cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The animal mind and conservation of species: Knowing what animals know

HUMANKIND’S interest in the mental life of other animals is obviously prehistoric, although for almost all of r ecorded human history the interest has been practical, co ncerned chiefly with domestication for human needs or avoidance or elimination of speci es considered dangerous. Stories of interactions, including transmutations with nonhuman animals, abound in religious texts, as do the use of animals as symbols of human traits. Human beings routinely project on animals their own characteristics and values, both in literature and everyday speech, a fact that makes difficult meaningful analysis and human understanding of the animal mind. Although it is intuitive that conservation of species r equires knowledge of the behavior, and therefore the pe rceptions and thought-processing of the species, there is a perceived scientific gap between the two – between conservation and the study of animal behavior. In this intr oductory essay, I suggest that the reason is a diffe rence in goals, therefore in methodologies , but more generally, in a longstanding and tacit difference in viewpoint as to how we human beings conceive of animal life. Analysis is made difficult by the inexact and often shif ting definitions and understanding of terms. For e xample, some consider ‘mind’ to be a metaphysical construct, one that is a trap for the scientist: the measurable behavior is what must be measured if scientific reliability and vali dity are sought. For others, the idea of a mind contains est imates of its functions, its cognitive capacities, in, for e xample, decision-making, sense of quantity, and use of something akin to language. For the purposes of this essay, I accept the possibility that through observable and verifiable b ehavior, the concept of mind is a heuristic, a lthough it would not be wise to posit its stru cture without eventual neurological correlation. We do not yet know how or in what ways the human and nonhuman mind differ; however, we may experimentally determine the capacities of either. The differences between ethology and comparative psychology are explained in the text that fo llows, but both are subsumed under the more general term ‘animal behavior’ or ‘behavioral biology’. In like fashion, it is re cognized that species conservation is the interest of many, ranging from academic specialists in zoology to hikers. In this e ssay, however, I have in ‘mind’ when speaking of ‘conse rvation biology’ the notions of those who specialize in wildlife management, ecology, and population dynamics. Until the recent past, ‘understanding’ animal behavior was a matter of cataloging and describing, what Aristotle 1 among others thought to be the primary but lowest form of scientific analysis. Linnaeus’s system 2 of nomenclature offered, a millennium and a half later, an opportunity to classify animal forms in ways that revealed relatio nships among them, a method that made it possible for Darwin 3 and others to articulate an understanding of how
State of the Art: Machine Learning Applications in Glioma Imaging.

OBJECTIVE. Machine learning has recently gained considerable attention because of promising results for a wide range of radiology applications. Here we review recent work using machine learning in ...
Social security trust fund (SSTF), the government fiscal use of the SSTF, and intergenerational equity

In this dissertation we pay particular attention to changing share of unfunded and fully funded SS systems and to the alternative government fiscal policies regarding the use of the social security trust fund (SSTF) in order to investigate the resulting economic and intergenerational equity consequences. To carry out this investigation, we develop a computational two periods lived overlapping generations model with production in which a wide range of possible SS arrangements and possible government fiscal uses of the SSTF are incorporated in parameterized form. The parameterization of the SS system permits the comparative dynamic study of a family of SS systems;Several important results are discovered during the course of our simulations. First, the particular type of SS arrangement and the government use of the SSTF may not be particularly important when some conditions are satisfied. The chief reasoning for this is that agents do not distinguish between types of SS arrangement and the government fiscal polices as long as their lifetime utilities remain unchanged;Second, SS actuarial status is not an ineffective measure of intergenerational equity although it is one standard measure used in the analysis of SS systems. The reason for this is that, although SS actuarial status may affect lifetime utility, it is not the sole factor that does so;Third, contrary to the general belief that one of the major underlying motivations behind the transformation of SS system is a wide range of demographic changes, having a particular population structure does not necessarily make one type of SS system preferable to other types of SS system. For instance, more funding for a SS system is justified given either a decreased labor share or an increased consumption time preference but not necessarily given a decreased population growth rate.
Bat City: Becoming with Bats in the Austin Music Scene

In the 1990s, Bruno Latour contested the idea that modern societies are defined by their separation from the natural world. In this essay, I offer a case study from Austin, TX, examining how human-bat relationships have blurred the lines between the natural and the cultural in a process that I term “becoming with,” following Donna Haraway. I begin by discussing negative stereotypes about bats drawn from both colonial history and anti- immigrant narratives. I then explore the development of Austin into the “Bat City,” a process which radically revised these colonial preconceptions. Finally, I explore a musical case study that exemplifies Austin's relationship to its local bat colony: horror-surf band the Bat City Surfers, who describe themselves as evolutionary descendants of bats.
Technology in Education

In 1913, Thomas Edison predicted that every branch of knowledge would be taught using motion pictures portending the demise of books [1]. Although film is a powerful media often leveraged in the classroom, books remain the instructional foundation for education. With the current proliferation of information technology in classroom, the utility of books, teachers and the classroom itself are now being questioned. However, like the advent of motion pictures, the supplanting of teachers and classrooms by information technology is overdone [2, 3]. Notwithstanding, advances in information technology are having a profound effect on education. As a literacy tool, information technology facilitates acquisition of content knowledge adjusting difficulty to predetermined performance metrics. This frees the educator to engage individual learners to bring about creative achievements as they discover the part/whole possibilities of the acquired content knowledge.
More opioids, more constipation? Evaluation of longitudinal total oral opioid consumption and self-reported constipation in patients with cancer.

Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a distressing physical symptom for patients with cancer taking opioids. Total opioid consumption may contribute to developing worsening OIC-related symptoms. We completed a retrospective analysis examining the association of total daily opioid consumption on self-reported constipation in patients with cancer. In over 5 clinic visits, we collected self-reported constipation scores and 24-h oral morphine equivalents (OME). We examined the association between OME and the presence of constipation (i.e., score > 3) and the relationship of OME between patients with or without constipation. Of 297 patients with cancer, we observed 57.8% with constipation and 42.4% without constipation at the first clinic visit. Age was similar in both groups (54.2 ± 14.5 vs. 56.4 ± 14.8 years [mean ± SD]) and the majority of patients were women (63.7% vs. 61.1%). The most common cancer type in patients with constipation was non-colorectal gastrointestinal (n = 25, 14.6%), while in patients without constipation was colorectal gastrointestinal (n = 25; 19.8%). Across visits, we observed weak or no association between OME and self-reported constipation (r = 0.01–0.27). At the first visit, higher mean OME was seen in patients who self-reported constipation (133.4 vs 76; p < 0.05). Age, sex, metastatic disease, and stimulant laxative use were not associated with constipation. We observed weak to no association between OME and constipation in patients with cancer. These results suggest a lack of a clear association between total opioid consumption and self-reported constipation.
Time-Varying Outcomes Associated With Maternal Age at First Birth

The operational definition of early motherhood remains equivocal across the literature. In response to the tendency of using age at first birth as a categorical predictor in previous research, the time-varying relationship between maternal age at first birth and socioeconomic and parenting/home outcomes was examined using longitudinal data. Time-varying effect models were employed to examine educational attainment, home/parenting quality scores, and annual income as a function of age at first birth, controlling for race/ethnicity and presence of the father in the household during child ages 6–9. Peak scores for outcomes were observed around maternal age 30 in all three models. Parenting/home quality improved with maternal age at first birth until mothers reached the late 20’s, when scores appeared to level out. Highest grade completed increased until just after age 30. Total annual income increased considerably until about age 30 then leveled out, although the plateau may be due to reduced sample size at the most advanced maternal ages. Father presence in the household and race/ethnicity were associated with all three outcomes. Overall, later maternal age at first birth was associated with incrementally increasing parenting/home quality, greater educational attainment, and higher annual income. The results highlight the loss of information when utilizing categorical age groups to predict outcomes and suggest that optimal socioeconomic and parenting outcomes increase with age, leveling out around age 30. Researchers should consider curvilinear patterns of outcomes related to maternal age at first birth rather than rely on categorical comparisons of age groups.
Characteristics of hospitalized dermatomyositis patients with underlying malignancy: a nationally representative retrospective cohort study.

Little is known regarding characteristics of hospitalized dermatomyositis (DM) patients. Understanding the unique characteristics of hospitalized DM patients with underlying malignancy is important in guiding development of specific work-up and treatment algorithms. We aim to characterize the inpatient burden of DM patients with malignancy (DM malignancy), determine unique characteristics of DM-malignancy inpatients, and assess trends and predictors of cost of care and length of stay for hospitalized DM-malignancy patients. Hospitalized DM patients with and without malignancy were characterized and compared using 2009–2015 National Inpatient Sample. Associated malignancies, risk factors for malignancy, and trends/predictors for cost of care and length of stay were evaluated using multivariable models. Prevalence of malignancies among hospitalized DM inpatients was 10.9%. Age > 40 years and female sex were significantly associated with increased malignancy risk in DM inpatients. Numerous malignancies were significantly more common in men with DM compared to women, including bronchial, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, head/neck, bladder, esophageal, kidney, and stomach. The most common malignancies in women with DM were breast and ovarian. Head/neck carcinomas were more common in hospitalized DM patients than previous cohorts evaluating outpatients. Socioeconomic characteristics differed between DM patients with/without malignancy. The presence of underlying malignancy did not affect hospitalization cost, length of stay, or mortality in the hospitalized DM population. The economic burden of hospitalized DM patients is increasing over time. DM inpatients with malignancy display numerous differences compared to DM inpatients without malignancy. Further research characterizing hospitalized DM patients is warranted in order to optimize work-up and treatment guidelines for these patients.
The Surprising Viability of a Simple Alternate Estimation Procedure for the Construction of Large-Scale Structural Equation Measurement Models

As part of developing a comprehensive strategy for structural equation model building and assessment, a large‐scale Monte Carlo study of 7,200 covariance matrices sampled from 36 population models was conducted. This study compared maximum likelihood with the much simpler centroid method for the confirmatory factor analysis of multiple‐indicator measurement models. Surprisingly, the contribution of maximum likelihood to model analysis is limited to formal evaluation of the model. No statistically discernible differences were obtained for the bias, standard errors, or mean squared error (MSE) of the estimated factor correlations, and empirically obtained maximum likelihood standard errors for the pattern coefficients were only slightly smaller than their centroid counterparts. Further supporting the recommendations of Anderson and Gerbing (1982), the considerably faster centroid method may have a useful role in the analysis of these models, particularly for the analysis of large models with 50 or more input variables. These results encourage the further development of a comprehensive research paradigm that exploits the relative strengths of both centroid and maximum likelihood as complementary estimation procedures along an integrated exploratory‐confirmatory continuum of model specification, revision, and formal evaluation.
Uptake of evidence by physicians: De-adoption of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents after the TREAT trial.

BACKGROUND Variation in de-adoption of ineffective or unsafe treatments is not well-understood. We examined de-adoption of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) in anemia treatment among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) following new clinical evidence of harm and ineffectiveness (the TREAT trial) and the FDA's revision of its safety warning. METHOD We used a segmented regression approach to estimate changes in use of epoetin alfa (EPO) and darbepoetin alfa (DPO) in the commercial, Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) populations. We also examined how changes in both trends and levels of use were associated with physicians' characteristics. RESULTS Use of DPO and EPO declined over the study period. There were no consistent changes in DPO trend across insurance groups, but the level of DPO use decreased right after the FDA revision in all groups. The decline in EPO use trend was faster after the TREAT trial for all groups. Nephrologists were largely more responsive to evidence than primary care physicians. Differences by physician's gender, and age were not consistent across insurance populations and types of ESA. CONCLUSIONS Physician specialty has a dominant role in prescribing decision, and that specializations with higher use of treatment (nephrologists) were more responsive to new evidence of unsafety and ineffectiveness.
Reliabilities of intra-individual mean and intra-individual variability of self-reported pain derived from ecological momentary assessments: Results from the Einstein Aging Study.

An individual's pain experiences vary substantially over time. Though variability in pain may be an important metric which usually predicts health consequences, research on the measurement of pain variability estimates is lacking among older adults. We aimed to examine the reliabilities of both intra-individual mean (IIM) and intra-individual variability (IIV) of pain assessed using ecological momentary assessments (EMA) among racially diverse, systematically recruited community dwelling cohort of older adults. Participants (N=311, age=70-91) completed a 14-day EMA protocol which included self-reports of pain intensity, pain interference with activities, and pain interference with concentration multiple times a day. Over a 2-week period, we found excellent reliabilities for both pain IIM (.99) and pain IIV (≥.90). We also found that we need 5 to 6 days to achieve good reliability (0.8) for pain IIV, suggesting that a shorter protocol may be used to reduce participants' burden among the current sample, although caution is required when using this result to determine EMA study designs among different samples. Future studies are required to examine the associations of various EMA pain metrics with different health outcomes among older adults to facilitate the detection of underlying mechanisms linking pain to health as a prelude to interventions. Perspective: Mean levels and variability in pain intensity, pain interference with activities, and pain interference with concentration can be reliably measured and linked with various health outcomes in older adults. Future studies including these pain metrics will assess the natural history, the consequences, and effects of intervention of pain.
Surface Studies with the Vacuum Microbalance: Instrumentation and Low-Temperature Applications

Publisher Summary Many metals—for example, in high vacuum or in controlled atmospheres at high or low temperatures show unique surface properties, which can be advantageously extrapolated to more moderate conditions of temperature and pressure. This chapter discusses the advances in the application of vacuum microgravimetry to the study of surfaces of solids. Application of microgravimetry to the measurement of physical properties is traditional. Any physical or chemical variation in a system attended by a change in the mechanical moment associated with a given phase or component is susceptible to precise microgravimetric measurement. The measurement of liquid surface tension by the DeNouy method, magnetic susceptibilities by the Gouy balance, of vapor pressures, and of gas densities by buoyancy balances, and microanalysis, are a few examples of the many classical uses of applied precision microgravimetry. In future advances of surface chemistry, precision vacuum microgravimetry can play a significant part by contributing in understanding of surface phenomena.
Modulation of atherosclerosis, blood pressure and arterial elasticity by statins

It is well known that dyslipidemia and hypertension frequently coexist. There is increasing recognition of a mutually facilitative interaction between dyslipidemia and renin- angiotensin system (RAS
Salespeople's affect toward customers: Why should it be important for retailers?

Abstract The influence of salespeople's characteristics on their performance has been an area of extensive research interest. This article examines a potentially important area — the influence of salespeople's affect toward customers on their performance. Previous research has suggested that if customers perceive salespeople to have a positive affect toward their customers, message processing and persuasion are enhanced [Sharma (1999).]. This research empirically establishes a positive relationship between retail salespeople's affect toward customers and their sales performance. Additionally, to aid in the selection of retail salespeople, this research examines the relationship between salespeople's individual characteristics and their affect toward customers. Managerial implications of the research are suggested and directions for future research proposed.
PROPELLER-INDUCED VELOCITY FIELD BY MEANS OF UNSTEADY LIFTING SURFACE THEORY

Abstract : An analysis based on lifting surface theory has been developed for evaluation of the vibratory velocity field induced by an operating marine propeller in both uniform and nonuniform inflow fields. The analysis demonstrates how in the case of nonuniform flow the velocity at any field point is made up of a large number of combinations of the frequency constituents of the loading function with those of the space function. A numerical procedure has been developed adaptable to a high-speed digital computer and the existing program, which evaluates the steady and unsteady propeller loadings, the resulting hydrodynamic forces and moments and the pressure field, has been extended to include evaluation of the velocity field as well. The program could become a versatile and useful tool for the ship researcher or designer.
Problems in Rectangular Coördinates

The Cartesian coordinate system (x, y) is clearly particularly suited to the problem of determining the stresses in a rectangular body whose boundaries are defined by equations of the form x = a, y = b. A wide range of such problems can be treated using stress functions which are polynomials in x, y. In particular, polynomial solutions can be obtained for ‘Mechanics of Materials’ type beam problems in which a rectangular bar is bent by an end load or by a distributed load on one or both faces.
MAIZE ROOT MORPHOLOGY AND NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY- A REVIEW

The increased population pressure has led to the maximum use of chemical fertilizers especially in the major crops such as rice, wheat and maize production. In the United States, excess application of nitrate-nitrogen in maize cultivation is becoming a major issue because of increased ground water contamination. The nitrogen used by the maize plant is very low; often most of the applied nitrogen is lost through leaching. Root traits, amount of nitrogen present in the soil, soil pH, competition for available nitrogen between the weed and crop plant are challenges in improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in maize breeding program. Effective root system is important in breeding maize for NUE as it is the root system that takes up nutrients from the soil and can help prevent leaching of nitrogen. The trait – NUE often becomes a limiting factor due to low frequency of NUE alleles in maize. Identifying genotypes with efficient root system and improved NUE for developing suitable hybrids would reduce yield loss in maize. It will also have positive effect on the environment by lowering down the excessive nitrogenous fertilizer application.
Hypoxic and Anoxic Induction of Alcohol Dehydrogenase in Roots and Shoots of Seedlings of Zea mays (Adh Transcripts and Enzyme Activity)

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is one of a number of enzymes of glycolysis and fermentation known to be synthesized preferentially under low O2 conditions. We examined levels of Adh1 transcripts and of ADH activity in 5-mm root tips, root axes (the remainder of the seminal root), and shoots of maize (Zea mays L. cv TX 5855) seedlings. Seedlings with roots averaging about 60-mm long were transferred from fully aerobic conditions (solutions sparged with 40% [v/v] O2) to anaerobic (O2-free) conditions, or to an intermediate O2 concentration. There was no prior acclimation to low O2. In root tips, anoxia induced Adh1 transcripts and enzyme activity at 6 h, but this was followed by a rapid decline so that at 12 to 18 h neither were detectable and the root tips were dead. In contrast, higher levels of Adh1 transcripts and enzyme activity were maintained for at least 48 h in root axes and shoots. When induction at 6 h was measured over a wide range of O2 concentrations, a peak in ADH activity occurred in all tissues at 4% (v/v) O2. Maximum levels of transcripts, however, were in the range of 0 to 4% O2, depending on the tissue. The time course of hypoxic induction (at 4% O2) in root tips showed a peak in transcript levels at 6 h, whereas ADH activity continued to rise throughout the 24-h experiment. These results show that in root tips, ADH induction by anoxia was small and transient relative to induction by hypoxia.
A refined neuronal population measure of visual attention

Neurophysiological studies of cognitive mechanisms such as visual attention typically ignore trial-by-trial variability and instead report mean differences averaged across many trials. Advances in electrophysiology allow for the simultaneous recording of small populations of neurons, which may obviate the need for averaging activity over trials. We recently introduced a method called the attention axis that uses multi-electrode recordings to provide estimates of attentional state of behaving monkeys on individual trials. Here, we refine this method to eliminate problems that can cause bias in estimates of attentional state in certain scenarios. We demonstrate the sources of these problems using simulations and propose an amendment to the previous formulation that provides superior performance in trial-by-trial assessments of attentional state.
Functional reorganization in chinchilla inferior colliculus associated with chronic and acute cochlear damage

This paper describes some of the unexpected functional changes that occur in the inferior colliculus (IC) following noise- and drug-induced cochlear pathology. A striking example of this is the compensation that is seen in IC responsiveness after drug-induced selective inner hair cell (IHC) loss. Despite a massive reduction in the compound action potential (CAP) caused by partial IHC loss, the evoked potential amplitude from the IC shows little or no reduction. Acoustic trauma, which impairs cochlear sensitivity and tuning, also reduces the CAP amplitude. Despite this reduced neural input, IC amplitude sometimes increases at a faster than normal rate and the response amplitude is enhanced at frequencies below the hearing loss. Single unit recordings suggest the IC enhancement phenomenon may be due to the loss of lateral inhibition. After an acute traumatizing exposure to a tone located above the characteristic frequency (CF), approximately 50% of IC neurons show a significant increase in their spike rate, a significant expansion of the low frequency tail of the tuning curve and a significant improvement in sensitivity in the tail of the tuning curve. These changes suggest that IC neurons receive inhibition from a high frequency side band and that this inhibition is diminished by acoustic trauma above CF. To determine if side band inhibition was locally mediated, specific antagonist(s) to inhibitory neurotransmitters were applied and found to produce effects similar to acoustic trauma. The results suggest that lesioned-induced central auditory plasticity could contribute to several symptoms associated with sensorineural hearing loss such as loudness recruitment, tinnitus and poor speech discrimination in noise.
Impact of laminitis on the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in basal epithelial cells of the equine digital laminae.

The digital laminae is a two layer tissue that attaches the distal phalanx to the inner hoof wall, thus suspending the horse's axial skeleton in the hoof capsule. This tissue fails at the epidermal:dermal junction in laminitic horses, causing crippling disease. Basal epithelial cells line the laminar epidermal:dermal junction, undergo physiological change in laminitic horses, and lose versican gene expression. Versican gene expression is purportedly under control of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and is a trigger for mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition; thus, its repression in laminar epithelial cells of laminitic horses may be associated with suppression of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and loss of the epithelial cell phenotype. In support of the former contention, we show, using laminae from healthy horses and horses with carbohydrate overload-induced laminitis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting after sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and immunofluorescent tissue staining, that positive and negative regulatory components of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway are expressed in laminar basal epithelial cells of healthy horses. Furthermore, expression of positive regulators is suppressed and negative regulators elevated in laminae of laminitic compared to healthy horses. We also show that versican gene expression in the epithelial cells correlates positively with that of β-catenin and T-cell Factor 4, consistent with regulation by the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. In addition, gene and protein expression of β-catenin correlates positively with that of integrin β4 and both are strongly suppressed in laminar basal epithelial cells of laminitic horses, which remain E-cadherin+/vimentin−, excluding mesenchymal transition as contributing to loss of the adherens junction and hemidesmosome components. We propose that suppression of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, and accompanying reduced expression of β catenin and integrin β4 in laminar basal epithelial cells reduces cell:cell and cell:basement membrane attachment, thus, destabilizing the laminar epidermal:dermal junction.
Selection and Cataloging for an Automated Retrieval Collection: Viewpoint of a Cataloger.

In the summer of 2004, Georgia Southern University began a library construction project that was to last 4 years. An important aspect was the installation of an Automated Retrieval System (ARC) to house a substantial portion of the library collections so that more space could be available for students, faculty, and the services to meet their needs. This paper traces the development of the use of the ARC to house collections, with emphasis on how materials were selected for the two phases of the project and how catalogers have adapted to the idea of collections that can only be browsed virtually.
Public and private employment over the business cycle: A ratchet theory of government growth

Previous researchers have attempted to explain the growth in the size of government over time. Some have observed a “ratchet” effect and have attributed these observed jumps in the relative size of government to ideological shifts in response to severe crises. We explain these observed ratchets as the consequence of asymmetries in the response of government employment to the business cycle. A public-choice oriented model of the employment response to the cycle is developed and applied to state and local government employment data. The data confirm the presence of ratchet effects that correspond to the business cycle. Moreover, virtually all of the growth in the ratio of state and local government employment to private employment has occurred during recessions.
Solubility and thermodynamic properties of Li2O in LiF-CaF2 melts

Solubility of Li2O in LiF-CaF2 melts was studied as a function of temperature, and it was found to increase from 10.6 wt pct at 1058 K to 14.8 wt pct at 1133 K. The liquidus temperature of 4LiF • CaF2 + Li2O (saturated) melt was determined to be 1004.5 ± 2.5 K. Activity of Li2O in the melt was determined as a function of temperature using conventional and Temkin ap-proaches. The partial molar Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy of formation were deduced at the given temperature and composition range studied. The results showed that the system ex-hibits a negative deviation from Temkin's ideality.
Comparisons of thick and thin target methods for obtaining x-ray production cross sections for fast ion impact

Abstract Comparisons of X-ray production cross sections obtained from thick and thin target measurements for α-particle and neon ion impact show reliable cross sections may be obtained for K and L X-rays for α-particle bombardment by using thick target techniques. Because of large self-absorption corrections, M X-ray cross sections have large uncertainties. Similar comparisons for neon ion impact show significant differences between thick and thin target measurements.
Stories and Silences: Disclosures and Self in Chronic Illness

The renewed attention to research participants’ stories and researchers’ ways of telling them has advanced our thinking about narratives but neglected the significance of silences. This article add...
Selected pediatric viral infections

Viral infections of the central nervous system in infants and children are uncommon but potentially serlous illnesses. Common causes have included the enteroviruses (particularly polloviruses and coxsackieviruses), herpes viruses (type 1 and type 2 herpes simplex, varicella, and cytomegalovirus), arboviruses, rubella, mumps, measies (including subacute sclerosing panencephalitls), and human immunodeficiency virus. Several of these viruses, such as cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex, and vertically transmitted human immunodeficiency virus, may cause congenital infections. Others are acquired later in childhood. In recent years, immunization programs have significantly reduced the occurrence of some of these diseases. A brief survey of the clinical and pathological manifestations of these illnesses will be discussed along with current incidence data.
Form class and children's word associations

Word associations of young children (kindergarten, first-grade, third-grade, and fifth-grade) show a pattern of development from unrelated, to syntagmatic, to paradigmatic over this age range, but the shifts may depend more on the specific words sampled than on age per se. Changes are related to form class of the stimulus word, verbs and adverbs developing more slowly than other classes. Frequency of the stimulus appears to have little influence, perhaps because of the restricted range of frequency that it was possible to use.
Role of Clinical Faculty During Simulation in National Simulation Study

Abstract The National Council State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) conducted a landmark, longitudinal study of simulation use in prelicensure nursing programs. It was apparent at the onset of the study that clinical faculty members needed to understand how their role differed when their clinical students had simulated clinical days versus when they were in the traditional clinical setting. Establishing clear responsibilities was imperative so the students were not confused about the differing roles between the study team and the clinical faculty members. In addition, clinical faculty members observed other faculty and simulation study team members during the entire simulation process. Through the role modeling opportunity, faculty members learned first-hand about their role and responsibilities in the simulation setting. In addition, faculty had designated simulation study team members available for specific questions. The education, role modeling, and ongoing support process solidified the responsibilities of the clinical faculty in the simulation setting and provided consistency of expectations and roles of clinical faculty versus simulation study team which enhanced student understanding and satisfaction with the learning environment.
Vacuum-Ultraviolet Photodecomposition of Stannane

The 147-nm photolysis of SnH4 results in the formation of H2, Sn(s), and a very small amount of Sn2H6. The quantum yields decrease with increasing partial pressure of SnH4, at 0.2 Torr being Φ(−SnH4) = 5.6 ± 0.3, Φ(H2) = 11.4 ± 0.6, and Φ(Sn2H6) = 0.059 ± 0.02. A mechanism is proposed that is shown to be internally consistent and in agreement with the experimental facts.
Gene Patents: A Broken Incentives System

The proliferation of patents on human genes has raised important ethical questions centered on the conflict of patient rights and intellectual property rights. With the Supreme Court’s June 2013 decision that altered the patent eligibility of genetic material, it is important to reexamine the ethical implications of gene patents as a concept. Such patents suggest an ownership of genetic material that may hinder access to healthcare and inhibit medical progress. The application of the current patent system to genetic material thus violates patients’ rights without fulfilling the system’s goal of promoting innovation, suggesting a need for a revised incentives infrastructure.
The Taser weapon: a new emergency medicine problem.

The Taser ® is an electrical law enforcement and self-defense weapon that is being used with increasing frequency. The weapon is described and its effects and ballistic and electrical considerations are reviewed. Clinical aspects of Taser ® injury, including weapon-fired barb injury, barb removal methods, injury secondary to electrical current, ventricular fibrillation, possible interactions with implanted pacemakers, and injuries secondary to weapon-induced falls, are discussed. Taser ® injuries are a new and increasingly frequent emergency medicine problem.
German-American Bilingualism: Cui Malo? Mother Tongue and Socioeconomic Status among the Second Generation in 1940.

Walter D. Kamphoefner Texas A & M University This study utilizes language data from the 1940 Census Public Use Sample to measure the socioeconomic impact of foreign mother tongue by comparing second-generation Germans who grew up speaking German and English respectively. The most striking contrast between the two groups was the much higher proportion of German speakers in the farm population. While Germanophones showed slightly lower levels of income, this was balanced by greater social stability. In fact, German speakers showed higher levels of homeownership and self-em? ployment. As a whole, the disadvantages of a foreign mother tongue proved to be relatively minor, indeed negligible for this group. The contemporary debate on bilingualism is often carried on largely oblivious to the historical record, or with a very skewed perspective on it. Comparisons between "old" and "new" immigrants have a long history in American public policy, with the "new" almost always coming out on the short end. For one thing, the factor of time and its effect on language acquisition and acculturation is usually ignored, putting recent immigrants at an obvious disadvantage (Higham, 1955; Handlin, 1957). Worse yet, new immigrants are often held up to the standard of an idealized version of the immigrant experience of the past that never existed in fact. Even a "model minority" such as German immigrants looked much more desirable in retrospect than they did at their time of arrival. For example, Germans made up a higher proportion of Milwaukee's population on the eve of the Civil War than Cubans do in contemporary Miami, and they were nearly as highly segregated (Conzen, 1976; Massey and Denton, 1989). Two arguments one hears most frequently from today's opponents of bilingualism are that "our ancestors had to learn English right away," and that "no public funds were ever expended in support of any immigrant languages in the past." To refute the first contention, one need only to look at the foreign language press: its total circulation reached as high as 10 million in 1920, enough to supply one copy for every two immigrants, or including the second generation, one for every five Americans of foreign stock. In 1892, roughly 800 periodicals were published in the German language alone, including nearly 100 daily newspapers (Park, 1922; Wittke, 1957). Consider also the multitude of foreign-language parochial schools established by Lutherans as well as Catholics, who in the 1890s bitterly
Early cardiac catheterization is associated with improved survival in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest without STEMI

Abstract Aim To determine if early cardiac catheterization (CC) is associated with improved survival in comatose patients who are resuscitated after cardiac arrest when electrocardiographic evidence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is absent. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study of a prospective cohort of 754 consecutive comatose patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) following cardiac arrest. Results A total of 269 (35.7%) patients had cardiac arrest due to a ventricular arrhythmia without STEMI and were treated with TH. Of these, 122 (45.4%) received CC while comatose (early CC). Acute coronary occlusion was discovered in 26.6% of patients treated with early CC compared to 29.3% of patients treated with late CC ( p =0.381). Patients treated with early CC were more likely to survive to hospital discharge compared to those not treated with CC (65.6% vs. 48.6%; p =0.017). In a multivariate regression model that included study site, age, bystander CPR, shock on admission, comorbid medical conditions, witnessed arrest, and time to return of spontaneous circulation, early CC was independently associated with a significant reduction in the risk of death (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.18–0.70, p =0.003). Conclusions In comatose survivors of cardiac arrest without STEMI who are treated with TH, early CC is associated with significantly decreased mortality. The incidence of acute coronary occlusion is high, even when STEMI is not present on the postresuscitation electrocardiogram.
Design and rapid prototyping of SCA-compliant public safety P25 waveform and P25---FM3TR---VoIP bridge

Establishing radio communication between military commanders, soldiers and law enforcement officers is an important enabling capability to facilitate interoperability. The Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program is enabling communications within the military by implementing different military radio waveforms on software defined radio (SDR) platforms. It is logical to include a Project 25 (P25) public safety waveform in the JTRS waveform portfolio. This paper describes the rapid development of a P25 waveform on a surrogate JTRS SDR platform. The development process and methodology, which starts from a platform agnostic executable waveform model in Matlab, through an intermediate implementation using open tools on generic platforms, to the final platform-specific implementation, is introduced and discussed. This paper shows that adopting this methodology can speed up waveform development and porting. Furthermore, this paper presents the design and implementation of a three way voice bridge among P25, the future multiband multiwaveform modular tactical radio (FM3TR), and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), with software communication architecture (SCA) compliant implementation for both the P25 and FM3TR waveforms. This paper shows that critical issues such as interoperability can be tackled efficiently by leveraging SDR and SCA.
Auxiliary-field Monte Carlo for quantum spin and boson systems

We describe an algorithm for the numerical simulation of quantum spin and boson systems. The method is based on the Trotter decomposition in imaginary time and a decoupling by auxiliary Ising spins. It can be applied, in principle, to arbitrary (random) spin systems, however, in general it suffers from the ``minus-sign problem.'' This problem is absent in the case of the Ising model in a transverse field in arbitrary dimensions and geometries. We show test results for the spin-1/2 $\mathrm{XY}$ model, the one-dimensional transverse Ising model with disorder, and the phase transition induced by a transverse field in the two-dimensional Ising model.
Synthesis and analysis of the steering system of an adjustable tread-width four-wheel tractor

In this paper the problem of synthesizing the Ackermann linkage and the steering control mechanism of an adjustable tread-width tractor is presented. Several conflicting requirements were simultaneously considered as follows: ensuring minimum wheel-slip and symmetric steering control for left and right turns, ensuring minimum cross-coupling between steering and axle oscillation, maintaining favorable pressure angles in the joints, and avoiding interference between the moving parts of the mechanism and between these and the body of the vehicle. This difficult multi-criteria optimization problem was solved in a simplified manner by sizing the Ackermann linkage first, followed by an optimum synthesis of the steering control mechanism, assuming it has the drag link removed. The removal of the drag link induced the extra degree of freedom which allowed the steering arm and the pitman arm to be exactly coordinated over the whole working range of the mechanism. An objective function based on the variation of the distance between the centers of the drag-link joints in several essential configurations of the steering control mechanism, was defined and further minimized in the presence of interference avoidance and pressure angle constrains.
Association of urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and serum C-reactive protein.

The association of 9 urinary monohydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) was investigated using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004. The unweighted number of participants included was 999, which represented 139,362,776 persons in the non-institutionalized US population. In adjusted logistic regressions, two OH-PAHs, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene and 9-hydroxyfluorene, were associated with elevated CRP (>3mg/l). Logistic regressions were adjusted for age, gender, race, exercise, body mass index, smoking status, diabetes, and hypertension. 2-Hydroxyphenanthrene >148ng/g creatinine had an odds ratio of 3.17 (95% CI 1.73-5.81) compared to 2-hydroxyphenanthrene 749ng/g creatinine had an odds ratio of 2.28 (95% CI 1.08-4.83) compared to 9-hydroxyfluorene 148ng/g creatinine or 9-hydroxyfluorene >749ng/g creatinine. Participants not assigned to the low or high categories were classified as having medium OH-PAH concentrations. Compared to the low OH-PAH group, high OH-PAH had an odds ratio of 3.60 (95% CI 2.01-6.46) in an adjusted logistic regression. Given that inflammation (characterized here by CRP) is an important factor in the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, these results suggest a role for OH-PAHs in the progression of atherosclerosis.
Current treatment of meningiomas

Intracranial meningiomas continue to challenge our best clinical efforts at eliminating the tumors once discovered and deemed appropriate for treatment. Molecular biological clues about the role of hormones in the development and progression of meningiomas might assist with treatment in the future. Physical therapies with surgical removal and irradiation have almost reached their technical limits. Important articles on advances in these areas are summarized.
Gastrointestinal symptoms of progressive myocardial disease

Abstract The condition presented involves a patient who, after coronary occlusion, developed heart failure, the primary symptoms of which were nausea and vomiting, and in whom the significant pathologic changes were multiple areas of myocardial fibrosis. As a result of the experiences with this and other similar cases and a review of the literature, the following conclusions are drawn: 1. 1. When nausea and vomiting are dominant symptoms in a case of heart failure, one should consider as possible factors not only drugs, congestion of the abdominal viscera, and disorders of the blood metabolites (such as occur in uremia), but should also entertain the possibility that progressive myocardial disease may be the cause of the symptoms. 2. 2. The mechanism of the nausea and vomiting induced by progressive myocardial disease is believed to be analogous to that caused by digitalis, which has been shown to be due to a reflex arising in the heart itself. 3. 3. When coronary thrombosis occurs in a patient with pre-existing narrowing of the smaller coronary arterial branches, a vicious cycle may ensue; the decline in cardiac output and small pulse pressure lead to further coronary insufficiency and progressive myocardial fibrosis, which bring about a further decrease in cardiac output and perpetuation of the cycle. 4. 4. In cases of heart failure in which there is a small pulse pressure with a high diastolic pressure, the outlook is poor because of the factors outlined.
BALANCING AUTONOMY AND CAPACITY IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: THE DILEMMA OF OFFICIAL RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT FOR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS

Community organization helps relatively powerless groups improve their political bargaining position by increasing the stability. persistence, and standing of the group… But… community organizations of relatively powerless groups remain constrained by their need to secure resources and develop incentives to attract constituents. For the most part, those may be acquired only through interactions requiring compromises of group independence and goals.