cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ApoA-IV modulates the secretory trafficking of apoB and the size of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins

Although the evidence linking apoA-IV expression and triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein assembly and secretion is compelling, the intracellular mechanisms by which apoA-IV could modulate these processes remain poorly understood. We therefore examined the functional impact of apoA-IV expression on endogenous apoB, TG, and VLDL secretion in stably transfected McA-RH7777 rat hepatoma cells. Expression of apoA-IV modified with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal KDEL (apoA-IV-KDEL) dramatically decreased both the rate and efficiency of endogenous apoB secretion, suggesting a presecretory interaction between apoA-IV-KDEL and apoB or apoB-containing lipoproteins. Expression of native apoA-IV using either a constitutive or tetracycline-inducible promoter delayed the initial rate of apoB secretion and reduced the final secretion efficiency by ∼40%. However, whereas apoA-IV-KDEL reduced TG secretion by 75%, expression of native apoA-IV caused a 20-35% increase in TG secretion, accompanied by a ∼55% increase in VLDL-associated apoB, an increase in the TG:phospholipid ratio of secreted d < 1.006 lipoproteins, and a 10.1 nm increase in peak VLDL(1) particle diameter. Native apoA-IV expression had a negligible impact on expression of the MTP gene. These data suggest that by interacting with apoB in the secretory pathway, apoA-IV alters the trafficking kinetics of apoB-containing TG-rich lipoproteins through cellular lipidation compartments, which in turn, enhances particle expansion and increases TG secretion.
Risk Perception and Energy Policy: A Swedish Case Study

This paper discusses the results of a study carried out in Sweden to assess the public perception of risks, benefits, and environmental impacts associated with major potential energy sources. The research project is focused on a comparative analysis of two regions in Sweden to investigate the reactions and changes in perceptions and attitudes of the public towards energy sources. Issues of major interest in the study were: Has the greenhouse effect influenced the perceptions towards nuclear power? Does the Swedish public approve the phasing out of nuclear power by the year 2010 and its replacement with fossil fuels or other alternatives, or do they favor the continuation of nuclear power? Do the Swedes in the two areas favor any specific energy option, or are they indifferent towards the energy options? The study incorporates the results of surveys, focus groups, and media analysis to obtain adequate information of the views of the public in the two areas.
Pooping Shouldn’t Be This Hard: Using Nutrition to Address Constipation in Primary Care

Primary care providers commonly see and treat cases of constipation. The condition can be emotionally and financially taxing for the patient and family. Nutrition as a therapeutic measure for constipation should be discussed with the family as an acceptable nonpharmacologic solution. There is not enough equivocal evidence to support or discredit the use of nutrition as the only tool in addressing constipation, and additional research is still needed to understand its role in functional constipation. Improved nutrition as treatment for functional constipation may be requested by patients, with no harmful consequences. This article intends to summarize the available clinical evidence regarding the use of diet and nutrition to resolve functional constipation in the pediatric primary care setting.
Lyapunov exponent and rotation number of the linear harmonic oscillator

Many authors have studied the asymptotic behavior of solutions of the stochastic equation $$x''(t) + x(t)(1 + \varepsilon N(t)) = 0$$ where N(t) is a suitable “noise process” and ɛ is a small parameter. In case N(t) is a mean-zero function of a diffusion process, the Lyapunov exponent and rotation number were obtained by Arnold, Papanicolaou and Wihstutz [1] by a perturbation method in the small parameter ɛ. We carried out a similar analysis in the case of a mean-zero function of a finite-state reversible Markov process [2], where the expansion coefficients are expressed in term of the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the noise generator. This approach has the advantage that we can study the sign of the coefficients. Meanwhile, Pardoux and Wihstutz [3] have studied the case of a white-noise process N(t), which can be viewed as a limiting case of the “real-noise models” just mentioned. The convergence of the real-noise results to the white noise results was carried out by Pardoux [5].
Death Anxiety, Depression, and Coping in Family Caregivers

Along with the increase in elderly patients with chronic and disabling conditions, the number of family caregivers continues to rise. Caregiving has been associated with negative physical and psychological impact on the caregivers’ health, as well as, with higher prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and a higher risk of mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine if death anxiety would be a significant predictor of depression and coping in the sample of adult family caregivers of adult patients. Participants were 46 family caregivers recruited through caregiver websites. Participants completed the Revised Collett–Lester Fear of Death and Dying Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale– Revised, the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis identified significant relationships between death anxiety, depression, coping, and duration of caregiver experience. The findings of this study provide medical practitioners and psychologists with enhanced knowledge, facilitating development of interventions to help family caregivers deal with death anxiety and achieving efficient coping.
Strategies for Managing Mobile Devices for Use by Hospitalized Inpatients.

Despite the potential advantages, implementation of mobile devices and ongoing management pose challenges in the hospital environment. Our team implemented the PROSPECT (Promoting Respect and Ongoing Safety through Patient-centeredness, Engagement, Communication and Technology) project at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The goal of PROSPECT is to transform the hospital environment by providing a suite of e-tools to facilitate teamwork among nurses, physicians, patients and to engage patients and care partners in their plan of care. In this paper, we describe the device-related decisions and challenges faced including device and accessory selection, integration, information and device security, infection control, user access, and ongoing operation and maintenance. We relate the strategies that we used for managing mobile devices and lessons learned based on our experiences.
Effects of Temperature on Feeding, Development, Fecundity, and Longevity of Nabis roseipennis (Hemiptera: Nabidae) Fed Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae and Tarnished Plant Bug (Hemiptera: Miridae) Nymphs

The influence of diet and temperature on Nabis roseipennis Reuter feeding, development, longevity, and fecundity was investigated in the laboratory. Temperatures of 20, 25, and 30° C did not influence total consumption of Heliothis virescens (F.) first stage larvae but did influence consumption of Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) first and second stage nymphs. Predation on Lygus nymphs decreased at the higher temperatures. Predator nymphs consumed more H. virescens larvae than L. lineolaris nymphs in developing to adulthood. Developmental times were generally independent of the prey food source. The mean consumption of prey and the mean duration of the developmental period for predator nymphs increased with each successive nymphal stage at all temperatures. The predator survived longer at 20 and 25°C than at 30°C on both prey food sources. Oviposition was not influenced by diet but was influenced by temperature. More eggs were laid at 25°C than at 20 or 30°C.
Trade liberalization and the challenges of revenue mobilization: can international financial institutions make a difference?

ABSTRACTDeveloping countries are being confronted with severe fiscal challenges in the global economy. Over the last two decades, governments have been accepting significant reductions in trade taxes to support trade liberalization. This is particularly problematic for developing economies because trade taxes have been a key source of government revenues. In this paper, we investigate the conditions under which international financial institutions (IFIs) successfully assist developing countries with recovering the lost revenue from trade liberalization by implementing various domestic tax reforms. We argue that regime type mediates the effectiveness of IFI assistance in developing economies, after trade reforms have been adopted. More specifically, IFIs will be more effective at assisting authoritarian regimes with domestic tax reforms as a substitute for trade taxes than they will be in poor democracies. Democratically elected leaders inadvertently undermine multilateral assistance with tax reforms becau...
Abstract C8: Short‐chain fatty acids induce autophagy through inhibition of mTOR pathway

Short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA), mainly propionate and butyrate are major by‐products of the bacterial fermentation of undigested dietary fiber in the human large intestine. Evidence to date implicates propionate/butyrate as inhibitors of colon cancer cell proliferation and inducers of apoptotic cell death. In this study, we demonstrated that propionate/butyrate was able to induce another type of programmed cell death named autophagy in human colon cancer HCT116 cells. Propionate/butyrate‐treated cells exhibited extensive characteristics of autophagy, namely the conversion of LC3‐I into LC3‐II, reduced expression of p62/ SQSTM1; redistribution of GFPLC3 fusion protein from a diffuse pattern towards autophagosomes, which became visible as cytoplasmic puncta; and increased acidic vesicular organelle development as manifested by dramatically increased quantity of strongly stained punctate areas reflected by LysoTracker staining and monodansylcadaverine (MDC) incorporation. Propionate/butyrate‐induced autophagy was based on inhibition of its negative regulator‐mTOR pathway as evidenced by dephosphorylation of p70S6K and 4E‐BP1 and was marked by increased phosphorylation of AMP kinase, two events known to be linked to autophagy. Activation of AMPK was associated with a fluctuation of intracellular ATP, during which the level of ATP transiently increased following propionate/butyrate exposure, reaching maximum at 5 hours, and then declined in slow but gradual manner. The decline of ATP may be due to compromised mitochondria membrane potential and enhanced cellular reactive oxygen species generation. We also showed that this autophagic increase was associated with a series of changes in metabolic pathways, in which energy‐demanding program (fatty acids composition and glycogen synthesis inhibition) was downregulated whereas energy‐producing program (mitochondria biogenesis) was initiated to cope with the energy crisis. Finally, we showed that increased autophagy and mTOR inhibition by propionate/butyrate are not dependent on p53 activation. Altogether, this study demonstrates autophagy as a novel programmed cell death pathway for propionate/butyrate induced cell death. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C8.
The Political Economy of Long-Term Technological Stasis: The Case of Saharan Salt Mining

Innovation is an important source of economic growth and competitive advantage. Consequently, a diverse literature in economics and management addresses a variety of questions about how to manage technological change. This paper explores the opposite question: What explains the absence of change? The existing literature is applied to our case study, salt mining in the Sahara desert, in order to generate new insights into barriers to technology adoption. We find that firms are instrumental in setting the direction and rate of technology adoption, and show the myriad ways in which firms are, in turn, shaped by their political system.
Natriuresis in rats acutely depleted of chloride

1. Acute chloride depletion, without sodium depletion, was produced in rats by a single exchange peritoneal dialysis against sodium bicarbonate solution. Blood volume was restored after dialysis by infusion of salt-free albumin, and exogenous deoxycorticosterone and antidiuretic hormone were given. 2. Clearance studies in the period (3 h) after dialysis revealed no difference in the glomerular filtration rate or in the filtered sodium load between experimental and control rats but urinary sodium concentrations and absolute and fractional sodium excretion were significantly higher in the chloride-depleted group. 3. There was also a significant kaliuresis, increased urinary flow rate and diminished free water reabsorption. Urinary bicarbonate excretion increased to a variable degree but the major rise in anion excretion was ‘unmeasured’ (Na + + K + — [Cl − +HCO 3 − +PO 4 3- ]). 4. It is postulated that chloride depletion imposes limitations on sodium reabsorption in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle.
Cost Analysis of Motivational Interviewing and Preschool Education for Secondhand Smoke Exposures.

Introduction This study determines if expenditures associated with implementing a combined motivational interviewing (MI) and Head Start-level education program (MI+Education), as compared to education alone, yield cost savings to society. Methods Post hoc cost analyses were applied to a randomized controlled-trial of MI among predominantly African American, low-income caregivers of 330 Baltimore City Head Start students who reside with a smoker. The primary outcome was the cost savings of MI+Education from averted direct secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe)-related acute healthcare events and inferred indirect costs (work days lost, transportation and reduction in cigarettes smoked). The net direction of savings was defined by the sum of averted direct and indirect costs of the MI+Education intervention at 3, 6 and 12 months, benchmarked against the Education alone cohort at the equivalent time periods. Results The costs saved by the MI+Education intervention, relative to Education alone, resulted in savings at solely the 12-month follow-up time point. Significant savings were appreciated from averted emergency department (ED) visits at 12 months ($4410; 95% simulation interval [SI]: $2241, $6626) for the MI+Education group. The total savings at 12 months ($2274; 95% SI: -3916, $8442) could not overcome additional program costs of implementing MI to Head Start-level education ($13 695; 95% SI: $11 250, $16 034). Conclusions This study is the first to examine the cost of either intervention on SHSe-attributed pediatric healthcare costs from a population level relevant for federal and community decision makers. Intervention costs could not be offset by short-term savings but a trend towards positive savings was appreciated 1 year after implementation. Implications Behavioral interventions are effective in reducing SHSe in children. However, many of these interventions are not implemented in community settings due to lack of resources and money. Behavioral strategies may be a cost-saving addition to the national initiatives to create smoke-free home environments. The long-term benefits of MI, as evidenced from cost savings from averted ED visits, appeared to show MI+Education to be a robust long-term strategy. The decrease of acute healthcare services at 12 months may be informative for policy decision makers seeking to allocate limited resources to reduce the usage of costly ED services and hospital readmissions.
Health Status Of Asians and Pacific Islanders

This article explores the intriguing similarities and differences of Asian Pacific Islanders. Their vitality, vision, health status, and abilities to cope with health and illness may contribute to the American experience. This article is divided into sections describing demographic characteristics, critical cultural characteristics, health beliefs and practices, health status, mental health status, and case presentations.
Role Assignment for Game-Theoretic Cooperation: (Extended Abstract)

In multiagent systems, often agents need to be assigned to different roles. Multiple aspects should be taken into account for this, such as agents' skills and constraints posed by existing assignments. In this paper, we focus on another aspect: when the agents are self-interested, careful role assignment is necessary to make cooperative behavior an equilibrium of the repeated game. We formalize this problem and provide an easy-to-check necessary and sufficient condition for a given role assignment to induce cooperation. However, we show that finding whether such a role assignment exists is in general NP-hard. Nevertheless, we give two algorithms for solving the problem. The first is based on a mixed-integer linear program formulation. The second is based on a dynamic program, and runs in pseudopolynomial time if the number of agents is constant. Minor modifications of these algorithms also allow for determination of the minimal subsidy necessary to induce cooperation. In our experiments, the IP performs much, much faster.
Asymptotic Properties of Arithmetical Functions

Let us begin with an example. The object is to describe in some meaningful way the behavior of $$ \sum\limits_{{n \leqslant x}} {\tfrac{1}{n}} $$ as a function of the real variable x, for large x. To do this we need the following information.
It’s Interpersonal: Family Relationships, Genetic Risk, and Caregiving

My research program considers family relationships across the life course: in early life, with a focus on disease prevention-leveraging genetic risk information and relationships to motivate health-promoting behaviors-and in later life, with a focus on informal caregiving-identifying characteristics of those most vulnerable to, or resilient from, caregiver stress. It is fortuitous, if not tragic, then, that my research and personal worlds collided during my mother's final 8 months of life. Here, I discuss how this experience has shifted my thinking within both arms of my research program. First, I consider the state of the science in family health history, arguing that the current approach which focuses on an individual's first- and second-degree relatives does not take us far enough into the relational landscape to activate communal coping with disease risk. Second, I discuss caregiving from a family systems perspective. My family's experience confirmed the importance of using a systems approach and highlighted a need to identify underlying variability in members' expectations of caregiving roles. In so doing, I capture the significance of understanding the multiple perspectives that frame a context in which families adapt and cope with risk and disease diagnoses.
A Kinetic Model for the Reduction in Surface Area during Initial Stage Sintering

Recent morphology calculations1–3 have demonstrated the usefulness of geometric parameters other than neck size in monitoring sintering progression. These calculations have provided the first precise relationship between neck size and the specific surface area based on a minimum surface energy consideration in a sphere-to-sphere configuration. Also, shrinkage in particle size or interparticle distance has been directly related to the neck size for the surface- and bulk-transport mechanism,1,2 respectively. Similar relations have been found from an analysis of the sintering of wires.3
Robust regression for image binarization under heavy noise and nonuniform background

Abstract This paper presents a robust regression approach for image binarization under significant background variations and observation noise. The work is motivated by the need of identifying foreground regions in noisy microscopic images or degraded document images, where significant background variations and observation noise make image binarization challenging. The proposed method first estimates the background of an input image, subtracts the estimated background from the input image, and performs a global thresholding operation to the subtracted outcome thus achieving the binary image of the foreground. A robust regression approach is proposed to estimate the background intensity surface with minimal effects of the foreground intensities and observation noise, and a global threshold selector is proposed on the basis of a model selection criterion in a sparse regression. The proposed approach is validated using 26 test images and the corresponding ground truths, and the outcomes are compared with those of nine existing image binarization methods. The approach is also combined with three morphological segmentation methods to show how the proposed approach can improve their image segmentation outcomes.
Unwinding ZIRP: A simulation analysis

Abstract This paper sets up a zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) experiment, using a two-market agent-based simulation model, in order to analyze the price dynamics of a large and small stock market during the unwinding of a simulated ZIRP. Different unwinding paths are created to determine which path has the most stabilizing impact on both the large and small stock market. Results indicate, that increasing the interest rate every three months create significant financial crises and negative stock market returns. However, increasing the rate every year leads to only modest declines in the large and small stock market. Moreover, the size of the interest rate change plays a much smaller role then the frequency of the rate changes. Rate increases every quarter creates 20% market corrections in the large market during the unwinding phase, as opposed to 4% downside when rate changes occur once a year.
Enabling Spatial Big Data via CyberGIS: Challenges and Opportunities

Recent years have seen the emergence of many new and valuable spatial datasets such as trajectories of cell-phones and Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, vehicle engine measurements, global climate models simulation data, volunteered geographic information (VGI), geo-social media, and tweets. The value of these datasets is already evident through many societal applications including disaster management and disease outbreak prediction. However, these location-aware datasets are of a volume, variety, and velocity that exceed the capability of current CyberGIS technologies. We refer to these datasets as Spatial Big Data. In this chapter, we define spatial big data in terms of its value proposition and user experience which depends on the computational platform, use-case, and dataset at hand. We compare spatial big data with traditional spatial data and with other types of big data. We then provide an overview of the current efforts, challenges and opportunities available when spatial big data is enabled via next-generation CyberGIS. Our discussion includes current accomplishments and opportunities from both an analytics and an infrastructure perspective.
Exploitable Aspects of Central Cholinergic Functions, Particularly with Respect to the EEG, Motor, Analgesic and Mental Functions

I seem to be of divided mind on the subject of the exploitation of the cholinergic system. At one time I was warning against the overexploita-tion of the latter (1); at this time, however, I propose that therapeutically, it is underutilized. Actually, a common denominator underlies both feelings. The cholinergic system is almost omnipresent in the CNS and is readily affected by drugs and behavior. Hence, it is easy to ascribe a cholinergic basis to just about any CNS phenomenon. Yet the wrong cholinergic mechanism may be proposed, or the conclusion may be altogether unwarranted (cf. below, and 1). But, for this very reason, the all-pervasiveness of the cholinergic system constitutes the basis for its clinical and basic potential.
Detecting Species Borders Using Diverse Data Sets

Debates continue about the appropriate species-level taxonomy to use for plethodontid salamanders. Typically the debates center on what taxonomy is appropriate when geographically contiguous taxa meet and do not become sympatric (e.g., Highton, 1998; Petranka, 1998; Wake and Schneider, 1998), but also at issue is the status of allopatric populations. Differences of opinion are not new to the field of systematics, especially when knowledge is incomplete. What is new, and perhaps surprising, is that these disagreements persist despite the substantial data bases (morphology, allozymes, mtDNA sequences) now available.
The formation of monoacylglycerophosphate from sn-glycerol 3-phosphate by a rat liver particulate preparation.

Abstract Monoacylglycerophosphate was identified as the major product of sn-glycerol-3-P esterification by a rat liver particulate preparation in the presence of CoA thioesters of long chain fatty acids, sn-glycerol-3-P, bovine serum albumin, and Tris buffer (pH 6.5). The product was identified by thin layer and silicic acid column chromatography in comparison with known standards. An equimolar incorporation of fatty acid and sn-glycerol-3-P into the product was shown. Monoacylglycerophosphate was isolated from the incubation mixture and further esterified to diacylglycerophosphate and neutral lipids by an identical particulate preparation under different incubation conditions. A comparison of five acyl CoA thioesters at pH 6.5 showed that palmitoyl-CoA was the most active substrate. Analysis of the monoacylglycerophosphate formed at pH 6.5 suggests that the 1 isomer is the primary product when palmitoyl-CoA is the substrate and that the 2 isomer is the predominant product formed from oleoyl-CoA. Therefore, this reaction may contribute to the specific distribution of fatty acids found in the glycerolipids.
Globalizing the Fight Against Corruption

The chapter focuses on the World Bank anticorruption program. It describes the World Bank’s structure and aims and illustrates how, about 15 years ago, the management of this institution recognized the fight against corruption to be a critical part of any development agenda. The chapter sets out the World Bank debarment system and the offices involved in its implementation, such as the Integrity Vice-Presidency and the Sanctions Board. It outlines the five sanctionable practices that represent a relevant violation of the World Bank’s rules: fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion, and obstruction. The work then analyzes the various sanctions that the bank may impose where it finds that it is “more likely than not” that a sanctionable practice has been perpetrated. Finally, the chapter indicates the cross-debarment procedure that all the multilateral development banks (WBG, AFDB, EBRD, IADB, ADB) have adopted in order to globalize the fight against corruption.
Utility of posttransplantation panel-reactive antibody measurements for the prediction of rejection frequency and survival of heart transplant recipients

Background and Methods : Seventy-six heart transplants in 73 patients were studied for the formation of lymphocytotoxic panel-reactive antibodies after transplantation. Treatment of patient serum with dithioerythritol was used to discriminate between antibodies of the immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G isotypes. Human leukocyte antigen specificities of immunoglobulin G panel reactive antibodies were determined by the pattern of reactivity with the cell panel used in the panel-reactive antibodies determinations. A total of 465 panel-reactive antibodies determinations were made during the first year after transplantation. Results : Mean panel-reactive antibodies values were highest during the first posttransplantation month. Positive dithioerythritol-treated panel-reactive antibodies values were rare after the first month after transplantation. Multivariable analysis indicated that previous pregnancy and positive cytomegalovirus serologic analysis predicted a higher dithioerythritol-treated panel-reactive antibodies within the first 3 months. No decrease in actuarial survival, increase in cumulative rejection episodes, or increase in the incidence of coronary artery disease at 1 year was seen in patients with a standard panel-reactive antibodies greater than 10% or among patients with dithioerythritol-treated panel-reactive antibodies greater than 0%. A significant and major increase in rejection-related death or retransplantation occurred among 11 patients in whom donor human leukocyte antigen specific antibodies of the immunoglobulin G isotype were detected during the first posttransplantation year (p = 0.02). Two of the 11 patients died of refractory rejection at 3 and 6 months after transplantation, whereas one patient underwent retransplantation for refractory rejection at 13 months and subsequently died. Conclusions : (1) Posttransplantation serial standard panel-reactive antibodies or dithioerythritol-treated panel-reactive antibodies are not predictive of rejection-related mortality unless the specificity is determined to be antidonor HLA ; (2) routine dithioerythritol-treated panel-reactive antibodies studies are advisable during the first month after transplantation, and, if positive (>10%), antidonor human leukocyte antigen specificity should be determined ; (3) detection of recipient immunoglobulin G anti-donor human leukocyte antigen antibodies after heart transplantation identifies a group at high risk for serious allograft rejection and should prompt more intensive rejection surveillance and consideration for additional immunotherapy.
Cross-protective Salmonella vaccine reduces cecal and splenic colonization of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg

Abstract Salmonella vaccine strategies for food-producing animals have typically focused on a specific serovar that either causes production losses due to morbidity/mortality or is an important food safety pathogen for a particular food commodity. The Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium BBS 866 vaccine strain was designed to reduce serovar specificity to provide cross-protection against diverse Salmonella serovars, thereby broadening its applicability for multiple animal and poultry species. We reported cross-protection of the BBS 866 vaccine in swine [Vaccine 34:1241–6]. In the current study, we extend the efficacy of the Salmonella vaccine to a poultry commodity by revealing significant reduction of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg colonization of the cecum and systemic dissemination to the spleen in BBS 866-vaccinated turkeys. Transcriptional analysis of whole blood from BBS 866-vaccinated turkeys revealed down-regulation of metabolic and immune genes (KCNAB1, ACOD1, GPR17, ADOR2AB, and IL-17RD), suggesting limited leukocyte activation without an overt peripheral inflammatory response to vaccination.
Expected Loan Loss Provisioning: An Empirical Model

The new accounting standard requires that financial institutions estimate expected credit losses on their loan portfolios. The predictability of long-term losses, however, remains an open question. We develop a model that predicts long-term loan losses and incorporates adjustments for macroeconomic forecasts. The model combines cross-sectional predictions with a high-dimensional dynamic factor model that tracks aggregate losses over the business cycle. The model predicts long-term losses out-of-sample with significantly greater accuracy than the Harris et al. (2018) model and several other alternatives. It is also more effective at detecting bank failures. We use the model to estimate the present value of expected losses and the expected loss overhang for a given bank-quarter. The estimated present values subsume information in reported allowances and in fair value disclosures about long-term losses; the evidence is also consistent with loss overhang distorting banks’ decisions. The model provides a useful benchmark to study loan loss provisioning.
A Proteomics Screen Identifies MDM2 Binding Partners Specific to Ribosomal Protein Haploinsufficiency

Ribosomopathies such as 5q- syndrome and Diamond-Blackfan anemia are broadly characterized by haploinsufficiency of one or more ribosome-associated proteins leading to an aberrant activation of the p53 pathway. The prevailing hypothesis for the mechanism of p53 stabilization and activation in the context of ribosomal protein haploinsufficiency suggests that increased binding of a subset of free ribosomal proteins (including RPL5, RPL11, RPL23a, and RPS7) to MDM2 abrogates the negative regulatory control of MDM2 on p53. In order to understand more fully how the binding partner profile of MDM2 changes as a consequence of ribosome dysfunction, we performed a SILAC-based IP/MS proteomics screen on MDM2 immunoprecipitates to identify proteins that were differentially bound to MDM2 with and without shRNA-mediated knockdown of RPS14, a commonly haploinsufficient gene in 5q- syndrome. A V5-tagged MDM2 was expressed in A549 cells, and lentivirally-delivered shRNAs were expressed that targeted either luciferase (for control) or RPS14. Immunoprecipitations were performed on whole cell lysates using a V5 antibody and analyzed by mass spectrometry to identify peptides associated with MDM2 in each condition. We found that RPL5, RPL11, and RPL23a were strongly associated with MDM2 in the context of RPS14 knockdown, but were also abundant in MDM2 immunoprecipitates when a control hairpin was used. Another ribosomal protein, RPL38, was also strongly associated with MDM2 in both conditions. In contrast, RPS14 knockdown appeared to abrogate binding of RPS7 to MDM2, which was strongly associated in the control knockdown condition only. These data corroborate previous findings that a subset of 60S subunit ribosomal proteins can physically associate with MDM2, and they further suggest that this binding may commonly occur even in the absence of ribosomal haploinsufficiency. While differential binding of free ribosomal proteins to MDM2 may indeed contribute to p53 pathway activation in ribosomopathies, these data suggest that the difference in binding is subtle and may be a part of a larger set of p53-activating signals. Additional non-ribosomal proteins were identified that were specifically associated with MDM2 in the context of ribosomal protein deficiency, and follow-up experiments are ongoing to interrogate the biological consequences of these context-specific interactions. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Design and assessment of a personal breathalyzer intervention to support responsible drinking

Abstract This study explores current drinking practices and attitudes of college students and design opportunities for encouraging safe and responsible drinking behaviors in this population. With 86 participants in total, we conducted surveys, interviews, and a two-week user study that involved the use of BACtrack Mobile Pro, an FDA-approved personal breathalyzer which can be connected to a smartphone app. For the user study, we conducted pre-study and weekly surveys, user experience evaluations, and in-depth post-study interviews with 24 college students who regularly consume alcohol. We identified and compared two groups of participants based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), which is a screening test for risky drinking behaviors. We propose a new system, smartphone app user interface, and experiences based on our findings. Finally, we discuss the role and implications of future technological interventions that could lead to safe and responsible drinking behaviors among college students.
Challenges and Solutions for the Implementation of Shared Decision-making in Breast Reconstruction.

Background Patient-centered care is a hallmark of quality in healthcare. It is defined as care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs, and values, while ensuring patients are informed and engaged in the treatment decision-making process. Methods We reviewed the literature and drew upon our own experiences to study the implementation of tools intended to facilitate shared decision-making in breast reconstruction. Results For women with breast cancer, decision-making about breast reconstruction is often a challenging and perplexing process. The variety of choices available regarding timing and type of reconstruction and the unique individual patient and clinical treatment variables to consider can further complicate decisions. Accordingly, strategies to facilitate the decision-making process and enable patients and clinicians to make high-quality decisions about breast reconstruction are an essential component of comprehensive breast cancer care. Shared decision making is one proposed model to support informed and preference-sensitive decision-making in line with the principles of patient-centered care. Despite an emerging level of interest in shared decision making, there remains a lack of clarity regarding what the process involves and how to effectively implement it into clinical practice. Conclusions Thus, widespread adoption of shared decision making remains lacking in clinical practice for women considering postmastectomy breast reconstruction. To address these gaps, this article reviews the principles of shared decision making, explores ways shared decision making can be utilized for patients who are candidates for breast reconstruction, and provides a practical overview to facilitate implementation of shared decision making into clinical practice.
Chapter 2 – Regulatory Considerations

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the key elements of selected federal and state regulations and their implications for M&As. The Securities Acts of 1933 and 1934 established The Securities and Exchange Commission. These acts require that all securities offered to the public must be registered with the government. The Williams Act consists of a series of amendments to the 1934 Securities Exchange Act intended to provide target firm shareholders with sufficient information and time to adequately assess the value of an acquirer's offer. Federal antitrust laws exist to prevent individual corporations from assuming too much market power. Numerous state regulations affect M&As, such as state antitakeover and antitrust laws. A number of industries also are subject to regulatory approval at the federal and state levels. This chapter discusses in detail the prenotification and disclosure requirements of current legislation and how decisions are made within the key securities law and antitrust enforcement agencies. The implications of the Dodd-Frank bill passed in 2010 are discussed in detail. This chapter provides only an overview of the labyrinth of environmental, labor, benefit, and foreign (for cross-border transactions) laws that affect M&As. A table in the chapter provides a summary of applicable legislation.
Degree of Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Normalization in Individuals Receiving Bariatric Surgery: Evidence From NHANES 2015-2018.

Bariatric surgery leads to clinically significant weight loss and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors (1–3). However, population-based evidence evaluating the degree of improvements in cardiometabolic outcomes among those receiving bariatric surgery is limited. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015–2018, we examined cardiometabolic risk factors among individuals who had undergone bariatric surgery, those eligible for but not receiving bariatric surgery, and normal-weight adults. This study included adults aged ≥18 years who responded to bariatric surgery questions during the NHANES 2015–2018 cycles. The NHANES uses a stratified multistage probability method to sample the nationally representative U.S. population (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm). We analyzed six cardiometabolic measures—systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), and hs-CRP—measured in a mobile examination center. We used survey design–adjusted descriptive statistics to characterize the study population into three groups: 1 ) individuals with normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2), 2 ) individuals reporting receipt of bariatric surgery, and 3 ) individuals medically eligible for bariatric surgery but reporting they had not received it. Surgery eligibility criteria include BMI ≥40 kg/m2 or …
Emotion recognition impairments and social well-being following right-hemisphere stroke.

Accurately recognizing and responding to the emotions of others is essential for proper social communication and helps bind strong relationships that are particularly important for stroke survivors...
Ethical Theories and Approaches to Immigration in the United States: A Focus on Undocumented Immigrants:

The United States has dealt with issues on immigration for over a century. The largest wave of immigration before the late 20th century began in the 1870s and peaked in 1910 (Foley & Hoge, 2007). I...
On the Modelling of Enterprise Level Crop Yields

A model for the approximation of enterprise-level crop yields under climate change is proposed which integrates economic and agronomic notions of crop production. The model is potentially useful to policy makers, since it could provide an estimate of the yield volume that can be expected to be produced under climate change; it could increase prediction accuracy compared to farm-level programming models by including omitted factors, e.g. wage. This framework can also be useful to farmers as a normative model recommending input commitment under a changing climate. A general computational strategy for the model is provided. A geometric definition of the coefficient of risk-aversion, which is intrinsic to the farmer, is offered. An approach to infer the degree of risk-aversion from farm-level accounting data is proposed. The identification strategy for the coefficient of risk-aversion relies on using the duality between the possible production technology representations, suitable data separation and the employment of a grid-search. The introduced definition of the coefficient of risk aversion and the strategy to its identification also hold in the deterministic case for intertemporal preferences.
The Dynamical Systems Hypothesis in Cognitive Science

The dynamical hypothesis in cognition identifies various research paradigms applying the mathematics of dynamical systems to understanding cognitive function. The approach is allied with and partly inspired by research in neural science over the past fifty years for which dynamical equations have been found to provide excellent models for the behavior of single neurons (Hodgkins and Huxley, 1952). It also derives inspiration from work on gross motor activity by the limbs (e.g., Bernstein, 1967, Feldman, 1966). In the early 1950s, Ashby made the startling proposal that all of cognition might be accounted for with dynamical system models (1952), but little work directly followed from his speculation due to a lack of appropriate mathematical methods and computational tools to implement practical models. More recently, the connectionist movement (Rumelhart and McClelland, 1986) provided insights and mathematical implementations of perception and learning, for example, that have helped restore interest in dynamical modeling. The dynamical approach to cognition is also closely related to ideas about the embodiment of mind and the environmental situatedness of human cognition, since it emphasizes commonalities between behavior in neural and cognitive processes on one hand with physiological and environmental events on the other. The most important commonality is the dimension of time shared by all of these domains. This permits real-time coupling between domains, where the dynamic of one system influences the timing of another. Humans often couple many systems together, such as when dancing to music - where the subject's auditory perception system is coupled with environmental sound, and the gross motor system is coupled to both audition and musical sounds. Because of this commonality between the world, the body and cognition, the method of differential equations is applicable to events at all levels of analysis over a wide range of time scales. This approach directs explicit attention to change over time of relevant system variables.
Proopiomelanocortin Synthesis and Cell‐Specific Processing

The sections in this article are: 1 The Common Precursor to Corticotropin β-Endorphin, Melanotropins 1.1 A Short History of the Discovery of Corticotropin and Proopiomelanocortin 1.2 The Structure of the Proopiomelanocortin Precursor Molecule 1.3 Steps in Biosynthesis and Processing of Proopiomelanocortin in Anterior Pituitary 1.4 Additional Biosynthetic Steps in the Intermediate Pituitary 1.5 Proopiomelanocortin biosynthesis in Central Nervous System Neurons 1.6 Developmental Changes in the Pattern of Expression of Proopiomelanocortin 1.7 Tools to Study Proopiomelanocortin Biosynthesis 2 Enzymes Responsible for Proopiomelanocortin Biosynthetic Processing 2.1 Endoproteases 2.2 Carboxypeptidases 2.3 Peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) 2.4 Cytochrome b561 2.5 α-N-acetyltransferase 2.6 Phosphorylation of Serine Residues 2.7 Glycosylation of Asparagine and Threonine 2.8 Cell Biological Aspects of Proopiomelanocortin Biosynthesis 3 Regulation of Proopiomelanocortin Synthesis, Processing, and Secretion 3.1 Responses to Environmental Stimuli 3.2 Responses to Hormones and Pharmacological Agents 4 Conclusion
Analysis of myogenesis by somatic cell hybridization. I. Myogenic competence of homotypic hybrids derived from rat L6 myoblasts.

Abstract Several authors have described the extinction of myogenic competence in hybrids produced by fusion of myogenic and non-myogenic cells. Interpretations of such experiments rest upon the assumption that extinction does not occur with any appreciable frequency as a non-specific consequence of the cell hybridization process itself. In order to test this assumption we have analyzed the myogenic competence of over 140 independent homotypic hybrid clones produced by PEG-mediated fusion of rat L6 myoblasts. Based upon an evaluation of myotube formation in hybrid colonies, we demonstrate that 99% of primary hybrid clones are myogenic. The fact that 97% of secondary hybrid colonies also differentiate indicates that myogenic competence is a stable characteristic of the hybrids. Four hybrid clones were isolated and expanded for analyses of chromosome numbers, myotube formation, creatine kinase activities, and microfluorimetric DNA determinations of myotube nuclei. Our results demonstrate that polyploid homotypic hybrid cells produced by fusion of non-neoplastic, developmentally determined rat myoblasts retain and express their program of differentiation. This work provides a foundation for future studies which will investigate the expression of myogenic properties in hybrids between myogenic and non-myogenic cells.
Moderating Effects of Achievement Striving and Situational Optimism on the Relationship Between Ability and Performance Outcomes of College Students

Student performance has become an increasingly important topic in higher education as it relates to retention and graduation rates and as university administrators place emphasis on performance as the basis for budgeting. The purpose of this research was to determine to what extent students' ability, achievement striving, and situational optimism influence performance outcomes and to investigate the interactive effects of ability and achievement striving as well as ability and situational optimism on student performance outcomes. Study results and implications for institute of higher education and classroom instructions are also discussed.