cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benign and hyperplastic endometrial changes associated with tamoxifen use

For nearly 20 years, tamoxifen has been successfully used in the management of breast cancer. Tamoxifen is a mixed estrogen agonist/antagonist that has a proliferative effect on the endometrium. The drug has been associated with a higher percentage of endometrial polyps and hyperplasia than in control patients as well as slightly increased risk of endometrial cancer. Although patients need to undergo annual gynecologic exams and abnormal vaginal bleeding needs to be aggressively followed up, the utility of routine gynecologic screening of tamoxifen patients has not been established and requires further study. Transvaginal sonography is a useful tool for detecting endometrial proliferation; however, an appropriate cut-off point for further intervention must be established. A cut-off point that is too low for abnormal endometrial thickness would result in a large number of unnecessary endometrial biopsies. Routine office endometrial biopsy needs further study as a screening method for breast cancer patients on tamoxifen.
New Creation in Paul's Letters and Thought: Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision: Galatians 6.15

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance, or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him”. 1 Samuel 16.7 Galatians: recent issues in interpretation Pauline studies have undergone something of a Copernican revolution in recent years, and the epistle to the Galatians has figured prominently in every reconfiguration of the Pauline solar system. The critical issues raised by the “new perspective” on Paul concern, among other things, the nature of first-century “Judaism” – a controversial term in itself – and the reason(s) behind Paul's rejection of his “former way of life in Judaism” (Gal. 1.13). Because Galatians is one of our primary sources in this debate, scholarly writing on this letter has been (rightly) preoccupied with this subject, and this is reflected in the “ever-burgeoning literature” on the theme. Indeed, the “new perspective” has generated a whole body of material devoted solely to keeping up with the debate. A second important issue in the interpretation of Galatians, though perhaps not of Copernican magnitude, gained prominence with the publication of Hans Dieter Betz's Hermeneia commentary, which analyzed the argument of Galatians in terms of classical rhetorical theory. Betz's work has been challenged and modified in a number of ways, though most would accept that the relationship between structure and meaning so ably illustrated by Betz's exegesis had not been fully appreciated prior to his detailed rhetorical analysis. Given the all-encompassing nature of these two issues, it may come as a surprise to discover that Paul's new-creation motif in Galatians may be pursued largely independently of these interpretive maelstroms.
Electron Probe X-Ray Microanalysis as a Tool for Discerning Mechanisms of Nerve Injury

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA) technique and its relevance to neurotoxicology. EPMA is a quantitative electron microscope technique that simultaneously measures total concentrations of biologically relevant elements (Na, Mg, P, S, K, C1, Ca) and water in different cellular compartments. Application of EPMA can provide important information about issues in nervous system toxicology and physiology. EPMA studies can elaborate how elements distribute among cellular compartments of myelinated axons, glial cells, and nerve cell bodies of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Such information can help confirm and extend understanding of elements (ions) and their involvement in neurophysiological processes. The ability of EPMA to measure compartmental water content is particularly important for studies of neurotoxicity. EPMA provides a unique opportunity to assess the status of cell regions and organelles that might be involved in the etiology of cell injury and that are otherwise inaccessible to direct biochemical or electrophysiological evaluation. This chapter summarizes the principles of microprobe analysis, and methods of quantification, sample preparation, and potential technical problems. The chapter concludes with specific examples of how EPMA has been applied to neurotoxicology studies.
Genetics of floral traits of Jaltomata procumbens (Solanaceae)

Understanding the genetic control of key reproductive traits/characters facilitates better understanding of systematics and evolution. Accordingly, we employed hybridization studies to investigate the Mendelian genetics of eight floral traits of two divergent populations of Jaltomata procumbens, which appear to have undergone an evolutionary shift in mating system. Marked phenotypic differences allowed us to analyze the genetics of morphological differentiation. Flowers per inflorescence, sepal, petal, filament, and anther length, and stigma diameter all show continuous variation, and therefore may be polygenic. The bimodal F2 distributions of the extent of nectar guides (petal spots) and staminal pubescence suggest that each is controlled primarily by a major gene. Our data supports the widespread idea that most phenotypic variation is controlled by numerous genes each having small effect, but also that a difference between two divergent populations is sometimes primarily due to one gene having a large effect.
Cutting and Shuffling of a Line Segment: Effect of Variation in Cut Location

We present a computational study of the impact of variation in cut location on finite-time mixing of a line segment by cutting and shuffling, which is a one-dimensional piecewise isometry (PWI), also known as an interval exchange transformation (IET). A line segment of unit length is repeatedly cut into subsegments and shuffled according to any one of a variety of permutations. To mimic practical process error, variations drawn from a normal distribution are used to perturb cut locations. Illustrative examples of the mixing behaviors and finite-time measures of mixing are used to analyze the effect of variation in cut location for different permutations of subsegment mixing order. Mixing is significantly improved under irreducible nonrotational permutations when the dynamics show a resonance-like structure without variation. Specifically, the requirement of an irrational subsegment length ratio for good mixing can be relaxed as the underlying periodic dynamics is perturbed by the stochastic variation in cut location. Thus, good mixing can occur even with only four subsegments of roughly the same length for most irreducible nonrotational permutations.
Error correction with orbital angular momentum of multiple photons propagating in a turbulent atmosphere

Orbital angular momentum of photons is an intriguing system for the storage and transmission of quantum information, but it is rapidly degraded by atmospheric turbulence. Understanding the noise processes that affect photons is essential if we desire to protect them. In this paper we use the infinitesimal propagation equation of Roux to derive a discrete Lindblad equation, and numerically study the form of the most relevant Lindblad operators. We find that the dominant Lindblad operators are those that shift the angular momentum by one unit. We explore possible schemes to protect quantum information across multiple photons by concatenating a standard quantum error-correcting code with an error-detecting code for orbital angular momentum.
The Balance between CD8+ T Cell-Mediated Clearance of AAV-Encoded Antigen in the Liver and Tolerance Is Dependent on the Vector Dose

The liver continuously receives antigens from circulation and the gastrointestinal tract. A complex immune regulatory system has evolved in order to both limit inflammation and promote tolerance in the liver. Although in situ immune tolerance mechanisms enable successful gene therapy and liver transplantation, at the same time they facilitate chronic infections by pathogens such as hepatitis viruses. It is, however, poorly understood why hepatocytes infected with hepatitis viruses or transduced with adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vectors may be rejected by CD8+ T cells several months later. We found that hepatic transfer of limited doses of an AAV-ovalbumin vector rapidly induced antigen-specific CD8+ T cells that only became functionally competent after >2 months. At this time, CD8+ T cells had downregulated negative checkpoint markers, e.g., the programmed death 1 [PD-1] receptor, and upregulated expression of relevant cytokines. At further reduced vector dose, only intrahepatic rather than systemic CD8+ T cell responses occurred, showing identical delay in antigen clearance. In contrast, PD-1-deficient mice rapidly cleared ovalbumin. Interestingly, higher vector dose directed sustained transgene expression without CD8+ T cell responses. Regulatory T cells, IL-10 expression, and Fas-L contributed to high-dose tolerance. Thus, viral vector doses profoundly impact CD8+ T cell responses.
Creating Memory and Negotiating Power in the Olmec Heartland

The creation of political landscapes requires the production of places made significant through acts of social remembering. The Gulf lowlands of Mexico exhibit some of the best known acts of social remembering in Mesoamerican prehistory. In this article, we engage political and practice-based frameworks for understanding the process of collective remembering in an examination of how the Olmecs and their successors inscribed their landscape with buildings, monuments, and rock art in ways that invoked the past while reframing it within the needs of their present. In particular, we explore the Olmecs’ memorialization of individuals and events in sculptures and offerings and their creation of narratives through the juxtaposition of sculptures and architecture. We then examine the creation and erasure of collective memory at the regional center of Tres Zapotes as expressed in the biographies of six monuments. We end with a comparison of “metropolitan” and hinterland carvings recorded in regional survey around Tres Zapotes. These examples situate social memory as an evolving entity molded and stretched by competing interests in an ongoing process of conflict and negotiation.
Explosive Wireless Consumer Demand for Network Bandwidth-Fifth Generation and Beyond [Future Directions]

Starting with a brief overview of the evolution of mobile wireless systems from first generation (1G) to fifth generation (5G), this article presents a summative view of 5G system goals/vision from researchers in academia and industry and a brief discussion of architectures and physical and media access control layer technologies to meet these goals. An overview of cutting-edge consumer applications, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), facilitated by 5G technologies is also presented. Finally, this article concludes with the trends, future directions, and challenging problems in the research of wireless technologies of 5G and beyond.
A Two-State Study of Family Child Care Engagement in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

ABSTRACTResearch Findings. The current study is a mixed-methods investigation of family child care provider participation in voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) in 2 states. Study 1 is an analysis of matched QRIS and child care licensing administrative data extracted from both states in May, 2014. Poverty and population density variables were added to the dataset by aligning U.S. Census data and Rural Urban Commuting Area codes (RUCA) to the matched state child care data. Participation patterns differed in the 2 states relative to provider characteristics (subsidy receipt, years licensed, and location). Study 2 consists of focus groups with participating (n = 22) and non-participating (n = 19) providers. Professionalism and financial incentives emerged as significant in attracting family child care providers to QRIS. Although family child care providers identified several clear benefits to QRIS, many more challenges emerged that negatively impact their participation. Practice or Policy...
Convergence of Computed Aqueous Absorption Spectra with Explicit Quantum Mechanical Solvent.

For reliable condensed phase simulations, an accurate model that includes both short- and long-range interactions is required. Short- and long-range interactions can be particularly strong in aqueous solution, where hydrogen-bonding may play a large role at short range and polarization may play a large role at long range. Although short-range solute–solvent interactions such as charge transfer, hydrogen bonding, and solute–solvent polarization can be taken into account with a quantum mechanical (QM) treatment of the solvent, it is unclear how much QM solvent is necessary to accurately model interactions with different solutes. In this work, we investigate the effect of explicit QM solvent on absorption spectra computed for a series of solutes with decreasing polarity. By adjusting the boundary between QM and classical molecular mechanical solvent to include up to 400 QM water molecules, convergence of the calculated absorption spectra with respect to the size of the QM region is achieved. We find that the...
Re-Reading Alafair Burke's The Ex

Alafair Burke’s best-selling novel The Ex is certainly entertaining. What enhances its entertainment value several times over is its grounding in the law, which not only contributes to its verisimilitude but also makes it a prime example of law in literature. Although the novel is, on one level, escapist genre fiction, a thriller, and a beach read, on an entirely other level it speaks of and to the law. One could even say that the criminal justice system — the network of constitutional protections, rules of ethics, police regulations and protocol, together with the prosecutors and defense lawyers, judges and the media — functions on the level of a character in the novel. Thus, it is unsurprising that the New England Law Review has devoted a symposium issue to The Ex. My goal in this brief essay is to touch on three things. Part One begins by discussing The Ex as entertainment enhanced by a grounding in the law. Part Two takes up the issue of inequality in criminal justice, as alluded to in The Ex. Part Three takes up a different point entirely, situating The Ex in the context of literary theory, specifically an influential and apropos work of criticism, The Novel and the Police.
Making channel incentives work: A discriminating match framework

Abstract Suppliers using independent resellers are vulnerable to low compliance and frequent opportunistic behaviors. We expand predominant attention to monetary incentives to motivate independent resellers in two ways. First, we propose that a supplier needs to achieve alignment on two issues: Aligning reseller actions with its actions through coordination mechanisms and aligning reseller interests with its interests through monetary incentives. Second, we propose and test the logic of a discriminating match between the two facets of monetary incentives (magnitude and immediacy) and two coordination mechanisms (monitoring and improvisation). We propose that it is a discriminating match between an incentive facet and a coordination mechanism that enhances compliance and suppresses opportunistic behavior. Conversely, a mismatch between the two negatively affects reseller outcomes. Analysis results of data from 198 mobile phone resellers in South Korea support our predictions.
Development and Properties of ε-Martensite in Co-Cr-Mo Alloys for Biomaterials Applications

This work is related to the FCC → HCP transformation exhibited by Co-base alloys. In particular it is known that the transformation occurs martensitically by either; (a) athermal, (b) isothermal, or (c) a strain induced transformation. The mechanisms involved are not exactly the same in each case, and the formation of e-martensite can develop various morphologies. Nevertheless, in all of the modes of transformation, the nucleation stage seems to control the FCC → HCP transformation rates.
Implicit Learning and Memory

Implicit learning refers to acquiring information about structural relations among objects or events without intending to learn or being aware of what has been learned. Implicit memory refers to instances where the effects of prior experience (usually individual items or events) are revealed even in the absence of conscious recollection of those experiences. Unlike their explicit counterparts, which typically show age-related declines, age differences are sometimes reduced or eliminated entirely in situations meant to assess implicit learning and memory. Nonetheless, the evidence is mixed and has become increasingly so as studies of implicit learning and memory have increased in number and sophistication. There is growing evidence that there are various forms of implicit learning and memory and that these forms differ both in their neural substrates and in the extent to which they decline with age. Keywords: aging and development psychology; cognitive science; learning; memory; neuroscience
Online health information seeking by adults hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes: Who looks for information, and who discusses it with healthcare providers?

Abstract Objective To describe characteristics associated with online health information-seeking and discussing resulting information with healthcare providers among adults with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods Consecutive patients hospitalized with ACS in 6 hospitals in Massachusetts and Georgia who reported Internet use in the past 4 weeks (online patients) were asked about online health information-seeking and whether they discussed information with healthcare providers. Participants reported demographic and psychosocial characteristics; clinical characteristics were abstracted from medical records. Logistic regression models estimated associations with information-seeking and provider communication. Results Online patients (N = 1142) were on average aged 58.8 (SD: 10.6) years, 30.3% female, and 82.8% non-Hispanic white; 56.7% reported online health information-seeking. Patients with higher education and difficulty accessing medical care were more likely to report information-seeking; patients hospitalized with myocardial infarction, and those with impaired health numeracy and limited social networks were less likely. Among information-seekers, 33.9% discussed information with healthcare providers. More education and more frequent online information-seeking were associated with provider discussions. Conclusion Over half of online patients with ACS seek health information online, but only 1 in 3 of these discuss information with healthcare providers. Practice implications Clinician awareness of patient information-seeking may enhance communication including referral to evidence-based online resources.
Laboratory studies of sulfate aerosols at low temperature

Publisher Summary Type Ib polar stratospheric clouds are thought to be composed of ternary solutions of sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and water. This chapter investigates the low temperature behavior of ternary solution aerosols to determine if they will undergo homogeneous freezing nucleation under polar stratospheric conditions. In addition, it studies ice nucleation on binary H2SO4/H2O aerosols as a model for cirrus cloud formation. Low temperature sulfate aerosols are thought to be the nuclei for nitric acid/ice clouds in the polar stratosphere and ice clouds in the upper troposphere. These cloud types are intimately connected to the chemical partitioning and radiative balance of the atmosphere. However, little is known about polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) and cirrus cloud formation mechanism. Determining the behavior of sulfate aerosols at low temperatures is necessary for the understanding of lower stratosphere and upper troposphere cloud formation mechanisms and their implications. Fourier transform infrared (FFIR) spectroscopy is used to investigate the freezing behavior of low temperature ternary H2SO4/HNO3/H2O and binary H2SO4/H20 aerosols, representative of stratospheric/tropospheric particles.
The Gender Mainstreaming Strategy - For Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area

In Africa, like in many other developing regions, when one thinks of the informal sector, s/he sees women first. This is because the informal sector is a large source of employment for many African women. A research, by the International Labor Organization (ILO), found that more than 80 per cent of sub-Saharan African women who do not work in the agricultural sector are employed by the informal sector compared to 63 per cent of man. Similarly, a recent World Bank Report found that African women’s participation in the informal cross-border trade is far greater than men’s. According to the report, 85 per cent of the people engaged in the informal cross-border trade are women, 44 per cent of them being involved in such trade since about four years, and 82 per cent of officials regulating such trade are men. Looking at these statistics and considering the involvement of African women in the agricultural sector, one can clearly argue that African women are the engine of Africa’s trade (not considering the natural resources sector) and an important factor of Africa’s economy. This is because the agricultural sector, the informal sector and the informal cross-border trade are trees important drivers of Africa’s economy. That is, I think that if African leaders really want to boost intra-African trade and establish a successful Free Trade Area, they would have to involve women in all level of their decision-making and in all their activities and programs aimed at boosting trade. Thus, the African Union (AU) has to adopt gender mainstreaming as one of its strategies for boosting intra-African trade and as an important factor necessary for the establishment of a successful continental FTA. This issue, relatively short, will define and explain gender mainstreaming before explaining the gender mainstreaming strategy for a successfully CFTA.
HIV serostatus and changes in risk behaviors among drug injectors and crack users

Interventions targeting high-risk drug users have found reductions in HIV risk behaviors over time. It is important to determine whether these changes occur among both HIV+ and HIV− drug users. A total of 225 drug injectors (31% HIV+) and 316 crack users (15% HIV+) were administered a baseline interview, received HIV testing, received test results, and participated in a 6-month follow-up interview. Both HIV+ and HIV− subjects significantly reduced risk behaviors over time, with greater reduction in some behaviors (e.g., percent of injectors sharing drug injection paraphernalia, p < .05) by HIV+ subjects. This finding supports the utility of HIV testing for high-risk drug users. Further research is needed to enhance understanding of risk behaviors and risk reduction among seropositives.
Multisystemic Therapy for Serious Juvenile Offenders: From Development to Dissemination

Multisystemic therapy (MST) is an intensive family- and community-based treatment approach that was originally developed in the late 1970s to address major limitations of existing mental health services for serious and violent juvenile offenders. Since that time, MST has been evaluated in more than a dozen clinical trials, and MST programs have been successfully transported to 34 states and 14 countries outside the United States. This chapter describes the empirical, theoretical, and clinical foundations of MST for serious juvenile offenders and discusses findings from MST outcome studies and community-based dissemination efforts with this clinical population. The theoretical and clinical foundations of MST draw upon empirical research regarding the multidetermined nature of serious antisocial behavior as well as upon social-ecological models of behavior in which the youth’s school, work, peers, and neighborhood are viewed as interconnected systems with dynamic and reciprocal influences on the behavior of family members. In randomized clinical trials, MST has had positive effects on key social-ecological risk factors (e.g., family functioning, peer relations, school performance) associated with serious juvenile offending and has demonstrated long-term reductions in criminal activity and incarceration for youths as well as their siblings and caregivers. The favorable results of MST have been linked with considerable cost savings for taxpayers and crime victims and likely correspond to improved life outcomes for youths and families who participate in this treatment. The chapter closes with a discussion of key research challenges and recommended solutions in the treatment of serious and violent juvenile offenders.
Comparative Effectiveness of mHealth-Supported Exercise Compared With Exercise Alone for People With Parkinson Disease: Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Background Declining physical activity commonly occurs in people with Parkinson disease (PD) and contributes to reduced functional capacity and quality of life. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the preliminary effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of a mobile health (mHealth)-mediated exercise program designed to promote sustained physical activity in people with PD. Design This was a 12-month single-blind (assessor), pilot, comparative-effectiveness, randomized controlled study. Methods An mHealth-mediated exercise program (walking with a pedometer plus engagement in planned exercise supported by a mobile health application) was compared over 1 year with an active control condition (walking with a pedometer and exercise only). There were 51 participants in a community setting with mild-to-moderately severe (Hoehn and Yahr stages 1-3) idiopathic PD. Daily steps and moderate-intensity minutes were measured using a step activity monitor for 1 week at baseline and again at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included the 6-Minute Walk Test, Parkinson Disease Questionnaire 39 mobility domain, safety, acceptability, and adherence. Results Both groups increased daily steps, moderate-intensity minutes, and 6-Minute Walk Test, with no statistically significant between-group differences observed. In the less active subgroup, changes in daily steps and moderate-intensity minutes were clinically meaningful. An improvement in the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire 39 mobility score favored mHealth in the overall comparison and was statistically and clinically meaningful in the less active subgroup. Limitations The limitation of the current study was the small sample size. Conclusions Both groups improved physical activity compared with expected activity decline over 1 year. The addition of the mHealth app to the exercise intervention appeared to differentially benefit the more sedentary participants. Further study in a larger group of people with low activity at baseline is needed.
Association between asthma, obesity, and health behaviors in African American youth

Background: There is a clear relationship between obesity and asthma, with obesity recognized as a risk factor for asthma. There is mounting evidence, however, that asthma may predict obesity risk ...
Environmental pH impacts division assembly and cell size in Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Cell size is a complex trait, derived from both genetic and environmental factors. Environmental determinants of bacterial cell size identified to date primarily target assembly of cytosolic components of the cell division machinery. Whether certain environmental cues also impact cell size through changes in the assembly or activity of extracytoplasmic division proteins remains an open question. Here, we identify extracellular pH as a modulator of cell division and a key determinant of cell size across evolutionarily distant bacterial species. In the Gram-negative model organism Escherichia coli, our data indicate environmental pH impacts the length at which cells divide by altering the ability of the terminal cell division protein FtsN to localize to the cytokinetic machinery and activate division. Acidic environments lead to enrichment of FtsN at the septum and activation of division at a reduced cell length, while alkaline pH inhibits FtsN localization and suppress division activation. Altogether, our work reveals a previously unappreciated role for pH in bacterial cell size control.
Is it all for show?: Environmental brand identification on skin care and cosmetic websites

Research has emerged that found more companies providing details about how their brand or product is made beneficial to protecting the environment as a conceptual strategy for environmental brand i...
Vibration-controlled transient elastography for the detection of cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis D infection.

Noninvasive detection of cirrhosis via vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) has revolutionized the management of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, VCTE has not been studied in chronic hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection and accuracy remains in question due to the significant hepatic inflammation associated with this infection. Consecutive HBV, HCV and HDV patients who underwent VCTE (2006-2019) were evaluated. Diagnosis of cirrhosis was made via liver biopsy or clinical findings. VCTE was compared with other noninvasive serum fibrosis tests using AUROC curves. The performance of VCTE in HBV/HCV/HDV was also compared. We evaluated 319 patients (HBV-112; HCV-132; HDV-75), 278(87%) patients had histology for evaluation. HDV patients had evidence of higher hepatic inflammation as evidence by aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and histology activity index. Cirrhotic HDV patients had higher mean liver stiffness measurements compared with noncirrhotic patients (29.0 vs 8.3 kPa, P < .0001). VCTE demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy for the detection of cirrhosis with an AUROC of 0.90 compared with APRI (0.83), FIB-4 (0.88), AAR (0.73) and RPR (0.85). Performance of VCTE in HDV was comparable with HBV (0.93) and HCV (0.94). At the optimized cut-off value of ≥14.0 kPa for determining cirrhosis in HDV, VCTE had a sensitivity of 0.78, specificity of 0.86, NPV of 0.93 and PPV of 0.64. Hence, VCTE is a useful noninvasive test in HDV for determining cirrhosis despite the presence of significant hepatic inflammation.
Going remote: Maintaining normalcy in our pathology laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To minimize disruptions to the practice of academic pathology, one can leverage modern information and communication technologies to create virtual connections. The overall sentiment after switching to a predominantly remote environment has been overwhelmingly positive, and this presents a novel opportunity to explore additional digital workflows.
A Recursive Bifurcation Model for Predicting the Peak of COVID-19 Virus Spread in United States and Germany

Prediction on the peak time of COVID-19 virus spread is crucial to decision making on lockdown or closure of cities and states. In this paper we design a recursive bifurcation model for analyzing COVID-19 virus spread in different countries. The bifurcation facilitates a recursive processing of infected population through linear least-squares fitting. In addition, a nonlinear least-squares fitting is utilized to predict the future values of infected populations. Numerical results on the data from three countries (South Korea, United States and Germany) indicate the effectiveness of our approach.
30 Years of Reach Out and Read: Need for a Developmental Perspective

* Abbreviation: ROR — : Reach Out and Read In 1989, while one of us (B.Z.) was director of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) and the other (R.N.) was a fellow, we began thinking about the role of books in the school readiness of vulnerable young children. Four years earlier, the National Institute of Education had dubbed reading aloud “the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading.”1 But no pediatric textbook mentioned reading aloud, nor did the early editions of Bright Futures . Reach Out and Read (ROR) began with the idea that doctors have a special opportunity to encourage reading aloud in families that are facing the dual challenges of poverty and limited literacy.2 We recognized the indivisibility of health and education. A recent National Academy of Medicine report highlights the point, showing that the duration of education is a better predictor of health and long life than either cigarette smoking or obesity.3 Shifting forward 30 years, ROR, supported by more than 6000 clinics and practices and backed up by numerous peer-reviewed studies,4–19 now reaches ∼25% of low-income children. A policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics has identified literacy promotion as an essential component of primary care.20 And yet, the … Address correspondence to Barry Zuckerman, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, School of Medicine, Boston University, 72 E Concord St, Room 324L, Boston, MA 02118. E-mail: barry.zuckerman{at}bmc.org
What Explains Racial/Ethnic Inequality in Job Quality in the Service Sector?:

Precarious work in the United States is defined by economic and temporal dimensions. A large literature documents the extent of low wages and limited fringe benefits, but research has only recently...
Amino acid and energy interrelationships in pigs weighing 20 to 50 kilograms: II. Rate and efficiency of protein and fat deposition.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the relationships between amino acids and DE for pigs weighing 20 to 50 kg. In Exp. 1, there were three dietary lysine levels that were either adjusted (1.50, 2.35 and 3.20 g/Mcal DE) for five DE levels (3.00 to 4.00 Mcal/kg) or unadjusted (.45, .71 and .96% of the diet) for three DE levels (3.50 to 4.00 Mcal/kg). In Exp. 2, diets containing six lysine:DE ratios (1.90 to 3.90 g/Mcal) at two DE levels (3.25 and 3.75 Mcal/kg) were fed. Pigs were housed individually, and could eat and drink ad libitum. When pigs weighed 50 kg, their empty body composition was determined by the urea dilution technique in Exp. 1 and by prediction equations based on backfat in Exp. 2. For the adjusted diets in Exp. 1, protein deposition and protein deposition:DE intake increased (P less than .01) slightly as DE levels increased. These criteria decreased linearly (P less than .001), and fat deposition increased (P = .11) as DE increased when lysine:DE ratios were not maintained. As lysine levels increased, protein deposition and protein deposition: DE intake increased (P less than .001) in both the adjusted and unadjusted diets. In Exp. 2, there was no effect of DE on either the rate or efficiency of protein deposition. Both protein deposition and protein deposition:DE intake increased (P less than .001) and fat deposition decreased as lysine:DE ratios increased up to 3.00 g lysine/Mcal DE. Protein deposition: lysine intake decreased (P less than .01) progressively as the lysine:DE ratio increased. Regression analyses indicated the protein deposition increased up to 3.00 g lysine/Mcal DE. The results demonstrate the need to adjust lysine according to energy levels and indicate that the optimum ratio for protein deposition was approximately 3.00 g lysine/Mcal DE (or 49 g of balanced protein/Mcal DE).
Physics-Informed Deep Neural Networks for Transient Electromagnetic Analysis

In this paper, we propose a deep neural network based model to predict the time evolution of field values in transient electrodynamics. The key component of our model is a recurrent neural network, which learns representations of long-term spatial-temporal dependencies in the sequence of its input data. We develop an encoder-recurrent-decoder architecture, which is trained with finite difference time domain simulations of plane wave scattering from distributed, perfect electric conducting objects. We demonstrate that, the trained network can emulate a transient electrodynamics problem with more than 17 times speed-up in simulation time compared to traditional finite difference time domain solvers.
Likes, Comments, Views:

This article presents a content analysis of academic library Instagram accounts at eleven land-grant universities. Previous research has examined personal, corporate, and university use of Instagram, but fewer studies have used this methodology to examine how academic libraries share content on this platform and the engagement generated by different categories of posts. Findings indicate that showcasing posts (highlighting library or campus resources) accounted for more than 50 percent of posts shared, while a much smaller percentage of posts reflected humanizing content (emphasizing warmth or humor) or crowdsourcing content (encouraging user feedback). Crowdsourcing posts generated the most likes on average, followed closely by orienting posts (situating the library within the campus community), while a larger proportion of crowdsourcing posts, compared to other post categories, included comments. The results of this study indicate that libraries should seek to create Instagram posts that include various types of content while also ensuring that the content shared reflects their unique campus contexts. By sharing a framework for analyzing library Instagram content, this article will provide libraries with the tools they need to more effectively identify the types of content their users respond to and enjoy as well as make their social media marketing on Instagram more impactful.
Study of conditions for streamlined assembly of a model bacteriochlorophyll from two dihydrodipyrrin halves

A long-term goal is to gain synthetic access to native photosynthetic bacteriochlorophylls. A recently developed route entails Knoevenagel condensation of an AD dihydrodipyrrin (I, bearing a carboxaldehyde attached to pyrroline ring D) and a BC dihydrodipyrrin (II, bearing a β-ketoester attached to pyrrole ring C) to form the Z/E-enone. Acid-mediated double-ring closure of the E-enone III-E (Nazarov cyclization, electrophilic aromatic substitution, and elimination of methanol) affords the bacteriochlorophyll skeleton BC-1 containing the isocyclic ring (ring E), a trans-dialkyl group in ring D, and a gem-dimethyl group in ring B. Prior work established the synthesis and the integrity of the resulting trans-dialkyl groups and bacteriochlorin chromophore. The counterpart report here concerns an in-depth study of conditions for the double-ring closure: catalyst/solvent surveys; grid search including time courses of [III-E] versus [acid] concentrations emphasizing equimolar, inverse molar, and variable acid lines of inquiry; and chlorin byproduct quantitation. Key findings are that (1) the double-ring closure can be carried out in 4 h (t1/2 ∼ 40 min) instead of 20 h, affording ∼1/5th the chlorin byproduct (0.16%) while maintaining the yield of BC-1 (up to 77%); (2) the separate Z/E-enones of III have comparable reactivity; (3) sub-stoichiometric quantities of acid are ineffective; (4) the Knoevenagel condensation (40 mM, room temperature, piperidine/acetic acid in acetonitrile) and the acid-mediated double-ring closure (0.20 mM, 80 °C, Yb(OTf)3 in acetonitrile) can be carried out in a two-step process; and (5) zinc insertion to form ZnBC-1 is straightforward. Together, the results enable streamlined conversion of dihydrodipyrrin reactants to the bacteriochlorophyll model compounds.
Human milk lipids: an overview

Abstract It is estimated that well-nourished women secrete over 6 kg of fat into milk during a 6-month period of breastfeeding, which makes the lactating breast one of the most lipogenic organs in the human body. In addition to being a primary source of energy for neonates, milk lipids participate in the delivery of micronutrients, including fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids required for infant development. The lipid content of human milk averages 3.4% w/v, which is about the same as that of major dairy species, such as cattle and goats, but significantly less than the approximately 50% found in aquatic mammals. The precise composition of lipids in the milk of humans and other mammals is variable and influenced by diet, genetics, and lactation stage, among other factors. Improvements in bioanalytical methods for lipids and proteins have led to a greater and more detailed understanding of the composition and complexity of human breast milk lipids and their role in neonatal nutrition and human health.
Are More Choices Better? An Experimental Investigation of the Effectiveness of Multiple Tax Incentives

This study investigates the role of choice complexity on the utilization of tax incentives. The current U.S. federal income tax system is rife with complexity (National Taxpayer Advocate, 2012). However, there is little empirical evidence on how this complexity impacts the effectiveness of tax incentives or more specifically whether having multiple incentives targeting the same behavior influences taxpayers’ decisions. We extend choice complexity literature from psychology (e.g., Greifeneder et al. 2010) by investigating whether increasing the number of incentive options affects the likelihood that an individual will (1) engage in the incentivized behavior, (2) and if so, take advantage of the incentive and (3) make the optimal choice of incentives. Based on results from two experiments with 134 participants, we find that having a higher number of incentive choices (high choice complexity) does not increase the likelihood that participants will engage in the incentivized behavior or take advantage of the incentives offered. Instead, a higher number of incentive choices increases the chance of failing to choose the optimal incentive and increases the likelihood of making an error in determining the monetary benefit of the incentive that is chosen. We conclude that having many incentive choices does not improve the likelihood of achieving the policy objective - and instead may have negative consequences on taxpayer decisions and policy outcomes.
Carbon bearing aluminosilicate melt at high pressure

Abstract It is well known that volatiles such as water has significant influence on the properties of silicate melts. Carbon dioxide ( C O 2 ) is also an abundant volatile in deep Earth, however the effect of C O 2 on the properties of polymerized melts, particularly the transport properties, are poorly understood. This is crucial for better understanding of the generation and migration of carbon bearing silicate magma in deep crustal and mantle settings. In this study, we explore the structure and properties of carbon bearing aluminosilicate melt up to a pressure of ~25 GPa and temperature range of 2500–4000 K using first principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) simulation. Our results show that C O 2 in the aluminosilicate melts dissolves as molecular C O 2 and carbonate ( C O 3 2 - ) at lower pressures (~0–3 GPa). However, at higher pressures (>3 GPa) relevant to most of the upper mantle, C O 3 2 - is predominant carbon species along with carbon in 4-fold coordination ( C O 4 ). Fraction of C O 3 2 - increases with decreasing temperature and increasing pressure. We find that at the reference isotherm (2500 K), the density of the aluminosilicate melt is reduced by addition of C O 2 (in wt.%) with d ρ d X C O 2 = −0.0214. Effect of water on the density of melt is more pronounced with d ρ d X H 2 O = −0.0422. Thus, the gravity-driven buoyancy of volatile rich magma will be greater than that of the magma without volatile components. The compressibility of the aluminosilicate melt is also affected by volatiles. For instance, both bulk modulus ( K T 0 ) and its pressure derivative ( K T 0 ' ) for volatile bearing melts are respectively lower and higher than that of dry melt. Aluminosilicate melts are highly polymerized and show an anomalous pressure dependence of melt viscosity. Pressure dependence of viscosity at low pressure regime (P d l o g ( η ) dP = - 2.06 . Melt viscosity is further reduced by the addition of volatiles. Effect of volatiles on viscosity is more pronounced at low pressures and it minimizes at pressures where the melt viscosity exhibits minima. Due to the lower viscosity and larger buoyancy for both the H 2 O and C O 2 bearing aluminosilicate melts at crustal and upper mantle depths, magma mobility ( Δ ρ η ) is greater for volatile bearing melts. Thus, the residence time of such melts are expected to be shorter than volatile free melts in those settings. Like the mobility, electrical conductivity of aluminosilicate melts also increases when volatile is present in the silicate melt. We find that that as low as
How many factors in factor analysis? New insights about parallel analysis with confidence intervals

Abstract Factor analysis is an extremely popular model for scale development prior to other modeling in much research in business and the social sciences. A central question in factor analysis remains the determination of the number of factors to extract and retain to explain as much of the data as possible, and do so parsimoniously. Parallel analysis can be helpful, but there is some confusion surrounding this technique, which may lead to incorrect conclusions. This research seeks first to clarify and correct these confusions. Second, we offer R, SAS, and SPSS programs to conduct parallel analysis in factor analysis. Third, we incorporate inferential statistics, enabling hypothesis testing and confidence intervals. Finally, we discuss how parallel analysis can help scholars in ongoing debates about individual differences scales, construct and measure dimensionality, and the utility of multi-item scales. Hopefully, the recurrent question, “How many factors?” can be answered more definitively.
Syndromic Hypodontia and Oligodontia: Ectodermal Dysplasias

The lack of tooth formation or dental dysmorphic morphology is one of the phenotypes of various forms of the ectodermal dysplasias (ED). Teeth that do form are often altered in shape and contour and occasionally manifest with delayed eruption. The oral health-care team needs to work with affected individuals starting around the first year of life with age-appropriate and staged oral health interventions through adulthood. For most patients with ED, definitive rehabilitation (with or without implant treatment) should be delayed until skeletal maturity. Having said this, starting around age 2–3, pediatric removable prosthesis is appropriate with pediatric dentist-guided care through adulthood. As a part of the final reconstruction as a young adult, the team needs to plan for maintenance issues and complications and use a defined set of diagnostic risk factors in the assessment of the affected individual. Through careful assessment, planning, good team communication, and partnership with the affected individual and her/his family, a successful long-term solution can be developed that provides the best in patient-oriented outcomes.
Multimedia structuring using trees

Traditionally work on multimedia structuring has been centered on the creation of indices and their use for searching. Although searching is important there are many cases where the user just wants to browse through the data to find something interesting without having any particular search goal. Multimedia data exhibits hierarchical structure that can be exploited for more natural user interaction with the content. In order to handle the large amounts of multimedia data more structure than what is currently available is required. In this paper, we have focused on structuring multimedia data using trees to describe both temporal and categorical relations. The pervasive use of trees to express hierarchies facilitates browsing, profiling, and authoring. Our main target application is the implementation of a personalized TV-guide. The constraints imposed by this application caused the development of a new simple compact graphical user interface for tree browsing.
A minimal degree which collapses ω1

We consider a well-known partial order of Prikry for producing a collapsing function of minimal degree. Assuming MA + ¬CH, every new real constructs the collapsing map.