cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychometric Accuracy and (the Continuing Need for) Quality Thinking in Meta-Analysis

The four feature-topic articles advance the accuracy of meta-analytic techniques. As might be expected, most articles focus on more precise ways to aggregate all available relationships in a given topic domain. Such aggregation results in overall estimates of relationships and estimates conditional on particular moderators. However, scholars and practitioners can expect more than empirical aggregation from meta-analysis. Careful attention to underlying theory, application, and important methodological issues will result in clearer understanding and explanation. Using the situational judgment testing literature as an example, the current analysis suggests the need for much more upfront, reflective thinking about each meta-analytic study's purpose and how this thinking relates to the inclusion or choice of primary studies, analytic method, coding, and so on. For example, when the focus is on prediction, frequent use of concurrent designs may bias aggregated parameter estimates. Also, it is noted that method...
Subthreshold microstimulation in frontal eye fields updates spatial memories.

The brain’s sensitivity to self-generated movements is critical for behavior, and relies on accurate internal representations of movements that have been made. In the present study, we stimulated neurons below saccade threshold in the frontal eye fields of monkeys performing an oculomotor delayed response task. Stimulation during, but not before, the memory period caused small but consistent displacements of memory-guided saccade endpoints. This displacement was in the opposite direction of the saccade that was evoked by stronger stimulation at the same site, suggesting that weak stimulation induced an internal saccade signal without evoking an actual movement. Consistent with this idea, the stimulation effect was nearly absent on a task where an animal was trained to ignore self-generated eye movements. These findings support a role for the frontal eye fields in accounting for self-generated movements, and indicate that corollary discharge signals can be manipulated independent of motor output.
Cathelicidin Antimicrobial Peptide Expression Is Not Induced or Required for Bacterial Clearance during Salmonella enterica Infection of Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is able to resist antimicrobial peptide killing by induction of the PhoP-PhoQ and PmrA-PmrB two-component systems and the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modifications they mediate. Murine cathelin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP) has been reported to inhibit S. Typhimurium growth in vitro and in vivo. We hypothesize that infection of human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and S. Typhimurium will induce human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) production, and exposure to LL-37 (processed, active form of CAMP/hCAP18) will lead to upregulation of PmrAB-mediated LPS modifications and increased survival in vivo. Unlike in mouse macrophages, in which CRAMP is upregulated during infection, camp gene expression was not induced in human MDMs infected with S. Typhi or S. Typhimurium. Upon infection, intracellular levels of ΔphoPQ, ΔpmrAB, and PhoPc S. Typhi decreased over time but were not further inhibited by the vitamin D3-induced increase in camp expression. MDMs infected with wild-type (WT) S. Typhi or S. Typhimurium released similar levels of proinflammatory cytokines; however, the LPS modification mutant strains dramatically differed in MDM-elicited cytokine levels. Overall, these findings indicate that camp is not induced during Salmonella infection of MDMs nor is key to Salmonella intracellular clearance. However, the cytokine responses from MDMs infected with WT or LPS modification mutant strains differ significantly, indicating a role for LPS modifications in altering the host inflammatory response. Our findings also suggest that S. Typhi and S. Typhimurium elicit different proinflammatory responses from MDMs, despite being capable of adding similar modifications to their LPS structures.
Creating a software framework for simulating satellite geolocation

It is hard to imagine life these days without having some sort of electronic indication of one's current location. Whether the purpose is for business, personal, or emergency use, utilizing smart cell phones, in-vehicle navigation systems, or location beacons, dependence on the Global Positioning System (GPS) is pervasive. Yet the availability of the GPS should not be taken for granted. Both environmental (e.g., terrain, weather) and intentional interference (i.e., jamming) can reduce or deny satellite access. In order to investigate these and other issues, as well as to explore possible alternative satellite constellations, an application called the Satellite Simulation Toolkit (SatSim) was created. This paper presents a high-level overview of SatSim and an example of how it may be used to study geolocation.
Investigation of influence of modeling fidelities on supply chain dynamics

In this paper, a three-echelon supply chain model is analyzed to determine strategies to reduce the supply chain system dynamics. Uniqueness of this research stems from the use of multiple models with varying degrees of detail representing the same supply chain. The significance of a detailed supply chain model on the quality of result is made clear. Factors employed to build an abstract to a detailed model include: transportation and production delay, demand at the retailer, and production and transportation capacity. It is shown that the system dynamics itself varies with increasing detail in the model. In addition, it is examined to see if a strategy found effective in improving the system dynamics with an abstract model is effective with a detailed model. It is established that the strategy found to be the most effective on an abstract model is not always the best strategy for the real supply chain.
Distributed design of network codes for wireless multiple unicasts

Previous results on network coding for low-power wireless transmissions of multiple unicasts rely on opportunistic coding or centralized optimization to reduce the power consumption. This paper proposes a distributed strategy for reducing the power consumption in a network coded wireless network with multiple unicasts. We apply a simple network coding strategy called ldquoreverse carpooling,rdquo which uses only XOR and forwarding operations. In this paper, we use the rectangular grid as a simple network model and attempt to increase network coding opportunities without the overhead required for centralized design or coordination. The proposed technique designates ldquoreverse carpooling linesrdquo analogous to a collection of bus routes in a crowded city. Each individual unicast then chooses a route from its source to its destination independently but in a manner that maximizes the fraction of its path spent on reverse carpooling lines. Intermediate nodes apply reverse carpooling opportunistically along these routes. Our network optimization attempts to choose the reverse carpooling lines in a manner that maximizes the expected power savings with respect to the random choice of sources and sinks.
Primary Vascularization of the Graft Determines the Immunodominance of Murine Minor H Antigens during Organ Transplantation

Grafts can be rejected even when matched for MHC because of differences in the minor histocompatibility Ags (mH-Ags). H4- and H60-derived epitopes are known as immunodominant mH-Ags in H2b-compatible BALB.B to C57BL/6 transplantation settings. Although multiple explanations have been provided to explain immunodominance of Ags, the role of vascularization of the graft is yet to be determined. In this study, we used heart (vascularized) and skin (nonvascularized) transplantations to determine the role of primary vascularization of the graft. A higher IFN-γ response toward H60 peptide occurs in heart recipients. In contrast, a higher IFN-γ response was generated against H4 peptide in skin transplant recipients. Peptide-loaded tetramer staining revealed a distinct antigenic hierarchy between heart and skin transplantation: H60-specific CD8+ T cells were the most abundant after heart transplantation, whereas H4-specific CD8+ T cells were more abundant after skin graft. Neither the tissue-specific distribution of mH-Ags nor the draining lymph node-derived dendritic cells correlated with the observed immunodominance. Interestingly, non-primarily vascularized cardiac allografts mimicked skin grafts in the observed immunodominance, and H60 immunodominance was observed in primarily vascularized skin grafts. However, T cell depletion from the BALB.B donor prior to cardiac allograft induces H4 immunodominance in vascularized cardiac allograft. Collectively, our data suggest that immediate transmigration of donor T cells via primary vascularization is responsible for the immunodominance of H60 mH-Ag in organ and tissue transplantation.
Sinus arrest and asystole caused by a peripherally inserted central catheter.

Background Transient bradycardia in the critical care setting is frequently caused by hypoxemia or oropharyngeal manipulation. Central lines have been associated with a variety of cardiac arrhythmias, but sinus arrest and asystole have not been previously reported. Methods A 38-year-old woman with multisystem organ failure had several episodes of prolonged sinus arrest, slow junctional escape rhythm, and periods of asystole lasting over 6 seconds. The cause of the repetitive bradyarrhythmia was evaluated by clinical observation including the response to parasympatholytic agents, by detailed analysis of rhythm strips, and review of cardiac imaging studies. Results The episodes of bradycardia did not coincide with orotracheal manipulation, were not prevented by escalating doses of glycopyrrolate, and were not accompanied by AV conduction disturbance as is frequently seen during a transient increase in vagal tone. Review of the patient's chest X-ray and chest CT revealed that the tip of a peripherally inserted central catheter migrated to the vicinity of the sinoatrial node. Removal of the catheter resulted in prompt resolution of the episodes of sinus arrest. Conclusions This case demonstrates that migration of a peripherally inserted central catheter to the sinoatrial node can provoke prolonged sinus bradycardia, sinus arrest and asystole.
Metal-backed versus all-polyethylene tibias in megaprostheses of the distal femur.

Abstract In megaprostheses, the tibial component is rarely a source of failure. The evolution of these implants has followed standard arthroplasty trends moving from majority use of all-polyethylene tibias (APT) to high volume use of metal-backed tibial (MBT) components. We report the results of 72 endoprostheses using either MBT (n = 42) or APT (n = 30) implanted between 1994 and 2006. Failures of the implant related to the tibial component were isolated, and 5-year survival of the tibial implant of the MBT cohort was 94%, and for the APT cohort, 87% ( P = .39). The difference in tibial component failures between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (Pearson χ 2 = 0.1535, P = .6952). Revision rates for the entire implant and infection rates were not significantly different between the 2 groups.
Validation of the Caprini Venous Thromboembolism Risk Assessment Model in Critically Ill Surgical Patients

Importance Appropriate risk stratification for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is essential to providing appropriate thromboprophylaxis and avoiding morbidity and mortality. Objective To validate the Caprini VTE risk assessment model in a previously unstudied high-risk cohort: critically ill surgical patients. Design, Setting, and Participants We performed a retrospective cohort study of 4844 adults (≥18 years old) admitted to a 20-bed surgical intensive care unit in a large tertiary care academic hospital during a 5-year period (July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2012). Main Outcomes and Measures The main study outcome was VTE (defined as patients with deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) that occurred during the patient’s initial hospital admission. Results The study population was distributed among risk levels as follows: low, 5.3%; moderate, 19.9%; high, 31.6%; highest, 25.4%; and superhigh, 14.9%. The overall incidence of inpatient VTE was 7.5% and increased with risk level: 3.5% in low-risk patients, 5.5% in moderate-risk patients, 6.6% in high-risk patients, 8.6% in highest-risk patients, and 11.5% in superhigh-risk patients. Patients with Caprini scores greater than 8 were significantly more likely to develop inpatient VTE events when compared with patients with Caprini scores of 7 to 8 (odds ratio [OR], 1.37; 95% CI, 1.02-1.85; P = .04), 5 to 6 (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.16-1.57; P P P P = .04), 3 to 4 (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.08-1.51; P = .005), or 0 to 2 (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.10-1.74; P = .006). Conclusions and Relevance The Caprini VTE risk assessment model is valid. This study supports the use of individual risk assessment in critically ill surgical patients.
State of the art power management algorithms for hybrid electric vehicles

Hybrid electric vehicles are proposed to reduce the fuel consumption and emission while sustaining performance of the vehicle. The key point to use the full potential of hybridization is designing a proper supervisory control strategy, which manages how to split the demanded power between energy sources in the most efficient and optimum way. This paper compares and classifies control strategies according to their dynamic structure, complexness, applicability and performance.
Optical and Mössbauer Spectroscopy of Iron in Micas

The spectroscopic study of iron in micas is generally focused on one or both of two goals: determination of the relative amounts of Fe2+ and Fe3+ present, and assessment of the distribution of those ions among the one tetrahedral and two octahedral sites in the mica structure. Historically, nine different means have been used to address these goals: wet chemistry, optical, Mossbauer (MS), synchrotron X-ray absorption near-edge (XANES), X-ray photoelectron (XPS), and electron energy-loss spectroscopies (EELS), electron microprobe (EPMA), indirect calculation methods, and X-ray diffraction structure refinements (SREF). Sample requirements for all these techniques vary from the need for oriented, doubly-polished single grains to large quantities of homogeneous powder. Bulk sample analysis (milligram and larger masses) requires significant analyst skills, is done reliably at relatively few laboratories and has been controversial (particularly with the Mossbauer community). Measurements at the scale of microbeam analysis (picogram) have historically yielded inconsistent results (in the case of electron microprobe or indirect calculation methods) or have been until very recently confined to a few experimental studies. Because of these problems and the dichotomy of scale between the available analytical techniques, the importance of oxidation state measurements has often been ignored during the last 40 years despite (and in some cases, because of) the efforts of the spectroscopic community. However, the ability to measure the oxidation states and site occupancies of Fe in micas, particularly at micrometer scales, has long been a necessity for mineralogists, petrologists, and geochemists. In this paper, existing work on the primary spectroscopic methods for studying Fe in micas is discussed and reviewed. Other techniques will not be covered in detail here for a variety of reasons: Site assignments for Fe and other cations can be made using structure refinements based upon X-ray diffraction studies, and that subject is well …
Ni Removal from Si Wafers by Low-Pressure UV-Chlorine Cleaning

Ni removal from Si wafers by low-pressure UV/Cl2 chemical vapor cleaning (CVC) was investigated at substrate temperatures of 150–200°C. Sub-monolayer Ni coverages were applied to Si(100) by ultrahigh-vacuum physical vapor deposition (UHV-PVD). The Ni surface concentration was reduced to the Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) detection limit by a 2-min UV/Cl2 exposure at 300 mTorr and 200°C. AES depth profiling revealed that Ni was not contained within nor buried beneath the chlorosilyl layer formed by UV/Cl2 CVC. In contrast, Ni was not removed under similar conditions from Si surfaces covered by a thin UV/air oxide layer. These results indicate that Ni removal from Si occurs by a photochemical etching mechanism and not by direct volatilization of NiCl2. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of Si surfaces after UV/Cl2 CVC indicated that Si etching was limited ~20 A and that the surface was smooth (RMS roughness = 1.6 A).
Applying attitude theories to the return of mailed questionnaires

This chapter applies theories from several disciplines to the mailed questionnaire methodology.
Picturing Empire: Photography and the Visualization of the British Empire; Picturing Bushmen: The Denver African Expedition of 1925

Picturing Empire: Photography and the Visualization of the British Empire. James R. Ryan. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,1997 Picturing Bushmen: The Denver African Expedition of 1925. Robert J. Gordon. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 1997. 208 pp. xiii. 61 illustrations.
Scaling a Dataflow Testing Methodology to the MultiparadigmWorld of Commercial Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are widely used but often contain faults. Thus, in prior work we presented a dataflow testing methodology for use with spreadsheets, which studies have shown can be used cost-effectively by end-user programmers. To date, however, the methodology has been investigated across a limited set of spreadsheet language features. Commercial spreadsheet environments are multiparadigm languages, utilizing features not accommodated by our prior approaches. In addition, most spreadsheets contain large numbers of replicated formulas that severely limit the efficiency of dataflow testing approaches. We show how to handle these two issues with a new dataflow adequacy criterion and automated detection of areas of replicated formulas, and report results of a controlled experiment investigating the feasibility of our approach
Large deformation simulations of cyclic displacement instabilities in thermal barrier systems

The cyclic displacement instability exhibited by a thermally grown oxide (TGO) in a thermal barrier system has been simulated using a scheme that embodies large-scale thickening. The investigation has three main objectives. (i) A sensitivity study that probes the influence of the thermo-mechanical properties of the bond coat. It uses properties that closely resemble those relevant to actual bond coat materials. (ii) Explore the influence of the size of the imperfections present on the bond coat surface and address the critical size below which the instability is suppressed. (iii) A determination of the influence of TGO growth kinetics ranging between linear and parabolic.
Ionic Conductivity in Calcium Silicate Glasses

Glasses in the system CaO–SiO2 were prepared with the composition varying from 40 to 55 mole % CaO. The Na2O impurity content ranged from 0.01 to 1.30 mole %. The electrical resistivity was insensitive to the Na2O content but decreased with increasing CaO concentration. The activation energy for conduction ranged from 33.54 to 31.23 kcal/mole as the CaO concentration increased. The conduction mechanism was considered in terms of three arbitrary parameters: (1) equivalent oxygen packing density, (2) ionic radius, and (3) ion-oxygen attraction.
Space-time network coding with optimal node selection for amplify-and-forward cooperative networks

In a wireless network with multiple amplify-and-forward (AF) nodes, the many-to-many cooperative communication is achieved through the novel concept of space-time network coding with optimal node selection (STNC-ONS). The communication under the STNC-ONS scheme is split into two phases: 1) the broadcasting phase (BP) in which each node in its allocated time-slot broadcasts its data symbol to all the other nodes in the network, and 2) the cooperation phase (CP) in which the optimal node corresponding to each desired data symbol is selected for relaying it to the destination node in its own time-slot. The optimal node selection is based on the maximum harmonic mean value of the source, intermediate, and destination nodes' scaled instantaneous channel gains. An approximate symbol-error-rate (SER) expression for M-ary phase shift keying (M-PSK) modulation is derived along with an upper bound SER approximation which is shown to be asymptotic at high signal-to-noise ratio. The derived analytical expressions verify that for a network of N nodes, a full diversity order of (N − 1) per node is achieved by the STNC-ONS scheme. It is concluded that the STNC-ONC scheme is a potential many-to-many cooperative communication scheme with applications spanning sensor and mobile wireless networks.
Does hematopoietic stem cell transplantation benefit infants with acute leukemia

A 6-month-old girl was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). She has completed induction therapy and is currently in first complete remission (CR1). You are asked by your resident if hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) would benefit infants with acute leukemia.
MR Imaging of Slow Axonal Transport in Vivo

Three magnetopharmaceuticals based on a monocrystalline iron oxide nanocompound (MION) are evaluated as potential contrast agents for demonstrating axonal transport in vivo by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. One agent has a strong positive charge, one has a strong negative charge, and the third is covalently linked to wheat germ agglutinin, a plant lectin with a high affinity for axon terminals. All three agents were tagged with rhodamine, and fluorescence microscopy was used to determine their fate after administration and to validate the imaging results. Following injection into or near various neural structures in the motor and visual systems of rats, MR images were obtained at multiple times up to 11 days later, and the imaged tissues were processed for subsequent histological examination. Similar results were obtained with all three agents. Axonal transport was not seen by MR imaging or fluorescence microscopy when the agents were injected into the calf muscles, the vitreous of the eye, or the superior colliculus. However, bidirectional axonal transport was shown unequivocally by both methods after injection directly into the site of a focal crush injury to the sciatic nerve. The nerve, which otherwise is isointense with surrounding tissues on MR images, appeared as a uniformly hypointense structure having a length approximately in proportion to the time from injection to imaging. By 11 days, the course of the nerve was traceable from its component roots in the cauda equina to its bifurcation into the tibial and common peroneal nerves in the leg. A transport rate of about 5 mm/day was calculated, which is consistent with the mechanism of slow transport. MION-based magnetopharmaceuticals thus can be used to demonstrate slow axonal transport, and thereby visualize peripheral nerves, in vivo by MR imaging.
Depositional provenance of the Himalayan metamorphic core of Garhwal region, India: Constrained by U–Pb and Hf isotopes in zircons

Abstract U–Pb and Hf isotopes in zircon from the highly metamorphosed core of the Himalaya in the Garhwal region of India indicate that the ortho- and paragneiss units of the Greater Himalayan Sequence (oGHS and pGHS, respectively) are geochemical distinct from the older Lesser Himalayan Crystalline Sequence (LHCS). Zircon grains from Paleoproterozoic metasediment of the LHCS yield U–Pb crystallization ages from 1614 ± 14 Ma to 2679 ± 14 Ma with a single distinct peak in the age spectra at 1870 Ma. eHf values from zircon in the LHCS range from 1 to − 8. In contrast, zircon grains from the Neoproterozoic pGHS yield U–Pb crystallization ages from 481 ± 10 Ma to 2560 ± 8 Ma with a single distinct peak at 860 Ma. eHf values from these zircons range from 13 to − 21. The oGHS yields zircon grains with U–Pb crystallization ages from 416 ± 2 Ma to 2740 ± 2 Ma with a single distinct peak at 472 Ma. These grains often exhibit older inherited cores ranging from ~ 800 Ma to ~ 2740 Ma with Ordovician rims (416 Ma to 510 Ma). The eHf values of zircon grains in the oGHS have two distinct modes: the ~ 860 Ma inherited zircon cores have a similar range to the ~ 860 Ma zircons from the pGHS (13 to − 21), whereas the ~ 480 Ma rims range from − 7 to − 11. The detrital zircon U–Pb age spectra from the pGHS in the Garhwal region differs significantly from the U–Pb age spectra in other parts of the range (Nepal and Bhutan). These differences indicate wide lateral variations in provenance for the various source regions of the pGHS. Comparisons of the U–Pb and Hf data from the Garhwal region with potential ~ 1800 Ma source regions show overlap with metasediments of the Aravalli shield of India. In the pGHS the most juvenile eHf values overlap with those of the northern Arabian Nubian Shield in Israel. However, these rocks show little crustal contamination at ~ 800 Ma, whereas the pGHS has significant crustal contamination at ~ 860 Ma. The Ordovician oGHS has eHf values that match the average eHf values of the paragneiss implying that it was sourced from the paragneiss. Although the nature of this Ordovician igneous event is still poorly understood, it is clear that the Hf isotopes can provide further insight into the petrogenesis of the magmatic rocks associated with it.
Characterization of Maternal and Zygotic D-raf Proteins: Dominant Negative Effects on Torso Signal Transduction

The maternal D-raf serine/threonine kinase acts downstream of Torso (Tor) for specification of cell fates at the embryonic termini. D-raf activity is also required in other signal transduction pathways and consistent with its pleiotropic role, we find accumulation of a 90-kD D-raf protein throughout embryonic development. We also characterize the accumulation of maternal D-raf proteins in 0–2-hr embryos derived from females with germ cells lacking D-raf activity. Accumulation of a 90-kD or truncated mutant D-raf protein is observed for some of these embryos, while others lack the maternal D-raf protein. Then, to determine whether rescue of the Tor pathway is influenced by pools of nonfunctional maternal D-raf, wild-type D-raf mRNA was injected into embryos that inherit maternal stores of inactive 90-kD or truncated D-raf protein. For embryos lacking the maternal D-raf protein, a high level of terminal rescue is obtained. In contrast, rescue is reduced or not observed for embryos that accumulate mutant maternal D-raf proteins. These findings suggest that mutant forms of D-raf may deplete the embryo of a positive activator and/or form inactive protein complexes that affect rescue of the Tor pathway.
Isaiah Berlin’s “Minimum of Common Moral Ground”:

Isaiah Berlin’s political thought consistently combines tragic value pluralism with moral priority for a minimum sphere of individual liberty which is defined and protected by a core set of basic human rights. His fundamental concept of a common moral minimum includes multiple components, including the idea that there is a common moral world of plural and conflicting incommensurable objective values and the idea that humans share a common nucleus of needs and interests centered on the overriding goal of human survival. The basic human rights have priority over competing values because the rights are essential for human survival. They determine a common threshold of human decency: decent societies must respect the rights, which are in principle mutually harmonious under ordinary conditions, although emergencies can arise in which some of the rights must be sacrificed to respect others. Berlin’s focus is on decency, which he insists can be maintained without a commitment to political democracy.
Preparation and evaluation of epitaxial silicon films prepared by vacuum evaporation

Abstract Single crystal silicon films of both types have been deposited in a high (10−5 torr) vacuum system. Electron beam heating, as well as resistive heating, were used to heat the sources. Low energy argon ion bombardment and thermal etching were used to clean the surfaces of the substrates. The investigated temperature range of the substrates was 1000–1300°C. Single crystal films by back reflection X-ray were obtained when the substrates were above 1125°C (1400°K), which is about 0.8 of the melting point (1700°K). Fast deposition rates ( 1 2 −1μ/min) gave the best films. Diodes and transistors were prepared from some of these films to obtain an indication of the p-n junction and interface perfection. The p-n junctions showed higher reverse bias leakage and thus less perfection than that observed with devices in crystals grown by the Czochralski method.
Establishing a Baseline for Management of the Rock Scallop, Spondylus calcifer (Carpenter 1857): Growth and Reproduction in the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico

Abstract The rock scallop (also known as “donkey thorny oyster,” “spiny oyster,” and “thorny oyster”), Spondylus calcifer, is the largest member of any Panamic Province Spondylus and has played important economic, political, and cultural roles in coastal communities of the Eastern Tropical Pacific for thousands of years. Despite its importance, knowledge of its biology is scant. We assessed seasonal variations in shell and adductor muscle growth, longevity, reproductive age and period, and population sex ratios in the upper Gulf of California, Mexico, the northernmost area within the geographic distribution of this species. Information on shell growth and age was obtained via the use of stable oxygen isotope profiles of shell aragonite cross-referenced with mark recapture data. Spondylus calcifer forms white growth bands during winter and spring months. Shell growth accelerates during warmer months and diminishes during colder months. Likewise, the adductor muscle increases in size and weight during colde...
Screening for depression in a hepatitis C population: the reliability and validity of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D)

Screening for depression in a hepatitis C population: the reliability and validity of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) Rationale. Depression is reported as a serious adverse event of antiviraltherapy used to treat patients with hepatitis C (HCV); therefore, there is a need to identify a reliable and valid measure of depressive symptoms for this population. Aims. To determine reliability, construct validity and predictive validity of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in a hepatitis C (HCV) population. Ethical issues. Study reviewed/approved by the University Institutional Review Board and informed consent obtained. Methods. Longitudinal design testing psychometric properties of the CES-D prior to treatment and 4 and 24 weeks postinitiation of treatment. Reliability was tested using Cronbach's coefficient α. Construct validity was tested, prior to therapy, using principal components factoring with varimax rotation. Predictive validity was tested using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) of CES-D scores at 4 and 24 weeks postinitiation of treatment. Results. Non-probability sample, 116 adult HCV patients ‖62 (53%) males and 54 (47%) females‖. Reliability (Cronbach's α) = 0.88 pretreatment, 0.89 week 4 and 0.90 week 24. Construct validity testing revealed four factors: negative affect; positive affect; somatic; and depressed affect/somatic. Exception for two items, felt sad' and 'couldn't get going', all items loaded distinctly with correlation coefficients in the range of 0.51-0.84. Predictive validity testing revealed a statistically significant effect over time (P < 0.001) in the direction predicted (pretreatment x = 13.97; post 4 weeks x = 19.54 and 24 weeks x = 19.97). Conclusions. The CES-D is a reliable and valid instrument to screen for depressive symptoms in HCV patients. The instrument detected the predicted increase in depression associated with HCV. Examination of the sensitivity and specificity is needed to determine the most accurate cut-off score.
A New Moustache Wasp in Dominican Amber, with an Account of Apoid Wasp Evolution Emphasizing Crabroninae (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)

A new, extinct species of the wasp genus Lindenius (Crabroninae: Crabronini: Crabronina) is described and figured from two exquisitely preserved specimens discovered in Early Miocene Dominican amber. Lindenius paleomystax, new species, represents the first record for the tribe Crabronini in Dominican amber and the southernmost record for the genus in the New World. The unique locality and habitat data begin to reveal a more complicated natural history for the genus than that suggested by Recent taxa alone. A checklist of fossil apoid wasps in amber is provided and the new species is discussed within the context of an overview of apoid wasp origins and evolution.
OSTEOLOGY OF A NEW PLESIOSAUR FROM THE LOWER CRETACEOUS (ALBIAN) THERMOPOLIS SHALE OF MONTANA

ABSTRACT A new taxon of Cretaceous short-necked plesiosaur, Edgarosaurus muddi, gen. et sp. nov., is described. The specimen consists of a complete skull, 34 vertebrae including the entire series of 26 cervicale, and a nearly complete forelimb. The new taxon occurs in marine sediments of the Thermopolis Shale (late Albian), deposited during an early transgression of the Western Interior Seaway. The skull of Edgarosaurus is the oldest, and one of the best preserved plesiosaur specimens from the Cretaceous Western Interior of North America described to date. Edgarosarus differs from the morphologically and stratigraphically close short-necked taxon Plesiopleurodon wellesi in a number of cranial characters. In the absence of an established phylogenetic framework, the new plesiosaur is placed in the Polycotylidae, as recently defined by Carpenter in 1996. It is plesiomorphic with respect to other polycotylids in that it possesses a relatively robust and moderately elongated rostrum, a pineal foramen, caninifo...
Gut feelings about heart disease

It is becoming widely accepted that a complicated interplay exists between the gut microbiome and human host metabolism. Gut bacteria aid in the digestion and metabolism of certain foods we eat, providing us not only with nutrients we can use, but also sometimes with potentially harmful metabolites. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), for example, is produced from the microbial metabolism of dietary choline and carnitine and might increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. Dysbiosis, or an imbalance of the microbiota, has been linked to numerous metabolic conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD), although specific mechanisms remain largely unknown. Now, Fu et al . examine the partnership between the gut microbiome and blood lipids, which are strong risk determinants of heart disease. The authors studied 893 participants in the LifeLines Cohort in the Netherlands to examine the relationship between the gut microbiome and blood lipid concentrations. Fecal samples were analyzed, bacterial DNA sequenced, and microbial diversity (that is, the variability of bacterial composition) quantified. Greater microbial diversity was associated with lower body mass index (BMI), lower blood triglyceride levels, and higher HDL cholesterol; among specific bacteria that correlated with these parameters were several known to participate in bile-acid and short-chain fatty acid metabolism. Investigators also reported an independent microbial contribution to the variation in blood triglycerides and HDL beyond that explained by genetics and traditional risk factors (age, gender, BMI). Although further studies are needed to prove causality, these data support a role for the gut microbiome in the regulation of blood lipids and potentially heart-disease risk. If true, therapies to modify the gut microbiome may be a viable option for correcting lipid abnormalities. If the idea of fecal transplants is hard to stomach, dietary changes already known to correct blood lipids might be a more palatable option. But bug or no bug, CVD patients and healthy individuals exert control over their diets. J. Fu et al ., The gut microbiome contributes to a substantial proportion of the variation in blood lipids. Circ. Res . 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.115.306807 (2015). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://circres.ahajournals.org/content/early/2015/09/09/CIRCRESAHA.115.306807.abstract
Coming home: the experiences and implication of reintegration for military families

ABSTRACT Introduction: Although military families are typically resilient in the face of adversity, the current literature suggests that the aftermath of deployment involves numerous stressors and difficulties for these families for a long period. Method: Using a sample of 380 US service members, 295 partners of US service members, and 136 adolescents who experienced a full deployment cycle of a service member parent, this study addresses the gaps in knowledge by examining how factors identified in prior research (reintegration stress and coping, preparation and expectations, family functioning and parental satisfaction, perceived adolescent changes between deployment and reintegration, and adolescents’ perception of family functioning) affect reintegration stress and coping for US service members, partners of US service members (someone who identifies as being in a significant relationship with a service member), and adolescents. Results: Better service member coping, satisfaction with family deployment ...
Oaths and the Pledge of Allegiance: Freedom of Expression and the Right to Be Silent

Expression of belief can be free only with a background of freedom to be silent. Individual liberty flourishes when the state and society are excluded altogether from the realm of private individual belief. While guarding against abuse of governmental power, very carefully specified limits to the dissemination of racist, bigoted beliefs might be acceptable in a free society. But legal or social intrusion into privately held belief is not consistent with individual liberty. Oaths, the Pledge of Allegiance, and intrusive questioning of creedal and political belief or personal feelings must be treated with great suspicion in a liberal society. The right of silence has a more central place within the realm of liberal principles than the right to disseminate.
Exploratory Analysis of Clinical Predictors of Outcomes of Nonsurgical Treatment in Patients With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to explore potential baseline physical examination and demographic predictors of clinical outcomes in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods This was a secondary analysis of data obtained from a pilot randomized controlled trial. Primary and secondary outcome measures were the Swiss Spinal Stenosis (SSS) Questionnaire and visual analog scale (VAS) for leg pain. Multiple regression models were used to assess 2 different outcomes: SSS at completion of care and VAS at completion of care. Separate regression models were built for each of the 2 outcomes to identify the best subset of variables that predicted improvement. Predictors with a significant contribution were retained in a final "best" model. Results Three variables were identified as having an association with SSS score at completion of care: baseline SSS score, qualitative description of leg pain, and age (adjusted R 2 = 33.2). Four variables were identified as having an association with VAS score at completion of care: baseline VAS score, qualitative description of leg pain, body mass index, and age (adjusted R 2 = 38.3). Conclusion This study provides preliminary evidence supporting an association between certain baseline characteristics and nonsurgical clinical outcomes in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.
Secondary GIS built environment data for health research: Guidance for data development

Built environment (BE) data in geographic information system (GIS) format are increasingly available from public agencies and private providers. These data can provide objective, low-cost BE data over large regions and are often used in public health research and surveillance. Yet challenges exist in repurposing GIS data for health research. The GIS data do not always capture desired constructs; the data can be of varying quality and completeness; and the data definitions, structures, and spatial representations are often inconsistent across sources. Using the Small Town Walkability study as an illustration, we describe (a) the range of BE characteristics measurable in a GIS that may be associated with active living, (b) the availability of these data across nine U.S. small towns, (c) inconsistencies in the GIS BE data that were available, and (d) strategies for developing accurate, complete, and consistent GIS BE data appropriate for research. Based on a conceptual framework and existing literature, objectively measurable characteristics of the BE potentially related to active living were classified under nine domains: generalized land uses, morphology, density, destinations, transportation system, traffic conditions, neighborhood behavioral conditions, economic environment, and regional location. At least some secondary GIS data were available across all nine towns for seven of the nine BE domains. Data representing high-resolution or behavioral aspects of the BE were often not available. Available GIS BE data - especially tax parcel data - often contained varying attributes and levels of detail across sources. When GIS BE data were available from multiple sources, the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of the data could be reasonable ensured for use in research. But this required careful attention to the definition and spatial representation of the BE characteristic of interest. Manipulation of the secondary source data was often required, which was facilitated through protocols.
Histo-physiological studies on chick pancreas as influenced by feeding raw soybean meal.

SummaryPancreatic hypertrophy in chicks fed raw soybean meal is caused by an accumulation of zymogen material in the acinar cells. Failure of the pancreas to respond in the expected way to pilocarpine injection suggests that the raw soybean meal interferes in some way with the basic mehanism by which zymogen is released from the pancreatic cells. It therefore seems unlikely that the growth depression in chicks fed raw soybean could be due to excessive fecal loss of critical amino acids contained in pancreatic enzymes.
Epizootiology of Trypanosoma cruzi in southwestern North America. Part XI: Biology of the genus Reduvius in North America and the possible relationship of Reduvius to the epizootiology of Trypanosoma cruzi (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomidae).

Ecological information has been presented on the 4 predaceous species of Reduvius known to North America— Reduvius personatus, senilis, sonoraensis, vanduzeei. Reduvius senilis and sonoraensis were reared from egg to egg using Triatominae as prey for these assassin bugs. Reduvius bugs became infected with Trypanosoma cruzi as a result of feeding upon infected Triatoma . Nymphal and adult instars of R. sonoraensis have been figured; fifth instar nymphs may be sexed by the length of their wing pads.
Changes of plasma vascular active substances in dog circulation failures induced by cholinesterase inhibitor sarin and therapeutic effects of antidotal treatment

AIM:To investigate the changes of plasma vascular active substances before and after treatment with neuronal nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine or muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine against the circulation failures induced by the cholinesterase inhibitort sarin in dogs.METHODS:Twenty healthy adult male dogs,weighing 12-15 kg,were divided into four groups randomly:control;treatment with mecamylamine;treatment with atropine and treatment with mecamylamine and atropine at the dose ratio of 110(n=5).Animals were given intramuscularly sarin,and when the mean blood pressure(MBP) was decreased to 40-45 mmHg,the drugs were intramuscularly injected and the changes of vascular active substances such as nitric oxide(NO),PGI_2,atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP),endothelin(ET),angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ)and TXA_2 before and after treated 15,30 and 60 min were observed.RESULTS:In anesthetized dogs intoxicated with cholinesterase inhibitor sarin,the plasma vascular active substances NO,PGI_2,ANP,ET,AngⅡ and TXA_2 were increased significantly.After treated with mecamylamine and atropine 15 min,all the six vascular active substances were decreased markedly.After treated 60 min,they were almost resumed to the normal levels.The therapeutic effects of combination of mecamylamine and atropine were much better than those of mecamylamine or atropine used separately.CONCLUSION:The levels of vascular active substances NO,PGI_2,ANP,ET,AngⅡ and TXA_2 in plasma can reflect the severity of circulation failure.There were synergic effects between mecamylamine and atropine against circulation failures induced by sarin.
Analysis on surveillance results of measles and rubella network in Hebei Province from 2004 to 2007

Objective:To evaluate the effect of measles and rubella laboratory network in speeding up measles and rubella control from 2004 to 2007.Methods:We analyzed the data of the measles and rubella network during 2004～2007.Results:From 2004 to 2007,the measles surveillance system reported 21328 cases.The laboratory network had detected 17552 sera of the cases.The rate of laboratory detected cases is 81.52%(17386/21328).The positive rate of the measles IgM antibody is 60.04%.The laboratory had detected 6475 sera of rubella IgM antibody,and the positive rate of the rubella IgM antibody is 17.13%.The laboratory had detected sera of 43 times rubella breaking out,and the rate of rubella IgM antibody is 67.07%.During 2004～2007,the municipal measles and rubella laboratory network deteced 674 blind sera specimen,the identical rate is 98.37%.After the provincial laboratory detected 972 sera specimen repeatedly,the identical rate is 93.11%.Checked by national measles and rubella laboratory,the provincial laboratory got 100 marks each year from 2004 to 2007.We isolated 64 measles viruses coming from 11 districs,the measles viruses genotype changed from H1c to H1a and H1b,and then to H1a.We got 1 rubella virus the genotype of which is 1E.Conclusion:Hebei provincial measles and rubella laboratory network provided mass sciectific data in measles surveillance system in time,that played very important role in speeding up measles and rubella control.
Mature Testicular Teratoma with Vena Caval Invasion Presenting as Pulmonary Embolism

AbstractWe report a case of mature testicular teratoma with invasion and thrombosis of the inferior vena cava that presented as recurrent pulmonary embolism. Treatment included radical orchiectomy, chemotherapeutic cytoreduction and, finally, resection of a massive retroperitoneal tumor with en bloc resection of the inferior vena cava using cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Management is discussed and the literature is reviewed.
Acquired Neonatal Thrombocytopenia

This chapter will focus on the acquired etiologies of neonatal thrombocytopenia. Neonatal thrombocytopenia occurs in 1–2% of healthy term neonates, but is more common in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where thrombocytopenia occurs in up to one third of all admissions. Thrombocytopenia in the fetus and neonate is defined as platelet count <150,000/μl while acknowledging this reference range is not well-standardized for preterm infants, and that mild thrombocytopenia may overlap with normal values. Thrombocytopenic neonates may present symptomatically with petechiae, hematomas and gastrointestinal, umbilical or intracranial bleeding. The increased risk of life-threatening bleeding that accompanies severe thrombocytopenia and prematurity makes the accurate diagnosis and intervention of acquired thrombocytopenia critical.