cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Teaching the Best Way to Learn

In previous chapters we developed the basic model of an economic theory of learning. In this chapter we extended our discussion by applying that model to a recent study of the effects which proctoring has on the achievement level of economics students. We are able to show how our model can be useful in interpreting statistical results and how failure to consider student and faculty choice behavior can lead one into drawing unwarranted conclusions.
An Experimental Investigation of Droplet Detachment in High-Speed Microchannel Air Flow

This paper experimentally investigates the mechanism of water droplet detachment in a confined microchannel under highly inertial air flow. Experimental observations show that as the Reynolds number in the channel is increased, the droplet transitions from a nearly spherical droplet to a high aspect ratio slug. Scaling arguments are then made to address this behavior in an order of magnitude sense. These results show that although shear stress at the droplet-air interface may contribute to droplet elongation, the major mechanism of droplet detachment appears to be the pressure drop across the droplet. This pressure drop is a result of a highly inertial air flow being squeezed through a narrow gap between the droplet and the adjacent microchannel wall. This pressure difference creates a force imbalance across the droplet that overcomes the surface tension force pinning the droplet at the injection site, thereby leading to droplet detachment. A formulation of a nondimensional number is then presented that relates the pressure force acting across the droplet to the surface tension force at the droplet wall interface, which indicates that detachment occurs when this number is of order 1.
Aspiration cytopathology of peripancreatic space: a clinicoradiologic and cytopathologic analyses of 42 cases.

The pancreas is surrounded by a zone of soft tissue referred to as the peripancreatic space (PPS), which contains lymph nodes and neurovascular structures. Solid or cystic space-occupying lesions of the PPS are rare and represent a variety of non-neoplastic and neoplastic processes. Current imaging studies such as computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) are highly sensitive in detecting masses but their ability to differentiate between benign and malignant diseases is limited.1 In the face of an uncertain clinicoradiologic impression, or if the patient is considered a poor surgical candidate due to pre-existing medical conditions a definitive cytologic/tissue diagnosis is required to direct the appropriate clinical treatment of such cases.2-6 Image-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the pancreas is an established diagnostic procedure with high sensitivity, specificity, and lacking in serious complications.7-10 However, to our knowledge, there has only been one previous dedicated series describing the cytopathologic findings of PPS masses.8
Reactions at Interfaces As a Source of Sulfate Formation in Sea-Salt Particles

Understanding the formation of sulfate particles in the troposphere is critical because of their health effects and their direct and indirect effects on radiative forcing, and hence on climate. Laboratory studies of the chemical and physical changes in sodium chloride, the major component of sea-salt particles, show that sodium hydroxide is generated upon reaction of deliquesced sodium chloride particles with gas-phase hydroxide. The increase in alkalinity will lead to an increase in the uptake and oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfate in sea-salt particles. This chemistry is missing from current models but is consistent with a number of previously unexplained field study observations.
In the lung aerosol cyclosporine provides a regional concentration advantage over intramuscular cyclosporine.

Abstract Background: Acute rejection remains an almost universal complication among lung transplant recipients. Refractory rejection as well as chronic systemic immunosuppression is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Recent studies suggest that aerosol cyclosporine may address these issues by effectively preventing acute cellular rejection while maintaining low systemic drug concentrations. This study was designed to evaluate the concentrations of cyclosporine in blood and lung tissue after aerosol and intramuscular administration. Methods Lewis rats were divided into 4 experimental groups: Groups A ( n = 33) and B ( n = 30) received aerosol cyclosporine 3 and 5 mg/kg, respectively; Groups C ( n = 33) and D ( n = 30) received systemic cyclosporine 5 and 15 mg/kg, respectively. We used high-performance liquid chromatography to quantitate blood and lung tissue cyclosporine levels at timed intervals. We used the trapezoidal rule to approximate area under the concentration vs time curve (AUC). Results Aerosol delivery of cyclosporine resulted in higher and more rapid peak drug levels in lung tissue samples than did systemic delivery. At an equivalent 5 mg/kg dose, the cyclosporine AUC was 3 times higher with aerosol delivery than with intramuscular delivery in lung tissue (477,965 vs 157,706 ng × hour/g, respectively). The lung tissue: blood AUC ratio was highest in the aerosol groups (27.3:1 and 17.4:1) compared with the intramuscular groups (8.1:1 and 9.4:1). Conclusion Local aerosol inhalation delivery of cyclosporine provides a regional advantage over systemic intramuscular therapy by providing higher peak concentrations and greater lung tissue exposure.
Do nondomain experts enlist the strategies of domain experts

User studies demonstrate that nondomain experts do not use the same information-seeking strategies as domain experts. Because of the transformation of integrated library systems into Information Gateways in the late 1990s, both nondomain experts and domain experts have had available to them the wide range of information-seeking strategies in a single system. This article describes the results of a study to answer three research questions: (1) do nondomain experts enlist the strategies of domain experts? (2) if they do, how did they learn about these strategies? and (3) are they successful using them? Interviews, audio recordings, screen captures, and observations were used to gather data from 14 undergraduate students who searched an academic library's Information Gateway. The few times that the undergraduates in this study enlisted search strategies that were characteristic of domain experts, it usually took perseverance, trial-and-error, serendipity, or a combination of all three for them to find useful information. Although this study's results provide no compelling reasons for systems to support features that make domain-expert strategies possible, there is need for system features that scaffold nondomain experts from their usual strategies to the strategies characteristic of domain experts.
Approximations to some statistical tests

El objeto de este articulo es la consideracion de dos problemas usados con frecuencia en aplicaciones de algunos tests estadisticos estandar y tratarlos mediante analisis aproximados (y alternados).
Serial lead impedance measurements confirm fixation of helical screw electrodes during pacemaker implantation.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether serial measurements of helical screw pacemaker lead impedance could reliably confirm electrode fixation in the right atrium and right ventricle. Fixation is generally assessed fluoroscopically, which can be misleading because the myocardium is radio lucent. Alternatively, because the electrical conductivity of blood is greater than that of myocardium, serial measurements of the lead impedance might be expected to show an impedance increase with appropriate fixation of the pacemaker electrode when the electrode becomes embedded in myocardial tissue. Impedance measurements were made during the placement of 23 atrial and 28 ventricular active fixation electrodes in 31 consecutive patients. Impedance measurements were recorded in unipolar and bipolar electrode configurations with the electrode free floating in the chamber, unfixed (with exposed screws) but touching the endocardial surface, and after fixation. No significant impedance differences were found between free-floating and unfixed electrode positions. With fixation, the lead impedance increased significantly in the ventricle (P = 0.0001, unipolar and bipolar) and the atrium (P = 0.0069 unipolar and 0.0052 bipolar). Typical increases, reflected by median values, were 197 ohms unipolar and 203 ohms bipolar in the ventricle and 47 ohms unipolar and 53 ohms bipolar in the atrium for electrodes with permanently exposed or retractable screw designs. Comparing serial measurements of lead impedance before and after electrode fixation is a valid electrical method of confirming appropriate fixation of helical screw electrodes.
Patient-Reported Measures Provide Unique Insights Into Motor Function After Stroke

Background and Purpose—Patient-reported outcome measures have been found useful in many disciplines but have received limited evaluation after stroke. The current study investigated the relationship that patient-reported measures have with standard impairment and disability scales after stroke. Methods—Patients with motor deficits after stroke were scored on standard assessments including the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, modified Rankin Scale, and Fugl-Meyer motor scale, and on 2 patient-reported measures, the hand function domain of the Stroke Impact Scale, which documents difficulty of hand motor usage, and the amount of use portion of the Motor Activity Log, which records amount of arm motor usage. Results—The 43 participants had mild disability (median modified Rankin Scale=2), moderate motor deficits (Fugl-Meyer motor scale=46±22), and mild cognitive/language deficits. The 2 patient-reported outcome measures, Stroke Impact Scale and Motor Activity Log, were sensitive to the presence of...
Airborne remote sensing of canopy water thickness scaled from leaf spectrometer data

The reflectance ratio of the middle-infrared band (MIR) to the near-infrared band (NIR) is linearly related to the log(10) equivalent water thickness (EWT) for single leaves of different morphologies, whereas the MIR/NIR radiance ratio is correlated with the leaf area index (LAI). The hypothesis that the MIR/NIR ratio measures canopy EWT was tested by reanalyzing airborne Thematic Mapper Simulator and field data obtained across a large gradient of LAI in western Oregon, U.S.A. The measured airborne MIR/NIR reflectance ratios for canopies were not significantly different from the predicted ratios using leaf data for canopy EWT, except for two desert woodland sites. The interpretation of the MIR/NIR ratio is scale-dependent, because leaf EWT is determined primarily by variations in LAI.
Avoidant personality disorder and social phobia: distinct enough to be separate disorders?

Avoidant personality disorder (AVPD) and socialphobia (SP) were ﬁrst introduced in the psychiatricnomenclature in the third edition of The Diagnos-tic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (1).They were placed on two separate axes; SP wasplaced on axis I among the clinical syndromes andAVPD was placed on axis II among the personalitydisorders. From the beginning, the similaritybetween AVPD and SP was apparent, althoughboth disorders came from somewhat diﬀerenthistorical and clinical traditions (2, 3). The empir-ical evidence is consistent with the conceptualoverlap indicating that both disorders were oftengiven to the same individual, and that the degree ofseverity, rather than the nature of speciﬁc symp-toms, diﬀerentiated the two conditions (4, 5).Repeated attempts to remedy this problem bychanging diagnostic criteria only intensiﬁed ratherthan minimizing the confusion (6). Most problem-atic is that evidence comparing the two conditionscomes almost exclusively from anxiety disorderclinics that compare individuals with SP alone andSP with AVPD.This research can be grouped into three generalcategories: studies reporting on i) rates ofco-occurrence of the two disorders; ii) researchcontrasting the two disorders on a variety ofclinical, cognitive, and behavioral measures andtreatment response; and iii) longitudinal studies.Over the past two decades, predominantly highrates of co-occurrence of SP with AVPD (21–89%)have been reported in the literature (7–18). Theoverlapbetweenthetwodisordersremainsrelativelyhigh across diﬀerent populations, diﬀerent instru-ments, and changes in classiﬁcation systems (1, 19).Studies that compare SP with SP co-occurrentwith AVPD patients generally show some diﬀer-ences between the groups (20–27). The diﬀerencesappear more quantitative than qualitative innature. Most studies show that the group withcomorbid AVPD experiences more anxiety, andshow more impairment than those withoutAVPD. Psychological and psychopharmacologicaltreatments for SP patients show consistentRalevski E, Sanislow CA, Grilo CM, Skodol AE, Gunderson JG, TracieShea M, Yen S, Bender DS, Zanarini MC, McGlashan TH. Avoidantpersonality disorder and social phobia: distinct enough to be separatedisorders?ActaPsychiatrScand2005:112:208–214. 2005BlackwellMunksgaard.Objective: Existing evidence from anxiety disorder research indicatesthat social phobics (SP) with avoidant personality disorder (AVPD)experience more anxiety and show more impairment than patients withSP alone. The purpose of this study was to examine whether in patientsdiagnosed with AVPD, the co-occurrence of SP adds to its severity. Wehypothesized that the addition of SP will not add to the severity ofAVPD alone.Method: Two groups of patients (AVPD ¼ 224; AVPD/SP ¼ 101)were compared at baseline and 2 years later on multiple demographicand clinical variables.Results: Patients with AVPD and an additional diagnosis of SPdiﬀered little from patients with AVPD alone.Conclusion: These ﬁndings suggest that AVPD and SP may bealternative conceptualizations of the same disorder.
Polya Urn Models and Connections to Ran- dom Trees: A Review

This paper reviews Polya urn models and their connec- tion to random trees. Basic results are presented, together with proofs that underly the historical evolution of the accompanying thought process. Extensions and generalizations are given accord- ing to chronology: • Polya-Eggenberger's urn • Bernard Friedman's urn • Generalized Polya urns • Extended urn schemes • Invertible urn schemes Connections to random trees are surveyed. Numerous applications to trees common in computer science are discussed, including:
Planters and Naturalists: Transnational Knowledge on Colonial Indigo Plantations in South Asia

The knowledge of indigo culture that developed on indigo plantations in colonial Bengal was remarkably cosmopolitan in its borrowings. The protean knowledge that was assembled in the first plantations in the Caribbean in the mid-seventeenth century had roots in various peasant traditions on the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere in the world. French naturalists committed this knowledge to texts, making them legible and portable whilst the needs of European empires ensured the perfection of this knowledge on separate continents even as it picked up heterogeneous forms at numerous sites. The heterogeneity of the knowledge attached to the practice of indigo manufacture was reproduced on the Indian subcontinent when indigo was reinvented as a colonial commodity. European planters generously drew on the texts describing indigo-making that were easily available, as the practice of dye making continued to evolve in the colonial locality. Some surviving peasant traditions of indigo culture on the subcontinent also impinged on the evolving knowledge. Thus multiple logics rather than the single colonial logic lay beneath the development of colonial indigo plantations in Bengal. An understanding of the process requires attention to the global genealogies of this knowledge system.
On Divergence Form Second-order PDEs with Growing Coefficients in W 1 p Spaces without Weights

We consider second-order divergence form uniformly parabolic and elliptic PDEs with bounded and VMOx leading coefficients and possibly linearly growing lower-order coefficients. We look for solutions which are summable to the pth power with respect to the usual Lebesgue measure along with their first derivatives with respect to the spatial variables.
Gentrifying a Superfund Site: Why Gowanus, Brooklyn is Becoming a Real Estate Hot Spot

This feature length article tells the story of Gowanus, a Brooklyn neighborhood on the Gowanus Canal, haunted by the pollutants of its industrial past.. The Environmental Protection Agency recognized the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund cleanup site in March 2010. Yet Gowanus is experiencing an economic and cultural revival. What was historically a booming manufacturing area with active warehouses spilling their waste into the Gowanus Canal is now an industrial site where middle to upper class families, seeking to purchase organic foods, are willing to relocate and settle down. As of December 2014, a two-bedroom condo boasting waterfront views and located just one block away from the Gowanus Canal on Carroll Street was priced at $1,549,000. The average price per square foot for homes in Gowanus is 50 percent higher than the rest of Brooklyn. This story links issues of sustainable development and current urban housing needs in New York City. My research rested primarily on interviews with subjects who have expertise in the changes of the neighborhood. I was fortunate to speak with a real estate agent who specializes in Gowanus, a representative at an affordable housing advocacy group working on development in Gowanus, two separate families who moved to the area when they started began having children, and a life-long resident of 27 years. I also attended two community meetings relating to the sustainable development of Gowanus in addition to speaking with some old and new shop dwellers. Author’s Note I am passionate about telling the story of the gentrification of Gowanus because it brings to light two major challenges that New York City is facing: a lack of affordable housing and funding for sustainable and environmentally friendly areas. Having worked as a child-care provider in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Gowanus during the 2013-2014 academic year, I had a strong interest in understanding why an area that lies along the banks of one of America’s most contaminated waters and appears so desolate is transforming into a hip, familyoriented neighborhood. As a graduate student at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, where I am a degree candidate in the master of international affairs, I am focusing my studies on environmental policy and management. I am specifically interested in policy issues surrounding urban planning and water management. I am also specializing in media and communications. My future goals are to continue writing about issues of sustainable development in urban areas to shed light on the ways urban areas can manage environmental issues.
Interaction of a Straight Line Current with a Superconducting Sphere: Theoretical Results

The magnetic interaction of a line current source and a superconducting sphere in the Meissner state is studied theoretically. An analytic solution for the magnetostatic scalar potential Φ yielding the image system due to the induced current line positioned at x = d and y = 0 in front of a sphere of radius a is obtained by mimicking an approach utilized earlier in hydrodynamics. The method resulted in an image system consisting of edge and surface currents all located in a circle inside the superconducting sphere. The magnetic field components B x , B y , B z , B r are generated from our exact solution, revealing certain symmetries with respect to the coordinates. It is demonstrated that various non-dimensional parameters including radius-distance ratio, which can be expressed as $\frac {a}{d}$ or $\frac {d}{a}$ , influence the magnetic field significantly. The contour plots of the radial component portray contrasting patterns along the three coordinate planes confirming the true nature of three-dimensionality. Radial and axial components are found to have extreme values indicating strong interaction between the line current and the sphere. The levitation force on the superconducting sphere is extracted directly from the analytic solution and is expressed as a quadrature. The expression for the interaction force has a logarithmic contribution and further depends on the z coordinate. It is found that when the line current is very close to the superconductor ( $\frac {a}{d} \sim 1$ ), the force is singular in the limit $\frac {z}{d} \rightarrow 0$ . The singular behavior and z dependence property of the force are new and do not occur in source-sphere and dipole-sphere superconducting systems. The computed levitation force is maximum when the line current is positioned closer to the sphere and minimum when it is farther from the sphere. It is shown numerically that the order of magnitude of the increase of the force going from large to small separations is 104. The simple nature of our theoretical results can be directly applied to models for magnetic levitation and magnetic microscopy.
Calcium Oxalate Stone Fragment and Crystal Phagocytosis by Human Macrophages

Purpose: In murine and human hyperoxaluric conditions macrophages can be seen surrounding renal calcium oxalate crystal deposits. We hypothesized that macrophages have a role in degrading and destroying these deposits. We investigated the inflammatory response and phagocytic mechanisms when macrophages were exposed to human kidney stones and inorganic crystals.Materials and Methods: Human monocytes were differentiated into resting, fully differentiated macrophages by treatment with recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) or GM-CSF (granulocyte M-CSF) for 6 days. After confirming phenotype by flow cytometry the macrophages were exposed for 20 hours to fragments of sterile human calcium oxalate stones or calcium oxalate crystals. Crystal uptake was determined, and supernatant cytokine and chemokine profiles were analyzed using antibody arrays. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was done to validate mRNA profile expression.Results: Under direct vision fluoresc...
Colony size evolution in ants: macroevolutionary trends

Colony size is an incredibly important factor in social insect ecology: it affects everything from foraging strategies to colony defense to mating systems to the degree of polymorphism. However, colony sizes vary dramatically among ant species (Formicidae): sizes range from several workers living together to super-colonies that stretch for hundreds of kilometers. Although the origins of eusociality and colonial life have been extensively theorized, little work has been done describing the evolution of colony size that followed after. Our study provides the first large-scale investigation into such issues, incorporating colony size data from 118 genera and recently published, nearly complete genus-level molecular phylogenies. We find that colony size change exhibits a bifurcation pattern similar to the feedback loop theory posited by Bourke 1999. Once colony sizes become sufficiently large, they rarely undergo radical decreases in size on a macroevolutionary scale. Additionally, the magnitude of colony size changes seem relatively small: rarely do colony sizes jump from small to large sizes without first transitioning through an intermediate size. Lastly, we echo many previous authors in advocating for the release of unpublished sociometric data and a push toward its further acquisition.
The Relationship between RTI Implementation and Reading Achievement: A School-Level Analysis.

This study examined the relationship between response to intervention (RTI) implementation integrity in reading and student reading outcomes. Data were collected from 64 principals and school psychologists at 43 elementary schools. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the degree to which implementation of RTI tiers and key components predicted student reading assessment results, when controlling for a block of school demographic variables. Findings revealed that data-based decision making and Tier 3 implementation integrity significantly predicted student reading outcomes when controlling for significant demographic predictors. Interpretation of results and implications for research and practice are provided.
Company-Owned Life Insurance in Business Combinations and Goodwill Impairment Testing

This paper examines the alternative methods of accounting for investments in company-owned life insurance (COLI) in business combinations and the valuation of COLI for goodwill impairment testing. There are at least two methods to account for COLI policies acquired in business combinations under existing GAAP. One alternative is to recognize an acquired COLI asset at fair value, followed by immediate write down to CSV. The other alternative is to recognize an acquired COLI asset at CSV and an additional intangible asset for the difference between fair value and CSV at acquisition. The FASB staff unofficially favors the first method. However, the second method is more consistent with purchase accounting. Both methods are acceptable in applying the purchase price allocation method for goodwill impairment testing.
Insights from HuR biology point to potential improvement for second-line ovarian cancer therapy.

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the role that an RNA-binding protein, HuR, plays in the response of high-grade serous ovarian tumors to chemotherapeutics. We immunohistochemically stained sections of 31 surgically-debulked chemo-naive ovarian tumors for HuR and scored the degree of HuR cytoplasmic staining. We found no correlation between HuR intracellular localization in tumor sections and progression free survival (PFS) of these patients, 29 of whom underwent second-line gemcitabine/platin combination therapy for recurrent disease. Ribonucleoprotein immunoprecipitation (RNP-IP) analysis of ovarian cancer cells in culture showed that cytoplasmic HuR increases deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), a metabolic enzyme that activates gemcitabine. The effects of carboplatin treatment on HuR and WEE1 (a mitotic inhibitor) expression, and on cell cycle kinetics, were also examined. Treatment of ovarian cancer cells with carboplatin results in increased HuR cytoplasmic expression and elevated WEE1 expression, arresting cell cycle G2/M transition. This may explain why HuR cytoplasmic localization in chemo-naive tumors is not predictive of therapeutic response and PFS following second-line gemcitabine/platin combination therapy. These results suggest treatment of recurrent ovarian tumors with a combination of gemcitabine, carboplatin, and a WEE1 inhibitor may be potentially advantageous as compared to current clinical practices.
High efficiency and optical anisotropy in double-heterojunction nanorod light-emitting diodes.

Recent advances in colloidal quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) have led to efficiencies and brightness that rival the best organic LEDs. Nearly ideal internal quantum efficiency being achieved leaves light outcoupling as the only remaining means to improve external quantum efficiency (EQE) but that might require radically different device design and reoptimization. However, the current state-of-the-art QD-LEDs are based on spherical core/shell QDs, and the effects of shape and optical anisotropy remain essentially unexplored. Here, we demonstrate solution-processed, red-emitting double-heterojunction nanorod (DHNR)-LEDs with efficient hole transport exhibiting low threshold voltage and high brightness (76 000 cd m–2) and efficiencies (EQE = 12%, current efficiency = 27.5 cd A–1, and power efficiency = 34.6 lm W–1). EQE exceeding the expected upper limit of ∼8% (based on ∼20% light outcoupling and solution photoluminescence quantum yield of ∼40%) suggests shape anisotropy and directional band off...
Polymorphisms of the tumor necrosis factor alpha locus among autoimmune disease susceptible and resistant inbred rat strains.

Polymorphisms of the tumor necrosis factor alpha locus among autoimmune disease susceptible and resistant inbred rat strainsPolymorphisms of the tumor necrosis factor alpha locus among autoimmune disease susceptible and resistant inbred rat strains *
Hepatic drug metabolism after phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment of rats bearing a pituitary tumor.

SummaryThe administration of phenobarbital to rats bearing a pituitary mammotropic tumor (MtT) produced an increase in the hepatic metabolism of hexobarbital which was greater than that of similarly treated control rats. The formation of formaldehyde from aminopyrine by liver from MtT-bearing rats, however, was not increased by an amount comparable to that of control rats following phenobarbital pretreatment. The metabolism of benzpyrene was increased more than that of zoxazolamine by liver from MtT rats after an injection of 3-MC, and the metabolism of both compounds was increased more than that found after control rats were injected with 3-MC. An increase in the liver metabolism of four drugs which followed phenobarbital or 3-MC pretreatment of control rats, therefore, was not prevented by growth in rats of a corticotropin, somatotropin, and prolactin producing pituitary tumor.
Informal Institutions, Protest, and Change in Gendered Federal Systems

Federalism seems to play a widely varying role in maintaining or undermining gender hierarchies around the world. In 1869, for example, federalism allowed Wyoming—a new state in the United States—to enfranchise women before this happened at the national level. But in Switzerland, federalism let a recalcitrant canton disenfranchise women until the 1990s—20 years after women achieved the vote on the national level (Banaszak 1996). More generally, federal institutions are associated with widely varying policies on women's rights. Table 1 groups countries according to Lijphart's (1999, Chapter 10) three measures of federalism: a numerical summary measure (column 2), whether the country is centralized or decentralized (column 3), and a dichotomous measure of federal or unitary based on the country's constitution (column 4). No matter which measure is used, gender equality policies vary greatly within each type of system. The wide variation within each category suggests that standard approaches to federalism give us little purchase on gender politics.
Growth Characters of Bretschneidera sinensis of Three Different Geographical Sources at Sapling Stage

The height and diameter of annual B.sinensis saplings from three different geographical sources were surveyed to study their growth regulation and genetic improvement potentiality of main characters.The results showed that there were emergence stage,early growth stage,rapid growth stage and late growth stage from cotyledon emergence to stop growth of saplings in the same year,the diameter growth was 10 d earlier than sapling height growth and the stop growth of sapling diameter was 10 d later than stop growth of sapling height.There was no difference in sapling height and diameter during different growth stages between two B.sinensis species from Guizhou province,the sapling height growth of B.sinensis species from Hubei province was in the rapid growth stage later than that of two B.sinensis species from Guizhou province and its stop growth was earlier than that of two B.sinensis species from Guizhou province,there was obvious variation between different species and between different individuals in the same species,There was significant difference in sapling height between different species and no obvious difference in sapling diameter between different species,and the growth performance of B.sinensis saplings from Sandu,Guizhou was the best at sapling period among three tested B.sinensis species.
Social policy and drug safety.

Drug safety in the elderly is a compounded problem. Added to the general issues faced by society in the area of ensuring necessary public health protection regarding medicines are those issues specific to a geriatric population: altered metabolic states (including drug metabolism), complex underlying conditions (after involving multiple organ systems), multiple drug use (polypharmacy), and confusion contributing to mistakes in compliance with complicated treatment regimens. This article addresses the second set-the geriatric-specific issues in the safety of medicines-and suggests needed changes in society's overall methods of monitoring and protection to contribute toward their resolution.
Alternative quantification of global lung glycolysis using volumetric FDG PET/CT parameters in lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy

1288 Objectives We evaluated the feasibility of quantifying global lung parenchymal glycolysis (GLPG) using an alternative semiautomatic lung segmentation technique in lung cancer patients treated with photon and proton radiation therapy (RT), where they may serve as biomarkers for treatment-related inflammation and radiation-induced pulmonary toxicity Methods We evaluated 18 consecutive patients on this IRB-approved study who underwent pre and post-treatment FDG-PET/CT scans from a cohort of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with definitive (median 66.6 Gy in 1.8 Gy fractions) photon or proton RT at our institution between 2010 - 2014. Lung volume segmentation was conducted using a thresholding function. Global lung glycolysis (GLG) was calculated by summing FDG uptake in the whole lung. The SUVmean and total lesion glycolysis (TLG=SUVmean*metabolic active volume) of primary tumor were quantified using an iterative contrast oriented thresholding algorithm. GLPG was calculated by subtracting TLG from GLG. Parameters of baseline and follow up PET were compared using two-tailed paired t-tests. Results Overall, we did not observe differences in GLPG between pre- and post-treatment images in the ipsilateral or contralateral lung. In the subset of 9 patients treated with photon RT, there was a significant increase in GLPG in both ipsilateral (mean difference 1727±1807, -3502 to 3807, p=0.0209) and contralateral (mean difference 1222±1349, 185 to 2259, p=0.0263) lungs. In the subset of 9 patients treated with proton RT, no increase in GLPG was observed in either the ipsilateral or contralateral lung (mean difference 152.7±4755, -3502 to 3807, p=0.90 for ipsilateral GLPG) Conclusions We identified increases in bilateral lung GLPG after photon-based RT. These findings did not extend to patients receiving proton RT. Future studies will examine whether this discrepancy is related to limitations of our quantification methods or inherent differences in proton and photon RT
Los modos de las políticas de la Integración Centroamericana

This paper reviews the ways in which the actions of regional policy in the Central American Integration System (SICA) develop. The impetus for the policy agenda for positive integration materializes an incipient process of regional governance that features the institutions of SICA, supported by coalitions of groups formed interest and partners of international cooperation, including plays an important European Union (EU) role. The implementation process reveals the existence of important obstacles to overcome, but it demonstrates its political, legal and institutional feasibility. The most important thing is to provide an opportunity to address common challenges in development taking advantage of the increasing degree of interdependence. At the same time, the integration gives a greater role as a development tool.
The Electrically Evoked Response of the Visual System (EER)

(1) A technique is described for recording with scalp electrodes the occipital response to electrical stimulation of the globe. This "electrically evoked response of the visual system" has been labeled EER. (2) The amplitude of EER is a function of the amount of stimulus current. (3) There is an apparent difference in EER caused by electrode polarity. (4) There is little difference in EER to square pulses of varying durations. However, sawtooth stimuli cause increase of latency of response equivalent to duration of the sawtooth. (5) Although there is considerable variation of EER from individual to individual the response for any one subject appears to be quite constant. (6) The EER differs from the VER to stimuli of the same subjective brightness in several ways. The amplitude of the EER is greater but only when measured at the occipital pole; the latency of the VER is greater. These findings suggest that the EER represents activation of many collateral circuits not directly connected with brightness perception. They also suggest that the electrical stimulus acts on structures between the receptor inner segments and the ganglion cell body.
Donor Human Milk Update: Evidence, Mechanisms, and Priorities for Research and Practice.

Increasingly, the terminology human milk feeding is used to include both MOM and DHM for VLBW infants, implying that the multiple beneficial outcomes attributed only to MOM can be generalized to DHM. In particular, there is lack of fit between preterm MOM and DHM during the early critical post-birth window when nutritional and immunomodulatory programming and select organ growth via MOM components are thought to occur. Although DHM has been associated with reductions in NEC, MOM is more effective in the reduction of multiple morbidities and their costs including NEC, and is less expensive to acquire than DHM. NICU care providers must frame the argument for the superiority of MOM over DHM with families, peers and hospital administrators in a manner that results in high doses and longer exposure periods for MOM use in VLBW infants.
From a Fascination with Arrow Diagrams to Witnessing a Tipping Point in Biology

“The –omics revolution of experimental systems biology has forced the permission to explore what’s out there, and thereby reigned in the formerly exclusive right of hypothesis based research. Only 20 years ago, such an exploration was derided as a “fishing expedition” that was not well grounded, had no specific focus, and was therefore not to be published, let alone funded. Now, such studies are often the first stab at investigating and analyzing a complex biomedical question. The successes of these and other high-throughput methodologies have wiped away any doubt that solid data interpretation, through machine learning and pattern recognition, is mandatory. The large datasets and complex patterns within them, in turn, have rendered it evident that sophisticated mathematical and computational systems modeling is needed to combine datasets and to extract information that is not perceivable by the unaided human mind.”
Resealable, optically accessible, PDMS-free fluidic platform for ex vivo interrogation of pancreatic islets

We report the design and fabrication of a robust fluidic platform built out of inert plastic materials and micromachined features that promote optimized convective fluid transport. The platform is tested for perfusion interrogation of rodent and human pancreatic islets, dynamic secretion of hormones, concomitant live-cell imaging, and optogenetic stimulation of genetically engineered islets. A coupled quantitative fluid dynamics computational model of glucose stimulated insulin secretion and fluid dynamics was first utilized to design device geometries that are optimal for complete perfusion of three-dimensional islets, effective collection of secreted insulin, and minimization of system volumes and associated delays. Fluidic devices were then fabricated through rapid prototyping techniques, such as micromilling and laser engraving, as two interlocking parts from materials that are non-absorbent and inert. Finally, the assembly was tested for performance using both rodent and human islets with multiple assays conducted in parallel, such as dynamic perfusion, staining and optogenetics on standard microscopes, as well as for integration with commercial perfusion machines. The optimized design of convective fluid flows, use of bio-inert and non-absorbent materials, reversible assembly, manual access for loading and unloading of islets, and straightforward integration with commercial imaging and fluid handling systems proved to be critical for perfusion assay, and particularly suited for time-resolved optogenetics studies.
A new design for simulation and reconstruction software for the JEM-EUSO mission

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory (JEM-EUSO) is designed to detect the highest energy particles in the Universe by observing the fluorescence and (reflected) Cherenkov light produced when these ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECR) traverse the Earth’s atmosphere. Unlike existing cosmic ray observatories, JEM-EUSO will view the atmosphere from above, as the instrument will be attached to the International Space Station. Here we describe a new general-purpose software framework to facilitate detailed simulation and reconstruction of UHECR events observed by JEM-EUSO. This new software is based on open-source codes developed over roughly a decade by a collaborative effort of several particle astrophysics and high energy physics experiments, and is particularly suited to the needs of large collaborations. We explain the machinery used to manage user contributions, organize an abundance of configuration files, facilitate multi-format file handling, and provide access to time-dependent information on detector and atmospheric properties. We also discuss the strategies employed to ensure stability and maintainability in the face of a large number of user contributions. Finally, we show example applications using this new software package.
Error diffusion on acute simplices: invariant tiles

We study the absorbing invariant set of a dynamical system defined by a map derived from Error Diffusion, a greedy online approximation algorithm that minimizes the (Euclidean) norm of the cumulated error. This algorithm assigns a sequence of outputs, each a vertex of some polytope, to any sequence of inputs in that polytope. Here, the polytope is assumed to be a simplex that is acute, meaning that the pairs of distinct external normal vectors to the codimension-one faces form obtuse angles. The input is assumed to be constant. The map is a system which consists of piecewise translations acting on the partition of an affine space into the Vorono¨i regions defined (once tie-breaking is resolved) by the vertices of the polytope. The translation vector in each partition piece is the difference between the input modified by adding the cumulated error and the corresponding vertex. When the polytope is a simplex such piecewise translation projects onto a translation of a torus. We prove that if the projected translation is ergodic, then there is an invariant absorbing set of the piecewise translation which is a fundamental set for the lattice generated by the simplex and which is a limit set of any bounded set with nonempty interior.
Romosozumab - Promising or Practice Changing?

Over the past decade, the osteoporosis landscape has changed. Even though more treatment options are available, fewer measurements of bone mass are being performed and fewer prescriptions for antiosteoporosis agents are being written — the last probably related to concerns about known side effects of bisphosphonates, such as atypical femoral fractures and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Even among patients with osteoporosis who have had a fracture and are then prescribed bisphosphonates, 70% are nonadherent within a year.1 Denosumab, another antiresorptive agent with proven efficacy, is rarely associated with atypical fractures and requires that patients continue to receive therapy indefinitely. Teriparatide, . . .
Engaged IT Experience Course to Enable the Future Workforce

Computer Science (CS) and Information Technology (IT) education needs to find new ways to boost students' interest in selecting and completing undergraduate degrees in these disciplines. In addition to retaining them in the major, we need to equip them with the right skills and knowledge so they are workforce ready when they graduate. In this paper, the authors present a novel learning model in IT, The IT Experience Course. Through a unique partnership with the IT department, the course leverages both traditional classroom teaching methodology and internships to form a new style of engaged learning. Engaged learning allows students to participate in real-life activities through collaboration, exploration, and discovery with peers. The course has three components, learning, shadowing/training, and a real world IT experiential project. The three components give the students a better understanding of the diversity of the field of IT, an insight into different career paths, and the confidence to see themselves working in the field through mentorship. The IT Experience Course, can be replicated at institutions across the country since most institutes of higher learning have an IT department, potentially increasing the future IT-capable workforce.
Harnessing BET Inhibitor Sensitivity Reveals AMIGO2 as a Melanoma Survival Gene

Bromodomain and extraterminal domain inhibitors (BETi) represent promising therapeutic agents for metastatic melanoma, yet their mechanism of action remains unclear. Here we interrogated the transcriptional effects of BETi and identified AMIGO2, a transmembrane molecule, as a BET target gene essential for melanoma cell survival. AMIGO2 is upregulated in melanoma cells and tissues compared to human melanocytes and nevi, and AMIGO2 silencing in melanoma cells induces G1/S arrest followed by apoptosis. We identified the pseudokinase PTK7 as an AMIGO2 interactor whose function is regulated by AMIGO2. Epigenomic profiling and genome editing revealed that AMIGO2 is regulated by a melanoma-specific BRD2/4-bound promoter and super-enhancer configuration. Upon BETi treatment, BETs are evicted from these regulatory elements, resulting in AMIGO2 silencing and changes in PTK7 proteolytic processing. Collectively, this study uncovers mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of BETi in melanoma and reveals the AMIGO2-PTK7 axis as a targetable pathway for metastatic melanoma.
Evaluation of the Environmental Bias on Accelerometer-Measured Total Daily Activity Counts and Owner Survey Responses in Dogs with Osteoarthritis.

Objective To determine if environmental variables affect the average daily activity counts (AC) of dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) and/or owners’ perception of their dog’s clinical signs or quality of life. Methods The AC and Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) owner questionnaires of 62 dogs with OA were compared with daily environmental variables including the following: average temperature (°C), high temperature (°C), low temperature (°C), relative humidity (%), total precipitation (mm), average barometric pressure (hPa) and total daylight hours. Results Daily AC significantly correlated with average temperature and total daylight hours, but average temperature and total daylight hours accounted for less than 1% of variation in AC. No other significant relationships were found between daily AC and daily high temperature, low temperature, relative humidity, total precipitation or average barometric pressure. No statistical relationship was found between daily AC and the CBPI, nor between environmental variables and the CBPI. Canine Brief Pain Inventory scores for pain severity and pain interference decreased significantly over the test period. Clinical Significance The relationship between daily AC and average temperature and total daylight hours was significant, but unlikely to be clinically significant. Thus, environmental variables do not appear to have a clinically relevant bias on AC or owner CBPI questionnaires. The decrease over time in CBPI pain severity and pain interference values suggests owners completing the CBPI in this study were influenced by a caregiver placebo effect.
On race, sport, and politics in South Africa’s past and present

There has been a steady emergence of quality writing about sport, politics, and the intersection between them in South African society in recent decades. This review essay looks at a number of rece...