cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association between female infertility and agricultural work history

Lifetime industrial and occupational histories of women with a medically-confirmed diagnosis of infertility (n = 281) were compared to a group of postpartum women (n = 216) for risks of infertility. Controlling for age of first pregnancy or self-report of infertility, date of outcome, cigarette use, and employment in other types of industries, women were at increased risk of infertility if they had worked in industries associated with agriculture (OR = 7.0, 95% CI 2.3–20.8; cases = 11.7%, controls = 1.9%). Among the occupations in which women worked prior to outcome, only those in agriculture were at significantly elevated risk (adj. OR = 11.3, CI 2.6–18.8; cases = 10.0%, controls = 0.9%). Among those who resided on a farm, the risk of infertility was significantly increased (adj. OR = 1.8, CI 1.2–2.7; cases = 37.4%, controls = 25.8%) although yearly duration of farm residence was not (adj. OR = 0.99. CI 0.95–1.03). Farm residence did not alter the OR seen in agricultural industries or occupations. The risk of being diagnosed with an ovulatory or tubal factor increased 4–16-fold among those who had worked in agricultural industries or occupations. These data suggest that, as has been established in men, agriculturally-related exposures may be a significant risk for infertility in women. Am. J. Ind. Med. 31:445–451, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Letting Go of the Bad: Deficit in Maintaining Negative, But Not Positive, Emotion in Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a disorder of emotion regulation. Less is known, however, about the specific processes that foster the maintenance of such prolonged and intense emotions-particularly positive-over time in this disorder. We investigated group-related differences in the ability to maintain positive and negative emotion representations over time using a previously validated emotion working memory task (Mikels et al., 2005, 2008) among individuals with bipolar I disorder (BD; n = 29) compared with both major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 29) and healthy control (n = 30) groups. Results revealed that the BD group exhibited a selective deficit in maintaining negative-but not positive-emotions compared to both the MDD and the control groups. The MDD and control groups did not differ significantly. These findings suggest that the heightened magnitude and duration of positive emotion observed in BD may, in part, be accounted for by difficulties maintaining negative emotions.
A systematic selection method for the development of cancer staging systems

The tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) staging system has been the anchor of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for many years. For meaningful clinical use, an orderly, progressive condensation of the T and N categories into an overall staging system needs to be defined, usually with respect to a time-to-event outcome. This can be considered as a cutpoint selection problem for a censored response partitioned with respect to two ordered categorical covariates and their interaction. The aim is to select the best grouping of the TN categories. A novel bootstrap cutpoint/model selection method is proposed for this task by maximizing bootstrap estimates of the chosen statistical criteria. The criteria are based on prognostic ability including a landmark measure of the explained variation, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and a concordance probability generalized from Harrell’s c-index. We illustrate the utility of our method by applying it to the staging of colorectal cancer.
Reaffirming Our Scholarly Values

The article presents text of a speech given by Richard T. Mowday, president of the Academy of Management, at the organization's 1996 annual meeting, discussing business education, business schools and scholarship.
Shape quantization and recognition with randomized trees

We explore a new approach to shape recognition based on a virtually infinite family of binary features (queries) of the image data, designed to accommodate prior information about shape invariance and regularity. Each query corresponds to a spatial arrangement of several local topographic codes (or tags), which are in themselves too primitive and common to be informative about shape. All the discriminating power derives from relative angles and distances among the tags. The important attributes of the queries are a natural partial ordering corresponding to increasing structure and complexity; semi-invariance, meaning that most shapes of a given class will answer the same way to two queries that are successive in the ordering; and stability, since the queries are not based on distinguished points and substructures. No classifier based on the full feature set can be evaluated, and it is impossible to determine a priori which arrangements are informative. Our approach is to select informative features and build tree classifiers at the same time by inductive learning. In effect, each tree provides an approximation to the full posterior where the features chosen depend on the branch that is traversed. Due to the number and nature of the queries, standard decision tree construction based on a fixed-length feature vector is not feasible. Instead we entertain only a small random sample of queries at each node, constrain their complexity to increase with tree depth, and grow multiple trees. The terminal nodes are labeled by estimates of the corresponding posterior distribution over shape classes. An image is classified by sending it down every tree and aggregating the resulting distributions. The method is applied to classifying handwritten digits and synthetic linear and nonlinear deformations of three hundred L AT E X symbols. Stateof-the-art error rates are achieved on the National Institute of Standards and Technology database of digits. The principal goal of the experiments on L AT E X symbols is to analyze invariance, generalization error and related issues, and a comparison with artificial neural networks methods is presented in this context.
Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in Preventing Hospitalization among the Elderly during Influenza Type A and Type B Seasons

Background. Influenza vaccine effectiveness evaluations were carried out among the elderly, as part of a demonstration established to estimate the value of including influenza vaccination as a covered Medicare benefit. Methods. Cases hospitalized with pneumonia and influenza-related diagnoses during November through April were identified and group matched to randomly selected community controls. Data were collected from cases and controls on influenza vaccination status and other factors which could have confounded the association between vaccination and hospitalization. A community-based influenza surveillance programme was conducted each year to determine the timing and aetiology of influenza activity. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to evaluate the association of influenza vaccination with the likelihood of hospitalization. was estimated to be 31% Results. In 1990-1991, during the peak of the influenza type B outbreak, influenza vaccination was estimated to be 31% (95% Cl : 4-51%) effective in reducing the likelihood of hospitalization. In 1991-1992, during the peak of the influenza type A(H3N2) epidemic, a nearly identical point estimate for vaccine effectiveness was demonstrated (32%, 95% Cl : 7-50%). Identical analyses carried out each year during the periods of low or absent influenza activity failed to demonstrate a significant effect for vaccination in preventing hospitalization. Conclusion. Results indicated that a significant benefit for vaccination could be expected during both type A and type B influenza seasons.
Expression pattern and regulation of genes differ between fibroblasts of adhesion and normal human peritoneum

Injury to the peritoneum during surgery is followed by a healing process that frequently results in the attachment of adjacent organs by a fibrous mass, referred commonly as adhesions. Because injuries to the peritoneum during surgery are inevitable, it is imperative that we understand the mechanisms of adhesion formation to prevent its occurrence. This requires thorough understanding of the molecular sequence that results in the attachment of injured peritoneum and the development of fibrous tissue. Recent data show that fibroblasts from the injured peritoneum may play a critical role in the formation of adhesion tissues. Therefore, identifying changes in gene expression pattern in the peritoneal fibroblasts during the process may provide clues to the mechanisms by which adhesion develop. In this study, we compared expression patterns of larger number of genes in the fibroblasts isolated from adhesion and normal human peritoneum using gene filters. Contributions of TGF-beta1 and hypoxia in the altered expression of specific genes were also examined using a semiquantitative RT-PCR technique. Results show that several genes are differentially expressed between fibroblasts of normal and adhesion peritoneum and that the peritoneal fibroblast may acquire a different phenotype during adhesion formation. Genes that are differentially expressed between normal and adhesion fibroblasts encode molecules involved in cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, migration and factors regulating cytokines, transcription, translation and protein/vesicle trafficking. Our data substantiate that adhesion formation is a multigenic phenomenon and not all changes in gene expression pattern between normal and adhesion fibroblasts are the function of TGF-beta1 and hypoxia that are known to influence adhesion formation. Analysis of the gene expression data in the perspective of known functions of genes connote to additional targets that may be manipulated to inhibit adhesion development.
Faculty Opinion on the Issues of Job Placement and Dissent in the University.

This study deals with the opinions of college professors on the functions of job placement and dissent in the university. The attitudinal data were ascertained by means of a faculty vote in published official ballots on a series of resolutions. Responses were classified into three types: those who view their institution as an autonomous critic of the larger society; those who see the university as an autonomous noncritic; and those who envision their institution as a service organization. The analysis reveals that the major explanatory variable is exposure to the local culture; longevity in this university is positively related to its perception as a service organization. Professorial rank and academic discipline have a smaller impact which tends to disappear when controlling for longevity.
Synthesis of 5‐(3,3‐Disubstituted‐1‐triazenyl)imidazole‐4‐carbonitriles

Abstract The 3,3‐dimethyl‐, 3‐ n ‐butyl‐3‐methyl‐, 3‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐3‐methyl‐, 3,3‐bis(2‐fluoroethyl)‐, and 3,3‐bis(2‐chloroethyl)‐1‐triazenyl derivatives of imidazole‐4‐carbonitrile were prepared from 5‐diazoimidazole‐4‐carbonitrile, a stable compound which produced a mass spectrum consistent with its structure. In contrast to the corresponding carboxamides, none of the triazenylimidazole‐4‐carbonitriles were active against lymphatic leukemia L‐1210 in mice. Like the analogous carboxamide, the bis(2‐chloroethyl)triazene readily cyclizes to the 1,2,3‐triazolinium chloride.
Development of Cavitation in Refrigerant (R-123) Flow Inside Rudimentary Microfluidic Systems

The existence of hydrodynamic cavitation in the flow of refrigerant (R-123) through micro-Venturis has been viewed in the form of a bubbly cavitating regime. Flow visualization discloses inchoate cavitation bubbles/bubble clouds emerging from the inside of the micro-Venturi throat egress. The bubble density decreases when the flow passes through the diffuser section and further downstream into the microchannel owing to the collapse of the vapor filled bubbles caused by a rise in the static pressure. An increase in the flow rate beyond cavitation inception results in the formation of twin cavities. The elongated cavities emerge from inside the Venturi boundaries and amalgamate further downstream sending out thick and dense vapor/bubble clouds. The discharge is affected by the aggressive cavitation and flow rate choking has been observed at different backpressures. The physical properties of the liquid (wettability, small contact angle, etc.) assist in the inhibition of cavitation by modifying the surface nuclei population. The liquid is able to endure significant tension and remains in a metastable state before sudden rupture. Flow visualization reveals considerable differences between cavitating flow patterns observed in refrigerant (R-123) and water flows through a micro-Venturi system.1575
How to Study Women, Gender, and the financial Markets: A Modest Proposal for Communication Scholars

How much do communication scholars know about women, gender, and the financial markets?Very little. Out of the forty-nine articles published in the special issues on the 2008 financial crisis in fi...
Political contributions and the auditor-client relationship

We investigate the impact of audit client political contributions on various audit attributes. We find that, despite having poorer accruals quality, clients with higher political contributions have fewer restatements, receive no more going concern qualified opinions, and receive fewer reported material weaknesses. Additionally, we find that auditors earn higher fees from and have longer tenure with their politically connected clients. Our evidence is indirect, but the totality of our results is most consistent with an economic bond between auditors and their politically connected clients, whereby clients are allowed more accounting discretion and receive fewer adverse audit outcomes, and the auditor charges a persistent risk premium. Our evidence extends prior research concluding that political connections afford firms influence over governments, lenders, and regulators.
The Connection Between Stakeholder Theory and Stakeholder Democracy: An Excavation and Defense

In early writings, stakeholder theorists supported giving all stakeholders formal, binding control over the corporation, in particular, over its board of directors. In recent writings, however, they claim that stakeholder theory does not require changing the current structure of corporate governance and further claim to be “agnostic” about the value of doing so. This article’s purpose is to highlight this shift and to argue that it is a mistake. It argues that, for instrumental reasons, stakeholder theorists should support giving all stakeholders control over the corporation, in the form of control over its board. That is, stakeholder theorists should support stakeholder democracy over the status quo. A larger goal of this article is to steer the conversation about stakeholder theory toward questions of governance and control. Stakeholder theorists tend to sidestep these questions, but it is vital that they be addressed.
CONVERGENT EVOLUTION: THE JAWS OF HESPERORNIS AND THE MOSASAURS

A striking example of convergence, the evolution of similar structures from different antecedent body plans by unrelated organisms, is provided by the comparison of the lower jaws of the Cretaceous toothed bird, Hesperornis, and those of the giant marine lizards known as mosasaurs, whose skeletons are entombed within the same strata. 0. C. Marsh, the discoverer of Hesperornis, himself briefly noted the presence of an intramandibular joint in its jaw (1880, p. 11), but his interest in the retention of teeth and the supposedly primitive brain (cf., Edinger, 1951) of this bird led him to neglect further consideration of this feature. Elsewhere among tetrapods a splenio-angular articulation is known only in the mosasaurs in which it has been described in detail by Williston (1898, pp. 130-134). The structural similarities of the mandibles of mosasaurs and Hesperornis are so great that it is hard to realize that they have arisen independently from rather dissimilar types of reptilian jaws. Yet such is clearly the case, for Hesperornis was a bird, derived from the reptilian Subclass Archosauria, whereas mosasaurs (fig. 6) are modified lizards [Subclass Lepidosauria] close to the living Varanus in their basic structure and undoubtedly derived either from the early Varanidae or their immediate precursors. Besides the distinctive mandibular joint the mosasaurs and Hesperornis show similarities in several other features, all of which may be related to their aquatic habitat and presumably piscivorous diet. Their convergence is thus adaptive and typical of that phenomenon. This discussion is a by-product of an investigation of the jaws which Marsh attributed to another Cretaceous bird, Ichthyornis. Evidence is presented elsewhere which shows that these jaws probably did not belong with that bird skeleton but are actually young mosasaur jaws which were washed into the, same deposit with bird bones of similar size. Routine comparison with Hesperornis, the only other Cretaceous bird sufficiently well known for comparison, brought the convergent condition mentioned above to light. The present report is based upon detailed study of the lower jaws of Hesperornis regalis Marsh, Yale Peabody Museum No. 1206, and of Hesperornis gracilis' Marsh, Kansas University Museum of Natural History No. 2287, which to the best of my knowledge are the only extant specimens of these birds in which skull and mandible are preserved. In the course of this study I have received valued advice and much encouragement from many colleagues, particularly Dr. Tilly Edinger, Dr. Hildegarde Howard, Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, and Dr. Alexander Wetmore. The illustrations were prepared by Miss Shirley Glaser.
Oviposition Response of the Imago of the Corn Earworm, Heliothis Zea (Boddie), To Various Wave Lengths of Light

Continued work on the response of Heliothis zea to various wave lengths of light was suggested by preliminary work on the effects of various preferred host plants and non-preferred plants as a stimulus to oviposition. It was thought that the presence of host plants in oviposition cages of Heliothis zea might stimulate the females to a higher percentage of copulation and egg deposition. Originally two cages approximately 2 feet square were set up with no host plant in one cage and fresh ears of corn, in silk, in the other cage. The cage with corn contained 12 pairs of imagoes and the cage without corn contained 16 pairs. Later, as more imagoes were obtained, the following experiments were set up: A cage with a blooming cotton plant and a cage with a blooming bean plant, both of which are hosts; a cage with a tobacco plant and a cage with a blooming petunia plant, neither of which is normally a host; and a cage with only cloth strips hanging in it. All seven of these cages faced westward toward decreasing crepuscular light intensities, and all were enclosed and had a cloth oviposition surface over the front. Egg counts for the plant and cloth oviposition surfaces in each cage are given in Table I.
Ultrastructure of Oligodendroglioma of the Spinal Cord

The cell population and individual cellular features of an oligodendroglioma of the spinal cord in a young woman have been analyzed. The prevalent cell type possesses relatively electron-dense scanty cytoplasm that displays very few and short cell processes. Its perikaryon contains many microtubules, whose average diameter is 200 A, as well as abundant ribosomes. These ultrastructural features are similar to those previously described for normal oligodendrocytes in several animal species. Other cells present in this tumor have been characterized as being astrocytic, primarily on the basis of their cytoplasmic fibrils. The preparations clearly demonstrate the presence of an abundant intercellular matrix, which probably accounts for most of the "perinuclear haloes" seen in light microscopy. Our study constitutes the first reported ultrastructural study of an oligodendroglioma of the spinal cord.
Historical patterns and drivers of spatial changes in recreational fishing activity in Puget Sound, Washington

Small-scale fisheries are the primary users of many coastal fish stocks; yet, spatial and temporal patterns of recreational and subsistence fishing in coastal marine ecosystems are poorly documented. Knowledge about the spatial distribution of fishing activities can inform place-based management that balances species conservation with opportunities for recreation and subsistence. We used a participatory mapping approach to document changes in spatial fishing patterns of 80 boat-based recreational anglers from 1950 to 2010 in Puget Sound, Washington, USA. Hand-drawn fishing areas for salmon, rockfishes, flatfishes, and crabs were digitized and analyzed in a Geographic Information System. We found that recreational fishing has spanned the majority of Puget Sound since the 1950s, with the heaviest use limited to small areas of central and northern Puget Sound. People are still fishing in the same places they were decades ago, with relatively little change in specific locations despite widespread declines in salmon and bottomfish populations during the second half of the 20th century. While the location of core fishing areas remained consistent, the size of those areas and intensity of use changed over time. The size of fishing areas increased through the 2000s for salmon but declined after the 1970s and 1980s for rockfishes, flatfishes, and crabs. Our results suggest that the spatial extent of recreational bottomfishing increased after the 1960s, when the availability of motorized vessels and advanced fish-finding technologies allowed anglers to expand their scope beyond localized angling from piers and boathouses. Respondents offered a wide range of reasons for shifts in fishing areas over time, reflecting substantial individual variation in motivations and behaviors. Changes in fishing areas were most commonly attributed to changes in residence and declines in target species and least tied to fishery regulations, despite the implementation of at least 25 marine preserves since 1970.
Sampling Bias in LinkedIn: A Case Study

This paper describes a case study of sampling bias in LinkedIn, a major professional social network. The study collected a sample of 1,989 STEM students who graduated from a major public university between 2002 and 2014. Overall, 40\% of the graduates had a LinkedIn profile in summer of 2015. It was observed that LinkedIn participation significantly fluctuated among different majors, and ranged from 30\% for biochemistry majors to 51\% for information science majors. Year of graduation, gender, and grade point average surprisingly did not seem to create a large difference in LinkedIn participation. These results should be useful for design and interpretation of empirical studies which use LinkedIn data or select participants from LinkedIn social network.
Case Report: Diffuse Pulmonary Tumor Microemboli from Prostatic Carcinoma with an Associated Fibrous Histiocytic Sarcoma

ABSTRACT Diffuse tumor microemboli to the lungs from prostatic carcinoma are extremely rare, with only six reported cases in the literature published in English. Here a seventh case is reported. The patient resembled the previously reported cases in the following ways: (1) There were minimal chest x-ray findings; (2) there was no other evidence of significant parenchymal or lymphangitic tumor involvement; and (3) pulmonary hypertension developed, but without signs of cor pulmonale. The case was even more unusual because of the presence of an apparent second neoplasm, ie, a malignant fibrous histiocytic sarcoma primary in the chest wall. There were wide-spread “collisional metastases” (metastases from each malignancy at the same site).
Instructor Interaction and Immediacy Behaviors in a Multipoint Distance Educational Environment: Using Technology to Improve Low-Incidence Teacher Preparation

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of professors teaching in a multipoint videoconferencing instructional environment and how they interacted with students in proximate and remote classrooms. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed to gain an understanding of the teaching experience and to examine differences between instructor interaction and immediacy behaviors based on student location. Results indicated that no clear difference existed in instructor interaction behaviors with local and remote populations, but that they engaged in more immediacy behaviors with the remote population.
Heat shock induces barotolerance in Listeria monocytogenes.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of heat shock on the resistance of Listeria monocytogenes to high pressure processing (HPP). L. monocytogenes ATCC 19115 was grown to stationary phase at 15°C and inoculated into whole ultrahigh-temperature milk at ~107 CFU/ml. Milk samples (5 ml) were placed into plastic transfer pipettes, which were heat sealed and then heated in a water bath at 48°C for 10 min. Immediately after heat shock, the milk was cooled in water (20°C) for 25 min and then placed on ice. The samples were high pressure processed at ambient temperature (~23°C) at 400 MPa for various times up to 150 s. Following HPP, the samples were spread plated on tryptic soy agar supplemented with yeast extract. Heat shock significantly increased the D400 MPa-value of L. monocytogenes from 35 s in non–heat-shocked cells to 127 s in heat-shocked cells (P < 0.05). Addition of chloramphenicol before heat shock eliminated the protective effect of heat shock (P < 0.05). Heat shock for 5, 10, 15, or ...
A 2-kW Single-Phase Seven-Level Flying Capacitor Multilevel Inverter With an Active Energy Buffer

High-efficiency and compact single-phase inverters are desirable in many applications such as solar energy harvesting and electric vehicle chargers. This paper presents a 2-kW, 60-Hz, 450-V $ _{\text{DC}}$ -to-240-V $_{\text{AC}}$ power inverter, designed and tested subject to the specifications of the Google/IEEE Little Box Challenge. The inverter features a seven-level flying capacitor multilevel converter, with low-voltage GaN switches operating at 120 kHz. The inverter also includes an active buffer for twice-line-frequency power pulsation decoupling, which reduces the required capacitance by a factor of 8 compared to conventional passive decoupling capacitors, while maintaining an efficiency above 99%. The inverter prototype is a self-contained box that achieves a high power density of 216 W/in $^3$ and a peak overall efficiency of 97.6%, while meeting the constraints including input current ripple, load transient, thermal, and FCC Class B EMC specifications.
The value of instability: an investigation of intrasubject variability in brain activity among obese adolescent girls.

The value of instability: an investigation of intrasubject variability in brain activity among obese adolescent girls
Perspective: Bridging the gender gap.

Bladder cancer is more deadly in women than in men. That needs to change, say James McKiernan and Denise Asafu-Adjei.
Anal Intraepithelial Neoplasia (AIN)/High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (HSIL)

The incidence of anal cancer continues to increase in the United States. Women have historically been affected at higher rates than men, but the gap has lessened over the last 20 years. Identification of high-risk groups, a causative agent, and premalignant lesions has led some to suggest that anal cancer can be prevented. Key questions persist including the landmarks that define anal cancer; clarification of the definitions of AIN II–III versus HSIL, which patients with HSIL will develop anal cancer; and what treatment options best fit which at-risk group? As with most issues in medicine, evidence to substantiate our biases is thin and shifting, raising more questions than can be answered, and highlighting the need for continued conversation.
Acetone as a Substrate for Poly- β -Hydroxybutyrate Production by Phototrophic Purple Bacteria

Phototrophic (anaerobic/light) growth on acetone as carbon source occurs in the purple bacteria Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodomicrobium vannielii. Photoheterotrophic growth on acetone leads to significant PHB production, values of greater than 40% of cell dry weight have been obtained in ammonia-limited cultures of R. capsulatus. Because it is a relatively inexpensive feedstock, photoproduction of PHB and other PHAs from acetone using light as the energy source may be a very cost-effective means of biopolymer production.
A Theoretical Context for Documenting Social Change in Yucatán, Part 2: Culture Change, Social Stratification, and Power Relationships

As the first two chapters have outlined, the primary focus of this study are the social changes experienced by the Yucatec Maya in conjunction with the rise of the hacienda system and new forms of production related to increasing articulations with a capitalist world economy. The changes experienced within the economic realm had repercussions within the social organization of the Maya, and the dimensions of this change will be explored along a number of lines, including issues related to social status, household wealth, power relationships, and the use of social space within the hacienda. Similar to the economic themes described in the previous chapter, the exploration of social themes requires a theoretical framework for interpreting, understanding, and giving meaning to the archaeological and historical data from Hacienda Tabi. Before discussing the dimensions in which social change will be evaluated, it will be useful to say a few words about culture and processes related to culture change.
Soybean nitrogen fixation dynamics in Iowa, USA

Abstract The rainfed USA Midwestern region has deep, fertile soils and leads the USA in soybean [Glycine max, (L.) Merr.] production. Biological nitrogen (N) fixation (BNF) contributes a portion of the soybean N requirement, but variability in BNF is poorly understood and estimates of BNF for this region are rare. We established experiments in Iowa, USA to gain a better understanding of BNF and increase its predictability. We collected in-season BNF measurements accompanied by high temporal resolution soil and plant growth measurements. Across two years, two locations and two planting dates, we found that BNF contributed 23–65% of total aboveground N accumulation in soybean. The BNF rate was maximized at the early seed-filling period and varied from 1 to 3 kg N ha−1day−1. During seed filling period, the rate of BNF was related to crop growth rate (carbon (C) supply) but not to N accumulation by the reproductive organs (N demand). We found that a minimum crop growth rate of 135 kg dry matter ha−1day-1 is required to sustain maximum BNF rates. In contrast to BNF, the soil inorganic N uptake rate was related to seed N demand but not to C supply. Biomass production was the best predictor of total soybean BNF (R2 > 0.83). On average, 0.013 kg N was fixed per kg biomass produced. Across all trials, the N exported via seed was greater than the N imported via BNF, which suggests that Midwest US soybeans may reduce soil organic matter. We concluded that future research efforts should focus on increasing C – rather than N – availability during the seed filling period towards improving both grain yields and environmental sustainability.
Colombia and the United States: Hegemony and Interdependence

Strategically located at the gateway to the South American continent, Colombia has long been one of the key players in the United States' relations with its Latin American neighbours. In this book, the sixth volume to appear in ""The United States and the Americas"" series, Stephen J. Randall examines the course of those relations over two centuries, taking into account the braod spectrum of political, social, cultural and economic contacts that have figured in the interaction. A leader in the movement for independence from Spain in the early 19th century, Colombia shared with the United States the aspiration of becoming a leader for the entire hemisphere. Its early efforts in this direction - notably its initiation in the 1820s of the first Pan American Conference - soon languished, however, as the unequal growth between the two countries took its toll. By the turn of the century, after years of destructive civil war, Colombia had slipped far behind its northern neighbour militarily, economically and politically. The United States, meanwhile, had emerged as a great power, and the first major manifestation of the two countries' divergence came with the US-supported secession of Panama in 1903 - an event that deeply shocked Colombians and tainted their view of the United States for subsequent generations. During the 20th century, Randall explains, a tension in Colombian politics and culture has persisted between those who advocate an independent, even antagonistic, stance toward the United States and those who propound a policy of realism that accepts Colombia's place as a middle, regional power within the U.S. orbit. For its part, the United States has continually failed to realize that Colombians, with their European intellectual heritage stretching back 400 years, do not see themselves as an insignificant Third World nation. The result has been an often strained relationship, which Randall traces through two world wars, economic booms and depressions, the Cold War and finally, the present-day guerrilla conflicts and drug trade controversies. Drawing on archival sources in both countries, many previously unused, this book is a comprehensive overview of the US-Colombian relationship.
Algal photosynthetic aeration increases the capacity of bacteria to degrade organics in wastewater

Wastewater treatment is an energy-intensive process and a net emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. A large fraction of these emissions is due to intensive aeration of aerobic bacteria to facilitate break-down of organic compounds. Algae can generate dissolved oxygen at levels in excess of saturation, and therefore hold the potential to partially displace or complement mechanical aeration in wastewater treatment processes. The objective of this study was to develop an internally consistent experimental and modeling approach to test the hypothesis that algal photosynthetic aeration can speed the removal of organic constituents by bacteria. This framework was developed using a simplified wastewater treatment process consisting of a model bacteria (Escherichia coli), a model algae (Auxenochlorella protothecoides), and a single carbon source that was consumable by bacteria only. This system was then tested both with and without the presence of algae. A MATLAB model that considered mass transfer and biological kinetics was used to estimate the production and consumption of O2 and CO2 by algae and bacteria. The results indicated that the presence of algae led to 18-66% faster removal of COD by bacteria, and that roughly one-third of biochemical oxygen demand was offset by algal photosynthetic aeration.
Distal Embolic Protection in Impella 5.0 Explantation: Loop and Snare Technique

The left ventricular assist device Impella 5.0 (Abiomed Inc, Danvers, MA) has become widely accepted as a temporary mechanical circulatory support for patients in cardiogenic shock. The Impella 5.0 is placed through an anastomosed graft. When removing the device, blood clot formation has been noted in the anastomosed graft. The blood clot has been reported to dislodge and embolize distally, causing acute limb ischemia. Here, we present our simple, inexpensive, and effective "loop and snare" technique for safer device removal, preventing distal embolic complications. In our experience of 6 patients who had Impella 5.0 removal with this technique, the distal embolic complication was 0%.
Robust Small Area Estimation: An Overview

A small area typically refers to a subpopulation or domain of interest for which a reliable direct estimate, based only on the domain-specific sample, cannot be produced due to small sample size in...
The Impact of Corporate Reputation Ratings on CEO Compensation Under Diverse Economic Conditions

Although it is assumed that CEOs attempt to use corporate reputation ratings to justify increases in their annual compensation, controversy persists on the relationship between corporate reputation ratings and CEO compensation. Based on agency theory and signaling theory, we predict a positive relationship between corporate reputation ratings and CEO compensation but only during periods of economic recovery. Using a subset of Fortune’s “Most Admired” companies, this study demonstrates that corporate reputation ratings are significantly associated with CEO compensation during periods of economic recovery but not during periods of economic recession, after controlling the potential extraneous factors that may influence CEO pay.
MR imaging for the prediction of breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Radiology: Volume 266: Number 1—January 2013 n radiology.rsna.org 367 poor with the in-phase 2D T1-weighted images. Retrospectively going through our analysis, we found that we would have missed cast in one of the cases with use of 2D opposed-phase imaging instead of 3D fat-saturated imaging and vice versa in another case. In our experience, artifacts owing to high inflow have not hampered the diagnostic accuracy of the 2D images. In conclusion, we therefore suggest performing both sequences and using both for the detection of biliary cast.
Intersectionality in Sex Therapy: Opportunities for Promoting Sexual Wellness Among Queer People of Color

Intersectionality theory acknowledges that a significant part of the distress experienced by queer people of color (QPOC) is caused by systems of oppression in society. Given the dearth of literature linking intersectionality to sex therapy, combined with a lack of sex therapy research centering on the experiences of QPOC, sexual wellness advocates often utilize unidimensional approaches that focus exclusively on either LGBTQ people or people of color. This review presents the following: (1) an overview of the gaps eliciting unidimensional approaches to sex therapy practice and research, (2) an illustration of intersectionality’s theoretical underpinnings as a queer and oppression-responsive approach, and (3) applications for sex therapy practice with QPOC. The intersectionality framework provides an opportunity to explore overlapping forms of oppression (e.g., racism, heterosexism, cisnormativity) and to make social justice and resilience/resistance central topics in the promotion of sexual wellness. The framework can guide sexual wellness advocates in their mission to better understand the harm posed by oppressive systems, how these systems impact sexual problems, and how they can intervene to reduce conditions that undermine sexual wellness and freedom. It is in the sexual health field’s best interest to comprehensively adopt intersectionality to advance the field toward a culture that critiques and dismantles social structures that limit the possibilities of pleasurable sex among oppressed communities. Individual sex therapists can contribute to the inclusion of the intersectionality framework in therapy by critiquing harmful social structures, attending to both sexual dysfunction and sexual pleasure, attending to both oppression and resilience/resistance, and actively collaborating with the communities they serve.
Oncologic Outcomes of Sentinel Lymph Node Surgery After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Node-Positive Breast Cancer

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has been well studied. However, outcomes data addressing the oncologic safety of this technique are sparse. This study aimed to evaluate use of SLN surgery versus axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) for clinically node-positive patients treated with NAC and to report outcomes. The study identified patients at the authors’ institution with biopsy proven clinically node-positive (cN1–cN3) breast cancer undergoing axillary surgery after NAC from 2009 to 2019. Practice patterns and outcomes were evaluated. Of 602 patients, 52.3% underwent SLN surgery. Use of SLN surgery increased significantly over time, reaching 75.3% during 2015–2019. For 52.5% of the patients who had an SLN identified, ALND was not used. Use of ALND (± SLN surgery) decreased from 100% in 2009 to 57.2% in 2015–2019. The nodal positivity rate of patients who proceeded directly to ALND was 64.5% (185/287), increasing significantly over time. Factors significantly associated with performing SLN surgery on multivariable analysis were lower presenting clinical T category, lower presenting clinical N category (cN1 vs cN2–3) and HER2-positive status. During the median 34-month follow-up period, 17 regional recurrences were observed (16/443 with ALND; 1/159 with SLN surgery alone), for a 2-year freedom-from-regional-recurrence rate of 99.1% among the SLN surgery patients and 96.4% among the ALND patients (p = 0.10). For cN1–3 breast cancer treated with NAC, SLN surgery has been incorporated into clinical practice at the authors’ institution. In this study, selection for SLN surgery was based on clinical factors and tumor biology. More than half of the patients who were selected for SLN surgery were spared ALND, with a low nodal failure rate and no recurrence-free survival disadvantage at 2 years.
Public Infrastructure Investment, Inter-State Spatial Spillovers and Manufacturing Costs

The size and significance of public infrastructure investment impacts on costs and productivity of private enterprise, and thus on economic health and growth, has proven nebulous to empirically substantiate. Various studies using alternative theoretical and econometric methodologies, and for different time periods, sectors, and countries, have tentatively established that such a productive impact exists and is statistically significant. It also seems smaller and more variable over time, space, and sector than was implied by initial studies on the "public capital hypothesis". One piece of the puzzle that has received little attention, however, is the role of spatial spillovers in driving infrastructure investment benefits. Such spillovers are not only conceptually important, but could also shed light on discrepancies between studies for different data, and particularly aggregation levels. In this study we apply a cost-based model to state-level U.S. manufacturing data, for capital, production and non-production labor, and materials inputs, and for the 1982-96 time period, in an attempt to untangle the private cost-saving contributions of inter-and intra-state public infrastructure investment. We carry out two kinds of spatial adaptations-a spatial autocorrelation adjustment and a spatial spillover theoretical modification-to the estimating system consisting of a Generalized Leontief cost function and input demand equations, to address this issue. We find that intra-state public infrastructure benefits appear larger in magnitude when inter-state spillovers are directly recognized, as well as being invariably statistically significant. Inter-state spillovers are also directly beneficial to manufacturing firms, although their contribution appears smaller in size when temporal serial correlation is recognized in addition to spatial correlation.
Group Composition and the Deliberative Process

In recent years, scholars have paid increasing attention to dynamics of group composition in deliberative settings. As the use of deliberation grows across a variety of political settings, research that explores the effect that group composition has upon the deliberative exercise is vital. To date, however, work exploring the effect of group composition in deliberative settings has focused chiefly on outcomes – e.g., the extent to which composition affects the hypothetical amount awarded in a compensatory damages settlement, the way that composition affects the baseline wage in a Rawlsean deliberative experiment, or the manner in which gender composition affects the types of appeals made in public town meetings. For a number of reasons, it is also important to be attentive to the ways in which group composition affects process, or more particularly – the procedural utility garnered by participants in the deliberative process. This paper reports on analyses of two datasets that contain a battery of items tapping into participants’ procedural utility in deliberative exercises, and explores the way that gender-, race-, and education-based group composition affects how participants judge the deliberative exercise. I find inconsistent results between the two datasets, with data from the October 2004 exercise exhibiting several interesting empirical patterns linked to race, gender, and education. Possible reasons for the differences between the two exercises in these patterns are discussed.
Heterogeneity of Energy Metabolism in the Kidney

The epithelial cells of the kidney represent a highly heterogeneous array that line the length of each nephron. Heterogeneities in transport properties, morphology, hormone responsiveness, enzymatic profiles and other properties have been identified (for a review, see Ross and Guder, 1982). In terms of energy metabolism, one of the most striking heterogeneities is in the ability of nephron segments to metabolize glucose. The three kinases of glycolysis exhibit the characteristic distribution pattern shown for hexokinase in Fig.1. The proximal tubule has the lowest activity increasing sharply in the thick ascending limb and more distal structures. Similar patterns have been observed in both rat and rabbit (Ross and Guder, 1982).
A Population Learning Algorithm for Solving the Generalized Segregated Storage Problem

The paper presents a new population-based method, called population learning algorithm (PLA) for solving the Generalized Segregated Storage Problem (GSSP). PLA is an extension of population-based methods and adaptive memory programming techniques. It has been inspired by analogies to a social phenomenon rather than to a natural process. The paper introduces the GSSP, describes the concept of PLA and presents the application of PLA for solving GSSP. Computational experiment results are discussed in the final part of the paper.
CD4+ T cells epigenetically modified by oxidative stress cause lupus-like autoimmunity in mice

Lupus develops when genetically predisposed people encounter environmental agents such as UV light, silica, infections and cigarette smoke that cause oxidative stress, but how oxidative damage modifies the immune system to cause lupus flares is unknown. We previously showed that oxidizing agents decreased ERK pathway signaling in human T cells, decreased DNA methyltransferase 1 and caused demethylation and overexpression of genes similar to those from patients with active lupus. The current study tested whether oxidant-treated T cells can induce lupus in mice. We adoptively transferred CD4+ T cells treated in vitro with oxidants hydrogen peroxide or nitric oxide or the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine into syngeneic mice and studied the development and severity of lupus in the recipients. Disease severity was assessed by measuring anti-dsDNA antibodies, proteinuria, hematuria and by histopathology of kidney tissues. The effect of the oxidants on expression of CD40L, CD70, KirL1 and DNMT1 genes and CD40L protein in the treated CD4+ T cells was assessed by Q-RT-PCR and flow cytometry. H2O2 and ONOO− decreased Dnmt1 expression in CD4+ T cells and caused the upregulation of genes known to be suppressed by DNA methylation in patients with lupus and animal models of SLE. Adoptive transfer of oxidant-treated CD4+ T cells into syngeneic recipients resulted in the induction of anti-dsDNA antibody and glomerulonephritis. The results show that oxidative stress may contribute to lupus disease by inhibiting ERK pathway signaling in T cells leading to DNA demethylation, upregulation of immune genes and autoreactivity.