cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Megaesophagus in a 6-month-old cat secondary to a nasopharyngeal polyp

A 6-month-old male domestic shorthair cat was presented for a 3-month history of dysphagia and upper respiratory signs. The cat was diagnosed with a generalized megaesophagus secondary to a large nasopharyngeal polyp that extended into the cervical esophagus. The polyp was removed by traction and a left ventral bulla osteotomy was performed to remove the polyp base. The cat's clinical signs resolved and follow-up radiographs 14 days after surgery revealed resolution of the megaesophagus. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of resolution of megaesophagus after removal of a nasopharyngeal polyp in a cat.
A ética protestante no contexto contemporâneo

O artigo propoe uma leitura em varios planos do texto "A etica protestante e o espirito do capitalismo", de Max Weber, procurando indicar diferentes camadas e possibilidades de analise. Para tanto, propoe uma analise do texto em tres planos diferentes e complementares: o politico, o cientifico e o pessoal. Discute, assim, as diferentes versoes e os diferentes contextos de publicacao, abordando o dialogo de Weber com Marx e as relacoes do capitalismo com o protestantismo ascetico. Por outro lado, destaca em que medida o texto pode e deve ser lido como uma especie de autoanalise de Weber.
Gold fiducial marker tracking to optimize radiotherapy for organ-preserving treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Bladder motion necessitates large target expansions for organ-preserving treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. These volumes prevent radiation dose escalation and exacerbate treatment-associated morbidity. The use of gold seed markers (GSMs) for improved tracking of the tumor bed during radiotherapy was therefore investigated. Nine consecutive patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer undergoing bladder preservation therapy from August 2012 through October 2013 underwent maximal transurethral resection of bladder tumor, cystoscopic placement of tumor bed GSMs, and chemoradiation. Continuous orthogonal X-ray imaging for robotic-assisted intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), daily megavoltage imaging, or both were used to localize GSMs. Less than 5 % of intra-fraction GSM and tumor centroid movements were >4 mm across 481 orthogonal images obtained during robotic-assisted IMRT. Patients receiving linear accelerator- and helical tomotherapy-based radiation underwent a total of 246 daily megavoltage imaging sessions, during which 10 mm. A cumulative dose-population algorithm accounting for both systematic and random errors corroborated these findings. Both intra- and inter-fraction displacements were approximately twofold greater for GSMs in the superior half of the bladder (p = 0.03) and in patients with average bladder volume >100 mL (p < 0.0001). This is the first case series of intra-fraction GSM tracking for organ-preserving treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The data suggest that GSM tracking during radiotherapy for bladder cancer is feasible and associated with minimal intra- and inter-fraction displacement. With prospective investigation, this technique may be used to minimize target volumes and reduce radiation-associated toxicity.
Immunities for Ex-Foreign Officials Accused of International Crimes

The US Supreme Court in Yousuf v. Samantar recently ruled that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, the law extending immunity in US courts to foreign States, does not apply to individuals. Instead, the US Executive Branch retains authority to determine whether a foreign official is entitled to immunity. Although the opinion relied exclusively on domestic law, it adds to an ongoing debate in international law over the extent to which individual State officials are entitled to immunity for acts committed during their service. This debate, taking place in domestic courts facing similar circumstances as the Supreme Court addressed in Samantar, in international courts, in treaties, and among international scholars, is increasingly relevant as many States address their responsibilities under international human rights treaties like the UN Convention Against Torture.This paper surveys the current application of foreign immunity for individuals in English speaking nations, in international agreements and courts, and as discussed by legal scholars. Noting the current, somewhat confused, application of the principle, I then recommend that domestic courts apply the long standing principle of personal immunity (ratione personae) to foreign officials during their time in office and act based immunity (ratione materiae) to ex-foreign officials sued for decisions or acts committed during their time in office.
A binary decision model for discretionary lane changing move based on fuzzy inference system

Abstract This paper presents a Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) which models a driver’s binary decision to or not to execute a discretionary lane changing move on freeways. It answers the following question “Is it time to begin to move into the target lane?” after the driver has decided to change lane and have selected the target lane. The system uses four input variables: the gap between the subject vehicle and the preceding vehicle in the original lane, the gap between the subject vehicle and the preceding vehicle in the target lane, the gap between the subject vehicle and the following vehicle in the target lane, and the distance between the preceding and following vehicles in the target lanes. The input variables were selected based on the outcomes of a drivers survey, and can be measured by sensors instrumented in the subject vehicle. The FIS was trained with Next Generation SIMulation (NGSIM) vehicle trajectory data collected at the I-80 Freeway in Emeryville, California, and then tested with data collected at the U.S. Highway 101 in Los Angeles, California. The results of the test have shown that the system made lane change recommendations of “yes, change lane” with 82.2% accuracy, and “no, do not change lane” with 99.5% accuracy. These accuracies are better than the same performance measures given by the TRANSMODELER’s gap acceptance model for discretionary lane change on freeways, which is also calibrated with NGSIM data. The developed FIS has a potential to be implemented in lane change advisory systems, in autonomous vehicles, as well as microscopic traffic simulation tools.
Design of Irrigation Runoff Recovery Systems

A technique is presented to design Irrigation Runoff Recovery Systems (IRRS) to recover runoff water from furrows and to increase irrigation efficiency. The method permits using a constant inflow to all furrows throughout the entire irrigation, requires changes in set size only twice, permits using a constant discharge from the pump once it is turned on, and uses all the water applied to the field, i.e., there is no net runoff from the field. This is accomplished by irrigating the entire first set from the inflow water and collecting the runoff in a storage reservoir. All of the remaining sets, except the last one, are irrigated by both the supply stream and the runoff water, recirculated by pump, and the last set is irrigated entirely by pumped runoff water. To simplify the design procedure, equations have been developed to determine the number of irrigation sets, the number of furrows irrigated with recovered runoff water, the recirculating-pump flow rate, and the volume of the storage pond required.
Combination of clustering algorithms to maximize the lifespan of distributed wireless sensors

Abstract. Increasing the lifespan of a group of distributed wireless sensors is one of the major challenges in research. This is especially important for distributed wireless sensor nodes used in harsh environments since it is not feasible to replace or recharge their batteries. Thus, the popular low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) algorithm uses the “computation and communication energy model” to increase the lifespan of distributed wireless sensor nodes. As an improved method, we present here that a combination of three clustering algorithms performs better than the LEACH algorithm. The clustering algorithms included in the combination are the k-means+ + , k-means, and gap statistics algorithms. These three algorithms are used selectively in the following manner: the k-means+ + algorithm initializes the center for the k-means algorithm, the k-means algorithm computes the optimal center of the clusters, and the gap statistics algorithm selects the optimal number of clusters in a distributed wireless sensor network. Our simulation shows that the approach of using a combination of clustering algorithms increases the lifespan of the wireless sensor nodes by 15 % compared with the LEACH algorithm. This paper reports the details of the clustering algorithms selected for use in the combination approach and, based on the simulation results, compares the performance of the combination approach with that of the LEACH algorithm.
Unsupervised Entity Linking with Abstract Meaning Representation

Most successful Entity Linking (EL) methods aim to link mentions to their referent entities in a structured Knowledge Base (KB) by comparing their respective contexts, often using similarity measures. While the KB structure is given, current methods have suffered from impoverished information representations on the mention side. In this paper, we demonstrate the effectiveness of Abstract Meaning Representation (AMR) (Banarescu et al., 2013) to select high quality sets of entity “collaborators” to feed a simple similarity measure (Jaccard) to link entity mentions. Experimental results show that AMR captures contextual properties discriminative enough to make linking decisions, without the need for EL training data, and that system with AMR parsing output outperforms hand labeled traditional semantic roles as context representation for EL. Finally, we show promising preliminary results for using AMR to select sets of “coherent” entity mentions for collective entity linking 1 .
Chemical Preparation of Superconducting Oxides Using Conventional Chelating Agents

Samples of Bi1.4Pb0.6Sr2 Ca2Cu3Oy were prepared by sol-gel technique. The formation of polymeric chelate was made possible by oxalic acid in which metal cations are homogeneously distributed. The functional groups in the chelating agent determine the cation absorption rate that pH value is no more critical. XRD and SQUID showed that the compound has a nearly pure 2223 phase and Tc was measured at 110 K. The synthesis is reproducible and the process is amenable for scaling up.
A Comparison of Consumer Responses to Weekly and Monthly Purchase Panels

TNCREASING use of consumer purchase panels for measuring markets makes information on the methodology of this technique highly significant. It would be difficult to name as many as a dozen prewar panels that continuously recorded daily purchases of food, drugs, clothing or homefurnishings made by samples of consumers. (Opinion and testing panels, of course, were more widely used.) But, since V-J Day brought the prospect of renewed competition for retail sales, money has been spent on at least as many new purchase panels as are known ever to have been in existence theretofore. At least two national panels are continuing in operation and have expanded, while there now are panels in operation or projected that will measure the flow of consumer goods in a half dozen or more of the nation's principal cities and market areas. While most of these are financed by newspapers, some manufacturers and also some retailers, (notably the large food chains and independent department stores) now use panels extensively.
Motor coordination and learning on a rotarod are markedly different between 129/SvEv and C57BL/6 inbred mice

Motor coordination and learning on a rotarod are markedly different between 129/SvEv and C57BL/6 inbred mice
Host Invasion in Systemic Infections of Uromyces Caladii

Dormant corms of Arisaema triphyllum are systemically infected with the haploid mycelium of Uromyces Caladii. When growth begins in the spring, leaves and flowers become infected but roots remain f...
Analysis on Antibody level of Measles in Healthy Population in Hohhot During 2008-2009

Objective In order to know the immunization status of measles in healthy population in Hohhot.Methods 611 serum samples were randomly selected from healthy population,which were detected IgG by ELISA in Hohhot during 2008-2009.Results The positive rate of IgG was 80.52%,and is higher in 2009 than in 2008.There are no significant differences in seropositive rate of measles antibody in different age groups.Conclusion So In the future the important measure to control and eliminate measles should be put on finding out weak links and conducting supplementary immunization in some areas.
Ordinary and extraordinary women in science

L'une des premieres constatations qui ressort des livres scientifiques est le peu de noms de femmes qui y sont citees. L'exemple de l'astronomie et des figures feminines qui l'ont marquees sert de discussion a ce sujet
Comparison of birth weights in patients randomly assigned to fresh or frozen-thawed embryo transfer.

Objective To estimate birth weight differences between patients randomized to fresh or thawed ET. Design Post hoc analysis of results from two similar randomized trials. Setting Private fertility center. Patient(s) One hundred thirty-four first-time IVF patients, ages 18–40 years at oocyte retrieval, who had live birth. Intervention(s) Patients were randomly assigned to have either fresh blastocyst transfer or all bipronuclear oocytes frozen followed by thaw, extended culture, and blastocyst transfer in a subsequent cycle. Preimplantation genetic screening was not allowed. Main Outcome Measure(s) Mean birth weight. Result(s) After allowing for the contributions of multiple significant variables (gestational age at birth, the presence of a vanished twin, number of infants delivered) in multiple linear regression, the adjusted mean birth weight was 166 g (95% confidence interval, 43–290 g) lower after fresh blastocyst transfer when compared with transfer of blastocysts derived from thawed bipronuclear oocytes. Conclusion(s) Birth weights are lower in cycles with fresh blastocyst transfer after controlled ovarian stimulation than in transfers of frozen-thawed embryos in the absence of ovarian stimulation. This finding confirms similar results reported in many retrospective studies. Clinical Trial Registration Numbers NCT00963625 and NCT00963079.
The changing face of dixie: Spanish in the linguistic landscape of an emergent immigrant community in the New South

• The functional distribution of Spanish and English on signage in a nascent Latino area of a Southern U.S. city is examined.
An automated real-time method for the detection of patients at risk for malignant hyperthermia.

Summary Background Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare anesthetic pharmacogenetic disorder that can be difficult to detect in its earliest phases. Prompt treatment is known to improve outcomes. The modern anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) collect enormous amounts of data. However, data lack context and are not able to provide real-time guidance. Utilizing our AIMS, we developed the capacity to incorporate decision support. Aims We describe the creation and evaluation of a real-time detection tool for MH. Methods Cases of MH from 2003 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed to confirm the diagnosis of MH and to calculate a MH clinical grading scale score. The index cases were utilized to develop four electronic data Rules, based on endtidal CO2 (ETCO2) and temperature criteria. The Rules were then applied retrospectively to the index cases and to a full cohort of general operating room (OR) patients from January 2012 to June 2012. If criteria for possible MH was met, the detection tool generated an alert on the monitor at the patient's bedside. Results We identified seven patients with confirmed MH with MH Scores ranging from 28 to 70. Using four data Rules, all of our seven index cases were captured and generated an appropriate alert. Median time from MH computer alert time to dantrolene administration time among our index cases was 23 min (IQR 17–77). There were 938 false-positive alerts for possible MH (1.8%) when the Rules were applied to a general OR cohort of 51 579 total cases from January 2012 to June 2012. Conclusions We demonstrated a real-time MH detection tool based on established physiologic criteria that is sensitive enough to capture cases suspicious for MH, while limiting false positives to prevent alarm fatigue. This has the potential to notify the provider of possible MH such that treatment may be rapidly initiated.
Heart support for coronary bypass surgery involving the circumflex artery system.

Placement of bypass grafts to the circumflex artery is a difficult procedure because of the problems with exposure. In this report, I shall describe a device which can be used to hold the heart in position during the placement of the grafts. The device provides excellent exposure of the posterior surface of the heart without causing additional damage to the myocardium.
Observability of ionospheric space‐time structure with ISR: A simulation study

The sources of error from electronically steerable array (ESA) incoherent scatter radar (ISR) systems are investigated both theoretically and with use of an open source ISR simulator, developed by the authors, called Simulator for ISR (SimISR). The main sources of error incorporated in the simulator include statistical uncertainty, which arises due to nature of the measurement mechanism, and the inherent space-time ambiguity from the sensor. SimISR can take a field of plasma parameters, parameterized by time and space, and create simulated ISR data at the scattered electric field (i.e. complex receiver voltage) level, subsequently processing this data to show possible reconstructions of the original parameter field. To demonstrate general utility, we show a number of simulation examples, with two cases using data from a self-consistent multi-fluid transport model. Results highlight the significant influence of the forward model of the ISR process and the resulting statistical uncertainty on plasma parameter measurements, and the core experiment design trade offs that must be made when planning observations. These conclusions further underscore the utility of this class of measurement simulator as a design tool for more optimal experiment design efforts using flexible ESA class ISR systems.
Understanding the Marxian Notion of Exploitation: the ‘Number One Issue’

According to Samuelson, ‘The Number One Issue in Appraising Karl Marx’s Theoretical Innovations’ is ‘what Marx claimed as most originally his … namely [his] way of handling “surplus value”’ (1977, p. 250).1 ‘It is precisely Marx’s models in Volumes I and II of equalized-rates-of-positive-surplus-value-markups-on-direct-wages-alone that have seemed bizarre to most non-Marxian economists,’ who have therefore joined in a ‘near-universal rejection … of these … paradigms as (a) gratuitously unrealistic, (b) an unnecessary detour from which Marx in Volume III had to beat a return, even though … he was too stubborn or too unperceptive or too unscientific to admit [it]’ (ibid.).
Phase transitions during compression and decompression of clots from platelet-poor plasma, platelet-rich plasma and whole blood.

Abstract Blood clots are required to stem bleeding and are subject to a variety of stresses, but they can also block blood vessels and cause heart attacks and ischemic strokes. We measured the compressive response of human platelet-poor plasma (PPP) clots, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) clots and whole blood clots and correlated these measurements with confocal and scanning electron microscopy to track changes in clot structure. Stress-strain curves revealed four characteristic regions, for compression-decompression: (1) linear elastic region; (2) upper plateau or softening region; (3) non-linear elastic region or re-stretching of the network; (4) lower plateau in which dissociation of some newly made connections occurs. Our experiments revealed that compression proceeds by the passage of a phase boundary through the clot separating rarefied and densified phases. This observation motivates a model of fibrin mechanics based on the continuum theory of phase transitions, which accounts for the pre-stress caused by platelets, the adhesion of fibrin fibers in the densified phase, the compression of red blood cells (RBCs), and the pumping of liquids through the clot during compression/decompression. Our experiments and theory provide insights into the mechanical behavior of blood clots that could have implications clinically and in the design of fibrin-based biomaterials. Statement of Significance The objective of this paper is to measure and mathematically model the compression behavior of various human blood clots. We show by a combination of confocal and scanning electron microscopy that compression proceeds by the passage of a front through the sample that separates a densified region of the clot from a rarefied region, and that the compression/decompression response is reversible with hysteresis. These observations form the basis of a model for the compression response of clots based on the continuum theory of phase transitions. Our studies may reveal how clot rheology under large compression in vivo due to muscle contraction, platelet retraction and hydrodynamic flow varies under various pathophysiological conditions and could inform the design of fibrin based biomaterials.
Private Equity and the Resolution of Financial Distress

We examine the role private equity (PE) firms play in the resolution of financial distress using a sample of 2,151 firms that borrow in the leveraged loan market between 1997 and 2010. Controlling for leverage, PE-backed firms are no more likely to default than other leveraged loan borrowers. When firms do default, PE-backed firms restructure more often out of court, restructure faster, and are more likely to remain an independent going concern following the restructuring. PE owners are also more likely to retain control of the firm following the restructuring. The propensity for PE owners to infuse capital as firms approach distress is positively related to measures of the success of the restructuring. Overall, our results show that PE sponsors resolve distress in portfolio firms relatively efficiently.
Minnealloy: a new magnetic material with high saturation flux density and low magnetic anisotropy

We are reporting a new soft magnetic material with high saturation magnetic flux density, and low magnetic anisotropy. The new material is a compound of iron, nitrogen and carbon, α'-Fe8(NC), which has saturation flux density of 2.8 ± 0.15 T and magnetic anisotropy of 46 kJ m−3. The saturation flux density is 27% higher than pure iron, a widely used soft magnetic material. Soft magnetic materials are very important building blocks of motors, generators, inductors, transformers, sensors and write heads of hard disk. The new material will help in the miniaturization and efficiency increment of the next generation of electronic devices.
GRASSHOPPER SWIMMING AS A FUNCTION OF SEXUAL AND TAXONOMIC DIFFERENCES: EVOLUTIONARY AND ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

Swimming behavior of grasshoppers (21 species from 3 subfamilies) was assessed with respect to sexual and taxonomic differences. The parameters of swimming included capacity (the ability of individuals to reach the edge of a 100 cm diameter pool within 3 min), rate of net displacement (the time required to reach the edge of the pool, if this was greater than 3 min the subject was deemed as incapable of swimming) and orientation (the ability to reach a target of vertical stripes on the pool). Melanoplinae had a significantly greater proportion of individuals capable of swimming than Oedipodinae or Gomphocerinae. Males and females did not differ significantly in swimming capability. Considerable differences were found among species in the rate of net displacement. This rate was significantly greater for Melanoplinae than Oedipodinae, and Oedipodinae were significantly faster than Gomphocerinae. In comparing across all species, females had a significantly greater rate of net displacement than males. Several ...
Optical Antennas and Enhanced Nonlinear Effects

Optical nanoantennas are important devices for efficiently converting propagating and radiated waves into confined and dramatically enhanced fields at the nanoscale. Recent advances in the realization and modeling of subwavelength optical antennas have led to their use in energy harvesting, biological and chemical sensing, optical imaging, nonlinear wave mixing, harmonic generation, and various other near-infrared and optical applications. Typically, nonlinear optical activity is very weak in nanoscale volumes filled by nonlinear media. However, the resonant interaction of light in subwavelength nanoantennas offers an efficient way to explore nonlinear processes at the nanoscale, based on the strong field enhancement in their proximity, and to design, analyze, and predict optical phenomena that were previously not accessible. In this chapter, we review recent findings on nanodipole antennas loaded with nanoparticles for third-order nonlinear operation. We extend the concept of optical impedance of nanoantennas when nonlinear effects are present, and we apply it to model strong optical bistable effects and all-optical nanodevice designs, including nanomemories, nanoswitches, and nano-rectennas.
The Adynamic Terminal Ureteral Segment

AbstractRecently, we observed hydroureteronephrosis owing to an adynamic transmural distal ureteral segment associated with a thickened bladder, consequent to bladder outlet obstruction. Histological examination disclosed a loss of intrinsic musculature of the terminal ureteral segment with fibrosis. The importance of this entity is in the fact that upper tract dilatation and deterioration may progress, despite apparently successful correction of the bladder outlet uropathy.
Illicit drug use and work in a model therapeutic workplace

Abstract Background The link between illicit drug use and impaired employee performance in the workplace has been assumed, but the relation has not been demonstrated clearly in research. This study was an evaluation of the relations between cocaine and opiate use, attendance, and performance in a job skills training program in a population with high rates of drug use. Methods Out-of-treatment injection drug users (N = 42) attended a model therapeutic workplace where they could earn a maximum pay of around $10 per hour, 4 h every weekday, for 30 weeks. At the workplace, participants could complete practice trials on computer-based typing and keypad training programs. Participants were asked to provide urine samples thrice weekly, which were tested for opiates and cocaine. Results Participants worked for more hours on a program that resulted in a flat hourly wage when their urine was negative for opiates and cocaine than when their urine was opiate and cocaine positive. Attendance was positively associated with opiate-negative samples during the study. When participants attended the workplace, however, their performance was not related to drug use. Participants completed the same number of practice trials, performed at the same accuracy, and typed at the same speed when they were positive and negative for cocaine and opiates. Conclusions Contrary to common expectations, this study failed to show that the use of opiates or cocaine affected in-training performance, even though opiate and cocaine use predicted reduced attendance under some circumstances.
Anemia in the Nursery: When to Observe, When to Treat, and When to Refer

Anemia is an uncommon problem in the newborn nursery and may have serious consequences when it occurs. Using a case-based method and clinical questions that confront the practitioner, common presentations of hemolytic disease, intracranial hemorrhage, acute blood loss, and infectious causes of anemia are reviewed. The chapter includes reference ranges for red cell indices in newborns, a diagnostic algorithm, recommendations for initial laboratory assessment, and indications for red blood cell transfusion. Case examples highlight recommendations for observation, evaluation, treatment, and referral.
Probing short-latency cortical inhibition in the visual cortex with transcranial magnetic stimulation: A reliability study.

Abstract Background Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive method to stimulate localized brain regions. Despite widespread use in motor cortex, TMS is seldom performed in sensory areas due to variable, qualitative metrics. Objective Assess the reliability and validity of tracing phosphenes, and to investigate the stimulation parameters necessary to elicit decreased visual cortex excitability with paired-pulse TMS at short inter-stimulus intervals. Methods Across two sessions, single and paired-pulse recruitment curves were derived by having participants outline elicited phosphenes and calculating resulting average phosphene sizes. Results Phosphene size scaled with stimulus intensity, similar to motor cortex. Paired-pulse recruitment curves demonstrated inhibition at lower conditioning stimulus intensities than observed in motor cortex. Reliability was high across sessions. Conclusions TMS-induced phosphenes are a valid and reliable tool for measuring cortical excitability and inhibition in early visual areas. Our results also provide appropriate stimulation parameters for measuring short-latency intracortical inhibition in visual cortex.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor, a candidate tumor suppressor gene

3313 The aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AhRR) is a member of the bHLH/PAS superfamily of transcription factors. It functions by repressing the transcription activity of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. AhRR is located at the short arm of human chromosome 5 (5p15.3) where the presence of tumor suppressor gene(s) has been previously proposed based on loss of heterozigosity (LOH) studies on various primary tumors. Using real time PCR we have shown that AhRR is significantly downregulated in primary tumors when compared to normal tissues of the same origin. Mutational analysis on 30 cervical cancer specimens showed evidence for LOH of the 5p region by loss of polymorphic alleles. Methylation specific PCR on the AhRR gene showed hypermethylation in 78.3% of cervical cancers and 38.8% of testicular germ cell tumors and 100% of ovarian tumor cell lines. Artificial siRNA-knock down of AhRR on lung cancer cell line A549 (A549-AhRR-) and in normal breast cell line MCF10A significantly increases cell growth and clonogenicity in vitro. In a xenograft experiment, A549-AhRR- grew much faster than the control. A549-AhRR- is more resistant to apoptotic signals and induces more angiogenesis than the control cell line in vivo. In conclusion, AhRR plays a role as a tumor suppressor gene.
Regulating Guns among Young Adults

This paper reports the results of two studies of the impact of gun control measures on violent criminal behavior among persons age 18 to 20. The first study assessed the impact of state bans on gun carrying among persons age 18 to 20 on rates of violent crime committed by persons in that age group. The research used a state-level cross-sectional weighted least squares analysis of murder, robbery, and aggravated assault rates in 2000, controlling for possible confounding variables. The results indicate no significant effect of these carry bans on any of the three violent crime rates. The second study was a longitudinal analysis performed to evaluate the impact of a single previously unstudied element of the federal Gun Control Act of 1968 – its ban on the purchase of handguns by persons aged 18 to 20. The analysis tested whether the share of arrests for three violent crime types trended downward, or less strongly upward, after the law went into effect, controlling for trends in the share of the population in this age group. Results indicate that there was no impact of this ban on the 18-to-20 year-old share of arrests for homicide, robbery, or aggravated assault.
Calcium Phosphate Crystal Formation in Escherichia Coli from Human Urine: An in Vitro Study

Escherichia coli with no demonstrable urease activity was inoculated into filter sterilized urine obtained from a healthy volunteer subject with no history of stone disease and then incubated at 37 degrees C. Bacteria were recovered at intervals between 1 and 10 days. Urinary pH was stable as compared to control urines and spontaneous crystal precipitation was not noted in controls. Recovered organisms were analyzed by x-ray powder diffractometry. An uncharacterized mineral phase (UMP) was first evident after 6 days. Calcium phosphate in the form of brushite and hydroxyapatite was apparent at 7 and 10 days respectively. This suggests a role for bacteria in calcium phosphate crystal formation in urine apart from urease activity and may contribute to the calcium phosphate component of urinary calculi.
Sensual excess: queer femininity and brown jouissance: by Amber Jamilla Musser, New York, New York University Press, 2018, 240 pp., 11 images, USD $89 (cloth), ISBN 9781479807031

Tending to a lush theoretical ground of brownness and being realized through the senses, Amber Musser’s Sensual Excess: Queer Femininity and Brown Jouissance challenges the very dimensions of norma...
The long-term survival characteristics of a cohort of colorectal cancer patients and baseline variables associated with survival outcomes with or without time-varying effects

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world. In this study, we assessed the long-term survival characteristics and prognostic associations and potential time-varying effects of clinico-demographic variables and two molecular markers (microsatellite instability (MSI) and BRAF Val600Glu mutation) in a population-based patient cohort followed up to ~ 19 years. The patient cohort included 738 incident cases diagnosed between 1999 and 2003. Cox models were used to analyze the association between the variables and a set of survival outcome measures (overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS), recurrence/metastasis-free survival (RMFS), and event-free survival (EFS)). Cox proportional hazard (PH) assumption was tested for all variables, and Cox models with time-varying effects were used if any departure from the PH assumption was detected. During the follow-up, ~ 61% patients died from any cause, ~ 26% died from colorectal cancer, and ~ 10% and ~ 20% experienced recurrences and distant metastases, respectively. Stage IV disease and post-diagnostic recurrence or metastasis were strongly linked to risk of death from colorectal cancer. If a patient had survived the first 6 years without any disease-related event (i.e., recurrence, metastasis, or death from colorectal cancer), their risks became very minimal after this time period. Distinct sets of markers were associated with different outcome measures. In some cases, the effects by variables were constant throughout the follow-up. For example, MSI-high tumor phenotype and older age at diagnosis predicted longer MFS times consistently over the follow-up. However, in some other cases, the effects of the variables varied with time. For example, adjuvant radiotherapy treatment was associated with increased risk of metastasis in patients who received this treatment after 5.5 years post-diagnosis, but not before that. This study describes the long-term survival characteristics of a prospective cohort of colorectal cancer patients, relationships between baseline variables and a detailed set of patient outcomes over a long time, and time-varying effects of a group of variables. The results presented advance our understanding of the long-term prognostic characteristics in colorectal cancer and are expected to inspire future studies and clinical care strategies.
Social instability in adolescence differentially alters dendritic morphology in the medial prefrontal cortex and its response to stress in adult male and female rats

Adolescence is an important period for HPA axis development and synapse maturation and reorganization in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Thus, stress during adolescence could alter stress-sensitive brain regions such as the PFC and may alter the impact of future stressors on these brain regions. Given that women are more susceptible to many stress-linked psychological disorders in which dysfunction of PFC is implicated, and that this increased vulnerability emerges in adolescence, stress during this time could have sex-dependent effects. Therefore, we investigated the effects of adolescent social instability stress (SIS) on dendritic morphology of Golgi-stained pyramidal cells in the medial PFC of adult male and female rats. We then examined dendritic reorganization following chronic restraint stress (CRS) with and without a rest period in adult rats that had been stressed in adolescence. Adolescent SIS conferred long-term alterations in prelimbic of males and females, whereby females show reduced apical length and basilar thin spine density and males show reduced basilar length. CRS in adulthood failed to produce immediate dendritic remodeling in SIS rats. However, CRS followed by a rest period reduced apical dendritic length and increases mushroom spine density in adolescently stressed adult males. Conversely, CRS followed by rest produced apical outgrowth and decreased mushroom spine density in adolescently stressed adult females. These results suggest that stress during adolescence alters development of the PFC and modulates stress-induced dendritic changes in adulthood.
Association between measured teamwork and medical errors: an observational study of prehospital care in the USA

Objectives The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between measured teamwork and adverse safety events in the prehospital emergency care of children using high-fidelity simulation. We posit that non-technical skills such as leadership, teamwork, situation awareness and decision-making are associated with the clinical success of teams. Design Observational study. Setting Emergency medical services (EMS) responders were recruited from public fire and private transport agencies in Oregon State to participate in four simulations of paediatric emergencies using high-fidelity patient simulators, scene design, and professional actors playing parents and bystanders. Participants Forty-four fire/transport teams consisting of 259 EMS professionals consented to participate and completed simulations. Primary and secondary outcome measures Teams were assessed using the Clinical Teamwork Scale (CTS), a validated instrument that measures overall teamwork and 15 specific elements in five overarching domains: communication, decision-making, role responsibility (leadership and followership), situational awareness/resource management and patient-friendliness. We used generalised estimating equations to estimate the odds of error with increasing overall CTS teamwork score while adjusting for clinical scenario and potential clustering by team. Results Across 176 simulations, the mean overall score on the CTS was 6.04 (SD 2.10; range 1=poor to 10=perfect) and was normally distributed. The distribution of scores was similar across the four clinical scenarios. At least one error was observed in 82% of the simulations. In simulations with at least one observed error, the mean CTS score was 5.76 (SD 2.04) compared with 7.16 (SD 1.95) in scenarios with no observed error. Logistic regression analysis accounting for clustering at the team level revealed that the odds of an error decreased 28% with each unit increase in CTS (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.88). Conclusions This study found that overall teamwork among care delivery teams was strongly associated with the risk of serious adverse events in simulated scenarios of caring for critically ill and injured children.
Moderate alcohol intake promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma development in mice expressing oncogenic Kras

Heavy alcohol intake has been suspected to be a risk factor of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in humans. However, the contribution of moderate alcohol intake to PDAC development remains el...
Deep Learning-Based Queue-Aware Eco-Approach and Departure System for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Buses at Signalized Intersections: A Simulation Study

Author(s): Ye, Fei; Hao, Peng; Wu, Guoyuan; Esaid, Danial; Boriboonsomsin, Kanok; Barth, Matthew J; Gao, Zhiming; LaClair, Tim
Using species distribution models to guide seagrass management

Abstract Seagrasses provide essential and global ecosystem services. However, due to natural and anthropogenic disturbance, seagrass meadows around the world have declined dramatically in recent decades. Researchers and managers have been calling for increased frequency and accuracy in the mapping of seagrass distributions to benefit seagrass conservation for over a decade, and we argue that a critical advancement in the management of seagrasses could come through increased and iterative model-based mapping of potential habitat as an accessory to seagrass monitoring. We further demonstrate how focus on errors of commission and omission during model interpretation could guide management activities, using the Texas Gulf Coast as a case study representing seagrass habitats worldwide. We used the species distribution modeling program Maxent to predict the location of suitable habitat for each seagrass species along the Texas Coast based on local current velocity, distance from boat launches (i.e., an index of human disturbance), nitrogen, light availability, salinity, and temperature. Models accurately predicted suitable habitat for all seagrass species, including Halodule wrightii (AUC = 0.830 ± 0.032), Thalassia testudinum (AUC = 0.901 ± 0.058), Syringodium filiforme (AUC = 0.911 ± 0.036), Halophila engelmannii (AUC = 0.865 ± 0.092), and Ruppia maritima (AUC = 0.868 ± 0.040). The relative importance of environmental factors differed between models. Distributions for H. wrightii and T. testudinum were most influenced by surface nitrate concentrations. S. filiforme, H. engelmannii, and R. maritima distributions were most influenced by benthic light availability. Human disturbances often lead to elevated nitrate concentrations and decreased benthic light availability, and our models generally predicted a lack of suitable habitat near sites characterized by abundant human development. We considered model errors of commission and omission for each species to identify candidate regions for seagrass transplantation and habitat restoration, respectively. Overall, we believe that the utility of the approach we have developed in the Texas Gulf Coast case study along extends beyond a single study site, and our methods will assist conservation of seagrass meadows worldwide.
Theory of speckle intensity correlations over object position in a heavily scattering random medium

We present a general theory for optical imaging of moving objects obscured by heavily scattering random media. Measurements involve collecting a series of speckle intensity images as a function of the position of a moving object. A statistical average intensity correlation can be formed with the potential to provide access to microscopic and macroscopic information about the object. For macroscopic objects and translation distances that are both large relative to the wavelength, there is a clear method to invert measurements to form an image of the hidden object. Opportunities exist for super-resolution sensing and imaging, with far-subwavelength resolution. Importantly, there is no fundamental limit to the thickness of the background randomly scattering medium, other than the practical requirement of detecting an adequate number of photons and sufficient background scatter for developed Gaussian field statistics. The approach can be generalized to any wave type and frequency, under the assumption that there is adequate temporal coherence. Applications include deep tissue in vivo imaging and sensing in and through various forms of environmental clutter. The theory also provides another dimension for intensity interferometry and entangled state detection to the case with motion of the scatterer or emitter.
High-Throughput Screening of Reductive Amination Reactions Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

This study describes the latest generation of a high-throughput screening system that is capable of screening thousands of organic reactions in a single day. This system combines a liquid handling ...
Echocardiographic myocardial strain analysis describes subclinical cardiac dysfunction after craniospinal irradiation in pediatric and young adult patients with central nervous system tumors.

Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) is part of the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) tumors and is associated with cardiovascular disease in adults. Global myocardial strain analysis including longitudinal peak systolic strain (GLS), circumferential peak systolic strain (GCS), and radial peak systolic strain (GRS) can reveal subclinical cardiac dysfunction. Retrospective, single-center study in patients managed with CSI vs. age-matched controls. Clinical data and echocardiography, including myocardial strain analysis, were collected at early (< 12 months) and late (≥ 12 months) time points after completion of CSI. Echocardiograms were available at 20 early and 34 late time points. Patients at the late time point were older (21.7 ± 10.4 vs. 13.3 ± 9.6 years) and further out from CSI (13.1 ± 8.8 vs. 0.2 ± 0.3 years). Standard echocardiographic parameters were normal for both groups. For early, CSI vs. control: GLS was − 16.8 ± 3.6% vs. -21.3 ± 4.0% (p = 0.0002), GCS was − 22.5 ± 5.2% vs. -21.3 ± 3.4% (p = 0.28), and GRS was 21.8 ± 11.0% vs. 26.9 ± 7.7% (p = 0.07). For late, CSI vs. control: GLS was − 16.2 ± 5.4% vs. -21.6 ± 3.7% (p < 0.0001), GCS was − 20.9 ± 6.8% vs. -21.9 ± 3.5% (p = 0.42), and GRS was 22.5 ± 10.0% vs. 27.3 ± 8.3% (p = 0.03). Radiation type (proton vs. photon), and radiation dose (< 30 Gy vs. ≥ 30 Gy) did not impact any parameter, although numbers were small. Subclinical cardiac systolic dysfunction by GLS is present both early and late after CSI. These results argue for future studies to determine baseline cardiovascular status and the need for early initiation of longitudinal follow-up post CSI.
Powering and Structuring Intersectionality: Beyond Main and Interactive Associations

It is exciting to watch intersectionality travel from its roots in Black feminist activism and critical legal studies to increasingly more mainstream research domains such as psychology and psychopathology. We commend Mennies et al. (Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2020) for their application of the intersectionality framework to the study of psychopathology and treatment utilization in youth in the ABCD study. We argue, however, that this application falls short of its intersectional promise. We discuss some conceptual and methodological/analytical issues that evidence the focal article's lack of alignment with intersectionality's core tenets, particularly regarding the central role of power and social-structural factors as drivers of inequities across intersectional positions. Specifically, we discuss our concerns with the testing and flattening of intersectionality, the selection and operationalization of intersectional positions, and the use of conventional regression models as quantitative analytical approach. We end by suggesting ways that intersectionality can help reduce the inequities in psychopathology and treatment utilization identified by Mennies et al. (Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2020).