cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TO DOUBLE-BROOD OR NOT? INDIVIDUAL VARIATION IN THE REPRODUCTIVE EFFORT IN BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS (DENDROICA CAERULESCENS)

Abstract Individuals within a population vary in important fitness components, such as reproductive success. In general, females can maximize the number of young they produce by altering either the number of young per breeding attempt or the number of breeding attempts per season. In short-lived species, and especially in small passerine birds, number of breeding attempts per season varies markedly among individuals. Here, we evaluated factors influencing whether female Blackthroated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens) initiated additional nests after a successful breeding attempt (i.e. double-brooded). The percentage of females that laid a second clutch after successfully fledging a first brood ranged from 0 to 87% and averaged 53% (n = 7 years). Multiple logistic regression and AICc model selection indicated that double-brooded females bred in territories with greater food availability and produced heavier nestlings than single-brooded females. Female age, male age, date of first breeding attempt, an...
Complications in Chronic Pancreatitis

The most common complications in chronic pancreatitis are pain and the development of pseudocysts. These, as well as obstruction of the common bile duct by the fibrotic pancreas, are discussed elsewhere in this volume. The present review will concern itself with the complications of pancreatic fistula and ascites, bowel obstruction, splenic vein thrombosis, and hemorrhage.
Agricultural UAVs in the U.S.: potential, policy, and hype

Abstract New technologies often pass through a period of their promoters׳ exaggerations. Unrealistic expectations, or hype, produce consumer excitement and then disenchantment with the technology before its acceptance. Using the Garter Hype Cycle as a framework, this study examines expectations regarding domestic applications of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in agriculture. A content analysis of 5418 U.S. media reports from 2010 through 2014 shows hype was used in describing potential UAV applications in farming. Media reports were highly speculative and overly optimistic, and in the near term largely unrealistic. The agricultural UAV hype appears to be a response to hostility toward government domestic surveillance use of UAVs. As public hostility toward police use of UAVs increased, media reports shifted away from government deployment to the economic development created by relatively noncontroversial commercial applications. Hype has both potential benefits and costs for those seeking expansion of a technology. The hype was arguably necessary to allay negative public opinion and a hostile political environment toward domestic expansion of the UAV. The negative ramification of hype is that a period of disillusionment follows the inevitable realization that expectations for the technology were unrealistic. Market expansion is stalled or even derailed. According to the Garter Hype Cycle, there will be a period of disillusionment regarding the contributions of UAVs to agriculture once there is the legalization of commercial applications in the U.S. However, UAV deployment on farms should increase after realistic expectations regarding near-term contributions are developed and disseminated.
Maternal Nutrition and Fetal Development

Nutrition is the major intrauterine environmental factor that alters expression of the fetal genome and may have lifelong consequences. This phenomenon, termed "fetal programming," has led to the recent theory of "fetal origins of adult disease." Namely, alterations in fetal nutrition and endocrine status may result in developmental adaptations that permanently change the structure, physiology, and metabolism of the offspring, thereby predisposing individuals to metabolic, endocrine, and cardiovascular diseases in adult life. Animal studies show that both maternal undernutrition and overnutrition reduce placental-fetal blood flows and stunt fetal growth. Impaired placental syntheses of nitric oxide (a major vasodilator and angiogenesis factor) and polyamines (key regulators of DNA and protein synthesis) may provide a unified explanation for intrauterine growth retardation in response to the 2 extremes of nutritional problems with the same pregnancy outcome. There is growing evidence that maternal nutritional status can alter the epigenetic state (stable alterations of gene expression through DNA methylation and histone modifications) of the fetal genome. This may provide a molecular mechanism for the impact of maternal nutrition on both fetal programming and genomic imprinting. Promoting optimal nutrition will not only ensure optimal fetal development, but will also reduce the risk of chronic diseases in adults.
Investigation of Flow Dependent Blending Functions in Hybrid LES/RANS Simulations

A blending function that depends on the ratio of the von Karman length scale and the Taylor microscale in conjunction with k‐ turbulence model is used to study two Mach 3 shock wave/boundary layer interactions on 20 degree compression ramp and 25 degree compression-expansion ramp. The results are compared with two other blending functions: one in which the von Karman length scale is replaced by the distance to the nearest wall while the other employs a grid dependent expression proportional to the ratio of the RANS eddy viscosity to that of the LES. The results were further compared with a calculation where the underlying RANS model is that of Menter’s shear stress (SST) model with a blending function that depends on the distance to the wall. All inflow boundaries employ the rescaling-reintroducing procedure developed by Xiao et al. for hybrid LES/RANS approaches. In general, the blending function based on the von Karman length scale gives the best results when compared with available measurements. The skin friction measurements showed the highest sensitivity to the various blending functions and the two RANS models employed.
Hæmogram of Normal and Starved Rats

THE bioassay of plasma erythropoietin by the starved rat method was introduced by Fried et al. in 19571 and has since been utilized by other investigators for evaluating erythropoietic stimuli. Gross changes in peripheral blood are apparent in all rats prepared for assay by withdrawal of food for varying periods of time.
Present Situation and Development Trend of Mg Alloy Surface Treatment

As 3C industry has being developed rapidly recently,energy-saving and environment protection have been the worldwide focal point.Reducing weight and cyclical utilization of martial are the best methods.Magnesium alloy is one of the lightest engineering materials.It has been named the 21 century green structural metallic materials and has extensive application prospect for its characteristics such as specific strength,specific rigidity,recirculation,better casting property and so on.But the industry application of magnesium alloy is severely limited for its low corrosion resistance.So the preventive disposing on the surface of magnesium alloy is very important.Now,there are many kinds of surface treatment technologies of Mg alloy.In order to explore the optimal technology of surface treatment,many methods of surface treatment for magnesium alloy are reviewed and respective characteristic at home and board are discussed.Especially surface modification and surface coating are emphasized to be analysed.In the end the development trend of magnesium alloy in future is also given basing on the former methods.
Efficacy and mechanisms of behavioral therapy components for insomnia coexisting with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or poor-quality sleep (insomnia) is common in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Insomnia is related to greater mortality and morbidity, with four times the risk of mortality for sleep times below 300 min. However, insomnia medications are used with caution in COPD due to their potential adverse effects. While cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is effective for people with primary insomnia and people with other chronic illnesses, the efficacy and mechanisms of action of such a therapy are yet unclear in people with both insomnia and COPD. The purpose of this study is to rigorously test the efficacy of two components of insomnia therapy – CBT-I and COPD education (COPD-ED) – in people with coexisting insomnia and COPD, and to identify mechanisms responsible for therapy outcomes. The rationale for the proposed study is that once the efficacy and mechanisms of CBT-I and COPD-ED are known, new and innovative approaches for insomnia coexisting with COPD can be developed to non-pharmacologically minimize insomnia and fatigue, thereby leading to longer, higher-quality and more productive lives for people with COPD, and reduced societal cost due to the effects of insomnia. We are conducting a randomized, controlled, parallel-group (N = 35 each group) comparison of CBT-I, COPD-ED and non-COPD, non-sleep health education Attention Control (AC) using a highly efficient four-group design. Arm 1 comprises 6 weekly sessions of CBT-I + AC; Arm 2 = 6 weekly sessions of COPD-ED + AC; Arm 3 = 6 weekly sessions of CBT-I + COPD-ED; and Arm 4 = 6 weekly sessions of AC. This design will allow completion of the following specific aims: (1) to determine the efficacy of individual treatment components, CBT-I and COPD-ED, on insomnia and fatigue, (2) to define the mechanistic contributors to the outcomes after CBT-I and COPD-ED. The research is innovative because it represents a new and substantive departure from the usual insomnia therapy, namely by testing traditional CBT-I with education to enhance outcomes. The work proposed in aims 1 and 2 will provide systematic evidence of the efficacy and mechanisms of components of a novel approach to insomnia comorbid with COPD. Such results are highly likely to provide new approaches for preventive and therapeutic interventions for insomnia and fatigue in COPD. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01973647 . Registered on 22 October 2013.
The changing role of chemotherapy in treatment of non-seminomatous germinal testicular cancer.

AbstractAlthough this series is too small for meaningful statistical conclusions it demonstrates the effectiveness and hazards of bleomycin and vinblastine combined with other treatment modalities in the handling of non-seminomatous germinal testicular cancer. Bleomycin and vinblastine therapy is indicated 1) as a last resort in patients who have failed with other forms of therapy, 2) to convert high stage lesions to a lower stage and 3) as adjuvant therapy in the lowest stage lesions. The indications, risks and alternatives to chemotherapy, especially in patients with low stage tumors, must be realized by the physician and patient prior to its administration. However, the results reported here and elsewhere are so encouraging that we strongly recommend more aggressive use of these agents in any treatment regimen involving non-seminomatous tumors.
El discurso sexual como valor de identidad nacional de lo cubano

Este articulo pretende hacer un analisis acerca de como el discurso sobre la sexualidad ha configurado el imaginario de identidad nacional cubana, desde su independencia hasta el presente, a traves de las fuentes proporcionadas por la literatura y el cine cubano. Primeramente, el ensayo realizara una aproximacion teorica a las conexiones entre sexualidad y poder (en el sentido foucauldiano). Despues se analizara el origen y evolucion de la identidad nacional y cultural cubana en base a su particular imaginario sexual, a traves del cine y la literatura cubana. Finalmente, se explorara la ruptura actual de las tendencias culturales cubanas respecto al discurso tradicional que identificaba la Isla como paraiso sexual ?donde todo vicio es permitido?, como afirmo Graham Green.
Enhancing stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells with crosslinkable silane-functionalized and doped fullerene

The instability of hybrid perovskite materials due to water and moisture arises as one major challenge to be addressed before any practical application of the demonstrated high efficiency perovskite solar cells. Here we report a facile strategy that can simultaneously enhance the stability and efficiency of p-i-n planar heterojunction-structure perovskite devices. Crosslinkable silane molecules with hydrophobic functional groups are bonded onto fullerene to make the fullerene layer highly water-resistant. Methylammonium iodide is introduced in the fullerene layer for n-doping via anion-induced electron transfer, resulting in dramatically increased conductivity over 100-fold. With crosslinkable silane-functionalized and doped fullerene electron transport layer, the perovskite devices deliver an efficiency of 19.5% with a high fill factor of 80.6%. A crosslinked silane-modified fullerene layer also enhances the water and moisture stability of the non-sealed perovskite devices by retaining nearly 90% of their original efficiencies after 30 days' exposure in an ambient environment.
Antimicrobial Therapy for Legionnaire’s Disease: Antibiotic Stewardship Implications

Legionnaire's disease is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Although no single clinical feature is diagnostic, if characteristic extrapulmonary findings are present a presumptive clinical syndromic diagnosis is possible. Depending on geographic location, season, and physician awareness, Legionnaire's disease may be included in the differential diagnosis of CAP. Some antibiotics effective against Legionella sp are also effective in treating the typical bacterial causes of CAP. From an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) perspective, monotherapy is preferred to double-drug therapy. From an ASP and pharmacoeconomic standpoint, monotherapy with doxycycline or a respiratory quinolone provides optimal cost effective therapy.
Ethnic Identity and Regional Differences in Mental Health in a National Sample of African American Young Adults.

Prior research has found that a strong positive ethnic identity is a protective factor against anxiety and depression in African Americans. In this study, ethnic identity is examined in a geographically representative sample of African American young adults (n = 242), using the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) (Phinney in J Adolescent Res 7:156–76, 15). The two-factor structure of the measure (Roberts et al. in J Early Adolescence 19:301–22, 1) was analyzed using a structural equation model and displayed an acceptable fit only when multiple error terms were correlated. A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis revealed measurement equivalence of the two-factor structure between African Americans from Southern and non-Southern regions of the USA. We found that significantly higher levels of ethnic identity were present among African American in the South compared to other regions, and region significantly predicted total ethnic identity scores in a linear regression, even when controlling for gender, age, urbanicity, and years of education. Furthermore, among African Americans, living in the South was significantly correlated with less help-seeking for diagnosed depression, anxiety, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder, where help-seeking was defined as obtaining a diagnosis by a professional. The role of ethnic identity and social support are discussed in the context of African American mental health.
Modeling identifies optimal fall planting times and irrigation requirements for canola and camelina at locations across California

In California, Brassica oilseeds may be viable crops for growers to diversify their cool-season crop options, helping them adapt to projected climate change and irrigation water shortages. Field trials have found germination and establishment problems in some late-planted canola, but not camelina at the same locations. We used computer modeling to analyze fall seedbed conditions to better understand this phenomenon. We found seedbeds may be too dry, too cold, or both, to support germination of canola during late fall. Based on seedbed temperatures only, canola should be sown no later than the last week of November in the Central Valley. Camelina has broader temperature and moisture windows for germination and can be sown from October to December with less risk, but yields of camelina are lower than canola yields. In areas without irrigation, growers could plant canola opportunistically when seedbed conditions are favorable and use camelina as a fallback option.
Inflation targeting and inflation persistence: New evidence from fractional integration and cointegration

Abstract We investigate the dynamics of inflation persistence for a sample of advanced (Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) and newly industrialized and emerging market (Chile, Israel, and Mexico) economies that adopted inflation targeting (IT) prior to the year 2000. We employ fractional integration and cointegration techniques and provide empirical evidence on two yet unanswered questions. First, we investigate whether each of these six countries shares a common persistence with two non-IT countries, Germany, the largest economy of the Euro Area, and the United States, the world’s largest economy, that arguably represent the main core of the global economy. Second, we examine whether the inflation in each of the six IT countries and Germany and the United States are driven by a common stochastic trend. The evidence on these issues is mixed. We find that the inflationary processes in Germany, the United States, and the three advanced economies are fractionally integrated, stationary, mean reverting, and share a common inflation persistence. On the other hand, the inflationary processes in the three emerging market economies are fractionally integrated, mean reverting, non-stationary, and do not share a common persistence with Germany and the United States. We also find that in the post-IT period Sweden is fractionally cointegrated at the global level, i.e., with both Germany and the United States, whereas Canada is fractionally cointegrated at the regional level, i.e., only with the United States. Mixed evidence on the effects of the global financial crisis and its aftermath is also reported.
Bias and Undermatching in Concurrent Chain-Pull Bar-Press Performance

Two rats were reinforced with food according to pairs of concurrent variable-interval schedules. One schedule arranged reinforcement for bar-pressing, the other for chain-pulling. While a clear bias toward bar-pressing was revealed, consistent, strong undermatching also was observed. The results are largely in accord with previous experiments which have examined choice between different response topographies.
Screening for Colorectal Cancer

To the Editors: In a recent analysis of colorectal cancer screening, Eddy (1) mentions the concept of using colonoscopy for screening asymptomatic persons at average risk, a notion that we have pre...
Abstract P145: Screening Rates for the Diagnostic Workup of Resistant Hypertension

Resistant hypertension is a common clinical condition associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and death. Among individuals with resistant hypertension, secondary causes of hypertension occur in about 20% of cases, but the rates of screening are unknown. We assessed the practice pattern of these guidelines in a major primary and tertiary care academic institution in Northern California. Using the electronic health record, we identified individuals between the years of 2008 and 2014 who were prescribed three separate classes of antihypertensive agents and had follow-up laboratory data within 24 months. We excluded individuals with known causes of secondary hypertension such as hyperaldosteronism, renal artery stenosis, fibromuscular dysplasia, adrenal disease, and end-stage renal disease. We also excluded individuals with diagnosed heart failure, who may have been prescribed selected medications for heart failure instead of hypertension. This cohort of 37,073 individuals with presumed resistant hypertension had a mean age of 58.5 years (SD 15.8), was 51.7% male, and 56.4% Caucasian, 6.3% Black, and 12.4% Asian. Among these individuals, only 520 had a serum aldosterone, and only 447 had both aldosterone and plasma renin activity levels measured. These data infer that the recommended initial screening tests for secondary causes of resistant hypertension - notably primary and secondary hyperaldosteronism - are conducted in only 1.2% of individuals. A detailed chart review of a representative sample of this cohort will be also be conducted. Thus far, these data suggest that there is significant under-screening of reversible causes of resistant hypertension. Furthermore, an electronic implementation strategy to prompt screening for secondary causes may be warranted to reduce blood pressure, optimize use of antihypertensive medications, and lower cardiovascular risk. A similar analysis will be performed in the Veterans Affairs database to evaluate screening rates in health-care delivery systems enriched with African Americans.
Doing Zooarchaeology Today and Tomorrow

This brief chapter looks back over zooarchaeology since the author entered it in the early 1970s, noting its remarkable advances in knowledge over this time, as well as some enduring issues of interpretive frameworks, methods, and scale. Considering the case studies that built our current state of knowledge and the cutting edges of new, technologically enhanced methods, the common denominator appears to be a commitment to put in the hours of hard work that zooarchaeological analysis demands.
Making stand-alone PS-OG technology tolerant to the equipment shifts

Tracking users' gaze in virtual reality headsets allows natural and intuitive interaction with virtual avatars and virtual objects. Moreover, a technique known as foveated rendering can help save computational resources and enable hi-resolution but lightweight virtual reality technologies. Predominantly, eye-tracking hardware in modern VR headsets consist of infrared camera(s) and LEDs. Such hardware, together with image processing software consumes a substantial amount of energy, and, provided that hi-speed gaze detection is needed, might be very expensive. A promising technique to overcome these issues is photo-sensor oculography (PS-OG), which allows eye-tracking with high sampling rate and low power consumption. However, the main limitation of the previous PS-OG systems is their inability to compensate for the equipment shifts. In this study, we employ a simple multi-layer perceptron neural network to map raw sensor data to gaze locations and report its performance for shift compensation. Modeling and evaluation is done via a simulation.
Is there room for art in evidence-based medicine?

Today’s great doctors are part of a long tradition of physicians who have valued the art of medicine and married attention to the patient with rigorous medical investigation. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Metal-free cross-coupling of π-conjugated triazenes with unactivated arenes via photoactivation

Cross-coupling of aryl compounds is one of the most powerful carbon–carbon bond forming reactions available. However, the vast majority employ scarce and expensive transition metal salts, in combination with high temperatures and long reaction times. Herein, we report a new, metal-free biaryl coupling that includes photoactivation of π-conjugated triazenes, in the presence of unactivated arenes, carried out at room temperature. Key experiments and theoretical calculations, to elucidate mechanistic details of this new, direct and significantly milder synthetic approach are presented.
Computer Aided Densitometric Evaluation of Coronary Cineangiograms

The shape of an atherosclerotic lumen frequently deviates from circular symmetry (Vlodaver and Edwards 1971). As a result, an attempt is usually made to obtain multiple cineangiographic projections of a coronary artery segment during cardiac catheterization in order to view an atherosclerotic plaque in profile, since lumen encroachment by an enface plaque cannot be quantitated visually. However, more than one radiographic view perpendicular to the vessel’s long axis is often not possible for many important epicardial coronary artery segments.
Experimentation and the Crisis of Medicine

This chapter returns to questions about experimentation, first presenting Francois Dagognet’s investigation of medical empiricism and appeal to a clinical anthropology as an attempted extension of Canguilhem’s work. I find Canguilhem’s response in his return to Rene Leriche. Whereas Dagognet implies that medicine’s empiricism arises from its impotence before nature and conceals clinical knowledge of man, Canguilhem questions humanist medicine by insisting that therapeutics today works by wounding and medicine has become anti-natural. His “Therapeutics, Experimentation, and Responsibility,” I show, considers further consequences in describing the medical crisis afflicting industrial societies. Medicine, he finds, has become perhaps the pre-eminent political problem for modern societies, providing no anthropology. I conclude by considering Foucault’s Birth of the Clinic as a critical extension from Canguilhem’s essay.
Splinting after Distal Radius Fracture Fixation: A Prospective Cohort Analysis of Postoperative Plaster Splint versus Soft Dressing.

Background The effect of postoperative dressing and splinting after distal radius fracture (DRF) open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) is not well understood. A prospective cohort analysis was performed to assess differences in functional and radiographic outcomes with the use of plaster splinting or soft dressing following DRF ORIF. Methods All patients undergoing DRF ORIF with locking volar plates were consecutively enrolled. Preoperative demographic and postoperative radiographic and functional outcome data were collected at 2 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. Functional data included range of motion (ROM), pain on visual analog scale (VAS), Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE), and quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores. Radiographic data included loss of fracture reduction. Results A total of 139 patients were enrolled (79 plaster splinting, 60 soft dressing). By the first postoperative visit (POV), there was one case of loss of reduction with plaster splinting and one case with soft dressing with no hardware failure or revision surgery in either group, and no difference in DASH, PRWE, or VAS pain scores. By the final POV, the soft dressing group showed greater ROM in extension by 9.6, flexion by 10.9, and supination by 4.8 degrees over plaster splinting. Additionally, the soft dressing group demonstrated statistically significant improvement in PRWE and DASH scores, as well as VAS pain scores as compared with plaster splinting. Conclusions Applying only soft dressing following DRF ORIF demonstrated improvements in ROM, VAS, and functional outcomes by final follow-up, with no significant differences in radiographic outcomes. No benefit of applying a plaster splint was identified.
Multiple-Partner Fertility and Cohort Change in the Prevalence of Half-Siblings.

The transformation of the American family under the second demographic transition has created more opportunities for parents to have children with multiple partners, but data limitations have hampered prevalence estimates of multiple-partner fertility from the perspective of children. This study uses nationally representative data from the 1979 and 1997 cohorts of the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth to examine cohort change in children’s exposure to multiple-partner fertility. We find that one in five children in the 1979 cohort had at least one half-sibling by their 18th birthday, and the prevalence grew to more than one in four children by the 1997 cohort. A strong educational gradient in exposure to half-siblings persists across both cohorts, but large racial/ethnic disparities have narrowed over time. Using demographic decomposition techniques, we find that change in the racial/ethnic and socioeconomic composition of the U.S. population cannot explain the growth in exposure to half-siblings. We conclude by discussing the shifting patterns of fertility and family formation associated with sibling complexity and considering the implications for child development and social stratification.
Increasing faculty engagement in the early alert process

With increasing financial pressures on colleges and universities, student retention and persistence have become high priorities. Faculty play an important role in student retention, particularly in...
Noninvasive Ventilation for High-Risk Endotracheal Intubation

For patients with severe hypoxemic respiratory failure, significant hemodynamic instability, and/or abnormal upper airway anatomy, endotracheal intubation may be high risk for complications such as worse hypoxemia, hemodynamic collapse, and failed intubation. Noninvasive ventilation to support endotracheal intubation has emerged as a tool to transition high-risk patients in acute respiratory failure to invasive ventilation in place of bag-valve-mask ventilation and apneic oxygenation. Data supporting its use for the entire intubation process continue to be limited to case series. Nevertheless, the use of noninvasive ventilation to support the intubation process may help minimize perturbations in oxygenation and hemodynamics and potentially increase the chance for successful endotracheal intubation in high-risk patients.
Mechanism Underlying Increased Cardiac Extracellular Matrix Deposition in Perinatal Nicotine Exposed Offspring.

Although increased predisposition to cardiac fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction has been demonstrated in the perinatally nicotine exposed heart, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Using a well-established rat model and cultured primary neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts, the effect of perinatal nicotine exposure on offspring heart extracellular matrix deposition and the likely underlying mechanisms were investigated. Perinatal nicotine exposure resulted in increased collagen type I (COL1A1) and III (COL3A1) deposition along with a decrease in miR-29 family and an increase in long non-coding RNA myocardial infarction associated transcript (MIAT) levels in offspring heart. Nicotine treatment of isolated primary neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts suggested that these effects were mediated via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors including α7 and the induced collagens accumulation was reversed by a gain-of function of miR-29 family. Knockdown of MIAT resulted in increased miR-29 family and decreased COL1A1 and COL3A1 levels, suggesting nicotine-mediated MIAT induction as the underlying mechanism for nicotine-induced collagen deposition. Luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation studies showed an intense physical interaction between MIAT, miR-29 family, and argonaute 2, corroborating the mechanistic link between perinatal nicotine exposure and increased extracellular matrix deposition. Overall, perinatal nicotine exposure resulted in lower miR-29 family levels in offspring heart, while it elevated cardiac MIAT and collagen type I and III levels. These findings provide mechanistic basis for cardiac dysfunction in perinatal nicotine exposed offspring and offer multiple novel potential therapeutic targets.
The experiences of Hispanic families of children with autism spectrum disorder regarding physical activity

Abstract Background Researchers seldom focus on the services needed for Hispanic children with ASD, especially in regard to physical activity (PA). Purpose The purpose of this study was: (a) to explore why Hispanic families with children with ASD seek out and participate in PA, and (b) to describe the strategies and supports needed by Hispanic families of children with ASD to improve PA participation. Methods Participants in this descriptive-qualitative study were Hispanic parents of children with ASD (n = 9) who participated in one-on-one semi-structured telephone interviews. Interviews were transcribed and then analyzed using thematic line-by-line analysis. Results Two major themes emerged from the data: 1) Personal Responsibility and 2) “Every Day is a Different Challenge”. Parents were motivated to engage in PA because of perceived health benefits for themselves and their children. Parents faced famililal and external barriers that impacted their participation. Participants commented on the role of culture (e.g., customs, lack of family support after immigration) in the context of these barriers. Implications Further research is needed regarding culturally responsive PA interventions for Hispanic families with children with ASD.
Justice and the Ethical Response to Suffering.

In the years just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, American clinicians and health care systems were focused on another life-threatening disease: opioid use disorder (OUD) and the epidemic of deaths ...
The Admissibility of Hypnotically Enhanced Testimony in Criminal Trials

In an increasing numbers of criminal trials, either the prosecution or the defense attempts to elicit evidence from witnesses who were hypnotized prior to the trial. Consequently, courts are frequently required to decide whether and to what extent a witness who has been hypnotized may testify.The author begins with a brief discussion of the theory of memory and of how hypnosis affects memory, followed by a discussion of various issues raised in the forensic use of hypnosis. Subsequently, the author addresses the constitutional issues raised by the admissibility of hypnotically enhanced testimony. Finally, the author discusses the current majority's position that previously hypnotized witnesses may testify so long as they testify only to prehypnotic recollections.
Effect of vaginal temperature on behavior patterns of Mannheimia haemolytico challenged beef heifer calves

Behavior is one criteria that can be used to identify sick animals, but the relationship between behavior and body temperature changes are not well-defined. The objective of this project was to evaluate associations between vaginal temperature and behavior in beef heifers challenged with Mannheimia haemolytica.
Rapidly textured Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

Amorphous Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 (Bi-2212) was crystallized under uniaxial loads (up to 1500 N) at temperatures up to 890 °C to induce texture. Well-textured samples (19 mm in diameter and 0.15 mm thick) were obtained for samples heated to 890 °C and quenched. Heated (10 °C/min) and quenched samples at 550, 750, 850, and 870 °C demonstrate that the crystallization path is Bi2Sr2CuO6 (Bi-2201) (550 °C) to Bi-2212 (850 °C), with texturing occurring during grain growth (T > 850 °C). Comparison of samples crystallized under load and no load demonstrates that the texturing is a result of the plane stress biasing the normal anisotropic grain growth normal to the applied stress direction.
Situation Evaluation and Expectation

What would motivate a reasonable person to embark on a risky course? Basically considerations of two sorts, For one thing, the chance of gain may serve as inducement to bear the chance of loss inherent in the risk. Alternatively, accepting a given risk may provide a means of averting an even greater risk—one risk may simply prove to be “the lesser evil.” In all such cases, however, rational deliberation requires some mechanism for comparing the relative magnitudes of the risks at issue. It is always a matter of weighing the options: comparing, say, the dangers of malfunction of a nuclear reactor with the impact of mining mishaps or the accidents involved in constructing and operating power sources driven by water or by wind. All evaluations of risk are comparative: a matter of seeing whether—and by how much—this alternative is preferable to that one.
Bacteria in the wind

An article in Atmosphere identified species of bacteria transported by dust particles in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.
IL-33 released by alum is responsible for early cytokine production and has adjuvant properties

Human vaccines have used aluminium-based adjuvants (alum) for >80 years despite incomplete understanding of how alum enhances the immune response. Alum can induce the release of endogenous danger signals via cellular necrosis which elicits inflammation-associated cytokines resulting in humoral immunity. IL-33 is proposed to be one such danger signal that is released from necrotic cells. Therefore, we investigated whether there is a role for IL-33 in the adjuvant activity of alum. We show that alum-induced cellular necrosis results in elevated levels of IL-33 following injection in vivo. Alum and IL-33 induce similar increases in IL-5, KC, MCP-1, MIP-1α and MIP-1β; many of which are dependent on IL-33 as shown in IL-33 knockout mice or by using an IL-33-neutralizing recombinant ST2 receptor. Furthermore, IL-33 itself functions as an adjuvant that, while only inducing a marginal primary response, facilitates a robust secondary response comparable to that observed with alum. However, IL-33 is not absolutely required for alum-induced antibody responses since alum mediates similar humoral responses in IL-33 knockout and wild-type mice. Our results provide novel insights into the mechanism of action behind alum-induced cytokine responses and show that IL-33 is sufficient to provide a robust secondary antibody response independently of alum.
African Oral Story-telling Tradition and the Zimbabwean Novel in English

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Maurice Taonezvi Vambe Year: 2004 Pages: 130 Publisher: Unisa Press ISBN: 1868883043 (soft cover). Prices: 14.99 Euro(soft cover).
Impact of No Child Left Behind on Curriculum and Instruction in Rural Schools

This article examines the influence of the No Child Left Behind Act on the decision making of rural principals and teachers about curriculum and instruction as well as the possible long-term effects on rural education. Data were gathered from 101 rural elementary school principals in Missouri and 76 rural elementary school teachers in Maine. Missouri principals were concerned about losing their autonomy and abilities to be instructional leaders. Maine teachers reported that NCLB benefited some groups of students more than others and that it has a negative effect on student motivation. There were significant changes in instructional time for some subjects and non-instructional time for recess and kindergarten nap time. The most important influence on principals’ educational vision for the future and the need for professional development was meeting AYP and raising test scores.
Effects of a Workplace Intervention on Sleep in Employees' Children

Purpose: The implications of sleep patterns for adolescent health are well established, but we know less about larger contextual influences on youth sleep. We focused on parents’ workplace experiences as extrafamilial forces that may affect youth sleep. Methods: In a group-randomized trial focused on employee work groups in the information technology division of a Fortune 500 company, we tested whether a workplace intervention improved sleep latency, duration, night-to-night variability in duration, and quality of sleep of employees’ offspring, aged 9e17 years. The intervention was aimed at promoting employees’ schedule control and supervisor support for personal and family life to decrease employees’ workefamily conflict and thereby promote the health of employees, their families, and the work organization. Analyses focused on 93 parenteadolescent dyads (57 dyads in the intervention and 46 in the comparison group) that completed baseline and 12-month follow-up home interviews and a series of telephone diary interviews that were conducted on eight consecutive evenings at each wave. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses of the diary interview data revealed main effects of the intervention on youth’s sleep latency, night-to-night variability in sleep duration, and sleep quality, but not sleep duration. Conclusions: The intervention focused on parents’ work conditions, not on their parenting or parentechild relationships, attesting to the role of larger contextual influences on youth sleep and the importance of parents’ work experiences in the health of their children.
Remarks on the Cayley Representation of Orthogonal Matrices and on Perturbing the Diagonal of a Matrix to Make it Invertible

This note contains two remarks. The first remark concerns the extension of the well-known Cayley representation of rotation matrices by skew symmetric matrices to rotation matrices admitting -1 as an eigenvalue and then to all orthogonal matrices. We review a method due to Hermann Weyl and another method involving multiplication by a diagonal matrix whose entries are +1 or -1. The second remark has to do with ways of flipping the signs of the entries of a diagonal matrix, C, with nonzero diagonal entries, obtaining a new matrix, E, so that E + A is invertible, where A is any given matrix (invertible or not).
Abstract 352: Integrating transcriptomic data using metacore pathway analysis to identify novel biomarkers of bevacizumab target engagement

The widespread use of microarrays for gene expression studies has generated large volumes of transcriptomic data to help describe mechanisms such as drug treatment response. The drug Bevacizumab is well characterized for its ability to inhibit VEGFA pro-angiogenic signaling resulting in tumor regression for a number of cancer-related indications. However, universal mechanisms of action have remained elusive to describe changes at the mRNA level across different solid tumor types. This case study uses 3 publically available datasets related to Bevacizumab treatment and analyzes the data in a manually curated systems biology context. Using a combination of Thomson Reuters solutions including the Data Annotation and Processing tool, MetaCore Pathway Analysis and Integrity Biomarkers Module allows for a simple workflow to process omics data and identify biomarkers of target engagement through pathway analysis and data integration. This analysis identified 5 differentially expressed genes common to all treated tumors including: Basonuclin, growth arrest-specific 7, mucin 1, integrin beta-4, and dystonin. All 5 of these objects can be connected to VEGF-A in a signaling network based on previously curated interactions. These in silico results provide a strong rationale for follow up studies in the lab to validate novel biomarkers related to Bevacizumab target engagement in solid tumors. Citation Format: Chris D. Willis, Kyle Lafferty-Whyte, Melinda Baker, Richard G. Pestell. Integrating transcriptomic data using metacore pathway analysis to identify novel biomarkers of bevacizumab target engagement. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 352. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-352
Reinforcement Learning in Nonstationary Environment Navigation Tasks

The field of reinforcement learning (RL) has achieved great strides in learning control knowledge from closed-loop interaction with environments. "Classical" RL, based on atomic state space representations, suffers from an inability to adapt to nonstationarities in the target Markov decision process (i.e., environment). Relational RL is widely seen as being a potential solution to this shortcoming. In this paper, we demonstrate a class of "pseudo-relational" learning methods for nonstationary navigational RL domains --- domains in which the location of the goal, or even the structure of the environment, can change over time. Our approach is closely related to deictic representations, which have previously been found to be troublesome for RL. The key insight of this paper is that navigational problems are a highly constrained class of MDP, possessing a strong native topologythat relaxes some of the partial observability difficulties arising from deixis. Agents can employ local information that is relevant to their near-term action choices to act effectively. We demonstrate that, unlike an atomic representation, our agents can learn to fluidly adapt to changing goal locations and environment structure.
Electrical Conductivity Measurements in Shock Compressed Liquid Nitrogen

The electrical conductivity of shock compressed liquid nitrogen was measured in the pressure range 20–50 GPa using a two-stage light-gas gun. The conductivities covered a range 4×l0−2−l×l02 ohm−1 cm−1. The data are discussed in terms of a liquid semiconductor model below the onset of the dissociative phase transition at 30 GPa.
Fast, Accurate Creation of Data Validation Formats by End-User Developers

Inputs to web forms often contain typos or other errors. However, existing web form design tools require end-user developers to write regular expressions ("regexps") or even scripts to validate inputs, which is slow and error-prone because of the poor match between common data types and the regexp notation. We present a new technique enabling end-user developers to describe data as a series of constrained parts, and we have incorporated our technique into a prototype tool. Using this tool, end-user developers can create validation code more quickly and accurately than with existing techniques, finding 90% of invalid inputs in a lab study. This study and our evaluation of the technique's generality have motivated several tool improvements, which we have implemented and now evaluate using the Cognitive Dimensions framework.
Inhibition of Differentiation and Proliferation of Colony-Stimulating Factor-Induced Clonal Growth of Normal Human Marrow Cells In Vitro by Retinoic Acid

Necessary for growth and differentiation in many normal tissues and capable of inducing differentiation in human promyelocytic cell lines, retinoids were the subject of this study. Specifically, effects of 13-cis-retinoic acid and 13-trans-retinoic acid on the growth of normal human bone marrow cells in soft-agar system were studied. Both short-term incubation and continuous exposure to retinoic acid caused a decreased number of granulocyte colonies and an increased cluster-to-colony ratio. This effect was concentration-dependent. Examination of specimens stained with Wright-Giemsa or nitro blue tetrazolium stains showed a progressive increase in the percentage of immature granulocytic precursors with increasing concentrations of retinoic acid. No effect of retinoic acid was seen on a number of human tumor cell lines. Retinoic acid blocked both differentiation and proliferation and appeared to do so by specific, noncytotoxic mechanisms in normal human bone marrow cells.
Concurrent cetuximab versus platinum‐based chemoradiation for the definitive treatment of locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer

Background The purpose of this study was to present our experience utilizing cetuximab and platinum-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy for the definitive treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods Patients (n = 177) who received definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for HNSCC were stratified into 3 groups: receiving cetuximab monotherapy (n = 24), cetuximab and chemotherapy combination (n = 33), or platinum-based chemotherapy without cetuximab (n = 120). Primary endpoints were freedom from relapse, event-free survival, and overall survival (OS). Results Patients receiving cetuximab monotherapy were older with lower Karnofsky performance status (KPS) and higher Charlson comorbidity scores compared with those treated with combination cetuximab and chemotherapy or platinum-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Patients treated with platinum-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy exhibited significantly better freedom from relapse, event-free survival, and OS compared with those receiving cetuximab monotherapy or cetuximab and chemotherapy combination therapies (all p < .05). Differences between patients receiving cetuximab monotherapy and platinum-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy held on multivariate Cox regression. Conclusion This study suggests that platinum-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy is superior to cetuximab-based monotherapy for the definitive treatment of HNSCC. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: 386–392, 2015