cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abundance, trends and distribution of baleen whales off Western Alaska and the central Aleutian Islands

Large whales were extensively hunted in coastal waters off Alaska, but current distribution, population sizes and trends are poorly known. Line transect surveys were conducted in coastal waters of the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula in the summer of 2001–2003. Abundances of three species were estimated by conventional and multiple covariate distance sampling (MCDS) methods. Time series of abundance estimates were used to derive rates of increase for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Fin whales occurred primarily from the Kenai Peninsula to the Shumagin Islands, but were abundant only near the Semidi Islands and Kodiak. Humpback whales were found from the Kenai Peninsula to Umnak Island and were more abundant near Kodiak, the Shumagin Islands and north of Unimak Pass. Minke whales (B. acutorostrata) occurred primarily in the Aleutian Islands, with a few sightings south of the Alaska Peninsula and near Kodiak Island. Humpback whales were observed in large numbers in their former whaling grounds. In contrast, high densities of fin whales were not observed around the eastern Aleutian Islands, where whaling occurred. Average abundance estimates (95% CI) for fin, humpback and minke whales were 1652 (1142–2389), 2644 (1899–3680), and 1233 (656–2315), respectively. Annual rates of increase were estimated at 4.8% (95% CI=4.1–5.4%) for fin and 6.6% (5.2–8.6%) for humpback whales. This study provides the first estimate of the rate of increase of fin whales in the North Pacific Ocean. The estimated trends are consistent with those of other recovering baleen whales. There were no sightings of blue or North Pacific right whales, indicating the continued depleted status of these species.
A Dual Observer Method for Global Stabilization of Nonlinear Systems with Limited and Uncertain Information

This paper considers a general setting for the stabilization of a planar nonlinear system given only the measurement of the output state. Additionally, we assume that a certain amount of uncertainties is inherent in the system under consideration, where we only need to know the bounding function of the nonlinear terms. Under this setting we consider a class of systems whose nonlinear bounding functions are polynomially bounded in the unmeasurable state, with orders both greater than and less than one. The primary novelty of this method is the utilization of a dual observer approach, estimating lower-order states and higher-order states in parallel.
Does Tea Affect Cardiovascular Disease? A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis of tea consumption in relation to stroke, myocardial infarction, and all coronary heart disease is based on 10 cohort studies and seven case-control studies. The study-specific effect estimates for stroke and coronary heart disease were too heterogeneous to be summarized (homogeneity p < 0.02 for stroke, p < 0.001 for coronary heart disease). Only the relative risk estimates for myocardial infarction (seven studies) appeared reasonably homogeneous (homogeneity p = 0.20). The incidence rate of myocardial infarction is estimated to decrease by 11% with an increase in tea consumption of 3 cups per day (fixed-effects relative risk estimate = 0.89, 95% confidence interval: 0.79, 1.01) (1 cup = 237 ml). However, evidence of bias toward preferential publication of smaller studies that suggest protective effects urges caution in interpreting this result. The geographic region where the studies were conducted appeared to explain much of the heterogeneity among coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and probably stroke results. With increasing tea consumption, the risk increased for coronary heart disease in the United Kingdom and for stroke in Australia, whereas the risk decreased in other regions, particularly in continental Europe.
Murine weight loss exhibits significant genetic variation during dietary restriction

We present genetic analyses of murine weight loss during dietary restriction (DR) for females eating 60% ad libitum (AL). We examined 5 cohorts across 81 different strains (22 strains tested twice)...
Tablet PC's as instructional tools or the pen is mightier than the 'board!

Tablet PC's have several unique features that lend themselves nicely to the academic environment-both for faculty use and for student use. Faculty in the College of Technology at the University of Houston have used Tablet PC's (TPCs) for the past year. This paper will describe those experiences and the possibilities they provide for new ways of teaching and learning.
Molecular signature of late-stage human ALS revealed by expression profiling of postmortem spinal cord gray matter.

Little is known about global gene expression patterns in the human neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To address this, we used high-density oligonucleotide microarray te...
NBC: the Naïve Bayes Classification tool webserver for taxonomic classification of metagenomic reads

Motivation: Datasets from high-throughput sequencing technologies have yielded a vast amount of data about organisms in environmental samples. Yet, it is still a challenge to assess the exact organism content in these samples because the task of taxonomic classification is too computationally complex to annotate all reads in a dataset. An easy-to-use webserver is needed to process these reads. While many methods exist, only a few are publicly available on webservers, and out of those, most do not annotate all reads. Results: We introduce a webserver that implements the naive Bayes classifier (NBC) to classify all metagenomic reads to their best taxonomic match. Results indicate that NBC can assign next-generation sequencing reads to their taxonomic classification and can find significant populations of genera that other classifiers may miss. Availability: Publicly available at: http://nbc.ece.drexel.edu. Contact: ude.lexerd.ece@rliag
The perceptions of science and engineering graduate students to the educational theories relevant to skill development in curriculum leadership

Graduate students interested in academic careers welcome opportunities to discuss issues related to teaching and learning. Experience shows that these students are curious not only about balancing research and teaching, understanding the application and interview processes, and maneuvering through the tenure process, but also about designing curriculum and assessing student learning. To guide students as they learn how to design a lesson, course, and entire curriculum and the corresponding assessment tools, a knowledge of educational theories is helpful. But how helpful? How best to share educational theories so that students understand them and can apply them appropriately? Does knowledge of educational theories lead to more confidence as a "curriculum leader?" How does this quality affect the academic career process? How does this knowledge help develop skills in curriculum leadership? The authors of this paper focused on these questions in a graduate seminar titled, "Teaching Science and Engineering" during spring, 2002 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Courter and colleagues developed this course three years ago. This spring she added Heywood's text, "Curriculum, Instruction and Leadership in Engineering Education" and assessed students' reactions to the depth of the text and especially of the educational theories presented. This text takes them beyond simple packaged data as might be presented in a short workshop to a more in-depth understanding of educational theory. Heywood from Dublin, Ireland, joined Courter and students for one class and continued corresponding with students after his visit. Discussion within the Education, Research and Methods Division (ERM) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) suggests that curriculum leadership will only become possible when science and engineering educators have a thorough grounding in curriculum theory and practice. The purpose of this paper is to describe the classroom research related to this view among graduate students enrolled in the spring, 2002 seminar. Methodology included students writing several reflective papers and designing and reviewing lesson plans in a supportive environment. Results will have implications for the education and training of graduate students who are teaching assistants or who pursue academic careers; the implications may extend beyond workshops and short courses to certificates, minors, masters and even doctoral levels.
Communication skills training, communication skills training with family and cognitive behavioral mood management training for alcoholics

To evaluate three promising social learning approaches to the treatment of alcoholism, 69 male alcoholics in standard inpatient treatment participated in either a communication skills training group (CST), a communication skills training group with family participation (CSTF) or a cognitive behavioral mood management training group (CBMMT). Alcoholics who received CST or CSTF drank significantly less alcohol per drinking day during 6-month follow-up than those in CBMMT. The groups did not differ in abstinence rates or latency to relapse. All groups improved in skill and anxiety on the extensive battery of process measures, including role-play tests of general and alcohol-specific coping skills, but those in CST improved most in skill in alcohol-specific high-risk role plays and in ability to relax after the role plays. Alcoholics' skill, response latency, anxiety and urge to drink during alcohol-specific role plays were highly correlated with treatment outcome, demonstrating the importance of including co...
Alkaline peroxide pretreatment of corn stover: effects of biomass, peroxide, and enzyme loading and composition on yields of glucose and xylose

Background: Pretreatment is a critical step in the conversion of lignocellulose to fermentable sugars. Although many pretreatment processes are currently under investigation, none of them are entirely satisfactory in regard to effectiveness, cost, or environmental impact. The use of hydrogen peroxide at pH 11.5 (alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP)) was shown by Gould and coworkers to be an effective pretreatment of grass stovers and other plant materials in the context of animal nutrition and ethanol production. Our earlier experiments indicated that AHP performed well when compared against two other alkaline pretreatments. Here, we explored several key parameters to test the potential of AHP for further improvement relevant to lignocellulosic ethanol production. Results: The effects of biomass loading, hydrogen peroxide loading, residence time, and pH control were tested in combination with subsequent digestion with a commercial enzyme preparation, optimized mixtures of four commercial enzymes, or optimized synthetic mixtures of pure enzymes. AHP pretreatment was performed at room temperature (23°C) and atmospheric pressure, and after AHP pretreatment the biomass was neutralized with HCl but not washed before enzyme digestion. Standard enzyme digestion conditions were 0.2% glucan loading, 15 mg protein/g glucan, and 48 h digestion at 50°C. Higher pretreatment biomass loadings (10% to 20%) gave higher monomeric glucose (Glc) and xylose (Xyl) yields than the 2% loading used in earlier studies. An H2O2 loading of 0.25 g/g biomass was almost as effective as 0.5 g/g, but 0.125 g/g was significantly less effective. Optimized mixtures of four commercial enzymes substantially increased post-AHP-pretreatment enzymatic hydrolysis yields at all H2O2 concentrations compared to any single commercial enzyme. At a pretreatment biomass loading of 10% and an H2O2 loading of 0.5 g/g biomass, an optimized commercial mixture at total protein loadings of 8 or 15 mg/g glucan gave monomeric Glc yields of 83% or 95%, respectively. Yields of Glc and Xyl after pretreatment at a low hydrogen peroxide loading (0.125 g H2O2/g biomass) could be improved by extending the pretreatment residence time to 48 h and readjusting the pH to 11.5 every 6 h during the pretreatment. A Glc yield of 77% was obtained using a pretreatment of 15% biomass loading, 0.125 g H2O2/g biomass, and 48 h with pH adjustment, followed by digestion with an optimized commercial enzyme mixture at an enzyme loading of 15 mg protein/g glucan. Conclusions: Alkaline peroxide is an effective pretreatment for corn stover. Particular advantages are the use of reagents with low environmental impact and avoidance of special reaction chambers. Reasonable yields of monomeric Glc can be obtained at an H2O2 concentration one-quarter of that used in previous AHP research. Additional improvements in the AHP process, such as peroxide stabilization, peroxide recycling, and improved pH control, could lead to further improvements in AHP pretreatment.
Mortality risk affects mating decisions in the spider Nephila clavipes

Risk assessment is a fundamental component of any decision-making process, including mate choice. For males, one element of risk that is rarely considered is that a female mate may not survive to offspring independence, resulting in total reproductive failure. This element of risk could be particularly important in short-lived species where all individuals, regardless of condition, attempt to reproduce, and developing mature eggs is a time and energetically expensive process during which females are at risk of predation, starvation, and disease. I evaluate whether males use female survival probability as a mate choice criterion in the golden orb-web spider Nephila clavipes by assessing how male reproductive investment changes depending on female proximity to oviposition. Using a field experiment and a controlled mating experiment, I show that males mate at higher frequencies, transfer more sperm, and father more offspring in the first clutch when mated with nonvirgin females close to oviposition compared with younger nonvirgin females. Furthermore, females close to oviposition have a lower probability of mortality prior to egg deposition compared with virgin females and young nonvirgin adult females. These findings support the hypothesis that males invest more reproductive effort as a female approaches oviposition, possibly because these females are a low-risk mating investment. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.
The Fellowship חבורה in The Second Jewish Commonwealth

The חבורה (fellowship) was a religious society founded in the villages and towns of Jewish Palestine during the Second Commonwealth in order to foster observance of the laws of tithing and ritual purity. The sources on the fellowship are preserved in rabbinic literature, and the חבורה has therefore been associated with the Pharisees; one must, nonetheless, retain the distinction between the חבורה and the whole Pharisaic sect, since there is no evidence that all Pharisees were members of a fellowship. Membership represented a status recognized by other members and not a formal affiliation with an organized society. The חבר (member) of such a fellowship undertook to carry out even in the company of non-observant men those ritual laws which were generally neglected. Thus they taught their observance by example and precept. At the same time, the members distinguished themselves from the common society by their strict adherence to ritual laws which separated them in crucial relationships of daily life.
Development of Targeted Near-Infrared Imaging Agents for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common noncutaneous malignancy affecting men in North America. Radical prostatectomy remains a definitive treatment for prostate cancer. However, prostate surgeries are still performed "blindly" with the extent of tumor infiltration past the margins of the surgery only being determined postoperatively. An imaging modality that can be used during surgery is needed to help define the tumor margins. With its abundant expression in prostate cancer, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an ideal target for detection of prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to develop PSMA-targeted near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging probes for intraoperative visualization of prostate cancer. We synthesized a high-affinity PSMA ligand (PSMA-1) with low molecular weight and further labeled it with commercially available NIR dyes IRDy800 and Cy5.5. PSMA-1 and PSMA-1-NIR conjugates had binding affinities better than the parent ligand Cys-CO-Glu. Selective binding was measured for each of the probes in both in vitro and in vivo studies using competitive binding and uptake studies. Interestingly, the results indicated that the pharmacokinetics of the probes was dependent of the fluorophore conjugated to the PSMA-1 ligand and varied widely. These data suggest that PSMA-targeted probes have the potential to be further developed as contrast agents for clinical intraoperative fluorescence-guided surgery.
GLOBALIZATION AND DEMOCRACY

By 1996, 66% of the countries of the world were using elections to choose their top leaders. This wave of democratization was accompanied by a paradigm shift that took the large number of historically clustered democratizations and called it a “wave.” The scholarship has moved beyond overly episodic, event-oriented accounts of democratization to comparative work that investigates the impact of global processes on the political regimes of nations. This review examines numerous renderings of the linkage between globalization and democratization, including: favorable climate for democracy, global economic growth, global crises, foreign intervention, hegemonic shifts, and world-system contraction. Those authors who have advanced a stronger theoretical integration of the global and domestic processes offer exceptional insight into the momentous shifts that recently have occurred.
The Efficacy of a Systematic Substance Abuse Program for Adolescent Females.

A school-based substance abuse prevention program based on the assumptions of the ASCA National Model® was designed to change adolescent females' drug-using behaviors. The program was designed to reduce substance abuse, increase negative attitudes toward drug use, and reduce negative behaviors while increasing positive behaviors, knowledge of the physical symptoms of drug use, student achievement, and selfesteem. Group sessions were based on solution-focused brief therapy and action learning theory and were supplemented by mentorship from community members and peers. Positive outcomes were found on five dependent variables.
Pathogenesis of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), an inherited life-threatening inflammatory disorder, has gained growing recognition not only in children but also increasingly in adults over the past 2 decades. HLH involves inborn defects in lymphocytes, which normally mediate control of infectious and inflammatory conditions within the immune system and in other tissues. In the context of inherited defects in cytotoxic cells and other immune cells, the disorder is classified as familial or primary HLH. Secondary HLH occurs in the settings of infections or underlying rheumatologic disorders. Secondary HLH also accompanies some lymphoid malignancies.
Clinical equipoise: an argument for expedited approval of the first small step toward an autonomous artificial pancreas

A series of technological advances over the past 30 years have greatly expanded the functionality of insulin pumps beyond that of the original devices, which were basically motorized syringes with ...
New Macrocyclic Musk Compounds

The syntheses and olfactory evaluations of eight new macrocyclic musks with a 1,6-dioxa structure (1a-d and 1'a-d) as well as of twelve optically active 3-methyl macrolides (5a-c and 5'a-c) are reported. These macrocycles were synthesized via intramolecular metathesis mediated by the Grubbs catalyst. Despite the absence of a C=O function, the 1,6-dioxa compounds, both unsaturated (1) and saturated (1'), possess musky odors similar to those of macrocyclic ketones and lactones. Especially 16-membered rings were found to display an intense and pleasant musk character. However, in the case of optically active 3-methyl macrolides (5, 5'), only the (R)-configured 15- and 16-membered rings had intense and pleasant musk notes.
Hatchability of Eggs Sanitized with Increasing Concentrations of BioSentry 904 or Bio-Phene

SUMMARY A series of experiments was conducted to determine the relative safety of two hatching eggsanitizing chemicals on embryo viability. On 4 consecutive d, broiler breeder hatching eggs were sanitized after collection and sorting with BioSentry 904 or Bio-Phene at 1, 2, 6, and 12 times the recommended concentration. A total of 304 eggs per treatment (76/d) was sprayed with 8 oz (240 mL) of solutions containing ¹⁄₂, 1, 3, and 6 oz/gal concentrations of chemical, or controls of water, or nothing at all. Hatchability linearly decreased with increasing concentrations of BioSentry 904 due to early embryo mortality prior to Day 7 of incubation. Hatchability of eggs set was markedly decreased for eggs sanitized with BioSentry 904 at 3 and 6 oz/gal (84.4 and 78.2%, respectively). Hatchability of fertile eggs sanitized with Bio-Phene at ¹⁄₂, 1, 3, and 6 oz/gal concentrations were not significantly different (87.1 to 91.0%) when compared to the nonsprayed (88.7%) and watersprayed controls (88.7%). Hatched chick quality of eggs sprayed with Bio-Phene or BioSentry 904 with ¹⁄₂ to 6 oz per gal was comparable to the controls.
Measuring the performance of parallel message-based process architectures

Message-based process architectures are widely regarded as an effective method for structuring parallel protocol processing on shared memory multi-processor platforms. A message-based process architecture binds one or more processing elements with data messages and control messages received from applications and network interfaces. In this architecture, parallelism is achieved by simultaneously escorting multiple messages on separate processing elements through a stack of protocol tasks. The paper reports performance results from empirical comparisons of a connection-oriented TCP/IP protocol stack implemented using two different parallel message-based process architectures. These performance experiments measure the throughput, context switching, and synchronization exhibited by the two process architectures on a shared memory multi-processor platform. The experimental results demonstrate the extent to which the selection of a parallel process architecture affects protocol stack performance.
Religion, Delinquency, and Drug Use: A Meta-Analysis

Contemporary research on adolescent involvement in religion and delinquency is generally traced to Hirschi and Stark’s 1969 study, titled “Hellfire and Delinquency.” Their study surprised many by r...
Sleep duration and sleep disorder with red blood cell distribution width.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association of sleep duration and sleep disorder with red blood cell distribution width (RDW). METHODS Data from the 2005-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used, including 17,621 adults. A questionnaire was used to assess sleep duration and sleep disorder, with a blood sample used to assess RDW. RESULTS Compared to persons getting 7-8 hours/night of sleep, those getting 5, 9, and ≥ 10 hours/night respectively had a 23%, 29%, and 67% increased odds of having an elevated RDW (p < .05 for all odds ratios). Participants with a physician-diagnosed sleep disorder had a higher RDW (β = 0.08; p = .04). CONCLUSIONS Sleep duration and sleep disorder are associated with elevated RDW.
The B-Cell Clonotype Repertoire

Publisher Summary Implicit in the clonal selection hypothesis is the existence of a repertoire of genetically determined B-cell clonotypes. This chapter focuses on the genetic determination, the development, and the regulation of this library of immunologic responses. The authors draw on their extensive experience in this field to put into perspective the clonal selection scheme with its more than 107 clonotypes and multiple forms and levels of control. In keeping with the genetic basis of the scheme, all members of an inbred strain express the same repertoire of major clonotypes. The maturation of the repertoire from its restricted state in the neonate to its full development in the adult is presented, and the many levels for control of this expression are discussed. The neonatal B cell repertoire is significantly more restricted and, preliminarily, appears repetitive within a strain. Clonotype expression is controlled at many levels and many assumed polymorphisms in variable-region structural genes between strains are more closely reflect disparities in control of clonotype expression.
Spatial Decomposition of Translational Water-Water Correlation Entropy in Binding Pockets.

A number of computational tools available today compute the thermodynamic properties of water at surfaces and in binding pockets by using inhomogeneous solvation theory (IST) to analyze explicit-solvent simulations. Such methods enable qualitative spatial mappings of both energy and entropy around a solute of interest and can also be applied quantitatively. However, the entropy estimates of existing methods have, to date, been almost entirely limited to the first-order terms in the IST’s entropy expansion. These first-order terms account for localization and orientation of water molecules in the field of the solute but not for the modification of water–water correlations by the solute. Here, we present an extension of the Grid Inhomogeneous Solvation Theory (GIST) approach which accounts for water–water translational correlations. The method involves rewriting the two-point density of water in terms of a conditional density and utilizes the efficient nearest-neighbor entropy estimation approach. Spatial m...
Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD): Infection, Cancer?

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder encompasses a broad spectrum of lymphoid disorders that occur in immune-suppressed patients following solid or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic virus capable of transforming B lymphocytes and is associated with the pathogenesis of multiple benign and malignant lymphoproliferative disorders, including PTLD. This review outlines current knowledge of EBV pathogenesis, its role in B cell immortalization, transformation, and as an etiologic agent in lymphoproliferative disorders in immune-suppressed patients following transplantation. Here, we provide discussion incorporating infectious disease and medical oncology aspects.
Keynesian versus Marxian Explanations of the Financial Crisis

ABSTRACTMany Keynesian economists envisioned a new dawn of Keynesianism in the 2007–8 financial meltdown in the United States. Nearly seven years later, it is clear that the much-hoped-for Keynesian prescriptions are completely ignored. Why? Keynesian economists’ answer: “neoliberal ideology,” which they trace back to President Reagan. This study argues, by contrast, that the rise of neoliberalism has much deeper roots than pure ideology, that the transition from Keynesian to neoliberal economics started long before Reagan was elected president, and that the Keynesian reliance on the ability of the government to regulate and revive the economy through policies of demand management rests on a wishful/optimistic perception that the state can control capitalism. The study further argues that the Marxian theory of unemployment, based on his theory of the reserve army of labor, provides a much more robust explanation of the protracted high levels of unemployment than the Keynesian view, which attributes the pl...
A note on the heat transfer in convective fins

In this paper a generalized approach to the problem of heat transfer through convective fins is given. The proper dimensionless variables, which specify the general problem are identified, and upper bounds of the values of the dimensionless number Nr defined as “the ratio of the heat transferred by the fin to that of the corresponding bare surface” are derived. It was shwon that these limiting values of the Nr are 1/√B1 and √2/B1 for longitudinal fins and spines respectively, where B1 is the Biot number hb/k, while for annular fins of constant thickness and hyperbolic profile, Nr⩽ K(β)/√Bi, where K(β) is a number determined by the profile of the fin and the ratio β=x2/x1 of the outside to the inside radii. It was also shown that for longitudinal fins and spinces the possible adverse insulating effect by the use of the fin is avoided, if one selects the value of √hA/KC < 1, which is a rather stricter criterion than the one reported in the literature, namely that of hA/kC < 1 [2–5]. An example is given to show how one may utilize the appropriate value of Nr and the fin effectiveness e, to obtain the dimensions of the fin.
Survival and secondary surgery following lower extremity replantation.

Background The limited and inconsistent literature exists on survival and secondary surgery following lower limb replantation. The purpose of this study was to review our institutional experience in lower extremity replantation to quantify survival and characterize secondary surgeries. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of all lower extremity replantations at our institution between 2000 and 2012. The mean follow-up period was 2.6 years. Patient, injury, and surgical demographics as well as replantation survival, secondary surgical procedures, and complications were recorded. Results A total of 22 lower extremity replantations were performed with 45% survival (n = 10). Secondary surgeries were common with an average of six per patient (range 2–11). Early secondary procedures included debridements (19 of 22 patients, 86%) and soft tissue coverage (15 of 22 patients, 68%). The average initial hospitalization was 45 days (range 19–90) and time to final secondary procedure in patients with surviving replantation was 1.5 years (range 18 d–3.5 y). Late secondary surgeries were aimed at either aesthetic or functional enhancement. The most common complication was deep infection in 18 of 22 patients (82%) and infection was felt to be the cause of replantation failure in all cases. Conclusion We found a modest survival following lower extremity replantation with several secondary surgeries in each case. Infection complicated the majority of cases and free tissue transfer was often required for wound coverage. Early secondary surgeries were aimed at debridement and soft tissue coverage while late secondary surgeries were aimed at either aesthetic or functional enhancement.
Case reports. Multiple diffuse cystic disease of the stomach in association with carcinoma.

A patient is presented in whom diffuse gastric cyst formation, probably of congenital origin, in the submucosal layers of the stomach, existed in association with a presumed unrelated adenocarcinoma. These cystic changes produced an X-ray and gastroscopic picture identical with diffuse gastric polyposis and could easily lead one to perform extensive surgery for a condition requiring no surgical treatment whatsoever. It is stressed that pathological proof of gastric polyposis should be established prior to undertaking a radical gastrectomy for the presumed presence of diffuse polyposis. An awareness of this rarely reported entity may improve preoperative diagnosis and avoid unnecessary and disabling gastric surgery.
Native-american Elders: Health Care Status

This article reviews current data relevant to the health care status of elderly Native Americans, a oopulation cohort encompassing American Indians and Alaskan Natives/Aleutians. Several topics are addressed, including the history of Native American health policy, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, cancer, oral health, nutrition, long-term care, and the circumstances of urban Native American elders.
VII. Moving toward integrative feminist evolutionary behavioral sciences

There is a long history of mostly antagonist interactions between feminist and evolutionary scholarship in the behavioral sciences. However, recent theoretical and empirical advances have highlight...
Corticosterone rapidly suppresses innate immune activity in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus).

ABSTRACT Stress-induced effects on innate immune activity in wild birds have been difficult to predict. These difficulties may arise from the frequent assumptions that (1) the stress response influences different components of the immune response similarly, (2) stress-induced effects do not change over the course of the stress response and (3) glucocorticoids are the primary regulators of stress-induced changes of immune activity. We tested the first two assumptions by measuring three components of innate immunity at two times during the stress response in captive adult male house sparrows, Passer domesticus . Acute stress resulting from handling and restraint suppressed plasma lytic and microbicidal activity within 10 min and reduced plasma agglutination ability within 120 min. We tested the third assumption by measuring stress-induced effects in sparrows that were pharmacologically adrenalectomized by mitotane administration. Confirming the effectiveness of this treatment, mitotane-treated birds had lower pre-stress plasma CORT than control birds and showed no increase in plasma CORT during acute stress. The innate immune activity of mitotane-treated birds did not decrease during the stress response, but the pre-stress immune activity of these birds did not differ from that of vehicle-treated birds. These results suggest that elevated plasma CORT during stress is primarily responsible for mediating stress-induced suppression of innate immune activity.
Batten down the anchors: Responding to another negotiator’s first offer

Abstract Drawing from a wealth of negotiation research, my previous installment of Negotiating Life advised negotiators to make the first offer if they can. But sometimes they can’t. Sometimes, despite a negotiator’s best efforts, the other side moves first. In this article, I provide a framework for responding to another negotiator’s first offer, suggesting that the appropriate response varies markedly depending on the quality of the offer. This provides a more comprehensive strategy for making and managing early offers in a negotiation.
Variation in seed yield components of buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima HBK.) grown as an annual

Phenotypic variation for parameters of seed yield were examined in 57 buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima HBK.) plants cultivated as annuals. Among the 52 individuals which bore fruit, seed weight/plant was highly variable (cv=106%); the majority of plants exhibited seed yields below that of the mean (431 g/plant). Values of seed weight/plant were more highly influenced by fruit/plant (r=+0.81) than by seed weight/fruit (r=+0.19). Variation in fruit/plant % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGak0dh9WrFfpC0xh9vqqj-hEeeu0xXdbba9frFj0-OqFf% ea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr% 0-vqpWqaaeaabiGaciaacaqabeaadaqaaqaaaOqaaiaacIcaceWG4b% GbaebacqGH9aqpcaaIYaGaaGimaiaaicdacaqGNbGaae4oaiaabcca% caqGJbGaaeODaiaabccacaqG9aGaaeiiaiaabodacaqG3aGaaeyjai% aabMcaaaa!454B!\[(\bar x = 56; cv = 115\% )\] was greater than that displayed for seed weight/fruit and their distribution was also highly skewed. High fruit yields were associated with the duration (in nodes) of the fruiting period (r=+0.64).
Environments and Rates of Supernovae

In this chapter addresses the sites and occurrence rates of supernovae. In a few dozen cases, archival presupernova images revealed the immediate stellar progenitors of supernovae, particularly those of Type IIP (SN IIP). The progenitors of SN IIP were red supergiants at the time of explosion; their inferred initial main-sequence masses have ranged from about 8-16 solar masses, with most near the lower end of this range. Supernovae of Types IIP, IIL (prominent linear declines in magnitude), IIn (prominent narrow lines of circumstellar interaction), IIb (only thin outer layers of hydrogen), Ib (little or no hydrogen), and Ic (little or no hydrogen or helium) occur almost exclusively in spiral and irregular galaxies that have ongoing star formation, implicating massive-star progenitors and core collapse. Supernovae of Type Ia (SN Ia) occur in all kinds of galaxies, including ellipticals dominated by old stellar populations, indicating that SN Ia do not arise from core collapse. Determinations of occurrence rates of supernovae in other galaxies suggest that our Milky Way galaxy should produce about 3 supernovae per century, 20% SN Ia, 30% SN IIb, Ib and Ic, and 50% SN IIP. The chapter also discusses the variation of supernova rates with redshift and the SN Ia delay-time distribution.
Teaching Prince as Critical Pedagogy: an Autoethnography

In the 20 years that I have practiced critical pedagogy in college instruction, some of my most exciting student engagement has centered around the musical legacy of Prince. From the social commentary in his lyrics to his struggle for ownership of his master recordings, teaching Prince has provided a space in my courses for lively class discussion and deep critical analysis. In “Teaching Prince as Critical Pedagogy: an Autoethnography,” I examine the critical pedagogy models that I have used to connect students’ knowledge of Prince’s music to larger social, cultural, and historical contexts. While a great deal of the literature on critical pedagogy aptly addresses the influence of hip hop music, there has been little attention given to the genres of music represented by Prince (soul, R&B, funk, blues, jazz) particularly in classrooms of adult learners. In this case, I argue that using the types of popular culture contexts that are represented in Prince’s musical legacy offer a prime opportunity to create a learning environment that critically engages adult learners.
3D printed braille maps — Texas A&M

This report explores the practical application of 3D printing as a medium for large and small scale braille maps. In October 2016 the Engineering Innovation Center located at Texas A&M University completed a draft run of braille maps printed in a desktop ABS printer. This project resulted when one mechanical engineering freshman took a 3D printing class at the Engineering Innovation Center and reflected on how they could use 3D printed parts to help a vision impaired student find locations across campus. Further collaboration with the Engineering Innovation Center manager resulted in these maps being installed in several local community colleges and a large two foot square map developed for the Texas A&M campus. These maps are printed with topographic details, including a representation of the building, road and walkways, all highlighted with a surface extruded braille header. The project is currently experimenting with various materials including UV and weather resistant plastics and coatings. The ultimate goals is provide all major arteries of the main campus with a sustainable, reliable braille map of the university. This project will conclude with standardized snap together format to make large scale maps from any CAD file to be distributed to any public domain service. Author's Note — This report will highlight the unique perspectives of Tyler Wooten and Jim Wilson. Tyler Wooten is an engineering undergraduate student who created the project concept, developed the prototypes and has generated a working model for presentation to the student body. Jim Wilson manages a large academic maker space for the Texas A&M College of Engineering. His knowledge of prototyping and engineering design was key to getting Tyler Wooten a working artifact.
Bringing the patient back in: behavioral decision-making and choice in medical economics

We explore the behavioral methodology and "revolution" in economics through the lens of medical economics. We address two questions: (1) Are mainstream economic assumptions of utility-maximization realistic approximations of people's actual behavior? (2) Do people maximize subjective expected utility, particularly in choosing from among the available options? In doing so, we illustrate-in terms of a hypothetical experimental sample of patients with dry eye diagnosis-why and how utility in pharmacoeconomic assessments might be valued differently by patients when subjective psychological, social, cognitive, and emotional factors are considered. While experimentally-observed or surveyed behavior yields stated (rather than revealed) preferences, behaviorism offers a robust toolset in understanding drug, medical device, and treatment-related decisions compared to the optimizing calculus assumed by mainstream economists. It might also do so more perilously than economists have previously understood, in light of the intractable uncertainties, information asymmetries, insulated third-party agents, entry barriers, and externalities that characterize healthcare. Behavioral work has been carried out in many sub-fields of economics. Only recently has it been extended to healthcare. This offers medical economists both the challenge and opportunity of balancing efficiency presumptions with relatively autonomous patient choices, notwithstanding their predictable, yet seemingly consistent, irrationality. Despite its comparative youth and limitations, the scientific contributions of behaviorism are secure and its future in medical economics appears to be promising.
Paroxysmal Autonomic Instability with Dystonia Syndrome in Association with Wolf–Hirschhorn Syndrome

Paroxysmal autonomic instability with dystonia (PAID) syndrome, a distinct entity of autonomic dysfunction, is typically seen following acute brain injury. There are no reported cases of this entity in association with Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS). Here, we report a case of WHS whose predominant neurological manifestations were consistent with PAID syndrome.
Start-Up of a Day Treatment Program in a University Medical Center

University medical centers have the complex and expensive responsibility to provide medical education. In order to meet this mandate, they must attract quality medical academicians and students through the initiation and operation of excellent clinical programs. In addition to this responsibility for education, they are also committed to research endeavors and are becoming more dependent on programs that have the potential to support clinical faculty and to operate with fiscal independence. Child and adolescent day treatment programs provide an innovative clinical approach able to support educational opportunities, research programs, and clinical services. The mesh among university objectives and day treatment potentials allows medical universities to provide one of a variety of settings in which the operation of a child and adolescent day treatment program is appropriate.
Lung Cancer: Considerations Related to Gross Anatomy

The objective of this section is to describe anatomic features of particular relevance to the natural history of carcinoma of the lung and to its clinical management. A strict criterion of relevance makes this review highly selective. Readers who wish a comprehensive treatment of thoracic anatomy as such or as a guide to technical aspects of surgical resection or radiation therapy are referred elsewhere.
A machine resolution of a four-color hoax.

Figure 1. The April Fool’s hoax map from 1975. Developing an algorithm to 4-color planar maps leads to two interesting computational issues: 1. Devising an algorithm that will 4-color planar graphs. Since the proof that such an algorithm works would yield the 4-color theorem, one will have to deal with the fact that the algorithm is likely to be not proved to work. One hopes that it will simply work in practice. 2. Devising an algorithm to turn planar maps into planar graphs. This leads to the question of designing a good data structure for maps, and for planar drawings of graphs whose edges might not be lines, but will have to be broken lines.
Benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy based on lymph node involvement for oesophageal cancer following trimodality therapy

Background Oesophageal cancer (OC) survival rates have improved since the widespread adoption of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NACRT) followed by oesophagectomy (trimodality therapy). Unfortunately, the overall prognosis for patients with locally advanced disease remains poor. In this study, we sought to assess the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in patients treated with trimodality therapy. Methods Using the National Cancer Database we retrospectively identified 6785 patients with locally advanced (cT1b-T4a, N0-N+, M0) OC who were treated with trimodality therapy from 2006 to 2014. Patients were separated based on receipt of AC (n=463), as well as clinical and pathological lymph node involvement. Overall survival (OS) between groups was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard modelling. Results Based on multivariate analysis, AC was associated with a statistically significantly reduced risk of death (HR 0.77, p Conclusion AC following trimodality therapy may improve survival in patients with locally advanced OC. Patients who undergo lymph node downstaging may be the most likely to benefit from AC. Prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding.
Fluorescent Reporter Mice for Nerve Guidance Conduit Assessment: A High-Throughput in vivo Model.

OBJECTIVE Use of cell culture and conventional in vivo mammalian models to assess nerve regeneration across guidance conduits is resource-intensive. Herein we describe a high-throughput platform utilizing transgenic mice for stain-free axon visualization paired with rapid cryosection techniques for low-cost screening of novel bioengineered nerve guidance conduit performance. METHODS Interposition repair of sciatic nerve transection in mice expressing yellow fluorescent protein in peripheral neurons (Thy1.2 YFP-16) was performed with various bioengineered neural conduit compositions using a rapid sutureless entubulation technique under isoflurane anesthesia. Axonal ingrowth was assessed at 3 and 6 weeks using epifluorescent microscopy following cryosectioning. RESULTS Mean procedure time (incision-to-closure) was less than 2½ minutes. Direct operational costs of a 3-week experiment was calculated at $21.47 per animal. Tissue processing steps were minimized to aldehyde fixation, cryoprotection and sectioning, and rapid fluorescent dye staining for conduit visualization. Fluorescent microscopy readily resolved robust axonal sprouting at 3 weeks, with clear elucidation of ingrowth-permissive, semipermissive, or restrictive nerve guidance conduit environments. CONCLUSION A rapid and cost-efficient in vivo platform for screening of nerve guidance conduit performance has been described. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA. Laryngoscope, E392-E392, 2018.
Reducing the cost of Medicaid: a multistate simulation.

According to some estimates, the United States wastes as much as 30% of health care dollars. Some of that waste can be mitigated by reducing certain costs associated with Medicaid. We chose 5 areas...
Adolescent obesity and weapon carrying at school

ABSTRACTThis study examined the association between obesity and weapon carrying at school, controlling for measures representing the victimization and violent lifestyle theses. We investigated the ...