cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FFT-based macromodeling of power delivery network with uncertainties using Latency Insertion Method and stochastic collocation

In this paper, we make use of the Latency Insertion Method, a time domain circuit solver, to generate a frequency domain macromodel for a power delivery network with uncertainties. Using Stochastic Collocation, we are able to significantly reduce computation time over Monte Carlo while achieving comparable statistical results. The advantage of using the Latency Insertion Method is that its computational complexity scales linearly with circuit size, allowing it to become more efficient as circuit size grows.
Human, Animal, Geological Causes of Bone Breakage

This chapter reviews the history of bone breakage research in archaeology, from early studies that assumed spiral fractures were diagnostic traces of deliberate hominin weapon or tool making to those based upon actualistic research, which have shown that such breakage can be produced by multiple actors in a range of situations. The biomedical literature on bone as a material provides useful terms for understanding the circumstances under which bones break. This chapter describes static, dynamic, and torsional loading stresses and describes how intrinsic osteonal organization has a strong influence on overall fracture morphology. It outlines how break surfaces and fracture angles generally reflect the degree to which bone collagen fibers have deteriorated or bone mineral has been replaced in diagenesis. This chapter argues that the presence or absence of surface modifications is an independent line of evidence regarding the effector and actor of bone breakage.
What Is a Guy Like You Doing in a Place Like This? A Physician-Scientist in the Private Sector

Unlike many contributors to this collection of biographies, I have spent most of my research career working as a physician-scientist in the private sector. In my career, the focus of my research has been on two different areas: health services research and clinical trials for new biotechnology products. The path I took in selecting the choice of both my research interests and the research location was interesting, full of challenges, spanned a variety of locations, and put me in touch with some extraordinary teachers and mentors. Below I have tried to provide a glimpse of the path and some of the key events that lead me to where I am today.
The Fallacies of Problem-Based Learning Viewed as in a Hermeneutic Perspective on Best Teaching Practices

This chapter revisits the idea of problem-based learning (PBL) in the effort to present a rejoinder to six negatively perceived characteristics that have come to be associated with this approach to contextual teaching and learning. These six perceived disadvantages emerged in the literature during PBL’s early use in the field of medical education. The author claims that if the PBL environment is situated in the context of teacher education, it is a fallacy to regard the six characteristics as weaknesses. Viewed through the hermeneutic lens (Collingwood, R. G. (1993). The idea of history. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Collingwood, R. G. (1998). An essay on metaphysics. Oxford: Clarendon Press; Gadamer, H.G. (1977). Philosophical hermeneutics (D. E. Linge, Trans.). Berkley: University of California Press; Gadamer, H.G. (1999). Truth and method (Second Rev. Ed.). (J. Weinsheimer and D.G. Marshall, Trans.). New York: Continuum Publishing; Schleiermacher F. (1998). Hermeneutics and criticism, and other writings. (A. Bowie, Trans. & Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), each perceived problem correlates with several principles of best practice for teaching and learning, as outlined by Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., & Hyde, A. (2005). [Best practice: Today’s standards for teaching and learning in America’s schools (3rd Ed.). Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann] and operates not as a weakness but as a strategic advantage of PBL. The research literature and a project, involving the experiences of a single instructor and the participants in two sections of a graduate course in the Curriculum and Pedagogy of the Social Studies, provided the subjective evidence to justify the claim.
Comparing Computer-Adaptive and Curriculum-Based Measurement Methods of Assessment.

This article reported the concurrent, predictive, and diagnostic accuracy of a computer-adaptive test (CAT) and curriculum-based measurements (CBM; both computation and concepts/application measure...
Selective Laser Sintering of High-density Alumina Ceramic Parts

Manufacturing high temperature ceramic parts with Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) technology has been of great research interest lately. Described in this paper is a process based on Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) to fabricate 3-dimensional alumina green parts layer-by-layer, followed by binder burnout and sintering to obtain high-density ceramic parts. This SLS process has been developed to manufacture 3D parts including airplane models, letter bars, etc. from mixtures of alumina powder and stearic acid binder. These mixtures were generated by mixing alumina powder with stearic acid in a ball mill. The average particle size of the alumina particles is 0.26 µm. The SLS process parameters were tuned such that the green parts can be built with reasonably sharp geometrical features and that the sintered parts have good mechanical and physical properties. Proper binder burnout conditions were determined in order that the resultant parts after the binder burnout process have no visible cracks. Alumina ceramic parts were obtained by firing the green parts at 1600°C. The alumina ceramic bars achieved 255 MPa in flexural strength, and the bar relative density achieved is 88%. These results are discussed.
The Role of Neurotrophins in the Central Nervous System: Significance for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

The neurotrophins represent a family of polypeptide growth factors which show a high degree of homology with nerve growth factor (NGF). Recent investigations by various research groups have resulted in the isolation, purification and cloning of three novel neurotrophins:brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4). The present review is intended to provide a brief overview of the principal characteristics and roles of the neurotrophins and their receptors in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). The neurotrophin family of growth factors may prove to be of considerable importance in the future therapy of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Multimode Nonlinear Fiber Optics with Structured Light

Intermodal nonlinear interactions with higher-order modes circumvent the dispersion-versus-nonlinearity tradeoff of single-mode waveguides. We review advances in this platform that enables nonlinear optics in fibers to realise energy-scalable sources at non-traditional colours, for applications such as biomedical imaging, or wide-band frequency conversion, for applications such as quantum networks. Article not available.
Wide-Aperture Layered-Sheet Faraday Isolator

Optical isolators are $n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}r\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}e\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}p\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}r\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l$ devices, transmitting forward-propagating light while blocking backward propagation. They are as important in optical and microwave applications as diodes are in electrical circuits. Common problems with free-space isolators are an inherently small aperture and the failure to block backward propagation at oblique incidence. This paper presents a thin free-space isolator offering virtually unlimited aperture and broadband rejection of light incident from behind, regardless of the exact direction. The key design elements are verified at microwave frequencies, and the same physical idea can also be applied up to the midinfrared.
Higher US Rural Mortality Rates Linked To Socioeconomic Status, Physician Shortages, And Lack Of Health Insurance.

All-cause mortality rates in rural areas have exceeded those in urban areas of the US since the 1980s, and the gap continues to widen. Yet no definitive causes of this difference are known, and wit...
Products of the Gas-Phase Reaction of the OH Radical with the Dibasic Ester CH3OC(O)CH2CH2CH2C(O)OCH3

Dibasic esters are potentially important commercial solvents and their use will lead to possible release into the atmosphere, where they will react with the hydroxyl (OH) radical and contribute to the formation of photochemical air pollution in urban and regional areas. The authors have investigated the products formed from the gas-phase reaction of the OH radical with the dibasic ester dimethyl glutarate [CH[sub 3]-OC(O)CH[sub 2]CH[sub 2]CH[sub 2]C(O)OCH[sub 3]] in the presence of NO in large volume chambers with analysis by in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy, in situ atmospheric pressure ionization tandem mass spectrometry (API-MS), gas chromatography with flame ionization detection, and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. No information was obtained concerning the reaction products using the gas chromatographic analyses. The in situ API-MS and API-MS/MS analyses indicated the formation of products with molecular weights 146, 174, and 221, and, based on plausible reaction schemes, these could be mono-methyl glutarate [CH[sub 3]OC(O)CH[sub 2]CH[sub 2]-CH[sub 2]C(O)OH], dimethyl 1,3-acetonedicarboxylate [CH[sub 3]OC(O)-CH[sub 2]C(O)CH[sub 2]C(O)OCH[sub 3]], and/or its isomers, and an organic nitrate(s), respectively. The in situ FT-IR spectroscopic analyses were consistent with these expectations, with the identification and quantification of organic nitrate(s), mono-methyl glutarate, and dimethyl 1,3-acetonedicarboxylate with formation yields of 15more » [+-] 6, 34 [+-] 16, and 28 [+-] 8 [percent], respectively. These products therefore account for 77 [+-] 19 [percent] of the total reaction products and reaction pathways, recognizing that the quantifications of mono-methyl glutarate and dimethyl 1,3-acetonedicarboxylate are subject to significant uncertainties.« less
Normalizing polydiacetylene colorimetric assays of vesicle binding across lipid systems

Mixed polydiacetylene (PDA) lipid vesicles mimic cell membranes and exhibit a colorimetric response induced by mechanical stress, which can be used to determine the affinity of proteins or molecules for lipid membranes. Due to a simple spectroscopic readout, PDA assays are amenable to high-throughput screens; however, these assays exhibit batch-to-batch variability. Sensitivity of the assay is also influenced by physicochemical properties associated with different lipids. Here, a method of normalizing PDA assays to reduce variability and enable direct comparison across lipid systems is described.
Mathematical Modeling of Load Lifting Process with the Industrial Exoskeleton Usage

The article is devoted to investigation of the opportunity of exoskeleton usage in industrial conditions, which can partially compensate the load during carrying out of the technological operations. Such devices can significantly reduce human fatiguability, improve operations quality, and reduce the injury risk and the professional diseases development. The article presents a mathematical model describing the lifting load process with the use of industrial exoskeleton. A mathematical apparatus, which makes it possible to obtain load lifting kinematic parameters and evaluate the exoskeleton joints forces, is presented in the work. The paper presents the numerical modeling results and analyzes them. The values of the device hinges torques were obtained. The knees and ankle joints turned out to be the most loaded during lifting process. The necessity of additional external devices usage to compensate these efforts is mentioned.
Mechanisms of severe dieback and mortality in a classically drought-tolerant shrubland species (Arctostaphylos glauca)

PREMISE Mortality events involving drought and pathogens in natural plant systems are on the rise due to global climate change. In Santa Barbara, California, United States, big berry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca) has experienced canopy dieback related to a multi-year drought and infection from fungal pathogens in the Botryosphaeriaceae family. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using Neofusicoccum australe to test the specific influences of drought and fungal infection on A. glauca. METHODS A full factorial design was used to compare four treatment groups (drought + inoculation; drought - inoculation; watering + inoculation; and control: watering - inoculation). Data were collected for 10 weeks on stress symptoms, changes in leaf fluorescence and photosynthesis, and mortality. RESULTS Results indicated significant effects of watering and inoculation treatments on net photosynthesis, dark-adapted fluorescence, and disease symptom severity (P < 0.05), and a strong correlation was found between physiological decline and visible stress (P < 0.0001). Mortality differed between treatments, with all groups except for the control experiencing mortality (43% mortality in drought - inoculation, 83% in watering - inoculation, and 100% in drought + inoculation). A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed drought + inoculation to have the least estimated survivorship compared to all other treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS In addition to a possible synergistic interaction between drought and fungal infection in disease onset and mortality rates in A. glauca, these results indicate that young, non-drought-stressed plants are susceptible to mortality from N. australe infection, with important implications for the future of wildland shrub communities.
Transmittance and Survival of SARS-CoV-2 in Global Trade: The Role of Supply Chain and Packaging

We are living in uncertain times and facing a paradigm shift in human health and sustainability. The number of SARS-CoV-2 victims is rising daily and all nations are going through dramatic effects and exploring various solutions to this imminent calamity facing the humanity. The world is confronting a public health issue that has forced it to come to a halt and evaluate the future of our modern society and our way of living. It can be stated that the sustainability of our societies inextricably depends on the performance of our global trade and supply chains. This review article is the first published assessment on the global trade and especially packaging's role in the transmittance of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Surprisingly, based on our findings, the lack of knowledge on transmittance and survival of SARS-CoV-2 in supply chain and packaging is substantial. Although there are several existing and available technologies that can be used for the risk mitigation, our assessment shows a major and timely need for broad conceptual advancements and necessary understanding of the supply chain risks associated with the viral surface transmittances. The specificity to the current and possibly future pandemics demands an increasing amount of multidisciplinary research and involvement of public and private sectors. This proposed erudition is imminent and may be highly critical in safeguarding and the sustainability of the critical supply chains in our society now and in the future.
Determination of ketone bodies in biological samples via rapid UPLC-MS/MS.

Abstract Efforts to enhance wellness and ameliorate disease via nutritional, chronobiological, and pharmacological interventions have markedly intensified interest in ketone body metabolism. The two ketone body redox partners, acetoacetate (AcAc) and D-β-hydroxybutyrate (D-βOHB) serve distinct metabolic and signaling roles in biological systems. A highly efficient, specific, and reliable approach to simultaneously quantify AcAc and D-βOHB in biological specimens is lacking, due to challenges of separating the structural isomers and enantiomers of βOHB, and to the chemical instability of AcAc. Here we present a single UPLC-MS/MS method that simultaneously quantifies both AcAc and βOHB using independent stable isotope internal standards for both ketones. This method incorporates one sample preparation step requiring only 7 min of analysis per sample. The output is linear over three orders of magnitude, shows very low limits of detection and quantification, is highly specific, and shows favorable recovery yields from mammalian serum and tissue samples. Tandem MS discriminates D-βOHB from structural isomers 2- or 4-hydroxybutyrate as well as 3-hydroxyisobutyrate (3-HIB). Finally, a simple derivatization distinguishes D- and L-enantiomers of βOHB, 3-HIB, and 2-OHB, using the same rapid chromatographic platform. Together, this simple, efficient, reproducible, scalable, and all-encompassing method will support basic and clinical research laboratories interrogating ketone metabolism and redox biochemistry.
Meaningful military engagement among male and female post-9/11 veterans: An examination of correlates and implications for resilience.

Objective Post-9/11 military deployment is commonly reported as stressful and is often followed by psychological distress after returning home. Yet veterans also frequently report experiencing meaningful military engagement (MME) that may buffer detrimental effects of military stressors. Focusing on the under-investigated topic of association of MME with post-deployment psychological adjustment, this study tests gender differences in MME and post-deployment outcomes. Method This cross-sectional study examined the relationship of MME with deployment stressors, subsequent psychological distress (posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depression), and gender among 850 recent-era U.S. veterans (41.4% female). Results On average, both male and female veterans reported high MME. Greater MME was associated with less PTSS and depression following combat and general harassment, and more depression after sexual harassment. For men only, MME associated with less PTSS after sexual harassment. Conclusions MME is high among post-9/11 veterans, but its stress-buffering effects depend on gender and specific stressor exposure.
Trait heritability and its implications for the management of an invasive vertebrate

Control methods that target specific traits of an invasive species can produce results contrary to the aims of management. If targeted phenotypes exhibit heritability, then it follows that the invasive species could evolve greater resistance to the applied control measures over time. Additional complications emerge if those traits targeted by control are also inversely related to reproductive success. Given this, prudent considerations for invasive species management are to quantify the heritability of traits selected through control measures and gauge their relationship with reproductive success. Herein we provide a case study utilizing long-term field data and a multi-generational pedigree of an experimentally-closed population of brown treesnakes (N = 426; Boiga irregularis) on Guam. We employed an “animal model” to estimate the narrow-sense heritability (h2) for annual body condition, a trait related to both susceptibility to a primary tool used for brown treesnake control (i.e., live-lure traps) and annual reproductive success. Annual body condition displayed significant heritability [h2 = 0.149 (95% highest posterior density interval: 0.059–0.220)]. Considering a negative effect of body condition on susceptibility to trap capture but positive effect on reproductive success, significant heritability of body condition suggests the potential for live-lure traps to lose efficacy over time while also eliciting an undesirable effect on brown treesnake fecundity. Our results highlight the potential for negative repercussions that can stem from management actions, while also serving to underscore the evolutionary implications that are often overlooked but subsumed within invasive species control.
Wearable sensors for athletes

Focusing on technical development and its application in commercial products, wearable sensing technology is introduced and discussed, with examples of a few actual products on the market. The relevant technological foundation of electrical engineering is briefly explained. The degree of technology integration is addressed through previous products and for future development of wearable sensors.
Fibromyalgia, Arthritic, and Myofascial Pain

Fibromyalgia (FMS) is an idiopathic painful syndrome of a chronic nature and of unclear etiology. It is more prevalent in females with a ratio of 9:1 females to males. About 5 million people in the United States are thought to suffer from fibromyalgia. It is estimated to be present in 2–7% of the population in most countries and is a debilitating illness with resultant loss of work days and school days, disability, and functional impairment.
SETTLING THE RUSSIAN FRONTIER: with comparisons to North America

The authors review the historiographical evolution of frontier studies in both the Russian and North American cases. Although there is a rich body of literature on the frontier, relatively little has been done to compare the frontier experiences of these two great cultures, even though there appear to be many similarities. This void is part of a more general trend in comparative frontier studies to ignore the utility and applicability of the Russian frontier. This special issue of Soviet Geography represents a modest attempt to highlight the comparability of the Russian case, especially with respect to North America.
Empirical Methods and Default Approaches in Consideration of Exposure Duration in Dose–Response Relationships

This contribution is concerned with exploring the relationship of the duration or time and concentration components of exposure. Under many exposure scenarios, especially those characterized as acute (i.e. brief duration to high concentrations), both components are critical in eliciting the toxic response. Historical guidance on the inter-relationship of these components has been based in large part on mathematical models and theory (e.g. the ‘Haber’ C × t = k relationship and toxic load or TL phenomenon) and limited to lethality as the toxic response. This report features a suite of methods and approaches accommodating empirical data that characterize both lethal and nonlethal responses. Case studies are used to demonstrate the flexibility of these methods with regard to the type and amount of available data, as well as providing examples and insight into other aspects, including how variability arises, its consequences and how it may be addressed. Keywords: concentration × time; duration; duration extrapolation; categorical regression; acute inhalation
Guinea-Bissau: how a successful social revolution can become an obstacle to subsequent State-building

This case study looks at state failure from a historical point of view. By state failure, I mean that the government has failed to set the country onto a path of economic development, political stability, and democratic governance. Guinea-Bissau has been consistently ranked among the ten worst countries in the world on various economic and sociopolitical indicators.1 Recent political developments do not inspire much hope for improvement, because they continue a longstanding pattern in Guinea-Bissau's personalized politics that has its roots in the state-socialism of the later stages of the revolutionary period. Historical events during this time were entirely determined by the personal attributes and decisions of Amilcar Cabral, who was undisputedly "the great leader." Future politicians remade the government to suit their personal styles but always in a dictatorial mode, and personal feuds with the military have plagued successive presidents. As will be explained in an upcoming section, this paper creates a three-part analytic framework that stresses the institutional legacy (the one-party state and the colonial state), the ideological legacy (state-socialism) and the "great leader legacy" to understand modern-day Guinea-Bissau.
Representational Measurement Theory

This chapter focuses on empirical structures, with an ordering attribute, leading to numerical or geometric representations. A historical sketch of physical, behavioral, and social science measurement until 1950 is followed by modern approaches to representational measurement in the behavioral sciences. Among these structures are: difference, additive conjoint, averaging, and non-additive concatenation and conjoint structures. Derived measurement is described by distributive linkages between two structures with a common attribute and is exemplified by physical, utility, and psychophysical examples. Two mathematical results are needed in each case: the existence of structure-preserving numerical representations and their uniqueness. The latter has been analyzed generically. Using these ideas, models of magnitude estimation and production are summarized. The nature of axiomatization is discussed in terms of types of logical languages, the role of certain second-order axioms, and issues of consistency and independence of axioms. Important results about the impossibility of simple axiomatizations of classes of finite structures are described along with mention of some problems. Keywords: axiomatizability; derived measurement; error; invariance; meaningfulness; representational measurement; scale type
Evaluation of desktop interface displays for 360-degree video

A 360-degree video becomes necessary in applications ranging from surveillance to virtual reality. This thesis focuses on developing an interface for a system such as mobile surveillance that integrates 360-degree video feeds for remote navigation and observation in unfamiliar environments. An experiment evaluated the effectiveness of three 360-degree view user interfaces to identify the necessary display characteristics that allow observers to correctly interpret 360-degree video images displayed on a desktop screen. Video feeds were simulated, using a game engine. Interfaces were compared, based on spatial cognition and participants’ performance in finding target objects. Results suggest that 1) correct perception of direction within a 360-degree display is not correlated with a correct understanding of spatial relationships within the observed environment, 2) visual boundaries in the interface may increase spatial understanding, and 3) increased video gaming experience may be correlated with better spatial understanding of an environment observed in 360-degrees. This research will assist designers of 360-degree video systems to design optimal user interface for navigation and observation of remote environments.
Navigating the Social Safety Net: A State-Level Analysis of the Relationship between Medicaid and Consumer Bankruptcy

The social safety net in the United States consists of a variety of programs administered by both federal and state governments. Although the populations served by social programs such as Medicaid and consumer bankruptcy likely overlap, policymakers tend to look at individual programs unilaterally and often fail to communicate appropriately with legislators and political leaders at differing levels of government. The result of such an incremental approach to policy reform is a fragmented social safety net system in the United States. In this study, the relationship between two social programs belonging to the larger social safety net is examined, and recommendations for policymakers are offered.
Children of divorce.

BACKGROUND The rapidly changing nature and demographics of divorce in United States within the past 30 years has spawned an epidemic that affects more than one half of the families in the United States. METHODS I performed a MEDLINE-assisted review of the medical literature searching with the key words "divorce" and "children." In addition, a Web search was conducted using Webferret with the same key words. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The past view of divorce as a short-term family crisis must mature into a longitudinal view of the effects of divorce. Divorce affects children according to their coping mechanisms in their own stages of development. Many problems and concerns previously attributed to divorce have their roots in the period of family interaction before the divorce and in the ongoing conflicts in many families after the divorce itself. Because family physicians are objective observers with whom the family comes into regular contact, they must be able to assist families through the transitions of divorce and to intervene on behalf of the children to help them through this stressful life event with the fewest detrimental effects possible. Counseling, group therapy, and divorce mediation have been assessed as effective tools for intervention.
Role of estrogens in the management of postmenopausal bone loss.

Osteoporosis is a significant public health issue in the United States. Each year, more than 1.5 million Americans have osteoporotic-related fractures accompanied by pain, deformity, or loss of independence. 119 The annual cost of osteoporosis has been reported to be $12.8 billion, 64 and it has been projected that the economic burden of osteoporosis should reach $240 billion by the year 2040. 23 Although osteoporosis is a preventable disease, many people with osteoporosis remain undiagnosed. 29 In teenagers and premenopausal women, an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, along with exercise, has a significant role in maximizing premenopausal bone mass. 93 Before menopause, bone loss from the spine is small—0.2% per year. During the first 5 years after menopause, the rate of bone loss in women increases as much as 5 to 10 times, 43 and in elderly women, the rate of bone loss decreases to about 0.75% annually. The first treatment of choice for preventing osteoporosis is estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT), 2,29 except in women who are unable or unwilling to take estrogen. In addition, calcium intake should be between 1000 to 1500 mg/day. This consensus is supported by a large body of clinical evidence.
Prairie dog towns as islands: applications of island biogeography and landscape ecology for conserving nonvolant terrestrial vertebrates

Aim To evaluate the utility of island biogeography theory as a model for understanding and conserving native communities of nonvolant terrestrial vertebrates at prairie dog towns. Location Oklahoma Panhandle, USA. Methods We surveyed mammal, reptile and amphibian communities on 36 black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) towns during the summers and falls of 1997 to 1999. We used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to characterize the landscape within 10 km of each town. We used Principal Components Analysis (PCA), Correlation Analysis, and Linear Regression to test for patterns in species richness relative to area and isolation of towns, local habitat characteristics, and characteristics of the adjacent landscape. Results Species richness was not significantly correlated with town size, town isolation, or local habitat characteristics. On the other hand, species richness was significantly correlated with characteristics of the landscape within 10 km of the focal town. In addition, species richness of mammals at prairie dog towns during the summer increased in a northerly direction, while richness of mammals at towns during fall increased to the west. Main conclusions These results, albeit contrary to traditional island biogeography theory, are consistent with an emerging view that communities on relatively small islands are strongly influenced by characteristics of the adjacent landscape (or seascape). We recommend that to the extent possible, networks of reserves for prairie dogs and their associated species should include clusters of large towns (i.e. larger than those studied here), as well as large but isolated towns, and that conservation efforts should include management of the intervening matrix of anthropogenic habitats.
7151 Novel overtube device for the performance of colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND: The technique for insertion of flexible endoscopes for colonic imaging has varied little since its inception. Standard endoscopic technique for these procedures involves pushing and torquing of the instrument along with air insufflation of the bowel. Unfortunately, there can be discomfort associated with these maneuvers for some patients, prompting the use of conscious sedation with its attendant costs and risks. Few new technical insertion advances have been designed and clinical experience with them is rare. An insertion overtube that utilized rotational advancement might decrease discomfort and the need for sedation, while allowing diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities comparable to standardly inserted scopes. AIM: To evaluate a rotational colonoscope overtube (TransporTube System, Essex Technology, Inc. Chelmsford, MA) in the performance of unsedated colonoscopy METHODS: A procedure was performed on an asymptomatic, healthy volunteer utilizing the TransporTube installed onto an Olympus PCF-140L videopediatric colonoscope following a routine bowel prep. This overtube has a 130cm length and attaches to the distal end of the scope permitting rotation of the overtube around the scope. The flexible overtube, with inner dimension of 12.7mm and outer maximum of 17.8mm has a soft, smooth distal helical element. The scope is inserted into the rectum in standard fashion, then "pulled" proximally by rotating the outersheath. RESULTS: The scope with overtube was easily advanced to the mid-transverse colon with depth of 108cm on insertion using rotational "pull" and minimal push. Air insufflation was minimal, and used to view the lumen ahead while the overtube advanced through the lumen. On withdrawal a combination of counter-rotation and pull-back was used, along with steering and air insufflation to view bowel wall. The u-turn in the rectum gave full view of the most distal colon. The procedure was tolerated well without sedation and without complication. CONCLUSION: The first clinical use of this rotational overtube demonstrated successful advancement of a videocolonoscope into the transverse colon. Further study will be undertaken to determine its utility in the performance of routine unsedated examination of the colon.
The life and death of creativity: The effects of mortality salience on self versus social-directed creative expression

Research in terror management theory suggests that our connections to others function, in part, to provide protection from the anxiety associated with the awareness of inevitable death. The individuating nature of creative expression can potentially undermine these connections, making creativity particularly problematic when one is dealing with mortality concerns. Consistent with this, a number of findings have elucidated emotional consequences associated with creativity when mortality concerns are active. However, to date, research has not focused on how mortality awareness may impact levels of creativity. The present study assessed the hypothesis that mortality concerns will inhibit creative behavior that threatens social connections but will not undermine and may even facilitate creative behavior that bolsters social connections. The results showed that amplified concerns about mortality decreased creativity when the act was self-directed but not when it was community-directed. Theoretical implications and future directions are discussed.
A method of testing for serial correlation in univariate repeated-measures analyses of variance

Many behavioral experiments utilize a two-factor split-plot design having one between-subjects grouping factor and one within-subjects repeated-measures factor. Subjects are assigned at random to the various levels of the grouping factor, but all subjects are exposed to all levels of the repeated-measures factor. Very often, the repeated-measures factor represents levels of a temporal variable (e.g., laboratory sessions or experimental trials). There are two assumptions concerning the variance-covariance matrices that must be met for a valid univariate test of the trials effect or the Trials by Groups interaction effect. First, the variance-covariance matrices for a set of orthonormal variables corresponding to the effect of the repeated factor must be equal across groups. The Box M test may be used to test this assumption (Huynh & Mandeville, 1979). Second, the common covariance matrix must be spherical. An approximate test for this assumption appears in Huynh and Feldt (1970).1 When these assumptions are not met, the use of a multivariate test or reducing the degrees of freedom on repeated-measures factors (Geisser & Greenhouse, 1958) to yield a conservative but more robust univariate F test are recommended. The purpose of this discussion is to comment briefly on a particular covariance matrix structure that is not spherical and to introduce a method with which to further explore the covariance matrix structure when violations of the sphericity assumption occur. When the repeated-measures factor is time, observations made closer together tend to be more highly correlated than those made further apart. One such pattern is the serial correlation pattern, and it can be a common cause of sphericity assumption violations in behavioral research. We recently examined the effects of the serial correlation pattern on conventional alpha levels (Hearne, Clark, & Hatch, in press) and found that in extreme cases of the pattern (correlation of trial levels one step apart =.8) actual alpha levels were more than three times the nominal level. Thus, certain types of covariance matrix structure that violate the sphericity
MODERNISM vs POSTMODERNISM IN MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING

Abstract The debate over objective versus subjective measurement in accounting is reviewed within the broader framework of the worldviews of modernity/modernism and postmodernism. A description of these two periods of history helps to clarify their different as well as similar and often confusing characteristics. A review of the history of management accounting is conducted to highlight its role in shaping the modern period as well as how it was shaped by it. Existing and emerging problems in accounting in a postmodern era are examined. The role of critical accounting in this process is emphasized and some of its ideas and explanations are utilized in the analysis. Some implications for the accounting profession are discussed. “When social scientists import the dominant institutional logics into their analyses of individuals and organizations in unexamined ways, they unreflectively elaborate the symbolic order and social practices of the institutions they study.” (Friedland & Alford, 1991, p. 260) Herr Settembrini: “Do you believe in truth, in objective, scientific truth, to strive after the attainment which is the highest law of all morality, and whose triumphs over authority form the most glorious page in the history of the human spirit?” Naphtha: “There can be no such triumphs as those you speak of, for the authority is man himself-his interests, his worth, his salvation-and thus between it and truth no conflict is possible. They coincide. . . . Whatever profits man, that is the truth.” (Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain )
The ejaculatory reflex in copulating rats: normal bulbospongiosus activity without apparent urethral stimulation

Electromyographic activity was recorded from the bulbospongiosus muscles of intact, copulating male rats to test the hypothesis that urethral stimulation contributes to the ejaculatory reflex. Neither urethral anesthetization with lidocaine nor prevention of emission with guanethidine affected the rhythmic contraction of the bulbospongiosus muscle during the ejaculatory pattern. Urethral stimulation by the ejaculate apparently does not contribute to the regulation of the striated-muscle components of ejaculation-related reflexes in copulating male rats.
Reference values for 50-kHZ electrical impedance myography.

Electrical impedance myography (EIM) is a method for non-invasively and quantitatively assessing muscle health, in which the major outcome parameter, phase (θ), decreases in diseased states. In order to create a set of normal reference values, we performed 50 kHz EIM in 5 muscles of 87 healthy individuals, using θ as the major outcome variable. Since the distributions of data were mostly skewed, logarithmic transformations were performed, and the resulting data were fitted to quadratic functions. The lower limit of normal was set by plotting the lower 95% confidence interval of this curve for each muscle and then identifying age-specific reference values. We found that the distribution of data was similar to that for other neurophysiologic parameters. The lower limit of normal was easily defined, and relatively few values fell below the proposed lower limit. By using commercially available bioimpedance devices, these values will allow other investigators to explore the application of 50 kHz EIM in clinical neuromuscular disease research.
Prosthetic procedures of the joints of the ankle and foot.

HE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES of a joint replacement arthroplasty are to relieve pain and to provide a stable joint with a functional range of motion. With the advent of modern joint reconstructive surgery, total hip and knee arthroplasties in selected older patients have become standard procedures. Similarly, metatarsophalangeal joint implantation in carefully selected patients continues to evolve technically with an increasing success rate. Ankle arthroplasty, however, has not yet attained the status of these standard operations and is still considered by most orthopedists an experimental procedure that should be performed only under the strictest indications.lA zones at the bone-cement interface in nine patients and subsidence of the implants in six patients, all of which imply disturbing prospects for future failure. Newton’s results indicate that rheumatoid patients are poor candidates for arthroplasty, particularly if they have erosive changes or have been receiving long-term corticosteroid therapy.* Complications have occurred in as many as 23% of rheumatoid patients6 and failure in as many as 60%.’ Demottaz et al’ reviewed 21 ankle replacements in 19 patients, 14 of whom had rheumatoid arthritis. Only two patients had a good result, while 8 1% had incomplete relief of pain. A progressive radiolucent zone occurred in 88% and late loosening in 10%.
MICROSURGICAL TESTIS BIOPSY: A NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR RETRIEVAL OF TESTICULAR TISSUE

Purpose: In vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection has resulted in a dramatic increase in the need for diagnostic and therapeutic testis biopsies. We developed a microsurgical testis biopsy technique which allows identification of testicular vessels and individual seminiferous tubules. We compare the results of this technique to our prior series of nonmicroscopic biopsies. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of 226 consecutive patients who had undergone open testes biopsy with or without an operating microscope was performed. Between 1988 and 1994 standard open testis biopsy was performed without a microscope in 119 patients and a single sample of testicular tissue was taken. After 1994 microsurgical biopsy was performed under 6 to 25× magnification in 107 patients, nearly half of whom had multiple biopsies of each testis. The complication rates of the 2 procedures were compared. Results: Scrotal hematoma required surgical drainage in 3 of the 119 standard testis biopsy cases and testis atrophy was noted in 1, for a total complication rate of 3.4%. There were no episodes of clinically detectable testicular atrophy or scrotal hematoma requiring surgical drainage in the 107 microsurgical biopsy cases (p Conclusions: Use of the operating microscope for testicular biopsy allows identification and avoidance of testicular vessels, minimizing complications. It also may allow selection of seminiferous tubules more likely to contain sperm.
Compadres: lightweight support for distributed collaborators

Design education has a strong reliance on passive presence awareness and unfocused interaction. This paper reports on Compadres, a system for support of distributed collaborators through creation of group presence awareness on the web. Compadres provides various configurable communications options, in both synchronous and asynchronous modes, including links for email, chat, and file transfer. It includes two levels of presence awareness: current status and an extended radar view providing "asynchronous presence." The system supports itinerant, or mobile, users (such as students) as well as situated users (such as faculty). Our experiences with Compadres, which has been used by several classes and our research group, support those of others regarding the power of presence and messaging in supporting group cohesion, and indicate that it is possible to support infrequent or occasional collaboration as well as frequent interaction via the web.
Distribution and cloning of eukaryotic mRNAs by means of differential display: refinements and optimization

Differential display has been developed as a tool to detect and characterize altered gene expression in eukaryotic cells. The basic principle is to systematically amplify messenger RNAs and then distribute their 3' termini on a denaturing polyacrylamide gel. Here we provide methodological details and examine in depth the specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility of the method. We show that the number of anchored oligo-dT primers can be reduced from twelve to four that are degenerate at the penultimate base from the 3' end. We also demonstrate that using optimized conditions described here, multiple RNA samples from related cells can be displayed simultaneously. Therefore process-specific rather than cell-specific genes could be more accurately identified. These results enable further streamlining of the technique and make it readily applicable to a broad spectrum of biological systems.
Tensile instability in creep damaging solids

Abstract Tensile instability in creep damaging bars subject to geometrical and/or material non-uniformities is investigated for the constant load and constant stress tests provided the longwavelength approximation is maintained. The constitutive model employed in the study is valid for the moderate stress-elevated temperature regime which is dominated by completely creep constrained cavity growth. Two definitions of instability are used to study initial rates of imperfection growth and imperfection growth through failure. The first is concerned with the immediate response to a disturbance (stability in the small) while the second is related to a loss of correspondence between increments of perturbed and unperturbed field variables. A linearized stability analysis based on the first definition reveals that, like the pure viscous creep case, the deformation is unstable however, in contrast to viscous creep, the characteristic time for neck growth is much shorter. A nonlinear analysis based on the second definition associates the onset of instability with fracture occurring at a finite area but infinite local section strain. Histories of strain and area differences reveal the tendency for a highly localized neck to form, however this is countered by stability loss (fracture) at a finite area.
Sleep, Sleep Disturbance and Fertility in Women

Sleep and sleep disturbances are increasingly recognized as determinants of women's health and well-being, particularly in the context of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause. At present, however, little is known about whether fertility is affected by sleep quantity and quality. That is, to what degree, and by what mechanisms, do sleep and/or its disturbances affect fertility? The purpose of this review is to synthesize what is known about sleep disturbances in relation to reproductive capacity. A model is provided, whereby stress, sleep dysregulation, and circadian misalignment are delineated for their potential relevance to infertility. Ultimately, if it is the case that sleep disturbance is associated with infertility, new avenues for clinical intervention may be possible.