cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical localization of GABAA receptors in the retina of the new world primate Saimiri sciureus

A large population of amacrine cells in the retina are thought to use GABA as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in their synaptic interactions within the inner plexiform layer. However, little is known about their synaptic targets; the neurons that express the receptors for GABA have not been clearly identified. Recently, the GABAA receptor has been isolated and antibodies have been raised against it. These antibodies have proven useful for the immunocytochemical localization of the receptor, and two brief reports describing the distribution of GABAA receptor immunoreactivity in the retina have appeared (Richards et al., 1987; Mariani et al., 1987). We used a monoclonal antibody (62-3G1) against the GABAA receptor to study the retina of the New World primate Saimiri sciureus. Labeled somata were found in the inner nuclear layer (INL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL). The staining was confined to what appeared to be the cell's plasmalemma and small cytoplasmic granules. Most of the labeled neurons in the INL had small somata (5-7 microns in diameter) located at the vitreal edge of the layer. They arborized in two laminae (approximately 2 and 4) of inner plexiform layer (IPL). Ventral to the optic disc (2.5 mm) they comprised 29% of the cells present. A few of the labeled neurons appeared to be interplexiform cells or flat bipolar cells, with labeled processes that extended into both the IPL and the inner half of the outer plexiform layer. In the GCL, the labeled somata were among the largest present (13-20 microns in diameter), and 2.5 mm ventral to the optic disc they made up 15% of the cells present. Experiments in which immunoreactive somata were retrogradely labeled following the injection of fluorescent tracers into the optic tract provided a conclusive demonstration that some of the immunoreactive somata were ganglion cells. The antibody often labeled their axons in the optic fiber layer. This suggests that the GABAA receptors are transported anterogradely to the retinal terminal fields. The dendrites of the immunoreactive ganglion cells extended into the 2 laminae of labeled processes in the IPL, and their primary dendritic arbors were, at any given eccentricity, quite similar in appearance. This homogeneity suggests that they comprise a particular subset of the ganglion cells. Sections simultaneously labeled with the monoclonal antibody against the GABAA receptor and antisera against either L-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) or GABA revealed that the GAD/GABA was distributed much more widely in the IPL than the GABAA receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Symmetric relations in multistate systems

This paper: (1) derives the upper bound for the number of critical upper (lower) vectors to level j of a monotone increasing multi-state system; (2) discusses the symmetric relations among the components; (3) gives several theoretical conclusions; and (4) proposes a simplified form for the structure function of the multi-state systems with symmetric relations.
Comparison of Veteran experiences of low-cost, home-based diet and exercise interventions.

Obesity is a significant health problem among Vet- erans who receive care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, as it is for so many other Americans. Veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Free- dom (OIF) experience a myriad of chronic conditions, which can make it difficult to maintain a physically active lifestyle. This pilot study tested the feasibility and user satisfaction with three low-cost, home-based diet and exercise programs, as well as point-of-decision prompts among these Veterans. The three programs target mechanisms that have been shown to improve healthy behavior change, including (1) online mediated social support, (2) objective monitoring of physical activity, and (3) structured high-intensity workouts. This was a randomized crossover trial; each participant used two of the three pro- grams, and all used the point-of-decision prompts. Our qualita- tive results identified five overall themes related to social support, objective monitoring, structured activity, awareness and understanding, and the point-of-decision prompts. In gen- eral, participants were satisfied with and lost weight with each of the interventions. This study demonstrated that these low- cost interventions could be successful with the OIF/OEF Vet- eran population. A larger and longer study is planned to further investigate the effectiveness of these interventions.
Chlortetracycline in swine-bioavailability and pharmacokinetics in fasted and fed pigs

Chlortetracycline hydrochloride was administered intra-arterially (11 mg/kg) and as an oral drench (33 mg/kg) to ten 21.0-31.5-kg pigs. Five of the pigs were fasted 18 h prior to dosing and five of the pigs were fed ad libitum prior to dosing. The mean volume of distribution determined by area-under-the-curve calculations for the fasted pigs (0.967 +/- 0.210 l/kg) was significantly less (P less than 0.05) than the mean volume of distribution for the fed pigs (1.39 +/- 0.31 l/kg). Mean total body clearance of the drug was also significantly less (P less than 0.05) in the fasted pigs (0.165 +/- 0.055 l/kg/h) as compared to the fed pigs (0.307 +/- 0.053 l/kg/h). The elimination constants (beta) were not found to be statistically different (P less than 0.05): 0.1811 +/- 0.0057 for the fasted pigs; 0.2260 +/- 0.0461 for the fed pigs. The bioavailability for both groups was similar; 19.12 +/- 8.3% for the fasted pigs and 17.88 +/- 5.3% for the fed pigs. In a second experiment three groups of six pigs which weighed 34.5-44.1 kg were fed a corn-soy diet ad libitum. The rations were fortified with chlortetracycline at 100, 400 or 1000 mg chlortetracycline hydrochloride/kg feed. Chlortetracycline concentrations were determined in plasma samples collected over a 6-day period. Plasma chlortetracycline concentrations reach a plateau within 24 h after initial access to the trial diets and were highly correlated with the dose of the drug consumed (r2 = 0.97).
A bitonic sorting network with simpler flip interconnections

This paper presents the new scheme of interconnecting levels in a bitonic sorting network with simpler inter-level wiring. A parity technique which leads to the algorithm Construct-BSMF is introduced. Wiring simplification through the network is achieved wiring the N/2 even-parity keys straight through the network. N/2 odd-parity keys use flip interconnections. As a result, our interconnection scheme simplifies the inter-level wiring through the network and outperforms the perfect-shuffle interconnection scheme both in terms of cost and delay.
Inducing Combinatory Categorial Grammars with Genetic Algorithms

This paper proposes a novel approach to the induction of Combinatory Categorial Grammars (CCGs) by their potential affinity with the Genetic Algorithms (GAs). Specifically, CCGs utilize a rich yet compact notation for lexical categories, which combine with relatively few grammatical rules, presumed universal. Thus, the search for a CCG consists in large part in a search for the appropriate categories for the data-set's lexical items. We present and evaluates a system utilizing a simple GA to successively search and improve on such assignments. The fitness of categorial-assignments is approximated by the coverage of the resulting grammar on the data-set itself, and candidate solutions are updated via the standard GA techniques of reproduction, crossover and mutation.
Controlled simplification of genus for polygonal models

Genus-reducing simplifications are important in constructing multiresolution hierarchies for level-of-detail-based rendering, especially for datasets that have several relatively small holes, tunnels, and cavities. We present a genus-reducing simplification approach that is complementary to the existing work on genus-preserving simplifications. We propose a simplification framework in which genus-reducing and genus-preserving simplifications alternate to yield much better multiresolution hierarchies than would have been possible by using either one of them. In our approach we first identify the holes and the concavities by extending the concept of /spl alpha/-hulls to polygonal meshes under the L/sub /spl infin// distance metric and then generate valid triangulations to fill them.
Comparing Location Experiments

In Sections 1–3, the classical theory of the comparison of two experiments is reviewed with particular reference to the comparison of two location experiments. It is shown that the requirement of domination of one experiment by another for all decision problems is too strong to provide a reasonable basis for comparison. For one-parameter problems with monotone likelihood ratio, it is therefore proposed to restrict the comparison to decision problems that are monotone in the sense of Karlin and Rubin (1956). Application of this weaker definition to the location problem is shown to give satisfactory results. A scale-free comparison of this type leads to a new tail-ordering of distributions, and this is explored in Section 6.
Optimal control processing to increase single wafer reactor throughput in LPCVD

In this paper, Optimal Control theory is applied to develop an alternative process protocol in single wafer reactor LPCVD on patterned wafer in an effort to minimize the processing time, for given final step coverage. To achieve this, the operating conditions are changed during the deposition in a prescribed manner. A simplified control model is developed from the simultaneous one-dimensional Knudsen diffusion and chemical reaction description. The optimal control problem is formulated to find a temperature trajectory yielding the minimum processing time and its solution is computed numerically via a modified variation of extremals method. To demonstrate the concept of optimal control CVD (OCCVD), we consider the thermally activated deposition of silicon dioxide (SiO/sub 2/) from tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). Using the simplified control model, the estimated process time to achieve a 96% step coverage at 98% closure with the constant rate CVD (CRCVD) strategy is 729 seconds. Under the same conditions, the optimal control CVD (OCCVD) process time is 278 seconds. Compared to CRCVD, the process time saved with OCCVD is 62%.
Internet filtering companies with religious affiliations in the context of Indiana public libraries

Since the U.S. Supreme Court decided to uphold the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in 2003, public libraries accepting federal E-rate funds have been required to install technology protection measures on computers with Internet access. Many libraries use Internet filters to fulfill this requirement. Using research by Nancy Willard, which disclosed affiliations between Internet filtering companies and religious organizations, it was found that at least 15.9% of Indiana public libraries used filters with connections to conservative religious groups in 2005. Ethical implications of this research are discussed and recommendations for balancing First Amendment rights with a financial need for CIPA compliance are included.
An Overview of the Diagnosis and Management of Nutrition in Chronic Pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by long-standing inflammation of the pancreas, which results in fibrosis and the gradual loss of pancreatic function. The loss of islets and acinar cells results in diabetes and exocrine insufficiency, respectively. Exocrine insufficiency can result in maldigestion of fat, protein, and carbohydrate as well as vitamins and minerals. Patients may present with variable severity of disease, from mild to severe. The diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis can be challenging, especially in patients with early or mild disease who have few to no morphologic abnormalities on standard abdominal imaging studies. A number of imaging modalities and tests have evolved to aid in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis based on changes in structure or function. Clinicians typically focus on treating pain in chronic pancreatitis as opposed to exocrine insufficiency, despite the fact that maldigestion and malabsorption can result in nutrition deficiencies. The aims of this review are to describe the various modalities used to diagnose chronic pancreatitis, to illustrate the nutrition deficiencies associated with exocrine insufficiency, and to provide an overview of nutrition assessment and treatment in these patients.
ROYALTY INCENTIVES AND GULF OF MEXICO OIL PRODUCTION

ABSTRACT. This paper employs field-specific estimates of Pindyck's (1978) widely cited model of natural resource supply to simulate effects of changes in federal royalty rates on the timing of exploration and output by firms in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico oil industry. Results suggest that deepwater Gulf oil production is highly inelastic with respect to changes in royalty rates. Royalty rate decreases are shown to increase early period exploration effort, result in little change in reserve additions and future production. Policy implications of this study suggest that public officials should be wary of arguments that large increases in deepwater Gulf oil field activity can be obtained from reductions in federal royalty rates-particularly reductions in the early years of oil field development.
Building Complexity: An In Vitro Study of Cytoplasmic Dynein with In Vivo Implications

Summary Background Cytoplasmic dynein is the molecular motor responsible for most retrograde microtubule-based vesicular transport. In vitro single-molecule experiments suggest that dynein function is not as robust as that of kinesin-1 or myosin-V because dynein moves only a limited distance (approximately 800 nm) before detaching and can exert a modest (approximately 1 pN) force. However, dynein-driven cargos in vivo move robustly over many microns and exert forces of multiple pN. To determine how to go from limited single-molecule function to robust in vivo transport, we began to build complexity in a controlled manner by using in vitro experiments. Results We show that a single cytoplasmic dynein motor frequently transitions into an off-pathway unproductive state that impairs net transport. Addition of a second (and/or third) dynein motor, so that cargos are moved by two (or three) motors rather than one, is sufficient to recover several properties of in vivo motion; such properties include long cargo travels, robust motion, and increased forces. Part of this improvement appears to arise from selective suppression of the unproductive state of dynein rather than from a fundamental change in dynein's mechanochemical cycle. Conclusions Multiple dyneins working together suppress shortcomings of a single motor and generate robust motion under in vitro conditions. There appears to be no need for additional cofactors (e.g., dynactin) for this improvement. Because cargos are often driven by multiple dyneins in vivo, our results show that changing the number of dynein motors could allow modulation of dynein function from the mediocre single-dynein limit to robust in vivo-like dynein-driven motion.
Implementing Curricula To Meet The Needs Of Financial Professionals

Major changes in the financial profession warrant assessment of current practices and strategic planning for the future education of such professionals. This article discusses the core competencies, obtained from numerous studies, of accounting and finance professionals. After common core competencies are identified for the both accounting and finance professions, the need for change in accounting and finance curricula are discussed. Next, a combined undergraduate curriculum for both the accounting and finance students, which incorporates the common core competencies, is proposed. Finally, the authors issue a call for further research.
Myocardial T1 mapping at 3.0T using inversion recovery FLASH readout

Background Myocardial T1 mapping methods such as modified Look-Locker inversion-recovery (MOLLI) typically use balanced steady state free precession (bSSFP) readout, which is known to be particularly sensitive to off resonance and thus limits its utility at higher field strengths. Fast low angle shot (FLASH) imaging is known to be more robust against susceptibility artifacts than bSSFP. However, the T1 mapping algorithms that have been developed for bSSFP readout are not directly applicable to FLASH-based T1 mapping sequences at 3.0T. We sought to develop a FLASH-based MOLLI T1 mapping technique for 3.0T and validate it on a cohort of healthy volunteers.
Intrusion detection of masqueraders using data mining and soft computing techniques

Intrusion detection systems can be used to build a user profile and a large deviation from the past behavior patterns indicates a possible illegal access from a masquerader. In this paper, we introduce the user profiling method based on command sequences generated and apply the Naive Bayes classification to measure the degree of deviation from the normal behavior patterns. A fuzzy system is presented to integrate multiple commands execution to evaluate the overall threat of the possible masquerader existence. Experiments results show promising results with a high detection rate and a low false alarm rate.
Gonococcal peritonitis following uterine manipulation at laparoscopy.

develop for the first time during normal pregnancy. Although the issue of whether pregnancy affords protection against peptic ulcers is not settled, some reports do indicate that increased estrogen, increased histaminase, and a decreased volume of gastric secretions during pregnancy may be protective. The ulcerogenic effects of steroidal therapy are well known. Severe stress, such as burns, pre-eclampsia, or surgical procedures, may cause stress ulcers of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Indeed, in Case 1. sepsis, in addition to preeclampsia. could possibly have played an important role. Gastric hemorrhage, although an uncommon condition complicating pregnancy, causes not only a diagnostic dilemma, but also a therapeutic one. During pregnancy, gastrointestinal examination without the use of radiography is preferable because of the teratogenie and carcinogenic potential of radiography. Insofar as treatment is concerned. it depends on a number of factors, such as the severity of hemorrhage, presence of perforation or penetration, and the stage of gestation. In the first case, surgical therapy (although radical) resulted in a good outcome. Medical therapy was effective in the second case, with the patient benefiting from the administration of cimetidine. Since the discovery of a more effective medical agent. this mode of therapy has become more appealing and ought to be tried whenever possible. In order to enhance fetal lung maturation in women giving birth prematurely. one may use glucocorticoids to reduce the risk of hyaline membrane disease: but caution is advised since the pre-eclamptic patient map be at increased risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage if glucocorticoid therapy is used.
Usps: The “We Deliver” Campaign

U.S. Postal Service executives are reviewing the results of a tracking study completed under the direction of Young and Rubicam. The study indicates that the "We Deliver" campaign improved perceptions of USPS significantly, but the positive effects declined after the campaign ended. Wargo and DeVar must decide whether to continue the campaign or alter it in any way.
The Behavioral Physiology and Antidepressant Mechanisms of Electroconvulsive Shock.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine whether the association between antidepressant (AD) and anticonvulsant effects of electroconvulsive therapy constitutes a necessary, causal relationship. METHODS The rats received corneal kindling to induce an epileptic focus, whereas electroconvulsive shock (ECS) was given antagonistically. The forced swim test (FST; a model of AD efficacy), cumulative kindling scores (indexing epileptogenesis), and clonus duration (measuring anticonvulsant effects) were used to assess the effects of ECS. Intensity and route of administration (corneal vs pinnate) of ECS were varied within or across 2 experiments. RESULTS Under various conditions, an increase in mobility in the FST (an index of AD properties) was observed in the absence of any retardation of kindling; under other conditions, an antiepileptogenic effect occurred in the absence of any change in immobility in the FST. In addition, 2 forms of ECS treatment had equal AD properties, whereas only 1 of the 2 treatments reduced clonus time (suggesting an elevated seizure threshold). CONCLUSIONS In a rat model, putative AD effects of ECS are dissociable from its antiepileptogenic and anticonvulsant effects, suggesting different stimulus thresholds for the various effects of corneal ECS: the antiepileptogenic effect required a lower current dose than the behavioral effect in the FST, whereas the anticonvulsant effect required the highest stimulation level. With transpinnate ECS, the threshold for the behavioral effect in the FST and the antiepileptogenic threshold were reversed.
Improved hybrid genetic algorithm and its application research to optimize agricultural distribution

In order to solve the increased costs for agricultural distribution by no-load and secondary distribution problems, an improved hybrid genetic algorithm is put forward in this paper. In this study, the simulated annealing algorithm is incorporated into the genetic algorithm, the advantages of both the algorithm are adopted to jump out the local best, enhance the ability of global optimization. In addition, as the hybrid genetic algorithm is time intensive on computation and converges slowly, a hybrid crossover and heuristic mutation method is proposed, it minimizes unnecessary calculations, and improves the efficiency of the optimization algorithm to overcome these disadvantages. 30 agricultural chain distribution outlets in Daxing are selected for the study of daily distribution route optimization. The results show that the proposed algorithm compared with the traditional algorithm has better convergence, and the optimization result is more approximate optimal global optimal solution, which provides a new method for the real-time path optimization decisions for the agricultural distribution.
Algebraicity and Asymptotics: An explosion of BPS indices from algebraic generating series

It is an observation of Kontsevich and Soibelman that generating series that produce certain (generalized) Donaldson Thomas invariants are secretly algebraic over Q(x). From a physical perspective this observation arises naturally for DT invariants that appear as BPS indices in theories of class S(A): explicit algebraic equations (that completely determine these series) can be derived using (degenerate) spectral networks. In this paper, we conjecture an algebraic equation associated to DT invariants for the Kronecker 3-quiver with dimension vectors (3n; 2n); n2 Z>0 in the non-trivial region of its stability parameter space. Using a functional equation due to Reineke, we show algebraicity of generating series for Euler characteristics of stable moduli for the Kronecker m-quiver assuming algebraicity of generating series for DT invariants. In the latter part of the paper we deduce very explicit results on the asymptotics of DT invariants/Euler characteristics under the assumption of algebraicity of their generating series; explicit asymptotics are deduced for dimension vectors (3n; 2n); n2 Z>0 for the Kronecker 3-quiver. The algebraic equation is derived using spectral network techniques developed in (30) and (34), but the main results can be understood without knowledge of spectral networks.
Phosphorus in the Environment

As with all writing assignments, an initial decision had to be made relative to the comprehensiveness and depth to which the subject was to be treated. We have elected to constrain our material within the boundaries of, first, broadly defining the distribution and movement of phosphorus through the environment and, second, how human influence on distribution and movement of P has created water quality problems in some situations.
Acupuncture as a treatment modality in dermatology: a systematic review

Abstract Objectives Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been used to treat a broad range of medical conditions, including dermatologic disorders. This systematic review aims to synthesize the evidence on the use of acupuncture as a primary treatment modality for dermatologic conditions. Methods A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register was performed. Studies were limited to clinical trials, controlled studies, case reports, comparative studies, and systematic reviews published in the English language. Studies involving moxibustion, electroacupuncture, or blood-letting were excluded. Results Twenty-four studies met inclusion criteria. Among these, 16 were randomized controlled trials, 6 were prospective observational studies, and 2 were case reports. Acupuncture was used to treat atopic dermatitis, urticaria, pruritus, acne, chloasma, neurodermatitis, dermatitis herpetiformis, hyperhidrosis, human papillomavirus wart, breast inflammation, and facial elasticity. In 17 of 24 studies, acupuncture showed statistically significant improvements in outcome measurements compared with placebo acupuncture, alternative treatment options, and no intervention. Conclusions Acupuncture improves outcome measures in the treatment of dermatitis, chloasma, pruritus, urticaria, hyperhidrosis, and facial elasticity. Future studies should ideally be double-blinded and standardize the control intervention.
Monolithic Optical Parametric Oscillators for Quantum Optics

In recent years optical parametric oscillators1 have proven their worth as sources for quantum optics studies. As the archetypical source for squeezed states, parametric amplification has been used to produce squeezing in triply and doubly resonant OPOs, and in below- and above-threshold systems.2,3,4 OPOs are also undergoing a renaissance from a more conventional standpoint when used as widely tunable, narrow-band sources of light for spectroscopy and remote sensing applications.
A Conceptual Framework of Functional Conflict in Marketing Channels

Conflict has been examined extensively in the marketing channels literature, and there is widespread recognition that conflict can be either functional or dysfunctional. However there is surprisingly little discussion of functional conflict or the differences between functional and dysfunctional conflict.
Melatonin Represses Metastasis in Her2-Postive Human Breast Cancer Cells by Suppressing RSK2 Expression

The importance of the circadian/melatonin signal in suppressing the metastatic progression of breast and other cancers has been reported by numerous laboratories including our own. Currently, the mechanisms underlying the antimetastatic actions of melatonin have not been well established. In the present study, the antimetastatic actions of melatonin were evaluated and compared on the ERα-negative, Her2-positive SKBR-3 breast tumor cell line and ERα-positive MCF-7 cells overexpressing a constitutively active HER2.1 construct (MCF-7Her2.1 cells). Activation of Her2 is reported to induce the expression and/or phosphorylation-dependent activation of numerous kinases and transcription factors that drive drug resistance and metastasis in breast cancer. A key signaling node activated by the Her2/Mapk/Erk pathway is Rsk2, which has been shown to induce numerous signaling pathways associated with the development of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis including: Creb, Stat3, cSrc, Fak, Pax, Fascin, and actin polymerization. The data demonstrate that melatonin (both endogenous and exogenous) significantly represses this invasive/metastatic phenotype through a mechanism that involves the suppression of EMT, either by promoting mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, and/or by inhibiting key signaling pathways involved in later stages of metastasis. These data, combined with our earlier in vitro studies, support the concept that maintenance of elevated and extended duration of nocturnal melatonin levels plays a critical role in repressing the metastatic progression of breast cancer. Implications: Melatonin inhibition of Rsk2 represses the metastatic phenotype in breast cancer cells suppressing EMT or inhibiting other mechanisms that promote metastasis; disruption of the melatonin signal may promote metastatic progression in breast cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 14(11); 1159–69. ©2016 AACR.
Service Learning Through a Literacy Tutoring Program

The literacy tutoring program described in this chapter provided a service-learning opportunity for preservice teachers. Through service learning, the preservice teachers had an authentic teaching experience in which they applied the knowledge and skills they gained in the college classroom. The tutoring program was a form of community outreach that provided children with additional support in literacy. In their tutoring role, the preservice teachers served children and families by providing individualized instruction. This chapter begins with a review of the literature on literacy centers and the role that literacy centers play as a resource for service learning in teacher education. It will then describe how a university’s literacy center was revitalized to serve as an optimal environment for a tutoring program; share how the tutoring program was organized; describe the service-learning component of the courses in which the tutors were enrolled; and give examples of how the tutoring program supported the needs of preservice teachers and the children whom they tutored. The chapter concludes by sharing some of the challenges encountered in the service-learning tutoring program and making recommendations for how others may implement a similar program.
Face processing in adolescents with positive and negative threat bias.

Background Individuals with anxiety disorders exhibit a ‘vigilance-avoidance’ pattern of attention to threatening stimuli when threatening and neutral stimuli are presented simultaneously, a phenomenon referred to as ‘threat bias’. Modifying threat bias through cognitive retraining during adolescence reduces symptoms of anxiety, and so elucidating neural mechanisms of threat bias during adolescence is of high importance. We explored neural mechanisms by testing whether threat bias in adolescents is associated with generalized or threat-specific differences in the neural processing of faces. Method Subjects were categorized into those with (n = 25) and without (n = 27) threat avoidance based on a dot-probe task at average age 12.9 years. Threat avoidance in this cohort has previously been shown to index threat bias. Brain response to individually presented angry and neutral faces was assessed in a separate session using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results Adolescents with threat avoidance exhibited lower activity for both angry and neutral faces relative to controls in several regions in the occipital, parietal, and temporal lobes involved in early visual and facial processing. Results generalized to happy, sad, and fearful faces. Adolescents with a prior history of depression and/or an anxiety disorder had lower activity for all faces in these same regions. A subset of results replicated in an independent dataset. Conclusions Threat bias is associated with generalized, rather than threat-specific, differences in the neural processing of faces in adolescents. Findings may aid in the development of novel treatments for anxiety disorders that use attention training to modify threat bias.
Dynamics of Information Propagation in Large Heterogeneous Networks

Large scale networked systems that include heterogeneous entities, eg humans and computational entities are becoming increasingly prevalent. Prominent applications include the Internet, large scale disaster relief and network centric warfare. In such systems, large heterogeneous coordinating entities exchange uncertain information to obtain and increase situation awareness. Uncertain and possibly conflicting sensor data is shared across a peer-to-peer network. Not every team member will have direct access to sensors and team members will be influenced mostly by their neighbors in the network with whom they communicate directly. In this talk I will present our work on the dynamics and emergent behaviors of belief propagation in such large networks. Unlike past work, the nodes in the networks we study are autonomous and actively fuse information they receive. Nodes can change their beliefs as they receive additional information over time.
Taxing the $2.5 Trillion

This article discusses a transition tax on deemed repatriated foreign earnings. It argues for a simple, rough-justice design and no offset for foreign tax credits. A delayed effective date would permit corporations to repatriate at the current system and under current rates to take advantage of foreign tax credits.
Distributed Power Combining and Signal Processing in a 2D Quasi-Optical System

Quasi-optical power combining is a circuit integration technique that holds the promise of moderate to high powers in the high RF frequencies using a planar semiconductor integrated circuit technology, providing the traditional advantages of solid state technology: low cost, low weight, reduced size, low phase noise, high reliability, and long circuit life, to mm-wave systems. These potential advantages are extremely important for applications in satellite communications, in vehicle warning radar, in cellular radio base stations, and for primarily military applications such as missile seekers, unmanned aerial vehicles, and millimeter wave radar. Currently the requirement for moderate or high powers at mm-wave frequencies for these applications is met by commercial traveling wave tubes. A solid state technology compatible with commercial planar IC fabrication techniques could provide lower cost fabrication of circuits with the inherent advantages of small size, low weight, low phase noise, and high reliability and operating life. Unfortunately, the size of static semiconductor devices is limited by capacitive delay effects and by wavelength effects (a. non-traveling wave device larger than about half a wavelength begins to introduce negative phase interference in the collected current). Since the device size is proportional to power capacity, high frequency mm-wave devices produce very small power outputs. In order to address applications requiring mm-wave power, many semiconductor devices must be combined together. However, traditional corporate combining structures are limited in the number of devices which can be combined together. In addition, losses due to radiation, substrate modes, and conductor loss per unit length due to skin effect all increase significantly at higher mm-wave frequencies.
A Work for the Jewish Soul of Warsaw, Old and New

In 2015, Lukas Ligeti created a site-specific, audience-interactive performance work while in residence at the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. Based on interviews with residents of Warsaw, the piece examined aural memories of Jewish life in the city, tracing the extermination and re-emergence of the Jewish community through speech and songs as well as creative musicians’ reimaginings of these memories, with computer technology as a mediator.
Putting Broadcast News in Context: An Analysis of U.S. Television Journalists’ Role Conceptions and Contextual Values

Contextual journalism calls for depth of news reporting rather than “just the facts.” A national survey of local television (TV) journalists indicated the increasing popularity of this more compreh...
Isolation by distance, not incipient ecological speciation, explains genetic differentiation in an Andean songbird (Aves: Furnariidae: Cranioleuca antisiensis, Line-cheeked Spinetail) despite near threefold body size change across an environmental gradient

During the process of ecological speciation, reproductive isolation results from divergent natural selection and leads to a positive correlation between genetic divergence and adaptive phenotypic divergence, that is, isolation by adaptation (IBA). In natural populations, phenotypic differentiation is often autocorrelated with geographic distance, making IBA difficult to distinguish from the neutral expectation of isolation by distance (IBD). We examined these two alternatives in a dramatic case of clinal phenotypic variation in an Andean songbird, the Line-cheeked Spinetail (Cranioleuca antisiensis). At its geographic extremes, this species shows a near threefold difference in body mass (11.5 to 31.0 g) with marked plumage differences. We analysed phenotypic, environmental and genetic data (5,154 SNPs) from 172 individuals and 19 populations sampled along its linear distribution in the Andes. We found that body mass was tightly correlated with environmental temperature, consistent with local adaptation as per Bergmann's rule. Using a PST -FST analysis, we found additional support for natural selection driving body mass differentiation, but these results could also be explained by environment-mediated phenotypic plasticity. When we assessed the relative support for patterns of IBA and IBD using variance partitioning, we found that IBD was the best explanation for genetic differentiation along the cline. Adaptive phenotypic or environmental divergence can reduce gene flow, a pattern interpreted as evidence of ecological speciation's role in diversification. Our results provide a counterexample to this interpretation. Despite conditions conducive to ecological speciation, our results suggest that dramatic size and environmental differentiation within C. antisiensis are not limiting gene flow.
Certification of Clinical Sociologists: Benefits for Practitioners and Academics

Recently, a major software developer called me. He had heard that I was a sociologist who could help him understand some basic social dynamics that would help his clients improve their relationships with customers. In the course of the conversation, he asked me about my background and experience. I described my academic training and consulting experience, and then I told him I was a certified clinical sociologist. ‘‘What is a clinical sociologist?’’ he asked. I explained that some sociologists are practitioners of sociology. I went on to describe sociological practice as a kind of ‘‘umbrella’’ term that includes clinical sociology on one side and applied sociology on the other—two distinct but related fields. Clinical sociologists are social scientists who use sociological theories and methods to develop interventions that aim to change behavior. Sociological theory informs or ‘‘drives’’ the clinician’s work. On the other side of the ‘‘umbrella’’ of practice are applied sociologists, who deal with research questions that are real-world problems. Applied sociologists use both qualitative and quantitative research methods in their work. Their findings inform and provide direction for the clinical sociologist who is the change agent (or for clients who wish to implement their own change efforts). Often, the clinician will call on the applied sociologist to do a postintervention assessment to answer the following question: Was the intervention effective? Did the client (individual, family, agency, community) change in the desirable way? Through this interplay of assessment, change, and evaluation, the practitioner works to understand and change behavior.
Self-guided Change: The most common form of long-term, maintained health behavior change.

Millions of people change risky, health-related behaviors and maintain those changes. However, they often take years to change, and their unhealthy behaviors may harm themselves and others and cons...
Five Years of Journal Clubs With Pediatric Nurses and Allied Health Professionals: A Retrospective Study and Satisfaction Survey.

Abstract Purpose Journal Clubs (JCs) for nurses and allied health professionals have been held in an Italian pediatric hospital since April 2008. This study aimed to: examine what type of articles have been used during JCs across 5 years; investigate the potential implications for clinical and organizational practice; assess the participants' satisfaction about JCs and their contribution to professional development. Design and Methods Using a retrospective design, all articles proposed in the JCs were examined. Specific criteria were used to evaluate the implications for practice within the hospital, which were classified as direct or indirect. Using a cross-sectional design, 63 JCs participants were asked to express their opinion and satisfaction about the JC sessions attended. Results Overall, 132 articles were analyzed: most of them focused on pediatric care (64.4%) and nursing (96.2%). Almost half of the articles (n = 60, 45.6%) were appraised as having brought implications for clinical practice, both direct (58.3%) and indirect (41.7%). Forty-one participants (12 attendees; 29 active participants) completed a questionnaire about their opinion about JCs. Most of participants (80.5%) reported that the topics selected for the JCs were interesting and relevant to their everyday practice. Conclusions Multidisciplinary JCs were considered useful for clinical practice, improvement of the quality of care, and professional development. However, lack of pragmatism and the difficulty to bridge the gap between research and practice were reported as weaknesses. Practice Implications JCs can represent a quality improvement strategy for promoting research utilization among health professionals and thereby improving the quality of care.
Truth-Seeking at a Distance: Engaging Diaspora Populations in Transitional Justice Processes

The Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (LTRC) was established by the Liberian government in 2005 to “promote national peace, security, unity, and reconciliation.” The LTRC thought it essential to allow Liberians who had fled the conflict to participate in the truth and reconciliation process. As a result, it partnered with a US-based non-governmental organization, The Advocates for Human Rights, to conduct the Diaspora Project. This chapter provides an overview of the Diaspora Project, which enabled Liberians on three continents to give statements to the LTRC. Given the wide dispersion of the Liberian diaspora, the author of this chapter demonstrates how information communication technologies were essential in the success of the Diaspora Project.
Placental Vascularity: A Story of Survival

In this review, I have been asked to provide insight into the structure and related function of the chorioallantoic placentae of different livestock species, with emphasis on their role in mediating conceptus growth and survival. As there have been many excellent books and reviews written on comparative placentation, I have decided to focus this paper on a comparison of two livestock species with which I have a long research history, namely the pig and the sheep, but will present comparisons with other species where appropriate and warranted. Further, I will stress the importance of placental vascularity and blood flow in dictating normal growth, development and survival of the fetus. Throughout my research career, I have conducted studies aimed at gaining a better understanding of conceptus-uterine interactions, in an attempt to understand how intrauterine and extrauterine events impact the conceptus. Significant data have accumulated suggesting that negative impacts on the fetus, occurring during critical periods of gestation, result in developmental adaptations that can permanently change the growth, physiology and metabolism of offspring [3, 28, 41, 49].
Identifying Human Behavioral Teratogens

Although over 800 agents have now been found to produce some form of teratogenicity in animals, only a few (30) are considered teratogenic in humans (Shepard, 1986) and none of these has been so identified solely on the basis of behavioral anomalies. Although behavioral damage, especially mental retardation, represents a far greater and more intractable problem than structural damage, behavioral teratogens per se are not included in any list of agents causing anomalies in humans. This is because immediate identification of anomalies is still society’s primary concern and “silent teratogens” do not make their influence felt until long after birth. Nevertheless, narcotics, marihuana, PCBs, and other compounds clearly warrant more than passing attention because of their behavioral teratogenicity. In terms of cost alone, care and treatment of people with behavioral dysfunctions due to prenatal CNS damage represents a far greater economic burden to society than caring for individuals with structural defects (e.g., Abel & Sokol, 1987).
Testing Theory and the Analysis of Time Series Data

Although the relationship between unemployment and crime has been a longstanding interest in criminology, there is little agreement about appropriate models for analyzing this relationship. David Greenberg's (this issue) discussion highlights two issues that raise questions about recent research on the unemployment–crime relationship. First, he extends the work of Hale and Sabbagh (1991) and argues that cointegration methods should be used instead of first-differenced regression models to analyze unemployment and crime time series data. Second, he argues that previous attempts to test his strain theory linking unemployment to the age distribution of crime rely on flawed hypotheses, inappropriate data, and faulty measurement. In this paper, I address both of Greenberg's claims. I begin with a discussion of the relative utility of cointegration analysis and of first-differenced regression models for the analysis of the unemployment–crime relationship, focusing on the link between theory and statistical model. I then discuss the possibility of ever testing and falsifying Greenberg's strain theory.
Poster: Recommending Exception Handling Patterns with ExAssist

Exception handling is an advanced programming technique to prevent run-time errors or crashes for modern software systems. However, inexperienced programmers might fail to write proper exception handling code in their programs. In this paper, we introduce ExAssist, a code recommendation tool for exception handling. ExAssist can predict what types of exception could occur in a given piece of code and recommend proper exception handling code for such an exception. Preliminary evaluation of ExAssist suggests that it provides highly accurate recommendations.
Robotic surgery trends in general surgical oncology from the National Inpatient Sample.

Robotic surgery is offered at most major medical institutions. The extent of its use within general surgical oncology, however, is poorly understood. We hypothesized that robotic surgery adoption in surgical oncology is increasing annually, that is occurring in all surgical sites, and all regions of the US. We identified patients with site-specific malignancies treated with surgical resection from the National Inpatient Sample 2010–2014 databases. Operations were considered robotic if any ICD-9-CM robotic procedure code was used. We identified 147,259 patients representing the following sites: esophageal (3%), stomach (5%), small bowel (5%), pancreas (7%), liver (5%), and colorectal (75%). Most operations were open (71%), followed by laparoscopic (26%), and robotic (3%). In 2010, only 1.1% of operations were robotic; over the 5-year study period, there was a 5.0-fold increase in robotic surgery, compared to 1.1-fold increase in laparoscopy and 1.2-fold decrease in open surgery (< 0.001). These trends were observed for all surgical sites and in all regions of the US, they were strongest for esophageal and colorectal operations, and in the Northeast. Adjusting for age and comorbidities, odds of having a robotic operation increased annually (5.6 times more likely by 2014), with similar length of stay (6.9 ± 6.5 vs 7.0 ± 6.5, p = 0.52) and rate of complications (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83–1.01, p = 0.08) compared to laparoscopy. Robotic surgery as a platform for minimally invasive surgery is increasing over time for oncologic operations. The growing use of robotic surgery will affect surgical oncology practice in the future, warranting further study of its impact on cost, outcomes, and surgical training.