cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reciprocal bicultural rating for cross- and subcultural comparisons.

Cross-cultural studies are of general interest to the behavioral scientist because of the opportunity to study the effects of various childrearing practices on personality. With our nation's worldwide involvement and a strong desire to understand and be accepted by other nations, cross-cultural studies have gained additional importance. Fortunately, the increasing geographical mobiliry of our citizens increases the feasibility of such studies. In the USA many participant observers were reared in foreign countries and later immigrated to the USA; many others were reared in the USA and have lived or are living in a foreign country, e.g., high school and college students participate in cultural exchange programs, businessmen conduct their affairs in foreign countries, armed service personnel are srationed abroad, and Peace Corps enrollees live up to 2 yr. in close working relationships with foreign people. Individuals who have been reared in one culture and lived in another are asked to compare the two culcures on a variety of topics. For instance, raters now living either in Germany or in the USA who have lived in both cultures may be asked to indicate in which of the two cultures a certain trait or practice is more prevalent. Thus, bicultural judgments on almost any topic relevant to one or both culmres may be obtained. If a third to a half of the bicultural raters were reared in one culture and the remaining raters were reared in the other culture, one obtains two sets of ratings, one being the reciprocal of the other. With these ratings, one may assess intergroup reliability by comparing the extent of agreement. The topics on which agreement is found can be assumed to be relatively free of cultural bias on the pact of the raters. The reciprocal bicultural method obviates translating rating instruments into another language and circumvents the need for standardizing these instruments in the other culture prior to collecting data. Using a survey questionnaire written entirely in English, Karr and Wesley (1965, 1966) found in a comparison of German and US childrearing practices a strong majority agreement by both sets of raters that US parents are more controlling in several key areas than German parents. Within our nation surveys are exploring the needs of our marginal, disconnected, disadvantaged population segments. Methodological problems similar to those found in cross-cultural surveys are observed because the middle-class white researcher often suffers from the same blind spots when devising a survey instrument to investigate minority groups within our culture as the cross-cultural researcher who has never lived in another culture. To use the reciprocal bicultural rater model to study a disadvantaged segment within one's culture, ratings are obtained from those who have moved out of the disadvantaged class into the more privileged mainstream and from those who have moved from the mainstream into the disadvantaged class. Help in formulating the survey instrument may be profitably
Characterization of low-frequency noise in the resistive switching of transition metal oxide HfO 2

Low-frequency noise measurements were performed on HfO${}_{2}$-based bipolar resistive switching memory devices. A 1/${f}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ DC noise power spectral density was observed with \ensuremath{\alpha} \ensuremath{\sim} 1 for a low resistance state and \ensuremath{\alpha} \ensuremath{\sim} 2 for a high resistance state. We developed an electron tunneling model to elucidate the conduction process, which showed that the 1/${f}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ behavior was due to the distribution of relaxation times of electron tunneling between the electrodes and the traps in the conducting filaments. The transition of the slope index \ensuremath{\alpha} from 1 to 2 at a certain cutoff frequency indicates that there is a tunneling gap formed between electrodes and the residual of the conductive filaments in the high resistance state.
Introduction to the model of hierarchical complexity.

This special issue presents a collection of papers based on the Model of Hierarchical Complexity, a non-mentalistic model of developmental stages. The model is different from previous proposals about developmental stage (e.g., Inhelder & Piaget, 1958). Instead of explaining behavior change across age as being due to the development of mental structures or schema, this model instead posits that task sequences form hierarchies that become increasingly complex. Because less complex tasks must be completed and practiced before more complex tasks can be acquired, this accounts for the developmental changes seen. Furthermore, previous theories of stage have confounded the stimulus and response in assessing stage by simply scoring responses and ignoring the task or stimulus. The Model of Hierarchical Complexity separates the task or stimulus from the performance. This short introduction to the special issue will describe this model in some detail, as each of the papers to follow will rely on it. Tasks One major basis for this developmental theory is task analysis. The study of ideal tasks, including their instantiation in the real world, has been the basis of the branch of stimulus control called Psychophysics. Tasks are defined as sequences of contingencies, each presenting stimuli and each requiring a behavior or a sequence of behaviors that must occur in some non-arbitrary fashion. In the present use of task analysis, the complexity of behaviors necessary to complete a task can be specified using the complexity definitions described below. One examines behavior with respect to the analytically known complexity of the task.
Hobbes's Doctrine of Method

A persistent problem in the interpretation of Hobbes's self-proclaimed founding of modern political science is the nature of the link between that political science and Hobbes's understanding of modern natural science and scientific method. The intention of this essay is to suggest that Hobbes's doctrine of method reveals the unity of his teaching about science, man, and politics. The unifying role of the doctrine of method can be understood only as a function of Hobbes's intention to reform what he saw as the previously defective relationship between practice and theory. In the light of this intention, the doctrine of method will be shown to consist in a new rhetoric which links the resolution of the human problem to the conquest of nature facilitated by the new science of nature. This rhetoric will be shown to be the substantial core of the doctrine of method itself.
Human umbilical vein endothelial cells display high-affinity c-kit receptors and produce a soluble form of the c-kit receptor

Stem cell factor (SCF) is a hematopoietic growth factor produced by fibroblasts and endothelial cells that stimulates the growth of primitive hematopoietic cells. SCF triggers cell growth by binding to the c-kit receptor. Because endothelial cells can respond to certain hematopoietic growth factors, we tested human umbilical vein endothelial cells for display of the c-kit receptor and examined the effect of SCF on endothelial cell proliferation, adhesion molecule expression, and production of tissue factor. Quantitative binding experiments with 125I-SCF showed both high-affinity (Kd = 42 pmol/L) and low-affinity (Kd = 1.7 nmol/L) c-kit receptors. There were approximately 1,100 high-affinity c-kit receptors, and 5,400 low-affinity c-kit receptors per endothelial cell. Enzyme immunoassays showed that endothelial cells released soluble c-kit receptor and SCF. The transmembrane form of SCF was detected by indirect immunofluorescence analysis using monoclonal or polyclonal anti-SCF receptor antibodies. The addition of SCF (100 ng/mL) did not alter endothelial cell proliferation over a 7-day period. Similarly, there was no change in the release of tissue factor or expression of inducible endothelial adhesion molecules (intercellular adhesion molecule-1, endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay at 4 and 24 hours after SCF addition. The neutralizing anti-c-kit receptor monoclonal antibody SR-1 blocked binding of 125I-SCF to the c-kit receptor by 98% but did not alter endothelial cell proliferation or adhesion-molecule expression. c-kit receptors were also detected on adult endothelial cells lining small blood vessels in normal human lymph nodes. These data indicate that normal human endothelial cells produce SCF and show high-affinity c-kit receptors that have the capacity to dimerize. The lack of response to exogenous SCF may be because of intracellular activation of the c-kit receptor via autocrine production of SCF. Alternatively, SCF and c-kit may play a role other than stimulation of proliferation, adhesion-molecule display, or tissue factor production by endothelial cells. The production of soluble c-kit receptors by normal human endothelial cells may serve to regulate the bioactivity of SCF within the bone marrow microenvironment.
Analysis on Antibody Levels of Influenza A (H1N1) among Healthy Population in Huairou District of Beijing

[Objective]To analyze and evaluate the antibody level of influenza A(H1N1) among healthy population in Huairou district of Beijing,provide scientific basis for prevention and control of Influenza A(H1N1).[Methods]Antibody was detected in 200 healthy people by hemagglutination inhibition test.[Results]The positive antibody was found in 109 people,and the positive rate was 54.5%.The lowest and highest antibody titer was 1 ∶10 and 1 ∶1280 respectively,and the average antibody titer was1 ∶39.Among different age groups,the antibody positive rate of people under 19 years old(85.94%) was the highest.The occupation distribution showed that middle school students had the highest antibody positive rate,which reached 90.00%.[Conclusion]The results showed that the antibody level of people under 19 years old was higher than that of other age groups,and the antibody level of students was higher than that of people with other occupations.The reason was theses people were concentrated in densely populated schools where some infectious diseases,especially respiratory infectious diseases easily spread.
Markov Chain analysis of noise and restart in stochastic local search

Stochastic local search (SLS) algorithms have proven to be very competitive in solving hard computational problems. This paper investigates the foundations of SLS algorithms. We develop a simple SLS algorithm, MarkovSLS, with three search operators: greedy, noise, and restart. The search operators are controlled by probability parameters, leading to soft (probabilistic) rather than hard (deterministic) restarts. We consider two special cases of the MarkovSLS algorithm: SoftSLS and AdaptiveSLS. In SoftSLS, the probability parameters are fixed, enabling analysis using standard homogeneous Markov chains. We study the interaction between the restart and noise parameters in Soft-SLS, and optimize them analytically in addition to the traditional empirical approach. Experimentally, we investigate the dependency of SoftSLS's performance on its noise and restart parameters, validating the analytical results. AdaptiveSLS dynamically adjusts its noise and restart parameters during search. Experimentally, on synthetic and feature selection problems, we compare AdaptiveSLS with other algorithms including an analytically optimized version of SoftSLS, and find that it performs well while not requiring prior knowledge of the search space.
Single-Molecule FRET Probes a Transient Complex that Facilitates Binding of an Intrinsically-Disordered Protein

Intrinsically-disordered proteins (IDPs) are unfolded at the native condition and fold only when attaching to their binding partners. Even though IDPs often undergo large conformational changes, which may slow the binding process, the binding kinetics are sometimes surprisingly fast, close to those of diffusion-controlled reactions. IDPs usually contain a large number of charged residues and theory predicts that the association can be facilitated by the formation of a transient complex (TC) stabilized by the electrostatic attraction between an IDP and its binding target. Although the modulation of the association rate by ionic strength of the solution has been observed for a number of IDPs, TC has not been directly probed during the course of binding. To experimentally investigate the role of TC in fast binding, we employed single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy that monitors the conformational evolution of an IDP from the unbound state to the bound complex. We studied binding of the transactivation domain (TAD) of the tumor suppressor protein p53 (negatively charged, −10) and the nuclear co-activator binding domain (NCBD) of CBP (positively charged, +6). The N- and C-termini of TAD were labeled with Alexa 647 and Alexa 488 site-specifically and molecules were immobilized on a glass surface using a biotin-neutravidin linkage to monitor binding to unlabeled NCBD in solution. Because of the fast binding kinetics, the bound state, TC, and unbound state could not be clearly resolved in binned trajectories. Instead of binning, we used the maximum likelihood method (Gopich and Szabo, JPCB(2009)) to analyze photon trajectories collected at high illumination intensity and to measure the binding kinetics (photon count rate of 50 - 100 ms−1) and the lifetime of TC (photon count rate of 500 - 1000 ms−1). We found that the association rate reaches ∼ 1 x 109 M−1s−1, which is close to the diffusion-limited rate, and the lifetime of TC is relatively long (∼100 microsecond) compared to the kinetics at low ionic strength (∼ 0.04 M). More importantly, both quantities decrease significantly with the increasing ionic strength, indicating that the destabilization of TC results in the slow association. This result demonstrates that the fast association of an IDP can be achieved by stabilizing TC through native/non-native electrostatic interactions, which would allow longer time for an IDP to interact with a target protein to fold and bind.
Randomized Trial of a Children's Book Versus Brochures for Safe Sleep Knowledge and Adherence in a High-Risk Population.

Abstract Objective Sleep-related infant deaths have plateaued in the past decade, disproportionately affecting low socioeconomic status (SES) families. Printed materials are widely used for anticipatory guidance, yet none for safe sleep has been studied. We tested the efficacy of a specially designed children's book compared to brochures for safe sleep knowledge and adherence, which we hypothesized would be greater due to superior readability and engagement. Methods This randomized controlled trial involved low-SES mothers (n = 282) enrolled in a home visiting program. Home visitors (n = 56) were randomly assigned to perform safe sleep teaching and assessments during 3 visits: third trimester, 1 week old, and 2 months old, exclusively utilizing a specially designed children's book or brochures, and surveys incorporating the American Academy of Pediatrics' safe sleep recommendations. Outcomes were safe sleep knowledge, adherence, and usefulness of materials, controlling for maternal health literacy. Results Safe sleep knowledge increased across all time points with no overall group difference, though gains for sleep-evocative and general health items varied. Odds of bed sharing were higher and exclusive crib use lower for the brochure group ( P Conclusions While a specially designed children's book and brochures were equally effective conveying aggregate safe sleep knowledge in low-SES mothers, adherence to exclusive crib use and avoiding bed sharing were greater in the book group, attributable to enhanced dialogue, readability and emotional engagement. Children's books are a promising mode of anticipatory guidance, warranting further investigation.
Similarity Search in Graph Databases: A Multi-Layered Indexing Approach

We consider in this paper the similarity search problem that retrieves relevant graphs from a graph database under the well-known graph edit distance (GED) constraint. Formally, given a graph database G = fg1, g2, …, gng and a query graph q, we aim to search the graph gi 2 G such that the graph edit distance between gi and q, GED(gi, q), is within a userspecified GED threshold. In spite of its theoretical significance and wide applicability, the GED-based similarity search problem is challenging in large graph databases due in particular to a large amount of GED computation incurred, which has proven to be NP-hard. In this paper, we propose a parameterized, partitionbased GED lower bound that can be instantiated into a series of tight lower bounds towards synergistically pruning false-positive graphs from G before costly GED computation is performed. We design an efficient, selectivity-aware algorithm to partition graphs of G into highly selective subgraphs. They are further incorporated in a cost-effective, multi-layered indexing structure, MLIndex (Multi-Layered Index), for GED lower bound crosschecking and false-positive graph filtering with theoretical performance guarantees. Experimental studies in real and synthetic graph databases validate the efficiency and effectiveness of ML-Index, which achieves up to an order of magnitude speedup over the state-of-the-art method for similarity search in graph databases.
Reimagining revolt: 1381, feminine authority, and the Wife of Bath

Although both are popular topics in medieval scholarship, the Wife of Bath and the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 have yet to be clearly linked. Connections are evident, however. Expanding on the work of Tom Shippey (1999), I examine bibliophobia within the Wife of Bath’s Prologue and its connection to the violence of 1381, which I read as bleeding into the tale, leading not only to mob violence but also to the usurpation of male authority. In both prologue and tale, I find evidence that Chaucer links feminine authority to violence in general, and to the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 in particular. I argue that Alisoun’s prologue and tale mobilize rising to ask provocative questions about gender and power in late fourteenth-century England.
Metabolism of N -Glycolylneuraminic Acid in Human and Nonhuman Cells, and Potential Relationships to Human Disease

N-Glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) is a sialic acid commonly found at the outermost position of glycan chains at the surface of most mammalian cells. The only known pathway for synthesis of Neu5Gc is the conversion of CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Ac) to CMP-Neu5Gc, catalyzed by the cytidine monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (Cmah). These CMP-activated sialic acids serve as precursors for glycan assembly in the Golgi apparatus. A degradative pathway to eliminate Neu5Gc and regulate Neu5Gc levels in mammalian cells involves enzymatic conversion of Neu5Gc to N-glycolylglucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcNGc-6P) via N-glycolylmannosamine (ManNGc) and GlcNGc. Irreversible de-N-glycolylation of GlcNGc6P generates the common cellular metabolites glucosamine-6-phosphate and glycolate and therewith eliminates the N-glycolyl group from sialic acid and amino sugar biosynthetic pathways. Humans lack endogenous Neu5Gc biosynthesis due to an inactivating deletion in the human CMAH gene. This has been confirmed by the absence of detectable Neu5Gc in the Cmah mouse model harboring the humanlike Cmah allele. However, humans incorporate exogenous Neu5Gc from animal-derived food products (primarily meats of mammalian origin) into endogenous cellular glycoconjugates despite a polyclonal anti-Neu5Gc antibody response, which makes Neu5Gc the first known “xeno-autoantigen” in humans. The metabolic pathways and potential implications for human disease are discussed.
Parody of John Dryden's SONG TO APOLLO in Jonathan Swift's A DESCRIPTION OF THE MORNING

When Jonathan Swift's poem “A Description of the Morning” first appeared in The Tatler no. 9 (April 30, 1709), emanating from Will's Coffee-house, it was accompanied by introductory remarks stating...
A 23-year-old male with intussusception caused by parasitic flatworm infection acquired by eating sushi

A 23-year-old male presented to our emergency department with symptoms of intermittent abdominal discomfort, cyclic vomiting, and decreased appetite. The patient had a history of recurrent flatworm infection without recent travel, but a history of often consuming undercooked seafood in the form of sushi. The patient was found to have small bowel intussusception on computed tomography. Intussusception is a rare diagnosis with a bimodal distribution favoring the pediatric population with an increase in incidence again among the elderly. The pathophysiology of the condition requires the presence of a “lead point” which is typically a tumor in the elderly patient, but there is no identified common cause of intussusception in the sporadic cases of intussusception in healthy young adults. Intussusception should be considered in young adults with cyclical abdominal pain, and consideration should be given to helminthic infection in those with endemic travel or raw food consumption. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Patient care, Medical knowledge.
Peripheral T-cell lymphoma mimicking classic Hodgkin's lymphoma in a patient presenting with fevers of unknown origin.

A 52-year-old man presented to our hospital for further workup of fever of unknown origin after an extensive workup at an outside hospital had failed to reveal a diagnosis. At the outside hospital, he underwent excisional biopsy of the left supraclavicular lymph node, which showed non-necrotising granulomatous changes, and a bone marrow biopsy which showed a normocellular marrow. He was discharged without a diagnosis with recommendations to present to a tertiary hospital. During his admission, his hospital course was complicated by new direct hyperbilirubinaemia and eosinophilia, prompting liver and skin biopsies which showed CD30+ and CD3+ cells. He subsequently underwent left axillary lymph node biopsy, which was reported as ‘classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma’. With worsening lab values and T cells noted on liver and skin biopsies, excisional lymph node biopsy was sent to the National Institute of Health, where it was confirmed patient had peripheral T cell lymphoma.
Quality Versus Quantity: The Potential Impact of Public Reporting of Hospital Safety for Complex Cancer Surgery.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the potential mortality reduction if patients chose the safest hospitals for complex cancer surgery. BACKGROUND Mortality after complex oncologic surgery is highly variable across hospitals, and directing patients away from unsafe hospitals could potentially improve survivorship. Hospital quality measures are becoming increasingly accessible at a time when patients are more engaged in choosing providers. It is currently unclear what information to share with patients to maximally capitalize on patient-centered realignment. METHODS The National Cancer Database was queried for adults undergoing 5 complex cancer surgeries (pulmonary lobectomy, pneumonectomy, esophagectomy, gastrectomy, and colectomy) for a primary cancer between 2008 and 2012. Risk-standardized mortality rate (RSMR) methodology, currently used by Medicare-based hospital rating systems, was used to classify hospitals as "safest" and "least safe" by procedure. Patients were modeled moving from "least safe" to "safest" hospitals and the potential number of lives saved through patient realignment determined. As surgical volume has historically been used to distinguish safe hospitals, comparisons were made to models moving patients from low-volume to high-volume hospitals. RESULTS A total of 292,040 patients were analyzed. In an optimally modeled scenario, realignment using RSMR would result in a greater number of lives saved (3592 vs 2161, P < 0.01) and require only 15 patients to change hospitals to save a life, compared to 78 patients using volume models (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Public reporting of hospital safety, specifically based on RSMR instead of volume, has the potential to lead to meaningful reductions in surgical mortality after complex cancer surgery, even in the setting of a modest patient realignment.
Transforaminal Endoscopic Decompression in the Setting of Lateral Lumbar Spondylolisthesis.

Background Lateral subluxation of the vertebra is commonly seen in degenerative lumbar scoliosis. Transforaminal endoscopic spine surgery is an emerging technique in spine surgery but has never been described as a treatment option for lumbar radiculopathy in the setting of lateral lumbar spondylolisthesis. Methods A technique for endoscopic treatment of lumbar disc herniation in the setting of lateral spondylolisthesis is presented. We retrospectively reviewed 199 cases of patients who underwent transforaminal endoscopic surgery in a 3-year period with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Results Between 2014 and 2017, 4 patients (average age, 74.8 years; range, 69–82 years) underwent transforaminal endoscopic discectomy procedures for disc herniations at the level of lateral subluxation. One patient whose lateral subluxation was above an instrumented fusion required an extension of fusion to the operated level 5 months after endoscopic surgery for a reherniation. For the other 3 patients, mean visual analog scale score for radicular pain improved from an average pain score of 8.3 before surgery to 3.0 1 year after surgery, and Oswestry Disability Index improved from 26.7 to 4.7. Conclusions Transforaminal endoscopic surgery for lumbar disc herniation in the setting of lateral subluxation of vertebral bodies is a unique minimally invasive approach for treatment of lumbar radiculopathy that might be considered as an alternative treatment to deformity correction surgery in older patients.
Immunolocalization of the retinoblastoma protein in the human eye and in retinoblastoma.

PURPOSE: To determine whether, by employing recent advances in immunocytochemical technique, it is possible to identify reliably the product of the retinoblastoma (RB) susceptibility gene, p110RB1, in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded eyes with commercially available primary antibodies. If so, the authors sought to determine the distribution of p110RB1 in normal human eyes and retinoblastomas in hopes of better understanding its function. METHODS: Four antibodies to p110RB1 were tested on normal human and monkey eyes, as well as on six human retinoblastomas. The human tissue was formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded. Free antigen was used for an absorbed control. The monkey eye had been injected with tritiated (H3) thymidine 24 hours before enucleation. RESULTS: Three of the four antibodies had acceptable reactivity (a polyclonal against the carboxyl-terminal epitope and two monoclonals against epitopes near the amino-terminus). Staining was confined to nucleated cells of the normal eyes and was strongest in the cycling cells of the lenticular and corneal epithelia. Somewhat weaker reactivity was seen in those corneal epithelial cells in S phase as determined by autoradiography for H3-thymidine. Of the six retinoblastomas, three had strong nuclear and cytoplasmic staining and one showed weaker staining in the tumor cells than in the adjacent vascular endothelial cells. Two of the tumors had positive cytoplasmic and negative nuclear staining with an amino-terminal antibody but were completely negative for carboxyl-terminal p110RB1 reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: Using appropriate immunocytochemical techniques, p110RB1 can be identified in paraffin-embedded tissues with commercially available antibodies. The observed staining pattern in retinoblastoma suggests that RB1 transcripts are commonly produced in the tumor cells and that they are sometimes, but not always, capable of nuclear binding. Thus, nuclear binding by the RB1 gene product per se is not sufficient to prevent tumor growth, nor does it indicate the presence of a normal transcript.
Hypercorticolism and Cushing's Syndrome

Pathological hypercortisolism or Cushing's syndrome is the state that results from prolonged exposure of tissues to an excess of glucocorticoids. Harvey Cushing's description of the pituitary form of the disease at the beginning of the 20th century set the basis for our current classification of the disease into adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent and ACTH-independent forms.
Studies on isolated cell components: VIII. High resolution gradient differential centrifugation

Abstract A number of artefacts which prevent ideal sedimentation have been found during the centrifugation of rat liver breis. These include hydrodynamic effects which cause local areas containing a number of large particles to move as a unit dragging along associated smaller particles, turnover effects at density boundaries, convection currents due to heat and mechanical agitation, and wall effects. Both breis and suspensions of red cells have been used in these studies. A separation approaching the ideal is obtained by the use of more dilute breis, careful layering over a continuous density gradient sufficiently steep to prevent the anomalies mentioned, and a rigid adherence to a gradual acceleration and deceleration schedule. Gradients of known characteristics are produced by a mechanical gradient engine. A stroboscopic illumination system has been devised for studying the behavior of layered systems in a refrigerated centrifuge having an observation port. A speed-versus-time recording system allows integration of the centrifuging done. Speeds are accurately measured to 0.02 per cent. New sector-shaped centrifuge tubes which minimize wall effects and a sliding device for recovering all levels of the gradient from the tube after centrifugation are described. Breis may now be quantitatively fractionated in one or two steps.
Neurotransmitter Receptor Changes in the Hippocampus and Cerebral Cortex in Normal Aging

As humans grow older, they all experience changes in their basic physiological systems. Although some of these changes can be debilitating or fatal, the quality of life during aging depends to a great extent on the functional status of the central nervous system. Over the past three decades, increasingly well-controlled and well-documented studies in humans and experimental animals have shown a variety of cognitive changes, including impairments in both memory and executive system function. In contrast to age-related dementias like Alzheimer’s disease, these impairments are relatively mild, though they increase in severity with age and can become quite troublesome (see Moss and Albert, this volume). It seems likely that these changes in cognitive function result from changes localized in the cerebral cortex (including the hippocampal formation and other parts of the limbic system) or related parts of the forebrain (thalamus, basal ganglia, amygdala, basal fore-brain). Investigations of the forebrain in both aged humans and experimental animals have uncovered a variety of age-related biological changes, including the appearance of amyloid plaques (e.g. Selkoe et al., 1987), loss of neurons (e.g. Brody, 1955; Brizzee et al., 1980), loss of myelin (e.g., Kemper, 1994), loss of synapses (e.g. Geinisman et al., 1992), decreases in neurotransmitter levels (e.g. Wenk et al., 1989), loss of neurotransmitter receptors (e.g. Wagster et al., 1990), alterations in mitochondrial energy metabolism (e.g. Wallace, 1995), and changes in neuro-physiological responsivity (e.g. Barnes, 1994; Tanila et al., 1997).
On the Behavior Patterns of Cyclones and Anticyclones as Related to Zonal Index

A statistical study of the variations in the frequency patterns of cyclone and anticyclone centers with respect to the zonal index is described. The results indicate significant variations, especially over the oceans, in the ratio of the frequency of cyclone and anticyclone centers during high-index months to the frequency during low-index months.
Norovirus interactions with the commensal microbiota

Human norovirus (HNoV) is the leading cause of epidemic nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, causing an acute diarrheal infection and occasionally chronic infection in immunocompromised individuals. Mouse and tissue culture models utilizing murine norovirus (MNoV) have allowed for interrogation of viral mechanisms of infection and pathogenesis. Here, we outline the interactions between the commensal microbiota of the intestine and norovirus and their implications (Fig 1). Open in a separate window Fig 1 Norovirus pathogenesis is affected by many factors in the enteric environment. a) The presence of commensal bacteria allows for efficient MNoV infection, with tuft cells being one rare cell population infected. b) Absence of commensal bacteria reduces MNoV titers by depleting tuft cell populations and potentially altering innate immune responses during persistent MNoV infection. c) Binding of HNoV to HBGA-positive enteric bacteria has been found to facilitate infection of B cells. d) Sialic acid moieties on the cell surface have been found to act as coreceptors for MNoV infection of macrophages, while bile acids have been found to be important for the establishment of HNoV infection of enterocytes. e) MNoV infection has been found to trigger the expression of IFN-λ in infected cells, up-regulating interferon simulated genes that restrict viral replication and subsequent spread of infection—the mechanism of this process has yet to be characterized, but commensals are believed to play a major regulatory role. HBGA, histo-blood group antigen; HNoV, human norovirus; IFN-λ, interferon lambda; MNoV, murine norovirus.
Conclusions: Global Space and Urban Sustainability

This final chapter recapitulates the main ideas of the book and assesses the limitations of the arguments on offer. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of a possible research agenda going forward, particularly as this agenda involves a comparative urban studies program increasingly sensitive to the shared geopolitics of environmentalism. Such as program should consider discontent with green policies that are linked discursively to elite actors putatively hostile to industry, nationalism, working-class lives, and “local” democracy, but which arguably now constitute a (once unexpected) part of what Brauch et al. (in: Brauch et al. (eds) Coping with global environmental change, disasters and security, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2011) have called the “political geoecologies” of the Anthropocene. Here again, and for the final time, the chapter reconsiders how the “abrading and imposition” of different world orders are co-shaping the contemporary interplay between cities, states, and global environmental politics.
Evolution of Communal Roosting: A Social Refuge-Territory Prospecting Hypothesis

Avian communal roosts provide insight into evolution and serve as focal points for conservation. Nonbreeding Crested Caracaras (Caracara cheriway; hereafter caracaras) use communal roosts, but evolutionary implications have not been explored. Though nonbreeding caracaras are nonmigratory, the scientific literature fails to explain seasonal differences in their movement and survival concurrent with seasonal consistency in their habitat and social ecology. In the Social Refuge–Territory Prospecting hypothesis we propose, socially subordinate nonbreeding caracaras precluded from breeding by habitat limitation use communal roosts as social refuges to avoid aggression from dominant territory holders during nonbreeding seasons, and engage in territory prospecting during breeding seasons. Communal roosts thus become central places from which to forage not for food, but for a breeding territory. Because foraging gains are stored as remembered information, competition costs resulting from public information are preempted. For the Social Refuge–Territory Prospecting hypothesis to be valid, two criteria need to be met. First, communal roost use needs to be higher during nonbreeding seasons. Second, a measure of fitness needs to be used to evaluate the hypothesis as an evolutionarily stable strategy. To meet these criteria, in this study we report that numbers of nonbreeding caracaras using a communal roost in Florida are higher during nonbreeding seasons (mean = 111.8 individuals / night) than during breeding seasons (mean = 60.7 individuals / night) as counted from August 2006–April 2009 (n = 407 counts). We also compare differential survival by season from previous work to demonstrate that by limiting exploratory movements to times when prospecting is most informative, nonbreeding caracaras balance maximizing survival against the likelihood of securing a breeding territory. Our hypothesis provides a unifying explanation for otherwise unexplained paradoxes in the ecology of nonbreeding caracaras, and may be useful in guiding conservation and expanding our understanding of the ecology of other communally roosting birds.
IMPAIRED MYOCARDIAL FLOW RESERVE AND LEFT VENTRICULAR REMODELING IN AORTIC STENOSIS

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) has been implicated in maladaptive left ventricular (LV) remodeling in aortic stenosis (AS). In a retrospective cohort of control patients and patients with aortic sclerosis or stenosis with normal perfusion on rest/stress 82Rubidium PET and LV ejection
Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction: Clinical Considerations and Noninvasive Diagnosis

Chest pain in patients without obstructive coronary artery disease has been realized as a frequent problem encountered in clinical practice. Invasive flow investigations have suggested that up to two-thirds of patients with nonobstructive coronary atherosclerosis may have microvascular dysfunction (MVD). Positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging in conjunction with tracer-kinetic modeling enables the concurrent quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) in milliliters per minute per gram of tissue. This allows the assessment of hyperemic MBFs and myocardial flow reserve for the noninvasive identification and characterization of MVD as an important functional substrate for angina symptoms amenable to intensified and individualized medical intervention with nitrates, calcium-channel blockers, statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and/or angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers. Recent investigations suggest that cardiac magnetic resonance and computed tomography may also be suitable for the noninvasive detection of MVD. Whether intensified and individualized treatment related improvement or even normalization of hyperemic MBF and/or myocardial flow reserve may lead to a persistent reduction in angina symptoms and/or improved cardiovascular outcome as compared to standard care, deserves further testing in large-scale randomized clinical trials.
Simulation Curriculum Development, Integration, and Operations

Curriculum development is a daunting task due to the complexity of regulation, requests, design, execution, and evaluation. The Healthcare Simulation Technology Specialist (HSTS) should be familiar with the concept, process, and relational role of curriculum development in order to integrate simulation design and execute simulations to fulfill the overall mission and vision of their programs. This chapter explores common components of curriculum development, provides an introduction to pertinent educational concepts, and provides a framework for operationalizing simulation programs to achieve course and program outcomes.
Corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) - A value added functional material for wood composites

Abstract Corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is widely marketed as a livestock feed due to its high protein content of 34%, fat content of 10%, and low cost of 8–13 cents per kilogram. In recent years, DDGS has been used as a multifunctional filler in synthetic resin bonded wood particleboards to improve their physical and mechanical properties where the adhesive properties of DDGS is derived from its hydrophobic zein proteins. The objective of this research was to evaluate if the high value proteins derived from sodium hydroxide and acetic acid treated DDGS can be functionalized as a natural binder in wood particleboard manufacturing by eliminating the use of harmful formaldehyde resins. Several formulations of particleboard were hot pressed using various concentrations of acid and alkali treatments, DDGS filler contents of 10, 25 and 50 wt.%, and DDGS particle sizes of 120 and 250 μm. ASTM D1037-12 standard was adapted to evaluate the particleboard properties. Superior flexural strengths of particleboards occurred at press temperature of 190°C. The acetic acid treated particleboards at higher DDGS concentrations exhibited better water resistance properties. Test results showed that the mean internal bond strengths exceeded the minimum requirement of ANSI A208.1–2009. FTIR results showed that the decoupling of proteins was achieved by acid or alkali treatment. These positive outcomes suggest that DDGS has strong potential to act as a natural adhesive for manufacturing medium-density particleboards.
Heterotopic ossification: radiological and pathological review

Background Heterotopic Ossification (HO) is a common condition referring to ectopic bone formation in soft tissues. It has two major etiologies, acquired (more common) and genetic. The acquired form is closely related to tissue trauma. The exact pathogenesis of this disease remains unclear; however, there is ongoing research in prophylactic and therapeutic treatments that is promising. Conclusions Due to HO potential to cause disability, it is so important to differentiate it from other causes in order to establish the best possible management.
Psychologically Resilient, but Physically Vulnerable? Exploring the Psychosocial Determinants of African American Women’s Mental and Physical Health:

Integrating the intersectionality framework and stress theory, this study identifies the stressors and psychosocial resources contributing to the physical and psychological health status of African...
Chapter 16 – Growth Factors

Tissue remodeling is an essential process in the maintenance and survival of all organisms throughout life. Tissue remodeling occurs throughout the entire span of injury, repair and wound healing. Early studies clarified the sequence and time course of appearance of different cell types and their changing phenotypes in healing wounds. However, the mechanisms that regulate the tissue remodeling that constitutes the wound healing process remain incompletely understood. An essential component of the regulatory processes that drive tissue remodeling includes the different growth factors and the cytokines that dictate cell type and tissue specificity of responses that drive tissue remodeling. The regulation of their gene expression is the critical component that establishes the timing and sequence of appearance of the tissue remodeling that leads to the healed wound. Coordination of these properties effectively defines the wound healing process. Remarkable progress over the past few years has resulted from the identification, isolation, cloning, and characterization of the properties of growth factors and cytokines and their use in wound healing models. The most important lesson learned from their use appears to be that the growth factors and cytokines are important in initiating and accelerating the normal processes involved from injury to repair. The growth factors are the ‘trigger’ that opens sequential activation of downstream pathways of critical importance to the progressive tissue remodeling that leads to the healed wound.
How State Responses to Economic Crisis Shape Income Inequality and Financial Well-Being:

This study examines how state government responses to economic crisis, in the form of unexpected changes in state fiscal policy, influence income inequality. State governments are vital actors in t...
Dual Antiplatelet Therapy for Long-term Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Events.

ABSTRACT Purpose Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor is currently recommended to prevent further ischemic events after percutaneous coronary intervention and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Guidelines currently recommend a minimum of 6 months after elective drug-eluting stent placement and at least 12 months of DAPT after ACS; however, the benefits of prolonged treatment are unclear. The purpose of this review was to conduct a detailed examination of the data refuting or supporting the use of DAPT beyond 1 year in patients with ACS and in patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting. Methods A search of PubMed was performed to identify articles published in the last 20 years that addressed the role of DAPT beyond 12 months’ duration. Findings A number of studies have shown ischemic benefits associated with prolonging DAPT beyond 12 months, but this finding is dependent on the patient population studied and the quality of the study design. Many studies also show that longer duration therapy has been associated with increased bleeding risk. In patients with previous myocardial infarction completing at least 1 year of DAPT, continuing DAPT with a reduced dose of ticagrelor 60 mg BID is a regimen to be considered for these patients; in general ACS patients, a reduced dose of 60 mg BID of ticagrelor after the first year of DAPT should be considered; and in the post–percutaneous coronary intervention patients, DAPT beyond 1 year should be considered after careful evaluation of the patient's thrombotic and bleeding risks. Implications The duration of DAPT, and the choice of P2Y12 inhibitor, should be tailored to the individual patient. To optimize patient outcomes, the benefits and risks associated with prolonging DAPT need to be evaluated, considering comorbidities and the presence of bleeding and ischemic risk factors. Despite some limitations, risk scores, such as the DAPT score, are available to help guide decisions for the best approach for each patient.
Target Estimation and Adjustment Weighting for Survey Nonresponse and Sampling Bias

We elaborate a general workflow of weighting-based survey inference, decomposing it into two main tasks. The first is the estimation of population targets from one or more sources of auxiliary information. The second is the construction of weights that calibrate the survey sample to the population targets. We emphasize that these tasks are predicated on models of the measurement, sampling, and nonresponse process whose assumptions cannot be fully tested. After describing this workflow in abstract terms, we then describe in detail how it can be applied to the analysis of historical and contemporary opinion polls. We also discuss extensions of the basic workflow, particularly inference for causal quantities and multilevel regression and poststratification.
An embedded EBP project: Effect on student nurses’ practice, attitude, and knowledge

Abstract Introduction Evidence-based practice (EBP) uses theory-derived and research-backed information to assist healthcare providers in making optimal decisions in patient care. Integration of EBP occurs throughout nursing curricula. The expectation is that once a licensed registered nurse, these types of practices will be incorporated into daily care. However, oftentimes nurses do not adhere to best practices. The purpose of this project was to gain an understanding on the impact of an embedded EBP project in an undergraduate nursing research course. Method The Student EBP Questionnaire (S-EBPQ©) was administered to a sample of 56 nursing students using a pre-/postquestionnaire design. Results Total mean score in the pre-/postquestionnaire phase of the study was 4.49 ± 0.83 and 5.40± 0.70. In the area of frequency of use, the mean score in the pre-/postquestionnaire phase was 0.56 ± 0.16 and 0.73 ± 015. The mean score for attitude for the pre-/postquestionnaire phase was 0.59 ± 0.08 and 0.85 ± 0.14. For level of retrieving/reviewing evidence the mean score for the pre-/postquestionnaire phase was 0.58 ± 0.16 and 0.75 ± 0.12. For the level of sharing and applying EBP the mean score for the pre-/postquestionnaire phase was 0.64 ± 0.15 and 0.78 ± 0.13. Discussion Student participation in EBP using an EBP project was shown to be an effective tool to engage students and improve practice, attitude, and knowledge related to EBP.