cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ten commandments of physician wellness.

It is a challenging time to be a physician. Recent studies report nearly 45% of doctors feel burnout in their work, more so than among other US workers.1 Burnout has serious consequences for physicians and patients including loss of professionalism,2 medical errors,3 decreased patient satisfaction,4 and even depression and suicidal ideation.5 Recently, in talking to a group of residents about burnout, I asked if they knew anyone in medicine who was happy. Only one of thirty-some aspiring doctors thought that one could find happiness in the practice of medicine. I was saddened for them, and what they saw in their future. I have worked in Physician Health for over 10 years as chair of a physician health committee. At times, I have felt like a medic on a battlefield caring for wounded and struggling colleagues. However, I have also known colleagues who continue to take care of patients and find meaning and joy. There is a lot of press about the stress of practicing medicine, but less about the secrets of thriving. There is literature about resilience.6–8 It has limitations, but several themes have emerged. Pulling together ideas from that literature and experience from my work with colleagues, I offer to residents these “Ten Commandments of Physician Wellness.”
Low Caloric Intake Among Mexican – American High School Students May Suggest Food Insecurity and/or Insufficiency in the Household

In the United States, health concerns such as food insecurity and obesity continue to rise among American households (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003). Poor dietary intake can result in poor health outcomes as well as negatively impact student academic performance (Sigman-Grant, 2003). Despite the growing health concerns among the youth, limited studies have examined the dietary patterns of the Mexican-American adolescent population. This study aims to fill that void by describing the dietary intake of predominantly Mexican-American adolescents 13-18 years of age (n=532). The study design was cross-sectional and randomly selected high school participants based on their enrollment in physical education classes. Results of a one day 24-hour dietary recall showed both males and females in this study were below the national recommendations for total calories per day and reported poor eating behaviors. Further research is needed to investigate food insufficiency in this population who has high prevalence of overweight.
Rhinos in the Parks: An Island-Wide Survey of the Last Wild Population of the Sumatran Rhinoceros.

In the 200 years since the Sumatran rhinoceros was first scientifically described (Fisher 1814), the range of the species has contracted from a broad region in Southeast Asia to three areas on the island of Sumatra and one in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Assessing population and spatial distribution of this very rare species is challenging because of their elusiveness and very low population number. Using an occupancy model with spatial dependency, we assessed the fraction of the total landscape occupied by Sumatran rhinos over a 30,345-km2 survey area and the effects of covariates in the areas where they are known to occur. In the Leuser Landscape (surveyed in 2007), the model averaging result of conditional occupancy estimate was ψ^(SE[ψ^])=0.151(0.109) or 2,371.47 km2, and the model averaging result of replicated level detection probability p^(SE[p^])=0.252(0.267); in Way Kambas National Park—2008: ψ^(SE[ψ^])=0.468(0.165) or 634.18 km2, and p^(SE[p^])=0.138(0.571); and in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park—2010: ψ^(SE[ψ^])=0.322(0.049) or 819.67 km2, and p^(SE[p^])=0.365(0.42). In the Leuser Landscape, rhino occurrence was positively associated with primary dry land forest and rivers, and negatively associated with the presence of a road. In Way Kambas, occurrence was negatively associated with the presence of a road. In Bukit Barisan Selatan, occurrence was negatively associated with presence of primary dryland forest and rivers. Using the probabilities of site occupancy, we developed spatially explicit maps that can be used to outline intensive protection zones for in-situ conservation efforts, and provide a detailed assessment of conserving Sumatran rhinos in the wild. We summarize our core recommendation in four points: consolidate small population, strong protection, determine the percentage of breeding females, and recognize the cost of doing nothing. To reduce the probability of poaching, here we present only the randomized location of site level occupancy in our result while retaining the overall estimation of occupancy for a given area.
Tyrosine kinase involvement in IL-1 beta-induced expression of iNOS by beta-cells purified from islets of Langerhans

Nitric oxide is believed to mediate the inhibitory effects of cytokines on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by both rat and human islets. The aims of this study were 1) to determine the cellula...
Biomass Pretreatment for Biofuel Production

Volatile oil prices and an increasing world demand for energy exemplifies the critical need for renewable sources of energy, particularly in the transportation sector, which can displace a significant fraction of fossil fuels imports. Following a shift in focus from first generation starch- and sugar-based feedstocks to second generation lignocellulosic biomass, a multitude of biomass pretreatment techniques and processes has been developed to facilitate the bioconversion of plant structural carbohydrates to fermentable sugars (for biofuels production). The state-of-the-art advancements to date in the pretreatment of second generation feedstocks have been considered, with an emphasis on the maximum yields and barriers of each technology. A brief discussion on the biorefinery concept, its applications, and the potential future of biofuels has also been included.
Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase ameliorates cerebral ischemic damage.

We sought to determine whether expression of the inducible, calcium-independent isoform of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) contributes to the tissue damage produced by focal cerebral ischemia. The middle cerebral artery was occluded in halothane-anesthetized spontaneously hypertensive rats. Twenty-four hours later rats received intraperitoneal injections of the iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine (100 mg/kg twice per day; n = 10) or of aminoguanidine + L-arginine (300 mg/kg four times per day; n = 7), aminoguanidine + D-arginine (n = 7), arginine alone (n = 6), or vehicle (n = 9). Drugs were administered for 3 consecutive days. Infarct volume was determined by image analysis in thionin-stained brain sections 4 days after induction of ischemia. Administration of aminoguanidine reduced infarct volume by 33 +/- 4% (P 0.05 vs. vehicle). In separate rats (n = 10), aminoguanidine attenuated calcium-independent NOS activity in the infarct (P 0.05). Aminoguanidine did not affect resting cerebral blood flow or the cerebrovascular vasodilation elicited by hypercapnia, as determined by laser-Doppler flowmetry (n = 4). We conclude that aminoguanidine selectively inhibits iNOS activity in the area of infarction and reduces the volume of the infarct produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Use of Computers for Writing: Effects on an English Composition Class

Students in English composition classes were assigned to either using computers or using paper and pen to write their course assignments. Analysis of their final essays revealed that those subjects assigned to use computers wrote better essays than those assigned to work on paper. Essays written on computer were judged of higher quality, were longer, and contained fewer errors. Attitudes toward computers, writing and the course were also measured, and revealed that those who used computers throughout the course had more positive attitudes toward computers than those who did not. Attitudes toward writing and the course did not differ. These findings suggest that using a computer for writing can improve the quality of the work produced, and can also foster more positive views of computers.
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS 70 PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF NEW PHOSPHORUS CONTAINING CHELATING AGENTS FOR CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM IONS

Abstract Dedicated to Professor Martin Schmeisser on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Several phosphonic acids of the type H2O3PCH2OCHRCO2H, R = H, CH3, CO2H; [H2O3P(CH2)x]2 Y, x = 1, 2; Y = O, S; and [o-H2O3P(CH2)]2C6H4 have been synthesized and their capacity to chelate with calcium has been determined.
Comparative Civic Education: An Introduction:

In recent years there has been an explosion of new scholarship in comparative civic education, which is reflected in this special issue of Research in Comparative and International Education (RCIE). The current scholars build on the early work of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, known as IEA. In 1975 IEA published the first crossnational study of civic education, which was based on a survey of students in nine countries (Torney et al., 1975). Almost 25 years passed before IEA again undertook a cross-national study in civic education (Torney-Purta et al., 2001; Torney-Purta et al., 1999). In the meantime, only a few researchers conducted studies that spanned multiple countries. The second IEA study, referred to as CivEd, was instrumental in bringing scholars from approximately 30 nations together on a regular basis over an eight-year period. The CivEd meetings not only produced an important study; they also stimulated cross-national conversations about research in education for citizenship and democracy. Further, as many countries and regional associations, such as the European Union, were experiencing increased interest in democratic civic education, scholars shared information about the existing research base within countries and regions. New organizations formed around comparative civic education research, such as CitizED and the Citizenship and Democracy Education (CANDE) special interest group of the Comparative and International Education Society. A growing number of individuals and teams of scholars presented new research at annual conferences of these organizations. Consequently, both the quality and quantity of research in comparative civic education has increased dramatically over the past decade. The editorial board of RCIE decided that it was time to feature this active subfield of comparative education in a special issue of the journal on comparative civic education research. Our goal was to illustrate the diversity of research methods employed and the varied types of questions explored by researchers. We sought to highlight work from a wide range of countries and regions and from both senior scholars and new scholars. In the past, other than the large-scale IEA studies, much of the research in civic education has been nation-specific, and published articles most often focused on civic education within a single country. In this issue, we sought research
The Developement and Application of Database for Thermodynamic Property of Saturated Water and Saturated Steam

In pyrology, there are many types of data, most of which are nonlinear. Querying data information from figures or tables is neither convenient nor accurate. To query accurately and rapidly, it is suggested in this paper to build a pyrological database system by utilizing the computer's potent ability to storage and process data. Taking example for the database for thermodynamic property of saturated and saturated steam as, this paper introduces the design technology and the functions of the pyrological database system. Result in application shows that the pyrological database system is of high applied value, pyrological data can be gotton rapidly with lower err by using it.
Theory of carbon formation in vapor-phase pyrolysis —II. Variable concentration of active species

Abstract This paper gives a theoretical discussion of carbon formation from the pyrolytic decomposition of a gaseous carbon compound in an isothermal flow reactor of cylindrical shape and radius R0. It is assumed that pyrolysis of the gas gives an active species (designated C) that can add to carbon particles: C + Cn → Cn + 1, and that the carbon particles with n ≥ 2 can grow in the gas phase or deposit on the wall. There is no limit on the size particle that can be formed. The case is considered in which [C] is constant in both the axial and radial directions, but [Cn] can vary. The assumption of axial constancy corresponds to the case of uniform deposition along the tube. The results show that this condition can be achieved only when, first, Ω  T/[C]PR 0 2 > 10 14° K M −1 atm−1 cm−2, where T is the absolute temperature and P is the gas pressure; and, second, the deposition rate RD ≤ 10−7 gram atom of carbon/cm-sec for temperatures near 2000°K. Under these conditions, about 90 per cent of the deposition is from particles smaller than C10. (Experimental results indicate that deposition rates of about 10−6 can be realised, but at the sacrifice of uniformity of deposition.) If Ω falls much below 1014, then large carbon particles are present and soot is formed.
Intestinocystoplasty in combination with clean intermittent catheterization in the management of vesical dysfunction

AbstractIntestinocystoplasty in combination with clean intermittent catheterization has been used in the management of 60 young patients with bladder dysfunction. Of the patients 39 (65 per cent) had the primary diagnosis of myelomeningocele, 8 had sacral agenesis, 3 had spinal cord tumors and 1 had spinal cord trauma. The remaining 9 patients had either congenital, surgical or traumatic loss of all or a large portion of the bladder. Of the 60 patients 30 had undergone prior urinary diversion, while the remaining 30 were considered failures with management by clean intermittent catheterization and medication.A total of 16 patients underwent ileocecocystoplasty, while 44 had augmentation with either cecum (8), sigmoid (18) or ileum (18). Mean followup was 4 years (range 16 months to 7 years). Fifty-nine patients have stable or improved renal function and the excretory urogram is stable or improved in all 60. Of the patients 38 (63 per cent) were considered dry after the initial bladder augmentation, while ...
The Racial Hand in the Victorian Imagination

At the opening of the fifth chapter of her recent book, Aviva Briefel observes that of all the atrocities committed by King Leopold's rule in the Congo, it was the mutilation of hands that had the ...
Disentangling the reciprocal relationship between change in crime and racial/ethnic change.

Abstract Prior research has found that racial/ethnic change and residential instability are positively related to neighborhood crime. However, the process of racial/ethnic change differentially influences crime above and beyond residential instability. While both processes affect crime through the disruption of existing social ties, racial/ethnic change has additional consequences for crime by heightening racial/ethnic tensions and undercutting cross-group interactions. This means racial/ethnic change is a different process than residential instability, and suggests that neighborhoods experiencing high rates of instability and high rates of racial/ethnic change may be particularly susceptible to crime. Therefore, we examine the influence of racial/ethnic compositional change on change in crime across different levels of residential instability. Further, we argue that demographic change and crime may be influencing each other simultaneously : increases in the crime rate and racial/ethnic compositional change impact each other at the same time. To capture this process, we employ a structural equation model (SEM) that accounts for the reciprocal and simultaneous relationship between racial/ethnic change and violent and property crime rates in Los Angeles, California between 1990 and 2000. We also account for the influence of change in spatially proximate communities. Results show robust evidence that increases in racial/ethnic change contributes to greater violent and property crime rates, but the reciprocal influence of crime on racial/ethnic change is contingent upon the degree to which a neighborhood is experiencing residential instability and crime type.
Intra-Atrial Right Coronary Artery and its Ablation Implications

Abstract Objectives The study examined the frequency in which a right coronary artery (RCA) anomaly resulting in intra-atrialization of the vessel might increase risk of RCA damage during routine radiofrequency ablation in the right atrium even with low power or temperature. Background Right coronary artery (RCA) injury with endocardial RF ablation of the right atrium is a rare complication. Methods This prospective observational study comprised an analysis of coronary artery anatomies in 331 patients who underwent autopsies at our institution from 2005 to 2014. The presence of intra-atrial RCA including the number and length of intra-atrial RCA segments with accompanying atherosclerosis and coronary anomalies were evaluated. Results The authors report a case series of 6 of 331 (1.8%) patients in whom autopsies showed evidence of an intra-atrial RCA. The patients were all men (average 69 ± 12 years of age). They observed 3 variations of the intra-atrial RCA course. In 2 similar variations, the RCA entered the anterolateral aspect of the right atrium, returning to its normal distribution to supply the distal RCA (case 4 of 6) and the atrioventricular nodal artery (case 1 of 6). In the sixth case, the atrialized artery was an anterior branch of the RCA, in which the artery similarly coursed across the pectinate muscles, extending to the region of the anterior crista terminalis, before diving into the muscle. Conclusions The prevalence and variants of the intra-atrial RCA have not been reported before. In the presence of an intra-atrial artery, RCA damage may occur due to direct injury rather than collateral injury due to transmural extension of an ablation lesion.
Polymer Processes: Extrusion

The goal of all polymer processing operations is to produce a usable object. Basically, these operations involve flow and deformation as well as the transfer of energy. As such, we can state that, for all polymer processing operations, two necessary parameters are: 1. Flow or deformation or both (i.e., rheology) 2. Transfer of heat and thermal behavior In some situations, the aspects of 3. Transfer of mass 4. Chemical reaction are also necessary to the process. For example, mass transfer is an important parameter in producing structural foams. Chemical reaction is intimately involved in reaction injection molding.
War, Women, and Power: From Violence to Mobilization in Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina

Rwanda and Bosnia both experienced mass violence in the early 1990s. Less than ten years later, Rwandans surprisingly elected the world's highest level of women to parliament. In Bosnia, women launched thousands of community organizations that became spaces for informal political participation. The political mobilization of women in both countries complicates the popular image of women as merely the victims and spoils of war. Through a close examination of these cases, Marie E. Berry unpacks the puzzling relationship between war and women's political mobilization. Drawing from over 260 interviews with women in both countries, she argues that war can reconfigure gendered power relations by precipitating demographic, economic, and cultural shifts. In the aftermath, however, many of the gains women made were set back. This book offers an entirely new view of women and war, and includes concrete suggestions for policy makers, development organizations, and activists supporting women's rights.
Opioid Use Among Those Who Have Criminal Justice Experience: Harm Reduction Strategies to Lessen HIV Risk

We reviewed the HIV and opioid literature relevant to harm reduction strategies for those with criminal justice experience. Opioid use in the United States has risen at an alarming rate recently. This has led to increased numbers of people who inject drugs, placing new populations at risk for HIV, including those who have criminal justice experience. In recent years, there has been a gradual decrease in the number of individuals under the supervision of the criminal justice system. However, concurrently, there has been a rise in the number of individuals incarcerated in jails in rural counties that are at the center of the current opioid epidemic. We provide a number of harm reduction strategies that could be implemented in correctional settings such as access and linkage to medication-assisted treatment, connection to syringe exchange programs and safe injection facilities (where available), and the repackaging of pre-exposure prophylaxis as a harm reduction tool.
Michelle Reale. Becoming a Reflective Librarian and Teacher: Strategies for Mindful Academic Practice . Chicago, Ill.: ALA Editions, 2017. 144p. Paper, $57.00 (ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-1529-5).

The purpose of Michelle Reale’s book is to “serve as a friendly and informative guide, which is not intended to be exhaustive but instead to start the journey toward reflection” (xiv). Reale is an associate professor at Arcadia University. She has published books on other topics including mentoring and managing students in academic libraries and embedded librarianship. In her recent publication, Reale acknowledges that there is an abundance of detailed books describing reflective practice; however, her work is unique because it is tailored specifically to college librarians. Reale’s book is a pragmatic, well-written and accessible addition to the literature on reflection. It will serve as a practical starting point for librarians who are interested in learning about and practicing reflection.
From Developments to Developable Spaces

This investigation highlights a thread of mathematical activity that begins with E.H. Moore’s introduction of the mathematical notion of a “development for an abstract class” in 1910, before general topology was established as a field of mathematics, and suggests an evolution of ideas that leads to the present-day topological concept of “developable space”, as it was defined by R.H. Bing in 1951.
The Performance of Large Superconducting Coils

Highly stable magnets have operated successfully during the past year using large amounts of well-cooled copper surrounding a heat-treated superconductor [1,2]. These magnets will be favored for many low-field high-volume applications. Predictions of coil performance on the basis of short sample tests are also being attempted [1,3], but such prediction techniques are not yet adequate for every condition [2].
Bayesian coalitional games

We introduce Bayesian Coalitional Games (BCGs), a generalization of classical coalitional games to settings with uncertainties. We define the semantics of BCG using the partition model, and generalize the notion of payoffs to contracts among agents. To analyze these games, we extend the solution concept of the core under three natural interpretations-- ex ante, ex interim, and ex post--which coincide with the classical definition of the core when there is no uncertainty. In the special case where agents are risk-neutral, we show that checking for core emptiness under all three interpretations can be simplified to linear feasibility problems similar to that of their classical counterpart.
On the superconvergence of amplitudes involving massless particles

Abstract We used crossing relations of helicity amplitudes involving massless particles to determine those amplitudes which are superconvergent thereby extending the previous studies to the massless case.
Interactive Effects of Water Chemistry, Hydrodynamics, and Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Causing Erosion Corrosion of Copper in Hot Water Recirculation Systems: Case Study and Experimental Work

Erosion corrosion, or flow-induced failure, of copper is a complex phenomenon driven by a multitude of water quality, hydrodynamic, and electrochemical factors. This most common form of corrosion a...
Immunogenic cell death: Chemoimmunotherapy in the clinic

Although cancer chemotherapy has historically been considered immune suppressive, we now understand that combining chemoimmunotherapy incites a mechanism called Immunogenic cell death. These mechanisms are now moving from concepts to the clinic. Recently dramatic advances in lung cancer treatment by combining chemotherapy with immunotherapy have led the way to this new frontier in cancer medicine. We will explain the mechanism behind ICD and how it will perhaps breathe a new life into chemotherapy use in cancer, not front and center but as a helpful hand to immunotherapy.
Association between Having a Regular Health Provider and Access to Services Linked to Electronic Health Records

AbstractObjective: A regular care provider is an important measure of access to health services, but little is known about the association between having a regular provider and patients’ access to ...
The Economics of

Interstate Highway openings were permanent, anticipated demand shocks that increased gasoline demand and sometimes shifted it spatially. We investigate supply responses to these demand shocks, using county-level observations of service station counts and employment and data on highway openings' timing and locations. When the new highway was close to the old route, average producer size increased, beginning one year before it opened. If instead the interstate substantially displaced traffic, the number of producers increased, beginning only after it opened. These dynamics are consistent with Hotelling-style oligopolistic competition with free entry and sunk costs and inconsistent with textbook perfect competition. Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.
Viral Marketing for Complementary Products

When you purchase a product in internet, a recommendation may appear “the customer who buys A may also buy B.” When you purchase both products A and B, another recommendation may appear “the customer who buys A and B may also buy C.” Products A, B, and C are complementary. Both recommendations are established based on historical data and statistical analysis. Here, complementary products are those that tend to be purchased together, for example, iPhone and its accessories, computer and monitor, etc. In this article, we would like to address this issue in viral marketing.
Moving hydrogels to the fourth dimension.

Materials that permit spatiotemporal control of biomolecule presentation have long been a challenge in the field. A method has now been developed to reversibly pattern cell-laden hydrogels with site-specifically immobilized proteins using sortase-mediated transpeptidation without compromising bioactivity.
Understanding Reliance and Trust in Decision Aids for UAV Target Identification

The use of automation is prevalent in almost every aspect of modern life, and since its inception researchers have been investigating trust in automation. There are many methods of measuring trust....
Thoughts on the Association Between Sleep and Obesity

The rising prevalence of obesity in both adults and children is among the most important current public health issues worldwide. Lifestyle modifications involving increased exercise and dietary modifications for maintenance of healthy weight are frequently promoted by pediatricians, but there is limited evidence to show efficacy.1 This makes the identification of other modifiable factors to prevent childhood obesity of great importance. Recent studies in diverse populations and various age groups have confirmed associations between shorter sleep duration or poor sleep quality and increased risk of obesity.2–13 Furthermore, recent data document an inverse correlation between sleep duration in children and risk markers for type 2 diabetes that persists after adjusting for differences in adiposity and differences in physical activity.14 Given the increasing evidence linking sleep habits and obesity, it is essential to understand the nature of this association. Theories … Address correspondence to Nicole Glaser, MD, Section of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, 2516 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817. E-mail: nsglaser{at}ucdavis.edu
The cardiovascular disease burden of non-traumatic fractures for adults with and without cerebral palsy

Abstract Background Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) are vulnerable to non-trauma fracture (NTFx) and have an elevated burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) related morbidity and mortality. However, very little is known about the contribution of NTFx to CVD risk among adults with CP. The purpose of this study was to determine if NTFx is a risk factor for CVD among adults with CP and if NTFx exacerbates CVD risk compared to adults without CP. Methods Data from 2011 to 2016 Optum Clinformatics® Data Mart and a random 20% sample Medicare fee-for-service were used for this retrospective cohort study. Diagnosis codes were used to identify adults (18+ years) with and without CP, NTFx, incident CVD up to 2 years (i.e., ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease), and pre-NTFx comorbidities. Crude incidence rates per 100 person years of CVD measures were estimated. Cox regression estimated hazard ratios (HR and 95% confidence interval [CI]) for CVD measures, comparing: (1) CP and NTFx (CP + NTFx; n = 1012); (2) CP without NTFx (CP w/o NTFx; n = 8345); (3) without CP and with NTFx (w/o CP + NTFx; n = 257,355); and (4) without CP and without NTFx (w/o CP w/o NTFx; n = 4.8 M) after adjusting for demographics and pre-NTFx comorbidities. Results The crude incidence rate was elevated for CP + NTFx vs. CP w/o NTFx and w/o CP + NTFx for any CVD and for each CVD subtype. After adjustments, the HR was elevated for CP + NTFx vs. CP w/o NTFx for any CVD (HR = 1.16; 95%CI = 0.98–1.38), heart failure (HR = 1.31; 95%CI = 1.01–1.70), and cerebrovascular disease (HR = 1.23; 95%CI = 0.98–1.55); although, only heart failure was statistically significant. The adjusted HR was elevated for CP + NTFx vs. w/o CP + NTFx for any CVD and for each CVD subtype (all P Conclusions NTFx increases 2-year CVD risk among adults with CP and compared to adults without CP. Findings suggest that NTFx is a risk factor for CVD among adults with CP.
Nicholas I and His Dramatic Censors Tackle Opera

Abstract The trope of “censorship brutality” during the reign of Nicholas I obscures the complexity and nuance of censorship as an institution, system, and practice. This study explores the dynamics of dramatic censorship as it manifested itself in opera. Drawing on new archival documents, it integrates different facets of opera censorship into a holistic narrative and positions the censors at its center, treating them as guardians of the status quo, interpreters of the censorship statutes, mediators between authors and the state, creative collaborators, and aesthetes. The choice of examples captures different decades, national operatic traditions, and censors.
Crop Classification Using Different Color Spaces and RBF Neural Networks

Agricultural activities could represent an important sector for the economy of certain countries. In order to maintain control of this sector, it is necessary to schedule censuses on a regular basis, which represents an enormous cost. In recent years, different techniques have been proposed with the objective of reducing the cost and improving automation, these cover from Personal Digital Assistants usage to satellite image processing. In this paper, we described a methodology to perform a crop classification task over satellite images based on the Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) and Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network. Furthermore, we study how different color spaces could be applied to analyze satellite images. To test the accuracy of the proposal, we apply the methodology over a region and we present a comparison by evaluating the efficiency using three color spaces and different distance classifiers.
Esophageal necrosis associated with sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) use.

Acute esophageal necrosis is a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopically, it appears as a circumferential black-appearing mucosa affecting almost universally the mid and distal esopha...
The Value of Front-of-Package and Point-of-Purchase Summaries in the Cold Cereal Industry

This study explores the relationship between perceived quality as indicated by the front of package (FOP) and point of purchase (POP) summaries, objective quality, price, and value among 270 cold c...
Embedding Prevention at the Heart of the US Health Conversation

[ ]the pandemic quickly made clear that despite our overwhelming global and national investment in health care and medicine, when the world faces an unprecedented surge in a novel disease, health care systems are simply not up to the challenge and our only viable approach to protect health is preventing the health problem to begin with LEVERS FOR PREVENTION It is, of course, odd that it took a global pandemic to remind us that prevention of disease is a far preferable approach to promoting the public's health than is treatment once we are already sick [ ]perhaps underlyingthe first and second reasons, is that prevention simply is not at the heart of the US health conversation Decades of investment in curative care, resulting in the most expensive health care system in the world, has resulted in a US system that privileges treatment, and, perhaps more importantly, treatment is seen as the fundamental purpose of the health system
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency

Severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID) are a heterogeneous group of rare, genetic diseases resulting in profoundly impaired adaptive immune responses. SCID is fatal without treatment due to the development of severe, recurrent infections. The establishment of universal newborn screening (NBS) for SCID and optimization of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the curative treatment for SCID, have led to improved detection and early treatment of patients with SCID, which has significantly reduced morbidity and mortality. Despite these diagnostic and therapeutic tools, significant challenges remain such as normalizing thresholds for newborn screening, preventing peri-transplant infection, choosing conditioning regimens that balance toxicity with immunosuppression, post-transplant monitoring, and addressing the quality-of-life and social needs of SCID patients and their families. Advances in molecular biology have led to the development of novel genetic therapies for particular subtypes of SCID, notably adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency, which provide promising ways to address many of these challenges. Future guidelines will need to incorporate a mutation-specific approach to optimize HSCT parameters and gene therapy recommendations so personalized medical care to SCID patients can be provided.
Cocaine experience induces functional adaptations in astrocytes: Implications for synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens shell.

Astrocytes have become established as an important regulator of neuronal activity in the brain. Accumulating literature demonstrates that cocaine self-administration in rodent models induces structural changes within astrocytes that may influence their interaction with the surrounding neurons. Here, we provide evidence that cocaine impacts astrocytes at the functional level and alters neuronal sensitivity to astrocyte-derived glutamate. We report that a 14-day period of short access to cocaine (2 h/day) decreases spontaneous astrocytic Ca2+ transients and precipitates changes in astrocyte network activity in the nucleus accumbens shell. This is accompanied by increased prevalence of slow inward currents, a physiological marker of neuronal activation by astrocytic glutamate, in a subset of medium spiny neurons. Within, but not outside, of this subset, we observe an increase in duration and frequency of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated synaptic events. Additionally, we find that the link between synaptic NMDA receptor plasticity and neuron sensitivity to astrocytic glutamate is maintained independent of drug exposure and is observed in both cocaine and saline control animals. Imaging analyses of neuronal Ca2+ activity show no effect of cocaine self-administration on individual cells or on neuronal network activity in brain slices. Therefore, our data indicate that cocaine self-administration promotes astrocyte-specific functional changes that can be linked to increased glutamate-mediated coupling with principal neurons in the nucleus accumbens. Such coupling may be spatially restricted as it does not result in a broad impact on network structure of local neuronal circuits.
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977: Regulatory Controversies and Constitutional Challenges

The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 sought to balance the need to develop coal resources with environmental protection and agricultural productivity while maintaining the primacy of state regulation. The controversy and litigation which underscore hardship issues stemming from the tenth amendment and the takings clause of the fifth amendment have prompted Congress to consider new legislation. Regulatory stability is essential, however, before the coal-mining industry can increase productivity. 108 references. (DCK)
A case study in vision based neural network training for control of a planar, large deflection, flexible robot manipulator

The ability to control large deflection robotic manipulators without a priori dynamic or kinematic mathematical models is desirable on both the macro and micro scales because of the complexity involved in modeling highly flexible manipulators. Neural network control of a particular large deflection manipulator is detailed. The neural network maps the relationship between the motor position and the pixel location of the large deflection, planar, flexible robot manipulator. The neural network is trained using data extracted from images. The network is tested and shown to have small error relative to the range of motion of the finger. The results indicate that visual servoing techniques can be successfully used to train a neural network model for intelligent control of highly flexible manipulators.
L. Bullock-Webster and the B.C. Dramatic School, 1921-1932

This article examines the career of actor, director and teacher Llewellyn Bullock-Webster, a dynamic force behind amateur and educational theatre in British Columbia. Born in Wales, the 'Major' came to Canada after acting in London's West End and on provincial tours. Following service du ring the First World War he opened his first theatre school and combined that activity with acting in Victoria. He was a pioneer in curriculum development for the British Columbia Department of Education and a champion of Canadian drama. Cet article retrace la carriere mouvementee de Llewellyn Bullock-Webster, acteur, metteur en scene, professeur de theâtre, influence puissante sur l'evolution des theâtres amateur et pedagogique en Colombie britannique. Ne au pays de Galles, le 'major' emigra au Canada apres une breve carriere de comedien sur les scenes de Londres et en province anglaise. Etabli a Victoria apres son service militaire durant la Grande Guerre, il y fonda sa premiere ecole des arts theâtraux, tout en poursuivant sa carriere d'acteur. Bullock-Webster fut un pionnier dans l'elaboration d'un programme d'etudes pour le Ministere de l'Education de la Colombie britannique, et l'un des grands promoteurs d'une dramaturgie canadienne.
New technique maps bioremediation

Before researchers can effectively harness microbial populations for bioremediation, they first need to understand why some microbes are attracted to specific minerals. A new tool for studying the feasibility of in situ bioremediation has now been shown to be able to map mineral crystals and bacterial growth on basalt, according to Mary Kauffman, a geo-microbiologist with the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) in Idaho Falls. Kauffman described her research on December 11 at the 2001 AGU Fall Meeting.
INFLUENCE OF ETHYLENEDIAMINE‐N,N′‐DISUCCINIC ACID (EDDS) CONCENTRATION ON THE BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF FATTY ACIDS IN VITRO*

The antibacterial activity of mixtures of ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS) and antibacterial fatty acids (FA) was examined using the agar diffusion assay. Solutions of caproic, caprylic, capric and lauric acids dissolved in potassium hydroxide (KOH) were supplemented with 0, 5 or 10 mM of EDDS and adjusted to pH 11.0 with citric acid. Wells made in agar media seeded with one of nine bacterial isolates were filled with FA-KOH or FA-KOH-EDDS solutions. After incubation of agar plates, zones of inhibition of bacterial growth around the agar wells were measured. Results indicated that caproic-KOH-EDDS and caprylic-KOH-EDDS inhibited growth of more bacterial isolates than caproic-KOH and caprylic-KOH, respectively. Although, capric-KOH and lauric-KOH produced zones of inhibition of all nine bacterial isolates, significantly (P ≤ 0.05) larger zones of inhibition were produced by capric-KOH-EDDS and lauric-KOH-EDDS. Findings of this study indicate that mixtures of FA-KOH-EDDS possess greater antibacterial activity than FA-KOH. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Research demonstrates that supplementing mixtures of FA-KOH with EDDS increases the antibacterial activity of these antimicrobial surfactants. Similar results have been produced with FA-KOH supplemented with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). However, EDTA is a man-made, nonbiodegradable chelator, whereas EDDS is a natural biodegradable chelator. Therefore, EDDS may be used as an alternative for EDTA in formulations of FA-KOH currently being examined as novel sanitizers for decreasing microbial contamination associated with poultry processing. Since EDDS is biodegradable, use of this chelator will not cause concerns of environmental pollution associated with the use of EDTA.
Optimizing the use of blood cultures in the febrile postoperative patient.

Fever in the postoperative period is a common occurrence with potentially serious implications. Postoperative fever can indicate the presence of an infective focus or a serious surgical complication, but in the majority of cases, these fevers are the result of a noninfectious etiology. The current practice pattern is to evaluate postoperative fevers for the presence of associated infections with a routine battery of laboratory tests. The primary diagnostic workup often includes a white blood cell count, urine culture, blood cultures, and a chest x-ray. The majority of these tests, however, when ordered routinely for all fevers are often negative and constitute a significant cost expenditure. Blood cultures are considered the gold standard test for the diagnosis of bacteremia. Mortality rates for bacteremic patients range from 20% to 35% in studies of hospitalized adults to as high as 60% in studies of intensive care populations. It is because of the potential clinical severity of bacteremia that many clinicians have a low threshold for ordering blood cultures, but the incidence of bacteremia in postoperative febrile patients is extremely low. Many authors speculate that routinely obtaining blood cultures with each temperature elevation is an inefficient use of resources and that the impact of blood culture results on treatment is low. This article describes the physiologic mechanism of the febrile response, the significance of the febrile response in the postoperative period, and reviews the existing literature on the use of blood cultures in the postoperative period. Recommendations for the use of blood cultures in the postoperative febrile population are also discussed. Studies were identified for review by a series of Medline searches (1966-2000) using the key words postoperative fever, blood culture utilization, and bacteremia and by scanning the bibliographies of relevant articles retrieved.
Relevance of nationality in cross-border economic transactions

How relevant is nationality in global economic behavior? The aim of this paper is to scrutinize the relevance of nationality affiliations and nationality conceptions in cross-border economic transactions, using the case of foreign investment exchanges. In particular, I examine how nationality affiliations may shape the types of commitments that actors will want to realize through foreign investment transactions, and how nationality categorizations influence the evaluation of potential partners in economic transactions. I also stipulate when nationality affiliations and categorizations play a more- or less-salient role. To develop these propositions I use illustrations from cases of foreign investment attempts in which investors from the West try to acquire firms in post-socialist Slovenia. The analysis is grounded in economic sociology and advances a relational understanding of nationality, seen as interpretive codes embedded in actors' cultural repertoires, situationally invoked, and made relevant (or no...
Electroporation of Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

Electroporation offers a fast, efficient and reproducible way to introduce DNA into bacteria. We have successfully used this technique to transform two commercially important strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum, the nitrogen-fixing soybean symbiont. Initially, electroporation conditions were optimized using plasmid DNA which had been prepared from the same B. japonicum strain into which the{imDNA was to b}e transformed. Efficiencies of 105-106 transformants/μg DNA were obtained for strains USDA 110 and 61A152 with ready-to-use frozen cells. Successful electroporation of B. japonicum with plasmid DNA prepared from Escherichia coli varied with the E. coli strain from which the plasmid was purified. The highest transformation efficiencies (104 transformants/μg DNA) were obtained using DNA prepared from a dcm − dam − strain of E. coli. This suggests that routine isolation of DNA from an E. coli strain incapable of DNA modification should help in increasing transformation efficiencies for other strains of bacteria where DNA restriction appears to be a significant obstacle to successful transformation. We have also monitored the rate of spontaneous mutation in electroporated cells and saw no significant difference in the frequency of streptomycin resistance for electroporated cells compared to control cells.
Efficient Gaussian graphical model determination under G-Wishart prior distributions

This paper proposes a new algorithm for Bayesian model determination in Gaussian graphical models under G-Wishart prior distributions. We first review recent development in sampling from G-Wishart distributions for given graphs, with a particular interest in the efficiency of the block Gibbs samplers and other competing methods. We generalize the maximum clique block Gibbs samplers to a class of flexible block Gibbs samplers and prove its convergence. This class of block Gibbs samplers substantially outperforms its competitors along a variety of dimensions. We next develop the theory and computational details of a novel Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling scheme for Gaussian graphical model determination. Our method relies on the partial analytic structure of G-Wishart distributions integrated with the exchange algorithm. Unlike existing methods, the new method requires neither proposal tuning nor evaluation of normalizing constants of G-Wishart distributions.
Comparison of the oxidation of glutamine, glucose, ketone bodies and fatty acids by human diploid fibroblasts

Abstract The contribution of glutamine, glucose, ketone bodies and fatty acids to the oxidative energy metabolism of human diploid fibroblasts was studied. The rate of glutamine oxidation by fibroblasts was 98 nmol/h per mg cell protein compared to 2 nmol/h per mg cell protein or less for glucose, acetoacetate, d -3-hydroxybutyrate, octanoic acid and palmitic acid. Glucose inhibited glutamine oxidation by 85%, while the other substrates had no effect. Therefore, these cells meet their energy requirement almost solely by anaerobic glycolysis and glutamine oxidation.