cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geometry of chaos in the two-center problem in general relativity.

The now-famous Majumdar-Papapetrou exact solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations describes, in general, N static, maximally charged black holes balanced under mutual gravitational and electrostatic interaction. When N=2, this solution defines the two-black-hole spacetime, and the relativistic two-center problem is the problem of geodesic motion on this static background. Contopoulos and a number of other workers have recently discovered through numerial experiments that, in contrast with the Newtonian two-center problem, where the dynamics is completely integrable, relativistic null-geodesic motion on the two-black-hole spacetime exhibits chaotic behavior Here I identify the geometric sources of this chaotic dynamics by first reducing the problem to that of geodesic motion on a negatively curved (Riemannian) surface.
Direct and indirect analysis of the fitness of Chrysochus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) hybrids.

The chrysomelid beetles Chrysochus auratus and C. cobaltinus form a narrow hybrid zone in western North America. We used a combination of direct and indirect analyses to examine the fitness of Chrysochus hybrids. For the direct analyses, we compared the mating frequency, longevity, fecundity and fertility of hybrid females and parentals. For the indirect approach, we tested predictions of multilocus genotype frequencies at a focal site in the hybrid zone, based on the frequencies of mating combinations during the previous generation. Hybrid females produced fewer eggs than did parentals and the eggs they produced in the lab failed to hatch, in contrast to those of parental females. In addition, contrary to predictions that 15.8% of the individuals at the focal site would have multilocus genotypes other than those expected of parentals or F1 individuals, we found no such genotypes at this site. This hybrid zone appears to be an example of a classic tension zone, with endogenous selection against hybrid individuals. We discuss the implications of low hybrid fitness for the evolution of premating barriers in this system, and argue that the integration of direct and indirect approaches is a powerful means of assessing the relative fitness of hybrids, particularly for species in which mate choices are easy to observe in the field. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 84, 273–286.
Medicaid physician fees and the quality of medical care of Medicaid patients in the USA

When enacted in 1965, the original Medicaid legislation sought to finance access to mainstream medical care for the poor. I use data on visits to office-based physicians from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey in four years—1989, 1993, 1998 and 2003—to test the extent to which this goal has been achieved. Specifically, I test whether this goal has been achieved more in states that pay higher fees to physicians who treat Medicaid patients compared to states that pay lower fees. By comparing the treatment of Medicaid patients to that of privately-insured patients and by using state fixed effects, I am able to estimate the effects of changes in the generosity of Medicaid physician payment within a state on changes in access to care for Medicaid patients, therefore separating Medicaid’s effect on access to health care from any correlation between the Medicaid fee and other attributes of the state in which a patient lives. Using this method, I examine the effect of Medicaid fees on whether or not an office-based physician accepts Medicaid patients, on the fraction of a physician’s practice that is accounted for by Medicaid, and on the length of visit times with physicians. Results imply that higher Medicaid fees increase the number of private physicians, especially in medical and surgical specialties, who see Medicaid patients. Higher fees also lead to visit times with physicians that are more comparable to visit times with private pay patients.
Gene lineages and eastern North American palaeodrainage basins: phylogeography and speciation in salamanders of the Eurycea bislineata species complex.

sAbstract Contemporary North American drainage basins are composites of formerly isolated drainages, suggesting that fragmentation and fusion of palaeodrainage systems may have been an important factor generating current patterns of genetic and species diversity in stream-associated organisms. Here, we combine traditional molecular-phylogenetic, multiple-regression, nested clade, and molecular-demographic analyses to investigate the relationship between phylogeographic variation and the hydrogeological history of eastern North American drainage basins in semiaquatic plethodontid salamanders of the Eurycea bislineata species complex. Four hundred forty-two sequences representing 1108 aligned bases from the mitochondrial genome are reported for the five formally recognized species of the E. bislineata complex and three outgroup taxa. Within the ingroup, 270 haplotypes are recovered from 144 sampling locations. Geographic patterns of mtDNA-haplotype coalescence identify 13 putatively independent population-level lineages, suggesting that the current taxonomy of the group underestimates species-level diversity. Spatial and temporal patterns of phylogeographic divergence are strongly associated with historical rather than modern drainage connections, indicating that shifts in major drainage patterns played a pivotal role in the allopatric fragmentation of populations and build-up of lineage diversity in these stream-associated salamanders. More generally, our molecular genetic results corroborate geological and faunistic evidence suggesting that palaeodrainage connections altered by glacial advances and headwater erosion occurring between the mid-Miocene and Pleistocene epochs explain regional patterns of biodiversity in eastern North American streams.
The Battle for Critical Internet Resources: South America vs. Amazon.com, Inc.

Purpose – To analyze the controversy about the allocation of critical Internet resources generated by ICANN's new gTLD program with a particular focus on the .AMAZON TLD. Methodology/approach/design – This article presents an exploratory case study about the .AMAZON controversy. The initial analysis of this ongoing research is based on data collected from various reports and media coverage on ICANN's new gTLD policy. The article draws from political economy theory to analyze disputes about critical Internet resources. Findings – This article discusses preliminary findings of the .AMAZON case, a contested prime example in ICANN's efforts to extend the Internet's domain name space. Practical Implications – The findings may inform related controversies in the gTLD program and contribute to a differentiated understanding of CIR allocation in Internet governance, and respective policy-making. Originality/value – The value of this article is the specific discussion of the .AMAZON case in the larger context of ICANN's new gTLD program, and its analysis that describes the controversy from a property rights perspective.
SOX11 is a biomarker for cyclin D1-negative mantle cell lymphoma

Cyclin D1 (CCND1) protein overexpression and/or the t(11;14)(q13;q32) translocation are the pathognomonic hallmarks of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). However, there have been cases that lacked both t(11;14) and cyclin D1 protein but still had a gene expression profile suggesting a diagnosis of MCL. SOX11 expression was detected in most cyclin D1- negative MCL and can serve as a specific biomarker for the diagnosis of this subset of MCL. Lack of SOX11 expression in MCL was associated with an indolent subset and favorable prognosis.
Additional serotypes of the APC virus group.

SummaryFourteen serologically distinct APC virus types have now been established. Twelve types were recovered from human, and 2 from simian materials.
The In Vivo Incorporation of C14 Formate in the Ureide Groups of Uric Acid by Periplaneta Americana (L.)

Leifert (1939) postulated the formation of ureide carbons of uric acid in insects by a condensation of 2 moles of urea and one of a dicarboxylic three carbon acid; this synthesis was based on pathway first suggested by Wiener (1902). Brighenti and Colla (1940) found no increase uric acid in the silkworm after the injection urea and concluded that urea was not involved the synthesis of uric acid by insects. Furthermore, labeled urea was not incorporated to significant extent into the purine ring by vertebrates (Barnes and Sehoenheimer, 1943). The use of labeled formate has demonstrated vertebrates and yeast that formate is incorporated into carbons 2 and S of the purine ring (Buchanan, 1951).
USE OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL HYDRODYNAMICS MODEL FOR TIDAL INLETS STUDIES

This study utilizes a multi-dimensional hydrodynamics model originally developed by Sheng (1989) and later modified by Sheng et.al (1992) to first quantify the flow field in Little Sarasota Bay in Florida, USA with a closed (present condition) and an opened (proposed condition) Midnight Pass, and then to produce a closure curve of the Midnight Pass. This study demonstrates that robust multi-dimensional hydrodynamics models can be used to provide more quantitative analysis of tidal inlet stability.
Use of Ground-Based LiDAR for Detection of IED Command Wires on Typical Desert Surfaces

The potential for using ground-based LiDAR to detect representative improvised explosive devices (IED) triggering command wires was investigated using a simple field test and complex image analysis. Six typical desert soil surfaces, ranging from smooth compacted silt to rough loose gravel, where scanned using a LiDAR (terrestrial laser scanning) mounted on a tripod at about 1.8 m above the ground surface. Identification of wires in scanned images was evaluated using surface elevation (microtopography) and surface image intensity (reflectance) with best results using image intensity. Wire detection required segmentation of intensity images using only the lowest 1 % reflectance values and detection of linear elements using algorithms that combines the LoG edge detection method and the Hough Transform function. Wire detection was possible only for wires greater than 3 mm and only for surfaces with the lowest surface roughness. Results indicate that LiDAR may be able to detect command wires at the ground surface using image intensity but critical issues such as rapid image and data processing would be required to utilize LiDAR imaging of surface, especially for application of LiDAR from a moving vehicle.
Cultural Interpretation of the Greeting "Wutahu"

Greetings are most frequently and widely used. People have their different greetings during different periods,which reflect the colorful characteristics of different people’s psychology and different times. Wutahu is the earliest greeting in China. From it we can understand our ancestors’ hard and inclement living conditions,and it is the portraiture of their real life; Wutahu is their philosophic thought of human-orientation,showing their love for others; Wutahut indicates their primitive religious belief from fear to worship for snakes and folk-custom in those days; Wutahu also embodies the evolution of broad and profound Chinese language,as well as the change of human history and the advance of social civilization. So,it contains abundant cultural connotations. Discussing greetings is important for us to deal with personal relationship and construct peaceful and harmonious society.
Hysteroscopic management of mullerian fusion defects.

SUMMARY Operative hysteroscopy for mullerian fusion defects in properly selected cases and in experienced hands is a safe and effective method of management of uterine septal defects associated with recurrent pregnancy losses. For the patient, it is a more acceptable alternative because it avoids laparotomy, a lengthy hospital stay, and blood transfusions. Medical costs are reduced compared with more traditional approaches. While providing the same level of success, this technique makes a vaginal delivery possible.
Calcium distribution within human erythrocytes

In order to study 45Ca distribution within erythrocytes, a method was devised that had minimal deleterious effects on the treated erythrocytes. It was observed that newly introduced 45Ca was predominantly recoverable from the cytosol and exchanged relatively slowly with membrane-associated Ca. Younger erythrocytes appeared to have relatively more 45Ca in membrane-associated sites. Erythrocytes from patients with sickle cell anemia had significantly more 45Ca in membrane-associated sites than did normal controls or patients with reticuloctosis due to a variety of disorders. There are theoretical reasons for considering the possibility that the distribution of 45Ca between cytosol and membrane-associated sites could modulate some of the properties of the erythrocyte membrane.
Quantitative Analysis of DNA-Looping Kinetics from Tethered Particle Motion Experiments

Abstract In this chapter we show the application of a maximum-likelihood-based method to the reconstruction of DNA-looping single-molecule time traces from tethered particle motion experiments. The method does not require time filtering of the data and improves the time resolution by an order of magnitude with respect to the threshold-crossing approach. Moreover, it is not based on presumed kinetic models, overcoming the limitations of other approaches proposed previously, and allowing its applications to mechanisms with complex kinetic schemes. Numerical simulations have been used to test the performances of this analysis over a wide range of time scales. We have then applied this method to determine the looping kinetics of a well-known DNA-looping protein, the λ-repressor.
SU-F-T-506: Development and Commissioning of the Effective and Efficient Grid Therapy Using High Dose Rate Flattening Filter Free Beam and Multileaf Collimator

Purpose: Treating bulky tumors with grid therapy (GT) has demonstrated high response rates. Long delivery time (∼15min), with consequent increased risk of intrafraction motion, is a major disadvantage of conventional MLC-based GT (MLC-GT). The goal of this study was to develop and commission a MLC-GT technique with similar dosimetric characteristics, but more efficient delivery. Methods: Grid plan was designed with 10X-FFF (2400MU/min) beam and MLC in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS). Grid size was 1cm by 1cm and grid-to-grid distance was 2cm. Field-in-field technique was used to flatten the dose profile at depth of 10cm. Prescription was 15Gy at 1.5cm depth. Doses were verified at depths of 1.5cm, 5cm and 10cm. Point dose was measured with a plastic scintillator detector (PSD) while the planar dose was measured with calibrated Gafchromic EBT3 films in a 20cm think, 30cmx30cm solid water phantom. The measured doses were compared to the doses calculated in the treatment planning system. Percent depth dose (PDD) within the grid was also measured using EBT3 film. Five clinical cases were planned to compare beam-on time. Results: The valley-to-peak dose ratio at the 3 depths was approximately 10–15%, which is very similar to published result. The average point dose difference between the PSD measurements and TPS calculation is 2.1±0.6%. Film dosimetry revealed good agreement between the delivered and calculated dose. The average gamma passing rates at the 3 depths were 95% (3%, 1mm). The average percent difference between the measured PDD and calculated PDD was 2.1% within the depth of 20cm. The phantom plan delivery time was 3.6 min. Average beam-on time was reduced by 66.1±5.6% for the 5 clinical cases. Conclusion: An effective and efficient GT technique was developed and commissioned for the treatment of bulky tumors using FFF beam combined with MLC and automation. The Department of Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Health System receives research support from Varian Medical Systems and Philips Health Care
A mindful eating intervention: A theory-guided randomized anti-obesity feasibility study with adolescent Latino females.

Abstract While pediatric anti-obesity lifestyle interventions have received considerable attention, few show sustained impact on body mass index (BMI). Using the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Theory as a framework, we examined the effects of a satiety-focused mindful eating intervention (MEI) on BMI, weight and mindful awareness. Method Design and Setting : Utilizing a two-group, repeated measures design, 37 adolescent females with a BMI >90th percentile, recruited from a public high school in a Latino community in the Southwestern United States, were randomized 2:1, one third to the group receiving a 6-week MEI and two thirds to the comparison group (CG) receiving the usual care (nutrition and exercise information). Intervention : During six weekly 90-min after school MEI group sessions, the behavioral skills of slow intentional eating were practiced with foci on satiety cues and triggers to overeat. Outcomes : Feasibility and acceptability were measured as participant retention (goal ≥55%) and evaluative comments from those in the MEI group, respectively. BMI and mindful awareness were measured on site at baseline, immediately post intervention, and at 4-week follow-up (week 10). Results Fifty-seven and 65% of those in the MEI and CG were retained throughout the study, respectively. MEI participants showed significantly lowered BMI compared with CG participants, whose weight increased (p 2 (BMI continued to decline to 1.4kg/m 2 by week 10); while CG BMI increased by 0.7kg/m 2 (consistent with BMI >90th percentile standard growth projections). Conclusions Initial and sustained decline of BMI in the MEI group supports further study of this theory-guided approach, and the value of practicing satiety-focused mindful eating behavioral skills to facilitate health behavior change.
President of the Royal Society

T HE ROYAL SOCIETY, to which Newton had dedicated his Prindpia in 1687 only to ignore it steadfastly when he moved to London, stood at a low ebb during the early years of his residence in the capital city. Membership, which had reached more than two hundred in the early years of the 1670s, now scarcely numbered more than half that figure, and meetings, given over mostly to miscellaneous chitchat devoid of serious scientific interest, suggested little of the interests that had brought the society together forty years earlier. The presence of Robert Hooke, not Newton's favorite natural philosopher, may well have determined his absence from the weekly meetings. Hooke was usually there. When Newton put in one of his rare appearances to show a “new instrument contrived by him,” a sextant, which would be useful in navigation, Hooke reminded him of past antipathies by claiming that he had invented it more than thirty years before. Hooke's death in March 1703 removed an obstacle and prepared the way for Newton's election as president at the next annual meeting on St. Andrew's Day, 30 November. Obscurity covers the background to Newton's election. Spontaneous expressions of popular will did not govern the selection of officers of the Royal Society. In all probability, Dr. Hans Sloane, the secretary, made the prior arrangements. At the meeting on 30 November something nearly went awry. Newton was not a political leader who had only to be proposed to be elected. Only twenty-two of the thirty members present voted to place him on the council, a necessary preliminary to election as president. Once elected to the council, he still received only twenty-four votes for president. Clearly, a group within the Royal Society did not rush to welcome England's preeminent natural philosopher to the presidential chair. Truth to tell, they did not rush to reelect him the next year, and the absence of vote totals in the society's Journal Book the following two years strongly implies a continuing want of universal enthusiasm. Less than two years after Newton's election, Queen Anne knighted him in Cambridge. Master of the Mint and president of the Royal Society, Sir Isaac Newton had become a personage of consequence. The attention he devoted to his coat of arms testifies that he recognized as much.
Molecules and Other Matters

In this chapter, we will explore the basics of general and organic chemistry that are needed to understand what happens during beer brewing. Learning how to draw the structure of the compound will allow us to understand the function of those compounds and their likely role in brewing. To fully understand the entirety of general and organic chemistry would require two full years of study. Many texts can aid in that study, but here we will look into the basics from the brewers’ perspective.
Quantification of wing and body kinematics in connection to torque generation during damselfly yaw turn

This study provides accurate measurements of the wing and body kinematics of three different species of damselflies in free yaw turn flights. The yaw turn is characterized by a short acceleration phase which is immediately followed by an elongated deceleration phase. Most of the heading change takes place during the latter stage of the flight. Our observations showed that yaw turns are executed via drastic rather than subtle changes in the kinematics of all four wings. The motion of the inner and outer wings were found to be strongly linked through their orientation as well as their velocities with the inner wings moving faster than the outer wings. By controlling the pitch angle and wing velocity, a damselfly adjusts the angle of attack. The wing angle of attack exerted the strongest influence on the yaw torque, followed by the flapping and deviation velocities of the wings. Moreover, no evidence of active generation of counter torque was found in the flight data implying that deceleration and stopping of the maneuver is dominated by passive damping. The systematic analysis carried out on the free flight data advances our understanding of the mechanisms by which these insects achieve their observed maneuverability. In addition, the inspiration drawn from this study can be employed in the design of low frequency flapping wing micro air vehicles (MAV’s).
Porites superfusa mortality and recovery from a bleaching event at Palmyra Atoll, USA.

Author(s): Furby, Kathryn Anne; Smith, Jennifer Ellen; Sandin, Stuart Adrian | Abstract: BackgroundThe demography of a coral colony is not a binary trajectory of life and death. Based on the flexibility afforded by colonial organization, most reef-building corals employ a variety of dynamic survival strategies, including growth and shrinkage. The demographic flexibility affects coral size, shape and reproductive output, among other factors. It is thus critical to quantify the relative importance of key dynamics of recruitment, mortality, growth and shrinkage in changing the overall cover of coral on a reef.MethodsUsing fixed photographic quadrats, we tracked the patterns of change in the cover of one common central Pacific coral, Porites superfusa, before and after the 2009 ENSO event.ResultsCoral colonies suffered both whole and partial colony mortality, although larger colonies were more likely to survive. In subsequent years, recruitment of new colonies and regrowth of surviving colonies both contributed to the modest recovery of P. superfusa.DiscussionThis study is unique in its quantitative comparisons of coral recruitment versus regrowth during periods of areal expansion. Our data suggest that recovery is not limited simply to the long pathway of settlement, recruitment and early growth of new colonies but is accelerated by means of regrowth of already established colonies having suffered partial mortality.
Girls, and gender and power relationships in an urban middle school

ABSTRACTThis paper describes the practices employed by middle school girls in New York City to negotiate their postfeminist school environment and considers the contested notion of girls’ agency. Based on an exploratory ethnographic study, the data reveal that girls – to varying degrees of success – enacted a range of practices to gain power over the pervasive sexism as well as the masculine hegemonic behavior that was the norm at their school.
Summer and winter drought drive the initiation and spread of spruce beetle outbreak.

This study used Landsat-based detection of spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) outbreak over the years 2000-2014 across the Southern Rocky Mountain Ecoregion to examine the spatiotemporal patterns of outbreak and assess the influence of temperature, drought, forest characteristics and previous spruce beetle activity on outbreak development. During the 1999-2013 period, time series of spruce beetle activity were highly spatially correlated (r >0.5) at distances 400 km. Furthermore, cluster analysis on time series of outbreak activity revealed the outbreak developed at multiple incipient locations and spread to unaffected forest, highlighting the importance of both local-scale dispersal and regional-scale drivers in synchronizing spruce beetle outbreak. Spatial overlay analysis and Random Forest modeling of outbreak development show that outbreaks initiate in areas characterized by summer, winter, and multi-year drought and that outbreak spread is strongly linked to the proximity and extent of nearby outbreak, but remains associated with drought. Notably, we find that spruce beetle outbreak is associated with low peak snow water equivalent, not just summer drought. As such, future alterations to both winter and summer precipitation regimes are likely to drive important changes in subalpine forests. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Chapter 16 GABAA- and GABAB-mediated processes in visual cortex

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor mechanisms of the visual cortex and describes the cellular mechanisms of GABAergic inhibition. Modern neuroscience has shown that each neurotransmitter may interact with many different types of membrane receptors, each of which may in turn operate a separate effector system. There appear to be two basic types of GABA receptors: “GABAA” and “GABAB.” Both are present in high quantities in the visual cortex. The majority of endogenous inhibitory processes in the cortex can be ascribed to the actions of GABA on either GABAA or GABAB receptors. GABAA receptors belong to the family of ligand-gated ion channels, which include the nicotinic acetylcholine and glycine receptors. GABAB receptors are not directly coupled to ion channels, but instead act via G protein–coupled signal systems. These two basic receptor subtypes are themselves subdivided.
Breast density in multiethnic women presenting for screening mammography.

Data on ethnic variations in breast density are limited and often not inclusive of underrepresented minorities. As breast density is associated with elevated breast cancer risk, investigating racial and ethnic difference may elucidate the observed differences in breast cancer risk among different populations. We reviewed breast density from initial screening of women from the Capital Breast Care Center and Georgetown University Hospital from 2010 to 2014. Patient demographics including race, age at screening, education, menopausal status, and body mass index were abstracted. We recorded the BI-RADS density categories: (1) "fatty," (2) "scattered fibroglandular densities," (3) "heterogeneously dense," and (4) "extremely dense." Multivariable unconditional logistic regression was used to identify predictors of breast density. Density categorization was recorded for 2146 women over the 5-year period, comprising Blacks (n = 940), Hispanics (n = 893), and Whites (n = 314). Analysis of subject characteristics by breast density showed that high category is observed in younger, Hispanic, nulliparous, premenopausal, and nonobese women (t-test or chi-square test, P-values <.0001). Obese women are 70% less likely to have high density. Being Hispanic, premenopausal, and nonobese were predictive of high density on logistic regression. In this analysis of density distribution in a diverse sample, Hispanic women have the highest breast density, followed by Blacks and Whites. Unique in our findings is women who identify as Hispanic have the highest breast density and lower rates of obesity. Further investigation of the impact of obesity on breast density, especially in the understudied Hispanic group is needed.
Examinando formas de hacer evaluación: Un acercamiento desde la teoría de respuesta del ítem para educadores de profesores

The study articulates how to meaningfully and consistently distinguish between levels of classroom assessment knowledge among pre-service teachers using a learning progressions framework. Guided by nationally recognized principles of development and acquisition of assessment literacy, the Classroom Assessment Literacy (CAL) instrument used to identify qualitative and quantitative differences in beginning classroom assessors’ proficiency estimates on a scale yields insight into new directions for modeling teacher learning progressions in this complex domain. Preliminary findings are relevant to assessment educators who are interested in diagnostic and formative uses of the CAL scales for evaluating pre-service teacher growth.
Control of formations: Stepping beyond passivity

We consider the problem of forcing a group of agents to achieve a rigid formation specified by a subset of interagent distances, through decentralized control action: Specifically by sensing only their relative position with respect to their neighbors and their own velocity. Prior papers have all assumed that the control input to velocity relationship is a passive system. In this paper we show that passivity is not necessary. We provide a class of linear time invariant (LTI) input to velocity models for which a stable control law can be formulated, provide such a law and prove its local stability.
Human Motion Reconstruction by Direct Control of Marker Trajectories

Understanding the basis of human movement and reproducing it in robotic environments is a compelling challenge that has engaged a multidisciplinary audience. In addressing this challenge, an important initial step involves reconstructing motion from experimental motion capture data. To this end we propose a new algorithm to reconstruct human motion from motion capture data through direct control of captured marker trajectories. This algorithm is based on a task/posture decomposition and prioritized control approach. This approach ensures smooth tracking of desired marker trajectories as well as the extraction of joint angles in real-time without the need for inverse kinematics. It also provides flexibility over traditional inverse kinematic approaches. Our algorithm was validated on a sequence of tai chi motions. The results demonstrate the efficacy of the direct marker control approach for motion reconstruction from experimental marker data.
Comparative Effectiveness of Current Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis

An optimal treatment approach to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is guided by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2012 recommendations. RA should be diagnosed early in the disease process and treatment should be commensurate with the degree of disease activity and the presence or absence of predictors of poor prognosis. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has recently provided a comparative review of medication for RA. The treatment of RA with conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biologic agents, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors and non-TNF biologics (abatacept, rituximab, tocilizumab) will be discussed in the context of the ACR recommendations and the AHRQ review.
Spectrophotometric quantitation of rhodopsin in the human retina.

The rhodopsin content of the human retina was determined spectrophotometrically. Retinas were removed completely by using an in vitro technique based on a simulation of retinal detachment. This method provides a total recovery of rod outer segments which contain the rhodopsin visual pigment or its apoprotein, opsin. Using this improved dissection method followed by a crude preparation of the retina, an opsin-rhodopsin content of 6.20 ± 0.64 nmol/retina (n = 9) was found. This is larger than values previously reported. Regeneration with a threefold excess of ll-c«-retinal improved the recovery of rhodopsin dramatically because the corneas of these human donor eyes were removed for corneal transplant surgery under relatively bright light that bleaches the retina nearly completely. The amount of rhodopsin that can be isolated will be sufficient for studies on early events in visual transduction using laser photolysis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 32:1962-1967,1991 Rhodopsin has been well characterized as the protein that is required for conversion of light into an electrical signal in many vertebrate retinas. 1 ' 2 However limited information is currently available on characteristics of human rhodopsin 34 due to the scarcity of material available for research purposes. Advances in recent decades with corneal transplant surgery have led to transplant eyebanks being established to coordinate the processing of donor tissues. Other than corneas, eye tissues are not transplanted routinely and have become available for research purposes. This has increased research efforts on such tissues. To do this research in our laboratories, we collaborated with the Montana Eye Bank Foundation. Detailed procedures were developed to improve the quality of the tissues by storing them in an inert atmosphere to attempt to decrease postmortem changes. Initial experiments were aimed at quantifying the amount of rhodopsin present. Interestingly, the values we obtained differed substantially from those reported earlier.
Challenges of Electronic Textbook Authoring: Writing in the Discipline

Textbooks and tuition costs are continually rising in higher education. Many college administrators and faculty members work to find solutions to offset these rising costs. Teachers explore creative ways to assign course readings, assignments, and assessment instruments. Reshaping the higher education landscape, universities and colleges have adopted new and innovative modes of teaching and learning supported by extensive information technology infrastructures. The author has completed the first phase of this research design and development of a digital textbook for a gateway foundations class in the areas of media art and science. The instructional design, delivery format, and results of two semesters of data have been collected and are presented in this article.
Non-Invasive, Cost-Effective, Early Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment in an Outpatient Setting: Pilot Study

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) affect millions worldwide, yet no curative treatments for these neuro-degenerative disorders have been developed to date. The current study aims to propose a noninvasive, cost-effective, early diagnostic protocol for individuals suffering with MCI in an outpatient setting. Elderly participants (n=11) were screened for MCI utilizing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaire preceding a visual stimuli task. Participants were presented with facial stimuli to elicit event related potentials (ERP) while their cortical activity was recorded utilizing electroencephalogram (EEG). Combining regional neurophysiological biomarkers into a multidimensional feature space allowed for differentiation between healthy and MCI participants based on their respective MoCA scores. This study illustrates the feasibility of recording reliable EEG in an outpatient setting while presenting a novel method for diagnosing MCI in elderly (age >60) populations.
Determinants of In-Hospital Mortality After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Machine Learning Approach.

Background The ability to accurately predict the occurrence of in‐hospital death after percutaneous coronary intervention is important for clinical decision‐making. We sought to utilize the New Yor...
High proportion of immature oocytes in a cohort reduces fertilization, embryo development, pregnancy and live birth rates following ICSI.

Abstract Research question Ooplasmic maturity has been studied for some time, but remains poorly defined. This study aimed to evaluate metaphase II (MII) oocyte competence in terms of fertilization, embryo development and cycle outcomes, according to the oocyte maturity ratio. Design Couples treated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) between 1993 and 2017 with female partners ≤35 years old were included. Cycles were divided into four groups according to proportion of MII oocytes at the time of retrieval: optimal (76–100%), adequate (51–75%), partial (26–50%) and minimal (1–25%). Results A total of 7672 ICSI cycles (optimal: 4838; adequate: 2252; partial: 518; minimal oocyte maturity: 64) were included, in which 95,667 MII oocytes were injected using ejaculated spermatozoa. The decreasing proportion of MII significantly reduced normal fertilization (two pronuclei) (78.9% to 71.3%; P Conclusions A high proportion of immature sibling oocytes in the retrieved cohort affects the fertilization rate and embryo developmental competence of MII inseminated oocytes, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates, suggesting that, in addition to nuclear maturity, ooplasmic and membrane maturity are required for developmental competence of MII oocytes. These findings may provide guidance toward ovarian stimulation protocols aimed at achieving a greater proportion of MII oocytes, leading to higher fertilization rates and better pregnancy outcomes.
Adverse changes in body composition of cancer surivors with BRCA mutations.

e12514 Background: Post-diagnosis weight gain is a risk factor for cancer recurrence and many individuals diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer gain weight during and after treatment. In the pre...
Civic ekphrasis: Classical and contemporary description in the public-speaking classroom

Courses: Public Speaking.Objectives: This unit aims to (1) illustrate the classical and contemporary utility of ekphrasis (“description”) as a genre of civic communication; and (2) introduce studen...
Bounties for Errors: Market Testing Contracts

Many scholars and courts have championed a plain meaning approach to interpreting commercial contracts between sophisticated parties. These parties are assumed to carefully draft contracts to make their rights and obligations clear and knowable if the language is enforced as written. However, recent events in the commercial lending arena have raised questions about the efficacy of this approach. Aggressive parties have combed through reams of complex documents looking for ways around seemingly clear contractual barriers. For example, Hovnanian promised to intentionally default on a debt payment to one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries in exchange for favorable financing from a hedge fund whose substantial CDS short position would have otherwise become worthless. In another case, J.Crew, faced with financial distress, found a way to divert the crown jewels from the collateral package pledged to its lenders, and instead use this value to prevent a default on unsecured notes that were coming due. Both of these transactions upended the expectations of those who put the original deals together. They raise the question: how can systems that depend on clear rules evolve, correct problems and reduce unintended consequences without resorting to a subjective standard? One approach is to crowdsource error-checking to market-participants by paying bounties to those who detect and publicize flaws in rules-based systems so that problems can be diagnosed and corrected (or, at least, their consequences mitigated) by subsequently revising the rules. This article considers such an iterative approach in the context of the Credit Default Swaps Market and the syndicated loan market.
Nitrogen and Sulfur Fertilization Effects on Camelina Sativa in West Central Kansas

Camelina sativa is early maturing and possesses characteristics that make it a good fit as a rotation crop in dryland wheat cropping systems. Nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) play very important roles in oilseed production, including camelina. This study was conducted over 3 years to determine N and S rates necessary for optimum camelina production in west central Kansas. The experiment was set up as randomized complete blocks with four replications in a split-plot arrangement. Treatments were two sulfur rates (0 and 18 lb/a) as the main plots, and four N rates (0, 20, 40, and 80 lb/a) as the sub-plot. Sulfur application did not affect stand count, biomass yield, harvest index, seed yield, oil and protein content. However, stand count, biomass yield, seed yield, and protein content were affected by N application (P < 0.05). Average oil and protein content were 28.1% and 33.9% respectively. The optimum N rate for yield was 20 lb N/a, which produced around 680 lb/a seed yield. Based on soil test levels of 25 lb N/a, N requirement for camelina production is 45 lb N/a.
Parental Influences on Adolescent Major Depressive Symptoms and Marijuana Use

Adolescent depression is associated with many negative outcomes, including elevated marijuana use. Although parental influences on adolescent depressive symptoms and marijuana use have been examined independently, their interrelation remains understudied. The current research investigates the hypothesis that lower levels of parental monitoring and warmth are inversely associated with adolescent depressive symptoms and marijuana use. A path analytic approach (N = 12,115) on data from a representative US sample indicated depressive symptoms had an indirect effect on the relationship between parental warmth (p < .001), monitoring (p = .013), and adolescent marijuana use. Exploring relationships grouped by respondents’ age (12–14 and 15–17 years, respectively) revealed minor differences. Depressive symptoms had significant indirect effects on parental warmth and marijuana use (both p < .001) and on parental monitoring and marijuana use (both p < .05). Parental influences appear to play an important role in marijuana use among adolescents with depressive symptoms.
Predicting Whom to Test is More Important Than More Tests - Modeling the Impact of Testing on the Spread of COVID-19 Virus By True Positive Rate Estimation

Abstract I estimate plausible true positive (TP) rates for the number of COVID-19 tests per day, most relevant when the number of test is on the same order of magnitude as number of infected persons. I then modify a standard SEIR model to model current growth patterns and detection rates in South Korea and New York state. Although reducing transmission rates have the largest impact, increasing TP rates by ∼10% in New York can have an impact equal to adding tens of thousands of new tests per day. Increasing both TP rates and tests per day together can have significant impacts and likely be more easily sustained than social distancing restrictions. Systematic and standardized data collection, even beyond contact tracking, should be ongoing and quickly made available for research teams to maximize the efficacy of testing.
Lively Lands: The Spatial Reproduction Squeeze and the Failure of the Urban Imaginary

Abstract This article argues that the theoretical invisibility of non-privatized land tenures constitutes a failure of the urban imaginary, which restricts the ability to forge less commodified urban futures. The article explicates two attributes of non-privatized land?fungibility and combinatoriality?that produce an urban land nexus capable of fostering pro-poor agglomeration economies and generating socialities that exceed the model of the separative self that is hegemonic in more propertied settings. Fungibility, it shows, externalizes supportive economies of production and reproduction into surrounding neighborhoods by shifting the boundaries and terms of usufruct without cadastral oversight or regulation. Combinatoriality?a hybrid formulation of combined territories and combined territorialities?describes overlapping forms of access to land or demarcations of legitimate land use, either competitive or reciprocal. Together, these two attributes of non-privatized land systems produce a propinquity requirement for economic production, or a social density and liveliness more limited in privatized land markets. Through a diagnostic analogy with the simple reproduction squeeze characteristic of subsistence agrarian settings, it charts how an urban spatial reproduction squeeze?felt globally in dense, rising-rent environments across the global North and South?generates subsistence needs that mixed-tenure environments are uniquely capable of fulfilling and that can provide inspiration for radical housing struggles elsewhere.
UAS-SfM approach to evaluate the performance of notched groins within a groin field and their impact on the morphological evolution of a beach nourishment

Abstract Beaches are dynamic systems characterized by frequent morphological changes due to storm events, gradients in longshore sediment transport, seasonal variations in wave climate and more. The complexity of variations in beach morphology can increase significantly after a beach nourishment, particularly when coastal structures are involved. This study investigates the impacts of a groin field, consisting of both notched and traditional groins, on the morphological evolution of a beach in Deal, New Jersey, USA. More specifically, an evaluation of the performance and specifications of the notched groins is undertaken. In 2016, the beach in Deal was nourished and three of the eight groins comprising the groin field were concurrently notched in order to promote increased movement of longshore sediment transport while maintaining a stable shoreline. The study site was monitored nine times over a period of two years (2018–2019) using Unmanned Aerial Systems Structure from Motion (UAS-SfM) photogrammetry. The near-term morphological response of the study site was evaluated by analyzing high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) and longshore sediment transport estimates based on measured wave data. The elevation change maps established that in general, the groin notching was partially successful in reducing shoreline asymmetry in consequence of sediment transport bypassing through the notches. Differences in behavior and patterns of elevation change adjacent to each individual notched groin was observed even though they were all notched according to the same specifications. While all three notched groins were effective in stabilizing the adjacent shoreline, they varied in their effectiveness at promoting longshore sediment transport through the notch. This is likely attributable to the relative location of the notched groins within the groin field and the characteristics of the post-nourishment morphological evolution; the direction of net annual longshore sediment transport at Deal beach is northward, which caused the southern areas of the study site to narrow and the northern areas of the study site to widen. Consequently, the notched groins in the wider sections of beach did not function as intended, as the notches filled in with sediment causing them to mimic the behavior of a traditional groin, including restricted longshore sediment transport and significant erosion/accretion offsets. In the narrower section of beach, the notched groin functioned as designed, such that the notch was located in the swash zone and therefore allowed bi-directional sediment transport and maintained a stable and relatively symmetrical shoreline. Thus, the notched groins performed most effectively when the notch was consistently located toward the seaward end of the swash zone.
Everyone's Creative: George E. Lewis and Ubiquitous Improvisation:

This is a response essay to an interview with George E. Lewis, the Edwin H. Case Professor of American Music at Columbia University, conducted by Cara Furman of Teachers College. The essay explores...