cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure and development of sieve areas in the hypocotyl of Pinus resinosa

The sieve areas inPinus resinosa consist of groups of plasmalemma-lined pores joined in the middle of the wall by large compound median cavities. Numerous membranes extend into the pores from aggregates of smooth, tubular endoplasmic reticulum opposite the sieve areas and merge in the median cavities. A compound median cavity arises through the union of smaller simple median cavities, each of which is initially associated with a single plasmodesma. Callose platelets were not associated with developing pores, but the pores of most fully-developed sieve areas were lined with callose. Sieve cells also have connections with albuminous cells. The connections on the sieve-cell side of the wall are similar to sieve-area pores, those on the albuminous-cell side to plasmodesmata. These connections also are associated with compound median cavities containing many membranes. The albuminous cells contain protoplasmic components similar to those of other parenchymatous cells including chloroplasts, cytoplasmic fibers, and microbodies.
Functional and morphological heterogeneity among rabbit peritoneal macrophages.

Abstract Peritoneal exudate cells obtained from rabbits injected intraperitoneally with mineral oil were separated into several subpopulations by equilibrium density centrifugation on continuous or discontinuous bovine serum albumin gradients. On discontinuous gradients of 5, 8, 11, 15, 20, and 30% bovine serum albumin and, with appropriate attention to technical details, highly reproducible separation of the cells into 5 subpopulations was attained. Cells in bands B, C, and D, which accumulated at the 8 11% , 11 15% , and 15 20% interfaces, respectively, were mainly macrophages, and these cells were tested for endocytic activity for several antigens or particles (ferritin, T2 phage, E. coli , latex beads), and for the ability to produce immunogenic RNA after in vitro incubation with T2 phage. Band D cells showed high endocytic activity but failed to produce immunogenic RNA, whereas band B (15% of recovered cells) cells displayed low endocytic activity but produced immunogenic RNA that gave rise to both 7S and 19S antibodies when incubated with spleen cell cultures. Phase and electron microscopy studies revealed the presence of two morphological cell types in bands B and C. In addition to the typical macrophage, there was a second cell type with a centrally located round or oval nucleus, disperse chromatin, prominent nucleoli, and light staining cytoplasm containing polysomes, dilated lakes of granulated endoplasmic reticulum, densely staining mitochondria, and lacking a ruffled membrane. This glass-adherent cell, which neither meets the morphological criteria for macrophages or lymphocyte, will be referred to as cell “A”. Partial separation of typical macrophages from “A” cells was achieved by recentrifugation of band B cells on a discontinuous gradient of 8, 9, 11, and 30% bovine serum albumin. Band B I ( 8% 9% ), enriched in “A” cells (40%), yielded immunogenic RNA which gave rise to 19S antibody whereas band B II ( 9% 11% ), consisting of about 10% “A”, was responsible for 7S antibody formation.
Psychosocial and behavioral predictors of inflammation in middle-aged and older adults: the Chicago health, aging, and social relations study.

Objective C-reactive protein (CRP) is emerging as an important predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and chronic inflammation may be a mechanism through which stress affects disease risk. We investigated the contribution of behavioral and psychosocial factors to variation in CRP concentrations in a population-based sample of middle-aged and older adults. Methods A high sensitivity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) validated for use with dried blood spot samples was used to determine CRP concentrations in a representative sample of 188 52- to 70-year-olds. Demographic (gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status), anthropometric (height, weight, waist circumference, percent body fat), behavioral (alcohol consumption, smoking, sleep quality, dietary quality), and psychosocial data (perceived stress, chronic stress, depressive symptoms, loneliness, perceived social support) were collected on the same day as blood samples. Psychosocial variables collected the year before were also used to investigate the impact of changing psychosocial environments. Log-transformed CRP concentrations were examined in a series of nested multivariate regression models. Results African American and female participants were found to have higher CRP concentrations, as did individuals with lower levels of education. However, ethnic differences disappeared after the addition of behavioral and psychosocial variables. Waist circumference, latency to sleep, smoking, and perceived stress were independently associated with increased concentrations of CRP. Conclusions Psychosocial stress, as well as health behaviors, are important predictors of inflammatory activity in a population-based sample and should be considered in future research on inflammation and CVD.
MAKING SENSE OF GOD: HOW I GOT TO THE BRAIN

. I describe the development of my work in relating brain research and religion from my personal roots in my family of origin through my professional responsibilities as a pastor, a clinician, and a theological educator to my developing what I call “a neurotheological approach” to faith and ministry. My early correlations gave simplistic attention to bimodal consciousness as an interpretive tool for understanding religion. Subsequently came a more sophisticated exploration of whole-brain functioning and suggested cultural correlates. Currently, I am explicating tae humanizing brain as reflective of our living in an open system, a universe that is unfolding and evolving, a universe in the hands of the whole-making, integrating, emerging God whose reality far exceeds the insights of cultural construction. As we humans relate to this God, attachment and aspiration are reciprocal.
A Machine Learning Based Reputation System for Defending Against Malicious Node Behavior

Reputation systems (RS) are designed to detect malicious nodes in a network and thwart their attacks, such as the spreading of viruses or worms, or attacking known vulnerabilities. They do this by collecting information about past transactions of a node and utilizing that to predict its future behavior. Traditionally, RSs have been designed by manually devising specific models or equations that use historical data to defend against certain types of attacks. In this paper, we propose a machine learning based RS that automates the process of devising the RS model and defends against many patterns of attacks. We discuss the merits of this approach and propose using support vector machines as the basis of the RS. We delineated the factors associated with building the SVM based RS and then proposed and evaluated our technique. We compared the performance of our RS with another RS found in the literature, called TrustGuard, and showed that our RS significantly outperforms TrustGuard. Our RS correctly distinguishes between good and malicious nodes with high accuracy, even when the proportion of malicious nodes in the network is very high.
Adopting Graph Traversal Techniques for Context-Driven Value Sets Extraction from Biomedical Knowledge Sources

The ability to model, share and re-use value sets across multiple medical information systems is an important requirement. However, generating value sets semi-automatically from a terminology service is still an unresolved issue, in part due to the lack of linkage to clinical context patterns that provide the constraints in defining a concept domain and invocation of value sets extraction. Towards this goal, we develop and evaluate an approach for context-driven automatic value sets extraction based on a formal terminology model. The crux of the technique is to identify and define the context patterns from various domains of discourse and leverage them for value set extraction using two complementary ideas based on (i) local terms provided by the subject matter experts (extensional) and (ii) semantic definition of the concepts in coding schemes (intensional). We develop algorithms based on well-studied graph traversal and ontology segmentation techniques for both the approaches and implement a prototype demonstrating their applicability on use cases from SNOMED CT rendered in the LexGrid terminology model. We also present preliminary evaluation of our approach and report investigation results done by subject matter experts at the Mayo Clinic.
Burn scar neoplasms: A literature review and statistical analysis

Abstract Background: Although squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common burn scar neoplasm, other neoplasms have also been reported. Objective: To compile the burn scar neoplasm cases in the literature and to analyze their frequency and demographic characteristics. Materials and methods: Cases were obtained through literature searches. Results: There were 412 cases gleaned from 146 articles between 1923 and 2004. Seventy-one percent (293) of the tumors were squamous cell carcinoma, 12% (48) were basal cell carcinoma (BCC), 6% (23) were melanoma, 5% (21) were sarcoma, 4% (16) were other neoplasms, 1% (6) were squamo-basal cell carcinoma, and 1% (5) squamous cell–melanoma. The mean age at tumor diagnosis was 50 years, the mean age at the time of burn injury was 20 years, the mean latency interval was 31 years. Only 5% of the reported cases were excised and grafted at the time of injury ( p p p p Conclusions: Although the main burn scar neoplasm was SCC, other neoplasms contributed to the morbidity and mortality of burn patients. Excision and grafting of deep burns, and close follow-up of non-healing ulcerated burn scars is essential for the prevention and early detection of burn scar neoplasms.
The stimulant action of noradrenaline (alpha-action) on guinea-pig myometrium compared with that of acetylcholine.

In the smooth muscle of guinea-pig uterus (oestrogen dominated) both noradrenaline (Nor) (α-action) and acetylcholine (ACh) depolarized the membrane, reduced membrane resistance, accelerated spike discharge and increased isometric tension proportionately. The magnitude of the response to ACh was directly related to the dose of ACh, the duration remaining that of the period of drug application. The response to Nor was slow in onset and outlasted the period of drug application by several minutes. Increasing doses of Nor mainly prolonged the duration of the response. The magnitude of the response depended on whether the depolarization by Nor reached firing threshold. The phasic tension response to evoked spikes was increased by Nor. Cooling reduced, and at 6°C abolished the depolarization caused by Nor but did not significantly change the response to ACh. The results obtained with variations of external potassium and chloride indicate that both ACh and Nor increased the membrane permeability to potassium, but that the Nor effect was small and shortlasting. Chloride was not involved in the depolarization caused by ACh, while the magnitude of depolarization and of the increase in membrane conductance by Nor were a direct function of the external chloride concentration. The removal of sodium from the external medium slowed the relaxation of the phasic tension responses to evoked spikes and increased resting tension. In the absence of spikes the tissue relaxed. The depolarization and reduction of membrane resistance by ACh were directly related to the external sodium concentration regardless whether sucrose or tris-Cl were used as substitute. The depolarization and reduction of membrane resistance by Nor did not depend on external sodium (tris substitution) though in the simultaneous absence of sodium and chloride (sucrose substitution) the response to Nor was abolished. The results obtained when NaCl was replaced with tris-Cl suggest that ACh may, in the absence of sodium, increase the entry of calcium. The failure of calcium removal from the cytoplasm may explain the maintained contracture. The contracture produced by Nor was increased in the absence of sodium, suggesting that, in addition to an increased calcium entry from outside, there may have been a release of sequestered calcium.
An experimental equation of state for aluminum to the debye approximation

Abstract An equation of state for aluminum to the Debye approximation has been obtained from the determination of the Debye temperature, Θ, as a function of pressure from 0 to 135 kbar. The variation was determined by use of the Bloch-Gruneisen equation in fitting experimental resistance-temperature data at various pressures. The zero pressure thermodynamic properties of aluminum calculated from the equation of state agree quite well with the corresponding observed quantities. It is found that the Gruneisen ratio, − d ln Θ/ d ln V , is a linear function of volume at pressures above 40 kbar. An analytical expression which approximates the observed volume dependence of the Debye temperature is given by, Θ = 395 exp( −1.78ΔV V 0 )
Gender Differences in Math Ability: The Impact of Media Reports on Parents

Research reports of educationally relevant findings are infrequently covered by the media. When research is the focus of the popular press, the media are believed to have a strong influence on public opinions. An empirical study was conducted to investigate the impact of media coverage following the release of a research report by Benbow and Stanley (1980). Parents of adolescents were targeted as the population most likely to be influenced by the research findings. Parents who had responded to surveys regarding their children's math abilities prior to the media coverage were recontacted and their beliefs were reassessed. The results provide evidence that research reported in the media can have an effect on the beliefs of people who are exposed to it. In this article, we discuss the nature of the media coverage and its differential impacts according to gender and prior beliefs.
Do Traders Benefit from Riding the T-Bill Yield Curve?

Studies show that riding the Treasury bill yield curve consistently provides higher returns than a matched-horizon buy-and-hold strategy and this article confirms earlier findings. Using Federal Reserve (FRED) interest rate data on 91- and 182-day T-bills and GovPX interdealer tick data over the period January 2001–September 2007, the authors find that no interdealer sales of 182-day T-bills occurred at the time needed to complete a ride, suggesting that no trader benefited through the interdealer market. They also show that selling the seasoned bills at the end of the ride in the new 91-day on-the-run secondary market or its when-issued market would have provided higher returns than the returns computed using the FRED data. But to generate $1 million of annual riding returns would require capturing 85% of the available market volume every week. The authors conclude that riding the T-bill yield curve continues to appear viable across time because of transaction volume limitations.
Imaging Characteristics of Contralateral Asymptomatic Patellofemoral Joints in Patients with Unilateral Instability

The abnormal morphology and maltracking of the contralateral asymptomatic joints of patients with unilateral patellofemoral instability indicate altered biomechanics in these joints and may lead to the development of osteoarthritis.
Resistance to Pyrethroid Insecticides in Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Indiana and Illinois

ABSTRACT The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), can cause serious losses in many field and vegetable crops throughout the United States. Since their introduction, pyrethroid insecticides have become the primary insecticide class for managing H. zea. However, resistance has been reported in the southern United States and has recently became a concern in the Midwest after the observation of sporadic control failures and a decreased efficacy of pyrethroids in small-plot field trials. Larvae collected from Lafayette, IN, Vincennes, IN, and Collinsville, IL, were used to establish laboratory colonies in 2006 and 2007. Larvae from these colonies were tested for resistance to the pyrethroid insecticide bifenthrin by using topical assays. Adult males collected from pheromone traps in Lafayette were tested for resistance to Cypermethrin by using the adult vial test (AVT) method. Resistance ratios of ≥8 were observed for the larval bifenthrin assays in 2006 and 2007 in all colonies exc...
Serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) Isoenzymes in perinatal asphyxia

Two newborn infants with perinatal asphyxia are described in whom serum levels of all three isoenzymes (MM, MB and BB) of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) were elevated. The possible mechanism of production and the implications of these findings are discussed, and it is suggested that caution must be exercised in utilizing these data to predict either the immediate prognosis or the longterm outcome in individual infants.
AN ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY OF PLANT SPERMATOGENESIS Spermatogenesis in Nitella

Spermatogenesis in the charophyte Nitella has been followed in antheridia prepared for light and electron microscopy. The antheridial filament cells contain paired centrioles which are similar in structure and behavior to the centrioles of animal cells. In the early spermatid, the centrioles undergo an initial elongation at their distal ends and become joined by a spindle-shaped fibrous connection. At the same time, their proximal ends are closely associated with the development of a layer of juxtaposed microtubules which will form the microtubular sheath. The architectural arrangement of these microtubules suggests that they constitute a cytoskeletal system, forming a framework along which the mitochondria and plastids become aligned and along which the nucleus undergoes extensive elongation and differentiation. The microtubular sheath persists in the mature sperm. During mid-spermatid stages, the centrioles give rise to the flagella and concomitantly undergo differentiation to become the basal bodies. The Golgi apparatus goes through a period of intensive activity during mid-spermatid stages, then decreases in organization until it can no longer be detected in the late spermatid. An attempt is made to compare similarities between plant and animal spermiogenesis.
Evaluation of the role of ligand and thermal activation on specific DNA binding by in vitro synthesized human glucocorticoid receptor

We have used a DNA-binding/immunoprecipitation assay to analyze the capacity of human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR), generated in rabbit reticulocyte lysates, to bind DNA. In vitro translated hGR was indistinguishable from native hGR, as determined by migration on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, sedimentation on sucrose density gradients, and reactivity with antipeptide antibodies generated against hGR. In addition, cell-free synthesized hGR was capable of specific binding to glucocorticoid response element (GRE)-containing DNA fragments. Using this assay system, we have evaluated the contributions of ligand binding and heat activation to DNA binding by these glucocorticoid receptors. In vitro translated hGR was capable of selective DNA binding even in the absence of glucocorticoid. Treatment with dexamethasone or the antiglucocorticoid RU486 had no additional effect on the DNA-binding capacity when receptor preparations were maintained at 0 C (no activation). In contrast, addition of either l...
Characteristics of Dryline Passage during COPS-91

Abstract The characteristics of dryline passage are documented through an analysis of data from an instrumented surface mesonetwork in the Texas panhandle, and western and central Oklahoma during the Cooperative Oklahoma Profiler Studies field program. Some eastward-moving drylines at the surface during the day were characterized by monotonic drops in dewpoint after dryline passage; others were marked by a series of rapid drops punctuated by periods of no change after dryline passage, which suggests that the dryline often progresses in discrete steps, rather than continuously. The dryline during the daytime was not always collocated with a pressure trough, although the strongest dryline observed was. Analyses of surface pressure traces indicated that westward-moving drylines during the evening did not display behavior characteristic of strong, intense density currents, as had been found in other studies. Evidence is presented, in one case, of 90-min oscillations in water vapor and wind behind the dryline,...
Mission-driven expected impact: Assessing scholarly output for 2013 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business standards

ABSTRACTAs of the 2016–2017 academic year, all schools undergoing Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation will be assessed on the new standards that were ratified in 2013, which include the assessment of the impact of portfolios of intellectual contributions. The authors discuss key ideas underlying a business school's research portfolio, its alignment with its mission, and its expected impact. Next the authors leverage these ideas to develop a model of mission-guided expected impact. They then show how the model can be operationalized for the case of an undergraduate-only business school. The authors conclude with a discussion of the potential contribution of our model.
Ultramicrotoming Pt Catalyzed Substrates and Dispersion Supports

In this present work, the implementation of microtomy for the preparation of samples of Pt deposited on polypropylene substrates, with and without other catalyst-supporting materials, has been studied. Microtomy is a widely used method to prepare polymers or composite materials, and is a particularly valuable tool when conventional techniques for ceramic or hard materials are not applicable. The use of microtomy for sample preparation has been extensively applied to the study of soft tissue in the biological area, but has been also successfully applied in materials science. Several techniques detailing the use of resins, embedding materials, stains and special procedures are well established for most organic tissues. Procedures for sectioning, including sectioning speed and angle of incidence, are also identified and developed with high precision. In the case of materials science, the use of microtomy for hard materials has not been extensive due to inherent problems related to the hardness of the material and subsequent mechanical damage. However, as illustrated here, it is a valuable tool for the study of polymers and polymer-based composites with thin inorganic catalyzed layers. Moreover, the use of microtome sections allows the analysis of the bulk structure in large samples. In addition to its use in producing TEM samples, it is also ideal for the observation of bulk morphologies by other techniques like VLM, SEM, and AFM. In this context, it is important to recognize that not all those techniques required the same conditions; e.g., it is not necessary to produce ultra-thin samples (~60nm) for VLM examination. In other cases, many problems related to thin sections can be avoided when analysis are performed on the surface of a microtomed bulk sample [1]. For example, the use of microtome sections of entire PEM membrane electrode assemblies has been used to study the structure of fuel cells, the changes in their structure after use, and the effects on the fuel cell performance [2].
Tissue Culture of Monolayer Cell Lines of Colladonus montanus (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) a Vector of the Causal Agent of Western X-Disease of Peach

A cell line of the leafhopper Colladonus montanus (Van Duzee) has been maintained for over 2 years as a monolayer in flask tissue culture. Cultures were initially set up as primary explants in petri dishes, and of 3 distinct cell lines isolated from them, only 1 type has survived. The surviving type has the typical appearance of large epithelial-like cells, slightly enlongated, with dark granules in the cytoplasm and large round nuclei. Both of the cell lines that died had much smaller cells. The cells of 1 line were elongated, with small nuclei and relatively few granules in the cytoplasm; the other line consisted of very small round cells with many inclusion bodies and vacuoles. Western X-disease infectivity was not recovered from C. montanus cell cultures that had been previously seeded with Western X inoculum.
Bioabsorbable versus stainless steel screw fixation of the syndesmosis in pronation-lateral rotation ankle fractures: a prospective randomized trial.

Thirty-two patients who had pronation-lateral rotation (PLR) fractures occurring four centimeters or more proximal to the ankle joint or lower if the talus was displaced greater than one centimeter...
Prostate specific antigen values after radical retropubic prostatectomy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate: impact of adjuvant treatment (hormonal and radiation)

AbstractProstate specific antigen (PSA) levels were obtained before and after radical retropubic prostatectomy in 192 patients: 78 (41%) had pathological stage B2 cancer or less, 83 (43%) had stage C or C+ and 31 (16%) had stage D1 disease. Of those with stages B2 or less, C, C+ and D1 disease 82, 86, 65 and 90%, respectively, had postoperative PSA values of 0.2ng./ml. or less (when first evaluated 30 or more days postoperatively). At 1 year postoperatively 94% of the stages C and C+ cancer patients treated with adjuvant radiation had PSA levels of 0.2ng./ml. or less, which was significantly different from those not treated adjuvantly (p = 0.02). This effect of adjuvant radiation on PSA was temporary in the small number of patients with longer followup. Adjuvant orchiectomy for stage D1 lesions resulted in female PSA levels in virtually all cases. This decrease may be misleading and may reflect a direct hormonal effect rather than a decrease in tumor volume. Positive surgical margins did not significantly...
Effect of Fenoldopam Continuous Infusion on Glomerular Filtration Rate and Fractional Excretion of Sodium in Healthy Dogs.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common problem in small-animal patients and carries a guarded prognosis with substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly in oligoanuric dogs. Fenoldopam, a selective dopamine agonist, has been shown to increase urine output in healthy dogs and cats; however, the mechanism of action is unknown. Hypothesis/Objectives To evaluate the effect of fenoldopam infusion on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and fractional excretion of sodium (FeNa) in healthy dogs. Animals Ten healthy, privately owned dogs. Methods Randomized, crossover design with negative control. Ten healthy dogs were given fenoldopam diluted in 5% dextrose (D5W) as a continuous IV infusion of 0.8 μg/kg/min for 5 hours and a control infusion of D5W alone, 7 days apart. Glomerular filtration rate was measured by exogenous iohexol clearance, beginning 1 hour after the start of the fenoldopam infusion. Fractional excretion of sodium (FeNa) was measured before and after the infusion. Glomerular filtration rate and change in FeNa were compared between treatment days. Results Fenoldopam infusion resulted in a significantly increased (P = .0166) GFR (median GFR, 3.33 mL/min/kg) in healthy dogs compared with D5W infusion (median GFR, 2.71 mL/kg/min). Fenoldopam also resulted in a significantly increased (P = .0148) FeNa (mean change, 0.106), whereas infusion of D5W alone did not (mean change, 0.016). Conclusions and Clinical Importance In healthy dogs, fenoldopam significantly increased GFR and FeNa compared with infusion of D5W alone. No adverse effects were seen.
Spinal Cord Stimulation for Intractable Testicular Pain: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Objective Treating chronic testicular pain is often challenging, and few treatment options have been reported. We report a case of intractable testicular pain successfully treated with spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Case A 59-year-old male with a 40-year history of bilateral testicular pain after ruptured epididymitis presented for consultation after failing multiple medical and surgical treatments. Repeat genitofemoral nerve block gave him temporary relief. SCS trial to target this distribution resulted in complete pain relief, and the patient was referred for implantation. He reported continued relief nine months after implantation. Discussion This is the third reported case of intractable chronic testicular pain successfully treated with SCS. Although evidence is scarce, SCS appears to be a potential treatment for patients with testicular pain presenting with a clear distribution of pain.
Neuropil pruning in Early-Course Schizophrenia: Immunological, Clinical, and Neurocognitive Correlates.

Abstract Background Neuropathological studies suggest neuropil reduction in schizophrenia. Altered synaptic pruning is proposed to underlie neuropil reduction. Underlying factors and clinical correlates of synaptic pruning are poorly understood. Using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy, it is feasible to assess membrane phospholipid (MPL) metabolites in the brain that specifically and sensitively reflect neuropil expansion (elevated MPL precursors) or contraction (elevated MPL catabolites). Methods We examined MPL metabolites and their cognitive, clinical, and immunological correlates among 28 individuals with early-course schizophrenia (illness duration 1.99 ± 1.33 years; antipsychotic-naive, n = 18) and 21 controls. We acquired whole-brain multivoxel phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy data from 12 unique brain regions. Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein were assayed in the serum. Generalized linear mixed models examined case-control differences in MPL metabolites in these regions, correcting for multiple testing. Partial correlations accounting for multiple tests examined the relationship of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels with MPL metabolite levels. Results MPL catabolite levels were increased in the thalamus in schizophrenia compared with controls. Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels did not show case-control differences. Interleukin-6 levels positively correlated with MPL catabolite levels in the thalamus after correcting for multiple tests. The left thalamus MPL catabolite levels correlated negatively with sustained attention (corrected p = .039). Conclusions Elevated MPL catabolite levels in the thalamus suggest increased neuropil contraction that may be related to excessive synaptic pruning. Thalamic neuropil contraction was associated with interleukin-6 levels, suggesting central pathogenic mechanisms for the inflammatory mediators. Correlation of increased thalamic MPL catabolite levels with cognitive impairments suggests clinical implications of neuropil contraction.
Determination of Stannous Ion Content of Radiopharmaceutical Kits Using N-bromosuccinimide

The two most commonly used means of quantitating stannous ion in radiopharmaceutical kit preparations are the iodimetric titration and stannous ion spot tests. The N-bromosuccinimide technique described herein is a rapid, simple titrimetric method that correlates very well with the more complex iodine titration procedure.
Design of active queue management algorithm using fuzzy sliding mode controller

A novel active queue management (AQM) scheme based on fuzzy sliding mode control (FSMC) is designed to tackle network congestion problem with modelling uncertainties, time varying parameter fluctuations and external disturbances. Simulation results demonstrate that it can lead to the convergence of the queue length to the desired value quickly and maintain the oscillation small. The results also show that the scheme is very robust to disturbance under various network conditions and outperforms fuzzy logic control (FLC) and sliding mode control (SMC) significantly.
Let’s Stay in the Swamp: Poststructural Feminist Reflective Practice

In this chapter, a reimagined conception of reflective practice is used to think about and improve our practice as teachers committed to addressing issues of social justice. Co-/autoethnography is described as an approach that utilizes insights from Schon through a poststructural feminist lens. This perspective invites a notion of reflective practice that returns us to Schon’s swamplands where reflection is at its most generative and effective.
Medical tourism: An emerging global healthcare industry

Medical tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry today and continues to grow. There is a current competition to see what countries will capitalize on this growing global industry. The phenomenon ...
Optical physical unclonable function

Many military and commercial systems require a unique digital identification for authentication, key derivation, and other purposes. Our approach uses an optical physical unclonable function (PUF) that can be implemented on printed circuit boards (PCB). Various environmental factors, such as physical stress, temperature, heat dissipation, and aging, affect the effectiveness of such a PUF. This paper will discuss our recent research in addressing these and other concerns by advancing in the areas of waveguide construction, system longevity, and PCB cooling. We will also discuss the enhanced capability of differentiating between intact and disturbed systems.
An Analysis of Two (or Three) Models of Visual Attention Allocation.

This work is concerned with examining in a formal quantitative manner what human observers look at and what the objects of their gaze tell them. Researchers have developed a number of analytical models designed to describe and predict the allocation of human attention. The proposed research aims to compare and evaluate the predictions made by three such models and further refine the models where possible. Many models have been designed to predict the allocation of human attention in the visual domain. One class of such models has focused on visual sampling or monitoring behavior in supervisory control tasks. These models use sampling or scanning as a dependent variable (e.g., Moray, 1986; Senders, 1964, 1983; Sheridan, 1970). In these models, the observer is not looking for a static target, but is rather supervising a series of dynamic processes, such as temperature gauges or aircraft movements, and the key dependent variable is the proportion of visual attention distributed to various “areas of interest” (AOIs) as a function of the quantitative properties of those AOIs. Psychologists have also developed of a number of models designed to describe and predict the general allocation of human attention. These general attention models do not deal with vision per se, but rather consider attention to be a resource and are concerned with how people allocate this resource. This is usually measured in terms of the amount of time they devote to a task or source of information. Each model brings to the table its own set of advantages and disadvantages as a predictor of human performance. In the research proposed herein, we will examine the ability of a model of general attention to predict attention allocation in the visual sampling domain.
The Organization of Prosecution

Germany’s prosecution offices as well as its court system are organized on the state or Lander level and are subsumed within the state-level Ministries of Justice. While the Minister of Justice at the state level is a political appointee, appointed by the state’s Minister-President, prosecutors are career civil servants, who are protected from arbitrary dismissal after they complete a period of probationary service. An exception to that rule exists in four states, where the position of General Public Prosecutor (Generalstaatsanwalt) is a political appointee who serves at the pleasure of the Minister of Justice. Regardless of that fact, all prosecutors at the state level are members of a hierarchically ordered bureaucracy.
New immigrants in local food systems: two Iowa cases.

Integrating immigrants in local food systems involves negotiations between complex meaning systems. An experience in working with immigrants and local food efforts in two Iowa communities shows that new social relationships are intersected by critical aspects such as trust (a component of social capital), political power (political capital), knowledge (human capital), and ethnic and cultural world views (cultural capital). Our analysis identified subtle and unrecognized hegemonic behavior and racialization (an unacknowledged culture of whiteness within the local/alternative food system) that inadvertently excludes Latinos and immigrants from the local food system. For these Latino farmers and gardeners, sharing agricultural produce with family and friends was more import than market-oriented strategies. Food is a major transmitter of cultural capital and builds social capital with extended family and with others in the community. By substituting food produced by the family for purchased food, family and friends receive a better diet and perhaps lower food costs. Growing and preparing food offers a way to give back to the community. Participation in farmer training fostered an inclusive, diverse and participatory community, but that did not extend to effective inclusion of Latino residents in the local food group nor to an effective inter-cultural incubator farm. It may be that a farm incubator with a focus on immigrant farmers would be more successful if it were not directly linked to an educational institution. The outside organizers inadvertently strengthened a culture of whiteness, as they had different goals for the food system than did the local participants.
Reasoning as search: supporting reasoning with distributed memory

The central idea behind Case-Based Reasoning has always been the notion that reasoning can be supported using memories of past problem solving. One bottleneck in this work has often been the development of case libraries needed to support this reasoning rather than the transformation of the cases themselves. In much of our work, we have taken an approach in which we treat web-recourses as the distributed knowledge engineering that can be integrated into memory- or case-based reasoning systems. We have been working on how we can take the core view of "Reasoning as Remembering" and transform it into "Reasoning as Search". The primary issues in this work are how to map problem-solving or task needs onto the queries required to find initial candidates, filter those candidates for relevance and then manage the exploitation of the results. I will outline how we have done this in two systems we have built recently, News at Seven and Baleen, systems that track the world of social media, news and the Web to support narrative generation.
Digital Humanities and Italian Studies: Research Outcomes

This short paper serves as an introduction to the Projects section of this issue of Humanist Studies & the Digital Age , since the contributions are connected by the authors' participation in a roundtable (either as panelists or attendees) at the Modern Language Association Annual Conference in 2017. The papers explore the research outcomes from developing and deploying different Digital Humanities projects with Italian Studies materials. The introduction outlines the different methodologies, critiques of digital approaches, and implications for the field offered by the four contributions. The essay ultimately argues that through their humanistic engagement with the technology that drive the projects, the scholars connect their approaches to timely concerns facing all consumers and critics of digital and computational products.
MECHANISM OF INJURY AND POST-CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS IN ADOLESCENT SOCCER PLAYERS

Background:In contact sports such as soccer, a variety of mechanisms exist in which a sport-related concussion (SRC) may be sustained. This includes striking the ball with the head, whether uninten...
Transforming an Autism Pediatric Research Network into a Learning Health System: Lessons Learned.

Introduction The Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network that serves as the Autism Intervention and Research Network on Physical Health (ATN/AIR-P) has a mission to improve the health and well-being of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and determine the best practices that lead to improved outcomes and expedite the translation of findings to practice. To better achieve this mission, the ATN/AIR-P is engaging in a design process to transition to a Learning Network (LN), the Autism Learning Health Network. The purpose of this paper is to: (1) make the medical and patient communities aware of an Autism LN that is based on the Institute of Medicine's definition of a Learning Health System; (2) describe how and why the ATN/AIR-P transformed to an LN; and (3) share lessons learned that might inform the transition of future existing networks surrounding other conditions. Methods Design methods included: an in-person design session with various stakeholders, the development of a Key Driver Diagram and redesign of organizational processes, network governance, and data collection and analytics. Results We realized many benefits in making the transition to an LN along with many lessons that can inform the design and implementation of the LN model when transforming existing networks to learning health systems. Conclusions Transitioning a well-established research network requires a complex redesign of existing processes, data infrastructure, and cultural shifts compared with developing a new LN. We identified factors that may inform the transition of future established networks to expedite the process.
Determining the Effect of Diet on a Novel Model of Fecal Peritonitis in Mice

Sepsis is a healthcare burden and has a mortality rate that exceeds many forms of cancer and AIDS combined. Previous research has shown obesity to exacerbate the severity of sepsis in both human an...
Broken Windows, Informal Social Control, and Crime: Assessing Causality in Empirical Studies

An important criminological controversy concerns the proper causal relationships between disorder, informal social control, and crime. The broken windows thesis posits that neighborhood disorder increases crime directly and indirectly by undermining neighborhood informal social control. Theories of collective efficacy argue that the association between neighborhood disorder and crime is spurious because of the confounding variable informal social control. We review the recent empirical research on this question, which uses disparate methods, including field experiments and different models for observational data. To evaluate the causal claims made in these studies, we use a potential outcomes framework of causality. We conclude that, although there is some evidence for both broken windows and informal control theories, there is little consensus in the present research literature. Furthermore, at present, most studies do not establish causality in a strong way.
Antibody-based Protection Against HIV Infection

The hu-PBL-SCID mouse was among the first animal models to clearly demonstrate the ability of neutralizing antibodies to protect against the HIV challenge in vivo. Conclusions from these early experiments have largely been borne out in more recent studies performed with newer humanized mice models such as Rag-hu, NSG-hu, and BLT that show improved mimicry of human infections. In addition to passive transfer, protection has also been demonstrated for neutralizing antibodies delivered by viral vectors, i.e., vectored immunoprophylaxis. In addition, whereas early studies in hu-PBL-SCID mice showed antibodies to be relatively ineffective in control of established HIV infection because of neutralization escape, recent studies in newer models with cocktails of more potent neutralizing antibodies have shown effective control of virus replication and suppression of escape.
How Pain Shapes Depression and Anxiety: A Hybrid Self-regulatory/Predictive Mind Perspective.

Because many persons living with chronic pain achieve a relatively balanced lifestyle without experiencing functional disability, medical psychologists must explain the well-documented co-occurrence of pain complaints and DSM-5-disorders (including but not limited to depression and anxiety) in a significant subset of individuals. The question of differential resilience versus susceptibility has received modest theoretical and empirical attention, but remains open. In this review, I deconstruct the temporally extended pain adaptation process in order to address this vexing question, relying upon two complementary explanatory frames. The first is a motivational/cybernetic systems formulation labeled the Goal-Centered, Self-Regulatory, Automated Social Systems Psychology (GRASSP) model, erected upon feedback sensitive, goal-guided, hierarchically organized self-regulatory processes. Depression and anxiety presumably result from compromised regulatory functions undermining pain processing, goal pursuit, and everyday performance. The second perspective postulates a “Bayesian Brain”/“Predictive Mind” capable of unifying perception, action, and emotion via predictive processing. From a Bayesian perspective, predictive processing implies that our brains evolved to compare, without conscious direction, incoming environmental information against prior, model-based predictions in order to arrive at accurate perceptual representations of the world. Maladjustment results from failures of active inference. When applied to the perception of visceral information, the embodied process, termed interoceptive inference, can also yield pathogenic outcomes. The Bayesian model holds that depression and anxiety in individuals with pain result from error-prone (biased, rigid, or highly certain) prior evaluations of aversive feeling states and their relation to the external milieu. I consider how the hybrid conceptual framework advanced by the two models points to several novel and familiar avenues of intervention.
Accretive Share Repurchases versus Accrual/Real Earnings Management: Complements or Substitutes?

This paper seeks to address whether managers use accretive repurchases in conjunction with or to the exclusion of other earnings management tools. Prior literature has shown that managers use accretive repurchases to meet or beat analyst forecasts of earnings per share (EPS). However, whether such planned and aggressive repurchasing of common shares outstanding is used as a complement or substitute for traditional tools of earnings management remains unexplored. I find a complementary relationship between accretive repurchases and income-increasing discretionary accruals, a complementary relationship between accretive repurchases and abnormal discretionary expense cuts, and a substitutional relationship between accretive repurchases and abnormal operating cash flow reductions. In addition, I find that the likelihood to use income-increasing discretionary accruals in conjunction with accretive repurchases is significantly driven by the number and dollar amount of stock and stock options awarded to the firm’s CEO in the previous year. I also find that firms with a CFO who is co-opted by the firm’s CEO are more likely to use accretive repurchases than firms in which the CFO is not co-opted by the CEO. This suggests that a CEO likely influences the CFO to make capital allocation decisions that benefit the CEO, but may not be in the best long run interests of the firm. Finally, I find that transient investors strongly predict whether a firm uses accretive repurchases, suggesting that managers use this tool to avoid price pressures imposed by not hitting quarterly forecasts of EPS.