cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predation rates on artificial nests in an industrial forest landscape

Abstract We examined patterns of predation among ground and shrub nests in extensive forests, forest fragments, regenerating clearcuts, and young plantations in a landscape dominated by industrial forest management in north-central Maine, USA. The predation rate in extensive forests (65%) was greater (P = 0.0001) than that in forest fragments (47%). This result contrasts with previous studies from agricultural and developed landscapes and may be due to surrounding land use types and their associated predator communities. In forest fragments, shrub nests within 75 m of the edge were more likely to be depredated than those farther than 75 m (P = 0.043). Predation in clearcuts (23%) was less than that in forest fragments (P = 0.0001) or plantations (41%) (P = 0.0015) and decreased with increasing distance from the edge (P = 0.001) and increasing vegetation cover at the nest site (P = 0.006). In contrast, predation rates in plantations increased with increasing vegetation density (P = 0.0174) and distance to edge (P = 0.0235). Results from our study suggest that findings documented in other, more developed, landscapes cannot readily be applied to extensive managed forests, and that conversion of naturally regenerating stands to plantations may lower the nesting success of birds that breed in early successional forests.
The ultrastructure of the enamel organ related to enamel formation.

The ultrastructure of the cells of the enamel organ related to enamel formation was studied using the lower incisors of adult male rats. In the region of enamel deposition, stratum intermedium cells are stabilized by a system of intercellular bridges and intracellular fibrils. The mitochondria in these cells are positioned toward the extracellular channels through which any direct intercellular exchange between the capillaries and ameloblasts must occur. Tentatively, the mitochondrial arrangement is considered to be related to the movements of electrolytes and water across the capillary-ameloblast interval. In the region of transition, enamel deposition ceases and the ergastoplasm of the ameloblasts is removed, apparently by cytosegresomes, with an accompanying reduction in the height of the ameloblasts. Here, vesicles containing stippled material are infrequent compared to their occurrence in ameloblasts concerned with enamel deposition. Other vesicles, characteristically found in ameloblasts related to maturing enamel, first appear in the transition region and seem to originate from the cell membrane abutting on the enamel. In the region of maturation, cytosomes are common in the Golgi region whereas vesicles and mitochondria predominate in the distal ends of the ameloblasts. The papillary cells contain an unusually large number of mitochondria, elaborate microvilli and vesicles, which suggests that these cells are extremely active, presumably in the movement of materials related to enamel maturation. The changes in structure of the papillary cells, which occur concomitantly with those of the ameloblasts during enamel formation, are indicative of interrelated functional changes and strongly support the concept of ameloblasts and papillary cells acting together as a functional unit.
Intracaval Adrenocortical Carcinoma: A Case Report and a Review of the Operative Strategies:

Adrenocortical carcinomas are rarely encountered tumors that have a ten dency to invade the inferior vena cava. The only effective therapy is complete surgical resection including the extraction of any intracaval tumor thrombus. A case of adrenal tumor with inferior vena caval involvement that manifested early as a pulmonary embolus is presented. The operative approach to intra caval extension is discussed, and operative maneuvers are illustrated.
Collaborative visualization for layered sensing

Layered sensing brings multiple sensors together for situation awareness. A problem exists when attempting to share and view the data among users. Issues include how to access and view data in different formats and what hardware/software is needed for data exploitation. A prototype system was built that brought multiple sensors together in a way that addressed some of these issues. This system incorporated open source software, a data table, and industry software in an effort to build a collaborative visualization tool for layered sensing.
Refractory hypoglycaemia in patient with gastric outlet obstruction

A 68-year-old male with a longstanding history of severe gastric outlet obstruction secondary to peptic stricture was found unconscious at home with profound hypoglycaemia. He denied history of fasting, diabetes mellitus or use of hypoglycaemic agents. Systemic examination and metabolic profile were unremarkable. Hypoglycaemic episodes persisted during hospitalisation, requiring continuous intravenous dextrose and eventually diazoxide. Further investigative work up, including 72 h fasting study, revealed a hyperinsulinemic state. MRI and endoscopic ultrasound were unremarkable but mesenteric angiography with hepatic venous sampling revealed a subtle area of hypervascularity in the head of pancreas. An exploratory laparotomy was then performed and resulted in resection of a nodular lesion in the head of pancreas with retrocolic gastrojejunostomy for repair of pyloric stenosis. Histopathology of pancreatic nodule confirmed nesidioblastosis. Postoperatively the patient was weaned of parenteral dextrose and did not have any further episodes of hypoglycaemia.
Modification of tumour growth with a defined glycoprotein antigen.

MANY pathogens escape the body's immune system because their surface antigenic determinants elicit an immune response that is too weak, temporary, or of the wrong type. A plausible solution to this type of problem is to put the antigenic determinant specific for the pathogen on a suitable carrier and present it to the host immune system in a way that will elicit a protective immune response of the right type, time course, and strength. This has been called the “chemical vaccine” approach1.
Simulation of DC-to-DC power converters based on a digital signal processing algorithm

A digital filtering algorithm to simulate DC-to-DC power converters is presented. This algorithm models the switches as a controller which controls the topology of the load circuit. The controller characteristic is derived from the switching criteria of the converter circuit. Depending on which switches are "on" or "off," the controller simply provides the appropriate input source to the load circuit. This algorithm is applied to both one and two quadrant DC-to-DC converters. The simulation results based on the implementation of this algorithm are then presented.
Flow and melting of a heterogeneous mantle: 1. Method and importance to the geochemistry of ocean island and mid-ocean ridge basalts

Abstract Understanding the partial melting process is key to our ability to relate geochemical characteristics of hotspot and mid-ocean ridge lavas to the dynamics and chemical structure of the mantle. We present a method of computing the trace-element and isotopic compositions of magmas generated by melting a heterogeneous source in mantle plumes and beneath mid-ocean ridges. The method simulates fractional melting with thermodynamically consistent melting functions of three mantle lithologies, each with a distinct trace-element and isotopic composition. A key assumption is that enriched mantle peridotite (EM) and pyroxenite (PX) both begin melting deeper than depleted mantle peridotite (DM). Model calculations can explain many features observed in a compilation of ocean island basalt (OIB) and mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) data. In particular, La/Sm and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope ratios are most variable and extend to compositions most distinct from average MORB compositions in islands formed on relatively old seafloor (>∼16 m.y.). The compositions of hotspot islands erupting on younger seafloor are less variable and overlap more appreciably with common MORB compositions. Models predict these observations to result from the effect of lithospheric thickness in limiting the extent of partial melting. Beneath old seafloor where the lithosphere is thick, models predict the overall extent of partial melting and the extent of DM melting to be small; therefore, magma compositions are most sensitive to changes in the relative proportions of EM and PX, as well as to mantle temperature. Beneath young seafloor where the lithosphere is thin, models predict more extensive melting of all lithologies. Progressive extraction of the different components during melting can also explain the general topology of isotopic arrays defined by OIBs globally. Our models not only predict testable variations in trace-element and isotopic ratios with mean extent of partial melting, but also show that pyroxenite can complicate such correlations because it can melt to very high extents, in many cases, completely. If the thickness of the mantle plume layer beneath the lithosphere exceeds that of the DM melting zone, an increase in the mantle flow rate with depth, which is predicted for mantle plumes, can enhance the flux of incompatible elements and isotopes derived from PX and EM, relative to the case of the more uniform flow profile expected beneath mid-ocean ridges. Thus, differences in both mantle flow and lithospheric thickness between mid-ocean ridges and hotspots can lead to important distinctions in the isotopic and trace-element characteristics of MORBs and OIBs, independent of any compositional differences between their respective mantle sources. In addition, variations in mantle flow alone can contribute to geographic variations in hotspot geochemistry observed both in intraplate settings and where hotspots interact with mid-ocean ridges.
A token-based protocol for reliable, ordered multicast communication

A description is given of the token-passing multicast (TPM) protocol, a token-based protocol that provides reliable, ordered multicast communication for distributed process groups in the presence of failures and network partitions. The TPM protocol combines several positive features of other reliable multicast schemes into a single protocol, yet maintains a relatively simple structure and requires that only a minimal amount of state information be kept by process group members. It is designed specifically for computing environments with relatively low error rates, such as local area networks, and for process groups in which communication is symmetric, that is, each group member can send messages to the group, and the source must be a member of the group. >
Reconstitution of enzymatic activity in hepatocytes of phenylalanine hydroxylase-deficient mice

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder secondary to a deficiency of the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). The recent creation of a mouse strain for PAH deficiency has provided an excellent model system to explore the possibility of its phenotypic correction by hepatic gene therapy. A recombinant retrovirus containing the mouse PAH cDNA under the transcriptional control of the human CMV promoter was constructed and used to transduce hepatocytes isolated from PAH-deficient mice. Viral-transduced hepatocytes produced dramatically higher levels of mouse PAH mRNA as compared to control mock-infected hepatocytes. The PAH mRNA was translated efficiently into PAH protein that is capable of converting phenylalanine to tyrosine in vitro. These results demonstrate that the PAH-deficient mouse hepatocytes can be readily reconstituted by retroviral-mediated gene transduction, which is a crucial step towards somatic gene therapy for PKU.
CCl Radicals As a Carbon Source for Diamond Thin Film Deposition.

We use first-principles quantum mechanical calculations to study diamond thin film growth on the (100) surface using CCI radicals as the carbon source. Our results show that CCI inserts into the surface dimer C–C bonds with a barrier of 10.5 kcal/mol, roughly half of the energy required for traditional CH_2 insertion (22.0 kcal/mol). In addition to this, CCI has improved surface mobility (~30.0 kcal/mol barrier, versus 35 kcal/mol for CH_2, along the C–C dimer chain direction), and hydrogen abstraction from the surface is also favored via atomic CI in the vapor phase. These results explain the lower substrate temperatures achieved in crystal diamond growth from the use of chlorinated sources in CVD processes, as opposed to the more traditional CH_4/H_2 derived species. Our results also suggest that further reductions in substrate temperatures are possible from using CCI as the only carbon source.
Distributed heterogeneous outdoor multi-robot localization

An extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based algorithm for the localization of a team of robots is described in this paper. The distributed EKF localization scheme is straightforward in that the individual robots maintain a pose estimate using EKFs that are local to every robot. We then show how these results can be extended to perform heterogeneous cooperative localization in the absence or degradation of absolute sensors aboard the team members. The proposed algorithms are implemented using field data obtained from a team of ATRV-mini robots traversing on uneven outdoor terrain.
An Inventory of Irritants

The gesture was more graceful than the act. With one generous flick of the wrist I sent the paperback sailing across the room. The book, The Age of Earthquakes: A Guide to the Extreme Present, is a...
Cross-Cultural and International Investigations of the Victim–Offender Overlap

Historically, sociological and criminological researchers can, by and large, be fit or self-categorized into one of two broad categories: either they are offender-centered or victim-centered researchers. This dichotomy of choice is certainly important as a considerable amount of valuable research has been published exploring the etiology of these two types of persons. Having said this, there has been a recent notable growth in the number of studies where investigators are acknowledging and to a lesser extent modeling the correlation between these two seemingly unrelated phenomena.
Intraoperative ultrasonography-guided positioning of iodine 125 plaque brachytherapy in the treatment of choroidal melanoma.

Purpose To report intraoperative ultrasonography-guided positioning of iodine 125 (I 125 ) plaques for brachytherapy of choroidal melanoma as a quality improvement measure. Design Retrospective, single-center, consecutive case-cohort study. Participants One hundred fifty consecutive patients with choroidal melanoma. Methods Patients with choroidal melanoma who were treated with I 125 plaque brachytherapy from January 2007 through January 2011 with at least 6 months of clinical follow-up were included. Main Outcome Measures Patient and tumor characteristics at diagnosis were tabulated. The need for plaque repositioning if intraoperative ultrasonography showed the plaque to be either not centered on the tumor or if there was less than 1.0 mm of plaque margin beyond the tumor border was recorded. The rate of local treatment failure and occurrence of distant metastasis were determined. Results The average interval from surgery to last follow-up was 21.5 months. Fifty-four (36%) of 150 patients required plaque repositioning. Of tumors located in the macula, equator, and periphery, 15 (36.6%), 26 (36.6%), and 13 (34.2%) required repositioning. There was no case of local treatment failure during a mean follow-up of 21.5 months (range, 6–48 months). Clinical evidence of choroidal melanoma metastasis developed in 9 patients. The cumulative 2-year Kaplan-Meier rate of local treatment failure in the cohort was statistically lower compared with the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study, which did not require ultrasonography-guided plaque positioning. Conclusions Intraoperative ultrasonography identified the need to reposition I 125 plaques to achieve centration and plaque margin (>1.0 mm) beyond the tumor border in 36% of eyes. Neither tumor size nor tumor location correlated with the need to reposition the plaque. There was no case of local treatment failure during follow-up in this series. Correct plaque position is an essential component of quality outcomes in brachytherapy. Intraoperative ultrasonography reduces geographic errors in placement in eye plaque therapy and may help to reduce local treatment failure in choroidal melanoma. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Serodiagnostic antibody responses to Psoroptes sp. infestations in bighorn sheep.

The antibody responses of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) infested with Psoroptes sp. mites were investigated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay on western blots of P. cuniculi antigens. Serum from 20 Psoroptes sp.-infested bighorn sheep (O. canadensis mexicana, O. canadensis nelsoni, O. canadensis canadensis) from New Mexico, Nevada, California, and Idaho reacted strongly with mite antigens ranging from 12 to 34 kd. Serum from 35 Psoroptes sp.-free bighorn sheep of unknown tick infestation status and from three Psoroptes sp.-free bighorn sheep infested with Dermacentor hunteri ticks did not react with these antigens. Psoroptes sp.-specific antibody responses were present throughout a 16 mo period in one infested bighorn sheep, but were not detectable 8 mo following successful treatment. These results demonstrate that specific serodiagnosis of Psoroptes sp. infestation is feasible in bighorn sheep and suggest that antibody responses are indicative of current or recent infestation.
Low Carbohydrate–Diet Scores and Long-term Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Among Women With a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) may improve short-term glycemic control in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but the long-term effect on progression from GDM to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is unknown. We aimed to examine the long-term risk of T2DM in association with a low-carbohydrate dietary pattern among women with a history of GDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Overall, 4,502 women with a history of GDM from the Nurses9 Health Study II (NHSII) cohort, as part of the Diabetes & Women’s Health (DWH) study, were followed up from 1991 to 2011. Overall, animal, or vegetable LCD scores, which represent adherence to different low-carbohydrate dietary patterns, were calculated using diet intake information assessed every 4 years since 1991 by validated food-frequency questionnaires. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. RESULTS We documented 722 incident cases of T2DM during 68,897 person-years of observation. The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of T2DM, comparing the highest with lowest quintiles, were 1.36 (1.04–1.78) for overall LCD score ( P = 0.003 for trend), 1.40 (1.06–1.84) for animal LCD score ( P = 0.004 for trend), and 1.19 (0.91–1.55) for vegetable LCD score ( P = 0.50 for trend). CONCLUSIONS Among women with a history of GDM, a low-carbohydrate dietary pattern, particularly with high protein and fat intake mainly from animal-source foods, is associated with higher T2DM risk, whereas a low-carbohydrate dietary pattern with high protein and fat intake from plant-source foods is not significantly associated with risk of T2DM.
A case for battery charging-aware power management and deferrable task scheduling in smartphones

Prior battery-aware systems research has focused on discharge power management in order to maximize the usable battery lifetime of a device. In order to achieve the vision of perpetual mobile device operation, we propose that software also needs to carefully consider the process of battery charging. This is because the power consumed by the system when plugged in can influence the rate of battery charging, and hence, the availability of the system to the user. We characterize the charging process of a Nexus 4 smartphone and analyze the charging behaviors of anonymous Nexus 4 users using the Device Analyzer dataset. We find that there is potential for software schedulers to increase device availability by distributing tasks across the charging period. We estimate that approximately 53% of the users we examined could benefit from up to 18.9% improvement in net energy gained by the battery while charging. Accordingly, we propose new threads of research in charging-aware power management and deferrable task scheduling that could improve overall availability for a significant portion of smartphone users.
Restless legs syndrome and erectile dysfunction.

RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME (RLS) IS A GENERALLY UNDERDIAGNOSED AND UNDERTREATED NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY A complaint of an almost irresistible urge to move the legs, affecting 5% to 15% of adults.1,2 RLS has a substantial impact on sleep, daily activities, and quality of life.1 Although the etiology of RLS is still unclear, dopaminergic hypofunction in the central nervous system (CNS) is believed to have a role in disease pathophysiology.3 This hypothesis has been supported by evidence that RLS symptoms were improved by administration of L-dopa4 or dopamine agonist5–7; and that dopamine antagonists that cross the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) (e.g., metoclopramide and pimozide) and exacerbate RLS symptoms, whereas those that do not cross the BBB (e.g., domperidone) do not have an effect on RLS.3,8,9 Dopamine in the CNS plays important role in regulation of erectile function.10,11 In a previous study, we found that men with erectile dysfunction (ED) were ∼4 times more likely to develop Parkinson disease during 16 years follow-up, another disorders associated with dopamine hypofunction in the CNS, than those who reported normal erectile function.12 It is thus of interest to investigate whether RLS patients have a higher risk of ED. This association, however, has not been previously investigated. We, therefore, conducted a cross-sectional analysis to examine whether men with RLS have a higher likelihood of having ED in the Health Professional Follow-up Study (HPFS), a large ongoing US cohort of men.
The Extended Presence: Mexico and Its Culture in North American Writing

North American writers, since colonial days, have been subjected to a number of foreign influences, and some of these have been persistentnotably the English and the French. However, the intensity of these influences has waxed and waned according to literary period. But there is one engagement with another culture whose presence is always felt, whether perceived to be malignant or benign. Mexico is not just a neighboring country. Its cultural influences thrust sharply upward from the Southwestern border of the United States. It is an unavoidable presence, and as such it has been reflected in our literature from the earliest days of border contact. The earlier pioneer America which first reacted to this presence displayed the provincialism of a homogenous and somewhat isolated culture. This was Anglo-Saxon Protestant society on the march and getting farther and farther from its home base. The innocence of its faith in unending progress through technology and science was as yet undisturbed. To the members of such a society, backwardness in matters of mechanics and machinery was a rebuke to the glorious nineteenth century, and the writers of this society did not spare themselves in castigating the lazy and feckless Mexicans for their indifference to these matters. Typical among these writers was George Wilkins Kendall, a newspaperman who had traveled much in the borderlands. The patronizing tone which he adopted in writing of the Mexicans was characteristic of the period:
Improvement of GaAs Crystal Quality on Si Grown by Mocvd Through Two-Dimensional-Like Nucleation with Low Temperature in Situ Hydrogen/Arsine Plasma Cleaning

We report the significant improvement of GaAs crystal quality on Si grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with an in situ low temperature hydrogen/arsine plasma cleaning of the Si substrate at 450°C and a consequent controlled two-dimensional-like morphology of the low temperature buffer layer at its early stage. The most critical step that determines the interfacial cleanliness and the early stages of the nucleation and thin film formation of heteroepitaxial GaAs on Si in a non-ultrahigh vacuum MOCVD system is the substitution of hydrogen atoms passivating the Si surface after ex situ HF-dip with pas-sivating As atoms. Reduction of in situ cleaning temperature ensures the very slow kinetics of thermal desorption of the hydrogen atoms and re-oxidation of exposed Si surface from the reactor environment, and provides a fully As-passivated Si surface, leading to a 2D-like buffer layer.
Paracervical block anesthesia in obstetrics.

(1963). Paracervical Block Anesthesia in Obstetrics. Postgraduate Medicine: Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 585-589.
Treatment of escape-maintained challenging behavior using chained schedules: An evaluation of the effects of thinning positive plus negative reinforcement during functional communication training

Objective: Previous research has supported functional communication training as an effective intervention for reducing challenging behavior. Clinicians often program schedule-thinning procedures to increase the portability of the treatment (i.e. reinforcement is provided less frequently). For individuals with escape-maintained problem behavior, chained schedules have proven effective in increasing task completion and supplemental procedures may ameliorate reemergence of challenging behavior as access to reinforcement is decreased. This study compared the use of a chained schedule-thinning procedure with and without alternative reinforcement (e.g. toys and activities) embedded in an intervention in which escape from the task is provided contingent on a request for a break.Method: Two individuals with escape-maintained challenging behavior participated. We compared two treatment conditions, escape-only and escape-to-tangibles, using a single-subject, alternating treatments design with each treatment impleme...
Chest compressions do not disrupt the seal created by the laryngeal mask airway during positive pressure ventilation: a preliminary porcine study.

Objective: Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents occurs 20 to 30% of the time during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of cardiac arrest due to loss of protective airway reflexes, pressure changes generated during CPR, and positive pressure ventilation (PPV). Although the American Heart Association has recommended the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) as an acceptable alternative airway for use by emergency medical service personnel, concerns over the capacity of the device to protect from pulmonary aspiration remain.We sought to determine the occurrence of aspiration after LMA placement, CPR, and PPV. Methods: We inserted a size 4 LMA, modified so that a vacuum catheter could be advanced past the LMA diaphragm, into the hypopharynx of 16 consecutive postexperimental mixed-breed domestic swine. Fifteen millilitres of heparinized blood was instilled into the oropharynx. Chest compressions were performed for 60 seconds with asynchronous ventilation via a mechanical ventilator. We then suctioned through the LMA for 1 minute. The catheter was removed and inspected for signs of blood. The LMA cuff was deflated, removed, and inspected for signs of blood. Results: None of 16 animals (95% CI 0-17%) had a positive test for the presence of blood in both the vacuum catheter and the intima of the LMA diaphragm. Conclusions: In this swine model of regurgitation after LMA placement, there were no cases with evidence of blood beyond the seal created by the LMA cuff. Future studies are needed to determine the frequency of pulmonary aspiration after LMA placement during CPR and PPV in the clinical setting.
Less Common Solid Tumors of Pancreas

Primary neoplastic change can occur in all of the histological components of the pancreas. The term “pancreatic cancer” is commonly used to describe pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and its associated variants, which arise from the ductal cells and account for 85–90 % of all pancreatic neoplasms. However, neoplasms can also arise from other components of the gland, including stem cells, neuroendocrine cells, lymphoid and stromal cells. Rarely, metastases to the gland also occur. It is important to recognize and understand these tumors as their natural history can differ significantly from pancreatic adenocarcinomas.
The Cost and Outcome Effectiveness of Total Hip Replacement: Technique Choice and Volume–Output Effects Matter

Background Total hip replacement (THR) must be managed in a more sustainable manner. More cost-effective surgical techniques and the centralization/regionalization of services are two solutions. The former requires an assessment of newer minimally invasive and muscle-sparing surgical techniques. The latter necessitates an effective volume–outcome (VO) relationship. Prior studies have failed to evaluate and control for the VO relation.
“People Said that Extinction Was Not Possible”: The Ecological Consequences of Land Clearance

Opening the hills of Lingnan to cultivation by peasant families was made possible not simply by state policies favoring the development of “scattered plots,” but also by New World foods that thrived in dry, hilly land and, where feasible, by irrigation techniques mastered over the centuries. Then, encouraged by the state and armed with new crops and tried-and-true irrigation technologies, settlers headed for the far corners of Lingnan. Peasant-farmers had long tilled the river valleys in northern and northeastern Guangdong, but the record of new dams and reservoirs in the second half of the eighteenth century (to be discussed later) chart additional penetration there, while in Guangxi an official stated in 1751 that in the western highlands under his jurisdiction (Sicheng, Zhen'an and Si'en prefectures along the Zuo River), “all the river valleys have received irrigation and all the hills planted with dry rice.” And in 1752, Guangdong Governor Suchang noted that “the poor in the hills of eastern Guangdong all plant sweet potatoes and miscellaneous crops ( za liang ).” New World Crops As Governor Suchang makes clear, by the middle of the eighteenth century New World food crops had become an important part of the peasant-farmer's basket of crops. In addition to sweet potatoes, peanuts, maize, and tobacco, all had been brought to China in the sixteenth century by the New World traders who sought silks and porcelains for the European market.
Gender differences in the associations between urinary bisphenol A and body composition among American children: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003–2006

Background As an endocrine disruptor, bisphenol A (BPA) exposure has been implicated as a potential risk factor in childhood obesity, which is defined using percentiles of body mass index for age. We aimed to examine the associations between BPA exposure, reflected by urinary BPA concentration, and body composition in American children. Methods Data of 1860 children aged 8–19 years who participated in the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed in this study. Urinary BPA concentration (ng/mL) was used to indicate BPA status in the body. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Multivariate linear regression models were fitted using survey procedures to investigate the associations between urinary BPA level and body composition separately for boys and girls. Results After adjusting for demographic and lifestyle covariates, higher quartiled and log-transformed urinary BPA levels were significantly associated with elevated lean body mass index (LBMI) z-scores in boys (p < 0.05), and significantly associated with elevated fat mass index (FMI) z-scores in girls (p < 0.05). Lower urinary BPA concentration was associated with lower percentage of trunk fat in girls (compared to 1st quartile, 2nd-quartile: β = 2.85, 95% CI, 0.92–4.78; 3rd-quartile: β = 2.57, 95% CI, 0.28–4.85; 4th-quartile: β = 2.79, 95% CI, 0.44–5.14; all p < 0.05). Such patterns were not observed in boys. Conclusions Higher BPA levels may be associated with elevated LBM in boys, but not in girls, while higher BPA levels may be associated with elevated FM in girls, but not in boys.
Life Cycle Assessment and Release Studies for 15 Nanosilver-Enabled Consumer Products: Investigating Hotspots and Patterns of Contribution.

Increasing use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in consumer products as antimicrobial agents has prompted extensive research toward the evaluation of their potential release to the environment and subsequent ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms. It has also been shown that AgNPs can pose significant burdens to the environment from life cycle emissions associated with their production, but these impacts must be considered in the context of actual products that contain nanosilver. Here, a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment for the production of 15 different AgNP-enabled consumer products was performed, coupled with release studies of those same products, thus providing a consistent analytical platform for investigation of potential nanosilver impacts across a range of product types and concentrations. Environmental burdens were assessed over multiple impact categories defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts...
Data-Driven Design of an Ebola Therapeutic

Abstract Formulation is very important in drug delivery. The wrong formulation can render a drug product useless. The amount of preclinical (animal and in vitro) work that must be done before a new drug candidate can be tested in humans can be a problem. The cost of these cGxP studies is typically $3-$5 million. If the wrong drug product formulation is tested, new iterations of the formulation must be tested with additional costs. Data-driven computational science can help reduce this cost. In the absence of existing human exposure, a battery of preclinical tests must be performed in at least two species before FDA will permit testing in humans. However, for many drugs (such as those beginning with natural products) there is a history of human exposure. In these cases, computer modeling of a population to determine human exposure may be adequate to permit phase 1 studies with a candidate formulation in humans. The CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a program of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. The survey is unique in that it combines interviews and physical examinations including laboratory results. The NHANES database can be mined to determine exposure to a food additive, and early human formulation testing conducted at levels beneath those to which the US population is ordinarily exposed through food. These data can be combined with data mined from international chemical shipments to validate an exposure model. This paper describes the data driven formulation testing process using a new candidate Ebola treatment that, unlike vaccines, can be used after a person has contracted the disease. This drug candidate’s mechanism of action permits it to be potentially used against all strains of the virus, a characteristic that vaccines might not share.
Military Family Advocacy in the U.S. Army: Program Service Outcomes and Family Participation

Violence in military families remains a vexing problem. Since the advent of the Global War on Terror, there is inconsistent evidence that the prevalence of family violence is increasing, particularly during and after military deployments. However, child neglect appears to increase significantly during military deployments. The military has developed family advocacy programs designed to keep families safe and intervene to reduce the deleterious effects of exposure to family violence. This is one of the first studies to examine the quality with which a family advocacy program is implemented and the degree to which families engage with the program. To conduct this study, the case files of 226 families who came in contact with the Army Family Advocacy Program (FAP) and whose cases were closed in 2013 were reviewed and coded across several implementation and service outcomes. These included involvement of qualified staff, whether or not appropriate victim and offender assessments were completed, degree of inter-agency communication, and appropriateness of referrals, among others. Soldier and family member participation in FAP and other Army-sponsored programs designed to reduce violence was also assessed. Generally speaking, the Army Family Advocacy Program was implemented with high quality, established processes and procedures for handling cases were largely followed, and FAP staff responded rapidly and thoroughly to reported abuse. However, family engagement with Army services and supports was low. Developing robust approaches to engaging families in family programming must be a high priority going forward.
The Diagnosis of UTI: Colony Count Criteria Revisited.

* Abbreviations: AAP — : American Academy of Pediatrics CFU — : colony-forming unit SPA — : suprapubic aspiration UA — : urinalysis UTI — : urinary tract infection Urinalysis (UA) is valuable in allowing clinicians to make a presumptive diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) and initiate appropriate empirical antimicrobial treatment.1 The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) UTI Clinical Practice Guideline for infants and children 2 months to 2 years of age advocates a definition of significant bacteriuria as ≥50 000 colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter and endorses the finding of inflammation on UA as a necessary component of the diagnosis of UTI.2,3 However, reports of the accuracy and application of UA in the diagnosis of UTI in infants <2 months of age have been somewhat variable. In this issue of Pediatrics , Tzimenatos et al4 (for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network) substantiate the excellent sensitivity and high specificity of the aggregate UA for diagnosing UTIs in febrile infants 60 days and younger with and without concurrent bacteremia, extending the use of this laboratory test to those younger than the age addressed in the AAP guideline. Along with UA, the authors applied the criterion of ≥50 000 CFU/mL for the diagnosis of UTI but also evaluated ≥10 000 CFU/mL, raising the important issue of what threshold should be used to define significant bacteriuria. Before the 1950s, the number of bacteria associated with UTIs was described in vague terms, such as “numerous.”5 In his 1956 landmark study of adult women, Kass6 proposed that 100 000 CFU/mL be considered the diagnostic threshold, a criterion that was accepted quickly and widely. Fifteen years later, Pryles and Lustik,7 while acknowledging that data … Address correspondence to Kenneth B. Roberts, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 3005 Bramblewood Dr, Mebane, NC 27302. E-mail: kenrobertsmd{at}gmail.com
Solid Organ Transplantation and Bariatric Surgery

Obesity increases the risk for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, fatty liver disease, and certain types of cancer while also causing increased health-care costs. Diabetes, often correlated with obesity, can result in chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal failure, while obesity itself can aggravate end-stage liver disease or cause nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Bariatric surgery has demonstrated its safety and efficacy and may be beneficial for both pre- and posttransplant patients. Due to insufficient information in the literature about bariatric surgery in transplant patients, no definitive, ideal procedure exists. In this chapter, we evaluate features and outcomes of bariatric procedures (pre-, during, and posttransplant) in obese patients with solid organ (kidney, liver, and heart) transplantation. According to literature review and analysis, pure restrictive laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has demonstrated its superiority over the restrictive and malabsorptive Roux-en-Y gastric bypass operation in terms of safety, technical ease, and efficacy in transplant patients.
Condition based health monitoring of transformers

Transformers are a fundamental and essential constituent of Electrical distribution and transmission system. Condition based health monitoring of electrical transformers for fault occurrence can prevent costly overhaul interruption of smooth power supply. Currently available systems, for the health monitoring of transformer, are based on parameter analysis and cannot conclude the health of a transformer based on its operational performance. Transformers are also very expensive constituent of electricity distribution system, as is the cost of power interruption. The electric power distribution companies worldwide have shown great interest in health monitoring of transformers, which can potentially improve efficiency, reliability and economic sustainability of the production and transmission of electricity. Under the scope of this project, a system is being developed that can reflect the health of transformer during its operation, enabling corrective measures to be taken before minor issues turn into major faults.
Study of Chemical Interactions in Metallized Polymers Used for Microelectronic Packaging

Surface modification of PMDA-ODA polyimide (PI) utilized for microelectronic packaging has been performed by the use of low energy (600 eV) Ar ion beam treatment as well as an Ar electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source (ion energy: 10 eV). This modification was done in a controlled way to understand its effects on enhanced adhesion in metallization. Copper (Cu) was deposited on the Ar ion treated polyimide surface by electron beam evaporation. Interfacial chemical reactions characteristic of the metallized polymer were investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS data revealed that surface modification by Ar ion beam treatment was deeper and more extensive than that by ECR plasma treatment for the same ion dose. The degree of surface modification is found to be a function of ion energy for a given ion dose. This surface modification is observable by XPS even at doses less than 5.6 × 1013 Ar+/cm2. Furthermore, enhanced interaction was observed between Cu and the Ar ion treated PI surface, believed to be charge transfer. This indicates enhanced chemical interaction between Cu and ion treated PI as compared to that between Cu and untreated PI.
Maintaining the World as We Know It: Biodiversity for High-Functioning Landscapes

Consider the once great prairie. Ranging from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the ragged edge of the eastern deciduous forest, the American prairie encompassed an array of different communities and ecosystems, including shortgrass prairie, sand prairie, pothole wetlands, and oak savanna. Each of these ecosystems was filled with a panoply of plant and animal life (fig. 5.1). A recent 24-hour bioblitz on the American Prairie Preserve in Montana turned up 480 species, including 26 fungi and 76 birds (Billings Gazette 2011). Diverse prairies are found mostly in preserves these days or between the headstones of settlers’ cemeteries. As the country pursued its manifest destiny, prairie gave way to farmlands, ranches, interstate highways, and sprawling subdivisions. Its interwoven plant communities became millions of acres of corn, wheat, sunflowers, and bluegrass lawns.
Obesity in Pregnancy

1. Definition. Obesity is the state of excess weight over what is considered a normal or “healthy” weight for an individual of a given height. Body mass index (BMI), which is calculated as weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of height (in meters), is the most well-accepted method to both diagnose and stratify the severity of obesity [1]. BMI 30 kg/m2 or greater is considered obese. 2. Rates. Within the category of obese, patients are often subcategorized with respect to the severity of obesity. (a) BMI 30 kg/m2 to 34.9 kg/m2 is considered Class I obese. (b) BMI 35 kg/m2 to 39.9 kg/m2 is considered Class II obese. (c) BMI 40 kg/m2 or greater is considered Class III obese (formerly referred to as morbidly obese). 3. Incidence. For women of reproductive age (20–39 years), the rates of obesity are as follows: 31.8% for BMI > 30 kg/m2, 15.4% for BMI > 35 kg/m2, and 7.7% for BMI > 40 kg/m2. At least 25% of pregnant woman have pregestational BMIs > 30 kg/m2 and rates of BMI > 40 kg/m2 are between 4 and 6% [2]. 4. At its most basic, obesity develops when a long-term imbalance occurs such that energy intake far outbalances energy expended. The development of obesity in an individual patient may be dependent on a complex interaction of genetics, epigenetics, diet, physical activity, culture, and environment, among many other factors. 5. Consultation. Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommend a preanesthetic consultation for parturients with a BMI > 40 kg/m2 [3, 4]. (a) Appropriate timing of the consultation is uncertain, but late second trimester to early third trimester of pregnancy is likely ideal. (b) The consultation should be focused on several areas: Determining the effect of obesity on the patient’s pathophysiology, namely, the presence of comorbid disease Assessing the need for consultation with other specialists and/or the need for specialized testing given the obese parturient’s comorbidities Physical examination Communicating to the patient any complications that may occur due to the presence of obesity
Focus Groups: Applying Communication Theory through Design, Facilitation, and Analysis

Despite the fact that focus groups are an ideal research tool for studying and employing group communication in action, many research practitioners and scholars have missed the opportunity to utilize them to their maximum benefit. Few researchers have the skills that enable them to approach focus group facilitation and analysis from a communication point of view. In this book, Dr. Christine Davis teaches readers how to take a project from an idea to the design, facilitation, and analysis stages. This book takes a unique communication perspective to apply group communication theories, knowledge of group processes, and a close discourse analysis approach to explain and understand the discursive aspect of focus groups. This book helps readers of all stages of experience - including those with no background in focus group research to those practitioners with more focus group expertise - understand how a communication approach to focus groups takes advantage of this discipline’s rich scholarship in group communication and discourse analysis. This book will teach readers how to a. understand the nature of focus group research procedures from a communication point of view; b. understand how to translate RQs into a focus group protocol; c. use knowledge of communication theory and group process to understand how to facilitate different kinds of focus groups, prevent and overcome challenges in focus group facilitation; and elicit different outcomes and techniques when facilitating a focus group; d. use knowledge of communication theory and group process to recognize the merits of different approaches to focus group facilitation; e. use knowledge of communication theory and group process to recognize good- and poor-quality focus groups; f. understand how to transcribe / code / analyze focus group data from a communication (discursive) perspective; and g. understand how to write focus group findings.