cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of antioxidants and humidity on the oxidative stability of microencapsulated fish oil

The effects of various antioxidants and RH on the oxidative stability of microencapsulated fish oil powder were investigated using PV and thiobarbituric acid tests. The micorencapsulation process provided high encapsulation efficiency (≥88% of extractable fish oil). Without antioxidants, the encapsulated fat was 10 times more stable against oxidation than the surface fat, as determined by PV. α-Tocopherol, which is a lipophilic antioxidant, showed a greater antioxidative effect in both surface and encapsulated fats than ascorbyl palmitate, which is an amphiphilic antioxidant. According to TBARS values, the longest lag period was observed at 0% RH. Addition of >200 ppm α-tocopherol in a 10–30% RH range prolonged the oxidative stability of the microencapsulated fish oil powder.
Color appearance: neutral surrounds and spatial contrast

The experimental data in this paper show that chromatic bars presented in alternation with equiluminant neutral-appearing bars are seen as more saturated than the same chromaticity presented as a uniform rectangle. This effect was diminished but not eliminated when test and match stimuli were presented within a slightly dimmer neutral surround. The test stimulus was a 25° rectangle with a 0.7 cpd square wave grating composed of alternating equiluminant chromatic test bars and neutral bars. Asymmetric matching was used to match the test bar appearance to a uniform 2 5° comparison rectangle. Test and comparison stimuli were presented to separate eyes in a haploscope and appeared flanking a central fixation target. Data were collected with test and inducing stimuli on the cardinal axes of color space. Test bars separated by neutral bars appeared more saturated than the comparison rectangle for both the l-and s-axis directions. Manipulation of excitation on one cardinal axis did not affect the appearance matches made for the other cardinal axis. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The dynamics of corruptogenic organizations.

AbstractCorruptogenic organizational dynamics have been largely ignored in reporting about recent corporate scandals. Using a large group framework, the author identifies factors within an organization that create a breeding ground for unethical or illegal behavior and attract individuals unconsciously looking for ways to damage themselves or others. An organizational culture that promotes questionable attitudes and behaviors along with subgroups that produce powerful corruptive forces can destroy a firm and damage the economy. Enron and the Madoff investment group are identified as corruptogenic organizations put together by founders and a leadership core bent on self-destruction and traumatizing the community–outcomes beyond that which are usually linked to greed. Suggestions are provided to organizational consultants and policy makers as to how to determine the potential for corruption hidden in their midst and to implement countervailing structures and processes.
Robotic weed control system for tomatoes

A real-time intelligent robotic weed control system was developed for selective herbicide application to in-row weeds using machine vision and precision chemical application. The image processing algorithm took 0.34s to process one image containing 10 plant objects, representing a 11.43 cm by 10.16 cm region of seedline, and allowing the prototype robotic weed control system to travel at a continuous rate of 1.20 km/h. In actual field trials conducted in a commercial processing tomato field, the robotic weed control system correctly identified and didn't spray 75.8% of the tomato plants and correctly sprayed 47.6% of the weeds. The color segmentation look-up-tables made in hue, saturation, intensity color space were generally better than those made in normalized red, green, blue and un-normalized red, green, blue color spaces. Overall, look-up-tables built only with hue gave the best performance, correctly classifying 77.8% of color pixels. In validation tests with 290 field images from 13 different commercial processing tomato fields, the image processing algorithm correctly identified 58.5%-80.7% of tomato cotyledons, 9.0%-21.2% of tomato true leaves, 8.9%-12.9% of tomato leaves that were curled, occluded, bug-eaten or partially hidden by the edge of the image, and 93.0%-95.5% of weeds using plant area, length to perimeter ratio, and occupational ratio. For separation of occluded plant leaves, 5 modifications to the watershed algorithm were investigated. The performance of opening, feature criteria, and combined opening and feature criteria modifications were better than others. The recognition of occluded tomato cotyledons and true leaves improved 33.3% and 41.1%, respectively, after the modified watershed algorithm was applied to occluded objects. The angle of tomato cotyledon orientation for some varieties changed at different times of day. The critical orientation angle for tomato cotyledon recognition was estimated as 27.5$\sp\circ$ with the vertical axis of the plant. Spray trials with 2.54 cm and 1.27 cm diameter targets showed that the robotic spraying system correctly sprayed these simulated "weeds", targeting their centers within an average spatial error of 0.51-1.36 cm and a standard deviation of 0.21-.71 cm on three different ground surfaces.
Avascular Necrosis of Femoral and/or Humeral Heads in Multiple Myeloma: Results of a Prospective Study of Patients Treated With Dexamethasone-Based Regimens and High-Dose Chemotherapy

Purpose To assess the prevalence, time of onset, risk factors, and outcome of avascular necrosis (AVN) of bone in patients with multiple myeloma undergoing antineoplastic therapy. Patients and Methods A total of 553 consecutive assessable patients were enrolled onto a treatment protocol consisting of dexamethasone-containing induction chemotherapy, autologous stem-cell transplantation, consolidation chemotherapy, and maintenance with interferon alfa. Patients were randomly assigned to receive thalidomide (269 patients) or no thalidomide (284 patients) throughout the study period. Results With a median follow-up of 33 months (range, 5 to 114 months), AVN of the femoral head(s) developed in 49 patients (9%). Median time to onset of AVN was 12 months (range, 2 to 41 months). Three risk factors for AVN were identified by multivariate analysis: cumulative dexamethasone dose (odds ratio [OR], 1.028; 95% CI, 1.012 to 1.044; P = .0006 [per 40 mg dexamethasone]), male sex (OR, 0.390; 95% CI, 0.192 to 0.790; P = .0...
Tissue spillover correction for dynamic pinhole SPECT studies of fatty acid metabolism in the rat heart

The goal of this research is to quantitatively compare fatty acid metabolism in the hearts of Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) normal rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) as a function of age, and thereby track physiological changes associated with the onset and progression of heart failure in the SHR model. The fatty acid analog, 123I-labeled BMIPP, was used in longitudinal dynamic pinhole SPECT imaging studies performed on two WKY normal rats and two SHRs every seven months for 21 months. In previous work, we addressed issues associated with reconstructing dynamic data acquired with a slowly rotating camera. In this work, we address quantitative effects of limited spatial resolution that result in underestimation of metabolic rate from compartmental models. In particular, blurring of activity between the left ventricular blood pool and surrounding myocardial tissue decreases contrast between blood input and tissue uptake time-activity curves (TACs). Standard compartmental modeling straightforwardly accounts for spillover of blood activity into tissue volumes. However, accounting for spillover of tissue activity into blood volumes is more problematic. Because of tissue spillover, there is no reconstructed voxel that contains a pure blood TAC. Thus, we developed a method to jointly estimate the pure blood input along with compartmental model parameters from B-spline TACs reconstructed directly from dynamic SPECT projection data for 11 studies. Tissue spillover correction improved the contrast between blood input and myocardial uptake curves for all studies and visually improved the fit of the compartmental model for some studies. Estimates of metabolic rate of 123I-labeled BMIPP increased by an average of 72±45% across all 11 studies, compared to estimates obtained without spillover correction. Thus, the tissue spillover correction method resulted in improved quantitative dynamic imaging of fatty acid metabolism in the rat heart, even with slow camera rotation.
Methylnaltrexone: the answer to opioid-induced constipation?

Opioid-induced constipation is a significant problem particularly for end stage cancer patients, methadone users, patients suffering from chronic pain as well as surgical patients. Until recently, there were few efficacious treatment options that did not have significant side effects. Methylnaltrexone is a promising drug for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation. It is an opioid-receptor antagonist that blocks the peripheral gastrointestinal opioid receptors responsible for opioid-induced bowel dysfunction. Due to the drug's polarity, it does not cross the blood–brain barrier; therefore, it does not block the central opioid receptors, thus, retaining effective analgesia. Methylnaltrexone has been recently approved by the FDA in the subcutaneous form for the treatment of opioid-induced bowel dysfunction, whereas the intravenous and oral forms remain under investigation.
Holographic characteristics of 10E75 plates for single-and multiple-exposure holograms.

The holographic characteristics of Agfa-Gevaert Scientia 10E75 have been examined for multiple exposures. They include not only diffraction efficiency, but SNR and resolution as functions of number of exposures, time of development, and/or input modulation (ρ′). The maximum diffraction efficiency, occurring at a density of 0.7, was observed to increase with increasing development time and decrease as the number of exposures increased. An ≈ 10% decrease in maximum diffraction efficiency was observed for each successive reconstructed image of a multiple exposure hologram. Reconstructed noise was found to be fairly well represented by grain-noise considerations only for the region 0.1 < ρ′ < 0.4. Elsewhere noise is considerably different from grain-noise predictions. The SNR, at a density of 0.7, was observed to increase from 50 to 85 as the number of exposures increased from one to four. For postexposure or preexposure holograms the maximum signal-to-noise and resolution peaked near an input modulation of 0.4.
Transnational sex and U.S. history.

In the discipline of history, "transnational" is the word of the day, or maybe the decade, but what it actually means is difficult to decipher. In the December 2006 issue of this journal, six historians discussed transnational history and circled around a definition. Their collective deliberations outlined the contours of an area of study and suggested a few core premises that might read as follows: At their most obvious, transnational histories question the nation as the default unit of analysis and remind us of the artificiality and permeability of political borders. Transnational histories, though, are neither world histories with comprehensive accounts of everything ev erywhere nor comparative histories that compare and contrast isolated or static en tities. Instead, they attend to specific movements, transits, and circulations that crossed or transcended one or more national borders. These transnational flows involved people, capital, goods, and knowledge; they took place through migrations, trade, conquest, and communications; and they included the spread and reworking of religion, science, popular culture, art, public policies, and social movements. Transnational histories may focus on interconnections, but they also recognize the power that some empires, nations, groups, or individuals held (and hold) over others. They acknowledge uneven connections and flows as well as the processes and net works that connected some people and excluded others. Although one can easily imagine other ways to construe transnational histories, a number of us seem to have groped our way from multiple directions—from postcolonial and cultural studies, from social, intellectual, economic, and political history, from the history of immi gration and diaspora, and from the Atlantic world and Pacific Rim—toward this particular version, and we can now track it as it works its way through our various historiographie domains.1 For the history of sexuality, this transnational approach seems especially apt.
Remote Limb Ischemic Postconditioning Protects Against Neonatal Hypoxic–Ischemic Brain Injury in Rat Pups by the Opioid Receptor/Akt Pathway

Background and Purpose—Remote ischemic postconditoning, a phenomenon in which brief ischemic stimuli of 1 organ protect another organ against an ischemic insult, has been demonstrated to protect the myocardium and adult brain in animal models. However, mediators of the protection and underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that remote limb ischemic postconditioning applied immediately after hypoxia provides neuroprotection in a rat model of neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) by mechanisms involving activation of the opioid receptor/phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway. Methods—HI was induced in postnatal Day 10 rat pups by unilateral carotid ligation and 2 hours of hypoxia. Limb ischemic postconditioning was induced by 4 conditioning cycles of 10 minutes of ischemia and reperfusion on both hind limbs immediately after HI. The opioid antagonist naloxone, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin, or opioid agonist morphine was admini...
Solution Templates Tool for Enterprise Business Applications Integration

Today's enterprises must meet the rapidly changing market demands while collaborating with much broader range of trading partners to maximize supply chain efficiency and improve services to customers and their profit margin. To accomplish these business goals, their business application systems, such as enterprise ERP, must integrate and adapt rapidly to meet these business demands and collaborate with other business system without major reimplementation effort. Our proposed approach addresses these problems by using model based approach of creating reusable solution template that consists of off-the-shelf artifacts to be quickly assembled as a solution. In this paper, we introduce a solution template tool that simplifies the life cycle for creating an integration solution, through the flexible design and customization of solution templates, and an interactive environment driven by wizards. By providing levels of abstraction, the proposed tool allows users to compose templates of platform independent model without worrying about implementation details. The tool transforms the composed templates into platform specific IT execution model and a deployable solution, thus easing the task of solution integration lifecycle. A solution template of UCCnet illustrates our study.
Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells as Effectors in Innate Immunity

Recent research has shed light on novel functions of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC). While they are critical for maintenance and replenishment of blood cells in the bone marrow, these cells are not limited to the bone marrow compartment and function beyond their role in hematopoiesis. HSPC can leave bone marrow and circulate in peripheral blood and lymph, a process often manipulated therapeutically for the purpose of transplantation. Additionally, these cells preferentially home to extramedullary sites of inflammation where they can differentiate to more mature effector cells. HSPC are susceptible to various pathogens, though they may participate in the innate immune response without being directly infected. They express pattern recognition receptors for detection of endogenous and exogenous danger-associated molecular patterns and respond not only by the formation of daughter cells but can themselves secrete powerful cytokines. This paper summarizes the functional and phenotypic characterization of HSPC, their niche within and outside of the bone marrow, and what is known regarding their role in the innate immune response.
Planning Your Journey in Coaching: Building a Network for Success.

A coach develops his or her craft by reflecting on previous playing experiences (Erickson, Cote, & Fraser-Thomas, 2007) and continuing to seek learning opportunities through a variety of informal and non-formal learning methods (e.g. discussion with other coaches, trial and error, observation, advice of a mentor, clinics, web sites, books and videos) (Trudel & Gilbert, 2005). Since coaches tend to prefer informal and non-formal learning methods (Mallet, Trudel, Lyle, & Rynne, 2009), the importance of developing a community of colleagues to share insight, acquire resources and provide emotional support is an essential component of planning your journey in coaching (Cushion & Denstone, 2011). Although coaching educators have established the benefits of learning through a community of coaches (Culver & Trudel, 2006), there is minimal literature (Kornspan & Duve, 2013) on how to develop a network of colleagues in coaching. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to describe four strategies that can help in ...
Driving on the Wrong Side of the Day: Synchrony and Gender Effects

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of circadian cycles, gender, and propensity for cognitive errors on driving performance. Participants (14 women, 6 men), classified as...
On the (im)possibility of cryptography with imperfect randomness

We investigate the feasibility of a variety of cryptographic tasks with imperfect randomness. The kind of imperfect randomness we consider are entropy sources, such as those considered by Santha and Vazirani, Chor and Goldreich, and Zuckerman. We show the following: (1) certain cryptographic tasks like bit commitment, encryption, secret sharing, zero-knowledge, non-interactive zero-knowledge, and secure two-party computation for any non-trivial junction are impossible to realize if parties have access to entropy sources with slightly less-than-perfect entropy, i.e., sources with imperfect randomness. These results are unconditional and do not rely on any un-proven assumption. (2) On the other hand, based on stronger variants of standard assumptions, secure signature schemes are possible with imperfect entropy sources. As another positive result, we show (without any unproven assumption) that interactive proofs can be made sound with respect to imperfect entropy sources.
Programming plasma cell survival.

![Figure][1] Insight from Ulf Klein In this issue, two independent groups show that the transcription factor ZBTB20 is required for the maintenance of long-lived plasma cells following immunization with the commonly used adjuvant, alum. Intriguingly, one group found that ZBTB20 was
Processing morphological ambiguity: An experimental investigation of Russian numerical phrases

Russian nouns in nominative and accusative numerical expressions appear in three different forms, depending on the numeral: nominative singular with the numeral 1, genitive singular with the paucal numerals 2-4, and genitive plural with all other numerals. Results from an acceptability judgment task and a self-paced reading task on Russian case/number marking provide support for a theory stating that the suffix used with paucal nouns is morphologically ambiguous. The ambiguity resolution process involving this suffix leads to extra processing cost, compared to the unambiguous suffixes in other numeral contexts (the number 1, and the numbers 5+). This would account for the additional processing time observed with the paucal nouns. The status of the form occurring with the paucal numerals has long been a challenging issue in Russian linguistics, and the new results add to the growing body of literature which makes use of experimental methods to address issues of linguistic theory and analysis.
The significance of source versus process in the tectonic controls of magma genesis

Arculus, R.J., 1987. The significance of source versus process in the tectonic controls of magma genesis. In: S.D. Weaver and R.W. Johnson (Editors), Tectonic Controls on Magma Chemistry. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 32: 1-12. Despite the association of certain characteristic trace-element signatures with particular tectonic environments of eruption, there are accumulating data which would result in significant tectonic misassignments. Ambiguity of signals appears in active arc/back-arc systems of the southwestern Pacific and particularly in some intracontinental plate suites. Given the selective preservation of continental as opposed to oceanic lithosphere, inappropriate paleotectonic inferences are probable using trace-element criteria alone. Strong relative fractionation of the alkalis and alkaline earth elements (AEE) with respect to the rare earth elements (REE) in the majority of arc-related magmas and a number of intraplate continental basalts is strongly suggestive of the involvement of hydrous fluids at some stages in the respective petrogenetic processes occurring in these two tectonic regimes. In contrast, fractionation of high-field-strength elements (HFSE) such as Nb and Ta with respect to the REE in the same suites is most readily explained by the involvement, at some stage in the magma formation process, of high-SiO2 melts. A number of widely applied tectonic discriminants makes use of AEE/HFSE fractionation, but the processes and sources involved in subduction-zone petrogenesis may be duplicated during interaction of mantle-derived basalt with the heterogeneous components of continental lithosphere, both mantle and crust. A significant role for both volatile-dominated fluids and silicate melts is implicated in collision and some intracontinental plate magmatism.
Nuclear Quantum Effects and Enzyme Dynamics in Dihydrofolate Reductase Catalysis

Mixed quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulations of the hydride transfer reaction catalyzed by dihydrofolate reductase are presented. The nuclear quantum effects such as zero point energy and hydrogen tunneling, as well as the motion of the entire solvated enzyme, are included during the generation of the free energy profiles and the real-time dynamical trajectories. The calculated deuterium kinetic isotope effect agrees with the experimental value. The simulations elucidate the fundamental nature of the nuclear quantum effects and provide evidence of hydrogen tunneling in the direction along the donor−acceptor axis. The transmission coefficient was found to be 0.80 for hydrogen and 0.85 for deuterium, indicating the significance of dynamical barrier recrossings. Nonadiabatic transitions among the vibrational states were observed but did not strongly affect the transmission coefficient. A study of motions involving residues conserved over 36 diverse species from Escherichia coli to human implies tha...
Image retrieval using the longest approximate common subsequences

Accurate and fast retrieval as well as efficient storage are two principal needs in an image database. Image search methods are the crucial factors in fulfilling these requirements. The longest common subsequence search method is mostly used in string-based image databases. However, a longest common subsequence does not always reveal the degree of difference between two strings. This research proposes a new image matching method, i.e., finding a longest approximate common subsequence of two strings. The experimental results show any image in the system can be precisely retrieved as long as each image has a unique image string, where accuracy of image retrieval depends on the level of query detail.
THE COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE OF CONSTRUCTIVE MEMORY

Numerous empirical and theoretical observations point to the constructive nature of human memory. This paper reviews contemporary research pertaining to two major types of memory distortions that illustrate such constructive processes: (a) false recognition and (b) intrusions and confabulations. A general integrative framework that outlines the types of problems that the human memory system must solve in order to produce mainly accurate representations of past experience is first described. This constructive memory framework (CMF) emphasizes processes that operate at encoding (initially binding distributed features of an episode together as a coherent trace; ensuring sufficient pattern separation of similar episodes) and also at retrieval (formation of a sufficiently focused retrieval description with which to query memory; postretrieval monitoring and verification). The framework is applied to findings from four different areas of research: cognitive studies of young adults, neuropsychological investigations of brain-damaged patients, neuroimaging studies, and studies of cognitive aging.
Retention of significant antibody binding by surface antigens of feline leukemia cells (FLA) after fixation with formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde.

The effect of chemical fixation on FLA cells was determined. Formaldehyde-fixed cells lost 40%, and glutaralde-hyde-fixed cells 50% of their capacity to bind radiolabeled antibody at concentrations that were a hundred-fold less than that required to rigidly fix the cell membrane so as to resist hypotonic swelling. No further loss of antibody binding specificity occurred at higher concentrations of the fixatives.
Left Subclavian Artery Perfusion During the Norwood Operation for Interrupted Aortic Arch With Aortic Atresia

The combination of aortic atresia and interrupted aortic arch is a rare condition. We describe a case of Norwood operation for this defect, in which a collateral artery from the descending aorta supplied coronary perfusion. The devised cardiopulmonary bypass technique is discussed, in which the left subclavian artery perfusion was utilized in addition to the cannulation to the descending aorta to secure the cerebral perfusion.
Biological distances and population genetics in bioarchaeology

Abstract Biological distance is an important tool in bioarchaeological studies. Patterns of dissimilarity among a set of populations can provide information on population structure and history. Bioarchaeologists have often used quantitative traits (cranial, dental, and skeletal measures) for standard distance measures, such as Mahalanobis's generalized distance, based on the idea that phenotypic similarity reflects genetic relationships. Since the 1980s, distance analysis has increasingly incorporated population-genetic models. This chapter reviews the application of one such approach, based on R-matrix theory from population genetics (examining genetic relationships between populations), and its relationship to bioarchaeological studies. Distances based on R-matrix theory are closely related to Mahalanobis distances, but offer methodological extensions that may provide additional insight, including the impact of genetic drift and differential long-range migration. Although promising, such methods make additional assumptions and have additional data requirements that must be taken into account.
Invasive Models of Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis results from infection with the fungal organism Histoplasma capsulatum. Most Histoplasma research today uses models based on primary pulmonary infection. Following inhalation, conidia are rapidly ingested and intracellularly convert to the yeast form. After initial pulmonary infection, organisms are carried throughout the body giving rise to disseminated infection. Three murine infection models have been developed which mimic human disease. These comprise models of primary infection following initial exposure to the organism, secondary exposure to Histoplasma following spontaneous recovery from primary disease and a model of reactivated infection following spontaneous clearance of primary disease. This chapter describes these models and explores variability introduced with the use of mice of varied genetic backgrounds and different H. capsulatum strains.
Complex Litigation: CAFA Appeals

Commentary and analysis of the time in which to bring an appeal of a district court order either granting or denying the remand of a state class action to state court after removal under the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (CAFA). Congress enacted CAFA in 2005 to create new federal diversity jurisdiction especially for class actions. In order to gain access to federal court, the proponents of a class action must demonstrate diversity of citizenship between the class claimants and the defendants, that there are at least 100 members in the class, and that the amount in controversy exceeds $5 million. 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d). To satisfy these requirements, the proponents needs only to show minimal diversity among the parties, and may aggregate the claimants’ damages to reach the $5 million amount-in-controversy threshold. CAFA also created new removal jurisdiction for state class actions to federal court. 28 U.S.C. § 1453. As part of the CAFA statutory scheme, CAFA specifies that an appellate court may accept an appeal from an order of a district court granting or denying a remand to state court if the application is made to the appellate court not less than 7 days after the entry of the order. This article surveys decisions form the 5th, 9th, and 11th Circuits discussing this peculiar timing requirement, generally agreeing that the 7-day rule makes no sense as stated, and therefore choosing to ignore the rule as a legislative scrivener’s error.
Prediction of H2S and CO2 Solubilities in Aqueous Triethanolamine Solutions Using a Simple Model of Kent–Eisenberg Type

Absorption of acid gases (H2S and CO2) by aqueous solutions of alkanolamines is the most commonly used process in the gas treatment industry. Recent process investigations on the use of triethanolamine (TEA) show its potential to render the gas sweetening operation more energy efficient in particular when mixed to methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). This paper presents a simple model of Kent–Eisenberg type that computes the dissociation of the protonated triethanolamine (TEA) equilibrium constant. The model can be used to correlate mixed acid gases solubility data over 2, 3.5, and 5 M of aqueous TEA solutions at 50, 75, and 100 °C. Results for the new model shows high fitting percentage errors for both acid gases; however, the model was able to predict H2S and CO2 partial pressures accurately for another set of unfitted data. Despite the highly fitted percentage errors, the model was used as an initial guess for a different Kent–Eisenberg model which resulted into a significantly lower percentage error at 50 °C.
Histogram-Based Discrimination of Intravenous Contrast in Abdominopelvic Computed Tomography.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of fully automated machine learning methods for detecting intravenous contrast in computed tomography (CT) studies of the abdomen and pelvis. METHODS A set of 591 labeled CT image volumes of the abdomen and pelvis was obtained from 5 different CT scanners, of which 434 (73%) were performed with intravenous contrast. A stratified split of this set was performed into training and test sets of 443 and 148 studies, respectively. Subsequently, support vector machine and logistic regression classifiers were trained using 5-fold cross-validation for parameter optimization. RESULTS The best in-sample performance was seen with a support vector machine classifier with a χ kernel (98.9% accuracy); however, test set performance was similar across the trained classifiers, with 95% to 97% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Histogram-based automated classifiers for the presence of intravenous contrast are accurate and may be useful for verifying the accurate labeling of the presence of intravenous contrast in CT body studies.
Socioeconomic status and judicial disparities in England and Wales, 1870–1910

In a criminal sentencing system based on optimal deterrence, groups will receive different average sentences based on disparities in conviction probabilities, with longer prison sentences balancing more frequent acquittals. A taste-based model makes no such prediction. I compare these models using trial records from England and Wales in 1870, 1883, and 1910, years with extensive jury trials and broad latitude in sentencing for judges. In the earlier years, higher status defendants accused of property crimes receive substantially longer sentences, with no such difference for violent crimes. In contrast, higher status defendants are less likely to be convicted at trial, both when accused of property crimes and of violent crimes. In a Heckman selection empirical model, selection into sentencing has a large effect on the magnitude of these sentencing patterns. For property crimes, there is negative selection on unobservable traits, possibly explained by using imperfect proxies for social class. I conclude that an optimal sentencing and deterrence model is more supported for property crimes than for violent ones, with judges balancing disparate rates of conviction from juries.
Cutaneous Manifestations of Familial Transthyretin Amyloid Polyneuropathy

Familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) is a rare inherited autosomal dominant form of systemic amyloidosis, which classically presents with severe motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction. Cutaneous involvement does not become clinically apparent until late stage symptomatic disease and is rarely reported in modern literature. Here, the authors review the clinical and histologic cutaneous findings of FAP previously described in the literature and report on 3 patients with unique genetic mutations (Thr60Ala and Gly6Ser; Trp41Leu; Glu89Gln) for which cutaneous involvement has not previously been described. Histologically, our patients showed variable amyloid deposition in the subcutaneous adipose tissue, papillary dermis, and dermal blood vessel walls. A review of the literature suggests cutaneous transthyretin deposition is an underrecognized feature of FAP that occurs early on in disease, even before neural involvement and related symptoms as seen in one of our patients. As such, a cutaneous punch biopsy can serve as quick, easy, and relatively noninvasive diagnostic tool in suspected cases.
Study on Application of Back-propagation Artificial Neural Network Model in Screening for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Community Population

[Objective] To establish an economical and effective screening method for diabetics in Shanghai.[Methods] Based on an epidemiological survey of diabetes mellitus in the community population in Shanghai,a back-propagation neural network(BPNN)was established.The data were splitted up into training group,validation group(both utilized to train network), and test group (to determine network's structure) at random.The input variable of BPNN include 10 variables that were selected by the multi-factors logistic regression analysis,while the output is type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM)(yes=1,no=0).[Results] When the threshold was set up at 0.12,the sensitivity and specificity for screening type 2 DM were 67.1% and 79.7% respectively. [Conclusion] The models can recognize the abnormal individuals and be used as screening tool of type 2 DM.
Newborn screening for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy: evidence summary and advisory committee recommendation

The secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services in February 2016 recommended that X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) be added to the recommended uniform screening panel for state newborn screening programs. This decision was informed by data presented on the accuracy of screening from New York, the only state that currently offers X-ALD newborn screening, and published and unpublished data showing health benefits of earlier treatment (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and adrenal hormone replacement therapy) for the childhood cerebral form of X-ALD. X-ALD newborn screening also identifies individuals with later-onset disease, but poor genotype-phenotype correlation makes predicting health outcomes difficult and might increase the risk of unnecessary treatment. Few data are available regarding the harms of screening and presymptomatic identification. Significant challenges exist for implementing comprehensive X-ALD newborn screening, including incorporation of the test, coordinating follow-up diagnostic and treatment care, and coordination of extended family testing after case identification.Genet Med 19 1, 121-126.
Ek Chuah Encounters the Holy Ghost in the Colonial Labyrinth: Ideology and Commerce on Both Sides of the Spanish Invasion

In this chapter, I consider the complex relationship between indigenous ideology and the economy of the northern lowlands Maya of Yucatan, Mexico, during the transition from indigenous rule to full-fledged Spanish colonialism. In this analysis, I employ multiple sources of information including late pre-Hispanic iconography, colonial-era Spanish sources, secondary works based on these sources, the native-written Books of Chilam Balam, sacred Christian art still visible in the region’s sixteenth-century Spanish churches, and diachronic archaeological evidence from the territory the Maya of the transitional epoch called Chikinchel, in the northeast corner of Yucatan state. I consider how the links between ideology and commerce changed through time. I propose that indigenous elites used ideological means to maintain the robust Late Postclassic Mesoamerican world system. When the Spaniards tried to usurp the native economy and to kill off native religion with the weapons of Christianity, the Maya reformulated their ideology of commerce to fit the times—and trade itself became a form of resistance to Spanish authority.
Glycemia Lowering and Risk for Heart Failure Recent Evidence from Studies of Dipeptidyl Peptidase Inhibition

The global epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has substantial implications for cardiovascular disease–related morbidity and mortality.1 The prevalence of T2DM in patients with heart failure (HF) is high, with strong and independent association between T2DM and incident HF observed in multiple prospective studies and in randomized-controlled clinical trials. In the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT), which enrolled subject’s ≥55 years of age with hypertension and ≥1 risk factor, patients with T2DM had a 2-fold risk for HF hospitalization or death after adjustment for other risk factors (RR, 1.95). The association with T2DM was independent of coronary artery disease and at least equivalent in magnitude and greater than that for electrocardiographic left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy.2 All measures of glycemia including fasting, postprandial, measures of insulin resistance, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) have been associated with risk of developing HF, with the association extending to both HF with preserved ejection fraction and to HF with reduced ejection fraction.3,4 A substantial body of evidence from preclinical studies, endomyocardial biopsies in humans and more recently with cardiac MRI, support increased myocardial stiffness in T2DM related to alteration in extracellular matrix. There are multiple proximate mediators that have been hypothesized to play a role including advanced glycation end product deposition and reactive oxygen species that may increase myocardial stiffness during diastole, by cross-linking collagen or by enhancing collagen formation.5,6 Another pernicious proximal mediator is the elevation in postprandial lipids, such as remnant lipoproteins, characteristic of atherogenic dyslipidemia, a highly prevalent abnormality in T2DM, that may result in direct myocellular deposition of lipid, leading to microcirculatory dysfunction, alteration in substrate use and mitochondrial dysfunction.7,8 Indeed, positron emission tomography studies show reduced myocardial glucose uptake in favor of fatty acid …
Fruit-Promoting Smarter Lunchrooms Interventions: Results From a Cluster RCT

Introduction The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement was developed to provide schools with simple, low-cost solutions to encourage students to make healthier food choices at school. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of fruit-promoting Smarter Lunchroom interventions on middle school students' selection and consumption of fruits. Design A 9-week cluster RCT was conducted using a pre-test/post-test control group design in upstate New York in February–April 2014. Setting/participants Ten middle schools (Grades 5–8) were recruited and randomized into a fruit intervention ( n =4), vegetable intervention ( n =3), or control group ( n =3). This article focuses only on the fruit intervention and control groups. Intervention The fruit intervention group made changes to the convenience, visibility, and attractiveness of fruit in their lunchrooms for a period of 6 weeks. The control group made no changes, and were offered Smarter Lunchrooms training post-intervention. Main outcome measures Selection and plate waste data were collected from February to April 2014, and analyzed in 2014–2015. Average selection, waste, and consumption of food items were computed, and the statistical differences between treatment and control groups were analyzed using t -test statistics and difference-in-difference analysis. Results Fruit selection increased overall by 36% ( p p p Conclusions The fruit intervention increased the selection and consumption of fruits overall, and increased the selection and consumption of vegetables and the selection of white milk in treatment schools. These findings provide evidence supporting the use of fruit-promoting Smarter Lunchrooms techniques in middle schools to increase the selection and consumption of healthy food items.
Biomarkers as Adjuncts to Clinical Trials

As our understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of disease has expanded, the use of biomarkers has grown exponentially in clinical practice. In particular, they have become important adjuncts to clinical trials in many different fields. Here, through examples from oncology, endocrinology, and infectious diseases, we examine the various roles that biomarkers play in clinical trials, from predicting response to therapy to serving as surrogate outcome measures. The increasing sophistication of trial designs incorporating predictive biomarkers is best demonstrated through the evolution of cancer therapy clinical trials, while the use of biomarkers as surrogate outcome measures is demonstrated by examples from the infectious disease field.
Abstract TP384: Educating Staff: A Travelers Guide

Background and Issues: The West Virginia University (WVU) Medicine Stroke EducationTeam (SET) provides innovative stroke education to Nursing and Ancillary staff. The 2015 WVU Stroke Care Fair emph...
Predators collected from balsam woolly adelgid and Cooley spruce gall adelgid in western Oregon and Washington, U.S.A., with reference to biological control of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)

As part of a comprehensive study to survey predators associated with hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand, 1928 in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), U.S.A. (Kohler et al. 2008), predators of balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg, 1844) and Cooley spruce gall adelgid, Adelges cooleyi (Gillette, 1907) (all Hemiptera: Adelgidae) were sampled on nine dates from June 2005 to October 2006 on a small number of trees. Samples were collected every 6–8 weeks. Predators were collected from two A. piceae infested grand fir, Abies grandis (Douglas ex David Don) Lindley, and one A. cooleyi infested Engelmann spruce, Piceae engelmanii Parry ex Engelmann, on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis, Oregon, and two A. cooleyi infested Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco (all Pinaceae). One Douglas-fir was an ornamental tree in Corvallis, Oregon and the other was in a seed orchard on Whidbey Island, Washington. Adelges cooleyi predators were collected by striking an infested branch four times over a plastic tub with an area of 0.16 m2. Adelges piceae predators were collected by brushing adelgid wool on the bole of infested trees with a 2-inch wide paintbrush over a beat sheet. Predators were collected from the tub and beat sheet with an aspirator. Adult insects were killed in a sealed 9-dram plastic vial containing a small piece of Hot Shot No-Pest Insecticide Strip (Spectrum Brands Inc., Atlanta, Georgia). Immature insects were killed in KAAD mixture (10 parts 95% ethanol, 1 part kerosene, 2 parts glacial acetic acid, and 1 part dioxane) and preserved in 70% ethanol (Borrer et al. 1989). Adult specimens were identifi ed either by taxonomic specialists or by comparison to previously identified museum specimens. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Oregon State Arthropod Collection, Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
A simulation based comparison of AC and DC power distribution networks in buildings

Direct current (DC) power distribution has recently gained traction in buildings research due to the proliferation of on-site electricity generation and battery storage and an increasing prevalence of end uses operating internally on DC. The research discussed in this paper uses Modelica-based simulation to compare the efficiency of DC building power distribution with an equivalent alternating current (AC) distribution. A variety of parametric simulations determine how and when DC distribution proves advantageous. This work shows that using DC distribution can be considerably more efficient than AC: a medium office building using DC distribution has an expected baseline of 11% savings, but may save up to 17%. In these results, the baseline simulation parameters are for a zero net energy (ZNE) building with enough battery storage to act as an islanding microgrid. DC is generally most advantageous in buildings with large solar capacity, large battery capacity, and high voltage DC distribution. In addition, based on the efficiency modeling results, a comparison of the economic performance of DC vs. AC distribution systems in commercial buildings is conducted. The results for the baseline scenario show that DC distribution systems in buildings can be cost effective when PV generation and battery storage are included in the building.
Comparing the Reaction Rates of Plasmonic (Gold) and Non-Plasmonic (Palladium) Metal Particles in Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Both Pd and Au metal particles are used in photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Yet while both act as electron sink only gold is poised to respond to visible light due to its plasmonic response. In order to quantitatively gauge their relative contribution into the reaction, the photocatalytic H2 production, from Au/TiO2 and Pd/TiO2 catalysts was studied under UV and UV–Vis light. While under UV light excitation, a weak dependence on the work function of the metal is observed, under UV–Vis light, Au is found to be twice more active than Pd. Under identical UV–Vis light irradiation, the turn over frequency calculated from XPS at.% is found to be 2.8 and 1.8 s−1 for Au and Pd, respectively. The effect is far more pronounced when the rates are normalized to the number of particles of each metal. Both the semiconductor TiO2 (UV light) and the plasmonic metal (visible light) need to be excited for the enhancement to occur; visible light alone causes a negligible reaction rate. Photocurrent measurements further confirmed the difference in the photocatalytic activity under UV and UV–Vis light excitation. Moreover, because of the presence of Au particles responding to visible light the reaction rate is enhanced due to “light penetration depth” effect.