cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Edge structure preserving 3-D image denoising

In various applications, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI (fMRI), 3- D images get increasingly popular. To improve reliability of subsequent image analyses, 3-D image denoising is often a necessary pre-processing step, which is the focus of the current paper. In the literature, most existing image denoising procedures are for 2-D images. Their direct extensions to 3-D cases generally can not handle 3-D images efficiently, because the structure of a typical 3-D image is substantially more complicated than that of a typical 2-D image. For instance, edge locations are surfaces in 3-D cases, which would be much more challenging to handle, compared to edge curves in 2-D cases. In this paper, we propose a novel 3-D image denoising procedure, by approximating the edge surfaces properly, using local smoothing and nonparametric regression methods. One important feature of this method is its ability to preserve edges and major edge structures (e.g., intersections of two edge surfaces and pointed corners). Numerical studies show that it works well in various applications.
The contradictions of suppression: Notes from a study of approaches to gangs in three public high schools

This article is based on data collected from two years of ethnographic gang research in three inner-city high schools. Two of the schools are situated in the same city on the West Coast, and the third is located on the East Coast. The aim of the research was to describe and analyze the range of responses of three secondary schools as they struggled to cope with the problem of youth gangs among their student populations. I argue that the common repertoire of suppression strategies used by the schools, although based on commonsense reactions to rising student violence, are futile responses to the problems of gangs and have antieducational “unintentional consequences” for the pursuance of a democratic public pedagogy.
Factors related to gizzard shad and the threadfin shad occurrence and abundance in Florida lakes

Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum were collected in 23 and threadfin shad D. petenense were collected in 22 of the 60 Florida lakes sampled. Logistic regression equations were 94% effective for predicting gizzard shad occurrence from chlorophyll and lake surface area, and 84% effective for predicting threadfin shad occurrence from lake surface area and lake volume inhabited (PVI). Occurrence of both shad species was related positively to lake size. In lakes where gizzard shad or threadfin shad were collected, shad density and biomass of both shad species were related positively to chlorophyll. Gizzard shad populations were generally vulnerable to predation in lakes, with the per cent of gizzard shad ≤ 200 mm L T values exceeding 60% with few exceptions. Effects of gizzard shad and threadfin shad on fish community dynamics may be confined to relatively large (> 100 ha) and fertile (chlorophyll >20-30 μg l -1 ) Florida lakes.
RoomZoner: occupancy-based room-level zoning of a centralized HVAC system

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) combine low-power radios with embedded processors in order to provide high-resolution sensing and actuation over a geographic area. This revolution has begun to deliver a new generation of engineering systems and scientific breakthroughs. One area in which CPSs can have a significant impact is in energy conservation through the intelligent control of systems. In this paper we present a CPS that enables a centralized Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system to be retrofitted to enable room-level conditioning of a residence. This is a compelling application due to residential HVAC systems accounting for over 15% of all U.S. energy usage, making it one of the nation's largest energy consumers. Also, it has all the aspects of a complex CPS: it uses sensors to detect room occupancy and indoor climate, it actuates hardware, and it requires complex control algorithms in order to maximize energy savings without damaging the HVAC equipment or discomforting the occupants. With an implementation using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and a simple control algorithm we demonstrate an almost 15% energy saving in a residence over its existing centralized thermostat. With this demonstration, we pose a challenge to control theorists with the CPS community to refine our approach which could lead to even greater energy savings.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Presenting as Back Pain to a Chiropractic Clinic: A Case Report

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to discuss a patient with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) who presented to a chiropractic teaching clinic and review the pathophysiology, therapeutic strategies, and complications associated with treatment of AAA. Clinical Features A 69-year-old male patient experienced right-sided low back pain with radiation into the right leg for 3 weeks. The radiologic examination of the lumbar spine showed a 7.0-cm AAA and degenerative joint disease in the lumbar spine. Real-time ultrasonography showed an approximately 6.0-cm (transverse diameter), 4.1-cm (anteroposterior diameter), and approximately 7.0-cm (long) infrarenal AAA. Computed tomographic angiography showed additional bilateral iliac artery aneurysms. Intervention and Outcome This patient was treated with an endovascular stent graft repair of the abdominal aorta and bilateral iliac artery aneurysms. He has done well after surgery. Conclusion This article provides a case study and an overview of AAA. Rupture of an aortic aneurysm is preventable by cautious surveillance and the recognition of suspicious physical and radiographic findings in the population at risk. Early detection reduces mortality because repair is elective rather than emergent.
Train station passenger flow study

With the increasing demand for public transportation due to congested highways, trains have become one of the most viable alternatives, especially for daily commuting. While transit agencies are excited with the increasing ridership, they are also challenged with a higher volume of passenger flow and longer queuing lines at the existing stations. To improve the current situation and plan for the future, transit agencies are using simulation tools to help evaluate station design, queue management, fare equipment design and fare policy impacts. The paper considers the approach used for developing a typical train station simulation model.
Determinants of Household Division of Labor Resources, Power, and Ideology

Using data from a large sample of married couples (N = 3,649), this study examines factors that are correlated with the amount of a husband's participation in domestic work. It was hypothesized that both spouses' earnings, work status, sex-role orientations, their power relationship, and the interaction between power and sex-role orientations were related to the husband's relative share in domestic work. The hypothesized relationships were found statistically significant in these data. The pattern of household division of labor apparently is affected not only by both spouses' monetary contributions, but also by their time availabilities, power relations, and ideologies.
Industry Determinants of Organizational Culture

This article develops the argument that organizational or corporate culture is strongly influenced by the characteristics of the industry in which the company operates. Thus, companies within an industry share certain cultural elements that are required for survival. The article identifies three classes of industry variables that have the potential for creating industry-driven cultural elements: competitive environment, customer requirements, and societal expectations. The article also discusses implications of the industry influences on the potential for culture change.
IRREGULAR TRICHOME BRANCH1 in Arabidopsis Encodes a Plant Homolog of the Actin-Related Protein2/3 Complex Activator Scar/WAVE That Regulates Actin and Microtubule Organization

The dynamic actin cytoskeleton is important for a myriad of cellular functions, including intracellular transport, cell division, and cell shape. An important regulator of actin polymerization is the actin-related protein2/3 (Arp2/3) complex, which nucleates the polymerization of new actin filaments. In animals, Scar/WAVE family members activate Arp2/3 complex-dependent actin nucleation through interactions with Abi1, Nap1, PIR121, and HSCP300. Mutations in the Arabidopsis thaliana genes encoding homologs of Arp2/3 complex subunits PIR121 and NAP1 all show distorted trichomes as well as additional epidermal cell expansion defects, suggesting that a Scar/WAVE homolog functions in association with PIR121 and NAP1 to activate the Arp2/3 complex in Arabidopsis. In a screen for trichome branching defects, we isolated a mutant that showed irregularities in trichome branch positioning and expansion. We named this gene IRREGULAR TRICHOME BRANCH1 (ITB1). Positional cloning of the ITB1 gene showed that it encodes SCAR2, an Arabidopsis protein related to Scar/WAVE. Here, we show that itb1 mutants display cell expansion defects similar to those reported for the distorted class of trichome mutants, including disruption of actin and microtubule organization. In addition, we show that the scar homology domain (SHD) of ITB1/SCAR2 is necessary and sufficient for in vitro binding to Arabidopsis BRK1, the plant homolog of HSPC300. Overexpression of the SHD in transgenic plants causes a dominant negative phenotype. Our results extend the evidence that the Scar/WAVE pathway of Arp2/3 complex regulation exists in plants and plays an important role in regulating cell expansion.
Who Are All These People? Longitudinal Changes in New Employee Social Networks Within a State Agency

Organizational socialization is the process by which newcomers adapt to their organization and learn how to become productive organizational members. Organizations employ tactics such as classroom training, mentoring, orientation sessions, and on-the-job training to assist new employees in their transition. At the same time, newcomers engage in their own proactive efforts to seek information and establish ties with experienced organizational members who have access to valued resources. While scholarship has noted the importance of both socialization and employee intraorganizational networks within public sector organizations, little research has focused on these areas. This article links the organizational socialization and social network frameworks by examining how the networks of new employees in a state agency change over time. Based on our findings, we offer implications for rewarding core advisors, mentoring programs, and fostering interactions between newcomers and experienced organizational members.
The Ability of Selected Pupal Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) to Locate Stable Fly Hosts in a Soiled Equine Bedding Substrate

The ability of Spalangia cameroni Perkins, Spalangia endius Walker, and Muscidifurax raptorellus Kogan and Legner to locate and attack stable fly hosts was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Postfeeding third-instar stable fly larvae were released and allowed to pupate in two arena types: large 4.8 liter chambers containing a field-collected, soiled equine bedding substrate; or 120-ml plastic cups containing wood chips. At the time of fly pupariation, parasitoids were released and permitted 72 h to locate and attack hosts. On average, parasitism rates of freely accessible stable fly pupae in cups were not significantly different between parasitoid species. However, parasitism rates in chambers containing either Spalangia spp. were ≈50-fold more than M. raptorellus. Additional intraspecies analysis revealed that parasitism rates both by S. cameroni and S. endius were not significantly different when pupae were freely accessible or within bedding, whereas M. raptorellus attacked significantly more pupae in cups than in the larger chambers where hosts were distributed within bedding. These results suggest that Spalangia spp. are more suited to successfully locate and attack hosts in habitats created by equine husbandry in Florida. Therefore, commercially available parasitoid mixtures containing Muscidifurax spp. may be ineffective if used as a control measure at Florida equine facilities.
Comparison of methods of estimating mean synoptic current structure in “stream coordinates” reference frames with an example from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Abstract Stream coordinates techniques, that is, methods of deriving the mean “synoptic” structures of narrow meandering ocean currents from Eulerian measurements, have been in use for nearly two decades and have resulted in improvements in our understanding of the dynamics and transports of such currents. A 2-year experiment in the Sub-Antarctic Front (SAF) southwest of Tasmania, involving overlapping arrays of inverted echo sounders and horizontal electric field recorders, has provided an opportunity to test various stream coordinates methods. The methods differ significantly in how well, or even if, they can reveal divergence or convergence of the meandering current, and whether they accurately reproduce the current's horizontal structure and transport. Cross-stream distance was determined either via a frozen-field assumption or as the distance to an optimally interpolated (OI) origin contour; downstream direction was determined either as the local direction which maximized the vertical shear of horizontal velocity or as the tangent line to the OI mapped core contour. All combinations of these distance and direction definitions were tested. The use of a frozen field assumption in determining cross-stream distance yields overly smooth along-stream velocity cross-sections and overestimated transports. The vertical shear definition of downstream direction results in a false rotation of cross-stream flows into along-stream flows near the flanks of the current. The preferred methods define the horizontal location of the front with 2-D arrays of instruments (e.g., inverted echo sounders or moored current meters). Methods employing the assumptions of a meandering “frozen-field” baroclinic structure or the use of the local vertical shear of the horizontal velocity to determine the downstream direction should be avoided, if possible, particularly in the SAF.
Innocent Defendants Pleading Guilty

United States District Judge Jed Rakoff recently wrote an interesting and timely article in the New York Review of Books highlighting the risk of innocent defendants pleading guilty and offering a proposal aimed at reducing this risk. (Jed S. Rakoff, Why Innocent People Plead Guilty, N.Y. REV. BOOKS, NOV. 20, 2014). Judge Rakoff recommends changing the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to allow federal magistrate judges to participate in plea negotiations early in criminal cases just as they now participate in settlement negotiations in civil cases. In this column we examine the reasons why we share Judge Rakoff’s concern and offer an assessment of his proposal.
Complete Genome Sequence of Pelosinus sp. Strain UFO1 Assembled Using Single-Molecule Real-Time DNA Sequencing Technology.

Pelosinus fermentans strain R7 was isolated from Russian kaolin clays as the type strain and it can reduce Fe(III) during fermentative growth (1). Draft genome sequences for P. fermentans R7 and four strains from Hanford, Washington, USA, have been published (2–4). The P. fermentans 16S rRNA sequence dominated the lactate-based enrichment cultures from three geochemically contrasting soils from the Melton Branch Watershed, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA (5) and also at another stimulated, uraniumcontaminated field site near Oak Ridge (6). For the current work, strain UFO1 was isolated from pristine sediments at a background field site in Oak Ridge and characterized as facilitating U(VI) reduction and precipitation with phosphate (7).
Overcoming insulin “resistance”: Assisting patients in transitioning to insulin therapy

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends metformin, sulfonylureas, or insulin as first-tier therapy for treating type 2 diabetes.[1][1] Insulin is recommended as the treatment of choice if a patient’s fasting blood glucose concentration exceeds 250 mg/dL or glycosylated hemoglobin
Metacognitive Experiences and Human Judgment The Case of Hindsight Bias and Its Debiasing

Theories of judgment have emphasized the influence of what comes to mind—the content of people's thoughts. But recent research shows that metacognitive experiences accompanying thinking, like a sense of the ease or difficulty with which information comes to mind, qualify the conclusions that people derive from thought content. The case of hindsight bias and attempts to remove that bias (debiasing) illustrate this. After an event outcome is known, people display hindsight bias by exaggerating its inevitability, believing they “knew it all along.” The magnitude of hindsight bias varies with the ease or difficulty that known or alternative outcomes come to mind; the usually observed hindsight bias may even reverse when outcomes are difficult to bring to mind or increase when alternatives are difficult to bring to mind. Implications of metacognitive experiences can extend to other biases and their debiasing, as well as to how people make sense of the past more generally.
Machine Learning for Learning at Scale

There is great enthusiasm for the idea that massive amounts of data from online interactions of learners with material can lead to a rapid improvement cycle, driven by analysis of the data, experimentation, and intervention to do more of what works and less of what doesn't. This talk discusses techniques for working with massive amounts of data.Peter Norvig is a Director of Research at Google Inc. Previously he was head of Google's core search algorithms group, and of NASA Ames's Computational Sciences Division, making him NASA's senior computer scientist. He received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Award in 2001. He has taught at the University of Southern California and the University of California at Berkeley, from which he received a Ph.D. in 1986 and the distinguished alumni award in 2006. He was co-teacher of an Artificial Intelligence class that signed up 160,000 students, helping to kick off the current round of massive open online classes. His publications include the books Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (the leading textbook in the field), Paradigms of AI Programming: Case Studies in Common Lisp, Verbmobil: A Translation System for Face-to-Face Dialog, and Intelligent Help Systems for UNIX. He is also the author of the Gettysburg Powerpoint Presentation and the world's longest palindromic sentence. He is a fellow of the AAAI, ACM, California Academy of Science and American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
1‐Diazo‐2‐propene

[2032-04-4] C3H4N2 (MW 68.08) InChI = 1S/C3H4N2/c1-2-3-5-4/h2-3H,1H2 InChIKey = AJYIGJXFGZQYHI-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent for the cyclopropanation of alkenes) Alternate Name: vinyldiazomethane. Solubility: vinyldiazomethane is most commonly prepared and used as a solution in ether or THF, or as an alcoholic solution in either of those solvents. Analysis of Reagent Purity: the amount of active diazo compound contained in a solution has been determined by measuring the volume of nitrogen evolved upon reaction of an aliquot of the diazo compound with an excess of p-nitrobenzoic acid in THF.3 Preparative Methods: the reagent is most commonly prepared by the action of base on various N-allyl-N-nitroso derivatives. Thus ethyl-N-allyl-N-nitrosocarbamate has been used,1 as has N-allyl-N-nitrosourea.2 The reagent is light sensitive and should therefore be shielded from light during its preparation. It undergoes isomerization to pyrazole at rt1c and is therefore prepared immediately prior to use, and not usually stored for any length of time. Furthermore, it is potentially explosive and for this reason the chemist is advised to follow carefully the exact procedure given for a particular preparation and perform all operations behind a blast shield in a well ventilated fume hood. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: in addition to the previously mentioned explosion hazard which this reagent presents, there are health related hazards that must also be considered. Diazo compounds, as a class, are toxic and irritating and can be sensitizers. They must be used in a well ventilated fume hood and not come in contact with skin. For a description of the hazards associated with this class of compounds, see the handling and storage precautions listed for Diazomethane.
Ewing sarcoma in adults treated with modern radiotherapy techniques.

Abstract Background and purpose To evaluate local control and survival outcomes in adults with Ewing sarcoma (ES) treated with radiotherapy (RT). Material and methods Retrospective review of all 109 patients age ⩾18 treated for ES with RT to the primary site at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center between 1990 and 2011. RT was used as the definitive local control modality in 44% of patients, preoperatively for 6%, and postoperatively for 50%. Results Median age at diagnosis was 27years (range, 18–67). The 5-year local failure (LF) was 18%. Differences in LF were not identified when evaluated by modality of local control (RT versus combined surgery and RT), RT dose, fractionation, and RT technique. However, margin status at time of resection significantly predicted LF. The 5-year event-free survival and overall survival rates were 44% and 66% for patients with localized disease, compared with 16% and 26% for metastatic disease ( p =0.0005 and 0.0002). Tumor size, histopathologic response to chemotherapy, and treatment on or according to a protocol were also significantly associated with survival. Conclusions This series of adults treated with modern chemotherapy and RT had prognostic factors and outcomes similar to adolescents with ES. All adults with ES should be treated with an aggressive, multidisciplinary approach.
Data length effects on the coherence estimate of EEG

The coherence functions between EEGs (electroencephalograms) collected from the hippocampal subfield CA1 and dentate is reexamined by conventional (periodogram) and autoregressive (AR) approaches to study the effects of different data lengths on the performance of these approaches and the variation of the resultant magnitude squared coherence (MSC) and phase coherence estimates. The MSC and phase coherence obtained from the autoregressive method are smoother and demonstrate lower standard deviation than the results obtained by the classical approach. In general, the standard deviation of the MSC and the phase coherence decreases as data length increases, and the standard deviation of the AR method is less than that of the periodogram. The results indicate that for applications in which computational speed is not critical, the multichannel autoregressive model provides a coherence estimate that is smoother and exhibits lower standard deviation than the conventional periodogram approach. >
Rapid method to account for process variation in full-chip capacitance extraction

Full-chip capacitance extraction programs based on lookup techniques, such as HILEX/CUP , can be enhanced to rigorously account for process variations in the dimensions of very large scale integration interconnect wires with only modest additional computational effort. HILEX/CUP extracts interconnect capacitance from layout using analytical models with reasonable accuracy. These extracted capacitances are strictly valid only for the nominal interconnect dimensions; the networked nature of capacitive relationships in dense, complex interconnect structures precludes simple extrapolations of capacitance with dimensional changes. However, the derivatives, with respect to linewidth variation of the analytical models, can be accumulated along with the capacitance itself for each interacting pair of nodes. A numerically computed derivative with respect to metal and dielectric layer thickness variation can also be accumulated. Each node pair's extracted capacitance and its gradient with respect to linewidth and thickness variation on each metal and dielectric layer can be stored in a file. Thus, instead of storing a scalar value for each extracted capacitance, a vector of 3I+1 values will be stored for capacitance and its gradient, where I is the number of metal layers. Subsequently, this gradient information can be used during circuit simulation in conjunction with any arbitrary vector of interconnect process variations to perform sensitivity analysis of circuit performance.
Security model for Intra-Domain Mobility Management Protocol

Intra-Domain Mobility Management Protocol (IDMP) provides a mobility solution for mobile nodes (MNs) in next-generation wireless networks. It provides a solution for intra-domain mobility without assuming the existence or use of any global mobility management protocol. It is, therefore, necessary to set up security associations between the mobile node and the entities that provide connectivity and mobility in the IDMP environment. In this paper, we propose a security model for Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting (AAA) for IDMP. This AAA architecture provides authentication and encryption for MNs within the home domain as well as in the foreign domain. Simulation results verify the validity of the proposed security model.
Simultaneous lasing on the D 1 and D 2 lines of sodium

Lasing at both 589.0 nm and 589.6 nm in Na has been realized by photoassociating Na-rare gas pairs.
A Multi-population Genetic Algorithm And Its Application To Design Of Manipulators

In this paper, we introduce a new algorithm called Multi-Population Genetic Algorithm (MPGA) as an effi- cient optimization technique for highly nonlinear problems. Our MPGA is a parallel implementation of a GA and shows its robustness for our problem domain (Task Based Design; TBD) where we design a manipulator which is best suited for a given task. The MPGA has the same number of optimization fuac- tions as the number of task points and maintains almost con- stant complexity and does not depend on the number of task points. In addition, we develop a framework called Progressive Design, in which we design progressively based on coarse-6ne approach.
Characteristics, modeling and simulation of a traveling wave ultrasonic linear motor

The paper is concerned with the characteristics of a traveling wave ultrasonic linear motor. After a brief introduction to the state of the art of this type of motor, the working principle is presented. Then, to describe analytically the phenomena existing, a theoretical model is built using wave theory and contact mechanism laws. Analytical modeling is then validated by FEM simulations. Transient and steady-state responses of the system are obtained. The deformation amplitude of the stator is achieved as a function of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric ceramics. Harmonic analysis is also performed to find the resonance frequency of the system and thus achieve a maximal amplitude response. Different geometries and materials are simulated with the aim of obtaining the greatest deformation amplitude. The different results then make it possible to validate the analytical model and show if the initial hypotheses match with reality.
A Model of Chemical Mechanical Polishing II. Polishing Pressure and Speed

A model of chemical mechanical polishing is extended to include the effects of polishing pressure and speed on the polishing rate. The result predicts both Preston and non-Preston behavior in different limits. The role of pressure is affected by the material properties of the polishing pad and the workpiece surface. Rate predictions are compared to experimental data for metal and oxide polishing.
Risk aversion for decisions under uncertainty: Are there gender differences?

Abstract It has become well accepted that women are more risk averse than men. For objective probability gambles, typically used in eliciting risk aversion, we find women generally have a lower valuation than men, thus exhibiting greater risk aversion. This paper investigates whether this finding extends to decisions under uncertainty – where probabilities are not given and individuals may assign different probabilities to the same event (e.g. outcomes of award shows or sporting events).We find that for decisions under uncertainty, men and women value the bets similarly, both before and after controlling for participants' subjective probabilities.
Holographic Consequences of a No Transmission Principle

Two quantum field theories whose Hilbert spaces do not overlap cannot transmit a signal to one another. From this simple principle, we deduce some highly nontrivial consequences for holographic quantum gravity. These include: (i) certain cosmological bounces are forbidden, (ii) generic singularities inside black holes cannot be resolved, and (iii) traversable wormholes do not exist. At the classical level, this principle rules out certain types of naked singularities and suggests that new singularity theorems should exist.
"We Have Created Our Own Meaning for Hapa Identity": The Mobilization of Self-Proclaimed Hapas within Institutions of Higher Education

This article examines Hapa student organizations on two university campuses—one public and one private. Drawing on qualitative data, this research interrogates the processes whereby young people who identify as Hapa come to: (1) recognize that race has importance in their lives, (2) rearticulate or reinterpret dominant racial thinking, and (3) translate their racial identities and experiences into organizations to negotiate the concrete and symbolic implications of race. This research also examines how institutions of higher education, in particular, student services that have a racial orientation (e.g., Asian Pacific American Student Services), are responding to Hapa organizations.
TISSUE EFFECTS OF LYSOLECITHIN INJECTED SUBCUTANEOUSLY IN MICE.

SummaryA series of mice was injected subcutaneously with lysolecithin and the tissues examined at measured intervals. Within 10 minutes after injection, striking edema with necrosis of fat tissue was evident at the injection site. Subsequent changes included infiltration with neutrophil leukocytes and histiocytes and hyalinization and necrosis of muscle cells. Despite the marked edema and contrary to previous reports, vascular damage was not demonstrated by light microscopy. The production of lysolecithin could account for much of the local necrosis resulting from snakebite.
Periodic health examination: comparison of residency programs and national recommendations.

Health maintenance and disease prevention guidelines of primary care internal medicine residency (PCIM) programs were investigated and compared with recommendations of major national organizations. Preventive screening data were requested from 134 PCIM programs; 120 (90%) responded. Methods included seminars/lectures by 73 (61%), health maintenance flow sheets by 58 (48%), and a variety of other formats by 25 (21%) programs. A comparison of recommended flow sheet items (n=33) from five major studies and 48 PCIM programs showed concordances (±SE) of 62% (±5) with high-priority items (n=15) and 33% (±4) with low-priority items (n=18). When an item’s frequency or age range was examined, however, concordances were much lower. From our analysis, fewer than half the programs routinely used prompting systems, such as flow sheets, in their ambulatory clinics, and there was little uniformity in the frequencies and age ranges for those items employed. The data suggest that major study recommendations were underused and underemphasized.
Looking for love: a reading of apartment zero

Asserting that gay male identity exists in the unstable frontier between culturally-defined notions of femininity and masculinity, this paper makes a close reading of the recent film Apartment Zero. This reading highlights the paradoxically aggressive and loving contest over the signs or trophies of masculinity--ranging from a soldier's cape to the phallus itself--which characterizes both homosocial and homosexual relations among men. Concluding that contrary to recent critical cliches, no subject can possess "the gaze," this paper describes the powerful desire to appropriate the signifiers of masculinity: a desire which can never be fully satisfied.
Rhodococcus equi Infections in Dogs

Five cases of Rhodococcus equi infection in dogs were identified from 2003 to 2014. Three of the dogs had severe, internal lesions attributable to R. equi that have not been previously described: endophthalmitis, endocarditis, and suppurative pleuropneumonia. Isolates from 4 of the dogs were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction for Rhodococcus virulence-associated plasmid (vap) genes. One isolate was vapA-positive, 2 lacked a virulence plasmid, and 1 carried the novel vapN-associated plasmid (pVAPN) recently characterized in bovine isolates. The pVAPN plasmid has not been described in isolates cultured from companion animals. Four of the dogs either were receiving immunosuppressive drugs or had endocrinopathies. R. equi has the potential to cause significant infections in dogs, and immunocompromised animals should be considered at risk for infection.
Caregiving Youth Knowledge and Perceptions of Parental End-of-Life Wishes in Huntington's Disease.

Knowledge of patient end-of-life (EOL) wishes and discussions are vital for family caregivers, including children and youth who may be in caregiving roles (“young carers” or “caregiving youth”). Ho...
A fungal endophyte defensive symbiosis affects plant-nematode interactions in cotton

Most investigations of fungi as nematode antagonists have focused on their interactions with nematodes in the soil. This study tested a foliar-isolated endophytic Phialemonium inflatum for its effects against the root-knot nematode as an endophyte in cotton using a seed treatment inoculation. Cotton seeds were inoculated with P. inflatum spore suspensions prior to planting. Nematode infection and reproduction were quantified at Day 12 and 6 weeks after nematode egg inoculation, respectively. To establish whether the observed negative effects on nematodes were due to P. inflatum in the soil or as an endophyte in the plant, we also applied a soil fungicide treatment at the seedling stage to kill the fungi outside the plant. Persistent suppression of nematode penetration and galling, as well as subsequent reproduction, were observed in endophyte-treated plants independent of fungicide treatment, consistent with an endophytic mode of nematode suppression; and these negative effects did not depend on the concentration of fungal inoculum used to treat to the seed. Our study highlights a novel role for P. inflatum as part of a plant-fungal defensive symbiosis in cotton, as well as the need for a broader understanding of endophyte-plant-nematode ecological interactions.
Metabolic pattern formation in the tumor microenvironment

Metabolic alterations including increased glycolysis are a common feature of many cancers. In their recent study, Lowengrub, Waterman, and colleagues (Lee et al , [2017][1]) report a spatial pattern of glycolysis in solid tumors that occurs within the tumor microenvironment. This spatial organization is linked to gradients derived from Wnt signaling and nutrient availability that mediate a reaction‐diffusion mechanism and is consistent with a Turing‐type model of spatial localization. Mol Syst Biol. (2017) 13: 915 [1]: #ref-6
The Old Rules No Longer Apply: Explaining Narco-Assassinations of Mexican Politicians

Between 2005 and 2015, organized criminal groups murdered 209 politicians in Mexico. This paper explains why. It argues that the two interwoven trends of political and criminal pluralization in Mexico fostered the conditions for a new type of criminal violence against politicians. Mexican politicians are now targeted for accepting illicit money as well as for standing up to criminals. Moreover, this violence is evidence of an alarming and persistent pattern in Mexico of politicians enlisting criminal organizations to eliminate their political competition. Using a zero-inflated negative binomial model, this paper shows there is a strong statistical relationship between the increase in assassinations and the increases in political pluralization and criminal fragmentation. The article concludes that the failure to protect local public officials creates greater opportunities for the emergence of subnational authoritarian enclaves and threatens democratic consolidation.
Your Cheatin’ Voice Will Tell on You: Detection of Past Infidelity from Voice

Evidence suggests that many physical, behavioral, and trait qualities can be detected solely from the sound of a person's voice, irrespective of the semantic information conveyed through speech. This study examined whether raters could accurately assess the likelihood that a person has cheated on committed, romantic partners simply by hearing the speaker's voice. Independent raters heard voice samples of individuals who self-reported that they either cheated or had never cheated on their romantic partners. To control for aspects that may clue a listener to the speaker's mate value, we used voice samples that did not differ between these groups for voice attractiveness, age, voice pitch, and other acoustic measures. We found that participants indeed rated the voices of those who had a history of cheating as more likely to cheat. Male speakers were given higher ratings for cheating, while female raters were more likely to ascribe the likelihood to cheat to speakers. Additionally, we manipulated the pitch of the voice samples, and for both sexes, the lower pitched versions were consistently rated to be from those who were more likely to have cheated. Regardless of the pitch manipulation, speakers were able to assess actual history of infidelity; the one exception was that men's accuracy decreased when judging women whose voices were lowered. These findings expand upon the idea that the human voice may be of value as a cheater detection tool and very thin slices of vocal information are all that is needed to make certain assessments about others.
Translational Control of the Transcriptional Activator GCN4 Involves Upstream Open Reading Frames, A General Initiation Factor and a Protein Kinase

The GCN4 protein of S. cerevisiae is a positive regulator of 30–40 unlinked genes encoding enzymes in eleven different amino acid biosynthetic pathways. Transcriptional activation of these genes by GCN4 increases in response to amino acid starvation because synthesis of GCN4 itself is stimulated under these conditions. Regulation of GCN4 expression by amino acid availability occurs primarily at the translational level and requires short open reading frames present in the leader of GCN4 mRNA (reviewed in Hinnebusch 1988).
Superior in vitro and in vivo activity of trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1) in comparison to trastuzumab, pertuzumab and their combination in epithelial ovarian carcinoma with high HER2/neu expression.

Abstract Background Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. The objective of this study was to compare the anti-tumor activity of HER2/neu-targeting monoclonal antibodies, trastuzumab (T), pertuzumab (P), combination of trastuzumab and pertuzumab (T+P) and trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1) in EOC with high HER2/neu expression . Methods Primary EOC cell lines were established and cell blocks were analyzed for HER2/neu expression. Cytostatic, apoptotic and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) activities of T, P, T+P and T-DM1 were evaluated in vitro. The in vivo antitumor activity was tested in xenograft models with 3+ HER2/neu expression. Results High (3+) HER2/neu expression was detected in 40% of the primary EOC cell lines. T, P, T+P, and T-DM1 were similarly effective in inducing strong ADCC against primary EOC cell lines expressing 3+ HER2/neu. The combination of T and P was more cytostatic when compared with that of T or P used alone (p in vivo in EOC xenografts overexpressing HER2/neu when compared to T alone, P alone and T+P (p=0.04). Conclusion In vitro and in vivo experiments with 3+ HER2/neu expressing EOC revealed limited anti-tumor activity of T or P. T-DM1 showed superior anti-tumor activity to T and P as single agents and as a combination. Our preclinical data support the design of clinical studies with T-DM1 for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant EOC overexpressing HER2/neu.
Recent cannabis use among Veterans in the United States: Results from a national sample.

Background Compared to civilians, little is known about cannabis use among Veterans in the general United States (US) population. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and correlates of recent medical and non-medical cannabis use among this important US sub-population.
MRI of suspected appendicitis during pregnancy: interradiologist agreement, indeterminate interpretation and the meaning of non-visualization of the appendix.

Objective:To determine the degree of interradiologist agreement between the MRI features of appendicitis during pregnancy, the outcomes associated with an indeterminate interpretation and the negative predictive value of non-visualization of the appendix.Methods:Our study was approved by the institutional review board at the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri (WUStL) and was HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)-compliant. The informed consent requirement was waived. Cases of suspected appendicitis during pregnancy evaluated using MRI were retrospectively identified using search queries. Scans were re-reviewed by two radiologists (7 and 9 years experience, respectively) to evaluate the interradiologist agreement of different MRI features of appendicitis during pregnancy (visualization of the appendix, appendiceal diameter, appendiceal wall thickening, periappendiceal fat stranding, fluid-filled appendix and periappendiceal fluid). The radiologists were blinded to pa...
Analysis of Large Deflections of Fishing Rods

The design of fishing rods has traditionally utilized trial and error methods due to biological property variation inherent in natural materials. The increasing use of synthetic materials and precision production methods have stimulated interest in analytical methods for rod design. In order to establish the viability of such methods, the large scale deflection of rods subject to static end loads was compared to that predicted by the non-linear large deflection equation for slender beams. The deflected shapes of the loaded rods were discretized using an optical projector, graphical bitpad, and microprocessor, and the data was automatically processed and stored in retrievable files. The same microprocessor was used to solve the analytical equations by numerical techniques, employing the load and geometric properties of a given rod stored with the experimental data. The numerical and experimental results were compared by displaying deflection curves and by computing the discrepancy in slopes at nodal points. It was found that large deflections of fishing rods can be accurately predicted by analytical means as long as geometric irregularities such as ferrules are included in the physical model of the rod.
Lowering prolactin reduces post-hatch parental care in male and female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Parental care is a widespread phenomenon observed in many diverse taxa. Neuroendocrine systems have long been thought to play an important role in stimulating the onset of parental behavior. In most birds with altricial young, circulating prolactin (PRL) levels are low during non-breeding times and significantly increase during late incubation and early post-hatch chick care. Because of this pattern, PRL has been suggested to be involved in the initiation of parental care in birds, but rarely has this hypothesis been causally tested. To begin testing the hypothesis, we inhibited the release of endogenous PRL with bromocriptine (BR) on the 3days prior to hatching in incubating parents and the first 2days of post-hatch care, when PRL was found to be highest in zebra finches. Nest temperatures were recorded during all 5days and parental behavior was recorded on days 1-2 post-hatch. In addition to hormonal systems, reproductive experience may also influence parental care; therefore, we tested age-matched inexperienced and experienced pairs in each group. BR either eliminated or drastically reduced chick brooding and feeding behavior, resulting in decreased nest temperatures on days 1 and 2 post-hatch. Experienced control birds fed chicks more than inexperienced birds and control females fed more than males. Chick feeding behavior was positively correlated in control male-female pairs, but not in BR pairs. This is one of the few causal studies to demonstrate that PRL is necessary for post-hatch care in a biparental songbird, and is the first to show this effect in zebra finches.
The effectiveness of an online intervention in preventing excessive gestational weight gain: the e-moms roc randomized controlled trial

Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is common and contributes to the development of obesity in women and their offspring. Electronic or e-health interventions have the potential to reach large groups of women and prevent excessive GWG, but their effectiveness has not been demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, in a real-world setting, the effectiveness of a self-directed, integrated online and mobile phone behavioral intervention in preventing excessive GWG. This effectiveness trial was a double-blind, three-arm trial with a parallel group design. Two arms received the same e-health intervention during pregnancy with the third arm serving as the placebo control. The intervention was based on a previously efficacious non-digital intervention that was adapted to electronic format. It included three behavior change tools: a weight gain tracker, and separate diet and physical activity goal-setting and self-monitoring tools. Both treatment conditions received access to informational tools, event reminders, and a blogging feature. Healthy pregnant women age 18-35 years with body mass indexes (BMI) ≥18.5 and < 35, at ≤20 weeks gestation, and an e-mail address were eligible. The proportion of women with excessive total GWG, as defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), was the primary outcome. 1689 randomized women were analyzed in the intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis. The study was designed to have 87% power to detect a 10 percentage point reduction from a control rate of 55% with a sample of 1641 (p = 0.0167, two-sided). In the ITT sample, 48.1% (SD = 2.0%) gained excessively in the intervention group as did 46.2% (SD = 2.4%) in the placebo control group. These proportions were not significantly different (RR 1.09; 95% CI 0.98, 1.20, p = 0.12). The results were not altered in several sensitivity analyses. The addition of three behavior change tools to an informational placebo control did not result in a difference in the proportion of women with excessive total GWG compared to the placebo control in this effectiveness trial of an online, self-directed intervention. The similarity of intervention and control treatments and low usage of the behavior change tools in the intervention group are possible explanations. NCT01331564 , ClinicalTrials.gov.