cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retention of prose following testing with different types of tests

Abstract Taking a test on a passage one has just studied is known to enhance later retention of the passing contents. This study examined the effects of three types of initial test on later retention: a short-answer test, a multiple-choice test, and a full free-recall test. Questions on the first two of these tests covered only half of the passage contents. Later retention was compared for both initially tested content and un-tested content with that of a control group not initially tested on the passage at all. The subjects were 57 secondary school students who studied a brief history text before taking one of the initial tests. All were given retention tests 2 weeks later. The classical testing effect (enhanced retention due to initial testing) was shown to be influenced by the type of initial test used. Thus, a testing effect was evident in the case of the initial short-answer test, but not in the case of either of the other two tests. A depth-of-processing view is advanced in interpreting this finding. The testing effect was found not to generalize to untested content and in one condition (the initial multiple-choice test), retention of untested content was depressed.
Height-related trends in stomatal sensitivity to leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficit in a tall conifer

Stomatal responses to leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficit (LVPD), leaf water potential components, and cuticular properties were characterized for Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) foliage collected from tree tops along a height gradient from 5 m to 58 m in order to explore height-related trends in stomatal sensitivity to LVPD and to investigate the role of bulk leaf turgor and leaf cuticle thickness in determining stomatal behaviour. There were three distinct phases in the response of stomatal conductance (g(s)) to changes in LVPD. At low LVPD, g(s) increased with increasing LVPD (phase one). During the second phase, g(s) was maximal at low to intermediate LVPD and during the third phase g(s) declined steadily as LVPD increased. The responsiveness of g(s) to LVPD exhibited a height-related pattern such that maximum g(s) (g(s-max)) occurred at progressively greater LVPD with increasing height (r2=0.55, P=0.006). Bulk leaf osmotic potential at full turgor decreased with height (r2=0.77, P=0.00016), and LVPD at g(s-max) and at maximum crown conductance (g(c-max)) in the field were significantly correlated with leaf turgor (r2=0.92, P=0.0093). Cuticle thickness increased by 0.044 microm for every metre increase in height (r2=0.78, P=0.00015). The observed trends in the response of g(s) to LVPD along a height gradient, and their consistency with height-related trends in foliar osmotic potential suggest that osmotic adjustment at the tops of tall trees influences the relationship between g(s) and LVPD.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Pneumonia among the Elderly: An Assessment of Disease Burden

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of acute lower respiratory tract disease among the elderly, but national estimates of the burden of this disease have not been made. To estimate the morbidity, mortality, and medical costs of RSV-associated pneumonia among US elderly, national hospital discharge data, vital statistics, etiologic studies of adult pneumonia hospitalizations, and Medicare cost data were reviewed. In the United States, 687,000 hospitalizations and 74,000 deaths caused by pneumonia occur annually among the elderly; approximately 2%-9% of these are caused by RSV. At a cost of $11,000 per RSV pneumonia hospitalization, the estimated annual cost of RSV pneumonia hospitalizations is $150-$680 million. Exacerbations of congestive heart failure and other chronic conditions may also contribute substantially to RSV disease burden among the elderly. The total RSV disease burden is probably great enough to justify development of an RSV vaccine for use in this group.
Serotonin modulates the response of embryonic thalamocortical axons to netrin-1.

Modifying serotonin (5-HT) abundance in the embryonic mouse brain disrupts the precision of sensory maps formed by thalamocortical axons (TCAs), suggesting that 5-HT influences their growth. We investigated the mechanism by which 5-HT influences TCAs during development. 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptor expression in the fetal forebrain overlaps with that of the axon guidance receptors DCC and Unc5c. In coculture assays, axons originating from anterior and posterior halves of the embryonic day 14.5 dorsal thalamus responded differently to netrin-1, reflecting the patterns of DCC and Unc5c expression. 5-HT converts the attraction exerted by netrin-1 on posterior TCAs to repulsion. Pharmacological manipulation of 5-HT1B/1D receptors and intracellular cAMP showed the signaling cascade through which this modulation occurs. An in vivo correlate of altered TCA pathfinding was obtained by transient manipulation of 5-HT1B/1D receptor expression abundance in the dorsal thalamus by in utero electroporation. These data demonstrate that serotonergic signaling has a previously unrecognized role in the modulation of axonal responsiveness to a classic guidance cue.
Improving Accuracy of the United States Genetics Database with a New Editing System for Dairy Records

A new editing system for records used to compute USDA-DHIA genetic evaluations was developed to allow immediate and more complete checking of data. The system uses direct (immediate on-line) access to pedigree and some lactation information to evaluate new data received. Birth dates are checked against parent birth dates and dam calving dates. For most conflicts, existing data are retained, and new data are returned for correction or verification. Records for early lactation can be edited monthly, and data disposition can be determined electronically on-line through telephone access prior to submission. For July 1993 evaluations, nearly 29,000 pedigree records were rejected out of 2.0 million submitted; over 19,000 others were usable after data received were changed to agree with previous information. The most frequent reasons for questionable data in rejected pedigree records were invalid codes or information and conflicts with existing information for animal, sire, and dam identification and animal birth date. Over 158,000 lactation records of 3.2 million submitted with sire identification were rejected; 3 19,000 others were usable after data were updated to agree with existing information. The four most common reasons for questionable data in rejected lactation records were conflicts for sire or dam identification and animal birth date and invalid sire identification. The new system will decrease turnaround time for correcting unacceptable records.
Conscientiousness, the Transtheoretical Model of Change, and Exercise: A Neo-Socioanalytic Integration of Trait and Social-Cognitive Frameworks in the Prediction of Behavior

Relationships between conscientiousness-related traits and transtheoretical model (TTM) of change constructs, exercise self-efficacy, and exercise behavior were examined in college and community samples (N=566). Measures of the conscientiousness-related traits of conventionality and industriousness were expected to show positive relations with measures of exercise behavior stage location, processes of exercise behavior change, endorsing the benefits of exercise behavior (i.e., decisional balance), exercise self-efficacy, and self-reported exercise behavior. In addition, based on Neo-Socioanalytic Theory (Roberts & Wood, 2006) an intervening role was predicted for TTM constructs and exercise self-efficacy in the relationship between conscientiousness-related traits and exercise behavior stage location. The results showed industriousness (being hardworking) to be the most robust conscientiousness-related predictor of stage location, processes of change, endorsing the benefits of exercise behavior, and exercise self-efficacy. Mediation analyses showed the relationship between industriousness and exercise behavior stage location to be fully accounted for by select processes of change and exercise self-efficacy scales. The results are discussed in terms of a useful integration of trait and social-cognitive approaches to exercise behavior, with an emphasis on the role of industriousness as an important individual difference factor therein.
Reduced CD5+CD24hiCD38hi and interleukin-10+ regulatory B cells in active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis permit increased circulating autoantibodies

Pathogenesis of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis is B cell-dependent, although how particular B cell subsets modulate immunopathogenesis remains unknown. Although their phenotype remains controversial, regulatory B cells (Bregs), play a role in immunological tolerance via interleukin (IL)-10. Putative CD19+CD24hiCD38hi and CD19+CD24hiCD27+ Bregs were evaluated in addition to their CD5+ subsets in 69 patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). B cell IL-10 was verified by flow cytometry following culture with CD40 ligand and cytosine–phosphate–guanosine (CpG) DNA. Patients with active disease had decreased levels of CD5+CD24hiCD38hi B cells and IL-10+ B cells compared to patients in remission and healthy controls (HCs). As IL-10+ and CD5+CD24hiCD38hi B cells normalized in remission within an individual, ANCA titres decreased. The CD5+ subset of CD24hiCD38hi B cells decreases in active disease and rebounds during remission similarly to IL-10-producing B cells. Moreover, CD5+ B cells are enriched in the ability to produce IL-10 compared to CD5neg B cells. Together these results suggest that CD5 may identify functional IL-10-producing Bregs. The malfunction of Bregs during active disease due to reduced IL-10 expression may thus permit ANCA production.
Reducing maintenance overhead in DHT based peer-to-peer algorithms

DHT based peer-to-peer (P2P) algorithms are very promising for their efficient routing performance. However, most commercial P2P systems do not adapt DHT algorithms and still use central facilities or broadcasting based routing mechanisms. One reason impeding the DHT algorithm popularity is the routing information maintenance overhead in DHT algorithms; it generates considerable network traffic and increases P2P system complexity, especially in a highly dynamic environment. We discuss its effects on DHT routing performance and propose our solution to reduce this overhead.
Abstract 061: Kidney-specific Klotho Gene Deficiency Impairs Sodium Excretion and Causes Hypertension

Background & Purpose: Klotho was originally discovered as an anti-senescence gene. Mutation of klotho gene accelerates aging and shortens lifespan while overexpression of klotho gene extends lifespan in mice. We recently demonstrated that global mutation of klotho gene (+/-) increased blood pressure (BP). However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate if renal klotho plays a role in hypertension. Specifically, we assessed if kidney-specific deletion of klotho gene affects BP and renal function in male mice. Methods & Results: Briefly, kidney-specific Cre mice and klotho floxed mice were bred for generating kidney-specific klotho heterozygous (KspKL+/-) mice. Daily food and water intakes and urine output were monitored in wild type and KspKL+/- mice (16 weeks) using metabolic cages. BP was by direct cannulation of the carotid artery. Deletion of renal klotho significantly increased BP by 25 mmHg in mice without affecting the heart rate. Food and water intakes were not different between KspKL+/- and WT mice. Interestingly, 24-hr urine flow (UF) was significantly decreased in KspKL+/- mice (WT: 5.140± 0.3, KspKL+/-: 4.052±0.2,μL/min/100 gm body wt). The decrease in UF was also associated with a decrease in urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) in KspKL+/- mice compared to wild type (WT: 0.18± 0.01, KspKL+/-: 0.13±0.01, μmol/μL) without altering urinary potassium excretion. The cumulative sodium balance remained positive during the observation period with no significant difference between KspKL+/- and WT mice WT. Kidney-specific klotho deficiency did not affect the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Conclusions: This study demonstrates for the first time that kidney klotho deficiency is sufficient to cause hypertension. Klotho deficiency-induced hypertension may be due to impaired Na excretion. Klotho may be a therapeutic target for kidney dysfunction and hypertension. An additional study is warranted to investigate if klotho regulates tubular ENaC and Na, K-ATP synthase.
Paying More, But Getting Less: Myths and the Global Case for U.S. Health Reform

Despite the clear need to improve the health system, policymakers and the public sometimes underestimate its problems and overstate the concerns about solutions. This is especially apparent in views about the U.S. system relative to those of other nations. Many believe wrongly that we have the best health system in the world, and changing it will lower quality, reduce access, and impose added costs on our businesses. I aim to dispel these myths through global comparisons. Honest debate will help create climate for reform which is essential to our nation's health as well as its economic vitality and global leadership.
Reducing Patient Radiation Exposure From CT Fluoroscopy–Guided Lumbar Spine Pain Injections by Targeting the Planning CT

OBJECTIVE. CT fluoroscopy–guided lumbar spine pain injections typically include a preprocedural planning CT that contributes considerably to patient dose. The purpose of this study was to quantify the degree of radiation exposure reduction achieved by modifying only the planning CT component of the examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective review was performed of 80 CT fluoroscopy–guided lumbar spine injections. Forty patients were scanned with a standard protocol using automatic tube current modulation (method A). Another 40 patients were scanned using a new technique that fixed the tube current of the planning CT to either 50 or 100 mA on the basis of the patient's anteroposterior diameter and that reduced the z-axis coverage (method B). Dose-length products (DLPs) were compared for the two methods. RESULTS. The mean maximal tube current for the planning CT was 435.0 mA for method A and 67.5 mA for method B. The mean z-axis was shorter for method B at 6.5 cm than for method A at 9.6 cm (p < 0....
Cemented Constrained Total Hip Arthroplasty in a Patient With Osteogenesis Imperfecta and Recurrent Grand Mal Seizure Activity

We present the management of secondary osteoarthritis due to post-traumatic femoral head osteonecrosis in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta and poorly controlled grand mal seizure activity using cemented constrained total hip arthroplasty devices. The use of a cemented constrained acetabular implant has provided a successful outcome in this high-risk presentation. J Med Cases. 2016;7(2):46-48 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2398w
Ideological Heterogeneity, Legislative Party Cohesion, and Polarization in the United States

Legislative parties respond to the changing preferences of the citizens they represent through the adaptation and replacement of their members. This creates an indirect electoral connection between the aggregate preferences of citizens and the aggregate behavior of legislative parties. In this research, I argue that legislators from moderate districts are the least likely to support their legislative parties and most likely to vote moderately during roll call votes. I also argue that states with low ideological variance among citizens are the most likely to have moderate districts. This implies that states with ideologically heterogeneous populations are more likely to have homogeneous, ideologically extreme legislative parties. Using measures of legislative ideal points and party cohesion from U.S. state legislative parties, empirical evidence largely supports my expectations. The polarization and internal homogeneity of state legislative parties is at least partly attributable to the citizens those parties represent.
Reinvigorating the Concept of a Situation in Situational Judgment Tests

What is the role of the situation in situational judgment tests (SJTs)? Lievens and Motowidlo (2016) assert that SJTs are somewhat of a misnomer because they do not actually measure how individuals would behave in a given situation per se. According to these researchers, SJTs assess general domain knowledge—whether potential employees recognize the “utility of expressing certain traits” (p. 4). As a result, SJTs map onto personality measures, which are a summary of behavior across time and situations. SJTs provide predictive validity in part because they tap into personality. However, rather than renaming SJTs, it is possible to reintroduce the concept of a situation to provide even greater predictive power. Thus, the goals of this commentary are to (a) clarify what constitutes a situation, (b) describe what SJTs might actually measure, and (c) set forth a path for a taxonomy of workplace situations.
Pose Estimation Using a Flash Lidar

A pose (relative attitude and position) estimation approach suitable for proximity operations to support, for instance, on-orbit servicing missions or the autonomous landing of unmanned air vehicles is investigated in this paper. This approach is designed to harness the recent advances in flash lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors, capable of providing fast frame rate (>30 frames per second), large field of view (> 30 deg square) point cloud measurements. Unlike the scanning lidar, the flash lidar has the ability to capture an entire scene with a single laser pulse and can help reduce distortion in the point cloud data if the object is rotating or translating. Pose estimation algorithms based on the homogeneous transformation (HT), which has been employed extensively in robotics, computer vision, and computer graphics, were developed for translation only, rotation only, and combined translation/rotation cases. The HT-based algorithms provide an alternative to the conventional iterative closest point (ICP) algorithms in defining and evaluating the error metric for the pose estimation, allowing a simpler least squares solution. Using a Swiss Ranger flash lidar in a laboratory testing environment, preliminary pose estimation tests were conducted and promising results were obtained although there remain some unanswered questions such as how to define the initial alignment between the target object and the sensor, how to obtain the truth target movement knowledge in the sensor frame, and how to overcome the small rotation angle limitation in the algorithms.
Measurement of ρ o and φ -Meson Electroproduction

We report measurements of ${\ensuremath{\rho}}^{0}$ and $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ electroproduction at 19.5 GeV in a wide-aperture spectrometer which detected the scattered electron and the decay products of the vector mesons. Data are presented for the region of virtual-photon mass squared ${q}^{2}=\ensuremath{-}0.25 \mathrm{to} \ensuremath{-}2.0$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$ and virtual-photoproduction center-of-mass energy squared $s=10 \mathrm{to} 30$ Ge${\mathrm{V}}^{2}$. As $|{q}^{2}|$ increases, the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ mass spectrum shape changes and the momentum-transfer distribution broadens. The ratio of the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ cross section to the total cross section decreases from 11% at ${q}^{2}=0$ to about 6% at $|{q}^{2}|={{m}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}}^{2}$. The ratio for the production of longitudinally to transversely polarized ${\ensuremath{\rho}}^{0}$ mesons is ${0.45}_{\ensuremath{-}0.10}^{+0.15}$ at $|{q}^{2}|={{m}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}}^{2}$, and the interference between longitudinal and transverse amplitudes is almost maximal. The relative $\ensuremath{\varphi}$-meson cross section also decreases as $|{q}^{2}|$ increases. Unitary lower bounds on the longitudinal-transverse ratio in inelastic electron scattering are derived.
Repair of an Extensive Periodontal Defect after Tetracycline Administration

A pathologically migrated maxillary central incisor tooth with a poor periodontal prognosis was treated successfully with conventional periodontal therapy. After almost 4 years, an extensive periodontal lesion developed on the same tooth and extraction was recommended. The patient did not comply and the acute symptoms disappeared after the administration of 1 gm of Tetracycline a day for 2 weeks. Although no definitive periodontal therapy was done, complete resolution of the lesion occurred with healing of the structures of the periodontium and a dramatic reduction in mobility of the tooth. Antibacterial therapy could be an effective means of treating some periodontal lesions once a more exact and direct association is established between the various clinical forms of periodontitis and specific periodontal pathogens or groups of pathogens.
Joint Meeting of Mathematicians and Engineers

(1908). Joint Meeting of Mathematicians and Engineers. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 30-33.
Unsteady Heat Transfer and Phase Change Processes within Icing Water Droplets

A lifetime-based molecular tagging thermometry (MTT) technique was developed and implemented to achieve simultaneous measurements of droplet size and transient temperature distributions within small water droplets on cold solid surfaces in order to quantify the unsteady heat transfer and phase changing processes within the small icing water droplets. The dynamic changes of the temperature distributions within small water droplets in the course of convective cooling process were quantified clearly from the MTT measurement results. Time evolution of the size change of the small water droplets (in terms of volume, height, contact area and the contact angle of the water droplet) due to evaporation was revealed quantitatively. The MTT technique was also used to visualize the transient behavior of the phase changing process within icing water droplets. Such measurements are highly desirable to elucidate underlying physics to improve our understanding about micro-physical phenomena associate with aircraft icing.
A Fragment of the Acta Pauli in the Michigan Collection

THE fragment, P. Mich. 1317, is a damaged scrap of papyrus 19.8 by 6.3 cm. (7by 21 inches). It is much darkened with age and otherwise damaged by dirt, water, and wear. It is a portion of a leaf of a book written on both sides, which came into our collection classified as a bit of a lost Gospel, though it did not seem to me to conform to that designation. My first transcript of the text was shown to my colleague Professor Bonner, and by him to Dr. H. I. Bell of the British Museum and to Sir Frederic Kenyon. All agreed that these fragmentary remnants seem to have belonged to a homily. A transcript of the text was also sent to Professor Kirsopp Lake for suggestions on the probable authorship. Upon the publication of the Acta Pauli by Schmidt and Schubart he at once notified me of the identity in text and we both immediately thereafter established that the Michigan and Berlin fragments were parts of a single leaf. A page number, rc (= 86), is found just above the beginning of the first line on the side, where the outer margin is preserved. A similar page number on the opposite side of the leaf must have perished, as there only the ends of the lines are preserved. It is the part of the leaf next to the binding that is lost. The book form requires the lost number to have been re (= 85), since the left side of the leaf precedes the right. The order of the text in the Hamburg fragment of the Acta Pauli confirms this succession of pages. Page wc is on the verso of the papyrus, [re] on the recto. Now it is well known that papyrus quires, whether large or small, were generally so arranged that verso precedes recto in the first half of the quire, and recto precedes verso in the second half; compare Schubart, Das Buch bei den Griechern und Rtimern, p. 199 f., and Kenyon, Chester Beatty Papyri, I, 11. There are some exceptions to this general rule, but the probability remains that this fragment came from the second half of a quire.
Distributions of Grain Boundary Normals in the Laboratory Reference Frame

Distributions of grain boundary normals with their components expressed in the laboratory reference frame are obtained for yttria and austenitic steel based on three-dimensional electron backscatter diffraction data. The distributions exhibit various extrema that are attributed to the inaccuracy of the boundary surface reconstruction and to the discrete nature of the orientation data. We provide interpretation of the distributions with particular emphasis put on indicating the sources of these artifacts. Moreover, we verify the negligible impact of these issues on grain boundary plane and character distributions.
Cognitive Impairment in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

Seizure histories, EEG recordings and intelligence equivalents and their relation to tuber/brain proportion (TBP) measured by 3 dimensional MRI were evaluated in 61 patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), in a study at University Medical Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Surgery in Neonatal Pediatric Patients: A Review

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in newborns and children remain a significant cause of morbidity. Practice patterns and preferences among different institutions and among surgeons vary significantly. Controversial issues include the use of gastrostomy alone versus gastrostomy with Nissen fundoplication, laparoscopic versus open fundoplication, the role of the prophylactic Nissen fundoplication in newborns, Nissen fundoplication in neurologically intact versus neurologically impaired newborns, and the role as well as selection of investigations to evaluate the presence of gastroesophageal reflux in surgical decision making. A review of the recent literature as well as the senior author’s personal experience was used to evaluate the current state of GER surgery in the neonatal population. GER in newborns and young children is treated in various ways at different institutions and by different pediatric surgeons. The paucity of controlled studies of these diagnostic and treatment algorithms continues to be a source of controversy. There is general agreement that fundoplication is the preferred option in cases of severe refractory GER with comorbidities, especially when gastrostomy for feedings is indicated. Neurologically impaired children with GER benefit from antireflux surgery to prevent the complications of GERD. Risks and benefits of each treatment modality must be clearly explained to parents and caregivers early in the surgical decision-making process to ensure improved outcomes for these patients. Additional controlled studies are needed to further assess which practice patterns better serve this patient population.
Abstract 93: Utility of Stress Testing in a Chest Pain Center: A Bayesian Analysis

Background: Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for Emergency Department (ED) visits and Chest pain centers (CPC) improve efficiency by triaging low and intermediate risk patients more effectively. We examined the Length of stay (LOS) in CPC and the utility of stress testing and further risk stratification during the CPC visit using a Bayesian analysis. Based on this analysis we suggest some performance improvement measures which may reduce costs and improve efficiency. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients evaluated in our CPC in 2011. For each patient the pre and post stress test conditional probability of coronary artery disease (CAD) was calculated using Bayes Theorem. Based on the estimated pretest probability, patients were classified into low, intermediate and high risk groups. The post stress testing conditional probabilities were calculated and used to determine if results of stress testing had a significant impact on further cardiovascular risk assessment. Results: 95% of patients tested were negative for ischemia and were not admitted, reducing length of stay in ED. Stress echocardiography was the most utilized modality of stress testing, which provided additional diagnoses such as valvular heart disease in 2% of patients while avoiding radiation exposure. A Bayesian analysis indicated that in the low (pre-test) probability group consisting of young females with atypical symptoms remained in the low probability group irrespective of stress testing results. Also most intermediate risk patients remained in the intermediate risk category despite negative testing. Conclusions: CPC has improved cost-effectiveness due to reduced length of stay in ED, avoiding inpatient admissions and thereby reducing costs. As highlighted by the Bayesian analysis that most intermediate risk patients remained in the intermediate risk category despite negative testing, the need for pre-discharge testing needs to be re-examined as negative stress tests do not eliminate risk of CAD and avoiding these test can help further reduce costs and improve efficiency. Once acute coronary syndrome is ruled out, CPC visits should be more centered on establishing a primary care physician, risk factor modification, smoking cessation and promoting primary prevention. ![Graphic][1] [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
Correlation of Computerized Tomographic Changes and Histological Findings in 80 Patients Having Radical Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection after Chemotherapy for Testis Cancer

AbstractA total of 80 patients with stage B3 or B2/C germ cell testis tumors underwent computerized tomography before and after chemotherapy. The volume and computerized tomographic density of metastatic retroperitoneal tumor were measured on all scans. The patients then underwent full bilateral retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. The change in volume and density of retroperitoneal disease was correlated with the histological type of the primary testis tumor and with the histological findings at retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy.In all 15 patients (100 per cent) without teratomatous elements in the original tumor and who had a greater than 90 per cent decrease in the volume of retroperitoneal masses as a response to systemic chemotherapy no teratoma or active cancer was found in the surgical specimen. In contrast, 7 of 9 patients (78 per cent) with teratomatous elements in the original specimen had either teratoma or carcinoma in the retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy specimens despite having a greater than 90 pe...
Issues in Quantitative Analysis

All professions have tools. For the psychological scientist, few have had the dominating importance of statistics. Statistical findings are often equated with reality. In this chapter, we discuss why this is true. We also will try to illuminate why practitioners tend to have a love-hate relationship with this tool of the scientific trade. We will show that the scientifically minded professional neither should be dominated by statistical versions of reality nor should ignore them. Standing in the local clinical situation, the professional is surrounded by aggregate realities as well as individual ones. These are more or less local, depending on how one bounds the inquiry. Some are revealed in direct empirical observations, others are hidden from any palpable scrutiny. Scientific research can greatly facilitate our ability to access and draw on these realities in our local formulations. By the same token, this same research can be overemphasized and distorting, creating constructions of uniformity (Kiesler, 1966) that may have no basis in local or even extended realities.
Lymphangiogenesis and Imaging of the Lymphatics in Cancer

Metastatic spread of cancer is one of the major causes of cancer death. The lymphatics contribute to metastatic spread by providing a conduit for the spread of cancer cells. Tumors actively induce new lymphatic formation by deploying growth factors, a process known as lymphangiogenesis. Systemic lymphatic imaging with conventional modalities such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound is limited to morphological evaluation for detection of enlarged lymph nodes; on the other hand, functional lymphatic imaging approaches, including positron emission tomography, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, lymphotrophic iron oxide nanoparticle enhanced-MRI have been used to diagnose metastatic cancer in lymph nodes. Recently, new targeted lymphatic imaging techniques including gadolinium- conjugated dendrimer-based MRI, optical imaging using nano-sized molecules based on fluorescence-labeled dendrimers, organic macromolecules, or quantum dots, have been developed. In this chapter, we will explain principles and basic findings of conventional and functional lymphatic imaging and will outline newly developed targeted lymphatic imaging approaches.
The role of foundations: Rockefeller Foundation.

The consequences of climate change and the impacts of human activity on the environment have made it clearer than ever before that we must evolve our current model of public health to better account for the inextricable link between human health and the natural systems on which it depends—creating a “public health 2.0” that builds on the innovations of the twentieth century to account for a world where humans have bypassed planetary boundaries to achieve well-being. First coined at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Centennial gathering in Beijing in 2013, “Planetary Health” will factor in future health and environmental harms over present-day gains, particularly those that disproportionately affect the poor and those in developing nations. To build this new field, foundations must address the challenge of information, increasing support for research to bridge knowledge gaps on the links between economic development, natural systems, and human health.
The impact of fiber maturity on estimating the number of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fibers per seed surface area

Abstract The number of fibers per seed surface area (fiber density) is a selection criterion used to improve cotton fiber quality and yield simultaneously in cotton breeding programs. However, the parameters utilized to estimate fiber density are calculated from fiber quality attributes that are sensitive to environmental variations, especially fiber maturity. Fiber maturity is one of the most important fiber properties that influences other fiber properties such as individual fiber strength and length. In order to investigate the impact of within-plant fiber maturity on the estimates of fiber density, field experiments were conducted at Lubbock, Texas during the 2012, 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. A set of twelve upland cotton cultivars popular in the Texas High Plains were grown in a randomized complete block design with three field replications. Bolls were box picked at harvest to provide samples from each cultivar representing a range of fiber maturity. Fuzzy seeds obtained after roller ginning were acid-delinted, scanned on a flatbed scanner, and the WinSeedle Pro software was used to estimate the seed surface area (SSA). The number of fibers per seed was estimated using the fiber quality parameters provided by AFIS (Advanced Fiber Information System), the lint weight, and the number of seeds in the sample. The number of fibers per seed surface area was obtained by dividing the number of fibers per seed by the estimated SSA. In this study, cultivars with relatively less stable fiber maturity across the fruiting branches of the cotton plant tend to have more variable number of fibers per seed surface area estimates, suggesting that the calculation of the number of fibers per seed surface area may be biased. It is likely that the source of bias is fiber maturity (immature fibers are weak and tend to break during mechanical processing). Therefore, fiber maturity should be considered when screening lines based on estimated fiber density because low fiber maturity can lead to unreliable estimates of fiber density.
Exposure to Parent and Peer Alcohol Use and the Risk of Drinking Onset and Escalation Among Adolescents

Although the rate of alcohol use among adolescents has declined, it remains their drug of choice. Parent and peer alcohol use are powerful risk factors for youth alcohol use. However, questions remain about how these factors influence underage drinking. The present study investigates the relationship between exposure to parent or peer alcohol use and two stages of adolescent drinking—onset and escalation—overall and at five age points during adolescence. Participants were 9348 adolescents in Waves I (WI) and II (WII) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, whose parents completed interviews at WI, and who identified themselves as either non-drinkers or experimental drinkers at WI. Reports of WII alcohol use were used to measure onset among WI non-drinkers and escalation among WI experimenters. Risk ratios were calculated to assess the overall impact of exposure to parent or peer alcohol use on onset and escalation, and at five age points (i.e., ≤ 13, 14, 15, 16, and ≥ 17). Findings show that exposure to either parent or friend alcohol use increased the risk of onset and escalation. Age-based analyses reveal a more nuanced relationship, showing variability in the nature and strength of influence by stage of drinking and by age. This study highlights the relevance of both parent and peer modeling on youth drinking throughout adolescence. Implications in advancing prevention and treatment include parental education about the impact of their own behaviors and the importance of monitoring teens’ friendships.
Psychology of Gender: History and Development of the Field

The psychology of gender has evolved in three phases. The early years (pre-1960s) were characterized by androcentric bias and the omission or marginalization of women and women's issues. The compensatory years (the 1960s and 1970s) were fueled by the second wave of feminist activism and were marked by a focus on neglected “foremothers,” the demonstration and correction of previous sexist biases, and a shift in emphasis from women to gender. In the current transformational phase, the psychology of gender is an active, recognized, and respected discipline, represented in psychology's core research journals and textbooks. The field has expanded to include a broad array of theoretical models, topics of study, and methodological tools. The discipline continues to mirror and explore transformations in the status of women and men during the past 50 years. Better understanding of the intersecting identities within each gender remains a challenging task. Keywords: Feminisms; Gender; Second wave; Intersectionality
Comparative assessment of deterministic approaches to modeling quasi-ballistic phonon heat conduction in multi-dimensional geometry

Abstract When the mean free path of the dominant energy carriers in semiconductor materials, namely phonons, is comparable to or larger than the characteristic length scale, scattering of phonons is rare, and the equilibrium Bose-Einstein distribution is not restored locally. Four different models for modeling non-equilibrium (or quasi-ballistic) heat transport in multi-dimensional geometry are critically assessed in this study. These include (1) the hyperbolic heat equation (HHCE), (2) the first-order method of spherical harmonics or P1 approximation (P1), (3) the frequency-dependent phonon Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE), and (4) a hybrid approach in which the BTE is hybridized with the P1 approximation (Hybrid). In addition, the Fourier law (Fourier) is also considered to assess its regime of validity. A two-dimensional sub-micron heat conduction problem is solved using all of the aforementioned models, and their accuracy and efficiency are assessed. The full BTE solution with high spatial and angular resolution is considered the benchmark solution for comparison. Both steady and unsteady computations are conducted. It is found that at steady state, the accuracy of the models go hand in hand with the degree of diffuse approximation incorporated into the model. At low temperature, where the degree of non-equilibrium (ballistic nature) is dominant, the Fourier model completely fails. For transient computations, at short times, all models other than the BTE exhibit significant error. Also, the HHCE is found to be significantly superior to the Fourier model at short times.
Environmental predictors of dispersal traits across a species' geographic range.

Variation in habitat quality and quantity drive selection on dispersal traits in heterogeneous environments, but the extent to which environmental conditions predict geographic variation in dispersal is rarely evaluated. We assessed dispersal trait variation across the range of Cakile edentula var. lacustris, an annual herb that occupies beaches of the Great Lakes. Cakile edentula has dimorphic fruits that each contain one dispersive and one non-dispersive seed. Previous work showed that plant height, branching density, and dispersive fruit wing-loading can determine the distance that seeds disperse locally by wind, while pericarp thickness influences the distance they disperse by water. We tested if these traits vary predictably with latitude across the species' geographic range, and if variation in dispersal characteristics can be predicted by the quality and quantity of habitat available at a site. We observed that the dispersive fruits from northern and southern populations had thinner pericarps than those from the interior of the species' range, reflecting reduced long-distance dispersal by water at both range limits. Plants at the northern range limit were shorter with less dense branching and lower wing-loading than populations elsewhere in the range, suggesting that these populations have enhanced local wind dispersal. In contrast, southern populations exhibited traits with inconsistent effects on wind dispersal: plants tended to be short, which facilitates wind dispersal in C. edentula, but also had relatively higher branching density and distal segment wing-loading that reduce wind dispersal. Geographic variation in maternal plant height and branching density was partially explained by variation in habitat quality, which declined at the species' range limits. In addition, population differences in branching density, fruit wing-loading, and pericarp thickness were predicted by the abundance and distribution of beach habitat. Finally, a common garden analysis recovered latitudinal patterns for the dispersal traits associated with fruits, but not those associated with maternal architecture. Thus, the geographic patterns of dispersal trait variation that we observed likely reflect responses to past selection by the distribution, abundance, and quality of habitat, strong plasticity in dispersal traits, and the effects dispersal itself has in shaping local adaptation by driving gene flow among populations.
Interactions of endocannabinoid virodhamine and related analogs with human monoamine oxidase-A and -B.

Abstract The endocannabinoid system plays an important role in the pathophysiology of various neurological disorders, such as anxiety, depression, neurodegenerative diseases, and schizophrenia; however, little information is available on the coupling of the endocannabinoid system with the monoaminergic systems in the brain. In the present study, we tested four endocannabinoids and two anandamide analogs for inhibition of recombinant human MAO-A and -B (monoamine oxidase). Virodhamine inhibited both MAO-A and -B (IC50 values of 38.70 and 0.71 μM, respectively) with ∼55-fold greater inhibition of MAO-B. Two other endocannabinoids (noladin ether and anandamide) also showed good inhibition of MAO-B with IC50 values of 18.18 and 39.98 μM, respectively. Virodhamine was further evaluated for kinetic characteristics and mechanism of inhibition of human MAO-B. Virodhamine inhibited MAO-B (Ki value of 0.258 ± 0.037 μM) through a mixed mechanism/irreversible binding and showed a time-dependent irreversible mechanism. Treatment of Neuroscreen-1 (NS-1) cells with virodhamine produced significant inhibition of MAO activity. This observation confirms potential uptake of virodhamine by neuronal cells. A molecular modeling study of virodhamine with MAO-B and its cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) predicted virodhamine’s terminal –NH2 group to be positioned near the N5 position of FAD, but for docking to MAO-A, virodhamine’s terminal –NH2 group was far away (∼6.52 A) from the N5 position of FAD, and encountered bad contacts with nearby water molecules. This difference could explain virodhamine’s higher potency and preference for MAO-B. The binding free energies for the computationally-predicted poses also showed that virodhamine was selective for MAO-B. These findings suggest potential therapeutic applications of virodhamine for the treatment of neurological disorders.
Abstract 077: Captopril-Induced Sustained Reduction in Blood Pressure is Associated With Alterations in Gut-Brain Axis in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Objective: The anti-hypertensive effect of captopril (CAP) is prolonged even when the treatment is discotinued. Our recent findings indicate the beneficial effect of CAP on hypertension-linked gut ...
Cardiac CT: current practice and emerging applications.

### Learning objectives Cardiac CT (CCT), as a diagnostic imaging modality, has been instrumental in advancing contemporary understanding of the pathophysiology and evolution of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Initially developed as a non-invasive approach for the detection and quantification of coronary artery calcification, CCT has evolved into a comprehensive imaging modality that provides anatomic and functional information to guide clinical care.1 2 Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) provides the ability to non-invasively visualise atherosclerotic plaque in a manner that provides complimentary information to the traditional measures of diameter stenosis (as typically assessed on invasive coronary angiography) and perfusion defects (as judged on single photon emission CT).3 Further, the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) has been shown to provide incremental prognostic information, even if non-obstructive, over the short, intermediate and long term follow-up.4–6 In a parallel manner, the non-coronary applications of CCT have been ever-so expanding.7 In this review, we aim to provide an up to date assessment of CCT within the realm of cardiovascular disease to an audience of international trainees and practicing healthcare providers, starting with a state-of-the-art review of current practices for CAD evaluation and ending with a discussion of emerging applications of CCT. Throughout the past decade, non-invasive assessment of the coronary arteries using CCTA has emerged as an important addition to clinical care. The development of 64-slice CCT scanners was the milestone that provided the required spatial resolution to reliably visualise the coronary vasculature.8 Since then, rapid …
Communicating that I am: mirrors, Modernism, and the ontology of place

The metaphor of the mirror is central to the communicative praxis of philosophers who wish to articulate ontological insights into the nature of existence, and into the recognition that “I am, I ex...
The algebraic Riccati equation with Toeplitz matrices as coefficients

It is shown that, under appropriate assumptions, the continuous algebraic Riccati equation with Toeplitz matrices as coefficients has Toeplitz-like solutions. Both infinite and sequences of finite Toeplitz matrices are considered, and also studied is the finite section method, which consists in approximating infinite systems by large finite truncations. The results are proved by translating the problem into C∗-algebraic language and by using theorems on the Riccati equation in general C∗-algebras. The paper may serve as another illustration of the usefulness of C∗-algebra techniques in matrix theory.
Presidential address: examining criminal justice and criminology through the lens of intersectionality

Within the mainstream discipline of criminology there has been a failure to recognize the value of the academic contributions of marginalized individuals in the field. This is manifested in the lac...