cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coining and Defining Novel Nursing Terminology. Part 2: Critical Incident Nursing Intervention

PURPOSE. In the second of a three-part series, a novel nursing terminology is introduced and proposed for inclusion in the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC): Critical incident nursing intervention (CINI), defined as any indirect or direct care registered nurse–initiated treatment, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge that a registered nurse performs in response to a critical incident nursing diagnosis (CIND). A CIND is defined as recognition of an acute life-threatening event that occurs as a result of disease, surgery, treatment, or medication. DATA SOURCES. The literature, research studies, meta-analyses from a variety of disciplines, and personal clinical experience serve as the data sources for this article. DATA SYNTHESIS. The current nursing interventions in the NIC are inaccurate or inadequate for describing nursing care during life-threatening situations. The lack of standardized nursing terminology creates a barrier that may impede critical communication and patient care during life-threatening situations. CONCLUSION. Coining and defining novel nursing terminology, CINI, for patient care during life-threatening situations is important and fills the gap in the current standardized nursing terminology. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE. Refining the NIC will permit nursing researchers, among others, to conduct studies on nursing interventions in conjunction with the proposed novel nursing terminology, CINI. The first article in this series (Part 1) introduced the novel nursing terminology: CIND; the present article (Part 2) introduces the novel nursing terminology: CINI; and the third article in this series (Part 3) will introduce the novel nursing terminology: critical incident control.
Indirect modulation of Shh signaling by Dlx5 affects the oral-nasal patterning of palate and rescues cleft palate in Msx1-null mice

Cleft palate represents one of the most common congenital birth defects in human. During embryonic development, palatal shelves display oronasal (O-N) and anteroposterior polarity before the onset of fusion, but how the O-N pattern is established and how it relates to the expansion and fusion of the palatal shelves are unknown. Here we address these questions and show that O-N patterning is associated with the expansion and fusion of the palatal shelves and that Dlx5 is required for the O-N patterning of palatal mesenchyme. Loss of Dlx5 results in downregulation of Fgf7 and expanded Shh expression from the oral to the nasal side of the palatal shelf. This expanded Shh signaling is sufficient to restore palatal expansion and fusion in mice with compromised palatal mesenchymal cell proliferation, such as Msx1-null mutants. Exogenous Fgf7 inhibits Shh signaling and reverses the cranial neural crest (CNC) cell proliferation rescue in the Msx1/Dlx5 double knockout palatal mesenchyme. Thus, Dlx5-regulated Fgf7 signaling inhibits the expression of Shh, which in turn controls the fate of CNC cells through tissue-tissue interaction and plays a crucial role during palatogenesis. Our study shows that modulation of Shh signaling may be useful as a potential therapeutic approach for rescuing cleft palate.
Physical inactivation of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in water.

The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is increasingly recognized as a waterborne pathogen. Infection can be acquired by drinking contaminated water and conventional water treatments may not effectively inactivate tough, environmentally resistant oocysts. The present study was performed to assess the efficacy of 2 commonly used chemicals, sodium hypochlorite and ozone, to inactivate T. gondii oocysts in water. Oocysts were exposed to 100 mg/L of chlorine for 30 min, or for 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 hr, or to 6 mg/L of ozone for 1, 2, 4, 8, or 12 min. Oocyst viability was determined by mouse bioassay. Serology, immunohistochemistry, and in vitro parasite isolation were used to evaluate mice for infection. Initially, mouse bioassay experiments were conducted to compare the analytical sensitivity of these 3 detection methods prior to completing the chemical inactivation experiments. Toxoplasma gondii infection was confirmed by at least 1 of the 3 detection methods in mice inoculated with all doses (105–100) of o...
Description of 'Candidatus Berkiella aquae' and 'Candidatus Berkiella cookevillensis', two intranuclear bacteria of freshwater amoebae.

Two novel bacteria of the phylum Proteobacteria were isolated during searches for amoeba-resistant micro-organisms in natural and constructed water systems. Strain HT99 was isolated from amoebae found in the biofilm of an outdoor hot tub in Cookeville, Tennessee, USA, and strain CC99 was isolated from amoebae in the biofilm of a cooling tower in the same city. Both bacteria were Gram-stain-negative cocci to coccobacilli, unculturable on conventional laboratory media, and were found to be intranuclear when maintained in Acanthamoeba polyphaga. The genomes of both isolates were completely sequenced. The genome of CC99 was found to be 3.0 Mbp with a 37.9 mol% DNA G+C content, while the genome of HT99 was 3.6 Mbp with a 39.5 mol% DNA G+C content. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the two isolates were 94 % similar to each other. Phylogenetic comparisons of the 16S rRNA, mip and rpoB genes, the DNA G+C content and the fatty acid composition demonstrated that both bacteria are members of the order Legionellales, and are most closely related to Coxiella burnetii. The phenotypic and genetic evidence supports the proposal of novel taxa to accommodate these strains; however, because strains HT99 and CC99 cannot be cultured outside of the amoeba host, the respective names ‘Candidatus Berkiella aquae’ and ‘Candidatus Berkiella cookevillensis’ are proposed.
Actions of growth hormone-release inhibiting hormone (somatostatin) on the renin aldosterone system.

Abstract Administration of growth hormone-release inhibiting hormone (GH-RIH, somatostatin), as a 90 minute infusion (10 ug/min), to 3 healthy young men under conditions of active renin secretion achieved by pretreatment with furosemide (80 mg daily for 5 days), caused a mean 30% fall in plasma renin activity, which returned to basal levels immediately after stopping the GH-RIH infusion. Plasma aldosterone levels were not affected during the course of this experiment.
Cultural Critique or Xenophobia

George E. Marcus and Michael M. J. Fischer. Anthropology as Cultural Critique: An Experimental Moment in the Human Sciences. University of Chicago Press, 1986. xiii. 205 pp. $9-95 (paper).
Sparse semi-supervised learning for perceptual grouping

In this paper, we present a new perceptual grouping algorithm using sparse semi-supervised learning (SSSL). In SSSL, KD-tree is used for effective representation and efficient retrieval. SSSL performs both transductive and inductive inference with a new dynamic graph concept. The perceptual grouping problem is tackled using SSSL to group different patterns into one object and separate similar patterns into different objects. The proposed system is tested on three typical object patterns ranging from highly textured (zebra), to medium textured (tiger), to inhomogeneous appearance (horse). We compare the results with many alternatives such as normalized cuts, direct discriminative classification, conditional Markov random fields (CRF), and a discriminative structure learning algorithm. The overall results are promising, with several interesting empirical observations.
Pole residue techniques for chipless RFID detection

By isolating individual notches we were able to show that a distinct modification to a scattering body can predictably create a pole in the scattered field. The pole can be and interpreted as encoded data and used in the retrieval process.
Resonant fast dynamo.

A resonant fast dynamo is found in chaotic shear flows. The dynamo effect is produced by resonant perturbations of the velocity field, similar to resonant diffusion in plasma physics. The dynamo is called fast because the flow produces an electric field independent of the fluid resistivity.
Pathogenesis--Thoughts from the Front Line.

Conventionally, the history of microbiology begins with the studies of Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century [this section is reviewed elegantly in Bulloch (1938)]. Using crude but ingenious microscopes fashioned by hand, this erstwhile haberdasher first revealed the unseen microbial world. It would take more than two centuries before the contributions of these microorganisms to the ecology of the biosphere would be revealed. Pasteur inaugurated the study of functional microbiology with his work on fermentation in the late 1850s. In 1863, he described the phenomenon of anaerobic microbial life and first coined the terms aerobic and anaerobic. Pasteur is of course best known for his many seminal contributions to microbial pathogenesis later in his life.
Large-Scale Parallel Unstructured Mesh Computations Using a Multigrid Approach

The goal of this work is to demonstrate increasingly high resolution unstructured grid analyses of aerodynamic flows on current day supercomputers. This is particularly challenging because, while unstructured grid strategies greatly simplify the grid generation process for complex industrial geometries, they also require substantial additional memory and CPU time compared to block-structured or overset grid methods for a given mesh size.
The Hog Cycle as Harmonic Motion

This paper presents a theory of the hog cycle as true harmonic motion, arising from "feedback," a widely occurring phenomenon in which a stimulus induces a response which acts to alter the stimulus after a fixed delay. In the model of the hog cycle, it is postulated that the signal is the price of hogs, or more accurately the hog-corn price ratio which is a measure of current profitability of hog production; the response is a change in the rate of production of hogs; and the fixed delay is the biologically determined time required to produce a market hog. The supply response parameter, being a rate of change of planned production from current levels, does not correspond to slope or elasticity of a static supply curve, and little or no economic theory exists to account for the magnitude, or even the existence, of a dynamic supply parameter of this sort, though it has been observed by a number of students of the hog cycle. The nature of the supply response differs fundamentally from that of the cobweb theorem, where producers' decisions are assumed to refer to a short-run supply curve. This is the feature of the model that leads to a four-year cycle instead of the two-year cycle that most naturally emerges from the cobweb theorem.
The importance of loss of control while eating in adolescents with purging disorder.

Objective Although many individuals with purging disorder (PD) report loss of control (LOC) eating, it is unclear whether they differ from those who do not, or from other eating disorders involving purging and/or LOC. Method We compared PD with LOC (PD-LOC), PD without LOC (PD-noLOC), bulimia nervosa (BN), and anorexia nervosa-binge/purge subtype (AN-B/P) on measures of eating-related and general psychopathology in treatment-seeking adolescents. Results PD-LOC comprised ∼30% of PD diagnoses. PD-LOC and PD-noLOC did not differ from one another, or from BN and AN-B/P, on most measures of psychopathology, with some exceptions. PD-noLOC was similar to AN-B/P (p = .99) and significantly different from BN on eating concerns (p < .001), while PD-LOC was similar to BN, AN-B/P, and PD-noLOC on this measure (ps ≥ .06). PD-LOC reported higher self-esteem than BN, AN-B/P, and PD-noLOC (ps < .001). Discussion PD was largely similar to other eating disorders characterized by purging, regardless of whether LOC eating was present. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016)
Associations Between Coprophilous Ascomycetes and Fecal Substrates in Illinois

The coprophilous-ascomycete mycobiota from 163 collections of horse, cow, sheep, rabbit, and deer dung was studied. The frequency of occurrence on all substrates was examined for the 41 Ascomycetes identified ten or more times. The following associations of fungi with dung from certain animal groups were noted: four species with horse dung (Perissodactyla), three species with rabbit dung (Leporidae), and one species with cow, sheep, and deer dung (Ruminantia). Four fungi were associated with wild-animal dung, and nine species were largely restricted to domesticanimal dung. Comparisons are made between fungus-substrate relationships observed in Illinois and those reported from Britain and Sweden.
Pinkwashed: GAY RIGHTS, COLONIAL CARTOGRAPHIES AND RACIAL CATEGORIES IN THE PORNOGRAPHIC FILM MEN OF ISRAEL

Claims regarding “gay rights” have acquired a prominent role in debates over Israel's occupation of Palestine. This often takes the form of “pinkwashing,” a term denoting the use of gay rights discourse to justify the imposition of colonial rule. This article analyzes the pornographic film Men of Israel to explore how pinkwashing reflects colonialism's depoliticizing and exclusionary logics. Men of Israel shows how pinkwashing is far more than a justificatory practice. It also legitimates, reproduces and appropriates colonial narratives to justify an alliance between supporters of gay rights and the “pro-gay” Israeli state. It simultaneously excludes a racial category of people called “Palestinians,” which includes gay Palestinians, from the rights accorded to gay men in Israel. In an era of “gay rights as human rights,” such deployments of “gay rights” highlight the necessity of directing critical scrutiny to the alliances and exclusions implicated by a particular articulation of rights.
CRT-300.17 Comparison of Angiographic Variants of Below the Knee Peripheral Artery Lesions and Clinical Outcomes in Men and Women Undoing Endovascular Revascularization

There is limited information on BTK artery variants and comparative outcome of endovascular revascularization of BTK arteries in men and women. We analyzed core laboratory adjudicated angiographic data from BTK interventions included in the Excellence in Peripheral Artery Disease (XLPAD) registry
A Relational Approach to Suffering: A Reappraisal of Suffering in the Helping Relationship:

Human suffering is a salient theme in psychology, but the construct itself remains undefined and opaque. Suffering, in psychology literature, is often difficult to tease apart from pathology. It is often assumed to be inherently bad, thus the emphasis on alleviating the suffering through various therapeutic and medicinal techniques. There is a wealth of literature, however, which indicates that people grow through the experience of suffering. Therefore, suffering, although painful, may prove to be beneficial to the sufferer in the end. I hope to provide a theoretical outline of how a radical relational approach in therapy may not only afford a unique understanding of suffering that may be unavailable from other therapeutic orientations but also influence the therapist’s response to the sufferer in a transformative and healing way.
Observations of pockmark flow structure in Belfast Bay, Maine, Part 2: evidence for cavity flow

Pockmark flow circulation patterns were investigated through current measurements along the rim and center of two pockmarks in Belfast Bay, Maine. Observed time-varying current profiles have a complex vertical and directional structure that rotates significantly with depth and is strongly dependent on the phase of the tide. Observations of the vertical profiles of horizontal velocities in relation to relative geometric parameters of the pockmark are consistent with circulation patterns described qualitatively by cavity flow models (Ashcroft and Zhang 2005). The time-mean behavior of the shear layer is typically used to characterize cavity flow, and was estimated using vorticity thickness to quantify the growth rate of the shear layer horizontally across the pockmark. Estimated positive vorticity thickness spreading rates are consistent with cavity flow predictions, and occur at largely different rates between the two pockmarks. Previously modeled flow (Brothers et al. 2011) and laboratory measurements (Pau et al. 2014) over pockmarks of similar geometry to those examined herein are also qualitatively consistent with cavity flow circulation, suggesting that cavity flow may be a good first-order flow model for pockmarks in general.
"If You Rely on the River, You Can Probably Die by the River": Stories Told about Access, Quality, and Living With Water.

Connor and I shared some quality father–son time on our trip to southwestern Kansas, my childhood home. He was 14 at the time and it had been 5 years since our last visit to Sublette. Flying into D...
Estimating GPS Signal Loss in a Natural Deciduous Forest Using Sky Photography

ABSTRACTUnderstanding how Global Positioning System (GPS) signals are influenced by vegetation structure allows for the determination of how specific technologies might be affected in certain forest environments. This study presents three different models that predict signal loss in a natural deciduous forest using fisheye photography. Relationships between terrestrial-based hemispherical sky-oriented photo (HSOP) measurements and GPS signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) are explored. ArcGIS is used for image processing of HSOPs to rapidly estimate canopy closure (CC) at particular angles from zenith in forested areas. The difference between the observed SNR of GPS L-band signals under forest canopies to those observed in the open determines signal loss. CC values at different zenith angles inside the forest during four seasons are used to model signal attenuation. This article presents a canopy closure predictive model (CCPM), a model that includes the CCPM and incorporates the difference between the CC value i...
The End of Ayawiri: Abandonment at an Andean Hillfort Town of the Late Intermediate Period

ABSTRACTAs the south-central Andes came under Inca control, many hillfort towns and villages were abandoned in favor of low-lying, non-defensive settlements. Recent investigation at Ayawiri (Machu Llaqta), a fortified hilltop town in the Titicaca Basin of southern Peru, sheds light on how such sites met their end. Ayawiri was abandoned in the 15th century a.d. with no reoccupation and little to no scavenging afterwards. Excavated house structures have whole or reconstructible artifacts left in situ on floors, including bronze adornments and other valuables. Expediently-prepared throwing stones or slingstones were stockpiled and used near the outermost wall, suggesting that the abandonment may have been precipitated by enemy attack. While the evidence indicates rapid abandonment overall, there were distinct and varied micro-processes of abandonment that took place among different family groups at Ayawiri, who engaged differently in rituals, abandonment caching, and departure.
Selective modulation of terahertz using photo-excited 2D hybrid lead halide perovskite

We demonstrate 100% modulation of selective Terahertz resonances using series of two-dimensional hybrid lead halide perovskites. The device operation in perovskite/silicon devices was achieved using a simple halogen lamp and a set of color filters.
Raw materials evaluation and process development studies for conversion of biomass to sugars and ethanol

A range of cellulosic raw materials in the form of agricultural crop residue was analyzed for chemical composition and assessed for potential yields of sugars through chemical pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of these materials. Corn stover was used as a representative raw material for a preliminary process design and economic assessment of the production of sugars and ethanol. With the process as presently developed, 23 gallons of ethanol can be obtained per ton of corn stover at a processing cost of about $1.80 per gallon exclusive of by-product credits. The analysis shows the cost of ethanol to be highly dependent upon (1) the cost of the biomass, (2) the extent of conversion to glucose, (3) enzyme recovery and production cost and (4) potential utilization of xylose. Significant cost reduction appears possible through further research in these directions.
Survey of Anti-angiogenesis Strategies

The field of angiogenesis modulation is at a major crossroad. Tremendous advances in basic science in this field are providing excellent support to the concept that is in contrast to a lack of strong clinical support at this point. With regard to the big gap between experimental data and clinical data, the best model of human malignancy is human malignancy, and the best models of human diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are in human DR and AMD patients. Clinical outcome should include benefit/risk ratio, hard end points (mortality and quality of life as opposed to increased microvascular density with pro-angiogenesis agents or tumor size reduction with anti-angiogenesis agents), and cost effectiveness.
Mid/near infrared spectroscopy of the H2Cl+Ar cation complex compared to the predictions of anharmonic theory

Abstract The H 2 35 Cl + Ar cation complex was prepared by electrical discharge in a supersonic expansion of argon doped with HCl and hydrogen. The ion was mass selected in a reflectron time-of-flight spectrometer and investigated with infrared photodissociation spectroscopy in the regions of 1000–4550 and 4850–7350 cm −1 . Anharmonic vibrational frequencies were computed with VPT2 at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ level of theory. The previously unreported ν 3 fundamental at 2211 cm −1 and several new combinations and overtones are reported. VPT2 theory at this level confirms the H-bound structure of the complex and provides an accurate description of the anharmonic vibrations in this system.
All-Loop Singularities of Scattering Amplitudes in Massless Planar Theories.

In massless quantum field theories the Landau equations are invariant under graph operations familiar from the theory of electrical circuits. Using a theorem on the $Y\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}$ reducibility of planar circuits we prove that the set of first-type Landau singularities of an $n$-particle scattering amplitude in any massless planar theory, at any finite loop order, is a subset of those of a certain $n$-particle $\ensuremath{\lfloor}(n\ensuremath{-}2{)}^{2}/4\ensuremath{\rfloor}$-loop ``ziggurat'' graph. We determine this singularity locus explicitly for $n=6$ and find that it corresponds precisely to the vanishing of the symbol letters familiar from the hexagon bootstrap in supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory. Further implications for SYM theory are discussed.
Treatment for Higher-Order Restricted Repetitive Behaviors (H-RRB) in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB) are one of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Evidence suggests that higher-order RRB (H-RRB) are particularly challenging and can negatively impact family functioning (e.g., insistence on sameness, following idiosyncratic routines). The study examined the effects of a parent-implemented behavior intervention using a multiple baseline single case experimental design in three young children with ASD. The intervention involved self-management procedures and included principles of pivotal response treatment during which parents provided bids for children to vary from H-RRB and children obtained points for engaging in these other interests and activities. Results showed improvements in child behavior, parent and child affect and interactions, children's engagement in family activities, and overall parent ratings of RRB.
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF LAND USE CHANGE IN THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT: THE SCOPE OF UNCERTAINTY

The Triangle Landscape Change Project is an on-going effort at regional assessment centered on the Triangle region of North Carolina, a region framed by the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Like many regions of the eastern United States and elsewhere, the Triangle has an agricultural and industrial past, while its current status is defined by high-tech industries of Research Triangle Park, three major universities, and a growing retirement community. The Triangle is one of the fastestgrowing regions in the United States, with some portions experiencing 30-50% population growth in the 1990-2000 decade (Triangle J Council of Governments, public comm.). Our goal in this chapter is to explore issues related to uncertainty encountered when attempting to conduct integrated, regional-scale assessments using coupled models. Specifically, we will (1) describe sources of uncertainty in scaling to regional applications with increasing reliance on remotely sensed data, and illustrate how these sources of uncertainty are often “lost in translation” in loosely coupled applications in integrated assessments; and (2) explore methods for propagating these sources of uncertainty and communicating this information to a client audience of fellow scientists as well as city and regional planners. We will focus on the wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) as a case study and illustration. The wood thrush is an example of an area-sensitive forest bird species, a species that seems to prefer intact woods and is sensitive to nest predation and brood parasitism by cowbirds (Molothrus ater) (Brittingham and Temple 1983, Roth and Johnson 1993, Hoover et al. 1995). Thrushes have recently been exhibiting a regional decline in Triangle-area Breeding Bird Censuses and are consequently a species of some concern (Sauer et al. 2002). For our present purposes, the goal of forecasting regional patterns of abundance of the wood thrush is appealing because this represents quite a stretch for our data (indeed, perhaps the worst possible case), and thus introduces a number of issues related to uncertainty and error propagation in integrated assessment.
Psychosexual Dysfunction Among Gynecological Cancer Survivors

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the empirical findings related to the assessment and treatment of sexual difficulties commonly experienced by gynecological cancer survivors and to make suggestions for future research and practice in this area. First, we describe the sexual problems that are most frequently reported by gynecological cancer patients and some of their common medical and psychological correlates. These include pain, premature ovarian failure, changes in vaginal anatomy, emotional distress, body image, and sexual self-concept. The complex interaction of physiological and psychological variables plays an important role in the development of sexual dysfunction in this patient population. Furthermore, we review the empirical studies that have examined the effects of sexual rehabilitation therapy on the sexual functioning of gynecological cancer survivors and provide relevant research and clinical recommendations. We also discuss reasons to involve patients' sexual partners in psychosocial oncology research, given the complex interplay between patients' and partners' psychosexual issues.
Left atrium-to-femoral artery bypass: Effectiveness in reduction of acute experimental myocardial infarction

The effects of prompt institution of left atrium-to-femoral artery (LA-FA) bypass on myocardial infarct area (AI) as a percentage of myocardial area at risk for infarction (AR) during a 4 hour period following ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) were studied in 26 dogs. Following LAD ligation, baseline measurements of myocardial tension-time index (TTI) and regional myocardial blood flow (RMBF) were obtained. Group I (controls, n = 16) received no further support. Group II (LA-FA bypass, n = 10) underwent left ventricular unloading via LA-FA bypass beginning 15 minutes after coronary occlusion. Four hours after LAD occlusion, measurements of TTI and RMBF were repeated in both groups. Just before sacrifice, gentian violet was injected into the aortic root to delineate the AR. The hearts were then removed and sectioned transversely through the left ventricle (LV) and septum. The AR (that ventricular area not perfused by gentian violet) was measured by planimetry and compared to the AI as identified by incubation of heart slices in triphenyltetrazolium chloride dye. In comparisons of control versus LA-FA bypass groups, both AI/LV (21.6% versus 10.4%) and AI/AR ratios (73.7% versus 21.8%) were significantly reduced in the bypass group (p
2.10 – The Evolution of Vocal Learning Systems in Birds and Humans

Vocal learning is a rare trait found to date in only three groups of distantly related birds – parrots, hummingbirds, and songbirds – and four groups of distantly related mammals – humans, bats, cetaceans, and elephants. Remarkably, the three groups of birds have evolved seven similar forebrain vocal nuclei involved in vocal learning and production, and these are not found in their more closely related vocal nonlearning species. These vocal nuclei form two subpathways, and a posterior and an anterior vocal pathway. Humans have also evolved specialized brains areas for production of language. Here it is proposed that the anterior and posterior vocal pathways of vocal learning birds are similar to motor and premotor pathways for production and learning of language in humans. It is further proposed that these similarities arose because the vocal learning systems of birds and of humans may have evolved out of a pre-existing motor–premotor network used for other types of motor learning.
Clomiphene citrate in an in vitro fertilization program: hormonal comparisons between 50- and 150-mg daily dosages

When clomiphene citrate is used for enhanced follicular recruitment in an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer program, the usual dosage is 150 mg/day, although we recently reported comparable follicular development (size and number) with 50 mg/day. The present report compares circulating hormone levels between groups of patients receiving the two regimens. Gonadotropin levels were higher in the 150-mg group throughout the follicular phase. Serum estradiol (E 2 ) levels, expressed either as total E 2 or E 2 per follicle ≥ 15 mm, were also higher throughout the follicular phase in the 150-mg group. During the luteal phase, the progesterone levels were similar in both groups. However, there were higher E 2 levels in the 150-mg group during the entire luteal phase. Even though there were no significant differences between groups with regard to the degree of enhanced follicular recruitment, there were significant differences in the observed hormone levels.
Link-based Parameterized Micro-tolling Scheme for Optimal Traffic Management

In the micro-tolling paradigm, different toll values are assigned to different links within a congestible traffic network. Self-interested agents then select minimal cost routes, where cost is a function of the travel time and tolls paid. A centralized system manager sets toll values with the objective of inducing a user equilibrium that maximizes the total utility over all agents. A recently proposed algorithm for computing such tolls, denoted Δ- tolling , was shown to yield up to 32% reduction in total travel time in simulated traffic scenarios compared to when there are no tolls. Δ- tolling includes two global parameters: β which is a proportionality parameter, and R which influences the rate of change of toll values across all links. This paper introduces a generalization of Δ- tolling which accounts for different β and R values on each link in the network. While this enhanced Δ- tolling algorithm requires setting significantly more parameters, we show that they can be tuned effectively via policy gradient reinforcement learning. Experimental results from several traffic scenarios indicate that Enhanced Δ- tolling reduces total travel time by up to 28% compared to the original Δ- tolling algorithm, and by up to 45% compared to not tolling.
Film-shear reactors and more water-soluble ligands; new tools for doing inorganic and organometallic chemistry in aqueous solution

Abstract Four developments from the author’s laboratory related to doing organometallic and inorganic chemistry in aqueous solution are reviewed. First, the development of new water-soluble cyclopentadienyl ligands and bidentate phosphine ligands is discussed. These ligands were developed because many of the standard water-solubilizing ligands contain –SO3− or –OH groups, which can bond to metal centers and thus inhibit catalysis. The new cyclopentadienyl ligands were used to generate water-soluble 19-electron complexes, and the water-soluble (CH3OCH2CH2CH2)2PCH2CH2P(CH2CH2CH2OCH3)2 ligand was used in a pressure-swing process to separate nitrogen from natural gas. Next, the catalytic hydration of nitriles, acetone cyanohydrin in particular, is discussed. The ability to catalytically hydrate acetone cyanohydrin (ACH) in aqueous solution would be particularly useful because ACH hydration is used in the preparation of methyl methacrylate and other methacrylates. The industrial method for hydrating ACH, known as the acetone cyanohydrin process, uses sulfuric acid and produces large amounts of by-product, which requires large amounts of energy to properly dispose of. An aqueous catalytic process could save energy and materials. Next, the use of a film-shear reactor for intimately mixing reactants in an aqueous solvent with reactants in an immiscible organic solvent is described. Finally, the inertness of the η2-H2 ligand in water-soluble Fe-(η2-H2) and Ru-(η2-H2) complexes to substitution by water in aqueous solution is discussed. Surprisingly, the substitution by water is approximately thermochemically neutral so there is little driving force for the reaction. Dihydrogen hydrogen bonding may also contribute somewhat to the inertness.
207 Cat oviductal exosomes as a tool to improve gamete rescue of endangered felids: effects on sperm capacitation and in vitro fertilization

Exosomes play important roles in reproduction, for example, facilitating fetal-maternal interaction and establishment of pregnancy. However, little is known about how oviductal exosomes affect sperm function. We investigated the effects of oviductal exosomes on sperm capacitation and fertilizing ability in domestic cats as a model for endangered felids. Oviducts were collected from cats (1-5 years) after elective spaying and flushed with 1 mL of PBS. Exosomes (EX) were isolated using the Total Exosome Isolation kit (Invitrogen/Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) and labelled with BODIPY dye (boron dipyrromethene). Unattached dye was removed by using Exosome Spin Columns (MW 3000, Invitrogen). Presence and purity of EX was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To investigate the effects of EX on sperm capacitation, semen was recovered from epididymis of 5 cats (3 replicates) after elective neutering. One million spermatozoa mL−1 were incubated with or without EX (1V sperm to 2V total exosomes from 2 oviducts) for 1 h in PBS. The samples were then incubated at 38.5°C in 1 of the 2 conditions: (1) capacitation (SOF medium + 1000 IU of penicillin, 10 μg mL−1 streptomycin, 10 μg mL−1 heparin, 20 µM penicillamine, 10 µM hypotaurine, 1 µM epinephrine); and (2) non-capacitation (capacitation medium without heparin, penicillamine, or hypotaurine) for up to 24 h. Total motility, hyperactive and progressive motility, and percentage of intact acrosomes (FITC-PNA) were assessed at 0, 1, 2, 18, and 24 h. Data were analysed by using SPSS software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) using a paired samples t-test with 95% CI. Vesicles of 30-100 nm were observed by TEM, indicating successful isolation of EX, which were found to bind to both acrosome and mid-piece (BODIPY labelling). Sperm incubated with EX exhibited higher motility than those without EX (P 0.05 for both groups). In conclusion, the findings indicate that oviductal EX play roles in regulating sperm function by enhancing sperm motility. Further studies are needed to confirm the impact of EX on fertilization and how this strategy can be applied to endangered felid conservation.
Extending Signature-based Intrusion Detection Systems With Bayesian Abductive Reasoning

This research is being conducted in the UMBC Accelerated Cognitive Computing Lab (ACCL) that is supported in part by a gift from IBM Research. We thank the other members of the ACCL Lab for their input, suggestions and guidance in developing this system.
On Development of Data Science and Machine Learning Applications in Databricks

Databricks is a unified analytics engine that allows rapid development of data science applications using machine learning techniques such as classification, linear and nonlinear regression, clustering, etc. Existence of myriad sophisticated computational options, however, can become overwhelming for designers as it may not always be clear what choices can produce the best predictive model given a specific data set. Further, the mere high dimensionality of big data sets is a challenge for data scientists to gain a deep understanding of the results obtained by a utilized model.
P159 Differences Among Flavoring Agents Owned by Low-Income Black and Hispanic Adults in New Jersey

Background Nutrition educators stress the use of flavoring agents (i.e. herbs, spices, and other flavorings) when cooking to enhance flavor and lower sodium in recipes. However, availability of these items at home may differ by race/ethnicity. Objective To identify flavoring agents owned by Black and Hispanic populations and to determine differences between groups. Study Design, Settings, Participants Researchers interviewed low-income adults from communities that have been served by the New Jersey Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). Measurable Outcome/Analysis Participants self-identified their race/ethnicity and rated how often/if they keep each of 71 common flavoring agents in their homes. T-tests were performed using SAS 9.4 to determine differences between Black and Hispanic participants’ responses. Results Seventy five participants were surveyed (36 Black, 39 Hispanic). Overall, Blacks reported keeping a wider variety of herbs ( P = .0254), spices ( P = .0067), and other flavorings ( P = .0042) in their homes compared to Hispanics. However, individual product analyses revealed that the mean frequencies of most products (62%) were similar between groups. Blacks had higher mean frequencies regarding five herbs, six spices, and five other flavorings, and Hispanics had higher mean frequencies regarding ownership of four herbs, two spices, and three other flavorings. Conclusion Although many of the flavoring agents used by Blacks and Hispanics are similar, there are certain flavoring agents that seem to be distinctive to their racial/ethnic groups. Nutrition education strategies to accommodate these differences include using common flavoring agents in recipes, and tailoring recipes for certain racial/ethnic groups to their distinctive tastes. Funding New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
The Effect of Alendronate on Subsidence After Lateral Transpsoas Interbody Fusion: A Preliminary Report.

ABSTRACT Background: Success after lateral transpsoas interbody fusion (LLIF) partially depends on avoidance of subsidence to maintain spinal alignment, disc space height, and indirect neural decompression. Techniques for preventing subsidence have focused largely on surgical and biomechanical properties of spinal reconstruction; however, medical management may also affect subsidence rates as well. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of alendronate on minimally invasive LLIF patients with regard to radiographic and catastrophic subsidence. Methods: We followed 26 patients who had LLIF at the L4-5 level (13 on alendronate, 13 control) and 22 patients at the L3-4 level (10 on alendronate, 12 control). Radiographs were reviewed to obtain measurements of subsidence at the 4 corners of the cage at 3 follow-up time points (2–3, 5–8, and 10–12 months). A Tobit mixed model was used to confirm the results. Results: We found no relationship between alendronate and subsidence for L3-4 fusion. At L4-5 we observed increased subsidence in the control group compared to the alendronate group (difference = 0.07 cm, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.01, 0.16, P = .08). There was a decrease in subsidence noted for the alendronate group for each time period (differences: 2–3: −0.06 cm, 95% CI: −0.28, 0.15], P = .27; 5–8: −0.14 cm, 95% CI: −0.36, .08, P = .10; 10–12: −0.21 cm, 95% CI: −0.48, .04, P = .05). Conclusions: A clear reduction in subsidence was found with the use of postoperative alendronate in patients undergoing L4-5 LLIF. Alendronate had a significant decrease in subsidence at L4-5 after 10–12 months as compared to the control group. Additionally, no patients treated with alendronate had catastrophic subsidence. These data suggest the need for further study of alendronate in the prevention of subsidence after LLIF. Level of Evidence: 3.
A statistical virtual patient population for the glucoregulatory system in type 1 diabetes with integrated exercise model.

Purpose We introduce two validated single (SH) and dual hormone (DH) mathematical models that represent an in-silico virtual patient population (VPP) for type 1 diabetes (T1D). The VPP can be used to evaluate automated insulin and glucagon delivery algorithms, so-called artificial pancreas (AP) algorithms that are currently being used to help people with T1D better manage their glucose levels. We present validation results comparing these virtual patients with true clinical patients undergoing AP control and demonstrate that the virtual patients behave similarly to people with T1D. Methods A single hormone virtual patient population (SH-VPP) was created that is comprised of eight differential equations that describe insulin kinetics, insulin dynamics and carbohydrate absorption. The parameters in this model that represent insulin sensitivity were statistically sampled from a normal distribution to create a population of virtual patients with different levels of insulin sensitivity. A dual hormone virtual patient population (DH-VPP) extended this SH-VPP by incorporating additional equations to represent glucagon kinetics and glucagon dynamics. The DH-VPP is comprised of thirteen differential equations and a parameter representing glucagon sensitivity, which was statistically sampled from a normal distribution to create virtual patients with different levels of glucagon sensitivity. We evaluated the SH-VPP and DH-VPP on a clinical data set of 20 people with T1D who participated in a 3.5-day outpatient AP study. Twenty virtual patients were matched with the 20 clinical patients by total daily insulin requirements and body weight. The identical meals given during the AP study were given to the virtual patients and the identical AP control algorithm that was used to control the glucose of the virtual patients was used on the clinical patients. We compared percent time in target range (70–180 mg/dL), time in hypoglycemia ( 180 mg/dL) for both the virtual patients and the actual patients. Results The subjects in the SH-VPP performed similarly vs. the actual patients (time in range: 78.1 ± 5.1% vs. 74.3 ± 8.1%, p = 0.11; time in hypoglycemia: 3.4 ± 1.3% vs. 2.8 ± 1.7%, p = 0.23). The subjects in the DH-VPP also performed similarly vs. the actual patients (time in range: 75.6 ± 5.5% vs. 71.9 ± 10.9%, p = 0.13; time in hypoglycemia: 0.9 ± 0.8% vs. 1.3 ± 1%, p = 0.19). While the VPPs tended to over-estimate the time in range relative to actual patients, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions We have verified that a SH-VPP and a DH-VPP performed comparably with actual patients undergoing AP control using an identical control algorithm. The SH-VPP and DH-VPP may be used as a simulator for pre-evaluation of T1D control algorithms.
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a complex group of progressive, neurodegenerative disorders that affect animals, including humans. The TSEs are unique among neurodegenerative disorders in that they are transmissible. There is considerable evidence that the infectious agent consists of a misfolded isoform of the normal host-encoded prion protein. The misfolded isomer has distinct biological and physical properties, including the ability to self-propagate, aggregate and cause disease The different TSEs are characterized by relatively long incubation periods (months to years) and are always fatal; there is currently no known treatment for these diseases.
Both unmedicated and medicated individuals with schizophrenia show impairments across a wide array of cognitive and reinforcement learning tasks.

Background Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by pervasive deficits in cognitive functioning. However, few well-powered studies have examined the degree to which cognitive performance is impaired even among individuals with schizophrenia not currently on antipsychotic medications using a wide range of cognitive and reinforcement learning measures derived from cognitive neuroscience. Such research is particularly needed in the domain of reinforcement learning, given the central role of dopamine in reinforcement learning, and the potential impact of antipsychotic medications on dopamine function. Methods The present study sought to fill this gap by examining healthy controls (N = 75), unmedicated (N = 48) and medicated (N = 148) individuals with schizophrenia. Participants were recruited across five sites as part of the CNTRaCS Consortium to complete tasks assessing processing speed, cognitive control, working memory, verbal learning, relational encoding and retrieval, visual integration and reinforcement learning. Results Individuals with schizophrenia who were not taking antipsychotic medications, as well as those taking antipsychotic medications, showed pervasive deficits across cognitive domains including reinforcement learning, processing speed, cognitive control, working memory, verbal learning and relational encoding and retrieval. Further, we found that chlorpromazine equivalency rates were significantly related to processing speed and working memory, while there were no significant relationships between anticholinergic load and performance on other tasks. Conclusions These findings add to a body of literature suggesting that cognitive deficits are an enduring aspect of schizophrenia, present in those off antipsychotic medications as well as those taking antipsychotic medications.
Collusion under monitoring of sales

Collusion under imperfect monitoring is explored when firms' prices are private information and their quantities are public information; such an information structure is consistent with several recent price-fixing cartels, such as those in lysine and vitamins. For a class of symmetric oligopoly games, it is shown that symmetric equilibrium punishments cannot sustain any collusion. An asymmetric punishment is characterized that does sustain collusion and it has firms whose sales exceed their quotas compensating those firms with sales below their quotas. In practice, cartels could have performed such transfers through sales among the cartel members.
An Examination of the Layers of Workplace Influences in Ethical Judgments: Whisteblowing Likelihood and Perserverance in Public Accounting

We employ a Layers of Workplace Influence theory to guide our study of whistleblowing among public accounting audit seniors. Specifically, we examine professional commitment, organizational commitment versus colleague commitment (locus of commitment), and moral intensity of the unethical behavior on two measures of reporting intentions: likelihood of reporting and perseverance in reporting. We find that moral intensity relates to both reporting intention measures. In addition, while high levels of professional identity increase the likelihood that an auditor will initially report an observed violation, the auditor’s commitment to the organization drives perseverance in reporting. Results may assist organizations and researchers in their understanding of antecedents to whistleblowing as a form of corporate governance and of the effect of these antecedents on whistleblowing perseverance.