cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Changes to TMT Wealth on Resource Allocation Decisions

This paper examines the impact of the change in top managements’ firm- specific wealth on two distinct resource allocation decisions that have different risk profiles and payoff horizons--R&D and c...
Alalysis of malachite green and crystal violet residues in freshwater fishes in Hubei Province

Objective To understand the Malachite green and cyrstal violet residues in freshwater fishes in Hubei province.Methods 180 Samples were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with fluorescence detector.Results Malachite Green and Crystal Violet were found in 22 freshwater fishes(12.2%) and 1 freshwater fish(0.6%) respectively.Conclusions Malachite Green and Crystal Violet were found in some of the freshwater fishes.The monitor of malachite green and crystal violet in freshwater fishes during culture,transportation and storage should be promoted.
Apnea of infancy and childhood

Apnea of infancy and obstructive sleep apnea in older children are being more widely recognized as potential causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Much controversy exists surrounding the relationship of apnea of infancy to SIDS and the treatment of apnea in infancy, particularly home monitoring. Obstructive sleep apnea in older children is somewhat better defined, and therapy is generally more definitive.
Effects of coronary perfusion during myocardial hypoxia. Comparison of metabolic and hemodynamic events with global ischemia and hypoxemia.

The effects of metabolic accumulation on myocardial metabolism during global heart oxygen deprivation were evaluated in a working in situ swine heart preparation with controlled total coronary blood flow. Myocardial oxygen consumption was depressed to a similar extent by either reducing total coronary flow 60 per cent (ischemia, low coronary perfusion) in 10 swine or by decreasing coronary perfusate Po2 to 30 mm. Hg at normal coronary flows (hypoxemia, high coronary perfusion) in 13 swine. Compared with findings in 13 control hearts, ischemia significantly (p
Orthoptic Treatment of Surgical Overcorrection

(1976). Orthoptic Treatment of Surgical Overcorrection. American Orthoptic Journal: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 11-13.
Struggle in the Rimlands: Southeast Asia, 1945–46

As the Council of Foreign Ministers began discussing the course of post-war Europe, first in London and then later in Paris, the sessions became a prototype for marathon diplomacy which tested the skill and stamina of all participants. The public and private jousting, the jostling and posturing, the numbing task of trying to string together disparate agreements which set boundaries, delimited reparations, redistributed military and economic assets, debated provisional governance, and considered options for colonial trusteeships — all this steadily bled the international forum of credibility and hope. ‘Let not us who fought on freedom’s side forget how near the shadows we came’, said Secretary Byrnes at the Paris Peace Conference. ‘We must never accept any disagreement as final.’ Only through ‘great co-operative effort’, he said, could the nations assembled stamp out the virus of ‘militant totalitarian nationalism’, a stubborn organism which could still breed in a culture of ‘famine, disease, and social disruption’.1 Such phrases, while sonorous, played to inattentive heads by the time they were spoken in the summer of 1946. Who, after all, had fought on freedom’s side? Surely not everyone. Was one totalitarian dictatorship as systemically distorted and dangerous as another? Was one capitalist system as exploitative, grasping and hegemonic as another? Disputes and stereotypes multiplied exponentially: naive Americans, weary and cynical Europeans, machine-like Soviet apparatchiks.
The Banach-Tarski Paradox: The Role of the Axiom of Choice

In this final chapter, we give a more detailed account of the role played by the Axiom of Choice (AC) in the theory of paradoxical decompositions. Ever since its discovery, the Banach-Tarski Paradox has caused many mathematicians to look critically at the Axiom of Choice. Indeed, as soon as the Hausdorff Paradox was discovered it was challenged because of its use of AC; E. Borel [21, p. 256] objected because the choice set was not explicitly defined. We shall discuss these criticisms in more detail later in this chapter, but first we deal with several technical points that are essential to understanding the connection between AC and the Banach-Tarski Paradox. Results of modern set theory can be used to show that AC is indeed necessary to obtain the Banach-Tarski Paradox, in the sense that the paradox is not a theorem of ZF alone. Before we can explain why this is so we need to introduce some notation and discuss some technical points of set theory. If T is a collection of sentences in the language of set theory, for example, T = ZF or T = ZF + AC, then Con (T) is the assertion, also a statement of set theory in fact, that T is consistent, that is, that a contradiction cannot be derived from T using the usual methods of proof. We take Con(ZF) as an underlying assumption in all that follows. Godel proved in 1938 that Con(ZF) implies (and so is equivalent to) Con(ZF + AC); thus AC does not contradict ZF (see [98, 99]).
Objective, but Not Subjective, Sleepiness is Associated with Inflammation in Sleep Apnea.

Study objectives Objective and subjective measures of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) are only weakly associated. No study, however, has examined whether these two measures of EDS differ in terms of underlying mechanisms and prognostic value. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, that is, interleukin-6 (IL-6) appear to promote sleepiness/fatigue, while the stress hormone cortisol promotes vigilance. We hypothesized that objective sleepiness is associated with increased levels of IL-6 and decreased levels of cortisol. Methods We studied 58 obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients with clinical EDS and/or cardiovascular comorbidities who underwent 8-hour in-lab polysomnography for four consecutive nights. Objective and subjective daytime sleepiness were measured by Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), respectively. Twenty-four-hour profiles of IL-6 and cortisol levels were assessed on the fourth day. Results The agreement between objective and subjective EDS in OSA patients was fair (kappa = 0.22). Objective EDS (lower MSLT) in OSA patients was associated with significantly elevated 24-hour (β = -0.34, p = .01), daytime (β = -0.30, p = .02) and nighttime (β = -0.38, p < .01) IL-6 levels, and significantly decreased daytime (β = 0.35, p = .01) cortisol levels. In contrast, subjective EDS (higher ESS/SSS) was not associated with either elevated IL-6 levels or decreased cortisol levels. Conclusions Our findings suggest that OSA with objective EDS is the more severe phenotype of the disorder associated with low-grade inflammation, a link to cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality. Compared to subjective EDS, objective EDS is a stronger predictor of OSA severity and may be useful in the clinical management of the disorder.
Resting state fMRI data analysis using support vector machines

Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) aims to measure baseline neuronal connectivity independent of functional tasks. Most existing network detection methods rely on a fixed threshold to identify functionally connected voxels under the resting state. Due to fMRI non-stationarity, a fixed threshold cannot adapt to inter-session and inter-subject variation. In this work, a new method is proposed for resting state fMRI data analysis. Specifically, the resting state network mapping is formulated as an outlier detection process that is implemented using one-class support vector machine (SVM). The results are refined by using a spatial-feature domain prototype selection method and two-class SVM reclassification. The final decision on each voxel is made by comparing its probabilities of functionally connected and unconnected. The proposed method was evaluated using synthetic and experimental fMRI data. A comparison study was also performed with independent component analysis (ICA) and correlation analysis. The experimental results show that the proposed method can provide comparable or better network detection performance than ICA and correlation analysis. The method is potentially applicable to various resting state quantitative fMRI studies.
Copper toxicity response influences mesotrophic Synechococcus community structure

Picocyanobacteria from the genus Synechococcus are ubiquitous in ocean waters. Their phylogenetic and genomic diversity suggests ecological niche differentiation, but the selective forces influencing this are not well defined. Marine picocyanobacteria are sensitive to Cu toxicity, so adaptations to this stress could represent a selective force within, and between, 'species', also known as clades. Here, we compared Cu stress responses in cultures and natural populations of marine Synechococcus from two co-occurring major mesotrophic clades (I and IV). Using custom microarrays and proteomics to characterize expression responses to Cu in the lab and field, we found evidence for a general stress regulon in marine Synechococcus. However, the two clades also exhibited distinct responses to copper. The Clade I representative induced expression of genomic island genes in cultures and Southern California Bight populations, while the Clade IV representative downregulated Fe-limitation proteins. Copper incubation experiments suggest that Clade IV populations may harbour stress-tolerant subgroups, and thus fitness tradeoffs may govern Cu-tolerant strain distributions. This work demonstrates that Synechococcus has distinct adaptive strategies to deal with Cu toxicity at both the clade and subclade level, implying that metal toxicity and stress response adaptations represent an important selective force for influencing diversity within marine Synechococcus populations.
Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring for Adult Patients Undergoing Posterior Spinal Fusion

Background Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) are frequently used to monitor neurologic function during spinal deformity surgery. The sensitivity and specificity of intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) in patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) is debatable. Methods A retrospective review of all patients undergoing PSF with IONM from October 2008 to December 2012 was performed. Factors including sex, operative time, and spinal levels of posterior fusion were analyzed as risk factors for intraoperative alerts. Results A total of 784 consecutive patients who underwent PSF with IONM without any baseline deficits were analyzed. Patients included 45% men (n = 356) and 55% women (n = 428), with a mean age of 56 years. The mean procedure time was 7 hours. Intraoperative alerts were noted for 3.3% (n = 26) of patients. In this cohort, the average number of levels involved per procedure was approximately 7, ranging from 1 to 16 levels. Of all the spinal levels, the cervicothoracic region had the highest incidence of intraoperative alerts (6 of 97 cervicothoracic cases, P = 0.06). Among these patients, age ( P = 0.32), sex ( P = 0.66), and procedure time ( P = 0.63) were not predictive factors. Four out of 26 (15%) patients had neurologic deficits despite surgeon intervention after neuromonitoring alerts. Conclusions SSEP and MEP changes occurred in 3.3% of patients undergoing PSF, with the highest incidence at the cervicothoracic level. Twenty-three out of 26 patients with intraoperative neuromonitoring changes had improvements in IONM signals after interventions during surgery. Further studies using larger patient numbers may be useful in establishing the utility of neuromonitoring in PSF.
Matrix-free algorithm for the optimization of multidisciplinary systems

Multidisciplinary engineering systems are usually modeled by coupling software components that were developed for each discipline independently. The use of disparate solvers complicates the optimization of multidisciplinary systems and has been a long-standing motivation for optimization architectures that support modularity. The individual discipline feasible (IDF) formulation is particularly attractive in this respect. IDF achieves modularity by introducing optimization variables and constraints that effectively decouple the disciplinary solvers during each optimization iteration. Unfortunately, the number of variables and constraints can be significant, and the IDF constraint Jacobian required by most conventional optimization algorithms is prohibitively expensive to compute. Furthermore, limited-memory quasi-Newton approximations, commonly used for large-scale problems, exhibit linear convergence rates that can struggle with the large number of design variables introduced by the IDF formulation. In this work, we show that these challenges can be overcome using a reduced-space inexact-Newton-Krylov algorithm. The proposed algorithm avoids the need for the explicit constraint Jacobian and Hessian by using a Krylov iterative method to solve the Newton steps. The Krylov method requires matrix-vector products, which can be evaluated in a matrix-free manner using second-order adjoints. The Krylov method also needs to be preconditioned, and a key contribution of this work is a novel and effective preconditioner that is based on approximating a monolithic solution of the (linearized) multidisciplinary system. We demonstrate the efficacy of the algorithm by comparing it with the popular multidisciplinary feasible formulation on two test problems.
Putting powerfulness in its place: a study on discursive style in public discussion and its impact

This study examines discursive style exhibited in public issue discussion groups and its impact on perceived learning and respect. Specifically, we examined powerful style, measured by the level of...
The Impact of Upside and Downside Risk on Expected Stock Returns: Across Firm Size and Value Measures

We investigate the relation between various alternative risk measures and future daily returns using a sample of firms over the 1988-2009 time period. Previous research indicates that returns are not normally distributed and that investors seem to care more about downside risk than total risk. Motivated by these findings and the lack of research on upside risk, we model the relation between future returns and risk measures and investigate the following questions: Are investors compensated for total risk? Is the compensation for downside risk different than the compensation for upside risk? and which measure of risk (i.e., upside, downside, or total) is most important to investors? We find that, although investors seem to be compensated for total risk, measures of downside risk, such as the lower partial moment, better explain future returns. Further, when downside and upside risk are modeled simultaneously, investors seem to care only about downside risk. Our findings are robust to the addition of control variables, including prior returns, size, book-to-market ratio of equity (B/M), and leverage. We also find evidence of short-run mean reversals in daily returns. Our findings are important because we document a positive risk-return relationship, using both total and downside risk measures; however, we find that investors are concerned more with downside risk than total risk.
Statistical significance of CP violation in long baseline neutrino experiments

Abstract The p -value or statistical significance of a CP conservation null hypothesis test is determined from counting electron neutrino and antineutrino appearance oscillation events. The statistical estimates include cases with background events and different data sample sizes, graphical plots to interpret results and methods to combine p-values from different experiments. These estimates are useful for optimizing the search for CP violation with different amounts of neutrino and antineutrino beam running, comparing results from different experiments and for simple cross checks of more elaborate statistical estimates that use likelihood fitting of neutrino parameters.
Is It Time to Revisit Prenatal HIV Testing Laws

A review of the current standards for HIV testing in pregnant women and an argument for opt-out testing. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Exercise and psychoneuroimmunology

It is widely recognized that the practice of exercise affects both the mind and physical health. Physical exercise influences the complex interrelationship between the nervous system and the immune system. Studies of exercise in the context of psychoneuroimmunology show that exercise may interact with psychosocial factors to influence immune response, or exercise may exhibit independent effects on immunity, likely through different mechanisms. The influence of exercise on emotional health may also be viewed within the framework of psychoneuroimmunology, and evidence supports a role of the immune system in linking exercise and emotional health.
Peacebuilding in Korea Through Minjung Art: Struggle for Justice and Peace

In his essay on “Peacebuilding Through Minjung Art”, Kim demonstrates how visual art, especially woodcuts and murals, do not take place in a cultural, religious or artistic vacuum. Kim’s analysis of the role of Minjung Art in peacebuilding is enriched by his discussion of related poetry and practical protests, highlighting the importance of promoting justice in order to bring peace. Kim reflects on the mural (1983) and wood block (1987) Dreaming of Reunification, and considers how visual arts can imagine hoped for forms of peace.
A Symptom-Based Rule for Diagnosis of COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-19 PCR testing has a turn-around time that makes it impractical for real-time decision-making, and current point-of-care tests have limited sensitivity, with frequent false negatives. The study objective was to develop a clinical prediction rule to use with a point-of-care test to diagnose COVID-19 in symptomatic outpatients. A standardized clinical questionnaire was administered prior to SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing. Data was extracted by a physician blinded to the result status. Individual symptoms were combined into 326 unique clinical phenotypes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of COVID-19, from which a weighted clinical prediction rule was developed, to yield stratified likelihood ratios for varying scores. A retrospective cohort of 120 SARS-CoV-2-positive cases and 120 SARS-CoV-2-negative matched controls among symptomatic outpatients in a Connecticut HMO was used for rule development. A temporally distinct cohort of 40 cases was identified for validation of the rule. Clinical phenotypes independently associated with COVID-19 by multivariable logistic regression include loss of taste or smell (olfactory phenotype, 2 points) and fever and cough (febrile respiratory phenotype, 1 point). Wheeze or chest tightness (reactive airways phenotype, - 1 point) predicted non-COVID-19 respiratory viral infection. The AUC of the model was 0.736 (0.674-0.798). Application of a weighted C19 rule yielded likelihood ratios for COVID-19 diagnosis for varying scores ranging from LR 15.0 for 3 points to LR 0.1 for - 1 point. Using a Bayesian diagnostic approach, combining community prevalence with the evidence-based C19 rule to adjust pretest probability, clinicians can apply a point of care test with limited sensitivity across a range of clinical scenarios to differentiate COVID-19 infection from influenza and respiratory viral infection.
Possible Effects on VA Outpatient Care of Expanding Medicaid: Implications of Having Access to Overlapping Publicly Funded Health Care Services.

Background Because veterans who use Veterans Health Administration (VA) health care retain VA eligibility while enrolling in Medicaid, increasing Medicaid eligibility may create improved health system access but also create unique challenges for the quality and coordination of health care for veterans. We analyze how pre-Affordable Care Act (ACA) state Medicaid expansions influence VA and Medicaid-funded outpatient care utilization. Materials and methods This study uses Difference-in-difference analysis to evaluate association between pre-ACA 2001 Medicaid expansions and VA utilization in a natural experiment. Veterans aged 18-64 years living in a study state during the study period were the participants. Dependent variables included participants' proportion of outpatient care received at the VA, whether a participant recorded care with both Medicaid and the VA, and total outpatient utilization. We analyzed changes between two states that expanded Medicaid in 2001 against three similar states that did not from 1999 to 2006. We adjusted for age, non-White race, gender, disease burden, and distance to VA facilities. This study was approved by the Baylor College of Medicine Institutional Review Board (IRB), protocol number H-40441. Results In total, 346,364 VA-enrolled veterans lived in the five study states during the time of our study, 70,987 of whom were enrolled in Medicaid for at least 1 month. For low-income veterans, Medicaid expansion was associated with a 2.88 percentage-point decline in the VA proportion of outpatient services (99% CI -3.26 to -2.49), and a 2.07-point increase (1.80 to 2.35) in the percentage of patients using both VA and Medicaid services. Results also showed small increases in total (VA plus Medicaid) annual per-capita outpatient visits among low-income veterans. We estimate that this corresponds to an annual reduction of 80,338 VA visits across study states (66,155-94,521). Conclusions This study shows usage shifts when Medicaid expansion allows veterans to gain access to non-VA care. It highlights increased potential for care-coordination challenges among VA patients as states implement ACA Medicaid expansion and policymakers consider additional public health insurance options, as well as programs like CHOICE and the MISSION Act that increase veteran choices of traditional VA and community care providers.
CPT1A and fatty acid β-oxidation are essential for tumor cell growth and survival in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

Chromosome 11q13-14 amplification is a defining feature of high-risk hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer; however, the mechanism(s) by which this amplicon contributes to breast tumorigenesis remains unclear. In the current study, proteogenomic analyses of >3000 breast tumors from the TCGA, METABRIC and CPTAC studies demonstrated that carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), which is localized to this amplicon, is overexpressed at the mRNA and protein level in aggressive luminal tumors, strongly associated with indicators of tumor proliferation and a predictor of poor prognosis. In vitro genetic studies demonstrated that CPT1A is required for and can promote luminal breast cancer proliferation, survival, as well as colony and mammosphere formation. Since CPT1A is the rate-limiting enzyme during fatty acid oxidation (FAO), our data indicate that FAO may be essential for these tumors. Pharmacologic inhibition of FAO prevented in vitro and in vivo tumor growth and cell proliferation as well as promoted apoptosis in luminal breast cancer cells and orthotopic xenograft tumor models. Collectively, our data establish an oncogenic role for CPT1A and FAO in HR+ luminal tumors and provide preclinical evidence and rationale supporting further investigation of FAO as a potential therapeutic opportunity for the treatment of HR+ breast cancer.
Preoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Computerized Adaptive Testing (PROMIS CAT) Scores Predict Achievement of Minimum Clinically Important Difference Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using an Anchor-Based Methodology

Purpose To determine the change in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Computerized Adaptive Testing (PROMIS CAT) scores for physical function, pain interference, and depression that constitute minimum clinically important difference (MCID) using an anchor-based technique and to identify pre-operative clinical thresholds in anchor-based MCID that predict likelihood of achieving MCID following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods Adult patients aged 18 years or older undergoing ACL reconstruction that completed both preoperative and postoperative PROMIS CAT assessments and an anchor-based questionnaire were identified over a 23-month period. Anchor-based MCID was determined for PROMIS CAT forms for physical function (PROMIS PF CAT), pain interference (PROMIS PI CAT), and depression (PROMIS D CAT). Results A total of 137 patients were included for statistical analysis, with pre-operative PROMIS CAT forms completed 27.9 ± 31.2 days before surgery and 492.5 ± 219.9 days postoperatively on average. Statistically significant improvements were observed for all PROMIS CAT domains. PROMIS PF CAT improved from 39.5 ± 8.2 to 55.0 ± 9.7 (P ± 7.2 to 48.2 ± 8.3 (P ± 8.8 to 41.5 ± 8.6 (P 65.7 cutoff score), and 83% (>57.5 cutoff score), respectively. Conclusions According to anchor-based analysis of PROMIS CAT MCID, ACL reconstruction is effective in improving physical function, pain interference, and depression symptoms. In addition, preoperative PROMIS CAT scores can predict the likelihood of achieving MCID postoperatively. Level of Evidence Level IV, prognostic case series.
Value of Peritoneal Drain Placement After Total Gastrectomy for Gastric Adenocarcinoma: A Multi-institutional Analysis from the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative

The effect of routine drainage after abdominal surgery with enteric anastomoses is controversial. In particular, the role of peritoneal drain (PD) placement after total gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma is not well established. Patients who underwent total gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) at seven institutions from the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative, from 2000 to 2012, were identified. The association of PD placement with postoperative outcomes was analyzed. Overall, 344 patients were identified and 253 (74 %) patients received a PD. The anastomotic leak rate was 9 %. Those with PD placement had similar American Society of Anesthesiologists score, tumor size, TNM stage, and the need for additional organ resection when compared with their counterparts. No difference was observed in the rate of any complication (54 vs. 48 %; p = 0.45), major complication (25 vs. 24 %; p = 0.90), or 30-day mortality (7 vs. 4 %; p = 0.51) between the two groups. In addition, no difference in anastomotic leak (9 vs. 10 %; p = 0.90), the need for secondary drainage (10 vs. 9 %; p = 0.92), or reoperation (13 vs. 8 %; p = 0.28) was identified. On multivariate analysis, PD placement was not associated with decreased postoperative complications. Subset analysis, stratified by patients who did not undergo concomitant pancreatectomy (n = 319) or those who experienced anastomotic leak (n = 31), similarly demonstrated no association of PD placement with reduced complications or mortality. PD placement after total gastrectomy for GAC is associated with neither a decrease in the frequency and severity of adverse postoperative outcomes, including anastomotic leak and mortality, nor a decrease in the need for secondary drainage procedures or reoperation. Routine use of PDs is not warranted.
Safety in Transportation: The Role of Government

We can be too safe. Achieving safety costs us time and other scarce resources. For example, if all transportation vehicles were restricted to speeds of one mile per hour, there would be a marked decrease in the accident rate, but few people would find they were better off than they are at present. A good transportation mode is one that gets me to my destination quickly, cheaply, and safely. In general, one attribute can be bettered only by worsening another-that is, additional safety is available only by trading for it higher cost or slower speed. Safety is a scarce resource. To allocate this resource optimally, two basic questions must be answered. What level of safety should we be seeking? (How safe should we be?) What is the least costly way of achieving this level? (In what ways can we buy safety most cheaply?) Transportation safety results from the interaction between passenger, government, law, and the insurance system.1 The unique role each plays in optimizing transportation safety is the subject of this paper. Particular emphasis is given to automobile safety, and the ultimate objective is to identify analytically the proper role of government fiat and regulation in accomplishing society's safety goals. The paper begins with a discussion of concepts used in the subsequent analysis. There follows a consideration of transportation safety in a society with no liability laws and no government controls on transportation but in which the individual can insure himself against certain risks. In such a society, insurance has a somewhat remarkable role, although chaos is the rule. In the next section liability laws are introduced. With liability laws and insurance, individuals are encouraged to act in such a way that a more nearly optimal level of transportation safety is reached. However, as shown in the analysis, there are many practical and theoretical reasons why relying on the market alone, including the legal system and insurance incentives, will not bring society to an optimal level of safety. Thus, the discussion moves on to the ways in which government action might be appropriate to improve or even to replace the operation of market forces as a means of achieving particular safety
Agroecología del sistema de aboneras en el litoral atlántico de Honduras

El presente estudio constituye un esfuerzo inicial para proveer informacion basica sobre el funcionamiento del sistema de aboneras. Se discuten en este trabajo algunos de los mecanismos biologicos que forman la base del sistema de aboneras, especialmente los relacionados con la dinamica de nutrimentos. Tambien estan analizadas algunas tendencias a largo plazo de la fertilidad quimica y fisica de los suelos. La metodologia empleada esta basada sobre el uso de cronosecuencias que aprovechan la variabilidad de fechas de adopcion de la rotacion para detectar cambios a largo plazo en el sistema de aboneras. Tambien contempla trabajar a nivel de pendientes uniformes, escogidas en las parcelas de los agricultores y que son sujetas a un monitoreo dinamico a lo largo del ciclo del maiz. Despues de describir brevemente el sistema de aboneras, se analizan las varias fracciones (“pools”) que participan en la dinamica de nutrimentos a lo largo del ano, la acumulacion y mineralizacion de la biomasa de mucuna, asi como la dinamica del N-mineral en el perfil del suelo. Esto permite entender mejor la respuesta del maiz a aplicaciones limitadas de nitrogeno. El sistema de aboneras es demasiado especifico como para extrapolarlo a otras regiones de Centro America. Las propiedades quimicas y fisicas de los suelos se han mejorado, debido probablemente a la accion multiforme del “mulch” de mucuna mantenido sobre el suelo por 12 anos.
The Gift-Giver as Social Deviant: Recipient Perceptions of a Monetary Gift

Over a decade ago, Heckert and Heckert (2002) proposed a model of norm violation that identified four deviance typologies: negative deviance, rate busting, deviance admiration, and positive deviance. Using that model, 51 narrative accounts provided by 29 student volunteers were analyzed in which volunteers recollected their first-hand experiences of offering a small monetary gift to both an acquaintance and a stranger. As called for by Heckert and Heckert (2002), our findings provide additional theoretical insights into these deviance typologies by considering the situational contexts under which the actions of the gift-givers were perceived as positive or negative by recipients.
Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Bacteria Treated with Toluene

Escherichia coli and Bacillus megaterium rendered permeable to ribonucleoside triphosphates by toluene treatment retain the capacity to synthesize discrete ribonucleic acid species.
Artificial neural networks versus natural neural networks: a connectionist paradigm for preference assessment

Abstract Preference is an essential ingredient in all decision processes. This paper presents a new connectionist paradigm for preference assessment in a general multicriteria decision setting. A general structure of an artificial neural network for representing two specified prototypes of preference structures is discussed. An interactive preference assessment procedure and an autonomous learning algorithm based on a novel scheme of supervised learning are proposed. Operating characteristics of the proposed paradigm are also illustrated through detailed results of numerical simulations.
A theory and implementation of smooth conditional maps

This article demonstrates the visual power of continuous smoothing and slicing of multivariate maps, through an example relating the rates of screening tests to colon cancer rates. A new theoretical result provides legitimacy and understanding by demonstrating how the conditional maps are related to the usual single smoothed choropleth map of colon cancer rates.
Pharmacological Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

Pharmacological therapy for multiple sclerosis includes those aimed at resolution of acute inflammatory relapses of MS, and those for chronic prevention of relapses and new inflammatory MRI lesions. High doses of corticosteroids are the gold standard treatment for resolving acute relapses but, occasionally, therapeutic plasma exchange is used for severe, corticosteroid-resistant relapses. Type one beta interferons and glatiramer acetate are the standard chronic immunomodulatory treatments for relapse prevention. Mitoxantrone is a chemotherapy agent used mainly in treatment resistant cases and novel monoclonal antibodies such as natalizumab is now reapproved for MS treatment. Innovative uses of medications currently approved for other medical indications are being also pursued as potential MS treatments. Keywords: beta interferon; glatiramer acetate; mitoxantrone; natalizumab; alemtuzumb; plasma exchange
Algorithm-based decision rules to safely reduce laboratory test ordering

PURPOSE: Our study develops decision rules to define appropriate intervals at which repeat tests might be indicated for commonly ordered laboratory tests for hospitalized patients. METHODS: The final data set includes 5,632 adult patients admitted to the University of Virginia Hospital between July 1995 and December 1999. These patients had a hospital length of stay of five days or more and had results recorded for three routinely ordered laboratory tests for each of the first five days of their hospitalization. We use the serum potassium test to illustrate our algorithmbased decision rule methodology. RESULTS: Our decision rule begins with testing on the first two days of hospitalization and allows for repeat testing after observation of any non-normal values. The results show that the algorithm-based decision rule would lead to a 34% reduction for serum potassium tests for the first five days of hospitalization. Only one out of the 5,632 patients in our sample had a critical value that occurred only on a non-test day and, thus, was missed by the algorithm. CONCLUSIONS: The algorithm results are encouraging. We demonstrate that the number of tests can be reduced while missing critical values in only a small fraction of patients. Testing algorithms such as these can be used to reduce laboratory test ordering without compromising the quality of patient care.
Bacterial Otitis Externa in the Guinea-pig Model

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a guinea-pig model of bacterial otitis externa. Otitis externa is also known as "swimmer's ear", and it is a common problem treated by primary-care practitioners and otolaryngologists. Acute bacterial otitis externa is usually caused by Pseudomonas, but sometimes Proteus, Klebsiella, or Escherichia coli are also involved. In this model, Hartley guinea pigs with an average weight of 300 g are used. Any strain of guinea pig can be used, but the size should be large enough to allow examination of the external ear canal, which is quite tortuous in the guinea-pig. It is important to ensure that the guinea pigs are examined and made free of middle and external ear infections prior to the experiment. A surgery is performed to transfer infection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a human with known otitis externa into a guinea pig external ear canal to develop an external otitis in the guinea pig. This allows experimental manipulations in accordance with different treatment regimens. The guinea pigs are anesthetized with an intramuscular injection of ketamine hydrochloride (35 mg/kg) and xylazine hydrochloride (7 mg/kg). Ketamine and xylazine hydrochloride in combination provide a short period of anesthesia, which is enough to allow cleaning of the ear canals and inoculation of the ears with bacteria. The ear canal of each guinea pig is mechanically cleaned with the use of suction and cotton wrapped about the Lathbury probe, and inoculated with a washed suspension of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Otitis externa infection is evidenced by the presence of purulent debris in the ear canal, erythema (redness), and edema (swelling) of the ear canal skin. Otitis externa, when treated, shows gradual resolution of the various signs of infection, with edema being the last parameter to resolve.
Open world face recognition with credibility and confidence measures

This paper describes a novel framework for the Open World face recognition problem, where one has to provide for the Reject option. Based upon algorithmic randomness and transduction, a particular form of induction, we describe the TCM-kNN (Transduction Confidence Machine - kNearest Neighbor) algorithm for Open World face recognition. The algorithm proposed performs much better than PCA and is comparable with Fisherfaces. In addition to recognition and rejection, the algorithm can assign credibility ("likelihood") and confidence ("lack of ambiguity") measures with the identification decisions taken.
Membrane‐Type 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase Downregulates Fibroblast Growth Factor‐2 Binding to the Cell Surface and Intracellular Signaling

Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP, MMP-14), a transmembrane proteinase with an extracellular catalytic domain and a short cytoplasmic tail, degrades extracellular matrix components and controls diverse cell functions through proteolytic and non-proteolytic interactions with extracellular, intracellular, and transmembrane proteins. Here we show that in tumor cells MT1-MMP downregulates fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) signaling by reducing the amount of FGF-2 bound to the cell surface with high and low affinity. FGF-2 induces weaker activation of ERK1/2 MAP kinase in MT1-MMP expressing cells than in cells devoid of MT1-MMP. This effect is abolished in cells that express proteolytically inactive MT1-MMP but persists in cells expressing MT1-MMP mutants devoid of hemopexin-like or cytoplasmic domain, showing that FGF-2 signaling is downregulated by MT1-MMP proteolytic activity. MT1-MMP expression results in downregulation of FGFR-1 and -4, and in decreased amount of cell surface-associated FGF-2. In addition, MT1-MMP strongly reduces the amount of FGF-2 bound to the cell surface with low affinity. Because FGF-2 association with low-affinity binding sites is a prerequisite for binding to its high-affinity receptors, downregulation of low-affinity binding to the cell surface results in decreased FGF-2 signaling. Consistent with this conclusion, FGF-2 induction of tumor cell migration and invasion in vitro is stronger in cells devoid of MT1- MMP than in MT1-MMP expressing cells. Thus, MT1-MMP controls FGF-2 signaling by a proteolytic mechanism that decreases the cell's biological response to FGF-2. J. Cell. Physiol. 230: 366–377, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Causal analysis of inertial body sensors for enhancing gait assessment separability towards multiple sclerosis diagnosis

Gait assessment is a common method for diagnosing various diseases, disorders, and injuries, studying their impact on mobility, and evaluating the efficacy of various therapeutic interventions. The recent emergence of inertial body sensors for gait assessment addresses the limitations of visual observation and subjective clinical evaluation by providing more precise and objective measures. Inertial sensors have been included in an ongoing study at the University of Virginia Medical Center on Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) that produces neurologic impairment and functional disability over time, with the goal of improving the ability to assess MS-affected gait and to distinguish between subjects with MS and those without MS. This work presents a gait assessment technique based on causal modeling to distinguish MS-affected gait and healthy gait. The approach in this work is based on the hypothesis that the strength of interaction between body parts during walking is greater in healthy controls that in MS subjects. The strength of interaction was quantified using a causality index based on the pairwise causal relationships between body parts as characterized by the Phase Slope Index (PSI) of inertial signals from pairs of body parts. In a pilot study with 41 subjects (28 MS subjects and 13 healthy controls), the approach developed in this paper provided better separability (p < 0.0001) compared with existing methods.
Analysis of Service-Oriented Manufacturing Network Based on Complex Network

Aiming at the description and analysis of service-oriented manufacturing network, the paper gives its definition on the basis of analyzing the relationship between enterprises and service. Besides, it not only defines, calculates and analyzes the statistic characteristics such as node strength and clustering coefficient by the complex weighted theory, but reveals the status of enterprise and correlations in the manufacturing environment of oriented service. This study can not only provide basis for the construction and management of service-oriented manufacturing network, but for search and grouping of collaborative partners.
Training Teachers in Classroom Management: An Experimental Study in Secondary School Classrooms

AbstractThe purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to validate principles of classroom organization and management shown in correlational research to be related to management effectiveness in secondary classrooms; (b) to determine if school district personnel could deliver teacher workshops and collect data on implementation of the principles; and (c) to assess whether training in classroom management techniques would provide additional skills to teachers who had already been trained in a statewide instructional skills program. Results indicated that training and observations could be done by district personnel, and the trained group exceeded the control group on both management skills and student task engagement.
A computer-controlled system for training and testing primates

The hardware and software for a computer-controlled training and testing system for primates are described. The computer (DDP-116 in the Computer-Controlled Psychology Laboratory at Carnegie-Mellon University) controls all stimulus presentation, reinforcement, and records data in a form ready for analysis on a larger computer.
Recurrence of left atrial ball thrombus after surgical thrombectomy

Left atria1 thrombus formation is a common complication of rheumatic mitral stenosis. Rarely, a mural thrombus breaks free, forming a free-floating ball thrombus that increases the risk of embolization to peripheral or cerebral vessels or of obstruction of left ventricular inflow. We describe recurrence of left atria1 ball thrombus formation after surgical thrombectomy. A 78-year-old woman was admitted with complaints of weakness and falling while standing. Rheumatic fever had developed in the patient at age 15 and she showed symptoms of rheumatic mitral stenosis at age 40. She subsequently underwent an open mitral commissurotomy for mitral stenosis 30 years before this presentation. From a
1,3-Dihydroxyacridone derivatives as inhibitors of herpes virus replication.

Abstract The nuclear enzyme DNA topoisomerase II is a candidate pharmacological target for treating herpes virus infections and the novel catalytic inhibitors, 7-chloro-1,3-dihydroxyacridone (compound 1 ), and 1,3,7-trihydroxyacridone ( 2 ) are potential lead compounds [Bastow, K.F., Itoigawa, M., Furukawa, H., Kashiwada, Y., Bori, I.D., Ballas, L.M., Lee, K.-H., 1994. Antiproliferative actions of 7-substituted 1,3-dihydroxyacridones; possible involvement of DNA topoisomerase II and protein kinase C as biochemical targets. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2, 1403–1411; Vance, J.R., Bastow, K.F., 1999. Inhibition of DNA topoisomerase II catalytic activity by the antiviral agents 7-chloro,1,3-dihydroxyacridone and 1,3,7-trihydroxyacridone. Biochem. Pharmacol. 58, 703–708]. In this report, four new 1,3-dihydroxyacridone analogs with functional groups at either the 5-, 6- or 8-positions (compounds 3 – 6 ) were synthesized. Target compounds, three other analogs including compounds 1 and 2 and three anticancer drugs that inhibit DNA topoisomerase II (etoposide, amsacrine and aclarubicin) were then evaluated as selective inhibitors of herpes simplex virus (HSV) replication in cell culture and as enzyme inhibitors in vitro. Etoposide and amsacrine inhibited HSV but acted non-selectively. In general, the activities of 1,3-dihydroxyacridone derivatives as selective anti-HSV agents and as enzyme inhibitors varied inversely suggesting that DNA topoisomerase II probably is not the critical antiviral target. The 5-Cl congener (compound 3 ) was the most selective agent (about 26-fold under a stringent assay condition) but was not an enzyme inhibitor. Results of exploratory mechanistic studies with compounds 1 and 3 show that HSV replication was blocked at a stage after DNA and late protein synthesis. The acridone derivatives were also tested against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication but none of them were active.
The heat stabilities of some polymeric metal complexes

Abstract Heat stability data are reported for a series of polymeric complexes of bis-(2-pyridinal)-biphenylene-4,4′-diimine. The salts which have been shown to give polymers are nickel(II) sulphate, zinc(II) nitrate and the following divalent metal chlorides and nitrates: iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, cadmium and mercury. In general, the metal nitrate polymers do not lose weight below 200°, the metal chloride polymers below 250°, and nickel(II) sulphate polymer below 300°C.
Visualization of poly(A)-binding protein complex formation with poly(A) RNA using atomic force microscopy.

Abstract Poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) is an RNA-binding protein that binds specifically to the poly(A) tail of messenger RNAs in eukaryotes. The PABP/poly(A) tail complex has been implicated as being important in promoting the efficient initiation of translation as well as in maintaining the integrity of the mRNA. PABP binds poly(A) cooperatively with a packing density of one PABP molecule per 25 adenosine residues. We have investigated the complexes formed between purified PABP and poly(A) RNA using atomic force microscopy (AFM). PABP alone was observed to be primarily in a monomer form with a height of 1.0 ± 0.2 nm. Following binding to poly(A), PABP appeared to be present in variable size complexes that bound lengthwise along the RNA. This size of the PABP/poly(A) complex appeared to be maximal, suggesting that PABP binding to poly(A) may be self-limiting. Poly(A) RNA alone appeared to contain a knob-like structure that largely disappeared once PABP was bound. The use of AFM has therefore provided potential new insights into the complexes formed by this RNA-binding protein.