cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Focal treatment of prostate cancer with vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy.

Epidemiologic and pathologic features of prostate cancer have given rise to an interest in focal treatment for carefully selected patients. Prostate cancer remains highly prevalent, particularly in the U.S. and Europe. As screening programs have become more aggressive and widespread, a substantial proportion of men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer have disease characteristics associated with a low risk of progression. Treatments such as radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy can lead to durable recurrence-free survival in most patients, but carry variable risks of bowel, urinary, and sexual side effects. Few men and few urologists are comfortable leaving a potentially curable prostate cancer untreated. Focal therapy offers an attractive alternative for the patient faced with a choice between aggressive local intervention (radiation or surgery) and watchful waiting. Contemporary diagnostic biopsy strategies and imaging tools, and the development of predictive statistical models (nomograms), have led to improvements in tumor characterization and risk stratification, making focal therapy a viable treatment option for specific men. This article reviews the rationale and indications for focal therapy and highlights vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) as one of many promising focal therapy techniques.
Levan Production by a Strain of Rothia: Activation of Complement Resulting in Cytotoxicity for Human Gingival Cells

An extracellular polysaccharide identified as a levan has been isolated from Rothia dentocariosa, strain 477 serotype 2. The levan produced by strain 477 has been found to activate the complement cascade in the absence of specific antibodies. This activation was found to be cytotoxic for human gingival cells in tissue culture.
Noninvasive Examination of the Venous System in the Leg: Presclerotherapy Evaluation

. Sclerotherapy of varicose veins and telangiectasia should be preceded by a directed medical history and physical examination. Factors including the presence of significant venous disease should prompt a more extensive evaluation. Of the physical examination techniques and noninvasive technologies available, Doppler ultrasound provides the most pertinent information, but the potential uses of each method are described.
Time-resolved infrared studies of the dynamics of ligand binding to cytochrome c oxidase

Time-resolved infrared spectroscopy (TRIRS) has been employed to study the reactions of small molecules with the cytochrome a3-CuB site of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO). All phases of these reactions have been investigated, from ultrafast phenomena (hundreds of femtoseconds) to relatively slow processes (milliseconds). The ligation dynamics immediately following photodissociation have been studied using a TRIRS technique with time resolution of less than 1 ps. The rate of photoinitiated transfer of CO from Fea32+ to CuB+ was measured directly by monitoring the development of the transient CuB+-CO absorption. The development of a stationary CuB+ spectrum which is constant until the CO dissociates from CuB+ occurs in less than 1 ps, indicating that the photoinitiated transfer of CO is remarkably fast. This unprecedented ligand transfer rate has profound implications with regard to the structure and dynamics of the cytochrome a3-CuB site, the functional architecture of the protein and coordination dynamics in general. The photodissociation and recombination of CN- has also been studied using a real-time TRIR technique. The CN- recombination rate of 430 s-1 is consistent with a recombination pathway similar to the one we have previously proposed for CO, in which a long-lived barrier to recombination is formed by the binding of an endogenous ligand L to Fea32+. The authors suggest the rate determining step for CN- recombination is the thermal dissociation of the Fea32+-L bond.
Supraselective injection of intraarterial melphalan as the primary treatment for late presentation unilateral multifocal stage Vb retinoblastoma.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to report a case of a 7-year-old girl with unilateral, multifocal Reese Ellsworth Stage Vb retinoblastoma who was successfully treated using intraarterial chemotherapy infusion as the primary therapy. METHODS This is an interventional case report. A 7-year-old girl presented with advanced unilateral retinoblastoma. The patient received intraarterial melphalan infusion therapy as the primary treatment. RESULTS Complete tumor resolution was seen at 1 month after intraarterial melphalan infusion. CONCLUSION This case of advanced retinoblastoma in a 7-year-old girl was successfully treated with intraarterial melphalan infusion alone. Treatment resulted in complete resolution of the tumor 1 month after treatment. In comparison with systemic chemotherapy, intraarterial melphalan infusion therapy may be a less toxic and more effective primary treatment option in the future management of advanced retinoblastoma.
An agent-based approach for interpreting medical images

We present an agent-based approach for medical image interpretation. The system is based on the concept of active fusion for image recognition and is composed of two major types of intelligent agents: radiologist agents and patient representative agents. A patient representative agent takes images from the patient through a Web-based interface, asks for multiple opinions from radiologist agents in interpreting them, and then integrates the opinions for the user. A radiologist agent decomposes the image interpretation task into smaller subtasks, uses multiple agents to solve the subtasks, and combines the solutions to the subtasks intelligently to solve the image interpretation problem.
Neuroendocrine Interactions between Galanin, Opioids, and Neuropeptide Y in the Control of Reproduction and Appetite a

Galanin is a pleiotropic neuroendocrine signal produced in discrete subpopulations of neurons distributed in several sites in the hypothalamus. Neuropeptide Y and beta-endorphin also display pleiotropism, but they are produced by subpopulations of neurons located only in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Each of these neuropeptides exerts a regulatory influence on reproduction and appetitive behavior. Experimental and morphologic evidence from our laboratory show direct contacts and interplay among these diverse signals. Seemingly, an interconnected network composed of these three neuropeptide-producing neurons provides precision and site specificity in the relay of information necessary to govern reproduction and appetite. Disruptions in this interplay are likely to manifest in untoward consequences such as infertility and obesity.
The communication requirements of social choice rules and supporting budget sets

The paper examines the communication requirements of social choice rules when the (sincere) agents privately know their preferences. It shows that for a large class of choice rules, any minimally informative way to verify that a given alternative is in the choice rule is by verifying a “budget equilibrium”, i.e., that the alternative is optimal to each agent within a “budget set” given to him. Therefore, any communication mechanism realizing the choice rule must find a supporting budget equilibrium. We characterize the class of choice rules that have this property. Furthermore, for any rule from the class, we characterize the minimally informative messages (budget equilibria) verifying it. This characterization is used to identify the amount of communication needed to realize a choice rule, measured with the number of transmitted bits or real variables. Applications include efficiency in convex economies, exact or approximate surplus maximization in combinatorial auctions, the core in indivisible-good economies, and stable many-to-one matchings.
Super‐Resolution Nonlinear Photothermal Microscopy

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy enables imaging of fluorescent structures beyond the diffraction limit. However, this technique cannot be applied to weakly fluorescent cellular components or labels. As an alternative, photothermal microscopy based on nonradiative transformation of absorbed energy into heat has demonstrated imaging of nonfluorescent structures including single molecules and ~1-nm gold nanoparticles. However, previously photothermal imaging has been performed with a diffraction-limited resolution only. Herein, super-resolution, far-field photothermal microscopy based on nonlinear signal dependence on the laser energy is introduced. Among various nonlinear phenomena, including absorption saturation, multiphoton absorption, and signal temperature dependence, signal amplification by laser-induced nanobubbles around overheated nano-objects is explored. A Gaussian laser beam profile is used to demonstrate the image spatial sharpening for calibrated 260-nm metal strips, resolving of a plasmonic nanoassembly, visualization of 10-nm gold nanoparticles in graphene, and hemoglobin nanoclusters in live erythrocytes with resolution down to 50 nm. These nonlinear phenomena can be used for 3D imaging with improved lateral and axial resolution in most photothermal methods, including photoacoustic microscopy.
Towards intelligent string matching in query-by-humming systems

In the past 5-10 years, there have been several attempts at the creation of a musical database that can be queried acoustically. The main problem hindering such efforts so far has been scalability, with limits of the frequently used three-character representation for melodic contour becoming apparent even at relatively small database sizes. Extending the contour representation to 24 semi-tone resolutions would go a long way towards solving such problems, but applying current string matching methods to a 24 character alphabet would prove difficult at best, and human errors would be far more prevalent. Here we show that the vast majority of errors at this resolution, although more numerous, are quite predictable using current methods of probabilistic modeling. This is evidence which we hope opens the door to more intelligent forms of note matching.
Loewner’s Differential Equation

The structure of any Loewner family L depends on certain functions in the class B which arise through the subordination relation between any two members of L.
Nonlinear finite element analysis of laminated composite shells with actuating layers

Nonlinear finite element analysis of laminated composite shell structures with smart material laminae is presented in the study. Third-order shear deformation theory based on Sanders nonlinear shell kinematics is chosen for the shell formulation and it is used to study deflection suppression characteristics of laminated composite shells. The smart material used in this study to achieve damping of transverse deflection is a magnetostrictive material, Terfenol-D, with a linear constitutive model. A negative velocity feedback control is used with a constant control gain. Newmark's time integration scheme and Newton-Raphson iteration method are used to solve the resulting nonlinear equations. A number of parametric studies are carried out to understand the damping characteristics of laminated composite shells with embedded smart material layers.
An overview of charge-exchange spectroscopy as a plasma diagnostic

Charge-exchange spectroscopy in fusion plasmas entails the use of optical transitions that follow electron transfer from a neutral atom into an excited state of an impurity ion. In most applications, the sources of neutral particles are high-energy beams employed either for heating or for the specific purpose of active plasma diagnosis. The transitions following charge exchange are particularly useful for determining the densities of fully stripped low-Z ions and for measuring ion temperatures and plasma rotation, although they have also been exploited for other purposes. In this review, the atomic physics considerations for interpreting the data, including the influence of the plasma environment, are reviewed, and examples of recent applications to fusion studies are presented.
Nest defense of the red-backed shrike Lanius collurio against five corvid species

We compared the antipredation behavior of the red-backed shrike against five European corvids including the jay, nutcracker, rook, crow, and raven. These species differ in body size and in the proportion of eggs and nestlings in their diets. The jay and nutcracker are the smallest, the rook and crow are middle-sized, and the raven being the largest corvid of all. The jay, crow, and raven are habitual nest predators, whereas the nutcracker and rook are not. The harmless pigeon was presented as a control. We analyzed (1) the number of attacks executed by shrikes against intruder presented close to shrike nests and (2) the distance between the intruder and the shrikes during the trial. The small corvids (the jay and nutcracker) were attacked significantly more intensively than the other, larger, corvids (the rook, crow, and raven) and pigeon control. All three large corvids were attacked as exceptionally as the pigeon. Shrikes approached closer to the small corvids and the pigeon than to the large corvids. These results imply that shrike antipredation strategy is adjusted to intruder size, but not to the level of intruder nest plundering specialization. Shrikes weigh up their ability to chase a given intruder away and avoid pointless aggression against large, undefeatable, intruders. This suggests that shrikes are able to asses not only the dangerousness of the intruder but also the potential advantageousness, or otherwise, of active defense.
A dynamic load balancing strategy for generating association rule mining under a grid environment

The parallel and distributed systems represent one of the important solutions proposed to ameliorate the performance of the sequential association rule mining algorithms. However, parallelization and distribution process is not trivial and still facing many problems of synchronization, communication and workload balancing. In this paper we limited our study to the workload balancing problem. In this paper we propose a dynamic load balancing strategy of association rule mining algorithm under an environment of a grid. This strategy is built upon a hierarchical grid model with three levels « Super Coordinator, Coordinator, processing nodes ». The main objective of our strategy is to reduce the complexity of the distributed association rule mining algorithms.
Quality of life outcomes with sublingual immunotherapy.

Purpose: Immunotherapy is the titrated exposure of allergens to induce immunologic tolerance and offers long-term immune modification. Traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) has resulted in several deaths and raised safety concerns. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is an alternative administration route for allergen-specific immunotherapy. Compared to SCIT, SLIT has a shorter escalation phase, equal or greater efficacy for rhinitis, and an improved safety profile. The purpose of this study was to evaluate quality of life measures in a preliminary patient sample initiating SLIT at our institution. Materials and methods: Patients with appropriate allergen reactivity were given the option to pursue immunotherapy by traditional SCIT or by SLIT techniques. Patients choosing SLIT completed the mini-Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (m-RQLQ), a 14-item Likert-type questionnaire, at baseline and during maintenance therapy. Patients typically reached maintenance dosing in less than 5 weeks. Results: Paired m-RQLQ data were available for 15 patients after antigen titration. Initial m-RQLQ results indicate statistically significant (P < .05) improvement on 12 of 14 domains, including impact on regular and recreational activities, sleep, nose rubbing and nose blowing, stuffy nose and runny nose, itchy eyes, sore eyes, watery eyes, thirst, and tiredness. In addition, total m-RQLQ score showed statistically significant improvement (P = .001). No serious adverse events occurred with the initiation of SLIT. Conclusion: These results indicate that SLIT is effective in controlling allergic symptoms and is safe in an introductory patient sample. Double-blind placebo-controlled trials are needed to confirm our preliminary results.
Depletion of Prolactin-Inhibiting Activity of Rat Hypothalamus by Estradiol or Suckling Stimulus11

Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that the hypothalamus contains a factor (s) which inhibits prolactin synthesis and release in vitro. The present experiments were undertaken to determine whether certain prolactin-releasing agents acted by depressing hypothalamic production of “prolactin-inhibiting factor” (PIF). Anterior pituitary incubated in a Dubnoff shaker at 37 C for 2 hr in a medium containing hypothalamic extract from rats injected with estradiol, or from suckled postpartum rats, released 114 and 133 % more prolactin, respectively, than similar pituitaries incubated with hypothalamic extract from control cycling rats. Hypothalamic extract from the estradiol- treated or suckled rats had no significant effect on prolactin release by incubated anterior pituitary, whereas hypothalamic extract from control cycling rats inhibited prolactin release by some 50%. These results indicate that estradiol and suckling can deplete the hypothalamus of PIF, thus removing hypothalamic inhibition to p...
Mechanism of processivity clamp opening by the delta subunit wrench of the clamp loader complex of E. coli DNA polymerase III.

Abstract The dimeric ring-shaped sliding clamp of E. coli DNA polymerase III (β subunit, homolog of eukaryotic PCNA) is loaded onto DNA by the clamp loader γ complex (homolog of eukaryotic Replication Factor C, RFC). The δ subunit of the γ complex binds to the β ring and opens it. The crystal structure of a β:δ complex shows that δ, which is structurally related to the δ′ and γ subunits of the γ complex, is a molecular wrench that induces or traps a conformational change in β such that one of its dimer interfaces is destabilized. Structural comparisons and molecular dynamics simulations suggest a spring-loaded mechanism in which the β ring opens spontaneously once a dimer interface is perturbed by the δ wrench.
Depletion of β-Arrestin-2 Promotes Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis in a Murine Model of Lung Cancer

Arrestins are adaptor/scaffold proteins that complex with activated and phosphorylated G protein-coupled receptor to terminate G protein activation and signal transduction. These complexes also mediate downstream signaling, independently of G protein activation. We have previously shown that beta-arrestin-2 (betaarr2) depletion promotes CXCR2-mediated cellular signaling, including angiogenesis and excisional wound closure. This study was designed to investigate the role of betaarr2 in tumorigenesis using a murine model of lung cancer. To that end, heterotopic murine Lewis lung cancer and tail vein metastasis tumor model systems in betaarr2-deficient mice (betaarr2(-/-)) and control littermates (betaarr2(+/+)) were used. betaarr2(-/-) mice exhibited a significant increase in Lewis lung cancer tumor growth and metastasis relative to betaarr2(+/+) mice. This correlated with decreased number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes but with elevated levels of the ELR(+) chemokines (CXCL1/keratinocyte-derived chemokine and CXCL2/MIP-2), vascular endothelial growth factor, and microvessel density. NF-kappaB activity was also enhanced in betaarr2(-/-) mice, whereas hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha expression was decreased. Inhibition of CXCR2 or NF-kappaB reduced tumor growth in both betaarr2(-/-) and betaarr2(+/+) mice. NF-kappaB inhibition also decreased ELR(+) chemokines and vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Altogether, the data suggest that betaarr2 modulates tumorigenesis by regulating inflammation and angiogenesis through activation of CXCR2 and NF-kappaB.
Experiences Implementing Cognitive Radio Control Algorithms

In recent years, several algorithms for controlling cognitive radio platforms have been proposed. In this paper, we review the existing approaches that have been developed for cognitive radio control algorithms and extract the common sensing and control requirements for those algorithms. We also briefly discuss the challenges of defining representative testing scenarios. We then synthesize our experience implementing cognitive radio control algorithms and extract a set of pragmatic issues challenging researchers in cognitive radios. We conclude with a set of open questions and problems and discuss implications for future research.
Low Income, Public Transit, and Mobility:

A fundamental justification for transit subsidies in the United States is to provide a basic level of mobility to all persons, especially the transportation disadvantaged: those who are either unwilling or unable to drive or who do not have access to a car. Yet even among the disadvantaged, most travel is by private vehicle. This paper examines the role of transit in the daily travel patterns of low-income households. Public transit is used for only a small portion of travel, and those who use transit regularly have the lowest level of mobility among all population segments. Attitudinal data indicate dissatisfaction with public transit, suggesting that current trends are likely to continue. Retaining existing markets by improving service frequency and quality in high-demand markets, exploring more effective ways of providing transit in low-demand markets, and expanding transit to serve off-peak and off-direction commutes would make transit a more attractive option for everyone.
Multiple paleoecological controls on the composition of marine fossil assemblages from the Frasnian (Late Devonian) of Virginia, with a comparison of ordination methods

Ecological ordination can reveal gradients in the species composition of fossil assemblages that can be correlated with paleoenvironmental gradients. Ordinations of simulated data sets suggest that nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) generally produces less distorted results than detrended correspondence analysis (DCA). We ordinated 113 brachiopod-dominated samples from the Frasnian (Late Devonian) Brallier, Scherr, and lower Foreknobs Formations of southwest Virginia, which represent a range of siliciclastic marine paleoenvironments. A clear environmental signal in the ordination results was obscured by (apparently) opportunistic species that occurred at high abundance in multiple environments; samples dominated by these species aggregated in ordination space regardless of paleoenvironmental provenance. After the opportunist-dominated samples were removed, NMDS revealed a gradient in species composition that was highly correlated with substrate (grain size); a second, orthogonal gradient likely reflects variation in disturbance intensity or frequency within grain-size regimes. Additional environmental or ecological factors, such as oxygenation, may also be related to the gradients. These two gradients, plus the environmental factors that controlled the occurrence of opportunistic species, explain much of the variation in assemblage composition in the fauna. In general, the composition of fossil assemblages is probably influenced by multiple paleoecological and paleoenvironmental factors, but many of these can be decomposed and analyzed.
The Distribution of Household Tasks Does Wife's Employment Status Make a Difference?

This article examines the relationship between wives' employment status and their own and their husbands' time spent on specific household tasks. Using Multiple Classification Analysis, we compared the adjusted mean time that women and men spend in a variety of specific household tasks. The findings showed that gender roles are somewhat more egalitarian in households where women are employed than can be discerned from analyses of only total housework and child-care time. Employed women spend less time on female-typed tasks than full-time homemakers, while their time spent on male-typed or neutral tasks is generally not significantly different from that of full-time homemakers. The findings also showed that men's total housework time does not vary by wives' employment status and that wives' employment also seems to have little effect on their husbands' time spent on specific tasks.
Altered distributions of bone tissue mineral and collagen properties in women with fragility fractures

Heterogeneity of bone tissue properties is emerging as a potential indicator of altered bone quality in pathologic tissue. The objective of this study was to compare the distributions of tissue properties in women with and without histories of fragility fractures using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging. We extended a prior study that examined the relationship of the mean FTIR properties to fracture risk by analyzing in detail the widths and the tails of the distributions of FTIR properties in biopsies from fracture and non-fracture cohorts. The mineral and matrix properties of cortical and trabecular iliac crest tissue were compared in biopsies from women with a history of fragility fracture (+Fx; n=21, age: mean 54±SD 15y) and with no history of fragility fracture (-Fx; n=12, age: 57±5y). A subset of the patients included in the -Fx group were taking estrogen-plus-progestin hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (-Fx+HRT n=8, age: 58±5y) and were analyzed separately from patients with no history of HRT (-Fx-HRT n=4, age: 56±7y). When the FTIR parameter mean values were examined by treatment group, the trabecular tissue of -Fx-HRT patients had a lower mineral:matrix ratio (M:M) and collagen maturity (XLR) than that of -Fx+HRT patients (-22% M:M, -18% XLR) and +Fx patients (-17% M:M, -18% XLR). Across multiple FTIR parameters, tissue from the -Fx-HRT group had smaller low-tail (5th percentile) values than that from the -Fx+HRT or +Fx groups. In trabecular collagen maturity and crystallinity (XST), the -Fx-HRT group had smaller low-tail values than those in the -Fx+HRT group (-16% XLR, -5% XST) and the +Fx group (-17% XLR, -7% XST). The relatively low values of trabecular mineral:matrix ratio and collagen maturity and smaller low-tail values of collagen maturity and crystallinity observed in the -Fx-HRT group are characteristic of younger tissue. Taken together, our data suggest that the presence of newly formed tissue that includes small/imperfect crystals and immature crosslinks, as well as moderately mature tissue, is an important characteristic of healthy, fracture-resistant bone. Finally, the larger mean and low-tail values of mineral:matrix ratio and collagen maturity noted in our -Fx+HRT vs. -Fx-HRT biopsies are consistent with greater tissue age and greater BMD arising from decreased osteoclastic resorption in HRT-treated patients.
State RFRAs: Trust Judges to Strike the Proper Balance Between Religious Freedom and Anti-Discrimination Law

The Supreme Court has recognized the importance of the right to free exercise of religion for more than half of a century, but has narrowed this right in recent decades in deference to the states. Some states have responded by providing broader protections for free exercise through the adoption of state RFRAs. Recently, in Arizona and Mississippi, debates over the adoption of state RFRAs have caused major rifts in the political community. The primary concern has been the perceived conflict between RFRAs and anti-discrimination laws, premised on the view that the former create sweeping exceptions to the latter. However, the anxiety surrounding this clash is misplaced and evidences a misunderstanding of what RFRAs actually do, and whom they protect. This article is the first to analyze recent state RFRA controversies in the hope of clearing up some of these various misconceptions while advocating the best way forward for the states. This article examines various ways of approaching Free Exercise protection in the states, and it advocates the most effective strategy in providing protections while respecting civil rights laws. State RFRAs should simply adopt the traditional balancing test once endorsed by the Supreme Court, which has been used in various contexts for more than half of a century. Judges are in the best position to weigh the interests at stake in cases that pit religious freedom against anti-discrimination laws, and states should trust the judiciary to apply this test. Broadly written RFRAs will allow for all people to have a day in court and will allow judges to do case-by-case analyses of the issues, which are sensitive to all concerns. Judges can be trusted to strike an appropriate balance between religious liberty with respect for principles of anti-discrimination, and the judiciary should be given this respect.
Fast Bayesian inference for modeling multivariate crash counts

This paper investigates the multivariate Poisson Lognormal modeling of counts for different types of crashes. This multivariate model can account for the overdispersion as well as positive and/or negative association between counts. Approximate Bayesian inference via the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximations significantly decreases computational time which makes it attractive for researchers. The models are developed for single vehicle, same direction and opposite direction crash types using three years (2009–2011) of crash data on Connecticut divided limited access highway segments. Annual average daily traffic, segment length, and road specific covariates (median type, shoulder width, area type, and on-ramp indicator) are used as predictor variables. The results from the multivariate Poisson Lognormal model suggest that an increase in the annual average daily traffic, segment length, and shoulder width together with urban area type and presence of an on-ramp are associated with in an increase in crashes. The median type covariate has a mixed effect for different median types on different type of crashes. The multivariate Poisson Lognormal model results are compared with the results obtained from two univariate regression models, univariate Poisson Lognormal and univariate negative binomial, with respect to model implications and precision on analysis of crash counts. The results show that the coefficient estimates of predictors have almost similar effects across all three crash type count models; however, standard errors in the multivariate Poisson Lognormal model are smaller than standard errors from other two univariate models in most cases. Results on posterior means for the correlation coefficients between crash types indicate that there are significant correlations exist between the crash count vectors, which indicate that ignoring such a correlation could possibly lead to incorrect variance estimation for the parameters. Results on predicted mean absolute error (PMAE) indicate that Bayesian multivariate Poisson Lognormal model provides up to 33% less prediction error compared to the univariate negative binomial model, although there are no significant difference of PMAE values between multivariate and univariate Poisson Lognormal models results. The analysis results demonstrated that the Bayesian multivariate Poisson Lognormal model provides correct estimates for parameters in predicting crash counts by accounting for correlations in the multivariate crash counts.
Facilitation of group desensitization of test anxiety.

To enhance the effects of group desensitization in the treatment of test anxiety, a modified desensitization procedure was used, calling for pairing a stimulus (tone) with relaxation training, then presenting the stimulus while Ss completed the test-anxiety hierarchy. 60 college freshmen with high test anxiety were divided into 4 groups of 15 Ss each. One group received the modified group-desensitization procedure while a second group received conventional group desensitization. Two control conditions were included: presentation of a tone while completing the test-anxiety hierarchy, and an attention-placebo condition. The modified desensitization procedure was more effective than conventional desensitization and the control conditions.
The Patient Experience and Health Outcomes

Despite criticism of patient-satisfaction measures, patient-experience surveys that are designed and administered appropriately provide robust measures of the quality of health care and offer insight into a dimension that's otherwise difficult to measure objectively.
The Annual Report as a Public Relations Tool in Three Industries

Though their roots reach back for centuries, both public relations and the corporation annual report have reached semi-maturity only during the present century. Business public relations began with the reaction of the first customer to the goods, services, and personality of the first man who offered some commodity—the ham of a squirrel, a live coal, a stone spear—for sale or barter. Everyone has business public relations of some sort, and even those modern companies which still disdain any formal public relations cannot escape the fact that daily they produce some sort of relations reaction in dealing with their segment of the public. As for corporation annual reports, they go back to the time the first corporation totaled its receipts and expenditures at the end of the first year and told its stockholders that they had lost or made so much money. From those beginnings have developed a public relations field that is today a professional science, albeit somewhat ambiguous, and corporation annual reports that rival the sleek magazines in budget requirements, circulation, attention-getting features, and the worry and labor of the staff which prepares them.
The impacts of electricity dispatch protocols on the emission reductions due to wind power and carbon tax.

Two dispatch protocols have been adopted by electricity markets to deal with the uncertainty of wind power but the effects of the selection between the dispatch protocols have not been comprehensively analyzed. We establish a framework to compare the impacts of adopting different dispatch protocols on the efficacy of using wind power and implementing a carbon tax to reduce emissions. We suggest that a market has high potential to achieve greater emission reduction by adopting the stochastic dispatch protocol instead of the static protocol when the wind energy in the market is highly uncertain or the market has enough adjustable generators, such as gas-fired combustion generators. Furthermore, the carbon-tax policy is more cost-efficient for reducing CO2 emission when the market operates according to the stochastic protocol rather than the static protocol. An empirical study, which is calibrated according to the data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas market, confirms that using wind energy in ...
Oxygen radicals, enzymes, and fluid transport through pericardial interstitium.

The interstitium is the final link in the transportation of nutrients from the bloodstream to the individual cells of an organism. To assess interstitial fluid transport in normal and inflamed tiss...
Intramolecular Determination of Substituent Effects in Hydroxylations Catalyzed by Cytochrome P-450

Hydroxylation of monosubstituted 1,3-diphenylpropanes by rat liver microsomes leads predominantly to a mixture of the isomeric benzylic alcohols at positions 1 and 3. Quantitation of the relative concentrations of these alcohols can be achieved by combined gas chromatography-mass fragmentography. p -Methyl, p -trifluoromethyl, and p -fluoro substituents yield product distributions which clearly indicate an electrophilic mechanism for the hydroxylation reaction. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors gratefully acknowledge the expert assistance of Dr. Elaine Herron and the Finnigan Corporation in obtaining mass fragmentograms.
Heterogeneous changes in avian body size across and within species

Contemporary climate change has been linked to widespread changes in phenology and in the geographic distribution of species. Based on Bergmann’s rule, body sizes of birds have been predicted to decline as global temperatures increase. We examined changes in body size of 20 resident and short-distance migrant passerine species in eastern North America between 1980 and 2012, and how changes in resident species related to annual mean summer and mean winter temperatures. We found that wing length generally increased and that fat-free mass did not change significantly. Fat score, a measure of body condition, declined over time. However, changes in wing length, fat-free mass, and fat score all showed significant variation across species. For resident species, increasing mean summer temperatures were generally associated with shorter wing lengths, but were not related to fat-free mass or fat score. Increasing mean winter temperatures were associated with reduced fat-free mass but not with wing length or fat score. Temperature effects did not vary significantly across species for any of the three measures. Across resident species, the magnitude of body size change over time was not related to the influence of mean winter or mean summer temperatures, and may have been driven by other factors. Our findings contrast with those from a study at a nearby bird banding station, in which widespread decreases in wing length and fat-free mass were observed. Our results demonstrate that populations of the same species can exhibit opposing changes in body size over short geographic distances (<250 km). We conclude that changes in body size are heterogeneous over short time scales and can vary across and within species over short distances. Continued advances in understanding how body size changes relate to climate change must embrace this inherent complexity and consider alternative hypotheses.
After the Women's Health Initiative--Menopausal Women and Hormone Therapy.

A physician presents the findings of the Women's Health Initiative and the indications and contraindications for the prescription of hormone therapy for menopausal and postmenopausal women. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Disability, Voter Turnout, and Polling Place Accessibility

Objective Polling place inaccessibility may contribute to the disability gap in voter turnout, both directly by making voting more difficult for people with disabilities, and indirectly by sending the message that people with disabilities are not expected to participate in the political sphere. We explore the role of polling place inaccessibility by examining voter turnout and reports of voting difficulties among people with and without disabilities in the 2012 elections. Method We use the Census Bureau's Voting and Registration Supplement (VRS) and a newly constructed national household survey following the 2012 elections. Results Consistent with past findings, the disability turnout gap is reduced but not eliminated when controlling for standard predictors of voter turnout. Nearly, one-third (30 percent) of voters with disabilities reported difficulty in voting at a polling place in 2012, compared to only 8 percent of voters without disabilities. We find that difficulties in voting predict lower perceptions of the influence people with disabilities have in the political process. This in turn is a significant predictor of voter turnout among people with disabilities, supporting the idea that voting difficulties depress turnout. Majorities of people both with and without disabilities said they would prefer voting in person in a polling place in the next election. Conclusion The results point to the potential role of polling place accessibility in voter turnout, and the gains from wider adoption of best practices to reduce barriers and make the voting process more fully accessible.
The Psychoneuroimmunological Influences of Recreational Marijuana

Background: Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in the USA and self-reported use has remained steady over the past decade. Numerous publications examine the influence of marijuana use on various facets of human physiology including neurocognitive function, immune function, and illness symptom control, each discussing marijuana’s influence in a narrow or compartmentalized fashion. However, there is a scant literature discussing the empirical and clinical implications of the intersection of these constructs. The primary objective of this review is to review and synthesize this disparate literature and propose future research directions. Thus, this review examines the literature that relates the influence of marijuana to: (1) neurocognitive function; (2) immune function; (3) treatment uses; and (4) propose future directions.
Phytolith evidence of historical rice cultivation at Wormsloe Historic Site, Georgia, USA

Abstract Despite much of the environmental history of Wormsloe Historic Site, Georgia, having been previously documented and described, the aspect related to whether rice cultivation was ever performed on-site still has not been entirely defined. The main goal of this study is the archaeobotanical investigation of soil samples collected from a salt marsh at Wormsloe where rice cultivation is suggested to provide a more definitive answer to this aspect. The study employs phytolith analysis to reveal evidence of past agricultural practices on-site related to rice cultivation. The results reveal the presence of phytoliths belonging to the rice genus, with some indicating a domesticated nature. Cultivation was likely done for subsistence purposes by the African American community living on the property. Preliminary radionuclide analysis suggests the soil samples may be older than 100 years. For the first time in Wormsloe's history, concrete evidence suggesting that rice was indeed cultivated on-site has been obtained, while also casting some light on local African American agricultural practices. The results of this study fill a gap in Wormsloe's environmental history, and increase Wormsloe's cultural, historical, and archaeological significance both at the regional and the national level. Ultimately, this study provides a reliable method to further investigate historical rice cultivation in other areas within the Wormsloe Site as well as along the southeastern United States.
Exploring Metabolism In Vivo Using Endogenous 11C Metabolic Tracers

Cancer and other diseases are increasingly understood in terms of their metabolic disturbances. This thinking has revolutionized the field of ex vivo metabolomics and motivated new approaches to detect metabolites in living systems, including proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), hyperpolarized 13C MRS, and PET. For PET, imaging abnormal metabolism in vivo is hardly new. Positron-labeled small-molecule metabolites have been used for decades in humans, including 18F-FDG, which is used frequently to detect upregulated glycolysis in tumors. Many current 18F metabolic tracers including 18F-FDG have evolved from their 11C counterparts, chemically identical to endogenous substrates and thus approximating intrinsic biochemical pathways. This mimicry has stimulated the development of new radiochemical methods to incorporate 11C and inspired the synthesis of a large number of 11C endogenous radiotracers. This is in spite of the 20-minute half-life of 11C, which generally limits its use in patients to centers with an on-site cyclotron. Innovation in 11C chemistry has persisted in the face of this limitation, because (1) the radiochemists involved are inspired, (2) the methods of 11C incorporation are diverse, and (3) 11C compounds often show more predictable in vivo behavior, thus representing an important first step in the validation of new tracer concepts. In this mini-review we will discuss some of the general motivations behind PET tracers, rationales for the use of 11C, and some of the special challenges encountered in the synthesis of 11C endogenous compounds. Most importantly, we will try to highlight the exceptional creativity used in early 11C tracer syntheses, which used enzyme-catalyzed and other "green" methods before these concepts were commonplace.
Abstract 44: Enlarged Perivascular Spaces Correlate With CSF Biomarkers for Abnormal Blood-brain Barrier Permeability and Neuroinflammation in Patients With Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Background: Enlarged perivascular spaces (PVS) in the brain are common but their etiology and specificity are unclear. Multiple studies have shown a correlation between enlarged PVS and white matte...
Perceived value and flow experience: application in a nature-based tourism context.

Abstract This study measured environmentally responsible behaviors and destination loyalty of international tourists who participated in an ecotourism tour package at Jeju Island, South Korea. A conceptual model was formulated and empirically tested to examine how tourists perceived values (i.e. quality, emotional, price, and social), flow experience, and satisfaction influence environmentally responsible behavior and destination loyalty. Three hundred responses to a survey of international tourists were collected and the resulting data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings indicated that perceived quality, emotional, and social values significantly affected flow experience and satisfaction. Further, flow experience was significantly and positively related to satisfaction, environmentally responsible behaviors, and destination loyalty. Tourist satisfaction only had positive effects on environmentally responsible behaviors and destination loyalty. Thus, enhancement of international tourists’ value perceptions about eco-travel packages is the first step that will strengthen environmentally responsible behaviors and destination loyalty via increase in tourists’ flow experience and satisfaction levels.
Setting Up an ePathology Service at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi: Joint Collaboration With Cleveland Clinic, United States.

Context.— The production of whole slide images is the most advanced form of digital pathology, in which a high-resolution digital scanner is used to rapidly scan glass microscope slides and produce...
No relationship between mild limb length discrepancy and spine, hip or knee degenerative disease in a large cadaveric collection.

Abstract Background Although asymptomatic mild limb length discrepancy (LLD) in children is generally treated non-operatively, there is limited high quality follow up data to support this recommendation. Hypothesis We hypothesized that there would be no association between LLD and arthritic changes with mild limb length discrepancy. Materials and methods We studied 576 well-preserved cadaveric skeletons ranging from 40 to 79 years of age. Limb length discrepancy was based on combined femoral and tibial lengths measured using digital calipers. Degenerative disease was hand graded in the spine, hips and knees using a previously described classification system. Power was set at 90%. Results Average age was 56 ± 10 years and average LLD was 4.8 ± 4.0 mm. Multiple regression analysis did not demonstrate any correlation between LLD and degenerative disease. After screening to find 26 additional specimens with LLD 10 mm or greater, and assessing a potentially quadratic relationship, we still did not find any detrimental effects of LLD. Discussion Our data support the general clinical recommendation of observation for mild asymptomatic LLD. These results do not apply to larger LLD nor LLD associated with other deformities or clinical symptoms. Level of evidence Not applicable, anatomic basic science study.
Epilogue (The Static CAPM)

This chapter studies the static CAPM for two reasons. First, because it is of historical interest. Second, because it highlights the advances and insights obtained from the dynamic models studied in this book. This chapter provides a new derivation of the static CAPM that uses the martingale approach.
Solving the Connected Dominating Set Problem and Power Dominating Set Problem by Integer Programming

In this paper, we propose several integer programming approaches with a polynomial number of constraints to formulate and solve the minimum connected dominating set problem. Further, we consider both the power dominating set problem – a special dominating set problem for sensor placement in power systems – and its connected version. We propose formulations and algorithms to solve these integer programs, and report results for several power system graphs.