cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selection criteria for laparoscopic cholecystectomy in an ambulatory care setting

Background: The ambulatory care center offers patient convenience and reduced costs after uneventful laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: A prospectively accumulated database of 1,750 cholecystectomies performed by one surgeon in a hospital setting was analyzed to test criteria for ambulatory cholecystectomy. Proposed criteria included age less than 65, absence of upper abdominal operations, and elective operations in healthy patients at low risk for common bile duct stones. Results: Of 1,750 cholecystectomies, only 605 patients met all criteria for outpatient care. Discharge (from the in-hospital setting) was accomplished within 24 h of operation in 92% (first 3 years) and 98% (last 4 years) of selected cases. Only one patient (0.2%, 1/605) was converted to an open procedure; another was readmitted 30 h postoperatively with hemorrhage from the liver bed. Conclusions: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be performed safely in an ambulatory care setting, given careful selection and education of patients and documented experience of the surgical team.
Mitochondrial protein adducts formation and mitochondrial dysfunction during N-acetyl-m-aminophenol (AMAP)-induced hepatotoxicity in primary human hepatocytes

3'-Hydroxyacetanilide orN-acetyl-meta-aminophenol (AMAP) is generally regarded as a non-hepatotoxic analog of acetaminophen (APAP). Previous studies demonstrated the absence of toxicity after AMAP in mice, hamsters, primary mouse hepatocytes and several cell lines. In contrast, experiments with liver slices suggested that it may be toxic to human hepatocytes; however, the mechanism of toxicity is unclear. To explore this,we treated primary human hepatocytes (PHH) with AMAP or APAP for up to 48 h and measured several parameters to assess metabolism and injury. Although less toxic than APAP, AMAP dose-dependently triggered cell death in PHH as indicated by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) release and propidium iodide (PI) staining. Similar to APAP, AMAP also significantly depleted glutathione (GSH) in PHH and caused mitochondrial damage as indicated by glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) release and the JC-1 assay. However, unlike APAP, AMAP treatment did not cause relevant c-jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation in the cytosol or phospho-JNK translocation to mitochondria. To compare, AMAP toxicity was assessed in primary mouse hepatocytes (PMH). No cytotoxicity was observed as indicated by the lack of lactate dehydrogenase release and no PI staining. Furthermore, there was no GSH depletion or mitochondrial dysfunction after AMAP treatment in PMH. Immunoblotting for arylated proteins suggested that AMAP treatment caused extensive mitochondrial protein adduct formation in PHH but not in PMH. In conclusion, AMAP is hepatotoxic in PHH and the mechanism involves the formation of mitochondrial protein adducts and mitochondrial dysfunction.
The utility of circulating donor specific antibody to predict biopsy-proven antibody-mediated rejection and to provide prognostic value after heart transplantation in children

Aim Heart transplantation (HT) is a life-saving option for children with end-stage heart failure. Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in HT. The current diagnostic criteria for AMR are based on endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) showing evidence of C4d and C3d deposition, and capillary endothelial changes, including neutrophil and macrophage infiltration, and interstitial edema. Although the presence of donor specific antibody (DSA) is a risk factor for the development of AMR after HT, it is currently not required for diagnosis of AMR. In this study, we aimed to investigate the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and prognostic implications of circulating DSA using EMB as the gold standard for AMR diagnosis in a cohort of pediatric HT recipients. Methods Retrospective study in pediatric HT patients that had follow-up care between 2009–2013 and had at least one EMB paired with DSA testing within 3 days of the biopsy. Positive DSA was defined at a mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) ⩾ 2000 using single antigen bead testing. Results Of the 66 patients included, 26 (39%) had at least 1 HLA DSA positive test. Of the 26 patients with positive DSA, 18 (69%) had at least one antibody against HLA-DQ. In 7 (27%) of the 26 patients with positive DSA, the only antibody detected was against HLA-DQ. Of 236 DSA EMB pairs analyzed, 132 (56%) pairs were negative for DSA, 23 (10%) pairs had HLA DSA Class I only, 59 (25%) pairs had HLA DSA Class II only, and 22 (9%) pairs had both HLA class I and II DSA. HLA DSA testing had a sensitivity = 92.6%, specificity = 62.2%, PPV = 24.0%, and NPV = 98.5% for biopsy-proven AMR. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with positive HLA DSA results and biopsy-proven AMR trended toward a higher incidence of cardiovascular mortality, and coronary artery vasculopathy after 3 years compared to patients without circulating DSA and a negative biopsy. Conclusions The results of HLA-DSA testing in this cohort, showing excellent sensitivity and NPV for biopsy-proven AMR suggest for the first time, that DSA testing could be used for non-invasive prediction of AMR absence in heart transplantation, and avoid unnecessary biopsies. The value of DSA testing for biopsy-proven AMR and outcome prognosis in HT is important to study in future multi-center prospective studies.
A panel on the future of long duration maritime autonomy

We present a summary of a panel on long-duration maritime autonomy (LDMA) taking place at IEEE OCEANS 2015, Washington, DC. The panelists include Drs. Jason Stack and Theresa Paluszkiewicz of the Office of Naval Research, Dr. Geoffery Hollinger of Oregon State University, Rafael Rodriguez of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, and Clayton Jones of Teledyne Webb Research. The panelists come from key stakeholders within the maritime autonomy domain: academia, government, and industry. These differing points of view will give unique insights into the history and future of long-duration maritime autonomy.
Excess Alcohol Use and Death among Tuberculosis Patients in the United States, 1997-2012

Rationale: Excess alcohol use (EAU) is associated with adverse TB treatment outcomes. Objective: We investigated the relationship between EAU and death among TB patients 15 years and older prescribed anti-TB treatment in the United States. Design: Using data reported to the National Tuberculosis Surveillance System for 1997-2012, we calculated adjusted odds ratios and excess attributable risk percent for death among TB patients with reported EAU. Results: EAU was associated with death among patients younger than 65. The excess attributable risk percent for death among those with reported EAU for those younger than 65 was >35%. Conclusions: Interventions to reduce EAU in patients <65 years may reduce deaths.
Community Experience With Public Sex Offender Registries in the United States: A National Survey:

Since the first sex offender community notification laws in the early 1990s, the expansion of online sex offender registries (SORs) in the United States has offered Americans unprecedented access to information about previously convicted sex offenders living in their communities. Despite this, survey data suggest that relatively few citizens use SORs and that even fewer use that information for specific protective purposes. The current study examines the patterns and correlates of SOR usage among a stratified nationwide sample of 1,000 U.S. adults, offering the most extensive national assessment to date of SOR use among the U.S. public. Although 45% of the sample reported that they had accessed an SOR (higher than rates reported in previous studies), the majority had done so only once or twice, most typically out of general curiosity rather than for a specific purpose. Separating these "casual users" from those who had consulted the SOR more frequently, the study revealed significant effects related to gender, age, race, political ideology, and importance of religion. Analyses also found the most frequent users to be significantly more likely to report diminished feelings of safety as a result of viewing SOR information and to engage in protective actions, including the sharing of information with family and neighbors. Policy implications for the design and implementation of public SORs are discussed. Language: en
On the Photodetachment from the Green Fluorescent Protein Chromophore

Motivated by the discrepancies in recent experimental and theoretical studies of photodetachment from isolated model chromophores of the green fluorescent protein (GFP), this study reports calculations of the electron detachment energies and photoelectron spectra of the phenolate and deprotonated p-hydroxybenzylidene-2,3-dimethylimidazolinone (HBDI) anions. The spectra were computed using double-harmonic parallel normal mode approximation. High-level coupled-cluster methods as well as density functional theory were used to compute vertical and adiabatic detachment energies of the phenolate anion serving as a model system representing anionic GFP-like chromophores (HBDI). The benchmark calculations reveal that the basis set has significant effect on the computed detachment energies, whereas the results are less sensitive to the level of electron correlation treatment. At least aug-cc-pVTZ basis set is required. The best ωB97X-D and CCSD(T) estimates of phenolate’s adiabatic detachment energy are 2.12 and 2...
Comparison of Several CU(I) and CU(II) Precursors for the Sol-Gel Preparation of High TC Superconducting Metal Oxides

A comparison of the use of three different coordination compounds of copper as precursors for the sol-gel synthesis of YBa2Cu3O7-δ has been made. For yttrium, the tris(isopropoxide) was used exclusively, while the use of both Ba(O-i-Pr)2 and Ba(OCH2CH2OEt)2 (prepared in situ from Ba metal) as sources for Ba were studied. After dissolving Y(O-i-pr)3, a Ba source, and the copper(I) alkoxide, [Cu(O-i-Bu)]4, hydrolysis led immediately to an orange gelatinous solid which yielded YBa2Cu3O7-δ upon firing in oxygen. Copper(II) acetate was found to give heterogeneous mixtures under our conditions and was not further studied. Copper(II) acac (acac = acetylacetonate) yielded the best results. Partially hydrolyzed solutions of Cu(acac)2, Ba(OCH2CH2OEt)2, and Y(O-i-pr)3 were spin coated on SrTi03 (100) and fired under oxygen to give oriented (b axis normal to the surface) thin films of YBa2Cu3O7-δ. The onset of superconductivity for the films was 92 K, but they did not reach zero resistance until much lower temperatures.
Effect of Bulky Substituents on Thiopyrylium Polymethine Aggregation in the Solid State: A Theoretical Evaluation of the Implications for All-Optical Switching Applications

Polymethine dyes in dilute solutions display many of the optical properties required for all-optical switching applications. However, in thin films, aggregation and polymethine–counterion interactions can substantially modify their properties and limit their utility. Here, we examine the impact of a series of bulky substituents on the solid-state molecular packing of thiopyrylium polymethines by using a theoretical approach combining molecular-dynamics simulations and quantum-chemical calculations. Importantly, it is found that the positions of the substituents near the center and/or ends of the dye determine the extent to which aggregation is reduced; in particular, substituents near the polymethine center primarily modify the type of aggregation that is observed, while substituents near the polymethine ends reduce aggregation and aid in maintaining solution-like properties in the solid state. Our theoretical study elucidates relationships between molecular structure and bulk optical properties and provi...
Pheromone Studies of the Two spotted Spider Mite. 1. Evidence of a Sex Pheromone

Male Tetranychus urticae Koch are attracted strongly to quiescent deutonymphs and will remain until emergence of the adult female, when mating occurs. In laboratory bioassays, males were attracted to 1.5 µliters of crude ether extract of quiescent deutonymphs containing 0.01 deutonymphs per ml of solvent. Male attraction varied over the range of concentrations tested. Strongest attraction occurred at 1.0 deutonymph equivalents per ml with decreased attraction at the higher and lower concentrations. Tests were conducted on detached hop leaf discs placed upon moist absorbent cotton. A clump of moistened finely ground polyvinylpyrrolidone powder served as the best of several tested substrates for the crude extract. Male attraction was measured as a percent of responses to treated sites and corrected for occasional visits to untreated check sites. Male response averaged 37.2% (range 0–73.6%) for 1.5 µliters of extract per test site. Further refinement in bioassay procedure s necessary to aid in the identification of the attractant.
Study on toxicity and hypotensive effect of monascus vinegar

Objective:To study the subacute toxicity,genetic toxicity and hypotensive effect of monascus vinegar.Methods:A subacute toxic study in rats was performed by setting 3 different dose groups with 2.5,5.0,10.0 ml/kg.The genetic toxicity of monascus vinegar was observed by Ames test,micronucleus test of bone marrow cells in mice and sperm shape abnormality test in mice.0.5,1.0,3.0 ml/kg dose groups and vinegar control group were setting for observing the hypotensive effect of monascus vinegar for 4 weeks, Systolic blomt pressure(SBP)and heart rate(HR) were measured once a week.Results:There were no obvious subacute toxicity and genetic toxicity in all treated groups.Monascus vinegar has no obvious effect on SBP and HR in normal rats.Compared with the 0 ml/kg and vinegar control group,the SBP of 3.0 ml/kg group at the 3rd week and 1.0,3.0 ml/kg group at the 4th week time were decreased significantly.There were no obvious effect on HR of SHR in all monascus vinegar groups.Conclusion:Under this experimental conditions,it showed that monascus vinegar has no subacute toxicity and genetic toxicity,but also has the hypotensive effect in SHR.
A robust in silico analogue of MDCK cystogenesis mimics growth in multiple culture conditions

Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells undergoing cystogenesis in vitro is a scientifically useful model of epithelial morphogenesis. The cysts formed in collagen and Matrigel are qualitatively similar, consisting of a single layer of epithelial cells surrounding a hollow lumen. However, differences in key quantitative measures of cyst growth, including cell number and cyst and lumen size, indicate that some cell behaviors are different within the two culture systems. We recently described an agent-oriented, agent-directed analogue of MDCK cystogenesis in Matrigel. It utilized a cellular Potts model and achieved qualitative and quantitative validation targets using empirical parameter tuning. Within this report we highlight steps taken to convert the cellular Potts model framework to one based upon an agent-oriented approach. If measures of cell death are ignored, the only parameters that required adjustment to allow the analogue of cystogenesis in Matrigel to mimic MDCK cystogenesis in collagen were those controlling cell division and polarization. These data indicate that in addition to delayed cell polarization, cell division in collagen is likely slower than in Matrigel. The reported results strongly support the hypothesis that MDCK cells use the same basic operating principles to create cysts when cultured in Matrigel or collagen.
Pigmented corneal rings in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis

A patient with primary biliary cirrhosis who had high hepatic, serum, and urine copper levels was found by slit-lamp biomicroscopy to have pigmented corneal rings similar to Kayser-Fleischer rings. Wilson's disease was excluded on the basis of the elevated serum ceruloplasmin and copper levels, the lack of neurological disease despite advanced liver disease, a negative family history, and the typical clinical features of primary biliary cirrhosis. Although the exact chemical nature of the corneal rings is unknown, the cornea may be another tissue associated with elevated tissue copper levels in primary biliary cirrhosis.
Complications of Vesicoureteral Operations From Incoordination of Micturition

AbstractRecently, a study was made of 8 boys with complications after corrective surgical procedures for dysfunction of the voiding mechanism. One of these patients already had been subjected to irreversible diversion before the basic disorder was recognized but the majority was treated with suggestion (often with hypnosis) as well as with drugs affecting the smooth muscle (1 adolescent was too hostile to accept treatment). Because the bladder was dysfunctional, the operations either failed or sequelae persisted until measures such as suggestion, hypnotherapy and retraining reversed the incoordination of micturition. Operation or reoperation in 5 children might not have been necessary if bladder coordination had been established earlier.The case of boys with poor urinary control but free of neurologic stigmas are suspect. If they require an operation for repair of congenital urinary defects such as reflux, equal attention must be paid to psychologic and habit patterns causing bladder dysfunction. Otherwis...
Complex care: treating an older patient with multiple comorbidities.

Although there are guidelines for management of single chronic illnesses, the evidence base for management of multiple comorbidities is lacking. The American Geriatrics Society described a clinical approach to managing patients with multiple comorbidities in 2012.
One Center's Guide to Outpatient Management of Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Acute Pulmonary Exacerbation

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic disorder characterized by acute pulmonary exacerbations that comprise increased cough, chest congestion, increased mucus production, shortness of breath, weight loss, and fatigue. Typically, severe episodes are treated in the inpatient setting and include intravenous antimicrobials, airway clearance therapy, and nutritional support. Children with less-severe findings can often be managed as outpatients with oral antimicrobials and increased airway clearance therapy at home without visiting the specialty CF center to begin treatment. Selection of specific antimicrobial agents is dependent on pathogens found in surveillance culture, activity of an agent in patients with CF, and the unique physiology of these patients. In this pediatric review, we present our practice for defining acute pulmonary exacerbation, deciding treatment location, initiating treatment either in-person or remotely, determining the frequency of airway clearance, selecting antimicrobial therapy, recommending timing for follow-up visit, and recognizing and managing treatment failures.
Cardiomyopathy: Noncompaction (Spongy Myocardium)

Highly individualize diagnostic evaluation and subsequent treatment as management of this disorder can be complex and is controversial
Tolerance toward Immigrants as a Dimension of Cosmopolitanism: Explaining Attitudes toward Immigrants in Houston

ABSTRACTTolerance toward immigrants can be explained as the development of dispositions toward the acceptance of foreigners as locals influenced by the city’s multicultural contexts. Accordingly, tolerance toward immigrants represents a dimension of cosmopolitanism in metropolitan areas of receiving societies. In this study, I examine whether the proportion of immigrants in communities is directly associated with tolerance toward immigrants and whether there are significant differences in attitudes toward immigrants by occupation and educational attainment in the metropolitan research setting of Houston, Texas. Using data from the Houston Area Survey, I find that the percentage of foreign born in census tracts is directly associated with tolerance, that white-collar workers are not more tolerant than non-white-collar workers, and that the effect of education on tolerance toward immigrants is not always positive. I conclude that, in Houston, tolerance toward immigrants represents a dimension of cosmopolita...
A Genetic Screen Reveals that Synthesis of 1,4-Dihydroxy-2-Naphthoate (DHNA), but Not Full-Length Menaquinone, Is Required for Listeria monocytogenes Cytosolic Survival

Through unknown mechanisms, the host cytosol restricts bacterial colonization; therefore, only professional cytosolic pathogens are adapted to colonize this host environment. Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive intracellular pathogen that is highly adapted to colonize the cytosol of both phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells. To identify L. monocytogenes determinants of cytosolic survival, we designed and executed a novel screen to isolate L. monocytogenes mutants with cytosolic survival defects. Multiple mutants identified in the screen were defective for synthesis of menaquinone (MK), an essential molecule in the electron transport chain. Analysis of an extensive set of MK biosynthesis and respiratory chain mutants revealed that cellular respiration was not required for cytosolic survival of L. monocytogenes but that, instead, synthesis of 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate (DHNA), an MK biosynthesis intermediate, was essential. Recent discoveries showed that modulation of the central metabolism of both host and pathogen can influence the outcome of host-pathogen interactions. Our results identify a potentially novel function of the MK biosynthetic intermediate DHNA and specifically highlight how L. monocytogenes metabolic adaptations promote cytosolic survival and evasion of host immunity.IMPORTANCE Cytosolic bacterial pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes and Francisella tularensis, are exquisitely evolved to colonize the host cytosol in a variety of cell types. Establishing an intracellular niche shields these pathogens from effectors of humoral immunity, grants access to host nutrients, and is essential for pathogenesis. Through yet-to-be-defined mechanisms, the host cytosol restricts replication of non-cytosol-adapted bacteria, likely through a combination of cell autonomous defenses (CADs) and nutritional immunity. Utilizing a novel genetic screen, we identified determinants of L. monocytogenes cytosolic survival and virulence and identified a role for the synthesis of the menaquinone precursor 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate (DHNA) in cytosolic survival. Together, these data begin to elucidate adaptations that allow cytosolic pathogens to survive in their intracellular niches.
Hypertension highlights during 2016.

The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) included a subset of 2,636 adults aged 75 years and older randomized to a systolic blood pressure (SBP) target of <120 mmHg or to <140 mmHg (1). Of the persons randomized to a SBP <120 mmHg, 33.4% were frail. Of the persons randomized to a SBP <140 mmHg, 28.4% were frail. The primary composite outcome of nonfatal myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome not resulting in a myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, nonfatal acute decompensated heart failure, and cardiovascular death was lowered 34% and all-cause mortality lowered 33% by a SBP <120 mmHg (1). These outcomes were not different in frail persons. These very elderly adults with a SBP <120 mmHg also had a 37% lowering of nonfatal heart failure and a 32% lowering of the primary outcome plus all-cause mortality (1).
JunB promotes Th17 cell identity and restrains alternative CD4+ T-cell programs during inflammation

T helper 17 (Th17) cell plasticity contributes to both immunity and autoimmunity; however, the factors that control lineage flexibility are mostly unknown. Here we show the activator protein-1 (AP-1) factor JunB is an essential regulator of Th17 cell identity. JunB activates expression of Th17 lineage-specifying genes and coordinately represses genes controlling Th1 and regulatory T-cell fate. JunB supports Th17 cell identity by regulating key AP-1 complex constituents. In particular, JunB limits the expression of the subset repressor IRF8, and impedes access of JunD to regulatory regions of alternative effector loci. Although dispensable for homeostatic Th17 cell development, JunB is required for induction and maintenance of Th17 effector responses in the inflammatory contexts of both acute infection and chronic autoimmunity in mice. Through regulatory network analysis, we show that JunB is a core regulator of global transcriptional programs that promote Th17 cell identity and restrict alternative CD4+ T-cell potential. AP-1 family transcription factors regulate CD4+ T helper cell differentiation. Here the authors show that the AP-1 member JunB is a nonredundant regulator of transcriptional programs that support Th17 cell identity and restrain alternative Th1 and Treg cell fates in inflammatory contexts of acute fungal infection and chronic autoimmunity.
An Information-Theoretic Characterization of Channels That Die

Given the possibility of communication systems failing catastrophically, we investigate limits to communicating over channels that fail at random times. These channels are finite-state semi-Markov channels. We show that communication with arbitrarily small probability of error is not possible. Making use of results in finite blocklength channel coding, we determine sequences of blocklengths that optimize transmission volume communicated at fixed maximum message error probabilities. We provide a partial ordering of communication channels. A dynamic programming formulation is used to show the structural result that channel state feedback does not improve performance.
Pressure-tuned Frustration of Magnetic Coupling in Elemental Europium.

Applying linear response and the magnetic force theorem in correlated density functional theory, the intersublattice exchange constants of antiferromagnetic Eu are calculated and found to vanish near the pressure of ${P}_{c}=82\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GPa}$, just where magnetic order is observed experimentally to be lost. The Eu $4{f}^{7}$ moment remains unchanged at high pressure, again in agreement with spectroscopic measurements, leaving the picture of perfect frustration of interatomic Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yoshida couplings in a broad metallic background, leaving a state of electrons strongly exchange coupled to arbitrarily oriented, possibly quasistatic local moments. This strongly frustrated state gives way to superconductivity at ${T}_{c}=1.7\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$, observed experimentally. These phenomena, and free energy considerations related to correlations, suggest an unusual phase of matter that is discussed within the scenarios of the Doniach Kondo lattice phase diagram, the metallic spin glass class, and itinerant spin liquid or spin gas systems.
Exploring Linkages between Identity and Emotions in Teaching for Social Justice in Science Teacher Education

In this study, I develop a cross-case analysis of one inservice and two preservice teachers to explore linkages between identity and emotions as the teachers seek to enact social justice pedagogies. Although clear linkages have been drawn between teacher identity and emotions through work by Zembylas and others (i.e., Zembylas, 2002; 2003; 2004; 2005; Chubbuck & Zembylas, 2008), further research is needed to more fully understand the patterns and processes by which teacher identities and emotions are dialectically related.
Arteriolar dilation to endotoxin is increased in copper-deficient rats.

We have previously reported that there is an altered response to mast cell-mediated inflammation in copper-deficient rats. In the current study we determined the microvascular reactivity to inflammatory stimuli with lipopolysacccharide (LPS) during dietary copper restriction. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed purified diets which were either copper-adequate (CuA, 6 micrograms Cu/g) or copper-deficient (CuD, 0.4 micrograms Cu/g) for 4 weeks. Rats were anesthetized and the cremaster muscle was prepared for in vivo television microscopy. Arteriolar diameters were measured and then 2.5 mg/kg LPS was injected i.p. In separate groups, animals were pretreated with the NO-synthase inhibitor L-NAME (2 x 10(-4) M), the cyclooxygenase inhibitor ibuprofen (9.6 x 10(-5) M) or the histamine receptor antagonist diphenhydramine (DPH, 10(-6) M). LPS caused arteriolar dilation in both dietary groups with the response being significantly greater in the CuD group. Ibuprofen and DPH but not L-NAME, each significantly reduced but did not block the dilation in the CuD group. Ibuprofen and DPH together blocked the dilation. These results suggest that dietary copper deficiency increases arteriolar dilation to LPS. The mechanism appears to involve a greater response to arachidonic acid metabolites and histamine but not NO.
STORAGE TYPES IN THE SEMANTIC BINARY DATABASE ENGINE

Modern database engines support a wide variety of data types. Native support for all of the types is desirable and convenient for the database application developer, as it allows application data to be stored in the database without further conversion. However, support for each data type adds complexity to the database engine code. To achieve a compromise between convenience and complexity, the semantic binary database engine is designed to support only the binary data type in its kernel. Other data types are supported in the user-level environment by add-on modules. This solution allows us to keep the database kernel small and ensures the stability and robustness of the database engine as a whole. By providing extra database tools, it also allows application designers to get database-wide support for additional data types.
Macro Issues in Marketing: A Discussion

This session titled “Macro Issues in Marketing: A Discussion” has four papers. These papers address a range of macromarketing topics such as gender issues, environmental concern, strategies for export promotion, and tourism-related marketing.
Small ad hoc versus large general training populations for genomewide selection in maize biparental crosses

For genomewide selection in each biparental population, it is better to use a smaller ad hoc training population than a single, large training population. In genomewide selection, different types of training populations can be used for a biparental population made from homozygous parents (A and B). Our objective was to determine whether the response to selection (R) and predictive ability (rMP) in an A/B population are higher with a large training population that is used for all biparental crosses, or with a smaller ad hoc training population highly related to the A/B population. We studied 969 biparental maize (Zea mays L.) populations phenotyped at four to 12 environments. Parent–offspring marker imputation was done for 2911 single nucleotide polymorphism loci. For 27 A/B populations, training populations were constructed by pooling: (1) all prior populations with A as one parent (A/*, where * is a related inbred) and with B as one parent (*/B) [general combining ability (GCA) model]; (2) A/* or */B crosses only; (3) all */* crosses (same background model, SB); and (4) all */*, A/*, and */B crosses (SB + GCA model). The SB model training population was 450–6000% as large as the GCA model training populations, but the mean coefficient of coancestry between the training population and A/B population was lower for the SB model (0.44) than for the GCA model (0.71). The GCA model had the highest R and rMP for all traits. For yield, R was 0.22 Mg ha−1 with the GCA model and 0.15 Mg ha−1 with the SB model. We concluded that it is best to use an ad hoc training population for each A/B population.
Marijuana Use and Depressive Symptoms; Gender Differences in African American Adolescents.

Background. This study aimed to examine gender differences in the bidirectional associations between marijuana use and depressive symptoms in Black youth. The study also tested gender differences in the associations between socioeconomic status, maternal support, and friends’ drug use with depressive symptoms and marijuana use. Method. This is a secondary analysis of the Flint Adolescent Study (FAS). 681 Black youth (335 males and 346 females) were followed for 3 years, from 1995 (mean age 16) to 1997 (mean age 19). Depressive symptoms (Brief Symptom Inventory) and marijuana use were measured annually from baseline to the end of follow up. We used multi-group latent growth curve modeling to explore the reciprocal associations between depressive symptoms and marijuana use over time based on gender. Results. Baseline marijuana use was predictive of an increase in depressive symptoms among male but not female Black adolescents. Baseline depressive symptoms were not predictive of an increase in marijuana use among male or female adolescents. Although having an intact family and friends’ drug use were similarly associated with baseline and change in marijuana use males and females, there were gender differences in the association between maternal support and depressive symptoms. Conclusion. Study data suggest that male Black youth who screen positive for marijuana use should also be evaluated for depressive symptoms and vice versa. Interventions that combine treatment for marijuana use as well as depressive symptoms may be indicated for black male youth.
Connecting the Dots Between Past and Future: Constraints in Episodic Future Thinking in Early Childhood

Preschoolers have limited capacity to use past experiences to prepare for the future. Two experiments sought to further understand these limitations. Experiment 1 (N = 42) showed that 3- to 4-year olds? difficulty performing anticipated future actions was constrained by their memory for relevant past actions, especially those including temporal information. Experiment 2 (N = 94) sought to determine whether preschoolers fail to see that past experiences can inform future-oriented actions. When the connection between the past and future was experimentally heightened, future thinking accuracy improved, but only if preschoolers remembered past experiences. The results indicate that past recall is a prerequisite for future thinking but failure to bridge past and future further accounts for observed limitations in future thinking in early childhood.
Sex differences in the inflammatory immune response to multi-walled carbon nanotubes and crystalline silica.

Background: Respiratory disease is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. These diseases frequently present with a sex bias in occurrence and severity, yet the mechanisms responsible fo...
Exploring the Structure and Benefits of an Integrated Yearlong Dual Certification Student Teaching Internship

Many teacher preparation programs offering dual certification have engaged in program redesign to establish greater integration between general education and special education. This article present...
Effects of Electronic Cigarette Constituents on the Human Lung: A Pilot Clinical Trial

Electronic cigarette (e-cig) use is continuing to increase, particularly among youth never-smokers, and is used by some smokers to quit. The acute and chronic toxicity of e-cig use is unclear generally in the context of increasing reports of inflammatory-type pneumonia in some e-cig users. To assess lung effects of e-cigs without nicotine or flavors, we conducted a pilot study with serial bronchoscopies over 4 weeks in 30 never-smokers, randomized either to a 4-week intervention with the use of e-cigs containing only 50% propylene glycol (PG) and 50% vegetable glycerine or to a no-use control group. Compliance to the e-cig intervention was assessed by participants sending daily puff counts and by urinary PG. Inflammatory cell counts and cytokines were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids. Genome-wide expression, miRNA, and mRNA were determined from bronchial epithelial cells. There were no significant differences in changes of BAL inflammatory cell counts or cytokines between baseline and follow-up, comparing the control and e-cig groups. However, in the intervention but not the control group, change in urinary PG as a marker of e-cig use and inhalation was significantly correlated with change in cell counts (cell concentrations, macrophages, and lymphocytes) and cytokines (IL8, IL13, and TNFα), although the absolute magnitude of changes was small. There were no significant changes in mRNA or miRNA gene expression. Although limited by study size and duration, this is the first experimental demonstration of an impact of e-cig use on inflammation in the human lung among never-smokers.
Community-Level Resource Development and Management, Part 2: A Transferable Approach to Feasibility Analysis for Biogas as an Alternative Cooking Fuel

Energy access for all is the seventh Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) put forth by the United Nations in 2015. This sustainable development goal has been taken on by many non-governmental organisations (NGOs), national governments and communities alike. Traditional Sub-Saharan African approaches to cooking often rely on three-stone fires (or other open wood fires). The smoke from these open cooking fires is known to cause significant adverse health impacts. Thus, access to cleaner energy sources is especially important to improve cooking conditions. One alternative cooking fuel is biogas, which has the advantages of smoke reduction, and decreased reliance on and impact of firewood collection. In this article, we develop a method of analysing the feasibility of biogas projects for some rural communities. The method we describe enables both evaluation of small-scale anaerobic digester designs for specific settings and determination of the scale, cost, and effectiveness of a biogas digester. For example, in a cooking application, 1 m³ of biogas can replace 1.3 kg of firewood and the associated time (approximately 10 minutes) spent collecting firewood. Such technology evaluation is critical for helping communities and organisations determine whether this type of project is well suited for their settings. All too often, development project concepts are funded prematurely, before the realisation that the implemented technology does not function properly or is unsustainable for specific applications. The feasibility analysis we describe is a contribution to the literature, because it provides a condense and, simply written resource to enable development practitioners, volunteers and communities in a rural setting, evaluate sustainable biogas energy solutions prior to investment and implementation.
Adrenal Tumors Found During Staging and Surveillance for Colorectal Cancer: Benign Incidentalomas or Metastatic Disease?

To evaluate the incidence of adrenal metastases in patient with colorectal cancer (CRC) and determine the clinical and radiographic features associated metastatic CRC to the adrenal glands. The review of consecutive adults with newly diagnosed CRC found to have adrenal tumors > 1 cm in size on staging or surveillance CT scans with at least two scans to evaluate progression or stability of disease. Fifty-eight of 856 (6.8%) CRC patients had an adrenal tumor. Forty-three patients (74%) with 46 adrenal tumors had benign adrenal tumors, and 15 (26%) patients with 17 adrenal tumors had metastatic disease. On univariate analysis, patients with metastatic CRC had larger adrenal tumors (26.7 mm vs 12.4 mm, p 1.8 cm (OR 49.6 CI 8–306), CEA > 2.5 ng/mL (OR 15.8 CI 1.7–144) and other metastatic disease seen on imaging (OR 68.1 CI 7–661) were independently associated with adrenal metastases. CRC patients with small adrenal tumors, normal CEA levels and no evidence of other metastatic disease are unlikely to have spread to the adrenal glands. Adrenal tumors found during staging and surveillance of CRC patients should be evaluated with appropriate imaging and biochemical analysis.
Fine-Tuning MT systems for Robustness to Second-Language Speaker Variations

The performance of neural machine translation (NMT) systems only trained on a single language variant degrades when confronted with even slightly different language variations. With this work, we build upon previous work to explore how to mitigate this issue. We show that fine-tuning using naturally occurring noise along with pseudo-references (i.e. “corrected” non-native inputs translated using the baseline NMT system) is a promising solution towards systems robust to such type of input variations. We focus on four translation pairs, from English to Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, with our system achieving improvements of up to 3.1 BLEU points compared to the baselines, establishing a new state-of-the-art on the JFLEG-ES dataset. All datasets and code are publicly available here: https://github.com/mahfuzibnalam/finetuning_for_robustness .
Lymphoid Restoration of Neonatally Thymectomized Mice with Thymus Epithelial Reticular Cell Remnants

Animals thymectomized when newborn and observed after a month of age are consistently found to have reduced numbers of small lymphocytes in their lymphoid tissues and peripheral blood (Parrott and East, 1964). The studies of Miller (1962) have described accurately the restorative function of thymus grafts on the lymphatic tissues of animals which have been neonatally thymectomized. The importance of the epithelial reticular cells of the thymic medulla in the restitutive capacity of thymus grafts has been pointed out by Osoba and Miller (1964) who demonstrated lymphoid recovery of neonatally thymectomized mice bearing thymuses enclosed in cell impermeable chambers. They have suggested that a humoral factor liberated by the epithelial reticular cells is responsible for these changes.
Classical and Semiclassical Treatment of the Phase Transition in Dicke Models

A physically intuitive and mathematically transparent method is presented for determining the range of yalues of the coupling constants for which a phase transition is to be expected in Dicke models. This “classical” method provides information about the free energy and order parameters at T = O. A second method, as physically transparent and involving no mathematics more difficult than the diagonalization of a 2 × 2 matrix, is then presented. This “semiclassical” method is sufficient to determine the free energy and the system order parameters as a function of temperature. It also determines the critical temperature of the phase transition, if any occurs. The “semiclassical” method provides values for intensive parameters which are rigorously correct in the thermodynamic limit.
Beyond Metaphors: New Research on Agendas in the Policy Process1

Research on agenda setting seems to have arrived at a second stage in its development. In recent years, it has moved beyond both metaphors and popular units of analysis to study the mechanisms and dynamics of agenda setting in the public policy process. This essay synthesizes the last two years of research on agenda setting. It classifies the divergent work into three broad categories. The first focuses on information processing and punctuated equilibrium processes. The second addresses the attempts by scholars to move beyond subsystems as a unit of analysis. The third addresses the role of the bureaucracy in agenda setting, particularly during crises. The final section of the essay concludes by discussing future directions for research.
Simulating NPDAs by CFGs

We have shown that every CFL is accepted by some NPDA. Now we show conversely that NPDAs accept only CFLs. Thus NPDAs and CFGs are equivalent in expressive power. We will do this in two steps by showing that (i) every NPDA can be simulated by an NPDA with one state; and (ii) every NPDA with one state has an equivalent CFG.
Patents, Entry and Growth in the Software Industry

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, people in the software industry often said that the coming of patents would spell doom, particularly for small companies. The entry of new firms - the seedbed of growth in the industry - would dry up, and only large, bureaucratic and decidedly non-innovative firms would remain. This paper concludes that these predictions were wrong. New firm entry remains robust, despite the presence of patents (and, in some cases, perhaps because of them). Successful incumbent firms have adjusted to the advent of patents by learning to put a reasonable amount of effort into the acquisition of patents and the building of patent portfolios. Patent data on incumbent firms shows that several well-accepted measures of "patent effort" correlate closely with indicators of market success such as revenue and employee growth. Whatever the effects of patents on the software industry, this paper concludes, they have not killed it.
Contextual and Non-combinatorial Approach to Feature Extraction

Extracting features from an image is the first step in many computer vision applications. Traditionally, features represent physical or visual primitives such as edges and corners. In this paper, we augment the definition to include any attributes that conveniently describe the correlation and contextual relation between the primitive and its neighbors. The augmentation allows us to design a more detailed probability distribution model. If the distribution model is differentiable with respect to each attribute of a feature, a simple local search will find a feature set that is a local maximum in the joint probability distribution. Therefore, the final representation is free from noise and aliasing that perturbs the representation away from the local maximum. We can apply the approach to many low level vision tasks. In this paper, we demonstrate our approach with sub-pixel contour representation and surface reconstruction problems.
Does Nozick have a theory of property rights

In the almost forty years since Anarchy, State and Utopia has appeared, Nozick's libertarian theory of property rights, laid out in Part II of the book, has been subject to innumerable internalist critiques. In this paper, I argue that the Nozick of Parts I, II and III, read together, holds at least three mutually inconsistent theories of property rights: utilitarian; libertarian; and anything goes, provided that citizens have some unspecified level of choice among legal regimes. If any of the three predominates, it is not libertarianism but utilitarianism. Nozick is hardly alone in this regard. Nozick's inconstancy to libertarian principles is symptomatic of the problems deontologists of all stripes encounter in translating abstract articulations of rights theory into concrete rules. His de facto solution is typical as well: When the going gets tough, rights theorists tend to turn utilitarian.
Alcoholism In Women

Alcoholism is a common problem: the lifetime risk for severe and persistent alcohol-related difficulties (i.e. alcoholism) rests between 5% and 10% for men and 3% and 5% for women (Schuckit, 1979). Data indicate the probability that multiple factors cause the alcoholic pattern, but few of these components have been identified. While it is not necessary to know causation before delivering effective treatments, the development of a relatively universal effective intervention for this disorder has been hampered by the lack of knowledge about etiology. Causation in alcoholism is a difficult area to study properly. The age of onset of this disorder varies widely, and there is a long lag between an event of possible etiological significance and the actual identification of the alcoholism itself.
The Role of Folate and Vitamin B-12 in Neurotransmitter Metabolism and Degenerative Neurological Changes Associated with Aging: Proceedings of a Workshop

Under the sponsorship of the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Life Sciences Research Office of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology held a workshop entitled, "The Role of Folate and Vitamin B-12 in Neurotransmitter Metabolism and Degenerative Neurological Changes Associated with Aging." The purpose of the May 1988 workshop was to bring together scientists from various disciplines to identify opportunities for research on an important topic relating to neuroscience, nutrition and aging.