cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Financial Organization and Production Choices

CONOMISTS have become increasingly interested in growth problems of the farm firm. Consolidation and growth of the farm firm have accelerated in the commercial sector of U.S. agriculture as indeed in much of the rest of the world. So also has access to models relevant for the study of firm growth. Both changes have generated a renewed interest in managerial problems with financial content. In choices related to growth, consequences of financial alternatives are likely to be at least as important as those of production alternatives. Moreover, and more important still, production and financial alternatives are interrelated. Economists can investigate hypotheses that explain growth or they can estimate effects of alternatives open to growth-conscious decision-makers. The first option casts the investigator in the role of an ex post observer engaged in improving our understanding of growth processes. The second casts him in the role of an ex ante adviser, engaged in producing information useful to the decision-maker in a prescriptive sense. We opt for the second role and will propose a model with properties relevant for prescriptive use. However, concepts implied by the model should be useful also to investigators in explanatory research. Any models failing to account for interrelations between production and financial alternatives are destined to be barren in use for testing hypotheses on firm growth. It is most difficult to develop a model in terms general enough for wide empirical use and yet specific enough to be operational in any given setting. The primary issues engaged in the model to be outlined are (a) growth by intensification in use of capital and/or labor per unit of land versus growth by control of added land, (b) growth by ownership versus growth by lease of land resources, and (c) alternatives in financing the acquisition of land and nonland resources. In keeping with the topic assigned, I shall center considerable attention on the joint effects of financing and producing alternatives. Since the commonly used theory of the firm is essentially a production theory, it may be convenient to view the development of this paper as a modification of production theory occasioned by financial choices. In an earlier article [1] I have suggested the general modifications required. In the following pages I extend the argument to the special problems of longterm financing required for acquisition of real property.
Decompression of Acute Urinary Tract Obstruction by Extravasation into a Large Simple Renal Cyst

We report a case of pelvocaliceal decompression by extravasation into a preexisting simple renal cyst. This is a rare complication of acute urinary obstruction. The findings and the prognostic implications are discussed.
Propargyl cations — powerful ambient temperature dienophiles in the diels-lder reaction

Abstract The diphenylpropargyl cation has been shown to be a powerful Diels-Alder dienophile which adds to dienes in high yield at ambient temperatures.
Production mechanism of backward energetic protons studied from two-particle correlations in 800 MeV proton-nucleus collisions.

The relative importance of various mechanisms which may play a role in the production of backward energetic protons has been studied in 800 MeV proton-nucleus collisions. Energetic protons (P\ensuremath{\ge}350 MeV/c) at \ensuremath{\theta}=118\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} were measured in coincidence with particles emitted in the angular range from 15\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. Both in-plane (\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\varphi}=180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}) and out-of-plane (\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\varphi}=90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}) coincidences were measured. The data have been decomposed into several categories depending on the excitation energy of the residual nucleus. Momentum spectra, angular distributions, and target mass dependences of these categories have been studied. The scattering of the incident proton by a correlated nucleon cluster seems to play an important role. From the proton spectrum associated with the p-d quasi-elastic scatterings, the momentum spread of the pn system (``d'') inside the nucleus has been determined. The momentum spread of the ``d'' obtained by the p-d quasi-elastic scatterings is found to be smaller than the spread observed in heavy-ion projectile fragmentation into deuterons. From the mass dependence of the ratio of the p-d to p-p quasi-elastic scattering cross sections, the mean free path of deuterons inside the nucleus has been determined.
Mustard Cover Crops for Biomass Production and Weed Suppression in the Great Lakes Region

Short-season cover cropping can be an important weed management tool. To optimize the use of mustard [Sinapis alba L. and Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] in the Great Lakes region, we assessed planting time effects, mustard biomass production, and weed suppression during mustard growth and after incorporation. The study was conducted in Illinois, Michigan, and New York for spring and fall from 2010 to 2012. Mustard was sown every ~10 d from mid-March to early June for spring plantings and from early August to mid-September for fall plantings. Spring mustard biomass, weed density, community composition, and dry biomass were collected at mustard flowering. Fall mustard biomass, weed density, and dry biomass were collected at season end. Spring mustard biomass ranged from <0.5 to 4 t ha –1 . Early fall biomass ranged from 3 to 5.5 t ha –1 , and was related to growing degree days (GDD) according to a logistic function. Weed biomass during mustard growth was reduced by at least 50% in 9 of 10 site-years (90%) for fall-planted mustard but only 15 of 31 site-years (48%) in spring plantings. Weed suppression was independent of mustard biomass. The total number of weed seedlings emerging after mustard incorporation was not significantly reduced, but there was a species-specific response, with a decrease in common lambsquarters ( Chenopodium album L.) and grass emergence. The results permit a location-specific recommendation to plant mustard cover crops 13 to 23 August in the southern Great Lakes Region, and no later than 1 to 10 September for adequate biomass production.
Temporary Subclavian Steal to Reduce Intraprocedural Embolic Risk during Detachable Balloon Occlusion of Vertebrobasilar Aneurysms: Technical Note with Two Case Reports

Purpose Unintentional intracerebral embolization is a serious, ever present threat during neurointerventional procedures. We have devised a method to reduce this intraprocedural risk in vertebral artery interventions by creating a temporary subclavian steal. Methods and results For this technique, a temporary balloon occlusion catheter is advanced into the proximal subclavian artery via a femoral artery approach, while a second introducer catheter is passed into the target vertebral artery via an axillary artery access. The temporary occluding balloon is then inflated within the proximal subclavian artery, establishing a subclavian steal that diverts blood flow into the arm. Permanent balloon occlusion of the vertebral artery can then be accomplished without fear of intracerebral embolization. Two patients with vertebrobasilar junction aneurysms were successfully treated with detachable balloon embolization using this cerebral protection technique. The permanent occlusion balloons were easily passed through the introducer catheter without difficulty despite reversed vertebral artery flow. No complications were encountered, and the aneurysms were successfully occluded in both patients. Conclusions Temporary subclavian steal can be easily created to reduce the risk of cerebral embolic complications when performing interventional neuroradiological procedures in the vertebral artery.
Acute propranolol infusion stimulates protein synthesis in rabbit skin wound

Background Propranolol administration has been demonstrated to improve cardiac work, decrease energy expenditure, and attenuate lipolysis in burned patients; however, its effect on wound healing has not been reported. Methods In rabbits, a partial-thickness skin donor site wound was created on the back, and catheters were placed in the carotid artery and jugular vein. A nasogastric feeding tube was placed for enteral feeding. On day 5 after injury, stable isotope tracers were infused to determine protein and DNA kinetics in the wound. Propranolol hydrochloride was injected in 1 group during the tracer infusion to decrease heart rate, and the other group without propranolol injection served as a control. Results The propranolol infusion decreased heart rate by 21%. The protein fractional synthetic rate in the wound was greater in the propranolol group (8.6 ± 0.9 vs 6.1 ± 0.5%/day, P P = .07). Wound DNA fractional synthetic rates were comparable. The protein fractional synthetic rate was correlated with percent decrease in heart rate, but expression of the β-adrenergic receptors and downstream signaling cascades in local wounds were not affected after propranolol treatment. Conclusion Propranolol infusion increased wound protein synthetic rate and tended to increase wound protein deposition rate, which might be beneficial to wound healing. These changes might reflect a systemic response to the β-adrenergic blockade.
Screening colonoscopy versus sigmoidoscopy: implications of a negative examination for cancer prevention and racial disparities in average-risk patients.

Background Both colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy are accepted procedures for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in the United States. Objective To compare risk of CRC after negative findings on screening colonoscopy versus sigmoidoscopy and to evaluate racial/ethnic disparities in postscreening CRC. Design Retrospective, comparative cohort study. Setting Integrated community-based health-care system. Patients Average-risk patients 50 to 75 years of age with negative findings on an initial endoscopic screening examination from January 2000 to December 2010. Interventions Colonoscopy versus sigmoidoscopy as the initial screening procedure. Main Outcome Measurements Incident cases of CRC identified via a prospective internal cancer registry, risk of CRC determined by Cox regression adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and comorbidity. Results The study cohort included 138,297 patients (42,938 patients with negative findings on colonoscopy and 95,359 with negative findings on sigmoidoscopy). The median age was 57.9 years (interquartile range 53.0-64.1 years). Women comprised 51.8% of the cohort with 42.2% non-Hispanic white patients, 24.1% Hispanic patients, 10.7% non-Hispanic black patients, 9.7% Asian patients, and 13.3% other/unknown. A total of 241 cases of CRC was detected during 553,543 person-years of follow-up. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of postscreening CRC was 0.42 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.64; P Limitations Retrospective study with potential selection bias and residual confounding. Conclusions Negative screening colonoscopy was associated with decreased incidence of subsequent CRC and a decrease in disparities compared with negative sigmoidoscopy findings in this large, community-based setting.
Tight Binding of a Dimeric Derivative of Vancomycin with Dimeric L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala

The ligand/receptor pair consisting of a synthetic dimeric derivative of vancomycin (V), linked at the C terminus by p-xylylenediamine (V-CONHCH2C6H4CH2NHCO-V), and a dimeric derivative of l-Lys-d-Ala-d-Ala, [CH2CONeH(Nα-Ac)-l-Lys-d-Ala-d-Ala-CO2-]2, provides a new system with which to study the influence of divalency on the strength of binding. A competitive assay using affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) has been developed and used to estimate the dissociation constant of the divalent complex (≈ 1.1 nM) and the enhancement in binding (∼103) relative to the corresponding monomeric interaction between unmodified monomeric vancomycin and diacetyl-l-Lys-d-Ala-d-Ala.
Manifestações neurologicas do hiperparatireoidismo: estudo de 120 casos

E feito um estudo retrospectivo de 120 pacientes internados para investigacao de hiperparatireoidismo. Tendo em vista as manifestacoes neurologicas do hiperparatireoidismo primario realizamos tambem um confronto com os achados de outros autores.
Regulation of proliferation during central nervous system development

The retina is one of the best-characterized regions of the central nervous system (CNS) and has served as a model for many of the principles that now form the foundation for CNS development. In the past several years, a number of advances have been made in our understanding of the coordination of proliferation and cell fate specification during retinal development. In this review, we will draw on findings from studies of the retina and highlight similarities and differences in other regions in the CNS, namely the cerebellum and cortex. We will present a framework in which to pose challenges and outstanding questions for future studies on the coordination of proliferation and cell fate specification in the developing CNS.
Wrapping and Replacement of Thoracic Aorta: Morphologic and Mechanical Properties

The histologic and mechanical properties of the aorta following its segmental wrapping or replacement was investigated in two groups of dogs.In Group I (5 dogs) a 3- to 4-cm segment of the ascending and of the descending aorta were wrapped with prosthetic graft (2 dogs with woven and 3 with knitted Dacron). In Group II (5 dogs), a 3-cm segment of the de scending aorta was replaced with prosthetic graft. After an average stay of eight months, the dogs were sacrificed and the aorta was submit ted for histologic and tensile strength studies. There was no change in rup ture strength in either the wrapped or the replaced aortas in comparison with normal control aortas. However, the incidence of rupture at the suture line in Group II was significantly greater. The incidence of rupture site in Group I was 43.5% at the normal aortic segment, 17.4% at the junction between wrapped and nonwrapped aortic segment, and 39.1 % at the wrapped aortic segment. The inci dence of rupture site in group II was 28.9% at the nor...
Angiogenesis inhibitors: what is the clinical future?

In conclusion, because of the responses observed in phase I, II and III trials with angiogenesis inhibitors in combination with other biological agents or classic chemotherapy, there is no longer doubt that anti-angiogenic agents have become part of anticancer therapy in general. In the coming years, we should further explore the treatment strategies in which anti-angiogenic agents will add to a prolonged survival and an increase in the cure rate of cancer. In our opinion, the contribution of these agents will be tremendous.
Information technology and regulatory policy: new directions for digital government research

Information technology holds the potential for improving the process by which government makes regulatory decisions affecting vital aspects of society and the economy. This article charts new directions for research on the application of information technology to regulatory policy making. Drawing on the deliberations from two recent workshops organized by Harvard University's Regulatory Policy Program, the article highlights avenues for expanding the objectives of digital government research, as well as contributing knowledge to decision makers who seek to improve the responsiveness, efficiency, and manageability of regulatory policy making. Effective innovations in applying information technology to regulatory policy will need to take into account both the capabilities of new information technologies and the institutional design of the federal regulatory process. By integrating perspectives from both the information and social sciences, digital government research can help shape the future of information technology and the making of regulatory policy.
Large-scale use of polymerase chain reaction for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a routine mycobacteriology laboratory.

We investigated the use of DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction reaction (PCR) for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from clinical specimens. Two-thirds of each sample was processed for smear and culture by standard methods, and one-third was submitted for DNA extraction, amplification of a 317-bp segment within the insertion element IS6110, and detection by agarose gel electrophoresis, hybridization, or both. DNA was prepared from over 5,000 samples, with 623 samples being culture positive for acid-fast bacilli. Of 218 specimens that were identified as M. tuberculosis, 181 (85%) were positive by PCR. In the M. tuberculosis culture-positive group, PCR was positive for 136 of 145 (94%) and 45 of 73 (62%) of the fluorochrome smear-positive and -negative specimens, respectively. Of 948 specimens that were either culture positive for mycobacteria other than M. tuberculosis or culture negative, 937 specimens were negative by PCR and 11 (1%) specimens initially appeared to be false positive for M. tuberculosis. The reason for discrepant results varied; some errors were traced to the presence of an inhibitor in the specimen (7.3% in unselected specimens), nucleic acid contamination, low numbers of organisms in the specimen antituberculosis therapy, and possible low-level nonspecific hybridization. In comparison with culture, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were 83.5, 99.0, and 94.2%, respectively, for PCR. When PCR was corrected for DNA contamination, the presence of inhibitor, and culture-negative disease, the values became 86.1, 99.7, and 98.4%, respectively. If the results for multiple specimens submitted from the same patient are considered, no patient who had three of more sputum specimens tested would have been misdiagnosed. Images
Health services utilization and special education: development of a school nurse activity tool.

ABSTRACT: Increasing competition exists for resources to support health services for children receiving special education. Consequently, management tools to document services when claiming these resources need to be developed. The purposes of this study were to develop a time study instrument based on nursing activities in the school, compare nursing time provided to special education children and their nondisabled peers in general education settings, compare nursing process activities in traditional settings and in special education settings, and elicit feedback from nurses to improve the validity and reliability of the time study process. Eighteen nurses representing rural, urban, and suburban schools completed a time study for two weeks, quantifying services provided in the health room. Nurses recorded student educational status, special education category or not, nursing process activity, and the time utilized per student contact. Results indicated 48.2% of school nursing time was attributed to services for special education students during the study period. Most nursing process activities for both settings were in assessment of problems and in direct services. Findings indicate the instrument can provide objective documentation of special education health services, providing a base for claiming important resources for school health services.
A Pathogenic Role for Myelin-Specific Cd8+ T Cells in a Model for Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by plaques of infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Studies of MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, focus on the contribution of CD4+ myelin-specific T cells. The role of CD8+ myelin-specific T cells in mediating EAE or MS has not been described previously. Here, we demonstrate that myelin-specific CD8+ T cells induce severe CNS autoimmunity in mice. The pathology and clinical symptoms in CD8+ T cell–mediated CNS autoimmunity demonstrate similarities to MS not seen in myelin-specific CD4+ T cell–mediated EAE. These data suggest that myelin-specific CD8+ T cells could function as effector cells in the pathogenesis of MS.
Normal Crimes: Sociological Features of the Penal Code in a Public Defender Office

school, has it that the categories of the criminal law, e.g., "burglary," "petty theft," "homicide," etc., are not "homogeneous in respect to causation."1 From an inspection of penal code descriptions of crimes, it is argued that the way persons seem to be assembled under the auspices of criminal law procedure is such as to produce classes of criminals who are, at least on theoretical grounds, as dissimilar in their social backgrounds and styles of activity as they are similar. The entries in the penal code, this school argues, require revision if sociological use is to be made of categories of crime and a classificatory scheme of etiological relevance is to be developed. Common attempts at such revision have included notions such as
Nonequivalent Groups-Linear Methods

Chapter 1 introduced the common-item nonequivalent groups design. For this design, two groups of examinees from different populations are each administered different test forms that have a set of items in common This design often is used when only one form of a test can be administered on a given test date. As discussed in Chapter 1, the set of common items should be as similar as possible to the full-length forms in both content and statistical characteristics.
A Peer-to-Peer Federated Authentication System

A Federated identity management system extends identity information across multiple security domains. It is an enabler for sharing information and services among organizations while respecting the authorization decisions of each organization. Federation can be realized in two ways: 1) Conventional federation that is based on a multilateral agreement among participants and 2) Peer-to-peer (P2P) federation that is based on bilateral agreements. In this paper, we introduce a P2P federated authentication system based on the OASIS security assertion markup language (SAML) version 2.0 standard. The P2P federation model is simpler and more flexible than the conventional federation model even though managing peer relationships becomes a burden if the number of peers gets unmanageably large. The conventional federation model and P2P federation model are not mutually exclusive. The two models can co-exist and interoperate.
Toward clinical therapies using hematopoietic cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide remarkable cellular platforms to better understand human hematopoiesis and to develop clinically applicable hematopoietic cell–based therapies. Over the past decade, hESCs have been used to characterize molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning the differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors and mature, functional hematopoietic cells. These advances are now poised to lead to clinical translation of hESC- and iPSC-derived hematopoietic cells for novel therapies in the next few years. On the basis of areas of recent success, initial clinical use of hematopoietic cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells will probably be in the areas of transfusion therapies (erythrocytes and platelets) and immune therapies (natural killer cells). In contrast, efficient development and isolation of hematopoietic stem cells capable of long-term, multilineage engraftment still remains a significant challenge. Technical, safety, and regulatory concerns related to clinical applications of human PSCs must be appropriately addressed. However, proper consideration of these issues should facilitate and not inhibit clinical translation of new therapies. This review outlines the current status of hematopoietic cell development and what obstacles must be surmounted to bring hematopoietic cell therapies from human PSCs from “bench to bedside.”
Gender Difference in Environmental Attitude and Behaviors in Adoption of Energy-Efficient Lighting at Home

During the past decade, residential consumers’ adoption of energy-efficient lighting has increased slowly in the United States. To identify residential consumers’ attitudes and behaviors toward the adoption of energy-efficient lighting, this study examined gender differences in (1) residential consumers’ environmental behaviors in relation to lighting practice and (2) background variables of environmental behaviors including ecological value orientation, subjective norms, and lighting perceptions. Data were collected from residents in a Midwestern town in the United States; 303 surveys were used for the analysis. The findings indicated that women were more likely to engage in energy-saving practices and were more willing to pay a higher price for energy-efficient light sources. However, no gender differences emerged in the purchase of energy-efficient light sources and support for policies banning inefficient incandescent light sources. In terms of environmental attitudes, women scored significantly higher in altruistic and biospheric values than men, yet there was no difference in egoistic values. In addition, compared to men, women scored higher on subjective norms in the adoption of energy-efficient lighting. Finally, women were more likely to perceive lighting as an important factor in their everyday lives, prefer incandescent lighting, and perceive fluorescent lighting as having negative effects on human health. This study expects to contribute to the theoretical knowledge of gender differences in environmental research and provide policy makers and consumer scientists with understanding about the role of gender in residential consumers’ adoption of energy-efficient lighting.
Specification of Model Entrance Conditions for Scramjet Testing in Vitiated Air

A systematic method is presented for the specie cation of ramjet/scramjet test facility air simulant and fuel simulant composition and combustor or engine entrance conditions. An analysis of the governing equations is performed to identify a minimum set of dimensionless variables and dimensionless closure relationships. The enthalpy closure, which relates dimensionless enthalpy to dimensionless pressure, density, and composition, is studied. Best air simulant compositions for typical vitiated air facilities are identie ed by matching a simplie ed enthalpy closure relationship for the simulants to e ight. The air simulant compositions so identie ed are tested in simple calculations of a scramjet combustor and nozzle that assume two-stream, quasi-one-dimensional e ow and equilibrium chemistry. Results for the new simulation method arecompared with results for simulants constituted in the conventional manner and to e ight. Detailed effects of chemical kinetics, which are known to be important in many ramjet/scramjet simulations or in e ight, are not considered.
Na-Cl-Br systematics of mineralizing brines in Mississippi Valley–type deposits

New and published analyses of fluid-inclusion leachates from Mississippi Valley–type (MVT) deposits can be divided into two groups on the basis of Na/Br and Cl/Br ratios. MVT leachates from the Illinois-Kentucky and Cincinnati arch districts and from cubic galena in the Viburnum Trend have Na/Br and Cl/Br ratios that extend to values significantly above that of seawater, which are characteristic of evaporite-dissolution brines. MVT leachates from Polaris and octahedral galena in the Viburnum Trend have Na/Br and Cl/Br ratios that plot below seawater and along the compositional trend formed by evaporation. Solubility-volume constraints require that brines formed by seawater evaporation had high dissolved metal contents. Preliminary correlation of leachate compositions allows delineation of two brine provinces in the midcontinent United States: (1) an early, high-Br province found only in southeastern Missouri, and (2) a later, low-Br province of probable Permian age that extended from the Cincinnati arch to the Tri-State district. These observations, along with Na-Cl-Br data for modern brines from the Illinois basin, argue against models for single-stage midcontinent MVT brine flow based on recharge from late Paleozoic (Arkoma) foreland basins to the south.
Procedure for Obtaining Aerodynamic Properties of Spacecraft

A numerical procedure for calculating free-molecular aerodynamic coefficients for a large class of spacecraft configurations is presented. This involves modeling the spacecraft via the use of basic geometric shapes. The surface of each shape is numerically divided into small elemental areas. Overall coefficients are determined by summing force contributions from each of the exposed surface elements. Surface shielding is accounted for through the use of a shadow-projection technique and simple geometric relationships. Forces on elemental areas are determined by using the gas-surface interaction model attributed to Schaaf and Chambre with experimental momentum accommodation data. The procedure is implemented as a computer program. To illustrate the use and accuracy of this procedure, it is applied to the complex Skylab configuration. Results are compared with analytical predictions from a previous study.
Poetic Forms and Structures in Qualitative Health Research

In this article, the author explores the uses of poetic forms in qualitative health research, analyzing the matically a poem written from a patient's perspective of being treated in an emergency room. From the themes identified, he created two “research poems” using two formal poetic structures: the French-Malaysian pantoum, and the Japanese-inspired American tanka. The author contextualizes this research through an exploration of the arts and poetry as qualitative research.
A UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION RESULT FOR A BILLIARD IN A UNIT SQUARE

In this paper we establish a uniform distribution result for the time spent by a billiard particle in the unit square having vertices (0, 0), (1, 0), (1, 1), (0, 1), with small triangular pockets of size removed from its corners. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. 11B57, 11K36.
Worldwide Oesophageal Cancer Collaboration guidelines for lymphadenectomy predict survival following neoadjuvant therapy.

OBJECTIVES: The Worldwide Oesophageal Cancer Collaboration (WECC) reported recommendations regarding the optimum number of lymph nodes to be removed during oesophagectomy based upon patients undergoing surgery alone. We sought to determine whether these recommendations are relevant in the case of oesophageal cancer (EC) patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy. METHODS: Patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by transthoracic en bloc oesophagectomy were reviewed. Patients were grouped by optimal versus suboptimal lymphadenectomy per WECC recommendations (pTis/T0/T1 ≥10; pT2 ≥20; pT3/T4 ≥ 30). Cohorts were compared for factors predicting optimal lymphadenectomy and for overall survival (OS). RESULTS: During the time period, 135 patients (adeno = 100, squamous = 35) met the study criteria, of whom 94 patients (70%) had optimal lymphadenectomy. Optimal lymphadenectomy was more likely for tumours with lower ypT (P ≤0.001). Optimal lymphadenectomy predicted the OS (0.50, confidence intervals 0.29–0.85, P= 0.011), although it was collinear with ypT classification, which was also predictive. Patients not down-staged in ypT (n= 66, 49%) particularly experienced a trend towards improved 3-year survival with optimal lymphadenectomy (51 versus 29%, P= 0.144). Similarly, of patients with persistent nodal disease (n= 79, 59%), those who had optimal lymphadenectomy (n= 51) experienced improved 3-year OS compared with those with suboptimal lymphadenectomy (n= 28), (55 versus 36%, P= 0.087). CONCLUSIONS: WECC recommendations regarding lymphadenectomy for EC may be applicable to patients undergoing oesophagectomy following neoadjuvant therapy, particularly those who are not down-staged by pathological tumour depth (T) classification and those with persistent nodal metastases. Techniques to enhance the extent of LAN should be pursued in this patient population.
Generation of horsepower at low and high velocity by sprinters and distance runners.

Abstract Horsepower of knee flexion and knee extension of seven sprint-trained runners and seven distance-trained runners was obtained at 60 and at 210 degrees per second by use of an isokinetic apparatus to test the hypothesis that no significant difference in horsepower would be manifest between the two rates of dynamic movement. The t-test for paired observations was used to test the hypothesis. The data established that a significant difference in horsepower existed between rates of displacement for the knee flexors of the sprint runners but not for other comparisons. Distance runners developed greater horsepower at slow tension while sprint runners generated greater horsepower at rapid tension. The groups did not maintain the same horsepower relationship between knee flexors and knee extensors as rate of movement increased. Generation of knee extension horsepower by distance runners was more dependent on muscle strength than on speed of movement while generation of knee extension horsepower by sprint...
Acute supersensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects of naltrexone in pigeons.

The ability of acute morphine injections to augment discriminative stimulus effects and rate-decreasing effects of opioid antagonists was examined in pigeons trained to discriminate among i.m. injections of morphine (5.6 mg/kg), saline and naltrexone (10.0 mg/kg). A single injection of 10.0 or 32.0 mg/kg of morphine 24 hr before naltrexone produced 3- and 10-fold decreases, respectively, in the dose of naltrexone required for complete generalization. When morphine (10.0-100.0 mg/kg) was administered 48 hr before naltrexone, pigeons were not more sensitive to naltrexone as a discriminative stimulus but continued to be more sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects of naltrexone. Conditions that produced the largest increase in sensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects of naltrexone (32.0 mg/kg of morphine 24 hr before the session) also increased sensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects and rate-decreasing effects of naloxone, but did not affect the discriminative stimulus effects of diprenorphine, nalorphine or morphine. Increases in sensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects of naltrexone and naloxone after single injections of morphine approached in magnitude the increases reported previously in pigeons treated chronically (once/daily) with large doses of morphine. However, the lack of generalization to naltrexone after pretreatment with still larger doses of morphine, as well as the failure of nalorphine and diprenorphine to substitute for naltrexone as discriminative stimuli under conditions in which sensitivity to naltrexone was increased, support the view that naltrexone does not produce its discriminative stimulus effects in nondependent animals exclusively through an opioid antagonistic action. The results suggest that morphine induced, acute supersensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects of naltrexone differs from the supersensitivity to antagonists observed during chronic morphine treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Whither Shi'ite Islam? Authenticating a Shi'ite Future based on Reading the Islamic Past

[e Iranian Revolution is regarded as a major watershed in the post-World War II history of the Middle East, a transformative event which altered the rhythms of daily life and catapulted religious leaders to an unprecedented political position. Naturally, the revolution has been the subject of intense scrutiny of both academic and non-academic nature. Scholarly works on the subject tend to focus on a particular theme or period of modern Iranian history, rather then situate the Shi'ite revival generated by the revolution in the broader context of Islamic history. This article examines the early Islamic period's impact on the rise of Sh'isim, a period which defined the relationship between the Shi'ites and their Sunni rivals, and later affected Iran's revolutionary ideology and contemporary Shi'ite political thought., The Arab-Israeli peace process, a U. S. led diplomatic effort, has been unfolding over nearly four decades. Various American policies, ranging from a step by step approach to securing a comprehensive settlement, reached their peak in the 1990's, with the Clinton administration's sustained efforts to settle the Arab-Israeli dispute. Although these efforts yielded several successful outcomes, including mutual recognition between Israel and the Palestinian national movement and greater Arab-Israeli normalization, they were marred by the continuous Israeli-Palestinian strife and other negative developments. Much of these efforts were promoted by professional experts, working for various branches of the U. S. government. is article surveys several books written by some of these officials, which provide diverse accounts of the unfolding events. e testimonies in these books range from comprehensive surveys to attempts at exploring the reasons for America's failed venture, and offer new insights into the peace process.]
Evaluation of Control Effect on Occupational Hazards in Construction Project of a New Paint Manufacture Factory

[Objective]To evaluate the control effect on the occupational hazards in construction project of a new paint manufacture factory,identify the harmful factors and the harmful degree in the operational place,and advance the protective measures and the management of occupational health.[Methods]Spot occupational hygiene investigation and detection of occupational risk factors were applied. [Results]Contents of the project including site selections,the overall layout,lighting and illumination,ventilation and the facilities of auxiliary rooms were up to the standards of the relevant national rules and regulations. The protective measures and management were perfect. The main occupational hazard factors existing in this project were xylene,gasoline,acetone,hydrogen sulfide,ethyl acetate and noise etc. [Conclusion]The control effect on occupational risk factors basically meets the relevant requirements of the occupational health.
Application of risk matrix on plague risk assessment

Objectives To establish a method for plague risk assessment,and to provide the scientific basis for strategies and resources of plague prevention and control. Methods Information of the human plague incidence and animal plague epidemic between 1994 and 2013 was collated,and we conducted the risk ranking of China plague focus areas by using risk matrix and Borda count method. Results The average annual incidence of human plague was 34. 5 from 1994 to 2013,there were average52 counties were calculated with animal plague epidemic occurred annually. In the counties of top 90 sorted by Borda method,73 counties were found as plague natural focus of marmota himalayana in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,5 counties were found as plague natural focus of mongolian gerbil,7 counties were found as plague natural focus of great gerbil,2 counties were found as plague natural focus of marmota sibirica,2 counties were found as plague natural focus of spermophilus dauricus,1 county was found as plague natural focus of apodemus chevrieri. Conclusion We have established a risk assessment approach of plague based on risk matrix and Borda count method,the method is simple,fast,and useful,it is worth popularizing.
Guest Editor’s Introduction: Normative Business Ethics in a Global Economy: New Directions on Donaldsonian Themes

In this article, the author comments on studies by Thomas Donaldson on the importance of business ethics. Topics discussed include normative theories of the purpose of the corporation such as social contract theory and stakeholder theory; responsibility in the financial services industry ; epistemology in economic interpretations of business; responsibilities of firms operating across international borders; the book "The Ties That Bind" by Tom Dunfee which illustrates social contract, and contribution to business decision-making.
Fascination and Forgiveness

If Hardy’s greatest delight in life was his writing, his deepest personal sorrow was surely the want of intimacy and mutual disclosure in a marriage which at first had offered bright anticipation. It is not surprising, then, that although Clym Yeobright and Michael Henchard fall short of salvation elementally because they never discern the right spirit in which to work, most of Hardy’s characters seek — and fail to achieve — their restoration in idealised love. Predictably, love is the more badly bungled strategy of the two. Most candid people will admit to having mismanaged a romantic relationship somewhere along the line, but the problem transcends the psycho-semantic question: ‘How do we truly know what it is we love about another person when we say “I love you”?’ In Hardy’s world, as I suspect in our own, narcissism, born of the self-deprecating voice of the heart, is the essence of much that passes for love: I may admire in you the image of myself as you radiantly project it back, or, if you are moneyed or famous or quite good-looking, I may love the ego-enhancement you lend me along with your arm.
Postinflammatory medial canal fibrosis: An institutional review and meta-analysis of short- and long-term outcomes.

Objective Few studies report outcomes of surgical management of postinflammatory medial canal fibrosis (PIMCF). The objectives were to compare short- and long-term outcomes after surgical repair of PIMCF at our institution and systematically aggregate published data for meta-analysis. Data Sources Medical records for the case series; PubMed, Scopus, and OVID/Medline for the systematic review/meta-analysis. Methods Patients undergoing surgical treatment of PIMCF were identified. Short-term ( 2 years) postoperative outcomes were evaluated for the case series and aggregated for the meta-analysis. Results At our institution, 16 patients (21 ears) were identified. Compared to the preoperative air-bone gap (ABG) (27.7 ± 7.5 dB), mean postoperative short-term ABG (8.2 ± 7.5 dB) and long-term ABG (15.3 ± 11.3 dB) were significantly improved (P < 0.001 for both). Although short-term restenosis rate was low (0%) among long-term follow-up patients, 64% (9 of 14) experienced some degree of recurrent canal narrowing, including one case of complete restenosis (7%). Similarly, meta-analysis pooled preoperative ABG (29.3 ± 9.7 dB, 95% confidence interval [CI] 27.0–31.6) improved significantly during short-term (11.4 ± 8.0 dB, 95% CI 8.3–4.5, P < 0.0001) and long-term (14.3 ± 9.6 dB, 95% CI 11.6–16.9, P = 0.0004) follow-ups, with partial deterioration in hearing over time. Long-term complete restenosis rate (13.8%) was worse than short-term (8.0%), with no significant difference over time (P = 0.85). Conclusion Postinflammatory medial canal fibrosis is a rare condition that can successfully be treated with surgery to restore patency of the external auditory canal. Patients who experience improved hearing early on, however, are at significant risk of restenosis and recurrence of their conductive hearing loss with time. Level of Evidence N/A. Laryngoscope, 2016
Using machines to improve human saliency detection

Humans are adept at identifying informative regions in individual images, but it is a slow and often tedious task to identify the salient parts of every image in a large corpus. A machine, on the other hand, can sift through a large amount of data quickly, but machine methods for identifying salient regions are unreliable. In this paper, we develop a new method for identifying salient regions in images and compare this to two previously reported approaches. We then consider how such machine-saliency methods can be used to improve human performance in a realistic target-detection task.
Establishment and characterization of a novel murine model of pancreatic cancer cachexia.

Background Cachexia is a complex metabolic and behavioural syndrome lacking effective therapies. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most important conditions associated with cachexia, with >80% of PDAC patients suffering from the condition. To establish the cardinal features of a murine model of PDAC-associated cachexia, we characterized the effects of implanting a pancreatic tumour cell line from a syngeneic C57BL/6 KRASG12D P53R172H Pdx-Cre+/+ (KPC) mouse. Methods Male and female C57BL/6 mice were inoculated subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, or orthotopically with KPC tumour cells. We performed rigorous phenotypic, metabolic, and behavioural analysis of animals over the course of tumour development. Results All routes of administration produced rapidly growing tumours histologically consistent with moderate to poorly differentiated PDAC. The phenotype of this model was dependent on route of administration, with orthotopic and intraperitoneal implantation inducing more severe cachexia than subcutaneous implantation. KPC tumour growth decreased food intake, decreased adiposity and lean body mass, and decreased locomotor activity. Muscle catabolism was observed in both skeletal and cardiac muscles, but the dominant catabolic pathway differed between these tissues. The wasting syndrome in this model was accompanied by hypothalamic inflammation, progressively decreasing brown and white adipose tissue uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1) expression, and increased peripheral inflammation. Haematological and endocrine abnormalities included neutrophil-dominant leukocytosis and anaemia, and decreased serum testosterone. Conclusions Syngeneic KPC allografts are a robust model for studying cachexia, which recapitulate key features of the PDAC disease process and induce a wide array of cachexia manifestations. This model is therefore ideally suited for future studies exploring the physiological systems involved in cachexia and for preclinical studies of novel therapies.
Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability in Young Adulthood and Hippocampal Volume and Integrity at Middle Age: The CARDIA Study (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults).

The aims of this study are to assess the relationships of visit-to-visit blood pressure (BP) variability in young adulthood to hippocampal volume and integrity at middle age. We used data over 8 examinations spanning 25 years collected in the CARDIA study (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) of black and white adults (age, 18–30 years) started in 1985 to 1986. Visit-to-visit BP variability was defined as by SD BP and average real variability (ARV BP , defined as the absolute differences of BP between successive BP measurements). Hippocampal tissue volume standardized by intracranial volume (%) and integrity assessed by fractional anisotropy were measured by 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging at the year-25 examination (n=545; mean age, 51 years; 54% women and 34% African Americans). Mean systolic BP (SBP)/diastolic BP levels were 110/69 mm Hg at year 0 (baseline), 117/73 mm Hg at year 25, and ARV SBP and SD SBP were 7.7 and 7.9 mm Hg, respectively. In multivariable-adjusted linear models, higher ARV SBP was associated with lower hippocampal volume (unstandardized regression coefficient [standard error] with 1-SD higher ARV SBP : −0.006 [0.003]), and higher SD SBP with lower hippocampal fractional anisotropy (−0.02 [0.01]; all P SBP or SD SBP with hippocampal volume or integrity. In conclusion, visit-to-visit BP variability during young adulthood may be useful in assessing the potential risk for reductions in hippocampal volume and integrity in midlife.