cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomized Controlled Trial of Cryoanalgesia (Ice Bag) to Reduce Pain Associated With Arterial Puncture

BACKGROUND: Arterial puncture can be a painful procedure for many patients. This study investigates whether precooling of a puncture site with ice can reduce the pain associated with arterial puncture. METHODS: This was a stratified randomized controlled trial of a convenience sample of out-patients with a physician order for an arterial blood gas (ABG) test. The intervention group had a plastic bag of ice applied to their wrists for 3 min before drawing an ABG sample from the radial artery. The control group had an ABG sample drawn from the radial artery without the application of ice. Pain from the arterial puncture was measured with a 100-mm visual analog scale. RESULTS: Subjects pretreated with ice reported less pain from arterial puncture compared with subjects in the control group (mean visual analog scale 13.8 16.9 vs 25 23 mm, P .01; median visual analog scale 7 mm, interquartile range (IQR) 1.5–19 vs 20 mm, IQR 4.5–38.5 mm, P .01). Stratified analysis showed that visual analog scale pain scores were lower in the naive group when ice was applied (naive ice vs naive control: mean visual analog scale 11 14.3 vs 26.5 25 mm, P .02; median visual analog scale 5 mm, IQR 2–14.5 vs 20 mm, IQR 6.5–36 mm, P .02). Visual analog scale pain scores trended lower in the experienced group when ice was applied (experienced ice vs experienced control: mean visual analog scale 15.9 18.9 vs 25.1 22 mm, P .15; median visual analog scale 8 mm, IQR 0.5–26.5 vs 23 mm, IQR 3.5–40 mm, P .08). There was no difference in first-attempt success between groups (ice group: 85%, control group: 82.5%, P > .99). Only 3 subjects could not tolerate 3-min ice application. CONCLUSIONS: Ice application before arterial puncture is well tolerated and reduces procedure-related pain. (ClinicalTrials.gov
A Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, CaM kinase-Gr, expressed after transformation of primary human B lymphocytes by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is induced by the EBV oncogene LMP1.

Abstract CaM kinase-Gr is a multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase which is enriched in neurons and T lymphocytes. The kinase is absent from primary human B lymphocytes but is expressed in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell lines, suggesting that expression of the kinase can be upregulated by an EBV gene product(s). We investigated the basis of CaM kinase-Gr expression in EBV-transformed cells and the mechanisms that regulate its activity therein by using an EBV-negative Burkitt lymphoma cell line, BJAB, and BJAB cells converted to expression of individual EBV proteins by single-gene transfer. CaM kinase-Gr expression was upregulated in BJAB cells by EBV latent-infection membrane protein 1 (LMP1) but not by LMP2A or by nuclear proteins EBNA1, EBNA2, EBNA3A, and EBNA3C. In LMP1-converted BJAB cells, the kinase was functional and was dramatically activated upon cross-linking of surface immunoglobulin M. Overlapping cDNA clones that encode human CaM kinase-Gr were sequenced, revealing 81% amino acid identity between the rat and human proteins. Transfection of BJAB cells with an expression construct for the human enzyme resulted in a functional kinase which was shown by epitope tagging to localize primarily to cytoplasmic and perinuclear structures. Induction of CaM kinase-Gr expression by LMP1 provides the first example of a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase upregulated by a viral protein. In view of the key role played by LMP1 in B-lymphocyte immortalization by EBV, these findings implicate CaM kinase-Gr as a potential mediator of B-lymphocyte growth transformation.
High-intensity interval training induces a modest systemic inflammatory response in active, young men

The purpose of this study was to determine: 1) the extent to which an acute session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) increases systemic inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and 2) whether 2 weeks of HIIT training alters the inflammatory response. Eight recreationally active males (aged 22±2 years) performed 2 weeks of HIIT on a cycle ergometer (six HIIT sessions at 8-12 intervals; 60-second intervals, 75-second active rest) at a power output equivalent to 100% of their predetermined peak oxygen uptake (VO 2 max). Serum samples were collected during the first and sixth HIIT sessions at rest and immediately, 15, 30, and 45 minutes post-exercise. An acute session of HIIT induced significant increases in interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 compared with rest. The concentrations of interferon-γ, granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor, and IL-1β were unaltered with an acute session of HIIT. Two weeks of training did not alter the inflamma - tory response to an acute bout of HIIT exercise. Maximal power achieved during a VO 2 max test significantly increased 4.6%, despite no improvements in VO 2 max after 2 weeks of HIIT. These data suggest that HIIT exercise induces a small inflammatory response in young, recreationally active men; however, 2 weeks of HIIT does not alter this response.
Ventral and dorsal buccal grafting for 1-stage repair of complex anterior urethral strictures.

Objective To describe our 14-year experience with a 1-stage tissue transfer urethroplasty technique. Methods Eighteen patients underwent reconstruction with circumferential buccal grafting. All patients had anterior urethral strictures that included segments of total or near-total obliteration not amenable to excisional or augmented anastomotic repair and intact corpus spongiosum that could serve as a graft recipient bed. The mobilized corpus spongiosum was incised dorsally without transection, thereby preserving the continuity of the blood supply within the spongy tissue. Buccal mucosa was quilted to the corporal bodies to reconstruct the dorsal aspect of the urethra. Where there was obliterative or near-obliterative stricture disease, additional buccal mucosa was quilted to the dorsally incised, nontransected corpus spongiosum in continuity with the distally and proximally spatulated urethra. The repair was then completed by approximating dorsal and ventral buccal mucosal graft segments. Results Follow-up included voiding cystourethrogram at 3 weeks, cystoscopy 4 months after surgery (1 patient refused), and subsequent follow-up. There was 1 early stricture recurrence, which was successfully treated with direct vision internal urethrotomy (success 94%, and 100% after 1 urethrotomy). Every patient was contacted and assessed at the time of manuscript preparation. All patients are currently free of obstructive symptoms attributed to stricture disease with a mean follow-up of 50 months (range, 5-171 months). Conclusion Dorsal and ventral buccal grafting appears to be an excellent option for a 1-stage repair of long obliterative anterior urethral strictures and strictures that include segments of obliterative or near-obliterative disease in selected cases.
Effects of Dulaglutide on Thyroid C Cells and Serum Calcitonin in Male Monkeys

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, have caused hyperplasia/neoplasia of thyroid C cells in rodent carcinogenicity studies. Studies in monkeys have not identified an effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists on thyroid C cells; however, group sizes were small. Dulaglutide is a once-weekly, long-acting human GLP-1 receptor agonist recently approved in the United States and the European Union. The objective of this study was to determine whether dulaglutide altered C-cell mass in monkeys. Male cynomolgus monkeys (20 per group) were sc injected with dulaglutide 8.15 mg/kg (∼500-fold maximum human plasma exposure) or a vehicle control twice weekly for 52 weeks. Basal and calcium gluconate-stimulated serum calcitonin concentrations were obtained at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Thyroid glands were weighed, fixed, and sectioned at 500-μm intervals. C-cell volumes were measured using an automated image analysis. C-cell proliferation was estimated using Ki67/calcitonin colabeling and cell counting. Administration of dulaglutide 8.15 mg/kg twice weekly for 52 weeks did not increase serum calcitonin in monkeys or affect thyroid weight, histology, C-cell proliferation, or absolute/relative C-cell volume. This study represents a comprehensive evaluation of the monkey thyroid C cells after dosing with a GLP-1 receptor agonist, with a large group size, and measurement of multiple relevant parameters. The lack of effect of dulaglutide on C cells is consistent with other studies in monkeys using GLP-1 receptor agonists and suggests that nonhuman primates are less sensitive than rodents to the induction of proliferative changes in thyroid C cells by GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Assessment of Microbial Fouling in an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Experiment

A project to investigate biofouling, under conditions relevant to ocean thermal energy conversion heat exchangers, was conducted during July through September 1977 at a site about 13 km north of St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands). Seawater was drawn from a depth of 20 m, within the surface mixed layer, through aluminum pipes (2.6 m long, 2.5-cm internal diameter) at flow velocities of about 0.9 and 1.8 m/s. The temperature of the seawater entering the mock heat exchanger units was between 27.8 and 28.6 degrees C. After about 10 weeks of exposure to seawater, when their thermal conductivity was reported to be significantly impaired, the pipes were assayed for the accumulation of biological material on their inner surfaces. The extent of biofouling was very low and independent of flow velocity. Bacterial populations, determined from plate counts, were about 10 cells per cm. The ranges of mean areal densities for other biological components were: organic carbon, 18 to 27 mug/cm; organic nitrogen, 1.5 to 3.0 mug/cm; adenosine 5'-triphosphate, 4 to 28 ng/cm; carbohydrate (as glucose in the phenol assay), 3.8 to 7.0 mug/cm; chlorophyll a, 0.2 to 0.8 ng/cm. It was estimated from the adenosine 5'-triphosphate and nitrogen contents that the layer of live bacteria present after 10 weeks was only of the order of 1mum thick. The C/N ratio of the biological material suggested the presence of extracellular polysaccharidic material. Such compounds, because of their water-retaining capacities, could account for the related increase in thermal resistance associated with the pipes. This possibility merits further investigation, but the current results emphasize the minor degree of biofouling which is likely to be permissible in ocean thermal energy conversion heat exchangers.
Differences between husbands' and wives' approach to infertility affect marital communication and adjustment.

Abstract Objective: To test a theoretical model of the effect on marital communication and adjustment of men's and women's approach to infertility. Design: A cross-sectional research design involving interviews, questionnaires, and a marital discussion task. Setting: Volunteers from practices of fertility specialists. Patient(s): Forty-eight couples currently seeking infertility treatment. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Quality of marital communication during a marital discussion task and effect of infertility on the marriage. Result(s): Having children was more important to wives than husbands; wives were more involved in trying to have a baby, wanted to talk with their partner more about trying to have a baby, and experienced a greater loss of self-esteem than did their husbands. To the extent that husbands saw having children as important, were involved in trying to have a baby, or wanted to talk with their wives about trying to have a baby, the quality of marital communication when discussing infertility was less negative, and in turn, wives perceived a more positive effect of infertility on their marriage. Conclusion(s): Increases in husbands' interest and involvement in fertility treatment may lead to positive changes in couple communication about infertility and to a more positive effect of infertility on the marriage.
Servo Systems Using Multi-rate Notch Filters To Attenuate Resonances Beyond Nyquist Rate

This paper presents a systematic computation method of discrete-time plant response based on the continuous-time bode measurement, also proposes a 2times multi-rate notch filter to attenuate the resonant mode higher than sampling rate
AFAP1 Is a Novel Downstream Mediator of TGF-β1 for CCN2 Induction in Osteoblasts.

Background CCN2 acts as an anabolic growth factor to regulate osteoblast differentiation and function. CCN2 is induced by TGF-β1 and acts as a mediator of TGF-β1 induced matrix production in osteoblasts and Src is required for CCN2 induction by TGF-β1; however, the molecular mechanisms that control CCN2 induction in osteoblasts are poorly understood. AFAP1 binds activated forms of Src and can direct the activation of Src in certain cell types, however a role for AFAP1 downstream of TGF-β1 or in osteoblats is undefined. In this study, we investigated the role of AFAP1 for CCN2 induction by TGF-β1 in primary osteoblasts. Results We demonstrated that AFAP1 expression in osteoblasts occurs in a biphasic pattern with maximal expression levels occurring during osteoblast proliferation (~day 3), reduced expression during matrix production/maturation (~day 14–21), an a further increase in expression during mineralization (~day 21). AFAP1 expression is induced by TGF-β1 treatment in osteoblasts during days 7, 14 and 21. In osteoblasts, AFAP1 binds to Src and is required for Src activation by TGF-β1 and CCN2 promoter activity and protein induction by TGF-β1 treatment was impaired using AFAP1 siRNA, indicating the requirement of AFAP1 for CCN2 induction by TGF-β1. We also demonstrated that TGF-β1 induction of extracellular matrix protein collagen XIIa occurs in an AFAP1 dependent fashion. Conclusions This study demonstrates that AFAP1 is an essential downstream signaling component of TGF-β1 for Src activation, CCN2 induction and collagen XIIa in osteoblasts.
Oncologic results of laparoscopic liver resection for malignant liver tumors.

Background There are scant data regarding oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR). The aim of this study is to analyze the oncologic outcomes of LLR for malignant liver tumors (MLT). Methods This was a prospective IRB-approved study of 123 patients with MLT undergoing LLR. Kaplan–Meier disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was calculated. Results Tumor type was colorectal in 61%, hepatocellular cancer in 21%, neuroendocrine in 5% and others in 13%. Mean tumor size was 3.2 ± 1.9 cm and number of tumors 1.6 ± 1.2. A wedge resection or segmentectomy was performed in 63.4%, bisegmentectomy in 24.4%, and hemihepatectomy in 12.2%. Procedures were totally laparoscopic in 67% and hand-assisted in 33%. Operative time was 235.2 ± 94.3 min, and conversion rate 7.3%. An R0 resection was achieved in 90% of patients and 94% of tumors. Median hospital stay was 3 days. Morbidity was 22% and mortality 0.8%. For patients with colorectal liver metastasis, DFS and OS at 2 years was 47% and 88%, respectively. Conclusions This study shows that LLR is a safe and efficacious treatment for selected patients with MLT. Complete resection and margin recurrence rate are comparable to open series in the literature. J. Surg. Oncol. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Flipped Classroom Improves Student Achievement and Course Satisfaction in a Statistics Course.

There are but a handful of experimental or quasi-experimental studies comparing student outcomes from flipped or inverted classrooms to more traditional lecture formats. In the current study, I pre...
Surface-enabled propulsion and control of colloidal microwheels

Propulsion at the microscale requires unique strategies such as the undulating or rotating filaments that microorganisms have evolved to swim. These features however can be difficult to artificially replicate and control, limiting the ability to actuate and direct engineered microdevices to targeted locations within practical timeframes. An alternative propulsion strategy to swimming is rolling. Here we report that low-strength magnetic fields can reversibly assemble wheel-shaped devices in situ from individual colloidal building blocks and also drive, rotate and direct them along surfaces at velocities faster than most other microscale propulsion schemes. By varying spin frequency and angle relative to the surface, we demonstrate that microwheels can be directed rapidly and precisely along user-defined paths. Such in situ assembly of readily modified colloidal devices capable of targeted movements provides a practical transport and delivery tool for microscale applications, especially those in complex or tortuous geometries.
Achieving exact cluster recovery threshold via semidefinite programming under the stochastic block model

Resolving a conjecture of Abbe, Bandeira and Hall, the authors have recently shown that the semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation of the maximum likelihood estimator achieves the sharp threshold for exactly recovering the community structure under the binary stochastic block model of two equal-sized clusters. Extending the proof techniques, in this paper it is shown that SDP relaxations also achieve the sharp recovery threshold under the stochastic block model with a fixed number of equal-sized clusters.
Evaluating the Dynamic Loads from Wind Tunnel Turbulence on a Low Aspect Ratio Flat Plate

The newly commissioned active turbulence grid is employed in an investigation to study the dynamic loading effects of turbulence on a low aspect ratio flat plate. The objective of this research is to investigate how turbulence intensity and length scales affect a fixed wing in a turbulent flow. This paper specifically focuses on dynamically characterizing a load cell and applies deconvolution filtering to extract only the unsteady aerodynamic loads on an aspect ratio 2 flat plate due to turbulence. Averaged and dynamic loads are investigated to develop an increased understanding of how these loads are developed. Relevant findings are that the presence of turbulence on mean loads increases the stall angle from 18 to 25-30 and modifies the pitching moment behavior. Dynamic load measurements showed that higher frequency loads roll-off in a -7/3 logarithmic manner similar to what one would expect from turbulent pressure fluctuations.
Gallery Initiation and Male Stridulation of the Polygamous Spruce Bark Beetle Polygraphus rufipennis

The polygamous bark beetle Polygraphus rufipennis has an anomalous pattern of gallery initiation and stridulation. Though more often the male attacks the host, either sex can initiate a gallery and be joined by the opposite sex. The nuptial chamber is constructed only by the male. Unlike other polygamous Scolytidae known, to stridulate, males have an elytral-abdominal stridulatory file and plectrum, but females do not. No differences were found in measured parameters of male chirps produced in stress, attraction, and rivalry contexts. Attracted females rub their mandibles against the elytra of males guarding the nuptial chamber entry; neither sex stridulates during this behavior. Male stridulation in this species may be an evolutionary holdover from a monogamous ancestor.
STEM-06ADULT NEURAL STEM CELLS ARE IRREPLACEABLE

BACKGROUND: Quiescent tumor-initiating with neural stem cell-like properties are resistant to antiproliferative therapy, enabling tumor recurrence. As such, increasing attention is focused on quiescent tumor stem cells. Quiescent neural stem cells (NSCs) share many features with tumor stem cells and may be ablated by suched targetted therapies, yielding adverse cognitive sequelae. The capacity of the quiescent NSC niche to recover following ablation remains unknown. METHODS: Nestin-creERT2::diphtheria toxin reporter (DTR) mice were induced to express DTR on NSCs with 3 days 150mg/kg i.p. tamoxifen. Ablation and control mice were treated with 100ug/kg diphtheria toxin DT or vehicle, respectively. Proliferative cells were labeled with BrdU prior to sacrifice. For cell replacement experiments, embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived NSCs were stereotactically implanted into the dentate gyrus and lateral ventricle. RESULTS: Ablation caused 50-80% reduction of quiescent NSCs and BrdU+ within 10 days. NSC loss persisted at least 2 months, and was accompanied by 48% loss of neurogenesis at 2 months (p < 0.01), suggesting inability of the partially vacated neurogenic niche to be repopulated over time by surviving NSCs. ESC-derived NSCs increased proliferation of endogenous NSCs though only modestly impacted the quiescent NSC pool size. Implanted NSCs also differentiated into neurons with appropriate morphology and projections but failed to engraft long term into the quiescent NSC niche. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate for the first time that adult NSCs are unable to repopulate the quiescent NSC niche after partial ablation of quiescent NSCs, even though surviving NSCs remain functional and responsive to proliferative stimuli. Primitive ESC-derived NSC also appear unable to engraft into the quiescent vacated niche. These findings suggest that loss of quiescent NSCs irreversibly decreases niche size. Given the importance of neurogenesis for cognition and memory, the potentially irreversible impacts of novel stem cell-targeted antitumor therapies on quiescent NSC pool size should be carefully evaluated.
Determination of nitrite and nitrate in vegetables,fruits and derived products by HPLC

Objective:To develop a method for determination of nitrite and nitrate in vegetables,fruits and derived products by high performance liquid chromatography.Methods: The analytes were extracted with ultrapure water ultrasonically wave,and then decolorated with active carbon or centrifuged,filtrate or supernate was filtered by 0.45 μm filter membrane.The separation was carried out on a Phenomenex SAX column with 0.01 mol/L monopotassium phosphate as mobile phase and detected at 205 nm The quantification was accomplished by external standard method.Results: The detection limits of this method for nitrite-nitrogen and nitrate-nitrogen was 0.1 mg/kg and 0.07mg/kg,and the recoveries were ranged from 91.2%～101.9% and 94.7%～106.0% respectively with RSDs less than 5%.Conclusion: The method is simple,sensitive,rapid,practical,accurate and which is suitable for the determination of nitrite and nitrate in vegetables,fruits and derived products.
Investiation of infectious diarrhea pathogens and its drug resistance analysis in Tonglu

Objective To investigate the distribution and drug resistance of bactenrial pathoges of infectious diarrheain Tonglu county,Zhejiang province. Methods 361 stool samples of diarrhea outpatients were selected from 3 hospitals in Tonglu,and7 projects of pathogenic bacteria are detected. Results In 361 stool,diarrhea pathogen infection was detected in bacterial 10(detection rate is2.78%),mainly Salmonella,E. coli causing diarrhea and Shigella. The detection rate was1.94%,0.55%,0. 28%. The detection rate of Salmonella is higher than the Shigella,the posibility of undetected mass outbreak of Salmonella infections may exist. Salmonella is sensitive to most antibiotics,Shigella 4C is resistant to multi-drug. and the infections mainly happen in July and August,regardless of age and gender. Conclusion Infectious diarrhea pathogens in Tonglu are Salmonella,E. coli causing diarrhea and Shigella,Salmonella is the main. Detection methods in some projects is not perfect,there are undiscovered mass outbreaks of Salmonella infection.
Accounting for Temperature Susceptibility of Asphalt Stiffness When Designing Bonded Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Pavements

AbstractA bonded concrete overlay of asphalt (BCOA), also known as whitetopping, is a thin concrete overlay placed upon a distressed asphalt pavement. The asphalt-resilient modulus is kept constant in current BCOA design procedures. This practice results in an underestimation of the damage as compared to when the hourly temperature variation of the asphalt is considered. The framework to establish an equivalent asphalt modulus involves generating a database of hourly middepth asphalt temperatures. This database should include hourly temperatures for different BCOA structures and a large range of geographical locations representing different climatic conditions. The hourly middepth asphalt temperatures are then used to generate hourly asphalt moduli using master curves. Through fatigue equivalency, the equivalent asphalt moduli are calculated for each month. In order to establish the relationship between the asphalt modulus and middepth temperature, the United States was divided into seven different zones ...
Other Phenotypes and Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is difficult to define, partly because the disease recognized by clinicians is both heterogeneous and the endpoint of different pathophysiologic, genetic, and environmental interactions. For this article, we define CRS as symptoms lasting more than 3 months combined with an imaging study showing inflammation in the sinuses. This article comments on some factors that are believed to influence the expression of CRS. These factors include anatomic abnormalities, immotile cilia, age, allergic sensitization, immune deficiency, dental infections, gastrointestinal reflux, smoking, biofilm, and the microbiome. Other factors are discussed in other sections. The article concludes with an overview of treatment. In brief, nasal steroids and large volume nasal irrigations are the first line of treatment for this inflammatory disease. Antibiotics are used when infections are thought to contribute. Oral steroids are frequently used in severe disease. Endoscopy and sinus computed tomography scans are used when surgery is contemplated.
“Going to town”: Large-scale norming and statistical analysis of 870 American English idioms

An idiom is classically defined as a formulaic sequence whose meaning is comprised of more than the sum of its parts. For this reason, idioms pose a unique problem for models of sentence processing, as researchers must take into account how idioms vary and along what dimensions, as these factors can modulate the ease with which an idiomatic interpretation can be activated. In order to help ensure external validity and comparability across studies, idiom research benefits from the availability of publicly available resources reporting ratings from a large number of native speakers. Resources such as the one outlined in the current paper facilitate opportunities for consensus across studies on idiom processing and help to further our goals as a research community. To this end, descriptive norms were obtained for 870 American English idioms from 2,100 participants along five dimensions: familiarity, meaningfulness, literal plausibility, global decomposability, and predictability. Idiom familiarity and meaningfulness strongly correlated with one another, whereas familiarity and meaningfulness were positively correlated with both global decomposability and predictability. Correlations with previous norming studies are also discussed.
Democracy and Economic Rights

INCLUDING CONTROVERSIAL ECONOMIC RIGHTS Dahl's revised theory of polyarchy (Dahl 1980) includes primary political rights in the definition of democracy but excludes economic rights as too controversial: “claims to primary social rights tend to be more debatable and uncertain in democratic theory and practice than claims to primary political rights.” Rawls's liberal conception of political justice uses much the same reasoning to exclude distributive justice from the constitutional essentials of democracy (Rawls 1993). Although agreement between Rawls and Dahl on this point lends great weight to their argument, I believe that the controversiality of economic rights does not disqualify them from being among the defining characteristics of democracy. The worldwide increase in the number of polyarchal democracies in recent years, from twenty-nine in 1969 to ninety in 1990, seemingly confirms that there is an emerging consensus on primary political rights. However, when polyarchies were in the minority and their rights were more debatable globally, American political scientists nevertheless included these rights in the definition of democracy. Now that economic rights are relatively more controversial than political rights, these scholars exclude economic rights as more debatable. There is an apparent inconsistency in their treatment of the implications of the controversiality of different categories of rights. If political rights could be included in 1969, when they were more controversial than at present, then economic rights should be includable despite their being more controversial than political rights. Although primary political rights may now be relatively less controversial than economic rights, they are still highly controversial.
A Note on q-Transformation Theory

The standard transform with a twisted q -kernel is proposed for connecting q -amplitudes in three-dimensional configuration space with those in three-dimensional momentum space.
Hyperspectral imaging to identify salt-tolerant wheat lines

In order to address the worldwide growing demand for food, agriculture is facing certain challenges and limitations. One of the important threats limiting crop productivity is salinity. Identifying salt tolerate varieties is crucial to mitigate the negative effects of this abiotic stress in agricultural production systems. Traditional measurement methods of this stress, such as biomass retention, are labor intensive, environmentally influenced, and often poorly correlated to salinity stress alone. In this study, hyperspectral imaging, as a non-destructive and rapid method, was utilized to expedite the process of identifying relatively the most salt tolerant line among four wheat lines including Triticum aestivum var. Kharchia, T. aestivum var. Chinese Spring, (Ae. columnaris) T. aestivum var. Chinese Spring, and (Ae. speltoides) T. aestivum var. Chinese Spring. To examine the possibility of early detection of a salt tolerant line, image acquisition was started one day after stress induction and continued on three, seven, and 12 days after adding salt. Simplex volume maximization (SiVM) method was deployed to detect superior wheat lines in response to salt stress. The results of analyzing images taken as soon as one day after salt induction revealed that Kharchia and (columnaris)Chinese Spring are the most tolerant wheat lines, while (speltoides) Chinese Spring was a moderately susceptible, and Chinese Spring was a relatively susceptible line to salt stress. These results were confirmed with the measuring biomass performed several weeks later.
Effect of stratification on current hydrodynamics over Louisiana shelf during Hurricane Katrina

Abstract Numerical experiments were conducted using the finite volume community ocean model (FVCOM) to study the impact of the initial density stratification on simulated currents over the Louisiana shelf during Hurricane Katrina. Model results for two simulation scenarios, including an initially stratified shelf and an initially non-stratified shelf, were examined. Comparison of two simulations for two-dimensional (2D) currents, the time series of current speed, and variations of cross-shore currents across different sections showed that the smallest differences between simulated currents for these two scenarios occurred over highly mixed regions within 1 radius of maximum wind (RMW) under the hurricane. For areas farther from the mixed zone, differences increased, reaching the maximum values off Terrebonne Bay. These large discrepancies correspond to significant differences between calculated vertical eddy viscosities for the two scenarios. The differences were addressed based on the contradictory behavior of turbulence in a stratified fluid, as compared to a non-stratified fluid. Incorporation of this behavior in the Mellor-Yamada turbulent closure model established a Richardson number-based stability function that was used for estimation of the vertical eddy viscosity from the turbulent energy and macroscale. The results of this study demonstrate the necessity for inclusion of shelf stratification when circulation modeling is conducted using three-dimensional (3D) baroclinic models. To achieve high-accuracy currents, the parameters associated with the turbulence closures should be calibrated with field measurements of currents at different depths.
History of Transurethral Resection and Fulguration of Bladder Tumors

Transurethral resection (TURB) is the essential surgical procedure used to diagnose, stage and treat bladder tumors. TURB is an ideal operation—focal, targeted, patient-centered, single-port, minimally invasive through a natural orifice (the urethra), safe, and repeatable. Urologists today are armed with a dazzling array of sophisticated endoscopic instruments. Modern flexible digital cystoscopes and video-assisted resectoscopes combine the essentials—access, superior optics, working elements, and energy—to detect, decipher and destroy tumors growing in the bladder. Current endoscopes provide magnified high-definition views of the bladder interior, permitting visual removal of bladder tumors using panoply of cutting loops, forceps or graspers and their targeted destruction by electrocautery or laser energy. The methods, means and skills we enjoy today began in the nineteenth century and refined in the 20th owing to collective genius and ingenuity of many surgeons, scientists, inventors, and visionary entrepreneurs.
NDE Positron Study of Cu And Cu-Al Alloys Thermally Charged with Hydrogen and Deformed

Some aspects of the deformation of Cu, Cu-2 w/o Al, and Cu-4 w/o Al alloy samples after thermal charging with hydrogen at 1000oC and rapid quenching (to -150oC isopentane) were treated in an earlier publication [1]. Comparisons were made with samples treated as just described except for use of an Ar atmosphere at 1000°C. The main experimental measurements then as now were of the Doppler broadening of the positron annihilation spectrum and the microhardness. The deformation was imposed by a Brinell indentation of 500 kgf.
Expectations of Technology: A Factor to Consider in Game-Based Learning Environments

This study investigates how students’ prior expectations of technology affect overall learning outcomes across two adaptive systems, one game-based (iSTART-ME) and one non-game based (iSTART-Regular). The current study (n=83) is part of a larger study (n=124) intended to teach reading comprehension strategies to high school students. Results revealed that students’ prior expectations impacted learning outcomes, but only for students who had engaged in the game-based system. Students who reported positive expectations of computer helpfulness at pretest showed significantly higher learning outcomes in the game-based system compared to students who had low expectations of computer helpfulness. The authors discuss how the incorporation of game-based features in an adaptive system may negatively impact the learning outcomes of students with low technology expectations.
Breast Cancer Screening: Significance of Minimal Breast Cancers

Analysis of cancers occurring during an aggressive screening program indicates: (1) In our study, during 3 years of active incidence screening of women under the age of 50 years, 24 cancers occurred, 14 of which were minimal. In the 3 years that there has been very limited screening, 23 cancers occurred, only five of which were minimal (p = 0.02393). (2) We projected that 110 breast cancers should have occurred in the incidence years of observation of this self-selected population of 10,531 women. In our screened population, 124 cancers occurred. This is not significantly different from the expected number. (3) In a similar period of observation of a similar sized screened population 112 cancers occurred in Louisville and 113 cases of cancer occurred in Seattle. There is no significant difference from the 124 cases reported in Cincinnati nor from the 110 cases expected. However, of all forms of cancer (prevalent, incident, interval) in Cincinnati, 67 cases were minimal, as against 35 in Louisville and 23 in Seattle (p = < 0.0001). All in all, these data supported the concept that screening for breast cancer does not in any significant way increase the number of cancer cases detected, it only advances the stage of detection. The data also suggest that, for an aggressive screen, length-biased sampling does not seem to be an insurmountable obstacle.
Influence of the pressure on the properties of chromatographic columns. I. Measurement of the compressibility of methanol-water mixtures on a mesoporous silica adsorbent

Abstract The compressibilities of aqueous solutions of methanol or acetonitrile containing 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% (v/v) organic solvent were measured with a dynamic chromatographic method. The elution volumes of thiourea samples (2 μ L) in these solutions were measured at different average column pressures, adjusted by placing suitable capillary restrictors on-line, after the detector. The reproducibility of the measurements was better than 0.2%. In the range of average pressures studied (10–350 bar), the maximum change in elution volume of thiourea is 1.3% (in pure water) and 4.0% (in pure methanol). This difference is due to the different compressibilities of these pure solvents. For mixtures, the plots of the elution volume of thiourea versus the pressure are convex downward, which is inconsistent with the opposite curvature predicted by the classical Tait model of liquid compressibility. This difference is explained by the variation of the amount of thiourea adsorbed with the pressure. The deconvolution of the two effects, adsorption of thiourea and solvent compressibility, allows a fair and consistent determination of the compressibilities of the methanol–water mixtures. A column packed with non-porous silica particles was also used to determine the compressibility of methanol–water and acetonitrile–water mixtures. A negative deviation by respect to ideal behavior was observed.
Neural Underpinnings of Aesthetic Experience: What Can We Learn from Neuroaesthetics?

The purpose of this research is to provide an overview of neuroaesthetics that enhances our understanding of consumer responses to the aesthetics of fashion products.The present research focused on addressing principles of neuroaesthetics and why some design elements are objectively more attractive and aesthetically pleasing to human brains than others. This study's findings will help build a bridge between neuroaesthetics and fashion studies and offer a potential guide for future fashion research.
Combining data envelopment analysis and multi-objective model for the efficient facility location–allocation decision

This paper proposes an innovative procedure of finding efficient facility location–allocation (FLA) schemes, integrating data envelopment analysis (DEA) and a multi-objective programming (MOP) model methodology. FLA decisions provide a basic foundation for designing efficient supply chain network in many practical applications. The procedure proposed in this paper would be applied to the FLA problems where various conflicting performance measures are considered. The procedure requires that conflicting performance measures classified as inputs to be minimized, or outputs to be maximized. Solving an MOP problem generates diverse alternative FLA schemes along with multi-objective values. DEA evaluates these schemes to generate a relative efficiency score for each scheme. Then, using stratification DEA, all of these FLA schemes are stratified into several levels, from the most efficient to the most inefficient levels. A case study is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed integrating method. We observe that the combined approach in this paper performs well and would provide many insights to academians as well as practitioners and researchers.
The Computer Classroom and Student Achievement: The Cost Management Course

This paper reports the findings of a study of student achievement in the cost management course. An experiment is used to investigate student achievement in two classroom environments: a computer-networked classroom and a traditional lecture/discussion classroom. Cost management is presented as consisting of three broad topics: procedural problem solving, decision making, and strategic analysis. Based on constructivist learning theory and the concept of productive thinking from Gestalt learning theory, differences in student achievement are expected for decision making and strategic analysis types of problems, but not for procedural problems. The findings are consistent with this expectation.
Novel Generalized Distance Measure of Pythagorean Fuzzy Sets and a Compromise Approach for Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis Under Uncertainty

This paper aims at developing a novel generalized distance measure of Pythagorean fuzzy (PF) sets and constructing a distance-based compromise approach for multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) within PF environments. The theory of Pythagorean fuzziness provides a representative model of nonstandard fuzzy sets; it is valuable for representing complex vague or imprecise information in many practical applications. The distance measure for Pythagorean membership grades is important because it can effectively quantify the separation between PF information. Based on the essential characteristics of PF sets (membership, non-membership, strength, and direction), this paper proposes several distance measures, namely, new Hamming and Euclidean distances and a generalized distance measure that is based on them for Pythagorean membership grades and for PF sets. Moreover, the useful and desirable properties of the proposed PF distance measures are investigated to evaluate their advantages and form a solid theoretical basis. In addition, to evaluate the performance of the proposed distance measures in practice, this paper establishes a PF-distance-based compromise approach for addressing MCDA problems that involve PF information. The effectiveness and practicability of the developed approach are further evaluated through a case study on bridge-superstructure construction methods. According to the application results and comparative analysis, the proposed PF distance measures are accurate and outperform other methods in handling the inherent uncertainties of evaluation information. Furthermore, the PF-distance-based compromise approach can accommodate the much higher degrees of uncertainty in real-life decision scenarios and effectively determine the priority ranking among candidate alternatives for managing complicated MCDA problems.
Computerized intervention for amelioration of cognitive late effects among childhood cancer survivors.

10034 Background: Children treated for cancer with CNS-directed therapy are at significant risk for attention and working memory (WM) problems. There is empirical support for pharmacotherapy and th...
An emerging conceptualization of epistemological beliefs and their role in learning.

This chapter introduces an emerging theory of individuals’ beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning, or epistemological beliefs. It reviews research that tests aspects of this theory and highlights the critical role of epistemological beliefs in learning. An important issue to address is the development and modification of epistemological beliefs. Whether children are born with an “epistemological scheme” is unclear. In 1984 at the presidential address for the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Richard C. Anderson stated that: It stands to reason that beliefs about knowledge that a child develops will be influenced by those of his parents. Alan Schoenfeld has suggested those students’ beliefs about quick and easy mathematical solutions and failure to integrate mathematical concepts may be a product of how they are taught. The development of these beliefs may be due to cultural, familial, and educational influences. Whether epistemological beliefs are domain-specific or not depends on the developmental level of the individual.
Home Visiting Program for NICU Graduates: Feasibility and Potential for Impact

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions have been increasing. Home visiting services are an integral part of caring for high-risk children with limited resources. The effectiveness of physician-led home visiting programs on post-NICU health outcomes is not well studied. The Pediatric Visiting Doctors (PVD) program provides home-based primary care for high-risk children including NICU graduates, for 6 months after discharge. The team consisted of a pediatrician, and care coordinator or social worker. The study compares the characteristics and care utilization of PVD program participants with a hospital-based pediatric clinic population. A retrospective cohort study of PVD infants born from 2013–2016, who were enrolled after referral during their NICU admission, was conducted. Data were also obtained on infants who were hospital clinic patients born during the same time frame, with parents residing in the PVD catchment area, and had a minimum 72-hour NICU stay. Between group differences were assessed; and logistic regression and generalized linear models were used to adjust for uneven group characteristics. Forty-six PVD participants completed the program, and 91 comparison infants had at least 6 months of post-NICU clinic visits. PVD program completers received a median of 5 home visits. There were no differences in emergency care use or hospitalization. PVD program participants were more likely to attend development clinic compared to the non-PVD group (59% vs 12%, p = 0.002). Physician-led home visiting services is a feasible way of providing clinical care to this population. Additional research is needed to assess patient-centered outcomes of these programs.
Abstract 225: Evaluating Pro-Inflammatory and Pro-Resolving Lipid Modulations in an Oral 15-HETE Model of Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH) is a chronic lung disease with a mortality rate of 50% at 5 years after diagnosis. PH is characterized by progressive increase in pulmonary arterial pressure le...
Humeans are out of this world

I defend the following argument in this paper. Premise 1: Laws of nature are intrinsic to the universe. Premise 2: Humeanism maintains that laws of nature are extrinsic to the universe. Conclusion: Humeanism is false. This argument is inspired by Hawthorne’s (Nous 38(2):351–358, 2004) argument in “Humeans are out of their Minds”. My argument differs from his; Hawthorne focuses on Humean views of causation and how they interact with judgments about consciousness. He thinks Humeans are forced to treat certain mental properties (insofar as they involve causal features) as extrinsic to conscious minds. I do not discuss causation or consciousness here. I focus on Humean accounts of laws. I argue that Humean laws are extrinsic to the entire universe. As such, Humeans are not just out of their minds; they are out of this world. I aim to show that premises 1 and 2 are well-supported and that denying either of them comes at a cost. Nevertheless, some Humeans may prefer to reject 1 or 2 rather than give up Humeanism. Even if the Humean takes one of these routes, the argument above has philosophical import: it shows that Humeanism involves surprising commitments.