscoelastic displacement (creep) were found with bone mineral density variability independent of the mini-implant diameters (p > 0.11). Interpretation The post-implantation displacements of mini-implant suggested that the orthodontic treatment loading can develop micromotion between the mini-implant and surrounding bone leading to reduction of its primary stability. Current findings also provide an insight that peri-implant bone mineral density variability plays an important role in controlling displacement of the mini-implant, which determine its stability during early and prolonged orthodontic treatment loading periods.
Interval enclosures for reachable sets of chemical kinetic flow systems. Part 3: Indirect-bounding method

Abstract In the third paper, in the three-part series, we propose an indirect-bounding approach for constructing rigorous interval enclosures or bounds for the reachable sets of CSTR reaction systems subject to parametric and initial condition uncertainties and flow rate disturbances. Existing comparison-based methods yield conservative enclosures for the reachable sets due to the non-quasi-monotonic and non-cooperative nature of CSTR reaction systems. The proposed indirect-bounding method addresses the overestimation problem by using the isomorphic transformation, developed in Tulsyan and Barton (2017a), to map the system into a transformed state space, where comparison-based methods yield tight bounds. The interval bounds on the original states are then reconstructed using the inverse transformation. This eliminates the need to know a priori an effective enclosure set for the CSTR reaction system, as required by the direct-bounding method in Tulsyan and Barton (2017b). The efficacy of the indirect-bounding method is validated on several example problems. Several comparisons with the direct-bounding method are also presented to demonstrate the improvements achieved with the indirect-bounding method.
Selective Nonoperative Management of Abdominal Gunshot Wounds from Heresy to Adoption: A Multicenter Study of the Research Consortium of New England Centers for Trauma (ReCoNECT).

Background Selective nonoperative management (SNOM) of abdominal gunshot wounds is being practiced in certain trauma centers, but its broader acceptance in the surgical community is unknown. We hypothesized that SNOM has been adopted in New England as an acceptable method of abdominal gunshot wound management. Study Design We reviewed the medical records of abdominal gunshot wound patients admitted from January 1996 to June 2015, in 10 New England Level I and II trauma centers. Outcomes included the incidence, success, and failure of SNOM, and morbidity and mortality related to SNOM. Results Of 922 patients, 707 (77%) received immediate laparotomy (IMMLAP) and 215 (23%) were managed by SNOM. Compared with IMMLAP patients, those with SNOM had a lower median Injury Severity Score (16 vs 8; p Conclusions Selective nonoperative management of abdominal gunshot wounds, despite being a heresy only a few years ago, has now been established as an acceptable method of management in Level I and II trauma centers in New England.
A Dispersion-Theoretic Account of Taiwanese CV phonotactics

In Taiwanese, oral voice consonants and nasal stops are in complementary distribution in the onset position: oral voiced consonants only precede phonemically oral vowels, and nasal stops only precede nasal vowels. Similar restriction in the distribution of these segments is not found in other languages with phonemic nasal vowels, such as French and Portuguese. Following studies showing that Taiwanese nasal vowels are fully nasalized, while French and Portuguese ones have delay in nasality (Chang et al., 2011; Delvaux et al., 2008; Parkinson, 1983), this study proposes a Dispersion-Theoretic account to connect phonetic observation about vocalic nasality to the phonotactic restrictions on voicing and nasality. Using a three-stage analysis (Flemming 2006, 2008), where Phonetic Realization is a distinct component of the grammar, the analysis is show how a cross-linguistic different in phonetic implementation of nasality is able to derive differences in surface phonotactics. The analysis also makes explicitly testable predictions about the perception and the typology of the distributions of voiced and nasal segments.
Toward a Feminist Food Rhetoric

In 2012 The New York Times’s “Ethicist” column hosted a public writing contest, asking participants to defend eating meat. The contest sparked controversy due to its panel of judges—all white men. Analyzing this case study and the debate it catalyzed—a dynamic conversation about the problem of yoking animal ethics expertise to white masculine authority—issues calls for a feminist food rhetoric. Applying such an analytical lens illustrates both who may address food with authority and how such power is cultivated from gender stereotypes.
VESS23. Implementation and Results of Practical Grading System for Thoracic Blunt Aortic Injury

Abstract Objective We previously proposed a grading system for blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) designed to guide therapy. This study analyzed our outcomes since implementing this system. Methods A single-center, retrospective study was conducted of consecutive patients presenting with BTAI between January 2014 and December 2017. This grading system classified injuries into minimal, moderate, or severe on the basis of computed tomography imaging. Primary end points included timing of operation and mortality. Secondary end points included associated injuries, aortic anatomy, and operative details as well as 30-day follow-up. Results During the study period, 87 patients with BTAI were identified. The majority of patients had a moderate injury occurring just distal to the left subclavian artery (LSA); 59 patients underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), whereas none of the patients with minimal injury (n = 24) required surgical treatment. The mean time to repair was 53 hours (1-191 hours) for moderate injury and 3.6 hours (0-7 hours) for severe injury. The average diameter and length of the endograft was 26 mm and 112 cm, respectively, and the LSA was covered in 42% of patients. Intravascular ultrasound to confirm sizing was used in 83% of cases. Most patients (92%) received intravenous heparin during TEVAR; the remainder received only heparin sheath flush because of concern for intracranial hemorrhage. None of the patients underwent LSA revascularization or developed stroke or spinal cord ischemia as a result of the procedure. Operative complications were seen in 6% of patients and included 1 femoral pseudoaneurysm, 1 lower extremity compartment syndrome, 1 type II endoleak requiring LSA embolization, and 1 intracranial bleed. The 30-day mortality was 7% (one aorta-related death). On 30-day postoperative follow-up, computed tomography imaging uniformly revealed positive aortic remodeling, and no secondary aortic intervention was required. Conclusions Institutional implementation of our grading system has streamlined treatment of BTAI, and our results confirm the following: patients with minimal injury do not require surgical treatment; patients with moderate injury can safely undergo TEVAR in a semielective manner once they are stable from other injuries; and patients with severe injury require emergent repair. These procedures are expeditious and can be successfully performed percutaneously with a single endograft. Complications are rare, and follow-up reveals excellent remodeling of the aorta, likely resulting in lengthened interval surveillance requirements for these patients.
How Political and Economic Processes Are Related to Education Inequality

This chapter lays out a theory of how political and economic processes are related to education inequality. Torpey-Saboe outlines the relevant actors and the preferences that shape their choices, then details a theory on how the type of political regime and the economic processes of modernization and globalization should affect the costs and benefits of education for both individuals and governments. Democratization should increase the benefits to government for providing broad access to education and the benefits to individuals of attaining that education. Modernization should also increase the benefits of education and reduce the costs for both governments and individuals. The effects of globalization will vary depending on the structure of the economy. For labor-abundant countries, globalization should increase the benefits to government for providing broad-based education and the benefits to individuals for staying in school. For capital- and land-abundant countries, however, globalization may not bring these same benefits.
The Roles of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors in the Metabolic Syndrome

The epidemic of obesity and its association with insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, collectively known as the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X, is one of the most challenging health problems facing industrialized countries. The nuclear receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs alpha (α), beta (β) also known as delta (δ), and gamma (γ)), have well-documented roles in lipid and glucose metabolism. Pharmacologically, PPARα is activated by fibrate hypolipidemic drugs, whereas PPARγ is activated by insulin sensitizers thiazolidinediones (TZDs). No marketed drug is yet available for PPARβ(δ). The identification of fibrates and TZDs as respective ligands for PPARα and PPARγ was a groundbreaking finding that sparked notable pharmaceutical interest in PPARs as potential drug targets for treatment of the metabolic syndrome. Limiting side effects associated with clinical use of TZDs have emerged in recent years. New and novel PPAR drugs with broad safety margins and therapeutic potentials for the metabolic syndrome are in development. These include partial, dual, or pan PPAR agonists; PPAR antagonists; and selective PPAR modulators. The objective of this chapter is to highlight the therapeutic benefits of targeting more than one PPAR subtype in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome. The pros and cons observed during clinical use of TZDs and the strategies and progress made in the production of new generations of safe and effective PPAR ligands are discussed.
Designing the Face-to-Face Survey

The face-to-face interview has several limitations. It requires more time and entails greater cost than other survey modes. It may yield data that mix variation originating in a respondent’s responses with variation across interview situations. However, it also has significant advantages over non-interview surveys and over non-personal interviews due to direct interpersonal interaction between the interviewer and interviewee. Two major paradigms of the survey interview encounter (Stimulus–response/information retrieval and Constructionist-collaborative) imply using alternative face-to-face interview formats (standardized or conversational) to maximize data quality and measurement reliability. The paradigms also suggest alternative paths for improving survey interviews, i.e., cognitive interviewing or conversational analysis. Exclusive reliance on the dominant stimulus–response/information-retrieval paradigm and strict adherence to a standardized format in face-to-face interviews may achieve high levels of behavioral consistency and it can also inhibit acquiring rich survey data with substantive consistency. A face-to-face survey with a flexible, conversational interview format, as supported by the constructionist-collaborative paradigm, may have lower behavior consistency but it can maximize substantive data consistency.
Middle Managers' Initial Change Concerns: Examining Change Readiness Beliefs in the U.S. and India

Much has been written about managing change in the workplace, including how to develop change readiness in the organization. However, little is known about how middle managers evaluate changes or h...