cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associations among circulating colony-stimulating factor-1, estrogen, and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Objective This study addresses the relationship between circulating levels of colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) and rates of postmenopausal bone loss. The purpose was to test the hypothesis that CSF-1 levels would correlate with the rate of bone loss in estrogen-deficient woman. We further hypothesized that estrogen replacement would eliminate this association. Methods This was an ancillary study to the parent Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS)-a 4-year randomized placebo-controlled study that evaluated the effects of estrogen therapy on cardiovascular endpoints. Women between of the ages of 42 and 58, who had been amenorrheic for ≥6 months and ≤36 months, were enrolled in KEEPS. Participants were randomized to conjugated equine estrogen 0.45 mg daily, transdermal estradiol 50 micrograms weekly, or placebo. Results There was no correlation between serum levels of CSF-1 and bone mineral density at the spine, hip, or femoral neck in estrogen-deficient women (correlation 0.0017, P = 0.99 for spine; correlation 0.0010, P = 0.0079 for hip, and correlation 0.0019, P = 0.99 for femoral neck). There was also no significant correlation in the treatment group (correlation 0.0015, P = 0.99; correlation -0.00024, P = 0.99; correlation 0.0011, P = 0.99 at spine, hip, and femoral neck respectively). Conclusions This study did not demonstrate a meaningful relationship between circulating levels of CSF-1 and bone mineral density in either the placebo group or estrogen-treated group. Although CSF-1 is required for osteoclastic bone resorption, our data suggest that circulating levels of the cytokine may not reflect this process.
Memory as Insight: Navigating the Complexities of Generational Mother–Daughter Relationships:

Our memories very rarely represent factual events, but rather they are tethered to our personal goals and how we see ourselves. Autobiographical memories are a specific type of memory that come at ...
A systematic approach to Afro-textured hair disorders: dermatoscopy and when to biopsy.

Trichoscopy facilitates the diagnosis of various hair and scalp disorders and is often useful in predicting the disease course. However, to date, few studies describe the dermoscopic findings unique to Afro-textured hair. This article reviews what is currently known regarding trichoscopy and discusses its usefulness in this population.
Theater and the Law: The Cross-Disciplinary Integration of Theory and Practice in the Theatrical Arts and the Art of Advocacy

The cross-informing relevancy of the theatrical arts and the art of legal advocacy are identified and illustrated through a pedagogical comparative analysis of the two disciplines. This chapter (1) identifies fundamental theatrical theories and practices relevant to communicating facts and influencing perceptions; (2) describes the theatrical dimensions (and constraints) of the courtroom as a stage, as well as analyzes the component parts of a jury trial illustrating its parallel structure to the theatrical arts; (3) demonstrates the reciprocating value-added to both arts and their respective actors and litigators through cross-disciplinary study and application; (4) proposes an integrated course model that crosses the disciplines of both theater and law, as well as crosses undergraduate and graduate student populations and experiences; and (5) provides an illustrative, robust conclusion that the integration of the theater arts and the law provides undergraduate and graduate educational experience that prepares both populations for adaptability in their careers and engaged citizenship.
Technical tip: Removal of a broken tri-cortical syndesmotic screw using a "perfect circle" technique.

Abstract While broken or loose syndesmotic screws are typically of no clinical consequence, occasionally breakage can result in pain, metal fretting, or bony erosion. Despite quad-cortical syndesmotic screws being relatively easy to remove due to the prominent screw tip penetrating the medial tibial cortex, removal of a broken tri-cortical screw can be technically challenging. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe a safe technique for removing the buried, broken tri-cortical screw fragment via a minimally invasive medial tibial approach by verifying the screw location using intra-operative fluoroscopy.
Green synthesis of ZnO, Ag/ZnO photocatalyst on Sn foil at room temperature and physicochemical characterization for removal of methyl orange from wastewater

On the Sn foil, the new photocatalyst pyramid-like ZnO was first synthesized via the one-pot direct-precipitation method at room temperature, wherein NaOH works as an O source and Zn(CH3COO)2 works as a Zn source, respectively. The influence of growth conditions, optical properties, and photocatalytic activity of ZnO was investigated. The pyramid-like ZnO has higher photodegradation of methyl orange (MO), and excellent reuseability. The ZnO sample used after 20 cycles decomposed 50% MO in 150 min. Ag/ZnO has higher photodegradation than ZnO. The photoactivity properties were studied with Ag metal absorbed on the surface of pyramid-like ZnO. Ag not only modified the surface of ZnO, but also improved the photoactivity properties of the ZnO owing to the charge transfer resistance characteristic between Ag and ZnO. The samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray.
π -Conjugated polymer nanowires: advances and perspectives toward effective commercial implementation

π-Conjugated polymers have continued to demonstrate their relevance and ability to be used in next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. Nanowires formed from semiconducting polymers can be easily produced and aligned, which considerably enhances the polymer’s properties, such as charge transport. This review discusses recent advances in the formation and alignment of semiconducting polymer nanowires. This includes whisker growth and self-assembly methods, as well as methods of nanoscopic confinement through composites and blends. Next, this review explores how semiconducting polymer nanowires have been successfully implemented in field-effect devices, sensors, and thermoelectrics. Recent developments for nanowires fabricated from self-assembled π-conjugated polymers are reviewed. Particular attention is paid to advances in techniques for scalable production of highly ordered nanowires as well as their deposition and alignment in thin films and composites. The benefits of using π-conjugated polymer nanowires, rather than thin films, in electronic devices is examined. Devices investigated include organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), chemical sensors, and thermoelectric devices.
Eighteenth-century glass beads in the french colonial trade

French colonial sites and French contact Native American sites in the Louisiana colony are considered in an attempt to further refine bead chronology. Research is almost to the point where bead introductions can be assigned to particular decades. Such tight dating is one of the ultimate goals of bead chronology. If this goal is reached, we can date undocumented contact period sites, or perhaps even individual features on sites of long occupation.
Experimental Models for the Study of the Cellular and Molecular Pathophysiology of Peyronie’s Disease

Research on the molecular and cellular pathophysiology of Peyronie’s disease (PD) and the potential implications for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for this prevalent condition has lagged considerably behind the advances in surgical techniques. However, two animal models have been generated based on the injection in the tunica albuginea of the rat of either transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) or fibrin to induce PD-like plaques and on the extensive characterization of fibroblast cell cultures from the human tunica albuginea and the PD plaque. These in vivo and in vitro models of PD not only replicate key molecular pathways and cell differentiation processes operating in most other types of tissue fibrosis, but also are excellent tools to test and validate new antifibrotic approaches of wider applicability. The fibrogenic roles of TGF-β1, oxidative stress, fibrin, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, myofibroblast differentiation, and others have started to be elucidated in the context of the PD plaque, and stem cells have been found in the tunica albuginea that may be involved in plaque calcification and ectopic osteogenesis. In addition, endogenous antifibrotic pathways have been found in the PD plaque, mainly the inducible nitric oxide synthase/nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate cascade, antioxidant enzymes, anti-TGF-β1 factors, and others, that may maintain the plaque in cellular and molecular turnover, particularly in terms of collagen deposition/breakdown and myofibroblast differentiation/apoptosis. Both the modulation of these defense mechanisms and some antifibrotic agents utilized in other conditions are starting to be tested therapeutically in human PD or its models or are potential targets for experimental research.
Homogeneity of Subpopulations for Two-By-Two Contingency Tables

Pooling of information from subpopulations achieves data compactification but some characteristics of the data are lost in the process. The greatest danger in amalgamating contingency tables is the possibility of a resulting paradox. Many such paradoxes have been noted since 1903 when Yule first noticed this phenomenon. We note three types of paradoxes. The definition of homogeneity proposed here is a sufficient condition to avoid Yule’s Reversal Paradox. We look at interpretations of this definition and some examples.
Enhancing Electronic Governance in Singapore with Government Portals

The World Wide Web represents one of the most profound developments that has accompanied the evolution of the Internet. It is truly a global library. Information on the Web is increasing exponentially, and mechanisms to extract information from it have become an engaging field of research. While search engines have been doing an admirable job in finding information, the emergence of Web portals has also been a useful development—their distinct advantage lies in their positioning as a one-stop destination for information and services of a particular nature. A Web portal can simply be defined as an online gateway for accessing specialized information and services. It services a niche audience. There are several kinds of Web portals, which have evolved over the years—community portals, government portals, knowledge portals, consumer portals, and so on (Firestone, 2002; Katz, 2000; Looney & Lyman, 2000; Mack, Ravin, & Byrd, 2001). These portals are more than just Web sites—they host domain-specific content as well as provide access to specialized services for its community of users. While Web portals are generally developed by specialist expertise, many also rely on collaborative provisioning of information by their user community. Looney and Lyman (2000) describe the role of a portal as follows:
Wavevector and polarization resolved analysis of phonon scattering from embedded nanoparticles

Embedded nanocrystals are capable of dramatically reducing the thermal conductivity of alloy semiconductors through increased phonon scattering, but many aspects of thermal wavelength phonon interactions with embedded nanoparticles remain understudied. Here, the wavevector- and polarization-resolved capabilities of the Frequency Domain Perfectly Matched Layer (FDPML) computational technique are exploited to study several fundamentally important phonon scattering problems across the entire Brillouin zone. We compare the atomistic predictions of FDPML against continuum mechanics approaches for spherically embedded particles. For long to mid-wavelength phonons, reasonable agreement is found with continuum theories that consider the Mie regime accurately, while commonly used “patching” theories which empirically connect the Rayleigh scattering to the geometric limit are shown to have poor agreement with more rigorous approaches. Next, the scattering cross section of optical phonons from nanoparticles is explored for the first time. We show that the scattering behavior of optical phonons is fundamentally different than their acoustic counterparts in that long wavelength optical phonons exhibit a scattering cross section nearly independent of wavelength, which we interpret as being due to zone folding of short wavelength acoustic modes from the geometric scattering regime into long wavelength optical modes. Finally, we study the scattering cross section of nanoparticles exhibiting atomic interdiffusion at the matrix-particle interface, where we find that interdiffusion both suppresses Mie oscillations and substantially increases the scattering cross section at short wavelength, compared to a solid nanoparticle with the same number of impurity atoms.
Exploring the sensitivity of magnetic resonance fingerprinting to motion.

Abstract Purpose To explore the motion sensitivity of magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF), we performed experiments with different types of motion at various time intervals during multiple scans. Additionally, we investigated the possibility to correct the motion artifacts based on redundancy in MRF data. Methods A radial version of the FISP-MRF sequence was used to acquire one transverse slice through the brain. Three subjects were instructed to move in different patterns (in-plane rotation, through-plane wiggle, complex movements, adjust head position, and pretend itch) during different time intervals. The potential to correct motion artifacts in MRF by removing motion-corrupted data points from the fingerprints and dictionary was evaluated. Results Morphological structures were well preserved in multi-parametric maps despite subject motion. Although the bulk T1 values were not significantly affected by motion, fine structures were blurred when in-plane motion was present during the first part of the scan. On the other hand, T2 values showed a considerable deviation from the motion-free results, especially when through-plane motion was present in the middle of the scan (−44% on average). Explicitly removing the motion-corrupted data from the scan partially restored the T2 values (−10% on average). Conclusion Our experimental results showed that different kinds of motion have distinct effects on the precision and effective resolution of the parametric maps measured with MRF. Although MRF-based acquisitions can be relatively robust to motion effects occurring at the beginning or end of the sequence, relying on redundancy in the data alone is not sufficient to assure the accuracy of the multi-parametric maps in all cases.
Ca/Mg enrichment of dolomite surface in aqueous solutions: Solid/liquid ratio and mixing time effects

Dolomite is found to undergo preferential dissolution in aqueous solutions and this is found to be strongly dependent on the solid to liquid ratio (SIL). Electrokinetic studies done under the same conditions revealed that the mineral surface charge is also affected markedly by the solid content in the suspension. Conditioning of the dolomite at low SIL ratios for short time intervals showed preferential dissolution of calcium leading to a magnesium-enriched dolomite surface. At higher SIL ratios and longer conditioning times, calcium depletion from the solution and a calcium-enriched dolomite surface resulted. The results are discussed in terms of surface precipitation and/or bulk precipitation and surface conversion of dolomite to the calcium-enriched phase (calcium carbonate and/or magnesian calcites).
Investigation of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial redox status in Down syndrome: impact of the thioredoxin and glutathione systems

Down syndrome (DS) results from the triplication of whole or part of chromosome 21. Individuals with DS experience a variety of comorbidities at a higher rate than the euploid population, and many of these pathologies involve oxidative stress as an etiological factor. Blood and postmortem tissue samples from DS individuals indicate elevated basal levels of oxidative stress, potentially due to mitochondrial dysfunction. Due to these observations we hypothesized that cells from DS individuals would display greater basal oxidation in the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial compartments, and that manipulation of the thioredoxin (Trx) or glutathione (GSH) systems would exacerbate this oxidation. To investigate this, we employed four pairs of patient-derived euploid or DS fibroblasts, and utilized auranofin or BSO to selectively modulate the Trx and GSH systems, respectively. Additionally, peroxiredoxin (Prx) redox Western blots were used to assess cytoplasmic (Prx1) and mitochondrial (Prx3) redox status. Results from these studies showed that inhibition of the Trx system via auranofin induced significant oxidation of both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial compartments. Interestingly, depletion of GSH by BSO did not cause significant oxidation of either Prx1 or Prx3 in DS vs. euploid controls. Mechanistically, increased sensitivity in compartmental oxidation observed in DS may be explained by our observation of significantly decreased protein levels of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) 1 and 2, as well as significantly decreased TrxR activity in DS. Together, these data indicate that DS individuals may be highly susceptible to exposures or treatments known to oxidize the thiol redox proteome, thereby enhancing the risk of initiation and progression of DS-related comorbidities.
Ground crab spiders (Thomisidae: Xysticus) more abundant in grasslands invaded by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae)

Effectively managing invaded grasslands requires a comprehensive understanding of effects of the invader on key species in those ecosystems. Annual grasses, such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), are significant invaders of grasslands in the western United States and their presence has been found to influence vegetation and vertebrate wildlife. However, little is known about how annual grass invasions affect invertebrates, including spiders, which provide significant ecosystem services. This study examined the response of an important grassland predator, ground crab spiders (Thomisidae: Xysticus), to annual grass invasion in semi-arid grasslands of eastern Oregon. Crab spiders are ambush predators, and Xysticus is a ground-dwelling genus that forages primarily in litter. Spiders were sampled using pitfall traps and cover of invasive annual grasses and litter was surveyed for three years (2014–2016). Results revealed that abundance of ground crab spiders was positively associated with increased cover of invasive annual grasses and litter. A positive relationship between invasive annual grass and litter cover suggests that cheatgrass and medusahead contribute significantly to litter, which may result in the higher observed Xysticus abundance. Increased litter may provide these spiders with more prey, refugia, and foraging habitat or modulate extreme temperature and moisture conditions in this arid grassland.
Role of local stresses on co-zone twin-twin junction formation in HCP magnesium

Abstract Twin-twin interactions control the formation of twin-twin junctions (TTJ) in hexagonal metals when multiple twin variants are activated in a grain. In this work, we employ a combination of two computational techniques, a 3D full-field crystal plasticity model (CP) and large-scale molecular dynamics (MD), to study the TTJ formation associated with two non-parallel { 10 1 ¯ 2 } twins in Mg. The local intra-granular stresses generated by discrete twins are computed using a spatially resolved CP model. Atomic-scale knowledge regarding formation processes and local stresses is revealed by MD. The combined analyses suggest that the twin junction forms by the migration of the boundaries of both, the impinging and impinged twin, taking place in the immediate vicinity of the contact point. It is further shown that local stress fields that are generated after initial contact promote thickening of the impinging twin, and may facilitate nucleation of a new twin on the opposite boundary of the recipient twin. Calculations of the strain energies suggest that formation of the co-zone twin-twin junction is energetically favorable but detwinning of the TTJ upon load reversal or under cyclic loading is not.
A unified approach to optical constitutive relations

This paper suggests a framework whereby a more rational approach to birefringent phenomenon and the optical constitutive relations can be taken. Starting with Maxwell's equations for a general medium, the assumptions, one after the other, are stated in order to get a manageable theory. A simple two-optic-coefficient theory is evolved which purports to have general application. Its relation to the ad-hoc theories is shown with some published experimental data re-examined.
Effect of cereal rye and hairy vetch on pest suppression and corn yield

A study was conducted in 2016 to determine the effect of cereal rye (Secale cereale) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) combination on pest suppression and corn yield in Northwest Missouri. The experiments consisted of six treatments corresponding to cereal rye and hairy vetch combinations, plus a control. The corn treatments included conventional corn and transgenic corn. Harvested ears were assessed for rating on corn earworm damage and fungal damage on ears. Similarly, corn yield was measured across the treatments on randomly selected ears. Visual assessments of weed suppression, pest suppression (corn earworm damage), and fungal ear rots revealed no significant treatment effects. However, relevant trends in higher corn yield were observed with increasing hairy vetch proportion from 33% to 66% level. Delayed termination of hairy vetch caused poor corn growth and higher true armyworm (Mythimna unipuncta) infestation.
Voices of Emerging and Young Adults: From the Professional to the Personal

From diverse perspectives, emerging and young adults reveal that while career identity tends to precede the life partner search, maintaining friendships and negotiating romantic relationships are the primary tasks in the establishment of a social self. The cohorts evidence a diversity of values, attitudes, and expectations with respect to dating, networking, and how to best spend their personal time. Volunteerism and a commitment to sociopolitical change also emerge as themes. The changing role of technology in initiating and maintaining relationships is noted by the participants, and a discussion of the “tribal” aspects of friendships is reinforced by the participants; some of the emotional and tangible weight-bearing functions, formerly the domain of exclusive relationships, may, for many, be assumed by extensive networks of close knit friends. This has possible repercussions for the postponement of marriage, but also may have a role in increased expectations leading to stronger commitments. Finally, a case history highlights mental health concerns—depression, anxiety, and addiction—that sometimes shadow emerging and young adults as they manage the anxiety of freedom and act to give the future their own shape while in relationship with others.
Demystifying Tuition? A Content Analysis of the Information Quality of Public College and University Websites:

Colleges and universities increasingly rely on their websites to recruit students and convey information about tuition and costs of attendance. Given evidence of growing complexity in institutional...
Guidelines should be assessed based on the underlying evidence.

On behalf of the membership of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Prostate Cancer Early Detection Panel, we disagree with the assertions of Drs. Jatoi and Sah that the NCCN guidelines drive the overuse of health care services and conflict with evidence-based recommendations of other
Rapid Pathogen Detection and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Assessment from Urine Samples Via Amplification-Free Detection of Ribosomal RNA of Single-Bacteria

We present a novel microfluidic platform for rapid detection and antimicrobial susceptibility assessment of bacteria directly from urine samples. Towards this end, we have developed a rapid and specific pathogen detection assay based on probe hybridization to bacterial ribosomal RNA. Our assay is implemented in an integrated microfluidic droplet platform capable of single-bacteria detection. The enhancement in speed and sensitivity enabled by the combination of our assay and platform facilitates rapid assessment of antimicrobial susceptibility directly from urine samples. Our platform can detect the effect of antibiotics on bacterial growth after as little as 10 min. drug exposure. We demonstrate the rapid response of our platform with 2 different classes of antibiotics.
Development and validation of a systematic approach for the quantitative assessment of the quality of duct tape physical fits.

Abstract Duct tape is a common type material found at crime scenes such as sexual assaults, murders, kidnappings, and bombings. During the examination of a known and questioned item, a 3D realignment along their edges is known as a physical fit and is often regarded as conclusive evidence that the items were once part of a single object. The conclusion of a fit between edges relies on the examiner’s judgment to identify distinctive features across the tape ends. However, there are currently no consensus-based methodologies or standards to inform their opinions. This study developed a practical method to qualify and quantify tape end match features using edge similarity scores (ESS) and provided an empirically demonstrable basis to assess the significance of duct tape fracture fits. ESS were calculated as the proportion of observed matching sections per scrim bins across the fractured edge, providing a quantifiable criterion and means for a systematic peer review process. A set of 2280 duct tape end comparisons were analyzed for the validation study. The probative value of physical fits was evaluated through similarity metrics, error rates, and score-based likelihood ratios. The effects of separation method, stretching, and tape grade on the distribution of ESS and the overall accuracy are reported. The accuracy ranged from 84.9 % (higher quality hand-torn set) to over 99 % (low and mid-quality sets). No false positives were reported for any of the sets examined. On average, ESS higher than 80 % provided a score likelihood ratio (SLR) that supported the conclusion of a match, and ESS lower than 25 % provided an SLR supporting the conclusion of non-match.
Earnings and Firm Value in the Presence of Real Options

To explain the empirically documented non-linear, non-monotonic relationship between earnings and firm value, it suffices to assume that firms continually take profit-maximizing decisions in respon...
Differentiating cancer cells using Raman spectroscopy (Conference Presentation)

Cancer which has metastasized creates an issue in the medical field because the life expectancy of the patient doesn’t improve until the origin, type, and stage of metastatic cancer is determined. We present a system which uses Raman microspectroscopy to scan cancer cell cultures and determine the type of cancer present. A machine learning algorithm has been trained to distinguish between four cancer cell types. Known mixtures of cancer cells are mapped on a Raman hyperspectral image which displays where each cancer type is located.
Theory, Epistemology and Critical Rural Sociology

This paper would like to provide an alternative to the Marx-Weber dichotomy which has recently emerged in rural sociological studies. It consists of the re-proposition of critical sociology as a mode of scientific investigation which, while remaining within the Marxian tradition, addresses many of the central concerns of Weberian scholarship. Though a merger between Marx and Weber is not proposed, it is assumed that a lack of knowledge of critical sociology has hampered further development of the theoretical debate in rural sociology. More importantly, this lack of knowledge has prevented the diffusion of the basic tenets of critical sociology among sociologists concerned with the study of agriculture and food, limiting their ability to inform empirical investigations and to instruct students. Resumen Teoria Critica, Epislemologia y Sociologia Rural Este trabajo trata de proveer una alternativa a la dicotomia Marx-Weber que recientemente a emergido en los estudios sociologicos rurales. Consiste en una re-proposicion de la sociologia critica como un modo de investigacion cientifica que, aun permaneciendo dentro de la tradicion marxista, puede dirigirse a muchos aspectos concernientes al saber Webweriano. Aunque una integracion entre Marx y Weber no es propuesta, se parte del supuesto de que una falta de conocimeinto de sociologia critica tiende a estorbar el fomento y desarrollo del debate teorico en sociologia rural. Mas importantemente, esta falta de conocimiento ha trabado la difusion de los fundamentos basicos de la sociologia critica entre sociologos que se ocupan de los estudios de la agricultura y alimentos, limitando la informacion de la investigacion empirica y la ensenanza a los estudientes.
Parathyroidectomy improves hypercalciuria in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Abstract Background Hypercalciuria is an important manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism and may contribute to the risk of nephrolithiasis. This study examined the impact of parathyroidectomy on 24-hour urinary calcium (24-hour UCa) levels and rates of resolution of hypercalciuria after surgery. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed of patients who underwent curative parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism from 2007 to 2017. Baseline and postoperative urine and serum biochemistry levels were analyzed. The relationship between preoperative 24-hour UCa levels and the absolute decrease in postoperative UCa excretion was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results Of 110 patients, 84 (76.4%) experienced a ≥20% decrease in 24-hour UCa level postoperatively. These patients had a higher baseline median 24-hour UCa level (293.5 vs 220.5 mg/24-hour; P = .001), higher baseline mean serum parathyroid hormone (106.5 vs 83; P = .05) and were more likely to have single gland disease (85.7% vs 65.4%, P = .04) compared with patients in whom 24-hour UCa excretion did not improve. Of the 28 patients (25%) who were hypercalciuric (24-hour UCa >400 mg/day) at baseline, 22 (79%) became normocalciuric postoperatively. A linear correlation was observed between preoperative 24-hour UCa levels and the decline in 24-hour UCa excretion after surgery (R2 = 0.59, P Conclusion Parathyroidectomy reduces 24-hour UCa excretion in the majority of patients with PHPT and restores normocalciuria in 79% of patients with hypercalciuria at baseline.
Influence of eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe on stand structure and composition in northern Minnesota

Abstract Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) is one of the most common tree species in the boreal forest. However, there is limited information on one of the major disturbance agents, eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum Peck; EDM) a native, parasitic plant that influences stand development especially at the southwestern range limit of black spruce in Minnesota. The goal of our study was to quantify overstory and understory (sapling and seedling) structure and composition in productive black spruce stands across three EDM severity categories: uninfected (0% EDM), low ( 50% of stand infected with EDM) across northern Minnesota during the summer of 2017. The presence of EDM infection in stands shifted species composition and structure compared to uninfected stands. Uninfected stands were dominated by black spruce in both overstory and understory and on average had a uni-modal diameter distribution. Both low and high EDM severity stands had significantly greater overstory species richness, Shannon’s diversity index, and Shannon’s Evenness compared to uninfected stands. However, stands with high EDM infections had the most black spruce infected with EDM in both the overstory and sapling layer, which will likely kill the infected trees within seventeen years and may result in a shifting in forest composition or a transition to non-forested conditions. The presence and severity of EDM influences stand structure and composition and subsequently stand development. Depending on the goals and objectives and ultimate desired future conditions both at the stand and the broader landscape level, natural resource managers may choose more or less intensive management of EDM.
The Corseted Skeleton: Skeletal Remains of St. Bride’s Lower Churchyard

This chapter looks at the skeletal data, keeping in mind all the previous chapters’ information about the lives of these women and the discourses surrounding them. It also briefly discusses the comparison between St. Bride’s and the French skeletal collection at the Musee de l’Homme. Having previously discussed the corsets themselves, Gibson examines what an uncorseted skeleton looks like in relation to a corseted one, how the location of death can determine whether or not the person would have corseted, and precisely what changes have occurred to the St. Bride’s skeletons that indicated deformation from corseting. This chapter also looks at three different skeletal markers—the angles of the spinous processes, and the shape and relative size of the ribs/thoracic cage. Data will be presented here in this section from St. Bride’s primarily, but with comparisons to skeletons from other locales which were found in the Musee de l’Homme collection. Over 100 total skeletons were examined, and the preponderance of data showed changes in the ribs and vertebrae, corresponding with long life for the time, and a relatively low incidence of other skeletal anomalies.
Increased Rates of Obstetric Complications Prior to Systemic Sclerosis Diagnosis.

Objective To investigate whether obstetric complications prior to systemic sclerosis (SSc) diagnosis are more common compared to the general obstetric population. Methods A case-control study was performed at Kaiser Permanente Northern California to compare prior obstetric complications in adult women who later developed SSc (cases) with women from the general obstetric population who did not develop SSc (controls; matched 10:1 by age and year of delivery) from 2007-2016. Exposures included past hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (preeclampsia, eclampsia, gestational hypertension), premature rupture of membranes (PROM), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), maternal infections, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and preterm birth. Fischer's exact tests were used to compare categorical variables. Conditional logistic regression models estimated the odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals for the outcome SSc. Results Seventeen SSc cases and 170 non-SSc controls were identified, with median maternal age at delivery 34 years (range 23-46 years) and median time from delivery to SSc diagnosis 2 years (range 0.2-7.3 years). SSc cases were more likely to be Hispanic and Black. Prior obstetric complications appeared higher in women with an eventual SSc diagnosis compared to controls (70.6% vs. 50%), including hypertensive disorders (17.7% vs. 9.4%), PROM (11.8% vs. 4.1%), IUGR (5.9% vs 1.8%), maternal infection (29.4% vs. 14.1%), NICU admissions (23.5% vs. 7.7%), and preterm delivery (29.4% vs. 21.8%). Cases had a higher odds of delivering infants requiring NICU admission (OR=4.7, 95% CI 1.2-18.8). Conclusions Women who eventually develop SSc had trends towards more complicated pregnancy histories before overt diagnosis.
“Era como si esas casas no encajaban con la comunidad”: Caminatas with Futurxs Maestrxs Bilingües in a Gentrifying Latinx Community

Although direct engagement with neighborhood espacios deepens student understanding, less is known about the benefits of this approach to bilingual teacher preparation programs. Our article address...
Improving Autism Screening and Referrals With Electronic Support and Evaluations in Primary Care.

BACKGROUND: Universal screening for autism promotes early evidence-based treatment. However, many children are not screened, and screened children are often not referred for autism evaluation. METHODS: We implemented process changes in 3 phases: phase 1, changing the screening instrument and adding decision support; phase 2, adding automatic reminders; and phase 3, adding a referral option for autism evaluations in primary care. We analyzed the proportion of visits with autism screening at 2 intervention clinics before and after implementation of process changes versus 27 community clinics (which received only automatic reminders in phase 2) with χ2 test and interrupted time series. We evaluated changes in referral for autism evaluation by calculating the rate ratio for referral. RESULTS: In 12 233 visits over 2 years (baseline and phased improvements), autism screening increased by 52% in intervention clinics (58.6%–88.8%; P CONCLUSIONS: We improved autism screening and referrals by changing the screening instrument, adding decision support, using automatic reminders, and offering autism evaluation in primary care in intervention clinics. Automatic reminders alone improved screening in community clinics.
Poverty, Inequality, and Agriculture in the EU

Boosting convergence and shared prosperity in the European Union achieved renewed urgency after the global financial crisis of 2008. This paper assesses the role of agriculture and the Common Agricultural Program in achieving this. The paper sheds light on the relationship between poverty and agriculture as part of the process of structural transformation. It positions each member country on the path toward a successful structural transformation. The paper then evaluates at the regional level where the Common Agricultural Program funding tends to go, poverty-wise, within each country. This approach enables making more informed policy recommendations on the current state of the Common Agricultural Program funding, as well as evaluating the role of agriculture as a driver of shared prosperity. The analysis performed throughout the paper uses a combination of data sources at several spatial levels.
Evaluation of Model Fit in Structural Equation Models with Ordinal Missing Data: A Comparison of the D2 and MI2S Methods

Social science research often utilizes measurement instruments that generate ordinal data (e.g., Likert scales). Many empirical studies also face the challenge of missing data, which can be address...
Reach for Repose: Have the Texas Courts Gone Awry?

What do lawsuits filed against building contractors or repairers, other construction professionals, and manufacturers or suppliers of products such as furnaces, elevators, garage door openers, underground storage tanks, and spray-on ceiling materials have in common? All of these actions, provided they have been initiated ten or more years after either the completion of the building project or the manufacture of the item in question, are potentially subject to a statute of repose enacted by the Texas Legislature in 1975. Although the language of this statute is couched in terms of providing repose protection to persons who construct or repair improvements to real property, Texas courts and federal courts applying Texas law have not limited the reach of the statute to cases involving construction professionals. Instead, the courts have greatly expanded the statute's range of applicability to cover off-site manufacturers of products that have become improvements to real property. In this regard, the courts are in error. With respect to persons other than construction professionals, the Texas courts have both misconstrued the statute of repose and virtually ignored the legislative history of the act. Accordingly, this article will examine the Texas statute of repose relating to persons who construct or repair improvements to real property in the context of both the decided cases and with regard to the intentions of the legislature in enacting the repose protections.
Quantitative risk assessment model for software security in the design phase of software development

Risk analysis is a process for considering possible risks and determining which are the most significant for any particular effort. Determining which risks to address and the optimum strategy for mitigating said risks is often an intuitive and qualitative process. An objective view of the risks inherent in a development effort requires a quantitative risk model. Quantitative risk models used in determining which risk factors to focus on tend to use a traditional approach of annualized loss expectancy (ALE) based on frequency of occurrence and the exposure factor (EF) which is the percentage of asset loss due to the potential threat in question. This research uses empirical data that reflects the security posture of each vulnerability to calculate Loss Expectancy, a risk impact estimator. Data from open source vulnerability databases and results of predicted threat models are used as input to the risk model. Security factors that take into account the innate characteristics of each vulnerability are incorporated into the calculation of the risk model. The result of this model is an assessment of the potential threats to a development effort and a ranking of these threats based on the risk metric calculation.
EUDAIMONIA AND AGAPE IN MACINTYRE AND KIERKEGAARD'S WORKS OF LOVE

This essay explores connections and divergences between Alasdair MacIntyre’s eudaimonistic ethic and Soren Kierkegaard’s agapeistic ethic— perhaps the greatest proponents of these ethical paradigms from the past two centuries. The purpose of the work is threefold. First, to demonstrate an impressive amount of convergence and complementarity in their approaches to the transcendent grounds of an ethic of flourishing, the rigors necessary for a proper self-love, and the other-directed nature of proper social relations. Second, given the inapplicability of common dichotomies, to pinpoint more precisely where Kierkegaard departs from eudaimonism, and where MacIntyre departs from agapeism. Finally, to show that both Kierkegaard’s and MacIntyre’s grounds for departure are inadequate, and thus that the most central insights of eudaimonist and agapeist ethics can be harmonized to a greater extent than either Kierkegaard’s or MacIntyre’s framework can allow.
A weak version of Rolle’s theorem

We investigate the fields with the property that any polynomial over the field which splits in the field has a derivative which also splits.
The Arduous Virtue of Fidelity: Originalism, Scalia, Tribe, and Nerve

I. N EXT weekend Fordham is host to a conference on constitutional fidelity. It would be hard to think of a more topical issue. Many of you, no doubt, heard Senator Dole's speech accepting the nomination of his party for the presidency, in the course of which he reported, "I have been asked if I have a litmus test for judges. I do. My litmus test for judges is that ... their passion is not to amend but to interpret the Constitution."' Now, we know what Dole meant. He meant he would not appoint the kind of judges who voted in the majority in Roe v. Wade.2 Or the kind of judges who have kept prayer out of the public schools. He would appoint judges who would let the people do what they wanted, free from the constraint of a moral interpretation of the Constitution. He invited his audience to assume that his vision is what keeping faith with the document means. One of the paradoxes that I'll try to expose this evening is that the people Dole had in mind as the good judges were the ones for whom fidelity to the Constitution actually counts for little. And those whom he would count as the bad judges are, in my view, the true heroes of fidelity. In any case, that's the argument that I'm going to try to make. I must start with a distinction, however, between fidelity to the Constitution's text and fidelity to past constitutional practice, including past judicial decisions interpreting and applying the Constitution. Proper constitutional interpretation takes both text and past practice as its object: Lawyers and judges faced with a contemporary constitutional issue must try to construct a coherent, principled, and persua-
Distribution patterns of the elements in the ocean: A synthesis

The observed partition patterns of elements between a marine solid phase (e.g., pelagic clays, deep sea manganese nodules, seamount manganese crusts, and plankton) and seawater can be, to the first approximation, explained by the James and Healy adsorption model, except for Ce, Co, Mn, Pb, and Tl, which are concentrated in the solid phase through oxidative uptake processes. In other words, the composition of seawater is mainly controlled by the compositions of source materials (i.e., the crustal igneous rocks and primary magmatic volatiles) and the physicochemical principles regulating the adsorption processes of various chemical species in seawater onto oceanic pelagic clays.
Inward facing conformations of the MetNI methionine ABC transporter: Implications for the mechanism of transinhibition.

Two new crystal structures of the Escherichia coli high affinity methionine uptake ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter MetNI, purified in the detergents cyclohexyl-pentyl-β-D-maltoside (CY5) and n-decyl-β-D-maltopyranoside (DM), have been solved in inward facing conformations to resolutions of 2.9 and 4.0 A, respectively. Compared to the previously reported 3.7 A resolution structure of MetNI purified in n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside (DDM), the higher resolution of the CY5 data enabled significant improvements to the structural model in several regions, including corrections to the sequence registry, and identification of ADP in the nucleotide binding site. CY5 crystals soaked with selenomethionine established details of the methionine binding site in the C2 regulatory domain of the ABC subunit, including the displacement of the side chain of MetN residue methionine 301 by the exogenous ligand. When compared to the CY5 or DDM structures, the DM structure exhibits a significant repositioning of the dimeric C2 domains, including an unexpected register shift in the intermolecular β-sheet hydrogen bonding between monomers, and a narrowing of the nucleotide binding space. The immediate proximity of the exogenous methionine binding site to the conformationally variable dimeric interface provides an indication of how methionine binding to the regulatory domains might mediate the phenomenon of transinhibition.
Fast and Scalable Mutual Exclusion

We present an N-process algorithm for mutual exclusion under read/write atomicity that has O(1) time complexity in the absence of contention and Θ(logN) time complexity under contention, where "time" is measured by counting remote memory references. This is the first such algorithm to achieve these time complexity bounds. Our algorithm is obtained by combining a new "fast-path" mechanism with an arbitration-tree algorithm presented previously by Yang and Anderson.
Blockade of JAK2-mediated extrinsic survival signals restores sensitivity of CML cells to ABL inhibitors

Blockade of JAK2-mediated extrinsic survival signals restores sensitivity of CML cells to ABL inhibitors
Building Knowledge From Organizational Experience: Approaches and Lessons Learned From US Army Base Camp Workshops

Abstract:Capturing, transferring, and building upon knowledge in an organization is a difficult but necessary function to ensure the organization continues to learn and grow. This article discusses how a large organization with disparate operating elements can learn from experience. This is illustrated through a case study of the US Army enhancing learning for its organizations involved in developing base camps to support military forces worldwide. This was done through a series of workshops that led to the creation of a knowledge management system. Knowledge management provides useful methods and tools to improve learning in organizations, which can help facilitate change. The engineering manager can use this article and the lessons learned from our base camp experience as a framework to enhance learning in an organization whose functional elements are varied in terms of mission and location.