cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Introduction to Food Justice and Animal Lives

As Lisa Heldke points out in this introduction, much of the literature on food justice which touches on non-human animals focuses on divisions between those who see eating animals as an absolute injustice and those who do not—a division she describes as painful, counterproductive, and in need of philosophical reflection.
Hesperidin reverses perivascular adipose-mediated aortic stiffness with aging.

We tested the hypothesis that hesperidin would reverse age-related aortic stiffness, perivascular adipose (PVAT) mediated-arterial stiffening and PVAT advanced glycation end-products (AGE) accumulation. Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) and intrinsic mechanical stiffness, two measures of arterial stiffness, were assessed in C57BL/6 mice that were young (6 months), old (27–29 months), or old treated with hesperidin for 4 weeks. Old compared with young mice had increased aPWV (444 ± 10 vs. 358 ± 8 cm/s, P < 0.05) and mechanical stiffness (6506 ± 369 vs. 3664 ± 414 kPa, P < 0.05). In old mice hesperidin reduced both aPWV (331 ± 38 cm/s) and mechanical stiffness (4445 ± 667 kPa) to levels not different from young. Aortic segments from old animals cultured with (+) PVAT had greater mechanical stiffness compared to young (+) PVAT (6454 ± 323 vs. 3575 ± 440 kPa, P < 0.05) that was ameliorated in arteries from old hesperidin treated cultured (+) PVAT (2639 ± 258 kPa). Hesperidin also reversed the aging-related PVAT AGE accumulation (all, P < 0.05). A 4-week treatment with the AGE inhibitor aminoguanidine reversed both the age-related increase in aPWV (390 ± 7 cm/s) and mechanical stiffness (3396 ± 1072 kPa), as well as mechanical stiffness in arteries cultured (+) PVAT (3292 ± 716 kPa) (all, P < 0.05) to values not different from young. In conclusion, hesperidin ameliorates the age-related increase in aortic stiffness and the PVAT-mediated effects on arterial stiffening. Hesperidin also reversed PVAT AGE accumulation, where PVAT AGE were shown to promote aortic stiffness with aging.
BRMS1 Expression in Surgically Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma Predicts Future Metastases and Is Associated with a Poor Prognosis

Abstract Introduction Expression of breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 gene ( BRMS1 ) is decreased in NSCLC cells and tumors. We hypothesized that intratumoral breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) expression is associated with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) histologic subtypes and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients undergoing resection for early-stage LUAD. Methods Patients (N = 1030) who underwent complete resection for LUAD with tissue available for histologic evaluation were identified. Tissue microarrays were constructed, and immunostaining was performed and scored for intensity of BRMS1 expression. OS and DFS were estimated (by the Kaplan-Meier method) and compared between groups (by the log-rank test), stratified by stage. Hazard ratios (HRs) for hazard of death and recurrence were estimated using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. OS and DFS nomograms were created, and model performance was examined. Results Intratumoral BRMS1 expression was high in 632 patients (61%) and low in 398 (39%). Low BRMS1 expression was associated with higher pathologic T stage ( p = 0.001), larger tumor size ( p ≤ 0.0001), greater lymphatic ( p = 0.032) and vascular ( p = 0.001) invasion, LUAD histologic subtype ( p = 0.001), and intermediate and high architectural tumor grade ( p = 0.003). Low BRMS1 expression was an independent predictor of worse OS (HR = 1.35, 95% confidence interval: 1.10–1.65, p = 0.004) and DFS (HR = 1.27, 95% confidence interval: 1.05–1.54, p = 0.012). OS and DFS nomograms showed excellent predictive performance based on discrimination and calibration. Conclusions Among patients with surgically resected LUAD, OS and DFS were significantly worse in cases with low intratumoral BRMS1 expression. Our findings suggest that BRMS1 is an independent biomarker with prognostic significance in surgically resected LUAD.
Transitioning to End-of-Life Care

Although more and more people in the USA diagnosed with cancer today are surviving their disease and its treatment, 595,690 people died of cancer in 2016 (www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/cancer-facts-figures-2016.html.). This is in part due to more individuals being diagnosed with cancer today, given that baby boomers have become senior citizens, increasing the denominator of the population today, which in turn increases the numerator among those diagnosed with some life-threatening form of cancer. Navigators must provide support across the continuum of care, including when the final outcome will be death instead of long-term survivorship as hoped. Patients dealing with advanced cancers require a strong advocate to represent them when they are not able to speak up for themselves. Misinformation and confusion remain about the benefits of palliative care and hospice, which can result in patients not getting the support they need physically and emotionally as they approach the end of life. All patients in such situations deserve and have the right to experience a good death. Nurse navigators have an instrumental role in patient advocacy, facilitating improved communication among the treatment team and the patient as well as their family caregivers, and promoting the utilization of palliative care early on and hospice care when the time is appropriate to make such a referral. Navigators savvy in navigating patients transitioning to end of life should take great pride in supporting such patients during the most sensitive, vulnerable, and profound time in their lives. This can all be accomplished by understanding the role hope plays in the patient’s care and helping the patient to transition through each phase of hope. There are also known barriers to such a transition, particularly when the transition should include implementation of certain resources like palliative care and hospice services. This chapter focuses on all of these issues, recognizing along this trajectory that navigation is a solution to prevention of these barriers, as well as an effective resource to ensure the patient has an advocate to speak on their behalf if they are unable to do so for themselves. The final outcome should be the orchestration of a good death for the patient, with their family caregivers well prepared for this loss. When patients are distressed that they will not “be here” to witness specific milestones that will happen in the future among their family members, especially young children, navigators can play an instrumental role in working with the patient to identify alternative methods to fulfill these hopes and life goals. Taking on such a role on behalf of the patient is one of the most profound ways to support a patient and help them transition as needed so they experience a peaceful, good death.
Racial disparities in the treatment of acute overdose in the emergency department

AbstractObjectives: Racial and ethnic disparities in the United States continue to exist in many disciplines of medicine, extending to care in the Emergency Department (ED). We sought to examine th...
Lie???s School and Linear Representations

We saw that in reformulating and then solving a special case of Killing’s problem, Cart an had been led to investigate an aspect of what would now be regarded as the representation theory of semisimple Lie groups. It is important to keep in mind, however, that Cartan’s investigations form part of the prehistory of the theory in the sense that in 1894, and in fact throughout the period 1886–1915 considered in Part III, there was no such thing as an established, broadly recognized theory of the representation of Lie groups and algebras to which mathematicians were consciously contributing. As we shall see in Chapter 10, Probenius created his beautiful theory of the representation of finite groups, with its complete reducibility theorem and theory of characters, in 1896–1903. With the exception of Poincare, however, none of the mathematicians whose work is described in Part III seem to have been interested in, or even familiar with, Frobenius’s theory. And even Poincare does not seem to have envisioned the feasibility of an analogous theory for continuous groups (See the discussion in Section 8.1.) The feasibility of a continuous analogue does not seem to have been seriously entertained until Hermann Weyl published his celebrated series of papers [1925] on the representation of semisimple groups. These impressive papers, together with the publication of the Peter Weyl theorem [1926], drew the attention of many mathematicians and served to convince them that the representation of Lie groups and algebras was a viable, fertile field for mathematical research. Indeed, research activity in this area continues unabated to this day.
Combined expansion microscopy with structured illumination microscopy for analyzing protein complexes.

Biologists have long been fascinated with the organization and function of intricate protein complexes. Therefore, techniques for precisely imaging protein complexes and the location of proteins within these complexes are critically important and often require multidisciplinary collaboration. A challenge in these explorations is the limited resolution of conventional light microscopy. However, a new microscopic technique has circumvented this resolution limit by making the biological sample larger, thus allowing for super-resolution of the enlarged structure. This ‘expansion’ is accomplished by embedding the sample in a hydrogel that, when exposed to water, uniformly expands. Here, we present a protocol that transforms thick expansion microscopy (ExM) hydrogels into sections that are physically expanded four times, creating samples that are compatible with the super-resolution technique structured illumination microscopy (SIM). This super-resolution ExM method (ExM–SIM) allows the analysis of the three-dimensional (3D) organization of multiprotein complexes at ~30-nm lateral (xy) resolution. This protocol details the steps necessary for analysis of protein localization using ExM–SIM, including antibody labeling, hydrogel preparation, protease digestion, post-digestion antibody labeling, hydrogel embedding with tissue-freezing medium (TFM), cryosectioning, expansion, image alignment, and particle averaging. We have used this approach for 3D mapping of in situ protein localization in the Drosophila synaptonemal complex (SC), but it can be readily adapted to study thick tissues such as brain and organs in various model systems. This procedure can be completed in 5 d. This protocol describes how to combine expansion microscopy (ExM) with structured illumination microscopy (SIM). ExM–SIM is exemplified by super-resolution analysis of the synaptonemal complex (SC) and single-particle averaging of SC proteins.
A four year longitudinal study of student learning strategies.

Abstract Introduction Students enrolled in professional pharmacy programs tend to have high prior academic achievement. This achievement may be predicated on their learning strategies. However, when entering a professional program, it is unclear if their strategies change to adopt to a new, more rigorous academic environment. The purpose of this research note is to document a single cohort of students’ learning strategies over time within a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. Methods A single cohort from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy received yearly surveys regarding their learning strategies used during the past academic year. This cohort was tracked from prior to the start of the PharmD curriculum throughout the three-year duration of didactic course work. The survey was based on prior research of learning strategies. Results Most learning strategies remained constant over time including the primary strategy of re-reading or re-watching videos. Using flashcards and completing practice problems decreased over time. In addition, students seem to migrate to cramming for examinations rather than spacing their study over time. Similar patterns were noted in the small cohort of students that completed all four surveys. Conclusions Primary learning strategies do not seem to change with time but some secondary learning strategies may change over time.
Cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis in an elderly adult.

A 94-year-old man presented with complaints of increasing fatigue and generalised weakness for 1 month’s duration. On admission, the patient had tachycardia of 112 bpm and fever of 101.1 °F. His initial physical examination was otherwise normal. Lactic acid was elevated (4.13 pg/mL), but other laboratory markers were within normal limits. No apparent source of infection was identified by initial urinalysis, chest radiography or CT of the abdomen without contrast. The lactic acidosis resolved after administration of normal saline, but he continued to have fever, which prompted more thorough physical examination that revealed a painless right-sided neck mass. CT of the neck without contrast confirmed a low-density neck mass in the right posterior cervical region measuring 7 cm in the maximum diameter (figures 1 and 2), suspicious for necrotic tumour or an abscess. Ultrasound-guided drainage of the mass recovered 50 mL of purulent material that was submitted for microbiological analysis and cytology. The sample contained inflammatory cells and debris, but was negative for malignancy. Numerous acid-fast bacilli (AFB) were identified on AFB smear, …
Obturator Nerve Entrapment

Obturator neuropathy is a rare condition occurring secondary to compression of the anterior branch of the obturator nerve at several different sites of entrapment. The condition most commonly manifests with deficits in medial thigh sensation and adductor musculature strength. Symptoms are often vague due to dual innervation of structures involved in the condition’s pathoanatomy. Diagnosis is often complicated by the many adjacent structures that are prone to other forms of injury. Advanced imaging including MRI and EMG can facilitate accurate identification of obturator pathology. Potential treatments including injection and therapy have been described; however, surgical release is advocated as the consensus method of definitive intervention, especially in the setting of confirmed chronic nerve entrapment.
Optimized inhalation aerosols. II. Inertial testing methods for particle size analysis of pressurized inhalers.

Pressurized metered dose inhaler (MDI) output from three different albuterol formulations was characterized using three inertial separation devices. Results were compared for the Delron six-stage cascade impactor (DCI6), the Andersen Mark II eight-stage impactor (ACI8), and Copley's twin-stage liquid impinger (LI). None of the devices tested in this study was ideal in all respects. All devices could differentiate between formulations in terms of respirable doses (albuterol amount with aerodynamic diameters <5.5 through 6.4 µm). Only the high-flow rate LI could differentiate among all three formulations when data were presented in terms of respirable percentage (RP) of drug collected. Values for RP were in excellent agreement for the independently calibrated impactors when the same evaporation chamber was used atop the impactors. The LI appeared to overestimate values for RP in vivo. Results are discussed in light of the debate surrounding the revision of USP aerosol testing requirements. Rigorous specifications for evaporation chambers and methodologies are necessary for meaningful inter- and intra-laboratory comparison of results when any of these devices are used.
Design and baseline characteristics of the cocoa supplement and multivitamin outcomes study for the Mind COSMOS-Mind

Abstract Background Large simple trials are potentially efficient and cost-effective approaches to assess interventions to preserve cognitive function in older adults. High-dose cocoa flavanols supplementation is a promising intervention that warrants additional testing. We describe the design, recruitment success, and baseline characteristics of the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study for the Mind (COSMOS-Mind) trial. Methods COSMOS-Mind is an ancillary study to the large-scale and predominantly mail-based COSMOS randomized controlled clinical trial. COSMOS is assessing whether cocoa extract (including 600 mg/d cocoa flavanols) and a multivitamin reduce risks for major cardiovascular events and total invasive cancer. COSMOS-Mind uses telephone-based interviews to assess cognitive function and impairment to determine whether cocoa flavanols benefit cognitive function in adults aged 65 years or older, targeting the enrollment of 2000 participants to provide >90% statistical power across 3 years of annual follow-up. Results Of the 3224 COSMOS screenees who expressed interest in COSMOS-Mind, 2350 (76%) successfully completed baseline cognitive assessments and 2262 (96%) geographically diverse, eligible individuals were ultimately enrolled over one year. At baseline, the primary outcome, a composite of cognitive test scores, was inversely associated with age in a manner consistent with assumptions used in projections of statistical power. Conclusions Older adults are willing to enroll in large simple trials that include telephone-based cognitive assessments. Embedding these trials in large studies of other health outcomes is efficient and expands the scientific knowledge gained from the research. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT03035201 (COSMOS-Mind); NCT102422745 (parent COSMOS).
The Appearance-Related Social Media Consciousness Scale: Development and validation with adolescents.

Abstract Appearance-related social media consciousness (ASMC) is defined as the extent to which individuals’ thoughts and behaviors reflect ongoing awareness of whether they might look attractive to a social media audience. In this 3-study paper, we report the development and validation of the ASMC Scale for adolescents. In Study 1, we developed 18 items and received input from adolescent focus groups and content experts, resulting in 13 items. In Study 2, we administered these items to a high school sample (N = 1227; 51.8 % girls; Mage = 15.72), completing an exploratory factor analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis on two split halves. Results supported a single-factor solution with configural, metric, and partial scalar gender invariance. In Study 3, we administered the scale to a second high school sample (N = 226; 58.4 % girls; Mage = 16.25). ASMC scores demonstrated strong internal consistency, convergent and incremental validity, and test-retest reliability (measure re-administered for n = 207). Higher ASMC was associated with higher depressive and disordered eating symptoms, controlling for time on social media, gender, race/ethnicity, and body surveillance. Girls reported higher mean scores than boys. Findings support the use of this 13-item scale in reliably assessing adolescents’ ASMC, which may have important implications for mental health in the age of social media.
A new definition of gestational hypertension? New-onset blood pressures of 130 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg after 20 weeks of gestation.

Background Diagnostic criteria for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy have historically been based on the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology’s definition of hypertension, previously defined as a blood pressure of ≥140/90 mm Hg. With the recent redefinition of hypertension, blood pressures of 130 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg are now considered abnormal. Objective In this study, we aimed to test whether the new-onset blood pressure elevations of 130 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg after 20 weeks of gestation in previously normotensive women are associated with increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, specifically the development of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Study Design We performed a retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary care center of all women who delivered singleton gestations after 20 weeks of gestation from January 01, 2014, to June 08, 2016. Normotensive patients were defined as having maximum blood pressure of Results Of the 2090 normotensive women from our cohort who were analyzed, 1318 (63.0%) remained normotensive for their entire antenatal course before delivery admission and 772 (37.0%) had new-onset blood pressure elevations between 130 and 139/80 and 89 mm Hg. Women with new-onset blood pressure elevations between 130 and 139/80 and 89 mm Hg after 20 weeks of gestation have a significantly increased risk for developing a hypertensive disorder in pregnancy at admission or during delivery (adjusted relative risk, 2.41; 95% confidence interval, 2.02–2.85) including an almost 3-fold increased risk for preeclampsia with severe features, even after adjusting for confounders. There were no differences in other secondary obstetrical outcomes. Conclusion Normotensive women with new-onset blood pressures elevations between 130 and 139/80 and 89 mm Hg after 20 weeks of gestation are more likely to experience hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and preeclampsia with severe features at or during their delivery hospitalization. These more modest blood pressure elevations may be an early indicator of disease and call into question our current blood pressure threshold for diagnosis of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
Calcium Phosphate Catalysts for Ethanol Coupling to Butanol and Butadiene

The catalytic conversion of ethanol to butanol and butadiene at 633 K and atmospheric pressure (7 vol% ethanol) was studied over calcium phosphate materials pretreated over a wide temperature range. For calcium phosphate pretreated at or below 923 K, the resulting solid had an apatite structure identified by X-ray diffraction and strong acid sites probed by triethylamine (TEA) adsorption microcalorimetry. The low temperature pretreated materials were not effective at ethanol coupling reactions but instead were highly selective to acid-catalyzed products ethene and diethyl ether. Pretreatment of calcium phosphate at 973 K transformed the apatite structure to β-tricalcium phosphate, which exposed both acid and base sites evaluated by TEA and CO2 adsorption microcalorimetry. High temperature pretreated calcium phosphate catalysts formed the coupling products butanol and butadiene during ethanol reaction. The butadiene selectivity was improved by supporting calcium phosphate on zirconia. The influence of catalyst structure on the activity and selectivity of calcium phosphates was elucidated for the conversion of ethanol.
The strike of the dragonfly larvae

The predatory strike of dragonfly larvae can inspire the design of fast robotic movement with enhanced control and precision.
Utility of patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) physical function form in inflammatory myopathy

Abstract Objective Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a group of diseases characterized by muscle weakness, which limit activities of daily living. Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is a set of outcome measures developed using NIH funding, but has not yet been studied in adult IIM. Currently, the most commonly used PROs in IIM are Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI) and SF-36 physical function-10 (PF10), both of which have several limitations. In this study, we investigated psychometric properties of PROMIS physical function-20 (PF-20) and compared to HAQ-DI and SF-36 PF10. Methods Patients with IIM completed PROMIS PF-20 and six myositis core set measures [manual muscle testing (MMT), physician (MD-GDA), patient (PT-GDA) and extra-muscular global disease activity, HAQ-DI and creatine kinase], SF-36 PF10 and functional tests [six-minute walk, timed up-and-go and sit-to-stand tests] at monthly visits over 6-months. Total improvement score (TIS) using 2016 ACR/EULAR myositis response criteria was obtained as measures of change. Results Fifty patients [mean age, 51.6; 60% females] were enrolled; 6 PM, 24 DM, 9 NM and 11 with AS. PROMIS PF-20 showed strong test-retest reliability when repeated in 1-month. PROMIS PF-20 had moderate-strong correlations with MD-GDA, PT-GDA, MMT, HAQ-DI, SF-36 PF10, and functional tests indicating good convergent validity. Change in PROMIS PF-20 strongly correlated with TIS demonstrating good responsiveness. HAQ-DI and SF-36 PF10 exhibited similar validity and responsiveness; HAQ-DI was found to have a ceiling effect. Conclusion PROMIS PF-20 demonstrates favorable psychometric properties in a large cohort of myositis patients and offers distinct advantages.
Angiotensin AT2 Receptor is Anti-inflammatory and Reno-Protective in Lipopolysaccharide Mice Model: Role of IL-10.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) due to endotoxemic insult is predicted by the infiltration of neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages, and the release of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines to the site of injury. Earlier, we have demonstrated the role of angiotensin-II type 2 receptor (AT2R) stimulation in reno-protection in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and AKI in C57BL6/NHsd mice. Moreover, AT2R activation has been shown to increase the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10), its role in AT2R-mediated anti-inflammation and reno-protection is unknown. To address this question, in the present study mice were treated with the AT2R agonist C21 (0.3 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), LPS (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), or LPS with C21 pre-treatment with or without neutralizing IL-10 antibody. Treatment with C21 alone caused an increase in the plasma and kidney IL-10 levels, which peaks at 2-hour, and returned to baseline at 6-hour. The C21-induced IL-10 increase was blocked by the AT2R antagonist PD123319 suggesting AT2R’s involvement. LPS treatment caused a profound increase in tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the LPS-induced increase in these cytokines was attenuated by the C21 pre-treatment (1-hour prior LPS) both in the plasma and kidney. Neutralizing IL-10 antibody treatment abrogated the C21-lowering of TNF-α and IL-6 in the kidney but not in the plasma. Similar results as related to the cytokines profiles in all the groups were also observed in the heart and spleen. The alteration in early cytokine profile prompted us to measure the markers of renal function (blood urea nitrogen and urinary creatinine) in order to analyze the effect of IL-10 neutralization. However, it was too early to observe changes in renal function. Therefore, the renal function and injury markers were again measured at 24 hours. Treatment with neutralizing IL-10 antibody attenuated the C21-mediated improvement in indices of the kidney function, but not the biomarkers of renal injury (kidney injury molecule-1 and neutrophil-gelatinase associated lipocalin). Collectively, our data suggest that the involvement of IL-10 in AT2R-mediated anti-inflammation and reno-protection against LPS is complex, mediating the renal cytokine profile and kidney filtration function, but not the plasma cytokine profile and renal injury markers.
A porous supramolecular ionic solid

We report a synthetic strategy to integrate discrete coordination cages into extended porous materials by decorating opposite charges on the singular cage, which offers multidirectional electrostatic forces among cages and leads to a porous supramolecular ionic solid. The resulting material is non-centrosymmetric and affords a piezoelectric coefficient of 8.19 pC N-1, higher than that of the wurtzite ZnO.
A Layered Framework for Dealing with Dilemmas in Artificial Intelligence Systems

Dilemmas do occur time and again. How to efficiently and effectively handle a dilemma is a big challenge for artificial intelligence (AI) systems. With the current approaches, AI systems are not able to accomplish a task should a dilemma, especially an ethical one, be encountered. Utilizing a hypothetical dilemma case, this paper analyzes the limitations of the current approaches in dealing with dilemmas and points out the root cause of the problem. It then proposes a novel layered framework, which fully utilizes both the unique strengths of humans and the unique strengths of AI systems. This layered framework actively explores different angles, areas, aspects, dimensions, domains, facets, fields, and/or layers in an attempt to find tipping points so that ethical dilemmas can be successfully tamed and handled. This exploration will thus lead to a paradigm shift.
Utility of Point-of-Care COVID-19 Testing in an Outpatient Otolaryngology clinic.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the utility of point-of-care COVID-19 testing for identifying infected patients in an otolaryngology practice.Study DesignRetrospective review of 947 patients tested with a poi...
Using SAS PROC MCMC to Estimate and Evaluate Item Response Theory Models

Interest in estimating item response theory (IRT) models using Bayesian methods has grown tremendously in recent years. In part this is due to the appeal of the Bayesian paradigm among psychometricians and statisticians, as well as the advantages of these methods with small sample sizes and for more complex or highly parameterized models (e.g., multidimensional IRT models). Recently, routines have become available in SAS to also implement general Bayesian estimation methods (PROC MCMC). The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of PROC MCMC to estimate and evaluate the fit of IRT models, as well as to compare usage with WinBUGS. Examples will be presented that illustrate the syntax used to estimate the models (simple and more complex IRT models), and output will be presented to illustrate the type of output that is available to evaluate the convergence of the MCMC algorithm. Finally, tools for comparing competing models will be discussed as well as use of the posterior predictive distribution to evaluate model fit.
Liposarcoma of the head and neck: analysis of 318 cases with comparison to non-head and neck sites.

Background Liposarcomas are rare in the head and neck. We analyzed a large series of head and neck liposarcomas to determine features unique to the head and neck. Methods Three hundred eighteen liposarcomas of the head and neck were contrasted with 9485 liposarcomas of other regions using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Results Head and neck liposarcomas were most commonly subcutaneous (81.%), low grade (70.1%; p < .001), and early stage (p < .001). They were more likely to be treated with surgery alone, whereas conventional liposarcomas were more likely to receive adjuvant radiation (p < .001). Treatment that included surgery had better survival than radiation therapy alone (p = .008). Overall, liposarcomas of the head and neck had significantly higher disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) than conventional liposarcomas (p < .001). Conclusion Liposarcomas of the head and neck are usually early stage, low grade, and with fewer nodal metastases than conventional liposarcomas. DSS and OS were significantly greater for liposarcomas of the head and neck. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: 393–400, 2014
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor activation acutely increases systolic blood pressure independent of aldosterone-mediated sodium retention (1088.8)

Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased activation of the renin-angiotensin system, high blood pressure and decreased circulating levels of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 mimetics have been shown to decrease systolic blood pressure (SBP) via unknown mechanisms. To assess the effects of angiotensin receptor type 1 (AT1) and GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1r) activation on SBP, urinary Na+ (UNaV), aldosterone (UAldoV), and corticosterone (UBV) excretion were recorded for six weeks in five groups of rats: 1) untreated, lean LETO (n=7), 2) untreated, obese OLETF (n=5), 3) OLETF + AT1 blocker (ARB; 10 mg olmesartan /kg/d; n=4), 4) OLETF + GLP-1 mimetic (Ex; 10 ug exenatide/kg/d; n=7), and 5) OLETF + ARB + Ex (combo; n=6). Ex UAldoV and UBV increased 207% and 123%, respectively, compared to OLETF on day 2 and were associated with a 62% UNaV decrease and 8% SBP increase. However, the 13% reduction in UAldoV in combo was associated with 94% increase in UBV, and 80% and 16% decrease in UNaV and SBP, respectiv...
Cultural Difference and Educational Change in a Sociopolitical Context

Sonia Nieto’s chapter points to the significant phenomenon of growing cultural diversity and the challenges it presents for educational change. Reviewing the evidence on ways of learning and what counts as learning in diverse cultures, and on the strong association between various levels of cultural diversity and poverty, Nieto argues that beyond the rhetoric, differences of race, culture, and language are rarely taken very seriously in educational reform efforts. Yet, she shows how taking cultural and linguistic diversity into account in educational reform initiatives, can make a real difference in student learning and achievement — and she outlines numerous, concrete and practical examples of how this can be and sometimes has been achieved.
A Review of: “Gawande, A. (2009). The Checklist Manifesto–How to Get Things Right.”

Atul Gawande is a general and endocrine surgeon at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He is also a staff writer for The New Yorker and is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School a...
Malcolm X at Oxford Union: Race, Rights, and the Defense of Liberty

This paper examines Malcolm X's affirmation at Oxford Union of the proposition put forward by Senator Barry Goldwater at the Republican National Convention in 1964: "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." At Oxford, black nationalism, American conservatism, and liberal conceptualizations of rights are all on display, as Malcolm X explores new potentialities in American and black political thought. The paper seeks to uncover some of the less explored dimensions of this moment of transition in American and British racial politics, even as Malcolm extends his arguments into the broader context of decolonization in Africa, and the extension of rights to Africans and other marginalized groups throughout the world. With the 1964 elections in the US and UK serving as a background, the paper seeks to illuminate the ways in which the rhetoric and theories implicit in the debate at Oxford represented both atavistic and new arguments for reconciling the impulse for racial and civic recognition in modern society.
Simple Type-Level Unsupervised POS Tagging

Part-of-speech (POS) tag distributions are known to exhibit sparsity --- a word is likely to take a single predominant tag in a corpus. Recent research has demonstrated that incorporating this sparsity constraint improves tagging accuracy. However, in existing systems, this expansion come with a steep increase in model complexity. This paper proposes a simple and effective tagging method that directly models tag sparsity and other distributional properties of valid POS tag assignments. In addition, this formulation results in a dramatic reduction in the number of model parameters thereby, enabling unusually rapid training. Our experiments consistently demonstrate that this model architecture yields substantial performance gains over more complex tagging counterparts. On several languages, we report performance exceeding that of more complex state-of-the art systems.
Specificities of α-Chymotrypsin and Subtilisin Carlsberg THE α-ACYLAMIDO EFFECT IN β-PHENYLPROPIONATES AND THEIR RIGID ANALOGS

Abstract A study of the comparative specificities of α-chymotrypsin and subtilisin Carlsberg has been focused mainly on the extent to which α-acetamido groups of some specific and nonspecific activated ester substrates affect the reactivity of each enzyme. Comparisons are based upon kc and kc:Km corrected for substrate intrinsic reactivities ((kc)n and (kc:Km)n). Among p-nitrophenyl β-phenylpropionates (α substituents: NHCOCH3, H, O2CCH3), (kc:Km)n of the specific substrate N-acetyl-(S)-phenylalanine p-nitrophenyl ester ((S)-I) is 16 times higher than for p-nitrophenyl β-phenylpropionate (II); in (kc)n (S)-I is hydrolyzed 110 times faster than II. With subtilisin Carlsberg no detectable enhancement attributable to the α-acetamido group of the substrate was found in (kc:Km)n of (S)-I. With each enzyme the use of activated esters is largely responsible for the lack of a substantial α-acetamido effect upon (kc:Km)n since in (kc:Km)n of the methyl esters corresponding to (S)-I and II, the enhancement is about two orders of magnitude. The investigation was extended to include the p-nitrophenyl esters of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-naphthoic and indan-2-carboxylic acids (α substituents:NHCOCH3, H, O2CCH3). The α-acetamidosubstituted member of each of the two series of semirigid substrates is constrained in a geometry similar to that postulated as the conformation of (S)-I preferred during hydrolysis by chymotrypsin and subtilisins. With both enzymes a substrate α-acetamido group-enzyme interaction makes the S isomer of p-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2-carboxylate ((S)-IV) two orders of magnitude more reactive than its unsubstituted derivative. A similar interaction does not enhance the reactivity of p-nitrophenyl 2-acetamidoindan-2-carboxylate (VII). The reactivities of α-chymotrypsin and subtilisin Carlsberg toward the α-acetoxy derivatives of each substrate type are lower than those exhibited toward their α-acetamido and unsubstituted derivatives.
Rapid short-column chromatography of amino acids. A method for blood and urine specimens in the diagnosis and treatment of metabolic disease.

Abstract Methods are described for the rapid analysis of certain individual amino acids (e.g., homocystine) and of groups of amino acids (e.g., the branched-chain amino acids), which are relevant to particular metabolic diseases. All the methods use ion-exchange chromatography on a 20 × 0.9 cm column. These methods were developed especially for clinical application in the diagnosis and therapy of inborn errors of amino acid metabolism. All analyses are completed in less than 2.5 hr.
Biomolecular Structure and Modeling: Problem and Application Perspective

The experimental progress described in the previous chapter has been accompanied by an increasing desire to relate the complex three-dimensional (3D) shapes of biomolecules to their biological functions and interactions with other molecular systems. Structural biology, computational biology, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, chemoinformatics, and others are natural partner disciplines in such endeavors.
Classification of correlation signatures of spread spectrum signals using neural networks

The authors discuss the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to the classification of spread spectrum signals based on signal type or spreading technique. Radial basis function networks (RBFNs) and back-propagation networks (BPNs) were used to classify the correlation signatures of the signals. Correlation signatures of four types or classes were obtained from United States Army Harry Diamond Laboratories: direct sequence (DS), linearly stepped frequency hopped (LSFH), randomly driven frequency hopped (RDFH), and a hybrid of direct sequence and randomly driven frequency hopped (HYB). RBFNs and BPNs trained directly on two classes (DS and LSFH) and four classes (DS, LSFH, RDFH, and HYB) of correlation signatures. Classification accuracies ranged from 79% to 92% for the two-class problem and from 70% to 76% for the four-class problem. The RBFNs consistently produced classification accuracies from 5% to 10% higher than accuracies produced by the BPNs. The RBFNs produced this classification advantage in significantly less training for all cases. >
Nutrition and eye-related disorders

Abstract: Age-related cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the major causes of visual impairment and blindness in the aging population. There is much interest in the prevention of these two age-related eye diseases. Of particular interest is the possibility that certain dietary components intervention might reduce the incidence or retard the progression of these diseases. The nutrients that may be important in the prevention of these eye diseases are vitamins C and E and the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. There is biological plausibility to support a role of these dietary components in the protection of the lens and macula from light damage. Further support comes from epidemiologic studies evaluating dietary intakes and risk of these eye diseases.
Selectively bred male rat lines differ in naïve and experienced sexual behavior.

Abstract Ejaculatory behavior is facilitated by activating 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A (5-HT 1A ) receptors. The present study examined male sexual behavior in rat lines that were selectively bred for their different hypothermic responses to 8-hydroxy-2-(di- n -propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). Sexual behavior was examined in naive and experienced HDS (high 8-OH-DPAT sensitive), LDS (low 8-OH-DPAT sensitive), and RDS (randomly bred) rats lines. In addition, the effects of 8-OH-DPAT (0.05 mg/kg) and N -{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl}- N -(2-pyridinyl)-cyclohexane-carboxamide (WAY 100,635; 1 mg/kg) were examined. Naive HDS animals had diminished ejaculatory behavior (as indicated by a decreased number of intromissions, mounts and ejaculations, increased ejaculation and intromission latency, and longer inter-copulatory interval), compared to the LDS and RDS groups. In addition, the post-ejaculatory interval (PEI) was longer in the HDS group. With experience, the HDS group improved its ejaculatory behavior. Experienced HDS animals had a lower number of intromissions and a longer PEI compared to the LDS group. 8-OH-DPAT facilitated ejaculatory behavior in both HDS and LDS groups. This effect was more pronounced in the LDS group. WAY 100,635 did not alter sexual behavior in either group. In summary, alteration in forebrain 5-HT 1A receptors in HDS animals may be involved in the ability of naive rats to achieve ejaculation. 5-HT 1A receptors are involved in the regulation of resumption of sexual behavior after ejaculation.
Preferential regulation of protein synthesis initiation complex formation by purine nucleotides.

Abstract A comparison of the affinities of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 and eukaryotic elongation factor 1 for GTP and GDP, and of the responses of initiation and elongation complex formation to various GTP mol fractions indicated that the initiation reaction was more sensitive to changes in the GTP : GDP ratio. In vitro regulation of the GTP : GDP ratio by the adenylate energy charge, a sensitive control parameter, also demonstrated a preference for regulation of formation of initiation complexes when compared to elongation complexes. These studies suggest that, based on the availability of energy, initiation is the ratelimiting step in the overall protein synthetic process.
Coordination and Hydrogenation of 1,3-Cyclohexadiene by Niobium and Tantalum Aryl Oxide Compounds: Relevance to Catalytic Arene Hydrogenation

The sodium amalgam (2 Na per M) reduction of hydrocarbon solutions of the chloro, aryl oxide compounds [M(OC6H3Pri2-2,6)2Cl3]2 (1) and [M(OC6H3Pri2-2,6)3Cl2] (2) (a, M = Nb; b, M = Ta) in the prese...
Breast cancer and bone mass in older women: is bone density prescreening for mammography useful?

Introduction The utility of screening mammography for older women with low bone mineral density (BMD) is controversial. This case-control study compares BMD at multiple sites in women with and without breast cancer to determine if BMD prescreening is useful in selecting women for continued screening mammograms.
The Effect of Content-Focused Coaching on the Quality of Classroom Text Discussions:

This study examines the effect of a comprehensive literacy-coaching program focused on enacting a discussion-based approach to reading comprehension instruction (content-focused coaching [CFC]) on ...
Sensitivity enhancement in structural measurements by solid state NMR through pulsed spin locking.

Abstract Free induction decay (FID) signals in solid state NMR measurements performed with magic angle spinning can often be extended in time by factors on the order of 10 by a simple pulsed spin locking technique. The sensitivity of a structural measurement in which the structural information is contained in the dependence of the integrated FID amplitude on a preceding evolution period can therefore be enhanced substantially by pulsed spin locking in the signal detection period. We demonstrate sensitivity enhancements in a variety of solid state NMR techniques that are applicable to selectively isotopically labeled samples, including 13C–15N rotational echo double resonance (REDOR), 13C–13C dipolar recoupling measurements using the constant-time finite-pulse radio-frequency-driven recoupling (fpRFDR-CT) and constant-time double-quantum-filtered dipolar recoupling (CTDQFD) techniques, and torsion angle measurements using the double quantum chemical shift anisotropy (DQCSA) technique. Further, we demonstrate that the structural information in the solid state NMR data is not distorted by pulsed spin locking in the detection period.
Molecular typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates circulating in Henan, central China

The aim of this study was to characterize the genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) in isolates obtained from Henan, China, and to study the distribution features of Beijing strains in Henan. A total of 443 MT strains isolated in Henan Province were tested for susceptibility to isonicotinylhydrazide (INH), rifampicin (RFP), ethambutol (EMB) and streptomycin (SM), and genotyped by spoligotyping. The clustering of genotypes revealed 4 gene clusters (Beijing and Beijing-like, T, Manu, and S and LAM3) and 24 genotypes. In total, 387 (87.4%) of the strains were Beijing strains. The frequency of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains was significantly higher in the Beijing and Beijing-like strains than in the other strains (χ2=4.6564, P 60-year-old TB patients (χ2=32.053, P<0.001). The distribution of Beijing strains deceased gradually from the east to the west in Henan Province (P<0.0001). The data demonstrate that the Beijing genotype is a major type in the area and may be related to enhanced transmissibility. The transmission of Beijing family strains has increased in Henan and its incidence is highest in the east of Henan. The MDR strains were significant in the spread of MT.
Measures of searcher performance: a psychometric evaluation

Abstract Several measures—such as recall, precision, term overlap, and efficiency— have been used to evaluate bibliographic searching. When applied to searches for specific facts in a full-text database, these measures seem less appropriate. For instance, recall is reduced to a binary measure reflecting the success or failure of the search to retrieve the desired fact; and lack of precision may simply reflect the searcher's unwillingness to expend further effort in narrowing a search. It is likely that new measures will need to be developed, and the applicability of known measures to factual searches in full-text databases needs to be evaluated. A study was conducted to evaluate 21 measures of performance on factual searches of a full-text database. The measures included two measures of recall, two measures of precision, seven measures of search term overlap, seven measures of improvement in search term overlap, and three measures of efficiency. Each of these measures was calculated for the searches performed by each of 26 first-year medical students on INQUIRER, a database of facts and concepts in microbiology. Their reliability and construct validity were investigated. Their underlying structure consisted of three factors: Process/Outcome (precision, recall, and term overlap). Improvement in Term Overlap, and Efficiency. One scale for each factor was constructed after eliminating 7 of the original 21 variables. Each of these scales demonstrated adequate reliability for research purposes. The utility of these measures in future research on online searching is discussed.