cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protectionism of the United States Toward Japan and Korea

This article examines protectionism from a number of perspectives. Part One provides some general background information describing present Japanese-American trade policy. Part Two does the same for Korean-American trade policy. Part Three offers some concluding observations.
Comorbid Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease and Stiff Person Syndrome: A Case Report (P4.322)

Objective: To report a rare case of comorbid Idiopathic Parkinson9s Disease (IPD) and Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS). Background: Although IPD and SPS may have similar clinical presentations, the much higher prevalence of IPD makes SPS less likely to be suspected. Management options are different enough for IPD and SPS that failure to respond to treatment for IPD may increase suspicion of SPS (and vice versa). This is a case of a patient whose diagnosis was changed from IPD to SPS, and then back-and-forth many times (from many different neurologists) until, ultimately, the diagnoses of comorbid IPD and SPS were made. Case: A 67-year-old Caucasian male presented 7 years ago with gradual onset bilateral lower extremity muscle spasms and rigidity. He initially responded to a trial of carbidopa/levodopa, and the diagnosis of IPD was made. However, his symptoms gradually returned, with temporary relief provided by dopamine agonists and benztropine. His incomplete response to dopamine, his lack of upper extremity involvement, and his absence of tremor or freezing raised the possibility of SPS. An SPS panel revealed strongly positive anti-GAD antibody titers (>250:1); however, a paraneoplastic antibody panel and neoplastic screening exam were negative. He had minimal response to IVIG, but plasma exchange resulted in drastic improvement. With time, however, he stopped responding to plasma exchange. Diazepam and an intrathecal baclofen trial were beneficial, but less beneficial than resuming dopamine agonists and carbidopa/levodopa. A DaTscan was positive, and bilateral GPi deep brain stimulators were implanted in order to manage the rigidity associated with both IPD and SPS. Current management continues to improve rigidity and painful leg spasms; however, he is now wheelchair-bound due to extreme freezing and postural instability. Conclusion: Although SPS should be in the differential for IPD (and vice versa), their comorbidity should not be discounted. Disclosure: Dr. Lustig has nothing to disclose. Dr. Blevins has nothing to disclose.
Delivering instruction and training to the US and the non-US audiences: an interview with Dr. Hardy MacKenzie

ABSTRACTThe interview was conducted to identify best practices and methods of delivering training programmes for the US and the non-US audiences. Topics for discussion involved understanding the importance of preparing instructional content, identifying approaches and techniques for capturing and sustaining the attention of participants. The interview was conducted by the first author and concluded with Dr. MacKenzie providing suggestions for trainers who design and deliver training for the US and the non-US audiences. These recommendations are important for domestic and global HRD practitioners as they offer best practices in terms of the cultural adjustments trainers, facilitators, and instructional designers must adopt for enhancing individual learning and enhancing training effectiveness.
Significance of NT-pro-BNP in acute exacerbation of COPD patients without underlying left ventricular dysfunction

BACKGROUND B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the N-terminal fragment of pro-BNP (NT-pro-BNP) are established biomarkers of heart failure. Increased levels of natriuretic peptide (NP) have been associated with poor outcomes in acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD); however, most studies did not address the conditions that can also increase NT-pro-BNP levels. We aimed to determine if NT-pro-BNP levels correlate with outcomes of AECOPD in patients without heart failure and other conditions that can affect NT-pro-BNP levels. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study in patients hospitalized for AECOPD with available NT-pro-BNP levels and normal left ventricular ejection fraction. We compared patients with normal and elevated NT-pro-BNP levels and analyzed the clinical and outcome data. RESULTS A total of 167 of 1,420 (11.7%) patients met the study criteria. A total of 77% of male patients and 53% of female patients had elevated NT-pro-BNP levels (P=0.0031). NT-pro-BNP levels were not associated with COPD severity and comorbid illnesses. Log-transformed NT-pro-BNP levels were positively associated with echocardiographically estimated right ventricular systolic pressure (r=0.3658; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2060-0.5067; P<0.0001). Patients with elevated NT-pro-BNP levels were more likely to require intensive care (63% vs 43%; P=0.0207) and had a longer hospital length of stay (P=0.0052). There were no differences in the need for noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (P=0.1245) or mechanical ventilation (P=0.9824) or in regard to in-hospital mortality (P=0.5273). CONCLUSION Patients with AECOPD and elevated NT-pro-BNP levels had increased hospital length of stay and need for intensive care. Based on our study, serum NT-pro-BNP levels cannot be used as a biomarker for increased mortality or requirement for invasive or noninvasive ventilation in this group of patients.
Low density lipopolyprotein inhibits flavivirus acquisition in Aedes aegypti.

Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of a number of human pathogens including dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV). Ae. aegypti acquires these viruses during the processing of bloodmeals obtained from an infected vertebrate host. Vertebrate blood contains a number of factors that have the potential to modify virus acquisition in the mosquito. Interestingly, low density lipopolyprotein (LDL) levels are decreased during severe DENV infection. Accordingly, we hypothesized that LDL is a modifiable factor that can influence flavivirus acquisition in the mosquito. We found that LDL is endocytosed by Ae. aegypti cells in a dynamin-dependent manner. LDL is also endocytosed by midgut epithelial cells and accumulates at the luminal midgut epithelium during bloodmeal digestion. Importantly, pretreatment with LDL, but not high density lipopolyprotein (HDL), significantly inhibited both DENV and ZIKV infection in vitro, and LDL inhibited ZIKV infection in vivo. This study identifies human LDL or 'bad cholesterol' as a modifiable factor that can inhibit flavivirus acquisition in Ae. aegypti. Identification of modifiable blood factors and critical cellular interactions that mediate pathogen acquisition may lead to novel strategies to disrupt the transmission cycle of vector-borne diseases.
One foot in Babylon, the other in a startup: The influence of job and employment alternatives on joiner commitment

Purpose Little is known regarding joiners (i.e. early-stage non-founder entrepreneurial employees) and their commitment to joining a new venture vs pursuing a more rational and stable career path. The purpose of this paper is to bring an understanding to this phenomenon, while adding to various management theories of organizational commitment and entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach The authors examine how current employment situations and alternative job prospects impact the relationship between joiner perceptions of distributive justice and organizational commitment by utilizing the equity ownership distribution decided upon by the founding team. The hypotheses are tested using data gathered from 117 joiners. Findings The findings confirm for traditional organizational research, a positive relationship exists, even in a new venture context, between perceptions of distributive justice and organizational commitment. However, when joiners report having a second (or primary) job, in addition to the new venture, the direct relationship is weakened. In contrast, higher levels of alternative employment options strengthen the relationship between justice and commitment. Research limitations/implications Although the authors’ measure of employment options only included a single-item measure, there is precedent in the literature for this approach. Yet, the authors realize this remains a limitation due to the lack of additional information surrounding each joiner’s “other job” characteristics, such as tenure, title, and salary. Practical implications Perceptions of fairness and justice appear to provide valuable implications for founders concerned about organizational commitment and employee buy-in when seeking to bring on joiners. Job alternatives and additional employment also provide interesting takeaways for practitioners. The authors suggest that founders take caution when hiring joiners, who have a second (or primary) job, in addition to working for the new venture. Levels of commitment will likely be reduced, to the possible detriment of the new venture. Originality/value Although the baseline hypothesis exists in prior literature with respect to established firms, it has not been tested in a new venture context. Furthermore, prior studies within the entrepreneurship literature have yet to examine these issues from the perspective of the joiner and certainly have not taken into account additional employment and employment prospects among these individuals.
Abstract 2225: Green tea polyphenols suppress tumor growth and invasion by targeting matrix metalloproteinases, RECK and TIMP-3, in a mouse model implanted with prostate tumors

Green tea polyphenols (GTP) and its major constituent, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) reactivate epigenetically silenced genes in cancer cells that reduces invasiveness and migration capabilities; however, the mechanisms whereby these effects occur are not well understood. RECK, a novel tumor suppressor and the tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) genes negatively regulates matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and inhibits tumor invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. In the present study, we demonstrate that GTP mediate epigenetic induction of RECK and TIMP-3 thereby playing a key role in suppressing invasiveness and gelatinolytic activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in vivo in an orthotopic implantation model of human prostate cancer. Athymic nude mice were implanted with human prostate cancer LNCaP tumor in the ventral prostate for 2 weeks and later treated DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-29-deoxycytidine (AZA), histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA) and histone methyltransferase inhibitor, 3-Deazaneplanocin A (DZNep) individually at 0.1 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally at alternate days/week; and combination of AZA+TSA and DZNep+TSA at similar doses and times; whereas GTP was provided peroral by gavage at 7.5 and 15.0 mg/kg body weight freshly prepared in 100µl PBS. Treatment of mice with GTP resulted in marked decrease in tumor growth and its local invasion in dose dependent manner, compared to treatment with epigenetic inhibitors and their combination after 8 weeks of intervention. GTP treatment significantly reduced serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and VEGF, compared to treatment with epigenetic inhibitors alone. Combination of AZA+TSA exhibited similar effect which was equivalent to the lower dose of GTP treatment. Furthermore, GTP treatment significantly reduced EZH2 and H3K27me3 and class I HDAC protein levels in tumors. GTP partially reversed the hypermethylation status of RECK and TIMP3 gene and significantly enhanced their protein expression in the tumor tissue. Inhibition of VEGF, MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels were also noted after GTP treatment in tumor tissue in dose-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that induction of RECK and TIMP-3 are key epigenetic events modulated by GTP that results in suppression of matrix degradation and angiogenesis to delay prostate cancer invasion and its subsequent progression. Citation Format: Eswar Shankar, Natarajan Bhaskaran, Rajnee Kanwal, Sanjay Gupta. Green tea polyphenols suppress tumor growth and invasion by targeting matrix metalloproteinases, RECK and TIMP-3, in a mouse model implanted with prostate tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2225. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2225
Global Health Career Interest among Medical and Nursing Students: Survey and Analysis

Abstract Background Global health experiences undertaken in international settings (GHEs) are becoming an increasingly prevalent aspect of health professions education and, as such, merit comprehensive analysis of the impact they have on students and host communities. Objective To assess the associations between demographic/experiential factors and the interest of health professions students in careers involving global health. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered online to a convenience sample of medical and nursing students at Johns Hopkins University. Questions addressed level of interest in a global health career, prior GHEs, and demographic information. Items were either Likert scale or multiple choice. Various regression analyses were performed. Findings Of 510 respondents, 312 (61.2%) expressed interest in a global health career and 285 (55.9%) had prior GHEs. Multivariate logistic regression found female sex, age ≥27 years, household income Conclusions Simply participating in a global health experience abroad is not significantly associated with interest in a global health career. However, sex, age, household income, and research-related GHEs are significantly associated with global health career interest. These findings may inform the development of global health programs at medical and nursing schools and can guide efforts to increase the number of health care professionals entering global health careers.
Stratigraphy, sedimentology and paleontology of Upper Cretaceous deposits of Day Nunatak, Snow Hill Island, Antarctica

Day Nunatak exposes an actively emergent stratigraphic section located on Snow Hill Island to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula. Strata exposed on Snow Hill Island were deposited in the James Ross Basin, which includes marine units of Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) age. Here we provide the first report of the sedimentology and paleontology of Day Nunatak, and place it into the broader stratigraphic context of the basin. Day Nunatak was previously unexplored due to difficulties accessing the site, and the historically poor exposure which has recently improved due to warming of the Antarctic Peninsula. Deposits exposed at Day Nunatak are assigned to the Karlsen Cliffs Member (KCM) of the Snow Hill Island Formation, and are better preserved than deposits at the type section of the KCM at Karlsen Cliffs, which has been altered by cross-cutting basaltic dikes. Correlation of lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic data from Day Nunatak with other outcrops in the basin allows the section to be placed within a previously developed stratigraphic framework, and assigned an early Maastrichtian age. Our observations, and previous descriptions of the KCM, are consistent with a middle- to inner-shelf depositional environment below storm-wave base. Ammonites of the genus Gunnarites are very common, with other ammonite genera and benthic mollusks an order of magnitude less common. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope values obtained from bivalve shells are similar to values previously reported from Seymour Island, and suggest seawater temperatures of ∼7 °C. Measured bedding orientations suggest the presence of a structural offset between Day Nunatak and other sections exposed further north on Snow Hill Island. Day Nunatak preserves a similar depositional environment to deposits reported from the uppermost Maastrichtian on Seymour Island, and is the deeper-water equivalent of contemporaneous proximal sections reported from Vega Island.
Clinical Skills Assessment at NEOUCOM: A Description

Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine’s (NEOUCOM) response to an LCME mandate (1990) was to develop and administer a Comprehensive Clinical Competency Assessment (CCCA) to rising senior medical students. This paper presents facets of this assessment from its inception to implementation. These facets include background information, exam development and blueprints, a case development protocol and checklist, scoring which includes a migration from a norm referenced P/F designation to an Acceptable Level of Performance (ALP) and on to a conjunctive rather than compensatory format, feedback to students in the form of oral feedback from the physician raters, written feedback from both the physician rater and the standardized patients and a histogram denoting how well a student performed compared to his peers, and results of the assessment.
The Eigenvalues of a Linear Autonomous Equation. Decomposition of C.

To proceed further, we need the definition of the spectrum of a linear operator B taking a Banach space ℬ into itself. The resolvent set ρ(B) of B is the set of values λ in the complex plane for which the operator λI-B, I the identity operator, has a bounded inverse with domain dense in ℬ. The complement of ρ(B) in the complex plane is called the spectrum of B and is denoted by σ(B). The spectrum σ(B) of an operator may consist of three different types of points, namely the residual spectrum Rσ(B), the continuous spectrum Cσ(B) and the point spectrum Pσ(B). The residual spectrum consists of those λ in σ(B) for which (λI-B)−1 exists but D(λI-B)−1 is not dense in ℬ The continuous spectrum consists of those λ in σ(B) for which λI-B has an unbounded inverse with dense domain the point spectrum consists of those values of λ in σ(B) for which λI-B does not have an inverse. The points λ in Pσ(B) are sometimes called the eigenvalues of B and any nonzero ϕ in B such that (λI-B)ϕ = 0 is called an eigenvector. The null space ℜ(B) of B is the set of all ϕ in ℬ for which Bϕ = 0. For a given λ in σ(B) the generalized eigenspace of λ will be denoted by Mλ(B) and is defined to be the smallest subspace of ℬ containing all the elements of ℬ which belong to ℜ(λI-B)k, k = 1,2,….
XML Ubiquity and the Scholarly Community

This volume would not be complete without Jon Bosak's closing keynote address. It served as the perfect end to the conference, giving us all a view of how the TEI stands in relation to similar industry thinking and then placing our work in the context of new developments. The closing keynote you will read has been abridged and edited for clarity and continuity, but no attempt has been made to create a formal journal article out of an oral presentation – we hope that in retaining Jon Bosak's lively informal prose we've conveyed something of the warm, collegial atmosphere of TEI 10.
Hablemos en subjuntivo

Centrada en el aprendizaje del subjuntivo en las oraciones independientes y en las subordinadas sustantivas, la actividad que se propone para el II Foro de profesores de espanol como lengua extranjera (2006), nace como consecuencia de dos reflexiones, a mi juicio, importantes.
FRI0115 Indirect standardised assessment of injection site pain following subcutaneous administration of citrate-free formulation of adalimumab and its biosimilar abp 501

Background In randomised double-blind studies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriasis (PsO), ABP 501, an approved adalimumab biosimilar, had significantly lower injection site pain (ISP) perception compared with the citrate-containing formulation (CCF) of adalimumab reference product (RP) (40 mg/0.8 mL); however, there have been no direct or indirect comparisons of ISP perception between ABP 501 and the CFF of the RP (40 mg/0.4 mL). Objectives To demonstrate that pain perception after injection of both the ABP 501 formulation and the CFF-RP formulation was lower than after CCF-RP. Methods We analysed ISP perception data after injection from two ABP 501 phase 3 studies, one in patients with RA (NCT01970475) and another in patients with PsO (NCT01970488) and 2 citrate-free RP formulation studies (NCT01561313, NCT01502423) where the “control” group received the CCF-RP. In all studies, patients were equally randomised between the 2 treatment arms. Patients were asked to rate the ISP perception on a visual analogue scale (VAS) on which the current pain level was marked from 0 cm (no pain) to 10 cm (worst possible pain). We calculated Cohen’s d-statistic for difference in ISP perception with ABP 501 compared with CCF-RP for the 2 ABP 501 studies. Similar comparisons were performed between the ISP perception associated with CFF-RF and CCF-RF. These measures were subsequently compared in a descriptive manner. Results Both ABP 501 and CFF-RF were associated with lower ISP perception after injection with maximum reduction observed immediately post-injection. The 95% confidence intervals of relative reduction in ISP perception for ABP 501 formulation and the CFF-RP (table 1) were provided descriptively. Conclusions Compared with CCF-RP, both ABP 501 and CFF-RP were associated with lower injection site pain perception. Reference [1] Nash P, et al. Rheumatol Ther2016;3(2):257–270. Disclosure of Interest E. Krishnan Shareholder of: Amgen Inc., Employee of: Amgen Inc., N. Zhang Shareholder of: Amgen Inc., Employee of: Amgen Inc., H. Wang Shareholder of: Amgen Inc., Employee of: Amgen Inc., R. Kaushik Shareholder of: Amgen Inc., Employee of: Amgen Inc.
Inductive verification of data model invariants in web applications using first-order logic

Modern software applications store their data in remote cloud servers. Users interact with these applications using web browsers or thin clients running on mobile devices. A key concern for these applications is the correctness of the actions that update the data store, which are triggered by user requests. Considering that modern applications store and manage data for millions (even billions) of users, misuse or loss of user data can have catastrophic consequences. In this paper, we focus on automated discovery of data store bugs in applications that use development frameworks that are RESTful, enforce the Model–View–Controller architecture, and use Object Relational Mapping libraries to manipulate data. We present a formal data model for data stores and data store manipulation in such applications. We have developed a framework for verification of data models via translation to First Order Logic (FOL), followed by automated theorem proving. Due to the undecidability of FOL, this automated approach does not always produce a conclusive answer. We investigate the use of many-sorted logic in data model verification in order to improve the effectiveness of this approach. Many-sorted logic allows us to specify type information explicitly, thus lightening the burden of reasoning about type information during theorem proving. Our experimental results demonstrate that our verification approach is scalable to real-world web applications and is able to detect bugs in them.
Dimensions of Adolescent Narcissism: A Variable Centered Versus Person-Centered Approach

Abstract. Research with adolescents has noted that narcissism dimensions (e.g., non-pathological, grandiose, vulnerable) are often interrelated but have differential associations with indicators of...
Late Breaking Results: Towards Practical Record and Replay for Mobile Applications

The ability to repeat the execution of a program is a fundamental requirement in evaluating computer systems and apps. Reproducing executions of mobile apps has proven difficult under real-life scenarios due to different sources of external inputs and interactive nature of the apps. We present a new practical record/replay framework for Android, RandR, which handles multiple sources of input and provides cross-device replay capabilities through a dynamic instrumentation approach. We demonstrate the feasibility of RandR by recording and replaying a set of real-world apps.
Sharing a Diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality: a Challenging Decision with Associated Risks and Benefits

This paper aims to examine diagnostic sharing of narcissistic personality from multiple vantage points and to describe strategies that might help clinicians in patient management. In recent years, clinicians increasingly have been motivated to discuss with patients the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD), an intervention bolstered by the emergence of empirically validated treatments for BPD and by advocacy organizations calling for diagnostic sharing. Despite these advances, clinical experience suggests that the diagnosis of narcissistic personality, including narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) or clinically significant narcissistic traits, is rarely shared with patients. We review emerging information about diagnostic classification and assessment, epidemiology, heritability, neurobiology, prognosis, and the utility of evidence-based treatments, which may facilitate a conversation on diagnosis (as demonstrated in multiple clinical scenarios provided as examples). Diagnostic sharing has become a central element in the informed consent process. Understanding the risks and benefits of sharing a diagnosis of narcissistic personality is essential for clinical practice.
The Effect of Legal Environment and Regulatory Structure on Performance: Cross-Country Evidence from REITs

We study the relationship between international REIT regulatory structures and real estate returns and find that the legal requirements that REITs face in each country represent an important determinant of market performance and risk-adjusted returns. Specifically, minimum capital, minimum payout requirement, and taxation of undistributed ordinary income are consistently positively related to past and future risk-adjusted performance. In addition, strength of shareholder rights protection, leverage and development restrictions and the widely held requirement are also related to significantly higher future returns. In contrast, the strength of credit rights protection, restrictions on concentration of ownership, and the requirements for distribution of capital gains are related to a reduced risk-adjusted performance. These effects are generally stronger in explaining future returns and for larger firms. We also create a REIT regulation index and show that it is consistently positively related to returns and is a more significant determinant of returns than shareholder and creditor rights protection indices. Our results have important implications for REIT regulation across the world.
Diagnostic utility and clinical implication of late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance for detection of catheter associated right atrial thrombus.

Abstract Purpose To use delayed enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (DE-CMR) as a reference standard to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of right atrial (RA) thrombus. Methods In this retrospective study, 130 cancer patients with central venous catheters undergoing CMR from August 2012–January 2018 were included. CMR (cine-CMR and DE-CMR) and echocardiography were interpreted for RA thrombus blinded to other imaging results and clinical data. RA thrombus properties including the number of discrete masses, size, total thrombus area, and perimeter were also assessed. Cine-CMR was also used to quantify cardiac structure and function as markers of RA thrombus. Student's t-test was used to assess continuous variables; chi-square or Fisher's exact test were used to assess categorical variables. Results 31/130 (24%) patients had RA thrombus on DE-CMR. Echocardiography (attained in 64% of the study population) demonstrated moderate sensitivity and specificity (75%, 90% respectively) in relation to DE-CMR; cine-CMR performance was higher (sensitivity 90%, specificity 98%). Patients with and without RA thrombus had similar right-sided structure/function and cancer diagnosis. Catheter depth approached significance in patients with RA thrombus (p = 0.05). 13% of patients with RA thrombus had concomitant pulmonary embolism within 60 days of CMR vs. 2% of patients without RA thrombus (p = 0.03). Embolic events were independent of RA thrombus size (p = 0.66). Conclusion Morphologic imaging by cine-CMR and echocardiography provide limited diagnostic utility for RA thrombus as established by DE-CMR tissue characterization. Catheter-associated RA thrombus occurs independently of right-sided structure or function and is associated with clinical embolic events and catheter depth.
Neighborhood Context and Kidney Disease in Philadelphia

Abstract Neighborhood context might influence the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition that impacts approximately 10% of the United States population and is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and costs. We included a sample of 23,692 individuals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who were seen in a large academic primary care practice between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017. We used generalized linear equations to estimate the associations between indicators of neighborhood context (e.g., proximity to healthy foods stores, neighborhood walkability, social capital, crime rate, socioeconomic status) and CKD, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and insurance coverage. Among those with CKD, secondary outcomes were poor glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c ≥ 6.5%) and uncontrolled blood pressure (systolic ≥ 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic ≥ 90 mm Hg). The cohort represented residents from 97% of Philadelphia census tracts. CKD prevalence was 10%. When all neighborhood context metrics were considered collectively, only lower neighborhood socioeconomic index (a composite assessment of neighborhood income, educational attainment, and occupation) was associated with a higher risk of CKD (lowest tertile vs. highest tertile: adjusted relative risk [aRR] 1.46 [1.25, 1.69]; mid-tertile vs. highest-tertile: aRR 1.35 [1.25, 1.52]). Among those with CKD, compared to residence in the most walkable neighborhoods (i.e., where most essential resources are accessible by foot), residence in neighborhoods with mid-level WalkScore® (i.e., where only some essential neighborhood resources are accessible by foot) was independently associated with poor glycemic control (aRR 1.20, 95% CI 1.01–1.42). These findings suggest a potential role for measures of neighborhood socioeconomic status in identifying communities that would benefit from screening and treatment for CKD. Studies are also needed to determine mechanisms to explain why residence in neighborhoods not easily navigated by foot or car might hinder glycemic control among people with CKD.
Compensation of heat deformations by adaptive optics in beamline simulations

We describe the implementation of realistic, adaptive wavefront correction in high-brightness beamline simulations to study the correction of thermal deformation. Several planned soft x-ray and tender x-ray insertion-device beamlines in the Advanced Light Source upgrade, where wavefront preservation is paramount, rely on a common design principle.After studying the performance of a 20-channel adaptive x-ray mirror prototype, at-wavelength and with visible-light, we implemented mirror shape-control algorithms in software that are designed to restore and optimize the focused beam intensity (i.e. Strehl ratio), considering the incident wavefront’s phase and amplitude. We implemented the modeling in OASYS which is an adaptable, customizable beamline modeling platform well suited to study this issue.
Thermal Imaging of Root Caries In Vivo.

Improved methods are needed to assess the structure and activity of lesions on root surfaces in order to improve clinical decision making. Conventional visual and tactile methods for assessing lesion activity are not reliable, and the clinician is often unable to evaluate if the lesion is progressing or has remineralized. An important marker of an arrested lesion is a highly mineralized surface zone that forms when mineral is deposited in the outer layer of the lesion. In vitro studies have shown that a mineralized surface zone influences the kinetics of water evaporation and the surface temperature while drying. Temperature changes can be monitored by measuring the thermal emission with thermal imaging. Studies have also shown that the depth and severity of demineralization and the thickness of the highly mineralized transparent surface zone on arrested lesions can be measured nondestructively with optical coherence tomography (OCT). Thermal imaging at 8-µm to 13-µm wavelengths was completed on 30 test subjects with a suspected active root caries lesion by monitoring thermal emission from the tooth surfaces during 30 s of air drying. Lesions were also evaluated using cross-polarization OCT (CP-OCT) during lesion dehydration to identify transparent surface zones indicative of arrested lesions and determine if shrinkage occurred during drying. The overall thermal emission recorded during drying was significantly different (P < 0.001) when comparing sound tooth surfaces, lesion areas identified as arrested, and lesion areas identified as active, demonstrating that thermal imaging is a promising approach for the clinical assessment of lesion activity on root surfaces. Ten of the lesions in this study had distinct areas with transparent surface zones that were visible in CP-OCT images. Shrinkage was detected with CP-OCT during drying for 12 lesions. This study confirms that these novel approaches for assessing lesion activity on root surfaces can be implemented in vivo.
Arene Coordination Induces Migration of a Hydride to a Ru-Bound Carbene of a Pincer Ligand

Abstract The synthesis of a new Ru complex (P2C=)RuH(OTf) (11), which contains a carbene/bis(phosphine) pincer ligand is described. Abstraction of the triflate from 11 using Na[BAr4F] results in the formation of an unsaturated, solvent-stabilized Ru hydride species in CD2Cl2. In a toluene/C6H4F2 solvent mixture, the reaction takes a different course and results in the migration of the hydride to the carbene ligand and concomitant binding of the toluene molecule to Ru in a hexahapto coordination mode.
Florida's Fiscal Policy: Responsible Budgeting in a Growing State

Florida’s state government stands out for its responsible fiscal policy, for maintaining a balanced budget, and for keeping taxes, expenditures, and government employment relatively low. In an era of government growth, Florida’s taxes and expenditures per capita and state government employment per capita have all been falling for the past two decades. During the recession that began in 2008, Florida cut state spending significantly to keep the budget balanced rather than relying on tax increases, a strategy consistent with its fiscally conservative policies. In some areas, however, Florida’s government has a bigger footprint. Florida places relatively high regulatory burdens on its citizens and businesses, and the government is a major residential property insurer in the state. Some institutional factors that might influence Florida’s fiscal policies are its legislature term limits, its lack of a state personal income tax, and the ability to amend the state constitution through citizen initiatives.
Persistent Poverty and Informal Credit

This paper explores the consequences of nonlinear wealth dynamics for the formation of bilateral credit arrangements to help manage idiosyncratic risk. Using original data on expected wealth dynamics, social networks and informal loans among southern Ethiopian pastoralist households, we find that the threshold at which expected wealth dynamics bifurcate serves as a focal point at which lending is concentrated. Informal lending responds to recipients’ losses but only so long as the recipients are not “too poor”. Our results suggest that when shocks can have long term effects, loans are best understood as providing a safety net rather than a scale-neutral insurance mechanism. Furthermore, the persistently poor are excluded from social networks that are necessary to obtain loans given in response to shocks.
Melanogenic ovarian tumors

Abstract 1. 1. All previously reported cases of primary melanoma of the ovary are reviewed. 2. 2. A cystic ovarian teratoma is reported in which a pigmented component produced the predominant clinical and pathologic findings. In contrast to all other such neoplasms reported in the literature, this lesion is apparently benign. 3. 3. The physical, chemical, and histochemical properties of the pigment were those of the melanins. However, chromatographic and manometric studies of the lyophilized cyst fluid failed to reveal definite melanin precursors or oxidase activity under the experimental conditions employed.
On Quantiles and the Central Limit Question for Strongly Mixing Sequences

Three classes of strictly stationary, strongly mixing random sequences are constructed, in order to provide further information on the “borderline” of the central limit theorem for strictly stationary, strongly mixing random sequences. In these constructions, a key role is played by quantiles, as in a related construction of Doukhan et al.(11)
Heart Rate Recovery during a College Basketball Game

Abstract This paper investigated the relationships between brief rest intervals and physiological recovery during intensive physical activity; namely, a basketball game. Heart rate was monitored for two university basketball players during a regularly scheduled game by means of telemetry. Brief rest intervals, as short as 40- to 60-sec. in duration, provided opportunity for physiological recovery in terms of significant decreases in heart rate response. Such rest intervals occurred during time-out periods and when some other player was taking a foul shot. Those foul shots in which the player himself was involved, however, did not show a decrease in heart response. Neither the game score nor any particular type of player activity was directly reflected in the player's heart rate.
Foreign Object Damage of Two Gas‐Turbine Grade Silicon Nitrides at Ambient Temperature

Foreign object damage (FOD) behavior of two commercially available gas-turbine grade silicon nitrides (AS800 and SN282) was determined at ambient temperature through extensive strength testing of flexure test specimens impacted by steel-ball projectiles with a diameter of 1.59 mm in a velocity range from 220 to 440 m/s. AS800 silicon nitride exhibited a greater FOD resistance over SN282, primarily due to its greater value of fracture toughness (K IC ). This key factor (K IC ) affecting FOD resistance was further evidenced by the indentation strength response of both materials as well as by a quasi-static phenomenological impact model. The damage generated by projectile impact seemed to be in the forms of well- or ill-developed cone cracks and of lateral cracks.
Mechanisms of cytochrome P450 and peroxidase-catalyzed xenobiotic metabolism.

The cytochrome P450 enzyme systems catalyze the metabolism of a wide variety of naturally occurring and foreign compounds by reactions requiring NADPH and O2. Cytochrome P450 also catalyzes peroxide-dependent hydroxylation of substrates in the absence of NADPH and O2. Peroxidases such as chloroperoxidase and horseradish peroxidase catalyze peroxide-dependent reactions similar to those catalyzed by cytochrome P450. The kinetic and chemical mechanisms of the NADPH and O2-supported dealkylation reactions catalyzed by P450 have been investigated and compared with those catalyzed by P450 and peroxidases when the reactions are supported by peroxides. Detailed kinetic studies demonstrated that chloroperoxidase- and horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed N-demethylations proceed by a Ping Pong Bi Bi mechanism whereas P450-catalyzed O-dealkylations proceed by sequential mechanisms. Intramolecular isotope effect studies demonstrated that N-demethylations catalyzed by P450s and peroxidases proceed by different mechanisms....
Modulation of Renal Disease in MRL/lpr Mice Genetically Deficient in the Alternative Complement Pathway Factor B

In systemic lupus erythematosus, the renal deposition of complement-containing immune complexes initiates an inflammatory cascade resulting in glomerulonephritis. Activation of the classical complement pathway with deposition of C3 is pathogenic in lupus nephritis. Although the alternative complement pathway is activated in lupus nephritis, its role in disease pathogenesis is unknown. To determine the role of the alternative pathway in lupus nephritis, complement factor B-deficient mice were backcrossed to MRL/lpr mice. MRL/lpr mice develop a spontaneous lupus-like disease characterized by immune complex glomerulonephritis. We derived complement factor B wild-type (B+/+), homozygous knockout (B-/-), and heterozygous (B+/-) MRL/lpr mice. Compared with B+/- or B+/+ mice, MRL/lpr B-/- mice developed significantly less proteinuria, less glomerular IgG deposition, and decreased renal scores as well as lower IgG3 cryoglobulin production and vasculitis. Serum C3 levels were normal in the B-/- mice compared with significantly decreased levels in the other two groups. These results suggest that: 1) factor B plays an important role in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis and vasculitis in MRL/lpr mice; and 2) activation of the alternative pathway, either by the amplification loop or by IgA immune complexes, has a prominent effect on serum C3 levels in this lupus model.
Core Competencies in Hospital Pharmacy - Intravenous Admixtures:

The next several Director's Forum articles will focus on core practices or competencies in hospital pharmacy practice. This series of articles will discuss the key fundamentals, resources, challeng...
Prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke affects the physiology of pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) neurons in development

Abstract Prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke is known to produce lasting arousal, attentional and cognitive deficits in humans. The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), as the cholinergic arm of the reticular activating system (RAS), is known to modulate arousal, waking and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep decreases between 10 and 30 days postnatally in the rat, especially at 12–21 days. Pregnant dams were exposed to 350 ml of cigarette smoke for 15 min, 3 times per day, from day E14 until birth, and the pups allowed to mature. Intracellularly recorded PPN neurons in 12–21 day rat brainstem slices were tested for intrinsic membrane properties, including the hyperpolarization-activated cation current I h , which is known to drive oscillatory activity. Type II (A-current) PPN cells from 12–16 day old offspring of treated animals had a 1 / 2max I h amplitude of (mean ± SE) 4.1 ± 0.9 mV, while 17–21 day cells had a higher 1 / 2max I h of 9.9 ± 1.1 mV ( p I h of 1.3 ± 0.1 mV, which was lower ( p I h of 3.3 ± 0.3 mV, which was also lower ( p n = 32); exposed − 55.0 ± 1.4 mV ( n = 27) ( p n = 32), exposed − 47.0 ± 1.4 mV ( n = 27) ( p
Understanding Patient Satisfaction, Trust, and Loyalty to Primary Care Physicians:

The authors developed and empirically tested a model reflecting a system of interrelations among patient loyalty, trust, and satisfaction as they are related to patients' intentions to stay with a primary care physician (PCP) and recommend the doctor to other people. They used a structural equation modeling approach. The fit statistics indicate a well-fitting model: root mean square error of approximation = .022, goodness-of-fit index = .99, adjusted goodness-of-fit index = .96, and comparative fit index = 1.00. The authors found that patient trust and good interpersonal relationships with the PCP are major predictors of patient satisfaction and loyalty to the physician. Patients need to trust the PCP to be satisfied and loyal to the physician. The authors also found that patient trust, satisfaction, and loyalty are strong and significant predictors of patients' intentions to stay with the doctor and to recommend the PCP to others.
Is methyl-branching in α-tocopherol's “tail” important for its in vivo activity? Rat curative myopathy bioassay measurements of the vitamin E activity of three 2RS-n-alkyl-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-6-hydroxychromans

Abstract The vitamin E activity of the acetates of three 2RS-n-alkyl-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-6-hydroxychroman analogs of α-tocopherol have been measured and compared directly with all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate, or indirectly via 2R,4′R,8′R-α-tocopheryl acetate, using the rat curative myopathy, plasma pyruvate kinase assay. The analogs with alkyl chain lengths of 11 and 13 carbons have activities which not only do not differ significantly (p > 0.05) from each other but also do not differ from that of all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate. This finding indicates that branching in the phytyl tail at the 4′, 8′, and 12′ positions has little if any influence upon vitamin E activity. Thus physical interactions involving the methyl branches of the phytyl tail and the polyunsaturated moieties of membrane phospholipids are unimportant in vivo, insofar as this bioassay is concernced. However, the length of the hydrocarbon tail is important. This is indicated by the result obtained which the acetate of the analog with an alkyl chain length of 15 carbon atoms which had only 15% of the activity of 2R,4′R,8′R-α-tocopheryl acetate, i.e., 22% of the activity of all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate since this form is 1.47 times less active than 2R,4′R,8′Rα-tocopheryl acetate in the curative myopathy bioassay (Weiser, Vecchi, & Schlachter, Internat. J. Vit. Nutr. Res.55:149–158, 1985).
THE ROLE OF MICROTUBULES IN THE MOVEMENT OF PIGMENT GRANULES IN TELEOST MELANOPHORES

When microtubules in teleost melanophores are disrupted with antimitotic agents, colchicine, high hydrostatic pressure, low temperature, and vinblastine, the alignment and movement of the pigment granules in these cells disappear; during recovery, the return of alignment and movement corresponds in both time and space with the repolymerization of microtubules. Furthermore, analysis of nearest neighbor distances in untreated melanophores reveals that pigment granules are closely associated with microtubules. Other structures such as microfilaments, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the cytoplasmic matrix do not appear to be involved. Thus we conclude that microtubules determine the alignment and are essential for the selective movements of the pigment granules in these cells. Investigations of the mechanism of movement show that microtubules are required for both centrifugal and centripetal migrations and that they do not change in number or location during redistribution of pigment. Our results further indicate that microtubules in melanophores behave as semistable organelles as determined by investigation with colchicine and hydrostatic pressure. These observations and others rule out a push-pull mechanism based on the polymerization and depolymerization of microtubules or one which distinguishes two operationally different sets of microtubules. We propose instead that particles move by sliding along a fixed array of microtubules.
Performance Enhancement of Microturbine Engines Topped With Wave Rotors

Significant performance enhancement of microturbines is predicted by implementing various wave-rotor-topping cycles. Five different advantageous cases are considered for implementation of a four-port wave rotor into two given baseline engines. In these thermodynamic analyses, the compressor and turbine pressure ratios and the turbine inlet temperatures are varied, according to the anticipated design objectives of the cases. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Comparison between the theoretic performance of wave-rotor-topped and baseline engines shows a performance enhancement up to 34%. General design maps are generated for the small gas turbines, showing the design space and optima for baseline and topped engines. Also, the impact of ambient temperature on the performance of both baseline and topped engines is investigated. It is shown that the wave-rotor-topped engines are less prone to performance degradation under hot-weather conditions than the baseline engines.
Approximation of a class of optimal control problems with order of convergence estimates

Abstract An approximation scheme for a class of optimal control problems is presented. An order of convergence estimate is then developed for the error in the approximation of both the optimal control and the solution of the control equation.