cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predator guards on nest boxes improve nesting success of birds

Humans have long provided nest boxes in a widespread and popular effort to augment nesting sites for cavity-nesting birds. Nest boxes, however, may provide easy access for predators and thereby create ecological traps for nesting birds. Predator exclusion techniques are often deployed at nest boxes to reduce nest predation, but few studies have tested their performance. For the first time, we test the effectiveness of predator guards in promoting the nesting success of multiple species of birds at a large spatial scale (United States and Canada). We used nest fate data from 24,114 nest records submitted from 2014 to 2016 to NestWatch, a citizen-science program focused on quantifying nesting success, to determine whether installing predator guards on nest boxes is an effective management technique. Across all species, top models predicting daily nest survival rates suggest a positive influence of predator guards, with a nearly 7% increase in nest success for attempts in boxes with guards versus attempts in boxes without guards. At the species level, nest survival was greater for individuals nesting in boxes with guards in 7 of 9 species, with no effect in the remaining 2 species. Although all types of guards were correlated with improved nesting success, birds nesting in boxes with cone-type baffles, stovepipe baffles, or entrance hole extenders were most likely to result in successful nesting. Further, birds nesting in boxes with multiple predator guards were more successful, on average, than birds nesting in boxes with only a single guard. Our results can help managers of cavity-nesting birds incorporate science-based evidence into decision-making and allocate resources more effectively. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Decreases in gamma-tocopherol, but not alpha-tocopherol, with a low-fat diet

4399 Background:Laboratory and epidemiologic data suggest that folic acid supplementation has an antineoplastic effect in the large bowel. The Aspirin-Folate Polyp Prevention Study is a randomized, double-blind, factorial design trial of folic acid and aspirin supplementation as chemoprotective agents against colorectal adenomas. Findings regarding aspirin have been reported; we report here the folic acid results. Methods:Subjects with a recent history of adenomas were randomly assigned to receive placebo (n=505) or 1 mg of folic acid (n=516) daily with or without aspirin. Follow-up colonoscopy was scheduled approximately three years after the qualifying endoscopy (1st follow-up interval), at which point aspirin supplementation was completed. Randomized supplementation with folic acid or placebo continued until the next surveillance exam (2nd follow-up interval) in subjects who re-consented after completing the 1st follow-up interval. The occurrence of one or more adenomas, adenoma multiplicity (number per subject), and the occurrence of advanced lesions (adenomas with any villous features, severe dysplasia, size of 1 cm or larger, or invasive cancer) were compared during follow up of the folic acid and placebo groups. Results:Adherence to study medications and avoidance of folic-acid-containing vitamin supplements were excellent, with compliance rates varying over time between 87% and 96% of subjects. In the 1st follow-up interval, surveillance colonoscopies were performed in 987 subjects (97%). The incidence of one or more colorectal adenomas was 42% in placebo subjects and 44% in folic acid subjects (crude risk ratio [RR]: 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 1.20). The incidence of advanced lesions in the folic acid group was modestly higher than in placebo (9% vs. 12%; RR: 1.31; 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.89). 925 subjects consented to extended follow-up, with 729 continuing randomized treatment. With the end of funding for continued treatment, the trial was stopped October 1, 2004. Analysis of the 488 subjects who underwent colonoscopic follow-up in the 2nd interval showed RR’s similar to those of the 1st follow-up interval. Subjects in the folic acid group tended to have greater adenoma multiplicity. In the subgroup that continued treatment in the 2nd follow-up interval, the mean (SD) number of adenomas per subject was 0.55 (0.89) in the placebo group and 0.79 (1.40) in the folic acid group (rate ratio: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.02). No other significant adverse effects of folic acid were detected. Conclusions:Folic acid supplementation at 1 mg/day does not reduce the incidence of colorectal adenomas. There was weak evidence that folic acid increases the risk of multiple adenomas. This trial was conducted by the Polyp Prevention Study Group and was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA 59005). Folic acid and placebo tablets were supplied by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
pH dependent conformational changes within the iron responsive element

The expression of several mRNAs related to iron importation, storage and utilization within mammalian cells are regulated through interactions of iron regulatory proteins with an iron responsive element, an RNA hairpin with a bulged C. A dimethylsulfate modification interference assay was used to demonstrate that the iron responsive element undergoes significant pH dependent conformational changes. Specifically, it was demonstrated that the phylogenetically conserved A within the hairpin loop and an intra-loop C-G base pair are highly sensitive to changes in pH. The conserved C of the bulged loop does not significantly affect the pH dependent conformational changes of the hairpin loop. These studies have structural implications for an RNA-protein interaction that is critical to mammalian iron regulation.
Racial remembering in urban politics

Sociologists typically understand the way actors remember and invoke historical events in political debate to be primarily strategic, demonstrating that the past is used to make a case for policy in the present. Yet how actors remember the past also shapes their worldviews and approaches to policy in the first place. While some scholars acknowledge the more foundational role remembering plays in politics, this approach remains underdeveloped at the local level. In this article I examine the role memories of Boston’s school desegregation crisis of the 1970s have played in contemporary school reform processes, specifically in efforts to revise how students are assigned to schools at the city and neighborhood levels. Through interviews with policy-making participants and community advocates, I find that while actors on different sides of the debate draw on common narratives of Boston’s school desegregation crisis, they dispute the relevance of these events to the present. I find that some actors draw on memories of the crisis to assert a mnemonic closure from a racist past, while others, advocating distinct approaches to student assignment, argue for mnemonic bridging of institutional racism from the past to the present. This analysis demonstrates that social remembering is a central component of urban cultural politics, with racial discourses structuring how policy actors understand relationships between the past and the present to arrive at distinct policy conclusions. To suggest these processes are purely strategic masks the discursive power of racial ideologies which inform participants’ understandings of the past and their approach to the distribution of urban resources.
A cost-conscious approach to robotic adrenalectomy

In recent years, the use of robotic-assisted adrenalectomy (RA) has increased; however, many surgeons question its reported higher cost. In this study, we review our experience and strategies to reduce the cost of RA comparing it to Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA). Since May of 2010, 122 consecutive patients underwent minimally invasive adrenalectomy (58 RAs and 64 LA) by a high-volume adrenal surgeon at our institution. A cost analysis was performed for RA versus LA. Cost calculations included anesthesia professional fee, procedure time and consumables fees. The calculated relative costs were $3527 for RA and $3430 for LA (p = 0.59). The average anesthesia time was 172.4 and 178.3 min for RA and LA, respectively (p = 0.40). The mean procedure times (skin-skin) were 124.4 min for RA and 129.1 min for LA (p = 0.50). Procedure time for the retroperitoneal approach was significantly shorter than the transabdominal approach for both the RA (101.2 vs. 126.6 min, p = 0.001) and LA group (104.4 vs. 135.4 min, p = 0.001). The average consumables fees were $1106 for RA versus $1009 for LA (p = 0.62). The average post-operative hospital stay was 1.7 days for RA and 1.9 days for LA (p = 0.18). This study shows that anesthesia and procedure times for RA were similar to those of LA. It also demonstrates that limiting the number of robotic instruments and energy devices while utilizing an experienced surgical team can keep the costs of RA comparable to those of LA.
Africa and the First World War

Africans participated in the First World War as soldiers and carriers. African civilians also participated in the war by contributing food and other resources needed by their colonies. This chapter chronicles the experience of African soldiers, African carriers, and African civilians. It examines the outbreak of the war, the war’s expansion into the African continent, and the war’s impact on African soldiers and civilians. It pays attention to how Africans participated, and how they were in turn affected. It also examines the suffering and death of many African soldiers and carriers during the war. The chapter concludes with an examination of the impact of the war on Africans and their continent.
An Integration of Mobile Applications into Physical Education Programs

Even though technology in physical education has the potential to open up a variety of teaching and learning avenues by enhancing active experiences to help students develop the skills, attitudes, ...
Towards Deliberative Control in Marine Robotics

We describe a general purpose artificial-intelligence-based control architecture that incorporates in situ decision making for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The Teleo-reactive executive (T-REX) framework deliberates about future states, plans for actions, and executes generated activities while monitoring plans for anomalous conditions. Plans are no longer scripted a priori but synthesized onboard with high-level directives instead of low-level commands. Further, the architecture uses multiple control loops for a “divide-and-conquer” problem-solving strategy allowing for incremental computational model building, robust and focused failure recovery, ease of software development, and ability to use legacy or nonnative computational paradigms. Vehicle adaptation and sampling occurs in situ with additional modules which can be selectively used depending on the application in focus. Abstraction in problem solving allows different applications to be programmed relatively easily, with little to no changes to the core search engine, thereby making software engineering sustainable. The representational ability to deal with time and resources coupled with Machine Learning techniques for event detection allows balancing shorter term benefits with longer term needs, an important need as AUV hardware becomes more robust allowing persistent ocean sampling and observation. T-REX is in regular operational use at MBARI, providing scientists a new tool to sample and observe the dynamic coastal ocean.
Synthesis of (14C)-Ribose-5-Phosphate and (14C)-Phosphoribosyl-Pyrophosphate and Their use in New Enzyme Assays

Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PP-ribose-P) is a specific substrate for eight synthetic enzymes in mammalian cells (1). Three of these enzymes, glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotrans-ferase (PP-ribose-P amidotransferase, (EC.2.4.2.14), hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT, EC.2.4.2.8) and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT, EC.2.4.2.7) are required for purine nucleotide synthesis and one, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT, EC.2.4.2.10) for pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis. Since PP-ribose-P serves not only as a substrate of PP-ribose-P amido-transferase, but also as an allosteric regulator of activity (2), the intracellular concentration of PP-ribose-P appears to be a major determinant of purine nucleotide synthesis. The immediate precursor of PP-ribose-P is ribose-5-phosphate (ribose-5-P).
Seed Germination in Relation to Salinity and Temperature in Sarcobatus Vermiculatus

Sarcobatus vermiculatus (Hook) Torrey is a leaf succulent, sodium-accumulating shrub usually found in saline substrates of the Great Basin desert, Utah, USA. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effect of salinity (0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mM NaCl) and temperature (day/night: 5/15, 10/20, 15/25, 20/30, and 25/35°C) on seed germination. S. vermiculatus showed 100% germination in non-saline controls, at all thermoperiods. Percentage and rate of germination decreased with increases in salinity and few seeds germinated at even 1000 mM NaCl. High salinity exposure caused the loss of viability at higher temperature regimes, while some recovery was recorded in low salinity treatments.
Heidegger's formal indication : A question of method in Being and Time

For Heidegger, phenomenological investigation is carried out by “formal indication,” the name given to the methodical approach he assumes in Being and Time. This paper attempts to draw attention to the nature of formal indication in light of the fact that it has been largely lost upon American scholarship (mainly due to its inconsistent translation). The roots of the concept of “formal indication” are shown in two ways. First, its thematic treatment in Heidegger's 1921/22 Winter Semester course, “Phenomenological Investigations into Aristotle,” is examined to make clear what Heidegger silently assumes in Being and Time. Second, Heidegger's adaptation of Husserl's use of the term, “indication,” is outlined to clarify the concept even more. The enhanced understanding of formal indication granted by these two points leads to a better grasp of Heidegger's concept of truth, for formal indication and truth are mutually implied for Heidegger. Finally, it is suggested that the reader of Being and Time, on the basis of what formal indication demands, approach the work not as a doctrine to be learned but as a task always requiring further completion.
Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis Due to Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor Use in Two Patients Undergoing Pancreatectomy.

Abstract Background: Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (euDKA) is a potential side effect associated with inhibitors of the sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2). This effect is most often recogni...
Measuring Pairwise Similarity of Tandem Mass Spectra Using Pair Hidden Markov Model

Protein identification is one of the major goals in proteomics. Clustering tandem mass spectra improves the speed and the accuracy of protein identification by reducing the number of spectra matched to a protein database and by constructing representative spectra with better signal-to-noise ratios. In order to build reliable clusters of spectra, it is essential to implement a good scoring method that measures the similarity of observed tandem mass spectra. In this study, we introduce pair-wise similarity scores using a Pair Hidden Markov Model (Pair HMM) and demonstrate the performance of our model using a real mass spectrometry dataset. The proposed scores performed very well in differentiating related pairs of spectra from unrelated pairs with a misclassification rate of 0.5%. Moreover, its performance was superior to a traditional approach.
Indirect pharmacodynamic models for responses with circadian removal.

Rhythmicity in baseline responses over a 24-h period for an indirect pharmacological effect R(t) can arise from either a periodic time-dependent input rate $$ k_{in} \left( t \right) $$ or a periodic time-dependent loss constant $$ k_{out} \left( t \right) $$ . If either $$ k_{in} \left( t \right) $$ or $$ k_{out} \left( t \right) $$ follows some nonstationary biological rhythm (e.g., circadian), then the response R(t) also displays a periodic behavior. Indirect response models assuming time-dependent input rates $$ \left[ {k_{in} \left( t \right)} \right] $$ have been utilized to capture drug effects on various physiological responses such as hormone suppression, immune cell trafficking, and gene expression in tissues. This paradigm was extended to consider responses with circadian-controlled loss $$ \left[ {k_{out} \left( t \right)} \right] $$ mechanisms. Theoretical equations describing this model are presented and simulations were performed to examine expected response behaviors. The model was able to capture the chronobiology and pharmacodynamics of applicable drug responses, including the uricosuric effects of lesinurad in humans, suppression of the beta amyloid (Aβ) peptide by a gamma-secretase inhibitor in mouse brain, and the modulation of extracellular dopamine by a dopamine transporter inhibitor in rat brain. This type of model has a mechanistic basis and shows utility for capturing drug responses displaying nonstationary baselines controlled by removal mechanism(s).
Ketalization of 2-heptanone to prolong its activity as mite repellant for the protection of honey bees.

BACKGROUND 2-Heptanone is a volatile liquid known to be effective in protecting honey bees from parasitic mite infestations in hives. The present study aimed to show that chemical derivatives of 2-heptanone would release the ketone for a significantly longer time than it takes for the pure ketone to evaporate and preferably for as long as two brood cycles of a honey bee (42 days). RESULTS A liquid ketal of 2-heptanone with glycerol (Glyc-Ket) and solid ketals of the ketone with polyvinyl alcohol (PVAl-Ket), containing different amounts of the ketone, were synthesized. The fully resolved 1 H and 13 C nuclear magenetic resonance (NMR) spectra of the ketals are discussed. In the case of the polymer, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of a ketal was also compared with the unketalized polyvinyl alcohol. The length of time for which 2-heptanone was released by the ketals was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of the headspace. In the case of Glyc-Ket, the concentration of the 2-heptanone in the liquid phase was also monitored by 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The deketalization was pH dependent, ranging between 2.0 and 2.5 for Glyc-Ket and between 2.0 and 3.5 for PVAl-Ket. CONCLUSION Under bee hive conditions, the release of 55 mmol 2-heptanone from Glyc-Ket lasted for 42 days, whereas the release of the ketone from the PVAl-Ket with a similar amount of the ketone lasted for 23 days, versus a maximum of 17 days for an equivalent amount of the pure ketone. These ketals therefore have the potential to be effective mite repellants for the protection of honey bees. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.
Characteristics of measured extreme thunderstorm near-surface wind gusts in the United States

Abstract Winds generated from thunderstorms have been shown to be important in wind engineering. However, the collection of data for these events has been limited. In this study, thunderstorm wind speeds from airport surface stations (i.e., ASOS) in the United States (U.S.) were analyzed. Overall the analysis showed significant directional and regional preferences. The results revealed that a large majority of thunderstorm wind speeds >75 mph (33.4 m/s) had a westerly component and had a preference toward the central United States. Annual maximum wind speeds >29 mph (12.4 m/s) from over 400 ASOS stations were employed in a cluster analysis using k-means. For both non-directional and directional analyses, the statistical character of the wind speeds is different for different wind speed magnitudes. Probability distributions fit to the data showed best fit to a generalized extreme value distribution with an average shape parameter of approximately −0.1, suggesting a Gumbel fit would be conservative. Statistical analysis also revealed the significance of small sample sizes and the presence of ‘outliers’, that when analyzed, had a significant effect on the parameters of the fitted probability distribution. A simple data-driven methodology is proposed to utilize both site-specific and regional data in extreme wind analysis.
Disturbance size and frequency mediate the coexistence of benthic spatial competitors

Disturbance plays a key role in structuring community dynamics and is central to conservation and natural resource management. However, ecologists continue to debate the importance of disturbance for species coexistence and biodiversity. Such disagreements may arise in part because few studies have examined variation across multiple dimensions of disturbance (e.g., size, frequency) and how the effects of disturbance may depend on species attributes (e.g., competitiveness, dispersal ability). In light of this gap in understanding and accelerating changes to disturbance regimes worldwide, we used spatial population models to explore how disturbance size and frequency interact with species attributes to affect coexistence between seagrass (Zostera marina) and colonial burrowing shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) that compete for benthic space in estuaries throughout the west coast of North America. By simulating population dynamics under a range of ecologically relevant disturbance regimes, we discovered that intermediate disturbance (approximately 9-23% of landscape area per year) to short-dispersing, competitively dominant seagrass can foster long-term stable coexistence with broad-dispersing, competitively inferior burrowing shrimp via the spatial storage effect. When holding the total extent of disturbance constant, the individual size and annual frequency of disturbance altered landscape spatial patterns and mediated the dominance and evenness of competitors. Many small disturbances favored short-dispersing seagrass by hastening recolonization, whereas fewer large disturbances benefited rapidly colonizing burrowing shrimp by creating temporary refugia from competition. As a result, large, infrequent disturbances generally improved the strength and stability of coexistence relative to small, frequent disturbances. Regardless of disturbance size or frequency, the dispersal ability of the superior competitor (seagrass), the competitive ability of the inferior competitor (burrowing shrimp), and the reproduction and survival of both species strongly influenced population abundances and coexistence. Our results show that disturbance size and frequency can promote or constrain coexistence by altering the duration of time over which inferior competitors can escape competitive exclusion, particularly when colonization depends on the spatial pattern of disturbance due to dispersal traits. For coastal managers and conservation practitioners, our findings indicate that reducing particularly large disturbances may help conserve globally imperiled seagrass meadows and control burrowing shrimp colonies that can threaten the viability of oyster aquaculture.
Electronic correlation induced expansion of Fermi pockets in δ -plutonium

Plutonium is a critically important material as the behavior of its $5f$ electrons stands midway between the metalliclike itinerant character of the light actinides and localized atomic-core-like character of the heavy actinides. The $\ensuremath{\delta}$ phase of plutonium ($\ensuremath{\delta}$-Pu), whereas still itinerant, has a large coherent Kondo peak and strong electronic correlations coming from its near-localized character. Using sophisticated Gutzwiller wave function and dynamical mean-field theory correlated theories, we study the Fermi surface and associated mass renormalizations of $\ensuremath{\delta}$-Pu together with calculations of the de Haas--van Alphen frequencies. We find a large ($\ensuremath{\sim}200%$) correlation induced volume expansion in both the hole and the electron pockets of the Fermi surface in addition to an intermediate mass enhancement. All of the correlated electron theories predict, approximately, the same hole pocket placement in the Brillouin zone, which is different from that obtained in conventional density-functional band-structure theory, whereas the electron pockets from all theories are in, roughly, the same place.
Emergence of Self-Efficacy (SE) During Psychoeducational Group Meetings and Discussions for Undergraduates With Learning and Attention Disorders

Date Presented 04/06/19 Self-efficacy (SE) is critical to the success of students with learning and attention disorders (L/AD). Research describes processes for development of SE in undergraduates for identifying and obtaining the information, resources, and skills needed to bolster college-role success. Fifty-two undergraduates with L/AD engaged in psychoeducational groups; data were 30 transcripts from group discussions. A process model of SE development was developed from the data. Primary Author and Speaker: Consuelo Kreider Additional Authors and Speakers: Jianne Apostol Contributing Authors: Mei-Fang Lan, Chang-Yu Wu, Susan Percival, Charles Byrd
Humean laws and explanation

My primary focus in this paper is on an objection to Humean account of laws and specifically to David Lewis’ “best systems analysis” (BSA). The objection is that the laws according to the BSA (which I call L-laws) fail to account for the ability of laws to explain. In contrast governing laws (which I will call G-laws) are alleged to account for the role of laws in scientific explanations by virtue of their governing role. If governing is required for laws to be explanatory then Humean accounts like Lewis’ are dead in the water since explanation is central to the role of laws in the sciences. However, I will argue that there are effective rebuttals to arguments that Humean laws don’t explain and that actually it is governing accounts that have difficulty with explanation.
Defining the tumor cell: CA-MSC interactions which mediate ovarian cancer metastasis.

e18072Background: Carcinoma-associated mesenchymal stem cells (CA-MSCs) are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) within the tumor microenvironment (TME). We demonstrated that CA-MSCs promote ovarian cance...
Neurosurgery, neurological surgery or surgical neurology: semantics or real impact?

Neurosurgery, and in particular academic neurosurgery, has, despite the tremendous progress in the last 100 years, not found its clear and solidly anchored home within the medical specialties. This stems from its dichotomic origin. Complicating the picture, these origins are different on different continents. In the USA, neurosurgery was established as a new specialty by Harvey Cushing—a surgeon—and neurosurgery hence for a long time was a surgical subspecialty dwelling on the technical aspects of neurosurgery and, to be fair on some pathophysiology, but not really on central nervous system (CNS) biology. In Europe, neurosurgery also branched off neurology with Otfried Foerster being an eminent neurologist, before turning to the surgical armamentarium to treat neurological disease. Ironically, Cushing and Foerster visited each other and showed admiration for their respective work. So to simplify things and use these two paradigmatic figures as opposite ends of the spectrum, we can: 1. Outline the answer to the question posed in the title and look at the pros and cons of each description. 2. Maybe more important we can analyse the development of neurosurgery in the last decade and predict which name will be appropriate extrapolating into the future. 3. Semantics or impact: we can determine what the structural framework of neurosurgery should be to associate it with the correct description. Neurosurgery has come a long way since the days of fairly gross CNS tissue manipulation to remove lesions, occlude vascular malformations or even ablate tissue for movement disorders and has moved to delicate microsurgical manipulation—but it is still manipulation—and neuromodulation. The future will likely be different and adaptation be necessary if neurosurgery does not want to fall victim to ‘creative destruction’ like Schumpeter.1–3 Subspecialisation in neurosurgery is the inevitable trend to increase expertise, and analysing its development most likely allows an answer to my first point. …
Lateral and vertical growth of Mg-doped GaN on trench-patterned GaN films

Growth of Mg-doped GaN on trench-patterned GaN films consists of competing lateral and vertical growth fronts that result in regions with different electronic properties. Under typical growth conditions, lateral growth from the trench sidewall occurs at a faster rate than vertical growth from the trench base. When the trench width is sufficiently narrow, the growth fronts from opposite sidewalls coalesce and lead to eventual planarization of the top surface. Secondary electron imaging and cathodoluminescence mapping are used to correlate the morphology and the optical properties of regions resulting from lateral and vertical growth. For our growth conditions, the lateral-to-vertical growth rate ratio is found to be about 2.
Suture Suspensionplasty for Thumb CMC Arthritis

Carpometacarpal arthritis of the thumb is one of the most common arthridities of the human skeleton. When nonoperative treatment fails, arthroplasty of the joint by excision of the trapezium remains the most common surgical treatment. By removing one half of the involved joint, trapeziectomy is very effective at reducing pain and improving function. While simple trapeziectomy has demonstrated excellent clinical outcomes, subsidence of the thumb metacarpal and impingement on the scaphoid remains a concern. Surgeons have employed numerous methods of preventing this subsidence including pinning, ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition, and implant interposition. While all have enjoyed clinical success, no method has proven superior and higher complication rates are noted with more elaborate procedures. In an effort to prevent subsidence from simple trapeziectomy without introducing substantial extra morbidity, suture suspension of the thumb metacarpal between the Flexor Carpi Radialis and the Abductor Pollicis Longus tendons has been described. Excellent outcomes without additional morbidity are possible with this technique.
Neighborhood predictors of the gendered structure of non-lethal violent interactions.

Abstract Women are playing an increasing role in violent crime, both as offenders and victims. Yet, little research has examined how neighborhood structural characteristics might explain this involvement, or who women victimize relative to men. Drawing upon theories of social disorganization, strain, and a subculture of violence, we examine macro-level variation in the type and frequency of within and across group violence between men and women. Analyses are based on aggravated assaults and robberies reported to the Los Angeles Police Department between 2001 and 2007. Neighborhood disadvantage has a greater impact on women perpetrating violence against other women relative to any other sex dyad. Family structural variables are particularly important for understanding rates of within group robberies among women, and highlight that multiple measures of family structure are important for understanding gendered differences in rates of violent crime across dyads.
Response to “Interpret with Caution: COPUS Instructional Styles May Not Differ in Terms of Practices That Support Student Learning,” by Melody McConnell, Jeffrey Boyer, Lisa M. Montplaisir, Jessie B. Arneson, Rachel L. S. Harding, Brian Farlow, and Erika G. Offerdahl

This letter expands on the cautions about the use of COPUS discussed in the article by McConnell and colleagues in the June 2021 issue of LSE.
Leptospiral Infections in Humans

Abstract Leptospirosis is a globally widespread spirochetal infection spread from animals to humans. Infections are common in settings of endemicity, primarily in tropical regions of the world. Leptospirosis is typically a self-limited febrile illness but may progress to potentially fatal multiorgan system failure. Patients often present with a nonspecific acute febrile illness that is clinically difficult to distinguish from other similarly presenting infections endemic to tropical regions, including dengue fever, influenza, and malaria. A high index of suspicion is essential to early identification of patients who may benefit from antimicrobial therapy. Diagnostic testing is key to both recognition of early infection and outbreak investigation, typically in the setting of water exposure after heavy rainfall and flooding. This review focuses on the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and laboratory diagnosis of leptospirosis, including nucleic acid amplification tests, culture, direct detection, and serological approaches.
Prevalent pharmacotherapy of US Fontan survivors: A study utilizing data from the MarketScan Commercial and Medicaid claims databases

Abstract BACKGROUND Survivors of Fontan palliation are at life-long risk of thrombosis, arrhythmia, and circulatory failure. To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated current United States pharmaceutical prescription practice in this population. METHODS A retrospective observational study evaluating the prevalent use of prescription medications in children and adolescents with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or tricuspid atresia after Fontan completion (identified using ICD9/10 codes) was performed using data contained in the MarketScan® Commercial and Medicaid databases for the years 2013 through 2018. Cardiac pharmaceuticals were divided by class. Anticoagulant agents other than platelet inhibitors, which are not uniformly a prescription medication, were also studied. Associations between increasing age and the likelihood of a filled prescription for each class of drug were evaluated. Annualized retail costs of pharmaceutical regimens were calculated. RESULTS A cohort of 4056 subjects [median age 12 years (IQR: 8-16), 61% male, 60% commercial insurance] was identified. Of the cohort, 50% received no prescription medications. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEi/ARB) (38%), diuretics (15%), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (8%) were prescribed with the highest frequency. Pulmonary vasodilators were received by 6% of subjects. Older age was associated with increased likelihood of filled prescriptions for anticoagulants (p=0.008), antiarrhythmic agents, digoxin, ACEi/ARB, and beta blockers (each p CONCLUSION Pharmaceuticals typically used to treat heart failure and pulmonary hypertension are the most commonly prescribed medications following Fontan palliation. While the likelihood of treatment with a particular class of medication is associated with the age of the patient, determining the optimal regimen for individual patients and the population at large is an important knowledge gap for future research.
Changes in antipsychotic drug prescribing by general practitioners in the United Kingdom from 1991 to 2000: a population-based observational study.

Aim To estimate changes in the frequency of use of various antipsychotic drugs in the UK from 1991 to 2000 and to relate these changes to patients’ characteristics. Methods We conducted a population-based observational study using data from general practices that contribute information to the General Practice Research Database (GPRD). The study population comprised men and women 10–99 years old. We estimated annual use, first-time use, duration of use and, in a sample of 200 patients, indications for use of various antipsychotic drugs, and we observed how these measures had changed over the past decade. Results The annual use of antipsychotic drugs increased from 10.5 per thousand in 1991 to 12.2 per thousand in 2000, an overall increase of 16%. The increase was greater in men (25.2%) than women (2.7%). At the same time, the rate of new use of antipsychotic drugs was stable in men and decreased by 21% in women. The difference between patterns of annual use and rates of new use is attributable to the increasing average annual duration of treatment in both men and women during the past decade. Thioridazine, which the UK Committee on the Safety of Medicines (CSM) recently recommended should be used only for second-line treatment of schizophrenia in adults, was the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic throughout the study period. Its use increased as a proportion of all antipsychotic drug use from 1991 to 2000 in men and women aged 10–69 years, but decreased in older users. More than half of all first-time use of antipsychotic drugs in the sample of patients we evaluated was for treatment of depression, anxiety states, and panic disorders, while less than 10% was for treatment of schizophrenia and other psychoses. Conclusion The use of antipsychotic drugs has increased in the UK during the past decade, primarily due to increased average annual duration of use rather than higher rates of new use. Most antipsychotic drug use appears to have been prescribed to treat nonpsychotic disorders. It will be of interest to see whether the use of thioridazine, which was the most widely prescribed antipsychotic during 1991–2000, decreases during the next decade in response to the recent CSM recommendation.
Hypersonic Blunt-Body Shape Optimization for Reducing Drag and Heat Transfer

A large design concern for high-speed vehicles such as next-generation launch vehicles or reusable spacecraft is the drag and heat transfer experienced at hypersonic velocities. In this paper, the optimized shapes for both minimum drag and minimum peak heat flux for an axisymmetric blunt body are developed using computational-fluid-dynamics software in conjunction with a genetic algorithm. For flowfield calculations, the commercial flow solver ANSYS Fluent is employed to solve the unsteady compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations in conjunction with the shear-stress transport k-ω turbulence model. The hypersonic body shape is optimized using a multi-objective genetic algorithm to minimize both the drag and heat transfer. The multi-objective genetic algorithm creates a Pareto-optimal front containing the optimized shapes for various relative objectives of minimized drag and heat transfer. The results show a significant decrease in both the drag and peak heat flux and exhibit the expected chan...
The Difficult Child

The psychology of a difficult child* presents a most crucial problem for investigation from various angles, because the notions of “difficult child” and “hard-to-raise child” are very broad, Here, in fact, we confront categories of children who differ greatly from one another, who are united by one negative attribute: they all present difficulties in terms of upbringing. Therefore, the terms “difficult child” or “hard to raise child” are not scientific terms and do not represent any definite psychological or pedagogical content. It is a general label for huge groups of children who differ from one another; it is a prefatory term, advanced out of practical convenience.
Thyroid Hormone Regulation of Islet Cell Hormone Metabolic Actions

The sections in this article are: 1 Molecular Actions of Thyroid Hormone 2 Thyroid Hormone Regulation of Growth and Development 3 Extrahypothalamic Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone 4 Metabolic Actions of Islet Cell Hormones 4.1 Insulin 4.2 Glucagon 4.3 Amylin 4.4 Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide 4.5 Somatostatin 4.6 Pancreatic Polypeptide 5 Thyroid Hormone Regulation of Insulin Metabolic Actions 5.1 Euthyroidism 5.2 Hyperthyroidism 5.3 Hypothyroidism 6 Thyroid Hormone Regulation of Glucagon Metabolic Actions 6.1 Hyperthyroidism 6.2 Hypothyroidism 7 Thyroid Hormone Regulation of Somatostatin Metabolic Actions 7.1 Hyperthyroidism 7.2 Hypothyroidism 8 Thyroid Hormone Regulation of Pancreatic Polypeptide Metabolic Actions 9 Summary and Conclusions
Language model adaptation via minimum discrimination information

Statistical language models improve the performance of speech recognition systems by providing estimates of a priori probabilities of word sequences. The commonly used trigram language models obtain the conditional probability estimate of a word given the previous two words, from a large corpus of text. The text corpus is often a collection of several small diverse segments such as newspaper articles, or conversations on different topics. Knowledge of the current topic could be utilized to adapt the general trigram language models to match that topic closely. For example, an interpolation of the general language model with one built on the topic data could be used. The authors first discuss the adaptation of general trigram language models to a known topic using the minimum discrimination information (MDI) method. They then present results on the switchboard corpus which consists of telephone conversations on several topics.
Scaling limits of Si MOSFET technology imposed by random parameter fluctuations

Intrinsic random dopant placement-induced distributions in threshold voltage, subthreshold swing, saturation drain current and subthreshold leakage of sub-0.1 /spl mu/m MOSFETs are examined using novel physical models and a Monte Carlo simulator. These models, derived from fundamental device analysis, are validated through comparisons with device parameter distributions obtained from Monte-Carlo simulations of MOSFETs with more than 1000 distinct random dopant atom placements. The strong intrinsic interactions (even in the absence of extrinsic dimensional variations) between the distribution characteristics and the degree of Drain-Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) in the target MOSFET are revealed and elucidated for the first time. Fundamental limitations imposed by these fluctuations on scaling of supply voltage, channel length and level of integration in multi-billion transistor chips are projected.
A generalized framework for integrated vehicle traffic and wireless network simulation

This paper presents a generalized framework for integrating a wireless network simulator and a vehicle traffic simulator for rapid prototyping and evaluation of Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) based vehicular communication protocols and their applications in the context of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). A novel method of inter-simulator time synchronization has been designed to simulate the interactions between vehicles and wireless networks at resolutions of up to few tens of milliseconds. This fine grain time synchronization enables the simulation of time-critical ITS safety applications requiring less than 100 ms timing resolutions. The architecture-driven approach that has been adopted further leads to a generalized integration that is agnostic of the specific internal syntaxes used by the individual communication network and vehicle simulators that are being integrated. As a feasibility demonstration, the framework is used to integrate Paramics, a vehicular traffic simulator, with ns-2, a communication network simulator. The resulting integrated simulator is then utilized to investigate the performance of wireless message propagation in the context of a freeway car collision avoidance application.
Comparison of pulsed amperometric detection and integrated voltammetric detection for inorganic sulfur compounds in liquid chromatography

Abstract A Variety of potential–time waveforms are useful in pulsed electrochemical detection (PED) when applied for the amperometric detection of numerous polar organic compounds following their separation by liquid chromatography (LC). Here, we compare the waveforms for pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) and integrated voltammetric detection (IVD) applied for detection of organosulfur compounds at Au electrodes in acidic media. In PAD waveforms, electrodes response is measured at a constant detection potentials. In IVD waveforms, electrodes current is integrated throughout a fast cyclic scan of the detection potential. As a consequence of this difference in detection strategy, the background signal for IVD is significantly smaller for PAD in the detection of organosulfur compounds whose response mechanisms require the concomitant formation of surface oxides on Au electrodes. Furthermore, in comparison to Pad, IVD has a larger sensitivity and a diminished system peak from 02 dissolved in the sample. Use of a preadsorption step increases detection sensitivity in both PAD and IVD. The limit of detection (S/N=3)for cysteine in LC-IVD is ca. 6 nM for a 50-μl injection (i.e., 300 fmol) using a detection waveform that includes a 1000-ms preadsorption period.
A computer solution for two‐dimensional fluid‐particle flows

A computer solution for two-dimensional fluid-particle flows using the cellular approach is presented. The euqations describing the flow of the continuous (fluid) phase are formulated using stream function, vorticity and enthalpy as the dependent variables. The effect of the disperse (particle) phase on the continous phase is represented by vorticity and energy sources in each cell. To illustrate the capability of the solution scheme, the flow of gas laden with hot particles issuing into a sudden expansion is analysed.
Eye movements: The past 25 years

Abstract This article reviews the past 25 years of research on eye movements (1986–2011). Emphasis is on three oculomotor behaviors: gaze control, smooth pursuit and saccades, and on their interactions with vision. Focus over the past 25 years has remained on the fundamental and classical questions: What are the mechanisms that keep gaze stable with either stationary or moving targets? How does the motion of the image on the retina affect vision? Where do we look – and why – when performing a complex task? How can the world appear clear and stable despite continual movements of the eyes? The past 25 years of investigation of these questions has seen progress and transformations at all levels due to new approaches (behavioral, neural and theoretical) aimed at studying how eye movements cope with real-world visual and cognitive demands. The work has led to a better understanding of how prediction, learning and attention work with sensory signals to contribute to the effective operation of eye movements in visually rich environments.
An insertion-deletion event in murine immunoglobulin kappa gene resembles mutations at heavy-chain disease loci

The analysis of spontaneous somatic mutants gives insights into the regulation of gene expression. Human heavy-chain disease (HCD) is a monoclonal lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by the presence of truncated immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chains without associated light chains. To better understand the molecular mechanisms leading to the loss of light-chain production, we have examined a murine cell line model of heavy-chain disease. R15, a spontaneous mutant of the IgA, κ-producing myeloma cell line W3129, produces heavy chain but no light chain. The variant Δ15 derived from R15 resembles human HCD in that it secretes a shortened heavy chain with no associate light chain. Cloning and analysis of the R15 κ light-chain gene revealed that a 358-nucleotide insertion of unknown origin replaced 22 bases of the wild-type leader-variable region (L–V) intron (IVS). Although this genomic change left the light-chain exons and known regulatory elements intact, it altered the mRNA processing pathway, yielding two alternative RNA products, neither of which encodes a functional protein. This mutant therefore provides new insights into how genomic changes can influence gene expression.
The use of brief psychotherapy in a pediatric practice.

Summary An attempt has been made to describe various techniques utilized in my pediatric practice which I categorize as psychotherapeutic, and more specifically as brief, direct psychotherapy. Results of this form of treatment are very diffucult to evaluate, but I believe that I was able to help, at least symptomatically, the majority of the patients treated. Some suggestions to the teaching profession haven been put forward in the hope that more attempts will be made to teach pediatric residents systematically the type of psychiatry they need. Furthermore, I think that some of the dissatisfaction in modern pediatric practice results from the pediatrician's inability to cope with problems of an emotional nature that come to his attention. Indeed, the “anxious mother” is so often the thorn in the side of the pediatrician that she has become a cliche and the butt of our jokes, but realistically she is as much a part of our specialty as the child himself.