cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Institution of Nomination and the Policy Ideology of Primary Electorates

Institution of Nomination and the Policy Ideology of Primary Electorates ∗ Seth J. Hill † September 29, 2015 Abstract Many hypothesize that the divergence between Democratic and Republican members of Congress is partly attributable to partisan primary elections. Yet most empirical evidence on the influ- ence of primary elections finds small to no effect on member behavior. I argue that existing designs that compare members elected out of nomination systems with more open rules of ac- cess to members elected out of more closed systems rest on the crucial and untested assumption that more closed institutions lead to more polarized primary electorates. With survey opinions, turnout validated to voter files, and an IRT model of ideology, I characterize the preferences of Democratic and Republican primary electorates and general electorates in each House district in 2010 and 2012. To the extent that there is a relationship between primary ideology and closed primary institution, it is in the direction opposite that hypothesized. I then show that the primary electorate diverges from the general electorate in every House district and even from supporters of the party in the general election in almost every district, which is consistent with a centrifugal influence of primary voters. These results suggest that institution of nomination may not have a large influence on the type of voters who turn out, and that some other feature of nominating contests must be implicated in polarized primary voters. ∗ I have benefited from comments by seminar participants at Princeton, Stanford, UCLA, and Washington Uni- versity, Andy Hall, Greg Huber, Gary Jacobson, Thad Kousser, Jeff Lewis, Sam Popkin, Chris Tausanovitch, Lynn Vavreck, the editors, and anonymous reviewers. † Department of Political Science, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0521, La Jolla, CA 92093-0521; sjhill@ucsd.edu, http://www.sethjhill.com.
p21 governs p53's repressive side.

The tumor suppressor p53 is the most studied gene and protein in literature. Before p53 became the best known tumor suppressor, it was mistakenly discovered as an oncogene.1 Cancer typically evades...
Adios Niño: The Gangs of Guatemala City and the Politics of Death by Deborah T. Levenson, and: War by Other Means: Aftermath in Post-Genocide Guatemala ed. by Carlotta McAllister and Diane M. Nelson (review)

Levenson, Deborah T. Adios Nino: The Gangs of Guatemala City and the Politics of Death . Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2013. Review by Yoly Zentella. McAllister, Carlotta and Diane M. Nelson, (eds.) War by Other Means: Aftermath in Post-Genocide Guatemala . Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2013. Review by Yoly Zentella.
Erratum to: A survey of dark matter and related topics in cosmology

The online version of the original article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11467-016-0583-4
Obstructive sleep apnoea and depression: is there an association?

Treatment strategies for OSA and depression need to be considered carefully as they share many common risk factors http://ow.ly/48v330bsm3y
Simulation of Gas Turbine Engines, Design Off-Design and Dynamic Performance

Continuous improvement of efficiency and performance of aircraft and power generation gas turbine systems during the past decades has led to engine designs that are subject to extreme load conditions. Despite the enormous progress in the development of materials, at the design point, the engine components operate near their aerodynamic, thermal, and mechanical stress limits. Under these circumstances, any adverse dynamic operation causes excessive aerodynamic, thermal, and subsequent mechanical stresses that may affect the engine safety and reliability, and, thus, the operability of the engine if adequate precautionary actions are not taken.
Applicability of Sri Lanka public sector accounting standards: Trincomalee urban council, Sri Lanka

Though the Sri Lankan Local Governments were introduced with the accrual based Public Sector Accounting Standards from 2009 they have not been implemented yet. As a result, the present study focuses why it has been a failure and sees the applicability of the standards to the Local Governmental set up in Sri Lanka. The Urban Council of Trincomalee city was selected as the case for study and semi structured interviews were conducted. The study concludes that since the accounting system (Wickramanayake’s accounting system) already in place was based on accrual principles, the application of accrual based accounting standards are possible provided that the staffs’ professional expertise is improved to the level expected.
Robotic right colectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis for malignancy

Techniques for robotic resection of the right colon have not been extensively published or adopted. We report our initial experience of robotic right colectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis and specimen extraction through a Pfannenstiel incision retrospectively. Twenty-one consecutive patients with a right colon cancer (n = 18) or polyp too large to remove endoscopically (n = 3) were treated at Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota. Main outcomes measured were estimated blood loss, operative time, conversion rate, return of gastrointestinal function, length of stay, overall and severe complications, discharge status, and pathology. All 21 procedures were technically successful without the need for conversion. The mean total operative time was 250 ± 56 min, estimated blood loss was less than 100 mL in 19 (90%), only 1 (5%) ileus occurred, mean length of stay and return of gastrointestinal function was 4 ± 1.3 and 1 ± 0.6 days, respectively, only 1 (5%) patient experienced a Dindo grade ≥ 3 complication, and 20 (95%) were discharged to home. Mean number of nodes resected was 26 ± 12. Tumors were diagnosed as stage 0 in 3 (14%), stage I in 7 (33%), stage II in 4 (19%), stage III in 6 (28%), and stage IV in 1 (5%). Main limitations were nonrandomized nature, single institution experience, small patient sample size, and procedures only being performed by two surgeons. Finally, we conclude that robotic right colectomy with central mesocolic excision, intracorporeal anastomosis, and extraction through a Pfannenstiel incision is technically feasible, efficacious, oncologically acceptable, and safe to perform.
Familial Syndromes Involving Meningiomas Provide Mechanistic Insight Into Sporadic Disease

Currently, there is an incomplete understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of meningiomas, the most common primary brain tumor. Several familial syndromes are characterized by increased meningioma risk, and the genetics of these syndromes provides mechanistic insight into sporadic disease. The best defined of these syndromes is neurofibromatosis type 2, which is caused by a mutation in the NF2 gene and has a meningioma incidence of approximately 50%. This finding led to the subsequent discovery that NF2 loss-of-function occurs in up to 60% of sporadic tumors. Other important familial diseases with increased meningioma risk include nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 (MEN1), Cowden syndrome, Werner syndrome, BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, and familial meningiomatosis caused by germline mutations in the SMARCB1 and SMARCE1 genes. For each of these syndromes, the diagnostic criteria, incidence in the population, and frequency of meningioma are presented to review the relevant clinical information for these conditions. The genetic mutations, molecular pathway derangements, and relationship to sporadic disease for each syndrome are described in detail to identify targets for further investigation. Familial syndromes characterized by meningiomas often affect genes and pathways that are also implicated in a subset of sporadic cases, suggesting key molecular targets for therapeutic intervention. Further studies are needed to resolve the functional relevance of specific genes whose significance in sporadic disease remains to be elucidated.
Sexual Orientation and Professional Dance

The stereotypical professional male dancer is a gay man. However, little if any systematic research has investigated the validity of this stereotype, much less the reasons why male sexual orientation would be associated with interest in dance. We interviewed 136 professional dancers about the prevalence of homosexuality among dancers, the dancers' own sexual development, and relationships between dancers of different sexual orientations. Dancers estimated that over half of male dancers are gay, but that only a small minority of female dancers are lesbian. Gay men recalled more intense early interest in dance compared to heterosexual men and women, and were more feminine as boys than were heterosexual men. Gay men's homosexual feelings typically preceded their dance experience, and only one gay man felt that his dance experiences may have influenced his sexual orientation. Heterosexual men voiced some mild complaints about gay male dancers, but these were balanced by positive sentiments.
THE HANDBOOK OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

THE HANDBOOK OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION. Catherine J. Doughty and Michael H. Long (Eds.). Oxford: Blackwell, 2003. Pp. 888. $157.95 cloth, $44.95 paper.This volume is one of the most recent and comprehensive collections of papers on the current state-of-the-art in SLA research. Arguing that “[a]s a widespread, highly complex, uniquely human, cognitive process, language learning of all kinds merits careful study for what it can reveal about the nature of human mind and intelligence” (p. 5), editors Doughty and Long have collected papers from 27 researchers—many of whom are the leading experts in their subfields—and organized them into seven sections.
Assessing Social Work Students’ Attitudes Related to Cultural Diversity

The education of social work students with regard to issues of social and cultural diversity has been a mandate of the Council on Social Work Education for over a decade. This mandate requires social work educators to increase students’ awareness of their own biases and to evaluate changes in students’ attitudes as they are exposed to content on diverse populations. In this endeavor, valid and reliable measures of attitude change can be a useful evaluation tool to assess instructional effectiveness. This article summarizes a variety of available instruments for measuring attitudes toward race, ethnicity, gender, sex stereotyping, physical disability, and age.
High-throughput detection of DNA double-strand breaks using image cytometry

Assessment of γH2AX expression for studying DNA double-strand break formation is often performed by manual counting of foci using immunofluorescence microscopy, an approach that is laborious and subject to significant foci selection bias. Here we present a novel high-throughput method for detecting DNA double-strand breaks using automated image cytometry assessment of cell average γH2AX immunofluorescence. Our technique provides an expedient, high-throughput, objective, and cost-effective method for γH2AX analysis.
Political Paradoxes and the Black Jeremiad: Frederick Douglass's Immanent Theory of Rhetorical Protest

In this article, the author argues that throughout his political career, Frederick Douglass positioned himself between two positions that created a seeming paradox—a sharp critique of American raci...
In healthy older adults, aspirin did not affect disability-free survival or CVD but increased death and bleeding.

Source Citation McNeil JJ, Woods RL, Nelson MR, et al. Effect of aspirin on disability-free survival in the healthy elderly. N Engl J Med. 2018;379:1499-1508. 30221596
Do Investors Care about Presidential Company-Speciﬁc Tweets?

When the President of the United States tweets, do investors respond? We analyze the impact of tweets from President Trump's official Twitter accounts from November 9, 2016 to December 31, 2017 that include names of publicly traded companies. We find that these tweets move company stock prices and increase trading volume, volatility, and institutional investor attention, with a stronger impact before the presidential inauguration. There is some evidence that the initial impact of the presidential tweets on stock prices is reversed on the next few trading days.
Patterns of recurrence and metastasis in BRCA1/BRCA2‐associated breast cancers

BACKGROUND Breast cancer subtypes are associated with distinct metastatic patterns. Whether germline BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation status is independently associated with central nervous system (CNS) relapse, controlling for tumor subtype, is unknown. METHODS Patients who were treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and diagnosed with a first locoregional recurrence (LRR) or metastasis between 1981 and 2014 were identified using 2 institutional registries: 1) patients treated for recurrent breast cancer and 2) patients who underwent BRCA testing. The frequencies of LRR, sites of metastasis, and breast cancer-specific survival from LRR or metastasis were calculated, and the factors associated with CNS recurrence were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS The final study cohort included 30 BRCA1 mutation carriers, 32 BRCA2 mutation carriers, and 270 noncarriers. Most BRCA1 carriers (73%) had triple-negative breast cancer; whereas most BRCA2 carriers (72%) had hormone receptor-positive tumors. BRCA1 carriers frequently experienced lung and distant lymph node metastasis, whereas BRCA2 carriers and noncarriers most often experienced bone metastasis. Although CNS disease occurred frequently in both BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers (53% BRCA1, 50% BRCA2, 25% noncarriers; P < .001), only BRCA2 mutation (P = .006) was significantly associated with CNS metastasis in multivariable analysis controlling for tumor subtype. BRCA2 mutation (P = .01), triple-negative subtype (P < .001), and the involvement of CNS (P < .001) and other non-CNS distant sites (relative to locoregional recurrence or contralateral disease; P < .001) at presentation of recurrent breast cancer were associated with risk for mortality. CONCLUSIONS CNS involvement is frequent in women with germline BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations who have metastatic breast cancer. BRCA2 mutation carriers had a significantly higher frequency of CNS metastasis than noncarriers when controlling for breast cancer subtype.
The development of a gamma-ray scattering densitometer for the nonintrusive measurement of local void fraction

A gamma-ray scattering densitometer was developed for the nonintrusive measurement of the local void fraction in complex geometries. The densitometer system consisted of a shielded /sup 137/Cs photon source, a NaI photon detector, and a collimator system that defined the scattering volume within which the photons were scattered. An analytical model for the scattering events was developed. This model took the form of an integral equation, which expressed the measured counting rate in terms of the geometric configuration, local density, and the nuclear properties of the scattering volume. An interactive-graphics-based numerical procedure for inversion of the integral equation was developed. Results of two-phase flow measurements in a concentric annulus are given.
Readily Releasable Stores of Calcium in Neuronal Endolysosomes: Physiological and Pathophysiological Relevance.

Neurons are long-lived post-mitotic cells that possess an elaborate system of endosomes and lysosomes (endolysosomes) for protein quality control. Relatively recently, endolysosomes were recognized to contain high concentrations (400–600 μM) of readily releasable calcium. The release of calcium from this acidic organelle store contributes to calcium-dependent processes of fundamental physiological importance to neurons including neurotransmitter release, membrane excitability, neurite outgrowth, synaptic remodeling, and cell viability. Pathologically, disturbances of endolysosome structure and/or function have been noted in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). And, dysregulation of intracellular calcium has been implicated in the neuropathogenesis of these same neurological disorders. Thus, it is important to better understand mechanisms by which calcium is released from endolysosomes as well as the consequences of such release to inter-organellar signaling, physiological functions of neurons, and possible pathological consequences. In doing so, a path forward towards new therapeutic modalities might be facilitated.
Place and language: Links between speech, region, and connection to place.

The relationship to place and language has been central to linguistic research since the beginning. Several distinctive eras of investigation into place and language have taken place, from focusing on relatively nonmobile elderly speakers to deep investigations of how different speakers relate to a particular place. Place impacts language in a variety of ways, from large differences between national varieties to ecological and social distinctions in varieties associated with a small local area or neighborhood. Further, place interacts with other social factors and contributes to linguistic variation in an additive (or perhaps even multiplicative) fashion. As the investigation into the impact of place has developed and evolved, researchers have noted that it is not merely place itself that is the most important, rather the speaker's relationship to place that is perhaps the most crucial aspect. In fact, a speaker with a close connection to place might use features that are associated with a particular place even if those features are stigmatized, because those features represent the speaker's connection to place. Without consideration of how a speaker orients-whether toward or away-any investigation into place or regionality and language will be incomplete. This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Linguistic Theory Psychology > Language.
Dissecting the link between nanoparticle lung effects and tumor markers with CD24 measurements.

e21085 Background: It was postulated that carbon nanoparticles (CN) induced mesothelioma-like changes equal to asbestos in mice. We investigated CN added to human mesothelial cells in culture and r...
Imaging of bowel in patients requiring surgery for Crohn's disease

Abstract The aim of this article is to highlight the different imaging modalities used in patients with Crohn's disease, their strengths and weaknesses, and discuss standard nomenclature for imaging findings for Crohn's disease.
Approximate Bayesian inference of seismic velocity and pore-pressure uncertainty with basin modeling, rock physics, and imaging constraints

ABSTRACTWe have introduced a methodology for quantifying seismic velocity and pore-pressure uncertainty that incorporates information regarding the geologic history of a basin, rock physics, well l...
Yeast DNA polymerase η possesses two PIP-like motifs that bind PCNA and Rad6-Rad18 with different specificities

Abstract In translesion synthesis (TLS), specialized DNA polymerases, such as polymerase (pol) η and Rev1, are recruited to stalled replication forks. These polymerases form a multi-protein complex with PCNA, Rad6-Rad18, and other specialized polymerases. Pol η interacts with PCNA and Rev1 via a PCNA-interacting protein (PIP) motif in its C-terminal unstructured region. Here we report the discovery of a second PIP-like motif in the C-terminal region of pol η, which we have designated as PIP2. We have designated the original PIP motif as PIP1. We show that the pol η PIP1 and PIP2 motifs bind PCNA with different affinities and kinetics. PIP1 binds with higher affinity than does PIP2, and PIP1 dissociates more slowly than does PIP2. In addition, we show that the interaction between pol η and Rad6-Rad18 is also mediated by the pol η PIP1 and PIP2 motifs. Again, we show that the affinity and kinetics by which these motifs bind Rad6-Rad18 is different. These findings are significant, because the multiple PIP-like motifs on pol η likely play quite different roles within the multi-protein complex formed at stalled replication forks. PIP1 likely plays a critical role in the recruiting pol η to this multi-protein complex. PIP2, by contrast, likely plays a critical role in maintaining the architecture and the dynamics of this multi-protein complex needed to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of TLS.
Building Expectations and Keeping Customers Happy: How Charter School Leaders Recruit and Retain Families

Using qualitative data collected in three charter schools over the course of 14 months, this article analyzes how involvement expectations played a role in charter school recruitment practices and ...
Abstract PO-01: Transcriptional dimensions provide a framework for describing tumor heterogeneity in CLL

Our goal is to define multiple informative transcriptome variables that capture sources of heterogeneity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells, for flexible modeling in epidemiology and clinical studies. CD19+/CD5+ B-cells were sorted from whole blood of 227 CLL patients and RNA was sequenced on the HiSeq4000 or NovaSeq platforms as part of the ORIEN Avatar Initiative. Transcript-based read counts were generated from FASTQ files using Salmon. High-quality genes were selected and read counts internally normalized and corrected for batch effects using ComBat. Preprocessing resulted in a final set of 8,716 quality-controlled, autosomal, protein-coding genes. PCA was performed and, using a scree test, we selected 14 dimensions that represented 55.9% of the total variance across the CLL patients9 transcriptomes. Fourteen quantitative, orthogonal CLL dimension variables were calculated for all 227 patients. By design, these CLL dimensions capture transcriptome variance and provide novel multi-gene expression biomarkers. We assessed whether these CLL transcriptome dimensions captured known clinically relevant molecular differences. First, we investigated associations with IGVH mutational status (determined using MiXCR). CLL dimension variables 1, 5, 6, and 8 predicted IGHV mutational status (p=4.6x10-16). Next, we investigated associations with ZAP70 and CD38 biomarkers, calculated by their expression in the RNA sequencing data using a separate pipeline and correcting for batch effects by ComBat (neither gene was in the 8,716 genes retained for PCA). CLL dimension variables 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 significantly predicted Zap70 expression (p=1.6x10-38). CLL dimension variables 2, 3, 5, and 6 significantly predicted CD38 expression (p=3.1x10-31). Transcriptome dimension variables provide a flexible intrinsic framework to describe heterogeneity across CLL patients. We have shown that our transcriptome dimensions capture IGHV mutational status and ZAP70 and CD38 expression, all biomarkers for prognosis. Future work will include exploring the ability of the 14 dimensions to capture other known important molecular markers for CLL, including somatic deletion of 17p deletion, somatic mutational patterns, microsatellite instability, and previously described expression-based subgroups. Transcriptome dimensions are designed for utility as predictor variables, alongside other covariates, in parametric modeling, and have the potential to improve both epidemiology and clinical studies. Citation Format: Julie E. Feusier, Rosalie G. Waller, Michael J. Madsen, Brian Avery, Nicola J. Camp. Transcriptional dimensions provide a framework for describing tumor heterogeneity in CLL [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: Advances in Malignant Lymphoma; 2020 Aug 17-19. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Blood Cancer Discov 2020;1(3_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-01.
The sustainability of rice farming practices in Tidal swamplands of South Sumatra Indonesia

Tidal swamplands are considered the national food security platform in Indonesia. Residues from the excessive chemical input used in the rice production affecting the environment, farmers’ health, and the safety of the product. Similarly, one can expect that excessive chemical use in tidal swamplands can also threaten rice production system sustainability. This study aimed to assess and identify factors influencing the sustainability of rice farming practices in tidal swamplands of South Sumatra, Indonesia. A survey was carried out to obtain information through direct interviews with 150 farmers in Muara Telang, South Sumatra, Indonesia. The Indonesia rice check was employed as indicators to assess the sustainability of rice farming practices in tidal swamplands. A percentage index was to categorize the sustainability status. A regression analysis with the Tobit model was applied to identify factors influencing the sustainability of rice farming practices. The result showed that the average sustainability index was 25.53%. It indicated rice farming practices in tidal swamplands tend to be unsustainable. The significant factors influencing the sustainability of rice farming practices were farmer’s education and household size. A policy recommendation is proposed to enhance the implementation of sustainable agriculture practices by the rice farmers in tidal swamplands.
An analysis of public awareness of core information on tuberculosis in Guizhou Province.

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health problem and China is one of the 22 countries with a high TB burden. The characteristics of the epidemic of TB in China include a high rate of infection, high prevalence, serious drug resistance, and low rate of decline and the TB epidemic in Guizhou Province is more serious than in other parts of the country. We conducted a survey during September and October 2019 to investigate public awareness of core TB information. METHODS A multi-stage, stratified random sampling method was used to survey individuals at 18 investigation sites on their awareness of core information related to TB. SPSS22.0 software was used to analyze data and P<0.05 was considered statistically different. RESULTS Of the 10,563 questionnaires collected, the total awareness rate of TB, the awareness rates of transmission, symptoms, treatment (doctor visit way), preferential policies, and prognosis of TB were 62.5% (95% CI: 0.6169-0.6329), 62.8% (95% CI: 0.6190-0.6374), 75.2% (95% CI: 0.7434-0.7599), 66.4% (95% CI: 0.6553-0.6733), 39.1% (95% CI: 0.3819-0.4005), 61.2% (95% CI: 0.6029-0.6215) respectively. The personal awareness qualified rate was 45.0% (95% CI: 0.4404-0.4594) and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that education was the main factor associated with awareness of TB. CONCLUSIONS Public awareness of the core information about TB is low in Guizhou Province. Intensive education about TB should be carried out.
Supply and Demand Effects of Unemployment Insurance Benefit Extensions: Evidence from U.S. Counties

I use three decades of county-level data to estimate the effects of federal unemployment benefit extensions on economic activity. To overcome the reverse causality coming from the fact that benefit extensions are a function of state unemployment rates, I only use the within-state variation in outcomes to identify treatment effects. Identification rests on a differences-in-differences approach which exploits heterogeneity in county exposure to policy changes. To distinguish demand and supply-side channels, I estimate the model separately for tradable and non-tradable sectors. Finally I use benefit extensions as an instrument to estimate local fiscal multipliers of unemployment benefit transfers. I find (i) that the overall impact of benefit extensions on activity is positive, pointing to strong demand effects; (ii) that, even in tradable sectors, there are no negative supply-side effects from work disincentives; and (iii) a fiscal multiplier estimate of 1.92, similar to estimates in the literature for other types of spending.
Predictors of early recurrence following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgical resection for localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAT) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is increasingly being utilized. However, a significant number of patients will experience early recurrence, possibly negating the benefit of surgery. We aimed to identify factors implicated in early disease recurrence. METHODS A retrospective review of pancreaticoduodenectomies performed between 2005 and 2017 at our institution for PDAC following NAT was performed. A 6-month cut-off was used to stratify patients into early/late recurrence groups. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of recurrence. RESULTS Of 273 patients, 64 (23%) developed early recurrence or died within 90 days of surgery. The median time to recurrence was 4 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.2-4.3) in the early group versus 16 months (95% CI: 13.7-19.9) in the late group. The former had higher baseline and post-NAT Ca19-9 levels than the latter (472 vs. 153 IU/ml, p = 0.001 and 71 vs. 39 IU/ml, p = 0.005, respectively). A higher positive lymph node ratio significantly increased the risk of early recurrence (hazard ratio [HR]: 15.9, p < 0.001) while adjuvant chemotherapy was protective (HR: 0.4, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Our findings acknowledge the limitations of clinically measured factors used to ascertain response to NAT and underline the need for individualized molecular markers that take into consideration the specific tumor biology.
Gene editing isn't just about food: comments from U.S. focus groups.

In the United States, adult public perception of genetic modification has been well documented in the domain of agriculture and food; however, recent international news on gene editing in medical a...
MAZOR-X robotic-navigated percutaneous C2 screw placement for hangman’s fracture: a case report

Robotic-navigated screw placement has potential for higher precision and accuracy. Robotic assistance is well-described in the lumbar spine, however only few studies have evaluated its use in the cervical spine. Surgical treatment for hangman’s fractures after nonunion typically involves C2-3 anterior fusion or posterior occipito-cervical fusion. However, occipito-cervical fusion involves loss of mobility in the cervical spine with associated morbidity. We have previously described a minimally invasive approach using percutaneous screw fixation with X-ray navigation. Robotic assistance is ideally suited for cervical fusion given smaller bony anatomy and adjacent critical structures. We describe a young healthy patient who presented with a hangman’s fracture initially managed conservatively with immobilization. She presented with nonunion and persistent symptoms. Surgical options considered included anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, or posterior cervical fusion with or without extension to the occiput. These options would have involved some loss of flexion/extension and rotational motion with associated morbidity. We performed percutaneous screw fixation of the hangman’s fracture using MAZOR-X robotic navigation and achieved good radiographic fracture reduction with accurate screw placement. To our knowledge this is the first case of a robotic-assisted percutaneous screw fixation for a hangman’s fracture. Robotic-navigated screw placement can be used safely and accurately for cervical spine fractures.
Analog and Mixed-Signal Layout Automation Using Digital Place-and-Route Tools

Today’s analog and mixed-signal (AMS) layout flow requires long manual iterations and does not leverage computing resources for data-driven optimization. This issue is further compounded by the explosion of design rules and layout-dependent effects (LDEs). We present an AMS layout generation flow that leverages digital place-and-route (PnR) tools, amortizes setup cost with reusable primitives, and prunes layout candidates using a fast evaluation scheme. We also analyze LDEs and parasitics and investigate unique challenges and mitigation strategies associated with using digital PnR tools for AMS circuits. These insights are validated with a generated StrongARM comparator and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The VCO layout was optimized in 2 h and fabricated in 16-nm FinFET CMOS. Silicon measurement results of the VCO closely track the simulation, verifying the methodology from netlist to silicon.
Effects of Electric Potential Uncertainty on Electrostatic Tractor Relative Motion Control Equilibria

The electrostatic tractor has been proposed to touchlessly remove space debris from geosynchronous orbit by taking advantage of intercraft Coulomb forces. A controlled spacecraft (tug) emits an ele...
Evaluating topical JAK inhibitors as a treatment option for atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition mediated by cytokines that utilize the Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling cascade. T...
Further and Future Intentions

Much of what is to follow runs counter to a widespread rumor that once a person has performed a given bodily movement he has finished acting, the rest being up to nature, God, the friendly surroundings of the world and so on. This is a sort of physicalist version of an older version of a volition view of agency. According to the last, once a person has performed a given willing (or else once a volition has occurred) the agent is finished acting. If the agent sees or otherwise becomes aware that this acting on his part is not having the desired consequences, he performs new bodily movements (or willings, etc.) and hopes for the best. He keeps trying by his movements (or willings, etc.) and either the world conforms to his desires or it doesn’t. This view is of a piece with the ‘conscious tree’ or ‘inept brain’ picture of, say, perceptual belief. He keeps ‘recording’ the passing scenes, and his records either agree with ‘external reality’ or they don’t. Both are bad pictures of human agency and experience. As indicated in Chapter Two, both are rejected or drastically modified in the present account. Some further modifications can be introduced through an examination of data concerning further intentions and, then, intentions for the future.
EEG and behavioral aspects of the interaction of anticholinergic hallucinogens with centrally active compounds.

Publisher Summary To provide information concerning anticholinergic-induced electroencephalogram (EEG) and behavioral changes, this chapter presents experiment to study the interaction of Ditrant and atropine with a variety of centrally active agents, using quantitative methods for the measurement of the EEG changes. After the anticholinergic drugs Ditran and atropine, distinct clinical alterations have been found that vary with the drug and the dosage. Quantitative EEG analysis demonstrated that the clinical changes are accompanied by characteristic EEG alterations. In relatively low doses, Ditran or atropine produce changes of consciousness with a drowsy state. These behavioral changes are associated with EEG alterations of a decrease of alpha-activity, increase of low voltage 5–7 c/sec theta-activity and superimposed fast beta waves. After a moderate to high dose of Ditran and atropine, a confusional-delirious state was observed. Comparative investigations in the same subjects have shown that anticholinergic-induced drowsiness or sleeplike states are clinically and electroencephalographically different from physiological drowsiness and sleep. Atropine, in comparison to Ditran, induced more changes in consciousness but less psychomotor activity.
Rethinking Double Taxation's Role in Dividend Policy: A Historical Approach

Corporate dividend policy has long been a source of concern in both tax and corporate law. From a tax law perspective, retained earnings potentially escape the high marginal rates imposed on shareholders. From a corporate law perspective, retained earnings increase agency costs for shareholders. With the steady drop in dividends in the last decade, concern over dividend policy has arisen once again. Many commentators attribute the disappearance of the dividend to our corporate income tax system, which "traps" retained earnings in the corporation by subjecting dividends to two layers of tax. The assumption is that integrating the corporate and shareholders income taxes - either through a dividend exemption or some other technique - will lead corporations to pay out more money as dividends. Missing from this analysis is any historical perspective on the relationship between taxation and corporate dividend policies. The double taxation of corporate income actually emerged between World War I and II in response to a shift in corporate dividend policies, rather than vice versa. Over that period, managers agreed to a higher rate of tax at the corporate level, and, eventually, to the repeal of the dividend exemption at the shareholder level in exchange for Congress' tacit agreement not to interfere with managerial discretion over undistributed profits. This history not only belies the claim that double taxation is responsible for the disappearance of the dividend, but also suggests that integration of the corporate and shareholder income taxes may not have the effect on corporate dividend policies that its proponents claim.
Neoplasms of dysgenetic gonads

P R E v 1 0 Is classifications of patients who have had gonadal maldevelopmcnt have been based upon clinical findings, on morphology of the external genitals, on appearance of the gonads. and/or upon chromosomal constitution (karyotype) Reliance on one or the other of the above categories has resulted in an unsatisfactory system of classification which has persisted to the present time, despite the efforts of a few investigators to construct a standardized classification, or, at least, to dr\ise a more satisfactory terminology.‘-” I n order to better evaluatr the incidence and types of neoplasms associated with aberrant gonadal development, it is important to define some of the type‘s of ,qonadal maldevelopment that arc rerognixed: and to relate them to the classification proposed by other authors.
The Trial of the Lincoln Assassination Conspirators

For President Abraham Lincoln, things looked brighter on Friday, April 14, 1865 than they had for a long time. Five days earlier, General Robert E. Lee effectively ended the long nightmare of the Civil War by surrendering the Army of Northern Virginia, and just the previous day, the city of Washington celebrated the war's end by illuminating every one of its public building with candles. Candles also burned in most private homes, causing a city paper to describe the nation's capital as all ablaze with glory. The President decided he could finally afford an evening of relaxation: he would attend a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in downtown Washington. On May 1, 1865, President Johnson issued an order that the alleged conspirators be tried before a nine-person military commission. Testimony began in the Lincoln assassination conspiracy trial on May 12, just three days after the prisoners were first asked if they would like to have legal counsel. The rules of the Commission made the position of the defendants even more grave: conviction could come on a simple majority vote and a majority of two-thirds could impose the death sentence. Over the course of the next seven weeks, the Commission would hear from 361 witnesses. As the witnesses paraded to the stand, spectators lucky enough to get admission passes from Major General Hunter would move in and out of the nonchalant atmosphere of the courtroom.
Enterobacter cloacae-contaminated cardioplegic solution. Discovery and eradication of a pharmacy reservoir.

Abstract Our conclusions and recommendations are as follows: 1. 1. Pressurized cannisters used in the production or large-volume parenteral fluids may serve as a reservoir of bacterial contamination unless they are routinely disassembled, cleaned, and sterilized. 2. 2. Filtration cannot be assumed to ensure sterility, since filters may be defective. Microbiologic quality control measures are essential. 3. 3. Quality control procedures must be part of an established surveillance system for reporting of problems with large-volume solutions. Ideally, representatives of the pharmacy, the microbiology laboratory, and infection control should be involved. 4. 4. Quarantine of products awaiting microbiological clearance should be strictly enforced. 5. 5. Microbiologic quality control tests that reveal gram-negative rods must be viewed with concern and investigated appropriately. 6. 6. Record keeping should allow precise, rapid identification of the specific patients receiving a pharmacy-prepared product. 7. 7. The use of both positive and negative pressure to increase filtration rate conceiveably may produce a total pressure exceeding that recommended for the filter used. Therefore users of such filtration systems should periodically recalibrate pressure-monitoring gauges to ensure that excess pressure is not generated.
LY231514, a pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-based antifolate that inhibits multiple folate-requiring enzymes

N-[4-[2-(2-amino-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)ethyl ]-benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid (LY231514) is a novel pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-based antifolate currently undergoing extensive Phase II clinical trials. Previous studies have established that LY231514 and its synthetic gamma-polyglutamates (glu3 and glu5) exert potent inhibition against thymidylate synthase (TS). We now report that LY231514 and its polyglutamates also markedly inhibit other key folate-requiring enzymes, including dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT). For example, the Ki values of the pentaglutamate of LY231514 are 1.3, 7.2, and 65 nM for inhibition against TS, DHFR, and GARFT, respectively. In contrast, although a similar high level of inhibitory potency was observed for the parent monoglutamate against DHFR (7.0 nM), the inhibition constants (Ki) for the parent monoglutamate are significantly weaker for TS (109 nM) and GARFT (9,300 nM). The effects of LY231514 and its polyglutamates on aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase, 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase were also evaluated. The end product reversal studies conducted in human cell lines further support the concept that multiple enzyme-inhibitory mechanisms are involved in cytotoxicity. The reversal pattern of LY231514 suggests that although TS may be a major site of action for LY231514 at concentrations near the IC50, higher concentrations can lead to inhibition of DHFR and/or other enzymes along the purine de novo pathway. Studies with mutant cell lines demonstrated that LY231514 requires polyglutamation and transport via the reduced folate carrier for cytotoxic potency. Therefore, our data suggest that LY231514 is a novel classical antifolate, the antitumor activity of which may result from simultaneous and multiple inhibition of several key folate-requiring enzymes via its polyglutamated metabolites.
The Fragility of Consensus: Public Reason, Diversity and Stability

John Rawls's transition from A Theory of Justice to Political Liberalism was driven by his rejection of Theory's account of stability. The key to his later account of stability is the idea of public reason. We see Rawls's account of stability as an attempt to solve a mutual assurance problem. We maintain that Rawls's solution fails because his primary assurance mechanism, in the form of public reason, is fragile. His conception of public reason relies on a condition of consensus that we argue is unrealistic in modern, pluralistic democracies. After rejecting Rawls's conception of public reason, we offer an 'indirect alter- native' that we believe is much more robust. We cite experimental evidence to back up this claim.
Group Typical Preference Extraction Using Collaborative Filtering Profile

This paper proposes the association word mining method. Using this method, the profile of the collaborative user is created, and based on this profile, users are grouped according to the vector space model and Kmeans algorithm. Consequently, the existing collaborative filtering system’s problems of sparsity and of recommendations based on the degree of correlation of user preferences are eliminated. Moreover, to address the said system’s shortcoming whereby items are recommended according to the degree of correlation of the two most similar users within a group, entropy is used. Thus, the typical preference of the group is extracted. Since user preferences cannot be automatically regarded as accurate data, users within the group who have entropies beyond the threshold are selected as typical users. The typical preference can be extracted by assigning typical user preferences in the form of weights. The method enables dynamic recommendation because it decreases the inaccuracy of recommendations based on unproven user preferences.
Effects of Prostaglandin E1 on Pancreatic Exocrine Function

Effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on pancreatic secretion were evaluated in 5 dogs with chronic duodenal fistulae. PGE1 was administered in single doses (0.5 to 50 μg per kg) or by continuous intravenous infusion (0.5 to 5.0 μg per kg per min) with the pancreas in the resting state or secreting in response to (a) secretin and (b) secretin with pancreozymin. Inhibition of volume and bicarbonate concentration occurred in the resting and stimulated gland: ED50 was 23 μg per kg by single injections and 1.8 μg per kg per min by continuous infusion. In contrast, enzyme output was stimulated, but the efficacy of PGE1 was less than that of pancreozymin. It is concluded that PGE1 has a dual effect on the pancreas—inhibition of volume and electrolytes and stimulation of enzyme elaboration—but it is not clear whether PGE1 plays a physiologic role in the regulation of pancreatic exocrine function.
An efficient parallel solution for Euclidean shortest path in three dimensions

We describe an efficient parallel solution for the problem of finding the shortest Euclidean path between two points in three dimensional space in the presence of polyhedral obstacles. We consider the important case where the order in which the obstacles are encountered in this shortest path is known. In particular for this case we describe an efficient parallel numerical iterative method on a concurrent-read exclusive-write synchronous shared-memory model. The iterations are essentially convergent non-linear block Gauss-Seidel. For special relative orientations of the, say n, polyhedral obstacles, we further describe a direct method that gives the exact solution in O(log n) time using n processors.
Effect of aminophyllin on the coagulation of human blood.

SummaryAminophyllin was given in a single intravenous injection to a group of 18 patients, and orally 4 times daily for a week to a second group of 12 subjects.There were no statistically significant changes in the clotting time of the blood or in the undiluted or 12.5% (diluted) plasma prothrombin times following the administration of aminophyllin.
Thermodynamics of hydrobromic acid in water + 10, + 30, and + 50 mass per cent of tetrahydrofuran from e.m.f. measurements at 278.15 to 328.15 K

Abstract Electromotive-force measurements of cells of the type Pt|H 2 (G;1 ATM)|HBr(m) in THF + H 2 O|AgBr|Ag at 11 temperatures ranging from 278.15 to 328.15 K were used to derive (a) the standard e.m.f. of the cell in water + 10, + 30, and + 50 mass per cent of tetrahydrofuran, (b) the mean activity coefficient of hydrobromic acid, (c) the relative partial molar enthalpy of HBr, and (d) the thermodynamic constants for the transfer of HBr from the standard state in water to the standard state in water + 10, + 30, and + 50 mass per cent of tetrahydrofuran. The molality m of the acid ranged from 0.01 to 0.1 mol kg−1 in 10 and 30 mass per cent tetrahydrofuran, and 0.01 to 0.14 mol kg−1 in 50 mass per cent tetrahydrofuran. Vapor pressures and densities for the binary solvent mixtures were measured over the temperature range. The standard e.m.f. was determined by means of an extrapolation method using the extended terms of the Debye-Huckel theory. The results are discussed in terms of the preferential solvation of the ions.