cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In defence of white rice

The finding of an increased risk of type 2 diabetes with higher consumption of white rice1 is not surprising because suboptimal results are to be expected whenever a whole plant food is refined. This is especially true with other poor lifestyle practices. Nevertheless, I worry that we are losing the forest …
Dose-Response Effects of Acute Ultraviolet Irradiation on Antioxidants and Molecular Markers of Oxidation in Murine Epidermis and Dermis

There has not as yet been an integrated, comprehensive study of the responses of dermis and epidermis in vivo to a wide range of ultraviolet (UV) doses, encompassing all major antioxidants and a sensitive marker of oxidative damage. We have irradiated hairless mice with simulated solar light at doses of 2, 5, 12.5, and 25 J/cm2 combined UVA and UVB (0.8 to 10 MED) and measured enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants as well as lipid hydroperoxides in both epidermis and dermis to elucidate the response of cutaneous antioxidant defense mechanisms to UV stress. Among the nonenzymic antioxidants two different dose-response patterns were seen. Ascorbate was rapidly depleted at doses between 0 and 5 J/cm2 but was less affected between 5 and 25 J/cm2. In contrast, glutathione, ubiquinol/one, and alpha-tocopherol levels remained approximately equal to control levels between 0 and 5 J/cm2, then decreased to varying degrees from 5 to 25 J/cm2; ubiquinol was almost completely depleted, whereas alpha-tocopherol dropped only 30%. The concentration of lipid hydroperoxides increased throughout the dose range. These results may be explained partly by direct destruction of some antioxidants by UV light, partly by the separate antioxidant functions of the compounds, and partly by recycling of some antioxidants (e.g., alpha-tocopherol) at the expense of others (e.g., ubiquinol). Even at the lowest dose (0.8 MED) lipid hydroperoxide formation was observed. Among the enzymic antioxidants, superoxide dismutase activity decreased significantly (to 63.6% of initial activity for epidermis and 51.5% for dermis at 25 J), whereas activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase decreased slightly. Catalase activity decreased dramatically at doses above 5 J (to 11.8% of initial activity in epidermis and 27.7% in dermis at 25 J). The dramatic loss of catalase is almost entirely accounted for by direct destruction by the simulated solar light, but superoxide dismutase was unaffected by direct exposure; hence its destruction must be due to indirect effects, either mediated by free radicals or other harmful species formed upon irradiation. At low doses of UV light many components of the cutaneous antioxidant system were damaged, whereas at high doses all components were damaged and some were almost completely destroyed.
Morphine inhibition of lymphocyte activity is mediated by an opioid dependent mechanism

Abstract The effects of acutely-administered morphine on mitogen stimulated lymphocyte proliferation and natural killer cell cytolytic activity were investigated. Two hours after a subcutaneous injection of morphine (25 mg/kg), blood lymphocyte proliferation was found to be 70% depressed, compared to saline-injected controls. This effect was partially antagonized in animals pretreated with naltrexone (10 mg/kg) and was present only in blood lymphocytes, since proliferative responses of splenic lymphocytes were not significantly altered. The administration of morphine, however, did result in a 30–40% inhibition of cytolytic activity of natural killer cells, which was completely antagonized in naltrexone-pretreated animals. Naltrexone alone was found to have no effect on either proliferation of blood and splenic lymphocytes or the cytolytic activity of splenic lymphocytes. Although naltrexone had no effect on the activity of lymphocytes, animals treated with either naltrexone or morphine alone, or their combination, had 4- to 8-fold increases in corticosterone in plasma. These results demonstrate that the effect of morphine on immune cells was dependent on the tissue source of lymphocytes. Furthermore, the suppression of blood lymphocyte proliferation and splenic cytolytic activity of natural killer cells by morphine was opiate receptor-mediated, as indicated by the reversibility by naltrexone of the observed effects of morphine. Finally, the accompanying increase in circulating levels of corticosterone most likely did not contribute to these effects.
Indicators of survival duration in ovarian cancer and implications for aggressiveness of care.

BACKGROUND. Ovarian cancer patients frequently receive chemotherapy near the end of life. The purpose of the current study was to develop indicators that characterize those ovarian cancer patients who have a short life span. METHODS. The medical charts of deceased epithelial ovarian cancer patients were retrospectively reviewed from 2000 through 2006. All patients received primary debulking surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Aggressiveness of cancer care within the last month of life was measured by chemotherapy regimens, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. Significant clinical events (SCE) were defined as ascites, bowel obstruction, and pleural effusion. Survival quartiles were compared using chi-square and Student t test statistics. Multiple regression analysis was performed using survival duration as a dependent variable. RESULTS. In all, 113 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were reviewed. Patients had increased hospitalizations (P < .001) and SCE (P < .001) as they approached the end of life. There was no difference in the pattern of hospitalizations and SCE between the top and bottom survival quartiles. Patients with a shorter survival time had a trend toward increased chemotherapy during their last 3 months of life (P = .057) and had increased overall aggressiveness of care (P = .013). In patients with a disease remission, the length of initial remission time was found to be significant in predicting survival (P < .01). Time to second disease recurrence was also significant in predicting survival time (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS. Patients who received aggressive care did not have improvement in survival. Short disease remissions and increasing hospitalizations with SCE should be indicators of the appropriateness of reducing cure-oriented therapies and increasing palliative interventions. Cancer 2008. ©2008 American Cancer Society.
The effects of aliphatic halogenated hydrocarbons on hepatic drug metabolism.

Abstract Pretreatment of rats with CCl 4 prolonged the sleeping times evoked by hexobarbital. The metabolism of hexobarbital by the isolated perfused rat liver was reduced after intoxication with CCl 4 and may have been responsible, in part, for the enhanced action of the barbiturate. Poisoning with CCl 4 impaired the oxidation of hexobarbital and aminopyrine as well as the reduction of p -nitrobenzoic acid by liver microsomes. The activity of the drug-metabolizing enzymes declined to about 10 per cent of normal within 8 hr and remained at low levels 24 hr after the administration of CCl 4 . The return of enzyme activity to normal levels started coincident with the disappearance of CCl 4 from the liver and required about 8 days for completion. In contrast to the striking toxicity of carbon tetrachloride, drug metabolism was not reduced after the administration of methylene chloride, and chloroform evoked only a moderate impairment of aminopyrine demethylation.
Proton pump inhibitor use and the risk of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: a meta-analysis.

METHODS: Clinical studies comparing SIBO risk among adult users of PPIs vs nonusers were identified in MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials databases through July 2012. Two reviewers independently extracted data on study characteristics and outcomes. The primary metameter was the odds ratio (OR) of SIBO among PPI users vs nonusers. Subgroup analyses were performed to examine the influence of study characteristics, such as SIBO diagnostic modality, on study outcome. RESULTS: Eleven studies (n 3134) met inclusion criteria. The pooled OR of SIBO in PPI users vs nonusers was 2.282 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.238‐4.205). No significant single large study or temporal effect was seen. Subgroup analysis revealed an association between SIBO and PPI use in studies that used duodenal or jejunal aspirate cultures to diagnose SIBO (OR, 7.587; 95% CI, 1.805‐31.894), but no relationship was found between SIBO and PPI use in studies that used the glucose hydrogen breath test (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 0.69‐5.42). Funnel plot analysis identified 4 outlying studies, indicating the possible presence of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS:
Molecular evolution of urea amidolyase and urea carboxylase in fungi

Urea amidolyase breaks down urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide in a two-step process, while another enzyme, urease, does this in a one step-process. Urea amidolyase has been found only in some fungal species among eukaryotes. It contains two major domains: the amidase and urea carboxylase domains. A shorter form of urea amidolyase is known as urea carboxylase and has no amidase domain. Eukaryotic urea carboxylase has been found only in several fungal species and green algae. In order to elucidate the evolutionary origin of urea amidolyase and urea carboxylase, we studied the distribution of urea amidolyase, urea carboxylase, as well as other proteins including urease, across kingdoms. Among the 64 fungal species we examined, only those in two Ascomycota classes (Sordariomycetes and Saccharomycetes) had the urea amidolyase sequences. Urea carboxylase was found in many but not all of the species in the phylum Basidiomycota and in the subphylum Pezizomycotina (phylum Ascomycota). It was completely absent from the class Saccharomycetes (phylum Ascomycota; subphylum Saccharomycotina). Four Sordariomycetes species we examined had both the urea carboxylase and the urea amidolyase sequences. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these two enzymes appeared to have gone through independent evolution since their bacterial origin. The amidase domain and the urea carboxylase domain sequences from fungal urea amidolyases clustered strongly together with the amidase and urea carboxylase sequences, respectively, from a small number of beta- and gammaproteobacteria. On the other hand, fungal urea carboxylase proteins clustered together with another copy of urea carboxylases distributed broadly among bacteria. The urease proteins were found in all the fungal species examined except for those of the subphylum Saccharomycotina. We conclude that the urea amidolyase genes currently found only in fungi are the results of a horizontal gene transfer event from beta-, gamma-, or related species of proteobacteria. The event took place before the divergence of the subphyla Pezizomycotina and Saccharomycotina but after the divergence of the subphylum Taphrinomycotina. Urea carboxylase genes currently found in fungi and other limited organisms were also likely derived from another ancestral gene in bacteria. Our study presented another important example showing plastic and opportunistic genome evolution in bacteria and fungi and their evolutionary interplay.
Age- and fitness-related alterations in vascular sympathetic control

In the current study we explored (1) if there were differences in sympathetic activity and baroreflex function by age, sex, or physical activity status, (2) if any aspect of baroreflex function related to differences in resting sympathetic activity, and (3) if mechanical and/or neural baroreflex components related to differences in integrated baroreflex gain. Electrocardiogram, blood pressure, carotid diameter and muscle sympathetic nerve activity were recorded continuously at rest and during sequential bolus injections of sodium nitroprusside and phenylephrine in 22 young, 21 older sedentary and 10 older trained individuals. Analyses of co-variance were used to examine age, sex and training status differences and to explore the explanatory power of integrated baroreflex gain and its mechanical and neural components. Training status and sex influenced neither resting sympathetic outflow nor sympathetic baroreflex gain components. Older subjects had a smaller mechanical component and a strong tendency towards a greater neural component of the sympathetic baroreflex during both pressure falls and pressure rises. Opposing age-related changes in mechanical and neural components resulted in a smaller integrated gain during pressure falls, but a greater integrated gain during pressure rises in older subjects. Thus, in older individuals, compromised sympathetic activation to pressure falls was owing to the stiffening of barosensory vessels, whereas the more sensitive sympathoinhibition to pressure rise was due to an increased neural control. Enhanced neural control with age, however, did not contribute the increased resting sympathetic outflow, which indicates that these two changes are probably driven by distinct neural mechanisms.
The effects of caffeine and stress on blood pressure in individuals with and without a family history of hypertension.

The effects of two doses of caffeine (125 mg, 250 mg) were compared to a placebo dose (3 mg) in a randomized double-blind cross-over design in 36 male caffeine users, half with and half without a family history of hypertension. Systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration were recorded during rest, a mental arithmetic task, and recovery periods. I inter both resting and mental stress conditions, the two doses of caffeine on the average increased systolic pressure by 6.7 mini In compared to the placebo. The effects for the 125 me and 250 mg doses did not differ significantly. The pressor effects of caffeine and mental stress combined in an additive fashion. Systolic blood pressure levels were significantly greater in individuals with a family history of hypertension across all conditions, but not specifically in response to caffeine. The results arc comparable to those previously reported in caffeine-naive subjects.
Differentially-private network trace analysis

We consider the potential for network trace analysis while providing the guarantees of "differential privacy." While differential privacy provably obscures the presence or absence of individual records in a dataset, it has two major limitations: analyses must (presently) be expressed in a higher level declarative language; and the analysis results are randomized before returning to the analyst.We report on our experiences conducting a diverse set of analyses in a differentially private manner. We are able to express all of our target analyses, though for some of them an approximate expression is required to keep the error-level low. By running these analyses on real datasets, we find that the error introduced for the sake of privacy is often (but not always) low even at high levels of privacy. We factor our learning into a toolkit that will be likely useful for other analyses. Overall, we conclude that differential privacy shows promise for a broad class of network analyses.
Novel technique for simulation and external beam treatment planning for obese patients

Abstract Purpose In computed tomography (CT)-guided radiation treatment planning, an accurate assessment of a patient's external contour is needed to determine the number of monitor units appropriate to treat a target volume to the prescribed dose. When obese patients are imaged, even using a large-bore CT scanner, lateral tissues frequently fall outside the field of view of the CT scanner, which makes it difficult to accurately calculate the dose needed for lateral or oblique treatment fields. We aimed to develop a technique to capture the external contour of patients in whom traditional simulation techniques would fail to capture part of the anatomy. Methods and Materials The following technique was used in multiple patients. The patient was centered on the CT couch, and an isocenter was placed. The initial scan was obtained with the isocenter at the central position on the table. Two subsequent scans were obtained with the patient first shifted right on the table and then shifted left. The 3 CT scans were fused using a CT-CT cross-correlation algorithm. The accuracy of the scans was reviewed manually. Using the fused scans, lateral tissues were contoured on the primary scan and assigned a density of 1 g/cm 3 . Results With this technique, each patient's entire body contour was available on a single fused scan. The availability of the entire body contour on the scan allowed for treatment planning with a 360-degree freedom for external beam placement. Conclusions This novel approach of fusing multiple CT scans allows for the external anatomy of obese patients to be completely captured. The increase in available beam angles made possible by this approach can optimize external beam treatment planning, including planning for intensity-modulated radiation therapy.
PADMA Database: Pathogen Associated Drosophila MicroArray Database

We present the development of new database, called PADMA, for easy retrieval of genes whose expression is altered by parasitoid infections. The database also houses gene expression data sets from Drosophila blood cells after immune activation. The PADMA system will allow a user to compare genes whose expression is altered after infection by a single or multiple pathogens. Such capability is not publicly available to the Drosophila research community. The PADMA system is currently being tested in-house for public release. We describe the motivation for this research and a detailed account on the design of the database to promote data sharing among users and applications in the context of genome biology.
SMaRT: the Smart Meeting Room Task at ISL

As computational and communications systems become increasingly smaller, faster, more powerful, and more integrated, the goal of interactive, integrated meeting support rooms is slowly becoming reality. It is already possible, for instance, to rapidly locate task-related information during a meeting, filter it, and share it with remote users. Unfortunately, the technologies that provide such capabilities are as obstructive as they are useful - they force humans to focus on the tool rather than the task. Thus the veneer of utility often hides the true costs of use, which are longer, less focused human interactions. To address this issue, we present our current research efforts towards SMaRT: the Smart Meeting Room Task. The goal of SMaRT is to provide meeting support services that do not require explicit human-computer interaction. Instead, by monitoring the activities in the meeting room using both video and audio analysis, the room is able to react appropriately to users' needs and allow the users to focus on their own goals.
The Staying Power of Hospitality Corporations in the Continuing Care Industry: Issues From the Front Lines

This article examines the role of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) as a growth area of the 1990s. The evolution of the CCRC from a primarily not for-profrt, sectarian-based industry, into a consumer-oriented industry that includes for- profit corporations is discussed. The hospitality industry's consumer-oriented per spective promises major change in the products and services offered by CCRCs. Environmental and regulatory challenges will further shape the CCRC product. The paper concludes by examining the importance of this new and growing industry to hospitality corporations. CCRC managers must be not only capable health care providers, but also skilled in providing residential services and other amenities.
IL-22+ CD4+ T Cells Are Associated with Therapeutic Trichuris trichiura Infection in an Ulcerative Colitis Patient

Ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, is less common in countries endemic for helminth infections, suggesting that helminth colonization may have the potential to regulate intestinal inflammation in inflammatory bowel diseases. Indeed, therapeutic effects of experimental helminth infection have been reported in both animal models and clinical trials. Here, we provide a comprehensive cellular and molecular portrait of dynamic changes in the intestinal mucosa of an individual who infected himself with Trichuris trichiura to treat his symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Tissue with active colitis had a prominent population of mucosal T helper (T(H)) cells that produced the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-17 (IL-17) but not IL-22, a cytokine involved in mucosal healing. After helminth exposure, the disease went into remission, and IL-22-producing T(H) cells accumulated in the mucosa. Genes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism were up-regulated in helminth-colonized tissue, whereas tissues with active colitis showed up-regulation of proinflammatory genes such as IL-17, IL-13RA2, and CHI3L1. Therefore, T. trichiura colonization of the intestine may reduce symptomatic colitis by promoting goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus production through T(H)2 cytokines and IL-22. Improved understanding of the physiological effects of helminth infection may lead to new therapies for inflammatory bowel diseases.
Taphonomic and zooarchaeological implications of spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) bone accumulations in Kenya: a modern behavioral ecological approach

The significant impact of extant carnivores, particularly spotted hyenas, on the depositional history and physical characteristics of archaeofaunal and paleontological assemblages is well recognized. We focus on the behavioral ecology of extant spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in relation to bone accumulations produced by one East African clan at communal dens. Limbs and skulls of prey animals more frequently appear at dens than do other carcass portions. These items reflect the relative abundance of prey species near dens; carnivore remains are poorly represented. Comparative analysis reveals that bones are deposited far more slowly (<7 carcass portions per month) and accumulations tend to be smaller at Crocuta dens than at dens of either brown (Parahyaena brunnea) or striped (Hyaena hyaena) hyenas. We propose that extant Crocuta bone accumulation rates and sizes are likely affected by prey species abundance, clan size, social interactions within the clan, and the type and availability of den sites. We also suggest that the potential for intraspecific behavioral variability in bone accumulation patterns is important when comparisons are made among spotted hyena populations and across hyena species. For example, accumulation patterns may be dramatically influenced by the temporal span, potentially ranging from days to hundreds or thousands of years, in which bones are collected, depending on the species-specific history of occupation at a given site. Understanding the behavioral and ecological variability likely to influence bone accumulation patterns at dens used by different hyaenids will allow taphonomists and zooarchaeologists to refine their knowledge of mechanisms underlying site formation processes and potential causes of variability in deeper-time den assemblages.
Serum Heavy Metals and Obstructive Lung Disease: Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background Exposure to hazardous heavy metals such as cadmium and lead has been associated with several chronic diseases. Heavy metal exposure may contribute to increased oxidative stress and inflammation in the lungs, resulting in tissue destruction manifesting clinically as obstructive lung disease (OLD). We aimed to evaluate the association between serum cadmium and lead concentration and OLD. Methods Pooled cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010 were used. OLD was defined as an FEV1/FVC ratio Results The prevalence of OLD was 12.4% (95% CI, 10.2%-13.6%). The mean (SE) cadmium levels in the OLD group were significantly higher in comparison with normal control subjects (0.51 [1.04] vs 0.33 [1.02], P Conclusion In a large representative sample of the US population, we demonstrated a significant association between OLD and serum cadmium and lead concentrations. Cadmium appeared to partially mediate the association between smoking and OLD. A dose-response effect between increasing cadmium concentration and progressively worsening lung function was observed in smokers.
Costa Rica's Area de Conservación Guanacaste: a long march to survival through non-damaging biodevelopment.

Daniel Janzen has researched as biologist, ecologist, and conservationist in the forests of Costa Rica. In September 1999 he gave the following paper at The Norway/UN Conference on the Ecosystem Approach for Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in Trondheim. The paper has been slightly adapted for publication in the journal and Biodiversity thanks both the author and Odd Sandlund at NINA (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research) for permitting publication in the journal in advance of the publication of the proceedings. All photos were taken by Daniel Janzen.
Inbreeding depression in scarlet gilia : A reply to Ouborg and Van Groenendael

In a recent study we assessed the effects of variation in population size on fitness components in natural populations of scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata), in the San Francisco peaks region of northcentral Arizona (Heschel & Paige 1995). We showed that seed size and germination success were significantly reduced in small populations of scarlet gilia and that plants from small populations were more susceptible to environmental stress. We also provided experimental evidence that observed fitness reductions were due to genetic factors. We also addressed year-to-year variation in population size and its effects on plant fitness. Ouborg and van Groenendael (1996) suggest that our paper is "laden with statistical and methodological problems." They raise five specific issues. First, as Ouborg and van Groenendael correctly point out, F values were incorrectly calculated in our nested analysis of variance: mean squares of one factor should have been tested against mean squares of the next, not the residual mean squares. But the highly nonsignificant F values estimated by Ouborg and van Groenendael are inconsistent with the trends shown in the data of our Figs. 1 and 2 (Heschel & Paige 1995). Here we present a corrected nested analysis table with the following alteration: population size ('100 versus >100) is used in an a priori planned comparison rather than as a nesting factor (Table 1). In retrospect, we realize that it is not statistically appropriate to test population size (small versus large) against population because population size is not a separate category in which populations are nested but represents by design a planned comparison (i.e., a contrast). As shown, the contrast supports our original contention that seed size is significantly reduced in small populations (those with ?100 flowering plants) of scarlet gilia (Heschel & Paige 1995). The second point made by Ouborg and van Groenendael is that data on seed size were analyzed by means
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum following ecstasy ingestion and sexual intercourse

Ecstasy is an illegal drug that has become widely used among adolescents and young adults. It is used recreationally for its stimulant and sensory-altering properties. Serious adverse effects are well documented and include arrhythmias, hyperthermia, seizures and long-term neuropsychiatric effects. A handful of previous case reports have recognised a relationship between ecstasy use and spontaneous pneumomediastinum, but an underlying mechanism has been difficult to identify. This report describes a 21-year-old man who presented with chest pain and dysphagia 1 day after using ecstasy. He was subsequently found to have both mediastinal and retropharyngeal emphysema. It is suspected that the underlying aetiology of the findings in this case was sexual intercourse.
RESEARCH ARTICLE: Speaking of Justice: Exploring Ethnic Minority Perspectives of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), one of the most highly visited national parks in the United States, is an important cultural symbol in the San Francisco Bay Area. Traditionally absent groups are expressing a desire to enjoy the benefits associated with outdoor recreation including public lands that may be lesser known to them. Understanding how national parks are used by ethnic minorities is of increasing importance to both the public and the National Park Service. In 2006, the GGNRA commissioned a focus-group study with nearly 100 people of color living in the Bay Area to provide indicators of constraints to park use. While identifying physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of access to nature in parks, many participants expressed frustration with limited physical access, subtle racism, and general exclusion from the culture of parks as reasons why they avoid these public spaces. The results of this study corroborate over four decades of research on park constraints. This article pres...
Flipping the Classroom for Student Engagement

Flipping is an innovative method of teaching that promotes an atmosphere of active learning. Originally used by Bergmann and Sams in secondary education to teach science and math. This method of teaching was proven to be successful in keeping students on track and engaged in learning. It has been adapted by many other disciplines. Flipping involves an inversion of learning that takes place outside of the traditional classroom. Through a literature search, evidence of flipping being used in nursing education was not found. Working with RN Students has given us the idea to pilot this new method within our RN to BSN Program.
Enforceable quality of service guarantees for bursty traffic streams

Providing statistical quality-of-service guarantees introduces conflicting requirements for both deterministic traffic models to isolate and police users and statistical multiplexing to efficiently utilize and share network resources. We address this issue by introducing two schemes for providing statistical services to deterministically policed sources: (1) adversarial mode resource allocation in which we bound the stochastic envelopes of policed streams and provide a statistical service for adversarial or worst case sources and (2) non-adversarial mode allocation in which we approximate the stochastic envelopes of policed, but non-worst-case streams in order to exploit a further statistical multiplexing gain in the typical case. Our key technique is to study the problem within the domain of deterministic and stochastic traffic envelopes, which allows us to explicitly consider sources with rate variations over multiple time scales, obtain results for any deterministic traffic model, and apply accurate admission control tests for buffered priority schedulers. We evaluate the scheme's performance with experiments using traces of compressed video and show that substantial statistical multiplexing gains are achieved.
More than Talking about Ideas: Expanding the Philosophical Use of Children's Literature.

Wartenberg’s Big Ideas for Little Ideas presents an apt argument for and explanation of one method for doing philosophy with young people. There is much about the text which is strong but some of the philosophical and children’s literature pairing is not as strong as it should be, and the audience for the book does seem to shift as it progresses.
Assessing the performance of erasure codes in the wide-area

The problem of efficiently retrieving a file that has been broken into blocks and distributed across the wide-area pervades applications that utilize grid, peer-to-peer, and distributed file systems. While the use of erasure codes to improve the fault-tolerance and performance of wide-area file systems has been explored, there has been little work that assesses the performance and quantifies the impact of modifying various parameters. This paper performs such an assessment. We modify our previously defined framework for studying replication in the wide-area to include both Reed-Solomon and low-density parity-check (LDPC) erasure codes. We then use this framework to compare Reed-Solomon and LDPC erasure codes in three wide-area, distributed settings. We conclude that although LDPC codes have an advantage over Reed-Solomon codes in terms of decoding cost, this advantage does not always translate to the best overall performance in wide-area storage situations.
Text Messaging for Sexual Communication and Safety Among African American Young Adults

African American young adults are at high risk of HIV infection during their lifetimes, and the male condom remains the best method of prevention. Efforts to increase condom use should address the barrier of condom negotiation. We conducted a thematic analysis of qualitative, semistructured interviews with African American young adults to examine their use of text messaging for requesting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and condom use within the larger context of general sexual communication using text messages. Text messaging gave participants a level of comfort and disinhibition to discuss sexual topics and negotiate sexual safety. Benefits of text messages included ease of communication, privacy, and increased ability to express condom desires. Difficulties reflected the potential relationship implications of suggesting HIV/STI testing and condom use. Condom negotiation strategies using text messages also mirrored those found to be used in face-to-face communication.
CD137 as a biomarker for tumor-reactive T cells: finding gold in the desert

Although human cancer is often surrounded by immune cells, only a small number are tumor-reactive T cells that recognize the tumor antigens and are able to eliminate the cancer cells. Ye and colleagues now found that many of these tumor-reactive T cells are marked by expressing CD137, a T-cell costimulatory receptor.
The Introduction of Nutrition Education into the Medical School Curriculum: Using an Elective Course to Teach Students the Fundamentals, the Science, and the Clinical Implications of Food

In an effort to address the lack of formal nutrition education at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine at San Antonio, two second year medical students with training in nutritional sciences and public health designed an elective course in 2011 to teach other medical students about fundamental concepts in nutrition. The course consisted of five interactive classes during which students participated in lectures and discussions. A total of 30 medical students completed the course during the 2011-2012 academic school year; they provided feedback through voluntary completion of surveys. Based on the data collected, 70% of students stated that they learned new information from the course, and 100% of students would recommend the class to peers. While students reported benefiting most from the interactive aspects of the course such as potluck dinners and group discussions, 75% also suggested that future courses should be based more on scientific evidence.
Weaving a Transnational Narrative: Yellow Woman and Orature in Almanac of the Dead

This article identifies parallels between Leslie Marmon Silko's Storyteller and Almanac of the Dead, focusing on the recurrence of Yellow Woman, a figure of Keresan orature. Yellow Woman embodies female sensuality and its potential to incite social or structural change within communities, and I argue that in Almanac, Silko employs textual reinterpretations of Yellow Woman to demonstrate the importance of cross-cultural, indigenous-led movements toward decolonization. Finally, I compare Almanac to the current Idle No More movement, noting their similarities as vast transnational, transindigenous, and even transracial campaigns that model beneficial Native and non-Native ally relationships within the struggle against colonial oppression.
Modified Gorlin Equation for the Prediction of Stenotic Valve Orifice Area: An In Vitro Study on a Bioprosthesis

The prediction of effective orifice area as a means of assessing both natural and prosthetic heart valve function has long since become standard clinical procedure. The first to introduce an effective valve orifice area equation were Gorlin and Gorlin [1] in 1951. From hydraulic formulas they derived the following equation: (1) where A is the orifice area of the valve in cm2, Qm is the mean flow rate of blood in ml/s while the valve is open, Δpm is the pressure gradient in mmHg across the valve and Cd is a discharge coefficient. Aaslid and associates [2], as well as Gabbay and colleagues [3], have recommended modifying the Gorlin formula for improving its prediction capabilities of valve orifice area.
An immersed discontinuous finite element method for Stokes interface problems

Abstract We present a discontinuous immersed finite element (IFE) method for Stokes interface problems on Cartesian meshes that do not require the mesh to be aligned with the interface. As such, the method allows unfitted meshes with elements cut by the interface and thus, may contain more than one fluid. On these unfitted meshes we construct an immersed Q 1 / Q 0 finite element space according to the location of the interface and pertinent interface jump conditions. The proposed Q 1 / Q 0 IFE shape functions have several desirable features such as the unisolvence and the partition of unity. We present several numerical examples to demonstrate that the proposed IFE spaces maintain the optimal approximation capability with respect to the polynomials used. We also show that related discontinuous IFE solutions of Stokes interface problems maintain the optimal convergence rates in both L 2 and broken H 1 norms.
Emotional Reactions to Law & Economics, Market Metaphors, & Rationality Rhetoric

This chapter makes three fundamental points about law and economics. First, although some people feel strong, negative emotional reactions to utilizing microeconomics to analyze non-business areas of law, others feel no such emotional reactions. This chapter advances the hypothesis that people who do not view the world exclusively through an economics lens are likely to experience negative feelings toward applying microeconomics to non-business law areas, while people who view the world primarily through an economics lens are unlikely to experience such emotional reactions. Second, although law and economics remains an uncontroversial subfield of applied microeconomics; it has become a dominant, yet still controversial field of scholarship in legal academia. This chapter proposes that differences in how most academic and professional economists perceive law and economics versus how most academic and professional lawyers perceive law and economics are due primarily to differences in how familiar they are with microeconomics presented in a mathematically rigorous fashion. Third, much research considerably and significantly qualifies many well-known and often quoted alleged benefits of competitive markets and unbounded rationality. People who are familiar with this research appreciate that the extent to which markets and rationality are socially desirable is more complicated than people do not understand this research suggest. This research involves not only traditional microeconomics, but also behavioral economics, cognitive psychology, social psychology, and neuroeconomics.
Prevalence of Apical Periodontitis in Endodontically Treated Premolars and Molars with Untreated Canal: A Cone-beam Computed Tomography Study.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the incidence of missed canals in endodontically treated teeth in the Greater Philadelphia area patient population and to evaluate the effect of untreated canals on endodontic outcome. Methods A total of 1397 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) volumes taken from January 2013 to July 2015 were investigated. Limited view CBCT images were taken with Kodak 9000 3D System field of view at voxel size, 76 μm or Morita Veraviewpocs 3D F40 field of view at voxel size, 125 μm. All root canal–treated premolars and molars were included in the study. Unfilled canals appearing from cementoenamel junction to apex including splitting from a main canal at coronal, mid, or apical third were defined as missed-untreated canal. A periapical lesion was diagnosed when disruption of the lamina dura was detected and the low density area associated with the radiographic apex was at least twice the width of the periodontal ligament space. Results The overall incidence of missed canals was 23.04%. The incidence of missed canals per tooth was highest in tooth #14 at 46.5% and tooth #3 at 41.3%. The incidence of missed canals was highest in the upper molars at 40.1% and lowest in the upper premolars at 9.5%. There was a significant difference in lesion prevalence when a canal was missed-untreated ( P Conclusions Limited field-of-view CBCT should be examined before any endodontic retreatment to identify missed canals. This knowledge would not only help clinicians to locate missed canals clinically but would also help in deciding the surgical approach.
Comparative Fitness of Three Strains of Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Field: Spatial and Temporal Variation in Insecticide Selection

Fitness components were measured for permethrin-resistant, susceptible, and hybrid strains of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), on insecticide-treated and untreated potato, Solanum tuberosum L., under field conditions. The hybrid strain was created by crossing resistant females and susceptible males. In separate experiments, survivorship was determined for adults and larvae of various ages (1, 2, 4, and 6 d) that were exposed directly to a permethrin (Ambush 2EC) spray. Results indicated that there is significant selection against susceptible genotypes during all larval stages and the adult stage. One- and 2-d-old larvae, as well as adults, of the hybrid strain and the resistant strain had similar survival. Survival in 4- and 6-d-old larvae of the hybrid strain was intermediate between the susceptible and resistant strains. Weights of 4- and 6-d-old larvae of the resistant and hybrid strains that survived treatment with insecticide were significantly lower than weights of untreated larvae. In another set of experiments, viability of 1-d-old larvae and viability and fecundity of adults were estimated when beetles were placed on potato foliage at various intervals (2, 5, 8 and 13 d) after permethrin application. Selection against susceptible 1-d-old larvae was strongest when placement was 2 d after application and selection diminished on subsequent placement dates but remained significant for the duration of the experiment. Selection against susceptible larvae was more intense on old foliage than new foliage. Larvae of the hybrid and resistant strains had similar survival on treated foliage. When hybrid 1-d-old larvae were placed on foliage 2 and 5 d after application, the sex ratios of survivors were 91 and 75% male, respectively. These values were significantly higher than that of the resistant strain survivors on treated plants and hybrid survivors on untreated plants. This is consistent with the reported sex-linkage of this trait in Colorado potato beetle, but surprisingly, survivorship of hybrid males was significantly higher than survivorship in the resistant strain males for day 2 and 5 placements. Differences were not detected in survivorship and fecundity of adults of the three strains placed on plants at various intervals after insecticide application. Implications of these fitness studies for resistance management of Colorado potato beetle are discussed.
Opportunities Ahead for The Academy of Management

Presents information on the First Annual Conference of the Western Chapter of the Academy of Management in 1936. Accomplishments of the conference; Recognition of the professor of business administ...
Anger in psychological disorders: Prevalence, presentation, etiology and prognostic implications

Anger is present as a key criterion in five diagnoses within DSM-5: Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder. This review amasses scientific literature demonstrating that within each of these disorders, anger is a central clinical feature that is highly prevalent and predictive of important outcomes. For each disorder, we also discuss the phenomenology and etiology of anger. Although models of anger have been quite distinct across these disorders, few empirical studies have truly tested whether anger stems from different etiological factors across these different conditions. We end with a discussion of transdiagnostic research that draws from cognitive psychology, affective science, and the neuroscience of anger, and that also fits with integrative approaches to treatment.
Venacavography, corticosteroids and surgery in the management of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis.

AbstractFour patients with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis were found to have characteristic obstruction and anterior displacement of the lumbar vena cava. Varying degrees of venous collateral circulation were present, depending on the degree of vena caval compression. All 4 patients underwent ureterolysis to relieve the hydronephrosis and to confirm diagnosis by biopsy. Two patients were treated with corticosteroids postoperatively. Followup venacavography demonstrated improved filling and decrease in the collateral circulation in these 2 patients. Of the remaining 2 untreated patients 1 was lost to followup and the other revealed no change. Diagnosis of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis can be made if characteristic changes are present on inferior venacavography and may provide an objective measure for following the basic disease process during medical treatment.
Indigenous mobilities, territorialization, and dispossession in the Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela: Rescuing lands and meanings in Hábitat Indígena Yukpa, Toromo-Tütari

Abstract In the Sierra de Perija, Venezuela, the indigenous Yukpa have long faced reterritorialization and violent displacement through the expansion of cattle farms, so-called haciendas . However, the new Venezuelan constitution in 2000 guaranteed rights to indigenous territory and ushered in an endogenous, community-based development model. By the 2010s, Yukpa had reclaimed a half-dozen haciendas , taking advantage of the political leverage and economic opportunities provided by the endogenous development model. This process of deterritorialization has been accompanied by extensive migration of residents from mountain communities to the lowlands, and these reconfigurations of Yukpa spatiality have prompted reconceptualization of a diasporic, multi-sited indigenous identity.
Supply, Factor Mobility, and Regional Growth

In the discussion of demand-based models of regional growth, we pointed out that their basic premise is that the smallness of a region in a multiregional unit and the lack of barriers to factor mobility render the supply of capital and labor facing the region infinitely elastic. Thus, with no constraints on the supply of inputs or their rates of growth, the explanation of the region’s growth must be found in the forces influencing the demand for its output.
Suspension Electrodes for Flow-Assisted Electrochemical Systems

This chapter focuses on describing a new family of flowable electrochemical systems based on suspension electrodes to address key critical infrastructure needs: grid energy storage and water desalination. The research described herein combines classical aspects of electrochemistry, colloidal science, material science, and rheology to explain and characterize ion and charge percolation processes in suspension electrodes. Comprised of an active material suspended in electrolytic medium, their use enables, for the first time, scalability of electrical energy storage devices (supercapacitors and batteries). Moreover, it expands the principle of supercapacitors beyond small-scale energy storage to new and emerging applications such as deionization of water and energy generation.