cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Demographics and Genetic Introgression in the Florida Panther.

With the release of eight female Texas cougars (Felis concolor stanleyana) into south Florida between March and July 1995, natural resource agencies have embarked on a task that is intended to restore the genetic integrity of the Florida panther (F. c. coryi). Although this intentional genetic introgression may, if successful, eliminate phenotypic characters that are presumed to derive from inbreeding, there is insufficient evidence to support the contention that such drastic management is currently necessary. Early panther research (1981-1985) resulted in the impression that a remnant population of panthers in south Florida was composed of old, nonreproductive individuals suffering from heavy parasitism, malnutrition, maladaptive phenotypic characters, and a high rate of road mortality (Alvarez 1993; Meffe & Carroll 1994: 229; Foster & Humphrey 1995; but see Maehr et al. 1991a). More recently, cardiac and male-reproductive anomalies have been cited as evidence of inbreeding and as immediate threats to the survival of the subspecies (Roelke & Glass 1992; Roelke et al. 1993a). No male reproductive failures have been observed in the population, however, and cardiac problems were involved in only two known deaths that were confounded by captive management of those individuals. One of these occurred after a "rehabilitated," road-injured adult male was returned to the wild with severely worn canines resulting from his efforts to escape captivity. The other was a young adult female that died immediately after surgery to correct a heart abnormality. The notions of genetic and demographic collapse endure to this day despite data that suggest otherwise. The evolution of thought relative to the status of the Florida panther is analogous to that of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Caro and Laurenson (1994) discussed the problems that can arise from detailed analyses of laboratory samples in the absence of corresponding ecological data, and Caughley (1994) examined the dangers of
Agricultural Credit in Latin America: A Critical Review of External Funding Policy

During the 1960's aid agencies channelled over one billion dollars to agricultural credit systems in Latin America. This plus local funds boosted the real value of rural credit by 12 percent per year. A number of assumptions underlying past credit policy are critically examined. It is argued that currently credit shortage is not the most pressing issue. Rather, emphasis should be placed on realistic pricing of rural credit and mobilizing rural savings for credit use through interest incentives.
673 USE OF THE THROMBOELASTOGRAPH (TEG) IN DIAGNOSING DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION (DIC) IN THE NEWBORN

The TEG is an automated and very sensitive technique for analyzing whole blood clotting time, requiring only 50 lambda whole blood. Its use in the newborn period has not been previously examined. We utilized thromboelastographic tracings in conjunction with standard coagulation studies to make the diagnosis of DIC in 6 of 13 critically ill newborns with severe birth asphyxia or respiratory failure from hyaline membrane disease. 7 healthy newborns served as a control population for normal values. Samples were drawn at 12 and 24 hrs of age in the control group and every 12 hrs for at least 72 hrs and up to 120 hrs in the study group. The control group showed a generally hypercoagulable state on samples drawn at 12 hrs of age as manifest by low R values and high MA and angle values. By 24 hrs of age the TEG conformed more to the normal adult curve. These patterns persisted after priming with Celite. The trend of the TEG in the study group was for the R values to increase, the MA and angle to decrease with time and the blood to become more hypocoagulable. The trend was accentuated in patients with DIC, progressing to a flat line in some patients. TEG patterns correlated well with elevations of fibrin split products and decreasing or low fibrinogen levels and platelet counts. This test is a technically simple, inexpensive and very rapid technique for diagnosing hyper- and hypo-coagulable states of blood clotting in the newborn.
Color Connotations among Caucasian Seventh Graders and College Students

Seventh grade and college students rated 10 common color names on the semantic differential. Analysis of the ratings by the two groups indicated a high degree of similarity in the affective meanings of the color names along the Evaluation (E), Potency (P), and Activity (A) dimensions, leading to the conclusion that the distinctive affective meanings of color names are learned, for the most part, prior to age 13. In the seventh-grade group the A scores shared considerable common variance with the E scores suggesting that the A dimension had not yet emerged as an independent meaning factor. The results of an analysis of color names often used to designate racial groups (e.g., white, black) were related to the findings of other studies concerned with the effects of racial “color coding” upon racial attitudes.
Adaptive reproducing kernel particle method for extraction of the cortical surface

We propose a novel adaptive approach based on the Reproducing Kernel Particle Method (RKPM) to extract the cortical surfaces of the brain from three-dimensional (3-D) magnetic resonance images (MRIs). To formulate the discrete equations of the deformable model, a flexible particle shape function is employed in the Galerkin approximation of the weak form of the equilibrium equations. The proposed support generation method ensures that support of all particles cover the entire computational domains. The deformable model is adaptively adjusted by dilating the shape function and by inserting or merging particles in the high curvature regions or regions stopped by the target boundary. The shape function of the particle with a dilation parameter is adaptively constructed in response to particle insertion or merging. The proposed method offers flexibility in representing highly convolved structures and in refining the deformable models. Self-intersection of the surface, during evolution, is prevented by tracing backward along gradient descent direction from the crest interface of the distance field, which is computed by fast marching. These operations involve a significant computational cost. The initial model for the deformable surface is simple and requires no prior knowledge of the segmented structure. No specific template is required, e.g., an average cortical surface obtained from many subjects. The extracted cortical surface efficiently localizes the depths of the cerebral sulci, unlike some other active surface approaches that penalize regions of high curvature. Comparisons with manually segmented landmark data are provided to demonstrate the high accuracy of the proposed method. We also compare the proposed method to the finite element method, and to a commonly used cortical surface extraction approach, the CRUISE method. We also show that the independence of the shape functions of the RKPM from the underlying mesh enhances the convergence speed of the deformable model
CAN LANCHESTER'S LAWS HELP EXPLAIN INTERSPECIFIC DOMINANCE IN BIRDS?

Abstract We studied the applicability of Lanchester's laws of combat to explain interspecific dominance in birds. We focused on 10 species of Australian birds in the arid zone of New South Wales that foraged at an established locust trap. Consistent with the “linear law,” larger species usually dominated smaller species in one-on-one encounters. We found no support for the “N-square law,” which predicted that large numbers of smaller species could dominate larger species when more abundant. Further analysis of the most abundant species revealed that it was less likely to visit the locust trap when larger, more dominant heterospecifics were present. Body size, and not numerical superiority, seems to be an important determinant in interspecific foraging decisions in birds. ?Puede la Ley de Lanchester Ayudar a Explicar la Dominancia Interespecifica en Aves? Resumen. Hemos estudiado la aplicabilidad de las leyes del combate de Lanchester en explicar la dominancia interespecifica en aves. Hemos focalizado este...
Mass spectra of chloro-, aminochloro- and ethylaminochloro-s-triazines†

The mass spectra of cyanuric chloride and all of the possible amino-and ethylaminochloro-s-triazines have been investigated. The simpler compounds provide evidence for the structures of low mass fragment ions found in the spectra of the more complex derivatives. Fragmentation patterns are presented which account for most of the major ions. These pathways involve either the initial loss of a chlorine atom (important for the simple aminochlorotriazines) or ring cleavage with expulsion of cyanogen chloride (important for cyanuric chloride). The ethyl derivatives undergo cleavage of the side chain prior to either ring cleavage or chlorine expulsion.
Critical distance and the performance of sensor array geometries

In antisubmarine warfare (ASW) an aircraft is often used to drop sonobuoys in a pattern to try to locate an enemy submarine. If a target is detected, it may be necessary to drop more sensors to improve the direction of arrival (DOA) resolution in the direction of the target. The authors analyse the two source case in detail and develop a critical distance definition that plays a major role in the resolution performance of an array. The critical distance leads to a solution to the problem of where to place the next sensor to achieve a desired level of resolution performance in the direction of the target.
The effect of TiO2 on the wetting behavior of silver–copper oxide braze filler metals

A series of silver–copper oxide ceramic brazing alloys was compositionally modified by doping with small amounts of titania. Subsequent contact angle measurements indicate that concentrations as low as 0.5 mol.% TiO2 can significantly enhance wettability over a wide range of binary silver–copper oxide compositions. Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc.
Cloud Computing - an IT paradigm changer

Cloud Computing is an emerging computing paradigm envisioned to change all IT landscape facets including technology, business, services and human resources. It is a consumer/delivery model that offers IT capabilities as services, billed based on usage. Many such cloud services can be envisioned, but the leading ones are IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), and SaaS (Software-as-a-Service).
The Deubiquitinating Enzyme Dot4p Is Involved in Regulating Nutrient Uptake

In yeast, several membrane-bound nutrient transporters have been shown to be regulated by the covalent attachment of ubiquitin, a signal for internalization and degradation. The yeast gene DOT4 encodes one of a family of enzymes which remove ubiquitin from proteins to which the peptide has been attached. Mutations in DOT4 cause a growth defect that is particularly severe when combined with mutations in nutrient biosynthetic enzymes (1). These results suggest that nutrient transport or utilization may be compromised in dot4 mutants. We now report that preventing the down-regulation by endocytosis of membrane proteins partially suppressed the dot4D growth defect. We also show that the activity of the amino acid permease Gap1p is reduced in DOT4 mutants. This correlates with a reduction in Gap1 protein level, while GAP1 mRNA levels remains unchanged. We conclude that Dot4p is involved in posttranscriptionally regulating Gap1p, and possibly other transporters as well. © 2001 Academic Press
Ultrastructure of cholinergic synaptic terminals in the thalamic anteroventral, ventroposterior, and dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei of the rat

The principal relay nuclei of the thalamus receive their cholinergic innervation from two midbrain cholinergic groups: the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus and the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus. The different thalamic nuclei exhibit populations of cholinergic axons which vary in density and morphology when examined at the light microscopic level. However, the ultrastructure of the cholinergic terminals in different thalamic nuclei has not been described. This study was undertaken to confirm that synaptic contacts are formed by cholinergic axons in several principal thalamic relay nuclei, to describe their ultrastructural morphology, and to identify the types of postsynaptic elements contacted by cholinergic synaptic terminals. The thalamic nuclei examined in this study are the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, ventroposteromedial nucleus, ventroposterolateral nucleus, and anteroventral nucleus. Our results confirm that cholinergic axons form synaptic terminals in these thalamic nuclei. Cholinergic synaptic terminals contact structures outside the characteristic synaptic glomeruli, are never postsynaptic, and have morphologies and postsynaptic targets which differ among the thalamic nuclei. In the ventroposterior nuclei, cholinergic terminals form asymmetric synaptic contacts onto larger dendrites in the extraglomerular neuropil. In the anteroventral nucleus, cholinergic terminals form both symmetric and asymmetric synaptic contacts onto dendrites and somata. Cholinergic terminals in the anteroventral nucleus are larger than those in other nuclei. In the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, cholinergic terminals contact both somata and dendrites in the extraglomerular neuropil, but the synaptic contacts in this nucleus are symmetric in morphology.
Arthroscopic microfracture of chondral defects of the knee: a comparison of two postoperative treatments.

Purpose: We hypothesized that the treatment of focal, full-thickness chondral defects by an identical method of arthroscopic microfracture but with different postoperative regimens would produce similar results. Type of Study: Case control study, retrospective cohort. Methods: Fifty patients treated over a 6-year period (1993 to 1999) with a focal, less than 2-cm 2 , full-thickness chondral defect of either the medial or lateral femoral condyle of the knee had arthroscopic surgery to debride loose adjacent cartilage flaps and abortive fibrocartilage from the crater in conjunction with microfracture of the subchondral plate using a hand awl. Postoperatively, 1 group was treated with non-weight bearing and continuous passive motion (CPM) for 6 weeks (group I), and the other group was allowed weight bearing as tolerated and did not use CPM (group II). Results of treatment were assessed by the Lysholm knee rating scale augmented by the Tegner method of activity evaluation. Results were analyzed by independent t test or χ-square test with significance assumed for P Results: Forty-three of 50 patients were evaluated at a minimum of 2 years after surgery (mean, 4.2 years; range, 2 to 9 years). The mean age was 39.7 years (range, 16 to 66 years) and there were 19 female and 24 male patients. For group I, Lysholm scores were 37 preoperative, 81 postoperative, and Tegner scores were 3 and 6, respectively. Group II Lysholm scores were 33 preoperative, 85 postoperative, and Tegner scores 3 and 6, respectively. No significant differences between groups were noted. Conclusions: In relatively small full-thickness chondral defects of the femoral condyles treated by microfracture, this study found no differences in results comparing 2 rehabilitation regimens differing by weight-bearing status and use of CPM. Level of Evidence: Level III, Case Control Study.
Performance analysis of a phase change energy storage system for pulsed power dissipation

The melting and re-solidification of a phase change material in a container of rectangular cross-section with multiple discrete heat sources mounted on one side is investigated for electronics cooling by latent heat energy storage. This numerical study focuses on the thermal management issues that arise when electronic components experience a sudden surge in power dissipation. The transient response of the energy storage system to short pulses in power dissipation is studied. Convective cooling using air-cooled heat sinks on the sides of the containment remote from the heat sources provides for heat rejection to ambient air. The analysis is performed under different pulse frequencies. Different aspect ratios for the containment volume as well as different locations for the heat sources are studied in order to identify an optimal arrangement. Conduction and convection in the phase change material as well as conduction through the containment walls are considered in the computations. The constitutive equations are implicitly solved using a fully transient method on fixed orthogonal co-located finite volumes. The system is characterized based on the rate of heat absorption as well as the maximum temperatures experienced at the heat sources. Improvements that can be made in the application of latent heat energy storage in electronics cooling applications are discussed based on the results from the present study.
Efficiently mining long patterns from databases

We present a pattern-mining algorithm that scales roughly linearly in the number of maximal patterns embedded in a database irrespective of the length of the longest pattern. In comparison, previous algorithms based on Apriori scale exponentially with longest pattern length. Experiments on real data show that when the patterns are long, our algorithm is more efficient by an order of magnitude or more.
Mechanism Design with Set-Theoretic Beliefs

In settings of incomplete information, we put forward (1) a very conservative -- indeed, purely set-theoretic -- model of the beliefs (including totally wrong ones) that each player may have about the payoff types of his opponents, and (2) a new and robust solution concept, based on mutual belief of rationality, capable of leveraging such conservative beliefs. We exemplify the applicability of our new approach for single-good auctions, by showing that, under our solution concept, a normal-form, simple, and deterministic mechanism guarantees -- up to an arbitrarily small, additive constant -- a revenue benchmark that is always greater than or equal to the second-highest valuation, and sometimes much greater. By contrast, we also prove that the same benchmark cannot even be approximated within any positive factor, under classical solution concepts.
Constraints from Thorium/Lanthanum on Sediment Recycling at Subduction Zones and the Evolution of the Continents

Arc magmas and the continental crust share many chemical features, but a major question remains as to whether these features are created by subduction or are recycled from subducting sediment. This question is explored here using Th/La, which is low in oceanic basalts ( 0·25) and varies in arc basalts and marine sediments (0·09–0·34). Volcanic arcs form linear mixing arrays between mantle and sediment in plots of Th/La vs Sm/La. The mantle end-member for different arcs varies between highly depleted and enriched compositions. The sedimentary end-member is typically the same as local trench sediment. Thus, arc magmas inherit their Th/La from subducting sediment and high Th/La is not newly created during subduction (or by intraplate, adakite or Archaean magmatism). Instead, there is a large fractionation in Th/La within the continental crust, caused by the preferential partitioning of La over Th in mafic and accessory minerals. These observations suggest a mechanism of ‘fractionation & foundering’, whereby continents differentiate into a granitic upper crust and restite-cumulate lower crust, which periodically founders into the mantle. The bulk continental crust can reach its current elevated Th/La if arc crust differentiates and loses 25–60% of its mafic residues to foundering.
Integrating Quantitative Thinking into an Introductory Biology Course Improves Students’ Mathematical Reasoning in Biological Contexts

Recent calls for improving undergraduate biology education have emphasized the importance of students learning to apply quantitative skills to biological problems. Motivated by students’ apparent inability to transfer their existing quantitative skills to biological contexts, we designed and taught an introductory molecular and cell biology course in which we integrated application of prerequisite mathematical skills with biology content and reasoning throughout all aspects of the course. In this paper, we describe the principles of our course design and present illustrative examples of course materials integrating mathematics and biology. We also designed an outcome assessment made up of items testing students’ understanding of biology concepts and their ability to apply mathematical skills in biological contexts and administered it as a pre/postcourse test to students in the experimental section and other sections of the same course. Precourse results confirmed students’ inability to spontaneously transfer their prerequisite mathematics skills to biological problems. Pre/postcourse outcome assessment comparisons showed that, compared with students in other sections, students in the experimental section made greater gains on integrated math/biology items. They also made comparable gains on biology items, indicating that integrating quantitative skills into an introductory biology course does not have a deleterious effect on students’ biology learning.
A Business Centric Monitoring Approach for Heterogeneous Service Composites

Enterprise applications today are composed of multiple independently executing services and processes that collectively provide a solution to a business problem. These composite applications contain a heterogeneous collection of services that execute in a variety of runtimes making them difficult to manage while maintaining a business centric point of view, as opposed to a service point of view. This paper introduces a business centric monitoring framework to bridge the gap between the business and service levels in complex business applications. Our technical approach focuses on using business information invariants to define one or more monitor sets in order to relate service activity to business composite execution. We apply this framework to enable end-to-end monitoring of heterogeneous composite business applications. In this paper we present a prototype of our business centric monitoring approach using monitor sets for monitoring an order management composite implemented on IBM's Web Sphere Integration Developer (WID) v7 and tested on Web Sphere Business Monitor v7. This extends our earlier work on demonstrating end-to-end monitoring of BPEL service composites in Web Sphere Business Modeler v7. The new contribution of this work is (1)a prototype implementation of our monitoring approach on a different IBM product, WID v7, which supports heterogeneous service composites, and (2) demonstration of the effectiveness of this approach with respect to a (new) heterogeneous order management scenario. Our prototype implementation demonstrates the ease of design and deployment of our monitoring solution to attain a single end-to-end business centric view of a collection of heterogeneous services executing together.
Injury among a population based sample of career firefighters in the central USA.

Background Rates of occupational injuries among firefighters are high because of the physically demanding and variable tasks required by their job. While descriptive data about injuries exist, few studies have explored individual risk factors and their relationship to occupational injury. Methods The current study presents data from a population-based sample of 462 career firefighters from 11 randomly-selected fire departments in the Missouri Valley region of the USA (Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska) who participated in a study evaluating risks for negative cardiovascular outcomes and injury. Relationships were examined between injury and demographic characteristics, body composition, fitness, and health behaviours. Results Participants were most likely to be injured during physical exercise and those who reported regular on-duty exercise had a fourfold increase in risk for exercise-related injury compared with those who did not exercise on duty (OR=4.06, 95% CI 1.73 to 12.24). However, those who exercised were half as likely to sustain non-exercise injuries (OR=0.53, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.85). Conclusions Findings highlight the benefit of physical training for firefighters despite the risk of injury during exercise.
Chandler's Living History: The Visible Hand of Vertical Integration in 19th Century America Viewed Under a 21st Century Transaction Costs Economics Lens

Alfred Chandler’s recent passing is cause to review and celebrate his many contributions to business history. It also presents an opportunity to highlight links between his rich historical analyses concerning organizational and industrial innovation and contemporary management studies of the firm and industrial organization. We illustrate this point by applying transaction costs theory to several case studies from his 1977 masterwork narrating the emergence of vertically-integrated firms in nineteenth-century America, The Visible Hand. Vertical integration, organizational control and innovation in manufacturing at McCormick Harvester and Singer Sewing Machines, in transportation and distribution at Swift and United Fruit reflect managerial responses to classic transaction costs considerations including commercial relationships requiring the creation of specialized equipment and knowledge. Transaction costs analysis provides complementary historical insight on organizational innovation at these and other firms in the nineteenth century, and suggests when and where we might expect vertical integration strategies in emerging industries of the twenty-first century. Chandler’s Visible Hand transcends business history to provide timeless insights and fundamental lessons on how innovative firms re-draw organizational boundaries and structures for efficient and effective innovation.
Dual-work-function metal gates by full silicidation of poly-Si with Co-Ni bi-Layers

Dual-work-function metal gates fabricated by full silicidation (FUSI) of Co-Ni bi-layer with doped poly-Si were investigated for the first time, along with single-metal FUSI systems of CoSi/sub 2/ and NiSi. Complete conversion of poly-Si into Co-Ni alloy silicided metal gate (FUSI) Co/sub x/Ni/sub 1-x/Si/sub 2/ was demonstrated. Although a linear relationship between work function and Ni percentage was observed for FUSI of undoped poly-Si systems, the work functions of doped Co/sub x/Ni/sub 1-x/Si/sub 2/ are almost identical to those of doped NiSi FUSI metal gates. The alloy FUSI metal gates explored in this letter provide a new class of metal gates for CMOS devices that combine the advantages of both NiSi and CoSi/sub 2/, i.e., proper work function tunability of NiSi and high thermal stability of CoSi/sub 2/.
Intrinsic Size Parameters for Val, Ile, Leu, Gln, Thr, Phe, and Trp Residues from Ion Mobility Measurements of Polyamino Acid Ions

The conformations of singly charged ions of eight polyamino acids of varying length [polyalanine (3−23 residues), polyglutamine (2−8 residues), polyisoleucine (2−6 residues), polyleucine (2−9 residues), polyphenylalanine (2−7 residues), polythreonine (8−14 residues), polytryptophan (2−9 residues), and polyvaline (2−7 residues)] have been studied by ion mobility methods and molecular modeling simulations. The average amino acid contributions to cross section for 4−9 residue homopolymers agree with intrinsic size parameters for these residues derived from data for tryptic digest peptides [J. Phys. Chem. B 1999, 103, 1203]. Some variations in residue sizes with changes in oligomer length are apparent for small oligomers and those with polar and aromatic ring side chains. Molecular modeling simulations reveal that all of these homopolymers have roughly spherical (globular) structures. Conformations appear to be influenced by three primary types of interactions: (1) self-solvation of the charge site by backbo...
Uncertainty, Reflection, and Designer Identity Development

Uncertainty is a defining quality of the design space and it stands to reason that designers' personal attitudes toward uncertainty may influence design processes and outcomes via cognitive, affective, and/or behavioral channels. Individual attitudes and behavior patterns related to uncertainty may constitute a critical element of designer identity, which represents the synthesis of knowledge, action, and being. This qualitative study examined how graduate students in an instructional design course reflected on their experiences and beliefs regarding uncertainty. Participants were more reflective when discussing a general experience with uncertainty than their current attitudes toward uncertainty in design. Findings support the use of narrated reflection in design education related to uncertainty and identity. Implications for design education interventions and design are discussed.
Temperature effects on jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica) seed germination

Abstract A better understanding of the persistence of jointed goatgrass seed in soil and its dormancy will lead to the development of more effective weed-management strategies. Three populations of jointed goatgrass were collected from winter wheat fields in Oregon, and grown together with the winter wheat variety ‘Madsen’ in nurseries at Moro and Pendleton, OR. Germination responses of jointed goatgrass and wheat seed were recorded over 14 d at 5/5, 15/10, 15/15, 25/15, 25/25, and 30/20 C day/night temperatures and a 12-h photoperiod. Because jointed goatgrass spikelets often contain two seed, primary and secondary seed germination values were recorded. Secondary seed germination was defined as 3-mm radicle protrusion, and primary seed germination was defined as 5-mm emergence of the second coleoptile. Jointed goatgrass secondary seed germinated when exposed to all temperature regimes. Jointed goatgrass secondary seed germination occurred 3 d earlier in temperature regimes involving 15 C compared to germ...
Using Tools From Strategic Management To Help Micro-Entrepreneurs In Developing Countries Adapt To A Dynamic And Changing Business Environment

Micro-entrepreneur industriousness is a significant reason for the unprecedented economic activity in the developing world over the last 20 years. Yet as the business environment in developing countries modernizes, micro-enterprises are increasingly threatened. This paper takes a strategic management perspective and argues that micro-entrepreneurs need to do four things to better cope with this changing landscape. To better understand their new complex and turbulent environment they need to 1) perform an external environment analysis, 2) perform an internal environmental analysis, 3) plan, and 4) network.
The Case of the Sleepy Middle Aged Woman

A 55-year-old woman presents with snoring and daytime fatigue. She has a history of hypertension, which is controlled with hydrochlorothiazide, and allergic rhinitis. She is postmenopausal. She denies depressive symptoms. Her Epworth Sleepiness Scale score is 12. On exam, she has a body mass index of 31 kg/m2, a blood pressure of 138/88 mm Hg, and a narrowed posterior oropharynx. Her overnight polysomnogram demonstrates reduced slow-wave sleep, increased arousals, an apnea-hypopnea index of 2.6 events per hour of sleep, and a lowest SaO2 of 89%.
Unexpected Challenges in Noninvasive Prenatal Testing.

The clinical paradigm for prenatal screening for fetal chromosome aneuploidies has been transformed by the introduction of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT). NIPT sequences cell-free DNA from maternal plasma, which contains a mixture of small maternal DNA fragments as well as placental DNA fragments that serve as a fetal surrogate. The relative proportion of cell-free fetal DNA increases with gestational age and can reliably be detected by 9–10 weeks of gestation. As sequencing technologies have improved and become less expensive, there has been a rapid adoption of NIPT since its commercial launch in late 2011. NIPT is a screening test, similar to traditional prenatal screening approaches that combine maternal serum screening plus ultrasound. A principal advantage of NIPT is that the false-positive rate is <0.2% compared to an average of 5% for traditional screening methods. Confirmatory …
A Proposal to Permit Collateral Estoppel of Nonparties Seeking Affirmative Relief

There must be an end to litigation. Therein lies the policy underlying the concept of res judicata. We give parties every opportunity to develop the issues and present evidence with the aim of deciding the case upon the merits. Once that opportunity has been afforded, a party should not be allowed to relitigate simply on the showing that there might be a different result the second time around. At one time only the parties to a lawsuit could be affected by the doctrine of collateral estoppel. The basis for precluding relitigation of the issue was not simply that the parties already had an opportunity to contest the issues, but also that parties should not be permitted to contradict their record. After extensive examination, however, mutuality of estoppel finally gave way to the belief that it would not necessarily be unfair to bind persons who had a full opportunity to litigate matters in the first suit. However, according to either the mutuality rule or the new doctrine, a nonparty cannot be bound by unfavorable findings. This result allegedly has its roots in due process principles of fairness. This article argues that it would not be inconsistent with due process to bind nonparties by findings of fact in certain circumstances. These circumstances basically give rise to an assurance that parties to the first litigation fully and fairly litigated the issues. This article discusses the doctrine of collateral estoppel, mutuality of estoppel, and exceptions to and the breakdown of mutuality.
Cognitive impairment in older adults with epilepsy: Characterization and risk factor analysis

Abstract Objective Cognitive deficits are common in epilepsy, though the impact of epilepsy on cognition in older adults is understudied. This study aimed to characterize cognition in older adults with epilepsy compared with healthy older adults and identify potential risk factors for impairment. Methods Thirty-eight older adults with epilepsy and 29 healthy controls completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, as well as measures of depression and anxiety. Chart review for current medications, seizure history, and neuroimaging was also completed. To compare cognitive performance between groups, ANOVA was used, and linear regression identified predictors of impairment among the group with epilepsy. Results Patients with epilepsy performed worse across nearly all cognitive domains, and were clinically impaired (i.e., ≥ 1.5 SD below mean) on more individual tests when compared with controls, including a subset of patients with epilepsy with normal MRIs. For all patients with epilepsy, taking a greater number of antiepileptic drugs was associated with poorer language and visuospatial abilities, and higher anxiety was associated with poorer visual memory. Conclusions Older adults with epilepsy demonstrated greater cognitive deficits than matched controls. Polytherapy and anxiety heightened the risk for cognitive impairment in some cognitive domains, but not in others. Understanding the nature of cognitive decline in this population, as well as associated risk factors, may assist in the differential diagnosis of cognitive complaints and improve the design of treatment studies for older patients with epilepsy. Replication in larger, longitudinal studies is warranted to generalize these findings.
Trace level doping of lithium-rich cathode materials

Lithium ion batteries have revolutionized portable electronics and have the potential to electrify the transportation sector. Lithium-rich cathode materials with the composition xLi2MnO3·(1−x)Li(Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3)O2 have received considerable attention as candidates for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Electric Vehicles (EVs). Cathodes made from these materials display high capacity (>200 mAhg−1) and good cycling stability, offering twice the energy density of currently available intercalation materials. Unfortunately, their performance is plagued by voltage fade due to a layered-spinel phase transformation. Herein, using spray pyrolysis, we show that certain inexpensive trace level (≤1%) dopants can help in mitigating voltage fade, when the material is cycled between 2.0–4.6 V. The dopants lead to greater capacity loss than what would be expected from a capacity that is strictly based on a change in the transitional-metal oxidation state. The results imply that a portion of the capacity of these materials comes from reversible oxygen chemistry. These findings could put a different perspective on fade mechanism prevention.
How does mass loading impact local versus global control on dayside reconnection

This paper investigates the effects of magnetospheric mass loading on the control of dayside magnetic reconnection using global magnetospheric simulations. The study iys motivated by a recent debate on whether the integrated dayside magnetic reconnection rate is solely controlled by local processes (local-control theory) or global merging processes (global-control theory). The local-control theory suggests that the integrated dayside reconnection rate is controlled by the local plasma parameters. The global-control theory argues that the integrated rate is determined by the net force acting on the flow in the magnetosheath rather than the local microphysics. Controlled numerical simulations using idealized ionospheric outflow specifications suggest a possible mixed-control theory, that is, (1) a small amount of mass loading at the dayside magnetopause only redistributes local reconnection rate without a significant change in the integrated reconnection rate and (2) a large amount of mass loading reduces both local reconnection rates and the integrated reconnection rate on the dayside. The transition between global-controland local-control-dominated regimes depends on (but not limited to) the source region, the amount, the location, and the spatial extension of the mass loading at the dayside magnetopause.
Dynamic Properties of Rubberlike Materials and the Isolation of Mechanical Vibration

Abstract Experiments to determine the dynamic mechanical properties of rubberlike materials frequently employ a sample of material sandwiched between two flat, parallel, and rigid surfaces. The sample is normally bonded to these surfaces or restrained from motion parallel to them by a perpendicularly applied static force. Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a sample attached to parallel rigid plates, which vibrate sinusoidally either in their own plane [Figure l(a)] or in a perpendicular direction [Figure 1 (b)]. In each case the lateral surfaces of the sample are unconstrained. The rubberlike material is commonly said to be stressed in shear in Figure 1 (a) and stressed in compression in Figure 1 (b). Actually, the rubberlike material in Figure 1 (a) will not experience a homogeneous shear deformation unless its thickness is small compared to the sample dimensions in every perpendicular direction. Again, the rubberlike material in Figure 1 (b) will not experience purely homogeneous compression because the la...
Fundamental dilemmas in contemporary psychodynamic and insight-oriented psychotherapy.

Contemporary psychotherapists are being called on to provide treatment with increased degrees of brevity and efficacy. To meet these demands, the practice of brief psychodynamic psychotherapy has turned to (a) the increased emphasis upon a specific psychodynamic focus for treatment versus the more comprehensive goals of longer-term treatment, and (b) the augmented use of confrontation of psychological defenses versus the enhanced use of emotional support as in more nondirective psychotherapy. Other approaches to insight-oriented psychotherapy that have been influenced by this trend include: client-centered psychotherapy with its focus upon the therapeutic relationship; existential psychotherapy with its focus upon death anxiety; and, the revitalization of interpersonal psychotherapy from its original Sullivanian conceptualization. The clinical dilemmas that limitations of time and restricted therapeutic focus place upon each of these methods of treatment are the central issues of this discussion.
Remote feeder transfer between out-of-phase sources using STS

To insure reliability in electrical networks, loads are supplied by more than one source. In this paper a transfer scheme using two Static Transfer Switches (STS) located remotely is presented for transferring the feeder load to an alternate source that is out of phase from the primary (preferred source). The objective is to have a minimum disruption to the feeder voltage in terms of the dead time for transfer appearing as notches in the voltage waveform. The new proposed transfer method requires only a minimum communication between the two STS units in order to achieve synchronization. Different case studies of transferring power in a typical network while two sources having a phase difference are simulated and presented in this paper using MATLAB/SIMULINK.
Mature Larvae of Euglossine Bees, a Comparative Study (Apoidea: Apidae: Euglossini)

ABSTRACT Herein are described and illustrated the mature larvae of the following species assigned to the Euglossini: Eufriesea surinamensis (Linnaeus), Eufriesea mussitans (Fabricius), Euglossa (Euglossa) cordata (Linnaeus), Eulaema (Apeulaema) polychroma (Mocsary). They are compared both with one another and with previous accounts of other taxa assigned to the tribe, and a taxonomic key is presented. The paper concludes with a preliminary larval characterization of the tribe.
Wage Relationships —The Comparative Impact of Market and Power Forces

One modern version of Adam Smith’s famous observation (Book I, Chapter 8) might read: ‘Workmen are always in constant and uniform combination to raise the wages of labour above their actual rate’. Now this version would not be so true as Smith’s about ‘masters’ (as Smith himself noted), for their combination is less the ‘natural state of things’. Workers, being more numerous and diverse, have less of a community of interest than masters and a greater need for formal bonds. These formal bonds, over the past century, have been supplied by labour unions in many trades and industries in those industrialized nations which are organized into pluralistic systems, and a major purpose of most of these unions has been to modify ‘market forces’ by group decisions and organized power in setting wages.
Invited Review: Nutrition in the Spinal-Injured Patient

The response to spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs in phases with an initial phase of muscle flaccidity and absence of spontaneous skeletal muscle function followed by a chronic phase where muscles become hyperexcitable and spastic. The eventual course after SCI depends on the extent of neural damage. Nutritional assessment presents a particular challenge in this patient population because essentially all of the traditional markers are effected by the SCI. Therefore, the use of anthropometric measurements, biochemical markers, and functional markers requires reinterpretation in this setting. Nutritional management is a further challenge because of alterations in appetite, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and possible pancreatitis. Metabolic changes include altered energy and nitrogen metabolism, hypercalcemia, hyponatremia, and initial weight loss followed by later weight gain. This review summarizes the unique nutritional problems that patients with SCI present and guidelines for nutritionally supporting the p...
Sex, Hormones, and Quantification

The revival of microscopy, the development of cell theory, and the emergence of specialization all drastically reshaped medicine during the latter nineteenth century, but so too did the development of another phenomenon I have not yet discussed: the science of physiology. Once again the great medical centres of Europe—London, Paris, Berlin—were at the epicentre of profound transformations in the professional, practical, and intellectual development of medicine and surgery, and nowhere was this more apparent than in the Paris laboratories of Claude Bernard. Bernard’s classic Introduction a la Medecine Experimentale (An Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine) was published at the peak of his career in 1865, by which time the Emperor himself, Napoleon III, had promised him a new laboratory suite at the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris. Bernard was an aggressive and ambitious experimenter, freed from the necessity of supporting himself through the practise of medicine thanks to the financial support of his wife, Marie Francoise Martin, and the professional support of an early mentor at the Hotel-Dieu, the physician and physiologist, Francois Magendie, who provided Bernard with early access to laboratory equipment. A strict empiricist, Bernard proposed what would become the classic experimental model in science: determination of cause and effect not through correlation but through the control and manipulation of variables. If variables could be altered independently of each other, and reliably caused an observable effect to occur then, and only then, he reasoned, could a causal relationship be established. For Bernard, observation of the sick patient at the bedside, even when supplemented by newer tools, like the stethoscope, limited the science of medicine to a descriptive practice. Similarly, the lesions and diseased organs for so long the focus of attention by morbid anatomists represented the endpoints and not the dynamic process of disease itself. In place of such ‘passivity’ then, he proposed a continuation of Magendie’s interventionist, animal-based (vivisection), approach to the investigation of normal and abnormal physiological function under the most strictly controlled laboratory conditions. In his preface to Medecine Experimentale, Bernard was clear about the relative benefits of these methods of investigation:
Poor medication adherence in type 2 diabetes: recognizing the scope of the problem and its key contributors

At least 45% of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) fail to achieve adequate glycemic control (HbA1c <7%). One of the major contributing factors is poor medication adherence. Poor medication adherence in T2D is well documented to be very common and is associated with inadequate glycemic control; increased morbidity and mortality; and increased costs of outpatient care, emergency room visits, hospitalization, and managing complications of diabetes. Poor medication adherence is linked to key nonpatient factors (eg, lack of integrated care in many health care systems and clinical inertia among health care professionals), patient demographic factors (eg, young age, low education level, and low income level), critical patient beliefs about their medications (eg, perceived treatment inefficacy), and perceived patient burden regarding obtaining and taking their medications (eg, treatment complexity, out-of-pocket costs, and hypoglycemia). Specific barriers to medication adherence in T2D, especially those that are potentially modifiable, need to be more clearly identified; strategies that target poor adherence should focus on reducing medication burden and addressing negative medication beliefs of patients. Solutions to these problems would require behavioral innovations as well as new methods and modes of drug delivery.