cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liberal Norms and Their Discontents

Recent analyses of the predominance of liberals in personality and social psychology have raised the possibility that this ideological imbalance is driven in part by active discrimination against conservatives. In this article, I review empirical evidence relevant to this possibility and find little support for it. The evidence points instead to a predominance of liberal views in academia more generally, driven by multiple factors including the consonance of academic work with the goals and values of liberals. Within the field of personality and social psychology, this concentration of liberal views has fostered strong liberal norms, which both intensify and exaggerate the field’s ideological homogeneity. These liberal norms have unfortunate narrowing effects on research in personality and social psychology; remedies for these effects should focus on weakening the norms.
Final test results for the SNS ring dipoles

To meet the performance parameters of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) for high beam intensity with low losses, the compact accumulation ring will contain 32 sector dipoles with 1.44 m effective length and a large aperture, 170 mm. The magnets are built from potted coils and machined pieces of solid iron. When first assembled, the dipoles met the requirements for field uniformity but the rms variation of the integral transfer function (ITF) was much larger than design at both fields of interest, 1.11 T/spl middot/m and 1.33 T/spl middot/m, corresponding to proton energies of 1.0 GeV and 1.3 GeV respectively. Based on initial measurements, shims have been added to the return legs or poles, as appropriate, in order to bring the rms variation of the 1.0 GeV ITF to the specification, 0.01%. The value of the ITF rms variation at 1.3 GeV for the shimmed magnets is 0.033%. Sorting the magnets has significantly reduced the load on the correctors due to this ITF variation.
Reverend Billy: Preaching, Protest, and Postindustrial Flânerie

Reverend Billy rages against the noxious effects of consumerism, transnational capital, and the privatization of public space and culture. His “Church of Stop Shopping” represents a fascinating departure for new left theatre in the era of global capital.
Epiphyseal dysplasia with coxa vara, microcephaly, and normal intelligence in sibs: expanded spectrum of Lowry-Wood syndrome?

We report on a brother and sister with epiphyseal dysplasia and coxa vara, microcephaly, and short stature. This constellation of findings is similar to that found in the Lowry-Wood syndrome (Epiphyseal dysplasia, microcephaly, short stature, and mental retardation). In the sibs we describe, mental retardation is not apparent, and they have the additional finding of developmental coxa vara. Despite these 2 exceptions, this family probably represents the same disorder described by Lowry and Wood (Clinical Genetics 8:269–274,1975), and serves to expand the spectrum of the syndrome to include coxa vara. It is also possible that these sibs represent a previously undescribed syndrome, most likely with autosomal recessive inheritance.
Optimizing bone surveys performed for suspected non-accidental trauma with attention to maximizing diagnostic yield while minimizing radiation exposure: utility of pelvic and lateral radiographs

Background Skeletal surveys for non-accidental trauma (NAT) include lateral spinal and pelvic views, which have a significant radiation dose.
Hidradenitis suppurativa: evidence for a bactericidal defect correctable by cholinergic agonist in vitro and in vivo

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) affects the apocrine sweat glands, giving chronic recurrent abscesses of axillary and perineal areas. We report a patient who had a defect in polymorphonuclear leukocyte killing of bacteria associated with low levels of intracellular cyclic GMP. This defect was corrected with a cholinergic agonist in vitro. Treatment of the patient with a cholinergic agonist, bethanechol chloride, resulted in prolonged clinical improvement, normal bactericidal function, and normal levels of intracellular cyclic GMP. The possible mechanisms responsible for the bactericidal defect and for the patient's improvement are discussed.
Principles of hematotoxicology: laboratory assessment and interpretation of data

The toxicologic evaluation of the hematopoietic system is part of most preclinical and clinical safety studies and has become routine in monitoring a variety of novel and conventional therapies in humans and animals. As with spontaneous disease, iatrogenic blood dyscrasias may be primary but are frequently secondary to other tissue toxicity. The latter tendency makes this easily accessible tissue particularly useful in monitoring for systemic toxicity, while primary hematotoxicity ranks with liver and kidney effects as important and often limiting complications. Although the principles driving the diagnostic approach to spontaneous (clinical) blood disorders generally apply to preclinical and clinical safety studies, there are important differences, particularly regarding control of variables, feasibility of testing, and interpretation of resulting data. The luxury of studying a homogenous population of subjects free of complicating disease under controlled (uniform) laboratory and environmental condition...
Role for arachidonic acid metabolism and protein synthesis in recombinant bovine interferon-gamma-induced activation of bovine neutrophils.

Bovine neutrophils were preincubated with recombinant bovine interferon-y (rbolFN-’y), and the molecular events leading to enhanced antibody-dependent (ADCC) and antibodyindependent (AINC) neutrophil-mediated cytotoxicity and reduced random migration under agarose were investigated. Addition of ot-amanitin, puromycin, or cycloheximide (RNA and protein synthesis inhibitors) during preincubation and assaying prevented the rbolFN-’y-induced AINC enhancement and migration inhibition, but did not Influence the enhancement of ADCC. Treatment of neutrophils with rboIFN-y consistently Increased the synthesis of a 60 and a 94-95 kilodalton protein and of leukotriene B4 and 5-HETE. Neutrophils isolated from dexamethasone-treated cattle showed similar protein synthetic activity after rbolFN-’y treatment, but these cells failed to show enhanced AINC. Neutrophils from dexamethasone-treated cattle have been shown to have depressed arachidonic acid metabolism. Addition of lipoxygenase inhibitors (NDGA and BW755c) to neutrophils from nondexamethasone-treated cattle following preincubation with rbolFN--y (I.e., after protein synthesis had occurred) eliminated the enhancement of AINC. Thus it was concluded that the metabolic events required for neutrophil activation by rboIFN-’y are different for the three functions measured. The enhanced AINC response required both arachidonic acid metabolism and protein synthesis, inhibition of random migration required only protein synthesis, and enhancement of ADCC required neither.
Exercise capacity is a predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Peak exercise oxygen consumption (peak VO2), as measured by expired gas analysis, is an accurate, reproducible and reliable method for determining exercise capacity. In this study, a cohort of 468 patients with type 2 diabetes underwent graded exercise testing to measure peak VO 2 at baseline; the cohort was followed for five years for the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Patients who developed CVD events during the five-year follow-up period were found to have significantly lower baseline peak VO 2, as compared to those who did not (p=0.02). Analysis by gender showed that the mean peak VO2 in male patients who developed CVD events was significantly lower than the peak VO2 in those who did not (p<0.03). Multiple Cox regression analysis also showed low peak VO2 to be an independent factor. In conclusion, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with reduced peak VO2 during exercise have a greater tendency to develop future CVD events. Diabetes Vasc Dis Res 2006;3:197‐201
Small Angle X-ray Diffraction Studies for Hydrophobically Modified Polyelectrolytes

Sulfonate anion modified acrylic acid ter-polymers and [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethyl-ammonium chloride cation modified acrylic acid polymers have been prepared and were characterized with small angle x-ray diffraction studies. While the sulfonate anion modified acrylic acid ter-polymer solutions exhibit strong scattering at an angle corresponding to a scattering vector 0.016 A - 1 , the cation modified acrylic acid polymers show no scattering at corresponding concentrations. The anion modified acrylic acid ter-polymers are more compact than the corresponding cation-modified acrylic acid polymers.
Prey Suitability and Phenology of Leucopis spp. (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) Associated with Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) in the Pacific Northwest

Leucopis spp. (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) from the Pacific Northwest previously were identified as potential biological control agents for the hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), in the eastern United States. We collected Leucopis spp. larvae from A. tsugae infested western hemlocks in Oregon and Washington and reared them on an unidentified Pineus spp., Pineus strobi (Hartig), Adelges cooleyi (Gillette), Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg), and A. tsugae in three no-choice tests. Leucopis spp. survival on A. tsugae was significantly higher than on A. piceae during the 2010 progrediens generation test and significantly higher than on P. strobi and A. cooleyi during the 2010 sistens generation test. However, across all three tests, some larvae completed development to adult on all four of the alternative adelgid species. Larvae that survived to the adult stage were identified as Leucopis argenticollis Zetterstedt and Leucopis piniperda Malloch. These results suggest that populations of L. argenticollis and L. piniperda in the Pacific Northwest may not be specific to A. tsugae. We also studied the phenology of Leucopis spp. on fourteen A. tsugae infested western hemlock trees in Oregon and Washington over a period of 14 mo. Leucopis spp. larvae were collected year-round, but highest densities coincided with the presence of progrediens and sistens eggs and adults of A. tsugae. There was a positive correlation between Leucopis spp. and A. tsugae abundance.
The Aegean: A natural laboratory for tectonics

The Aegean, a young and active tectonic region, is a natural laboratory for analyzing many tectonic processes that occur in backarc extensional regimes, and the correlation of these processes from landscape development to deeper mantle dynamics. Cenozoic development of the Aegean region was dominated by subduction beneath Europe and coeval upper plate extension modified by westward extrusion of Anatolia. Intraorogenic and backarc extension began during early Cenozoic time within the Balkans and NW Turkey during closure of the Vardar ocean. Extension was manifested by core complex formation and a change in volcanism caused by the evolution of the lithosphere and mantle wedge. Following a short period of local (?) shortening in ~ early Miocene time, regional extension began and continued to the present. Within the Hellenides, E-W extension and the subduction zone migrated westward as thick and thin crustal units were progressively accreted and were complexly rotated up to 40° CW. Within the eastern Balkans and NW Turkey, N-S extension migrated westward and southward, and in the Aegean the volcanic arc and subduction zone migrated southward. Turkish crustal elements rotated complexly CCW, which in concert with the CW rotation in the Hellenides increased the curvature of the subduction zone and lengthened the orogen causing greater subsidence and extension in the Aegean Sea. Westward extrusion of Anatolia from the Arabian collision zone was enhanced by slab roll back in west moving Aegean crust more rapidly westward. Abundant evidence supports slab rollback at different velocities along the subduction zone. In Pliocene time, the North Anatolian fault crossed the Hellenides in a complex transtensional zone and a diffuse zone of left-lateral shear crossed western Turkey at present isolating a relatively undeforming Aegean plate. Major tectonic questions include: What is the geometry and fate of subducted slabs?, How much crust is accreted during subduction of thick and thin crust?, Does crustal accretion cause slab break off or only changes in slab dip?, How does the mantle wedge evolve and how is this expressed in the volcanism?, How much lateral mantle flow occurs during changes in slab geometry and rotation of crustal elements?, and What is the relation of mantle and crustal structure to first order landscape development?
Offering a Hand to Pragmatic Understanding: The Role of Speech and Gesture in Comprehension and Memory

Most theories of pragmatics take as the basic unit of communication the verbal content of spoken or written utterances. However, many of these theories have overlooked the fact that important information about an utterance's meaning can be conveyed nonverbally. In the present study, we investigate the pragmatic role that hand gestures play in language comprehension and memory. In Experiments 1 and 2, we found that people were more likely to interpret an utterance as an indirect request when speech was accompanied by a relevant pointing gesture than when speech or gesture was presented alone. Following up on this, Experiment 3 supported the idea that speech and gesture mutually disambiguate the meanings of one another. Finally, Experiment 4 generalized the findings to different types of speech acts (recollection of events) with a different type of gesture (iconic gestures). The results from these experiments suggest that broader units of analysis beyond the verbal message may be needed in studying pragmatic understanding.
We Have Skin in the Game: Not the Headline You Expected to See.

The heart failure discipline provides remarkable opportunities for those of us who have made it a focus of clinical care, education, research, or some combination of the three. The breadth of potential investigation is remarkably wide, a fact that is apparent to me every day in my role as editor of the Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF). At any given time, the Journal is handling papers on basic science, behavioral interventions, predictive models, clinical trials, imaging innovations, biomarkers, patient management strategies, and so much more. The current issue of the JCF is a demonstration of this diversity, with manuscripts both large and small appealing, we hope, to the heart failure community. It is also a reflection of our vibrancy and intellectual rigor. I take advantage of this observation when speaking with fellows who are considering subspecialty training in advanced heart failure, I emphasize the benefits, including the fact that “doors open.” I ask: will you pursue participation in clinical trials? Will you engage in understanding or constructing interventions designed to improve patient care? Will you pursue novel screening algorithms to identify patients at risk in the community setting? Will you engage in quality improvement? Will you explore “big data” or assess adherence rates or patterns in care or physician decision-making? I emphasize that it is nearly impossible to be a clinician in the field without asking critical questions about why we do what we do. Recently, a former trainee who pursued interventional cardiology contacted me to discuss a novel approach he had devised to reduce HF readmission rates at a large community hospital. It was novel and it was successful; now he wants to roll it out systemwide, and I want to see the data in publishable form. In the same conversation, he admitted that he
Injuries occurring in medical students during international medical rotations: a strategy toward maximizing safety.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The number of medical students traveling to nations outside the United States is steadily increasing. The Association of American Medical Colleges graduation questionnaire notes an increase from 2,838 students in 2001 to 3,799 students in 2009, the last year for which information is available. The risk of having any type of illness during international travel approaches 50%. Up to 19% of students will seek medical care on their return to the United States for illnesses. Most illnesses are benign and self limited. However, when deaths do occur, the leading causes are motor vehicle crashes and drownings. If air medical evacuation occurs, the most likely cause is an injury event. The authors review the literature to determine the risk of and type of illnesses and injuries suffered by travelers while overseas, especially medical volunteers. We describe the major categories of illness and injury risk and propose reasonable risk reduction and prevention strategies for prevention for injury, a relatively neglected area. We recommend that medical schools provide pre-travel training that includes injury prevention so that students are prepared not only for illness prevention but also for injury prevention. A focus on injury prevention, especially from motor vehicle crashes and drowning, is warranted given their role in causing death and serious injury to traveling students. Language: en
Ash-detonation interactions in multi-dimensional simulation of Type Ia supernovae

Thermonuclear supernovae (Type Ia SNe) are believed to result from the complete disruption of a near-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf (WD) by explosive thermonuclear runaway. Their use as cosmological distance indicators as well as comprehension of their role in galactic chemical evolution ultimately depends on a reliable and robust understanding of the explosion mechanism. We have undertaken a study of turbulent thermonuclear combustion in these events, focusing on the effects of increased physical fidelity in simulations, through improved resolution and increased dimensionality. We begin with a series of detonation simulations at low WD densities that we will use for baseline metrics against which subsequent simulations will be measured. We have performed these simulations using a version of the FLASH code[1]. We show progress on a set of simulations in one, two, and three spatial dimensions designed to explore the impact of dimensionality on the evolution of the detonations, and thereby clearly delineate the role of the nuclear kinetics. By performing a suite of simulations incorporating an alpha network at several levels of maximum mesh refinement, we will be able to quantify the effects of resolution and network size on future results.
A nação etíope reconsiderada

Conventional theories trace nationalism to modern Western Europe, usually following the French Revolution. However, markers of nationalism used by most scholars are attested by evidence of Ethiopia’s nationhood as early as sixth century C.E. This requires revisions in both conventional notions of nationhood and views of those who find Ethiopianness a recent invention. Moreover, the experience of Ethiopians in their recent Diaspora warrants rethinking the very notions of nationhood. Continuing ties of Ethiopian expatriates with their homeland and communication through electronic media manifest a new configuration of Ethiopia’s nationhood, consisting now of three confluent parts: bet-agar (homeland); wutch-agar (diaspora); and sayberagar (cyberspace).
Spin-trapping of the superoxide radical in aprotic solvents.

The superoxide adduct of 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) has been detected by EPR spectroscopy in aprotic solvents using KO2 solubilized in 18-crown-6-ether as a source of superoxide. The EPR hyperfine splitting constants of the DMPO-superoxide adduct were as follows: benzene/toluene (aN = 12.65 G; aββ = 10.4G; aγ = 1.3G); heptane (aN = 12.49G; aββ = 10.29G; aγH = 1.2g); and acetone (aN = 12.6G; aββ = 10.17 G; aγ = 1.3 G). The EPR parameters for benzene, toluene and heptane differ significantly from previously reported values. A plot of the hyperfine splitting constants for the DMPO superoxide adduct as a function of solvent polarity (Kosower Z value) indicates that while aN and aββ both decrease by about 1 G on going from water to ethanol, further decreases in polarity do not greatly affect these EPR parameters.
1241 PULMONARY FUNCTION FOLLOWING ACUTE MECONIUM INSUFFLATION

To investigate the acute airway obstruction phenomenon seen in neonates with meconium aspiration syndrom,pulmonary function was studied in 7 rabbits(mean2.6kg) after insufflation of meconiumsaline fluid(1-2ml/kg). Animals were anesthetized,cannulated,intubated and mechanically ventilated with 100% O2. Measurements of transpulmonary pressure,flow,volume and functional residual capacity(FRC) enabled calculation of dynamic(CL)and specific(CS) lung compliance and inspiratory(RI)and expiratory(RE) lung resistance before(control) and after(15,60,120min) insufflation of meconiumsaline mixture. Arterial blood gases,pH,and ΔA-a were also done. For all animals mean control values were: CL=1.40±0.24SE ml/cmH2O kg; CS=0.098±0.025SE ml/cmH2O/ml; RI=12.1±3.3SE cmH2O/L/sec; RE= 18.1±3.0SE cmH2O/L/sec; FRC=33.3±1.7SE ml/kg; PaO2=496±12SE mmHg; PaCO2=41.1±2.8SE mmHg; pH=7.37±0.03SE; ΔA-a=175±12SE mmHg. At 15 min post insufflation mean values of RE(p<0.005),FRC(p<0.05), PaCO2(p<0.005),ΔA-a(p<0.005) increased; and CL(p<0.005),CS(p<0.05) PaO2(p<0.005) and pH(p<0.005) decreased relative to controls. At 60 & 120min these changes persisted with the exception of CS and FRC which returned to control level. RI was greater(p<0.025) than control only at 60min post-insufflation,and at all times less(p< 0.01) than RE. Meconium was found in distal airways(0.2mm) of all rabbits including 2 that died at 15min post-insufflation. These data suggest that acute meconium insufflation produces a check valve effect(REzRI)resulting in increased FRC. Blood gas and ΔA-a results reflect ventilation-diffusion abnormalities secondary to lung mechanics dysfunction. (Supp. by USPHS HL19402).
Singularities on Shocks

(1954). Singularities on Shocks. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 61, No. 7P2, pp. 11-22.
Macrophage migration inhibition in experimental diabetes.

AbstractTo study the cause of increased susceptibility to infections in diabetes, peritoneal macrophages from normal, untreated and insulin-treated diabetic rats were isolated using thioglycollate as an irritant. Alterations in the number of macrophages, their in vitro ability to phagocytose, and migrate from a capillary chamber in response to murine migration inhibition factor (MIF) were investigated. The macrophages from the diabetic rats exhibited decreased sensitivity to MIF and also phagocytic activity with respect to sheep red blood cells. Insulin treatment for 10 to 15 days significantly improved these characteristics toward normal.
The Efficacy of Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation for Improving Function in People with Chronic Pain

Objective. To examine the efficacy of interdisciplinary rehabilitation for improving function in people with chronic pain. Design. Retrospective Chart Review. Setting. The Pain Rehabilitation Center (PRC) at a medical center. Participants. Individuals admitted to the PRC. Interventions. The PRC operates a 3-week outpatient program that utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to treat people with chronic pain. The main treatment elements include physical therapy, occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and medication management. Physical therapy groups focus on moderate exercise despite symptoms. Occupational therapists teach moderation, time management, and activity modification. CBT groups, led by a pain psychologist, address the psychosocial comorbidities of chronic pain. Medical staff oversee the tapering of opiate analgesics and other symptom targeted treatments. This integrated approach is indicated when conventional treatments have been ineffective. Outcome Measures. The objective outcome was the 6-minute walk test (6 mWT) distance. The subjective outcomes were performance (COPM-PER) and satisfaction (COPM-SAT) as measured by the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Results. Average 6 mWT distances improved by 39% from 375 m to 523 m. Average COPM-PER scores increased from 3.4 to 7.5. Average COPM-SAT scores increased from 2.4 to 7.5. Conclusions. Comprehensive interdisciplinary outpatient rehabilitation can significantly improve function in people with chronic pain.
Resident corneal c-fms+ macrophages and dendritic cells mediate early cellular infiltration in adenovirus keratitis

The cornea contains a heterogeneous population of antigen-presenting cells with the capacity to contribute to immune responses. Adenovirus keratitis is a severe corneal infection with acute and chronic phases. The role of resident corneal antigen-presenting cells in adenovirus keratitis has not been studied. We utilized transgenic MaFIA mice in which c-fms expressing macrophages and dendritic cells can be induced to undergo apoptosis, in a mouse model of adenovirus keratitis. Clinical keratitis and recruitment of myeloperoxidase and CD45+ cells were diminished in c-fms depleted, adenovirus infected mice, as compared to controls, consistent with a role for myeloid-lineage cells in adenovirus keratitis.
Study on Vibration Signal Denoising of Electric Power Transformer Based on Wavelet Transform

Aiming at vibration mechanism and vibration signals of transformer and making use of strong function in signal processing of wavelet transform,this paper carries out time-frequency domain analysis and processing for vibration signals of electric power transformer in practical operation in order to achieve the aim of removing white noise.
Dietary Interventions, Cardiovascular Aging, and Disease: Animal Models and Human Studies

Recent studies indicate that dietary interventions have the potential to prevent and even treat cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death. Many of these studies have focused on various animal models that are able to recreate one or more conditions or elevate risk factors that characterize the disease. Here, we highlight macronutrient-focused interventions in both mammalian model organisms and humans with emphasis on some of the most relevant and well-established diets known to be associated with cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. We also discuss more recent dietary interventions in rodents, monkeys, and humans, which affect atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases with focus on those that also delay aging.
Unplanned Reoperation After Craniotomy for Tumor: A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Analysis.

BACKGROUND Reoperation has been increasingly utilized as a metric evaluating quality of care. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the rate of, reasons for, and predictors of unplanned reoperation after craniotomy for tumor in a nationally accrued population. METHODS Patients who underwent cranial tumor resection were extracted from the prospective National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry (2012-2014). Multivariate logistic regression examined predictors of unplanned cranial reoperation. Predictors screened included patient age, sex, tumor location and histology, functional status, comorbidities, preoperative laboratory values, operative urgency, and time. RESULTS Of the 11 462 patients included, 3.1% (n = 350) underwent an unplanned cranial reoperation. The most common reasons for cranial reoperation were intracranial hematoma evacuation (22.5%), superficial or intracranial surgical site infections (11.9%), re-resection of tumor (8.4%), decompressive craniectomy (6.1%), and repair of cerebrospinal fluid leakage (5.6%). The strongest predictor of any cranial reoperation was preoperative thrombocytopenia (less than 100 000/μL, odds ratio [OR] = 2.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-5.10, P = .01). Thrombocytopenia, hypertension, emergent surgery, and longer operative time were predictors of reoperation for hematoma (P ≤ .004), while dependent functional status, morbid obesity, leukocytosis, and longer operative time were predictors of reoperation for infection (P < .05). Although any unplanned cranial reoperation was not associated with differential odds of mortality (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 0.94-3.00, P = .08), hematoma evacuation was significantly associated with thirty-day death (P = .04). CONCLUSION In this national analysis, unplanned cranial reoperation was primarily associated with operative indices, rather than preoperative characteristics, suggesting that reoperation may have some utility as a quality indicator. However, hypertension and thrombocytopenia were potentially modifiable predictors of reoperation.
Quantifying treatment effects using randomized trials

Introduction As we noted in the Preface and Chapter 1, because the purpose of doing diagnostic tests is often to decide whether or how to treat the patient, we may need to quantify the effects of treatment to decide whether to do a test. For example, if the treatment for a disease provides a dramatic benefit, we should have a lower threshold for testing for that disease than if the treatment is of marginal or unknown efficacy. In this chapter, we discuss how to quantify the effects of treatments using the results of randomized trials. In Chapter 10, we will extend the discussion to observational studies of treatment efficacy. In a randomized trial, study participants are randomly assigned to treatment groups, and the groups are compared to determine which had better outcomes. We begin by briefly reviewing the reasons to do randomized trials, then discuss their critical appraisal. Our approach is somewhat eclectic. Our goal is to highlight issues most important for obtaining and interpreting estimates of treatment effects, not to review the entire topic of randomized trials, and our selection is based partly on issues that seem to have received insufficient attention elsewhere. We conclude this chapter with a discussion of calculating the treatment cost per bad outcome prevented, a rough step forward in the process of quantifying risks and benefits of treatments.
Heterogeneous Silicon/III–V Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

We report high output power and high-gain semiconductor optical amplifiers integrated on a heterogeneous silicon/III–V photonics platform. The devices produce 25 dB of unsaturated gain for the highest gain design, and 14 dBm of saturated output power for the highest output power design. The amplifier structure is also suitable for lasers, and can be readily integrated with a multitude of silicon photonic circuit components. These devices are useful for a wide range of photonic integrated circuits. We show a design method for optimizing the amplifier for the desired characteristics. The amplifier incorporates a low loss and low reflection transition between the heterogeneous active region and a silicon waveguide, and we report transition loss below 1 dB across the entire measurement range and parasitic reflection coefficient from the transition below $1\cdot 10^{ - 3}$ .
Radiofrequency hyperthermia-enhanced herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase/ganciclovir direct intratumoral gene therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma

AbstractPurpose: To determine the feasibility of using radiofrequency hyperthermia (RFH) and to enhance the therapeutic effect of herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSV-TK/GCV) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Materials and methods: Human HCC cells (HepG2) were first transfected with lentivirus/luciferase. For both in vitro confirmation and in vivo validation, luciferase-labeled HCC cells and HCC tumour xenografts on mice received different treatments: (i) combination therapy of intratumoral HSV-TK/GCV-mediated gene therapy plus magnetic resonance imaging heating guidewire (MRIHG)-mediated RFH; (ii) gene therapy only; (iii) RFH only; and (iv) phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as control. Cell proliferation was quantified. Tumour changes were monitored by ultrasound imaging and bioluminescence optical imaging before and at days 7 and 14 after treatments, which were correlated with subsequent histology.Results: In vitro, the lowest cell proliferation was seen in the combinat...
Dystonia and Cocaine Withdrawal

An acute dystonic episode in a 15-year-old girl during cocaine withdrawal is reported from the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y. After 16 hours of observation in the hospital without receiving any drugs, she developed generalized dystonia, torticollis, extensor posturing, and high-pitched vocalizations.
P-selectin can promote thrombus propagation independently of both von Willebrand factor and thrombospondin-1 in mice.

Essentials The main receptor for platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ibα is von Willebrand factor (VWF). P-selectin and thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) have been suggested as counter receptors for GPIbα. In a laser injury model, P-selectin promotes thrombus propagation independently of VWF and TSP1. In a laser injury model, thrombus persists in interleukin-4 receptor α/GPIbα-transgenic mice. Summary Background P-selectin and thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) have been suggested as counter ligands that may mediate GPIbα-dependent thrombus growth independently of von Willebrand factor (VWF) in vitro. However, residual thrombus formation still persists in Vwf -/- Tsp1-/- mice, suggesting existence of other mechanisms that modulate thrombus propagation. Objective We determined whether P-selectin modulates thrombus propagation in injured arterioles independently of TSP1 and VWF. Methods CD-62P blocking antibody in Vwf -/- Tsp1-/- mice was used to inhibit P-selectin. We determined thrombus growth kinetics in two models of thrombosis: FeCl3 injury-induced and laser injury-induced thrombosis. Results In a 10% FeCl3 injury-induced thrombosis model, the initial platelet adhesion, time to form first thrombus, and non-occlusive residual thrombus growth kinetics were comparable between P-selectin-blocking antibody-treated Vwf -/- Tsp1-/- mice and control IgG-treated Vwf -/- Tsp1-/- mice. On the other hand, in a laser injury-induced thrombosis model, residual thrombus growth kinetics were significantly decreased in P-selectin-blocking antibody-treated Vwf -/- Tsp1-/- mice vs. control IgG-treated Vwf -/- Tsp1-/- mice. Because P-selectin has been suggested as a counter ligand for platelet GPIbα, we determined the role of GPIbα in a laser injury-induced thrombosis model. Surprisingly, in a laser injury model, unlike in a FeCl3 injury model, thrombus formation was not completely inhibited in IL4Rα/GPIbα-tg mice. Residual thrombus growth kinetics were comparable between P-selectin-blocking antibody-treated IL4Rα/GPIbα-tg mice and control IgG-treated IL4Rα/GPIbα-tg mice. Comparison of slopes over time showed that residual thrombus growth kinetics were comparable in P-selectin-blocking antibody-treated Vwf -/- Tsp1-/- and control IgG-treated IL4Rα/GPIbα-tg mice Conclusion In a laser injury-induced thrombosis model, P-selectin modulates thrombus propagation independently of VWF and TSP1.
Low-cost water-lifting from groundwater sources: a comparison of the EMAS Pump with the Rope Pump

In sub-Saharan Africa, low-cost groundwater supply systems offer great opportunities for the current unserved population of >300 million to access drinking water. A comparative study was performed in Uganda of the EMAS Pump (designed by Escuela Movil Aguas y Saneamiento Basico) with the trade-named Rope Pump, two low-cost manual water-lifting devices appropriate to pumping from shallow groundwater sources. Pumping rates, energy expended, material costs, and construction requirements were analyzed. Focus was on low-cost application for use in shallow groundwater systems at the household level in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The study site was northern Uganda, with testing performed at several drilled boreholes. Two variants of each pump were tested by a male and female user, pumping from multiple static water-level depths ranging from 5 to 28 m. Results demonstrated the most common version of the EMAS Pump to perform similarly to the comparable version of the Rope Pump in terms of average pumping rate at depth range 5 to 18 m (93–111%), but less so at deeper depths (63–85%). Normalized pumping rates (considering energy expended) accentuated differences between these versions of the EMAS Pump and Rope Pump (47–97%). Cost of materials to construct the EMAS Pump were 21–60% those of the Rope Pump, and EMAS Pump construction requirements were also less. Based on the assessed factors, it is concluded that the EMAS Pump has potential for success in “self-supply” groundwater systems in sub-Saharan Africa and is particularly appropriate to link with low-cost shallow groundwater sources.
Implications of the Expanded Venous Reflux Study

Background—Duplex ultrasonography remains the diagnostic modality of choice used to assess for venous reflux. Historically, our institution's practice assessed for deep venous reflux at the level o...
Expressing Necessity in Chinese: A Pilot Study

The purpose of the study is to examine how learners of Chinese as a foreign language use modals to express necessity, in hopes of providing current Chinese language educators with empirical results on necessity modals. There were two groups of participants in the study, 17 learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) from a State University in the United States and 28 native Chinese speakers (NC) from a private university in Taiwan. Participants from both groups were required to complete a questionnaire of two sections that were designed to obtain participants’ demographic information and knowledge of necessity modals. While the main examination lays on the responses of CFL learners, the NC group’s response works as a reference list that provides valuable insight of necessity modal usage. The results showed that the CFL group generated more epistemic necessity than the NC group, specifically 應該 yīnggāi ‘should or ought to’, while the NC group produced more deontic necessity; travel experience to Chinese-speaking countries does not necessarily have influence on the acquisition of necessity modals; and the amount of time the CFL participants spent on learning Chinese does not show much influence on the usage of deontic necessities, but it does affect usage of 必須 bixū ‘have to’ and 得 děi ‘must.’
Placebo inference on treatment effects when the number of clusters is small

Abstract I introduce a general, Fisher-style randomization testing framework to conduct nearly exact inference about the lack of effect of a binary treatment in the presence of very few, large clusters when the treatment effect is identified across clusters. The proposed randomization test formalizes and extends the intuitive notion of generating null distributions by assigning placebo treatments to untreated clusters. I show that under simple and easily verifiable conditions, the placebo test leads to asymptotically valid inference in a very large class of empirically relevant models. Examples discussed explicitly are (i) least squares regression with cluster-level treatment, (ii) difference-in-differences estimation, and (iii) binary choice models with cluster-level treatment. A simulation study and an empirical example are provided. The proposed inference procedure is easy to implement and performs well with as few as three treated and three untreated clusters.
A Comparison of Physical Achievement of Anglo and Spanish American Boys in Junior High School

(1942). A Comparison of Physical Achievement of Anglo and Spanish American Boys in Junior High School. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 341-346.
Entolimod, a clinical-stage TLR5 agonist, activates antitumor T cell immunity against liver and lung metastases through distinct mechanisms

Innate immune modulators can generate an antitumor T cell response. However, significant toxicities associated with systemic administration have significantly limited their clinical use. The natural TLR5 agonist flagellin is unique amonginnate immune modulators because the tissue specificity of TLR5 expression induces a uniquely safe profile of cytokines following systemic TLR5 activation. Entolimod, a pharmacologically optimized flagellin derivative, was initially developed to treat and prevent acute radiation syndrome. Systemic administration of entolimod also showed antitumor effects in multiple preclinical mouse models mimicking clinically occurring liver metastasis. Entolimod suppresses liver metastasis through activation of NF-κB-, AP-1-, and STAT-3-driven immunomodulatory pathways in hepatocytes and a highly coordinated CD4 + T cell independent NK-DC-CD8 + T cell response. Although these studies characterized entolimod as a liver tropic immunotherapy, entolimod also suppresses spontaneous mammary lung metastasis. In contrast to the liver metastatic model, CD4 + T cells are required for the antitumor NK and CD8 + T cell response, indicating that the etiology of the cancer may explain the difference in the therapeutic effects ofTLR5 agonists. These results further strengthen that TLR5 agonists are a safe, effective and broadly applicable immunotherapeutic agent against metastases, which are currently a major cause of cancer-associated mortality. Recent completion of a phase I trial of entolimod in patients with advanced metastatic solid tumors has provided the rationale to test that the efficacy demonstrated in animal cancer models can be translated into immunotherapy of human tumors.
Adjuvant anti-angiogenic therapy enhances chemotherapeutic uptake in a murine model of head and neck cancer*

Intratumoural metabolic demands result in excessive angiogenic cytokine release leading to unorganised vasculature. Resultant fluid dynamics oppose blood flow and drug penetration due to a marked increase in interstitial fluid hydrostatic pressure. It is hypothesised that anti-angiogenic therapy may function to 'prune' vasculature and lead to improved chemotherapeutic penetration. Subcutaneous, OSC19 tumour bearing mice (n = 5/dose/agent) were administered varying doses of an anti-mouse VEGFR2 (DC101) or an anti-mouse VEGFR3 (31C1) -3 d, -1 d, 0 d, +1 d and +3 d prior to 200 µg of cetuximab fluorescently labelled with IRDye800CW. Fluorescence imaging of tumours was performed 10 d post cetuximab-IRDye800CW dose to monitor therapeutic uptake. Co-administration of dual anti-angiogenic agents at 50-50%, 75-25% and 25-75% using optimal dose and time (-1 d 10 mg/kg anti-VEGFR2 and -1 d 40 mg/kg anti-VEGFR3) was also evaluated. In order to establish vessel normalisation, NG2 (pericyte marker) and CD31 (endothelial cells) ratios were assessed during immunohistochemical staining of tumour sections. Twenty-mg/kg anti-VEGFR3 + 5 mg/kg anti-VEGFR2 significantly (p < .0005) reduced tumour size (-73%) compared to control (59%). The 20 mg/kg anti-VEGFR3 + 5 mg/kg anti-VEGFR2 and 30 mg/kg anti-VEGFR3 + 2.5 mg/kg anti-VEGFR2 significantly (p < .0004) improved percent-injected cetuximab-IRDye800CW dose/gram tumour tissue compared to other groups. Adjuvant, dual anti-angiogenic therapy targeting VEGFR2 and VEGFR3 significantly enhances tumour chemotherapeutic uptake compared to control.
Total, Fresh, Lean, and Fresh Lean Beef Consumption in Relation to Nutrient Intakes and Diet Quality among U.S. Adults, 2005–2016

(1) Background: This study assessed the influence of beef consumption on nutrient intakes and diet quality among U.S. adults. (2) Methods: Nationally-representative sample (n = 27,117) from 2005⁻2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was analyzed. First-difference estimator addressed confounding bias from time-invariant unobservables (e.g., eating habits, taste preferences) by using within-individual variations in beef consumption between 2 nonconsecutive 24 h dietary recalls. (3) Results: Approximately 54%, 39%, 12%, and 7% of U.S. adults consumed beef, lean beef, fresh beef, and fresh lean beef, respectively. Overall diet quality measured by the Health Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) score among beef, fresh beef, lean beef, and fresh lean beef consumers was lower than beef non-consumers. Regression analyses found that beef, fresh beef, lean beef, and fresh lean beef consumption was associated with higher daily intakes of total energy, protein, sodium, choline, iron, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, and multiple B vitamins. Beef, fresh beef, and lean beef consumption but not fresh lean beef consumption was associated with higher saturated fat intake. Beef consumption was not found to be associated with overall dietary quality measured by the HEI-2015 score. (4) Conclusions: Beef consumers may increase the intake of fresh and lean beef over total beef consumption to maximize the nutritional gains from beef portions while minimizing the resulting increases in energy, saturated fat, and sodium.
Clinical features and survival of patients with T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma: analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

Using data from the National Cancer Data Base, 2010–2015, we examined characteristics and outcomes of T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLBCL, N = 622) relative to unspecified diffuse...
Translational optical coherence elastography for assessment of systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc-scleroderma) is an autoimmune disorder with high mortality rate that results in excessive accumulation of collagen in the skin and internal organs. Currently, the modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) is the gold standard for evaluating the dermal thickening due to SSc. However, mRSS has noticeable inter- and intra-observer variabilities as quantified by the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC: 0.6-0.75). In this work, optical coherence elastography (OCE) combined with structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) image analysis was used to assess skin thickness in 12 SSc patients and healthy volunteers. Inter- (ICC: 0.62-0.99) and intra-observer (ICC > 0.90) assessment of OCT/OCE showed excellent reliability. Clinical assessments, including histologically assessed dermal thickness (DT), mRSS, and site-specific mRSS (SMRSS) were also performed for further validation. The OCE and OCT results from the forearm demonstrated the highest correlation (OCE: 0.78, OCT: 0.65) with SMRSS. Importantly, OCE and OCT had stronger correlations with the histological DT (OCT: r = .78 and OCE: r = .74) than SMRSS (r = .57), indicating the OCT/OCE could outperform semi-quantitative clinical assessments such as SMRSS. Overall, these results demonstrate that OCT/OCE could be useful for rapid, noninvasive and objective assessments of SSc onset and monitoring skin disease progression and treatment response.
Sputtering of Metal Oxide Semiconductor n-p Stacks

P-type Metal Oxide Semiconductors (MOS) are promising sensor array elements, as their surface properties and charge transport mechanism differ from those of their ubiquitous n-type counterparts. As such, the magnitude and temporal evolution of their response can provide supplemental, independent information on the nature of target gases, thus allowing for improved discrimination in electronic nose systems. Moreover, the formation of a heterojunction between n- and p-type MOS can be leveraged to enhance or tune sensing performance. Here, we report on the processing and characterization of stacked SnO 2 /NiO thin films of varying thickness. Bilayer heterojunction films are deposited via magnetron sputtering, with or without an intermediate thermal anneal. We show that the addition of a p-type NiO layer dramatically alters the behavior of the n-type SnO 2 underlayer, reversing the response pattern to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and causing a shift in the optimal operational temperature of the device. Plausible physical mechanisms leading to the emergence of such behavior are discussed.
Hydrogen chemistry for the Assessment of Groundwater Quality for Irrigation purpose in and around Byrapur Area, Karnataka, South India

The interpretation on the basis of available data has shown that the groundwater of the study area is suitable for irrigation purpose in both seasons.