cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Successful treatment of idiopathic orbital inflammation with mycophenolate mofetil.

Purpose To report our experience with the use of mycophenolate mofetil for treatment of idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI). Design Noncomparative interventional case series. Methods We reviewed the records of five patients with IOI who were treated with mycophenolate mofetil. The indications for use included recurrent inflammation after other therapies (four patients) and to avoid corticosteroid-induced blood sugar elevation in poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (one patient). Treated patients were followed for a median of 8.5 months (range, 4–30 months) after mycophenolate mofetil therapy was begun. Main outcome measures were response to treatment, treatment-related side effects, drug dosage, previous and final treatment regimens, and discontinuation of systemic corticosteroids. Results Mycophenolate mofetil therapy was discontinued in one patient because of nausea. Each of the remaining four patients experienced complete resolution of orbital inflammation. Of these, only one patient remains on prednisone, but at a significantly reduced dose (1 mg/d). Conclusion Mycophenolate mofetil therapy resulted in the resolution of inflammation in patients with refractory or corticosteroid-dependent IOI and was used successfully for a first episode of IOI in a patient for whom corticosteroids were contraindicated.
Phenothiourea Sensitizes Zebrafish Cranial Neural Crest and Extraocular Muscle Development to Changes in Retinoic Acid and IGF Signaling

phenyl 2-thiourea (PTU) is a tyrosinase inhibitor commonly used to block pigmentation and aid visualization of zebrafish development. At the standard concentration of 0.003% (200 mM), PTU inhibits melanogenesis and reportedly has minimal other effects on zebrafish embryogenesis. We found that 0.003% PTU altered retinoic acid and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) regulation of neural crest and mesodermal components of craniofacial development. Reduction of retinoic acid synthesis by the pan-aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor diethylbenzaldehyde, only when combined with 0.003% PTU, resulted in extraocular muscle disorganization. PTU also decreased retinoic acid-induced teratogenic effects on pharyngeal arch and jaw cartilage despite morphologically normal appearing PTU-treated controls. Furthermore, 0.003% PTU in combination with inhibition of IGF signaling through either morpholino knockdown or pharmacologic inhibition of tyrosine kinase receptor phosphorylation, disrupted jaw development and extraocular muscle organization. PTU in and of itself inhibited neural crest development at higher concentrations (0.03%) and had the greatest inhibitory effect when added prior to 22 hours post fertilization (hpf). Addition of 0.003% PTU between 4 and 20 hpf decreased thyroxine (T4) in thyroid follicles in the nasopharynx of 96 hpf embryos. Treatment with exogenous triiodothyronine (T3) and T4 improved, but did not completely rescue, PTU-induced neural crest defects. Thus, PTU should be used with caution when studying zebrafish embryogenesis as it alters the threshold of different signaling pathways important during craniofacial development. The effects of PTU on neural crest development are partially caused by thyroid hormone signaling.
Chemical inducers of systemic immunity in plants

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a highly desirable form of resistance that protects against a broad-spectrum of related or unrelated pathogens. SAR involves the generation of multiple signals at the site of primary infection, which arms distal portions against subsequent secondary infections. The last decade has witnessed considerable progress, and a number of chemical signals contributing to SAR have been isolated and characterized. The diverse chemical nature of these chemicals had led to the growing belief that SAR might involve interplay of multiple diverse and independent signals. However, recent results suggest that coordinated signalling from diverse signalling components facilitates SAR in plants. This review mainly discusses organized signalling by two such chemicals, glycerol-3-phoshphate and azelaic acid, and the role of basal salicylic acid levels in G3P-conferred SAR.
A Cryogenian chronology: Two long-lasting synchronous Neoproterozoic glaciations

The snowball Earth hypothesis predicts globally synchronous glaciations that persisted on a multimillion year time scale. Geochronological tests of this hypothesis have been limited by a dearth of reliable age constraints bracketing these events on multiple cratons. Here we present four new Re-Os geochronology age constraints on Sturtian (717–660 Ma) and Marinoan (635 Ma termination) glacial deposits from three different paleocontinents. A 752.7 ± 5.5 Ma age from the base of the Callison Lake Formation in Yukon, Canada, confirms nonglacial sedimentation on the western margin of Laurentia between ca. 753 and 717 Ma. Coupled with a new 727.3 ± 4.9 Ma age directly below the glacigenic deposits of the Grand Conglomerate on the Congo craton (Africa), these data refute the notion of a global ca. 740 Ma Kaigas glaciation. A 659.0 ± 4.5 Ma age directly above the Maikhan-Uul diamictite in Mongolia confirms previous constraints on a long duration for the 717–660 Ma Sturtian glacial epoch and a relatively short nonglacial interlude. In addition, we provide the first direct radiometric age constraint for the termination of the Marinoan glaciation in Laurentia with an age of 632.3 ± 5.9 Ma from the basal Sheepbed Formation of northwest Canada, which is identical, within uncertainty, to U-Pb zircon ages from China, Australia, and Namibia. Together, these data unite Re-Os and U-Pb geochronological constraints and provide a refined temporal framework for Cryogenian Earth history.
A Comparison of Clinical Measurements of Gastroesophageal Reflux

To determine which diagnostic procedures best correlate with a history of gastroesophageal reflux, 50 subjects (29 with and 21 without symptoms) were studied. All underwent evaluation by esophageal acid perfusion, pH probe determination of gastroesophageal reflux of acid, measurement of mean resting lower esophageal sphincter pressure, and cineradiography after swallows of neutral and acid barium. The acid perfusion test and pH probe correlated most closely with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux while the resting lower esophageal sphincter pressure and acid barium swallows correlated less well.
Analysis of brain adrenergic receptors in dopamine-β-hydroxylase knockout mice

The biosynthesis of norepinephrine occurs through a multi-enzymatic pathway that includes the enzyme dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH). Mice with a homozygous deletion of DBH (Dbh−/−) have a selective and complete absence of norepinephrine. The purpose of this study was to assess the expression of alpha-1, alpha-2 and beta adrenergic receptors (α1-AR, α2-AR and β-AR) in the postnatal absence of norepinephrine by comparing noradrenergic receptors in Dbh−/− mice with those in Dbh heterozygotes (Dbh+/−), which have normal levels of norepinephrine throughout life. The densities of α1-AR, α2-AR and β-AR were assayed with [3H]prazosin, [3H]RX21002 and [125I]-iodo-pindolol autoradiography, respectively. The α2-AR agonist high affinity state was examined with [125I]-para-iodoclonidine autoradiography and α2-AR functionality by α2-AR agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPγS autoradiography. The density of α1-AR in Dbh−/− mice was similar to Dbh+/− mice in most brain regions, with an up-regulation in the hippocampus. Modest decreases in α2-AR were found in septum, hippocampus and amygdala, but these were not reflected in α2-AR functionality. The density of β-AR was up-regulated to varying degrees in many brain regions of Dbh−/− mice compared to the heterozygotes. These findings indicate that regulation of noradrenergic receptors by endogenous norepinephrine depends on receptor type and neuroanatomical region.
Repeat emergency medical services use by older adults in a rural community: impact on research methods and study length

Objectives. To evaluate the proportion of emergency medical services (EMS) requests in a rural community made by unique, noninstitutionalized older adults, or individuals making their first request for EMS assistance during the study period, andthe impact on research parameters. Methods. This study was a retrospective chart review of patients aged 65 years andolder cared for by the Geneseo Fire Department Ambulance between February 2004 andMay 2005 (period 1) andbetween July 2006 andOctober 2007 (period 2). The Geneseo Fire Department Ambulance response territory is a rural community in Upstate New York. We obtained demographic information including age, race, gender, call location, andthe frequency of EMS use from the medical record, as well as clinical information including level of prehospital care, chief complaint, anddisposition. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis, along with 95% confidence intervals. Results. Over two 16-month periods, approximately 70% of the EMS calls by community-d...
Rev1 Recruits Ung to Switch Regions and Enhances dU Glycosylation for Immunoglobulin Class Switch DNA Recombination

Summary By diversifying the biological effector functions of antibodies, class switch DNA recombination (CSR) plays a critical role in the maturation of the immune response. It is initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-mediated deoxycytosine deamination, yielding deoxyuridine (dU), and dU glycosylation by uracil DNA glycosylase (Ung) in antibody switch (S) region DNA. Here we showed that the translesion DNA synthesis polymerase Rev1 directly interacted with Ung and targeted in an AID-dependent and Ung-independent fashion the S regions undergoing CSR. Rev1 −/− Ung +/+ B cells reduced Ung recruitment to S regions, DNA-dU glycosylation, and CSR. Together with an S region spectrum of mutations similar to that of Rev1 +/+ Ung −/− B cells, this suggests that Rev1 operates in the same pathway as Ung, as emphasized by further decreased CSR in Rev1 −/− Msh2 −/− B cells. Rescue of CSR in Rev1 −/− B cells by a catalytically inactive Rev1 mutant shows that the important role of Rev1 in CSR is mediated by Rev1's scaffolding function, not its enzymatic function.
Effect of case temperature measurement errors on the junction-to-case thermal resistance of a ceramic PGA

The author describes an experimental investigation in which measurements of junction-to-case thermal resistance, theta /sub jc/, of a 132-pin cavity-down ceramic (PGA) pin grid array package are compared to finite element (FEM) calculations. The initial goal of this work was to validate FEM predictions of theta /sub jc/ with measurements in accordance with the established SEMI and MIL standards. A serious problem was discovered in measuring accurate case temperatures, resulting in poor agreement between measured and predicted theta /sub jc/. Detailed 3-D FEM simulations were used to analyze thermocouple measurement problems in the region between the case and cold plate. New methods were developed using fiber-optic thermometry and surface-junction thermocouples. >
Clinical Management and Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death

Despite the revolutionary advancements in the past 3 decades in the treatment of ventricular tachyarrhythmias with device-based therapy, sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains an enormous public health burden. Survivors of SCD are generally at high risk for recurrent events. The clinical management of such patients requires a multidisciplinary approach from postresuscitative care to a thorough cardiovascular investigation in an attempt to identify the underlying substrate, with potential to eliminate or modify the triggers through catheter ablation and ultimately an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for prompt treatment of recurrences in those at risk. Early recognition of low left ventricular ejection fraction as a strong predictor of death and association of ventricular arrhythmias with sudden death led to significant investigation with antiarrhythmic drugs. The lack of efficacy and the proarrhythmic effects of drugs catalyzed the development and investigation of the ICD through several major clinical trials that proved the efficacy of ICD as a bedrock tool to detect and promptly treat life-threatening arrhythmias. The ICD therapy is routinely used for primary prevention of SCD in patients with cardiomyopathy and high risk inherited arrhythmic conditions and secondary prevention in survivors of sudden cardiac arrest. This compendium will review the clinical management of those surviving SCD and discuss landmark studies of antiarrhythmic drugs, ICD, and cardiac resynchronization therapy in the primary and secondary prevention of SCD.
Studies Involving Children

The two principal factors which set apart the review of research involving children from studies that use competent adults are the difficulties of obtaining a truly informed consent and the method for assessment of risk/benefit ratio. Since standard procedures for IRB review of research have already been covered in a prior chapter, this chapter will deal solely with those added dimensions regarding the use of minors. Children are defined as persons who have not yet attained the legal age of consent, which is likely to be 18 in most states but can vary widely.
Earnings Management, Financial Leverage, and Cash Flow Volatility: Do Economic Conditions Matter?

How vital are market conditions in determining the behavior of firms? In this paper we explore firm’s impetus to manipulate earnings as it relates to their leverage and volatile cash flow positions in economic conditions. Borrowing a forerunner to proxy for pecking order and market-timing hypothesis, we find that firms are more susceptible and ascribe to market timing rationale. Furthermore, we explore the degree of suctions into managed earnings behavior from an industry standpoint and found that consumer staples and consumer cyclicals groups manages their earnings the most. The results are sturdy after addressing foreseeable bias in our initial analysis.
First-Principles Thermodynamics of Alloys

The development of quantitative and predictive theories of phase stability for binary and multicomponent alloys has been a focus of intense activity during the last decade. Traditionally, a variety of empirical and semi-empirical theories of phase equilibrium have been successfully used to explain the main contributions to alloy phase stability, to interpret complex and extensive experimental data and, in general, to provide a solid understanding of trends in alloy and compound formation. At present, the challenge lies in the use of microscopic quantum theory and statistical mechanics to produce a fully ab-initio description of phase equilibrium and, in particular, phase diagrams. Here the basic elements of a first-principles statistical mechanics theory of alloy phase stability are presented. The theory is used to calculate the Zr-Nb phase diagram.
Evaluation of transluminal therapy in acute iliofemoral venous thrombosis

Acute iliofemoral venous thrombosis(AIFVT) is a common disease in venous thromboembolism.In recent years,the application of catheter-directed thrombolysis was increasing,but not recommended routine applications.when treatment of catheter-directed thrombolysis was not satisfied or limited,can adopt thrombus extraction.Ultrasonic ablation was not single treatment of deep venous thrombosis,it must joint thrombectomy,balloon angioplasty and peri-operative.The key of AIFVT treatment was the early diagnosis and early treatment.
Human Prostate Carcinoma Causes Hypercalcemia in Athymic Nude Mice and Produces a Factor with Parathyroid Hormone-Like Bioactivity

AbstractThe mechanism of the calcium and phosphorus abnormalities associated with metastatic prostate carcinoma (CaP) is not yet understood. A tumor model was recently established in which 9479, a human CaP from a patient with prostate carcinoma-induced osteomalacia, was heterotransplanted into athymic nude mice (ANM). In the present study the effect of 9479 on ANM was evaluated. Serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), parathyroid hormone (PTH), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(1,25-(OH)2D3) and urinary cAMP were measured. Ca was markedly elevated in ANM bearing 9479 vs. age-matched controls (C); the increased Ca returned to control level after tumor removal. Serum PTH was lower in 9479-bearing ANM vs. C while urinary cAMP and serum 1,25-(OH)2D3 levels were elevated. In the ANM bearing 9479, there was a decrease in serum P vs. C which returned to normal after tumor removal. Fractional P excretion was greater in 9479 animals than C. Extracts of 9479 were examined for the presence of parathyroid hormone-like bioactivit...
Lateral Inhibition Overcomes Limits of Temporal Difference Learning.

There is growing support for Temporal Difference (TD) Learning as a formal account of the role of the midbrain dopamine system and the basal ganglia in learning from reinforcement. This account is challenged, however, by the fact that realistic implementations of TD Learning have been shown to fail on some fairly simple learning tasks — tasks well within the capabilities of humans and non-human animals. We hypothesize that such failures do not arise from natural learning systems because of the ubiquitous appearance of lateral inhibition in the cortex, producing sparse conjunctive internal representations that support the learning of predictions of future reward. We provide support for this conjecture through computational simulations that compare TD Learning systems with and without lateral inhibition, demonstrating the benefits of sparse conjunctive codes for reinforcement learning.
The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of testicular germ cell tumors.

External beam radiation therapy remains the treatment of choice for clinical stage I and small-volume stage II testicular seminoma. Although chemotherapy remains the primary modality for higher stage disease, localized radiotherapy is often useful for consolidation of persistent masses following chemotherapy, and for palliation. External beam radiotherapy is also used in the treatment of extragonadal seminoma and nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumors.
Visual Representation of Body Shape in African-American and European American Women: Clinical Considerations.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) has been used widely among clinicians to assess obesity in their patients due to its ease and availability. However, BMI has some diagnostic limitations and other measures related to health risks; in particular, body shape may be of greater relevance to health outcomes. Objective: The objective of this study was to illustrate the importance of body shape assessments above and beyond BMI and its relationship to health risk among a sample of African-American and European American women. Methods: African-American and European American women aged 19–78 years (n = 552) in Birmingham, Alabama, were recruited and stratified by menopausal status (ie, pre- or postmenopausal). Pictorial body shapes were derived from digital photographs, while body fat distribution defined by android–gynoid ratio (AGR) and body composition were obtained from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results: Images of BMI and age-matched women illustrate variability in fat distribution. Among both menopausal status groups, more than 50% of women had a pear body shape (AGR < 1). An apple body shape was associated with higher odds of having diabetes (unadjusted odds ratio [OR]: 4.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.9–9.3), hypertension (unadjusted OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 2.0–4.7), and high cholesterol (unadjusted OR: 3.0, 95% CI: 1.8–5.1). Conclusion: Use of visual cues alongside traditional methods of weight status assessment may help to facilitate weight management conversations between physicians and female patients. However, next steps should include the validation of visual assessments of body shape in women for use by physicians.
Bio-monitoring in Western North America: What Can Lichens Tell Us About Ecological Disturbances?

Throughout modern history, many habitats across western North America have faced continuous anthropogenic disturbances. Mining, forestry, agriculture, grazing, industrial and residential development, and air pollution have altered natural habitats to varying degrees. Lichens have been considered ‘a canary in the coalmine’ and can provide important insights into the biological impact of human-related disturbances. Here, we discuss the role of lichens as bio-monitors in the intermountain region of western North America.
Comparison of Phytoplankton Communities in Catfish Split-Pond Aquaculture Systems with Conventional Ponds

AbstractThere has been a growing interest and use of variations of partitioned aquaculture systems (PAS) in recent years by the southeastern U.S. catfish farming industry. Split-pond systems, one type of PAS, are designed to better manage fish waste byproducts (e.g., ammonia) and dissolved oxygen levels than the conventional earthen ponds that have been used by farmers for many decades. Recent studies have focused on design, water flow rates, and other management areas of catfish split-ponds, but so far there has not been a focused examination of phytoplankton community composition and biomass in these split-ponds. In the current study, pond water samples were collected from split-ponds at a research facility in western Mississippi and at a commercial fish farm in western Alabama approximately every 3 weeks during the fish grow-out period (May to November). Water samples were analyzed for chlorophyll a concentration (phytoplankton biomass) of several major phytoplankton divisions and for types of phytopla...
A Technology-Mediated Approach to the Implementation of an Evidence-Based Child Maltreatment Prevention Program.

Implementation of evidence-based parenting programs is critical for parents at-risk for child maltreatment perpetration; however, widespread use of effective programs is limited in both child welfare and prevention settings. This exploratory study sought to examine whether a technology-mediated approach to SafeCare® delivery can feasibly assist newly trained providers in achieving successful implementation outcomes. Thirty-one providers working in child welfare or high-risk prevention settings were randomized to either SafeCare Implementation with Technology-Assistance (SC-TA) or SafeCare Implementation as Usual (SC-IU). SC-TA providers used a web-based program during session that provided video-based psychoeducation and modeling directly to parents and overall session guidance to providers. Implementation outcome data were collected from providers for six months. Data strongly supported the feasibility of SC-TA. Further, data indicated that SC-TA providers spent significantly less time on several activit...
Clinical and Neuroanatomical Characteristics of Individuals with Frontotemporal Dementia and the C9orf72 Repeat Expansion (P6.240)

Objective: To characterize symptom profiles and structural brain changes of individuals with the C9orf72 repeat expansion and bvFTD or FTD-ALS. Background: The C9orf72 repeat expansion is a recently discovered autosomal genetic alteration that is associated with some familial cases of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods: Subjects included 10 individuals with bvFTD or FTD-ALS and the C9orf72 repeat expansion, eight of whom had structural MRIs for analysis. Freesurfer 5.3 was used to process images and extract structural measures using standard workflows. Selected subcortical and cortical regions were compared to those in a set of normal older adults using unpaired two sample t-tests and corrections for multiple comparisons. Single subject cortical thickness maps were also constructed to evaluate regions of atrophy compared to normal older adults, using a generalized linear model. Clinical histories were reviewed regarding criteria for bvFTD and psychotic symptoms. Results: Subcortical volumes including the bilateral thalami, hippocampi, and amygdalae, but not cerebellar cortices, were significantly diminished in subjects (p-adjusted < 0.05). Cortical thickness analyses revealed significant bilateral atrophy most prominent in orbitofrontal, superior frontal, and middle temporal regions. Nine patients satisfied clinical criteria for possible bvFTD, four had delusions, and three had mild auditory hallucinations. Conclusion: In this sample, individuals with the C9orf72 repeat expansion and bvFTD or FTD-ALS demonstrated significant atrophy in subcortical regions and frontotemporal cortices, and had a moderate prevalence of psychotic symptoms, which is atypical for bvFTD but has been described in patients with this genetic alteration. Disclosure: Dr. Padmanabhan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Makaretz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Caso has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kelly has nothing to disclose. Dr. Brickhouse has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lucente has nothing to disclose. Merck, consultant, En Vivo, consultant, Forum (consultant).
Dynamic Substrate Gating in CaMKII by Autophosphorylation

Calcium/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) regulates diverse substrates in cellular processes ranging from metabolism and cell cycle control to calcium homoeostasis, excitable cell activity and plasticity. CaMKII is a multimeric holoenzyme composed of 8–14 subunits from four closely related isoforms (α, β, γ, δ). The calcium sensor CaM binds to a target sequence within the autoregulatory domain (ARD) of each CaMKII subunit. Coincident CaM binding within the holoenzyme supports intersubunit autophosphorylation (T286 α-isoform and T287 β-, γ-, and δ-isoforms) within the ARD; a process enabling calcium-spike frequency encoding in excitable cells. We now show that T287 autophosphorylation tunes substrate phosphorylation to couple the activation state of CaMKII to substrate selectivity. Specifically, unlike high-affinity substrates, weak substrates require T286 autophosphorylation. Substrate switching may allow many of CaMKII substrates with weak non-consensus sites to be coupled to T287 autophosphorylation. The mechanism of this substrate filtering appears linked to the ARD as a catalytic fragment devoid of the ARD (and T286) exhibits broad substrate specificity as seen with T287 autophosphorylation (and phosphomimetic substitutions). Consistently, we find that substrates differential compete for access to the catalytic domain as indicated by differential ARD displacement as measured by associative changes in CaM binding. Graded CaMKII activity/autophosphorylation within the holoenzyme produces differential substrate phosphorylation profiles consistent with calcium-spike frequency encoding. We provide a structural model to explain T287 autophosphorylation-associated regulation of substrate selectivity and hypothesize that calcium-spike frequency encoding into T286 autophosphorylation tunes CaMKII's substrate selectivity to yield diverse cellular responses.
Inflammation as a Mediator of the Association Between Race and Atrial Fibrillation: Results From the Health ABC Study (Health, Aging, and Body Composition)

Abstract Objectives This study sought to determine the degree to which racial differences in atrial fibrillation (AF) risk are explained by differences in inflammation and adiposity. Background Despite having a lower prevalence of established AF risk factors, whites exhibit substantially higher rates of this arrhythmia than blacks. The mechanism underlying this observation is not known. Both inflammation and obesity are risk factors for AF, and adipose tissue is a known contributor to systemic inflammation. Methods Baseline serum inflammatory biomarker concentrations and abdominal adiposity (assessed by computed tomography) were quantified in a subset of black and white participants without prevalent AF in the Health ABC (Health, Aging, and Body Composition) study. Participants were prospectively followed for the diagnosis of AF, using study electrocardiography and Medicare claims data. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the adjusted relative hazard of incident AF between races before and after biomarker adjustment. Results Among 2,768 participants (43% black), 721 participants developed incident AF over a median follow-up of 10.9 years. White race was associated with a heightened adjusted risk of incident AF (HR: 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30 to 1.84, p Conclusions Systemic inflammatory pathways significantly mediate the heightened risk of AF among whites. The higher level of systemic inflammation and concomitant increased AF risk in whites is not explained by racial differences in abdominal adiposity or the presence of other proinflammatory cardiovascular comorbidities.
ATRAZINE RETENTION AND TRANSPORT IN SOILS

As the world’s need for food, feed, and fiber increases, pesticides become as indispensable in agriculture production as fertilizer. In the United States, 62% of the agricultural land is treated with pesticides, of which 69% is herbicides, 19% insecticides, and 12% fungicides (Pimental et al. 1991).
Institutional Confidence in the United States: Attitudes of Secular Americans

The First Amendment to the United States’ Constitution addresses freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. However, the historical influence of religion in laws, policies, and political representation have left secular individuals feeling excluded. At the same time, levels of confidence in social and political institutions in the United States are at an all-time low. This begs the question: Is there a relationship between secularity and confidence in various social and political institutions (e.g. the armed forces, churches, major companies, government, police, and political parties)? This question is examined using data on the United States from the World Values Survey from 1995–2011. While controlling for a range of key demographics, the findings show a negative relationship between secularity and institutional confidence. More specifically, atheists and nonreligious individuals are less likely than those who are religious to have confidence in all six institutions. Based on previous literature and the empirical evidence presented in this study, we argue that overall lower levels of institutional confidence among secular Americans is an outcome of the exclusion of such individuals from American social life. Thus, it highlights the importance of addressing the stereotypes and prejudice that this minority group faces.
Mechanism of signal propagation in Physarum polycephalum

Complex behaviors are typically associated with animals, but the capacity to integrate information and function as a coordinated individual is also a ubiquitous but poorly understood feature of organisms such as slime molds and fungi. Plasmodial slime molds grow as networks and use flexible, undifferentiated body plans to forage for food. How an individual communicates across its network remains a puzzle, but Physarum polycephalum has emerged as a novel model used to explore emergent dynamics. Within P. polycephalum, cytoplasm is shuttled in a peristaltic wave driven by cross-sectional contractions of tubes. We first track P. polycephalum's response to a localized nutrient stimulus and observe a front of increased contraction. The front propagates with a velocity comparable to the flow-driven dispersion of particles. We build a mathematical model based on these data and in the aggregate experiments and model identify the mechanism of signal propagation across a body: The nutrient stimulus triggers the release of a signaling molecule. The molecule is advected by fluid flows but simultaneously hijacks flow generation by causing local increases in contraction amplitude as it travels. The molecule is initiating a feedback loop to enable its own movement. This mechanism explains previously puzzling phenomena, including the adaptation of the peristaltic wave to organism size and P. polycephalum's ability to find the shortest route between food sources. A simple feedback seems to give rise to P. polycephalum's complex behaviors, and the same mechanism is likely to function in the thousands of additional species with similar behaviors.
Multivariate Prediction of Reincarceration

As states continue to rely on parole as a means of easing prison crowding and as political pressure accumulates regarding associated public safety risks (for example, Austin 1986; Hoffman and Stone-Meierhoefer 1979; Petersilia and Turner 1986; Gottfredson and Tonry 1987, among others), prediction of who is more or less likely to recidivate becomes increasingly important, especially in light of the attention being given to selective incapacitation (Blumstein et al. 1983; Greenwood 1983; Greenwood and Abrahamse 1982; von Hirsch and Gottfredson 1983–84; and Klein and Caggiano 1986).
Robotic Lobectomy and Segmentectomy: Technical Details and Results

Robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy can be considered for patients fit for conventional lobectomy. Contraindications include prohibitive lung function or medical comorbidities, multistation N2, gross N2 disease, or evidence of N3 disease. Team training, familiarity with equipment, troubleshooting, and preparation are critical for successful robotic lobectomy. Similar to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy, robotic lobectomy is associated with decreased blood loss, blood transfusion, air leak, chest tube duration, duration of stay, and mortality compared with thoracotomy. Robotic lobectomy offers many of the same benefits in perioperative morbidity and mortality, and the advantages of optics, dexterity, and surgeon ergonomics compared with VATS lobectomy.
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Methods? Methodological Games and Role Play

ABSTRACTIn terms of gamification within political science, some fields—particularly international relations and American politics—have received more attention than others. One of the most underserved parts of the discipline is research methods; a course that, coincidentally, is frequently cited as one that instructors hate to teach and students hate to take. Given the well-documented merits of games in promoting student engagement and the key role of methods as a building block to student understanding of political science, this article attempts to rectify this oversight by introducing three games—Zendo, Murder Mystery, and the Archeologist’s Quandary— geared at teaching key concepts and approaches in research methods.
A Fluidic Alternative to the EM Drive Propulsion Concept: The Orthogonal Fluid Flow Propulsion Concept

A theoretical space propulsion concept in which a system does not lose its ionized propellant is introduced. Due to the fact that no propellant mass is lost by the system, the theoretical propulsion concept is synonymous to a form of propellant less propulsion similarly to the EM Drive. Therefore, a summarization of the EM drive including a brief description of other advances in ion propulsion is given along with a comparison to the new theoretical propulsion concept to be introduced. The orthogonal fluid flow propulsion concept or OFFPC describes orthogonal fluid flows of ionized propellant injected by orthogonal nozzles into an enclosed chamber where the ionized propellant is governed by electric forces generated by the chamber walls and will be mathematically shown to generate thrust. Inevitably, Newton’s third law and momentum conservation are addressed in relation to the OFFPC. Specifically, aerodynamic momentum conservation in a controlled volume system is used to show that the OFFPC obeys momentum conservation after elucidating the role of Newton’s third law within the theoretical system. The capability of a propulsion system incorporating the OFFPC to regenerate a portion of its electric energy (and voltage) similarly to an automobile alternator will be mathematically expressed. Thus, a description of how the system exhausts energy as with any conventional system is given to show that a propulsion system incorporating the OFFPC is not a perpetual motion device. Lastly, a mathematical demonstration of a hypothetical vehicle is given to show quantitative results and theoretical performance figures produced by the OFFPC.
Development of Laryngeal Structure and Function: An Otorhinolaryngology Perspective

The larynx anatomically and functionally is inextricably intertwined with respiratory and digestive physiology and pathophysiology. In the developing human infant, the larynx plays a critical role with respect to swallowing, vocal communication, and active and passive respiration. Dysfunction can be better understood only with a firm understanding of development and function. This contribution of the otorhinolaryngology perspective describes the fundamental laryngeal developmental and comparative anatomy and physiology for the fetus, the infant, and the adult with respect to the interdependence of swallowing and respiration. It touches upon the related dysfunctions and the use of the assessment tools within the trade. It reflects the interdependence of the anatomical, functional, and clinical relationships.
Pamphlets of the Committee on Public Information and the Construction of an American National Identity during World War One: An Event-Frame Analysis

In 1917, the United States was far from a cohesive entity. Using the events surrounding World War One as a natural laboratory to trace the construction of a unified American identity, this article adds to the debate on the political sociology of identity frames and nationalism. Using an event-frame - model to analyze the discourse reflected in pamphlets disseminated by the Wilson administration, I demonstrate how identity frames evolved and increasingly relied on enemy images to strengthen the in-group coherence of American citizens. Thus, paying attention to the political dynamics of frame evolution is crucial in understanding the emergence of salient identities.
Innovation Management: Limits of Planning and New Challenges

In the past, the organization and management of companies concentrated on production. Innovation was assigned to special departments, professional groups and separated from other departments. With innovation management on the other hand, innovation processes are integrated in a company’s organization as a whole. Fundamental principles from the management of industrial production play a key role in this respect: planning, steering and controlling. However, there is a risk that uncertainty and indefiniteness are dispelled from innovation management. Uncertainty and indefiniteness are, however, a fundamental characteristic of innovation. The effort to dispose of them may mean that innovation is not promoted, but impaired and restricted. There is therefore a need for innovation management, which sees the limits of planning not as a shortcoming, but as having a potential to successfully produce innovation and uses them correspondingly.
Limonoids: Structure–Activity Relationship Studies and Anticancer Properties

Abstract Plants have evolved through time and developed numerous defense mechanisms to thwart pests and pathogens for their survival. In order to overcome this innate pressure, plants synthesize unique and diverse molecules. The biochemical synthesis of a vast array of phytochemicals is one such employed mechanisms. There are many classes of compounds with insecticidal and antifeedant activities; limonoids are prime examples of this group. Limonoids are one of the major classes of phytochemicals along with flavonoids, coumarins, and carotenoids in Meliaceae and Rutaceae families. Limonoids are oxygenated triterpenoids derived from a precursor with a furanylsteroid skeleton, which is prone to oxygenation and rearrangement reactions. It has been demonstrated in a number of secondary metabolites, including limonoids, that small changes in basic structure due to chemical transformations would result in significant alterations in their biological activities. A number of biological studies have advanced our understanding of disease prevention properties of limonoids. Due to their ability to suppress cell proliferation and induce apoptosis, limonoids have been investigated for their anticancer properties. The aim of this chapter is to analyze the chemistry, structure–activity relationships, and rational design efforts toward the development of limonoid analogs as potential anticancer molecules.
Liquid Fuel Nonpremixed Swirl-Type Tubular Flame Burner

Tubular flames represent a class of canonical systems considered both in fundamental and applied studies in combustion science. The present study examines experimentally a newly developed variation...
Correlation Between Corrosion Behavior of Steel and Atmospheric Pollution Data

Specimens of an enameling steel were exposed at 57 sites of the National Air Sampling Network (NASN). Weight losses for one and two years of exposure at each site were determined. Available climatic data were collected and average relative humidities and average temperatures were calculated. Average levels of pollutants were determined from collected NASN data. The pollutants of interest were gaseous sulfur dioxide, total suspended particulate, sulfate in suspended particulate, and nitrate in suspended particulate. Multiple linear regression and nonlinear curve fitting techniques were used to analyze the relationship between corrosion behavior of this steel and the collected atmospheric data. The resulting best empirical function has the form: cor = a 0 √1 e [ a ] s n t a 2 /RH] where cor = depth of corrosion, μm t = time, years sul = average level of sulfate in suspended particulate (μg/m 3 ) or average level of sulfur dioxide (μg/m 3 ) RH = average relative humidity According to statistical analysis, differences in average temperature, average total suspended particulate, and average nitrate in suspended particulate caused insignificant changes in this steel's corrosion behavior. Sulfur dioxide was a significant variable only when sulfate in suspended particulate was not included in the regression analysis. The levels of these two pollutants generally change together from site to site (exhibit a high degree of covariance). Therefore, sulfate in suspended particulate may be a substitute variable for sulfur dioxide.
Endothelium-Derived Relaxing Factor (EDRF)

Recent investigations have greatly improved our understanding of the chemical nature of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and the regulation and metabolic pathway of its production. EDRF is a potent but labile relaxing factor with a biologic half-life of between 6.3 and 50 seconds in an oxygenated aqueous medium.1,2 The production of EDRF from the endothelium requires an increase in intracellular calcium.3,6 Following its production and release from the endothelial cell, EDRF is transferred to the vascular smooth muscle (VSM) where it activates soluble guanylate cyclase resulting in an increase in smooth muscle cyclic GMP concentration, which correlates with its relaxing action.7–13 Extremes of both high and low oxygen tension inhibit the production or stability of EDRF.14–15 Early investigations into the chemical nature of EDRF implicated an unstable, non-prostanoid oxidation product of arachidonic acid or some type of free radical.1,16–18 A great deal of recent evidence, however, suggests that EDRF is nitric oxide or a similar nitrogen oxide species.19–29 EDRF can be formed from L-arginine by a pathway involving a calcium-, calmodulin-and NADPH-dependent enzyme.30–39 EDRF synthesis has now been described in a wide range of cell types in addition to the endothelium, and indeed EDRF may be the second messenger responsible for the activation of guanylate cyclase in most cells containing the enzyme.34,35,38–43 This manuscript will present data from our laboratory which support these and other pharmacologic characteristics of EDRF.
Gender Differences in Psycho-Social-Spiritual Healing.

Abstract Background: Many individuals exhibit significant distress in response to serious and/or life-limiting illness. However, there are others who make life-transforming changes, which involve h...
Une archéologie des provinces septentrionales du royaume Kongo

It has been unfortunate that the kingdom of Kongo, one of Africa’s best known and best documented pre-colonial states, should not have been subjected to intensive archaeological work. However, asid...
Performance analysis of deep learning workloads using roofline trajectories

Over the last decade, technologies derived from convolutional neural networks (CNNs) called Deep Learning applications, have revolutionized fields as diverse as cancer detection, self-driving cars, virtual assistants, etc. However, many users of such applications are not experts in Machine Learning itself. Consequently, there is limited knowledge among the community to run such applications in an optimized manner. The performance question for Deep Learning applications has typically been addressed by employing bespoke hardware (e.g., GPUs) better suited for such compute-intensive operations. However, such a degree of performance is only accessibly at increasingly high financial costs leaving only big corporations and governments with resources sufficient enough to employ them at a large scale. As a result, an average user is only left with access to commodity clusters with, in many cases, only CPUs as the sole processing element. For such users to make effective use of resources at their disposal, concerted efforts are necessary to figure out optimal hardware and software configurations. This study is one such step in this direction as we use the Roofline model to perform a systematic analysis of representative CNN models and identify opportunities for black box and application-aware optimizations. Using the findings from our study, we are able to obtain up to 3.5$$\times$$ speedup compared to vanilla TensorFlow with default configurations.
Author's Reply to “Reader's Response to ‘Providing Health Insurance for All: What We Can Learn From Massachusetts’”

Dear Ms. Clement: Your point about the focus of the Massachusetts Health Plan on improving coverage rather than attacking all of the ills of the health system is certainly a valid one.[1] There are, however, a number of features of the plan that should help to improve quality and efficiency. First, the Commonwealth Care Connector should obtain insurance coverage at a premium that is lower than individuals could obtain on their own. The pooling mechanism and purchasing power of a state entity show substantial promise, but of course this will need to be monitored over time. Second, the subsidies to make coverage affordable for those with incomes below 3 times the federal poverty level should go a long way to making health coverage affordable for many working families. Again, this will need to be monitored to see whether the reality meets the rhetoric. Current estimates are that premiums would range from $30 to $150 a month, depending on income – less than half what individuals could expect to pay for coverage currently. Third, the enabling legislation established a Cost and Quality Council with an Advisory Group that is charged with implementing quality and cost metrics, and making information by providers publicly available on a Web site. Additional steps may indeed be needed to align the financial incentives of hospitals and physicians to reward greater quality and efficiency. Some of the major purchasers in Massachusetts are beginning to introduce these forms of “pay for performance” in their payment contracts. The Massachusetts plan may not be perfect, or achieve the lowest possible administrative cost, but it is a pragmatic step forward that greatly improves coverage for those who are uninsured. Holding the uninsured hostage while waiting for the perfect solution is unacceptable at a time when barriers to access to care and financial burdens from high medical bills for the uninsured and underinsured are growing and serious problems. Readers are encouraged to respond to George Lundberg, MD, Editor of MedGenMed, for the editor's eye only or for possible publication via email: ten.epacsdem@grebdnulg