cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Major Histocompatibility Complex-Dependent Susceptibility to Cryptococcus neoformans in Mice

To evaluate the role of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in the resistance to Cryptococcus neoformans, we conducted infection experiments in MHC-congenic strains of mice. Significant MHC-dependent susceptibility differences were found among homozygotes and heterozygotes. This study is the first experimental demonstration of MHC-dependent susceptibility to C. neoformans infections in mice and indicates that MHC genes can be important in host resistance.
Food taboos of childbirth: The Malay example†

Tradition and folk beliefs created a highly structured set of rituals obligatory for 40 days for the Malay woman who gave birth. During confinement great care was taken that harmful materials, especially “cold” foods such as fruits and vegetables, and “toxic” fish, did not enter the body. Permitted foods and behaviour were designed to keep the body “hot” and prevent “toxicity” in the suckling. Fifty women selected randomly in a Malay fishing village were studied by participant observation. They reported that a varied normal diet continued through pregnancy but it altered abruptly at childbirth because of dietary restrictions. Observation of all foods consumed for a full day during the lying‐in of two women indicated that the food taboos of the puerperium lowered intakes of essential nutrients.
Representation and matching of articulated shapes

We consider the problem of localizing the articulated and deformable shape of a walking person in a single view. We represent the non-rigid 2D body contour by a Bayesian graphical model whose nodes correspond to point positions along the contour. The deformability of the model is constrained by learned priors corresponding to two basic mechanisms: local non-rigid deformation, and rotation motion of the joints. Four types of image cues are combined to relate the model configuration to the observed image, including edge gradient map, foreground/background mask, skin color mask, and appearance consistency constraints. The constructed Bayes network is sparse and chain-like, enabling efficient spatial inference through sequential Monte Carlo sampling methods. We evaluate the performance of the model on images taken in cluttered, outdoor scenes. The utility of each image cue is also empirically explored.
Explaining U.S. Farm Policy in 1996 and Beyond: Changes in Party Control and Changing Market Conditions: Discussion

When I was asked by National Public Radio to express my opinion of the then freshly enacted farm legislation that was being touted in the press and by the politicians as a major reform of farm legislation, my comment was taken from Shakespeare: "Much ado about nothing." Why did I say this? I believed that FAIR would represent real reform-a transition to a market economy for grain if the payments over the next seven years were considered a buyout, a pay off, so to speak-from the current farm programs. The past programs had resulted in a significant increase in land values and it was too much to expect politically that the past subsidies could be cut off all at once. Land had
Validation of Cosmed’s FitMate™ in Measuring Oxygen Consumption and Estimating Resting Metabolic Rate

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the FitMate metabolic system (Cosmed, Rome, Italy) in measuring oxygen consumption and estimating resting metabolic rate (RMR). The FitMate is a new, small (20 x 24 cm) metabolic analyzer designed for measurement of oxygen consumption and energy expenditure during rest and exercise. Subjects included 60 healthy adults (N = 30 males, N = 30 females) ranging in age from 19 to 65 years (mean +/- SD age, 36.9 +/- 13.4 years) and body mass index (BMI) from 19.2 to 44.8 kg/m2 (27.7 +/- 6.2 kg/m2). Subjects were given two 10 min RMR tests in one test session during which RMR was measured simultaneously with the Douglas bag and FitMate systems. No significant differences were found between Douglas bag and FitMate systems for oxygen consumption (242 +/- 49 and 240 +/- 49 ml/min, respectively, P = 0.066, r = 0.97, mean +/- SD absolute difference 2.83 +/- 11.68 ml/min) or RMR (1,662 +/- 340 and 1,668 +/- 344 kcal/day, P = 0.579, r = 0.97, mean +/- SD absolute difference 5.81 +/- 80.70 kcal/day). These data indicate that the FitMate is a reliable and valid system for measuring oxygen consumption and RMR in adults.
Reengineering a Legacy Tool for Software Evolution

This paper describes how a commercial legacy tool originally developed for a centralized computing environment has been reengineered for a heterogeneous distributed computing environment which allows the tool to be accessed remotely. In addition, we discuss how the tool was further enhanced to componentize customers' business applications in a heterogeneous distributed computing environment
An Evaluation of the Rapid Airway Management Positioner in Obese Patients Undergoing Gastric Bypass or Laparoscopic Gastric Banding Surgery

A new positioning device, the Rapid Airway Management Positioner (RAMP, Airpal Inc., Center Valley, PA) was evaluated to determine if there was an improvement in either mask ventilation, direct laryngoscopy, or both with the use of the RAMP in this patient population. Fifty-one morbidly obese patients (BMI > 35 kg/m2) undergoing elective bariatric surgery were enrolled. Ventilation and laryngoscopy was performed in the neutral and head-elevated laryngoscopy position (HELP). Direct laryngoscopy was performed noting the glottic view according to the Cormack–Lehane classification (Samsoon and Young, Anesthesiology 42:487, 1987). Mask ventilation was then recommenced. The HELP, or “ramped,” position was achieved by inflating the RAMP, which was placed underneath the patient prior to entering the OR. Once proper HELP position was achieved, a second laryngoscopy was performed followed by endotracheal intubation. Two main outcomes were noted in the neutral and HELP positions: (1) laryngoscopic view and (2) ease of ventilation. The inflated ramped position provided greater ease of ventilation as compared to the neutral position (p = 0.0003). There was also a significant improvement in the glottic view in the ramped position (p = 0.04). Ease of intubation was perceived to be severely difficult among two, and overall use of the positioning device was found to be difficult among seven of the residents. The RAMP effectively positions morbidly obese patients in the HELP position. Ease of ventilation and laryngoscopic view were both improved with its use in this patient population.
High-Resolution NMR Studies of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

High-resolution NMR studies of yeast cells have contributed to our understanding of metabolism and energetics. The above studies of glycolytic control, enzyme kinetics, and metabolism during dormancy have shown how the strengths of NMR investigations can build upon existing knowledge to create a qualitatively different understanding of the processes in yeast.
GTPase-Rac enhances depolarization-induced superoxide production by the macula densa during tubuloglomerular feedback

Superoxide (O2− ) enhances tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) by scavenging nitric oxide at the macula densa (MD). The primary source of O2− in the MD during TGF is NADPH oxidase, which is activated b...
Work in progress-unexpected student outcome from collaborative agile software development practices and paired programming in a software engineering course

There has been low representation of women in computer science. This paper describes the initial findings of a three-year research project about women in the field of information technology. The goal of this research is to examine the effect of pair programming and agile software development on students. During the first semester of this project, pair programming was used in a junior/senior software engineering class at North Carolina State University. In this paper, we share the grounded theory analysis of three interviews and thirteen project retrospective essays of the female students. Theoretical models were developed to describe: (a) the factors of students' enjoyment in a software design course that employs agile software methods, (b) context that influenced students' study habits, and (c) the effectiveness of pair programming and agile methods. Initial findings indicate that pair programming is an effective practice for the female students, but it also brings new challenges for the instructors.
Quantifying Musician Performance Using MIDI Analysis Before and After EMG-Guided Botulinum Toxin Injections for Focal Task-Specific Dystonia (P1.017)

Objective: To demonstrate the utility of MIDI in measuring performance change in subjects with musician’s dystonia (MD) before and 6 weeks after intramuscular EMG-guided botulinum toxin (BTx) injections. Background: Because of the subjective and variable nature of musical performance, a major difficulty in the study of MD is lack of quantifiable measures to assess dystonia severity or treatment effects. Subjective and objective clinical rating scales have been proposed, but few provide individualized musician evaluation. Here we test a method of MIDI analysis that allows pianists to play any excerpt that displays their individual MD, and provide objective treatment effect measures. Design/Methods: Subjects with MD played scalar note sequences and passages of their choosing on a MIDI piano before and 6 weeks after BTx treatment (Myobloc, Solstice Neurosciences). Multiple trials were recorded with each hand. Pattern recognition algorithms were used to detect repeated trials, and the performances of the affected and unaffected hand were compared. Outcome measures included participants’ subjective ratings (0-100%), root mean square error (RMSe) of key, note duration and loudness. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare musicians matched to themselves before and after BTx injections into affected arm muscles. Results: 16 MD subjects (14 men, 2 women, average age ± SD 49.5±13.2 years) completed the study. Median note duration RMSe across all performances improved by 28% (8.1956 to 5.7879, p=0.0627), loudness RMSe by 16% (10.0581 to 8.4311, p=0.2272). Subjective ratings averaged 30% (range 0-90%) better. Conclusions/Relevance : These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using musicians with MD as their own controls to detect change in performance after BTx treatment with quantitative measures of individualized passages. This is one of few studies using MIDI analysis to show change after treatment in MD. Study supported by: Parkinson9s Disease Foundation, with initial funding from Solstice Neurosciences, Inc. Disclosure: Dr. Sklerov has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boschung has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pullman has nothing to disclose.
Service Clouds: A Distributed Infrastructure for Constructing Autonomic Communication Services

This paper describes Service Clouds, a distributed infrastructure designed to facilitate rapid prototyping and deployment of services that enhance communication performance, robustness, and security. The infrastructure combines adaptive middleware functionality with an overlay network substrate in order to support dynamic instantiation and reconfiguration of services. The Service Clouds architecture includes a collection of low-level facilities that can be either invoked directly by applications or used to compose more complex services. After describing the Service Clouds architecture, we present results of two experimental case studies conducted on the PlanetLab Internet testbed, the first to improve throughput of bulk data transfer, and the second to enhance the robustness of multimedia streaming
Invited Commentary: Structural Equation Models and Epidemiologic Analysis

In this commentary, structural equation models (SEMs) are discussed as a tool for epidemiologic analysis. Such models are related to and compared with other analytic approaches often used in epidemiology, including regression analysis, causal diagrams, causal mediation analysis, and marginal structural models. Several of these other approaches in fact developed out of the SEM literature. However, SEMs themselves tend to make much stronger assumptions than these other techniques. SEMs estimate more types of effects than do these other techniques, but this comes at the price of additional assumptions. Many of these assumptions have often been ignored and not carefully evaluated when SEMs have been used in practice. In light of the strong assumptions employed by SEMs, the author argues that they should be used principally for the purposes of exploratory analysis and hypothesis generation when a broad range of effects are potentially of interest.
Secretion of the arginine-rich and A-I apolipoproteins by the isolated perfused rat liver.

Rates of secretion of the arginine-rich and A-I apolipoproteins into perfusates of rat livers were meas- ured by specific radioimmunoassays. Livers were perfused for 6 hr in a recirculating system in the presence or absence of 5,5'-dithionitrobenzoic acid, an inhibitor of lecithin- cholesterol acyltransferase. Arginine-rich apoprotein (ARP) was secreted at a constant or increasing hourly rate of about 40 pg/g liver, whereas the rate of accumulation of apoprotein A-I decreased progressively from about 12 to less than 5 pg/g liver. These rates were not affected by inhibition of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase. The distribution of these two apolipoproteins was also measured in ultracentrifugally separated lipoprotein fractions from perfusates and blood plasma. Apoprotein A-I was mainly in high density lipoproteins, with the remainder in proteins of density >1.21 g/ml. The percent of apoprotein A-I in the latter fraction was lowest in plasma (5%); in perfusates it was greater when the enzyme inhibitor was present (33%) than in its absence (11%). By contrast much less ARP was in proteins of d > 1.21 g/ml in perfusates than in blood plasma. Discoidal high density lipoproteins, re- covered from perfusates in which lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase was inhibited, contained much more arginine-rich apoprotein than apoprotein A-I (ratio = 1O:l). The ratio in spherical plasma HDL was 1:7 and that in perfusate high density lipoproteins obtained in the absence of enzyme inhibitor was intermediate (2:l). It is concluded that: I) the arginine-rich apoprotein is a major apolipoprotein whereas apoprotein A-I is a minor apolipo- protein secreted by the perfused rat liver; 2) the properties of the high density lipoproteins produced in this system are remarkably similar to those found in humans with geneti- cally determined deficiency of lecithin-cholesterol acyl- transferase.
A Test and Re-Estimation of Taylor’s Empirical Capacity-Reserve Relationship

In 1977, Taylor proposed a constant elasticity model relating capacity choice in mines to reserves. A test of this model using a very large (n = 1,195) dataset confirms its validity but obtains significantly different estimated values for the model coefficients. Capacity is somewhat inelastic with respect to reserves, with an elasticity of 0.65 estimated for open-pit plus block-cave underground mines and 0.56 for all other underground mines. These new estimates should be useful for capacity determinations as scoping studies and as a starting point for feasibility studies. The results are robust over a wide range of deposit types, deposit sizes, and time, consistent with physical constraints on mine capacity that are largely independent of technology.
Robust Signal Recovery from Incomplete Observations

Recently, a series of exciting results have shown that it is possible to reconstruct a sparse signal exactly from a very limited number of linear measurements by solving a convex optimization program. If our underlying signal f can be written as a superposition of B elements from a known basis, it is possible to recover f from a projection onto a generic subspace of dimension about B log N. Moreover, the procedure is robust to measurement error; adding a perturbation of size ∈ to the measurements will not induce a recovery error of more than a small constant times ∈. In this paper, we will briefly overview these results, and show how the recovery via convex optimization can be implemented in an efficient manner, and present some numerical results illustrating the practicality of the procedure.
Reliability and predictive validity of a hepatitis-related symptom inventory in HIV-infected individuals referred for Hepatitis C treatment

Background: We aimed to determine the reliability and validity of a hepatitis symptom inventory and to identify predictors of hepatitis C (HCV) treatment initiation in a cohort of HIV-infected patients. Methods: Prospective clinic based study that enrolled patients referred for HCV therapy consideration. A hepatitis symptom inventory and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were administered to HIV/ HCV individuals. The symptom inventory was factor analyzed and subscale reliability estimated with Cronbach’s alpha. Predictive validity was evaluated using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Predictors of HCV treatment were identified using logistic regression. Results: Between April 2008 to July 2010, 126 HIV/HCV co-infected patients were enrolled in the study. Factor analysis using data from 126 patients yielded a three-factor structure explaining 60% of the variance for the inventory. Factor 1 (neuropsychiatric symptoms) had 14 items, factor 2 (somatic symptoms) had eleven items, and factor 3 (sleep symptoms) had two items, explaining 28%, 22% and 11% of the variance, respectively. The three factor subscales demonstrated high intrinsic consistency reliability. GEE modeling of the 32 patients who initiated HCV therapy showed that patients developed worsening neuropsychiatric and somatic symptoms following HCV therapy with stable sleep symptoms. Bivariate analyses identified the following as predictors of HCV therapy initiation: lower HIV log10 RNA, lower scores for neuropsychiatric, somatic and sleep symptoms, lower CES-D scores and white ethnicity. In stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis, low neuropsychiatric symptom score was the strongest independent predictor of HCV therapy initiation and HIV log10 RNA was inversely associated with a decision to initiate HCV treatment. Conclusions: A 41-item hepatitis-related symptom inventory was found to have a clinically meaningful 3-factor structure with excellent internal consistency reliability and predictive validity. In adjusted analysis, low neuropsychiatric symptom scores and controlled HIV infection were independent predictors of HCV treatment initiation. The usefulness of the HCV symptom inventory in monitoring HCV treatment should be evaluated prospectively.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics of High-Dose Leucovorin Calcium After Intravenous and Oral Administration

The clinical formulation of leucovorin calcium (leucovorin, LV) is a mixture of stereoisomers [(6R,S)-5-formyltetrahydrofolate], which have been shown to differ significantly in plasma clearance and route of elimination after intravenous administration; the (6S) isomer is rapidly converted to 5-CH3 tetrahydrofolate (5-CH3 THF), and the (6R) isomer is slowly eliminated by renal excretion. The relative importance of (6S) LV and 5-CH3 THF in expanding reduced folate pools in tumor cells is unknown, but it is known that high concentrations of (6R) LV can support growth of folate-depleted cells and thus have the potential to interfere with the biological activity of the (6S) isomer. To examine the pharmacokinetics of the LV isomers and metabolites, we administered 1,000 mg of LV to five normal subjects as a 2-hour intravenous infusion and in divided oral 100-mg doses given over 24 hours. Plasma and urine samples were analyzed by reverse phase followed by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography. Following intravenous administration, peak plasma concentrations of (6R) LV, (6S) LV, and 5-CH3 THF were 148 +/- 32, 59.1 +/- 22, and 17.8 +/- 17 microM, respectively. During oral administration of LV, virtually no (6S) LV appeared in the plasma. Steady-state plasma concentrations of (6R) LV and 5-CH3 THF were approximately 1.5 +/- 0.23 and 2.8 +/- 0.41 microM, respectively. Intravenous administration of LV resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) for (6R) LV that was more than four times that of the biologically active (6S) folates, whereas oral administration produced an AUC for (6S) reduced folates [(6S) LV and 5-CH3 THF] that was approximately twice that of (6R) LV. After administration of high doses of LV intravenously, conversion of (6S) LV to 5-CH3 THF was saturable, as indicated by the prolonged (6S) LV half-life of 58 minutes and the slow (6S) LV clearance of 119.2 +/- 38 mL/min, compared with previously reported data for administration of low doses. This study illustrates that intravenous administration of LV produces equivalent AUCs of (6S) LV and 5-CH3 THF but a substantially higher AUC for (6R) LV. Oral administration over 24 hours results in an AUC of 5-CH3 THF equivalent to that obtained after intravenous dosing in the presence of only small amounts of (6R) LV. The optimal route of LV administration will ultimately be determined by ongoing studies of the cellular pharmacology of LV that will determine if high concentrations of (6R) LV interfere with the biological activity of the (6S) reduced folates.
More Democracy: The Direct Primary and Competition in U.S. Elections

This article offers a first-ever comprehensive empirical assessment of a key Progressive reform, the direct primary, and its impact on competition in American elections. We begin with a review of the problems Progressives diagnosed in the American electoral system and reasons to expect the direct primary to be a pro-competitive, democratizing reform. We then consider prior research into the direct primary and electoral contestation and describe the database of primary and general election outcomes that we have constructed to trace competition in primaries for federal and statewide offices. Finally, we examine the historical trajectory of competition in primary elections, starting with the first decades after the introduction of the reform and then the succeeding decades.Consistent with the hopes of reformers, we find primary elections indeed provided a forum for contestation for federal and statewide elections. Although primaries were never broadly competitive, even at the outset, they accounted for about a third of the serious electoral tests faced by statewide officeholders and about a fifth faced by U.S. representatives. The role of primaries as a venue for robust contestation, however, was short-lived, as the competitiveness of federal and statewide primaries decreased sharply starting in the 1940s. The last section of this article explores whether two recent developments in American elections—the extension of two-party competition and the rise in the value of incumbency—conspired to temper the contribution of direct primaries to electoral competition.
Impact of Cloud Model Microphysics on Passive Microwave Retrievals of Cloud Properties. Part II: Uncertainty in Rain, Hydrometeor Structure, and Latent Heating Retrievals

Abstract The impact of model microphysics on the retrieval of cloud properties based on passive microwave observations was examined using a three-dimensional, nonhydrostatic, adaptive-grid cloud model to simulate a mesoscale convective system over ocean. Two microphysical schemes, based on similar bulk two-class liquid and three-class ice parameterizations, were used to simulate storms with differing amounts of supercooled cloud water typical of both the tropical oceanic environment, in which there is little supercooled cloud water, and midlatitude continental environments in which supercooled cloud water is more plentiful. For convective surface-level rain rates, the uncertainty varied between 20% and 60% depending on which combination of passive and active microwave observations was used in the retrieval. The uncertainty in surface rain rate did not depend on the microphysical scheme or the parameter settings except for retrievals over stratiform regions based on 85-GHz brightness temperatures TB alone ...
Inflight vertical antenna patterns for X-SAR from Amazon rain-forest observations

The full pattern for a large antenna is usually not well known because of the difficulty in measuring it on a range. For a spaceborne SAR, the antenna may also experience different gravitational stresses and temperature gradients that might deform its structure, so it is very likely that its pattern will be different from that on the ground. In these cases, one can extract the relative vertical antenna pattern from the SAR images of target areas that are uniform on average. In this note, images taken from Amazon rain forest region are analyzed to yield an estimate of the in-flight relative-gain vertical antenna pattern for the X-SAR. The method is the same as that Moore and Hemmat used with SIR-B and used for scatterometer antennas on Seasat. The authors give the vertical antenna pattern over an angular range of 8/spl deg/ for X-SAR. The two-way 6-dB elevation beamwidth of the X-SAR antenna is found to be 5.9/spl deg/, which is fairly close to the 5.46/spl deg/ preflight beamwidth given by DLP, Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fur Luft-und Raumfahrt, but somewhat larger. >
Perceptions of body weight and nutritional practices among male and female National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II athletes.

ABSTRACT Objective: This study investigated body weight and nutritional behavior perceptions among Division II collegiate athletes. Participants: The sample was composed of 155 collegiate athletes who responded to a survey. Methods: Data were self-reported by athletes via questionnaire. Independent-sample t tests were used to identify significant gender differences related to body weight perceptions, nutritional practices, and ideal weight difference (IWD). An alpha level of .05 was used to determine statistical significance. Results: Mean ± SD female and male IWD was −6.8 ± 8.8 and 1.3 ± 12.3 lbs, respectively (p < .001). Significant differences in level of agreement regarding perceived body weight effects on performance and dietary practices existed between genders. Conclusions: Significant gender differences may exist regarding body weight perceptions and nutritional practices among collegiate athletes. Deliverance of gender-specific educational information about proper nutritional practices is warrant...
M4 services for software-defined passive optical network and mobile backhaul applications using Multicore Fiber

We present the first M4 services (Multilevel modulation-format through Multimode, Multicore fiber for Multiple services) for access software-defined network and mobile backhaul applications. We experimentally demonstrate 12 different wired/wireless services simultaneously over one fiber.
Pulmonary Clearance and Phagocytic Cell Response in a Murine Model of Branhamella catarrhalis Infection

C5-sufficient Swiss-Webster mice (C5+) and C5-deficient DBA/2J mice (C5-) when challenged endotracheally with 2 x 10(7) cfu of Branhamella catarrhalis rapidly clear the lungs of viable bacteria in 48 h. This rapid clearance correlates with a striking influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils that is of equal magnitude in both C5+ and C5- animals. Supernatant from Todd-Hewitt broth culture of B. catarrhalis exhibits in vivo chemotactic activity in the murine lung and in vitro chemotactic activity in Boyden chambers. The ability of B. catarrhalis to recruit granulocytes, independent of complement, may suggest a role for this organism in promoting protease-mediated lung destruction.
COMPARISON OF CURRENT COSTS AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRANSCATHETER AND SURGICAL AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become the treatment of choice for inoperable patients and an alternative for high-risk patients with aortic stenosis. We examined the current costs and reimbursement of TAVR and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). This retrospective study
Open crushing injuries of the hand.

A severe injury of the hand requires early skilled treatment to save tissue and restore maximal function. The foundation of the primary operative treatment is the removal of all the devitalized tissue; however, debridement must not sacrifice any living part that may be useful for repair or closure. Repair of deeper structures may have to be restricted initially. Satisfactory reduction and stabilization of fractures are primary goals. Suture of divided nerves often is helpful, but repair of flexor tendons is not indicated in crushing injuries. Primary wound closure is another aim of initial treatment.
Ultrastructural localization of acid phosphatase in feeding Tokophrya infusionum.

SYNOPSIS A combined cytochemical and electronmicroscopic study of feeding Tokophrya revealed that it has 2 sources of acid phosphatase. One is from the prey, Tetrahymena, supplying newly formed food vacuoles with large amounts of enzyme. The other source is in Tokophrya itself, the enzyme being found in small vesicles, small dense elongate bodies surrounded by a membrane, or in residue vacuoles. It seems that the 2 former small structures contain insignificantly small amounts of phosphatase; however, large deposits of lead phosphate are present in residue vacuoles, former food vacuoles. Since Tokophrya has no cytopyge these vacuoles are not excreted. On the contrary, when feeding is resumed, they merge with food vacuoles, presumably supplying them with acid phosphatase. Whether this enzyme ultimately is derived from the prey Tetrahymena and persists undegraded in the residue vacuoles, or whether it is synthesized by Tokophrya cannot be determined from present work.
Cochlear Implants Present and Future

The perfect cochlear implant has eluded the many research teams around the world that are studying it. In the hope that someone may develop one system that is clearly better than the others, I believe that each team should pursue its own ideas and methods. We have at least another 20 years of step-by-small step development if we are to continue to improve the cochlear implant.
Mild, moderate, and severe intensity cut-points for the Respiratory Distress Observation Scale

Abstract Background The Respiratory Distress Observation Scale © (RDOS) is a means for assessing respiratory distress when a patient is unable to give a dyspnea self-report. Cut-point determination was needed to guide clinical application. Method A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted in a prospective, observation study with inpatients ranked by nurse practitioners (NP) into levels of respiratory distress. A research assistant simultaneously measured RDOS blinded to NP ranking. Results Participants were 84 adults: mean age of 72.6 (SD = 15.2) years, 53.6% male, 77.4% African-American. NP ranking was distributed: none (30%), mild (26%), moderate (31%), and severe (13%) distress. RDOS scores ranged 0–13 ( M = 4.8, SD = 3). NP ranking was significantly correlated with RDOS ( rho = .91, p p Conclusions Intensity cut-point enhances the clinical utility of the RDOS.
Proximate Mechanisms: Psychology, Neuroendocrine System, and Central Nervous System

An evolutionary, life history framework can provide useful interpretation of previous findings in psychological and epidemiological research on the proximate mechanisms that influence physical activity and inactivity . It can also allow for innovative and unique hypotheses to be generated that can be tested in future research on factors that mediate or moderate the effects of these variables on physical activity. This chapter provides examples of health psychology research on physical activity that can benefit from an evolutionary perspective. It then presents novel hypotheses of physiological mechanisms that orchestrate energy allocation from a life history framework. The HPG and HPA axes of the neuroendocrine system are summarized to understand the ways they influence and are influenced by physical activity. This can lead to research aimed at testing whether physical activity reflects predicted adaptive trade-offs between competing energetic demands. The chapter concludes by proposing an integrative evolutionary model that aims to assimilate the phylogenetic, developmental, ultimate, and proximate predictors of physical activity based on the evolutionary life history perspective presented.
‘Love and trust, you can be blinded’: HIV risk within relationships among Latina women in Miami, Florida

ABSTRACTObjectives: Latina women are disproportionately affected by HIV in the US, and account for 30% of all HIV infections in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The main risk for Latina women is heterosexual contact. Little is known about the relational and cultural factors that may impact women’s HIV risk perception. This study aims to describe Latina women’s perception of their HIV risk within a relational, cultural, and linguistic context. Design: Eight focus groups of Latina women (n = 28), four English speaking groups and four Spanish speaking groups, were conducted between December 2013 and May 2014. Women were recruited from a diversion program for criminal justice clients and by word of mouth. Eligibility criteria included the following: self-identify as Hispanic/Latino, 18–49 years of age, and self-identify as heterosexual. A two-level open coding analytic approach was conducted to identify themes across groups. Results: Most participants were foreign-born (61%) and represented the following countries...
Altered viscoelastic properties of stroke-affected muscles estimated using ultrasound shear waves — Preliminary data

As a result of a brain injury such as stroke, the skeletal muscles may undergo numerous structural and functional alterations. These abnormal changes are linked to muscle weakness, joint contracture, and abnormal muscle tone and eventually, result in motor impairment. A subset of these alterations affects passive muscle stiffness, i.e., viscoelastic properties. However, in vivo estimation of changes in viscoelastic properties is a challenging task. Here, we used the shear wave velocity, estimated through ultrasound SuperSonic imaging (SSI), as a surrogate for viscoelastic properties. We estimated shear wave group and phase velocities (dispersion), and thus, quantified both elasticity and viscosity of the muscle tissue, respectively in muscles of hemiplegic stroke survivors. In these individuals, we found significantly higher group and phase velocities in the stroke-affected muscles (p< 05) compared to those of the contralateral non-affected side. We hypothesize that in addition to changes in neural and contractile properties, there are also, changes in elastic and tissue dispersive properties through local mechanisms. An enhanced understanding of post-stroke changes in skeletal muscles will lead to better and targeted interventions for rehabilitation.
Safety, Explanation, Iteration

This paper argues for several related theses. First, the epistemological position that knowledge requires safe belief can be motivated by views in the philosophy of science, according to which good explanations show that their explananda are robust. This motivation goes via the idea—recently defended on both conceptual and empirical grounds—that knowledge attributions play a crucial role in explaining successful action. Second, motivating the safety requirement in this way creates a choice point—depending on how we understand robustness, we'll end up with different conceptions of safety in epistemology. Lastly, and most controversially, there's an attractive choice at this point that will not vindicate some of the most influential applications of the safety-theoretic framework in epistemology, e.g., Williamson's (2000) arguments against the KK principle, and luminosity.
Causality between foreign direct investment and economic growth for Cambodia

The relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic growth in recipient economies remains one of the hottest debates. As confirmed in the literature, many studies support the grow...
Hippocampal subregion volume changes associated with antipsychotic treatment in first-episode psychosis.

Background Hippocampal dysfunction is considered central to many neurobiological models of schizophrenia, yet there are few longitudinal in vivo neuroimaging studies that have investigated the relationship between antipsychotic treatment and morphologic changes within specific hippocampal subregions among patients with psychosis. Method A total of 29 patients experiencing a first episode of psychosis with little or no prior antipsychotic exposure received structural neuroimaging examinations at illness onset and then following 12 weeks of treatment with either risperidone or aripiprazole in a double-blind randomized clinical trial. In addition, 29 healthy volunteers received structural neuroimaging examinations at baseline and 12-week time points. We manually delineated six hippocampal subregions [i.e. anterior cornu ammonis (CA) 1-3, posterior CA1-3, subiculum, dentate gyrus/CA4, entorhinal cortex, and fimbria] from 3T magnetic resonance images using an established method with high inter- and intra-rater reliability. Results Following antipsychotic treatment patients demonstrated significant reductions in dentate gyrus/CA4 volume and increases in subiculum volume. Healthy volunteers demonstrated non-significant volumetric changes in these subregions across the two time points. We observed a significant quadratic (i.e. inverted U) association between changes in dentate gyrus/CA4 volume and cumulative antipsychotic dosage between the scans. Conclusions This study provides the first evidence to our knowledge regarding longitudinal in vivo volumetric changes within specific hippocampal subregions in patients with psychosis following antipsychotic treatment. The finding of a non-linear relationship between changes in dentate gyrus/CA4 subregion volume and antipsychotic exposure may provide new avenues into understanding dosing strategies for therapeutic interventions relevant to neurobiological models of hippocampal dysfunction in psychosis.
Ribbon scanning confocal for high-speed high-resolution volume imaging of brain

Whole-brain imaging is becoming a fundamental means of experimental insight; however, achieving subcellular resolution imagery in a reasonable time window has not been possible. We describe the first application of multicolor ribbon scanning confocal methods to collect high-resolution volume images of chemically cleared brains. We demonstrate that ribbon scanning collects images over ten times faster than conventional high speed confocal systems but with equivalent spectral and spatial resolution. Further, using this technology, we reconstruct large volumes of mouse brain infected with encephalitic alphaviruses and demonstrate that regions of the brain with abundant viral replication were inaccessible to vascular perfusion. This reveals that the destruction or collapse of large regions of brain micro vasculature may contribute to the severe disease caused by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. Visualization of this fundamental impact of infection would not be possible without sampling at subcellular resolution within large brain volumes.
A Geometric Approach for the Cooperative Two-Pursuer One-Evader Differential Game

Abstract This paper revisits Isaacs’ two cutters and fugitive ship differential game where two faster pursuers cooperate to capture a slower evader in minimum time; the three players have simple motion. The evader, knowing that is being pursued by two cooperative pursuers, tries to maximize the capture time. A solution of this differential game is determined based on the Hamiltonian formulation and based on the geometric properties of the game. Additionally, this solution is verified by analyzing the properties of the obtained candidate Value function.
Examining the association between maternal atopy and birth outcomes using a retrospective cohort in the southeastern region of the USA

Objective To assess birth outcomes in primiparous women with diagnosis of non-asthmatic atopy (NAA). Researchers hypothesised that women with NAA would have reduced the risk of adverse birth outcomes compared with women without NAA. NAA is defined as having allergic rhinitis and/or atopic dermatitis. Setting Women were mostly treated in primary care settings in South Carolina, USA. Participants This is a retrospective cohort study in which participants were identified using a Medicaid database. Participants were primiparous women aged 19 to 25. Births occurring between 2004 and 2014 were identified using the South Carolina’s Vital Statistics (VS) records of live births. Incomplete records (ie, information on plural birth, gestational age at birth or birth weight missing), plural births or infants born before completing 24 weeks of gestation were excluded. This provided 65 650 complete maternal–infant dyads, representing 97.6% of the maternal records and 96.9% of the VS records. Women previously diagnosed with NAA were frequency matched 1:4 to non–atopic controls for a total of 9965 maternal–infant dyads used in the statistical analysis. Primary outcome measures Low birth weight, small for gestational age and preterm birth. Results Linear tests for trend were statistically significant (p Conclusion A diagnosis of NAA among women living in the southeastern region of the USA does not reduce the risk of adverse birth outcomes nor does it elevate the risk of same. Additional studies with more rigorous designs are warranted to confirm the findings in this study.
Electromyography Exposes Heterogeneity in Muscle Co-Contraction following Stroke

Walking after stroke is often described as requiring excessive muscle co-contraction, yet, evidence that co-contraction is a ubiquitous motor control strategy for this population remains inconclusive. Co-contraction, the simultaneous activation of agonist and antagonist muscles, can be assessed with electromyography (EMG) but is often described qualitatively. Here, our goal is to determine if co-contraction is associated with gait impairments following stroke. Fifteen individuals with chronic stroke and nine healthy controls walked on an instrumented treadmill at self-selected speed. Surface EMGs were collected from the medial gastrocnemius (MG), soleus (SOL), and tibialis anterior (TA) of each leg. EMG envelope amplitudes were assessed in three ways: (1) no normalization, (2) normalization to the maximum value across the gait cycle, or (3) normalization to maximal M-wave. Three co-contraction indices were calculated across each agonist/antagonist muscle pair (MG/TA and SOL/TA) to assess the effect of using various metrics to quantify co-contraction. Two factor ANOVAs were used to compare effects of group and normalization for each metric. Co-contraction during the terminal stance (TSt) phase of gait is not different between healthy controls and the paretic leg of individuals post-stroke, regardless of the metric used to quantify co-contraction. Interestingly, co-contraction was similar between M-max and non-normalized EMG; however, normalization does not impact the ability to resolve group differences. While a modest correlation is revealed between the amount of TSt co-contraction and walking speed, the relationship is not sufficiently strong to motivate further exploration of a causal link between co-contraction and walking function after stroke. Co-contraction does not appear to be a common strategy employed by individuals after stroke. We recommend exploration of alternative EMG analysis approaches in an effort to learn more about the causal mechanisms of gait impairment following stroke.
Environmental and landscape factors affecting the continued suppression of canebrakes (Arundinaria gigantea, Poaceae) within restorations of bottomland hardwood forests1

Canebrakes in the southeastern United States form a unique ecosystem composed of monotypic stands of the cane species Arundinaria gigantea Michaux within bottomland hardwood forests. Since European settlement, canebrakes have been reduced to less than 2% of their historic range and are considered a critically endangered ecosystem. Despite efforts to restore bottomland hardwood forests to the landscape, current practices have yet to address restoration strategies for canebrakes. This paper synthesizes current understanding of abiotic and biotic factors limiting canebrake reestablishment within bottomland hardwood forest complexes. Consideration is given to the effects of hydrology, landscape and biogeographic factors, disturbance, cane reproductive history, growth patterns, and herbivory on canebrake establishment and persistence. While there is no single factor controlling the distribution and abundance of canebrakes, it is reasonable to believe abiotic factors have a greater impact on the establishment of canebrake systems than biotic factors. Once ecosystem hydrology, topography, and disturbance regimes are restored, biotic factors may have a greater limiting effect on canebrake reestablishment. Herbivory is particularly detrimental to canebrake formation and maintenance by decreasing cane density and cover, selectively removing root stock, and facilitating colonization of areas formerly occupied by cane. This review concludes that under current restoration and management practices of restored bottomland hardwood forests, widespread canebrakes seem unlikely to reestablish.
Feasibility of Engaging College Students in a 10-Day Plant-Based Diet.

Objective:This study sought to determine the feasibility of (a) engaging college students in experiential learning through a 10-day whole foods plant-based diet intervention, (b) bringing pertinenc...
An enhanced evaporator model for working fluid phase length prediction, validated with experimental thermal imaging data

Abstract This paper presents the modeling and validation of a counter-crossflow heat exchanger used to extract thermal energy from Heavy-Duty Diesel (HDD) engine exhaust. The finite volume evaporator modeling methodology is enhanced for both accurate working fluid temperature and phase length estimation, facilitating improved offline waste heat recovery simulation and accurate control-oriented model development. Transient model calibration and validation experiments were performed on a stand-alone flow bench. Heated gas was passed through the evaporator, replicating different engine exhaust gas conditions. In contrast to other studies, thermal imaging data served to identify the working fluid liquid, mixed and vapor phase lengths within the evaporator. The FVM modeling methodology was enhanced based on the thermal imaging data to accurately predict the working fluid phase lengths. Once calibrated, working fluid phase lengths predicted by the proposed model were validated against thermal imaging from additional transient experimental flow bench data sets. In comparison to the baseline finite volume evaporator model, the enhancements proposed herein showed a 43% mean improvement in predicting the vapor phase boundary during transient operation.