cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“She Works Hard for the Money”: Drag Queens and the Management of Their Contradictory Status of Celebrity and Marginality:

This article reports an ethnographic study of drag queens who perform in Miami Beach. Drag queens are marginalized, both economically and socially. However, drag enables some gay men to emphasize and manipulate aspects of femininity for the means of earning attention and income and garnering situational power. Grounding their empirical findings in symbolic interaction, identity, and performance theories, the authors argue that drag queens employ nuanced strategies to negotiate their contradictory status of admired yet alienated performers. The authors use observational and in-depth interview data to explore how participants experience, cope with, and challenge their social marginality. The authors then detail the rewards of drag, focusing on the allure of the transformation, situational power, and income. A subjective understanding of drag reveals that although marginalization is a serious issue, the rewards of drag can be empowering. The authors argue that identity work emerges as a link between marginal...
The One-to-One Constraint in Analogical Mapping and Inference.

Theories of analogical reasoning have assumed that a 1-to-1 constraint discourages reasoners from mapping a single element in 1 analog to multiple elements in another. Empirical evidence suggests that reasoners sometimes appear to violate the 1-to-1 constraint when asked to generate mappings, yet virtually never violate it when asked to generate analogical inferences. However, few studies have examined analogical inferences based on nonisomorphic analogs, and their conclusions are suspect due to methodological problems. We sought to elicit mixed inferences that could result from combining information from 2 possible mappings. Participants generated 2-to-1 correspondences when asked for explicit mappings, but did not produce mixed inferences. Multiple correspondences appear to arise from multiple isomorphic mappings, rather than from a single homomorphic mapping.
Multilayered Small Intestinal Submucosa is Inferior to Autologous Bowel for Laparoscopic Bladder Augmentation

ABSTRACTPurpose: Bladder augmentation is most commonly performed with ileum. However, porcine small intestinal submucosa has been reported as a substitute for bowel for incorporation into the urinary tract. We assessed the feasibility and long-term 12-month results of laparoscopic bladder augmentation with ileum or multilayered small intestinal submucosa (Cook Biotech, Spencer, Indiana) in a porcine model.Materials and Methods: We performed laparoscopically assisted hemicystectomy and bladder augmentation in 24 female Yucatan mini-pigs using an ileal segment (12) or multilayered small intestinal submucosa (12). The followup protocol included anesthetic bladder capacity, renal ultrasonography and serum chemistry. At 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively, 4 animals per group were scheduled for sacrifice and pathological analysis.Results: Despite longer anastomotic time in the multilayered small intestinal submucosa group (120 versus 91 minutes, p = 0.026) total operative time was similar in the 2 groups. In each...
Virtual meetings and tasks: from GSS to DGSS to project management

Much of the work in today's organizations is accomplished by distributed, or "virtual" project teams, rather than by work groups meeting in traditional face-to-face meetings. This paper investigates to what extent results from earlier GSS (group support systems) research are being applied to distributed environments, and to what extent more recent research in distributed GSS (DGSS) acknowledges and supports the evolution of work to a distributed project management context. The paper begins with a summary of GSS in face-to-face (FTF) settings, based on two recent meta-analyses, and then analyzes recent selected research literature focused on DGSS and distributed project teams. The results of the analysis provide a foundation for identifying gaps in virtual project team research, and for discussing implications for research and practice.
Provider and clinic-level correlates of deferring antiretroviral therapy for people who inject drugs: a survey of North American HIV providers

Injection drug users (IDUs) face numerous obstacles to receiving optimal HIV care, and have been shown to underutilize antiretroviral therapy (ART). We sought to estimate the degree to which providers of HIV care defer initiation of ART because of injection drug use and to identify clinic and provider-level factors associated with resistance to prescribing ART to IDUs.
Integrating Multiple Engineering Resources in a Virtual Environment for Reverse Engineering Legacy Mechanical Parts

Reverse engineering is a time-consuming and technically formidable process that is increasingly becoming an economic imperative due to replacement costs. The Multiple Engineering Resources aGent Environment (MERGE) system, introduced in this paper, is a new approach toward reverse engineering whose architecture and modules are driven specifically by the requirements of legacy engineering. Legacy engineering scenarios presume availability of multiple (possibly incomplete or inconsistent) sources of information, lack of digital descriptions of the parts, constrained time restrictions and need for significant domain knowledge expertise. The reverse engineering process must yield modern CAD models capable of driving state-of-the art CAM processes. The MERGE system aims at making the reverse engineering process more effective, using both intuitive interaction and visualization as key components, by enabling quick identification and resolution of inconsistencies among various resources in a unified environment. The MERGE system also aims at simplifying the reverse engineering process by integrating various computational agents to assist the reverse engineer in processing information and in creating the desired CAD models.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Minimum Supply Voltage and Yield Estimation for Large SRAMs Under Parametric Variations

SRAM cell minimum operation voltage (Vmin) exhibits a skewed distribution in the presence of random parametric variations. Standard Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is prohibitively expensive to estimate the tail of the Vmin distribution for large SRAMs. We propose a fast and accurate method to estimate Vmin based on the statistical trend of static noise margin with VDD scaling. Our preliminary work has shown its efficiency for standby Vmin estimation. In this work, we extend the method to estimate read and write Vmin and yield. We also generalize it for both symmetric and asymmetric types of cells. With comparable accuracy, the proposed model offers a huge speedup over standard MC. Compared with an alternative fast MC method, importance sampling, it shows a good agreement with less complexity.
Art, Ethics, and Economics

A comparison of the neoclassical and the social economics paradigms, showing that the explicit inclusion of values enhances the explanatory value of social economics. This is illustrated by using literary examples to explain the difficulty the competitive model has in providing analyses and solutions for modern problems of product safety, natural resource overexploitation, urban congestion, and stakeholder rights.
A novel “delayed start” protocol with GnRH antagonist improves outcomes in poor responders

Objective To investigate whether delaying the start of ovarian stimulation with GnRH antagonist improves ovarian response in poor responders.
Migration, remittances, and health care utilization in Ecuador

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between migration and migrant remittances and health care utilization in Ecuador, and to identify any potential equalizing effects. METHODS: Using data from the 2004 National Demographic and Maternal & Child Health Survey (ENDEMAIN), a multilevel multivariate analysis was conducted to assess the relationship of two migrant predictors (households with an international migrant; use of migrant remittances) with use of preventive care, number of curative visits, hospitalization, and use of antiparasitic medicines. Relevant predisposing, enabling, and need factors were included following Andersen's Model of Health Care Utilization Behavior. Interaction terms were included to assess the potential equalizing effects of migration and remittances by ethnicity, area of residence, and economic status. RESULTS: Migrant predictors were strongly associated with use of antiparasitic medicines, and to a lesser extent, with curative visits, even after adjusting for various predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Interaction models showed that having an international migrant increased use of these services among low-income Ecuadorians (quintiles 1 and 2). No significant relationship was found between migrant predictors and use of preventive services. CONCLUSIONS: Migration and remittances seem to have an equalizing effect on access to antiparasitic medicines, and to a lesser extent, curative health care services. Health care reform efforts should take into account the scope of this effect when developing public policy.
Food supplementation alters caste allocation in a natural population of Pheidole flavens, a dimorphic leaf-litter dwelling ant

Caste ratio theory predicts that polymorphic ant colonies should be able to alter the ratio of worker sizes in response to changing environmental demands. We selected a common dimorphic species, Pheidole flavens, for a field manipulation to test whether caste allocation will change in response to food supplementation. We collected, without replacement, control and treatment colonies from 1 m2 plots over a period of four months. Food was added to treatment plots every other day in either of two spatial presentations: clumped and split. Clumped food treatments received food in a single location in the center of the plot, while the split food treatments were spread throughout the plot area. To test how P. flavens responded to food supplementation, we compared the number of soldier pupae between control and treatment plots, as well as the ratio of adult soldiers to adult minor workers. We found a generalized increase in the number of soldier pupae produced within the treatment plots, which was not correlated with the duration of the treatment period. As the manipulation progressed, the ratio of soldiers to minor workers increased in the clumped food plots. The possible mechanisms for altered caste ratios include the absence of soldiers from their nests, increased frequency of interactions with competitors, and a change in the type of foods collected from the environment. The discovery that food resources can affect how ant colonies determine the ratio of sterile workers suggests that ants may change caste ratio in response to a number of environmental variables.
A fixed-time diffusion analysis method determines that the three cheV genes of Helicobacter pylori differentially affect motility

Helicobacter pylori is a chemotactic bacterium that has three CheV proteins in its predicted chemotaxis signal transduction system. CheV proteins contain both CheW- and response-regulator-like domains. To determine the function of these proteins, we developed a fixed-time diffusion method that would quantify bacterial direction change without needing to define particular behaviours, to deal with the many behaviours that swimming H. pylori exhibit. We then analysed mutants that had each cheV gene deleted individually and found that the behaviour of each mutant differed substantially from wild-type and the other mutants. cheV1 and cheV2 mutants displayed smooth swimming behaviour, consistent with decreased cellular CheY-P, similar to a cheW mutant. In contrast, the cheV3 mutation had the opposite effect and the mutant cells appeared to change direction frequently. Additional analysis showed that the cheV mutants displayed aberrant behaviour as compared to the wild-type in the soft-agar chemotaxis assay. The soft-agar assay phenotype was less extreme compared to that seen in the fixed-time diffusion model, suggesting that the cheV mutants are able to partially compensate for their defects under some conditions. Each cheV mutant furthermore had defects in mouse colonization that ranged from severe to modest, consistent with a role in chemotaxis. These studies thus show that the H. pylori CheV proteins each differently affect swimming behaviour.
On the Spread and Current Distribution of Pyrus calleryana in the United States

Abstract Pyrus calleryana, a very commonly planted ornamental tree species, is documented as an escape from cultivation in the District of Columbia and 152 counties or parishes in 25 states, and is reported as new to California, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, and West Virginia. Evidence is presented that the species is rapidly becoming invasive in much of its horticultural range in at least the eastern United States. Some of the escaped individuals (from 14 counties or parishes in 11 states) appear to be of hybrid origin, perhaps between callery pear and P. betulifolia or P. bretschneideri. Callery pear often produces thorny thickets as it escapes into marginal and disturbed areas, and appears to be reproducing readily in the wild. “An ill weed groweth fast.”—John Heywood, Proverbs (1546)
Current Work: Mental Health and Law

In society’s need to explain and understand aberrant behavior, whether by individuals or groups, it often turns to the mental health professions and, increasingly, the broader array of behavioral sciences. Drawing on experiences in the areas of homicide, workplace violence, and insider threat, this talk will explore the strengths and weaknesses that the behavioral sciences bring to the development of policies aimed at addressing these major societal problems.
Serelaxin reduces oxidative stress and asymmetric dimethylarginine in angiotensin II-induced hypertension

Recent findings suggest the therapeutic action of relaxin during hypertension is dependent on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activation; however, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of re...
The "nuts and bolts" of testifying as a forensic scientist

When the forensic scientist leaves the laboratory and enters the courtroom anticipating presentation of the results of his long and detailed scientific analysis to a judge and jury, he may be shocked in confronting a defense lawyer not only versed in the skills of the courtroom, but also possessing substantial expertise in the scientific field about which the expert witness is testifying. More and more lawyers are becoming knowledgeable in the varied fields of forensic science. Many have been prosecutors who have “switched sides” and take with them the knowledge that they have gained from professional association with forensic scientists. Others are attending seminars and symposiums or engaging in independent research with the assistance of a retained scientific expert. A review of any professional legal magazine will show a battery of experts in all fields of science for hire. Lawyers are also being encouraged by state and local bar associations to attend continuing education programs.
Reliability of Sleep Measures from Four Personal Health Monitoring Devices Compared to Research-Based Actigraphy and Polysomnography

Polysomnography (PSG) is the "gold standard" for monitoring sleep. Alternatives to PSG are of interest for clinical, research, and personal use. Wrist-worn actigraph devices have been utilized in research settings for measures of sleep for over two decades. Whether sleep measures from commercially available devices are similarly valid is unknown. We sought to determine the validity of five wearable devices: Basis Health Tracker, Misfit Shine, Fitbit Flex, Withings Pulse O2, and a research-based actigraph, Actiwatch Spectrum. We used Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests to assess differences between devices relative to PSG and correlational analysis to assess the strength of the relationship. Data loss was greatest for Fitbit and Misfit. For all devices, we found no difference and strong correlation of total sleep time with PSG. Sleep efficiency differed from PSG for Withings, Misfit, Fitbit, and Basis, while Actiwatch mean values did not differ from that of PSG. Only mean values of sleep efficiency (time asleep/time in bed) from Actiwatch correlated with PSG, yet this correlation was weak. Light sleep time differed from PSG (nREM1 + nREM2) for all devices. Measures of Deep sleep time did not differ from PSG (SWS + REM) for Basis. These results reveal the current strengths and limitations in sleep estimates produced by personal health monitoring devices and point to a need for future development.
Laser-Induced Thrombosis in Zebrafish Larvae

Classical genetic approaches to study hemostasis and thrombosis have not been available until our recent introduction of the teleost, Danio rerio (the zebrafish), as an effective genetic model for in vivo coagulation assays. The genetic screen for this model is carried out using the genome saturation mutagenesis approach. The resulting mutants are screened for hemostatic or thrombotic defects. We developed a global physiological screening method for thrombosis by utilizing a laser to induce thrombosis in a specifically targeted area of the major artery and vein. Using this assay, we have screened many fish for abnormal hemostasis, and have isolated a number of mutants with abnormal coagulation parameters. These mutants can be grown, bred, and further evaluated for the genetic etiology of their abnormal hemostatic pathways.
Wide QRS Complex Tachycardia

Electrocardiographic monitoring for dysrhythmias is a major responsibility of critical care nurses, and patients with wide QRS complex tachycardias present a challenge. Criteria for differentiating the impulse origin as ventricular or supraventricular are well documented: QRS duration, QRS morphology, QRS axis, and presence of atrioventricular dissociation. However, definitive diagnosis can only be made by invasive electrophysiologic studies. Knowledge of treatment protocols is important to prevent hemodynamic deterioration. Procainamide is effective for treating ventricular and supraventricular dysrhythmias and is the drug of choice unless certainty of impulse origin exists.
Integrating Natural Language Processing and Spatial Reasoning for Utility Compliance Checking

AbstractUnderground utility incidents, such as utility conflicts and utility strikes, result in time and cost overruns in construction projects, property damages, environmental pollution, personnel injuries, and fatalities. A main cause of recurrent utility incidents is the noncompliance with the spatial configurations between utilities and their surroundings. Utility specifications usually contain textual descriptions of the spatial configurations. However, detection of spatial defects, according to the textual descriptions, is difficult and time consuming. This deficiency is because of the lack of spatial cognition in many rule-checking systems to process massive amounts of data. This study aims to automate utility compliance checking by integrating natural language processing (NLP) and spatial reasoning. NLP algorithm translates the textual descriptions of spatial configurations into computer-processable spatial rules. Spatial reasoning executes the extracted spatial rules following a logical order in ...
Biogenic manganese oxides as reservoirs of organic carbon and proteins in terrestrial and marine environments

Manganese (Mn) oxides participate in a range of interactions with organic carbon (OC) that can lead to either carbon degradation or preservation. Here, we examine the abundance and composition of OC associated with biogenic and environmental Mn oxides to elucidate the role of Mn oxides as a reservoir for carbon and their potential for selective partitioning of particular carbon species. Mn oxides precipitated in natural brackish waters and by Mn(II)-oxidizing marine bacteria and terrestrial fungi harbor considerable levels of organic carbon (4.1-17.0 mol OC per kg mineral) compared to ferromanganese cave deposits which contain 1-2 orders of magnitude lower OC. Spectroscopic analyses indicate that the chemical composition of Mn oxide-associated OC from microbial cultures is homogeneous with bacterial Mn oxides hosting primarily proteinaceous carbon and fungal Mn oxides containing both protein- and lipopolysaccharide-like carbon. The bacterial Mn oxide-hosted proteins are involved in both Mn(II) oxidation and metal binding by these bacterial species and could be involved in the mineral nucleation process as well. By comparison, the composition of OC associated with Mn oxides formed in natural settings (brackish waters and particularly in cave ferromanganese rock coatings) is more spatially and chemically heterogeneous. Cave Mn oxide-associated organic material is enriched in aliphatic C, which together with the lower carbon concentrations, points to more extensive microbial or mineral processing of carbon in this system relative to the other systems examined in this study, and as would be expected in oligotrophic cave environments. This study highlights Mn oxides as a reservoir for carbon in varied environments. The presence and in some cases dominance of proteinaceous carbon within the biogenic and natural Mn oxides may contribute to preferential preservation of proteins in sediments and dominance of protein-dependent metabolisms in the subsurface biosphere.
Faculty feel it too: The emotions of teaching through service-learning

The authors used Coles’ (1993) framework of emotional satisfactions and hazards to examine the experiences of faculty members teaching service-learning classes for the first time. Seven faculty from two institutions completed monthly reflections and focus groups for one year. Qualitative analysis indicated that faculty experienced several of Coles’ emotional satisfactions and hazards, were prone to emotional contagion, and depended on colleague mentoring to navigate the experiences of using service-learning pedagogy for the first time.
Laparoscopic Versus Open Resection for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs)

Primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are typically treated with open resection. There is growing interest in laparoscopic GIST resection; however, data is limited. We report our experience with GIST resections using both open and laparoscopic techniques. Twenty-nine GIST patients underwent definitive intent resection at the University of Missouri from 1990 to 2010. Patients who underwent laparoscopic resection (n = 7) were matched on the basis of tumor size, age, tumor location, and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk stratification with seven patients who underwent open resection. The two groups were compared with respect to age, gender, BMI, tumor size, tumor site, mitotic rate, surgical margins, NCCN risk stratification, estimated blood loss, hospital stay, surgical complications, disease recurrence, and overall survival. The cohorts did not differ with respect to age, gender, BMI, tumor location, tumor size, or positive margins (p > 0.05). Patients who underwent open resection had more NCCN high-risk patients, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.08). There was significantly less estimated blood loss (median 15 vs. 150 mL, p 0.05). Five-year disease-free survival was 100 % for the laparoscopic group and 83 % for the open resection group. Laparoscopic resection for appropriately selected GISTs is feasible and associated with significantly less blood loss and shorter hospitalizations compared to open resection. Further studies are needed to better define its role for GIST.
“The Trayvon Martin Effect”: Estimating the effect of the Trayvon Martin shooting on reading performance scores using the synthetic control method

This study analyzes how the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin affects schools and specifically students in Florida. The research examines students’ reading scores, employing a Synthetic Control Meth...
Matching Speaking to Singing Voices and the Influence of Content

Summary Objectives and Hypothesis We tested whether speaking voices of unfamiliar people could be matched to their singing voices, and, if so, whether the content of the utterances would influence this matching performance. Our hypothesis was that enough acoustic features would remain the same between speaking and singing voices such that their identification as belonging to the same or different individuals would be possible even upon a single hearing. We also hypothesized that the contents of the utterances would influence this identification process such that voices uttering words would be easier to match than those uttering vowels. Study Design We used a within-participant design with blocked stimuli that were counterbalanced using a Latin square design. In one block, mode (speaking vs singing) was manipulated while content was held constant; in another block, content (word vs syllable) was manipulated while mode was held constant, and in the control block, both mode and content were held constant. Method Participants indicated whether the voices in any given pair of utterances belonged to the same person or to different people. Results Cross-mode matching was above chance level, although mode-congruent performance was better. Further, only speaking voices were easier to match when uttering words. Conclusions We can identify speaking and singing voices as the same or different even on just a single hearing. However, content interacts with mode such that words benefit matching of speaking voices but not of singing voices. Results are discussed within an attentional framework.
Flow Control Valves

Flow control valves are devices which control the rate of gas flow by manual adjustment of a variable orifice. Flow control valves should be capable of adjusting flow rates within the range of its associated flow-meter, assuming that the supply and delivery pressure are within normal limits. In order to achieve adjustment over the entire range of its associated flowmeter the valve should require more than 180° rotation. When in the closed position the flow control valve should not permit any gas to pass. Every flow control valve should be clearly identified as to which flowmeter it is associated. Moreover, identification should clearly and permanently indicate either by name or symbol the gas which it controls. Flow control valves used to adjust the flow rates of gases delivered to a vaporizer should clearly indicate this function.
Iron Sufficient to Cause Hepatic Fibrosis and Ascites Does Not Cause Cardiac Arrhythmias in the Gerbil

Abstract Chronic iron overload associated with hereditary hemochromatosis or repeated red cell transfusions is known to cause cardiac failure. Cardiac arrhythmias have been incidentally noted in patients with iron overload, but often times dismissed as being caused by other co-morbid conditions. Studies with iron-loaded gerbils suggest a role for iron in the development of cardiac arrhythmias, however these studies utilized short duration recordings of anesthetized gerbils. Furthermore, we were unable to reproduce these loading protocols without significant morbidity and mortality. Our goal was to characterize iron-induced arrhythmias in the chronically instrumented, untethered, telemetered gerbil. Monitored gerbils were divided into 2 groups: iron-loaded (n=23) and control (n=8). Iron loaded gerbils received iron dextran intraperitoneally at a dose of 1.7 (n=4), 3.0 (n=5) or 6.2 (n=14) g/kg; control gerbils received dextran. Gerbils were weighed and given a physical exam weekly. Electrocardiograms were recorded for 10 seconds every 30 minutes for approximately 6 months (DSI Ponehma) and reviewed daily. Quantitative analysis was completed on 6 iron loaded (6.2g/kg) and 3 control gerbils. Heart rate and intervals were calculated and arrhythmias were characterized and counted. Cardiac and hepatic histology and tissue iron concentration were assessed. All gerbils showed evidence of frequent sinus arrhythmia (more than one episode per hour). However, except for two control gerbils that showed frequent unifocal PVCs, no significant arrhythmias were noted in daily review. There was no difference in heart rate, P duration, PR interval, QRS duration or QT interval between groups. Neither total number of arrhythmias nor arrhythmias per minute were different between groups. One iron-loaded gerbil had a single episode (11 beats) of supraventricular tachycardia. Two iron-loaded gerbils had PVCs, one had only a single beat and the other had 9 unifocal PVCs over the duration of the study. Iron-loaded gerbils rarely showed other arrhythmias One control gerbil had 260 unifocal PVCs over the duration of the study. Other arrhythmias were noted rarely. Body weight and heart weight was not different between groups, while liver weight increased with increasing iron dose. Cardiac and hepatic iron were significantly increased in iron loaded gerbils when compared to control. Liver weight increased as iron dose increased. Seven of 14 gerbils loaded to 6.2 g/kg developed ascites as assessed both by physical examination and necropsy. We conclude that an iron load sufficient to cause clinical liver disease does not, in the absence of co-morbid conditions, cause cardiac arrhythmias in the gerbil model of iron overload. This suggests that iron alone is insufficient to cause cardiac arrhythmias.
Post-operative delirium is an independent predictor of 30-day hospital readmission after spine surgery in the elderly (≥65 years old): A study of 453 consecutive elderly spine surgery patients

In the last decade, costs of U.S. healthcare expenditures have been soaring, with billions of dollars spent on hospital readmissions. Identifying causes and risk factors can reduce soaring readmission rates and help lower healthcare costs. The aim of this is to determine if post-operative delirium in the elderly is an independent risk factor for 30-day hospital readmission after spine surgery. The medical records of 453 consecutive elderly (≥65years old) patients undergoing spine surgery at Duke University Medical Center from 2008 to 2010 were reviewed. We identified 17 (3.75%) patients who experienced post-operative delirium according to DSM-V criteria. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and post-operative complication rates were collected for each patient. Elderly patients experiencing post-operative delirium had an increased length of hospital stay (10.47days vs. 5.70days, p=0.009). Complication rates were similar between the cohorts with the post-operative delirium patients having increased UTI and superficial surgical site infections. In total, 12.14% of patients were re-admitted within 30-days of discharge, with post-operative delirium patients experiencing approximately a 4-fold increase in 30-day readmission rates (Delirium: 41.18% vs. No Delirium: 11.01%, p=0.002). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, post-operative delirium is an independent predictor of 30-day readmission after spine surgery in the elderly (p=0.03). Elderly patients experiencing post-operative delirium after spine surgery is an independent risk factor for unplanned readmission within 30-days of discharge. Preventable measures and early awareness of post-operative delirium in the elderly may help reduce readmission rates.
Effect of 6Li + 6Li Reactions in a Fusion Reactor Operating on 6Li(p, α)3He

Ancillary 6Li + 6Li reactions will produce products, some of which are radioactive, in a fusion reactor operating on the 6Li(p,α)3He cycle. Available cross-section data for 6Li + 6Li reactions have...
Careers: France sets out plan for retirements

France has launched a plan to tackle the wave of retirements expected in science over the next ten years. The government will create 1000 new research jobs between now and 2004 – including 500 permanent research posts and 500 positions for engineers and technicians. It will also introduce additional "lecturer–researcher" posts at French universities.
Quantification of the influence of particle diameter on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) formation in fluidized bed biomass pyrolysis

Abstract The thermochemical conversion of biomass via gasification and pyrolysis offer attractive routes to drop-in-ready fuels and renewably-derived chemicals from a variety of different biomass feedstocks. For both of these conversion pathways prediction of the growth of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds is of particular importance since they can cause major challenges in downstream catalytic synthesis reactors and decrease the overall carbon conversion efficiency of the process. In this work, a multi-physics particle model of biomass devolatilization in a fluidized bed (FB) Reactor is developed which integrates external and internal heat transfer with devolatilization kinetics. This model is dependent on a number of parameters, including chemical kinetics and operational conditions such as reactor temperature and the physical description of the biomass including particle diameter. This model is applied to investigate the prevailing controlling parameters of devolatilization and their influence on the tar yields from a fluidized bed reactor and is validated against existing experimental data (Gaston et al., 2011). From this analysis we assess the impact of controllable parameters (e.g. reactor temperature and particle radius) on the devolatilization of biomass and the production of primary tar compounds responsible for the formation of PAHs. A strong correlation between particle diameter and PAH formation is identified and a physiochemical mechanism, via the production of sinapoyl aldehyde during low-temperature devolatilization due to heat transfer limitations in larger particles, is proposed.
Ethical and Methodological Considerations for Gender Researchers in Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology is a broad and rapidly growing field that encompasses the intersection of psychology and the law. Although psychologists have been involved with research on forensically relevant subjects and have consulted on forensic issues for over 100 years, the field has been in a period of expansion and professionalization since the 1970 s. As is often the case during the growth of a profession, there remains some disagreement about the boundaries, definitions, and terminologies that form the common understanding of what forensic psychology is, what minimum or common training standards are necessary or sufficient for forensic psychology as a discipline, and what criteria must be met for an individual to be labeled a “forensic psychologist.
Urban migrant women’s everyday food insecurity coping strategies foster alternative urban imaginaries of a more democratic food system

ABSTRACTUrban migrant women worldwide utilize a creative combination of food insecurity coping strategies to procure food for themselves and their families. Using in-depth interviews with 72 migrant women in Medellin, Colombia, and Washington, DC, this paper argues that in low-income urban communities these everyday strategies can further their demands for autonomy in determining what foods they produce and consume. Relying on feminist geography and food sovereignty literature, this research explores how migrant women living in poverty rely on informal networks for growing and sharing food, seek out organic, fresh foods, and utilize independent survival strategies to counter exclusionary rhetoric and a food system they view as unhealthy. In doing so, they devise alternative urban imaginaries of a more democratic food system. This research contributes a more nuanced understanding of the food insecurity experiences of urban migrant women.
Is space war imminent? Exploring the possibility

A resurgence is occurring regarding the possibility of armed conflict in outer space. At a certain level, these new assertions regarding the possibilities of space war mirror similar arguments at t...
The role of gap junctions in lacrimal acinar cells: the formation of tears.

Water movement in the lacrimal gland is a consequence of ion channel and transporter activity. The production of tears is a consequence of acetylcholine (Ach) stimulation of acinar and duct cells, which produce a transepithelial flux of ions resulting in fluid movement. Ach acts through phospholipase C via Gq/11 and subsequently results in elevation of intracellular IP3 and DAG. The former raises intracellular calcium while the latter activates many PKC isoforms (Walcott, 1998; Dartt et al., 1998). In lacrimal gland K+, chloride and cation channels are activated by elevated intracellular calcium (Marty et al., 1984; Begenisich and Melvin, 1998).
Sexual satisfaction among individuals in monogamous and consensually non-monogamous relationships:

Monogamous individuals are believed to have better sex lives than those who are consensually non-monogamous (CNM). We compared the sexual satisfaction of CNM and monogamous individuals and also considered the relationship satisfaction of participants utilizing a non-targeted sample of CNM participants. We found that monogamous people reported slightly lower sexual satisfaction and lower orgasm rates than those who are CNM. Moreover, the type of CNM in which a person engages is important: swingers consistently reported higher sexual satisfaction than monogamous individuals, whereas those in open relationships had equivalent levels of satisfaction to those in monogamous relationships. Relationship satisfaction did not differ between CNM and monogamous groups. These findings do not support the perception that people in monogamous relationships have better sex than CNM individuals.
Modeling the diffusion of complex innovations as a process of opinion formation through social networks

Complex innovations– ideas, practices, and technologies that hold uncertain benefits for potential adopters—often vary in their ability to diffuse in different communities over time. To explain why, I develop a model of innovation adoption in which agents engage in naive (DeGroot) learning about the value of an innovation within their social networks. Using simulations on Bernoulli random graphs, I examine how adoption varies with network properties and with the distribution of initial opinions and adoption thresholds. The results show that: (i) low-density and high-asymmetry networks produce polarization in influence to adopt an innovation over time, (ii) increasing network density and asymmetry promote adoption under a variety of opinion and threshold distributions, and (iii) the optimal levels of density and asymmetry in networks depend on the distribution of thresholds: networks with high density (>0.25) and high asymmetry (>0.50) are optimal for maximizing diffusion when adoption thresholds are right-skewed (i.e., barriers to adoption are low), but networks with low density (<0.01) and low asymmetry (<0.25) are optimal when thresholds are left-skewed. I draw on data from a diffusion field experiment to predict adoption over time and compare the results to observed outcomes.
Anticoagulation for Cardiac Prosthetic Devices: Prosthetic Heart Valves, Left Ventricular Assist Devices, and Septal Closure Devices

From the development of open heart surgery in the 1950s, dramatic technological advances have facilitated progressively complex cardiac procedures with approaches ranging from the open or minimally invasive surgical to the percutaneous endovascular. Treatments that involve securing prosthetic material in, or in communication with, the heart are employed in a variety of cardiac pathologies, including valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and undesired communications between cardiac chambers. These devices carry with them the risk of thromboembolic complications that are mitigated by the use of antithrombotic therapies. In this chapter, we review the features of cardiac prosthetic devices associated with thrombosis, the indications for device use, their hematologic complications, and the evidence guiding current recommendations for management of these devices. Cardiac devices discussed include prosthetic heart valves (mechanical, bioprosthetic, and transcatheter aortic valves), valve repair (surgical, MitraClip, and endovascular plugs for prosthetic paravalvular leak), left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), temporary mechanical circulatory support, septal closure devices, and left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion devices.
Surgically Shaping Sex: A Gender Structure Analysis of the Violation of Intersex People’s Human Rights

We begin this chapter distinguishing sex from gender, while also showing that neither phenomenon is a simple two-category characteristic. We then offer a gender structure analysis (Risman in Gend Soc 18(4):429–450, 2004) of intersex in contemporary U.S. society to show how these binary ideologies about sex and gender problematically shape the lives of intersex people. At the institutional level of gender structure, we focus on how doctors routinely subject intersex people to medically unnecessary and irreversible interventions in an attempt to force them into the sex binary—a process that begins with doctors assessing the person’s gender identity, or attempting to predict it, if the diagnosis occurs at birth. At the interactional level of gender structure, we show how doctors present intersex as a medical emergency to the parents of intersex children. We explain that this style of diagnosis delivery puts parents in a panic and leads them to hastily consent to medical recommendations in order to “normalize” their child’s body so that they fit more neatly into sex and gender expectations. At the individual level of gender structure, we describe how doctors treat intersex in ways that disregards intersex people’s bodily autonomy while violating their human rights. However, as we explain in the conclusion, when intersex people age and learn the truth about how they were treated, they often fight back and crack the gender structure by joining the intersex rights movement in an attempt to challenge the institutional level of gender structure and, more specifically, how doctors harmfully approach intersex. We end with questions regarding intersex advocacy and a call for sociocultural scholars to center race in future intersex studies.
Hypoxia inhibits rhodopsin regeneration in the excised mouse eye.

PURPOSE The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of oxygen deprivation on rhodopsin regeneration in the excised mouse eye. METHODS A new preparation for studying rhodopsin regeneration with a superfused excised albino mouse eye was developed. The preparation exhibits multiple regenerations after moderate bleaches (15%-20%) and is sensitive to the composition of the perfusate, allowing reversible testing of conditions. A variety of protocols were used to evaluate the effect of hypoxia. The major experiments varied the timing of the decreased oxygen relative to the illumination: Decreasing the oxygen (1) before the illumination, (2) immediately after the illumination, or (3) some time after the illumination, after half of the rhodopsin had regenerated. Elevated concentrations of extracellular glucose also were used for certain experiments. RESULTS Regardless of protocol, at low levels of oxygen no rhodopsin regeneration was observed. The effects were reversible, however, and decreased oxygen for up to 3 hr did not diminish the ability of the eye to regenerate rhodopsin after restoration of the oxygen and a subsequent bleach. CONCLUSIONS Low levels of oxygen eliminated rhodopsin regeneration in the excised eye. The effect could not be offset by high levels of glucose, illumination, or other conditions known to reduce the dependence of photoreceptors on aerobic respiration.
Information, Competition, and Investment Sensitivity to Peer Stock Prices

We show empirically that firms' investment responds to innovations in stock prices of peer firms. This response is stronger and more positive when peer firms have greater informed trading and more informative prices. We also find higher competition, faster growth, greater correlation in fundamentals, and higher capital intensity within the peer group all increase this sensitivity. Our results suggest that managers rely on information in peer firms' prices in making capital allocation decisions, especially when, because of a challenging or rapidly changing operating environment, they face higher costs of inaction and higher rewards from a strong and prompt response.
Searle and Collective Intentions

John Searle’s 1990 article “Collective intentions and actions” is now a classic text in the burgeoning field within analytic philosophy that would aptly be named the philosophy of social phenomena. The article represents the core of Searle’s account of social reality or, as he sometimes puts it, social facts, and the foundation of the account of institutional facts on which his famous 1995 book The Construction of Social Reality focuses. The present discussion revisits this article and notes some questions it provokes. It focuses on the first section of Searle’s article, in which its central ideas are laid out.
Antiangiogenic and antitumor agents. Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel 2-amino-4-(3-bromoanilino)-6-benzylsubstituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases.

Abstract Several different classes of growth factor receptors containing tyrosine kinases (RTK) are directly or indirectly involved in angiogenesis. Inhibition of these RTKs has provided a new paradigm in the treatment of tumors by restricting their growth and metastasis. We have designed, synthesized and evaluated eleven novel 2-amino-4-(3-bromoanilino)-6-substituted benzyl pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as the first in a series of RTK inhibitors. These analogues were synthesized from appropriate α-bromomethylbenzyl ketones by cyclocondensation with 2,6-diamino-4-pyrimidone to afford the 2-amino-4-oxo-6-substituted benzyl pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines. Chlorination of the 4-position followed by displacement with 3-bromoaniline afforded the target compounds. In some instances, the 2-amino moiety of the pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines was protected prior to the chlorination and displacement followed by deprotection. The compounds were evaluated as inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors VEGFR-2 (Flk-1, KDR) and VEGFR-1 (Flt-1); epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR); and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFR-β). Selected compounds were also evaluated against the growth of A431 cells (which overexpress EGFR) in culture and as inhibitors of angiogenesis in the chicken embryo chorioallantonic membrane (CAM) assay. In each evaluation, a known standard compound was used as a comparison. Of the 11 analogues, five were more potent or equipotent as compared to standard compounds against the growth factor receptors. Two analogues showed superior inhibition of A431 cells in culture compared to the standard compounds. Three analogues were equipotent with the standard compound in the CAM assay and four of the analogues were dual inhibitors of RTKs. The structure–activity relationship for inhibition of different RTKs was quite distinct and different, and for VEGFR-2 and EGFR diametrically opposite. The inhibitory data against the RTKs in this study demonstrates that variation of the substituent(s) in the benzyl ring of these 2-amino-4-anilino 6-benzyl pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines does indeed control both the potency and specificity of inhibitory activity against RTKs.