cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Explanation and Intergroup Emotion: Social Explanations as a Foundation of Prejudice-Related Compunction

Two studies examined whether social explanations—causal frameworks used to make sense of a group’s status and behavior—are associated with prejudice-related compunction. In Study 1, based on Devine, Monteith, Zuwerink, & Elliott, (1991), participants who endorsed external explanations (e.g. low socioeconomic status of Blacks stems from historical maltreatment) showed a particularly strong tendency to experience compunction in response to prejudicerelated discrepancies. Study 2 involved a novel paradigm. Participants were induced to admit that they would discriminate against Black males. Conceptually replicating Study 1, endorsement of external explanations was positively associated with compunction in response to this imagined discrimination. Across both studies, there was also evidence that the effects of external explanations are not explicable in terms of internal motivation to avoid prejudice, global prejudice, or global positive evaluation of African Americans. Discussion centers on the importance of explanations in shaping intergroup emotions and how the concept of explanation links the intergroup emotion literature to other emotion literatures.
Stimulation of Different Subtypes of Angiotensin II Receptors, AT1 and AT2 Receptors, Regulates STAT Activation by Negative Crosstalk

Angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor exerts an inhibitory action on cell growth. In the present study, we report that the stimulation of AT2 receptor in AT2 receptor cDNA-transfected rat adult vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) inhibited angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) 1alpha/beta, STAT2, and STAT3 without influence on Janus kinase. AT2 receptor activation also inhibited the tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1alpha/beta induced by interferon-gamma, epidermal growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor. Similar effects of AT2 receptor were observed in R3T3 fibroblast and mouse fetal VSMCs, which express endogenous AT2 receptor. Moreover, AT2 receptor inhibited serine phosphorylation of STAT1alpha and STAT3 via the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation. Stimulation of AT2 receptor inhibited the binding of STATs with sis-inducing element in c-fos promoter, resulting in decreased c-fos expression. Taken together, our results suggest that AT2 receptor can crosstalk negatively with multiple families of growth receptors by inhibiting ERK and STAT activation.
NPY and extreme stress: lessons learned from posttraumatic stress disorder

NPY is a mediator and a marker of chronic stress in humans, including extreme trauma and PTSD, but its actions are complex. In the periphery, as a sympathetic neurotransmitter, it exerts excitatory effects on the cardiovascular system and modulates immune responses. In contrast, in the central nervous system, NPY-ergic neurons are powerful inhibitory, anti-stress and anxiolytic system. In PTSD, stress-induced elevations of plasma NPY are associated with increases in cortisol, catecholamines and blood pressure, consistent with peptide’s actions in the cardiovascular system. However, lower plasma NPY levels, baseline, stress-induced, and/or post-stress are associated with poorer behavioral performance under stress — suggesting that reduced activity of the central NPY system diminishes individual’s stress resilience. Many of the peripheral pro-stress and central anti-stress actions of NPY appears to be mediated by the same subtype of receptors, the Y1, which complicates the case of using Y1 antagonists for treatment of stress-related cardiovascular and immune symptoms, unless drugs which do not penetrate the blood-brain-barrier are used. Future studies should determine more precise mechanisms of NPY’s actions and type of receptors involved in psychological, behavioral, cardiovascular and immune consequences of chronic stress, particularly PTSD, where peptide’s role appears to be quite compelling.
THE SELECTIVE LOCALIZATION OF MURINE PLEUROPNEUMONIA-LIKE ORGANISMS IN THE FEMALE GENITAL TRACT ON INTRAPERITONEAL INJECTION IN MICE

Acute oophoritis and salpingitis were commonly observed in weanling mice injected intraperitoneally with murine pleuropneumonia-like organisms of the catarrhal type (4 strains). Organisms of the injected strain were regularly recovered in cultures from the ovary or uterus during the 3rd to the 5th week but not after the 12th week. They were also obtained from the vagina through the 5th week and with varying results, depending on the strain, from the heart's blood through the 1st week. PPLO injected into the vagina survived for some weeks but did not migrate inwardly nor were they transmitted outwardly to exposed mice. In male mice peritoneal abscesses were sometimes present but the genital organs were normal and free from PPLO. Otitis media, with positive exudate cultures, occurred more often in females and varied in rate with the strain of PPLO. PPLO of the conjunctival type failed to survive in the abdominal cavity of mice and produced no reaction in either the genital or the respiratory tract.
Production of antisera against sterigmatocystin hemiacetal and its potential for use in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for sterigmatocystin in barley

Description et mise en oeuvre d'une technique d'immunochimie pour l'identification de cette mycotoxine
Microstrain and grain-size analysis from diffraction peak width and graphical derivation of high-pressure thermomechanics

An analytical method is presented for deriving the thermomechanical properties of polycrystalline materials under high-pressure (P) and high-temperature (T) conditions. This method deals with non-uniform stress among heterogeneous crystal grains and surface strain in nanocrystalline materials by examining peak-width variation under different P–T conditions. Because the method deals directly with lattice d spacing and local deformation caused by stress, it can be applied to process any diffraction profile, independent of detection mode. In addition, a correction routine is developed using diffraction elastic ratios to deal with severe surface strain and/or strain anisotropy effects related to nano-scale grain sizes, so that significant data scatter can be reduced in a physically meaningful way. Graphical illustration of the resultant microstrain analysis can identify micro/local yields at the grain-to-grain interactions resulting from high stress concentration, and macro/bulk yield of the plastic deformation over the entire sample. This simple and straightforward approach is capable of revealing the corresponding micro and/or macro yield stresses, grain crushing or growth, work hardening or softening, and thermal relaxation under high-P–T conditions, as well as the intrinsic residual strain and/or surface strain in the polycrystalline bulk. In addition, this approach allows the instrumental contribution to be illustrated and subtracted in a straightforward manner, thus avoiding the potential complexities and errors resulting from instrument correction. Applications of the method are demonstrated by studies of α-SiC (6H, moissanite) and of micro- and nanocrystalline nickel by synchrotron X-ray and time-of-flight neutron diffraction.
Building the world's largest Tesla coil-history and theory

A plan to design, build, and test the world's largest Tesla coil power transformer is discussed. The analysis will be performed by using the program TCTUTOR by J. Corum et al. (1988) with modifications. Power MOSFETs will be used to excite the coil. Hall effect sensors will be used to measure current waveforms and electric field sensors will be used to monitor voltage waveforms. Optical fibers will be used to transmit control signals and measured quantities to and from the Tesla coil. Tesla coil theory is discussed. Open questions are considered. The current status of the project is described. >
Processing of Spatial-Frequency Altered Faces in Schizophrenia: Effects of Illness Phase and Duration

Low spatial frequency (SF) processing has been shown to be impaired in people with schizophrenia, but it is not clear how this varies with clinical state or illness chronicity. We compared schizophrenia patients (SCZ, n = 34), first episode psychosis patients (FEP, n = 22), and healthy controls (CON, n = 35) on a gender/facial discrimination task. Images were either unaltered (broadband spatial frequency, BSF), or had high or low SF information removed (LSF and HSF conditions, respectively). The task was performed at hospital admission and discharge for patients, and at corresponding time points for controls. Groups were matched on visual acuity. At admission, compared to their BSF performance, each group was significantly worse with low SF stimuli, and most impaired with high SF stimuli. The level of impairment at each SF did not depend on group. At discharge, the SCZ group performed more poorly in the LSF condition than the other groups, and showed the greatest degree of performance decline collapsed over HSF and LSF conditions, although the latter finding was not significant when controlling for visual acuity. Performance did not change significantly over time for any group. HSF processing was strongly related to visual acuity at both time points for all groups. We conclude the following: 1) SF processing abilities in schizophrenia are relatively stable across clinical state; 2) face processing abnormalities in SCZ are not secondary to problems processing specific SFs, but are due to other known difficulties constructing visual representations from degraded information; and 3) the relationship between HSF processing and visual acuity, along with known SCZ- and medication-related acuity reductions, and the elimination of a SCZ-related impairment after controlling for visual acuity in this study, all raise the possibility that some prior findings of impaired perception in SCZ may be secondary to acuity reductions.
Toward a resolution of the paradox of aggressive displays. I: Optimal deceit in the communication of fighting ability

One inference from game theory models of animal conflict is that adversaries should not inform one another about concealed components of their fighting ability. This poses a paradox for the customary ethological account of aggressive displays in that it is usually assumed that the primary function of such behavior is to make such information available. To resolve the paradox, I propose that the information in aggressive displays may not be strictly truthful, but may instead represent “optimal deceit,” a balance between the advantages of deceit or bluffing and the disadvantages of selecting for skepticism in the receiver. Numerical simulation of this model was performed to examine the effects of differences in fighting ability and in the risk of injury in an escalated conflict. The model converged on an equilibrium level of deceit, even when the receiver was ignorant of the average level of deception being employed.
Sharp inequalities for positive functions

In this article we determine the extreme points for the families of positive and positive real functions. We prove a number of new sharp inequalities in addition to quantifying and generalizing some well-known results. We also investigate sharp bounds on |p'(z)| and |p′′(z)| for positive real functions, unknown since 1932. †Dedicated to Professor Peter L. Duren on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Use of Brief Intelligence Tests in the Identification of Giftedness

Schools often administer brief intelligence tests as the first step in the identification of students who are cognitively gifted. However, brief measures are often used without consideration of underlying constructs or the psychometric properties of the measures and without regard to the links between screening decisions and educational programming. This article provides an overview of these issues and offers recommendations for using brief intelligence measures particularly when screening children who are cognitively gifted.
Party Formation, Political Power, and the Capacity for Reform: Comparing Left Parties in Kerala and West Bengal, India

This article discusses the concept of 'partyformation," that is, the historically evolved links between a party and the civil society from which its political power is derived. This concept is developed through an empirical analysis of differences in poverty eradication by leftist parties in the states of Kerala and West Bengal, India. The argument is made that the ostensibly common identity of a Communist party in the two cases conceals different "party formations." In Kerala, it evolved as a more popular party, with deeper roots in civil society, while in West Bengal it was much weaker. These differences are attributed to the politicalpractices of each party during the anticolonial movement, the structural conditions within which each had to function, and the consequent variations in political power. Comparative research shows that leftist parties and strong subordinate class organizations have played an important role in bringing about the expansion of welfare states in democratic societies. These roles have been both parliamentary as well as extra-parliamentary (Esping-Andersen 1990; Korpi & Shalev 1980; Rueschemeyer, Stephens & Stephens 1992; Therborn et al. 1978). However, much of the theoretical focus of the "welfare state" literature has been directed at the more fully developed welfare states in advanced capitalist societies. In "developing" societies, in contrast, social policies have generally been less comprehensive and less strongly enforced. This has been a direct result of the fragmented and
FUZZY ARROW'S THEOREM

In this paper, we prove a fuzzy version of Arrow's Theorem that contains the crisp version. We show that under our definitions, Arrow's Theorem remains intact even if levels of intensities of the players and levels of membership in the set of alternatives are considered.
Specialized avian predators repeatedly attack novel color morphs of Heliconius butterflies.

The persistence of Mullerian mimicry and geographically distinct wing patterns, as observed in many Heliconius species (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), is difficult to explain from a predator's perspective: predator selection against locally rare patterns must persist despite avoidance learning. Maintaining spatial color-pattern polymorphism requires local pattern avoidance, fine-scale discrimination among similar wing patterns, and repeated attacks on novel color patterns. I tested for these behaviors by presenting 80 adult rufous-tailed jacamars (Galbula ruficauda) with three morphs of Heliconius butterflies, and then presenting the same suite of butterflies to 46 of these jacamars between four and 429 days later. These trials offer the first direct evidence of the selective predator behavior required to maintain aposematic polymorphism: jacamars avoid local aposematic morphs while repeatedly attacking similar but novel morphs over time.
Morphological and molecular identification of a new species of Truncospora (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) in North America

Truncospora wisconsinensis sp. nov., a new poroid wood-inhabiting species, is proposed based on a combination of molecular and morphological data. This species demonstrates a unique combination of characters including: annual habit; pileate basidiomata with a white pileus and pore surface; a dimitic hyphal system with non- to slightly dextrinoid, cyanophilous skeletal hyphae; and ellipsoid, truncate, slightly thick-walled, strongly dextrinoid basidiospores. Phylogenetic analyses using ITS and partial tef1-α support the position of this new species as a sister clade of T. ohiensis .
Long-Term Economic Simulation: Even-Aged and Uneven-Aged Examples from the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP)

Much of the software and many of the algorithms commonly used to simulate forest growth and harvesting activities have been optimized for short-term projections based primarily on larger-sized trees and are focused on even-aged silvicultural systems. Using data on trees 1.5 in. dbh and larger from the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP), we have adapted the widely available Landscape Management System (LMS) and Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) software to make long-term simulations using even and uneven-aged silvicultural management systems. MOFEP is designed to test the long-term effects of even-aged, uneven-aged, and no harvest treatments on a variety of ecosystem attributes. To simulate the economic outcomes of these three treatments, we have written new LMS algorithms that simulate the effects of uneven-aged harvesting. Our results show that in the Missouri Ozarks even-aged and uneven-aged management silvicultural systems yield long-term (100 years) economic outcomes that are not statistically different. This result reinforces the need for land managers or landowners to consider esthetics, nontraditional forest products, and other nonmarket values in their decision matrix. North. J. Appl. For. 22(1):42-47.
Miktoarm star copolymers as interfacial connectors for stackable amphiphilic gels

Abstract Using a combination of modeling and experiments, we show that miktoarm star macromolecules act as molecular/mechanical linkers in the fabrication of multilayer stackable gels, which are formed by sequential controlled radical polymerization of successive layers in incompatible solvents. Dissipative particle dynamics simulations indicate that miktoarm star copolymers localize at the interface between the incompatible solvents and act as molecular bridging agents between the respective gel layers. Miktoarm stars composed of poly (n-butyl acrylate)-co-poly ((oligo (ethylene glycol) methacrylate) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and successfully used as an interfacial compatibilizer/linker in mechanically interconnected bilayer stacks comprised of a primary layer of cross-linked hydrophobic n-butyl methacrylate polymerized in toluene and of a secondary layer of cross-linked hydrophilic 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate polymerized in water. Without the miktoarm stars, no connection between the two layers could be obtained.
Methodological Rigor and Theoretical Foundations of CS Education Research

The problem of the lack of rigor in CS education research has frequently been discussed and examined. Previous reviews of the literature have examined rigor on both theoretical and methodological dimensions, among others. These reviews have also looked at differences in indicators of rigor between conference proceedings and journal publications. However, to date there is no comprehensive review that has examined the intersection of methodological and theoretical quality. This paper reports results from a literature review in which we analyzed both the use of theory and methodological rigor of four years of CS education research from the Computer Science Education (CSE) journal and the proceedings of the International Computing Education Research (ICER) conference. The goal was to provide an updated and expanded picture of the methodological quality and use of theory in the most rigorous CS education publications, as well as to compare between conference proceedings and journal publications on these dimensions. Our focus was on research that draws upon learning theory from education, psychology and other disciplines outside CS education. The results of our review show a different picture than earlier reviews. Focus on empirical results in conference proceedings articles has surpassed that of journal publications, and empirical studies are significantly more likely to make use of theory from outside CS education. Overall, our analysis shows a significant increase in the proportion of articles drawing on theory from outside CS education, compared to earlier literature reviews, whereas indicators of methodological quality show no such change.
Male genital self-mutilation: a systematic review of psychiatric disorders and psychosocial factors.

Abstract Objective To identify psychiatric diagnoses and psychosocial factors associated with intentional male genital self-mutilation (GSM) of specific injury subtypes. Methods A search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science and CINAHL for cases of GSM was conducted until December 2015, based on GSM and related terms. Cases were examined for injury subtype, psychiatric diagnosis and psychosocial factors. Chi-square analyses were employed to determine differences in frequency of such factors across injury subtypes. Results Data were obtained from 173 cases: genital mutilation ( n =21), penile amputation ( n =62), castration ( n =56) and combined amputation/castration ( n =34). Common psychiatric disorders included schizophrenia spectrum (49%), substance use (18.5%), personality (15.9%) and gender dysphoric disorders (15.3%). Chi-square analyses revealed that schizophrenia spectrum disorders occurred significantly more often among auto-amputates as compared with self-castrators or mutilators. Gender dysphoria occurred significantly more often among self-castrators than auto-amputates. No significant differences emerged regarding psychosocial factors across GSM subtypes. However, associations were observed between psychosocial factors and psychiatric diagnoses. Although altogether not commonly reported, experiential factors were reported in 82% of psychotic individuals. Treatment inaccessibility was noted among 71% of gender dysphorics engaging in auto-castration. Conclusion Clinicians must consider the diverse range of psychiatric disorders and psychosocial factors underlying GSM.
Pattern-based compressed phone sensing

This paper presents an unobtrusive, energy-efficient approach to human activity sensing through the intelligent scheduling of built-in sensors on mobile phones and light-weight compressed sensing. We refer to this framework as pattern-based compressed phone sensing (P-CPS) where two challenging issues are studied, the energy drainage issue due to continuous sensing which may impede the normal functionality of the mobile phones and the requirement of active user inputs for data collection that may place a high burden on the user. The proposed P-CPS framework consists of two stages - training stage and sensing stage. In the training stage, a Pattern Matrix (PM) is constructed and an adaptive sensing scheme is used to update the PM automatically in order to keep records of a user's activity occurrences. In the sensing stage, P-CPS incorporates a Gaussian mixture model-based activity modeling and the adaptive sensing scheme for sensing scheduling. Compressed sensing (CS) is applied during the activity signal acquisition process. P-CPS uses a sparse binary measurement matrix which results in only simple matrix additions at the mobile side for energy efficiency purpose. Experimental results on driving activity sensing show that P-CPS can have, on average, the sensing scheduling accuracy about 70% but with 62.86% less energy consumption as compared to the continuous sensing.
Sokolow et al. Respond

A response from the authors of the article "Impacts of urban water conservation strategies on energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and health: Southern California as a case study" which was published in a previous issue is presented.
Liquidus and phase equilibria in CaO−SiO 2 −5%MgO−20%Al 2 O 3 −TiO 2 system

The single hot thermocouple technique (SHTT) and high temperature equilibrium technique were combined to investigate the phase diagram of the CaO−SiO2−5%MgO−20%Al2O3−TiO2 system. The 1300 °C to 1500 °C liquidus lines are calculated according to the thermodynamic equations based on the pseudo-melting temperatures measured by the single hot thermocouple technique. The phase equilibria relationships are experimentally determined at 1400 °C using the high temperature equilibria technique followed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. The liquid phase(L), melilite solid solution phase ((C2MS2,C2AS)ss), diopside phase(CMS2) and perovskite phase (CaO·TiO2) are found. Coupled with the liquidus lines and equilibria results, the phase diagram is constructed for the specified region of the CaO−SiO2−5%MgO−20%Al2O3−TiO2 system.
DOES DISTANCE MATTER IN MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

Using a sample of mergers and acquisitions from 1985 to 2014, we examine the impact of proximity between target and acquirer as a measure of information asymmetry. We find geographic distance has a significant impact on acquisitions premiums and time to completion, conditional on the size of the target firm. Small targets receive lower premiums and have a faster time to completion the closer they are to their acquirer. Conversely, large targets have a slower time to deal completion the closer their proximity. We conclude geographic distance has a substantial impact on acquisitions.
Crisis, Leadership, and Extreme Contexts

Hannah et al. (Leaders Quart 20(6):897–919, 2009) survey and integrate a substantial multi-disciplinary and multi-discourse body of literature—one strand of which is literature on crisis and crisis management—to address the challenge of understanding (and potentially improving) leadership in extreme contexts. This article attempts to build on the foundations set out by Hannah et al. (Leaders Quart 20(6):897–919, 2009) by doing two things. First of all, it seeks to take a somewhat broader and deeper look at the evolving literature on crisis, crisis leadership, and crisis management in order to explore other aspects of possible relevance to the challenges identified by Hannah and his co-authors. Thus, the first objective is to examine the following question: To what extent is the literature on crisis, crisis leadership and crisis management (CM) relevant to improving understanding of the challenges of leadership in extreme conditions (LEC)? The second objective of the paper is to present some observations and reflections that might be helpful in further developing the LEC framework and research program. Core tasks of crisis leadership identified in the crisis literature (Boin et al. in The politics of crisis management: public leadership under pressure. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2005, 2017) such as preparing, sense-making, decision-making, meaning-making, and learning coincide to a considerable extent with, and draw on common or similar literature to, key themes in LEC. Furthermore, a number of other significant conceptual and empirical developments in the field of crisis studies are noted, suggesting additional potential avenues for enriching understanding—and broadening the applicability—of LEC.
Weak evidence for increased motivated forgetting of trauma-related words in dissociated or traumatised individuals in a directed forgetting experiment

Motivated forgetting is the idea that people can block out, or forget, upsetting or traumatic memories, because there is a motivation to do so. Some researchers have cited directed forgetting studies using trauma-related words as evidence for the theory of motivated forgetting of trauma. In the current article subjects used the list method directed forgetting paradigm with both trauma-related words and positive words. After one list of words was presented subjects were directed to forget the words previously learned, and they then received another list of words. Each list was a mix of positive and trauma-related words, and the lists were counterbalanced. Later, subjects recalled as many of the words as they could, including the ones they were told to forget. Based on the theory that motivated forgetting would lead to recall deficits of trauma-related material, we created eight hypotheses. High dissociators, trauma-exposed, sexual trauma-exposed, and high dissociators with trauma-exposure participants were hypothesised to show enhanced forgetting of trauma words. Results indicated only one of eight hypotheses was supported: those higher on dissociation and trauma recalled fewer trauma words in the to-be-forgotten condition, compared to those low on dissociation and trauma. These results provide weak support for differential motivated forgetting.
What determines international disaster coverage in the US news media

This study examined the influence of a variety of factors on the news coverage of international disasters occurring between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2013 in 10 representative US news outlets ...
Rural-Urban Differences in the Unemployment-Crime Relationship: The Case of Pennsylvania

This study analyzes the unemployment-crime (U-C) relationship in urban and rural Pennsylvania counties using a balanced panel data set over the period from 1990 to 2009. A two-way fixed effects model is estimated to account for unobserved county-specific and time-specific heterogeneity. The criminal opportunity and criminal motivation effects of unemployment on crime advanced by Cantor and Land are tested. The results suggest that there are rural-urban differences in the impacts of the covariates. Specifically, both statistically significant criminal opportunity and criminal motivation effects are present in urban counties. In contrast, rural counties fail to conform to U-C predictions. Oaxaca decomposition reveals that the unexplained portion of the rural-urban difference in the crime rate is 12%. The results provide support for addressing labor market conditions to complement traditional crime-fighting measures in urban settings.
Automated Cost Estimating System Using Neural Networks

This paper presents an automated cost estimating (ACE) system for low-rise structural steel buildings. ACE is developed and coded using Borland C++ 5.0 in a Windows '95 environment. An efficient us...
PSA AND PAP AS IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL MARKERS IN PROSTATE CANCER

This article describes the immunoreactivity of PSA and PAP in non-neoplastic and neoplastic prostate tissue. Listed are examples of cross reactivity of PSA and PAP in non-neoplastic and neoplastic tissue from other organs. The use of PSA and PAP to identify tumors of prostatic origin in different sites is also described. Finally, the diagnostic uses of immunohistochemistry for PSA and PAP in prostate biopsies and for prognostication are discussed.
CAPACITIVE DISCHARGE STUDIES

ABSTRACT Fibrillation and skin burns due to capacitive discharges were investigated in 3 mongrel dogs (40–50 kg) and 4 hogs (60–90 kg). All animals were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbitol. Potentials from 800 to 2500 volts were discharged from 10 to 100 microfarad capacitors. For all studies, a 40 × 60 cm steel plate was placed under the hind quarter of the animal as one terminal of the circuit. The other terminal was connected to stainless steel disk electrodes ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 cm diameter which were brought into contact with the chest over the heart and the fore limbs. In one dog and one hog, current applications were also made directly to the heart. For the burn studies, the electrodes were brought into contact with the opposite hind quarter. The current and voltage applied to the animal were measured using a Honeywell Model 1858 Visicorder. The EKG was observed using a GE Monitor. The circuit was triggered to supply the pulse during the p and t waves of the EKG to obtain maximum fibrillation susceptibility. In these and other studies in our laboratory, fibrillation has been routinely obtained with 0.4 A, 60 Hz, currents of 1–3 seconds duration. With capacitive discharge, no fibrillation was observed at up to 2500 V at 40 microfarads (μF). With application directly to the heart, 2200 V from a 22 μF capacitor produced fibrillation in a dog. The application of 1600 volts from a 100 μF capacitor caused fibrillation in the hog. The associated energy was 128 J. When electrodes of 2.5 cm diameter or less were used to discharge 1100 volts from 10–40 μF capacitors, second and third degree burns were observed under the electrode.
Preclinical studies of stress, extinction, and prefrontal cortex: intriguing leads and pressing questions.

Stress is associated with cognitive and emotional dysfunction, and increases risk for a variety of psychological disorders, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Prefrontal cortex is critical for executive function and emotion regulation, is a target for stress hormones, and is implicated in many stress-influenced psychological disorders. Extinction of conditioned fear provides an excellent model system for examining how stress-induced changes in corticolimbic structure and function are related to stress-induced changes in neural function and behavior, as the neural circuitry underlying this behavior is well characterized. This review examines how acute and chronic stress influences extinction and describes how stress alters the structure and function of the medial prefrontal cortex, a potential neural substrate for these effects. In addition, we identify important unanswered questions about how stress-induced change in prefrontal cortex may mediate extinction deficits and avenues for future research. A substantial body of work demonstrates deficits in extinction after either acute or chronic stress. A separate and substantial literature demonstrates stress-induced neuronal remodeling in medial prefrontal cortex, along with several key neurohormonal contributors to this remodeling, and there is substantial overlap in prefrontal mechanisms underlying extinction and the mechanisms implicated in stress-induced dysfunction of—and neuronal remodeling in—medial prefrontal cortex. However, data directly examining the contribution of changes in prefrontal structure and function to stress-induced extinction deficits is currently lacking. Understanding how stress influences extinction and its neural substrates as well as individual differences in this effect will elucidate potential avenues for novel interventions for stress-sensitive disorders characterized by deficits in extinction.
Optical and Visual Tracking of Artificial Satellites

Optical and Visual Tracking of Artificial Satellites. The visual and optical tracking of artificial satellites will be carried out by volunteer “Moonwatch” teams and by precision photographic stations in various parts of the world. The data when transmitted and analyzed by the computations center at Cambridge, Mass., should provide much useful geodetic, atmospheric, and astronomical information.
The impact of a kindergarten home counseling program.

Three matched groups of 12 disadvantaged, high ability students who had previously participated in a preschool program underwent differential kindergarten experiences. The variable producing both s...
Student meets author: Natalia Villarreal and Sayak Valencia

In this conversation, Natalia Villarreal and Dr Sayak Valencia Triana explore their shared experiences growing up on the US–Mexico border and analyze border violence through a feminist lens. Natali...
Patient and personnel factors affect operating room start times.

Abstract Background Perioperative efficiency has been studied, although little is known about patient and personnel factors associated with a timely operating room start. We hypothesize that patient, personnel factors, and induction-order decisions are associated with anesthesia induction time. Methods An institutional database was used to identify the anesthesia induction time of adults undergoing first-start, elective operations from January 2014 to May 2017 at an academic quaternary care center. Data included patient demographics; surgeon and anesthesiologist, as well as their seniority (years since initial board certification); certified registered nurse anesthetist versus anesthesia resident staffing; and use of neuraxial anesthesia. Times were measured as minutes from scheduled start to induction. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with induction time. Results We identified 15,823 cases. Predictors of later induction included add-on cases (1,224 cases were add-ons, 7.73%), American Society of Anesthesiologists classification ≥ 3, neuraxial anesthesia, and certified registered nurse anesthetist staffing. Surgeon seniority—but not gender—affected induction time. In 11,093 cases (70.1%), the anesthesiologist was scheduled for multiple first starts with a choice of which patient to induce first. Surgeon gender was predictive of induction order, with cases of male surgeons induced first more frequently than female surgeons’ (47.0% vs 44.1%, P = .02). Cases staffed by anesthesiology residents were more likely to be induced first compared with those staffed by certified registered nurse anesthetists (52.1% vs 41.5%, P Conclusion Patient and personnel factors affect the order of case induction, but induction time is most dependent on patient factors. Hospitals should focus on improving preparedness and limiting bias to create a more equitable and efficient perioperative process.
COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF CORONARY ARTERY CALCIUM TO GUIDE PCSK9 INHIBITOR THERAPY AMONG PATIENTS WITH FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, ASCVD risk is heterogeneous in individuals with FH and coronary artery calcium (CAC) can further risk stratify this population. Our objective was to determine the cost-
Does visual framing drive eye gaze behavior? The effects of visual framing of athletes in an increasingly visual social media world

Previous research on the effects of visual framing of athletes has inferred that photographic visual frames drive visual behavior by demonstrating that visual frames influence picture viewers’ eval...
Thyroid function of women of reproductive age in iodine sufficiency and iodine deficiency

Objective To study the effects of different level of iodine nutrition on the thyroid function in women of reproductive age. Methods A total of 100 (50 from each) women of reproductive age but not pregnant were collected from iodine deficient and adequate areas. The questionnaire was obtained individually with items concerning personal history of thyroid diseases, goiters and category of edible salt and drinking water based on the project design. The household salt and drinking water were collected for measuring iodine content, and blood samples were obtained for TSH, FT4 and FT3 testing. Results The coverage of iodized salt and the median level of urinary iodine in iodine deficient women(72.0% and 95.5 μg/L) were obviously lower than that in iodine sufficient women(100.0% and 167.4 μg/L, χ2=16.28, U = 632.00, P 0.05). Serum FT4 mean level in iodine deficient women [(14.7±2.0) pmol/L]was lower than that in iodine sufficient women[(17.0±3.8)pmoI/L, t=3.76, P 0.05]; but FT3/FT4 ratio in iodine deficient women(0.33±0.04) was markedly higher than that in the iodine sufficient women(0.30±0.04, t=3.13, P 0.05). Conclusions Iodine deficiency is a primary cause leading to hypothyroid in women of reproductive age. Long term of iodized salt usage is an efficient way to correct iodine deficiency. Key words: Iodine; Women; Thyroid
Integrative Genomic Analysis Reveals Four Protein Biomarkers for Platelet Traits.

Rationale: Mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet count (PLT) are platelet measures that have been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risk. Identifying protein biomarkers for the...
The relation between parent ratings and direct assessments of preschoolers’ numeracy skills

Abstract This study examines whether parent ratings of children's numeracy skills are more related to direct assessments of corresponding skills, broad numeracy, or other cognitive skills, to inform how to best utilize parent ratings in research. Children in the sample (N = 129) ranged from 3.07 to 5.95 years old and 52.3% were male. Most (81%) of the children were White. Parents rated their children's counting, arithmetic, and numeral identification skills. Children were directly assessed on these skills, broad numeracy, and other cognitive skills (i.e., expressive vocabulary, executive function). Parent ratings of children's numeracy abilities varied in terms of whether they were more related to directly assessed corresponding skills or broad numeracy abilities. Aggregated parent ratings predicted broad numeracy abilities more than other cognitive skills, providing evidence for discriminant validity. Findings inform how parent ratings may be used when children cannot be directly assessed, such as when large-scale parent surveys are used.
Gentiobiose and cellobiose content in fresh and fermenting cucumbers and utilization of such disaccharides by lactic acid bacteria in fermented cucumber juice medium

The content of cellobiose and gentiobiose, cellulose-derived dissacharides, in fresh and fermented cucumber was evaluated along with the ability of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus buchneri and Lactobacillus brevis to utilize them during and after fermentation. The disaccharide content in fresh and fermenting cucumbers was below the detection level (10 µM) using HPLC for analysis. Utilization of cellobiose and gentiobiose by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was tested in fermented cucumber juice medium (FCJM), a model system for the bioconversion and postfermentation lacking glucose and fructose. Changes in the fermentation metabolites were followed using HPLC and pH measurements as a function of time. The disaccharides were utilized by L. plantarum, L. pentosus, and L. buchneri in FCJM at pH 4.7 ± 0.1, representative of the active fermentation period, and converted to lactic acid. The disaccharides were not utilized in FCJM at pH 3.7 ± 0.1, representative of the end of fermentation. While L. brevis was unable to utilize cellobiose efficiently in FCJM, they were able to remove gentiobiose at pH 4.7 ± 0.1. Some strain level differences in cellobiose utilization were observed. It is concluded that the disaccharides are absent in the fresh cucumber and the typical fermentation. The LAB prevalent in the bioconversion utilizes cellobiose and gentiobiose, if available, at pH 4.7 ± 0.1. The LAB would not remove the disaccharides, which could become available from cellulose degradation by the acid resistant indigenous microbiota, after the pH is reduced to 3.7 ± 0.1.
"Why Couldn't I Go in To See Him?" Bereaved Families' Perceptions of End-of-Life Communication During COVID-19.

Background/objective The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in rapid changes to end-of-life care for hospitalized older adults and their families, including visitation restrictions. We examined bereaved families' perceptions of the quality of end-of-life communication among Veterans, families and staff in Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Qualitative descriptive study using data from a survey of bereaved family members of Veterans administered from March-June 2020. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Setting VA medical centers with the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases during the study period. Participants Next-of-kin of 328 Veterans who died in one of 37 VA medical centers' acute care, intensive care, nursing home, or hospice units. Measurements Open-ended survey questions (response rate = 37%) about family member's perceptions of: (1) communication with the healthcare team about the patient, (2) communication with the patient, and (3) use of remote communication technologies. Results Bereaved family members identified contextual factors perceived to impact communication quality including: allowing family at the bedside when death is imminent, fears that the patient died alone, and overall perceptions of VA care. Characteristics of perceived high-quality communication included staff availability for remote communication and being kept informed of the patient's condition and plan of care. Low-quality communication with staff was perceived to result from limited access to staff, insufficient updates regarding the patient's condition, and when the family member was not consulted about care decision-making. Communication quality with the patient was facilitated or impeded by the availability and use of video-enabled remote technologies. Conclusion Communication between patients, families, and healthcare teams at the end of life remains critically important during times of limited in-person visitation. Families report that low-quality communication causes profound distress that can affect the quality of dying and bereavement. Innovative strategies are needed to ensure that high-quality communication occurs despite pandemic-related visitation restrictions.
Robust Prediction of Patient-Specific Clinical Response to Unseen Drugs From in vitro Screens Using Context-aware Deconfounding Autoencoder

Accurate and robust prediction of patient-specific responses to drug treatments is critical for drug development and personalized medicine. However, patient data are often too scarce to train a generalized machine learning model. Although many methods have been developed to utilize cell line data, few of them can reliably predict individual patient clinical responses to new drugs due to data distribution shift and confounding factors. We develop a novel Context-aware Deconfounding Autoencoder (CODE-AE) that can extract common biological signals masked by context-specific patterns and confounding factors. Extensive studies demonstrate that CODE-AE effectively alleviates the out-of-distribution problem for the model generalization, significantly improves accuracy and robustness over state-of-the-art methods in both predicting patient-specific ex vivo and in vivo drug responses purely from in vitro screens and disentangling intrinsic biological signals from confounding factors. Using CODE-AE, we screened 50 drugs for 9,808 cancer patients and discovered novel personalized anti-cancer therapies and drug-response biomarkers. Contact: lxie@iscb.org
Practical Approaches to Clinical Trials in Non-muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

The randomized controlled trial is a relatively new method for assessing the efficacy of an intervention in the field of urology. Randomized controlled trials address inherent biases through allocation of concealment but are still subject to important biases and limitations. Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer trials include both adjuvant and non-adjuvant therapeutic trials which have unique outcomes and methodology. Here, we review important biases, endpoints, and aspects of clinical trial design in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer as well as explore the underpinnings of pivotal trials that changed management for this disease.
Some Observations on the Remarkable Career of Richard G. Cooke

My goal in this presentation is to highlight some of the many accomplishments that have marked Richard Cooke’s career over the last five decades. Richard arrived in Panama in 1969 as doctoral candidate at the Institute of Archaeology, London University. His 1972 dissertation displays many of the scholarly practices that served him well throughout his career: (1) an encyclopedic approach that considers the widest possible range of information available on his subject, (2) collaboration with specialists in analyzing field data and (3) his own careful analysis of artifacts, particularly ceramics. In the decade after finishing his dissertation, Richard excavated additional ceramic sites as well as preceramic and historic sites. Concerned that the excavation of isolated sites was not providing us with a comprehensive view of Central Panama prehistory, we initiated the Proyecto Santa Maria in the 1980s, a long term interdisciplinary project that provided an overview of subsistence and settlement in Central Pacific Panama over a 13,000 year period. With this framework in place, Richard turned to directing extensive excavations in various sites, most notably Cerro Juan Diaz. Along the way, Richard has contributed major scholarly publications on too many topics to mention here, established one of the best comparative faunal collections in tropical America, mentored numerous students from Latin America and beyond, informed the general public through publications and presentations about Isthmus-Colombian deep history and collaborated in productive ways with numerous other researchers; I count myself fortunate to be one of them.