cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COST ANALYSIS OF LAPAROSCOPIC VERSUS OPEN ORCHIOPEXY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF UNILATERAL NONPALPABLE TESTICLES

ABSTRACT Purpose: Laparoscopic exploration for the nonpalpable testicle (NPT) has been criticized for increased costs compared with primary inguinal/scrotal exploration, mostly due to high equipment costs and the need for open inguinal/scrotal exploration in many cases. We assessed costs associated with diagnostic laparoscopy vs inguinal/scrotal exploration followed by selective open or laparoscopic treatment for unilateral NPT to identify the most important factors that influence cost. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature review determined the probabilities of intra-abdominal or inguinal nubbins, blind-ending vas/vessels and intra-abdominal or inguinal gonads in patients with unilateral NPT. The costs of anesthesia, equipment and operating room use were obtained from our institution or derived from the literature. A model was created using computer software to compare the costs of initial scrotal/inguinal approach or initial laparoscopic exploration in a theoretical population of boys with unilateral NPT. We established a set of assumptions and generated a series of 1-way sensitivity analyses to detect cost influencing parameters. Results: Based on the probabilities of intraoperative anatomical gonadal findings, use of reusable laparoscopic equipment and encompassing the ultimate surgical procedure needed initial laparoscopic evaluation was less costly than initial scrotal/inguinal exploration by $69 on a population basis. One-way sensitivity analyses showed that initial laparoscopic exploration was less costly if the operative time of laparoscopic exploration did not exceed 19 minutes and the cost of disposable laparoscopic equipment was less than $147. Conclusions: On a population basis initial laparoscopic evaluation of the clinically nonpalpable testicle has a cost saving advantage ($69) over initial inguinal-scrotal exploration when reusable laparoscopic equipment is primarily used, disposable equipment costs are kept low ($147 or less) and operating room time for diagnostic laparoscopy are at national standards (19 minutes or less). These findings hold true for a wide range of probabilities and duration of inguinal exploration time. Given that all of these caveats are easily achievable, cost should not be used as a factor to bias against initial laparoscopic exploration.
Cellular promiscuity: explaining cellular fidelity in vivo against unrestrained pluripotency in vitro.

The differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into various progeny is perplexing. In vivo, nature imposes strict fate constraints. In vitro, PSCs differentiate into almost any phenotype. Might the concept of ‘cellular promiscuity' explain these surprising behaviours?
Gate oxide reliability under ESD-like pulse stress

The reliability of very thin gate oxide under electrostatic discharge-like pulse stress is investigated. Time-dependent dielectric breakdown of gate oxide with thicknesses ranging from 2.2 to 4.7 nm is characterized down to the nanosecond time regime. The 1/E model best fits the time-to-breakdown data. Self-heating does not need to be incorporated into the time-to-breakdown model. The oxide trap generation rate is a function of the stress pulse-width for nanosecond and microsecond stress pulses.
Hesperotestudo (Testudines: Testudinidae) from the Pleistocene of Bermuda, with comments on the phylogenetic position of the genus

Abstract A recently discovered fossil land tortoise (Testudines: Testudinidae) is described from the Pleistocene of Bermuda. Its morphology is sufficiently well preserved to allow assignment to the extinct North American genus Hesperotestudo . However, several features of this tortoise are unique and it is named Hesperotestudo bermudae sp. nov. A review of the phylogenetic relationships of the better known genera of the Testudinidae suggests that the affinities of Hesperotestudo lie with other North American tortoises ( Gopherus ) and not with Geochelone or other testudinines; thus, Hesperotestudo is reassigned to the Xerobatinae. This is at least the fifth documentation of a testudinid dispersing over open ocean to an oceanic island (the first for Hesperotestudo ) and it corroborates the hypothesis that members of this family are well suited to over-water dispersal.
Inorganic pyrophosphate generation and disposition in pathophysiology

Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) regulates certain intracellular functions and extracellular crystal deposition. PPi is produced, degraded, and transported by specialized mechanisms. Moreover, dysregu...
Relative fluorescence-quenching measurements of atomic hydrogen in subatmospheric H2/O2/N2 flames with photoionization controlled-loss spectroscopy

Abstract We present a novel techique, photoionization controlled-loss spectroscopy (PICLS), for obtaining relative changes in the fluorescence transition probability (A + Q) under conditions where conventional measurements of the fluorescence lifetime are not feasible. Using PICLS, vertical profiles of relative changes in the transition probability have been measured in 20-torr premixed flat H2/O2/N2 flames under stoichiometric and fuel-rich conditions. We compare these profiles with predictions from kinetic theory and discuss the implications of this comparison on quantitative fluorescence measurements of atomic hydrogen in flames.
Evaluation of TEAM Leafy Spurge Project

Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) is an exotic, noxious, perennial weed which is widely established in the north central United States and is an especially serious problem in the northern Great Plains. In 1997, the Agricultural Research Service and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, initiated a major Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research and demonstration project to develop and demonstrate ecologically based IPM strategies that can produce effective, affordable leafy spurge control. In 1998 and 1999, a survey of ranchers, local decision makers, and public land managers was conducted to evaluate managerial, institutional, and social factors that might affect the rate and extent of implementation of various control strategies. In 2001, a second survey of the same ranchers, local decision makers, and public land managers was conducted to 1) assess any changes in land managers’ perceptions of weed problems, control alternatives, and related issues and 2) evaluate the impact of The Ecological Area-wide Management (TEAM) Leafy Spurge (TLS) project on the respondents’ weed control practices. Findings from the first survey identified a number of constraints limiting land managers’ ability to utilize available control techniques to manage leafy spurge infestations. The TLS project used a variety of tools and communication strategies, such as presentations at local meetings, demonstration plots, and field days, to communicate and demonstrate weed control strategies and address the impediments to leafy spurge control identified in the first survey. Findings from the second survey indicated TLS efforts had effectively addressed many of the constraints to leafy spurge control previously reported by landowners and land managers.
Exosomes Explosion for Cardiac Resuscitation.

Extracellularly secreted membrane vesicles (EMVs) including exosomes were first discovered 30 years ago and were considered to be garbage bags comprised of unwanted cellular components [(1)][1]. Exosomes are relatively homogenous in size (about 30 to 100 nm) and are different from other secreted
A Vogue that dare not speak its name: Sexual subculture during the editorship of Dorothy Todd, 1922-26

(2006). A Vogue That Dare Not Speak its Name: Sexual Subculture During the Editorship of Dorothy Todd, 1922–26. Fashion Theory: Vol. 10, No. 1-2, pp. 39-72.
Metabolism of N-acetyl-L-aspartate in rat brain.

The abundance and developmental regulation of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in brain suggest that it plays an important role in brain metabolism. Previous studies demonstrated that NAA transports acetate from the mitochondrion to the cytoplasm where it is utilized for lipid synthesis, however, the metabolic fate of NAA-derived aspartate is not established. To investigate NAA metabolism, rats were injected intracranially with N-([2H3]acetyl)-l-[15N]aspartate ([2H3,15N]NAA) and whole brain metabolites were analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques (GC/MS). The rapid decline of [2H3,15H]NAA was associated with a rapid appearance of [15N]glutamate, indicating rapid transamination of the [15N]aspartate that was derived from the enzymatic hydrolysis of [2H3,15N]NAA. Inability to detect [15N]NAA in brain extracts in several experiments indicates that the15N moiety is not reutilized for NAA synthesis and suggests one metabolic role of NAA may be the transport of amino nitrogen from the mitochondrion to the cytoplasm.
⁎4600 Can a “hands-on” animal course help in learning endoscopic ultrasound.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of a hands-on animal course in learning EUS as there is a lack of objective data on the utility of animal models for learning EUS. Methods: The first ASGE "hands-on" course in Endosonography was held in 1997 that combined didactic teaching in EUS with hands-on experience in a swine model under the supervision of EUS experts. All 38 attendees were mailed a survey in 1999 (about 2 years after the course). The survey asked detailed questions of about overall usefulness of the course as well as the number and kind of EUS exams being performed by each participant prior to 1997 and over the next two years after attending the course. Results: So far 18 participants of the ASGE endosonography course have responded. 22% (4/18) of respondents have started performing EUS since attending the course, while they were not performing any EUS prior to the course. 39% (7/18) of the respondents were not performing EUS prior to the course and are still not performing EUS. 39% (7/18) of the respondents were performing EUS prior to the course and have continued to perform EUS since then. Among the respondents who were already performing EUS, 43% (3/7) have increased the number of EUS exams per year since attending the course. 57% (4/7) of the respondents already performing EUS prior to attending the course improved the type of exams from luminal EUS only to pancreatobiliary or from diagnostic EUS only to include EUS guided fine needle aspiration. Overall, 50% (9/18) of the respondents either started doing EUS after the ASGE course or if they were already doing EUS, increased the complexity of EUS (e.g. diagnostic only to interventional EUS) or increased the number of EUS exams per year. 94.4% of respondents stated that the course was useful in their EUS education. 77.7% of the respondents stated that both the didactic and hand-on sections of the course were useful. 72% of the respondents stated that they were willing to take a similar course in the future. Conclusions: Hands-on EUS training in an animal model in the presence of experts when combined with didactic education in EUS is a promising method to increase the number of physicians performing EUS. This is especially important since formal hands-on training opportunities in patients are limited and EUS is available only to a small percentage of physicians in United States.
High-Resolution Observations of the Infrared Spectrum of Neutral Neon

We have observed the spectrum of neutral neon (Ne I) emitted by a microwave-excited electrodeless discharge lamp with the National Institute of Standards and Technology 2 m Fourier transform spectrometer. The spectra cover the regions 6929 A to 11 000 A with a resolution of 0.01 cm(-1) and 11 000 A to 47 589 A with a resolution of 0.007 cm(-1). We present a line list that includes more than 650 classified lines and provides an accurate and comprehensive description of the infrared spectrum. The response of the Fourier transform spectrometer was determined by using a radiometrically calibrated tungsten strip lamp, providing relative intensities that for moderate to strong lines are accurate to approximately 10 % over the entire range of the observations. The identities of many lines that were previously multiply classified are unambiguously resolved.
Hijacking the Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway to Promote EMT-Mediated Neoplastic Phenotypes

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a highly conserved program necessary for orchestrating distant cell migration during embryonic development. Multiple studies in cancer have demonstrated a critical role for EMT during the initial stages of tumorigenesis and later during tumor invasion. Transcription factors (TFs) such as SNAIL, TWIST, and ZEB are master EMT regulators that are aberrantly overexpressed in many malignancies. Recent evidence correlates EMT-related transcriptomic alterations with metabolic reprogramming in cancer. Metabolic alterations may allow cancer to adapt to environmental stressors, supporting the irregular macromolecular demand of rapid proliferation. One potential metabolic pathway of increasing importance is the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP). The HBP utilizes glycolytic intermediates to generate the metabolite UDP-GlcNAc. This and other charged nucleotide sugars serve as the basis for biosynthesis of glycoproteins and other glycoconjugates. Recent reports in the field of glycobiology have cultivated great curiosity within the cancer research community. However, specific mechanistic relationships between the HBP and fundamental pathways of cancer, such as EMT, have yet to be elucidated. Altered protein glycosylation downstream of the HBP is well positioned to mediate many cellular changes associated with EMT including cell-cell adhesion, responsiveness to growth factors, immune system evasion, and signal transduction programs. Here we outline some of the basics of the HBP and putative roles the HBP may have in driving EMT-related cancer processes. With novel appreciation of the HBP’s connection to EMT, we hope to illuminate the potential for new therapeutic targets of cancer.
Parent–Child Relations

Relations between parents and adult children play an essential role across the life course. Three topics of particular importance in the study of relations between parents and adult children are relationship quality, exchanges of support, and caregiving in later life. Parent–child relations are closest when children share their parents' values, when children and parents have a history of support, and when parents' marriages are intact. Although relations are closest between mothers and daughters, these dyads also experience the greatest conflict. Gender also plays an important role in exchanges between parents, with daughters and mothers being the most likely to provide one another with support. Gender continues to shape patterns of caregiving when parents experience health declines and need assistance, support that is much more likely to be provided by daughters than sons. Research from Asia, Europe, and the United States shows both differences and similarities in patterns of parent–adult child relations by race, ethnicity, and nationality. Keywords: cross-national family relations; intergenerational relations; parent–adult child relations
Finding New Perovskite Halides via Machine Learning

Advanced materials with improved properties have the potential to fuel future technological advancements. However, identification and discovery of these optimal materials for a specific application is a non-trivial task, because of the vastness of the chemical search space with enormous compositional and configurational degrees of freedom. Materials informatics provides an efficient approach towards rational design of new materials, via learning from known data to make decisions on new and previously unexplored compounds in an accelerated manner. Here, we demonstrate the power and utility of such statistical learning (or machine learning) via building a support vector machine (SVM) based classifier that uses elemental features (or descriptors) to predict the formability of a given ABX3 halide composition (where A and B represent monovalent and divalent cations, respectively, and X is F, Cl, Br or I anion) in the perovskite crystal structure. The classification model is built by learning from a dataset of 181 experimentally known ABX3 compounds. After exploring a wide range of features, we identify ionic radii, tolerance factor and octahedral factor to be the most important factors for the classification, suggesting that steric and geometric packing effects govern the stability of these halides. The trained and validated models then predict, with a high degree of confidence, several novel ABX3 compositions with perovskite crystal structure.
Assessing bad debt in New Hampshire and Vermont office-based practices.

OBJECTIVE Bad debt is one measure of the cost of medical indigence on health care institutions. This two-part study identifies a methodology for and presents findings from measuring bad debt in a collection of office-based practices. METHODS In Part I of the study, data were gathered on site from 26 practices in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, after first conducting a survey of bad debt losses at these offices. Survey findings were compared to on-site findings and it was determined that only the practices with computerized record-keeping systems were able to supply accurate data by survey alone. In Part II, 71 randomly chosen computerized practices in New Hampshire and Vermont (identified in a screen of 275 practices) were surveyed on bad debt. RESULTS The practices from Part II wrote off an average of $23,115 per physician in 1990 from bad debt in a region in which primary care physician income averages approximately $70,000. CONCLUSIONS The author calculates that bad debt losses are greater than either Medicare or Medicaid losses. Uninsured patients account for 21.6% of office visits but 45% of practice write-offs. Bad debt accounts for a 16% loss from total earnings from regular office visits. Office-based practices in this study are shouldering a significant portion of the cost of care of their uninsured and underinsured patients.
Turning of fracture from a deviated wellbore

The turning of hydraulic fracture from a deviated wellbore is analyzed. And, the initiation and propagation of hydraulic fractures from a horizontal wellbore are discussed in this chapter.
Methods Used to Evaluate the Host Responses to Medical Implants In Vivo

The ability to depict and decipher the cues and reactions which drive the host response is of utmost importance to the safety and efficacy of biomaterial implants. Although many cell culture models have been developed to decipher the molecular mechanisms of cellular responses, animal testing remains to be the most reliable system to simulate complex cellular and tissue responses to the implants. Unfortunately, traditional histological evaluation used in animal studies is unable to identify the dynamic interplay between different cell types. Here in, we present several strategies to real-time evaluate and monitor host reactions, such as fibrin deposition, production of reactive oxygen species, pH changes, and macrophage polarity. With continued development, these methods may offer rapid, diverse, noninvasive, and cost-effective options to study and improve the design of devices and treatments with minimal adverse host reactions.
Using satellite-based evapotranspiration estimates to improve the structure of a simple conceptual rainfall–runoff model

NASAUSAID SERVIR program [11-SERVIR11-58]; Australian Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science [CE110001028]; EU [INCO-20011-7.6, 294947]
Saint Augustine’s Sermons on Perpetua

We have three extant sermons delivered by St. Augustine on Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, all delivered in the early fifth century. The last of these, sermon 282, was only recovered in 2007 in Ehrfurt, Germany. Cotter-Lynch reads these three sermons within the context of Augustine’s thought on gender, martyrdom, and the imago dei status of women. She argues that these sermons reconfigure the gender ambiguity of the original Passio as rhetorical paradox, and as such simultaneously move the agency of the narrative from the martyrs to God, while figuring Perpetua and Felicity allegorically as appropriate objects of admiration but not imitation.
Abstract 18430: Conditional Deletion of Aryl Hydrocarbon Nuclear Translocator (Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1-Beta) in the Adult Heart Results in Cardiomyopathy Associated with Autophagy

Background: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) is a member of the basic helix-loop-helix Per/ARNT/Sim (bHLH-PAS) proteins and serves as a binding partner for a number of other family members. ARNT is also a required dimerization partner of HIF1alpha. Although HIF1alpha is essential for normal cardiac development, the role of ARNT in basal cardiac function in the adult heart is not known. We hypothesized that ARNT is necessary for normal cardiac physiology, and its deletion in adult heart results in cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results: The deletion of ARNT gene in the hearts of 3 month old mice was achieved by crossing ARNTflox/flox mice with αMHC-MCM (tamoxifen-inducible heart specific Cre) transgenic mice followed by administration of tamoxifen by mouth. MHC-MCM/ARNT+/+ (WT) littermates were used as a control. The ARNT knock out (KO) mice exhibited enlarged left ventricle with a significant reduction in ejection fraction (KO vs. WT: 35.8 ± 3.6% vs. 61.2 ± 2.8%, n=12, p<0.01) and fractional shortening (KO vs. WT: 18.3 ± 1.5 % vs. 30.1 ± 1.1%, p<0.01), assessed by echocardiography. Closed-chest catheterization also demonstrated reduced +dP/dt (KO vs. WT: 4355 ± 538 vs. 9426 ± 180 mmHg, p<0.01) and increased left ventricular end diastolic pressure (KO vs. WT: 3.12 ± 1.1 vs. 8.47± 1.2 mmHg, P<0.05) in KO mice but not in WT mice. The worsened cardiac function in the KO mouse heart was associated with increases in ANF and BNP expression, interstitial fibrosis, and apoptosis as determined by TUNEL staining. Furthermore, electron microscopy revealed a variety of degenerative changes in the KO hearts. To determine the mechanism for cell death, we then assessed markers of autophagy in ARNT KO hearts. Beclin-1 expression was significantly higher in ARNT KO hearts than in WT hearts (p<0.01). Induction of autophagy in KO hearts was further confirmed by increased conversion of LC-3I to LC3-II. Conclusion: ARNT is essential for the maintenance of structural and functional homeostasis in the adult heart, and its inactivation leads to cardiac contractile dysfunction. Our findings implicate a novel critical transcriptional requirement for ARNT in the maintenance of adult cardiac function.
Evaluation of the Safety of Clozapine Use in Patients With Benign Neutropenia.

OBJECTIVE To determine if clozapine can be safely utilized in psychiatric patients with benign neutropenia. METHODS A single-center, retrospective chart review study of records from 2001 to 2014 was conducted in an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Patients included had benign neutropenia prior to receiving clozapine and received clozapine using modified monitoring guidelines. All available laboratory values for absolute neutrophil count (ANC) before initiation and during treatment were evaluated. The primary endpoint was difference in ANC after initiation of clozapine from before clozapine. RESULTS A total of 26 patients were reviewed. The mean age at clozapine initiation was 34 years. The majority were African-American (73% [n = 19]), with more men than women (73% [n = 19] vs 27% [n = 7]). The mean lowest ANC value was not significantly different after clozapine initiation compared to before (1.5× 10³ cells/mm³ and 1.4 × 10³ cells/mm³, respectively; P = .22). The overall mean ANC was significantly higher after initiation than before (2.63 × 10³ cells/mm³ and 2.13 × 10³ cells/mm³, respectively; P < .001). There were no cases of severe neutropenia (ANC < 0.5 × 10³ cells/mm³), and no patient was discontinued for falling below modified guideline limits. There were fewer occurrences of mild neutropenia (ANC < 2.0 × 10³ cells/mm³) after clozapine initiation than before (16.0% and 31.4%, respectively; P < .001). There were also fewer occurrences of moderate neutropenia (ANC < 1.5 × 10³ cells/mm³), with 2.1% after clozapine and 13.3% before (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Twenty-six patients with benign neutropenia were safely treated with clozapine. Pre-clozapine neutropenia did not predict increased risk for severe neutropenia with clozapine. Patients had significantly fewer episodes of mild and moderate neutropenia after receiving clozapine compared to before.
High mobility Si/SiGe strained channel MOS transistors with HfO/sub 2//TiN gate stack

We integrate a strained Si channel with HfO/sub 2/ dielectric and TiN metal gate electrode to demonstrate NMOS transistors with electron mobility better than the universal mobility curve for SiO/sub 2/, inversion equivalent oxide thickness of 1.4 nm (EOT=1 nm), and with three orders of magnitude reduction in gate leakage. To understand the physical mechanism that improves the inversion electron mobility at the HfO/sub 2//strained Si interface, we measure mobility at various temperatures and extract the various scattering components.
The impact of health information technologies on quality improvement methodologies’ efficiency, throughput and financial outcomes: a retrospective observational study

To evaluate whether or not the utilization of Health Information Technologies (HITs) in Quality Improvement Methodologies (QIMs) has impacts on QIMs’ efficiency, throughput and financial outcomes at healthcare organizations and physician practices in the United States. This is a retrospective observational study that was conducted between the years of 2014 and 2015 and relied on two data sources: the Dorenfest Institute dataset and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics data source. In addition, questionnaires were submitted to collect data about how healthcare settings in the United States had been utilizing QIMs in the last 10 years. The submitted questionnaire invitations yielded 144 responses from 134 hospitals and 10 physician practices. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the condition of the data. This involved the utilization of Box-Whisker plots to visualize the data shape, outliers and variation. The Gamma correlation analysis method was used to evaluate the statistical relationships between the QIM outcomes, efficiency, throughput and financial outcomes, and the employment of HIT systems in QIMs. The study found that 99.3% of the healthcare organizations and physician practices had implemented at least one QIM over the last 10 years. In the QIM implementations, the total numbers of reported utilization instances of manual data collection, electronic health records, lab information systems, pharmacy information systems, computerized provider order entry and radiology information systems were 387, 352, 205, 185, 180 and 158, respectively. Based on a 95% confidence limit, the Gamma statistical test has shown an inverse correlation between the exclusive utilization of manual data collection and the overall QIM efficiency (p = 0.047, Gamma = −0.388) and throughput (p = 0.012, Gamma = −0.593) outcomes. However, the overall QIM financial outcomes were found to have a statistically insignificant correlation (p = 0.159). The study has revealed statistically significant negative impacts on QIMs’ efficiency and throughput outcomes when the manual data collection is the sole method used in QIM implementations. This also indicates a positive correlation between the QIMs’ efficiency and throughput outcomes and the HIT utilization in QIMs.
Greenhouse gas balance over thaw-freeze cycles in discontinuous zone permafrost

Peat in the discontinuous permafrost zone contains a globally significant reservoir of carbon that has undergone multiple permafrost-thaw cycles since the end of the mid-Holocene (~3700 years before present). Periods of thaw increase C decomposition rates which leads to the release of CO2 and CH4 to the atmosphere creating potential climate feedback. To determine the magnitude and direction of such feedback, we measured CO2 and CH4 emissions and modeled C accumulation rates and radiative fluxes from measurements of two radioactive tracers with differing lifetimes to describe the C balance of the peatland over multiple permafrost-thaw cycles since the initiation of permafrost at the site. At thaw features, the balance between increased primary production and higher CH4 emission stimulated by warmer temperatures and wetter conditions favors C sequestration and enhanced peat accumulation. Flux measurements suggest that frozen plateaus may intermittently (order of years to decades) act as CO2 sources depending on temperature and net ecosystem respiration rates, but modeling results suggest that—despite brief periods of net C loss to the atmosphere at the initiation of thaw—integrated over millennia, these sites have acted as net C sinks via peat accumulation. In greenhouse gas terms, the transition from frozen permafrost to thawed wetland is accompanied by increasing CO2 uptake that is partially offset by increasing CH4 emissions. In the short-term (decadal time scale) the net effect of this transition is likely enhanced warming via increased radiative C emissions, while in the long-term (centuries) net C deposition provides a negative feedback to climate warming.
Grazing Capacity Inventory

Grazing capacity refers to the total number of AUMs produced and available for grazing per acre or from a specific grazing land unit, grazing allotment, the total ranch, or other specified land area, which is necessarily limited to that which can be harvested by grazing animals from the standing crop (i.e., unharvested/ungrazed plant materials standing in place at a given time). Stocking rate is considered the most important variable in grazing management; unless it is near the proper level, regardless of other grazing practices, the objectives of grazing management will not be met. Since it is based on the amount and duration of the animal demand for forage, any changes from either projected animal numbers or length of grazing period will alter the stocking rate. Grazing pressure (cumulative) (synonym grazing pressure index) is the major factor that affects the severity and frequency of defoliation of individual forage plants. At given forage inventory levels, grazing pressure is directly related to stocking density; if one is doubled, so is the other. The same relationship exists between stocking rate and cumulative grazing pressure; if one is cut in half, the other is also reduced by 50%. Grazing efficiency in forage harvesting will increase as the stocking rate and the associated cumulative grazing pressure increases. Stocking rates, kinds and mixes of grazing animals, seasons of grazing, uniformity of utilization, and grazing systems all affect the efficiency of the grazing animal in consuming the forage produced in a stand, but perennial plant vigor and soil factors must also be considered.
A Team-based Assignment to Integrate Basic Science and Pharmacotherapeutic Principles for Anticancer Agents

Objective. To implement and evaluate an active-learning, team-based assignment centered on anticancer agents for the integration of basic science and pharmacotherapeutic principles.Methods. Student teams were assigned a specific anticancer agent and were expected to answer a series of questions on the written section of the assignment, followed by a presentation to the class. Each assignment was assessed using a grading rubric that was mapped to the 2013 CAPE educational outcomes. Student perceptions of the assignment were assessed using a short survey.Results. Student cohort performance on the assignment was in the B range (83%) with a mean of 33.2 out of 40. Using the grading rubric, the 12 student cohorts performed particularly well under professionalism (Domain 4.4) that focuses on personal and professional development from CAPE 2013 with means >4 on a 1-5 scale. Student impressions of the assignment suggested that students believed the assignment had a positive effect on their learning and should be ...
The Role of Exercise in Treatment of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Symptoms

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common condition that can cause significant disability due to low back or leg pain and walking limitations. Initial non-surgical management usually involves exercise. This review examines available evidence for various forms of exercise in managing symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Evidence for exercise in treating lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms is limited with a lack of robust, randomized-controlled trials. Generally, combinations of stretching, core strengthening with emphasis on lumbar flexion, and well-tolerated cardiovascular exercises are recommended. Based on current evidence, various forms of exercise seem reasonable to consider for LSS symptoms as no one exercise has been shown to be superior. Engaging patients to exercise and addressing barriers is important to improve the adherence to and effectiveness of treatment. Future research is needed to study exercises specifically for LSS and compare the efficacy of different exercises in managing LSS.
Energy’s Citizens: The Making of a Canadian Petro-Public

Background Canada’s fossil fuel industry has recently put citizen outreach at the centre of its political strategy. This is manifest in a public outreach campaign known as Canada’s Energy Citizens (CEC), undertaken by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). Analysis This article uses interviews with CEC organizers and members to demonstrate how participation subsidies are used to enlist members. While much scholarly literature assumes corporate grassroots campaigns will hide the use of professional public relations labour and industry ties, findings show instead that CEC foreground its members’ professional backgrounds and connections to the oil sector. Conclusions and implications Transparency does ideological work in the campaign, framing pro-oil advocacy as a licit social aim, and public relations labour as a normative model of citizen political participation. Contexte L’industrie des combustibles fossiles au Canada a recemment centre sa strategie politique sur la sensibilisation des citoyens. Par exemple, l’Association canadienne des producteurs petroliers (ACPP) a mene une campagne de sensibilisation publique du nom de « Canada’s Energy Citizens » (CEC). Analyse Cet article a recours a des entrevues avec des organisateurs et membres de CEC afin de demontrer dans quelle mesure cette campagne de sensibilisation utilise des subventions de participation afin de recruter ses membres. Plusieurs recherches savantes font la supposition que les campagnes locales menees par les entreprises ont tendance a cacher leurs liens avec l’industrie et leur recours aux services de relations publiques, mais les donnees de cette etude demontrent que CEC, au contraire, affiche les liens professionnels de ses membres au secteur petrolier. Conclusions et implications Cette transparence sert la campagne d’un point de vue ideologique, presentant l’appui a l’industrie petroliere comme un objectif social legitime, et les relations publiques comme moyen d’encourager l’engagement politique des citoyens.
Performance characteristics of the turbidimetric ACL-TOP CTS 300 coagulation analyzer in dogs and cats.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the technical performance of the turbidimetric ACL-TOP CTS 300 coagulation analyzer (IL) in dogs and cats and to create reference intervals for standard and novel parameters. DESIGN Coagulation testing results from dogs and cats generated by the IL were prospectively compared with another mechanical clot detection system. Precision was documented and reference intervals were created for prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and Clauss fibrinogen and D-dimer values, as well as for the quantitative clot curve parameters (high and low amplitude, delta, and first and second derivative curves). Clot curve signatures containing common artifacts due to lipemia, hemolysis, or preactivation were demonstrated. ANIMALS Residual frozen plasma from 20 dogs and 10 cats was used for method comparison; prospectively recruited healthy dogs (n = 48) and cats (n = 45) were used for reference interval and precision studies. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Bland-Altman analysis showed a proportional positive bias in the IL compared with mechanical clot detection in dogs and a suggestion of a similar pattern in cats. Precision was good and met manufacturer's recommendations for all assays. Reference intervals are reported. Clot curve artifacts were similar in animals to those reported in people. CONCLUSIONS The turbidimetric system had a slight high proportional positive bias compared with mechanical clot detection. Thus, new reference intervals were generated including for novel parameters generated by clot curve analysis. Some preanalytical errors can be identified by inspection of clot curves. This robust novel technology compares favorably with mechanical endpoint detection methods and can be used in dogs and cats.
Measurement equivalence of patient safety climate in Chinese hospitals: can we compare across physicians and nurses?

Objective Self-report instruments have been widely used to better understand variations in patient safety climate between physicians and nurses. Research is needed to determine whether differences in patient safety climate reflect true differences in the underlying concepts. This is known as measurement equivalence, which is a prerequisite for meaningful group comparisons. This study aims to examine the degree of measurement equivalence of the responses to a patient safety climate survey of Chinese hospitals and to demonstrate how the measurement equivalence method can be applied to self-report climate surveys for patient safety research. Methods Using data from the Chinese Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Climate from six Chinese hospitals in 2011, we constructed two groups: physicians and nurses (346 per group). We used multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses to examine progressively more stringent restrictions for measurement equivalence. Results We identified weak factorial equivalence across the two groups. Strong factorial equivalence was found for Organizational Learning, Unit Management Support for Safety, Adequacy of Safety Arrangements, Institutional Commitment to Safety, Error Reporting and Teamwork. Strong factorial equivalence, however, was not found for Safety System, Communication and Peer Support and Staffing. Nevertheless, further analyses suggested that nonequivalence did not meaningfully affect the conclusions regarding physician-nurse differences in patient safety climate. Conclusions Our results provide evidence of at least partial equivalence of the survey responses between nurses and physicians, supporting mean comparisons of its constructs between the two groups. The measurement equivalence approach is essential to ensure that conclusions about group differences are valid.
Internalization of Rhizobium by Plant Cells: Targeting and Role of Peribacteroid Membrane Nodulins

Rhizobium enters the root cells of legume plants through a process resembling endocytosis. To reach appropriate host cells and to avoid any pathogenic reaction, both organisms have evolved an elaborate mechanism involving many signals (Lerouge et al., 1990) that induce specific genes leading to the formation of the infection thread and eventual release of the bacteria inside the plant cell (see for reviews, Verma and Nadler, 1984; Verma and Fortin, 1989; Long, 1989). During this state bacteria remain enclosed in a membrane envelope (peribacteroid membrane, PBM) which is constituted by the components of the plasma membrane of the host cell (Verma et al., 1978) and forms a novel “extracellular compartment”. Physiological “internalization” of this compartment is a key step in acceptance of the foreign organism inside the plant cell. Success of this process allows bacteria to reduce dinitrogen for the benefit of the host plant and establish an endosymbiosis. Rhizobium enclosed in PBM behaves as an “organelle” having many properties in common with mitochondria. The PBM, while keeping bacteria “outside” the host cell cytoplasm and avoiding any pathogenic interaction, allows development of a close contact between the plant cell and bacteria for rapid and efficient exchange of metabolites.
DO BABYFACED ADULTS RECEIVE MORE HELP? THE (CROSS-CULTURAL) CASE OF THE LOST RESUME

The hypothesis that babyish-looking adult faces would elicit help was tested in a field experiment using the “lost letter” technique. Digitized images of African-American and European-American adult male and female faces were made to look babyish (neotenous) by substituting enlarged eyes and lips for normal ones. Eyes and lips were reduced in size to make faces look mature. As expected, neotenous features made adults appear submissive, weak, naive, feminine, compassionate, and honest, but not more or less attractive, relative to mature features. Neotenous or mature faces were printed on (fictional) resumes, attached to stamped, addressed envelopes, and “lost” in the US (n = 408) and Kenya (n = 176). “Helping” was indexed by whether resumes were posted (returned) or not. Most results supported predictions; across nations, resumes depicting neotenous, white and black female faces and neotenous, white male faces were returned more often than were resumes displaying the mature versions of these faces. Returns for neotenous and mature black male faces, however, were not significantly different. Overall, support was found for the hypothesis that neotenous, submissive-looking facial characteristics cue social approach and elicit help while mature, dominant-looking facial traits cue avoidance.
Multilevel Examination of Health Disparity: The Role of Policy Implementation in Neighborhood Context, in Patient Resources, and in Healthcare Facilities on Later Stage of Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Background: There is a substantial racial/ethnic disparity in female breast cancer mortality in Chicago between non-Hispanic black (NHblack) and Hispanic patients compared with their non-Hispanic white (NHwhite) counterparts. This observation prompted a multilevel examination of factors that might account for the disparity, with the goal of identifying potential policy interventions that might meaningfully address it Methods: In the Breast Cancer Care in Chicago study, 411 NHblack, 397 NHwhite, and 181 Hispanic patients diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 79 were interviewed, and medical records were abstracted for information on screening and diagnostic follow-up. We conducted a multilevel analysis to assess the role of neighborhood context, patient resources, facility characteristics, and mode of detection in determining the disparity in later stage at diagnosis. Results: After adjustment for neighborhood context, mode of detection, and facility accreditation/resources, there was no significant disparity in later stage breast cancer diagnosis between NHblack or Hispanic patients compared with NHwhite patients. Conclusions: The results suggest that racial/ethnic differences in mode of detection and facility accreditation/resources account for most of the disparity in stage at diagnosis. Understanding the causes of differential screen detection and access to highly accredited facilities could inform interventions to meaningfully address this disparity. Impact: Multilevel approaches to studying health disparities are becoming the research standard for understanding and addressing health disparities. Optimal design of multilevel interventions addressing disparities in later stage diagnosis would benefit from enhanced understanding of pathways to detection and diagnosis available to patients in medically underserved communities.
RECONSTRUCTION-FREE DEEP CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS FOR PARTIALLY OBSERVED IMAGES

Conventional image discrimination tasks are performed on fully observed images. In challenging real imaging scenarios, where sensing systems are energy demanding or need to operate with limited bandwidth and exposure-time budgets, or defective pixels, where the data collected often suffers from missing information, and this makes the task extremely hard. In this paper, we leverage Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to extract information from partially observed images. While pre-trained CNNs fail significantly even with such a small percentage of the input missing, our proposed framework demonstrates the ability to overcome it after training on fully-observed and partially-observed images at a few observation ratios. We demonstrate that our method is indeed reconstruction-free, retraining-free and generalizable to previously untrained-on observation ratios and it remains effective in two different visual tasks – image classification and object detection. Our framework performs well even for test images with only 10% of pixels available and outperforms the reconstruct-then-classify pipeline in these challenging scenarios for small observation fractions.
Regular Classroom Sociometric Status of Behaviorally Disordered Adolescents.

This study examined the regular classroom sociometric status of behaviorally disordered and nonhandicapped high school students. In six schools 43 behaviorally disordered subjects who attended regular classes for portions of the school day were matched with an equal number of nonhandicapped students. A rating scale sociometric instrument, the Ohio Social Acceptance Scale (OSAS), was administered in 33 physical education classes that had behaviorally disordered students enrolled. The results indicated that behaviorally disordered subjects, in comparison to matched nonhandicapped students, were lower in regular classroom sociometric status. In addition, behaviorally disordered students were as well known as their matched peers, and rated fellow behaviorally disordered students in the same classes higher than nonhandicapped raters. The findings are consistent with similar studies, and highlight the need for quality instruction to assist handicapped students in their social relationships in regular classrooms.
Generation of High-Density Hyperspectral Point Clouds of Crops with Robotic Multi-Camera Planning

Hyperspectral imaging and point-cloud based mapping of horticultural crops provide crucial information for precision agriculture applications. In this paper, we present an optimal method of autonomously generating high-density hyperspectral point clouds of objects using a robotic multi-camera suite, without the need for high-cost, large-size hyperspectral cameras. The sensing and imaging fusion are integrated through the use of next-best-view planning for a heterogeneous set of cameras, and a novel information gain metric designed specifically for hyperspectral point clouds. We also introduce a tractable approximation to the IG metric for real-time applications. Both metrics are tested on plant scans with augmented spectral data to demonstrate the capabilities and accuracy of the method.