cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Traveling Vision Examiner Program in the Submacular Surgery Trials Pilot Study

Purpose: To describe methods and results and to assess the value of a Traveling Vision Examiner (TVE) Program designed to provide masked vision measurements by expert vision examiners who were independent of, and traveled to, local clinical centers. Methods: The Submacular Surgery Trials (SST) Pilot Study was conducted to refine the design and methods for a set of multicenter, randomized clinical trials to evaluate submacular surgery in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or ocular histoplasmosis (OHS), or idiopathic CNV in which the primary study outcome would be change in 2-year best-corrected vision from baseline. As part of the SST Pilot Study, the feasibility and value of a TVE Program was assessed. The goal of the program was to obtain unbiased vision measurements, according to a standard protocol, of best-corrected visual acuity, reading speed, and contrast threshold, of each patient at 2 and 4 years after enrollment. Results: Eig...
The Cholinergic Synapse and the Site of Memory

The idea that learning and memory are due to some form of change of synaptic conductance is very old, having been suggested by Tanzi in 1893. It is a simple idea and in many ways an obvious one. However, the evidence that learning is due to changes at the synapse has hitherto been meager (Eccles, 1961, 1964; Spencer and Wigdor, 1965; Beswick and Conroy, 1965; Fentress and Doty, 1966). Though changes do occur at a spinal synapse as a result of stimulation, there is no evidence that the changes are those utilized in the nervous system for information storage. To use an analogy, if we pass large amounts of current across resistors in a computer, temporary increases in temperature and perhaps even permanent increases in resistance occur. However, such an experiment shows only that the computer could store information by using “post-stimulation” alterations in its resistors but not that this is the actual way in which the computer does store information. Further, Sharpless (1964) has pointed out that learning is not due to simple use of stimulation of a pathway and he therefore questions whether the phenomena studied by Eccles (1961, 1964) have anything to do with learning as observed in the intact organism. Nevertheless this does not mean that learning is not due to synaptic changes of some sort. It means only that a different experimental test of the possibility must be devised.
Axonal transport of neurotrophins by visceral afferent and efferent neurons of the vagus nerve of the rat

The receptor-mediated axonal transport of [125I]-labeled neurotrophins by afferent and efferent neurons of the vagus nerve was determined to predict the responsiveness of these neurons to neurotrophins in vivo. [125I]-labeled neurotrophins were administered to the proximal stump of the transected cervical vagus nerve of adult rats. Vagal afferent neurons retrogradely transported [125I]neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), [125I]nerve growth factor (NGF), and [125I]neurotrophin-4 (NT-4) to perikarya in the ipsilateral nodose ganglion, and transganglionically transported [125I]NT-3, [125I]NGF, and [125I]NT-4 to the central terminal field, the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Vagal afferent neurons showed minimal accumulation of [125I]brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In contrast, efferent (parasympathetic and motor) neurons located in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and nucleus ambiguus retrogradely transported [125I]BDNF, [125I]NT-3, and [125I]NT-4, but not [125I]NGF. The receptor specificity of neurotrophin transport was examined by applying [125I]-labeled neurotrophins with an excess of unlabeled neurotrophins. The retrograde transport of [125I]NT-3 to the nodose ganglion was reduced by NT-3 and by NGF, and the transport of [125I]NGF was reduced only by NGF, whereas the transport of [125I]NT-4 was significantly reduced by each of the neurotrophins. The competition profiles for the transport of NT-3 and NGF are consistent with the presence of TrkA and TrkC and the absence of TrkB in the nodose ganglion, whereas the profile for NT-4 suggests a p75 receptor-mediated transport mechanism. The transport profiles of neurotrophins by efferent vagal neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and nucleus ambiguus are consistent with the presence of TrkB and TrkC, but not TrkA, in these nuclei. These observations describe the unique receptor-mediated axonal transport of neurotrophins in adult vagal afferent and efferent neurons and thus serve as a template to discern the role of specific neurotrophins in the functions of these visceral sensory and motor neurons in vivo.
Pneumonia in the developed world.

The definition of pneumonia is controversial. A broader term, lower respiratory infection (LRI), is therefore a commonly used alternative. This discussion will use the definition offered by McIntosh: fever, acute respiratory symptoms, and radiographic evidence of parenchymal infiltrates. Pneumonia is a highly prevalent disease in childhood. Statistics from the western world suggest an annual incidence of 3–4% of the pediatric population below age 5, a substantially higher incidence than in adults. It is a fundamentally different disease when compared to developing countries, where the incidence, severity and mortality among children are significantly higher. This discussion will address only childhood pneumonia in the developed world, and exclude neonatal pneumonia. The clinician faced with the decision to treat pneumonia can be aided by demographic information such as the age of the patient and epidemiologic data. The relative frequency of organisms in a certain geographic area and its seasonality is often helpful. When faced with the individual patient, many clinicians use neutrophil count, C-reactive protein, or erythrocyte sedimentation rate as an aide in decisionmaking. None of these markers alone or in combination has been shown to be sensitive or specific in distinguishing bacterial from viral infections. When a bacterial etiology is suspected, blood culture may be informative, though the
Analysis of a nonparametric blind equalizer for discrete-valued signals

An investigation is carried out to identify the variables that may affect the numerical properties of an inverse filtering method of blind equalization for linear channels with discrete input. The analysis is under a nonparametric framework in which all coefficients of the inverse filter (equalizer) can be freely chosen. It reveals, in particular, that the filter length plays two contradictory roles-increasing the length always helps improve the accuracy of inverse filtering, but when the filter is too long, the numerical properties of the method may deteriorate. Other influential variables include the constellation and (possibly time-varying) probability distribution of the input signals. The method is also shown to be highly efficient for nonparametric channel estimation, as was shown for estimating parametric channels. Simulations are carried out to verify the analytical findings concerning the numerical properties.
Identification of a Novel 81-kDa Component of the Xenopus Origin Recognition Complex

The Xenopus origin recognition complex is essential for chromosomal DNA replication in cell-free extracts. We have immunopurified the Xenopus origin recognition complex with anti-Xorc2 antibodies and analyzed its composition and properties. Xorc2 (p63) is specifically associated with Xorc1 (p115) and up to four additional polypeptides (p81, p78, p45, and p40). The cDNA encoding p81 is highly homologous to various expressed sequence tags from humans and mice encoding a protein of previously unknown function. Immunodepletion of p81 from Xenopus egg extracts, which also results in the removal of Xorc2, completely abolishes chromosomal DNA replication. Thus, p81 appears to play a crucial role at S phase in higher eukaryotes.
On-chip ESD protection for RF I/Os: devices, circuits and models

ESD protection circuits load RF I/O pads. The negative effect on RF performance can be limited by careful construction and layout of the protection devices. The cancellation technique extends the range of frequencies for which the protection circuit has an acceptably small effect on RF performance.
High Energy Density Physics with Terawatt and Petawatt Class Lasers

Summary form only given. The proliferation of 100-TW class ultrashort pulse lasers and the near completion of a number of petawatt class lasers world wide is opening a wide frontier in laser science. The applications of these lasers now span fields ranging from plasma physics to medicine. One of the new frontiers opened by these lasers is in high energy-density (HED) science. A multi-TW laser can create heated matter at temperature up to many keV at density reaching up to and beyond that of a solid. This capability now makes possible detailed study of an array of exotic physics, including Gbar pressures in heated solids, radiative hydrodynamics and nuclear fusion. Lasers with powers of a PW or more will make possible study of even more extreme conditions, including relativistic plasmas. This entire class of hot dense matter is interesting in its own right, but is also of great interest for the applications it opens, such as the ability to make bright sources of energetic particles (protons, neutrons, electrons and gammas) or the possibility to access astrophysically relevant conditions. In this talk I will review some of the recent advances in high energy density science made using high intensity short pulse lasers with illustrative examples from work performed in my group. I will also conjecture on some of the future directions in HED science that can be exploited with the latest petawatt laser technology.
Role of interleukin-6 in the anemia of chronic disease.

Objectives To review evidence supporting the involvement of interleukin-6 in the pathophysiology of anemia of chronic disease, to discuss the possible molecular mechanisms driving this condition in patients with end-stage renal disease and rheumatoid arthritis, and to review clinical manifestations in these patients. Methods A literature search was performed using MEDLINE and the reference lists of relevant review articles. The following key words were used in the MEDLINE search: interleukin-6, “anemia of chronic disease” OR “anemia of inflammation,” “pathophysiology,” “end-stage renal disease,” and “rheumatoid arthritis.” The search was limited to English-language articles. Results Interleukin-6 is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates the hepatic acute-phase response, the immune response, inflammation, and hematopoiesis. Interleukin-6 appears to be the central mediator of anemia of chronic disease in a range of inflammatory diseases, including end-stage renal disease and rheumatoid arthritis, through increased generation of hepcidin and the resultant alterations in iron metabolism. Clinically, patients with anemia of chronic disease are more likely to experience increased disease severity and duration than patients who have chronic disease without anemia. Conclusions The integral role of interleukin-6 in the pathogenesis of anemia of chronic disease suggests that it could be an important therapeutic target. Currently available treatments target interleukin-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α and its receptors, and have been only partially successful. Given the complexity of the cytokine pathways that are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disease, further studies are required to test other molecular targets.
Cascaded plasmon resonances multi-material nanoparticle trimers for extreme field enhancement

Optical field enhancement in coupled plasmonic nanostructures has attracted significant attention because of field enhancement factors that significantly exceed those observed in isolated nanostructures. While previous studies demonstrated the existence of such cascaded field enhancement in coupled nanospheres with identical composition, this effect has not yet been studied in systems containing multiple materials. Here, we investigate the polarization-dependent optical response of multi-material trimer nanostructures composed of Au nanoparticles surrounded by two Ag nanoparticles as a function of nanoparticle size and inter-particle spacing. We observe field enhancement factors that are ten times larger than observed in isolated Au nanoparticles.
Sex differences in cortical volume and gyrification in autism

Male predominance is a prominent feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), with a reported male to female ratio of 4:1. Because of the overwhelming focus on males, little is known about the neuroanatomical basis of sex differences in ASD. Investigations of sex differences with adequate sample sizes are critical for improving our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying ASD in females. We leveraged the open-access autism brain imaging data exchange (ABIDE) dataset to obtain structural brain imaging data from 53 females with ASD, who were matched with equivalent samples of males with ASD, and their typically developing (TD) male and female peers. Brain images were processed with FreeSurfer to assess three key features of local cortical morphometry: volume, thickness, and gyrification. A whole-brain approach was used to identify significant effects of sex, diagnosis, and sex-by-diagnosis interaction, using a stringent threshold of p < 0.01 to control for false positives. Stability and power analyses were conducted to guide future research on sex differences in ASD. We detected a main effect of sex in the bilateral superior temporal cortex, driven by greater cortical volume in females compared to males in both the ASD and TD groups. Sex-by-diagnosis interaction was detected in the gyrification of the ventromedial/orbitofrontal prefrontal cortex (vmPFC/OFC). Post-hoc analyses revealed that sex-by-diagnosis interaction was driven by reduced vmPFC/OFC gyrification in males with ASD, compared to females with ASD as well as TD males and females. Finally, stability analyses demonstrated a dramatic drop in the likelihood of observing significant clusters as the sample size decreased, suggesting that previous studies have been largely underpowered. For instance, with a sample of 30 females with ASD (total n = 120), a significant sex-by-diagnosis interaction was only detected in 50 % of the simulated subsamples. Our results demonstrate that some features of typical sex differences are preserved in the brain of individuals with ASD, while others are not. Sex differences in ASD are associated with cortical regions involved in language and social function, two domains of deficits in the disorder. Stability analyses provide novel quantitative insights into why smaller samples may have previously failed to detect sex differences.
Concurrent bioremediation of perchlorate and 1,1,1-trichloroethane in an emulsified oil barrier.

Abstract A detailed field pilot test was conducted to evaluate the use of edible oil emulsions for enhanced in situ biodegradation of perchlorate and chlorinated solvents in groundwater. Edible oil substrate (EOS®) was injected into a line of ten direct push injection wells over a 2-day period to form a 15-m-long biologically active permeable reactive barrier (bio-barrier). Field monitoring results over a 2.5-year period indicate the oil injection generated strongly reducing conditions in the oil-treated zone with depletion of dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and sulfate, and increases in dissolved iron, manganese and methane. Perchlorate was degraded from 3100 to 20,000 μg/L to below detection (
Spontaneous Massive Splenic Infarction in the Setting of Renal Transplant and Septic Shock: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Massive splenic infarction (MSI) is a rare phenomenon that results from compromised blood flow to more than half of the spleen. Causes of MSI include hematological disorders, coagulopathies, infection, and embolization, and, rarely, MSI is spontaneous. The mainstay of treatment is splenectomy. We report the case of a 50-year-old man with a history of renal transplant who presented with diffuse abdominal pain and rapidly developed septic shock. A computed tomographic study (CT scan) of the abdomen demonstrated MSI. The surgical team was consulted for splenectomy but conservative management was maintained and immune function preserved. The patient's clinical condition was resolved over a three-week period. This report demonstrates successful nonoperative management of a spontaneous MSI most likely secondary to hypoperfusion and a hypercoagulable state from both septic shock and renal transplant.
Dynamic fault-tree models for fault-tolerant computer systems

Reliability analysis of fault-tolerant computer systems for critical applications is complicated by several factors. Systems designed to achieve high levels of reliability frequently employ high levels of redundancy, dynamic redundancy management, and complex fault and error recovery techniques. This paper describes dynamic fault-tree modeling techniques for handling these difficulties. Three advanced fault-tolerant computer systems are described: a fault-tolerant parallel processor, a mission avionics system, and a fault-tolerant hypercube. Fault-tree models for their analysis are presented. HARP (Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor) is a software package developed at Duke University and NASA Langley Research Center that can solve those fault-tree models. >
Long-Term Shell-Less Culture of Turkey Embryos

Abstract A technique is described for the long-term shell-less culture of turkey embryos. Cultured embryos demonstrated a similar rate of growth through 17 days of total incubation (4 days in ovo plus 13 days in culture) compared to embryos incubated in ovo. Thereafter, the cultured embryos grew at a reduced rate compared to their in ovo counterparts. Cultured embryos also exhibited elevated hematocrit values but reduced serum protein levels compared to the embryos incubated in ovo. Serum zinc, copper, and iron concentrations were similar for both groups of embryos, although each element reached a maximum concentration at a different point during incubation. Embryos incubated in ovo demonstrated a sustained elevation of serum calcium concentration from day 16 of incubation that was absent in the cultured embryos. The significance of eggshell calcium stores to embryo growth is discussed. Shell-less avian embryo culture represents a potentially useful technique for the study of trace element metabolism during avian embryonic growth and development.
Mental Health, Substance Use, and Delinquency Among Truant Youth in a Brief Intervention Project: A Longitudinal Study

The relationship between substance use, mental health disorders, and delinquency among youth is well documented. What has received far less attention from researchers is the relationship between these issues among truant youth, in spite of studies that document truants are a population at-risk for negative outcomes. The present study bridges this gap by (1) examining psychosocial functioning and delinquency among truants, and (2) assessing the efficacy of a Brief Intervention (BI) in reducing delinquent behavior over time. To meet these objectives, data were collected from 183 truant youth enrolled in an ongoing NIDA-funded BI project. Informed by a developmental damage perspective, a structural equation model was formulated and estimated. Interim results provide overall support for the model, and suggest the BI may be a promising, innovative intervention for truant youth. Service delivery implications and directions for future analyses are discussed.
Have We Come a Long Way, Baby? The Influence of Attorney Gender on Supreme Court Decision Making

While the impact of an attorney's sex has been examined with respect to trial court processes (e.g., jury decision making), no one has previously studied its effects on appellate court decision making. In this article, we argue that the application of gender schemas by some justices results in a devaluing of the arguments made by women litigators. Our findings suggest that women orally arguing attorneys are less likely to receive a favorable vote by a justice than are the male counsel they oppose and that conservative justices are more likely than their liberal counterparts to vote against litigants represented by female counsel at oral argument. This suggests that the ideology of elites influences whether they apply gender schemas in a negative fashion. We also find that justices are more likely to side with female lawyers in women's issues cases, indicating that the justices' perceptions of female lawyer expertise are enhanced in those cases. These findings persist even after controlling for multiple factors, including attorney expertise, the sex of the justice, amicus participation, party capability, and judicial ideology.
Validation of a small signal probing concept for prognosis on a nonlinear model for longitudinal motion of a Boeing-747

In this paper, real time monitoring of the control system of a Boeing 747 aircraft (B747) is considered by using a pulse-compression probing method. The method extracts small signal characteristics of the targeted system, and detects deviations from the system's normal behavior with high sensitivity. This paper demonstrates, through a simulated model of a B747 longitudinal motion, the successful application of the probing method in monitoring a nonlinear dynamic system. The paper focuses on the process of determining suitable probing signals and probing structure for the B747, and discusses the monitoring results for two major types of faults in its actuators.
The Promising Role of Hybrid Learning in Community Colleges: Looking towards the Future.

In 2014, community colleges are overcrowded, underfunded, and serve a diverse population. Community colleges are looking for innovative ways to meet the growing demands of their nontraditional student body on a shrinking budget. Increasing their online offerings appeared to be a perfect solution. Unfortunately, research has shown that community college students do not fare well in online classes. However, the same research shows that community college students do as well in hybrid classes as they do in face-to-face classes. Hybrid classes are a mix of online and face-to-face instruction. Although hybrid classes are not as flexible as online courses and do utilize some campus facilities, they offer a promising alternative to traditional face-to-face classes. The following is a discussion of hybrid learning in the community college setting.
Feed Your Mind: Cultivating Ecological Community Literacies with Permaculture

This article proposes permaculture , an ecological alternative to industrial agriculture, as a way to design first-year composition and community literacy classes. First, the paper connects permaculture with post-humanism to describe ecological community literacies—the type of knowledge that ecological theorists say we need to navigate the end of the anthropocene. Next, it describes assignments that can lead college students to this knowledge, and finally, it describes actual community literacy projects where college students can lead elementary students through assignments to gain this knowledge.
The Use of Economic Criteria in the Goods Provision Decisions of City Managers and Administrators

What are the decision-making criteria used by public admin istrators in recommending which goods and services should be provided by local governments? Do city managers and administrators base their decisions on political criteria such as citizen support, elected official buy in, and special interest group advocacy, or do they focus on transaction and regulation costs and cost-benefit analysis? These ques tions are part of the ongoing debate in public administration about the relative importance of economic and political criteria in budget decision making. Empirical evidence at the local level has informed this largely normative discussion. In this article, survey methodol ogy is used to explore classic economic and budgeting theories in the context of budget decision making, with particular attention paid to economic and political criteria.
Reclaiming Christ’s Body (soma christou): Embodiment of God’s Gospel in Paul’s Letters

Traditionally, “the body of Christ” has been read through an organism metaphor that emphasizes unity of the community in Christ. The weakness of this reading is that there is no clear articulation of how members of the community are united with Christ. The body language in Paul’s letters can be best understood when read through a metaphor for a way of living that emphasizes Christ’s embodiment of God’s gospel. The body of Christ in Paul’s letters is, first of all, his physical body that represents his life and death. Then, derivatively, it is also associated with Christian living—for example, “You are Christ-like body” (1 Cor 12:27).
Short Update on Dysbaric Osteonecrosis: Concepts and Decompression Management

Dysbaric osteonecrosis (DON) is caused by inadequate decompression after exposure to very high ambient air pressures. Different pathological events have been shown to occur in conjunction to result in DON. New observations from clinical and experimental data in this field have led investigators to reformat the etiology, pathogenesis and modify existing modalities of treatment of DON. This short review revisits concepts related to pathophysiology of DON occurring as a part of generalized decompression sickness and discusses newer therapeutic insights stemming from recent advancements in DON research. Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2015, December; 10(2): 76-81
Northward Displacement of the Euphausiid Nyctiphanes Simplex Hansen to Oregon and Washington Waters following the El NiÑo Event of 1982―83

ABSTRACT Numerous specimens of Nyctiphanes simplex, a subtropical neritic euphausiid previously collected only as far north as northern California, were found in plankton collections and stomach contents of pelagic predators collected off Oregon and Washington during spring through fall of 1983 and again in apparently reduced abundances in 1984. These unusual occurrences may have resulted from increased poleward surface and subsurface flows of currents associated with El Nino conditions. Changes in the diet of pelagic predators during 1983 appear to have been associated with these occurrences.
Position-dependent activity of CELF2 in the regulation of splicing and implications for signal-responsive regulation in T cells

CELF2 is an RNA binding protein that has been implicated in developmental and signal-dependent splicing in the heart, brain and T cells. In the heart, CELF2 expression decreases during development, while in T cells CELF2 expression increases both during development and in response to antigen-induced signaling events. Although hundreds of CELF2-responsive splicing events have been identified in both heart and T cells, the way in which CELF2 functions has not been broadly investigated. Here we use CLIP-Seq to identified physical targets of CELF2 in a cultured human T cell line. By comparing the results with known functional targets of CELF2 splicing regulation from the same cell line we demonstrate a generalizable position-dependence of CELF2 activity that is consistent with previous mechanistic studies of individual CELF2 target genes in heart and brain. Strikingly, this general position-dependence is sufficient to explain the bi-directional activity of CELF2 on 2 T cell targets recently reported. Therefore, we propose that the location of CELF2 binding around an exon is a primary predictor of CELF2 function in a broad range of cellular contexts.
A Multichannel Biosensor for Rapid Determination of Cell Surface Glycomic Signatures

Cell surface glycosylation serves a fundamental role in dictating cell and tissue behavior. Cell surface glycomes differ significantly, presenting viable biomarkers for identifying cell types and their states. Glycoprofiling is a challenging task, however, due to the complexity of the constituent glycans. We report here a rapid and effective sensor for surface-based cell differentiation that uses a three-channel sensor produced by noncovalent conjugation of a functionalized gold nanoparticle (AuNP) and fluorescent proteins. Wild-type and glycomutant mammalian cells were effectively stratified using fluorescence signatures obtained from a single sensor element. Blinded unknowns generated from the tested cell types were identified with high accuracy (44 out of 48 samples), validating the robustness of the multichannel sensor. Notably, this selectivity-based high-throughput sensor differentiated between cells, employing a nondestructive protocol that required only a single well of a microplate for detection.
Polarity of concavo-convex intervertebral joints in the necks and tails of sauropod dinosaurs

The highly elongated necks, and often tails, of sauropod dinosaurs were composed of concavo-convex vertebrae that provided stability without compromising mobility. Polarities of these concavo-convex joints in the neck and tail are anatomically opposite one another but mechanically equivalent. Opisthocoelous cervical vertebrae and procoelous caudal vertebrae have the convex articular face directed away from the body and the concave articular face directed toward the body. This “sauropod-type” polarity is hypothesized to be (1) more resistant to fracturing of the cotylar rim and (2) better stabilized against joint failure by rotation than the opposite polarity. We used physical models to test these two functional hypotheses. Photoelastic analysis of model centra loaded as cantilevers reveals that neither polarity better resists fracture of the cotylar rim; strain magnitude and localization are similar in both polarities. We assessed the rotational stability of concavo-convex joints using pairs of concavo-convex centra loaded near the joint. Sauropod-type joints withstood significantly greater weight before failure occurred, a pattern we interpret to be dependent on the position of the center of rotation, which is always within the convex part of the concavo-convex joint. In sauropod-type joints, the free centrum rotates about a center of rotation that lies within the more stable proximal centrum. In contrast, the opposite polarity results in a free centrum that rotates about an internal point; when the condyle rotates down and out of joint, the distal end rotates back toward the body, unopposed by ligamentous support. Sauropod-type joints remained stable with greater mobility, more mechanically advantageous tensile element insertions, and greater distal loads than the opposite polarity. The advantages conferred by this joint polarity would have facilitated the evolution of hyperelongated necks and tails by sauropods. Polarity of concavo-convex joints of the appendicular skeleton (e.g., hip, shoulder) is also consistent with the demands of rotational stability.
The dexamethasone suppression test as a research variable

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a number of investigators began to utilize the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) as a neuroendocrine laboratory aid for identifying patients with endogenous depression (melancholia; vital depression) (Carroll, 1972; Carroll et al., 1976a, 1976b; Stokes, 1972). The rationale for this research strategy was that normal subjects have limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (L-H-P-A) suppression for more than 24 h after receiving a small oral dose of dexamethasone (1 or 2 mg). In contrast, approximately 40 to 70% of patients with melancholic pathophysiology have L-H-P-A non-suppression, reflected by plasma cortisol concentrations greater than 5 μg/d1 (using a competitive protein binding assay) or 4 μg/d1 (with most radioimmunoassays). Most early DST studies evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of the test (Carroll et al., 1981). Pilot studies also considered whether the test had value in objectively monitoring treatment progress, providing an early prediction of treatment outcome, selecting specific somatic treatments, indicating prognosis, aiding in diagnostic reclassification, or as a variable in pharmacological experiments (Greden et al., 1980, 1981a; Carroll et al., 1980a, 1980b; Goldberg et al., 1980).
Effect of physical activity on mortality risk among Americans with retinopathy

Background: Previous work demonstrates that retinopathy is associated with increased mortality risk, with physical activity inversely associated with retinopathy and all-cause mortality. However, no study has evaluated the effects of physical activity on mortality among those with existing retinopathy, which was this study’s purpose. Methods: Data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were utilized, with follow-up through 2011. Retinopathy was objectively-measured using the Canon Non-Mydriatic Retinal Camera CR6-45NM. Physical activity was objectively-measured via up to 7 days of accelerometry assessment. Results: Six-hundred and seventy one adults (40-85 years) with complete data on the study variables constituted the analytic sample. During the follow-up period, 91 deaths occurred. In the sample, 35 886 person-months occurred with a mortality incidence rate of 2.5 deaths per1000 person-months. Among participants with mild retinopathy, those who met physical activity guidelines at baseline had a 63% reduced risk of all-cause mortality (HR adjusted = 0.37; 95% CI:0.18-0.75; P = 0.007). Notably, physical activity was not associated with mortality risk among those with moderate/severe retinopathy (HR adjusted = 0.371.72; 95% CI: 0.62-4.76; P = 0.27). Conclusion: Physical activity is associated with reduced mortality risk among those with mildretinopathy, but not among those with moderate/severe retinopathy.
Demographic, Military, and Health Characteristics of VA Health Care Users and Nonusers Who Served in or During Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2009-2011

An estimated 60% of all Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans who have left the military had used the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care services as of March 31, 2015. What is not known, however, are the differences in demographic, military, and health characteristics between OEF/OIF veterans who use the VA for health care and OEF/OIF veterans who do not. We used data from the 2009-2011 National Health Study for a New Generation of US Veterans to explore these differences. We found that VA health care users were more likely than non-VA health care users to be non-Hispanic black, to be unmarried, to have served on active duty and in the army, to have been deployed to OEF/OIF, and to have an annual income less than $35 000. The prevalence of 21 chronic medical conditions was higher among VA health care users than among non-VA health care users. OEF/OIF veterans using the VA for health care differ from nonusers with respect to demographic, military, and h...
Agreement between risk and priority for heart transplant: Effects of the geographic allocation rule and status assignment

Background Allocation of donor hearts in the United States is accomplished by an algorithm based on status, time waited, and geographic boundaries. Although not designed to always transplant the highest acuity candidates, the ability of current United Network for Organ Sharing policies to prioritize highest acuity candidates is unknown. Methods We analyzed 32,866 adult match runs generated from 2007 to 2014. Each candidate's sequence number within a match run was compared with the candidate's risk of mortality using Kendall's tau-b—a measure of rank correlation. Two primary methods of evaluating risk of mortality were used: status designation–based risk (i.e., status 1A risk > status 1B > status 2) and status justification–based risk (e.g., status 1A justified by presence of a complication). Results Median sequence number for transplanted candidates was 3 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1, 9). Median correlation among match runs for status-based risk was 0.57 (IQR: 0.47, 0.66) and for justification-based risk was 0.51 (IQR: 0.39, 0.60). Sensitivity to status 2 candidates was evident when status 2 candidates were removed from the sample (status-based tau-b = 0.31, justification-based tau-b = 0.1) and with restriction of the data set to only the first 20 candidates (status-based tau-b = 0.35, justification-based tau-b = 0.15). Conclusions There is only mild correlation between status and priority under the current allocation algorithm and poor concordance when more detailed risks are considered. The geographic allocation rule is responsible for most of the measured discordance.
Networked Co-Production of 311 Services: Investigating the Use of Twitter in Five U.S. Cities

Prior studies highlighted the importance of adopting new technologies to co-produce 311 services, yet they failed to provide empirical evidence of the implementation. Taking Twitter as an example, ...
Real-Time in Vivo Detection of H2O2 Using Hyperpolarized 13C-Thiourea

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential cellular metabolites widely implicated in many diseases including cancer, inflammation, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. Yet, ROS signaling remains poorly understood, and their measurements are a challenge due to high reactivity and instability. Here, we report the development of 13C-thiourea as a probe to detect and measure H2O2 dynamics with high sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution using hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. In particular, we show 13C-thiourea to be highly polarizable and to possess a long spin–lattice relaxation time (T1), which enables real-time monitoring of ROS-mediated transformation. We also demonstrate that 13C-thiourea reacts readily with H2O2 to give chemically distinguishable products in vitro and validate their detection in vivo in a mouse liver. This study suggests that 13C-thiourea is a promising agent for noninvasive detection of H2O2 in vivo. More broadly, our findings outline a vi...
Work-Life Balance: Current Conflict and Anticipated Conflict

A newer and under-researched topic in the realm of work-family conflict is that of anticipated work-family conflict. The current study examines the degree of current work-life conflict among colleg...
Dual actions of vasopressin and oxytocin in regulation of water permeability in terminal collecting duct

We conducted studies in isolated perfused terminal inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCD) from rats to investigate the roles of oxytocin and vasopressin in the regulation of osmotic water permeabi...
Understanding the differential response of Setaria viridis L. (green foxtail) and Setaria pumila Poir. (yellow foxtail) to Pyroxsulam.

Green foxtail [Setaria viridis (L) Beauv.] and yellow foxtail [Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult.] are among the most abundant and troublesome annual grass weeds in cereal crops in the Northern Plains of the United States and the Prairie Provinces of Canada. Greenhouse and laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the differential responses of both weed species to foliar applications of the new triazolopyrimidine sulfonamide acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicide, pyroxsulam, and to determine the mechanism(s) of differential weed control. Foliar applications of pyroxsulam resulted in >90% control of yellow foxtail at rates between 7.5 and 15 g ai ha–1, whereas the same rates resulted in a reduced efficacy on green foxtail (≤81%). The absorption and translocation of [14C]pyroxsulam in green and yellow foxtail were similar and could not explain the differential whole-plant efficacy. Studies with [14C]pyroxsulam revealed a higher percentage of absorbed pyroxsulam was metabolized into an inacti...
Enhanced Training for Cyber Situational Awareness

A study was conducted in which participants received either tool-based or narrative-based training and then completed challenges associated with network security threats. Three teams were formed: (1) Tool-Based, for which each participant received tool-based training; (2) Narrative-Based, for which each participant received narrative-based training and (3) Combined, for which three participants received tool-based training and two received narrative-based training. Results showed that the Narrative-Based team recognized the spatial-temporal relationship between events and constructed a timeline that was a reasonable approximation of ground truth. In contrast, the Combined team produced a linear sequence of events that did not encompass the relationships between different adversaries. Finally, the Tool-Based team demonstrated little appreciation of either the spatial or temporal relationships between events. These findings suggest that participants receiving Narrative-Based training were able to use the software tools in a way that allowed them to gain a greater level of situation awareness.
AMERICAN MEDIA AND THE MEMORY OF WORLD WAR II By Debra Ramsay. New York: Routledge, 2015. 213 pp. $140 hardcover.

Marking a key milestone in the evolution of our collective cultural memory, the 1990s and the 50th anniversary of the Second World War spurred a resurgence of and renewed interest in World War II m...
Remembering James Cone

James Cone offered the gift of language. We open his books frustrated that we are unable to say what we want to say, what we need to say. We close his books with our frustration relieved, fluent in...
Aziridines and Azirines: Fused-ring Derivatives

This review covers the literature on fused-ring aziridines and azirines from late 1995 through 2006. The review considers the two general types of fused-ring aziridines. The two structural classes of fused-ring aziridines are: (1) fused-ring aziridines with the aziridine nitrogen at the bridgehead position and fused-ring aziridines with the aziridine nitrogen exocyclic to the annulated ring. Several aspects of the structure and reactivity of fused-ring aziridine and azirines are covered. Methods for the formation, and reactions of fused-ring aziridines have been considered separately. The formation and transformations of fused-ring aziridinium ions and highly unstable yet useful fused-ring azirines are also covered. In addition to the synthesis and reactivity of the basic fused-ring aziridines, the synthesis of fused-ring aziridine containing natural products such as azinomycin, mitomycin, and FR900482 are discussed. The use of fused-ring aziridines and aziridinium ions for the syntheses of a number of natural products are also presented.
Unintended Consequences of Policy Responses to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Civil Commitment and Community Sentiment in North Dakota

Policymakers are political system elites that may respond to, or even help lead, community sentiment. For any specific policy question, community sentiment may include preferences expressed by the mass public or may be limited to the relevant community of experts and insiders. In 2003, the North Dakota state legislature unanimously added alcohol abuse during pregnancy to the existing laws against child abuse and neglect and allowed for involuntary civil commitment to treat women who violate the law. Alcohol use by pregnant women can be very costly to a state because of the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and one strategy for alcohol control is to punish expectant mothers as criminals. This chapter presents a policy analysis of North Dakota’s approach to reducing prenatal alcohol use. Searches for community sentiment in media reports and in legislative history suggested that the policy subsystem of insider stakeholders was the impetus for this policy change. Stunted public discourse driven by unanimously positive, neutral, or uninformed sentiment leads to a variety of negative outcomes for mothers and society. The policy analysis highlights the negative effects of this law and suggests better alternatives.
Evaluation of OP-1 in a rabbit model of lumbar fusions

Lumbar fusion is a common surgical procedure for which there are multiple approaches and techniques. It has recently been estimated that more than 185 thousand spinal fusions are performed each year in the United States alone. There are different types of lumbar fusion with posterolateral intertransverse fusion using iliac crest autograft being the most common. This type of fusion is used in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions including spondylolisthesis and discogenic disease.
Identifying differential benefits from a flipped-group pedagogy in introductory microeconomics

Abstract A growing literature documents the potential for benefits to be realized from non-traditional pedagogical approaches to teaching introductory economics at the undergraduate level. However, increased interest in and justification of the use of more engaged pedagogy that blends in class and online learning to reach a new and diverse generation of college students makes it imperative that we, as instructors, understand who is best served by such teaching innovations. In this paper, I present student outcome results from an informal post hoc experiment conducted over four semesters in which an Introductory Economics course is taught in its entirety three times over two semesters using traditional lecture methods and then three times over two subsequent semesters using a flipped-group pedagogy. In the latter, approximately 70% of class time is devoted to completion of graded in-class group assignments and the majority of content is delivered out of class through a series of publicly available videos. Results from the analysis indicate that in this particular context, the benefits of the flipped-grouped classroom pedagogy were not distributed equally. Specifically, while students with more developed math literacy and non-minority students benefited from the flipped pedagogy as evidenced by higher performance on the third semester exam and, to a lesser extent, on the averaged semester exams, the flipped format had a negative impact on weaker and minority students.
Remotely Triggered Nanotheranostics

The emerging field of nanotheranostics refers to tens to hundreds of nanometer size constructs that combine diagnostic and therapeutic agents. The favorable and tunable bio-distribution of nanotheranostic agents to disease site can enable seamless image-guided therapies and achieve spatial control of drug delivery. Remotely triggered nanotheranostics with specific material composition build upon these emerging nanomedicine agents to enable external field directed drug release or tumor ablation, thereby achieving complete spatiotemporal control of therapeutic action. In recent years, a multitude of external field-triggered nanotheranostic agents have been proposed for the imaging and treatment of cancer. In this chapter, we provide a concise review of nanotheranostics triggered by electromagnetic, ultrasonic, or thermal fields, including their progress from preclinical validation of clinical trials and the challenges and outlook for remotely triggered nanomedicine. A survey of the literature covered in the chapter indicates extensive progress in preclinical validation and exceptional efficacy of solid tumor-directed nanotheranostics, especially with thermal or photochemically ablative modalities. Clinical studies are currently limited to hyperthermia-based chemotherapy release from nanocarriers, but with increased interest and investments, translation of a wide gamut of remotely triggered nanotheranostics is feasible.