cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incubation Temperature Alters Temperature-Dependent Oxygen Consumption in Northern Bobwhite Quail Hatchlings (Colinus virginianus)

AbstractThis study investigated the effect of mismatching incubation and posthatch temperatures in northern bobwhite quail hatchlings. Quail embryos were incubated at 35.5° or 37.5°C. Metabolic rates were then measured in hatchlings acclimated to either the same or the opposite temperature treatment. While hatchlings expressed higher oxygen consumption when posthatch temperature did not match incubation temperature, the effect of mismatching temperatures was significant only when posthatch temperature was higher than incubation temperature. Our data suggest that bobwhite quail hatchlings may express increased metabolism due to mismatches between incubation and posthatch temperatures. More specifically, the nature or direction of the mismatch can determine the magnitude of the metabolic effect. These findings highlight the importance of considering the context of specific conditions experienced throughout ontogeny when observing phenotypic outcomes.
Multidimensionality of morphological awareness and text comprehension among young Chinese readers in a multilingual context

Abstract Considering the dual-level representation of meaning in print in Chinese, this study differentiated between morphemic (i.e., morphemic awareness) and sub-morphemic (i.e., graphomorphological awareness) dimensions of morphological awareness and examined their concurrent contributions to text comprehension in fourth grade Chinese readers in a multilingual context where Chinese literacy only has an ancillary function. Structural Equation Modeling analysis revealed that while both dimensions of morphological awareness were significant independent contributors to word reading and vocabulary knowledge, only morphemic awareness significantly predicted text comprehension over and above the two word-level skills. On the other hand, significant indirect effects of both graphomorphological and morphemic awareness were found on text comprehension; in addition, those indirect effects were found to be mediated by vocabulary knowledge or jointly by word reading and vocabulary knowledge. These findings were discussed in light of the centrality of meaning in text comprehension and possible contextual variation in the functioning of different dimensions of morphological awareness in Chinese reading development.
Coronary Artery Anomalies in Patients With Transposition of the Great Arteries and Their Impact on Postoperative Outcomes

Background Coronary anomalies are frequently present in children with transposition of the great arteries (TGA). Such anomalies significantly increase the complexity of arterial switch operations and may have an effect on postoperative outcomes. In this study, we aimed to assess the frequency of coronary anomalies in children with TGA and describe their effect on postoperative outcomes. Methods All patients with TGA who underwent an arterial switch operation between 1991 and 2015 were consecutively enrolled in this study. Patient coronary patterns were obtained from corresponding operative reports and analyzed to determine their associations with adverse postoperative outcomes. Results The study included 715 patients with isolated and complex TGA. Coronary anomalies were present in 33.7% of patients and were significantly correlated with the side-by-side configuration of the great arteries. Coronary sinuses with more than 1 ostium were associated with a significantly increased risk of postoperative death (hazard ratio [HR], 2.58), and coronary arteries with a single ostium were associated with an increased risk of postoperative reinterventions (HR, 2.49). In contrast, the trap-door technique of coronary artery transplantation was associated with a reduced risk of reinterventions during postoperative follow-up (HR, 0.40). Complex coronary anomalies were significantly associated with postoperative coronary events (HR, 2.12). Conclusions With the exception of patients whose circumflex artery branches off of the right coronary artery, an anomaly that clearly has no effect on postoperative follow-up, patients with unusual coronary patterns are at higher risk for adverse postoperative outcomes than patients with normal coronary anatomy and must be monitored carefully.
Influence, integrity, and the FDA: An ethical framework.

Among the core missions of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are protecting public health by assuring the safety and efficacy of drugs, biologics, and medical devices and advancing public health by promoting scientific research and medical innovation ( 1 ). According to its mandate, the decisions made by the FDA in fulfilling these missions should be guided by scientific considerations, not economic or political ones. However, several recent, high-profile episodes have highlighted the fact that the FDA is buffeted by many external influences ( 2 , 3 ). Such controversies require us to distinguish between legitimate influences that would improve the FDA or enhance its regulatory mission, illegitimate influences that seek to corrupt or undermine the agency, and influences that may be legitimate but nevertheless harm public health or patient outcomes. We present a decision framework to assist regulators, policy-makers, judges, physicians, and the public in evaluating the legitimacy and value of external influences on the FDA.
Not seeing the forest for the trees: Modeling exurban viewscapes with LiDAR

Abstract Viewscapes are the visible portions of a landscape that create a visual connection between a human observer and their 3-dimensional surroundings. However, most large area line-of-sight studies have modeled viewscapes using bare-earth digital elevation models, which exclude the 3-D elements of built and natural environments needed to comprehensively understand the scale, complexity and naturalness of an area. In this study, we compared viewscapes derived from LiDAR bare earth (BE) and top-of-canopy (ToC) surface models for 1000 exurban homes in a region of the Rocky Mountains, USA that is experiencing rapid low-density growth. We examined the extent to which the vertical structure of trees and neighboring houses in ToC models – not accounted for in BE models – affect the size and quality of each home’s viewscape. ToC models consistently produced significantly smaller viewscapes compared to BE models across five resolutions of LiDAR-derived models (1, 5, 10, 15, and 30-m). As resolution increased, both ToC and BE models produced increasingly larger, exaggerated viewscapes. Due to their exaggerated size, BE models overestimated the greenness and diversity of vegetation types in viewscapes and underestimated ruggedness of surrounding terrain compared to more realistic ToC models. Finally, ToC models also resulted in more private viewscapes, with exurban residents seeing almost three times fewer neighbors compared to BE models. These findings demonstrate that viewscape studies should consider both vertical and horizontal dimensions of built and natural environments in landscape and urban planning applications.
Origins of Language

This chapter reviews and discusses the historical origins of language, departing from the fundamental distinction between lexical evolution and grammatical evolution. Initially, some contemporary neurological research, including neuroimaging studies, is reviewed to support the proposal that there are two basic dimesions in language – lexicon and grammar – following different patterns of evolution. Later, it is emphasized that nouns and verbs have a quite different representation in the brain, and furthermore, both depend on different brain memory systems. In the following section, it is proposed that language evolution follows three stages: (1) the initial communication systems based on gestures and vocalizations, as observed in contemporary non-human primates; (2) the progressive increase in vocalizations resulted in a large vocabulary – lexico/semantic system – but without grammar; (3) the grammatical language represents the final stage in language evolution. The language disturbances associated with brain pathology (aphasias) are later reviewed, emphasizing there are two fundamental forms of aphasia: Wernicke’s sensory aphasia and Broca’s motor aphasia, associated with abnormalities in the lexica/semantic system and in the grammatical system, respectively. Finally, it is proposed that grammatical language is associated with the development of executive functions and complex cognition. Some general conclusions are presented.
Elderly Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Prevention and Rehabilitation

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are prevalent in our society. This ubiquitous illness affects more lives each year. Alcoholism can be found in every economic level, every race, every nationality, the young, and the elderly. Alcoholism is one of the most destructive health problems (Krimmel, 1971). Elderly alcohol abuse and alcoholism is examined regarding (a) the scope of the problem; (b) measures that may be used to prevent elderly alcoholism; and (c) rehabilitation for the elderly alcoholics.
Short-term risk of cardiovascular readmission following a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy

Objective Women with pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) have increased long-term cardiovascular (CV) risk. We sought to determine if they demonstrate increased short-term CV risk. Methods Using administrative records, all hospital-based deliveries in Florida from 2004 to 2010 and subsequent readmission to any Florida hospital within 3 years of index delivery were identified. Deliveries and clinical diagnoses were determined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. HDP included pregnancies complicated by gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Outcomes were CV readmission (acute myocardial infarction, stroke or heart failure), non-CV readmission and any readmission within 3 years of delivery excluding subsequent deliveries. Associations were determined using multivariate logistic regression. Results Among 1 452 926 records from delivering mothers of singleton infants (mean age 27.2±6.2 years; 52% white, 23% African American (AA), 18% Hispanic), there were 4054 CV and 259 252 non-CV readmissions. Women with HDP had higher CV readmission rates (6.4 vs 2.5/1000 deliveries; P Conclusion Women with HDP had twice the risk of CV readmission within 3 years of delivery, with higher rates among AA women. More work is needed to explore preventive strategies for HDP-associated events.
Cardiac CTA of Coronary Artery Disease

Studies have demonstrated that plaque vulnerability is greatest in the intermediate stage of progression (Glagov), where there is positive remodeling in the wall and a relative preservation of the lumen. Cardiac CT has the potential for monitoring the success or failure of modifying CAD risk factors particularly in patient with hyperlipidemia, family history of CAD, diabetes, hypertension, and smoking.
Possible Spheres of Application of Intermolecular Triplexes

Triple helix formation represents the basis for numerous site-specific manipulations with duplex DNA.
Skew braces and the Galois correspondence for Hopf Galois structures

Abstract Let L / K be a Galois extension of fields with Galois group Γ, and suppose L / K is also an H-Hopf Galois extension. Using the recently uncovered connection between Hopf Galois structures and skew left braces, we introduce a method to quantify the failure of surjectivity of the Galois correspondence from subHopf algebras of H to intermediate subfields of L / K , given by the Fundamental Theorem of Hopf Galois Theory. Suppose L ⊗ K H = L N where N ≅ ( G , ⋆ ) . Then there exists a skew left brace ( G , ⋆ , ∘ ) where ( G , ∘ ) ≅ Γ . We show that there is a bijective correspondence between the set of intermediate fields E between K and L that correspond to K-subHopf algebras of H and a set of sub-skew left braces of G that we call the ∘-stable subgroups of ( G , ⋆ ) . Counting these subgroups and comparing that number with the number of subgroups of Γ ≅ ( G , ∘ ) describes how far the Galois correspondence for the H-Hopf Galois structure is from being surjective. The method is illustrated by a variety of examples.
A case of recurrent Corynebacterium jeikeium endocarditis: Unanswered questions for the treatment of chronic endovascular infections.

Abstract A 53-year-old woman with end-stage renal impairment on hemodialysis was evaluated for recurrent episodes of Corynebacterium jeikeium bacteremia and endocarditis. Her recurrences occurred despite surgical debridement and extended courses of culture-directed antimicrobial therapy. The clinical course was complicated by the requirement of various endovascular prostheses for vascular access. To our knowledge this degree of relapse with guideline medical and surgical therapy is rare and challenges current practice and understanding of this group of infection.
Automatic analysis of the retinal avascular area in the rat oxygen-induced retinopathy model.

Purpose The aim of this study was to create an algorithm to automate, accelerate, and standardize the process of avascular area segmentation in images from a rat oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) model. Methods Within 6 h of birth, full-term pups born to Sprague Dawley rat dams that had undergone partial bilateral uterine artery ligation at embryonic day 19.5 were placed into a controlled oxygen environment (Oxycycler, BioSpherix, Parish, NY) at 50% oxygen for 48 h, followed by cycling between 10% and 50% oxygen every 24 h until day 15. The pups were then moved into room air until day 18.5. Ten lectin-stained retinal flat mounts were imaged in montage fashion at 10x magnification. Three masked human reviewers measured two parameters, total retinal area and peripheral avascular area, for each image using the ImageJ freehand selection tool. The outputs of each read were measured as number of pixels. The gold standard value for each image was the mean of the three human reads. Interrater agreement for the measurement of total retinal area, avascular area, and percent avascular area was calculated using type A intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with a two-way random effects model. Automated avascular area identification (A3ID) is a method written in ImageJ Macro that is intended for use in the Fiji (Fiji is Just ImageJ) image processing platform. The input for A3ID is a rat retinal image, and the output is the avascular area (in pixels). A3ID utilizes a random forest classifier with a connected-components algorithm and post-processing filters for size and shape. A separate algorithm calculates the total retinal area. We compared the output of both algorithms to gold standard measurements by calculating ICCs, performing linear regression, and determining the Dice coefficients for both algorithms. We also constructed a Bland-Altman plot for A3ID output. Results The ICC for percent peripheral avascular/total area between human readers was 0.995 (CI: 0.974-0.999), with p<0.001. The ICC between A3ID and the gold standard was calculated for three image parameters-avascular area: 0.974 (CI: 0.899-0.993), with p<0.001; total retinal area: 0.465 (CI: 0.0-0.851), with p=0.001; and the percent peripheral avascular/total area: 0.94 (CI: 0.326-0.989), with p<0.001. In the linear regression analysis, the slope for prediction of the gold standard percent peripheral avascular/total area from A3ID was 0.98, with R2=0.975. A3ID and the total retinal area algorithm achieve an average Dice coefficient of 0.891 and 0.952, respectively. The Bland-Altman analysis revealed a trend for computer underestimation of the peripheral avascular area in images with low peripheral avascular area and overestimation of peripheral avascular area in images with large peripheral avascular areas. Conclusions A3ID reliably predicts peripheral avascular area based on rat OIR retinal images. When the peripheral avascular area is particularly high or low, hand segmentation of images may be superior.
Housing Intervention For Medically Complex Families Associated With Improved Family Health: Pilot Randomized Trial.

The effects of housing instability and homelessness on child and adult health are well documented. However, few studies have explored health and housing interventions for families with children wit...
Chapter 150 – Legs

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the structure of various types of legs in insects and their functions. Insects possess three pairs of legs, one pair each on the prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax. This condition is in the fundamental ground plan of insects and is amply represented in the fossil record with an exception to the hexapodous condition called apodous, or legless. On the basis of segmentation scheme, insect legs involve 11 segments. These segments include the epicoxa (present, e.g., as the wing articulation on the thorax of winged insects), subcoxa (embedded in pleural membrane as the pleuron), coxa, trochanter, prefemur (typically fused either with the trochanter or femur), femur, patella (fused with the tibia), tibia, basitarsus, eutarsus (often subdivided), and pretarsus. A more modern interpretation of the free thoracic leg of extant insects, beginning with the coxa, therefore, recognizes nine segments, which are the classic six, plus a prefemur, patella, and basitarsus, the latter three visible in only some taxa. The limb appendage of insects that is least changed from the ancestral arthropod condition is the maxilla of jumping bristletails (Archaeognatha), which retained 10 fully articulated segments, two endites, and two exites. Further, the majority of insects legs are elongate, slender, and designed for walking and climbing or cursorial, that is, adapted for running, as in the cockroach Various modifications allow the legs to be used in other forms of locomotion. Enlarged hind legs of many Orthoptera, fleas, and other insects are saltatorial, meaning they are designed for jumping.
Do ICD diagnostics predict failure of ventricular tachycardia response to antitachycardia pacing and need for shock

Background Among heart failure patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MMVT) failing anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) and terminated by shock renders higher mortality as compared to MMVT terminated by ATP only. It is unknown if the higher mortality in ATP failure reflects decompensated heart failure. Objective It was the purpose of the present study to determine if ICD heart failure diagnostics can predict the failure of ATP and the need to shock to terminate MMVT. Methods This was a single center retrospective review of 103 consecutive patients with Medtronic ICDs who had MMVT and received ICD therapy. Heart failure diagnostics preceding each MMVT event were reviewed, including atrial fibrillation burden, patient activity, night heart rate, heart rate variability, Optivol® fluid index, and MMVT heart rate. Results A total of 452 MMVT events were analyzed, of which 23% required shock. Compared to MMVT that responded to ATP, MMVT that failed ATP and required shock had significantly faster heart rates and higher atrial fibrillation burden. Patient activity, night heart rate, heart rate variability, and OptiVol® fluid index were similar between ATP responsive MMVT events and those that failed ATP. In a multivariate analysis adjusting for baseline characteristics, higher atrial fibrillation burden, and lower patient activity were associated with ATP failure and shock termination. Conclusion Device diagnostics associated with decompensated heart failure identified MMVT events that failed ATP and necessitated shock. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Sensitivity of meteorological-forcing resolution on hydrologic variables

Abstract. Projecting the spatiotemporal changes in water resources under a no-analog future climate requires physically based integrated hydrologic models which simulate the transfer of water and energy across the earth's surface. These models show promise in the context of unprecedented climate extremes given their reliance on the underlying physics of the system as opposed to empirical relationships. However, these techniques are plagued by several sources of uncertainty, including the inaccuracy of input datasets such as meteorological forcing. These datasets, usually derived from climate models or satellite-based products, are typically only resolved on the order of tens to hundreds of kilometers, while hydrologic variables of interest (e.g., discharge and groundwater levels) require a resolution at much smaller scales. In this work, a high-resolution hydrologic model is forced with various resolutions of meteorological forcing (0.5 to 40.5 km) generated by a dynamical downscaling analysis from the regional climate model Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF). The Cosumnes watershed, which spans the Sierra Nevada and Central Valley interface of California (USA), exhibits semi-natural flow conditions due to its rare undammed river basin and is used here as a test bed to illustrate potential impacts of various resolutions of meteorological forcing on snow accumulation and snowmelt, surface runoff, infiltration, evapotranspiration, and groundwater levels. Results show that the errors in spatial distribution patterns impact land surface processes and can be delayed in time. Localized biases in groundwater levels can be as large as 5–10 m and 3 m in surface water. Most hydrologic variables reveal that biases are seasonally and spatially dependent, which can have serious implications for model calibration and ultimately water management decisions.
Escaping photons finally arrested

A starburst galaxy from the peak epoch of cosmic star-formation history is found to have a significant ionizing ultraviolet emission. This finding will help better constrain the process of reionization in the early Universe.
Type I Interferon and Interleukin-1 Driven Inflammatory Pathways as Targets for HDT in Tuberculosis

Over the last decade, innate cytokines, in particular interleukin-1 (IL-1) and type I Interferons (IFNs), have received considerable attention for their role in host resistance to Mtb infection and may represent druggable targets for dampening detrimental inflammation that could impair control of infection [1–3]. Here, we will review briefly our current understanding of IL-1 and type I IFNs in TB pathogenesis and expand on more recent findings that point to the IL-1 and type I IFN pathways as promising targets for HDT.
Interprofessional model on speaking up behaviour in healthcare professionals: a qualitative study

Objectives Despite training and the recognition that speaking up can mitigate harm to patients and save lives, healthcare professionals do not consistently speak up when they have patient safety concerns. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to and facilitators of speaking up about patient safety concerns to inform the development of interventions that will increase this behaviour. Design From October 2017 to February 2018, the study team conducted focus groups and interviews with nurses, advanced practice providers and physicians at three healthcare facilities. Participants were prompted to share their personal experiences with and perspectives on speaking up about patient safety concerns and to discuss strategies for communicating those concerns. Setting Tertiary academic healthcare centre. Participants 62 healthcare professionals participated in the study. Purposeful sampling was used to include participants of different health professions and experience levels. Main outcome measures We planned to answer questions about why more healthcare professionals do not consistently speak up when they have legitimate patient safety concerns and to identify ways to enhance current interventions on speaking up behaviours, Results Twelve focus group discussions and two interviews were conducted with 62 participants. We identified two recurring themes: (1) The predominantly hierarchical culture of medicine is a barrier to speaking up and (2) Institutional, interpersonal and individual factors can modulate the impact of medicine’s hierarchical culture on speaking up behaviours and inform the strategies employed. Conclusions The data highlighted the importance of moving beyond targeting front-line healthcare professionals for training in the skills of speaking up and engaging institutional leaders and systems to actively promote and reward speaking up behaviours.
Relationships between consultant discipline and specified tree diversity: A case study of two Iowa (USA) communities

Abstract Urban forests are valuable assets to a community from multiple perspectives. Diversifying urban forests is a common and important management goal to increase resilience in the face of biotic pests and diseases, climate change, and to increase ecosystem services. Multiple design and engineering consultants develop site plans and specify trees for public and private projects, and consultant disciplines differ in their training plant material selection and diversity. Publicly available site plans from Des Moines (79) and Iowa City, Iowa, USA (70) between 2015–2018 that passed planning and zoning review were analyzed to determine the associations between practitioner disciplinary training and the diversity of specified trees at site, city, and landscape scales. We found that consultant discipline was not related to the alpha diversity of a site until site size was greater than 2.42 ha, then civil engineers were associated with lower tree diversity than other consultants. Landscape architects completed a majority of the project plans (43 %), specified the most trees (62 %), and utilized the most diverse plant palette, including 30 species not used by other consultants. However, landscape architects also frequently specified clonally produced cultivars (62 % of all selections) which may limit genetic diversity at a landscape scale, thus potentially undermining diversification efforts by repeating genotypes. Findings from this study suggest that messages pertaining diversification efforts, plant selection, and reduction of genetic diversity resulting from cultivar specification are important for all consultants, but especially for landscape architects who were responsible for specifying a majority of trees and sites. This case study of two Iowa (USA) communities provides evidence of landscape-scale diversity outcomes associated with consultant discipline and the potential for use of public site plan documents to assess such relationships. Further research is needed to determine if these findings are generalizable to other municipalities or states.
Distress among undergraduates: Marginality, stressors and resilience resources.

This study addresses mental health concerns among university students, examining cumulative stress exposure as well as resilience resources. Participants: Participants were 253 first- and second-year undergraduate students (age = 18.76; 49.80% male, 69% students of color) enrolled at a large western US university. Methods: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional online survey examining marginalized statuses and multiple stressors alongside coping responses, adaptive self-concept, and social support as predictors of stress, anxiety, and depression. Results: Multivariate regressions demonstrated significant associations between stress exposures and lower levels of resilience resources with each mental health indicator (with substantial R2 of.49-.60). Although stressor exposures accounted for significant increases in mental health concerns, their exploratory power was attenuated by resilience resources (e.g., beta decreases from.25 to.16). Conclusions: Better understanding cumulative adversity/resilience resource profiles, particularly among marginalized students, can help universities in prioritizing institutional support responses toward prevention and mitigating psychological distress.
Intellectual Underpinnings for the Age of 'The New Imperialism': United States in the 19th Century

The parallel intellectual threads leading to American imperialism developed primarily from 19th Century ideas becoming interlinked and pervasive by the end of the century. These ideas were national exceptionalism, territorial expansionism, Manifest Destiny, and Social Darwinism.
Do Racial Differences in Coping Resources Explain the Black-White Paradox in Mental Health? A Test of Multiple Mechanisms.

A central paradox in the mental health literature is the tendency for black Americans to report similar or better mental health than white Americans despite experiencing greater stress exposure. Ho...
Ultra-large alignments using ensembles of hidden Markov models

Many biological questions rely upon multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) and phylogenetic trees of large datasets. However, accurate MSA estimation is difficult for large datasets, especially when the dataset evolved under high rates of evolution or contains fragmentary sequences.
Evaluation of Selective Media for Enumeration of Group D Streptococci in Bovine Feces

Eight commercially available selective media were evaluated by the membrane filter technique. Enterococcosel broth (BBL) consistently gave the best recovery of group D streptococci, particularly of Streptococcus bovis.
Lawyering Outside the Box: Confronting the Creativity Crisis

The Great Recession was not only a defining moment in world history and for the United States economy; it was also a turning point for the legal profession. The economic downturn resulted in a long-term structural adjustment in the legal services market that will adversely impact the legal profession permanently. Accordingly, lawyers need to be creative in adapting to the changing realities of law practice.Yet, despite the need for creative approaches to address the changing legal landscape, a disturbing phenomenon was recently identified; creativity in the United States is declining. Moreover, legal education and the legal practice impose barriers to the development of creative potential. This article argues that in light of the changes to the legal profession caused by the economic downturn, the legal practice — legal educators and practitioners alike — should strive to foster creativity so that lawyers can generate the novel, concrete solutions to the pressing issues facing the legal practice today.
Review article: Mid-urethral synthetic slings for female stress urinary incontinence.

• Mid-urethral synthetic slings (MUSS) have grown in acceptance and popularity to gain a foremost position in stress urinary incontinence (SUI) surgery. • There are numerous studies that provide a large amount of Level 1 and 2 evidence that support the concept of a sling placed at the level of the mid-urethra. • Long-term follow-up has been published for the original tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure with the most recent publication providing Level 2 evidence with mean follow-up of 11.5 years of 69/91 (77%) of patients from the original series. There was objective cure was in 90% of women and 77% considered themselves subjectively cured, based on the Patient Global Impression of Improvement. • Level 1 evidence with long-term follow-up has been provided comparing colposuspension to TVT at 2 and 5 years. At 5 years for the primary efficacy variable of a negative 1 h stress pad test, there was no difference in success (81% vs 90%). • Two recent meta-analyses provide Level 1 evidence comparing outcomes for retropubic vs transobturator MUSS. One included 18 studies, randomized and cohort: cohort studies had a 12.3% failure rate for transobturator and 13.7% failure for the retropubic approach, randomized studies showed 5.7% failure in the transobturator vs 7.8% in the retropubic group. The other meta-analysis included 11 studies published 2008–2009, which found that the short-term cure rate was borderline inferior for the transobturator tape group (odds ratio 0.62; 95% confidence interval 0.37–1.00), nearly reaching statistical significance (P= 0.05). • This review details further comparator evidence and evidence for use in specific patient groups (elderly, obese, intrinsic sphincter deficiency, mixed UI).
The IBM High-Level Synthesis System

The High-level IBM Synthesis system HIS is the result of ongoing efforts at the T.J. Watson Research Center, the Advanced Business Systems Division and IBM’s Electronic Design Systems. The main goal is to explore design automation for synchronous digital systems at levels above the logic level in a practical environment.
Quantitative Theory, Methodology and Technique

In hypothesis testing, the level of significance, α, often performs a screening as well as an evaluating function. Results which are not “significant” at some preset value of α are simply not reported. Unfortunately, this value of α is usually arbitrarily set at .05 or .01 and bears no relation to the needs of potential users of the study. This paper suggests an approach to making the selection of α more responsive to these potential applications.
Einfluß von Gitterdefekten und Katalysatoren auf Oberflächenreaktionen von Graphit-Einkristallen†

Die Oxydation des Graphit wird von vielen Metallen stark beschleunigt. Wenn man diese Reaktion an gespaltenen Graphitkristallen mit kolloiden Metallen katalysiert, dann kann man mit elektronenmikroskopischen Verfahren einen Einflus von Gitterdefekten erkennen. Auf defektfreien Kristalloberflachen sind die Kolloide katalytisch nur aktiv, wenn sie Gitterstufen oder Randflachen, an denen Netzebenen enden, beruhren. Selbst dann vermogen sie den Abbrand nur parallel zu den Netzebenen zu beschleunigen. Die Katalyse ist auf die Kontaktflache der Teilchen mit dem Graphit beschrankt. Mit Ausnahme vom Vanadin splittern die Teilchen auch nicht weiter auf. Gitterdefekte andern die katalytische Oxydation derart, das die Kolloidteilchen durch die Netzebenen in den Kristall eindringen und Krater bilden konnen. Diese Kraterbildung wird im Graphit, der mit Neutronen oder Elektronen bestrahlt war, durch einen Defekt je 107 Atome bewirkt und konnte mit groser Wahrscheinlichkeit auf die Gitterleerstellen zuruckgefuhrt werden. Durch Abschrecken unvorbehandelter Kristalle konnten nicht genugend viele Gitterdefekte fur diese Kraterbildung eingefroren werden. Bor konnte oberhalb von 2000 °C in das Gitter diffundieren, und verursachte Kraterbildung bei Konzentrationen von weniger als 5 · 10−7. Die Kraterbildung war fur den Defektnachweis weit empfindlicher als Messungen der Oxydationsgeschwindigkeit. The reaction of graphite and oxygen is accelerated by several metals. If one uses metal particles of colloidal size and graphite in the form of cleaved single crystals one can show by electron microscopy that lattice defects in the graphite are able to affect the reaction. Crystals which are free of defects are catalyzed by metal colloids only when these particles come in contact with lattice steps or edge atoms, i.e. with terminations of lattice planes. This type of catalysis accelerates the oxidative attack only in the directions which are parallel to the layer planes. Catalytic effects are confined to the interface between particle and graphite. With the exception of vanadium, the particles do not disintegrate or disperse. Lattice defects in the graphite crystal alter the catalytic reaction by facilitating the penetration through graphite layer planes and the formation of pits. This pitting can be induced by one defect in about 107 carbon atoms. In crystals irradiated with neutrons or electrons, the pit formation is very probably due to vacancies. Quenching of graphite does not introduce enough defects to promote this pit formation. Boron, diffused into the graphite lattice above 2000 °C, causes pitting at concentrations of less than 5 · 10−7 per atom. Pitting was found to be a much more sensitive method of detecting lattice defects than the measurement of reaction rates.
Does hard determinism render the problem of evil even harder

Hard determinism, in theological dress, holds that there is no human free will since God is the sufficient active cause of everything that happens in creation. It is surprising that, in the ever-growing literature on the problem of evil, very little attention has been paid to theodicies that adopt a hard determinist outlook. It is commonly assumed that without free will the theodical project is a non-starter. I challenge this long-held assumption by, firstly, developing a cumulative-style theodicy from within a hard determinist framework, and secondly, comparing the merits of such a theodicy with two libertarian rivals, specifically, Molinism and open theism. The hard determinist model of divine providence is, I argue, in no worse shape than the principal models developed by libertarians.
Propionate metabolism. II. Factors regulating adaptation of Escherichia coli to propionate.

Abstract Factors regulating adaptation of Escherichia coli to propionate have been examined. Evidence is presented that growth on propionate, in contrast to butyrate and valerate, involves adaptation rather than mutation-selection. The long lag preceding adaptation to this substrate is significantly reduced by the addition of limiting concentrations of C 4 acids to the medium. This C 4 acid effect is partially met by addition of HCO − 3 or vitamin B 12 to the medium, and suggests that this organism may possess a deficiency in the functioning of the propionyl-CoA carboxylase pathway. Evidence is presented that growth per se in the presence of propionate results in induction of enzymes which enable the cell to utilize propionate as the sole source of carbon. The metabolic pathway induced under such conditions appears to involve oxidation of propionate to acetate and CO 2 .
Total electron content (TEC) variability at Los Alamos, New Mexico: A comparative study: 2. Comparisons with other TEC sources

[1] In this study, the Fast On-Orbit Recording of Transient Events (FORTE) derived TEC variabilities on a diurnal cycle, seasonal cycle, 11-year solar cycle, and 27-day solar cycle are compared with the TEC estimates from the Los Alamos ionospheric transfer function implemented with the International Reference Ionosphere model, the GPS-derived TEC maps from NOAA, the GPS measurements made at Los Alamos, and the ionosonde critical frequency data at the closest station, Boulder, Colorado. The results show good agreement on average (monthly, annual, or multiyear means) in TEC variability at Los Alamos between the various data sources with relative RMS errors of about 5–10%. The results also show RMS errors larger than 30% for point-to-point comparisons, with the most significant errors found during high solar activity years, during summer seasons, and during strong geomagnetic storm conditions. This comparative study suggests that the FORTE-derived TECs combined with other TEC sources can help to better understand the TEC variability at Los Alamos in providing more accurate time-dependent site TECs than those derived from a single source or extrapolated from global model predictions.
Simultaneous Spatial and Functional Form Transformations

Technological advances such as the global positioning system (GPS) and low-cost, high-quality geographic information systems (GIS) have led to an explosion in the volume of large data sets with locational coordinates for each observation. For example, the Census provides large amounts of data for over 250,000 locations in the US (block groups). Moreover, geographic information systems can often provide approximate locational coordinates for street addresses (geocoding). Given the volume of business information, which contains a street address field, this allows the creation of extremely large spatial data sets. Such data, as well as other types of spatial data, often exhibit spatial dependence and thus require spatial statistical methods for efficient estimation, valid inference, and optimal prediction.
Stability of Dissipation Elements: A Case Study in Combustion

Recently, dissipation elements have been gaining popularity as a mechanism for measurement of fundamental properties of turbulent flow, such as turbulence length scales and zonal partitioning. Dissipation elements segment a domain according to the source and destination of streamlines in the gradient flow field of a scalar function f: M → R. They have traditionally been computed by numerically integrating streamlines from the center of each voxel in the positive and negative gradient directions, and grouping those voxels whose streamlines terminate at the same extremal pair. We show that the same structures map well to combinatorial topology concepts developed recently in the visualization community. Namely, dissipation elements correspond to sets of cells of the Morse-Smale complex. The topology-based formulation enables a more exploratory analysis of the nature of dissipation elements, in particular, in understanding their stability with respect to small scale variations. We present two examples from combustion science that raise significant questions about the role of small scale perturbation and indeed the definition of dissipation elements themselves.
Conversion of unresectable to resectable liver cancer: an approach and follow-up study

In the last decade, significant improvement has been achieved in the treatment of hepatocellular cancer by combining therapies from different disciplines, and using effective biologic response modifiers to improve response to existing therapy. While operative resection remains the only curative modality, a select group of patients with unresectable fibrolamellar or nodular variant, can be converted from unresectable status to resectable by combining chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We reviewed the recent experience with intra-arterial chemotherapies and use of external beam radiotherapy and isotopic immunoglobulin-directed radiotherapy in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular cancer. While significant tumor response can be achieved with these therapies they are short-lived, and long-term survival is poor. When combined with operative resection, however, a significant survival advantage is achieved. The expected survival of the unresectable patient is then altered from 18 to 24 months for chemotherapy or radiation alone, or when used in combination, to 44 months for patients converted to resectable status. We conclude that the need for more effective chemotherapy is imperative, and the major role for chemotherapy or radiotherapy in hepatocellular cancer is to convert an unresectable patient to resectable status.
Eccentricity dependence of contrast matching and oblique masking

Recently a model of spatial vision was derived by fitting foveal masking data. This model is composed of a small number of medium bandwidth mechanisms, each composed of a spatial filter followed by a compressive nonlinearity. The present study incorporates eccentricity variation into this model by scaling the peak frequency (but not the shape) of the spatial filters with eccentricity. Predictions of this scaled model were compared with both oblique masking data and contrast matching data gathered at peripheral locations and were found to produce good fits. Therefore, the mode of analysis that was used for foveal masking data is also applicable peripherally once the scaling factor is applied.
Complex scalar fields in one dimension with fourfold phase anisotropy: Solitary-wave solutions

We present solitary-wave solutions to a set of coupled nonlinear wave equations resulting from a model Lagrangian for a complex scalar (two-component) field in one space and one time dimension in the presence of fourfold phase anisotropy in the potential-energy density. We find two classes of solutions which correspond to 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} phase rotation, respectively. The 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} solution is found to bifurcate into two 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} solutions as the anisotropy magnitude is decreased past a special value. These results have application to commensurability-pinned one-dimensional charge-density-wave condensates and anisotropic ferromagnetic domain walls.
Sequencing jobs on a non-Markovian machine with random disruptions

This article considers the problem of sequencing a fixed number of jobs on a single machine subject to random disruptions. If the machine is interrupted in the course of performing a job, it has to restart the job from the beginning. It is assumed that the disruptions arrive according to a renewal process with inter-arrival times that are finite or continuous mixtures of independent exponential distributions, a class of distributions that contains Decreasing Failure Rate (DFR) Weibull, Pareto, and DFR gamma. The machine is non-Markovian in the sense that the expected completion time of a job on a machine depends partly on the history of the machine. It is shown that the shortest processing time first rule minimizes in expectation the total processing time of a batch of jobs, as well as the total waiting time of all of the jobs in the batch. These appear to be the first results in the literature for optimally sequencing an arbitrary number of jobs on a machine with a non-memoryless uptime distribution.
Knowledge and Behaviors of Physicians and Caregivers About Appropriate Child Passenger Restraint Use

The object of this research was to ascertain caregivers’ and physicians’ knowledge, behaviors, and comfort levels regarding child passenger safety restraint transitions with belt positioning booster seats (BPB). A targeted survey of physicians caring for 4–8 year olds plus convenience sampling surveys of caregivers across an urban community was conducted. Data revealed 42% of physicians and 47% of caregivers did not know that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in children in this age group. Only 34% of caregivers consistently placed children in booster seats; 48% reported receiving physician information about proper restraint; 67% reported wanting to learn about proper restraint; and 36% wanted such information from physicians. Caregivers who recalled physician questions about restraints were three times more likely than others to use booster seats correctly. 70% of physicians reported asking about child restraint in vehicles in this age group. However, only 48% were very comfortable with knowing when to recommend booster seats, 43% reported having received no training in child passenger safety, and only 37% knew where to refer caregivers for more information. Physicians need more information about appropriate child passenger safety restraints as children grow and ways to deliver and reinforce the message so that it is retained to improve community health. Caregivers indicate willingness to learn, but providers miss many opportunities to teach.
Emotional memory function, personality structure and psychopathology : A neural system approach to the identification of vulnerability markers

It is well established that emotional events are ingrained stronger into memory relative to neutral events. Facilitated emotional memory is highly variable between individuals within the normal population and is particularly exacerbated in those diagnosed with mood and anxiety disorders. In order to elucidate how variation of enhanced emotional memory within the normal population may manifest into psychopathological states, we explored the convergence between studies investigating the neural systems engaged in emotional memory facilitation and studies investigating how these systems differ from person to person. Converging evidence highlights the roles of three neural systems (1. Amygdala function and attention, 2. Neuroendocrine function, 3. Interactive effects with mood) that all govern emotional memory facilitation and are highly variable between individuals as a function of personality. We applied this neural system approach to models of vulnerability of three forms of psychopathology that are particularly characterized by atypical emotional memory function (depression, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder). This application suggests that the incorporation of known vulnerability markers across psychological, neuroimaging and neuroendocrinological domains is cardinal to how susceptibility is conceptualized and assessed in these disorders.