cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility, echo time shifts, and T2* considerations for functional magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic susceptibility differences exist near the interface of air/tissue in the ventral brain in fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). These susceptibility differences will not only cause field inhomogeneity and its gradients which will result in image artifacts, but also cause shifts in the echo time for gradients echo acquisitions. The echo time shifts are caused by shifts in the effective k-space trajectory due to the gradients of the field inhomogeneity. Previous work has shown and validated methods for estimating the echo time shift based on the effective k-space trajectory. In this work, we demonstrate that accurate estimation of the R2* decay map (R2*=1/T2*) not only need to account for the field map and its gradients, but also needs to include the echo time shift. These changes in T2* sensitivity are directly related to changes in sensitivity in BOLD (blood oxygenation level dependent) fMRI studies.
SURVIVAL AND MOVEMENTS OF JUVENILE BURROWING OWLS DURING THE POSTFLEDGING PERIOD

Abstract Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) populations have declined extensively throughout much of North America, and modeling demography may assist conservation. However, few studies have estimated adult survival, and fewer still have determined juvenile survival. In 2003 and 2004 we monitored survival of 40 radio-tagged juveniles during the postfledging period in the Little Missouri National Grassland, North Dakota, where owls nested in black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies. Survival averaged 0.57 (95% CI: 0.41–0.73) prior to autumn migration. Mortality was highest during the first two weeks after nest departure when juveniles were flightless, and two to three weeks later when juveniles became independent. Predation or starvation was implicated in most deaths. Distribution and abundance of escape cover (number of prairie dog burrows within 30 m of nests and size of the natal prairie dog colony) did not affect survival. Body condition and brood size at the time of radio-tagging also ...
Current Status of Laboratory Diagnosis of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonitis

(1975). Current Status of Laboratory Diagnosis of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonitis. CRC Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 145-170.
Does mindfulness meditation improve attention in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) manifests by high levels of inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity. ADHD starts in childhood and results in impairments that continue into adulthood. While hyperactivity declines over time, inattention and executive function difficulties persist, leading to functional deficits. Adolescents and adults with ADHD have pervasive impairment in interpersonal and family relationships. They may develop addiction, delinquent behavior and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, persistent residual symptoms are common, highlighting the need for novel treatment strategies. Mindfulness training, derived from Eastern meditation practices, may improve self-regulation of attention. It may also be a useful strategy to augment standard ADHD treatments and may be used as a potential tool to reduce impairments in patients with residual symptoms of ADHD. Clinically, this would manifest by an increased ability to suppress task-unrelated thoughts and distractions resulting in improved attention, completion of tasks and potential improvement in occupational and social function.
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

This essay profiles the history of the National Education Association of the United States of America. Founded in 1857, the association functioned as a national debating society for a small group of educational leaders for the rest of the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, it experienced a wave of feminist opposition to the male leaders, the influence of progressive education, a surge of local emphasis, the challenge of trade unionism in the form of the American Federation of Teachers - AFT -, its own racial desegregation, and participation in the creation of the United States Department of Education. Recently, it has been attacked from the political right, as a facilitator of an intellectually deficient public education system.
Teaching Theory Construction With Initial Grounded Theory Tools A Reflection on Lessons and Learning

This article addresses criticisms of qualitative research for spawning studies that lack analytic development and theoretical import. It focuses on teaching initial grounded theory tools while interviewing, coding, and writing memos for the purpose of scaling up the analytic level of students' research and advancing theory construction. Adopting these tools can improve teaching qualitative methods at all levels although doctoral education is emphasized here. What teachers cover in qualitative methods courses matters. The pedagogy presented here requires a supportive environment and relies on demonstration, collective participation, measured tasks, progressive analytic complexity, and accountability. Lessons learned from using initial grounded theory tools are exemplified in a doctoral student's coding and memo-writing excerpts that demonstrate progressive analytic development. The conclusion calls for increasing the number and depth of qualitative methods courses and for creating a cadre of expert qualitative methodologists.
Learning to roll before you stop and drop.

In this issue of Blood , Sperandio and colleagues report the use of a unique intravital microscopic system to characterize an ontogenic process of blood cell and yolk sac endothelial maturation that is required to display full adult-type inflammation-induced leukocyte recruitment. 1 They report that murine fetal blood neutrophil rolling, adhesion, and extravasation from inflamed yolk sac vessels is apparent late in development, but that before embryonic day (E) 15, fetal blood neutrophils display little ability to roll or adhere to inflamed vascular endothelial cells. Similar behavior was displayed when fetal blood cells were tested in vitro on immobilized recombinant adhesion molecules.
Reproduction of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly:Frequency of Mating in the Laboratory

Tests of mating behavior in the laboratory showed that Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) males are polygamous; however, 40% of the females did not remate. Among remating females (96 of 173), 75% remated 1–2 times in 49 days. Female receptivity to remating apparently correlated with the volume of stored sperm in the spermathecae.
Effects of edaravone on expression of caspase-3 and caspase-12 in juvenile rat hippocampus after status convulsion

AIM: To investigate the effect of edaravone(ED) on the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-12 in the juvenile rat hippocampus after status convulsion( SC). METHODS: Juvenile male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal saline( NS) control group,SC group and ED treatment group. The rats in each group were further divided into 5 subgroups according to different time points. The rats in SC group were kindled into epilepsy by lithiumpilocarpine chemical method. The protein expression of caspase-3 and caspase-12 was determined by immunohistochemistry methods. The mRNA expression of caspase-3 and caspase-12 was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS:(1) The IA value of caspase-3 positive cells in 24 ~ 72 h SC group increased compared with NS group. With ED intervention,the IA value of caspase-3 positive cells decreased as compared with 48 ~ 72 h SC group. The results of RT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression of caspase-3 was similar to the changes of protein.(2) The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the IA value of caspase-12 positive cells in 12 ~ 72 h SC group increased compared with NS group. With ED intervention,the IA value of caspase-12 positive cells decreased as compared with 24 ~ 72 h SC group. The results of RT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression of caspase-12 was similar to the changes of protein.( 3) In ED group,Ⅴ grade convulsion was lower than that in SC group,and the latent period of seizures in ED group was significantly longer than that in SC group. CONCLUSION: Edaravone inhibits the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-12 in pilocarpine-induced seizures in rat hippocampus,suggesting that edaravone has protective effect against the damage caused by status convulsion.
Meta-Analysis of Relationship Between Exposure to Noise and Neurobehavior

Objective To evaluate the relationship between noise exposure and the neurobehavior, and define the sensitive indicators. Methods Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the data extracted from 1994～2003 published papers on the relationship between noise exposure and neurobehavior in China. Results There was significant difference between the scores of indicators in exposed group and the control (P0.05). Their effect magnitudes were all reached 0.2. Conclusions Noise exposure can be the cause in the changes in cognitive abilities, emotion and psychomotor function; and object tracking, simple reaction, tension, digit span and fatigue are sensitive indicators.
Evaluation on Effect Tuberculosis Convergence Case-management

Objective To evaluate the effect of tuberculosis convergence case-management,and discuss the feasibility in the future management.Method Twenty nine general hospitals were chosen at random from all kinds of hospitals in Rongxian county,and some measures of lawful supervision were taken to carry out tuberculosis convergence case-management.Tuberculosis convergence case-management situation in general hospitals before and after taking the measures was investigated and compared.Results Through lawful supervision and after convergence case-management,the pulmonary tuberculosis patients transfer and report rates in general hospitals went up from 42.4%,25.2% to 84.2%,82.7%,the rates of regular treatment and cure went up from 63.3%,61.2% to 95.8%,94.1%,and the death rate went down from 12.7% to 2.8%.Conclusion It's effective to strengthen sanitary administrative intervention and lawful supervision for carrying out tuberculosis convergence case-management in general hospitals.
A Polysulfide-Trapping Interface for Electrochemically Stable Sulfur Cathode Development

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) cells have a strong edge to become an inexpensive, high-capacity rechargeable battery system. However, currently, several prohibitive challenges occur within the sulfur core, especially the polysulfide-diffusion problem. To address these scientific issues, we present here a boron-doped multiwalled carbon nanotube coated separator (B-CNT-coated separator). The B-CNT-coated separator creates a polysulfide trap between the pure sulfur cathode and the polymeric separator as a “polysulfide-trapping interface,” stabilizing the active material and allowing the dissolved polysulfides to activate the bulk sulfur cores. Therefore, the dissolved polysulfides change from causing fast capacity fade to assisting with the activation of bulk sulfur clusters in pure sulfur cathodes. Moreover, the heteroatom-doped polysulfide-trapping interface is currently one of the missing pieces of carbon-coated separators, which might inspire further studies in its effect and battery chemistry. Li–S cells employi...
The “Near-Peer” Approach to Teaching Musculoskeletal Physical Examination Skills Benefits Residents and Medical Students

Abstract Background The musculoskeletal physical examination (MSK PE) is an essential part of medical student training, and it is best taught in a hands-on, longitudinal fashion. A barrier to this approach is faculty instructor availability. "Near-peer" teaching refers to physicians-in-training teaching their junior colleagues. It is unknown whether near-peer teaching is effective in teaching this important physical examination skill. Objective To investigate attitudes of medical students and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR we also recommend providing opportunities for PM&R residents to participate in formal near-peer education. Level of Evidence Not applicable.
Serum level of neutrophii gelatinase-associated lipocalin in preeclampsia with gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective To investigate the relationship of serum neutrophil gelatinase associatedlipocalin (NGAL) levels among preeclamptic women with or without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM),GDM and healthy pregnant controls. Methods This study included 263 singleton pregnant women who visited the antenatal chinics in Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital and Health Instutite Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical College from December 2009 to November 2010,77 healthy pregnant women,77 women with preeclampsia,77 women with GDM and 32 women complicated with both preeclampsia and GDM.Blood pressure,height and body weight of all subjects were measured.Peripheral blood samples were collected to detect serum NGAL,parameters of glycolipid metabolism,24-hour urine protein content,uric acid,creatinine and lactate dehydrogenase.Maternal levels of serum NGAL were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Meanwhile,body mass index (BMI) and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were calculated. Data under normal distribution were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and Student's t test,and those under abnormal distribution were compared with Kruskal-Wallis H or Mann-Whitney U test. Results The preeclampsia with GDM group had higher serum NGAL level [(70.82±20.02) ng/ml] as compared with preeclampsia group [(56.17 ±18.22) ng/ml],GDM group [(43.99 ± 14.82) ng/ml] and healthy pregnant control group [(17.80±5.78) ng/ml],t=3.65,5.97,14.76,P＜0.01,respectively.The NGAL levels in preeclampsia group without GDM were higher than in GDM group (t=5.90,P＜0.01).In both the preeclampsia with and without GDM groups,NGAL levels in patients with severe preeclampsia were higher than in the mild ones [(76.44±28.06) ng/ml or(60.15±25.86) ng/ml,t=2.82,P＜0.05; (61.61±37.14) ng/ml or (46.30±13.97) ng/ml,t=4.74,P＜0.01].After adjusted by gesrational weeks and maternal age,NGAL level was positively correlated with BMI before pregnancy (r=0.335,P＜0.01),BMI after pregnancy (r=0.427,P＜0.01),systolic blood pressure (r=0.648,P＜0.01),diastolic blood pressure (r=0.664,P＜0.01),fasting blood glucose (r=0.320,P＜0.01),fasting insulin level (r=0.381,P＜0.01),HOMA-IR (r=0.399,P＜0.01),triglyceride level (r=0.405,P＜0.01),total cholesterol (r=0.145,P＜0.05),free fatty acids (r=0.335,P＜0.01),uric acid (r =0.292,P＜0.01),creatinine (r =0.226,P ＜ 0.01),and 24-hour urine protein content (r =0.436,P＜0.01),and negatively correlated with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (r=-0.189,P =0.008).Stepwise regression analysis showed that systolic blood pressure (β =0.251,P ＜ 0.01),diastolic blood pressure (β=0.351,P＜0.01),HOMA-IR (β=0.265,P＜0.01) and 24-hour urine protein content (β=0.140,P=0.011) were independent factors of NGAL. Conclusions Serum NGAL levels increase significantly in patients with preeclampsia or GDM,and are correlated with parameters of glycolipid metabolism end endothelial dysfunction,which might play a role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and GDM. Key words: Pre-eclampsia; Diabetes, gestational; Acute-phase proteins; Proto-oncogene proteins; Lipocalins
Racial physics or a theory for everything that happened

ABSTRACTThis political commentary invokes the concept of racial physics, a theory of race and racism influenced philosophically and metaphorically by Albert Einstein's principle of equivalence and theories of relativity, especially in light of the recent political season. The goals for this essay are twofold: (1) provide a critical race conscious assessment of the 2016 political season both within the United States and abroad, and (2) demonstrate how race and racism reflect a broader social cosmology of great consequence, underscoring the tendency among humans to develop constructs that persist across space and time with effects that mirror the nature and properties of matter and energy.
Statistical Power Analysis for Comparing Means with Binary or Count Data Based on Analogous ANOVA

Comparison of population means is essential in quantitative research. For comparing means of three or more groups, analysis of variance (ANOVA) is the most frequently used statistical approach. Typically, ANOVA is used for continuous data, but discrete data are also common in practice. To compare means of binary or count data, the classical ANOVA and the corresponding power analysis are problematic, because the assumption of normality is violated. To address the issue, this study introduces an analogous ANOVA approach for binary or count data, as well as the corresponding methods for statistical power analysis. We first introduce an analogous ANOVA table and a likelihood ratio test statistic for comparing means with binary or count data. With the test statistic, we then define an effect size and propose a method to calculate statistical power. Finally, we develop and show software to conduct the proposed power analysis for both binary and count data.
Cocaine-related subcutaneous emphysema, pneumorrhachis and pneumomediastinum: a rare clinical finding.

A young man presented with several days of dyspnoea and delirium due to cocaine use which was confirmed by urine drug screening. Imaging studies confirmed the diagnosis of subcutaneous emphysema, pneumorrhachis and pneumomediastinum. He was managed successfully with conservative therapy. Although a rare clinical finding, cocaine-related pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema and pneumorrhachis should be recognised early on presentation. This will certainly help to effectively direct the use of healthcare resources and avoid subjecting the patient to unnecessary investigations.
Invading beyond bounds: extraintestinal Clostridium difficile infection leading to pancreatic and liver abscesses

Clostridium difficile has become a common healthcare-associated infection over the past few years and gained more attention. C. difficile was estimated to cause almost half a million infections in USA in 2011 and 29 000 died within 30 days of the initial diagnosis. Although colitis due to C. difficile is the most common presentation, there have been reported cases of extraintestinal infections. As per our review of literature, this is the third reported case of liver abscess due to the organism.
Theory and Measurement for Public Accountability Research

This research aims to advance public accountability research in terms of theory and measurement. Since advent of New Public Management (NPM), there has been only assumption that performance account...
MicroPET imaging of HER2+ tumors using F-18-labeled anti-HER2 diabody

492 Objectives Rapid blood clearance of antibody fragments such as diabodies supports their use as imaging agents for targeted tumor detection. Current radiolabeling methods for immunoPET involve lengthy conjugations and therefore long-lived isotopes. A one-pot, remote-controlled method for synthesis of N-succinimidyl-4-[18F]fluorobenzoate ([18F]SFB) was developed. [18F]SFB was conjugated to anti-HER2 diabody and evaluated in a HER2 tumor system. Methods [18F]SFB was synthesized using a one-pot microwave reactor system, then conjugated to anti-HER2 diabody, followed by spin column purification. HER2+ (MCF7-HER2 transfected, human breast cancer) and HER2-negative (C6, rat glioma) cells were used for immunoreactivity in vitro and tumor targeting in vivo (subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice). Tumor targeting was evaluated by microPET and ex vivo biodistribution. Results [18F]SFB labeling of anti-HER2 diabody was repeated > 4 times. RCY was 4-8% after 45 min of reaction. Labeled diabody selectively bound positive cells in vitro(immunoreactivity 32 – 67%) and targeted positive tumors in vivo (mean tumor:blood = 1.9, n = 3). MicroPET images showed tumor targeting at 4 hours post-injection. Conclusions A novel, HER2-targeting immunoPET radiotracer was developed. The simplification of 18F labeling allows pairing of the in vivo half life of the fragment with the radioactive half life of the isotope. A rapid and simplified radiolabeling procedure combined with suitable in vivo kinetics for high-contrast, same-day imaging supports this approach as a general method for fast and feasible generation of immunoPET tracers. Research Support California Breast Cancer Research Program #14GB-0157, NIH CA 086386, CA 119367.
A leaf wax biomarker record of early Pleistocene hydroclimate from West Turkana, Kenya

Abstract Climate is thought to play a critical role in human evolution; however, this hypothesis is difficult to test due to a lack of long, high-quality paleoclimate records from key hominin fossil locales. To address this issue, we analyzed organic geochemical indicators of climate in a drill core from West Turkana, Kenya that spans ∼1.9–1.4 Ma, an interval that includes several important hominin evolutionary transitions. We analyzed the hydrogen isotopic composition of terrestrial plant waxes (δDwax) to reconstruct orbital-timescale changes in regional hydrology and their relationship with global climate forcings and the hominin fossil record. Our data indicate little change in the long-term mean hydroclimate during this interval, in contrast to inferred changes in the level of Lake Turkana, suggesting that lake level may be responding dominantly to deltaic progradation or tectonically-driven changes in basin configuration as opposed to hydroclimate. Time-series spectral analyses of the isotopic data reveal strong precession-band (21 kyr) periodicity, indicating that regional hydroclimate was strongly affected by changes in insolation. We observe an interval of particularly high-amplitude hydrologic variation at ∼1.7 Ma, which occurs during a time of high orbital eccentricity hence large changes in processionally-driven insolation amplitude. This interval overlaps with multiple hominin species turnovers, the appearance of new stone tool technology, and hominin dispersal out of Africa, supporting the notion that climate variability played an important role in hominin evolution.
Localization of a candidate surfactant convertase to type II cells, macrophages, and surfactant subfractions

Pulmonary surfactant exists in the alveolus in several distinct subtypes that differ in their morphology, composition, and surface activity. Experiments by others have implicated a serine hydrolase in the production of the inactive small vesicular subtype of surfactant (N. J. Gross and R. M. Schultz. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1044: 222-230, 1990). Our laboratory recently identified this enzyme in the rat as the serine carboxylesterase ES-2 [F. Barr, H. Clark, and S. Hawgood. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 18): L404-L410, 1998]. In the present study, we determined the cellular sites of expression of ES-2 in rat lung using a digoxygenin-labeled ES-2 riboprobe. ES-2 mRNA was localized to type II cells and alveolar macrophages but not to Clara cells. Using a specific ES-2 antibody, we determined the protein distribution of ES-2 in the lung by immunohistochemistry, and it was found to be consistent with the sites of mRNA expression. Most of the ES-2 in rat bronchoalveolar lavage is in the surfactant-depleted supernatant, but ES-2 was also consistently localized to the small vesicular surfactant subfraction presumed to form as a consequence of conversion activity. These results are consistent with a role for endogenous lung ES-2 in surfactant metabolism.
Clinicopathologic characteristics of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a syndrome of uncontrolled lymphoid growth in the immunosuppressed transplant patient. Known risk factors include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) seronegativity at the time of transplant, pediatric age and allograft type. Newer studies suggest that constitutional factors such as cytokine gene polymorphisms may also predispose to PTLD. Although PTLD may occur at any time, the majority of cases arise within the first two post-transplant years. Clinical presentation is heterogeneous and dependent upon the location and extent of disease. Allograft involvement is common, particularly in cases of lung, intestine, or pancreas transplantation. Most PTLD are of B lymphocyte origin. A histopathologic classification system has been proposed and it is important to understand the histology of these lesions, since the term PTLD incorporates both hyperplastic and neoplastic growths. Histologic subclassification also has prognostic value, although this remains imperfect at present. Clinical evaluation should include staging as for lymphomas, since PTLD stage is an important determinant of outcome. In EBV-associated PTLD, quantitative evaluation of EB viral genomic load has a role in guiding prophylaxis, diagnosis, and monitoring of therapy. The presence of EBV is not an absolute requirement for the diagnosis of PTLD, and it has been suggested that there has been a recent increase in the number of EBV-negative cases. Such lesions have a median onset time around 50–60 months post-transplant. Therapy of PTLD must be tailored to the individual patient. Newer modalities such as anti-CD20 antibodies are being evaluated and may complement the standard stepwise approach that begins with a reduction of immunosuppression. The role of chemotherapy continues to be defined, and in some cases early recourse to this approach may be desirable. Survival varies by age and extent of disease, with pediatric patients and those with localized disease tending to fare better. A finer understanding of the molecular cellular and virologie underpinnings of PTLD remains essential in order to define optimal treatment regimens. The emergence of EBV-negative PTLD is a problem and the relationship of this to standard lymphomas arising in nonimmunosuppressed patients remains to be defined. Continued individual and multi-institutional studies are essential for progress in these areas.
Hormones and Reproductive Cycles in Snakes

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on current knowledge of the hormonal regulation of reproduction in snakes. Studies conducted have disproportionately examined temperate zone viperid and colubrid snakes, especially the redsided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Indeed, extensive observational and experimental studies on T. s. parietalis form the basis for our understanding of the hormonal regulation of reproduction in snakes. This review focuses on seasonal hormone concentrations in snakes in relation to events in the reproductive cycle; the limited data available on hypothalamic hormones, gonadotropins (GTHs), hormone receptors, and binding globulins; the neuroendocrinology of reproduction; and the environmental, social, physiological, and embryonic aspects of hormonal regulation of reproduction in snakes. Suggestions for future research are also provided, including studies of a more diverse ecological and taxonomic representation of snakes, experimental studies on the effects of hormones on reproductive tissues and behaviors, and further research into the neuroendocrinology of reproduction in this highly diverse group of animal. This chapter attempts to provide a broad overview of the effects of hormones on reproduction in snakes, focusing on seminal studies.
Frequency Domain Bootstrap

In this chapter, we describe a special type of transformation based-bootstrap, known as the frequency domain bootstrap (FDB). Given a finite stretch of observations from a stationary time series, here we consider the discrete Fourier transforms (DFTs) of the data and use the transformed values in the frequency domain to derive bootstrap approximations (hence, the name FDB). In Section 9.2, we describe the FDB for a class of estimators, called the ratio statistics. Dahlhaus and Janas’s (1996) results show that under suitable regularity conditions, the FDB is second-order accurate for approximating the sampling distributions of ratio statistics. In Section 9.3, we describe the FDB method and its properties in the context of spectral density estimation. Material covered in Section 9.3 is based on the work of Franke and Hardle (1992). In Section 9.4, we describe a modified version of the FDB due to Kreiss and Paparoditis (2003) that, under suitable regularity conditions, removes some of the limitations of the standard FDB and yields valid approximations to the distributions of a larger class of statistics than the class of ratio statistics. It is worth pointing out that the results presented in this chapter on the FDB are valid only for linear processes.
Taxing Bads by Taxing Goods: Towards Efficient Pollution Control with Presumptive Charges

Anyone who has visited Mexico City or Jakarta or Santiago knows that pollution is part of everyday life in the developing world. Yet economics textbooks have been prescribing solutions to the problem of pollution for at least half a century. One reason why the textbook solution -- levying an emissions fee on the polluter -- has not been applied is that it requires the government to monitor emissions, something that may not be feasible in many countries. In fact, most pollution control policies in place employ indirect instruments -- those which tax or regulate activities associated with emissions -- rather than neutrally putting a brake on emissions. In this chapter, we argue that such policies economize on scarce capacity in monitoring and enforcement, but generally leave room for improvement.
Does the medical literature contain the evidence to answer the questions of primary care physicians? Preliminary findings of a study.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of information retrieved in MEDLINE searches performed to answer clinical questions of primary care physicians. SETTING: Ambulatory rural and nonrural practices. PARTICIPANTS: Active, non-academic primary care physicians; professional medical librarians, a general internist. DESIGN: Descriptive study in 3 stages: 1) Office Interviews, to record questions that arise in primary care practice; 2) Online Searches, to locate information that might answer these questions; and 3) Critical Appraisal to determine the quality of the information contained in the articles retrieved. MAIN RESULTS: Of 74 articles judged by clinicians to be relevant to their questions, 2 were critical reviews, 14 reported results of randomized controlled trials, and 4 reported results of cohort studies. The remainder contained weaker evidence: 1 reported results of a case-control study, 6 were longitudinal case series, 13 were cross-sectional descriptions of disease, 12 were cross-sectional descriptions of diagnostic testing, and 22 were review articles which did not meet criteria for a critical review. CONCLUSION: Searching the medical literature to answer the questions of primary care physicians was successful in retrieving recent, relevant information, and often provided "a clear answer" to the question, but the cost of using bibliographic retrieval was high, and fewer than a third of the articles retrieved contained high quality evidence.
Lifetime of the Hα chromospheric network

Time-lapse photographs of the Hα chromospheric network were taken at 3-sec intervals with a\(\tfrac{1}{4}\)-A filter centered at Hα + 0.65 A, where the network appears as a system of dark mottles. A nearly continuous sequence of 62 hr duration was made possible by summertime operation of the telescope at Thule Air Base, Greenland, 10° above the Arctic Circle. A quiet region was followed across the center of the disc. The life history of the network, as determined by measurement of the cross-correlation of selected photographs taken at intervals ranging between 3 sec and 29 hr, shows a rather complicated behavior. Initially the correlation falls off quite rapidly, dropping from 0.97 at 3 sec to 0.60 at about 7 min. Thereafter, the decline becomes increasingly more gradual, reaching a value of 0.24 at 4 hr. From this point the correlation falls off quite slowly. A least-squares fit to that portion of the cross-correlation curve for time differences greater than 4 hr yields a mean (1/e) life of 25.0 ± 1.6 hr and a value for twice the half-life of 38.8 ± 4.0 hr. This rate of decline is believed to be characteristic of the lifetime of the chromospheric network. The rapid initial loss of correlation appears to be due to a redistribution of the features, seen in the red wing of the Hα line, along the network.
Helminths of 26 species of microhylid frogs (Anura: Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea.

Five hundred and sixty microhylid frogs representing 26 species collected from 2002 to 2005 in Papua New Guinea were examined for helminths. Found were three species of Digenea, two species of Cestoda, nineteen species of Nematoda, and two species of Acanthocephala. One hundred and eleven new host records were recorded. Nematodes comprised 73% (19/26) of the species present and 95% (10,581/11,107) of the individuals present. Seventeen of the 26 (65%) helminth species found are currently known only from Papua New Guinea.
Scaled demonstration of fluid insert noise reduction for tactical fighter aircraft engines

This paper summarizes a university-industry cooperative project to develop a new method of noise reduction applicable to tactical fighter aircraft engines. There is an acute need for reduction of t...
Study of the Board Level Reliability Performance of a Large 0.3 mm Pitch Wafer Level Package

Board level reliability investigations have been performed on 36 mm² wafer level packages (WLP) with a 0.3 mm ball pitch. Three different solder ball alloys were included in the temperature cycling, thermal shock and mechanical shock test. In addition to daisy chain test vehicles to address the solder joint reliability, 28 nm die packaged with WLP were included in the assessment to check the stress impact on extreme low K dielectric (ELK) in the die back-end-of-line (BEOL). The tests have included selected studies on the influence of printed circuit board (PCB) thickness and usage of a board level underfill. WLP with SAC-Q solder ball show a significant improvement versus the industry standard SAC405 solder balls. In temperature cycling on board (TCoB), WLP's with SAC-Q (SAC405 with 3% Bi) achieve more than 2000 cycles without fail in temperature range from -40°C to 85°C on a 0.8 mm thick PCB, whereby first fails with SAC405 balls were observed above 800 cycles. All WLP's with LF35 (SAC125Ni) solder alloy fail before 1000 cycles. The failure mode in TCoB changes from solder joint fatigue for SAC405 and LF35 to Cu redistribution layer (RDL) cracks for SAC-Q. The 28 nm functional die packaged with WLP show no ELK crack or any other fail after 1000 cycles for SAC-Q alloy balls. The TCoB with SAC405 WLP pass 2000 cycles without fail when an underfill was applied. Non-underfilled WLP with SAC405 balls assembled on a thickness reduced 0.4 mm PCB show also a significant improvement with a first fail above 1900 cycles. WLP with SAC-Q and SAC405 passed mechanical shock (24 drops at 10k g).
Urbanization, market development and malnutrition in farm households: evidence from the Demographic and Health Surveys, 1986–2011

A principal effect of agricultural productivity growth is to accelerate urbanization by supplying food, labor and other resources to urban services and industry. Towns and cities may also grow for their own reasons, pulling food and resources out of rural areas. Whether pushed or pulled, the development of markets creates new opportunities for agricultural households. This study tests whether, on balance, proximity to older towns and cities has improved or worsened malnutrition among farm households in 43,850 survey clusters in 46 developing countries between 1986 and 2011, using 83 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) combined with other geographic and historical data. Controlling for national income, we find that regions with a longer history of urbanization have children with higher weight-for-height and height-for-age z-scores at a wide range of national income levels. We also find a higher prevalence of overweight among mothers living near older cities. These results suggest that, on average, access to urban markets has reduced rural child stunting and wasting in the surveyed countries, but also increased the risks of overweight for children and adult women. These results motivate the need to guide agricultural market development in ways that promote improved nutrition while limiting the rise of diet-related disease.
Jagged and Delta-like ligands control distinct events during airway progenitor cell differentiation

Notch signaling regulates cell fate selection during development in multiple organs including the lung. Previous studies on the role of Notch in the lung focused mostly on Notch pathway core components or receptor-specific functions. It is unclear, however, how Jagged or Delta-like ligands collectively or individually (Jag1, Jag2, Dll1, Dll4) influence differentiation of airway epithelial progenitors. Using mouse genetic models we show major differences in Jag and Dll in regulation and establishment of cell fate. Jag ligands had a major impact in balancing distinct cell populations in conducting airways, but had no role in the establishment of domains and cellular abundance in the neuroendocrine (NE) microenvironment. Surprisingly, Dll ligands were crucial in restricting cell fate and size of NE bodies and showed an overlapping role with Jag in differentiation of NE-associated secretory (club) cells. These mechanisms may potentially play a role in human conditions that result in aberrant NE differentiation, including NE hyperplasias and cancer.
Culture and Practice: Identifying the Issues

Cultural competency has been a topic of concern within the healthcare community for nearly half a century. Among the issues that present the greatest challenges for practitioners and patients alike is that of sexual healthcare. Yet, few practitioners are prepared for the diversity of beliefs and cultural challenges that arise within the field of sexual health. This chapter focuses on the growing need for cultural competency, detailing the scope of the major issues that arise as populations and nations increase in both their domestic and international diversity, and showing how such issues are likely to negatively impact healthcare. A number of sample illustrations are used to underscore the relevance of cross-cultural sensitivity/understanding to issues related to gender, sexual identity, and sexual healthcare. This chapter concludes with a brief discussion about strategies to develop and sustain cultural sensitivity in ways that both serve the needs of diverse communities and increase their satisfaction with their healthcare experience.
Adductor injuries in the National Basketball Association: an analysis of return to play and player performance from 2010 to 2019.

Objectives: 1) To evaluate return to play (RTP) timing in National Basketball Association (NBA) athletes following adductor injuries, and 2) to evaluate the effect of adductor injuries on player pe...
Facilitating Parental Involvement in Speech Therapy for Children With Speech Sound Disorders: A Survey of Speech-Language Pathologists' Practices, Perspectives, and Strategies

Purpose This study investigated the extent to which speech-language pathologists (SLPs) facilitate parents' completion of homework activities for children with speech sound disorder (SSD). In addition, this study explored factors related to more consistent communication about homework completion and strategies considered particularly effective for supporting this element of parental involvement. Method Licensed SLPs serving at least one child with SSD were invited to participate in an online survey. Questions relevant to this study gathered information regarding (a) frequency of communication about homework distribution and follow-up, (b) demographic and workplace characteristics, and (c) an open-ended question about the specific strategies used to support parental involvement and completion of homework activities. Results Descriptive results indicated considerable variability with respect to how frequently SLPs engaged in communication about homework completion, but that school-based SLPs were significantly less likely to engage in this type of follow-up. Strategies considered effective, however, were similar across therapy contexts. Conclusion These results suggest potentially important differences between school-based services and therapy in other contexts with respect to this particular aspect of service provision for children with SSD.
Epidemiological Risk Factors of SARS-Cov-2 Infections

Abstract Since the first governmental recognitions of the pandemic characteristic of the SARS-Cov-2 infections, public health agencies have warned about the dangers of the virus to persons with a variety of underlying physical conditions, many of which are more commonly found in persons older than 50 years old. To investigate the statistical, rather than physiological basis of such warnings, this study examines correlations on a nation-by-nation basis between the statistical data concerning covid-19 fatalities among the populations of the ninety-nine countries with the greatest number of SARS-Cov-2 infections plus the statistics of potential co-morbidities that may influence the severity of the infections. It examines reasons that may underlie of the degree to which advanced age increases the risk of mortality of an infection and contrasts the risk factors of SARS-Cov-2 infections with those of influenzas and their associated pneumonias.
Dietary linoleic acid, antioxidants, and flight training influence the activity of oxidative enzymes in European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Multiple studies have demonstrated that diet (e.g., fatty acid composition, antioxidants) and exercise training affect the metabolic performance of songbirds during aerobic activity, although the physiological mechanisms that cause such an effect remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that elevated proportions of dietary linoleic acid (18:2n6) and amounts of dietary anthocyanins (a hydrophilic antioxidant class) influence the activity and protein expression of oxidative enzymes in flight and leg muscle of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris N = 96), a subset of which were flown over 15 days in a wind tunnel. Carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT) and citrate synthase (CS) activity displayed 18:2n6-dependent relationships with soluble protein concentration. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was similarly related to protein concentration although also dependent on both dietary anthocyanins and flight training. 3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenase (HOAD) activity increased throughout the experiment in flight muscle, whereas this relationship was dependent on dietary anthocyanins in the leg muscle. Soluble protein concentration also increased throughout the experiment in the flight muscle, but was unrelated to date in the leg muscle, instead being influenced by both dietary anthocyanins and flight training. Training also produced additive increases in CPT and leg muscle HOAD activity. FAT/CD36 expression was related to both dietary 18:2n6 and training and changed over the course of the experiment. These results demonstrate a notable influence of our diet manipulations and flight training on the activity of these key oxidative enzymes, and particularly CPT and CS. Such influence suggests a plausible mechanism linking diet quality and metabolic performance in songbirds.
An analysis of the entrepreneurial institutional ecosystems supporting the development of hybrid organizations: The development of cooperatives in the U.S.

Hybrid institutions share features common to other ideal type organizations, but serve as an important focus of innovation, often combining features of charity, public service, and business. Where they exist, hybrid organizations are abundant, playing crucial roles in the management and governance of public goods and common pool resources. This is particularly true in the cooperative business sector, the United States (U.S.) in particular. U.S. cooperatives comprise a significant share of the agriculture, electricity, telecom, and consumer finance sectors. Yet the entrepreneurial support systems catalyzing U.S. cooperatives remains under-studied. This paper undertakes two case studies to present widely divergent forms of entrepreneurship: the institutional entrepreneurial support system of the electric cooperative sector, and; the broker's entrepreneurial role in starting The Veterinary Cooperative in support of independent veterinary clinics. The cases find that with proper support systems and actors, hybrids can not only flourish, but also provide for significant impacts with their stakeholders, as well as the broader market context. This demonstrates a need for incorporating institutional diversity vis-a-vis hybrids in environmental management, as well as the provision of the support for their growth.
O-GlcNAc modification of MYPT1 modulates lysophosphatidic acid-induced cell contraction in fibroblasts.

Thousands of proteins have been found to be modified by O-GlcNAc, a common glycosylation modification of serine and threonine residues throughout the cytosol and nucleus. O-GlcNAc is enzymatically added and removed from proteins, making it a potential dynamic regulator of cell signaling. However, compared with other posttranslational modifications like phosphorylation, relatively few O-GlcNAc-regulated pathways have been discovered and biochemically characterized. We previously discovered one such pathway, where O-GlcNAc controls the contraction of fibroblasts initiated by the signaling lipid sphingosine-1-phosphate. Specifically, we found that O-GlcNAc modification of the phosphatase MYPT1 maintains its activity, resulting in dephosphorylation and deactivation of the myosin light chain of the actinomyosin complex. Another signaling lipid that leads to contraction of fibroblasts is lysophosphatidic acid, and this signaling pathway also converges on MYPT1 and actinomyosin. We therefore rationalized that O-GlcNAc would also control this pathway. Here, we used a combination of small molecule inhibitors, 2D and 3D cell cultures, and biochemistry to confirm our hypothesis. Specifically, we found that O-GlcNAc levels control the sensitivity of mouse and primary human dermal fibroblasts to lysophosphatidic acid–induced contraction in culture and the phosphorylation of MLC and that MYPT1 O-GlcNAc modification is responsible. These findings further solidify the importance of O-GlcNAc in regulating the biology of fibroblasts in response to procontractile stimuli.
Paying Attention to Trust: Exploring the Relationship Between Attention Control and Trust in Automation:

As automation continues to pervade people’s lives, it is critical to understand the reasons why some interactions are successful while others fail. Previous research attempting to explain this vari...
Recognition Sites for Material Transport and Information Transfer

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews a list of some of the most conspicuous transport systems for the amino acids observed in cells of the higher animal. It tabulates the approximate range of the reactivity to transport of several of the well characterized systems, using mainly the results with the Ehrlich cell to compare in an approximate way how much each amino acid is transported by each of the several systems for neutral amino acids. Synthetic amino acids designed as model substrates for two transport systems mimic very closely the action of some typical substrates of these systems in causing hormone release. It seems to settle unequivocally the question whether amino acids need to be catabolized to have these effects. One metabolic consequence of the presence of the norbornane amino acid has been noted by Matschinsky et al.—a stimulation of lactate production. This stimulation is produced by a number of amino acids including both the levo- and the dextrorotatory isomers of the reactive form of the norbornane amino acid. Therefore, this metabolic effect does not parallel precisely the insulin-releasing potency of these amino acids. Another metabolic effect of the amino acids can, however be correlated with the insulin-releasing activity.