cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thinking outside the Randomized Controlled Trials Experimental Box: Strategies for Enhancing Credibility and Social Justice.

Some evaluators employ randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as the gold standard of evidence-based practice (EBP). Critics of RCT designs argue that RCTs do not include the complexity of program participants' experiences or clinical expertise, and couple this with criticisms that it is difficult to transfer RCT findings from the laboratory to the real world of clinical practice. The evaluation questions applied to RCT designs often exclude issues related to participants' gender, race, class, and other differences, furthering the stereotyping process (Rogers & Ballantyne, 2009). I argue that weaving in a subjectivist methodology and shifting methodological perspectives and methods into RCT-based evaluations prior to, during, or after the RCT design serves to enhance the credibility and social-justice RCT praxis. ©Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
Immunochemical analysis of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase diversity in the black swallowtail caterpillar, Papilio polyxenes

Abstract Antisera to nineteen cytochrome P 450 monooxygenases were assayed for cross-reactivity with microsomal and mitochondrial proteins of the black swallowtail caterpillar, Papilio polyxenes (Lepidoptera:Papilionidae), on Western blots. Antisera to P 450s from a bacterium, an insect and three mammals showed selective cross-reactivity with seven bands in the P 450 molecular weight range of 45–60 kDa. Of the five putative P 450s identified in midgut microsomes, only two were induced in larvae reared on a diet supplemented with high levels of xanthotoxin, a host plant constituent metabolized by P 450 in the black swallowtail. The results confirm that insect P 450s share conserved epitopes with P 450s from other taxa and provide further evidence of the selective induction of P 450 isozymes by xanthotoxin in black swallowtail larvae.
Analysis of core and core barrel heat-up under conditions simulating severe reactor accidents

Abstract This paper reports on the development of a model for estimating the temperature distributions in the reactor core, core barrel, thermal shield and reactor pressure vessel of a pressurized water reactor during an undercooling transient. A number of numerical calculations simulating the core uncovering of the TMI-2 reactor and the subsequent heat-up of the core have been performed. The results of the calculations show that the exothermic heat release due to Zircaloy oxidation contributes to the sharp heat-up of the core. However, the core barrel temperature rise which is driven by the temperature increase of the edge of the core (e.g., the core baffle) is very modest. The maximum temperature of the core barrel never exceeded 610 K (at a system pressure of 68 bar) after 75 min simulation following the start of core uncovering. The results of simulations also show that water make-up flow rate into the core and radioactive heat decay are important model parameters and need to be known accurately for realistic predictions of core and core barrel heat-up.
Psychosocial issues in palliative care: Physicians’ self-perceived role and collaboration with hospital staff:

Psychosocial issues are a major part of palliative treatment, yet, due to inadequate training, physicians are often ill-prepared to address them. Twenty physicians were interviewed about the importance they placed on psychosocial issues and the perceptions they had of their role in addressing them. Several respondents felt psychosocial issues were important because they affect physical issues, enable holistic care, enhance relationships, impact care decisions, and can reduce patient and family stress. Other respondents did not feel psychosocial issues were their responsibility due to time constraints, their focus on physical care, their lack of expertise in this area, the patients' preferences for attending physicians, and a sense on the part of house staff physicians of not yet being "real" doctors. Collaboration with other hospital staff helped overcome some of these obstacles. Since physicians must often provide psychosocial care, improved training in addressing psychosocial issues is indicated
A Matter of Low Self-Control? Exploring Differences Between Child Pornography Possessors and Child Pornography Producers/Distributers Using Self-Control Theory:

This study examined the demographic and background characteristic differences between those arrested for child pornography (CP) possession (only), or CP production/distribution, or an attempted or completed sexual exploitation of a minor (SEM) that involved the Internet in some capacity within the context of self-control theory using data from the second wave of the National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (N-JOV2). Results indicate few demographic similarities, which thereby suggest these are largely heterogeneous groupings of individuals. Results also indicate CP producers/distributers engaged in a greater number of behaviors indicative of low self-control compared with CP possessors. Specifically, offenders arrested for CP production/distribution were more likely to have (a) had problems with drugs/alcohol at the time of the crime and (b) been previously violent. In contrast, the only indicator of low self-control that reached statistical significance for CP possessors was the previous use of violence. Moreover, in contrast to CP producers/distributers, full-time employment and marital status may be important factors to consider in the likelihood of arrest for CP possessors, which is congruent with the tenets of self-control theory.
Checking in without worries: Location privacy in location based social networks

In current location based social networks (LBSNs), users expose their location when they check in at a venue or search a place. The release of location privacy could lead to a severe breach of other privacy, such as identity or health condition. In this paper, we propose a framework to safeguard users' location information as well as the check-in records. Considering the special demands in LBSNs, we design a novel index structure to provide a fast search for users when they check in at the same venue frequently. At the same time, our framework outsources the heavy cryptographic computations to the server to reduce the computational overhead for mobile clients. Due to the dynamic feature of LBSNs, our framework uses a lightweight approach to handle a user's revoked friends and new friends. We prove the security of our framework in the random oracle model and demonstrate its efficiency on a Motorola Droid phone.
The Effect of Pubococcygeus Muscle Avulsion on the Anterior Vaginal Wall Support: A Biomechanical 3D Finite Element Modeling Study

Levator ani muscle defects are common in women after vaginal birth and have been associated with the development of pelvic organ prolapse (Kearney et al 2006, DeLancey et al 2007, and Dietz and Lanzarone 2005). Sometimes there is a loss of muscle substance but the overall shape of the muscle remains intact. In other instances, gross distortion of the muscle origin occurs (Huebner et al. 2008) presumably due to avulsion of muscle from the pubic bone. Theoretical biomechanical modeling work has showed that even with intact pubic origin, weakening of levator ani muscle leads to the development of cystocele (Chen et al, 2009). The biomechanical effects of avulsion of the pubic origin of the pubococcygeal muscle have not been fully explored. The objective of this study if to use a finite element model to perform a biomechanical analysis of how pubococcygeus muscle avulsion affects the descent of the anterior vaginal wall during a Valsalva.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Three-Piece Half-Truck Multibody Dynamics Models for Freight Train Suspensions

A three-piece bogie acts as a support for the freight train car bodies so that they can run on straight and curved tracks. It also absorbs the vibrational energy generated by the track. The three main parts of a traditional three-piece bogie are two side frames and a bolster. The side frames run parallel to the rails and are connected to each other by the bolster, which runs perpendicular to the rail. The side frames are connected to the axles, which are directly connected to the wheels that run on the track through the primary suspension. The primary suspension includes the bearing adapter and pedestal roof. The secondary suspension, which includes the friction wedge and load coils, connects and provides damping on each end of the bolster at its intersection with the side frame. Moreover, the friction wedge aids in warp resistance of the bogie. Because of the wedge’s non-linear frictional characteristics and load sensitive behavior, accurately capturing its dynamics in a computational model proves difficult. Previous work at the Railway Technology Laboratory (RTL) at Virginia Tech focused on better capturing the dynamics of the friction wedge modeled as a 3D rigid body. The current study extends that work to a half-truck model treated as an application of multibody dynamics with unilateral contact to model the friction wedge interactions with the bolster and the side frame. The half-truck model created in MATLAB is a 3D, dynamic, stand-alone model comprised of four rigid bodies: a bolster, two friction wedges, and a side frame assembly. The model allows each wedge four degrees of freedom: vertical displacement, longitudinal displacement (between the bolster and side frame), pitch (rotation around the lateral axis), and yaw (rotation around the vertical axis). The bolster and the side frame have only a vertical translation degree of freedom. The geometry of these bodies can be adjusted for various simulation scenarios. The bolster can be initialized with a pre-defined static yaw (rotation around the vertical axis) and the side frame may be initialized with a predefined pitch/toe geometry (rotation around the lateral axis). The model simulation results have been compared with results from NUCARS®, an industrially used train modeling software developed by the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., for similar inputs.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
An Examination of Sulfur Poisoning on Pd/Ceria Catalysts

Abstract The species formed by exposure of a Pd/ceria catalyst to SO 2 under various conditions have been studied using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and FTIR. For adsorption of SO 2 between 298 and 473 K, a molecular SO 2 species adsorbs on the surface, possibly as a surface sulfite, and this species converts to a sulfate above 473 K. Exposure of Pd/ceria to SO 2 at temperatures above 473 K in the presence of O 2 results in the formation of bulk sulfates. These sulfates decompose to form SO 2 and O 2 upon TPD in He, with O 2 and SO 2 peaks at 1023 K assigned to Ce +4 sulfates and peaks at 1123 K assigned to Ce +3 sulfates. When H 2 is present in the TPD carrier gas, the sulfates are reduced and a significant fraction of the sulfur is removed as H 2 S, with the rest remaining as Ce 2 O 2 S. When CO is present in the TPD carrier gas, all of the sulfates are reduced to Ce 2 O 2 S, with the simultaneous formation of CO 2 . The formation of CO 2 from the reduction of the sulfate occurs in the same temperature range as CO 2 production from reduction of Pd/ceria, except that more CO 2 is formed from the sulfur-poisoned catalyst. The implications of these results for understanding oxygen storage capacity (OSC) in automotive, three-way catalysts is discussed.
Cognitive Radio Policy Languages

This paper characterizes key issues in establishing a policy language for IEEE standards activity P1900.5 to shape radio behavior that realizes social contracts and business logic via cognitive radio policy languages (CRPL). This paper shows the current lack of consensus on the scope and needs of policy languages, tracing roots to differences among regulatory, financial, business, and technical domains. Cognitive linguistics, an emerging theory of human language acquisition and use shows why this is the case and may assist in formulating a CRPL that addresses the diverse policy needs of the regulatory and business communities as well as the narrower issues of dynamic spectrum.
Mobiles, music, and materiality

Building on recent HCI contributions that assert the materiality of digital information, we examine the material nature of digital media and information technology in the context of mobile music production, reproduction, and reception in rural and semi-urban India. We use ethnographic methods to study the recent adoption and use of mobile technology and discuss our findings in relation to the evolving materiality of music. We also investigate the sociotechnical configurations that emerge as a consequence of this materiality. Thus we contribute to HCI research by showing how the material representations of digital media affect the interactions of humans with technology.
Utility of fetal echocardiography after normal cardiac imaging findings on detailed fetal anatomic ultrasonography

Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of fetal echocardiography (FE) after normal fetal cardiac imaging findings during detailed fetal anatomic ultrasonography (FAU). Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort review of obstetric ultrasonographic studies from November 2001 through July 2005. We identified women with a singleton gestation with increased risk for congenital heart disease who received FAU performed by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at 16 to 20 weeks' gestation with subsequent FE. These records were compared with newborn outcomes. Results Of 789 pregnancies that had FAU and FE, 481 had satisfactory cardiac imaging. Of those, only 1 fetus had abnormal FE findings. After delivery, 4 of the 480 neonates with normal FAU and FE findings had a diagnosis of a heart defect. Conclusions Fetal echocardiography does not substantially increase the detection rate of major cardiac anomalies after normal findings on detailed FAU performed by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
Vehicle Pure Yaw Moment control using differential tire slip

Direct yaw moment control generated by differential friction forces on an axle has been proved to be effective in improving vehicle lateral yaw stability and in enhancing handling performance. It consists of two levels of control tasks: calculating a yaw moment command at vehicle level and regulating the tire slip to deliver the moment at wheel level. Advanced powertrain with electrical in-wheel-motor makes fast wheel level control possible. This paper proposes an adaptive tire slip controller for Pure Yaw Moment Generation, which yields the maximal axle yaw moment by asymmetric axle friction force with no effect on vehicle longitudinal speed. Since the maximal friction is limited by the tire-road contact, control constraints at various vehicle speeds and on different surface conditions has to be taken into account. This algorithm can generate the optimal longitudinal slip ratio at the presence of lateral tire force based on a 2D Modified-LuGre tire model. One major difficulty of such type controllers is the unknown surface condition. A nonlinear adaptive braking/traction torque control is proposed to regulate the tire slip ratio with the estimation of surface condition. Simulation studies show that feeding back the estimate into the slip control makes the delivered friction force and yaw moment adaptive to surface conditions.
Joint Subspace Stabilization for Stereoscopic Video

Shaky stereoscopic video is not only unpleasant to watch but may also cause 3D fatigue. Stabilizing the left and right view of a stereoscopic video separately using a monocular stabilization method tends to both introduce undesirable vertical disparities and damage horizontal disparities, which may destroy the stereoscopic viewing experience. In this paper, we present a joint subspace stabilization method for stereoscopic video. We prove that the low-rank subspace constraint for monocular video [10] also holds for stereoscopic video. Particularly, the feature trajectories from the left and right video share the same subspace. Based on this proof, we develop a stereo subspace stabilization method that jointly computes a common subspace from the left and right video and uses it to stabilize the two videos simultaneously. Our method meets the stereoscopic constraints without 3D reconstruction or explicit left-right correspondence. We test our method on a variety of stereoscopic videos with different scene content and camera motion. The experiments show that our method achieves high-quality stabilization for stereoscopic video in a robust and efficient way.
The Infant as Onlooker: Learning from Emotional Reactions Observed in a Television Scenario.

Two studies investigated whether 10- and 12-month-olds can use televised emotional reactions to guide their behavior. Infants watched an actress orient toward 1 of 2 novel objects and react with neutral affect during baseline and with positive or negative affect during test. Infants then had 30 s to interact with the objects. In Study 1, 12-month-olds (N = 32) avoided the target object and showed increases in negative affect after observing the negative-emotion scenario. Twelve-month-olds' responses to positive vs. neutral signals did not differ significantly. In Study 2, 10-month-olds (N = 32) attended to the televised presentations but showed no consistent changes in their object interactions or affect. Thus, 12-month-olds used social information presented on television and associated emotional signals with the intended target.
Simple versus realistic modeling

Actually, the fact that the question has been raised may be confusing to an engineer. We try to instill the notion to engineering students that they should always use the simplest model that addresses the question. The key is not whether the model is simple or realistic (more on this distinction later). The key is the question(s) that the model is expected to help answer. Consequently, there is a family of possible models that can be used to address different questions about the same set of phenomena. Take chess as an example. A simple state transition diagram can be used to define some of the basic rules: White always starts, black and white alternate, and the final states are white wins, black wins, or draw (OK, we can include quitting by either side before the game is essentially over but that is not good form). Figure 1 shows this model. It is simple and addresses a limited set of questions. And it addresses them correctly and realistically. Now, if we wanted to address questions of strategy such as course of action selection, a different model will be used. We will define the chessboard, the pieces, the allowed moves by each type of piece, the special moves and so forth. The resulting model is complex and its state space is exceedingly large. But such models exist (computer chess games) and are indeed very sophisticated and are realistic. Now, we also know that models are built for different purposes. Engineers build them to address design questions—whether developing system requirements or designing systems to meet given requirements. There is another class of models, the so-called exploratory ones. These models are built in order to help us understand reality. An example from physics is the model of the atom. The Bohr model is very
Surgery for necrotising enterocolitis: primary anastomosis or enterostomy?

The ideal surgical management of neonates with necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is still a matter of debate. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of bowel resection with primary anastomosis with the results of bowel resection with enterostomy. Sixty-three neonates with NEC had a bowel resection in the acute phase of the disease in the period between February 1990 and March 2001. Thirty-four of them (54%) underwent resection of the bowel with primary anastomosis (Group A), and 29 (46%) had resection with enterostomy (Group B). Group A had a lower gestational age and lower birth weight. Mortality, complication rate, and postoperative weight gain were not significantly different between the groups. However, Group B had a significantly longer primary hospital stay (80±49 days versus 58±31 days, P<0.04) and needed a 2nd hospital stay for restoring gastrointestinal continuity. For both reasons, it can be argued that primary anastomosis is superior to enterostomy after resection.
Identification of Mycobacterium Species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Resistance Determinants by Use of PCR-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

PCR coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR–ESI-MS) is a novel technology that has recently been used to identify pathogens from clinical specimens or after culture within about 6 h. We evaluated the MDR-TB (multidrug-resistant tuberculosis) assay, which uses PCR–ESI-MS for detection and identification of Mycobacterium spp. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) resistance determinants from solid and broth Middlebrook culture media. The performance of the MDR-TB assay was compared to identification using nucleic acid hybridization probes and 16S rRNA gene sequencing for 68 MTBC and 97 nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) isolates grown on agar and 107 cultures grown in Bactec MGIT broth. MTBC resistance profiles from the MDR-TB assay were compared to results with the agar proportion method. The PCR–ESI-MS system correctly identified all MTBC isolates and 97.9% and 95.8% of the NTM isolates from characterized agar cultures and MGIT broth cultures to the species level, respectively. In comparison to the agar proportion method, the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of drug resistance using the MDR-TB assay were 100% and 92.3% for rifampin, 100% and 93.8% for isoniazid, 91.6% and 94.4% for ethambutol, and 100% and 100% for fluoroquinolones, respectively. The MDR-TB assay appears to be a rapid and accurate method for the simultaneous detection and identification of mycobacterial species and resistance determinants of MTBC from culture.
Intermediate and Longer-Term Outcomes From a Prospective Active-Surveillance Program for Favorable-Risk Prostate Cancer.

PurposeTo assess long-term outcomes of men with favorable-risk prostate cancer in a prospective, active-surveillance program.MethodsCurative intervention was recommended for disease reclassification to higher cancer grade or volume on prostate biopsy. Primary outcomes were overall, cancer-specific, and metastasis-free survival. Secondary outcomes were the cumulative incidence of reclassification and curative intervention. Factors associated with grade reclassification and curative intervention were evaluated in a Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsA total of 1,298 men (median age, 66 years) with a median follow-up of 5 years (range, 0.01 to 18.00 years) contributed 6,766 person-years of follow-up since 1995. Overall, cancer-specific, and metastasis-free survival rates were 93%, 99.9%, and 99.4%, respectively, at 10 years and 69%, 99.9%, and 99.4%, respectively, at 15 years. The cumulative incidence of grade reclassification was 26% at 10 years and was 31% at 15 years; cumulative incidence of curative i...
Pseudoendodontic sinus tract: report of case.

A patient had a sinus tract from an upper premolar, the root of which had been perforated by a retentive pin. Although the patient was referred for endodontic treatment, other therapy was indicated and carried out. Vitality of the pulp was preserved.
Motor and memory testing of long-lived pregnancy-associated plasma protein--a knock-out mice.

Abstract Mice deficient in pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), an IGF binding protein protease, have been shown to be resistant to experimentally induced atherosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy, and, in the laboratory environment, live 30–40% longer than wild-type littermates in association with delayed incidence and occurrence of age-related neoplasms and degenerative diseases. Objective PAPP-A is highly expressed in the cerebellum and hippocampus of the mouse brain. Therefore, the studies presented here were aimed at determining motor behavior, learning and retention in PAPP-A knock-out (KO) mice compared to wild-type (WT) littermates with age. Design Balance and coordination were assessed using an accelerating rotarod; learning and memory were assessed in a Stone T-maze. Results Time on the rotarod decreased with age but there was no significant difference between PAPP-A KO and WT mice at any of the testing ages. Latency to reach the goal box and number of errors committed in the Stone T-maze did not change with age and there were no significant differences between PAPP-A KO and WT mice. Conclusion Lack of PAPP-A in mice did not impact central regulation of coordination, learning or memory.
Text mining as a method of analyzing health questions in social Q&A

This poster introduces a work-in progress project focusing on text mining of health-related questions that people post in social Q&A which they obtain and share information, advice, and experiences. 69,363 of health questions about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) posted from 2009 to 2012 were randomly collected from Yahoo! Answers and used for text mining and analysis in this study. A preliminary finding of the data analysis is described in this poster. The use of text mining as a method of analyzing STD questions is discussed, as well.
System-on-chip design for TV-centric home networks

We design a low cost, high performance system-on-chip with video/audio/data processing engines, open standard 32-bit RISC microprocessor, and networking processor unit. We use system-level modeling technology to design and verify H.264, MPEG-4 AAC, and MP3 codecs. We adopt a transaction-level verification technique for self-checking and regression testing of the design. The SoC incorporates peripherals, such as UART, USB, 100/10 Mbps Ethernet, IEEE 1394, ATAPI, Utopia, WiFi, and SVGA. We used real-time Linux as the software. The design can be used to build an inexpensive "TV-centric" multimedia service-center for the home; it provides functions for digital TV, DVD recording, video-on-demand, interactive games, set top box, home networking, and network computer terminal.
A Review of: “James Stacey Taylor, Stakes and Kidneys: Why Markets in Human Body Parts are Morally Imperative”

The subtitle of James Stacey Taylor's inquiry into the morality of human organ sales suggests a broader investigation than the study actually delivers. This is because there are many kinds of legal...
Detection of Signals

In digital communications, information is transmitted using a finite number of symbols, say Os and Is. These symbols, if passed through a disturbed channel such as ionosphere or if they are corrupted by a random noise, may be received erroneously at the destination. A signal S T (t) when transmitted through, for example, a scattering or turbulent medium (see Fig. 4.0-la, b) becomes a signal with random phase or amplitude. It is desired to make a decision on the correct value of the transmitted symbols based on the received values of the signal. For example, in a radar system, it is desired to measure the range and velocity of a target (air-craft, ships, or tanks) by processing the reflected pulse. However, the reflected pulse may be due to a cluttered environment and may not be due to a target. In this chapter we will deal with detection of signals in the presence of noise by using methods of testing hypotheses. Hypothesis testing will be discussed in Section 2. Sections 2 and 3 are concerned with detection of signals with known and random parameters. Detection of binary signals in the presence of colored noise is treated in Section 4. Section 5 covers detection of multiple signals. Sequential detection will be described in Section 6. In Section 7, nonparametric methods will be considered. We will deal with, in this chapter, signals with random or unknown phase, frequency, doppler shift, amplitude, and arrival time delay.
Increased incidence of disease transformation and development of MDS/AML in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) patients treated with nucleoside analogues

8018 Background: WM is an indolent B-cell lymphoma. NA are widely used in the treatment of WM, and are considered as appropriate first line agents for the treatment of WM (Gertz et al, Semin Oncol ...
Hepatitis B Virus Serology: Loss of Antibody to Surface Antigen

A retrospective review of hepatitis B serologies from 6,686 patients was conducted to determine the incidence of loss of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) with retention of antibody to the core antigen of hepatitis B virus (anti-HBc) activity. In a subgroup of 48 multiply tested patients who were presumed to have resolved their acute or subacute hepatitis B virus infection, 9 (19%) were found to have lost anti-HBs while retaining anti-HBc activity.
Quillen's work on formal group laws and complex cobordism theory

In 1969 Quillen discovered a deep connection between complex cobordism and formal group laws which he announced in [Qui69]. Algebraic topology has never been the same since. We will describe the content of [Qui69] and then discuss its impact on the field. This paper is a writeup of a talk on the same topic given at the Quillen Conference at MIT in October 2012. Slides for that talk are available on the author's home page.
Effect of Tableware Disinfection in Catering Units in Urban Areas of Hohhot

[Objective]To understand the disinfection status in catering units in Hohhot,and analyze the disinfection effect of tableware among catering units of different sizes.[Methods] The method of rapid paper for identification of E.Coli groups was adopted,the disinfected tableware for back up were taken to conducted detection from the catering units during 2005—2007.[Results]A total of 7957 samples were detected in the 3 years,with the qualified rate of 64.28%;qualified rate of large,medium and small units catering was 74.59%,65.32% and 36.33% respectively;that of canteens in tertiary institutions,secondary specialized schools and college was 68.21%.[Conclusion] The overall qualified rate of tableware disinfection is lower in Hohhot,it is necessary to increase law enforcement,strengthening the monitoring frequency,especially in the school canteen.
Are Quests for a “Culture of Assessment” Mired in a “Culture War” Over Assessment? A Q-Methodological Inquiry:

The “Assessment Movement” in higher education has generated some of the most wide-ranging and heated discussions that the academy has experienced in a while. On the one hand, accrediting agencies, ...
The relationship of work satisfaction and organizational commitment to retirement intention.

The relationship between attitudes, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment has been shown to influence turnover/retirement. This relationship is important because of changing demographic patterns in the U.S. that are contributing to present and future foodservice labor shortages. The labor shortage has potential for retarding the long-term growth of the foodservice industry. However, recruitment and retention of older workers could be a factor in controlling the problem. Therefore, the major purpose of this research was to obtain information from current older foodservice employees to permit the determination of how various aspects of their jobs affect job satisfaction and organizational commitment and, thus, intention to remain on the job by delaying retirement. Non-management-level hospital and college/university foodservice workers aged 55 years and older (no. = 243) were surveyed. Hospital employees were selected from corporate rosters provided by a major contract foodservice company. College and university employees were selected from the roster of the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS). No statistically meaningful relationship (r greater than or equal to .30) between work satisfaction (measured by the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire) and organizational commitment (measured by the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire), as correlated with retirement intention, was found. Although not considered meaningful, a slight statistical relationship was found (r = .15, p less than .02) between intrinsic satisfaction and the desire to delay retirement (work intention).
Use of Carbohydrate and Fat as Energy Source by Obese and Lean Swine

Genetically obese and lean pigs were fed isonitrogenous-isoenergetic (digestible energy) amounts of a high or low fat diet from 25 kg body weight. Obese pigs gained less and required more feed per unit gain than lean pigs. Lean pigs were more muscular with less fat than obese pigs. Obese pigs utilized more dietary amino acids for energy (greater plasma urea N) than did lean pigs. Weight gain was similar at all intermediate periods in obese pigs fed the two diets. However, gain tended (P less than or equal to .10) to be greater and the ratio of dietary energy intake to gain tended (P less than or equal to .10) to be less in obese pigs fed high compared with low fat diets. Similar results were observed in lean pigs fed the two diets. The high fat diet produced more carcass adipose tissue deposition in both strains after 20 wk of feeding (detectable by ultrasound at 14, but not at 7 wk). Adipose tissue lipogenic rate (glucose incorporation) was similarly depressed by fat feeding in both obese and lean pigs. Obese and lean pigs both utilized dietary carbohydrate and fat differentially but there was no indication of genetic divergence regarding this utilization. In both strains of pigs, energy from the fat-enriched diet was preferentially partitioned into carcass adipose tissue.
A Single Session of Autogenic Training Increases Acute Subjective and Physiological Sexual Arousal in Sexually Functional Women

Heart rate variability (HRV) has recently been associated with female sexual function (Stanton, Lorenz, Pulverman, & Meston, 2015). Below-average HRV was identified as a possible risk factor for sexual arousal dysfunction and overall sexual dysfunction in women. Based on this newly established relationship between HRV and female sexual function, the present study examined the effect of autogenic training to increase HRV on acute physiological and subjective sexual arousal in women. Specifically, vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA), an index of genital sexual arousal, and subjective sexual arousal were assessed in 33 sexually functional women, aged 18 to 27, before and after a short session of autogenic training. Autogenic training, a relaxation technique that restores the balance between the activity of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system, has been shown to significantly increase HRV (Miu, Heilman, & Miclea, 2009). After autogenic training, significant increases in both VPA (p <.05) and subjective sexual arousal (p <.005) were observed. Moreover, change in HRV from pre- to postmanipulation significantly moderated changes in subjective sexual arousal (p <.05) when it was measured continuously during the presentation of the erotic stimulus. This cost-effective, easy-to-administer behavioral intervention may have important implications for increasing sexual arousal in women.
Learning in Organizations

In a complex, information-rich, and dynamic organization, effective leadership requires continuous learning. Traditional approaches focus on power, influence, and motivation as the keys to leadership. These are important factors but prove less consequential in today’s environment. Contemporary leaders rely on learning to navigate complexity and novelty. This is learning-directed leadership. Learning-directed leadership offers strategies to aid leaders as they learn from their experiences, constantly update their viewpoint, and challenge themselves and others to create new knowledge.
Intraperitoneal Injection as a Method of Psychotropic Drug Delivery in Adult Zebrafish

Zebrafish behavioral phenotypes are often evaluated in response to pharmacological modulation by various psychotropic drugs. An important step in this process is the method of drug administration. While the most popular drug administration technique in zebrafish research is by immersion, systemic intraperitoneal injection is another effective alternative. This method is useful for drugs that are difficult to dissolve in water, or which require a better control over the amount of drug delivered to an individual animal. Here we outline a simple protocol for the intraperitoneal injection of drugs in adult zebrafish.
Schedule-Controlled Responding of Two Persons Under a Single Schedule of Reinforcement

In four experiments, dyad members made noncompetitive responses for a mutual reinforcer. Satisfying reinforcement requirements delivered a single reinforcer (points) to both subjects as a team. The purpose of this research was two-fold: First, to discover the degree to which individual behavior is sensitive to team-like contingencies, and second, to ask how the social context itself can modulate the effects of team-like contingencies on individual behavior. Variables manipulated included fixed-ratio size, conjunctive reinforcement, reinforcer magnitude, and social context. Results showed that (1) individual subjects responded consistently in an alternating all-or-none pattern at lower FR values, (2) experimental contingencies embedded within the FR schedule exerted powerful control over individual responding, (3) changes in the reinforcer magnitude also radically altered how each subject responded, and (4) changing the social context to not allow subjects to converse did not significantly alter subjects’ behavior. These results suggest that team-like contingencies can control individual patterns of behavior and that particular social aspects of the environment do not necessarily mediate individual behavior in such situations.
CRT-800.53 Association Between Preexisting Valvular Heart Disease and Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy among Hospitalized Patients in the United States

The pathogenesis of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TTCM) remains unknown. Several case reports have described the occurrence of TTCM in patients with preexisting valvular heart disease (VHD). We sought to examine the association between preexisting VHD and TTCM in hospitalized patients. Using the
Analysis of common carp Cyprinus carpio sperm motility and lipid composition using different in vitro temperatures

In fish, sperm quality is frequently associated with sperm motility variables. The response of sperm motility to different temperatures varies among species and plasma membrane lipid composition may contribute to variations in findings in previous research. In the present study, sperm motility and lipid composition were analysed between motile or immotile carp Cyprinus carpio sperm at different in vitro temperatures (4, 14 and 24°C). The duration of the period over which sperm motility is sustained was longer at 4°C compared with 14 and 24°C; while sperm velocity was greatest at 24°C. Motile sperm had lesser proportions of 18:3 (n-3) and 22:6 (n-3) fatty acids at 24°C relative to immotile sperm. There was no difference in fatty acid composition of motile and immotile sperm at 4 and 14°C. The total phospholipid content was less in motile than in immotile sperm at 24°C. At 24°C, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine proportions were less in motile than immotile sperm. It is concluded that lipid composition of motile carp sperm is affected by temperature, with greater temperatures associated with reduced lipid content, elevation of sperm curvilinear velocity and a decreased duration of the period over which motility is sustained.
Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometric Imaging of Small Metabolites and Lipids

Accurate identification of prostate cancer in frozen sections at the time of surgery can be challenging, limiting the surgeon's ability to best determine resection margins during prostatectomy. We performed desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) on 54 banked human cancerous and normal prostate tissue specimens to investigate the spatial distribution of a wide variety of small metabolites, carbohydrates, and lipids. In contrast to several previous studies, our method included Krebs cycle intermediates (m/z <200), which we found to be highly informative in distinguishing cancer from benign tissue. Malignant prostate cells showed marked metabolic derangements compared with their benign counterparts. Using the "Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator" (Lasso), we analyzed all metabolites from the DESI-MS data and identified parsimonious sets of metabolic profiles for distinguishing between cancer and normal tissue. In an independent set of samples, we could use these models to classify prostate cancer from benign specimens with nearly 90% accuracy per patient. Based on previous work in prostate cancer showing that glucose levels are high while citrate is low, we found that measurement of the glucose/citrate ion signal ratio accurately predicted cancer when this ratio exceeds 1.0 and normal prostate when the ratio is less than 0.5. After brief tissue preparation, the glucose/citrate ratio can be recorded on a tissue sample in 1 min or less, which is in sharp contrast to the 20 min or more required by histopathological examination of frozen tissue specimens.
A Numerical Investigation of Phase-Locked and Chaotic Behavior of Coupled Van Der Pol Oscillators

Limit cycle oscillators arise in a wide variety of mechanical, electrical and biological systems. Recently, emphasis has been placed on the study of systems of coupled limit cycles, such as cardiac oscillations. Synchronization criteria have remained a focus of most investigations. One area of investigation in the eld of coupled limit cycles is studying the behavior of a pair of linearly coupled van der Pol oscillators [32, 46, 50]. Previous investigations [57, 58] found the stability regions of the coupled oscillators for their in-phase and out-of-phase modes numerically. This research presents results obtained from numerical analysis of a pair of coupled van der Pol oscillators describing new dynamic behavior; phase-locked trajectories and non-periodic behavior. Also presented are the stability regions and a description of new dynamic behavior of a pair of coupled van der Pol oscillators with detuning.
Leadership and Negotiation — Dichotomies and Definitions

According to conventional wisdom, real leaders don’t negotiate. Leading people requires charisma, vision, and a commanding presence, not the elusive tricks for making deals. Discussions of leadership often consider the ability to lead groups and organizations as a special quality that one is either born with or gains through long, hard experience. Negotiation is not seen as central to a leader’s job. For many executives, negotiation is a tool to use outside the organization to deal with customers, suppliers, and creditors. Inside the organization, it’s strictly “my way or the highway.” Accounts of the leadership of Jack Welch at General Electric, Steve Jobs at Apple, Lew Gerstner at IBM, or Bill Gates at Microsoft rarely focus on their qualities as negotiators. That’s because most people think leadership and negotiation are two different skills that don’t have much to do with one another. For them, strong leaders command and weak leaders negotiate. Leadership is about inspiring followers by giving them a vision. Negotiation is for cutting deals that may or may not work out.
Gain Modulation as a Mechanism for Coding Depth from Motion Parallax in Macaque Area MT

Observer translation produces differential image motion between objects that are located at different distances from the observer's point of fixation [motion parallax (MP)]. However, MP can be ambiguous with respect to depth sign (near vs far), and this ambiguity can be resolved by combining retinal image motion with signals regarding eye movement relative to the scene. We have previously demonstrated that both extra-retinal and visual signals related to smooth eye movements can modulate the responses of neurons in area MT of macaque monkeys, and that these modulations generate neural selectivity for depth sign. However, the neural mechanisms that govern this selectivity have remained unclear. In this study, we analyze responses of MT neurons as a function of both retinal velocity and direction of eye movement, and we show that smooth eye movements modulate MT responses in a systematic, temporally precise, and directionally specific manner to generate depth-sign selectivity. We demonstrate that depth-sign selectivity is primarily generated by multiplicative modulations of the response gain of MT neurons. Through simulations, we further demonstrate that depth can be estimated reasonably well by a linear decoding of a population of MT neurons with response gains that depend on eye velocity. Together, our findings provide the first mechanistic description of how visual cortical neurons signal depth from MP.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Motion parallax is a monocular cue to depth that commonly arises during observer translation. To compute from motion parallax whether an object appears nearer or farther than the point of fixation requires combining retinal image motion with signals related to eye rotation, but the neurobiological mechanisms have remained unclear. This study provides the first mechanistic account of how this interaction takes place in the responses of cortical neurons. Specifically, we show that smooth eye movements modulate the gain of responses of neurons in area MT in a directionally specific manner to generate selectivity for depth sign from motion parallax. We also show, through simulations, that depth could be estimated from a population of such gain-modulated neurons.
Prognostic value of microRNA expression levels in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a review of the literature.

Background Clinical and pathologic markers of prognosis and patterns of failure help guide clinicians in selecting patients for adjuvant therapy after surgical resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Recent studies have reported the prognostic utility of microRNA profiling in numerous malignancies. Here, we review and summarize the current literature regarding associations between microRNA expression and overall survival in PDAC patients. Materials and methods We conducted a systematic search in the PubMed database to identify all primary research studies reporting prognostic associations between tumor and/or serum microRNA expression and overall survival in PDAC patients. Eligible articles were reviewed by the authors and relevant findings are summarized below. Results We found 53 publications that fit our search criteria. In total, 23 up-regulated and 49 down-regulated miRNAs have been associated with worse overall survival. MiR-21 is the most commonly reported miRNA, appearing in 19 publications, all of which report aberrant over-expression and association with shorter survival in PDAC. Other miRNAs that appear in multiple publications include miR-10b, -21, -34a, -155, -196a, -198, -200c, -203, -210, -218, -222, and -328. We summarize the preclinical and clinical data implicating these miRNAs in various molecular signaling pathways and cellular functions. Conclusions There is growing evidence that miRNA expression profiles have the potential to provide tumor-specific prognostic information to assist clinicians in more appropriately selecting patients for adjuvant therapy. These molecules are often aberrantly expressed and exhibit oncogenic and/or tumor suppressor functions in PDAC. Additional efforts to develop prognostic and predictive molecular signatures, and further elucidate miRNA mechanisms of action, are warranted.