cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some observations of potential evaporation, 1955–1957

The methods of interpreting routine observations with an apparatus designed to measure potential evaporation (PE) are discussed, and tables of results are presented. With a view to standardizing PE measurements, conditions are defined, resembling those for standard climatological stations. Difficulties in the interpretation of daily observations, because of various kinds of time-lag, and variations in storage of water in the apparatus, have been encountered but largely overcome. The values obtained are compared with those computed from other available data by the methods of Penman, Thornthwaite, and Crowe, in which the conditions are either specified, or tacitly assumed, to be similar. The values are in general agreement, but it is shown that at west coast stations in Britain the observed values tend to be lower than the computed, and, more strikingly, that at high-altitude stations, they tend to be higher.
Skin and environmental contamination with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among carriers identified clinically versus through active surveillance.

In a prospective study involving 115 patients with methicil-lin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nares carriage, we found that skin and environmental contamination with methicillin-resistant S. aureus was as likely among individuals whose S. aureus carriage was identified only through active surveillance as it was among those individuals whose S. aureus carriage was identified clinically, which suggests that strategies to limit transmission must address colonized patients, as well as infected patients.
Influence of temperature and body mass on standard metabolic rate of eastern red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus)

Abstract (1) We estimated the standard metabolic rate (SMR) of wild-caught Plethodon cinereus across a range of body masses and ecologically relevant temperatures. (2) We collected 16 salamanders, ranging 0.06–1.11 g and quantified oxygen consumption at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C with a computer-controlled, closed-circuit, indirect respirometer. The multiple regression model indicated that SMR increased with body mass and temperature ( F 2,77 =815.59, P (3) Our allometric relationship explained >95% of the variation in SMR. The regression equation can be used to investigate questions of applied or basic ecological interest, such as quantifying energetic costs of anthropogenic or natural disturbances on energy budgets.
An Ethylene-Regulated DNA Element in Abscission-Specific Gene Promoters and the Expression of an ETR1 Homologue in Tomato Abscission

Abscission is evoked in response to both environmental and developmental cues, e.g., fruit ripening, senescence, disease, insect damage, fertilization, drought, heat, etc. Both the quality and yield of a crop can be affected by the number of flowers and young fruit that abscise prematurely. An understanding of the biology of abscission is of both commercial and academic interest. The intent of this article is to review progress in my laboratory towards an understanding of the hormonal and cell-specific regulation of abscission.
Discretization of the transmission line equations using orthogonal digital filters

A numerical solution to the transmission line equations is given using orthogonal filtering approach. The discretization technique utilizes the bilinear transformation and the resulting transfer function matrix is realized in terms of two allpass sections. The signal flow graph is then implemented by considering appropriate boundary conditions. A result similar to the wave digital filter approach is obtained.
The Life-Cycle Hypothesis: An Assessment of Some Recent Evidence

This essay first reviews the basic empirical predictions of the life cycle hypothesis of consumption, namely that individuals should try to smooth intertemporally the marginal utility of consumption, that young workers should be accumulating resources for retirement, and that the elderly should be decumulating these resources. In the second part of the essay, we assess recent empirical evidence on these predictions.
Visual place categorization

Knowing the semantic category of a robot's current position not only facilitates the robot's navigation, but also greatly improves its ability to serve human needs and to interpret the scene. Visual Place Categorization (VPC) is addressed in this dissertation, which refers to the problem of predicting the semantic category of a place using visual information collected from an autonomous robot platform. Census Transform (CT) histogram and Histogram Intersection Kernel (HIK) based visual codebooks are proposed to represent an image. CT histogram encodes the stable spatial structure of an image that reflects the functionality of a location. It is suitable for categorizing places and has shown better performance than commonly used descriptors such as SIFT or Gist in the VPC task. HIK has been shown to work better than the Euclidean distance in classifying histograms. We extend it in an unsupervised manner to generate visual codebooks for the CT histogram descriptor. HIK codebooks help CT histogram to deal with the huge variations in VPC and improve system accuracy. A computational method is also proposed to generate HIK codebooks in an efficient way. The first significant VPC dataset in home environments is collected and is made publicly available, which is also used to evaluate the VPC system based on the proposed techniques. The VPC system achieves promising results for this challenging problem, especially for important categories such as bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. The proposed techniques achieved higher accuracies than competing descriptors and visual codebook generation methods.
Magnetic correlations in a periodic Anderson model with nonuniform conduction electron coordination

The periodic Anderson model is widely studied to understand strong correlation physics and especially the competition of antiferromagnetism and singlet formation. In this paper we extend quantum Monte Carlo work on lattices with uniform numbers of neighbors to geometries in which the conduction electron sites can have variable coordination $z$. This situation is relevant both to recently discovered magnetic quasicrystals and also to magnetism in doped heavy fermion systems. Our key results are the presence of antiferromagnetic order at weak interorbital hybridization ${V}_{fd}$, and a delay in singlet formation to larger values of ${V}_{fd}$ on sites with larger $z$. The staggered magnetization tends to be larger on sites with higher $z$, providing insight into the behavior to be expected in crown, dice, and CaVO lattices.
Proceduralist Reflections on Tax Consequences of Home Mortgage Foreclosures

In tax law and theory, procedure gets short shrift. Yet sometimes, procedure makes all the difference. That seems to me to be particularly true regarding the recent publicity over the tax consequences of foreclosures on taxpayers' principal residences. H.R. 3648, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on October 4, 2007, and pending in Congress as of the date of this article, purports to address the alleged problem with the law. This article examines the pending legislation and, more importantly, examines the overlooked role of procedure in creating the problems faced by taxpayers who are told they have taxable income even when they have just taken a huge financial hit in losing their home. My thesis is that Congress is amending the wrong statute. H.R. 3648 does little to help those taxpayers who find themselves in foreclosures because it completely ignores procedure. Congress should instead amend the statutes concerning third-party reporting procedure because current statutes force both the IRS and taxpayers into an inefficient process to find the right substantive answer. While I will also make a few observations about its substance, I will focus mostly on the procedural aspects of the bill - or lack thereof. I propose an alternative statutory reform that can fix what is a very real problem for a great many taxpayers, taxpayers who theoretically owe nothing but as a practical matter get stuck with a hefty tax bill. Part I of this article reviews the substantive issue. Part II explains why the issue presented is really a procedural problem. Part III critiques H.R. 3648 and explains how true reform could be accomplished through a simpler amendment.
Discriminative stimulus effects of opioid agonists in morphine-dependent pigeons

Discriminative stimulus effects of opioid agonists were studied in morphine-dependent (10.0 mg/kg/day) pigeons discriminating among i.m. injections of morphine (10.0 mg/kg), saline and naltrexone (0.032 mg/kg) while responding under a fixed ratio schedule of food presentation. Morphine and naltrexone occasioned responding on the respective correct keys in a dose-related manner with complete generalization (greater than or equal to 90% correct) occurring with doses of morphine larger than 10.0 mg/kg and doses of naltrexone larger than 0.001 mg/kg. Several opioid mu and kappa agonists were studied in dependent pigeons and in morphine-abstinent pigeons (i.e., 30-hr morphine-deprived). The opioid mu agonist etonitazene substituted completely for morphine in dependent pigeons; in abstinent pigeons a small dose of etonitazine reversed withdrawal and larger doses substituted for morphine. Some opioid agonists did not substitute completely for morphine in dependent pigeons and partially (nalbuphine, meperidine) or completely (butorphanol, buprenorphine) reversed withdrawal in abstinent pigeons. In contrast, the opioid kappa agonists trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N(2-[1-pyrrolidinyl]cyclohexyl) benzeneacetamide methanesulfonate and bremazocine did not substitute for morphine or for naltrexone in dependent pigeons and did not reverse withdrawal in abstinent pigeons. Moreover, in dependent pigeons buprenorphine, butorphanol and nalbuphine, but not trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N(2-[1-pyrrolidinyl]cyclohexyl)benzeneace tam ide methanesulfonate, antagonized the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine and of naltrexone. These results confirm in morphine-dependent pigeons qualitative differences in discriminative stimulus effects among mu and kappa opioid agonists and support the notion that differences among agonists under some conditions can result from variations in efficacy.
Edge complexity and partial volume effects

PURPOSE The accuracy of MR brain image segmentation is limited by so-called partial volume effects. We hypothesized that "edge complexity" (i.e., tissue class interface border complexity) significantly influences the magnitude of such effects. METHOD To investigate partial volume effects and provide a vehicle for validation of segmentation algorithm accuracy in brain MRI. We developed a computer simulation, the "gigabrain." The simulation is based on interpolated (supersampled) data from actual MR studies. The voxels are assigned to one of five compartments (gray matter, white matter, CSF, fat, or "background"), the compartment interfaces are "jittered" to add high frequency "signal" or "edge complexity," and the voxels are populated with appropriate values determined from human data, low pass filtered (based on the MR scanner's point spread function), and subsampled back to the sampling and voxel size of the original MR data set. RESULTS In comparison studies with actual phantoms and human MR data, our simulation approach was able to produce images whose appearance and quantitative values were comparable with the actual data, but only when edge complexity was added to the original MR data. CONCLUSION Edge complexity is a significant source of partial volume effects. MR simulations must include edge complexity to adequately test segmentation algorithms.
Effects of realimentation after nutrient restriction during early to mid-gestation on pancreatic digestive enzymes in beef cattle

Maternal nutrition has been shown to impact fetal pancreatic endocrine development (Dahri et al., 1995). However, less is known about its effects on exocrine function. The objectives were to determine the effect of nutrient restriction and realimentation during gestation on maternal and fetal pancreatic mass and digestive enzymes.
Sedation and anesthetic considerations in ambulatory endoscopy for patients with ventricular assist devices

The number of patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) implanted for heart failure continues to grow each year. Despite the survival and quality-of-life benefit LVADs can afford, adverse events do occur. Gastrointestinal bleeding is a known complication associated with continuous-flow LVADs, and many LVAD patients undergo endoscopic procedures to evaluate for sources of gastrointestinal bleeding. As the number of these patients increases, the approach to caring for them evolves. They present a number of challenges to the endoscopy team, including preprocedural planning, resource and personnel allocation, and postprocedural disposition.
Kinetics and Cross-Species Comparisons of Host Antibody Responses to Lone Star Ticks and American Dog Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

Understanding of the animal antibody response to tick salivary gland proteins is necessary to identify candidate antibodies that may have use as species- and feeding-durationspecific biomarkers of tick exposure in humans. The kinetics of the humoral immune response of rabbits to challenge feeding by 2 tick species [ Amblyomma americanum (L.) and Dermacentor variabilis (Say) ] was characterized by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot. Western blot analysis revealed that rabbits produced antibodies against both A. americanum and D. variabilis tick salivary gland antigens, with molecular weights ranging from 12.2 to 125 kDa; the antibody response against the saliva of both tick species possessed both unique and common aspects. The presence of antibody against low-molecular-mass (<20 kDa) salivary gland antigens of A. americanum may be specific for A. americanum exposure. Antibodies directed against D. variabilis salivary gland antigens of 111, 86.3, and 85 kDa may be specific for D. variabilis exposure. The data suggest that host antibodies directed against specific tick salivary gland proteins might have use as species-specific biologic markers of tick exposure.
CHROMOSOME CHANGES IN PPLO-INFECTED FL HUMAN AMNION CELLS.

SummaryCharacteristic chromosome changes were observed in PPLO-infected FL human amnion cells. These changes included a gradual reduction in chromosome numbers, increase in chromosome aberrations, and the appearance of 3 new varieties. Although some of the aberrations appeared early after infection, most changes developed slowly, over a period of several months.
Effects of Sn~(4+) Substitution on the Magnetic Properties of Microwave Ni-series Ferrites

Sn4+-substituted microwave spine ferrite NiSn: Ni1-a+xCuaSnxMnbFe2-b-2xO4 was prepared by traditional ceramic processing,and the dependence of material properties on the substitution content was analyzed.The experiment results showed that,with increasing Sn4+ content,ferromagnetic resonance linewidth ΔH decreases fistly and then increases with a minimum value at x=0.1.For saturation magnetization Ms and Curie temperature TC,there are no inflexions at x=0.1 and they go down with x.The contribution of anisotropy linewidth ΔHa and pore-induced ΔHp to ΔH was analyzed,coming to a conclusion that the first increase and then decrease of ΔH results from anisotropy linewidth ΔHa.
ANESTHESIA FOR MAXILLOFACIAL/MANDIBULAR TRAUMA

SUMMARY Maxillofacial trauma presents a challenge to the anesthesiologist. This category of patient has the potential for severe morbidity and/or mortality. An understanding of the basic principles involved in the evaluation and management of these patients leads to predictable, safe results for the anesthesiologist and patient.
Patient Selection for IORT

Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) for breast cancer has been shown in a number of studies to be safe and efficacious in selected women with early stage breast cancer undergoing breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) (see Tables 19.1 and 19.2). Breast IORT includes a variety of technical methods which primarily involve delivery of a single high dose of radiation to the periphery of the lumpectomy bed, usually given at the time of surgery, or in some studies as a second planned procedure shortly after the lumpectomy. It is a specific form of partial breast irradiation with associated selection criteria. Breast IORT, like breast brachytherapy, requires special equipment and training in order to deliver the radiation therapy. There are several devices in use for the delivery of breast IORT, each of which is associated with clinical trials using that technology. As with all other modalities for partial breast irradiation, thorough appreciation of the scientific rationale, supporting studies, and clinical considerations helps to guide appropriate selection criteria. In current use for breast IORT, there are two technologies using 50 kV (soft) X-rays, the INTRABEAM Intraoperative Radiotherapy (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) and Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System (Xoft, San Jose, CA). Alternately, there are mobile electron accelerators, including Mobetron (IntraOp Medical Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA), NOVAC, and LIAC (Sordina IORT Technologies SpA, Vincenza, Italy).
Implementation of a Computerized Order Entry Tool to Reduce the Inappropriate and Unnecessary Use of Cardiac Stress Tests With Imaging in Hospitalized Patients

The rising use of imaging cardiac stress tests has led to potentially unnecessary testing. Interventions designed to reduce inappropriate stress testing have focused on the ambulatory setting. We developed a computerized order entry tool intended to reduce the use of imaging cardiac stress tests and improve appropriate use in hospitalized patients. The tool was evaluated using preimplementation and postimplementation cohorts at a single urban academic teaching hospital. All hospitalized patients referred for testing were included. The co-primary outcomes were the use of imaging stress tests as a percentage of all stress tests and the percentage of inappropriate tests, compared between the 2 cohorts. There were 478 patients in the precohort and 463 in the postcohort. The indication was chest pain in 66% and preoperative in 18% and was not significantly different between groups. The use of nonimaging stress tests increased from 4% in the pregroup to 15% in the postgroup (p
Expression profiles of immune-related genes are associated with neoadjuvant ipilimumab clinical benefit.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Patients with regionally advanced melanoma were treated with neoadjuvant ipilimumab in a previously reported study (PLOS One 2014). Gene expression profiles of tumors of treated patients were investigated for their association with immunotherapeutic benefit. Methods: Patients were treated with ipilimumab (10 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks × 2 doses) before and after surgery. Tumor specimens were obtained at baseline and at definitive surgery (weeks 6–8). Gene expression profiling was performed on the tumor biopsies of 27 patients. The primary endpoint was mRNA expression profiling using U133A 2.0 Affymetrix gene chips. Significance analysis of microarrays was performed to test the association of each gene with outcome. Pathway analysis was performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. The Benjamini and Hochberg method was used to adjust for multiple testing in the pathway analysis. Results: Pathway analysis identified biologically relevant pathways enriched with genes that are s...
Inhibition of Egress of Adenosine 3', 5'-Monophosphate from Pigeon Erythrocytes

The formation of adenosine 39,59-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) is a response of nucleated pigeon erythrocytes that appears to be specific to catecholamines and is associated with the rapid appearance of the nucleotide in the incubation medium. Norepinephrine, 10 µM, produced a maximal response in 30-60 min of about 1 nmole of cyclic AMP accumulating both inside and outside cells when 25 µl of packed erythrocytes were incubated in 2 ml of buffered 0.154 M NaCl at 37°. The extrusion of cyclic AMP was primarily unidirectional and was inhibited by iodoacetate, prolonged incubation, and a high concentration of cyclic AMP in the medium. Extrusion was also inhibited by certain drugs. Notably potent was vinblastine (0.3 µM), which did not affect norepinephrine-induced intracellular accumulation of cyclic AMP. Colchicine (300 µM) and papaverine (100 µM) inhibited extrusion. These drugs also caused augmentation of intracellular cyclic AMP, probably as a result of inhibition of red cell cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. Griseofulvin (300 µM) inhibited extrusion while partly reducing the norepinephrine-induced accumulation of intracellular cyclic AMP. Other agents which inhibited extrusion were quinine, quinidine, phenol red, chloroform, and toluene. Since most of the agents tested have been shown to bind microtubule protein or inhibit mitosis at metaphase, it is suggested that cyclic AMP extrusion from nucleated avian erythrocytes depends upon the integrity of microtubules or of analogous components in the plasma membrane. However, observations such as inhibition of extrusion by vinblastine without enhancement of intracellular accumulation of cyclic AMP indicate that drugs which affect extrusion may influence other related processes—cyclic AMP synthesis of degradation—and that alteration of one of these processes in turn influences the others.
A Zebrafish Model of Human Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare, autosomal dominant genetic disorder in humans characterized by explosive inflammatory response to injury leading to gradual ossification within fibrous tissues, including skeletal muscle, tendons, and ligaments. A variety of animal models are needed to study and understand the etiology of human FOP. To address this need, here we present characterizations of the first adult zebrafish model for FOP. In humans, activating mutations in the Type I BMP/TGFβ family member receptor, ACVR1, are associated with FOP. Zebrafish acvr1l, previously known as alk8, is the functional ortholog of human ACVR1, and has been studied extensively in the developing zebrafish embryo, where it plays a role in early dorsoventral patterning. Constitutively active and dominant negative mutations in zebrafish acvr1l cause early lethal defects. Therefore, to study roles for activating acvr1l mutations in adult zebrafish, we created transgenic animals expressing mCherry-tagged, heat-shock-inducible constitutively active Acvr1l, Acvr1lQ204D, to investigate phenotypes in juvenile and adult zebrafish. Our studies showed that adult zebrafish expressing heat-shock-induced Acvr1lQ204D develop a number of human FOP-like phenotypes, including heterotopic ossification lesions, spinal lordosis, vertebral fusions, and malformed pelvic fins. Together, these results suggest that transgenic zebrafish expressing heat-shock-inducible Acvr1lQ204D can serve as a model for human FOP.
CMA Festival: The Ultimate Fan Experience

Nashville’s CMA music festival is a popular annual event where detailed schedules outline musical performances and regulate most aspects of the festival experience. Many country-music fans consider the festival to be a homecoming. This perception is largely due to the country-music industry and the city of Nashville, which during the festival provides a theatrical space for fans to both witness and perform their preconceived notions of country music. Such performances are reinforced by the festival’s setting: Downtown Nashville, where narratives of country music’s past are combined with and reinforced by the current, vibrant music industry occurring alongside the city’s historic places of production and performance. The festival space, therefore, permits fans to both witness and become part of the country-music tradition through a performance of Nashville and country-music fandom in the present. In this portion of the chapter, I explore touristic performances of Nashville and the country-music tradition at the 2014 and 2015 CMA music festivals, illustrating the importance of participation in the realization of the festival and the fan experience. Through participation, festival attendees move beyond the role of spectator and, in their assumption of true fandom, realize a heightened fan experience, perform the role of the local, and become a vital part of the country-music tradition and Nashville’s multifaceted musical identity.
Reliability of center of pressure measures for assessing the development of sitting postural control through the stages of sitting

Cerebral palsy (CP) impairs an individual's ability to move and control one's posture. Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of CP may not be apparent before age two. Evaluating sitting posture is a potential way to assess the developing mechanisms that contribute to CP. The purpose of this project was to determine the reliability of linear and nonlinear measures, including inter- and intrastage reliability, when used to analyze the center of pressure (COP) time series during the stages of sitting development in children with typical development (TD) and with/at-risk for cerebral palsy (CP). We hypothesized that nonlinear tools would be more reliable than linear tools in assessing childrens' sitting development, and reliability would increase with development. COP data was recorded for three trials at eight sessions. Linear parameters used were root mean square, range of sway for the anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) directions, and sway path. Nonlinear parameters used were Approximate Entropy, the largest Lyapunov Exponent, and Correlation Dimension for the AP and ML direction. Participants consisted of 33 children with TD and 26 children with/at-risk for CP. Our results determined that COP is a moderately reliable method for assessing the development of sitting postural control in stages in both groups. Thus, clinicians may be able to use measures from COP data across stages to assess the efficacy of therapeutic interventions that are intended to improve sitting postural abilities in children with/at-risk for CP.
The psychiatric morbidity and mortality teaching conference to improve patient safety: Lessons learned at the Massachusetts general hospital

Introduction A morbidity and mortality (MM the feedback received from participants after each conference; and changes introduced to improve the conference. Results Our department has successfully implemented and sustained a monthly psychiatric M&M conference that is well attended and valued. A critical decision was mandatory involvement of residents to prepare cases in conjunction with a dedicated faculty member. A structured presentation using a root cause analysis framework to guide the discussion in order to harness the wisdom of the group allows for a more comprehensive understanding of factors leading to bad outcomes, including systems-based problems. Conclusions A psychiatric M&M conference can teach individual clinicians about patient safety. Developing a departmental mechanism to apply lessons learned in the conference to improve hospital systems is the next task.
Can learners use morphosyntactic cues to facilitate processing? Evidence from a study of gender agreement in Hindi

This study investigates L2 learners’ ability to use morphosyntactic gender as a predictive cue during the processing of Hindi agreement dependencies. Nine L2 learners of low-intermediate proficienc...
Connectivity in Complex Networks: Measures, Inference and Optimization

Networks are ubiquitous in many high impact domains. Among the various aspects of network studies, connectivity is the one that plays important role in many applications (e.g., information dissemination, robustness analysis, community detection, etc.). The diversified applications have spurred numerous connectivity measures. Accordingly, ad-hoc connectivity optimization methods are designed for each measure, making it hard to model and control the connectivity of the network in a uniformed framework. On the other hand, it is often impossible to maintain an accurate structure of the network due to network dynamics and noise in real applications, which would affect the accuracy of connectivity measures and the effectiveness of corresponding connectivity optimization methods. In this work, we aim to address the challenges on network connectivity by (1)unifying a wide range of classic network connectivity measures into one uniform model; (2)proposing effective approaches to infer connectivity measures and network structures from dynamic and incomplete input data, and (3) providing a general framework to optimize the connectivity measures in the network.
Post-Freudian Psychological Theories

This chapter presents four additional psychological theories with regard to their approach to interpreting experiences as psychotic and/or mystical religious. It includes object relations, cognitive behavioral, transpersonal, and phenomenological definitions and descriptions of psychosis and mystical religious experience (MRE).
African Americans Are Less Likely to Receive Care by a Cardiologist During an Intensive Care Unit Admission for Heart Failure.

Abstract Objectives This study sought to determine whether the likelihood of receiving primary intensive care unit (ICU) care by a cardiologist versus a noncardiologist was greater for Caucasians than for African Americans admitted to an ICU for heart failure (HF). The authors further evaluated whether primary ICU care by a cardiologist is associated with higher in-hospital survival, irrespective of race. Background Increasing data demonstrate an association between better HF outcomes and care by a cardiologist. It is unclear if previously noted racial differences in cardiology care persist in an ICU setting. Methods Using the Premier database, adult patients admitted to an ICU with a primary discharge diagnosis of HF from 2010 to 2014 were included. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to determine the association between race and primary ICU care by a cardiologist, adjusting for patient and hospital variables. Cox regression with inverse probability weighting was used to assess the association between cardiology care and in-hospital mortality. Results Among 104,835 patients (80.3% Caucasians, 19.7% African Americans), Caucasians had higher odds of care by a cardiologist than African Americans (adjusted odds ratio: 1.42; 95% confidence interval: 1.34 to 1.51). Compared with a noncardiologist, primary ICU care by a cardiologist was associated with higher in-hospital survival (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.20, 95% confidence interval: 1.11 to 1.28). The higher likelihood of survival did not differ by patient race (interaction p = 0.32). Conclusions Among patients admitted to an ICU for HF, African Americans were less likely than Caucasians to receive primary care by a cardiologist. Primary care by a cardiologist was associated with higher survival for both Caucasians and African Americans.
Transgression and Standard Theories: Contributions Toward Penal Abolition

In this paper I propose a transgression theory and a standard theory toward penal abolition. I argue that given the ubiquity of “crime” in human relationships, to speak of “criminal behavior” as deviant nullifies the concept deviance (abnormal, out of the ordinary, etc.). After demonstrating that empirically the opposite is the case, I argue for a transgression theory (that most human beings regularly act in ways that transgress the norms and laws they establish) and propose a standard theory (that human beings are both maintainers and transgressors of the social orders they establish). My paper challenges the foundational language (constructions) of “criminal justice” logic that ignore the continuity of the past in the present (white supremacy, neocolonialism, racial capitalism, and gendering enslavement), and that fortify discourse and practice from recognizing, eliminating and standing accountable by rectifying centuries of white privilege, heteronormativity, and the oppression of nonwhite bodies.
The Myth of Moral Fictionalism

Naturalists wonder whether there is a place in the world for moral facts. Some believe not, advocating either a view according to which moral discourse is massively in error or one in which it fails to express moral propositions altogether. Other naturalists believe there is a place for moral facts, but only if they are identical with (or perhaps constituted by) natural facts. According to these philosophers, moral discourse embodies no fundamental error and is straightforwardly assertoric. For some time, many philosophers believed that these positions exhausted the options for naturalists. Recently, however, a new position has emerged as an alternative. This position, dubbed moral fictionalism by its advocates, maintains that moral thought and discourse either are or should become modes of pretense, wherein we pretend that there are moral facts.
Estimation of Canine Prostatic Size by in Vivo Ultrasound and Volumetric Measurement

Two methods for estimating the weight of the canine prostate gland in vivo were investigated. Twenty-six beagle dogs underwent transrectal and transabdominal ultrasound examination of the prostate, followed by careful, standardized caliper measurement of the prostate at surgical exploration. The prostate glands were then removed and weighed, and nomograms were constructed for use in future laboratory research. The validity of these nomograms for determining prostate weight in vivo was confirmed on evaluation of 6 additional dogs.
An In Vitro Approach for Investigating the Regulation of the Corpora Allata during Larval-Pupal Metamorphosis

According to the now classical scheme for the hormonal control of insect metamorphosis, the type of molt an insect undergoes is determined by the concentration of juvenile hormone (JH) at a critical period before the molt (see Gilbert, 1964). Generally, it is believed that larval development occurs in the presence of high concentrations of JH, and that in the presence of intermediate and negligible concentrations of the hormone, pupal and adult development occur, respectively. Determinations of JH hemolymph titers during the postembryonic development of a wide variety of holometabolous insects have tended to support this idea. Logically, the mechanisms involved in the regulation of the JH titer would involve modulation of its synthesis, its transport in the hemolymph, catabolism and excretion.
Gastroesophageal Reflux in the Pediatric Patient

Gastroesophageal reflux in the pediatric patient is a functional disorder with unique clinical presentations and management issues compared with the same disorder seen in adults. The goal of this article is to critically review our present knowledge regarding pediatric gastroesophageal reflux and to provide some perspective on how to evaluate and manage the individual patient.
Encounters of the Positive Kind

Albert Schweitzer once said, “In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” This quote most succinctly captures the message I am hoping to share. I believe all that has been accomplished in my life can be attributed to traits I have learned from one or more persons I have had the privilege of meeting and working with, and what I hope to accomplish is to layout some of the key lessons learned through my encounters with some of these people. I am proud of the different roles I have held over the years, and look forward to the additional ones ahead, but for me the greatest title I hold is “Mom.”
An overview of sweet cherry fruit cultivation in Turkey

Sweet cherry is a type of fruit that is high on demand in exports for table consumption. Turkey is a gene centre for sweet cherry fruit. Fruits are produced over an extended period because of the ecological richness and large cultivation area, which allows Turkey to remain as the leader of sweet cherry production in the world. The variety, ‘0900 Ziraat’, also known as the Turkish sweet cherry fruit, has the highest production volume. Mazzard and Mahaleb are the commonly used rootstocks for sweet cherry cultivation; and Mazzard is used more frequently than Mahaleb. Clonal rootstocks are used to maintain cultivation in new orchards. The present study provides a detailed information on the current status of sweet cherry fruit cultivation in Turkey as well as its cultivation practices and exports. It is targeted that modern irrigation techniques, good agricultural practices, and increased cultivation areas are established to maintain Turkey’s position as the leader in global sweet cherry production and exports.
Isolation and Characterization of Bacteria that Produce Polyhydroxybutyrate Depolymerases.

Isolation of environmental bacterial strains with diverse metabolic properties such as antibiotic production, sulfide oxidation, and the ability to use different nutrient sources is a common undergraduate lab experience. This article describes a useful protocol for the detection and isolation of bacteria that can degrade the common carbon storage biopolymer poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). The procedure utilizes a low nutrient media supplemented with insoluble PHB that allows for the easy, visible detection of strains that produce extracellular PHB degrading enzymes. This method can be used to determine the percent of culturable bacteria from various environments that can degrade PHB. Further, PHB degrading exoenzyme activity can be monitored from pure cultures by: (1) Growing cells in broth, (2) inducing with PHB, and (3) measuring activity of supernatant with a UV/Vis spectrophotometer. The enzymatic breakdown of PHB presents an opportunity to expose students to the concept of using biodegradable plastics as a solution to the global plastic waste problem.
Effects of Hydrodynamic Coupling on Energy Extraction Performance of Wave Energy Converter Arrays

Wave energy converter (WEC) buoys can be used for supplying electrical power for both terrestrial and marine energy grids. Marine applications include persistent sensing and refueling Underwater Autonomous Vehicles (UAVs). A WEC array is an attractive solution for marine energy grids where scalability is important, since evolving load requirements can be accommodated by adding or removing WECs from the array. The design space for a WEC array has many variables including inter-WEC spacing, individual WEC output capacity, WEC type, array geometry and the control approach[l]. Hydrodynamic decoupled analyses facilitate decentralized control, but miss a potential opportunity to exploit the hydrodynamic coupling of a more tightly packed array [2] [3]. A compact array model, parameterized with a non-dimensional WEC packing ratio, was proposed by Garnaud and Mei [1]. This paper extends those results to include the hydrodynamic coupling between individual WECs in the array showing an increase in the theoretical energy extraction.This work considers a 25-WEC, compact array example. The hydrodynamic radiation coefficients were generated using WAMIT (Wave Analysis MIT) and were incorporated into the dynamic equations introduced by Garnaud and Mei. An energy extraction efficiency metric, considering the energy dissipated due to the waves reflected by and transmitted through the array, was used to quantity the effect of the added terms. Incorporation of the hydrodynamic terms showed an increase of up to 28% in the low frequency range. This is important for wave energy conversion as it corresponds to waves with higher speeds and wavelengths.
Modifiable Clinical Correlates of Vascular Health in Children and Adolescents with Dyslipidemia

Atherosclerosis promoting cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDrf) are highly prevalent among youth in the U.S. Determining which standard modifiable clinical measures (SMCMs) has the greatest impact on vascular structure and function is valuable for the health care provider to help identify children at highest risk. The aim of this study was to determine modifiable outpatient clinical predictors of vascular health in youth with CVDrf. Children and adolescents with CVDrf (n = 120, 13.1 ± 1.9 years, 49% female) were recruited from a pediatric preventive cardiology clinic. The SMCMs included BMI z-score, waist-to-height ratio (WTHR), lipid panel, hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure (BP), presence of tobacco smoke exposure, and presence of hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTW) phenotype (triglycerides ≥ 110 mg/dL and waist circumference ≥ 90 percentile). Vascular function and structure were measured with pulse wave velocity (PWV), central systolic BP (CSP), augmentation index (AIx), and carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT). Sex and height specific z-scores for PWV, CSP, and cIMT were used. Multiple linear regression with backwards selection identified SMCMs which strongly predicted vascular function and structure. Among SMCMs, WTHR and HTW were the most frequent predictors of vascular function (PWV: R2 = 0.32; CSP: R2 = 0.35; AIx R2 = 0.13). Other predictors of vascular function included hemoglobin A1C, BP, and BMI z-score. Systolic BP and LDL cholesterol were predictors of vascular structure (cIMT: R2 = 0.14). The strongest predictors of vascular health in youth with CVDrf were related to measures of central obesity. Targeting these SMCM in lieu of vascular testing in outpatient clinic setting may be practical to identify children and adolescents at greatest risk for CVD.
A multi-sensory code for emotional arousal

People express emotion using their voice, face and movement, as well as through abstract forms as in art, architecture and music. The structure of these expressions often seems intuitively linked to its meaning: romantic poetry is written in flowery curlicues, while the logos of death metal bands use spiky script. Here, we show that these associations are universally understood because they are signalled using a multi-sensory code for emotional arousal. Specifically, variation in the central tendency of the frequency spectrum of a stimulus-its spectral centroid-is used by signal senders to express emotional arousal, and by signal receivers to make emotional arousal judgements. We show that this code is used across sounds, shapes, speech and human body movements, providing a strong multi-sensory signal that can be used to efficiently estimate an agent's level of emotional arousal.
Molecular Testing Versus Diagnostic Lobectomy in Bethesda III/IV Thyroid Nodules: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Background: Molecular tests (MT) using gene expression and/or mutational analysis have been developed to reduce the need for diagnostic surgery for indeterminate (Bethesda III/IV) thyroid nodules. ...
Close encounters of the urban kind: predators influence prey body size variation in an urban landscape

Body size is a key trait linked to many aspects of an organism’s life history, physiology, and behavior. Variation in body size can thus have important fitness consequences across a broad range of ecological contexts. We utilized the variation in multiple abiotic and biotic factors found among urban habitats to test simultaneously their relative effects on body size variation in urban populations of brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei). These factors represent major hypotheses regarding body size variation in ectotherms and other animal groups: temperature, food availability, conspecific abundance and predator abundance. We also performed a tethered intruder experiment to determine whether the attack behavior of predatory curly-tailed lizards (Leiocephalus carinatus) depends on the body size of their brown anole prey. Lastly, we conducted a common garden experiment to assess whether brown anole body size differences between sites with and without curly-tailed lizard predators are genetically based. Predator abundance was the primary predictor of brown anole body size for both males and females. No other hypotheses were consistently supported. Brown anole body size increased along with increasing predator abundance, and predator abundance was negatively related to body size variation. Additionally, predators approached larger brown anoles less often and at longer latencies compared to smaller ones. Finally, male brown anoles from sites with predators had faster growth rates compared to those from sites without predators under common conditions in the lab. Brown anole body size differences among populations may result from higher survival of larger lizards during predatory confrontations, and this trait is at least partially heritable in males. Therefore, our results suggest that curly-tailed lizard predators may be important agents of evolution by natural selection for brown anole populations in urban habitats. To further investigate the ecological and evolutionary consequences of predator–prey interactions in urban habitats, future research should focus on measuring predator-induced selection in these novel environments.
Acalculous cholecystitis with gallbladder necrosis in a patient presenting without abdominal pain.

An 83-year-old man with a history of chronic myelogenous leukaemia in remission maintained with bosutinib presented with new-onset fevers. He denied pain and had no other focal symptoms. Ultrasound imaging revealed mild gallbladder wall thickening. Non-contrasted CT revealed right upper quadrant inflammation of indeterminate source. The diagnosis of acalculous cholecystitis was made on the third day when a CT with oral contrast demonstrated a remarkably inflamed biliary tree. The gallbladder was surgically removed and found to be necrotic. The case highlights an unusual presentation for a well-known condition. Both ultrasound and CT have limited diagnostic sensitivity for acalculous cystitis. This case adds to existing literature to support development of acalculous cholecystitis in non-critically ill patients. Clinicians should maintain awareness of this condition among patients presenting to the hospital or clinic with abdominal pain. Careful discussion with radiology and surgery is indicated to guide diagnostic testing when initial imaging results are indeterminate.
Fractional transport rates in a poorly sorted sand-bed river

Abstract Size-selective transport is well-established in most gravel-bed channels but how grain mobility evolves in sand-gravel streambeds dominated by sand is less well-known. This study reports on fractional transport rates in the lower San Antonio River, Texas, where bed material contains gravel content that ranges from 0.1 to 65%. A Helley-Smith bedload sampler was deployed at three locations (Floresville, Kenedy, Goliad) at discharges that span from near baseflow to bankfull capacity. Relatively low discharges partially mobilize only some of the sizes present on the bed but the range in transported sizes generally expands as flow magnitude increases. Associated changes in the median diameter of sediment fluxes are relatively subdued as discharge increases over two orders of magnitude. Partial mobility dominates the sediment transport regime at all three sites. During the highest flow discharges at Floresville, coarser gravels are still underrepresented in the flux near bankfull capacity. In contrast, the proportion of bedload grain sizes relative to that found in the bed material approaches similarity conditions for the sizes caught in the bedload sampler at Kenedy and Goliad. Conservatively computed transport stages suggest that equal mobility conditions for poorly sorted sand mixtures can require higher flow stress conditions than reported for gravel-bed channels. Results have consequences for the quality of aquatic habitat, prediction of streambed stability, and formulation of morphodynamic models.