cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The neurobiology of categorization

Editors’ Preview Chapter 5, ‘The neurobiology of categorization’, provides a review of what is known about the neural bases for categorization. A major theme of the chapter is that categories characterized by different kinds of structures may enlist different types of learning and memory processes that in turn rely on different brain circuitry. For example, as noted in Chapters 2, 3, and 4, human adults possess the ability to rapidly learn rule-based categories in which the rule splitting the categories is explicit, verbalizable, accessible to conscious awareness (e.g. red things go into group A , green things go into group B ), and believed to be stored in a declarative form of memory that enables recall of facts and events. Human adults also learn categories that require an integration of information that is not readily verbalizable, may be slowly acquired, and may be stored in a nondeclarative procedural memory system. Figure 5.1 provides an example of categories that can be learned through an integration of information about the orientation and thickness of the bars within the circular discs on each side of the boundary. Examples of real-world categories learned through processes of information integration include determining whether X-rays provide evidence of cancerous tumours and (as was referenced in Chapter 2) determining whether day-old chicks are male or female. Various lines of evidence acquired with different investigative techniques within cognitive neuroscience suggest that categories acquired through explicit rule learning versus information integration may be processed through two distinct brain pathways. The evidence includes studies of single-unit recording in animals (an electrode is used to register the activity of an individual neuron as an animal is performing a categorization task), brain stimulation (a brain region is directly stimulated with electric current as an animal learns a categorization task), lesion studies (a brain region of an animal is damaged to determine what effect that has on categorization performance),
Physician Attire: A Scholarly Look

Not that long ago members of my division were given an update on the University’s dress code. Despite the fact that no sane person would pick me as the best dressed of any group to which I belong, I believe that I am largely on the proper side of the dress code. So I did not read it thoroughly. Hearsay had it we were told that jeans were not allowed and scrubs were only to be worn with an accompanying white coat, something I have not worn since a red pen broke in my pocket during residency. These edicts reminded me of similar dress code demands handed down to us residents while I was in residency, specifically a prohibition of jeans with holes and Spandex. Both of these policies, I believe, most physicians can live with, and Spandex is only one small step above nudity and may not be acceptable anywhere other than while in a gym or on a bike. Although nudity can be fun, and I know several attractive physicians, wearing the birthday suit at work would likely be frowned upon by most patients and their loved ones in the hospital, despite the entertainment that would be provided to some 5 to 10 year olds and other childish persons. I will venture to say that most kids of any age probably do not care what you are wearing when you are shoving a stick down their gullet or a plastic funnel into one of their ears. But let’s agree that nudity is unprofessional for physicians in a hospital or clinic, despite what you do at home. So what is our university’s dress code for physicians? There is a dress code for physicians that appears to be an abridged version of the hospital’s dress code for all employees. The …
Surgical Treatment of Carcinoma of the Bladder: The USC Experience

Radical cystectomy is currently the treatment of choice for localized high-grade or muscle-invasive carcinoma of the bladder. Over the last 25 years our group has compiled a significant experience in this treatment modality, and we have recently developed a comprehensive database for these patients which has allowed us to study them in more detail.
Automatic Multi-light White Balance Using Illumination Gradients and Color Space Projection

White balance algorithms try to remove color casts in images caused by non-white scene illuminants, transforming the images to appear as if they were taken under a canonical light source. We propose a new white balance algorithm for scenes with multiple lights, which requires that the colors of all scene illuminants and their relative contributions to each image pixel are determined. Prior work on multi-illuminant white balance either required user input or made restrictive assumptions. We identify light colors as areas of maximum gradients in the indirect lighting component. The colors of each maximal point are clustered in RGB space in order to estimate the distinct global light colors. Once the light colors are determined, we project each image pixel in RGB space to determine the relative contribution of each distinct light color to each image pixel. Our white balance method for images with multiple light sources is fully automated and amenable to hardware implementation.
Activation of glucocorticoid receptors in Müller glia is protective to retinal neurons and suppresses microglial reactivity.

Reactive microglia and macrophages are prevalent in damaged retinas. Glucocorticoid signaling is known to suppress inflammation and the reactivity of microglia and macrophages. In the vertebrate retina, the glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) is known to be activated and localized to the nuclei of Muller glia (Gallina et al., 2014). Accordingly, we investigated how signaling through GCR influences the survival of neurons using the chick retina in vivo as a model system. We applied intraocular injections of GCR agonist or antagonist, assessed microglial reactivity, and the survival of retinal neurons following different damage paradigms. Microglial reactivity was increased in retinas from eyes that were injected with vehicle, and this reactivity was decreased by GCR-agonist dexamethasone (Dex) and increased by GCR-antagonist RU486. We found that activation of GCR suppresses the reactivity of microglia and inhibited the loss of retinal neurons resulting from excitotoxicity. We provide evidence that the protection-promoting effects of Dex were maintained when the microglia were selectively ablated. Similarly, intraocular injections of Dex protected ganglion cells from colchicine-treatment and protected photoreceptors from damage caused by retinal detachment. We conclude that activation of GCR promotes the survival of ganglion cells in colchicine-damaged retinas, promotes the survival of amacrine and bipolar cells in excitotoxin-damaged retinas, and promotes the survival of photoreceptors in detached retinas. We propose that suppression of microglial reactivity is secondary to activation of GCR in Muller glia, and this mode of signaling is an effective means to lessen the damage and vision loss resulting from different types of retinal damage.
Systematic Position of the Family

The historical task of blocking out the major taxonomic groups has proceeded in an uneven fashion. With regard to the Polemoniaceae the first minor taxon to be recognized was a species of Polemonium and the first of the larger taxa to achieve recognition were certain of the genera. The aggregation of related families, or order, became recognized at a later stage. Within these broad limits the family gradually emerged as a recognized taxon in the last years of the 18th century and the early years of the 19th.
Avolition in schizophrenia is associated with reduced willingness to expend effort for reward on a Progressive Ratio task

The current study examined whether effort-cost computation was associated with negative symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ). Participants included outpatients diagnosed with SZ (n=27) and demographically matched healthy controls (n=32) who completed a Progressive Ratio task that required incrementally greater amounts of physical effort to obtain monetary reward. Breakpoint, the point at which participants was no longer willing to exert effort for a certain reward value, was examined as an index of effort-cost computation. There were no group differences in breakpoint for low, medium, or high value rewards on the Progressive Ratio task. However, lower breakpoint scores were associated with greater severity of avolition and anhedonia symptoms in SZ patients. Findings provide further evidence that impaired effort-cost computation is linked to motivational abnormalities in SZ.
TANF and EITC: A Literature Review

This chapter examines Aid to Families with Dependent Children/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (AFDC/TANF) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) participation as AFDC transitioned into TANF over the study period. Figure 5.1 highlights the general trends in AFDC/TANF participation from the Reagan through G. W. Bush administrations and EITC participation, due to availability of data, from 1990 through the G. W. Bush administration.
From the Guest Editor — Public Administration Professors from the Working Class

This paper introduces a journal symposium. Five Public Administration professors raised in poverty or working class circumstances by parents who never attended college recount their journeys from humble origins to their current positions as university faculty, including many social, financial, and cultural challenges they faced along the way. This introduction details the project's genesis and offers a sampling of published studies showing how academic public administration has mostly ignored the importance of social class and socioeconomic origins for determining major life outcomes. This discounting of the profound effects of class inequalities stands against the field's supposed commitment to "social equity" and "diversity." These authors' writings are intended to animate the quantitative characterizations others have offered about the strong connection between socioeconomic background and educational opportunities, outcomes, and socialization. Ideally, the personal narratives in this symposium will encourage academic public administration to consider broadening its interpretation of "social equity" and "diversity" to include social class concerns.
A method for personalized brain mapping of neuroinflammation using 11C-DPA-713 PET

529 Objectives To facilitate personalized study of neuroinflammation by PET using the TSPO-targeted radiopharmaceutical 11C-DPA-713, we built a parametric image atlas based on healthy subjects and demonstrated its utility in brain mapping by voxel-level z-scoring of individuals with potential neuroinflammation. Methods Healthy volunteers (n = 12) were imaged with dynamic 11C-DPA-713 PET [1, 2] and parametric images of distribution volume (Vt) were generated applying the Logan method. A normalization approach was devised to compensate for the effects of TSPO gene polymorphism [3] and other factors [4] affecting intra-subject reproducibility and inter-subject variation. All normalized Vt images of healthy subjects were warped to a standard brain space, generating population mean and standard deviation (SD) images to complete the atlas. Utilizing this, the Vt images of several subjects suffering from putative neuroinflammation (former NFL players: N=4, HIV+ patients: N=7) were processed and analyzed by calculating voxel-level z-scores, providing individual whole brain mapping indicative of potential disease-related neuroinflammation. Results With the individual mean Vt value from gray matter used in normalization, the normalized Vt images demonstrated much improved intra-class correlation among healthy subjects, allowing generation of an atlas with reasonable SDs. Individuals with putative brain inflammation showed large z-scores (> 4) in various brain regions, indicating localized disease. Conclusions We have developed an approach that may enable construction of a normal brain atlas for TSPO PET imaging and improve the sensitivity of personalized imaging studies of neuroinflammation. We have demonstrated the utility of this method in 11C-DPA-713 PET imaging of both healthy subjects and those with putative neuroinflammation. Research Support We thank the support from NFL Charities and NIH Grant 5R21MH082277.
Metabolic engineering: Kick-starting TCA cycling

The tricarboxcylic acid cycle has been exhaustively studied for decades so it is not unreasonable to expect that it would retain few undiscovered surprises. However, experimental analyses in cyanobacteria show it to be remarkably plastic, dependent on what it is producing and how much.
A new role for an old molecule : serotonin as a mitogen

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) has been known for the last half century to influence vasoactivity and to participate in neurotransmission. More recently, this compound has been recognized to cause proliferation of a variety of cells in culture, including those of vascular smooth muscle. Furthermore, the proliferative effect is synergistic with that of more conventional growth-producing polypeptides. A hypertrophic, as well as a proliferative response, has been shown to occur in some smooth muscle cells. Whether the mitogenic effect is initiated through a cell surface receptor or a serotonin transporter, or both depending on the cell type, is currently unresolved. Most evidence indicates that cellular cyclic nucleotides play an important role in the intracellular signaling process for growth regulation by serotonin, and newer studies point to protein phosphorylation pathways as being important in the mitogenic response. It has been proposed that, through these signaling pathways, serotonin plays an important role in remodeling of both the pulmonary and systemic circulations.
Differences in Spending by Local Trail Users: Two-Part Model of Expenditures

Urban multiuse trails are the backbones of nonmotorized transportation networks in metropolitan areas across the United States. These trails provide opportunities for recreation and utilitarian travel, increase access to important destinations, and serve other public purposes. A common rationale for trail development is that users spend money and support retail businesses in trail corridors. Expenditures by local trail users do not constitute new regional economic impacts but are important locally and of interest to planners and business owners who view trails as mechanisms to spur local economic activity. The results of intercept surveys completed by 1,282 trail users on the Central Ohio Greenway trail network in 2014 were used to estimate the probabilities and patterns that different types of trail users will make expenditures. Approximately one-fifth of trail users reported spending between $15.00 and $20.00 for food, drink, and other incidental items. Across all trail users the average expenditure by ...
Observaton of the Curative Effect of Low-dose Azithromycin on RSV Bronchiolitis

Objective: To assess the effect of low-dose azithromycin(5 mg/kg) on the treatment of RSV bronchiolitis.Methods: 66 children with RSV bronchiolitis(3-24 months) were randomly divided into group 1(33,treated with azithromycin) and group 2(33,treated conventionally).The blood was taken from the children to determine the serum cysteinylleukotrienes(CysLTs) level.A comparison was made in CysLTs level changes before and after the treatment and in asthma time between the two groups,with another 30 healthy children as the control group.Results: The serum CysLTs level in children with RSV bronchiolitis was higher than that in normal children(P0.05) before treatment.The time needed to settle the asthma in the low-dose-azithromycin-treated children was statistically shorter than that in the conventionally-treated group(P0.05).The expression level of serum CysLTs was also statistically lower in azithromycin-treated group than that in the conventionally-treated group(P0.05).Conclusion: The serum CysLTs level in children with RSV bronchiolitis is remarkably raised.Low-dose azithromycin could shorten the course of disease,lower the expression level of serum CysLTs and produce a marked anti-inflammatory effect in children with RSV bronchiolitis.
Determination of 17 Phthalate Esters in Infant Milk Powder and Dairy Products by GC–MS with 16 Internal Standards

In this study, a simple, rapid and accurate quantitative method for the determination of phthalate esters in infant milk powder and dairy products by GC–MS using 16 internal standards has been developed. Samples were extracted with acetonitrile and purified using PAE solid-phase extraction (SPE), the eluant was then dried with N2 flow at 45 °C and diluted with n-hexane for testing by GC–MS. The standard calibration curves were linear for all matrixes analysed, and the correlation coefficients ranged from 0.9955 to 0.9999. The LODs and LOQs were in the ranges of 1.0–100.0 µg kg−1 and 3.0–300.0 µg kg−1, respectively. The accuracy of this method was evaluated by measuring the recovery from spiked samples. The recoveries of all phthalates from samples spiked at three different concentrations (100.0, 500.0, and 1000.0 µg kg−1) were determined. The recovery ranges in low, intermediate and high spiked levels were 73.8–114.5 %, 76.1–102.2 % and 81.1–113.5 %, respectively, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) range of recovery results (n = 6) was 0.5–19.1 %, 0.3–6.4 % and 0.2–19.2 % at low, intermediate and high spiked levels. Furthermore, the differences in recovery and RSD were discussed when different quantitative methods were used. In addition, the matrix effect was discussed in the article.
Breastfeeding the Low Birth Weight Preterm Infant

The recent increase in the use of human milk in feeding low birth weight (LBW) preterm infants has stimulated new research questions in infant nutrition, especially in regards to the nutritional adequacy and nutrient composition of milk from mothers of mature and preterm infants. The current state of knowledge on the effect of feeding human milk with or without nutritional supplements on growth of the low birth weight infant is summarized. Recommendations and guidelines for feeding human milk and/or supplementing human milk in LBW infants are discussed and appropriate handling of human milk and feeding schedules are outlined.
The State of Nursing Home Information Technology Sophistication in Rural and Nonrural US Markets.

Objective To test for significant differences in information technology sophistication (ITS) in US nursing homes (NH) based on location. Methods We administered a primary survey January 2014 to July 2015 to NH in each US state. The survey was cross-sectional and examined 3 dimensions (IT capabilities, extent of IT use, degree of IT integration) among 3 domains (resident care, clinical support, administrative activities) of ITS. ITS was broken down by NH location. Mean responses were compared across 4 NH categories (Metropolitan, Micropolitan, Small Town, and Rural) for all 9 ITS dimensions and domains. Least square means and Tukey's method were used for multiple comparisons. Principal Findings Methods yielded 815/1,799 surveys (45% response rate). In every health care domain (resident care, clinical support, and administrative activities) statistical differences in facility ITS occurred in larger (metropolitan or micropolitan) and smaller (small town or rural) populated areas. Conclusions This study represents the most current national assessment of NH IT since 2004. Historically, NH IT has been used solely for administrative activities and much less for resident care and clinical support. However, results are encouraging as ITS in other domains appears to be greater than previously imagined.
The Relationship of Drawing and Mathematical Problem Solving: Draw for Math Tasks

This study examines a series of children's drawings (Draw for Math tasks) to determine the relationship of students' spatial understanding and mathematical problem solving. Level of spatial understanding was assessed by applying the framework of central conceptual structures suggested by Case (1996), a cognitive developmental researcher. Drawings students constructed for the Draw for Math tasks also were categorized as schematic (i.e., proportional details included) or non-schematic (i.e., no proportional details included). Findings indicate that level of spatial understanding and use of schematic drawings both were significantly correlated to problem solving performance. Findings from this research have implications for policy and practice. The art classroom is an important context for developing students' spatial understanding and proportional thinking abilities associated with artistic as well as mathematical ability. Specific strategies to strengthen collaborative efforts of art specialists and their ...
In Vitro Assays to Determine Skeletal Muscle Physiologic Function

In vitro muscle contractile function assays are important to characterize the differences between different muscle types (e.g., slow vs. fast), between a diseased and non-diseased muscle, or importantly, to demonstrate the efficacy of a muscle treatment such as a drug, an overexpressed transgene, or knockout of a specific gene. Fundamental contractile properties can be assessed by twitch, tetanic, force-frequency, force-velocity, and fatigue assays. Many of these assays are conducted with the muscle at a constant length, e.g., an isometric contraction. However, to better represent the dynamic purpose of muscles in vivo (e.g., to move limbs), dynamic assays such as the force-velocity (concentric contractions) or stretch-injury (eccentric contractions) should also be obtained. Characterizing skeletal muscle function in vitro is a powerful approach to demonstrate efficacy of a treatment to rescue diseased muscle and to assess functional regeneration.
Endothelin in Renal Diseases

Injurious stimuli can activate endothelin production and elevate circulating levels of endothelin. However, continuous elevation of endothelin is not necessary for its profound effects. Instead, local endothelin activity, which encompasses local concentration of endothelin or receptor and post-receptor mechanisms, may be of primary importance in mediating the abnormal vascular function following renal injury.
Analysis of security vulnerabilities and threat assessment in Cognitive Radio (CR) networks

Recent advancements in wireless communication are creating a spectrum shortage problem on a daily basis. Recently, Cognitive Radio (CR) has attempted to minimize this problem by allowing secondary users to coexist with primary users without causing interference to their communication through dynamic utilization of free spectrum. CR offers many promising benefits including dynamic spectrum sharing, robust cross-layer adaptation, and collaborative networking. It is anticipated that CR technology will be the next wave of innovation in information and communications technologies. Although operational aspects of CR are being explored vigorously, its security aspects have gained little attention. Due to the dynamic nature of CR networks and the fact that they exposed relatively more to wireless networks, entirely new classes of security threats and challenges are introduced, such as licensed user emulation, selfish misbehaviors and unauthorized use of spectrum bands. To achieve successful deployment of CR technologies in practice, there is a critical need to advance the theoretical understanding of these entirely new classes of security threats and challenges. Therefore, in this paper, our primary objective is to identify and investigate the major known security threats within a CR network (CRN). Our secondary objective is to highlight on how potential threats exploit the vulnerabilities present at different layers of a communication stack.
Competition Agencies with Complex Policy Portfolios: Divide or Conquer?

Antitrust law has been adopted by 120 jurisdictions worldwide. In more than half of these jurisdictions, the agency charged with enforcing antitrust law also has other responsibilities. The assignment of multiple regulatory tasks can affect the performance of a competition agency in complex and subtle ways. We present a framework for analyzing the consequences of creating public bodies with complex policy portfolios. Using examples from across the administrative state, we analyze the forces that shape the content of an agency’s policy duties, and how the portfolio of assigned duties affects the way an agency approaches its assigned tasks, and its performance of those tasks. We apply this framework to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, whose diversified policy portfolio includes antitrust, consumer protection, and data protection/privacy.
What you see and what you are told: an action-specific effect that is unaffected by explicit feedback

A critical question for theories of spatial vision concerns the nature of the inputs to perception. The action-specific account asserts that information related to action, specifically a perceiver’s ability to perform the intended action, is one of these sources of information. This claim challenges assumptions about the mind in general and perception in particular, and not surprisingly, has been met with much resistance. Alternative explanations include that these effects are due to response bias, rather than genuine differences in perception. Using a paradigm in which ease to block a ball impacts estimated speed of the ball, participants were given explicit feedback about their perceptual judgements to test the response bias alternative. Despite the feedback, the action-specific effect still persisted, thus ruling out a response-bias interpretation. Coupled with other research ruling out additional alternative explanations, the current findings offer an important step towards the claim that a person’s ability to act truly influences spatial perception.
Reaction of glycine with glyoxylate: Competing transaminations, aldol reactions, and decarboxylations

The reactions of glycine, a simple amino acid, with glyoxylate, a simple α-oxocarboxylate, were investigated in water as a function of time, pH, and temperature and followed using a combination of quantitative 13C nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Three sets of experiments are reported: (1) reaction of 13C-labeled glycine with unlabeled glyoxylate, (2) reaction of unlabeled glycine with 13C-labeled glyoxylate, and (3) the reaction of 13C-labeled glycine with 13C-labeled glyoxylate. Competing transaminations, aldol reactions, and decarboxylations were observed; the mechanistic description for each of these processes is presented. 3-Hydroxy-2-aminosuccinate, a product of reaction between glycine and glyoxylate, was shown to promote both the decarboxylation of glyoxylate and transamination of glyoxylate to glycine. These observations may have implications for the mechanism of attenuation of ethylene glycol toxicity.
Cerebral regional oxygen saturation trends in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Abstract Background Neurological outcomes in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) continue to be sub-optimal despite therapeutic hypothermia (TH). Cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy provides real-time regional oxygen saturation (CrSO 2 ) that may be a marker of adverse MRI findings and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Aim The aim of this study was to examine the value of CrSO 2 monitoring in infants with HIE undergoing TH. Study design and subjects In this prospective study, CrSO 2 was continuously recorded in 21 infants with HIE admitted for TH. Outcome measures Brain MRI signal abnormalities at 2 weeks were scored in individual brain region and classified as none/mild, moderate and severe. 13 infants completed Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) testing at 18–24 months. Results Between 24 and 36 h of life, there was a significant increase in odds of having moderate-severe brain MRI abnormalities with higher absolute CrSO 2 values. Per 10% increase in absolute CrSO 2 , the odds ratio for moderate-severe brain MRI abnormalities was greatest at 30 h (OR 3.78; confidence intervals (CI): 1.23–11.6, p = 0.011). CrSO 2 increased more rapidly in infants with greater injury seen on MRI (0.20/h for MRI scores 0/1, by 0.48/h for MRI score 2, and by 0.68/h for MRI score 3, p = 0.05). At 30 h, absolute CrSO 2 correlated significantly with abnormal MRI findings in basal ganglia (92% vs. 78%, p = 0.001), white matter (88% vs. 76%, p = 0.01), posterior limb of internal capsule (92% vs. 78%, p = 0.001), and brain stem (94% vs. 80%, p = 0.03) but not with cortical injury (86% vs. 80%, p = 0.17). Higher CrSO 2 beyond 24 h correlated with greater odds of worse BSID scores. Conclusions Increasing CrSO 2 is associated with moderate-severe brain injury as assessed by MRI. Higher absolute CrSO2 values during TH correlates with subcortical injury on MRI and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with HIE undergoing TH. CrSO 2 can inform providers seeking early identification of patients at risk of worse injury who may benefit from further intervention.
Corticosterone regulates both naturally occurring and cocaine-induced dopamine signaling by selectively decreasing dopamine uptake

Stressful and aversive events promote maladaptive reward-seeking behaviors such as drug addiction by acting, in part, on the mesolimbic dopamine system. Using animal models, data from our laboratory and others show that stress and cocaine can interact to produce a synergistic effect on reward circuitry. This effect is also observed when the stress hormone corticosterone is administered directly into the nucleus accumbens (NAc), indicating that glucocorticoids act locally in dopamine terminal regions to enhance cocaine's effects on dopamine signaling. However, prior studies in behaving animals have not provided mechanistic insight. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, we examined the effect of systemic corticosterone on spontaneous dopamine release events (transients) in the NAc core and shell in behaving rats. A physiologically relevant systemic injection of corticosterone (2 mg/kg i.p.) induced an increase in dopamine transient amplitude and duration (both voltammetric measures sensitive to decreases in dopamine clearance), but had no effect on the frequency of transient release events. This effect was compounded by cocaine (2.5 mg/kg i.p.). However, a second experiment indicated that the same injection of corticosterone had no detectable effect on the dopaminergic encoding of a palatable natural reward (saccharin). Taken together, these results suggest that corticosterone interferes with naturally occurring dopamine uptake locally, and this effect is a critical determinant of dopamine concentration specifically in situations in which the dopamine transporter is pharmacologically blocked by cocaine.
Patterns of E-cigarette Use Frequency-National Adult Tobacco Survey, 2012-2014.

Introduction Accounting for occasional or intermittent e-cigarette use has yielded higher estimates of current use among U.S. adults. However, frequency of e-cigarette use by population subgroups is not well described. This study assessed e-cigarette use frequency by sociodemographic characteristics and other tobacco product use among U.S. adults. Methods This study analyzed combined data from the 2012–2013 (n=60,192) and 2013–2014 (n=75,233) National Adult Tobacco Survey, a telephone-based survey of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years, to assess frequency of e-cigarette use (daily, some days, rarely) by sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, annual household income, U.S. region, marital status, sexual orientation, and cigarette smoking and other tobacco product use (cigars, cigarillos, little filtered cigars; traditional pipes; water pipes; and chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, snus, and dissolvable tobacco products). Analyses took place in 2016. Results Among current e-cigarette users, 19.3% used daily, 29.3% used some days, and 51.4% used rarely. Daily use was lowest among younger adults, Hispanics, and those who were single, never married, or not living with a partner; and greatest among non-Hispanic Asians (p Conclusions E-cigarette use frequency varies by sociodemographic characteristics and other tobacco use. Further surveillance, particularly related to frequency of e-cigarette use and its impact on cigarette cessation, could inform public health policy, planning, and practice.
Psychosocial predictors of mammography history among Chinese American women without a recent mammogram.

ABSTRACTChinese American women have lower rates of mammography screening compared with non-Hispanic White women. Although the extent of perceived barriers, as conceptualized by the Health Belief Model, have been shown to distinguish between currently non-adherent Chinese American women who have ever and never had a mammogram, it is less clear which types of perceived barriers differentiate them. One hundred twenty-eight Chinese American women in the New York metropolitan area who had not had a mammogram in the past year completed baseline assessments for a mammography framing intervention study. Demographics, medical access variables, and perceived barriers to mammography (lack of access, lack of need for screening, and modesty) were used to predict mammography history (ever versus never screened). Fifty-five women (43%) reported having been screened at least once. A sequential logistic regression showed that English speaking ability and having health insurance significantly predicted mammography history....
Action competence: A concept analysis.

Aim The aim of this article is to analyze the concept of action competence and comprise a definition of the concept suitable to apply to virtual simulation in nursing education. Background Virtual simulation has become an instructional method increasingly used in nursing education which creates a challenge for assessment of clinical competence. Design This concept analysis was performed using Walker and Avant's eight stages of concept analysis. Data source A literature search was conducted using search engines and included peer-reviewed articles from various disciplines. Results The concept analysis resulted in an operational definition of action competence that is useful in nursing education. Conclusion The use of action competence during virtual simulation sessions provides a means for knowledge transfer, accountability of actions on the part of the students, self-awareness, and reflection. Through this process, students gain critical problem-solving skills that, through sustainability, can be applied to varying future patient scenarios. Action competence contains concrete components applicable to sustainability of knowledge gained by nursing students during virtual simulation.
Reverse engineering stiffened plates using guided wave-based nondestructive testing methods

For the purpose of nondestructive testing (NDT), guided waves can be transmitted into a structure, and any defects or anomalies in the waves’ path modify the measured waves. Signal processing methods can be used to extract information about these features. In this work, an NDT method is demonstrated based on laboratory experiments for the case of a flat, rectangular, aluminum plate, which has a stiffener mounted underneath along the middle axis, such that the stiffener cannot be seen from the upper “outside” surface. Piezoelectric transducers are set up in a pitch-catch arrangement on this surface with the assumption that the location of the stiffener is unknown. When guided waves are induced in the plate by one of the transducers, the waves that are received by the other carry the information of the stiffener, as well as any defects in or boundaries of the structure. By transmitting from different points on a grid on the plate, the location and size of any geometry or material discontinuities can be identified. Hence, the developed algorithm reverse engineers the plate by mapping its edges and identifying the region of the stiffener.
Intra-ophthalmic Artery Chemotherapy for Retinoblastoma

The origin of intra-ophthalmic artery chemotherapy (SSIOAC) dates back to the 1950s. Cases of advanced intraocular retinoblastoma with (1) large multiple lesions still having enough normal retina so visual preservation was possible, (2) vitreous seeds, or (3) tumors refractory to other treatments presented a challenge for Reese and other early pioneers in the treatment of retinoblastoma, as they unfortunately still do today ( Chap. 9).
Testing the Effect of Meat Tenderizer on Human Hair: A Class Project for Nonscience Majors

Use of a commercially available meat tenderizer, a source of an enzyme which can degrade meat protein, was used in a take-home class experiment. Students were asked to test the effects of incubating (their own) human hair in water with and without this enzyme. Students were surprised to see little or no effect of the enzyme on their own hair sample. They were also surprised that there was so much variation in the results (observations). From this experiment, students developed a much better understanding of the scientific method and the importance of experimental controls.
Learning Human Behavior from Observation for Gaming Applications.

The gaming industry has reached a point where improving graphics has only a small effect on how much a player will enjoy a game. One focus has turned to adding more humanlike characteristics into computer game agents. Machine learning techniques are being used scarcely in games, although they do offer powerful means for creating humanlike behaviors in agents. The first person shooter (FPS), Quake 2, is an open source game that offers a multi-agent environment to create game agents (bots) in. This work attempts to combine neural networks with a modeling paradigm known as context based reasoning (CxBR) to create a contextual game observation (CONGO) system that produces Quake 2 agents that behave as a human player trains them to act. A default level of intelligence is instilled into the bots through contextual scripts to prevent the bot from being trained to be completely useless. The results show that the humanness and entertainment value as compared to a traditional scripted bot have improved, although, CONGO bots usually ranked only slightly above a novice skill level. Overall, CONGO is a technique that offers the gaming community a mode of game play that has promising entertainment value.
Predominance of Spinal Metastases Involving the Posterior Vertebral Body.

Background Spinal metastases pose significant morbidity. For many histologies, the spine is a frequent site for bone metastases. This predilection is not fully understood, and there are conflicting reports regarding the distribution within the vertebral body itself. Knowing this distribution will give clues as to the underlying biologic reason for this increased incidence in the spine and lead to a better understanding of tumor dispersion and growth. Methods We retrospectively examined magnetic resonance imaging scans of patients undergoing radiation to the spine from 2015 to 2017 for spinal metastases. The anatomical distribution of lesions was categorized. Lesions were sorted along the sagittal plane into 5 groups: anterior only, anterior + middle, middle only, posterior + middle, and posterior only. Lesions that covered all groups were discarded. χ2 and post-hoc analyses were used for statistical analyses. Results Three hundred metastatic lesions were examined in 89 patients; 203 lesions were used for analysis. Sixty-five percent of all lesions were found in posterior only and posterior + middle aspects of the vertebral body (P Conclusions Metastatic lesions of the thoracolumbar spine have a greater propensity to localize to the posterior aspect of the vertebral body. These data support the hypothesis that there may be differences within the vertebral body leading to differential tumor dispersion and growth.
Calling on Male Allies to Promote Gender Equity in I-O Psychology

As Gardner, Ryan, and Snoeyink ( 2018 ) state, their findings on gender representation in industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology indicate that “the profession as a whole falls into the category of ‘not walking the talk’” (p. 385). We agree that it is imperative to understand the current state of gender inequity in our field while also actively working toward achieving gender equity. This article attempts to inspire each and every individual in I-O psychology to feel a personal responsibility to engage in behaviors that reduce gender disparities in our field. Although women are normatively the focus in fights for gender equity, men should be equal partners in these efforts. In this commentary, we focus on the contributions that male allies in I-O psychology can make in fostering gender equity. To be clear, we are not claiming that women need to be rescued by men; however, we do believe that I-O psychology can achieve the greatest progress toward gender equity when both women and men engage in supportive efforts. As Emma Watson said in her 2014 United Nations speech, “How can we affect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?” (UN Women, 2014 ). In times when political leaders and national laws may fail women, it is crucial that local communities—like the I-O community—adopt a clear stance in promoting gender equity. In this commentary, we define allyship, discuss the importance of male allies, suggest ways in which male allies can help promote gender equity in I-O psychology, and consider potential barriers to male allyship and ways to overcome them. The strategies that we propose are by no means exhaustive; rather, they are suggestions for how to initiate a larger movement.
Exact versus Asymptotic Tests of Trend of Tumor Prevalence in Tumorigenicity Experiments: A Comparison of P-Values for Small Frequency of Tumors*:

In the statistical evaluation of a tumorigenicity experiment, it is frequently of interest to test for dose-response trend in the incidence of a tumor type. A commonly used test is the prevalence test of Hoel and Walburg. This test is based on an extension of the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) statistic for combining s(≥ 2) 2 × k tables where k ≥ 2. The conditional null distribution (given marginal totals) of this statistic (MH) is discrete, and normal approximation is usually applied to obtain P-values. However, there is growing concern about the adequacy of the normal approximation when the number of animals bearing the tumor type (nT) is “small.” For small nT, it is suggested that the exact permutational distribution of MH be used for obtaining P-values. Another issue (which has attracted less attention) is related to the assignment of scores to the treatment groups when computing the test statistic. Various scoring systems are in use without quite realizing how they might affect the exact P-values in case of sm...
Incidence of gadolinium or fluid signal within surgically proven glenoid labral tears at MR arthrography.

To determine how often patients with surgically proven labral tears have labral signal on shoulder MR arthrography (MRA) that is not equal to gadolinium or fluid on T1- and T2-weighted images, respectively. Consecutive patients with surgical repair of a SLAP or Bankart labral tear within 95 days of an MRA were included. Using cartilage signal as an internal reference, two musculoskeletal (MSK) radiologists retrospectively categorized labral signal as T1-hyperintense, T1-gadolinium, T2-hyperintense, or T2-fluid. In patients without T1-gadolinium or T2-fluid labral signal, secondary findings such as the orientation, extent, shape, and width of the abnormal signal was recorded. Statistical analyses were performed using Fisher’s test and ANOVA. Sixty-one labral tears (36 SLAP and 25 Bankart) in 54 patients (mean age, 30.7; F:M 8:46) met the inclusion criteria. In 67% and 76% of SLAP and Bankart labral tears, T1-gadolinium signal was present (p = 0.43). T2-fluid signal was present in 50% and 92% of these same labral tears (p = 0.001). The absence of T1-gadolinium or T2-fluid signal was more common in SLAP tears (33%) compared to Bankart tears (8%) (p = 0.02). In the SLAP cases, at least two secondary findings of a SLAP tear were present in 92% (11/12). Lack of surfacing T1-gadolinium or T2-fluid labral signal is unusual in Bankart tears but relatively common in SLAP tears. However, a SLAP tear was diagnosed in 92% of these 12 cases when two secondary findings were present.
Social Media Content Analysis of Public Diabetes Facebook Groups

Introduction:Relatively little is known about how Facebook groups are used to facilitate diabetes self-management support. This study provides a critical analysis of public diabetes Facebook groups...
Reaction of Army families with grade school children to the Active Duty Dependents Dental Insurance Plan.

Abstract : In March-May 1988, we collected data on enrollment of 1,445 Army families with grade school children in the Active Duty Dependents Dental Insurance Plan at two Army posts. We also surveyed their reactions to the plan. Results show that, although nearly two-thirds of families are enrolled in the plan, most consider the plan a loss of benefits and coverage inadequate. Queues and limited services at military clinics are primary reasons for joining; poor coverage of the dental insurance plan is the main reason for not. A majority of families are willing to pay more for expanded coverage.
Respect for the Indian Child Welfare Act and Its Reflection on Tribal Sovereignty

here is a direct tie between a court’s or agency respect for federal and state Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) laws and their understanding of Tribal sovereignty. A review of state court proceedings involving Native American children reflects that states’ lack of understanding and respect for Tribal sovereignty. That understanding is represented through the actions and failures to act by state agencies, governmental representatives, and the judiciary. The ICWA requires the United States, every state, every Indian tribe, and territories of the United States to give "full faith and credit to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of any Indian tribe applicable to Indian child custody proceedings to the same extent that such entities give full faith and credit to the public acts, records and judicial proceedings of any other entity." Most of the scholarship on the ICWA attacks state court resistance as unreasonably hostile to the statutory goals at best and anti-Indian at worst. Barbara Ann Atwood, in her law review article, Flashpoints Under The Indian child Welfare Act: Toward A New Understanding of State Court Resistance , reviews aspects of the state court resistance to ICWA and strives to present a more nuanced understanding of the reactions of state court judges to the unique aspects of ICWA. In addition to Atwood in her article, Professor Christine Metteer has argued forcefully that state courts have defied the plain language of the federal and state ICWA because of their deep distrust of tribal courts and their entrenched resistance to the concept of tribal sovereignty .
Hematopoietic recovery and immune reconstitution after axi-cel CAR T-cell therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma.

7545Background: Cytopenia lasting beyond 30 days has been observed after CAR T cell therapy. Here, we describe the hematopoietic recovery and immune reconstitution following axicabtagene ciloleucel...
Do teachers' instructional practices change when more students are absent?

Abstract Out of all years of elementary school, absenteeism is highest in kindergarten. Prior work has focused on the effects that these absences have on kindergartners and their classmates, yet there is a lack of understanding how absences might affect teaching. This study begins to close this gap by asking whether kindergarten teachers with more frequently-absent students teach differently than teachers with less-absent students. Using a nationally representative dataset of kindergarten teachers, we find that when more students are absent, teachers use different instructional structures, with more of a focus on teacher-directed activities. However, neither the dosage nor rigor of academic instruction differed. Finally, there was no evidence of heterogeneity for our sample of teachers, suggesting that these results are more generalizable. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.