cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased cuckoldry as a cost of breeding late for male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon)

One factor hypothesized to influence the reproductive behavior of individuals is the degree to which reproductive efforts are synchronized with others in the population. We asked whether the timing of a pair’s breeding cycle, relative to cycles of pairs on neighboring territories, affected rates of extrapair mating over 2 years in a Wyoming population of house wrens (Troglodytes aedon). Extrapair young (identified using 5 microsatellite loci) occurred in 74% of nests of 19 pairs whose cycles began later than cycles of one or more neighbors compared to only 26% of nests of 27 pairs whose cycles began earlier than, or simultaneously with, cycles of all neighbors. Extrapair offspring occurred in 65% of 17 nests belonging to males who initially settled and began nesting early relative to neighbors but who were forced to renest late after we removed their first mates. Rates of cuckoldry were not significantly different for forced-late and naturally late males. Our experimental approach controlled for possible effects of male quality, clearly demonstrating an effect of timing of breeding on extrapair mating activity. Key words: breeding synchrony, extrapair mating, house wrens, Troglodytes aedon. [Behav Ecol 13:670–675 (2002)]
Getting Personal with Mindfulness: a Latent Profile Analysis of Mindfulness and Psychological Outcomes

Variable-centered analyses demonstrate that most facets of mindfulness are associated with improved psychological well-being. Person-centered analyses provide the ability to identify distinct subpopulations defined by individuals’ full response profiles on mindfulness facets. Previous research has used latent profile analysis (LPA) to distinguish four subgroups of college students based on five facets of mindfulness: high mindfulness group, low mindfulness group, judgmentally observing group, and non-judgmentally aware group. On emotional outcomes, they found the judgmentally observing group had the most maladaptive emotional outcomes followed by the low mindfulness group. However, they did not examine experience with mindfulness meditation, other mindfulness-related constructs, or psychological well-being. In a sample of 688 college students (481 non-meditators, 200 meditators), we used LPA to identify distinct subgroups defined by their scores on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Using the Lo-Mendell-Rubin Likelihood Ratio Test, we found that a 4-class solution fits optimally for the entire sample as well as subsamples of meditation-naive and meditation-experienced participants. We substantially replicated previous findings in all samples with regard to emotional outcomes. Further, the high mindfulness group demonstrated the highest levels of psychological well-being, decentering, self-regulation, and psychological flexibility. Overall, our results demonstrate the utility of person-centered analyses to examine mindfulness in unique ways.
The Tilt of the Leading Edge of Mesoscale Tropical Convective Lines

Abstract The tilt with height of the leading edge of seven mesoscale convective lines in GATE is determined by two independent methods. When averaged over time and along the line axis, the tilt is found to he surprisingly shallow, between 20 and 35 degrees from the horizontal. This is distinct from the slopes of the individual towers, which can be much steeper. The line leading-edge slope corresponds to the ratio of the vertical to horizontal velocity, relative to the line motion, of “representative” embedded convective cores.
Volatility Timing in the Emerging Market Hedge Funds Indices

In this paper, I use the Busse (1999) volatility timing model and the cubic model in Holmes and Faff (2004) to examine the volatility timing ability reflected in the hedge fund indices from four major emerging market regions. The performance of the emerging market hedge fund indices are benchmarked on the capital market indices from the regions where these hedge funds operate. I find little evidence of volatility timing in the stock markets for these hedge fund indices. Furthermore, only the Eastern Europe hedge fund index demonstrates statistically significant volatility timing ability in the bond market.
Caring Leadership in Schools Findings From Exploratory Analyses

Purpose: This article (1) analyzes and synthesizes literatures from philosophy and education to propose a conceptual framework for caring in schools and caring school leadership and (2) reports the...
Seasonal Weight Changes, Mortality, and Population Structure of Raccoons in Minnesota

A population of raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) in east-central Minnesota was studied from September 1964 through October 1966. Sixty-three individuals were radio-tagged, and an automatic tracking system monitored their presence in the population for 3367 raccoon days for yearlings and adults and 3518 days for juveniles. Data are presented on weight loss and mortality in this population. Juveniles, yearlings, and adults lost about half their weight during winter dormancy, and many juveniles died from starvation and parasitism, the most important mortality factors in this relatively unhunted population. Late winter and early spring were the most critical periods for juveniles. Limited data on population structure indicated an even ratio of yearlings to adults and an even sex ratio in yearlings and adults, although there was a heavy bias toward males in a sample of 20 raccoons born on the study area in 1965.
Microsolvation of uracil and its conjugate bases: a DFT study of the role of solvation on acidity.

The effect of microsolvation on the deprotonation energies of uracil was examined using DFT. The structures of uracil and its N1 and N3 conjugate bases were optimized with zero to six associated water molecules. Multiple configurations (upward of 93) of these hydrated clusters were located at PBE1PBE/6-311+G(d,p). Trends in these geometries are discussed, with the waters generally forming chains with small numbers of waters (one–three), rings (three–five waters), or cages (five–six waters). The difference in energy between the N1 and N3 conjugate bases is 13 kcal mol–1 in the gas phase, and it decreases with each added water up to four. At this point the energy difference has been halved, but addition of a fifth or sixth water has little effect on the energy difference. This is understood in terms of the water structures and their ability to stabilize the negatively charged atoms in the conjugate bases.
The Iconography of the St. Andrew Auckland Cross

The eighth-century sculptured cross at St. Andrew Auckland, near Durham, belongs to the same phase of Hiberno-Saxon art that produced the Ruthwell and Bewcastle crosses, and it is one of the few Northumbrian monuments on which much of the figural carving has survived, yet little attention has been given to the meaning of its program. Re-interpreting the principal figure panel of the cross, usually identified as a Crucifixion of Christ, as an early representation of the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew allows us to associate the monument with the see of Hexham and to suggest that the rest of the program is linked with contemporary interests of Anglo-Saxon literature in the fates of the Apostles.
Perceptions regarding selected educational strategies used by extension educators.

AbstractPurpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions that extension educators in the North Central region of the United States hold regarding selected educational strategies pertaining to livestock waste management education. Livestock waste management education has been recognized as one of extension's major initiatives in the United States. County extension educators' perceptions regarding the educational strategies for livestock waste management are lacking in the literature. Most importantly, how do perceptions of extension educators in the region influence the selection of teaching methods and tools for educating those responsible for livestock waste management?Design/methodology/approach: The authors developed and utilized a questionnaire with a Chronbach's alpha .75 mailed to 360 randomly selected extension educators from the North Central region. The response rate was 55.8% based on a total of 201 completed survey questionnaires. Early and late responses were compared using i...
Miranda's Constitutional Difficulties: A Reply to Professor Schulhofer

In a recent article, entitled "Reconsidering Miranda,"' Professor Stephen Schulhofer attempts to defend Miranda v. Arizona2 against various levels of challenge. Most fundamentally, he attempts to refute the claim that Miranda represents an illegitimate exercise of judicial power. Somewhat less fundamentally, he also argues that Miranda involved not only a plausible but a correct-indeed a logically necessary'-interpretation of the Constitution. Least fundamentally, Professor Schulhofer attempts to rebut the policy claim that Miranda has reduced the effectiveness of law enforcement. Putting aside the policy question,4 this article maintains that Professor Schulhofer has yet to answer the most telling constitutional arguments against Miranda. With regard to the legitimacy issue, Professor Schulhofer fails fully to perceive, and thus does not address, the basis of the challenge. At the level of interpretational dispute, Professor Schulhofer's arguments, though more powerful, are incomplete and, to some extent, based upon faulty premises. Section I of this article outlines the objection that Miranda, at least as the Supreme Court now understands it, represents an exercise of judicial authority not conveyed by the Constitution. Section II argues that the legitimacy objection can be overcome, but only by a rather implausible interpretation of the word "compelled." The rock and hard place are apparent: plausibility comes at the
Reductions in prostatic doses are associated with less acute morbidity in patients undergoing Pd-103 brachytherapy: Substantiation of the rationale for focal therapy.

Abstract Purpose Interest in prostate dose reduction or focal treatment exists due to expected reductions in treatment morbidity. Prior analyses have not generally corroborated relationships between prostate or urethral dose and urinary toxicity after brachytherapy, but such analyses have been performed on cohorts all receiving the same prescribed dose. We analyzed patients treated to differing prescription doses to assess acute urinary morbidity with dose reduction. Methods and Materials Patients treated with Pd-103 to either 125 Gy or 90–100 Gy were compared using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) at 1-month postimplant. Patients in the 90–100 Gy cohort began external beam radiation therapy after their 1-month assessment; thus, toxicities were measured before contribution from external beam radiation therapy. Patient/treatment characteristics were compared to verify subgroup homogeneity. Dose and change in IPSS 1 month after treatment were assessed using a multivariate linear regression model. Results One hundred ninety-one and 41 patients were treated with 125 Gy versus 90–100 Gy, respectively. Preimplant and postimplant prostate volumes and initial IPSS were similar between groups. Higher prescription dose and increased pretreatment IPSS were independent predictors of increased 1-month IPSS. In addition, every 10 percentage point additional prostate volume receiving a given dose was associated with increase in IPSS after treatment for the same level of pretreatment IPSS. Conclusion Lower prescription dose and decreased volume of high-dose regions to the prostate correlated with reduced acute urinary morbidity after brachytherapy. Our findings suggest that focal treatment approaches with modest dose reductions to subregions of the prostate may reduce acute morbidity and potentially expand the number of patients eligible for brachytherapy.
Signal enhancement through an ensemble presentation

Abstract A method of treating array responses is presented. The entire statistical distribution from the array is used for either direct visual estimation, or for processing in a scanning machine. An estimate of a coherent signal and the character of the noise can be made visually. Most correlative techniques, in addition to digitizing, could be performed simultaneously through using the scanning machine.
Clinical presentation and diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer

The diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is usually made through a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. The evaluation of a patient with biopsy-proven PTC requires a thorough history and physical examination and appropriate laboratory tests and imaging studies. What can be determined about the cancer in the preoperative setting is discussed with the patient and the optimal treatment is chosen. Some patients with small-volume, low-risk cancers are being actively observed as part of research protocols. The vast majority of patients, however, are treated surgically, and the key decision points are the extent of surgery and the management of lymph nodes. A rational approach to the workup of thyroid nodules and the management of thyroid cancer is needed to curb the growing epidemic of overdiagnosis.
A new epidemics–logistics model: Insights into controlling the Ebola virus disease in West Africa

Abstract Compartmental models have been a phenomenon of studying epidemics. However, existing compartmental models do not explicitly consider the spatial spread of an epidemic and logistics issues simultaneously. In this study, we address this limitation by introducing a new epidemics–logistics mixed-integer programming (MIP) model that determines the optimal amount, timing and location of resources that are allocated for controlling an infectious disease outbreak while accounting for its spatial spread dynamics. The objective of this proposed model is to minimize the total number of infections and fatalities under a limited budget over a multi-period planning horizon. The present study is the first spatially explicit optimization approach that considers geographically varying rates for disease transmission, migration of infected individuals over different regions, and varying treatment rates due to the limited capacity of treatment centers. We illustrate the performance of the MIP model using the case of the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Our results provide explicit information on intervention timing and intensity for each specific region of these most affected countries. Our model predictions closely fit the real outbreak data and suggest that large upfront investments in treatment and isolation result in the most efficient use of resources to minimize infections. The proposed modeling framework can be adopted to study other infectious diseases and provide tangible policy recommendations for controlling an infectious disease outbreak over large spatial and temporal scales.
CPU architecture for a fast and energy-saving calculation of convolution neural networks

One of the most difficult problem in the use of artificial neural networks is the computational capacity. Although large search engine companies own specially developed hardware to provide the necessary computing power, for the conventional user only remains the state of the art method, which is the use of a graphic processing unit (GPU) as a computational basis. Although these processors are well suited for large matrix computations, they need massive energy. Therefore a new processor on the basis of a field programmable gate array (FPGA) has been developed and is optimized for the application of deep learning. This processor is presented in this paper. The processor can be adapted for a particular application (in this paper to an organic farming application). The power consumption is only a fraction of a GPU application and should therefore be well suited for energy-saving applications.
Abstract 163: Early Outpatient Followup Associated With Lower Readmission Among Medicare Patients With Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Reducing hospital readmission is an important target for reducing morbidity and cost in acute ischemic stroke. However, strategies to reduce readmissions are lacking. We examined the ...
Social reward processing in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of the social motivation hypothesis

Abstract Background There is increasing empirical research examining the social motivation hypothesis, which posits that social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are caused by underlying neural abnormalities in processing the reward value of social stimuli. Method The present systematic review examines social reward processing in individuals with ASD. This review focuses on the experimental procedures employed across studies and their potential impact on findings regarding the social motivation hypothesis. Twenty-seven studies met the specified inclusion criteria. Results Fifteen studies found evidence supporting the social motivation hypothesis; whereas, 12 studies found contradictory evidence. Most studies used pictures of faces as social stimuli and money as comparison nonsocial stimuli. Studies examining certain reward subtypes (e.g., reward learning) consistently supported the hypothesis; whereas, studies examining other reward subtypes (e.g., effort valuation) consistently did not support the hypothesis. Otherwise, methodological approaches varied considerably across studies. Conclusion The current empirical literature on the social motivation hypothesis is mixed, but findings suggest that examining specific sub-dimensions of reward processing may be important to clarify deficits in ASD. It is unclear whether inconsistency in findings is due to methodological limitations. As the literature stands, findings across studies support deficits in reward processing for both social and nonsocial rewards or individual differences in social reward processing. Interestingly, included articles cite few previously published studies on this topic, likely contributing to inconsistency in experimental designs and findings. Comparison across methodological approaches is warranted to help account for contrasting findings and determine the utility of the social motivation hypothesis given mixed evidence.
WHAT DOALLIES DO?: PROVIDING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE COUNSELING TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR

In the United States, the field of counseling has not kept pace with the changing ethnic demographics of larger society. As such, communities of color in the U.S. require the support of counselor allies. Allies are people from dominant socio-political groups who seek to end oppression. This study used grounded theory to examine the experience of six counselors who were identified as allies to communities of color. Based on the results of this study, we argue that allies possess self-awareness, personal knowledge of and connection to communities of color, and the skills of rapport building and engaging in critical conversations. They also participate in action on behalf of their students. Implications of these findings for counselor who seek to be allies to communities of color are provided.
Discipline And Due Process In The Workplace

In the article Discipline and Due Process in the Workplace – by Edwin B. Dean, Assistant Professor, the School of Hospitality Management at Florida International University, Assistant Professor Dean prefaces his article with the statement: “Disciplining employees is often necessary for the maintenance of an effective operation. The author discusses situations which require discipline and methods of handling employees, including the need for rules and due process.” In defining what constitutes appropriate discipline and what doesn’t, Dean says, “Fair play is the keystone to discipline in the workplace. Discrimination, caprice, favoritism, and erratic and inconsistent discipline can be costly and harmful to employee relations, and often are a violation of law.” Violation of law is a key phrase in this statement. The author offers a short primer on tact in regard to disciplining an employee. “Discipline must be tailored to the individual,” Dean offers a pearl of wisdom. “A frown for one can cause a tearful outbreak; another employee may need the proverbial two-by-four in order to get his attention.” This is a perceptive comment, indeed, and one in which most would concede but not all would follow. Dean presents a simple outline for steps in the disciplinary process by submitting this suggestion for your approval: “The steps in the disciplinary process begin perhaps with a friendly warning or word of advice. The key here is friendly,” Dean declares. “It could progress to an oral or written reprimand, followed by a disciplinary layoff, terminating in that equivalent of capital punishment, discharge.” Ouch [!]; in order from lenient to strident. Dean suggests these steps are necessary in order to maintain decorum in the workplace. Assistant Professor Dean references the Weingarter Rule. It is a rule that although significant, most employees, at least non-union employees, don’t know is in their quiver. “If an interview is likely to result in discipline, the employee is entitled to have a representative present, whether a union is involved or not,” the rule states. “The employer is not obligated to inform the employee of the rule, but he is obligated to honor the employee's request, if made,” Dean explains. Dean makes an interesting point by revealing that a termination often reflects as much on the institution as it does the employee suffering the termination. The author goes on to list several infractions that could warrant an employee disciplinary action, with possible approaches toward each. Dean also cautions against capricious disciplinary action; if not handled properly a discipline could and can result in a lawsuit against the institution itself.
Experimental and Theoretical Study of Reinforced Concrete Corrosion Using Impedance Measurements

Publisher Summary The embedded rebar and the concrete matrix have distinct electrical resistive behaviors. When current is injected into the concrete matrix, the current distribution is distorted by the presence of the rebar, and the measured voltage response reflects this distortion. The ratio of the voltage between two electrodes on the surface of a conducting medium to the current injected between two other electrodes, defines the surface impedance of the medium. Its value depends on the distribution of the conductivity in the medium and, for reinforced concrete, on the interface impedance between the concrete and the metal reinforcing rods. The surface impedance for a cylindrical conductor beneath and parallel to the surface can be modeled analytically. Such a model can simulate the surface impedance measurement for an embedded reinforcing steel bar, which has complex and frequency-dependent impedance at the interface between the bar and the concrete. A comparison between the interface impedance and the modeled surface impedance shows that the essential characteristics in the interface impedance are preserved in the response measured on concrete surface.
Host defense againstMycobacterium-avium complex

Mycobacterium-avium complex (MAC) is an intracellular pathogen and the most common cause of widely disseminated bacterial infection in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). MAC is infrequently seen in other immunocompromised adults, suggesting that the host defense defect allowing for MAC infection is relatively unique for AIDS. A system was developed for studying the immune response to MAC infection, utilizing MAC isolated from patients with AIDS and monocytes from normal controls and patients with AIDS. Phagocytosis, superoxide anion (SOA) production, and killing were measured. Monocytes from normal controls and AIDS patients were identical with respect to phagocytosis of MAC. In contrast, baseline SOA production was elevated in monocytes from patients compared to normal monocytes and was minimally augmented in response to either phorbol myristate acetate or MAC. Fourteen-day kinetic studies revealed in patients and controls a biphasic pattern with 50–99% killing of AIDS-derived MAC initially, followed always by a rapid out-growth of surviving bacilli. Despite a modest enhancement of MAC killing by normal but not patients' monocytes pretreated with either recombinant interferon-γ or recombinant tumor necrosis factor-α, outgrowth of MAC was always observed in both, typically faster in patients than in controls. Even monocytes in the presence of lymphocytes stimulated with interleukin-2 did not demonstrate enhanced MAC killing. In contrast, high-titered anti-MAC immune serum derived from a patient with polymyositis and disseminated MAC significantly enhanced the killing of MAC by monocytes from both AIDS patients and healthy controls and prevented their out-growth. These findings suggest that the host defense defect allowing for MAC infection appears not to reside in the monocyte and that thein vitro lymphocyte functions examined in this study do not appear to play a major role. What role specific antibody playsin vivo in preventing disseminated MAC is uncertain, but the lack of such antibody may help explain the propensity for AIDS patients to develop systemic infection.
Cooperative-Competitive Task Allocation in Edge Computing for Delay-Sensitive Social Sensing

With the ever-increasing data processing capabilities of edge computing devices and the growing acceptance of running social sensing applications on such cloud-edge systems, effectively allocating processing tasks between the server and the edge devices has emerged as a critical undertaking for maximizing the performance of such systems. Task allocation in such an environment faces several unique challenges: (i) the objectives of applications and edge devices may be inconsistent or even conflicting with each other, and (ii) edge devices may only be partially collaborative in finishing the computation tasks due to the "rational actor" nature and trust constraints of these devices, and (iii) an edge device's availability to participate in computation can change over time and the application is often unaware of such availability dynamics. Many social sensing applications are also delay-sensitive, which further exacerbates the problem. To overcome these challenges, this paper introduces a novel game-theoretic task allocation framework. The framework includes a dynamic feedback incentive mechanism, a decentralized fictitious play with a new negotiation scheme, and a judiciously-designed private payoff function. The proposed framework was implemented on a testbed that consists of heterogeneous edge devices (Jetson TX1, TK1, Raspberry Pi3) and Amazon elastic cloud. Evaluations based on two real-world social sensing applications show that the new framework can well satisfy real-time Quality-of-Service requirements of the applications and provide much higher payoffs to edge devices compared to the state-of-the-arts.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Brownian Motion using a Piezo-Actuated Microscope Stage

Single particle tracking is a powerful tool for studying and understanding the motions of biological macromolecules integral to cellular processes. In the past three decades there has been continuous and rapid development of these techniques in both optical microscope design and in algorithms to estimate the statistics and positions of the molecule's trajectory. Although there has been great progress, comparison between different microscope configurations and estimation algorithms has been difficult beyond simulated data. In this paper we explore using a piezo actuated microscope stage to reproduce Brownian motion. Our goal is to use this as a tool to test performance of single particle tracking optical microscopes and estimation algorithms. In this study, Monte Carlo simulations were used to assess the ability of piezo actuated microscope stages for reproducing Brownian motion. Surprisingly, the dynamics of the stage together with configuration of the system allow for preservation of the Brownian motion statistics. Further, feed forward model inverse control allows for low error tracking of Brownian motion trajectories over a wide range of diffusion constants, varying stage response times, and trajectory discrete time steps. These results show great promise in using a piezo actuated microscope stage for testing single particle tracking experimental setups.
Tips & Tricks: Minimally Invasive Removal of Transabdominal Cerclage

Video Objective To present surgical tips and tricks for the minimally invasive removal of transabdominal cerclage and surgical technique during transabdominal cerclage placement that facilitates easier removal. Setting Three patients are presented that underwent uncomplicated robotic transabdominal cerclage placements in pregnancy. The first patient subsequently had a laparotomy for cerclage removal due to second trimester preterm labor at an outside hospital. This case prompted this tips and tricks surgical video to educate surgeons regarding minimally invasive removal of transabdominal cerclage. The second patient underwent an uncomplicated laparoscopic removal of transabdominal cerclage in the setting of preterm labor at 18 weeks. The third case had a term cesarean delivery although her cerclage was not removed at that time. She underwent a robotic transabdominal cerclage removal without complication. Apart from the laparotomy, all placement and removal procedures were performed at an academic medical center by one primary surgeon. Interventions In this surgical video, we present surgical tips and tricks for placement and removal of transabdominal cerclage in a minimally invasive fashion using conventional laparoscopic and robotic approaches. Tips described in this video include the “needleless” approach with creation of an avascular tunnel for cerclage placement as well as considerations for anterior versus posterior knot placement. Regarding cerclage removal, we present techniques such as undermining the cerclage tape anteriorly and posteriorly as well as blunt dissection in the previously created avascular tunnel to facilitate removal. Additionally, we present tricks for improved visualization and to delineate anatomic borders around a gravid uterus during these cases. Conclusion The removal of transabdominal cerclage is often performed at time of cesarean delivery. However, in cases of intrapartum and postpartum removal, a minimally invasive approach is effective utilizing these surgical tips and tricks.
Urban design foresight

The future of urban design should include more robust tools to envisage potential futures.Delineating futures has always been a core role of urban design. We propose compositions for future places....
Primary Breast Carcinoma of the Vulva Metastatic to Lymph Nodes and Bones: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Introduction Primary breast carcinoma can occur at ectopic sites. The axilla is the most common site of ectopic primary breast cancer, but presentation in the vulva is rare. We discuss a rare presentation of primary breast carcinoma of the vulva with distant lymph node and bone metastases in a premenopausal woman. Case presentation A vulvar malignancy consistent with adenocarcinoma of the mammary gland type was diagnosed in a 47-year-old premenopausal woman. The patient underwent radical vulvectomy with bilateral superficial and deep inguinal lymphadenectomy. The tumor was positive for estrogen receptor and negative for progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/neu on immunohistochemical findings. A positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan demonstrated lymph node and bone metastases. Her disease was treated as stage IV breast cancer with metastases to the bone. Palliative treatment with ovarian suppression, aromatase inhibitor, and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor was recommended. Discussion For a diagnosis of primary breast cancer of the vulva, a thorough metastatic workup should be performed, with attention directed toward detecting a breast primary disease by results of the history, physical examination, and radiologic examination of the breasts mainly to help confirm that the vulvar lesion is the primary site as opposed to metastasis from a breast primary cancer and also for staging. Management of this rare entity is challenging because of a lack of specific guidelines, and treatment, therefore, is similar to that of breast cancer.Treatment should consist of an individualized combination of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and antiestrogen hormonal therapy.
Microbial Products and Metabolites Contributing to Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

As a serious public health concern, alcohol-related liver disease is associated with dysregulations in the intestinal barrier function and the gut microbiota. The liver and gut communicate via the gut-liver axis, through which microbial products and metabolites translocate to the liver. Here, the current knowledge of various microbial products and metabolites which contribute to the alcohol-related liver diseases, including bile acids, indole-3-acetic acid, butyrate, long-chain fatty acids, endotoxin, cytolysin, β-glucan, and candidalysin is reviewed. Some of these might serve as therapeutic targets for alcohol-related liver disease.
Longitudinal Survey of Trainee Case Log Entry for Carotid Endarterectomy: Trends in Neurologic, General, and Vascular Surgery.

Background Multiple surgical specialties perform carotid endarterectomy (CEA). As indications for CEA narrows, neurosurgery residents are less exposed to this procedure. This study aims to determine trends in CEA training among graduating trainees in neurosurgery and compare these to general and vascular surgery. Methods ACGME case log reports were retrospectively reviewed from 2013 to 2019 for neurologic, general, and vascular surgery residencies and vascular surgery fellowship. These annual reports contain the mean number of logged cases for graduating trainees and their level of participation. We analyzed trends in logged cases over the study period and compared mean number of logged cases between specialties and their respective required minimum numbers. Results Neurosurgery residents (13.5 ± 0.76) performed significantly more CEAs than their counterparts in general surgery (9.4 ± 0.34, P Conclusions Neurosurgery residents exceeded their minimum requirements for CEA, with increasing trend in higher level of participation. But neurosurgery residents' exposure to this procedure was far less significant than their colleagues in vascular surgery, a gap that may widen over time and should be addressed proactively.
Design and implementation of 2-D photonic crystals using sol–gel materials

Abstract Photonic crystals (PhCs) offer the unprecedented capability to manipulate light and material interaction. This chapter reviews the recent developments of sol–gel-based PhCs and their applications. Here, the underlining optics of two-dimensional PhC slabs is explained. The dereferences of in-plane and out-of-plane coupling of PhC slabs are discussed in detail. The fabrication technologies used to produce the nanoscale structures of PhCs are discussed. Among the existing fabrication methods, the chapter focuses on the imprint lithography approach and manifests how the sol–gel materials can be adopted in the imprint lithography. Then, the processes to prepare high-refractive-index sol–gel materials, such as aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, and titanium oxide, are briefly reviewed. Furthermore, a few successful applications of the sol–gel PhCs including light extraction from LEDs and chemical detection are present.
Bovine progressive degenerative myeloencephalopathy ('weaver') of Brown Swiss cattle II:

An epidemiological survey of this nervous disorder of the Brown Swiss breed in the USA did not implicate any geographical or environmental factors. There was no sex predilection. The number of recorded cases increased from four in 1972-76 to 46 in 1977-81. There were 32 cases in 1982-83. Breeding records from over half the cases indicated a familial pattern involving five sires. Studies on 32 affected purebred Brown Swiss cattle obtained from dairy farms throughout the USA are described. Owners supplied histories and breeding records, and blood typing was carried out to confirm parentage. The criteria used to establish a clinical diagnosis were: onset of bilateral hind leg weakness and ataxia between 5 and 8 months of age; deficient proprioceptive reflexes, normal motor and sensory reflexes, with no other clinically detectable neurological abnormality; and absence of clinically significant skeletal or muscular abnormality. Familial relationship was also taken into account. Laboratory studies included at least one blood count, routine serum chemistry, serum enzyme levels, and analysis of CSF, and selected cattle were screened for toxicological abnormalities. Three sires were incriminated in 48.6% of the cases, and one was incriminated in 31.4%. Laboratory analyses revealed no abnormal haematological parameters. Although increased activities of certain serum enzymes were found, these were not considered specific. CSF samples from two cases showed CPK activity. Toxicological analyses of cholinesterase activity and blood Cu levels were not significant.
Travel-related infection in Guangzhou, China,2009-2019.

Abstract Background We analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of travel-related infectious diseases in reported Guangzhou between 2009 and 2019 to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control strategies. Method The infectious diseases report information system of China was mined for case reports, combined with clinical diagnosis records, and analyzed. Results Between 2009 and 2019, 1478 cases of imported infectious diseases were reported in Guangzhou. Dengue fever accounted for 46.14%of cases and malaria accounted for 45.47% of cases. The patients with imported travel-related infection cases were mainly male (75.88%), Chinese (75.57%), and aged 20–45 years (83.01%). Cases increased from May each year, peaked between August and September, and declined rapidly after October. The main source areas of import were Africa and other countries in Asia. Conclusions Dengue fever and malaria are the main travel-related infection in Guangzhou, and are generally brought in by male Chinese workers. Intervention and health education in this population should be strengthened to prevent and control travel-related infection.
Enhancing the Throughput of FT Mass Spectrometry Imaging Using Compressed Sensing and Subspace Modeling

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) allows for untargeted mapping of the chemical compositions of tissues with attomole detection limits. MSI using Fourier transform-based mass spectrometers, such as FT-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR), grants the ability to examine the chemical space with unmatched mass resolution and mass accuracy. However, direct imaging of large tissue samples on FT-ICR is restrictively slow. In this work, we present an approach that combines the subspace modeling of ICR temporal signals with compressed sensing to accelerate high-resolution FT-ICR MSI. A joint subspace and sparsity constrained reconstruction enables the creation of high-resolution imaging data from the sparsely sampled and short-time acquired transients. Simulation studies and experimental implementation of the proposed acquisition in investigation of brain tissues demonstrate a factor of 10 enhancement in throughput of FT-ICR MSI, without the need for instrumental or hardware modifications.
Crabp1 Modulates HPA Axis Homeostasis and Anxiety-like Behaviors by Altering FKBP5 Expression.

Retinoic acid (RA), the principal active metabolite of vitamin A, is known to be involved in stress-related disorders. However, its mechanism of action in this regard remains unclear. This study reports that, in mice, endogenous cellular RA binding protein 1 (Crabp1) is highly expressed in the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Crabp1 knockout (CKO) mice exhibit reduced anxiety-like behaviors accompanied by a lowered stress induced-corticosterone level. Furthermore, CRH/DEX tests show an increased sensitivity (hypersensitivity) of their feedback inhibition in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Gene expression studies show reduced FKBP5 expression in CKO mice; this would decrease the suppression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling thereby enhancing their feedback inhibition, consistent with their dampened corticosterone level and anxiety-like behaviors upon stress induction. In AtT20, a pituitary gland adenoma cell line elevating or reducing Crabp1 level correspondingly increases or decreases FKBP5 expression, and its endogenous Crabp1 level is elevated by GR agonist dexamethasone or RA treatment. This study shows, for the first time, that Crabp1 regulates feedback inhibition of the the HPA axis by modulating FKBP5 expression. Furthermore, RA and stress can increase Crabp1 level, which would up-regulate FKBP5 thereby de-sensitizing feedback inhibition of HPA axis (by decreasing GR signaling) and increasing the risk of stress-related disorders.
Tuning the Electronic Structure of Fe(II) Polypyridines via Donor Atom and Ligand Scaffold Modifications: A Computational Study.

Fe(II) polypyridines are an important class of pseudo-octahedral metal complexes known for their potential applications in molecular electronic switches, data storage and display devices, sensors, and dye-sensitized solar cells. Fe(II) polypyridines have a d6 electronic configuration and pseudo-octahedral geometry and can therefore possess either a high-spin (quintet) or a low-spin (singlet) ground state. In this study, we investigate a series of complexes based on [Fe(tpy)2]2+ (tpy = 2,2′;6′,2″-terpyridine) and [Fe(dcpp)2]2+ (dcpp = 2,6-bis(2-carboxypyridyl)pyridine). The ligand field strength in these complexes is systematically tuned by replacing the central pyridine with five-membered (N-heterocyclic carbene, pyrrole, furan) or six-membered (aryl, thiazine-1,1-dioxide, 4-pyrone) moieties. To determine the impact of ligand substitutions on the relative energies of metal-centered states, the singlet, triplet, and quintet states of the Fe(II) complexes were optimized in water (PCM) using density function...
Thromboelastography: a more accurate assessment of global hemostasis

A 47-year-old male with acute myeloid leukemia underwent resection of a paraspinous mass. Preoperative laboratory study results were as follows: white blood cell count, 2.6 × 10 9 /L; hematocrit (Hct), 29%; platelet (PLT) count, 878 × 10 9 /L; prothrombin time, 17.2 seconds (normal, 11.9-14.4 sec); and partial thromboplastin time, 41 seconds (normal, 22-37 sec). Intraoperatively, hemostasis was difficult to achieve. Two units of plasma and one plateletpheresis were transfused. Postoperatively, incisional bleeding continued and Hct decreased to 24%. Bleeding in the setting of thrombocytosis (921 × 10 9 /L), minimally prolonged prothrombin time (16.6 sec), and mildly elevated fibrinogen concentration (420 mg/dL) prompted a transfusion medicine consultation. To assess the coagulation system, thromboelastograph (TEG 5000, Haemonetics, Braintree, MA) was obtained. TEG monitors the mechanical properties of the developing clot and subsequent lysis. Movement of an immersed transducer transmits a signal that generates a hemostasis profile. Initial TEG showed normal thrombin generation (R), but clot lysis indices (LY30 = 9.5% and CI > 1) suggested early secondary fibrinolysis, commonly seen in early disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). To prevent development of overt DIC, treatment with low-dose subcutaneous heparin was recommended. Four hours after heparin administration, repeat TEG showed LY30 normalized to 0%, suggesting cessation of the fibrinolytic phase of DIC. However, elevated angle and MA/G indicated higher fibrin(ogen) stabilization and PLT function, suggesting hypercoagulability. The patient received subcutaneous heparin every 12 hours for 48 hours. His bleeding resolved and he was discharged on Postoperative Day 4. This case demonstrates the clinical utility of thromboelastography. Routine laboratory testing did not suggest DIC, and transfusion of plasma and PLTs did not lead to clinical improvement; TEG evaluation allowed a more accurate assessment of all phases of coagulation, which revealed incipient DIC. As a result, more appropriate therapy was instituted with a successful outcome.
Bulk-loading the ND-tree in non-ordered discrete data spaces

Applications demanding multidimensional index structures for performing efficient similarity queries often involve a large amount of data. The conventional tuple-loading approach to building such an index structure for a large data set is inefficient. To overcome the problem, a number of algorithms to bulk-load the index structures, like the R-tree, from scratch for large data sets in continuous data spaces have been proposed. However, many of them cannot be directly applied to a non-ordered discrete data space (NDDS) where data values on each dimension are discrete and have no natural ordering. No bulk-loading algorithm has been developed specifically for an index structure, such as the ND-tree, in an NDDS. In this paper, we present a bulk-loading algorithm, called the NDTBL, for the ND-tree in NDDSs. It adopts a special in-memory structure to efficiently construct the target ND-tree. It utilizes and extends some operations in the original ND-tree tuple-loading algorithm to exploit the properties of an NDDS in choosing and splitting data sets/nodes during the bulk-loading process. It also employs some strategies such as multi-way splitting and memory buffering to enhance efficiency. Our experimental studies show that the presented algorithm is quite promising in bulk-loading the ND-tree for large data sets in NDDSs.
Graphical multiagent models

I introduce a graphical representation for modeling multiagent systems based on different kinds of reasoning about agent behavior. I seek to investigate this graphical model's predictive and representative capabilities across various domains, and examine methods for learning the graphical structure from agent interaction data. I also propose to explore the framework's scalability in large real-world scenarios, such as social networks, and evaluate its prediction performance with existing network behavior models.
The effect of cortisone on nontropical sprue (idiopathic steatorrhea).

Summary The effect of cortisone on 6 patients with nontropical sprue has been studied. Metabolic balance data were obtained on 2 patients while the other patients underwent clinical studies only. Cortisone was administered with equal effectiveness both by the intramuscular and by the oral route in doses varying usually between 25 and 100 mg. a day. In every case definite subjective and objective improvement was observed. Stools decreased in number and became more nearly normal in consistency; appetite and strength improved, and the symptoms of abdominal cramping and distention virtually or completely disappeared. Decreases in the amount of solids, water, fat and nitrogen in the feces followed administration of cortisone and were coincident with a return of prothrombin time to normal The improvement observed would seem in large part attributable to more efficient intestinal absorption although some of the improvement is ascribed to better systemic metabolism. Hypertension developed in 1 patient and edema occurred frequently when the hormone was given in 100 mg. doses. To date it would appear that cortisone offers the most effective means of treating nontropical sprue in exacerbation, though its importance in the long-term management of the disease remains to be evaluated.