cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of olivocochlear bundle transection on choline acetyltransferase activity in the rat cochlear nucleus

Abstract Using a microdissection and quantitative microassay approach, choline acetyltransferase activities were mapped in the cochlear nuclei of rats having complete transections of the olivocochlear bundle on one side in the brain stem. In rats in which the trapezoid body was not significantly damaged by the lesion, consistent reductions of choline acetyltransferase activity in subregions of the lesion-side cochlear nucleus, as compared to the control side, averaged about 20%. Nevertheless, a profound lesion-side reduction of choline acetyltransferase activity was found in a branch connection from the olivocochlear bundle to the cochlear nucleus. The results suggest that branches from the olivocochlear bundle are cholinergic, but contribute a relatively minor proportion of the cholinergic synapses in all regions of the rat cochlear nucleus. In the light of previous results with more extensive lesions, it can be proposed that most cholinergic input into the rat cochlear nucleus enters by a ventral route along the trapezoid body. It is noted that this represents a quantitatively somewhat different situation from that in the cat.
Self-Help Groups for Women Who Have Had Breast Cancer

Postmastectomy patients gave positive ratings to visits by Reach to Recovery volunteers and attendance at postmastectomy programs. Membership in self-help groups is viewed positively, relieving the...
Preparation of Sputtered (Bax,Sr1−x)TiO3 Thin Films Directly on Copper

(Ba0.6,Sr0.4)TiO3 (BST) films were deposited on copper foils by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. By the use of controlled pO2 high-temperature anneals, the films were completely crystallized in the absence of substrate oxidation. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed an abrupt Cu/BST interface. The deposited BST films exhibit a zero bias permittivity and loss tangent values of 600 and 0.018, respectively. An electrical tunability ratio of 3.5:1 is observed on these metal–insulator–metal devices. Devices show leakage currents of 10−8 A/cm2 at ±10 V/μm, and loss tangents as low as 0.003 in fields approaching 40 V/μm.
The impact of biochemistry on endocrinology.

IN MY brief tenure as an officer of the Endocrine Society, I have often heard complaints that the clinician was being crowded from the annual programs. On the other hand, I have had the unusual experience of having clinicians complain of the time given to clinical symposia. This led me to study what had really happened to this Society over the years. I tabulated the professional degrees by which the authors and coauthors of the first fifty papers in this year’s program were designated. The ratio of M.D.s to Ph.D.s was 77′:23′. The distribution 20 years ago when the Society also met here was almost identically the same: 76′ for M.D.s and24′ for Ph.D.s What then had led to the remarks? Was it simply a failing memory of the past, or had some change taken place in the meaning of the labels?
A simplified linear programming approach to the estimation of enrollment transition rates: Estimating rates with minimal data availability

Abstract This paper proposes a method for estimating enrollment transition rates in countries where repetition counts are nonexistent or unreliable. The method, based on linear programming, requires a minimum of data and allows for the incorporation of limiting information from miscellaneous sources. Results confirm the hypothesis that officially reported data in some countries underestimate repetition. In countries with more reliable official data, estimates are closer to the official rates. The method is suggested as an approximate way to estimate rates in countries not reporting repetition data, and as a consistency check when official estimates are of debatable quality.
Absentee Ownership of Farmland and State and Local Tax Policy: Income Tax Promotes Absenteeism, But the Property Tax Can Be Used to Strengthen Family Farms

. The incentive effects of state and local tax policies in promoting or inhibiting the ownership of farmland by non-operators are evaluated. Previous research on the economic, social and environmental effects of absentee ownership is reviewed as well as evidence regarding the impact of tax laws on absentee owners versus owner-operators. The Federal tax laws, it is found, work to increase land prices, reduce entry into farming by young farmers, and increase absentee ownership. State income tax policies may reinforce these effects. Property tax policies, on the other hand, may counteract income tax laws by giving tax relief preferentially to owner-operators. Several modifications of property tax relief programs are suggested.
Underwater acoustic model-based signal processing

An underwater acoustic model-based Signal processing algorithm is presented. Its performance was evaluated via computer simulation of various test cases and compared to that predicted by theory. The model-based algorithm, which is used in conjunction with an FFT beamformer for planar arrays, computes phase weights that correct for deterministic, ocean medium, phase effects due to ray bending as a signal propagates in the inhomogeneous ocean medium whose index of refraction (sound-speed profile) is a function of depth. The performance of the model-based signal processing algorithm was evaluated in the context of an underwater acoustic communication problem in order to determine the impact of the model-based algorithm on the probability of detecting single rectangular-envelope continuous wave (CW) and linear frequency modulated (LFM) pulses as a function of the input signal-to-noise power ratio at a single element in the receive array for a given probability of false alarm. Preliminary results for various test cases show significant increases in performance for a correlator receiver.
Prehospital care for victims of submersion.

In this issue of Pediatrics is a study1 that represents a milestone in the growth and development of Emergency Medical Services for Children systems. Linda Quan and co-workers provide us with a study of victims of submersion who were less than 20 years of age and who received care during a 10-years interval in an Emergency Medical Services unit and required hospitalization or died. Because the majority of these submersions occurred in the urban setting of King Country with the rapid response of Emergency Medical Services units and reliable recording of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) data, the study results are impressively complete.
Bandwidth Enabled Flight Operations: examining the possibilities

The Bandwidth Enabled Flight Operations project is a research effort at the NASA Ames Research Center to investigate the use of satellite communications to improve aviation safety and capacity. This project is a follow on to the AeroSAPIENT Project, which demonstrated methods for transmitting high bandwidth data in various configurations. For this research, we set a goal to nominally use only 10 percent of the available bandwidth demonstrated by AeroSAPIENT or projected by near-term technology advances. This paper describes the results of our research, including available satellite bandwidth, commercial and research efforts to provide these services, and some of the limiting factors inherent with this communications medium. It also describes our investigation into the needs of the stakeholders (Airlines, Pilots, Cabin Crews, ATC, Maintenance, etc). The paper also describes our development of low-cost networked flight deck and airline operations center simulations that were used to demonstrate two application areas: Providing real time weather information to the commercial flight deck, and enhanced crew monitoring and control for airline operations centers.
Issues in Energy Economics Led by Emerging Linkages between the Natural Gas and Power Sectors

Fuel prices in 2006 continued at record levels, with uranium continuing upward unabated and coal, SO2 emission allowances, and natural gas all softening. This softening did not continue for natural gas, however, whose prices rose, fell and rose again, first following weather influences and, by the second quarter of 2007, continuing at high levels without any support from fundamentals. This article reviews these trends and describes the remarkable increases in fuel expenses for power generation. By the end of 2005, natural gas claimed 55% of annual power sector fuel expenses, even though it was used for only 19% of electric generation. Although natural gas is enormously important to the power sector, the sector also is an important driver of the natural gas market—growing to over 28% of the market even as total use has declined. The article proceeds to discuss globalization, natural gas price risk, and technology developments. Forces of globalization are poised to affect the energy markets in new ways—new in not being only about oil. Of particular interest in the growth of intermodal traffic and its a little-understood impacts on rail traffic patterns and transportation costs, and expected rapidly expanding LNG imports toward the end of the decade. Two aspects of natural gas price risk are discussed: how understanding the use of gas in the power sector helps define price ceilings and floors for natural gas, and how the recent increase in the natural gas production after years of record drilling could alter the supply–demand balance for the better. The article cautions, however, that escalation in natural gas finding and development costs is countering the more positive developments that emerged during 2006. Regarding technology, the exploitation of unconventional natural gas was one highlight. So too was the queuing up of coal-fired power plants for the post-2010 period, a phenomenon that has come under great pressure with many consequences including increased pressures in the natural gas market. The most significant illustration of these forces was the early 2007 suspension of development plans by a large power company, well before the Supreme Court’s ruling on CO2 as a tailpipe pollutant and President Bush’s call for global goals on CO2 emissions.
Modeling the Performance Characteristics of Computed Radiography (CR) Systems

Computed radiography (CR) using storage phosphors is widely used in digital radiography and mammography. A cascaded linear systems approach wherein several parameter values were estimated using Monte Carlo methods was used to model the image formation process of a single-side read "flying spot" CR system using a granular phosphor. Objective image quality metrics such as modulation transfer function and detective quantum efficiency were determined using this model and show good agreement with published empirical data. A model such as that addressed in this work could allow for improved understanding of the effect of storage phosphor physical properties and CR reader parameters on objective image quality metrics for existing and evolving CR systems.
Effects of land-conversion in a biosphere–atmosphere model of Northern South America – Part 1: Regional differences in hydrometeorology

This work investigates how landuse changes over northern South America, driven by human interventions, have affected the regional patterns of hydrology. Comparisons are made to scenarios where no human disturbance of the regional vegetation is assumed. A numerical model of the terrestrial biosphere (Ecosystem Demography Model 2 – ED2) is combined with an atmospheric model (Brazilian Regional Atmospheric Modeling System – BRAMS) to investigate how land conversion in the Amazon and Northern South America have changed the hydrology of the region. Two numerical realizations of the structure and composition of terrestrial vegetation are used as boundary conditions in a simulation of the regional land surface and atmosphere. One realization seeks to capture the present day vegetation condition that includes deforestation and land-conversion, the other is an estimate of the potential structure and composition of the region without human influence. Model output is assessed for consistent and significant pattern differences in hydrometeorology. Results show that South American land conversion has a consistent impact on the regional patterning of precipitation. Land-conversion was not associated with a significant bias in continental mean precipitation, but was associated with a negative bias in mean continental evaporation and a positive bias in continental runoff. A companion paper continues this analysis, with case studies that focus on specific areas that show significant differential hydrologic response.
Learning to Learn Causal Models

Learning to understand a single causal system can be an achievement, but humans must learn about multiple causal systems over the course of a lifetime. We present a hierarchical Bayesian framework that helps to explain how learning about several causal systems can accelerate learning about systems that are subsequently encountered. Given experience with a set of objects, our framework learns a causal model for each object and a causal schema that captures commonalities among these causal models. The schema organizes the objects into categories and specifies the causal powers and characteristic features of these categories and the characteristic causal interactions between categories. A schema of this kind allows causal models for subsequent objects to be rapidly learned, and we explore this accelerated learning in four experiments. Our results confirm that humans learn rapidly about the causal powers of novel objects, and we show that our framework accounts better for our data than alternative models of causal learning.
Physiological Stress Response of Captive White-Tailed Deer to Video Collars

Animal-borne video and environmental data collection systems (AVEDs) are an advanced form of biotelemetry that combines video with other sensors. As a proxy for physiological stress, we assessed fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) excretion in 7 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fitted with AVED dummy collars; 9 additional deer served as controls. We collected fecal samples over 3 2-week periods: pretreatment, treatment, and posttreatment periods. There were no differences in FGMs across time periods (F2,218 = 1.94, P = 0.147) and no difference between FGMs of control and treatment individuals (F1,14 = 0.72, P = 0.411). Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite excretion in AVED-collared deer was indistinguishable from uncollared animals and within the normal, baseline range for this species. Absence of an adrenal response to collaring suggested that AVED collaring does not induce physiological stress in deer.
Phacoemulsification and lens implantation after pars plana vitrectomy

Objective: This study aimed to describe the intraoperative and postoperative complications and visual acuity outcomes of patients undergoing Kelman phacoemulsification (KPE) and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Design: The study design was a retrospective review of a consecutive surgical series. Participants: Forty-four eyes of 43 patients who underwent surgery at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, or Advanced Vision Care, West Hills, California, were studied. Intervention: Office records, referring retina specialists' records, and operative reports were reviewed for demographic information, indications for PPV, preoperative cataract severity, unplanned intraoperative events and complications, early and late postoperative complications, and postoperative visual acuities. Main Outcome Measures: Complications and postoperative visual acuities were measured. Results: The mean interval from PPV to KPE was 20 months. The mean interval from KPE to final examination was 19 months. Primary indications for PPV included development of a macular epiretinal membrane, macular hole, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, vitreous abscess, and vitreous hemorrhage. The degree of nuclear sclerosis in postvitrectomy eyes was greater than that in typical cataract eyes ( P = 0.00002). The most common intraoperative problem was the discovery of a posterior capsule plaque. In a few cases, surgery was made difficult by unusual fluctuations in anterior chamber depth and lens zonule instability. The most common early postoperative complication was corneal edema; the most common late complication was the need for neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy. An IOL was implanted in every eye. There were no retinal detachments. Median visual acuity improved from 20/125 before cataract surgery to 20/40 6 weeks after surgery to 20/30 on final examination. Visual acuity of 20/40 or better was achieved by 63.6% of eyes at 6 weeks and by 72.7% of eyes by final examination. Conclusions: Kelman phacoemulsification and IOL implantation can be performed safely after PPV. Intraoperative and postoperative complications are uncommon. Pre-existing posterior segment pathology limits the ultimate improvement in visual acuity, but substantial gains in visual acuity are realized by most patients.
Cross-sensor calibration between Ikonos and Landsat ETM+ for spectral mixture analysis

Spectral mixture analysis is an algorithm that is developed to overcome the weakness in traditional land-use/land-cover (LULC) classification where each picture element (pixel) from remote sensing is assigned to one and only one LULC type. In reality, a remotely sensed signal from a pixel is often a spectral mixture from several LULC types. Spectral mixture analysis can derive subpixel proportions for the endmembers from remotely sensed data. However, one frequently faces the problem in determining the spectral signatures for the endmembers. This study provides a cross-sensor calibration algorithm that enables us to obtain the endmember signatures from an Ikonos multispectral image for spectral mixture analysis using Landsat ETM+ images. The calibration algorithm first converts the raw digital numbers from both sensors into at-satellite reflectance. Then, the Ikonos at-satellite reflectance image is degraded to match the spatial resolution of the Landsat ETM+ image. The histograms at the same spatial resolution from the two images are matched, and the signatures from the pure pixels in the Ikonos image are used as the endmember signatures. Validation of the spectral mixture analysis indicates that the simple algorithm works effectively. The algorithm is not limited to Ikonos and Landsat sensors. It is, in general, applicable to spectral mixture analysis where a high spatial resolution sensor and a low spatial resolution sensor with similar spectral resolutions are available as long as images collected by the two sensors are close in time over the same place.
Pressure gradients without obstruction. A new concept of "hypertrophic subaortic stenosis".

Summary and Conclusions Significant outflow tract obstruction was notseen byleft ventricular cineangiocardiography in seven patients with "hypertrophic subaorticstenosis."Catheter withdrawals through the leftventricle, recorded cinefluorographically, lo-calized the high pressure areas to portions ofthe left ventricle which emptied completely in early systole. Sustained systolic contractionin empty portions of the left ventricle pro-vides an explanation for the pressure gradi-entsinthesepatients.Isoproterenol infusions increased the rate and degree of left ventricular emptying, ob-literating portions of the cavity earlier andincreasingthepressure gradient.Themechanismof gradient production with- out obstruction was similar to the phenome-non observed in dogs receiving isoproterenol infusions. The cardiac muscle in these patients is ab-normally thick and the left ventricle emptiesmorerapidly than normal; therefore a "hyper- trophic hyperkinetic cardiomyopathy" is present.The nonobstructive
Communication substrate for maintaining replicated data

A fault-tolerant system is proposed for maintaining replicated data that is implemented from a set of fundamental building blocks. At the heart of the modular design is the PSYNC communication protocol. PSYNC is an interprocess communication protocol that explicitly preserves the partial order of messages exchanged among a set of processes in the presence of host and network failures. Fundamentally, each process sends a message in the context of those messages it has already sent of received. This relation is represented by a direct acyclic graph called a context graph. A copy of the context graph is maintained on each host. In addition to PSYNC and two graph-management protocols called COMPOSER and DIVIDER, the configuration includes five building block protocols. The entire system is implemented on a network of Sun3 workstations. >
Indications for internal cardioverter defibrillator implantation predict time to first shock and the modulating effect of β-blockers

Background Patients receive implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for varying indications. Whether these indications influence the time to first ICD shock is suspected but not confirmed. The modulating effect of β-blockers on shock-free survival is not fully elucidated. Method A retrospective analysis of 230 consecutive patients (age 63 ± 14 years, 79% men, 75% ischemic, 70% β-blockers) implanted with an ICD was performed. Patients were divided into 4 groups depending on the ICD indication: groups A (secondary prevention of sudden death), B (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and positive electrophysiology study [EPS]), C (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and negative EPS or no EPS performed), and D (patients who did not meet inclusion criteria for groups A, B, or C). Time to shock was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results During a mean follow-up of 489 ± 280 days, 57 (24.7%) patients received 82 shocks (49% appropriate). The 1-year shock-free survival for patients in groups A, B, C, and D were 57%, 77%, 79%, and 91%, respectively (P = .03), for total shocks and 75%, 92%, 92%, and 100%, respectively (P = .007), for appropriate shocks. For patients in group A, the use of β-blockers increased the 1-year shock-free survival from 48% to 61% for total shocks and from 65% to 79% for appropriate shocks. Conclusion Time to first shock is determined by the indication for ICD implantation and is not predicted by the results of EPS. Patients with secondary indications for ICD implantation are at highest risk of shocks and may deserve consideration for prophylactic antiarrhythmic drugs. β-Blockers increase the time to first ICD shock in patients implanted for secondary prevention of sudden death.
Signaling advances from immunogenetics to immunogenomics

Recent studies describe new genome-wide mutagenesis strategies, coupled with phenotypic screening, and demonstrate the power of such approaches to provide new insights into the genetics of the immune response.
Sampling expansions for multiband signals

The class B I of finite energy signals bandlimited to a set I is considered where I denotes a finite union of disjoint open intervals (bands) on the real frequency axis. If such a signal is sampled uniformly (constant intersample spacing T), it is shown that the following five propositions are equivalent. 1) Any signal in B I is uniquely determined from its uniform samples taken at the rate 1/T samples/s. 2) The set of complex exponentials {e^{in\omegaT}}\min{-infin}\max{\infin} is complete on the set I. 3) the translated sets {\omega + k\sigma: \omega\epsilonI} with σ = 2π/T do not intersect I for any k \neq 0 . 4) Each signal in B I possesses a mean-square convergent sampling expansion in terms of its samples at rate 1/T samples/s. 5) A generalized Parseval relation holds for each pair of signals in B I .
Multi-Shell Hybrid Diffusion Imaging (HYDI) at 7 Tesla in TgF344-AD Transgenic Alzheimer Rats

Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is widely used to study microstructural characteristics of the brain. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and high-angular resolution imaging (HARDI) are frequently used in radiology and neuroscience research but can be limited in describing the signal behavior in composite nerve fiber structures. Here, we developed and assessed the benefit of a comprehensive diffusion encoding scheme, known as hybrid diffusion imaging (HYDI), composed of 300 DWI volumes acquired at 7-Tesla with diffusion weightings at b = 1000, 3000, 4000, 8000 and 12000 s/mm2 and applied it in transgenic Alzheimer rats (line TgF344-AD) that model the full clinico-pathological spectrum of the human disease. We studied and visualized the effects of the multiple concentric “shells” when computing three distinct anisotropy maps–fractional anisotropy (FA), generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA) and normalized quantitative anisotropy (NQA). We tested the added value of the multi-shell q-space sampling scheme, when reconstructing neural pathways using mathematical frameworks from DTI and q-ball imaging (QBI). We show a range of properties of HYDI, including lower apparent anisotropy when using high b-value shells in DTI-based reconstructions, and increases in apparent anisotropy in QBI-based reconstructions. Regardless of the reconstruction scheme, HYDI improves FA-, GFA- and NQA-aided tractography. HYDI may be valuable in human connectome projects and clinical research, as well as magnetic resonance research in experimental animals.
Raman Measurements of Folded Interlayer Shearing Phonons in KC12n(n=2–6)

Graphite intercalation compounds (GIC’s) have been the subject of extensive research, not only because of practical applications [1],but because of fundamental reasons [2]. Their highly anisotropic structures, characterized by the strongly coplanar bonded graphite layers with relatively weak interlayer interactions, provide unique quasi-one and two dimensional systems to investigate. Along the c-axis, the intercalant layers usually form a well-defined periodic sequence, known as staging. A “pure” stage n compound consists of a single phase of one intercalent layer per every n graphite layers [3]. In alkali-metal GIC’s (AGIC’s), it is relatively easy to synthesize pure stage compounds up to stage 6 by controlling both alkali vapor pressure and sample temperature. In spite of numerous investigations, the origin of the long-range interlayer interactions responsible for these one-dimensional modulated systems is still not well understood. Between the graphite layers in GIC’s, intercalant atoms or molecules form disordered or ordered layers, depending on stage and temperature. Recent x-ray [4,5,6], neutron [7] and electron microscope [8] experiments revealed interesting quasi-2D order-disorder phase transitions and dimensional crossover phenomena. High pressure x-ray [9,10] and Raman [10] experiments demonstrated staging phase transitions with formation of a 2 × 2 superlattice in high stage AGIC’s (n ≥ 2), It is of particular importance to study the dynamics of inter- and intralayer interactions in GIC’s, since they play a crucial role in the staging mechanism and in-plane order-disorder phase transitions. In addition, information about the phonons should contribute to an understanding of their electronic structures, which result in such novel properties as superconductivity and extremely high conductivity [11].
Pathophysiologic Insights into Heart Rate Reduction in Heart Failure: Implications in the Use of Beta-Blockers and Ivabradine

In patients with heart failure, an elevated heart rate is associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes and is increasingly recognized as a modifiable risk factor. Beta-blockers are the mainstay of therapy for heart failure. However, up-titration of beta-blockers in response to persistently elevated heart rate can be associated with increased risk of adverse reactions besides negative chronotropism. Recently, the specific heart rate-lowering agent, ivabradine, which acts by directly and selectively inhibiting the I f current in the sinoatrial node, generated renewed interest in potential benefits of pharmacologic modification of heart rate in heart failure. Several placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trials showed the benefits of ivabradine in patients with angina and heart failure, which is largely confined to those with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. In addition, the other potential effects of ivabradine have been proposed.
CRITICAL CITIZENS: TEACHING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN URBAN SCHOOLS

If teachers are to empower urban students to become critical citizens, they must reframe their presentation of the Civil Rights Movement and challenge students to think critically, ask questions, and “talk back.” These actions equip urban students to recognize the civil rights that are still not realized for all citizens. In this special feature article, we provide social studies teachers and teacher educators with a more complex narrative on present day civil rights issues. We ask that educators begin to extend their presentation of the Civil Rights Movement to include the rights of immigrants, LGBTQ communities, women, the poor, and students themselves. This could assist urban students in realizing their roles as citizens who can shape the future of America’s democracy.
Gemfibrozil in Combination with Statins—Is It Really Contraindicated?

Gemfibrozil is a lipid-modifying agent that belongs to the fibric acid derivative class. Fibric acid derivatives activate peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (PPAR-α). The primary role of these agents in clinical practice is for the management of hypertriglyceridemia. Triglycerides may be reduced by as much as 74 % in some patients. In addition to lowering triglycerides, these agents can also decrease very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as well as raise high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Based on the 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults and the National Lipid Association, pharmacologic therapy to reduce triglycerides should be considered when triglyceride levels are ≥500 mg/dL. While the use of gemfibrozil has decreased over the years for a variety of reasons, muscle-associated adverse effects is the predominant reason and the one that is most clinically relevant. However, despite these concerns, there are situations in which the use of gemfibrozil in combination with a statin may be necessary. Understanding the metabolism of gemfibrozil and the degree of interaction with the various statins will assist health-care providers to optimize safety when this combination is clinically indicated.
Analysis of Transformation of Concept of Justice of Folk Law

The reasonable justice concept of folk law and the abstract justice concept of state law are discussed.The abstract justice concept of the west is different substantively with the reasonable justice concept of the orientation because of the differences of the thinking way,transcendental and experimental tradition,and the structure of politics.Under the contemporary concept of the rule of law,the justice represented by folk law will be transformed to mix concept of justice,based on the structure of abstract justice of the west.
Pupillary Signs in Retinal and Optic Nerve Disease

Pupillary signs can be fit into the diagnostic puzzle of retinal and optic nerve disease if the relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) is first quantified. This can be done with neutral density filters (6). Using this technique, certain clinical rules of thumb have emerged.
Current evidence for the use of sugammadex in children

Summary Sugammadex is a novel pharmacologic agent, which reverses neuromuscular blockade with a mechanism that differs from the commonly used, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Although sugammadex has not received approval from the United States Food & Drug administration in children, its use has already been reported to reverse neuromuscular blockade in several clinical scenarios in the pediatric population including the ‘cannot intubate–cannot ventilate’ scenario. To date, there remains limited data from prospective trials in the pediatric-aged patient. Anecdotal use has been reported for the reversal of neuromuscular blockade in difficult clinical scenarios such as children with neuromuscular diseases including myasthenia gravis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and myotonic dystrophy.
The Weight Bias: An Empirical Study of Body Size and Basket Healthiness on Consumer Helping Behaviors Toward Thin, Average, and Obese Shoppers (Abstract)

Obesity is a leading health crisis in the United States; however, there is almost no research in the arena of obesity within the social space of a retail environment. While some studies examine prejudices toward thin and obese people in general, there are no studies that investigate how shoppers judge one another based on body size. This is an important aspect of consumer behavior as consumer interactions are relevant criteria for determining customer satisfaction (Huang and Hsu 2009). We attempt to bridge this gap in research and provide initial empirical insights into how brand attitudes and the emotional response people have toward other shoppers are affected by other shoppers’ body size (thin, average, obese) and their shopping basket (healthy, unhealthy).
CT findings associated with survival in chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis

To identify CT findings in chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (cHP) associated with survival. Two thoracic radiologists assessed CT scans for specific imaging findings and patterns in 132 subjects with cHP. Survival analyses were performed. The majority of subjects had an inconsistent with usual interstitial pneumonitis pattern on CT (55.3%,73/132). Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) diagnosis on CT was less common in those with fibrosis (66.1%, 74/112) than those without fibrosis (85%,17/20). Smoking was associated with a lower prevalence of HP on CT (p=0.04). CT features of pulmonary fibrosis, especially traction bronchiectasis (HR 8.34, 95% CI 1.98–35.21) and increased pulmonary artery (PA)/aorta ratio (HR 2.49, 95% CI 1.27–4.89) were associated with worse survival, while ground-glass opacity (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.12–0.79) was associated with improved survival. Survival association with imaging was less pronounced after adjustment for gender, age and physiology score. A substantial proportion of cHP cases have a non-HP-like appearance. Ground-glass opacity, pulmonary fibrosis features and elevated PA/aorta ratio on CT likely reflect varying degrees of disease severity in cHP and may inform future clinical prediction models. • A substantial proportion of subjects with chronic HP have a UIP-like pattern. • A UIP pattern in HP may be potentiated by smoking. • A diagnosis of HP should not be excluded based solely on CT appearance. • CT fibrosis and increased PA/aorta ratio signal worse survival.
An examination of changes in spoken productions within constraint-induced aphasia therapy

ABSTRACTBackground: Researchers are continuing to investigate the impact of constraint-induced aphasia therapy (CIAT) programs on the spoken language capabilities of people with aphasia at the utterance and discourse level. Currently, there is a lack of consensus on how spoken productions should be measured and there are no investigations that explore the spoken language that people with aphasia use during a CIAT program. Therefore, clinicians and researchers cannot truly know if they are utilizing the most revealing outcome measures to illuminate treatment induced gains in spoken production.Aims: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the within treatment learning of people with aphasia in a CIAT program, by exploring the sensitivity of measures of content, length, syntax, and efficiency at the utterance level and reveal linguistic gains.Methods & Procedures: A repeated measures design was employed to examine 200 utterance samples from eight participants with various types and severity of chron...
Free-Breathing 3D Liver Perfusion Quantification Using a Dual-Input Two-Compartment Model

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of applying a dual-input two-compartment liver perfusion model to patients with different pathologies. A total of 7 healthy subjects and 11 patients with focal liver lesions, including 6 patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma and 5 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), were examined. Liver perfusion values were measured from both focal liver lesions and cirrhotic tissues (from the 5 HCC patients). Compared to results from volunteer livers, significantly higher arterial fraction, fractional volume of the interstitial space, and lower permeability-surface area product were observed for metastatic lesions, and significantly higher arterial fraction and lower vascular transit time were observed for HCCs (P < 0.05). Significantly lower arterial fraction and higher vascular transit time, fractional volume of the vascular space, and fractional volume of the interstitial space were observed for metastases in comparison to HCCs (P < 0.05). For cirrhotic livers, a significantly lower total perfusion, lower fractional volume of the vascular space, higher fractional volume of the interstitial space, and lower permeability-surface area product were noted in comparison to volunteer livers (P < 0.05). Our findings support the possibility of using this model with 3D free-breathing acquisitions for lesion and diffuse liver disease characterization.
Reactions of human dental pulp cells to capping agents in the presence or absence of bacterial exposure

An ideal pulp-capping agent needs to have good biocompatibility and promote reparative dentinogenesis. Although the effects of capping agents on healthy pulp are known, limited data regarding their effects on bacterial contaminated pulp are available. This study aimed to evaluate the reaction of contaminated pulps to various capping agents to assist clinicians in making informed decisions. Human dental pulp (HDP) cell cultures were developed from extracted human molars. The cells were exposed to a bacterial cocktail comprising Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Streptococcus gordonii before being cocultured with capping agents such as mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Portland cement (PC), and Dycal. HDP cell proliferation was assayed by MTS colorimetric cell proliferation assay, and its differentiation was evaluated by real-time PCR for detecting alkaline phosphatase, dentin sialophosphoprotein, and osteocalcin expressions. MTA and PC had no apparent effect, whereas Dycal inhibited HDP cell proliferation. PC stimulated HDP cell differentiation, particularly when they were exposed to bacteria. MTA and Dycal inhibited differentiation, regardless of bacterial infection. In conclusion, PC was the most favorable agent, followed by MTA, and Dycal was the least favorable agent for supporting the functions of bacterial compromised pulp cells.
Atrazine suppression of fine root growth in corn

Atrazine, a widely used herbicide, has been shown to inhibit the biological function of corn roots, but very little is known about what effect atrazine has on the production of fine roots in corn. To test the effect of atrazine on fine root growth we planted corn in 25 liter pots filled with a well-fertilised mixture of peat, composted manure, and commercial potting soil. We then isolated one nodal root per plant inside treatment tubes 90 cm (length) by 15 cm (diam.) containing the same synthetic soil as the pot. Based on a field application rate of atrazine of 1.68 1 ha-1 we tested four levels of atrazine on the nodal roots in the treatment tubes: 0.0, 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 times the field application rate. The plants grew for 50 days following the isolation of the nodal roots and their treatment with atrazine. The root length density of fine, lateral roots harvested 50-70 cm behind the tip of the nodal root was significantly reduced approximately 50% by all four levels of atrazine. The root tube was effective at eliminating root-shoot interactions created by the treatments as there were no significant differences in aboveground production. Atrazine could reduce yield of corn under conditions of drought stress if fine root growth is reduced by the herbicide in the field as it was in this greenhouse experiment.
Neurosurgical Approaches: Drug Infusion Directly into the Parenchyma or the Cerebrospinal Fluid

Delivering drugs effectively to the central nervous system (CNS) has always presented a challenge. The blood–brain barrier prevents significant amounts of systemically administered therapeutics from reaching the brain. Traditional local CNS delivery (e.g., biodegradable polymers, cerebro-ventricular injection, cell implantation) has relied on diffusion, which is dependent on a concentration gradient. The rate of diffusion is inversely proportional to the size of the agent and is usually slow with respect to tissue clearance, resulting in a non-homogeneous distribution often restricted to a few millimeters from the source. By contrast, convection-enhanced delivery uses a pressure gradient established at the tip of an infusion catheter to create bulk flow, “pushing” drugs into a large volume of brain tissue. This displacement allows the infused material to engage the vasculature, with rhythmic blood vessel contractions acting as an efficient motive force to move particles along perivascular tracts. This chapter describes a fully integrated and FDA-approved drug delivery system for cerebral infusion that consists of an MR-compatible aiming device, a reflux-resistant cannula, and predictive software, allowing the monitoring of nanoparticle, viral vector, or small molecule distribution in “real time” during brain and brain tumor delivery.
Language Acquisition Theories

The fact that children learn language effortlessly at a time when tying their shoes is a hurdle makes language learning appear miraculous. This article reviews theories proposed to explain this miracle. All theories assume that children come to language learning prepared to learn, but what are they prepared with? Why does language learning display the constraints that it does? The article explores constraints on language learning and language invention and speculates on possible mechanisms underlying the constraints. Finally, it considers what it might mean to say that language is innate and proposes an alternative definition – developmental resilience – to the traditional genetic definition of innateness.
Network Analysis of an Optically Implemented Connectionist Architecture

We investigate the system error tolerance of optical connectionist architectures, which utilize liquid crystal spatial light modulators to represent neurons and weights in a neural network configuration. Experimental and computer simulation results show training on one layer networks compensates for errors in the optical and electronic hardware. The mathematical description of the least mean square algorithm used to train these networks shows that this is to be expected. This tolerance, however, is not shown in multiple layer networks implemented with similar architectures. To overcome problems associated with linear dependence between training patterns and maintain the error tolerance of the one layer machines (without going to multiple layer networks), an architecture with higher level interconnections is proposed. This fully interconnected second order architecture requires only a single optical pass before updating the weights. It also uses a very similar training algorithm to that of the single layer network.
Role of Nutrition in Chronic Pancreatitis

Throughout the evolution of multicellular organisms, the pancreas has acquired the capability to adapt to a wide variety of physiological and pathological stimuli, the most prominent of which are nutritional in origin. Normal pancreatic function and structure are altered by a number of nutritional factors which include changes in intake of major dietary components (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) as well as vitamins and other micronutrients and trace elements [1].
Osteoarthritis year in review 2018: genetics and epigenetics.

Summary Objective This review was designed to identify highlights of the osteoarthritis (OA) genetics and epigenetics literature published between April 2017 and January 2018. Design A Pubmed literature search was conducted using the keywords ‘osteoarthritis’ and each of the following: ‘genomic’, ‘genetic’, ‘epigenomic’, ‘epigenetic’, ‘histone’, ‘noncoding RNA’, ‘miRNA’, ‘lncRNA’, ‘DNA methylation’, ‘DNA hydroxymethylation’, ‘DNMT’, and ‘TET’. The dates of publication were restricted to 4/1/2017–1/15/2018. Results were compared to the same search terms limited to 4/1/2016–1/15/2017. Results Virtually all search term combinations demonstrated a decrease in papers published this year compared to last, with epigenetic and miRNA/lncRNA research being stable. Despite this, numerous advances were made this year, including the second large genome-wide association study (GWAS) study of hand OA, a new twin study of hip and knee OA concordance, an extensive study of GDF5 evolution, analyses of the contribution of Dnmt3a to OA, a description of DNA methylation in a nonhuman primate model of OA, and an integrated, multi-omics analysis of DNA methylation, mRNA, and protein expression in human OA samples, among others. A variety of micro- and a few circular-RNA studies were also published, highlighting the importance of noncoding RNA in both the pathogenesis and potential treatment of OA. Conclusion Although publications have decreased slightly in the last year, genetics and epigenetics continue to be a topic of substantial research in OA, and considerable progress continues to be made in the field.
Estimate model of system management for database security

A generalized model of information protection of a database management system is proposed, which can be used to implement database protection under any database management system. This model development methodology consists of four stages: requirements gathering, database analysis, “multi-level relational logical construction and a specific logical construction. The first three steps define actions for analyzing and developing a secure database, thus creating a generalized and secure database model”.