cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A population-based twin study of parentally reported tactile and auditory defensiveness in young children

Some adults and children exhibit defensive behaviors to tactile or auditory stimulation. These symptoms occur not only in subsets of children with ADHD, autism, and Fragile X syndrome, but also in the apparent absence of accompanying disorders. Relatively little research explores the correlates and antecedents of sensory defensiveness. Using a population-based sample of 1,394 toddler-aged twins, mothers reported on tactile and auditory defensiveness, temperament, and behavior problems. The incidence of defensive symptoms was widely distributed, with some accumulation of cases in the extreme range. Girls were overrepresented in the extreme tactile defensiveness group. Both auditory and tactile defensiveness were modestly associated with fearful temperament and anxiety, but they were relatively distinct from other common dimensions of childhood behavioral dysfunction. Twin correlations for the full range of scores and concordance rates for the extremes suggested moderate genetic influences, with some indication that the tactile domain might be more heritable than the auditory domain.
Associations of Rhesus and non-Rhesus maternal red blood cell alloimmunization with stillbirth and preterm birth

Background: Although the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with anti-D antibodies are well-recognized, much less is known concerning alloimmunization with other red blood cell antibodies detected during routine maternal screening. To date, most reports of adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with non-anti-D antibodies have been from small case studies. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of maternal alloimmunization with specific red blood cell antibodies and the risks of preterm birth and stillbirth in the Swedish population. Methods: All antibody screening, outcome and covariate data were obtained through linkages of Swedish national health and data registers. Follow-up in these population-based registers was available up to 31 December 2002. The final study sample consisted of 1 022 569 singleton births from 668 952 mothers during 1987–2002. Results: In total, 1.3% of the 1 022 569 study pregnancies were alloimmunized. In adjusted logistic regression models, compared with having no antibodies, alloimmunization with anti-D, anti-E, anti-C and anti-c was associated with increased risk of both stillbirth and preterm birth. In addition, anti-Kell was associated with increased risk of preterm birth and anti-Lea with increased risk of stillbirth. Compared with firstborn children, risk of preterm birth associated with alloimmunization was greater in subsequent births Conclusions: In the largest study to date, alloimmunization with Rhesus, K- and -Lea red blood cell antibodies increased the risk of preterm birth and/or stillbirth. The association of anti-Lea with stillbirth was an unexpected finding. Further study of the consequences of non-anti-D alloimmunization is warranted.
Structural Transitions of Electrosprayed Ubiquitin Ions Stored in an Ion Trap over 10 ms to 30 s

Structural transitions of the +6 to +8 charge states of ubiquitin produced by electrospray ionization have been studied in the gas phase by a new ion trap/ion mobility-mass spectrometry technique. The approach allows transitions to be examined in detail over ∼10 ms to 30 s trapping times. This time regime is intermediate between the ∼1 to 5 ms time scales of previous mobility measurements [J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 1997, 8, 954] and minute to hour time scale measurements associated with trapping experiments done in a Fourier transform mass spectrometer [Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 1999, 185/186/187, 565]. The results show that over the entire time range, the +6 charge state is dominated by compact structures (with cross sections that are near the value expected for folded states in solution). The +7 state shows evidence for at least two types of initial compact structures. One state (∼65% of the population) rapidly unfolds to partially folded and elongated conformers after ∼30 to 40 ms. The remaining 35% of i...
Factors That Predict Short-term Intensive Care Unit Mortality in Patients With Cirrhosis

Background & Aims Despite advances in critical care medicine, the mortality rate is high among critically ill patients with cirrhosis. We aimed to identify factors that predict early (7 d) mortality among patients with cirrhosis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and to develop a risk-stratification model. Methods We collected data from patients with cirrhosis admitted to the ICU at Indiana University (IU–ICU) from December 1, 2006, through December 31, 2009 (n = 185), or at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn−ICU) from May 1, 2005, through December 31, 2010 (n = 206). Factors associated with mortality within 7 days of admission (7-d mortality) were determined by logistic regression analyses. A model was constructed based on the predictive parameters available on the first day of ICU admission in the IU–ICU cohort and then validated in the Penn−ICU cohort. Results Median Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores at ICU admission were 25 in the IU–ICU cohort (interquartile range, 23–34) and 32 in the Penn−ICU cohort (interquartile range, 26–41); corresponding 7-day mortalities were 28.3% and 53.6%, respectively. MELD score (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–1.2) and mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.3–14.1) were associated independently with 7-day mortality in the IU–ICU. A model based on these 2 variables separated IU–ICU patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups; these groups had 7-day mortalities of 9%, 27%, and 74%, respectively (concordance index, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.72–0.87; P −8 ). The model was applied to the Penn–ICU cohort; the low-, medium-, and high-risk groups had 7-day mortalities of 33%, 56%, and 71%, respectively (concordance index, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.59–0.74; P −4 ). Conclusions A model based on MELD score and mechanical ventilation on day 1 can stratify risk of early mortality in patients with cirrhosis admitted to the ICU. More studies are needed to validate this model and to enhance its clinical utility.
Incorporation of extracellular 8-oxodG into DNA and RNA requires purine nucleoside phosphorylase in MCF-7 cells

7,8-Dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) is a well-known marker of oxidative stress. We report a mechanistic analysis of several pathways by which 8-oxodG is converted to nucleotide triphosphates and incorporated into both DNA and RNA. Exposure of MCF-7 cells to [14C]8-oxodG combined with specific inhibitors of several nucleotide salvage enzymes followed with accelerator mass spectrometry provided precise quantitation of the resulting radiocarbon-labeled species. Concentrations of exogenously dosed nucleobase in RNA reached one per 106 nucleotides, 5–6-fold higher than the maximum observed in DNA. Radiocarbon incorporation into DNA and RNA was abrogated by Immucillin H, an inhibitor of human purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). Inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase (RR) decreased the radiocarbon content of the DNA, but not in RNA, indicating an important role for RR in the formation of 8-oxodG-derived deoxyribonucleotides. Inhibition of deoxycytidine kinase had little effect on radiocarbon incorporation in DNA, which is in contrast to the known ability of mammalian cells to phosphorylate dG. Our data indicate that PNP and RR enable nucleotide salvage of 8-oxodG in MCF-7 cells, a previously unrecognized mechanism that may contribute to mutagenesis and carcinogenesis.
A Forward Genetic Screen for Suppressors of Somatic P Granules in Caenorhabditis elegans

In Caenorhabditis elegans, germline expression programs are actively repressed in somatic tissue by components of the synMuv (synthetic multi-vulva) B chromatin remodeling complex, which include homologs of tumor suppressors Retinoblastoma (Rb/LIN-35) and Malignant Brain Tumor (MBT/LIN-61). However, the full scope of pathways that suppress germline expression in the soma is unknown. To address this, we performed a mutagenesis and screened for somatic expression of GFP-tagged PGL-1, a core P-granule nucleating protein. Eight alleles were isolated from 4000 haploid genomes. Five of these alleles exhibit a synMuv phenotype, whereas the remaining three were identified as hypomorphic alleles of known synMuv B genes, lin-13 and dpl-1. These findings suggest that most suppressors of germline programs in the soma of C. elegans are either required for viability or function through synMuv B chromatin regulation.
Rethinking the Cultural Context of Schooling Decisions in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods: From Deviant Subculture to Cultural Heterogeneity

The literature on neighborhood effects on schooling theorizes that neighborhood cultural context is an important mechanism generating such effects. However, explanations that rely on subcultural th...
A model-based crosstalk compensation method for simultaneous Tl-201 and Tc-99m dual isotope myocardial SPECT imaging

Clinical use of Tl-201 and Tc-99m dual isotope myocardial SPECT requires compensation for crosstalk contamination of the Tl-210 data. The most significant sources of the crosstalk are Tc-99m downscatter and Pb X-rays generated by the interaction of Tc-99m photons with the collimator. In this work we evaluated a model-based crosstalk compensation method using experimental data acquired from a torso phantom with a cardiac insert. This model-based method incorporated downscatter and Pb X-ray models to estimate and thus compensate the contamination. A cold lesion was placed in an inferior apical myocardial region of the cardiac insert. Long acquisitions were performed to obtain high-count projection data in Tl and Tc energy windows. Separately acquired Tl-201 and Tc-99m projection images were appropriately scaled and summed together to simulate separate and simultaneous acquisitions. Noisy projection images were generated by simulating Poisson noise using the high-count projection images. A total of 100 noise realizations of the projection images were used to study the image noise levels. The reconstructed Tl-201 images of simultaneous acquisition were compared to those of separate acquisition in terms of image noise and defect contrast. It was found that the model-based crosstalk compensation method substantially improved the lesion visualization and lesion contrast in the Tl images and reduced quantitative errors in polar maps. A contrast-noise curve showed that the model-based method resulted in an improved contrast-noise trade-off compared to images without crosstalk compensation. In conclusion, the results of this preliminary evaluation indicate that the model-based method is promising. However, more detailed development and evaluation of the model-based method is required to its clinical utility.
A Model of Occupational Empowerment for Marginalized Populations in Community Environments

Globally there are individuals who are marginalized from mainstream society due to problems such as physical or psychological impairment, poor socio-economic circumstances, and occupational deprivation. Many develop learned helplessness syndrome, rendering them unable to control their lives and their destinies. This paper proposes a Model of Occupational Empowerment for providing services to these community populations. The model, a grounded theory, emerged from our work at a homeless shelter for women and children. Disempowering environments in the past had caused learned helplessness in the women at the shelter. Occupational engagement was used to empower them. We contend that the model may be used to guide occupational therapy practice with marginalized individuals and families in a number of community environments.
Attachment of the parasitic weed dodder to the host.

The parasitic weed dodder (Cuscuta pentagona L.) invades a number of potential host species, but the mechanisms responsible for ensuring tight adhesion to the wide variety of host surfaces have yet to be identified. In this study, a battery of microscopy protocols is used to examine the host–parasite interface in an effort to deduce these mechanisms. As the dodder shoot approaches the host tissue, epidermal cells in the parasite shoot elongate and differentiate into secretory type trichomes. The trichome cell walls are malleable, allowing them to elongate towards the host and bend their walls to conform to the shape of the host cell surface. The presence of osmiophilic particles (probable cell-wall-loosening complexes) at far greater numbers than found in other species presages the expansion and malleable nature of the epidermal cells. In addition to the changes in cell shape, the dodder trichome cells secrete an electron-opaque cementing substance that covers the host–parasite interface. When probed with antibodies that recognize cell wall components, the cement reacted only with antibodies that recognize chiefly de-esterified pectins but not other common wall constituents. These data indicate that dodder utilizes both a cementing layer of pectin and a radically modified epidermal cell wall to secure the parasite to the perspective host.
Walking, Running, and Resting Under Time, Distance and Average Speed Constraints: Optimality of Walk-Run-Rest Mixtures

On a treadmill, humans switch from walking to running beyond a characteristic transition speed. Here, we study human choice between walking and running in a more ecological (non-treadmill) setting. We asked subjects to travel a given distance overground in a given allowed time duration. During this task, the subjects carried, and could look at, a stopwatch that counted down to zero. As expected, if the total time available were large, humans walk the whole distance. If the time available were small, humans mostly run. For an intermediate total time, humans often use a mixture of walking at a slow speed and running at a higher speed. With analytical and computational optimization, we show that using a walk–run mixture at intermediate speeds and a walk–rest mixture at the lowest average speeds is predicted by metabolic energy minimization, even with costs for transients—a consequence of non-convex energy curves. Thus, sometimes, steady locomotion may not be energy optimal, and not preferred, even in the absence of fatigue. Assuming similar non-convex energy curves, we conjecture that similar walk–run mixtures may be energetically beneficial to children following a parent and animals on long leashes. Humans and other animals might also benefit energetically from alternating between moving forward and standing still on a slow and sufficiently long treadmill.
Ductility and Fracture of FeAl: Effects of Composition and Environment

In ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), the ductility of FeAl decreases with increasing Al content and fracture becomes increasingly intergranular. Boron improves ductility by segregating to the grain boundaries and suppressing grain-boundary fracture. However, with increasing Al concentration, even the B-doped alloys become brittle and fracture intergranularly. Hydrogen gas at low pressures embritties FeAl, although not as severely as atmospheric moisture. Ductility is highest in UHV followed by that in O2, vacuum, and air.
Enzymatic Activity at Polymer Tips Only

In the first six chapters of this book, we have examined a simple aggregation process that involves physical interactions only. There is no chemistry. These are termed “equilibrium aggregates.” Chapters 7 and 8 are more complicated in that we study the aggregation of enzyme molecules: in addition to the intermolecular (i.e., interenzyme) forces that produce the aggregation, the subunits of the polymer may be engaged in enzymatic activity. Such polymers are called1 “steady-state aggregates.”
Examining Correctional Officers’ Fear of Victimization by Inmates The Influence of Fear Facilitators and Fear Inhibitors

Perceptions of fear in the correctional literature typically seek to predict factors such as procedural justice, turnover, and satisfaction rather than identify the antecedents to fear. In addition...
Nucleus accumbens AMPA receptor trafficking upregulated by food restriction: an unintended target for drugs of abuse and forbidden foods

There is a high rate of comorbidity between eating disorders and substance abuse, and specific evidence that weight-loss dieting can increase risk for binge pathology, rebound excessive weight gain, and initiation and relapse to drug abuse. The present overview discusses basic science findings indicating that chronic food restriction induces dopamine conservation, compensatory upregulation of D-1 dopamine receptor signaling, and synaptic incorporation of calcium-permeable glutamatergic AMPA receptors in nucleus accumbens. Evidence is presented which indicates that these neuroadaptations account for increased incentive effects of food, drugs, and associated environments during food restriction. In addition, these same neuroadaptations underlie upregulation of sucrose- and psychostimulant-induced trafficking of AMPA receptors to the nucleus accumbens postsynaptic density, which may be a mechanistic basis of enduring maladaptive behavior.
Who Teaches College Economics? Students or Professors?

A value added panel and a larger posttest sample are applied to test hypotheses regarding the common influences on student performance on the TUCE III. Common influences, those shared by all students in a given classroom, included: day vs. night time of course; class size; peer effects; and teacher effects. Samples of 500 pre-test students and 400 post tests, collected over a three year period, were matched to the Registrar's student records, Admissions Office records, responses to a survey of the teachers and to department records. Operating by random chance, 76 pretest students were resampled on posttests, these form a value added panel. Complete data for posttest students included 232 cases. These researches find that: The observed beneficial effects on both value added and posttest TUCE III scores apparently due to the stimulus of the student's peers is most likely spurious, a reflection of the common influence of the teacher. Instead the largest influences on student success in economics are probably the teacher and the student's own intellectual human capital.
¡No Hay Ningún Santo Aqui! (There Are No Saints Here!): Symbolic Language within Santer№a

L'A. traite du santeria (religion afro-cubaine) habituellement vu comme un syncretisme entre le catholicisme et les pratiques religieuses africaines, et soutient que ces dernieres sont centrales tandis que les elements catholiques ne sont pas essentiels. La tendance a eviter les figures anthropomorphes est etudiee. Les termes espagnols sont montres comme etant des reflets de concepts yorubas.
On Innovation of the Building of Student Party Bromch

With analysis of the establishment of Party Branch under current circumstance,the article aims at pointing out problems occurred within the process of building such branches among universities.Accordingly,the author comes up with four solutions as to the improvement of the process as follows:Ⅰ)to improve the "punishment and inspiration"policy by strengthening leadership and supervisal;Ⅱ)bring forth new ideas as to community activities with the guarantee of financial support;Ⅲ)to tighten the standard for candidates in order to remain the quality of outstanding members.Ⅳ)establish a network management systen to improve the learning mechanism of party members,so that the student Party branches can give full play to its strong fighting force and members can play a vanguard and exemplary role.
Troubleshooting the Windows Boot Files

Having a PC that won’t boot is one of the most frustrating and worrisome problems anyone can encounter. With other PC and Windows issues, it’s usually clear what the problem is: a software package not working or a misconfigured network connection. When the PC won’t boot, however, you’re left completely in the dark as to the cause, which can be anything from corrupt boot files to a hardware failure.
Transforming the global energy system is required to avoid the sixth mass extinction

This study argues that the climate changes resulting from the continued burning of fossil fuels at present rates will very likely initiate extinction of many terrestrial and marine species, beginning by mid-century. Under this scenario, interactions of climate change with other well-known extinction threats promise to trigger a loss of life that has not been seen since an asteroid-strike eliminated most dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Avoiding this will require a very rapid shift of both our stationary and transportation energy sectors to carbon-neutral systems. Mass extinctions, which result in loss of at least an estimated 75% of known species over a geologically short time period, are very rare in the 540 million year history of complex life on Earth. Only five have been recognized, the most recent of which occurred 66 million years ago, ending the reign of dinosaurs and opening the door for domination of the planet eventually by humans, who have now accelerated biodiversity loss to the extent that a Sixth Mass Extinction is plausible. Accelerated extinction rates up to now primarily have been due to human-caused habitat destruction and overexploitation of economically valuable species. Climate change caused by burning of fossil fuels adds a new and critically problematic extinction driver because the pace and magnitude of change exceeds what many species have experienced in their evolutionary history, and rapid climate change multiplies the already-existing threats. Particularly at risk are regions that contain most of the world’s species, such as rainforest and coral reef ecosystems. Avoiding severe losses that would commit many species to extinction by 2100 will require transforming global energy systems to carbon-neutral ones by 2050. Currently, the transformation is occurring too slowly to avoid worst-case extinction scenarios.
Is carbamazepine helpful in paroxysmal behavior disorders

Carbamazepine was used to treat two patients with paroxysmal behavioral episodes and preexisting psychiatric disease. Carbamazepine abolished the paroxysmal episodes. Its effects on the preexisting disease were less clear. These data suggest carbamazepine treatment for paroxysmal behavior.
Hierarchical Electrospun and Cooperatively Assembled Nanoporous Ni/NiO/MnOx/Carbon Nanofiber Composites for Lithium Ion Battery Anodes.

A facile method to fabricate hierarchically structured fiber composites is described based on the electrospinning of a dope containing nickel and manganese nitrate salts, citric acid, phenolic resin, and an amphiphilic block copolymer. Carbonization of these fiber mats at 800 °C generates metallic Ni-encapsulated NiO/MnOx/carbon composite fibers with average BET surface area (150 m2/g) almost 3 times higher than those reported for nonporous metal oxide nanofibers. The average diameter (∼900 nm) of these fiber composites is nearly invariant of chemical composition and can be easily tuned by the dope concentration and electrospinning conditions. The metallic Ni nanoparticle encapsulation of NiO/MnOx/C fibers leads to enhanced electrical conductivity of the fibers, while the block copolymers template an internal nanoporous morphology and the carbon in these composite fibers helps to accommodate volumetric changes during charging. These attributes can lead to lithium ion battery anodes with decent rate perfor...
Weighted subspace modeling for semantic concept retrieval using gaussian mixture models

At the era of digital revolution, social media data are growing at an explosive speed. Thanks to the prevailing popularity of mobile devices with cheap costs and high resolutions as well as the ubiquitous Internet access provided by mobile carriers, Wi-Fi, etc., numerous numbers of videos and pictures are generated and uploaded to social media websites such as Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter everyday. To efficiently and effectively search and retrieve information from the large amounts of multimedia data (structured, semi-structured, or unstructured), lots of algorithms and tools have been developed. Among them, a variety of data mining and machine learning methods have been explored and proposed and have shown their effectiveness and potentials in handling the growing requests to retrieve semantic information from those large-scale multimedia data. However, it is well-acknowledged that the performance of such multimedia semantic information retrieval is far from satisfactory, due to the challenges like rare events, data imbalance, etc. In this paper, a novel weighted subspace modeling framework is proposed that is based on the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) and is able to effectively retrieve semantic concepts, even from the highly imbalanced datasets. Experimental results performed on two public-available benchmark datasets against our previous GMM-based subspace modeling method and the other prevailing counterparts demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed weighted GMM-based subspace modeling framework with the improved retrieval performance in terms of the mean average precision (MAP) values.
Spousal and Intimate Partner Caregiving

Caregiving by spouses and other intimate partners is reviewed. Husbands and wives tend to provide different types of care. Caregiving has different effects, costs, consequences, and rewards for husbands and wives. Also, they receive different amounts and types of support and assistance from others. In addition, research on caregiving by older same sex and cohabiting partners is surveyed.
The Politics of Respectability

Samuel Smiles is remembered as ‘the great apostle of self-help’ whose writings encapsulated ‘notions of individual effort and self-improvement’ and earned him a reputation as the leading publicist for Victorian values.1 This reputation rests on reading his books, including Lives of Engineers, Thrift, and, most famously, Self-Help, as praising individualism and supplying a guide to ‘the path to independence and self fulfilment’.2 Yet Smiles wanted to convey a more complex message. He lamented misinterpretations of his corpus as ‘a eulogy of selfishness’ because he wrote to nurture ‘the social character’ necessary for both individual success and the collective well-being of society.3 For Smiles self-help had virtue only if everyone benefited from the accumulated exertions of individuals.4 In this sense Smiles promulgated the doctrine of self-interest promoted by Adam Smith, played in a social rather than an economic key and buttressed by a moral argument for the importance of contributing to the whole.
Spirochetal Infections of the Nervous System

The clinical, diagnostic, and prognostic aspects of neurosyphilis and Lyme disease are discussed, and the treatment of these disorders is reviewed.
Metal content of DNA polymerase I purified from overproducing and wild type Escherichiacoli

DNA polymerase I purified from both E. coli strain B, and from an overproducing E. coli stain lysogenized with a lambda pol A phage were analyzed for metal content. After gel filtration to remove loosely bound metals, DNA polymerase I from both strains contained less than or equal to 0.2 gm atoms Zn2+/mole enzyme and 0.09 to 0.7 Mg2+/mole enzyme. Substoichiometric amounts of Fe, Co, Ni (less than or equal to 0.2 gm atoms), and Mn (less than or equal to 0.1 gm atoms) were detected. Since the metal content does not correlate with enzymatic activity, we conclude that DNA polymerase I is not a metalloenzyme.
Recording and Reading Spectra

The interpretation of spectra requires accurate information on spectral line intensities; this is essential for quantitative analytical data. Three general procedures are used to obtain this information: (1) visual inspection of spectral lines, (2) photographic recording of spectra, and (3) the use of a photocell and associated amplifiers with some type of read-out device. Visual inspection of spectral lines is possible but inconvenient and not very accurate. Photographic recording of spectra is a very common and useful technique since a spectral region may be photographed that includes many spectral lines of many elements. The photoplate also becomes a permanent record of the spectra.
County-level racial prejudice and the black-white gap in infant health outcomes.

Abstract Objective Black mothers are 60 percent more likely than white mothers to have preterm births and twice as likely to have a baby with low birth weight. We examine whether these black-white gaps in birth outcomes are larger in counties with higher levels of racial prejudice. Method We use data from the restricted-use natality files in the United States, which provide information on birth weight, gestation, and maternal characteristics for over 31 million births from 2002 to 2012, combined with county-level data measures of both explicit and implicit racial prejudice from Project Implicit from over a million individuals who took the Implicit Association Test during this same period. We compare counties that are one standard deviation above the mean (high prejudice) with those that are one standard deviation below the mean (low prejudice) in terms of their average level of racial prejudice. Results The black-white gap in low birth weight is 14 percent larger in counties with high implicit racial prejudice compared to counties with low prejudice. The black-white gap in preterm births is 29 percent larger in the high prejudice counties. The gaps are even larger when we use explicit measures of racial prejudice with high prejudice counties having a black-white gap that is 22 percent larger for low birth weight and 36 percent larger for preterm births. These relationships do not appear to be biased by the way the prejudice sample is constructed, since the racial gap in birth outcomes is unrelated to other county-level biases such as those based on gender or sexual orientation. Conclusion The black-white gap in United States’ birth outcomes is larger in those counties that have the highest levels of racial prejudice. This is true for both implicit and explicit racial prejudice, though the strength of the relationship is strongest for explicit racial prejudice.
China’s rise: what about a transatlantic dialog?

This essay examines and evaluates China’s global rise and the state of the transatlantic discussions about this issue. Since 2010, the rise of China has been accompanied by multiple Chinese initiatives on the international front, especially in the fields of trade and investment. Chinese overseas direct investments are on the rise at a global level. The creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, of the Silk Road Fund, and of the “Belt and Road” initiative are signs of a much more assertive China that is now engaging Western countries, including Europe and the USA. Western reactions, both at governmental and grass-root levels have been mixed. Two questions emerge: can Europeans agree on a common policy toward China? And can the USA and the European Union pursue a dialog and a more coordinated strategy? This will be especially relevant in the context of President Donald Trump’s administration as well as newly elected governments in France and Germany following general elections in these countries in 2017. The future of a transatlantic dialog should also encompass the British question when the UK leaves the EU. As the USA and leading European countries map their foreign policy strategies in coming years, there is a need to elevate policy coordination toward China in the hierarchy of political and economic goals. The paper offers some suggestions on possible priorities.
Diabetes and obesity: Managing dual epidemics.

The odds are high that practitioners who manage patients with diabetes are also managing patients who are overweight or obese. The numbers are staggering: more than two-thirds of American adults with type 2 diabetes are obese, and the need to address these dual epidemics is clear. Many strategies
Animal Models of Zika Virus.

Zika virus has garnered great attention over the last several years, as outbreaks of the disease have emerged throughout the Western Hemisphere. Until quite recently Zika virus was considered a fairly benign virus, with limited clinical severity in both people and animals. The size and scope of the outbreak in the Western Hemisphere has allowed for the identification of severe clinical disease that is associated with Zika virus infection, most notably microcephaly among newborns, and an association with Guillian-Barre syndrome in adults. This recent association with severe clinical disease, of which further analysis strongly suggested causation by Zika virus, has resulted in a massive increase in the amount of both basic and applied research of this virus. Both small and large animal models are being used to uncover the pathogenesis of this emerging disease and to develop vaccine and therapeutic strategies. Here we review the animal-model-based Zika virus research that has been performed to date.
Lay Theories and Metaphors of Health and Illness

People use lay theories to understand their worlds, including the body and diseases. Conceptual metaphors are similar to lay theories in their use of a simple domain to understand a more complex one. Unfortunately, some conceptual metaphors about the body prompt inferences about health and illness that ultimately have negative consequences. We explore two such cases. Metaphors relating cancer to a war with an enemy imply an incorrect view of the disease that leads to ineffective strategies for prevention. Metaphors relating the body to a machine misrepresent its kind as well as its amount of complexity in ways that can lead medical research astray. Awareness of these metaphors and their inferences can help health professionals avoid mistakes.
Molecular Embryology of Flowering Plants

Preface List of abbreviations List of DNA clones, genes, protein products and mutants 1. Reproductive biology of angiosperms - retrospects and prospect Part I. Gametogenesis: 2. Anther developmental biology 3. Pollen development and maturation 4. Gene expression during pollen development 5. Pollen abortion and male sterility 6. Megasporogenesis and megagametogenesis Part II. Pollination and Fertilization: 7. Stigma, style and pollen-pistil interactions 8. Invitro pollen germination and pollen tube growth 9. Developmental biology of incompatibility 10. Molecular biology of self-incompatibility 11. Fertilization - the beginning of sporophytic growth Part III. Zygotic Embryogenesis: 12. Developmental biology of the endosperm 13. Embryogenesis and physiology of growth of embryos 14. Genetic and molecular aspects of embryogenesis 15. Storage protein synthesis in developing embryos Part IV. Adventive Embryogenesis: 16. Somatic embryogenesis 17. Embryonic development of pollen grains 18. Genetic transformation of embryos References Index.
Social Adaptation in Older Adults

The phenomenon of aging has long been of interest to observers of human behavior. The systematic and empirical study of the process and behavioral effects of aging, however, has burgeoned dramatically over the past quarter of a century. A primary reason for such increased interest in our older population is that substantially more people are living longer. Indeed, in the early 1900s, the average male life-span was 45 years; today, it exceeds 72 years. Further, persons 65 years and older comprise almost 13% of the population; based on current population trends and continuing medical advances, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1976) predicts that 50% of the population could be middle aged or older by the year 2100 (see also U.S. Bureau of Census, 1993). Also, by the year 2010, the number of Americans over age 85 is projected to double (White House Domestic Policy Council, 1993). Aside from increased longevity, today’s older adults are healthier, wealthier, better educated, and more politically active than at any previous point in history (Neugarten, 1974).
Economic issues to consider for gene drives

ABSTRACTWe examine four economic issues regarding gene drive applications made possible by gene editing technologies. First, whether gene drives are self-sustaining or self-limiting will largely determine which types of organizations have incentives to develop and deploy gene drives and greatly influence their governance and regulation. Social factors will also play key roles, particularly public perceptions, with these perceptions co-determined with regulation and governance. Second, gene drive applications will generate unintended negative social impacts that will partially offset benefits. Third, economic surplus, the traditional measure of economic benefits, incompletely captures the welfare impacts of gene drive applications. Fourth, gene drives imply dynamic nonlinearities that make identifying economic equilibria and general policy recommendations challenging. The potentially substantial benefits, coupled with the technical, social, and economic uncertainties surrounding gene drives, suggest that a...
Association of exercise-induced wheeze and other asthma symptoms with emergency department visits and hospitalizations in a large cohort of urban adolescents

Abstract Objective Exercise-induced wheeze (EIW) has been found to be associated with asthma-related urgent care in school-aged children. Despite asthma's high prevalence and morbidity among adolescents, this association has not been examined in adolescents. We tested the association of EIW and other asthma symptoms to asthma-related ED visits and hospitalizations in urban adolescents with probable asthma. We hypothesized that EIW would be associated with urgent care. Methods In this cross-sectional study 30,467 high school students (mean age = 16.0) from 49 NYC schools completed two brief validated measures, one assessing probable asthma and the other the frequency of six asthma symptoms over the past year. Adolescents also reported if in the past year they had an asthma-related ED visit or hospitalization. Analyses presented here included students with probable asthma (n = 9149). Using logistic regression, we modeled each asthma symptom as a function of ED visits and hospitalizations adjusting for sex, age, race/ethnicity and asthma severity. Multivariable models included all symptoms to account for the potential interaction between symptoms. Results Among adolescents with probable asthma, EIW was associated with ED visits and hospitalizations. In multivariable models wheeze without a cold, chest tightness, night wakening, but not EIW, were significantly associated with both ED visits and hospitalizations. Conclusions Unlike findings with younger children, EIW does not appear to be associated with ED visits and hospitalizations among urban adolescents with probable asthma. Instead, symptoms, such as chest tightness and night wakening, appear to be important at identifying adolescents at risk for asthma-related urgent care.
Animal contact in public settings-risk awareness of enteric pathogens and hand hygiene behaviors

Abstract Contact with animals in public settings can provide education and entertainment opportunities for both adults and children. However, outbreaks have been associated with human-animal interactions at state, region or county fairs, petting zoos, educational farms, etc. Those outbreaks not only raised a public health concern, but also had substantial medical, legal, and economic impacts. In this study, we assessed the risk awareness of enteric pathogens associated with animal contact in public settings. Participants were asked whether they recognize the risk of spreading enteric pathogens through specific animal contact behaviors such as petting animals with hands or eating around farm animals. The results showed that the self-reported risk awareness was 4.0 ± 1.2 out of a total score of 6, which indicated a poor risk awareness. We also assessed the hand hygiene behaviors including hand washing and hand sanitizer application. Most participants (n = 177, 78.0%) reported that they wash their hands immediately after contact with animals. Logistic regression results showed that risk awareness associated with animal contact was a reliable predictor of hand washing behaviors. Findings from this study serve as a needs assessment for future education to reduce risk of spreading enteric pathogens during animal contact in public settings.
Ground Motion Prediction Model for the Peak Inelastic Displacement of Single-Degree-of-Freedom Bilinear Systems

This paper presents a ground motion prediction model (GMPM) for estimating medians and standard deviations of the random horizontal component of the peak inelastic displacement of 5% damped single-...
Laryngeal cancer incidence among workers exposed to acid mists (United States).

In 1992, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined that sufficient evidence existed to classify sulfuric acid mists as a human carcinogen, based primarily on six human studies. Possible mechanisms include irritation of epithelial cells in conjunction with cigarette smoking, or a direct genotoxic effect due to a modification of cellular pH. We have followed 1,031 men exposed to acid mists in the steel industry in the United States, via mailed questionnaire and telephone interview, extending by 10 years a prior follow-up of this cohort. These workers averaged 9.2 years of exposure, with an average first year of exposure of 1949. The primary exposure was to sulfuric acid mist, although part of the cohort was exposed to other acid mists. Fourteen laryngeal cancers were observed in the cohort compared with 5.6 expected based on US rates, with follow-up through 1994. A 14 percent upward adjustment in expected cancers due to differences in tobacco and alcohol consumption led to 6.4 laryngeal cancers expected, yielding a rate ratio of 2.2 (95 percent confidence interval=1.2-3.7). Our findings are consistent with previous findings from this cohort and from most other studies, and tend to confirm IARC's classification of acid mists as a human carcinogen. The occupational exposures of this cohort were at least an order of magnitude higher than usual ambient exposures in urban air.
The bronchial airways

Knowledge of bronchial development is important to understanding many pathological processes of the adult organ. Development has been studied extensively in the human and the following brief summary highlights some of the key events.
Toxins! tocsin : the North Hollywood dump in Memphis, Tennessee : a community's struggle against environmental racism

This research describes the "voices " of Hol lywood res idents who are impacted by a toxic landf i l l in their backyard . These residents were not included in the decision-making process to get the Hollywood Dump cleaned up . The residents were not allowed to be equal pol itical participants in the Hol lywood Dump issue . The res idents lacked a strong collective res istance to inf luence local , state and federal officials to respond to this community problem . The " voices " of the Hol lywood res idents provided a natural history of a social problem whi ch represents the pol itica l , cultural , and rel igious concerns of grassroots individuals who agreed that the local dump was posing an environmental , and public health threat to the ir community . Thi s research concluded that the Hol lywood Dump issue is a classic example of environmental racism which is a form of environmental inj ustice .
Acetobacter xylinum — Biotechnology and Food Technology

Acetobacter xylinum is a Gram negative soil bacterium that synthesizes and secretes cellulose as part of its metabolism of glucose. Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer on Earth, and is the major constituent of the cell wall of plants. The cellulose produced by A. xylinum is structurally and chemically identical to cellulose found in higher plants, and in addition, is not contaminated by lignins or other cellulosic derivatives. It is for this reason that Acetobacter xylinum serves as a potential model organism for the study of cellulose biosynthesis.
ESTIMATING TIME OF DEATH OF DEER IN MISSOURI; A COMPARISON OF THREE INDICATORS

Estimation of time of death (TOD) of white-tailed deer is important to wildlife law enforcement officers. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a model for estimating TOD of white-tailed deer in Missouri. We compare the utility of carcass temperature, pupil diameter, and rigor mortis as TOD indicators. The effects of body size, ambient temperature, and various carcass handling methods on the estimate were also examined. Data were collected from 1484 deer during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 hunting seasons. Stepwise regression indicated that all three indicators were significant and that body size and ambient temperature could influence the model. Predictive equations were developed for various combinations of the indicators based on practicality and statistical probabilities. TOD was estimated for 28 animals where the exact TOD was known. There was no significant difference between the estimated and known TOD (p = 0.759) and the average of the absolute differences in 1 h and 28 min.
Basic Needs Satisfaction and Its Relation to Childhood Experience

Humanity’s evolutionary inheritances include many things beyond genes, such as self-organization and a developmental system for raising the young (evolved developmental niche or evolved nest). We present an evolutionary understanding of human species-typical and atypical development and need provision, as well as adult outcomes in species-typical contexts. Maslow noted that thwarting of basic needs fulfillment in early life has effects over the long term but he did not describe what a positive experience in early life looks like. We provide an evolutionary picture here. We describe the development of a retrospective basic needs fulfillment measure based on the Basic Needs Satisfaction Survey whose validation was described in Chapter 2. We tested the usefulness of basic needs history against an existing measure of evolved developmental niche history which were highly correlated in two studies. Hierarchical regression indicated that the measure Basic Needs History explained more of the variance than Evolved Developmental Niche History.
Photosynthesis-based hybrid nanostructures: Electrochemical sensors and photovoltaic cells as case studies

Abstract The recall of attention regarding the environment safeguard roused the scientific world, which currently addressed the issue by cutting-edge technologies merger. In particular, hybrid devices have been developed joining the natural elements originated from the photosynthetic process and different nanomaterials, with the purpose to monitor the release of toxic compounds as well as support alternative energy sources. In this review, we focus on recent studies attesting the maturity of these combined technologies and demonstrating how the synergistic union of bio and nano-elements enhanced their individual performances in electrochemical sensing and photovoltaic cells. We also provide insights about the criticisms and strengths of the topic, and discuss on current challenges and future directions for the selectivity, sensitivity, and energy conversion improvement of these innovative hybrid materials.
Imaginative representations of illicit and conflict diamonds in the Sierra Leone Civil War: from paradox and ambiguity to traumatized national psychology

AbstractThe history of Sierra Leone cannot be fully understood without reference to the connections between diamonds and politics. The economy of Sierra Leone is so closely tied to revenue from dia...
Asymmetric Synthesis of Calyculin C. 2. Synthesis of the C26−C37 Fragment and Model Wittig Couplings

We report our synthesis of the C26−C37 fragment of serine/threonine protein phosphatase PP1 and PP2A inhibitor calyculin C (1). Outlined in this paper are synthetic approaches to the two components...