cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Making Sense of Savagery: Native American Cartoons in The Daily Graphic

This article examines the creation and meaning of American Indian savagery in editorial cartoons in New York City's Daily Graphic, the world's first illustrated daily newspaper. The research focuses on Indian images at two historical moments: before and after the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The Daily Graphic featured several ghostlike Indian spirits and comic caricatures before the battle. These figures were racially stereotyped but presented as harmless, even playful. Such images disappeared after the battle, when The Graphic published a number of inflammatory cartoons depicting dark, angry, and armed Indian warriors as threats to U.S. society. The Graphic soon moderated its imagery, however, and began depicting both hostile and peaceful Indians. The Daily Graphic's visual shifts demonstrate the nation's long-standing ambivalence toward Indians and their place in nineteenth-century American life.
The goals and strategies of robust methods

The general theme of this paper is that we have the technology to vastly improve psychological research in any situation where ANOVA, regression, and correlation are used. Modern methods, which include robust methods as a special case, are important to applied researchers because they substantially increase our chances of detecting true differences between groups and true associations between variables, and they provide a more revealing description of how groups differ and how variables are related. Put another way, if the goal is to collect data and avoid discovering differences between groups and associations between variables, use standard methods and avoid robust techniques. Standard methods work well when conventional assumptions are true, but under arbitrarily small departures from normality, their power can be relatively poor and confidence intervals can have probability coverage that differs substantially from the nominal level. However, misconceptions about the goals and strategies of robust methods are common, perhaps because typical descriptions about them are written at a rather technical level, or because the methods are not intuitive. Consequently, one goal in this paper is to provide a relatively non-technical summary of the foundations of robust methods and hopefully to correct many of the misconceptions that arise. Another goal is to illustrate the advantages of robust methods by re-analysing data from various studies and demonstrating that they can lead to substantially different conclusions versus standard techniques. Yet another goal is to supplement recent reviews of robust methods by describing some recent advances.
Chromospheric Leakage of Alfvén Waves in Coronal Loops

The recently observed rapid damping of coronal loop oscillations generated discussion regarding the physical mechanism responsible for the damping, with the leakage into the chromosphere suggested as one of the possible mechanisms. I study the leakage of Alfven waves into the chromospheric footpoints of a coronal loop using the nonlinear viscoresistive 1.5-dimensional MHD model. The waves were launched by an initial transverse velocity profile in the loop. I find that the leakage time of long-wavelength transverse oscillations, such as the ones observed recently by the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), is 5 times longer than the observed damping time of the oscillations. For the loop recently observed by TRACE, I conclude that the observed damping of the long-wavelength oscillations is not due to leakage into the chromosphere. However, depending on particular chromospheric and coronal properties, chromospheric leakage may be significant in some events of coronal loop oscillations.
A paradigm for baccalaureate public health nursing education.

A national study was conducted to determine what constitutes baccalaureate public health nursing education. The primary focus of this article is the essential concepts in the education of public health nursing. The assumption was that an ideal curriculum represents a knowledge base that is acceptable to members of the profession based on an accepted paradigm. Data were collected using a mailed questionnaire distributed to all National League for Nursing-accredited baccalaureate programs and completed by the person responsible for the public health nursing curriculum. The questionnaire obtained information related to theory and practice objectives. A response rate of 82 percent (N= 275) was obtained after follow-up mailings and telephone calls. Content analysis of responses allowed us to identify 11 concept areas considered essential and receiving great or some emphasis by more than 90 percent of the respondents. There seems to be consensus that the concepts of family-centered care, health maintenance/promotion, community, levels of prevention, holism, continuity of care, epidemiology, self-care, population-based care, and home health care constitute the theoretical base of public health nursing education. These results were compared with results offered by the Consensus Conference report. Public health nursing educators are encouraged to continue to define what constitutes baccalaureate preparation for public health nursing.
Implementing the jigsaw model in CS1 closed labs

We apply the Jigsaw cooperative learning model to our CS1 closed labs. The Jigsaw cooperative learning model assigns students into main groups in which each group member is responsible for a unique subtask, gathers all students responsible for the same subtask into a same focus group for focused exploration, returns all students to their original main groups for reporting and reshaping, and then each group integrates the solutions for the subtasks from its members. For our study, we used the Jigsaw model in three CS1 closed labs. For each, there were three sections: (1) students worked individually, (2) students worked in groups using Jigsaw, and (3) students worked in groups using a computer-supported Jigsaw environment. The post-test scores of the three sections are compared to study the impact of Jigsaw and the feasibility of using a computer-supported Jigsaw design. Further, we investigate how the three lab topics (debugging, unified modeling language (UML), and recursion) affected impact of Jigsaw model on student performance.
Emergency Reversal of Anticoagulation: Novel Agents

Historically, oral anticoagulation involved the administration of vitamin K antagonists, such as warfarin. However, because of the need for frequent monitoring and the desire for safer anticoagulants, several novel oral anticoagulants have been developed. These newer agents include the factor Xa inhibitors (eg, rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban), along with the direct thrombin inhibitors (eg, dabigatran). This manuscript provides a brief overview of their uses and mechanisms of action, along with a review of currently available evidence for reversal strategies when life-threatening bleeding occurs.
Study on the evaluation of the use of thiabendazole in the treatment and control of bovine dermatophytosis.

A study on the use of thiabendazole in the treatment of bovine dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton verrucosum was conducted. Fifteen infected animals were included in the study. Ten animals were treated with a thiabendazole-DMSO-salicylic acid mixture and 5 animals were left untreated as controls. The thiabendazole mixture was used topically on the skin lesions. Lesions resolved after 12 applications and 80% of the treated animals proved negative on mycological examination. All lesions healed completely after 16 applications.
Current account adjustment in industrial countries

Abstract This paper examines the dynamics of current account adjustment among industrial countries. The purpose is to evaluate whether there is a threshold level of a current account deficit at which it becomes unsustainable and whether it is possible to characterize episodes of adjustment. We identify 25 episodes in which there was a sustained improvement in the current account following a large deficit between 1980 and 1997. We find that a typical current account reversal begins when the current account deficit is about 5% of GDP. However, we also find considerable cross-country variation in the reversal threshold, consistent with a stock-adjustment model of current account sustainability. Reversals are associated with slowing income growth and a 10–20% real exchange rate depreciation. Real export growth, declining investment, and an eventual leveling off in the budget deficit–GDP ratio are also likely to be part of the adjustment. These results imply that current account reversals in industrialized countries are related to the business cycle.
Meaning and military power: moving on from Foucault

Michel Foucault’s analysis of military power, drill and the ‘docile body’ is fundamental to Discipline and Punish. It has been deeply influential but is in need of challenge. His account suggests that in the army the self is replaced by the automaton. Although there is deep individuation and increasingly local autonomy of action, there is also a passive dependence upon authority. Drawing on military sociology the paper proposes an alternative logic of military organization, training and power. This suggests a continuing role for meaning and subjectivity that is broadly consistent with Durkheimian theory. Military effectiveness depends on small group solidarity, the construction of a soldierly identity, and the enlistment and control of emotions. We should perhaps rethink the relationship of discipline to meaning and power in modernity.
Open data kit: creating an open source community for mobile data collection

Open Data Kit (opendatakit.org) is a modular set of tools for building mobile data collection systems. It consists of both client-side and server-side components and was designed to be highly modular and exploit standard interfaces. The motivation for ODK came from the stove-piped systems that were locking many organizations into obsolete technologies and inflexible workflows. The goal of ODK is to enable users to mix-and-match the pieces they need to build their mobile information systems as well as develop their own components. ODK is now in use by many different types of organizations across many domains in a large set of countries. ODK is being extended to tackle even richer data and the system is being made even more easily extensible. This talk will present the basic ODK tools and use deployment examples to highlight some of the more interesting features as well as some case studies of modules generated by the greater ODK community. It will conclude with a discussion of future directions.
Calcium channel blocker treatment of tumor cells induces alterations in the cytoskeleton, mobility of the integrin αIIbβ3 and tumor-cell-induced platelet aggregation

Calcium channel blockers of the phenylalkylamine (i.e. verapamil), benzothiazepine (i.e. diltiazem) and dihydropyridine (i.e. nifedipine) classes were evaluated for effects on the tumor cell/platelet interactions using Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells (W256 cells). When W256 cells were pretreated for 15 min with channel blockers at concentrations of 50–200 μM, macroscopic tumor-cell-induced platelet aggregation was inhibited (order of potency; nifedipine>diltiazem≫verapamil). However, ultrastructural analysis revealed limited, focal platelet aggregates associated with tumor cell plasma membranes of verapamil- and diltiazem-treated cells. There was no evidence of platelet activation or platelet association with the tumor cell membrane in cells pretreated with nifedipine. Walker 256 cells possess the integrin αIIbβ3. Tumor cell αIIbβ3 was shown to mediate tumor cell/platelet interactions in vitro [Chopra et al. (1988) Cancer Res. 48:3787]. Patching and capping of surface αIIbβ3 were inhibited by nifedipine>diltiazem≫verapamil. The degree of inhibition of αIIbβ3 receptor mobility parallels the inhibition of tumor-cell-induced platelet aggregation. W256 cells are characterized by a well-developed microfilament and intermediate filament network and by the absence of a distinct microtubular network. Calcium channel blockers had no effect on the low polymerization level of tubulin. However, they induced rearrangement of microfilament stress fibers. Intermediate filaments were also rearranged but to varying degrees. The order of effectiveness for alteration of intermediate filament organization was nifedipine>diltiazem while verapamil was ineffective. We propose that the previously reported inhibition of tumor cell/platelet interaction and tumor cell metastasis by calcium channel blockers [Honn et al. (1984) Clin Exp Metastasis 1:61] is due not only to the effects of the Ca2+ channel blockers on platelets, but also to their effect on the tumor cell cytoskeleton resulting in an inhibition of the mobility and function of the αIIbβ3 receptor.
GOFCOX: a computer program for the goodness-of-fit analysis of the Cox proportional hazards model.

Abstract GOFCOX is a user-friendly FORTRAN program for assessing the adequacy of the Cox proportional hazards model. The underlying methodology is based on the comparison of the maximum partial likelihood estimator and a weighted parameter estimator. The latter is the root to an estimation equation that assigns varying weights to the individual contributions to the partial likelihood score function. The weighted and unweighted parameter estimators have the same expectation under the Cox model, but tend to differ when the model is inappropriate. The GOFCOX program computes a rich class of weighted parameter estimators and corresponding good-ness-of-fit test statistics. The program runs on both mainframe computers and microcomputers. The running time is minimal even for large data sets. A simple example is provided to illustrate the features of the program.
Lipid degradation during manufacture of black tea

Abstract About 85% of the fatty acids liberated during the manufacture of black tea can be attributed to autolysis of 4 major polar lipid classes in tea leaf tissue, phosphatidylcholine, monogalactosyldiglyceride, digalactosyldiglyceride and phosphatidylethanolamine. Linolenic, linoleic and palmitic acids are the principal fatty acids released from these lipids and they all undergo further degradation. Linolenic acid (60% of fatty acids released) is derived mainly from galactolipids and thus the upper limit of release is dependent on the chloroplast maturity and content of the leaf tissues. Lipid breakdown is complete after 2 hr fermentation and, as there appears to be no accumulation of long chain fatty acid intermediates, it is probable that volatile production has also ceased at this time.
Memory for trait information: A signal detection analysis ☆

Abstract A recognition memory experiment was conducted in order to learn about the nature of the impression subjects form when given a list of trait adjectives. When they arrived at the experiment, subjects were given a list of stimulus traits with instructions either to form an impression of the person described by the traits or to memorize the words. A recognition test consisting of the stimulus traits and new traits that varied in their evaluative and descriptive consistency with the stimulus traits was then administered. Recognition responses were influenced by both the evaluative and the descriptive consistency of the new traits, indicating that both evaluative and descriptive features were contained in the subjects' memory representations. The effect of descriptive consistency did not vary as a function of instructional set. However, recognition responses of subjects who were instructed to form an impression of the stimulus person were more affected by evaluative consistency of the new items than were the responses of subjects who were instructed to memorize them. Impression set subjects were therefore more likely than memory set subjects to include evaluative features in their representation and organization of the stimulus information. Consistent with this notion, subjects instructed to form an impression were somewhat more confident of their evaluative ratings of the stimulus person.
SU-E-T-491: Importance of Energy Dependent Protons Per MU Calibration Factors in IMPT Dose Calculations Using Monte Carlo Technique

Purpose: In intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT), energy dependent, protons per monitor unit (MU) calibration factors are important parameters that determine absolute dose values from energy deposition data obtained from Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Purpose of this study was to assess the sensitivity of MC-computed absolute dose distributions to the protons/MU calibration factors in IMPT. Methods: A “verification plan” (i.e., treatment beams applied individually to water phantom) of a head and neck patient plan was calculated using MC technique. The patient plan had three beams; one posterior-anterior (PA); two anterior oblique. Dose prescription was 66 Gy in 30 fractions. Of the total MUs, 58% was delivered in PA beam, 25% and 17% in other two. Energy deposition data obtained from the MC simulation were converted to Gy using energy dependent protons/MU calibrations factors obtained from two methods. First method is based on experimental measurements and MC simulations. Second is based on hand calculations, based on how many ion pairs were produced per proton in the dose monitor and how many ion pairs is equal to 1 MU (vendor recommended method). Dose distributions obtained from method one was compared with those from method two. Results: Average difference of 8% in protons/MUmore » calibration factors between method one and two converted into 27 % difference in absolute dose values for PA beam; although dose distributions preserved the shape of 3D dose distribution qualitatively, they were different quantitatively. For two oblique beams, significant difference in absolute dose was not observed. Conclusion: Results demonstrate that protons/MU calibration factors can have a significant impact on absolute dose values in IMPT depending on the fraction of MUs delivered. When number of MUs increases the effect due to the calibration factors amplify. In determining protons/MU calibration factors, experimental method should be preferred in MC dose calculations. Research supported by National Cancer Institute grant P01CA021239.« less
Training in the Teaching of Psychology: What is Done and Examining the Differences

Psychologists have highlighted the need to prepare psychology graduate students for their current and future teaching responsibilities; however, the amount of preparation that they actually receive remains unclear. This investigation assessed teaching assistant (TA) training from the perspective of both psychology TAs and department chairs, noting points of convergence and divergence. We present national survey data that describe the nature of TA training in departments of psychology and specific training methods used. In addition to summarizing descriptive data, we explored factors associated with the amount and kinds of training offered to psychology graduate students.
Spectroscopy and photophysics of the CF2Ã1B1-X̃1A1 system

Abstract Laser excited single vibronic level (SVL) fluorescence and SVL fluorescence excitation spectra of the low pressure vapor phase CF2 A - X transition are reported. The spectral origin is at 268.74 nm (37 197 cm−1); extensive progressions in the bending mode ν″2 = 666 ± 5 cm−1 dominate the spectra; weaker combination bands involving the symmetric stretch ν″1 = 1186 ± 15 cm−1 are observed. Fluorescence bands appear that may be assigned as originating either from the 112n or the 2n31 vibronic levels, giving ν′1 = 976 ± 24 cm−1 or ν′3 = 900 ± 20 cm−1, respectively. Measured vibronic band intensities 〈v′|v″〉2 are given for all transitions from the upper states 2n for 0 ≤ n′2 ≤ 6. The collision-free A (0,0,0) state radiative lifetime is 61 ± 3 nsec. This same lifetime is observed even for vibronic states containing 8000 cm−1 excess vibrational energy (i.e., the n′2 = 16 level). SVL fluorescence spectra and radiative lifetimes were used to calculate the transition dipole moment R e = 1.22 D for this system, and a low resolution absorption cross section σ(200; 300 K) = 6.7 × 10−19 cm2 for the A - X origin at band maximum (268.74 nm).
MUNC, a Long Noncoding RNA That Facilitates the Function of MyoD in Skeletal Myogenesis

An in silico screen for myogenic long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) revealed nine lncRNAs that are upregulated more than 10-fold in myotubes versus levels in myoblasts. One of these lncRNAs, MyoD upstream noncoding (MUNC, also known as DRReRNA), is encoded 5 kb upstream of the transcription start site of MyoD, a myogenic transcription factor gene. MUNC is specifically expressed in skeletal muscle and exists as in unspliced and spliced isoforms, and its 5′ end overlaps with the cis-acting distal regulatory region (DRR) of MyoD. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) of MUNC reduced myoblast differentiation and specifically reduced the association of MyoD to the DRR enhancer and myogenin promoter but not to another MyoD-dependent enhancer. Stable overexpression of MUNC from a heterologous promoter increased endogenous MyoD, Myogenin, and Myh3 (myosin heavy chain, [MHC] gene) mRNAs but not the cognate proteins, suggesting that MUNC can act in trans to promote gene expression but that this activity does not require an induction of MyoD protein. MUNC also stimulates the transcription of other genes that are not recognized as MyoD-inducible genes. Knockdown of MUNC in vivo impaired murine muscle regeneration, implicating MUNC in primary satellite cell differentiation in the animal. We also discovered a human MUNC that is induced during differentiation of myoblasts and whose knockdown decreases differentiation, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved role of MUNC lncRNA in myogenesis. Although MUNC overlaps with the DRR enhancer, our results suggest that MUNC is not a classic cis-acting enhancer RNA (e-RNA) acting exclusively by stimulating the neighboring MyoD gene but more like a promyogenic lncRNA that acts directly or indirectly on multiple promoters to increase myogenic gene expression.
Prolonged Duration of Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Embedment Does Not Lower the Catheter Success Rate

♦ Objective: Since 2000, we have used the Moncrief– Popovich technique as our standard method for peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter insertion. The subcutaneous portion of the catheter is externalized immediately before initiation of PD. We undertook the present review to investigate whether duration of catheter embedment affects catheter or patient outcome. ♦ Methods: All catheters inserted beginning 1 January 2000 and externalized by 31 December 2008 were included. The primary outcome was catheter survival. Secondary outcomes were catheter patency (no fibrin plug or omental wrap) and complications within 90 days after externalization. A standard peritoneal equilibration test was used to classify peritoneal membrane transport status. Proportional hazards regression models were used to test whether duration of embedment affected catheter outcomes. The models treated embedment duration as both a continuous predictor and a categorical predictor categorized by tertile. ♦ Results: A total of 134 catheters were implanted and externalized. Twelve patients received 2 catheters each. To ensure statistical independence of the observations, 12 of the latter 24 catheters were excluded (1 chosen randomly from each patient), resulting in a useable sample size of 122 catheters. The total duration of observation was 2359 patient–months. The median duration of catheter embedment was 40.5 days (range: 2 – 788 days). After controlling for sex, race, age, and diabetes status, embedment duration did not have a significant effect on catheter survival as a continuous predictor or as a categorical predictor. Additionally, the 95% confidence interval for the 30-day effect of embedment duration ruled out a change of more than 20.6% in the hazard of catheter malfunction or infection. Of the studied catheters, 89.3% were patent and functioned properly immediately upon externalization. The remaining 13 catheters (10.7%) lacked patency on externalization because of fibrin plug or kinking (n = 10) or omental wrap (n = 3); however, 12 of the 13 non-patent catheters were corrected laparoscopically, and the patients resumed PD. Only 1 patient transferred to hemodialysis. Overall, 121 of 122 buried catheters (99.2%) were used for PD. Other complications within 90 days of catheter externalization included incision site and tunnel infection in 2 cases (1.6%), exit-site leak in 2 cases (1.6%), and coagulase-negative staphylococcal peritonitis in 1 case (0.8%). ♦ Conclusions: Duration of catheter embedment before externalization did not affect catheter survival and did not influence subsequent peritoneal membrane transport status. The overall effect of increasing embedment duration by 30 days is, at most, a 20.6% increase or decrease in the hazard of catheter failure, but the actual hazard may be much smaller or nonexistent. Larger studies are needed to further explore the ideal duration of embedment.
Effect of Alteration of Antioxidant by UV Treatment on the Dielectric Strength of BOPP Capacitor Film

The effect of altered products of the antioxidant by UV irradiation on dielectric breakdown strength of metallized biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) capacitor film was studied. Results from Weibull statistical analysis show that an optimal UV exposure level of ~3.4 J/cm2 (200-400 nm) increases the breakdown strength at 5% probability by ~20%. As indicated by UV spectroscopic analysis, the antioxidant in BOPP was consumed almost entirely to form 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-benzoquinone (2,6-DTB-PBQ). Density functional theory computations indicate that this compound is electronegative, which probably accounts for the increased dielectric strength.
Feature-based surface design and machining

A feature-based method for designing and representing functional surfaces such as automobile inner panels that lets a user assemble and present complicated, multifeatured surfaces using known, generally simpler component surfaces and information about feature shape is reviewed. It is shown that, using this method, CAD users can generate numerically controlled (NC) tool paths and use them to automatically machine 3-D surface geometries with various cutting tools such as ball-nose or spherical-end cutters and toroidal or flat-end cutters. The method was tested on models involving simple explicit primary and secondary surfaces as well as more complicated B-spline parametric surfaces. Results indicate that the tool-center-generation algorithm is accurate, robust, and computationally efficient. >
Feasible products for kinetically controlled reactive distillation of ternary mixtures

A method to determine feasible product compositions from a single-feed reactive distillation column for finite rates of reaction is presented. Tracking of pinch points to estimate the limit at minimum reflux is combined with performance modeling for the limit at the minimum number of stages. Using two examples it is shown how the product composition regions deform from the known limit of no reaction through intermediate rates of reaction and finally collapse onto the chemical equilibrium curve at extremely fast reaction rates. However, compositions can be achieved at intermediate reaction rates that do not lie between the limits for slow (no reaction) and fast (chemical equilibrium) reactions.
Preexisting Chronic Kidney Disease: A Potential for Improved Outcomes from Acute Kidney Injury

Background and objectives: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with adverse outcomes in critically ill patients. The influence of preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD) on AKI outcomes is unclear. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: We analyzed data from a prospective observational cohort study of AKI in critically ill patients who received nephrology consultation: the Program to Improve Care in Acute Renal Disease. In-hospital mortality rate, length of stay, and dialysis dependence were compared in patients with and without a prior history of CKD, defined by an elevated serum creatinine, proteinuria, and/or abnormal renal ultrasound within a year before hospitalization. We hypothesized that patients with AKI and prior history of CKD would have lower mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay, and higher rates of dialysis dependence than patients without prior history of CKD. Results: Patients with AKI and a prior history of CKD were older and underwent nephrology consultation earlier in the course of AKI. In-hospital mortality rate was lower (31 versus 40%, P = 0.04), and median intensive care unit length of stay was 4.6 d shorter (14.7 versus 19.3 d, P = 0.001) in patients with a prior history of CKD. Among dialyzed survivors, patients with prior CKD were also more likely to be dialysis dependent at hospital discharge. Differences in outcome were most evident in patients with lower severity of illness. Conclusions: Among critically ill patients with AKI, those with prior CKD experience a lower mortality rate but are more likely to be dialysis dependent at hospital discharge. Future studies should determine optimal strategies for managing AKI with and without a prior history of CKD.
Ultrastructural Localization Suggests that Retinal and Cortical Inputs Access Different Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

Glutamate has an important neuromodulatory role in synaptic transmission through metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) linked to a variety of G-protein-coupled second messenger pathways. Activation of these receptors on relay cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) with the agonist trans-(1S,3R)−1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid produces a membrane depolarization that inactivates the low-threshold Ca2+ spike, causing a transition from burst to tonic response mode. The excitatory effects of metabotropic receptor activation in the LGN appear to be produced through the receptors linked to phosphoinositide hydrolysis and apparently only through activation of the corticogeniculate pathway. Two mGluRs, mGluR1α (a splice variant of mGluR1) and mGluR5, are linked to the phosphoinositide system. We examined the localization of these receptors with affinity-purified, anti-peptide, polyclonal antibodies raised to the C-terminal region of each receptor protein. Under examination with the light microscope, we found that both types of receptors are present in the geniculate neuropil and in that of the overlying thalamic reticular nucleus, including the perigeniculate nucleus. We also examined the ultrastructural localization of immunolabel with the electron microscope, using a postembedding immunogold marker to identify terminals, dendrites, and somata that contain GABA. Label for the antibody directed against mGluR1α was primarily localized in the dendrites of relay cells, postsynaptic to various terminal types. Of these, terminal profiles normally associated with corticogeniculate inputs predominated, whereas retinal terminal profiles were scarce. Label for the antibody directed against mGluR5 label was prominent in inhibitory F2-terminal profiles associated with the retinal input to relay cells. In the perigeniculate nucleus, both mGluRs were localized to dendrites. The distribution of the two phosphoinositide-linked mGluRs in the LGN suggests very different functional roles for the two receptor types. We conclude from these data that mGluR1 appears to have a dominant role in corticogeniculate control of response mode through the feedback glutamatergic pathway from layer VI, whereas mGluR5 is positioned to affect retinogeniculate activation of relay cells through feed forward glomerular interactions.
Evaluation of Temporal Aberration Detection Methods in New York City Syndromic Data

The New York City (NYC) syndromic surveillance system has been monitoring syndromes from city emergency department (ED) visits for over a decade. We applied four aberration detection methodologies to a time series of ED visits in NYC spiked with synthetic outbreaks. Among the methods tested, performance varied by outbreak type and size; sudden large one-day spikes in cases were the most commonly detected, although sensitivity was low. The methods tested did not perform well; variability in method performance by outbreak type suggests multiple methods may be ideal for detecting different outbreak features.
Defective Responses to Lipid A in C3H/HeJ Mice: Approaches to an Understanding of Lipid A-Cell Interaction

C3H/HeJ mice have diminished responses to lipopolysaccharide (lipid A) that are due to a mutation in a gene located on chromosome 4. Studies employing this strain o mice have contributed significantly to our understanding of cellular interactions, mediators, and the genetic control involved in various host responses to lipid A. The present review emphasizes areas of research that require further elucidation, such as binding versus triggering sites for lipid A and the state of differentiation of the responding cells that is required for activation by lipid A. Certain experimental approaches to the investigation of the mechanisms of interaction of lipid A with target cells are suggested. Insertion of membrane fragments obtained from lipid A-sensitive cells into nonresponder cells has focused attention on the cell membrane as the primary target for lipid A. Thus, a clearer definition of either binding or triggering sites for lipid A could be gained by employing monoclonal antibodies to specific cell-surface components.
Would Screening for Lung Cancer Benefit 75- to 84-Year-Old Residents of the United States?

Background: The National Lung Screening Trial demonstrated that screening for lung cancer improved overall survival (OS) and reduced lung cancer mortality in the 55-74-year-old age group by increasing the proportion of cancers detected at an early stage. Because of the increasing life expectancy of the American population, we investigated whether screening for lung cancer might benefit men and women aged 75-84 years. Materials/Methods: Rates of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from 2000-2009 were calculated in both these younger and older age groups using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Reporting (SEER) database. OS and lung cancer -specific survival (LCSS) in patients with Stage I NSCLC diagnosed from 2004-2009 were analyzed to determine the effects of age and treatment. Results: The per capita incidence of NSCLC decreased in the 55-74 cohort, but increased in the 75-84 cohort over the study period. Crude lung cancer death rates in the two age groups who had no specific treatment were 39.5% and 44.9%, respectively. These rates fell in both age groups when increasingly aggressive treatment was used. Rates of OS and LCSS improved significantly with increasingly aggressive treatment in the 75-84 age group. The survival benefits of increasingly aggressive treatment in 75-84 year old females did not differ from their counterparts in the younger cohort. Conclusions: Screening for lung cancer might be of benefit to individuals at increased risk of lung cancer in the age 75-84 group. The survival benefits of aggressive therapy are similar in females between 55-74 and 75-84 years old.
A new model to use when teaching Euclidean geometry

A geometric model is introduced which satisfies the Euclidean parallel postulate as well as all of Hilbert's axioms except the Side-Angle-Side axiom. This model provides several teaching opportunities in those Euclidean geometry classrooms that use the axiomatic method. In presenting these models at the same time as the more familiar ℝ2, ℝ3, and Poincare models, students may be less tempted to assume that familiar constructs (lines, trianges, etc.) allow them to rely on familiar assumptions.
Localization of intracranial lesions utilizing the coronal suture as a landmark on axial computed tomography

Abstract The superior portion of the coronal suture is often easily identified by appropriately setting the window width and level of the CT scanner's display system. It provides a valuable and practical reference point for the localization of intracranial lesions, particularly those above the level of the lateral ventricles, where fewer anatomical landmarks are available when using computed tomography.
Effects of amino acid supplementation on left ventricular remodeling in patients with chronic heart failure with decreased systolic function and diabetes mellitus: rationale and design of a magnetic resonance imaging study

A considerable number of patients with reduced systolic function caused by primary or ischemic cardiomyopathy have viable and noncontractile myocardium. This may be related to numerous and perhaps overlapping factors, such as chronic ischemia (stunning/hibernation), neurohormonal abnormalities, oxidative stress, metabolic imbalances, and/or nutritional depletion. Changes in myocardial substrate utilization have adverse effects on the metabolism of the viable but noncontractile myocardium. Shifting the energy substrate preference away from fatty acids and replenishing the tricarboxylic acid cycle components via amino acids rather than via fatty acids would increase adenosine triphosphate production, with positive effects on cellular metabolism. A proposed study design is described and will be piloted through the Effects of Diatrofen on Myocardial Function in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure trial (D-CHF), an evaluation of an oral amino acid supplementation treatment in outpatients with heart failure.
Mapping Novel Immunogenic Epitopes in IgA Nephropathy

Background and objectives IgA plays a key role in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) by forming immune complexes and depositing in the glomeruli, leading to an inflammatory response. However, the antigenic targets and functional characterization of IgA have been incompletely defined in this disease. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This study was performed in sera from patients who were studied as part of a prospective, observational study of IgAN. These patients ( n =22) all had biopsy-proven IgAN within 3 years of study initiation, complete clinical data, annual urinary inulin clearance for GFRs, and at least 5 years of follow-up. Progression was defined as loss of >5 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 per year of inulin clearance measured over at least 5 years. A protein microarray was used for detection of IgAN-specific IgA autoantibodies in blood across approximately 9000 human antigens to specifically identify the most immunogenic protein targets that drive IgA antibodies in IgAN ( n =22), healthy controls ( n =10), and non-IgAN glomerular diseases ( n =17). Results were validated by ELISA assays in sera and by immunohistochemistry in IgAN kidney biopsies. IgA-specific antibodies were correlated with clinical and histologic variables to assess their effect on disease progression and prognosis. Results Fifty-four proteins mounted highly significant IgA antibody responses in patients with IgAN with a false discovery rate ( q value) of ≤10%; 325 antibodies ( P ≤0.05) were increased overall. Antitissue transglutaminase IgA was significantly elevated in IgAN ( P q value of 0%). IgA antibodies to DDX4 ( r =−0.55, P =0.01) and ZADH2 ( r =−0.48, P =0.02) were significantly correlated with the decline of renal function. Specific IgA autoantibodies are elevated in IgAN compared with normal participants and those with other glomerular diseases. Conclusions In this preliminary study, IgA autoantibodies target novel proteins, highly expressed in the kidney glomerulus and tubules. These IgA autoantibodies may play important roles in the pathogenesis of IgAN.
Falling Forward: Real Options Reasoning and Entrepreneurial Failure

Although failure in entrepreneurship is pervasive, theory often reflects an equally pervasive antifailure bias. Here, I use real options reasoning to develop a more balanced perspective on the role of entrepreneurial failure in wealth creation, which emphasizes managing uncertainty by pursuing high-variance outcomes but investing only if conditions are favorable. This can increase profit potential while containing costs. I also offer propositions that suggest how gains from entrepreneurship may be maximized and losses mitigated.
On the tradeoff between altruism and selfishness in MANET trust management

Mobile ad hoc and sensor networks may consist of a mixture of nodes, some of which may be considered selfish due to a lack of cooperativeness in providing network services such as forwarding packets. In the literature, existing trust management protocols for mobile ad hoc networks advocate isolating selfish nodes as soon as they are detected. Further, altruistic behaviors are encouraged with incentive mechanisms. In this paper, we propose and analyze a trust management protocol for group communication systems where selfish nodes exist and system survivability is highly critical to mission execution. Rather than always encouraging altruistic behaviors, we consider the tradeoff between a node's individual welfare (e.g., saving energy to prolong the node lifetime) vs. global welfare (e.g., achieving a given mission with sufficient service availability) and identify the best design condition of this behavior model to balance selfish vs. altruistic behaviors. With the system lifetime and the mission success probability as our trust-based reliability metric, we show that our behavior model that exploits the tradeoff between selfishness vs. altruism outperforms one that only encourages altruistic behaviors.
Leveraging Cloud Platform for Custom Application Development

Compared with packaged application, custom application developments (CAD) experience the frustration of higher project overhead and less certainty. The typical time spent on building the infrastructure for a CAD project is, on average, several weeks. Project uncertainty comes from unique customer requirements and lack of standardized methods and toolsets to follow. Therefore, a CAD project is more difficult to achieve cost reduction and asset reuse. In this paper, we present a cloud platform to alleviate this problem through an integration of a) standard methods, b) standardized toolsets aligned with those methods, c) project management environments with pre-defined work breakdown structure (WBS) aligned with those methods and toolsets, and d) infrastructure support from the cloud technology. We believe that such a cloud platform will become a fundamental approach for large enterprises to develop CAD or other solutions for their clients.
Federal parity law associated with increased probability of using out-of-network substance use disorder treatment services.

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 requires commercial insurers providing group coverage for substance use disorder services to offer benefits for those services at a level equal to those for medical or surgical benefits. Unlike previous parity policies instituted for federal employees and in individual states, the law extends parity to out-of-network services. We conducted an interrupted time-series analysis using insurance claims from large self-insured employers to evaluate whether federal parity was associated with changes in out-of-network treatment for 525,620 users of substance use disorder services. Federal parity was associated with an increased probability of using out-of-network services, an increased average number of out-of-network outpatient visits, and increased average total spending on out-of-network services among users of those services. Our findings were broadly consistent with the contention of federal parity proponents that exte...
Extreme Liquidity Risk, Its Premium from Market Downturns, and the Cross-Section of Stock Returns

I construct a measure of the extreme liquidity risk factor based on the contraction and expansion of monthly cross-sectional distributions of individual illiquidity measures and investigate its asset pricing implications. I find strong empirical evidence (1) that the extreme liquidity risk is priced in the cross-section of expected stock returns and (2) that its premium comes only from market-downturn loadings. The extreme liquidity risk commands an annual premium of 3.3% for one standard deviation increase in its market-downturn loading. The main findings still hold after controlling for known factor loadings, including the loadings of liquidity risk factor and return tail risk factor, as well as various rm characteristics, including size, book-to-market, momentum, Amihud illiquidity level, and extreme Amihud illiquidity level. The cross-sectional pricing evidence of the extreme liquidity risk survives (1) time-varying factor loadings, (2) extended test portfolios augmented by 30 Fama-French industry portfolios, and (3) diagnostic tests for a useless factor.
Discourse Planning with an N-gram Model of Relations

While it has been established that transitions between discourse relations are important for coherence, such information has not so far been used to aid in language generation. We introduce an approach to discourse planning for conceptto-text generation systems which simultaneously determines the order of messages and the discourse relations between them. This approach makes it straightforward to use statistical transition models, such as n-gram models of discourse relations learned from an annotated corpus. We show that using such a model significantly improves the quality of the generated text as judged by humans.
A comparison of morphological and molecular diet analyses of predator scats

An understanding of a species’ diet is required to make sound conservation and management decisions. Traditionally, morphological analyses of undigested hard parts from food items remaining in scats have been used to assess diets. More recently, molecular analyses of scats have been used to identify plant and prey species’ DNA, but no studies have compared morphological and molecular diet analyses for large, terrestrial carnivores. We used molecular tools to determine the percentage of black bear and coyote scats that contained 3 common prey species (caribou, moose, and snowshoe hares) in Newfoundland and compared the results to a traditional morphological analysis. We found that a ranking of relative prey frequencies was consistent between the 2 methods, but molecular methods tended to detect prey species in a greater percentage of scats for all prey species. However, there were individual scats in which a prey species was detected by morphological methods only, and we provide evidence that molecular methods could result in false negatives if prey DNA is not uniformly distributed throughout a scat or as a result of PCR inconsistency. We also found that the per sample cost comparison between morphological and molecular analyses was dependent upon whether or not a molecular test was needed to identify scats to the predator species, the cost of developing molecular methods, and the number of samples being processed. We recommend that controlled feeding studies be performed to validate molecular methods and investigate the utility of molecular techniques to estimate the proportions of food items consumed.
A distributed model of fluid and mass transfer in peritoneal dialysis

A mathematical model has been developed to study peritoneal fluid and solute transfer. The model uses the concept of a distributed capillary system within the peritoneal tissue. The model accounts explicitly for transport across the capillary membrane, through interstitial tissue, and across the mesothelium. The capillary and mesothelial membranes are modeled using pore theory and a dual pathway (through pores and across cells) for fluid transfer. The nonperitoneal tissues are modeled as a single body pool. Lymphatic uptake from the peritoneal cavity is included. Model parameters were found from the literature and by simultaneously fitting experimental data for dialysate volume and dialysate concentrations of blood urea nitrogen, glucose, creatinine, and inulin. The model was also shown to predict concentration gradients within several tissues surrounding the peritoneal cavity. Variation of the model parameters revealed the importance of the mesothelial cell layer in peritoneal ultrafiltration. The results of model simulations indicate an initial transfer of fluid from the tissue space to the peritoneal cavity followed by transcapillary fluid transfer.