cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practical Rationality in Social Scientific Explanation The Case of Residential Segregation

Residential segregation according to race remains fairly entrenched in parts of the United States despite the fact that public attitudes toward racial integration have become dramatically more positive. This incongruity is often explained in terms of the irrationality of agents, whereby the agents' support of integration is undermined by systematic/unconscious racism. The author argues that such accounts present an implausible model of practical rationality and places too great a justificatory burden on the critic/observer perspective. As an alternative, he suggests the problem is a conflict between modes of practical rationality, specifically, between reasons developed from an embedded context and reasons from a general, abstract perspective. Because many whites live in segregated conditions, they develop contextual reasons for preserving that way of life, even if such reasons fly in the face or their sense of justice. This account is more philosophically sound and gives rise to interesting policy recommendations for overcoming segregation.
Panel Position Statement: The Future of CMV

While coordinated views have gained acceptance in wide ranging environments, there remains the issue of how to effectively deal with coordinated views in new devices. For instance, multiple monitor setups are gaining ground. Does this change the way in which coordinated views behave? Does the distance the user's visual focus and cursor control have to move change the way in which coordinated views must be interacted with? Similarly, the extensive use of mobile devices for computing, such as PDAs, cell phones, music payers, etc. will require new thoughts as to how to integrate coordinated views. The small screens, ability to rapidly switch between views, and touch based interaction will all drastically change the way coordinated views are integrated. The extent to which such devices are used and the complexity of the software running on them requires such a level of sophistication; typical mobile devices are more powerful than desktops from a decade ago. As coordinated views technology continues to develop we must validate their effectiveness through quantitative user studies and formal analysis. Most user studies to date have been qualitative (i.e. subjective) in nature. A formal validation provided by quantitative analysis will strengthen the long standing argument that coordinated views improve the effectiveness of visualization environments. Finally, putting on my forensics hat, we need to consider the metaphors by which analysts interact with visualization environments. With coordinated views it can become much more challenging to explain to a jury how results were acquired when coordinated views are integrated into the environment. How can we simplify the metaphor and the comprehensibility of the analysis activity? Forensic analysis, however, does provide an enormous opportunity for the CMV community. When attempting to validate activity, analysts must often correlate activity across multiple disparate data sets. This may include hard drive data, network traffic data, web access logs, ISP logs, bank records, etc. Clicking on one time period would need to show correlations and anti-correlations in all other records. Consider this on a massive scale for dozens or hundreds of potential suspects with terabyte+ datasets and the analysis challenge becomes enormous. The opportunity for the CMV community to contribute to this field should not be missed.
Cloning of a leucine-zipper protein recognized by the sera of patients with antibody-associated paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration.

Abstract Antibody-associated paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (the Yo syndrome) is an uncommon disorder in which an immune response is specifically directed against tumor tissue and the cerebellum. Screening of a lambda expression library has resulted in the isolation of cDNA clones that encode the major antigen recognized by serum from these patients. The fusion protein produced by the cDNA clones provides the basis of a simple diagnostic assay for this neurological syndrome. The occurrence of leucine-zipper and zinc-finger motifs in the predicted open reading frame suggests that this protein plays a role in the regulation of gene expression.
Utilization of poultry litter pellets in meat goat diets

Forty-eight crossbred meat goats were used to determine if poultry litter pellets could be used as a protein source in the diets of growing meat goats. Goats were fed one of three 19–21% CP diets containing 0 (CON; n = 18), 20% (20PL; n = 12) or 40% poultry litter pellets (40PL; n = 18). In Experiment 1, 38 animals (n = 13 CON; n = 12 20PL; n = 13 40PL) were used. Goats were allowed a 23-day adjustment period and body weight (BW) and feed intake were measured every 7 days for 42 days. In Experiment 2, 10 males fed CON or 40PL (n = 5 per diet) were used in two metabolism trials at 93.7 ± 0.9 (Trial 1) and 121.7 ± 0.9 d of age (Trial 2). Goats were placed in metabolism crates and after a 3-day adjustment period, feed intake and fecal and urine output were measured and sampled daily for 7 days to determine diet digestibility. In Experiment 1, ADG (79 ± 8 g) and feed efficiency (130 ± 12 g per kg) were not influenced by diet. In Experiment 2, for both trials, organic matter and CP digestibility were similar between diets (80 ± 1 and 70 ± 3% for Trial 1, respectively and 63 ± 2 and 75 ± 7% for Trial 2, respectively). Dry matter digestibility was greater (P < 0.05) for CON (81 ± 1 and 82 ± 1% for Trials 1 and 2, respectively) when compared to 40PL (77 ± 1 and 75 ± 1% for Trials 1 and 2, respectively). The ADF (41 ± 4% for CON and 67 ± 4% for 40PL) and NDF (48 ± 4% for CON and 71 ± 4% for 40PL) were greater (P < 0.01) for 40PL compared to CON diet in Trial 1 only. Digestibility (GE) was higher (P < 0.05) for 40PL (83 ± 0.3%) compared to CON (82 ± 0.3%) in Trial 2 only. The poultry litter pellets may be used effectively as a short-term feedstuff for meat goats.
Ab initio molecular-dynamical relaxation applied to the silicon(111)-5×5 surface reconstruction

We have applied first-principles molecular-dynamic relaxation to the Si(111) surface in the 5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}5 dimer--adatom--stacking-fault structure. We have determined the relaxed atomic surface geometry and the corresponding electronic structure. We find that the filled adatom dangling-bond states are segregated, with the charge density residing on the faulted side of the unit cell, and that the adatoms on the faulted side are higher than the adatoms on the unfaulted side. Surprisingly, we find that, at low temperature, the adatoms on each side of the unit cell are corrugated in a variety of patterns.
Making Sense of Classroom Diversity: How can field instruction practices support interns' learning?

Because many American teacher education internships take place in suburban schools that are adjacent to large teacher education programs in need of many practicum placements, it is critical to consider what messages about diverse student populations are perceived in what may appear to be relatively homogeneous contexts. This year-long self-study of field instruction practices, grounded in a sociocultural perspective, investigated how five interns in a suburban school understood diversity, how their conceptions influenced their relationships with students and their curricular and instructional choices, as well as the strategies a field instructor used to support interns' learning to respond to student diversity. Suggestions are offered for reframing how supervisory work is approached and areas for future research.
Direct tunneling at the front contact of amorphous silicon p-i-n devices

The device physics behind hole direct tunneling currents at the front contact of a-Si:H p-i-n homojunction have been explored. In this paper, the dark I-V, the light I-V, and the QE characteristics of this structure with and without hole direct hole tunneling currents are evaluated and compared. The three differential equation systems of the Poisson's equation, the continuity equation for free electrons, and the continuity equation for free holes have been solved with allowances for direct tunneling currents. Hole direct tunneling currents at the front contact of a-Si:H p-i-n homojunctions give rise to a significant increase in the dark current level at high forward voltages and to an increase in the open-circuit voltage of the light I-V characteristic when the front electron barrier is low. The hole thermionic emission current and the hole direct tunneling current have been carefully compared to the front contact. Hole tunneling currents introduce important modifications to the carrier transport physics not only to the front contact but also in the bulk of the a-Si:H p-i-n homojunction. >
The impact of CYP3A5*3 polymorphism on sirolimus pharmacokinetics: insights from predictions with a physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic model

AIMS Sirolimus is an mTOR inhibitor metabolized by CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. Reported effects of CYP3A5 polymorphisms on sirolimus pharmacokinetics (PK) have shown unexplained discrepancies across studies. We quantitatively assessed the effect of CYP3A5*3 status on sirolimus PK by in vitro assessment and simulation using a physiologically-based PK (PBPK) model. In addition, we explored designs for an adequately powered pharmacogenetic association study. METHOD In vitro metabolism studies were conducted to confirm individual CYP contribution to sirolimus metabolism. PK profiles were simulated in CYP3A5 expressers and non-expressers with a PBPK model. The pre-dose concentration predictions were used as the outcome parameter to estimate the required sample size for a pharmacogenetic association study. RESULTS Sirolimus metabolism was inhibited by over 90% by ketoconazole, a CYP3A specific inhibitor. The PBPK model developed based on CL(int) of recombinant CYP3A4, CYP3A5 and CYP2C8 predicted a small CYP3A5*3 effect on simulated sirolimus PK profiles. A subsequent power analysis based on these findings indicated that at least 80 subjects in an enrichment design, 40 CYP3A5 expressers and 40 non-expressers, would be required to detect a significant difference in the predicted trough concentrations at 1 month of therapy (P < 0.05, 80% power). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that CYP3A5 contribution to sirolimus metabolism is much smaller than that of CYP3A4. Observed discrepancies across studies could be explained as the result of inadequate sample size. PBPK model simulations allowed mechanism-based evaluation of the effects of CYP3A5 genotype on sirolimus PK and provided preliminary data for the design of a future prospective study.
A correlation based associative memory

An associative memory based on minimization of a free energy function determined by the library vectors to be stored is proposed. When the library vectors are bipolar, the energy function contains minima at the library vector location. The minima can be sought by search techniques such as gradient descent. Significantly, if the correlation nonlinearity is chosen to be sufficiently strong, then convergence occurs in a single step. >
Chronopotentiometry of the Ag−AgCl system and analysis for the chloride ion

Summary Chronopotentiometry of the formation of AgCl upon silver electrodes is described. The kinetic constants for this reaction are derived from the chronopotentiometric waves, which are interpreted to be quasi-reversible. A method of analysis for the chloride ion based upon this system is described.
Target bandwidth sharing using endhost measures

Recent congestion control protocols such as XCP and RCP achieve fair bandwidth sharing, high utilization, small queue sizes and nearly zero packet loss by implementing an explicit bandwidth share mechanism in the network routers. This paper develops new quantitative techniques for achieving the same results using only end-host measures. We develop new methods of computing bottleneck link characteristics, a new technique for sharing bandwidth fairly with Reno flows, and a new approach for rapidly converging to bandwidth share. A new transport protocol, TCP-Madison, that employs the new bandwidth sharing techniques is also defined in the paper. Experiments comparing TCP-Madison with FAST TCP, BIC-TCP and TCP-Reno over hundreds of PlanetLab and other live Internet paths show that the new protocol achieves the stated bandwidth sharing properties, is easily configured for near-optimal performance over all paths, and significantly outperforms the previous protocols.
Optimizing immune-related tumor response assessment: does reducing the number of lesions impact response assessment in melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab?

Investigate the impact of the reduction of the number of target lesions on immune-related response assessment in advanced melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab. Ninety patients (53 males, 37 females; age range: 25–87) with advanced melanoma treated with ipilimumab in two clinical trials were studied. Tumor measurements during trial allowing up to 5 lesions per organ and 10 lesions in total were retrospectively reviewed. A second set of tumor measurements allowing up to 2 lesions per organ and 5 lesions in total was generated. Immune-related response assessments by two measurements were compared. The number of target lesions was significantly reduced when up to 2 per organ and 5 in total lesions were allowed (Wilcoxon P < 0.0001). The immune-related response assessment using reduced number of lesions was highly concordant with assessment using the original number of lesions (Spearman r for the percent change on 1st-3rd follow-up: 0.860-0.970; κw for best immune-related response: 0.908). Median time-to-progression was 26.9 months (95%CI: 9.1-∞) by both assessments. Interobserver agreement of measurements was high for both assessments, with the concordance correlation coefficient above 0.98. Reduction of the number of target lesions did not significantly affect immune-related response assessment or the measurement variability in advanced melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab. Using up to 2 per organ and 5 in total target lesions is proposed to assess immune-related response, while it is important to keep other novel features of immune-related response criteria such as confirmation of progression and inclusion of new lesion measurements.
Both type I and II insulin-like growth factor receptor binding increase during lactogenesis in bovine mammary tissue.

Bovine GH is a potent stimulant of lactation, and the insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I and -II) are believed to mediate GH’s growth-promoting actions. Since all of IGF’s known actions are mediated through its receptor subtypes, we analyzed the distribution of IGF receptor subtypes in lactating and nonlactating bovine mammary tissue. Analysis of competition curves showed that IGF-I had greater potency than IGF-II in competing with [125I]IGF-I for binding to membranes prepared from both lactating and nonlactating animals. An insulin concentration of 4 μg/ml displaced less than 40% of the [125I]IGF-I bound to membranes prepared from both lactating and nonlactating animals, indicating that a high percentage of [125I]IGF-I was bound to the type II receptor. Lactation was associated with an increase in the total amount of [125I]IGF-I bound, and this change was due to an increase in binding to both receptor subtypes. Specifically, membranes prepared from lactating animals had a 3-fold increase in bind...
A Redescription of Cyclidium glaucoma O.F.M., 1786 (Ciliata:Hymenostomatida), with Particular Attention to the Buccal Apparatus*

SYNOPSIS. An accurate description of Cyclidium glaucoma O.F.M., 1786, is presented. Fixed specimens were treated with the Chatton-Lwoff silver impregnation technique and the standard Feulgen nucleal reaction. Living material was examined by phase microscopy. Components of the infraciliature have been given special attention, particularly in the buccal area. In brief consideration of the systematic status of this species emphasis is placed upon the close relationship of the pleuronematine and tetrahymenine groups of hymenostome ciliates. Comparisons on structures found in C. glaucoma with corresponding structures in species belonging to quite closely related families are made, and the fundamental nature of the infraciliary tetrahymenal buccal apparatus and the polar basal granule-complex is discussed.
Presidential Popularity and Negative Voting: An Alternative Explanation of the Midterm Congressional Decline of the President's Party*

Midterm congressional elections have been generally viewed as relatively sterile affairs marked by reduced turnout, party voting, and the play of politically idiosyncratic forces such as friends-and-neighbors voting. The usual reduction in the number of seats controlled by the President's party, according to the “surge and decline” thesis, simply reflects the departure of short-term forces which presumably benefited the president's party two years earlier. In this study an alternative thesis is proposed which considers midterm election outcomes within the context of the current political environment. Evaluations of the President's performance are found to be directly associated with congressional preferences over a series of midterm elections from 1946 through 1966. Moreover, controlling for party identification, persons who disapprove of the President's performance were generally more likely to vote and to cast their ballot against the President's party than were his admirers to support it. This “negative voting” bias helps to explain why the Democratic and Republican parties have performed more poorly in those midterm elections during which they occupy the White House.
Searching for activations that generalize over tasks.

r r Abstract: Nine previous positron emission tomography (PET) studies of human visual information processing were reanalyzed to determine the consistency of blood flow changes during a wide variety of active tasks relative to passive viewing of the same stimulus array. Consistent modulations were found in the early visual cortex, probably including area 17, and these modulations could reflect selective mechanisms. Blood flow decreases were found in some auditory and somatosensory areas, but did not appear to reflect a broad suppression of subcortical input. Outside the sensory cortex, consistent increases across experiments were found in the thalamus and cerebellum, but not in the cerebral cortex. Many cortical areas, however, did show consistent decreases. Hum. Brain Mapping 5:317-322, 1997. r 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Do Productive Activities Reduce Inflammation in Later Life? Multiple Roles, Frequency of Activities, and C-Reactive Protein

Purpose of the Study: The study investigates whether productive activities by older adults reduce bodily inflammation, as indicated by C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomeasure associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Design and Methods: The study uses a representative survey of adults aged 57–85 from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N = 1,790). Linear regression models were used to analyze the effects of multiple roles (employment, volunteering, attending meetings, and caregiving) and the frequency of activity within each role on log values of CRP concentration (mg/L) drawn from assayed blood samples. Results: Number of roles for productive activities was associated with lower levels of CRP net of chronic conditions, lifestyle factors, and socioeconomic resources. When specific types of activity were examined, volunteering manifested the strongest association with lower levels of inflammation, particularly in the 70+ group. There was no evidence that frequent engagement in volunteer activity was associated with heightened inflammation. Implications: Productive activities—and frequent volunteering in particular—may protect individuals from inflammation that is associated with increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Isolation and characterization of oligosporogenic, paraspore-forming mutants of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis

Three oligosporogenic mutants of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar. israelensis which continue to produce the toxic parasporal body were isolated. The mutants were blocked late in sporulation and were approximately as toxic to mosquito larvae as were the parental strains.
Failure of infrastructure embankments induced by flooding and seepage: a neglected source of hazard

Abstract. The risk of failure of transportation embankments due to seepage induced by temporary and occasional impoundments taking place on the upstream side as a consequence of exceptional rainfalls is frequently underestimated. These failure events result from a combination of three main factors, i.e. the flooding event, the hydraulic weakness and the geotechnical weakness of the embankment. Based on the case study of a railway embankment in Southern Italy that collapsed in 2005 due to an upstream impoundment that occurred after few hours of a very intense rainfall, the paper describes a methodological approach aimed at assessing hazard of failure of transportation embankments induced by flooding and seepage. In particular, according to hydrological, hydraulic and geotechnical studies performed to define the factors affecting the process of the embankment failure, three subsequent activities are proposed: the historical analysis of flood damages at the watershed scale; and the assessment of the upstream peak impoundment based on hydrological analysis and the embankment stability analysis, these latter to be carried out at the site specific scale. The approach here proposed is planned to be further validated and improved by means of the application to other case studies, characterised by different contexts and embankment structures.
Probing the order parameter symmetry in the cuprate high temperature superconductors by SQUID microscopy

Abstract The orbital component of the order parameter in the cuprate high- T c cuprate superconductors is now well established, in large part because of phase sensitive tests. Although it would be desirable to use such tests on other unconventional superconductors, there are a number of favorable factors associated with the properties of the cuprates, and a number of technical advances, that were required for these tests to be successful. In this review I will describe the development of phase sensitive pairing symmetry tests using SQUID microscopy, underlining the factors favoring these experiments in the cuprates and the technical advances that had to be made.
Global analysis of hematopoietic and vascular endothelial gene expression by tissue specific microarray profiling in zebrafish

Abstract In this study, we utilize fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS) of cells from transgenic zebrafish coupled with microarray analysis to globally analyze expression of cell type specific genes. We find that it is possible to isolate cell populations from Tg(fli1:egfp) y1 zebrafish embryos that are enriched in vascular, hematopoietic and pharyngeal arch cell types. Microarray analysis of GFP + versus GFP − cells isolated from Tg(fli1:egfp) y1 embryos identifies genes expressed in hematopoietic, vascular and pharyngeal arch tissue, consistent with the expression of the fli1:egfp transgene in these cell types. Comparison of expression profiles from GFP + cells isolated from embryos at two different time points reveals that genes expressed in different fli1 + cell types display distinct temporal expression profiles. We also demonstrate the utility of this approach for gene discovery by identifying numerous previously uncharacterized genes that we find are expressed in fli1:egfp -positive cells, including new markers of blood, endothelial and pharyngeal arch cell types. In parallel, we have developed a database to allow easy access to both our microarray and in situ results. Our results demonstrate that this is a robust approach for identification of cell type specific genes as well as for global analysis of cell type specific gene expression in zebrafish embryos.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin or carboplatin was administered to 29 patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma prior to their undergoing definitive cytoreductive surgery. Twenty-eight patients had ascites, eight had pleural effusion, and 16 had extensive upper abdominal disease on computerized tomography scan. The CA125 response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was highly predictive of survival (P<0.0005). A 2-log decrease in CA125 prior to surgery resulted in a median survival of 37 months, while patients with less than a 1-log response in CA125 had a survival of 18 months. Bowel resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy did not benefit patients, as their survival (17 months) was identical to that of patients who were nonresectable and did not undergo any cytoreductive surgery. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy offers patients with suboptimal ovarian cancer the same survival as primary cytoreductive surgery with interval debulking, yet with only one operative procedure.
The Nested PIGLOG Model: An Application to U.S. Food Demand

A new demand system is introduced, the Nested PIGLOG model, nesting thirteen other demand systems including five that are also new. This new model and its nested special cases are applied to models of U.S. food demand that include food-at-home (FAH), food-away-from-home (FAFH), and alcoholic beverages. Although nested tests and out-of-sample forecasting performance favor generalizing models to a certain degree, statistically insignificant improvements to in-sample-fit and even poorer out-of-sample forecast accuracy undermine further generalizations. Based on a subset of preferred models, FAFH is found to be price and income elastic compared to FAH which is price and income
Farnesoid X receptor deficiency induces nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in low-density lipoprotein receptor-knockout mice fed a high-fat diet

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) comprises dysregulation of lipid metabolism and inflammation. Identification of the various genetic and environmental susceptibility factors for NASH may provide novel treatments to limit inflammation and fibrosis in patients. This study utilized a mouse model of hypercholesterolemia, low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDLr-/-) mice fed a high-fat diet for 5 months, to test the hypothesis that farnesoid X receptor (FXR) deficiency contributed to NASH development. Either the high-fat diet or FXR deficiency increased serum alanine aminotransferase activity, whereas only FXR deficiency increased bile acid and alkaline phosphatase levels. FXR deficiency and high-fat feeding increased serum cholesterol and triglycerides. Although high fat led to macrosteatosis and hepatocyte ballooning in livers of mice regardless of genotype, no inflammatory infiltrate was observed in the livers of LDLr-/- mice. In contrast, in the livers of LDLr-/-/FXR-/- mice, foci of inflammatory cells were observed occasionally when fed the control diet and were greatly increased when fed the high-fat diet. Consistent with enhanced inflammatory cells, hepatic levels of tumor necrosis factor α and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 mRNA were increased by the high-fat diet in LDLr-/-/FXR-/- mice. In agreement with elevated levels of procollagen 1α1 and TGF-β mRNA, type 1 collagen protein levels were increased in livers of LDLr-/-/FXR-/- mice fed a high-fat diet. In conclusion, FXR deficiency induces pathologic manifestations required for NASH diagnosis in a mouse model of hypercholesterolemia, including macrosteatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, and inflammation, which suggest a combination of FXR deficiency and high-fat diet is a risk factor for NASH development, and activation of FXR may be a therapeutic intervention in the treatment of NASH.
First radar echoes from cumulus clouds

Abstract In attempting to use centimeter-wavelength radars to investigate the early stage of precipitation formation in clouds, “mantle echoes” are rediscovered and shown to come mostly from scattering by small-scale variations in refractive index, a Bragg kind of scattering mechanism. This limits the usefulness of single-wavelength radar for studies of hydrometeor growth, according to data on summer cumulus clouds in North Dakota, Hawaii, and Florida, to values of reflectivity factor above about 10 dBZe with 10-cm radar, 0 dBZe with 5-cm radar, and −10 dBZe with 3-cm radar. These are limits at or above which the backscattered radar signal from the kinds of clouds observed can be assumed to be almost entirely from hydrometeors or (rarely) other particulate material such as insects. Dual-wave-length radar data can provide the desired information about hydrometeors at very low reflectivity levels if assumptions can be made about the inhomogeneities responsible for the Bragg scattering. The Bragg scattering ...
Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference: Prostaglandins and Gastric Ulcers: From Seminal Vesicle to Misoprostol (Cytotec®)

Misoprostol (Cytotec, G.D. Searle & Company, Chicago, IL) is the first of a new dass of orally administered prostaglandin analog drugs to be marketed in the United States. Misoprostol was approved for the prevention of gastric mucosal ulcers associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) in high-risk patients. This represents a potentially important development in the pharmacotherapy of peptic ulcer disease. The purposes of this article are to review (1) the biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology of prostaglandins, especially those synthesized by the stomach; (2) the potential role of prostaglandin deficiency in the pathophysiology of gastric ulcer disease; and (3) the role of prostaglandin analogs in the prevention and therapy of gastric ulcer disease and in other conditions. As the mechanism of action of these new drugs differs from that of the histamine H2-receptor antagonists (H2-blockers), prostaglandin analogs will, whenever possible, be compared with the H2-blockers [cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), nizatidine (Axid) and famotidine (Pepcid)], currently the cornerstone of peptic ulcer therapy in this country.
The Paradox of Expansionist Statutory Interpretations

In this article, we revisit the relationship between judicial interpretation of legislation and policymaking in the modern Congress. We develop a model of legislative decisionmaking, drawn from the influential work of positive political theory, and use this model to consider a puzzle in the contemporary lawmaking process, that is, what explains the dearth of progressive social legislation in the period from the early 1970's to the present? We argue that much of this demise of the progressive legislative agenda can be attributed to the decision of influential interest groups to push aggressively for expansionist interpretations of regulatory statutes, interpretations that go well beyond the terms of the statute and, as well, beyond the expectations of the legislators whose support was critical in securing the passage of this legislation. Paradoxically, as we explain, these expansions have made it more difficult for legislators to reach agreements within the lawmaking process and thereby defeated the very agendas for which interest groups have pushed. Moreover, these expansionist interpretations have contributed to the growing polarization within the modern Congress.
Adnexal masses requiring reoperation in women with previous hysterectomy with or without adnexectomy.

Abstract Objectives To characterize the etiologies of adnexal masses requiring reoperation in women with prior hysterectomy and to compare incidence and pathology of these masses based upon whether total, partial or no adnexectomy was performed at time of hysterectomy. In addition, the average time interval between hysterectomy and reoperation for a pelvic mass is ascertained. Study design A single-institution, retrospective review spanning 10 years. Using pertinent ICD-9 and CPT codes, women with a history of hysterectomy who underwent a subsequent surgery for an adnexal or pelvic mass were identified. Results Over ten years, 250 women returned for gynecologic surgery due to a pelvic mass after prior hysterectomy. Most had undergone hysterectomy only (76%). 64.8% of these women had masses of ovarian origin, 12.4% were tubal in origin, 20% of masses involved both the ovary and tube and a small proportion arose from non-gynecologic processes. 18% of these women had a malignancy; 80% were ovarian and 6.7% originated from the fallopian tube. Patients having had a prior hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy returned soonest ( p p Conclusions The majority of adnexal masses requiring reoperation after hysterectomy are gynecologic in origin, benign, and arise from the ovary. Women returning with malignant masses after hysterectomy present after longer time intervals.
The role of the region in the European Landscape Convention

ABSTRACTThe role of the region in the European Landscape Convention. Regional Studies. In the year 2000, the Council of Europe approved the European Landscape Convention, the first international treaty exclusively dedicated to the protection, management and planning of landscape. This supranational agreement is signed at the national level, but encourages the principle of subsidiarity for the implementation at the regional or local level. However, the current structure of the treaty lacks strong incentives or sanctions for effective implementation at the regional level. Through a case study of Catalonia, this article demonstrates the value of regional actors in the multi-scalar treaty and argues for increased regional agency within the European Landscape Convention.
Ecosystem Water-Use Efficiency of Annual Corn and Perennial Grasslands: Contributions from Land-Use History and Species Composition

Carbon and water exchanges between vegetated land surfaces and the atmosphere reveal the ecosystem-scale water-use efficiency (WUE) of primary production. We examined the interacting influence of dominant plant functional groups (C3 and C4) and land-use history on WUEs of annual corn and perennial (restored prairie, switchgrass and smooth brome grass) grasslands in the US Midwest from 2010 through 2013. To this end, we determined ecosystem-level (eWUE) and intrinsic (iWUE) WUEs using eddy covariance and plant carbon isotope ratios, respectively. Corn, switchgrass, and restored prairie were each planted on lands previously managed as grasslands under the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), or as corn/soybean rotation under conventional agriculture (AGR), while a field of smooth brome grass remained in CRP management. The iWUEs of individual C3 plant species varied little across years. Corn had the highest (4.1) and smooth brome grass the lowest (2.3) overall eWUEs (g C kg−1 H2O) over the 4 years. Corn and switchgrass did not consistently show a significant difference in seasonal eWUE between former CRP and AGR lands, whereas restored prairie had significantly higher seasonal eWUE on former AGR than on former CRP land due to a greater shift from C3 to C4 species on the former AGR land following a drought in 2012. Thus, differences in grassland eWUE were largely determined by the relative dominance of C3 and C4 species within the plant communities. In this humid temperate climate with common short-term and occasional long-term droughts, it is likely that mixed grasslands will become increasingly dominated by C4 grasses over time, with higher yields and eWUE than C3 plants. These results inform models of the interaction between carbon and water cycles in grassland ecosystems under current and future climate and management scenarios.
The left ventricular impulse

Assessment of cardiac performance and reserve capacity is a crucial element in evaluating health status and prognosis in patients with evidence of heart disease. In the past few decades, a technical revolution has provided cardiologists with an expanding array of methods for dynamic, clinical evaluation of the heart in terms of changes in pressures, dimensions, flow rates and related variables. Widespread application of these advanced technologies have converted cardiology from a highly subjective clinical discipline into a more comprehensive and quantitative analysis of the human circulation as a hydraulic system. The significance of this profound change is more readily appreciated by comparing current concepts with the generally accepted tenets of the recent past.
Daily Administration of Short-Acting Liothyronine Is Associated with Significant Triiodothyronine Excursions and Fails to Alter Thyroid-Responsive Parameters.

Background: Although most studies of levothyroxine–liothyronine combination therapy employ once-daily hormone administration, the kinetics of once-daily liothyronine have been studied infrequently. The aim of this study was to document both the peak and trough serum triiodothyronine (T3) levels that occur with once-daily liothyronine administration, along with changes in thyroid-responsive parameters. Methods: Participants with hypothyroidism were studied prospectively at an academic institution. Patients were switched from levothyroxine monotherapy to liothyronine monotherapy with 15 μg liothyronine for two weeks, and then continued liothyronine at doses of 30–45 μg for a further four weeks in an open-label, single-arm study. Weekly trough levels of T3 were documented. In addition, hourly T3 concentrations immediately following liothyronine tablet administration were documented for eight hours during the sixth week of therapy. Serum thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) concentrations were documente...
Gaps-in-noise detection and gender identification from noise-vocoded vowel segments: Comparing performance of active musicians to non-musicians

This study evaluated performance on a gender identification and temporal resolution task among active musicians and age-matched non-musicians. Brief duration (i.e., 50 and 100 ms) vowel segments produced by four adult male and four adult female speakers were spectro-temporally degraded using various parameters and presented to both groups for gender identification. Gap detection thresholds were measured using the gaps-in-noise (GIN) test. Contrary to the stated hypothesis, a significant difference in gender identification was not observed between the musician and non-musician listeners. A significant difference, however, was observed on the temporal resolution task, with the musician group achieving approximately 2 ms shorter gap detection thresholds on the GIN test compared to the non-musician counterparts. These results provide evidence supporting the potential benefits of musical training on temporal processing abilities, which have implications for the processing of speech in degraded listening environments and the enhanced processing of the fine-grained temporal aspects of the speech signal. The results also support the GIN test as an instrument sensitive to temporal processing differences among active musicians and non-musicians.
Analysis of therapeutic effect of empirically calculated dose of radioiodine therapy on hyperthyroidism of Graves disease

Objective To analyze the effects of empirically calculated dose of radioiodine(131I) therapy on hyperthyroidism of Graves disease. Methods A total of 299 patients with Graves disease underwent the131 I therapy. T he dose of131 I therapy was determined based on the empirically calculated dose. T he therapeutic effect was evaluated by the thyroid function test after 3 and 6 months of the treatment. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors that influenced the effect of the131 I therapy. Results Among 299 cases of Graves disease, the131 I therapy was effective for 187( 62. 5%) cases after being treated for 3 months and the incidence of hypothyroidism caused by the treatment was 84( 28. 1%) cases. T he131 I therapy was effective for 248( 83. 0%) cases after being treated for 6 months and the incidence of hypothyroidism caused by the treatment was 107( 35. 8%) cases. T he multiple regression analysis showed that the weight of thyroid, the maximum radioiodine uptake of thyroid, and the free triiodothyronine( FT3) level were major factors that influenced the effect of the131 I therapy( P 0. 05). Conclusion T he empirically calculated dose of131 I therapy for the treatment of Graves disease should take into account the effects of weight of thyroid, the maximum radioiodine uptake of thyroid, and the FT3 level on the therapy. T he empirically calculated dose of131 I therapy is suitable for recurrent patients or patients with poor therapeutic effect for anti-thyroid drug or severe side effects.
Viability of Heterodera glycines exposed to fungal filtrates

Filtrates from nematode-parasitic fungi have been reported to be toxic to plant-parasitic nematodes. Our objective was to determine the effects of fungal filtrates on second-stage juveniles and eggs of Heterodera glycines. Eleven fungal species that were isolated from cysts extracted from a soybean field in Florida were tested on J2, and five species were tested on eggs in vitro. Each fungal species was grown in Czapek-Dox broth and malt extract broth. No toxic activity was observed for fungi grown in Czapek-Dox broth. Filtrates from Paecilomyces lilacinus, Stagonospora heteroderae, Neocosmospora vasinfecta, and Fusarium solani grown in malt extract broth were toxic to J2, whereas filtrates from Exophiala pisciphila, Fusarium oxysporum, Gliocladium catenulatum, Pyrenochaeta terrestris, Verticillium chlamydosporium, and sterile fungi 1 and 2 were not toxic to J2. Filtrates of P. lilacinus, S. heteroderae, and N. vasinfecta grown in malt extract broth reduced egg viability, whereas F. oxysporum and P. terrestris filtrates had no effect on egg viability.
From Simian to Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (SIV to HIV): Emergence from Nonhuman Primates and Transmission to Humans

Abstract Nonhuman African primates inhabit the equatorial forests of West and Central Africa and are the hosts to more than 30 simian immunodeficiency viruses. These viruses have crossed species to humans several times within the last century establishing HIV-1 groups M, N, O, P as well as HIV-2 groups A and B. The geographical habitat of these primate species coincides perfectly with the distribution pattern of various SIV and HIV variants. These jumps which likely occurred in the Congo River basin of Central Africa have led to a disproportionate dominance of HIV-1 group M in the global pandemic. The low prevalence and poor establishment of other HIV-1 groups and HIV-2 in humans in West and Central Africa can be attributed to some viral or host restriction factors, reduced contacts between humans and apes, and slower development of social networks that have facilitated movements within the human population. The development of more complex sampling and screening methods has enabled the analyses of virus sequences from preserved samples of humans as well as fecal and urine samples from nonhuman primates. Molecular epidemiological clocks and other computational dating techniques are piecing together the complex transmission history of SIVs starting in the early 19 th century. This chapter dwells on the emergence of SIVs from nonhuman primates and tracks their evolution and establishment of a significant transmission chain in humans living in various parts of the world.
Acute cholangitis in a patient with Kluyvera cryocrescens bacteremia: A case report and literature review

Background: Originally thought to be benign organisms, there is increasing evidence that Kluyvera species harbor the potential to induce a multitude of pathologies. With increasing evidence implicating Kluyvera in various pathologies, including those of soft tissue and the biliary tract, it is important that both plastic and general surgeons are well informed of this organism and its potential manifestations. Case presentation: A thirty-five years old man was admitted to Monmouth Medical Center with right upper quadrant (RUQ) and abdominal pain of acute onset. He was found to have Kluyvera cryocrescens bacteremia secondary to acute cholangitis. He was treated with a laparoscopic cholecystectomy and antibiotics. He made a full recovery. Discussion: There are a multitude of manifestations of Kluyvera infection, including urinary tract infections, sepsis and bacteremia, diarrhea, soft tissue infection, cholecystitis, intra-abdominal abscess, pancreatitis, mediastinitis, and urethrorectal fistula. Early identification of this infection is important so that appropriate antibiotic coverage can be initiated. Conclusions: We present the first documented case of acute cholangitis in a patient with Kluyvera cryocrescens bacteremia. The patient was successfully treated with a course of antibiotics and laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Ventricular‐Arterial Function and Coupling in the Adult Fontan Circulation

Background In adult Fontan patients, ventricular or arterial dysfunction may impact homeostasis of the Fontan circulation and predispose to heart failure. We sought to characterize ventricular‐arterial (VA) properties in adult Fontan patients. Methods and Results Adult Fontan patients (n=170), including those with right (SRV, n=57) and left (SLV, n=113) dominant ventricular morphology, were compared to age, sex, and body size matched controls (n=170). Arterial function, load‐insensitive measures of contractility, VA coupling, diastolic function, and ventricular efficiency were assessed. Compared to controls, Fontan patients had similar arterial (Ea), but lower end‐systolic ventricular (Ees), elastance, preload recruitable stroke work and peak power index, impaired VA coupling, eccentric remodeling, reduced ventricular efficiency and increased diastolic stiffness ( P <0.05 for all). Ventricular efficiency declined steeply with higher heart rate in Fontan, but not control, patients. Among Fontan patients (n=123) and controls (n=162) with preserved cardiac index (CI; ≥2.5 L/min per m2), Fontan patients had worse contractility than controls, but CI was preserved owing to relative tachycardia, lower afterload, and eccentric remodeling. However, 25% of Fontan patients had reduced CI and were distinguished from those with preserved CI by less‐eccentric remodeling and worse diastolic function, rather than more‐impaired contractility. Conclusions Adult Fontan patients have contractile and diastolic dysfunction with normal afterload, impaired VA coupling, and reduced ventricular efficiency with heightened sensitivity to heart rate. Maintenance of CI is dependent on lower afterload, eccentric remodeling, and relative preservation of diastolic function. These data contribute to our understanding of circulatory physiology in adult Fontan patients.
High Throughput Screening of Fibrin Clots: Transport and Mechanics Measured by Microbeads

Abstract Correlations have been shown between cardiovascular disease and the blood clot properties measured by turbidity, permeability, elasticity, and electron or confocal microscopy. With the exception of turbidity, these techniques are low throughput and usually require large sample volumes. We are developing clinically relevant, high throughput compatible measurements of fibrin structure and mechanics. These methods use microbeads, where particles ~0.1 – 10 um are embedded in clots. We have measured the local elastic modulus of fibrin clots using a high throughput compatible technology that magnetically applies force to microbeads. In a single microplate preparation, with clots of concentrations 0.5, 1, and 3 mg/mL, we measured the stiffness G = 5.8, 12, and 42 (+/− 2, 5, and 20) Pa. Using prior technology for elasticity measurements, this experiment would have required 14 separate specimen preparations. To quantify clot structure, we have measured microbead transport due to passive diffusion. PEG-coated beads passively diffused over long distances in fibrin gels and continued diffusing for >24 hours. As expected, increasing fibrinogen concentration suppressed passive transport (from >36 um at 1 mg/mL to 100 um) through these clots when driven by applied magnetic forces. We conclude that microbead techniques show promise as high throughput alternatives to measuring permeability and elasticity in research and clinical fibrin clots.