cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous Corneal Clearing after Descemet's Stripping without Endothelial Replacement

Purpose To report spontaneous corneal clearing with improved visual acuity and central endothelial cell repopulation after Descemet's stripping without endothelial replacement. Design Interventional case report. Methods A 34-year-old woman with bilateral decreased vision secondary to corneal edema from endothelial dysfunction underwent Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) in the right eye and Descemet's stripping only in the left eye. Histopathologic evaluation confirmed a dual diagnosis of Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy and posterior polymorphous membrane dystrophy from Descemet's membrane specimens removed from each eye. After primary graft failure with regraft in the right eye, the second posterior corneal lenticule detached and was removed and not replaced. The cornea cleared, and central endothelial cell repopulation was documented by confocal microscopy. Therefore, Descemet's stripping without endothelial replacement was performed in the left eye. The left cornea also cleared with central endothelial cell repopulation. Main Outcome Measures Postoperative visual acuity and central endothelial cell repopulation. Results Endothelial migration after Descemet's stripping alone in the left eye, with probable host endothelial cell repopulation in the right eye. Conclusions Endothelial cell migration after Descemet's stripping procedure without insertion of endothelial graft can occur, resulting from host endothelial cell repopulation with corneal clearing and improved visual acuity. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Verbal Shifts in the American Presidency: A Content Analysis

The resurgence of conservatism may be described as the most significant postwar development in American thought. “No intellectual phenomenon has been more surprising in recent years,” Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., concedes, “than the revival in the United States of conservatism as a respectable social philosophy.” No longer can one lament, as Alpheus T. Mason did in 1948, that “conservatism, once more than respectable political theology (especially among the educated), now carries overtones of reaction well nigh as discrediting as the rabidities attributed to communism.” Intellectual spokesmen are now, on the contrary, making a concerted effort to revisit and revitalize the conservative point of view.Although most of this “egg head” element in the conservative camp may be, and has been, dismissed as expressing an anachronistic yearning for the anticommercial traditions evolved in British feudalism, the business leaders whom they neglect have themselves been revising and actively selling a conservatism that appears to be more closely related to the realities of the American social situation.
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Signaling in the Lateral Parabrachial Nucleus Contributes to the Control of Food Intake and Motivation to Feed

Central glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) activation reduces food intake and the motivation to work for food, but the neurons and circuits mediating these effects are not fully understood. Although lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN) neurons are implicated in the control of food intake and reward, the specific role of GLP-1R-expressing lPBN neurons is unexplored. Here, neuroanatomical tracing, immunohistochemical, and behavioral/pharmacological techniques are used to test the hypothesis that lPBN neurons contribute to the anorexic effect of central GLP-1R activation. Results indicate that GLP-1-producing neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius project monosynaptically to the lPBN, providing a potential endogenous mechanism by which lPBN GLP-1R signaling may exert effects on food intake control. Pharmacological activation of GLP-1R in the lPBN reduced food intake, and conversely, antagonism of GLP-1R in the lPBN increased food intake. In addition, lPBN GLP-1R activation reduced the motivation to work for food under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. Taken together, these data establish the lPBN as a novel site of action for GLP-1R-mediated control of food intake and reward.
Evaluation of a Substance Abuse Prevention and Mental Health Promotion Program for Children of Divorce

Abstract This study evaluated a preventive intervention for 62 children of divorce. The children participated in a 12-session elementary school program designed to improve their coping, self-esteem, and assertiveness which were specified as mediators of the effects of family stress on children's mental health and substance use. Their adjustment was contrasted at pre— and postintervention with that of demographically matched peers Qi =62). The intervention participants were less well adjusted than their peers before the intervention. They reported significant increases after the intervention compared to their peers on problem-focused coping and self-esteem, and reductions of substance use, antisocial behavior, and anxiety. The results suggest the utility of coping skills and self-esteem enhancement interventions to reduce substance use and psychological Symptoms Of Children Of divorce.
Annealing of shear bands in metallic glasses

Shear bands introduced into the as-quenched metallic glass alloy, MetglasR 2826 (Fe40Ni40P14B6), were etched by immersion in a solution of CUS04 and HCI. Elimination of the etchability property through isothermal annealing had an apparent activation enthalpy of 250 kJ mol−1, similar to that of stress relaxation. Direct microscopic observations indicated that the etching of shear bands may be a result of stress corrosion cracking. The electrochemical etchability of shear bands in the nickel-based alloy, BNi2 (Ni68.8Cr6.6Fe2.6B14.1Si7.9), polarized in a solution of perchloric acid and acetic acid at 12° C, could also be eliminated by thermal annealing. The loss of etchability had an apparent activation enthalpy of 580 kJ mol−1, a value indicative of more complex atomic rearrangements taking place within the deformed material. Finally, shear bands introduced into the as-received BNi2 material retained the ability to reverse shear after heat treatment at temperatures in the range of 192 to 375° C even if the electrolytic etchability was apparently diminished.
Non-Probabilistic Based Topology Optimization Under External Load Uncertainty With Eigenvalue-Superposition of Convex Models

In this paper the Eigenvalue-Superposition of Convex Models (ESCM) based topology optimization method for solving topology optimization problems under external load uncertainties is presented. The load uncertainties are formulated using the non-probabilistic based unknown-but-bounded convex model. The sensitivities are derived and the problem is solved using gradient based algorithm. The proposed ESCM based method yields the material distribution which would optimize the worst structure response under the uncertain loads. Comparing to the deterministic based topology optimization formulation the ESCM based method provided more reasonable solutions when load uncertainties were involved. The simplicity, efficiency and versatility of the proposed ESCM based topology optimization method can be considered as a supplement to the sophisticated reliability based topology optimization methods.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy and older age are associated with adverse sexual health-related quality-of-life outcome after prostate brachytherapy.

Abstract Objectives. Brachytherapy is increasingly used as a treatment for localized prostate cancer but information regarding long-term, postimplantation, patient-reported sexual health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) is scant. Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy is commonly administered with brachytherapy, yet its potentially adverse effects on subsequent sexual health have not been described using a validated HRQOL instrument. We used a validated HRQOL survey to characterize the significance of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy and other baseline factors on postimplantation sexual function and impairment. Methods. A cross-sectional survey using the expanded prostate cancer index composite HRQOL instrument was administered to all 114 localized prostate cancer patients who underwent ultrasound-guided, transperineal brachytherapy during a 4-year period and to 142 age-matched control men. Multivariable models measured the association of baseline factors and covariates with postimplantation sexual HRQOL. Results. Older age (P = 0.01) and neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (P = 0.009) were independently associated with diminished sexual HRQOL after prostate brachytherapy. Among patients younger than 69 years old, 33% reported at least fair sexual function after brachytherapy alone compared with 19% of men after brachytherapy with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy. Of the age-matched control men younger than 69 years old, 78% reported at least fair sexual function. Among patients older than 69 years, 26% reported at least fair sexual function after brachytherapy alone compared with 5% after brachytherapy with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy, and 61% of age-matched controls reported at least fair sexual function. Conclusions. Patient age and neoadjuvant hormonal therapy are independent, significant determinants of sexual HRQOL after prostate brachytherapy. These factors should be taken into consideration when counseling patients with localized prostate cancer regarding the expected, postimplantation sexual HRQOL outcome.
Aggressive and prosocial behaviors The social success of bistrategic preadolescents

This study examined the social functioning of bistrategic youths (i.e., those who employ both aggressive and prosocial behavior) in order to further understand their social competence in peer socia...
The Role of Investigative Committees in the Presidential Impeachment Processes in Brazil and Colombia

One of the most important political debates today regards how to design institutions to ensure the accountability of public officials. The impeachment process is one mechanism of accountability check available to legislatures. It is, however, susceptible to misuse. What determines how the impeachment process functions? In this paper, I argue that control of information by congressional investigation committees is a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the impeachment process. I show how the difference in information control by the investigative committees in Brazil and Colombia contributed to the removal of a president in one country and a president's acquittal in the other.
Individual differences in mental illness: Effects of deviance, stress and personality of the target on the labelling process

Abstract One proposal concerning the manner in which observers apply the mental illness label to another is that the label is a residual explanation, applied by the observer only after other possible causes have been considered and rejected. If this view is correct, attribution of mental illness to a target person should be decreased by the presence of either situational forces or internal personality characteristics which provide alternative explanations for the behavior. In this study, subjects were presented with brief descriptions in which the following were varied: the personality of the target person, the degree of stress to which he was subjected, the deviance of his behavior, and the type of behavior which he exhibited. Mental illness ratings of the target were influenced by the personality of the target, by the deviance of the target's behavior and by situational stress. The pattern of results also differed depending on whether the target behaved in an aggressive or in a withdrawn fashion.
Optimal conditions for methacrylate embedding of certain tissues and cells sensitive to polymerization damage

Abstract Some factors affecting polymerization damage in inethacrylate-embedded mouse testis and R. spheroides bacteria have been examined. Polymerization by an intense source of UV light at room temperature has been shown to be a superior method of curing. Long soaking of the tissue in prepolymerized methacrylate is beneficial and, in some cases, a brief additional staining in a 2 per cent solution of chromic nitrate in alcohol improves preservation. With these modifications permanganate-fixed mouse tissues and osmic-fixed bacteria may be satisfactorily preserved in methacrylate, and considerably shorter osmic acid and permanganate fixation times of tissue blocks are possible. In some fields of electron microscope cytology, e.g., the examination of cellular damage produced by ionizing radiations, the described modifications of the methacrylate-embedding technique have been found essential for the elimination of polymerization artifacts which otherwise obscure pathological changes under observation.
Business clusters in Mississippi's forest products industry

Spatial analysis of forest products manufacturer location allows for identifying potential forest business clusters and outlining areas suitable for cluster-based economic development. Mississippi can benefit from such development because of a strong presence of the forest industry. This study utilized an average nearest neighbor and a cluster and outlier analyses to examine spatial distribution of Mississippi's primary and secondary forest products manufacturers and identify potential forest business clusters. A Poisson regression was used to examine the impact of transportation infrastructure, labor, and availability of raw materials on location of these manufacturers. The results of the spatial analysis indicated that Mississippi's forest products manufacturers tended to cluster and identified four potential forest business clusters. They included one cluster of 26 primary forest products manufacturers in Southwest Mississippi, two clusters consisting of six and 58 secondary forest products manufacturers in Northeast Mississippi, and one cluster of 78 primary and secondary forest products manufacturers in Northeast Mississippi. The regression analysis indicated that county-level volume of harvested sawlogs had a positive impact on location of primary and secondary forest products manufacturers, whereas volume of harvested pulpwood had a positive impact on location of only secondary forest products manufacturers. Presence of four-lane interstate highways was associated with a decreased number of secondary manufacturers, whereas the presence of railway increased their number by almost 1.50 times. The number of existing primary manufacturers in a county had a positive impact on location of secondary manufacturers and increased their number by 1.12 times. Available labor force also had a positive but relatively small impact on location of secondary forest products manufacturers.
Single nucleotide polymorphism discovery in elite north american potato germplasm

Current breeding approaches in potato rely almost entirely on phenotypic evaluations; molecular markers, with the exception of a few linked to disease resistance traits, are not widely used. Large-scale sequence datasets generated primarily through Sanger Expressed Sequence Tag projects are available from a limited number of potato cultivars and access to next generation sequencing technologies permits rapid generation of sequence data for additional cultivars. When coupled with the advent of high throughput genotyping methods, an opportunity now exists for potato breeders to incorporate considerably more genotypic data into their decision-making. To identify a large number of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in elite potato germplasm, we sequenced normalized cDNA prepared from three commercial potato cultivars: 'Atlantic', 'Premier Russet' and 'Snowden'. For each cultivar, we generated 2 Gb of sequence which was assembled into a representative transcriptome of ~28-29 Mb for each cultivar. Using the Maq SNP filter that filters read depth, density, and quality, 575,340 SNPs were identified within these three cultivars. In parallel, 2,358 SNPs were identified within existing Sanger sequences for three additional cultivars, 'Bintje', 'Kennebec', and 'Shepody'. Using a stringent set of filters in conjunction with the potato reference genome, we identified 69,011 high confidence SNPs from these six cultivars for use in genotyping with the Infinium platform. Ninety-six of these SNPs were used with a BeadXpress assay to assess allelic diversity in a germplasm panel of 248 lines; 82 of the SNPs proved sufficiently informative for subsequent analyses. Within diverse North American germplasm, the chip processing market class was most distinct, clearly separated from all other market classes. The round white and russet market classes both include fresh market and processing cultivars. Nevertheless, the russet and round white market classes are more distant from each other than processing are from fresh market types within these two groups. The genotype data generated in this study, albeit limited in number, has revealed distinct relationships among the market classes of potato. The SNPs identified in this study will enable high-throughput genotyping of germplasm and populations, which in turn will enable more efficient marker-assisted breeding efforts in potato.
P02.121. Psychological outcomes of a mind body program for successful aging

Purpose The biopsychosocial model of successful aging is aimed at developing a sense of well-being, high self-assessed quality of life, and a sense of personal fulfillment even in the context of illness and disability. The purpose of this study was to explore key outcomes of a new Successful Aging Mind Body program. We hypothesized the program would increase self-efficacy, which would lead to improved feelings of well-being.
Potential synergy between tau aggregation inhibitors and tau chaperonemodulators

Tau is a soluble, microtubule-associated protein known to aberrantly form amyloid-positive aggregates. This pathology is characteristic for more than 15 neuropathies, the most common of which is Alzheimer’s disease. Finding therapeutics to reverse or remove this non-native tau state is of great interest; however, at this time only one drug is entering phase III clinical trials for treating tauopathies. Generally, tau manipulation by therapeutics can either directly or indirectly alter tau aggregation and stability. Drugs that bind and change the conformation of tau itself are largely classified as aggregation inhibitors, while drugs that alter the activity of a tau-effector protein fall into several categories, such as kinase inhibitors, microtubule stabilizers, or chaperone modulators. Chaperone inhibitors that have proven effective in tau models include heat shock protein 90 inhibitors, heat shock protein 70 inhibitors and activators, as well as inducers of heat shock proteins. While many of these compounds can alter tau levels and/or aggregation states, it is possible that combining these approaches may produce the most optimal outcome. However, because many of these compounds have multiple off-target effects or poor blood–brain barrier permeability, the development of this synergistic therapeutic strategy presents significant challenges. This review will summarize many of the drugs that have been identified to alter tau biology, with special focus on therapeutics that prevent tau aggregation and regulate chaperone-mediated clearance of tau.
Mechanisms in Cognitive Psychology: What Are the Operations?

Cognitive psychologists, like biologists, frequently describe mechanisms when explaining phenomena. Unlike biologists, who can often trace material transformations to identify operations, psychologists face a more daunting task in identifying operations that transform information. Behavior provides little guidance as to the nature of the operations involved. While not itself revealing the operations, identification of brain areas involved in psychological mechanisms can help constrain attempts to characterize the operations. In current memory research, evidence that the same brain areas are involved in what are often taken to be different memory phenomena or in other cognitive phenomena is playing such a heuristic function.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge

Research in the area of educational technology has often been critiqued for a lack of theoretical grounding. In this article we propose a conceptual framework for educational technology by building on Shulman’s formulation of ‘‘pedagogical content knowledge’’ and extend it to the phenomenon of teachers integrating technology into their pedagogy. This framework is the result of 5 years of work on a program of research focused on teacher professional development and faculty development in higher education. It attempts to capture some of the essential qualities of teacher knowledge required for technology integration in teaching, while addressing the complex, multifaceted, and situated nature of this knowledge. We argue, briefly, that thoughtful pedagogical uses of technology require the development of a complex, situated form of knowledge that we call Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). In doing so, we posit the complex roles of, and interplay among, three main components of learning environments: content, pedagogy, and technology. We argue that this model has much to offer to discussions of technology integration at multiple levels: theoretical, pedagogical, and methodological. In this article, we describe the theory behind our framework, provide examples of our teaching approach based upon the framework, and illustrate the methodological contributions that have resulted from this work.
A queing system approach for the design of coast guard vessel traffic services communications

In order to provide for the safe and expeditious passage of maritime traffic in congested waters, the U.S. Coast Guard is authorized by the Ports and Waterways Safety Act of 1972 to establish, operate, and maintain Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) where needed. In larger areas, a VTS will generally require a communications system to enable the vessel traffic center and the participating vessels to exchange information. In designing such a system, it is necessary to assess the expected communications loading in order to determine frequency requirements and evaluate alternative configurations for the system. Here, VTS communications are viewed as a queuing system. The customers (messages) arrive at the service facility (communications channel) according to some probabilistic process, and are then serviced (transmitted) according to some other probabilistic process. Queues or waiting lines form as arriving messages wait to be transmitted, because the communications channels are busy. Three classes of messages are considered in the arrival process: check in/check out (basic VTS) messages; Vessel Movement Reporting System (VMRS) messages; and bridge-to-bridge messages. Each class is characterized by an independent Poisson distribution, and the resultant arrival process is a well-defined nonhomogeneous Poisson process. The service time is characterized by a general distribution with a known mean and variance. The queuing results, which are developed, include the utilization factor, the expected waiting time, and the expected number of messages waiting to be transmitted. The arrival process and the queuing results vary according to the time of the day, reflecting the varying traffic load throughout the day. A detailed example is given for a preliminary analysis of New York Harbor VTS communications.
College students on the autism spectrum Prevalence and associated problems

As more young people are identified with autism spectrum diagnoses without co-occurring intellectual disability (i.e. high-functioning autism spectrum disorder; HFASD), it is imperative that we begin to study the needs of this population. We sought to gain a preliminary estimate of the scope of the problem and to examine psychiatric risks associated HFASD symptoms in university students. In a large sample (n = 667), we examined prevalence of ASD in students at a single university both diagnostically and dimensionally, and surveyed students on other behavioral and psychiatric problems. Dependent upon the ascertainment method, between .7 per cent and 1.9 per cent of college students could meet criteria for HFASD. Of special interest, none of the students who were found to meet diagnostic criteria (n = 5) formally for HFASD in this study had been previously diagnosed. From a dimensional perspective, those students scoring above the clinical threshold for symptoms of autism (n = 13) self-reported more problems with social anxiety than a matched comparison group of students with lower autism severity scores. In addition, symptoms of HFASD were significantly correlated with symptoms of social anxiety, as well as depression and aggression. Findings demonstrate the importance of screening for autism-related impairment among university students.
Electronic Distractions of the Respiratory Therapist and Their Impact on Patient Safety

Over the last decade, data from the lay press, government agencies, and the business world have identified ever-growing problems with electronic distraction and changes in human relationships in this electronically interconnected planet. As health professionals, we are well aware of the epidemic growth of injuries and deaths related to texting and driving. It should not surprise us that this distracted behavior has affected all levels of health-care providers and has impacted patient care. This advent of “distracted doctoring” was first coined by the Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent Matt Richtel in a landmark article in the New York Times, “As doctors use more devices, potential for distraction grows.” This article was a flashpoint for professional organizations to reflect on this change in behavior and how it will impact patient safety and how we relate to patients. The explosion in technology (both personnel and hospital-based), coupled with a rapid social shift, creates an environment that constantly tempts health-care workers to surf the internet, check social media outlets, or respond to e-mails. Studies and commentaries in the medical literature only support how this is a growing problem in patient safety and may both increase medical errors and affects costs and the way we relate to patients and fellow staff. The Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) released its annual list of technology hazards for 2013, and three ring true for United States caregivers: distractions from smartphones and mobile devices, alarm hazards, and patient/data mismatches in electronic medical records and other health IT systems, all being in the top 10. How do we begin to address these new technological threats to our patients? First and foremost, we accept that this problem exists. We begin by educating our students and staff that this electronic explosion affects our behavior through addiction and the environment within our hospital through the use of electronic medical records, alarms, and alerts that may impact vigilance and affect our focus. These educational and policy changes should, at their core, address human-to-technology interfacing and teach electronic etiquette. How we approach patients should always have at its core the ancient adage “know thyself”; in other words, always practice self-examination in our daily interactions with technology.
Weapons Retrieved After the Implementation of Emergency Department Metal Detection

Abstract Background Several high-profile violent incidents have occurred within emergency departments (EDs). There are no recent studies reporting the effectiveness of ED metal detection. Objective Our aim was to assess the effect of metal detection on ED weapons retrieval. Methods In September 2011, a metal detector was installed at the entrance of an urban, high-volume teaching hospital ED. The security company recorded retrieved firearms, knives, chemical sprays, and other weapons. We performed qualitative analysis of weapons retrieval data for a 26-month period. Results A total of 5877 weapons were retrieved, an average of 218 per month: 268 firearms, 4842 knives, 512 chemical sprays, and 275 other weapons, such as brass knuckles, stun guns, and box cutters. The number of retrieved guns decreased from 2012 to 2013 (from 182 to 47), despite an increase in metal detection hours from 8 h per day to 16 h per day. The number of retrieved knives, chemical sprays, and other weapons increased. Recovered knives increased from 2062 in 2012 to 2222 in 2013, chemical sprays increased from 170 to 305, and other weapons increased from 51 to 201. Conclusions A large number of weapons were retrieved after the initiation of metal detection in the ED entrance. Increasing hours of metal detection increased the number of retrieved knives, chemical sprays, and other weapons. Retrieved firearms decreased after increasing metal detection hours. Metal detection in the ED entrance is effective in reducing entrance of weapons into the ED. Metal detectors may offer additional benefit in reducing attempts to enter with firearms.
Exact correlation between actual and estimated errors in discrete classification

Discrete classification problems are important in pattern recognition applications. The most often used discrete classification rule is the discrete histogram rule. In this letter we provide exact expressions for the correlation coefficient between the actual error and the resubstitution and leave-one-out cross-validation error estimators for the discrete histogram rule. We show with an example that correlations between actual and estimated errors are generally poor, and that in fact leave-one-out cross-validation can display negative correlation when sample sizes are small and classifier complexity is large. We observe that correlation decreases with increasing classifier complexity and increasing sample size does not necessarily produce an increase in correlation. The exact expressions given here can be computed reasonably fast for given sample size, dimensionality, and model parameters, which is useful because, as also illustrated in this letter, Monte-Carlo approximations of the correlation coefficient are generally poor, even at a large number of simulated data sets.
Measuring corporate environmental performance: the trade-offs of sustainability ratings

Socially responsible investing (SRI) represents an investment process that refl ects environmental and social preferences. The fi nancial industry is in a unique position to move corporations towards corporate sustainability. However, there is often little transparency regarding the metrics used to evaluate corporate social and environmental performance and the trade-offs involved in the evaluation. In this paper we discuss the various trade-offs of sustainability screening methodologies. We show that the rating of companies varies signifi cantly according to whether the screening is based on toxic releases and regulatory compliance or on the quality of environmental policy and disclosure. We base our analysis on the evaluation of the performance of 15 fi rms in the chemical sector. The analysis indicates that fi rms that have the most advanced reporting and environmental management practices tend also to have higher levels of toxic releases and lower environmental compliance. We provide methodological recommendations to help stakeholders evaluate corporate environmental performance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Adolescent girls who experience abuse or neglect are at an increased risk of teen pregnancy

Commentary on: Noll JG, Shenk CE. Teen birth rates in sexually abused and neglected females. Pediatrics 2013;131:e1181–7[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Reductions in the rates of teen births in the USA may be attributed to increased education and services for teens targeting sexual activity, decision-making and methods of pregnancy prevention.1 Teen birth, pregnancy and abortion rates have decreased since the 1990s due to decreased rates of sexual activity among teens and increased use of contraception among sexually active teens.2 Although a positive overall trend for society, teen pregnancies and … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DPediatrics%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1542%252Fpeds.2012-3072%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23530173%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=pediatrics&resid=131/4/e1181&atom=%2Febnurs%2F17%2F3%2F79.atom
Territoriality of Feral Pigs in a Highly Persecuted Population on Fort Benning, Georgia

Abstract We examined home range behavior of female feral pigs (Sus scrofa) in a heavily hunted population on Fort Benning Military Reservation in west-central Georgia, USA. We used Global Positioning System location data from 24 individuals representing 18 sounders (i.e., F social groups) combined with mark–recapture and camera-trap data to evaluate evidence of territorial behavior at the individual and sounder levels. Through a manipulative experiment, we examined evidence for an inverse relationship between population density and home range size that would be expected for territorial animals. Pigs from the same sounder had extensive home range overlap and did not have exclusive core areas. Sounders had nearly exclusive home ranges and had completely exclusive core areas, suggesting that female feral pigs on Fort Benning were territorial at the sounder level but not at the individual level. Lethal removal maintained stable densities of pigs in our treatment area, whereas density increased in our control ...
Competition among growing organs and developmental control of morphological asymmetry

Fluctuating asymmetry is often used as a measure of developmental instability, although its developmental basis is poorly understood. Theoretical models and experimental studies have suggested that feedback interactions between structures on the left and right sides of the body play a pivotal role in the control of asymmetry. Here we provide experimental evidence that competition for a limiting resource can generate such interactions between growing organs. In our experiments in the butter£y Precis coenia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), hindwing imaginal discs were removed from one or both body sides of caterpillars. Emerging butter£ies were thus missing one or both hindwings, but had heavier forewings, mid- and hindlegs than untreated controls.When only one hindwing was removed, the forewing and hindleg on the treated side were heavier than on the untreated side. The asymmetry and overall weight increase in response to wing disc removal diminished with increasing physical distance of the responding tissue from the imaginal disc removed. Our ¢ndings are consistent with the hypothesis that growing imaginal discs compete for a haemolymph-borne resource, such as a nutrient or growth factor. Such competition is a possible mechanism for feedback interactions and may thus participate in the developmental control of asymmetry.
The biomechanical properties of the finger metacarpophalangeal joints to varus and valgus stress.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the normal biomechanical properties of the passive capsuloligamentous structures about the finger metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints subjected to dynamic varus/valgus loading and to equate these findings to the clinical situation. Methods The finger MCP joints from 9 fresh-frozen cadaver hands were tested in a custom-designed testing apparatus that applied a varus/valgus force in each direction. Testing was performed at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° of MCP joint flexion. Load-displacement curves were generated for each specimen. A nonlinear hysteresis curve was apparent on loading and unloading. A region of collateral ligament laxity was identified whereby minimal torque ( Results The index and long fingers showed a significant decrease in the region of collateral ligament laxity between 0° and 90°. The long finger collateral ligament laxity also diminished significantly between 30° and 90°. The collateral ligament laxity did not significantly change in the ring and small digits throughout MCP joint flexion. The early or late phase of collateral ligament stiffness was not affected by the amount of MCP joint flexion across any of the digits, except in late radial collateral ligament stiffness of the long finger between 0° and 60°. Conclusions The additional stability and clinical observation of tightening of the MCP in flexion appears related to the decreased laxity of the collateral ligaments and not to alterations in the biomechanical properties of the collateral ligaments.
Prospective medicine: the role for genomics in personalized health planning

Jason M Langheier1 & Ralph Snyderman†2 †Author for correspondence 1Chairman, Fitness Forward Foundation, Duke University Medical School, 202 Remington Circle, Durham, NC 27705, USA 2CEO and President, Duke University Health System, Box 3701 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA ‘We believe that genomics and pharmacogenomics are necessary pieces of a broader shift in focus for healthcare’
Inflammation: A Significant Contributor to Upper-tract Urothelial Carcinoma Prognosis?

Upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare disease that tends to present late and at a muscle-invasive stage in comparison to its lower-tract counterpart [1]. To compound matters, patients with UTUC are usually smokers and older, and have multiple comorbidities, often including significant renal impairment. While immediate postoperative instillation and neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy have become the standard of care for lower-tract urothelial cancers, these remain difficult to apply in patients with UTUC [2]. Furthermore, the development of prognostic tools that could help in selecting patients for these therapies has been challenging. Thus, it is timely that Tanaka and colleagues [3], through a multicenter collaborative effort, propose a new marker score as a prognostic tool for UTUC. Virchow first noted the connection between inflammation and cancer when he observed the presence of a ‘‘lymphoreticular infiltrate’’ in cancers arising at sites of chronic inflammation [4]. The concept of inflammation as a critical component of tumor progression has since been expanded with the recognition of inflammatory cells as orchestrators of the tumor microenvironment [5]. In an attempt to elucidate the role of inflammation in UTUC outcomes, the authors have laudably built on previous work identifying C-reactive protein (CRP) as a prognostic marker, and combine those findings with the neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and plasma fibrinogen levels, markers identified in European patients [6,7]. Although this is a step in the right direction, the scientific approach used in the study warrants discussion and the results should interpreted in context.
Imaging of Hip and Pelvis Injuries

It is extremely important to provide the interpreting radiologist with a detailed and accurate history in order to avoid under-appreciation of subtle findings on the requested study. When interpreting plain radiographs, do not focus just on the femoral head and hip joints. The scan must also include the sacroiliac joints, lumbar spine, pubic symphysis, obturator foramen, and adjacent soft tissues as well. If intra-articular pathology is suspected, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should be performed on a high field system with a narrow field of view (as opposed to an open low field magnet). Magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) is the preferred method of assessment of cartilage pathology in the hip joint. Stress fractures present on MR as a linear band of signal replacing normal bone marrow. If femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is suspect, radiography should include a cross-table lateral view.
On the Number and Types of Unstable Equilibria in Nonlinear Dynamical Systems With Uniformly-Bounded Stability Regions

Classical theorems on the complete characterization of stability boundaries provided little information about the existence and types of unstable equilibrium points on a stability boundary. In this technical note, we derive analytical results and sufficient conditions about the existence of all types of unstable equilibrium points in a dynamical system whose stability regions are uniformly bounded. Some applications of these analytical results are illustrated using electric power systems.
Investigation of GPU Use in Conjunction With DCA-Based Articulated Multibody Systems Simulation

Since computational performance is critically important for simulations to be used as an effective tool to study and design dynamic systems, the computing performance gains offered by Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) cannot be ignored. Since the GPU is designed to execute a very large number of simultaneous tasks (nominally Single Instruction Multi-Data (SIMD)), recursive algorithms in general, such as the DCA, are not well suited to be executed on GPU-type architecture. This is because each level of recursion is dependent on the previous level. However, there are some ways that the GPU can be leveraged to increase computational performance when using the DCA to form and solve the equations of motion for articulated multibody systems with a very large number of degrees-of-freedom.Computational performance of dynamic simulations is highly dependent on the nature of the underlying formulation and the number of generalized coordinates used to characterize the system. Therefore, algorithms that scale in a more desirable (lower order) fashion with the number of degrees-of-freedom are generally preferred when dealing with large (N > 10) systems. However, the utility of using simulations as a scientific tool is directly related to actual compute time. The DCA, and other top performing methods, have demonstrated the desirable property of the required compute time scaling linearly with (O(n)) with the number of degrees-of-freedom (n) and sublinearly (O(logn) performance when implemented in parallel. However for the DCA, total compute time could be further reduced by exploiting the large number of independent operations involved in the first few levels of recursion.A simple chain-type pendulum example is used to explore the feasibility of using the GPU to execute the assembly and disassembly operations for the levels of recursion that contain enough bodies for this process to be computationally advantageous. A multi-core CPU is used to perform the operations in parallel using Open MP for the remaining levels. The number of levels of recursion that utilizes the GPU is varied from zero to all levels. The data corresponding to zero utilization of the GPU provides the reference compute-time in which the assembly and disassembly operations necessary at each level are performed in parallel using Open MP. The computational time required to simulate the system for one time-step where the GPU is utilized for various levels of recursion is compared to the reference compute time also varying the number of bodies in the system.A decrease in the compute-time when using the GPU is demonstrated relative to the reference compute-time even for systems of moderate size n < 1000 for arrangements using the GPU. This is a lower number of bodies than was expected for this test case and confirms that the GPU can bring significant increases in computational efficiency for large systems, while preserving the attractive sub-linear scalability (w.r.t. compute time) of the DCA.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Update on the Management of Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease

Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is an adult-onset upper and lower airway disease consisting of eosinophilic nasal polyps, asthma, and respiratory reactions to cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) inhibitors. Management includes guideline-based treatment of asthma and sinus disease, avoidance of COX-1 inhibitors, and for some patients aspirin desensitization followed by high-dose aspirin therapy. Despite this, many patients have inadequately controlled symptoms and require multiple sinus surgeries. In this review, we discuss the current standard approaches to the management of AERD, and we introduce several therapeutics under development that may hold promise for the treatment of AERD.
The importance of place in early disaster recovery: a case study of the 2013 Colorado floods

Recovery is an important but understudied phase in the disaster management cycle. Researchers have identified numerous socio-demographic factors that help explain differences in recovery among households, but are less clear on the importance of place, which we define as a household's locality and local governance. In this paper, we examine the influence of place on disaster recovery through a study of the 2013 Colorado floods. Our findings are based on data collected from interviews, observation of recovery meetings, and a survey of 96 flood-affected households. We show that place shapes a household's disaster recovery by structuring: (1) physical exposure to hazards; (2) which local government has jurisdiction over recovery decisions; (3) local planning culture and its approach to citizen participation; and (4) the strength of social capital networks. Our findings expand the recovery literature and show that place-level variables should be taken into consideration when conceptualizing household recovery ...
Mathematical Programming in Machine Learning

We describe in this work a number of central problems of machine learning and show how they can be modeled and solved as mathematical programs of various complexity.
Peer Models in Mental Health for Caregivers and Families

Peer-delivered mental health models may hold important benefits for family members, yet their prevalence, components, and outcomes are unknown. We conducted a review of peer-delivered services for families of children and adults with mental health problems. Randomized studies of interventions published between 1990 and 2014 were included if the intervention contained a component for family members and examined familial outcomes. Of 77 studies that were assessed for their eligibility, six met criteria. Familial components included coping and parenting skills, knowledge about mental health, and emotional support. Outcomes were uneven, although significant improvements in family functioning, knowledge about mental illness, parental concerns about their child, and parenting skills were associated with the intervention. Peer-delivered services for family members may have important benefits to family members and individuals with mental health problems; however, the research base remains thin. A research agenda to develop and examine these models is discussed.
El principio de tolerancia en John Rawls: principales características y apuntes críticos

John Rawls is one of the most important contemporary political philosophers. His monumental work aims to provide a reasoned and reasonable response to the issue of justice, assuming a critical perspective and taking away from metaphysical to introduce their reflections in the public sphere. However, his proposal has been criticized mainly by an apparent contradiction between the aim pursued by Rawls and the effects produced by implementing partners’ postulates tolerance. Therefore, Rawls’s proposal is insufficient to develop tolerance in the context of a complex and fragmented society.