cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Theory of Multiple Shifts

Abstract THE original suggestion that genetic gains from selection may be enhanced by the use of two or more shifts of males in the course of a breeding season was apparently made by Warren and Gish (1943). At least one group of investigators has adopted this notion with enthusiasm and has made specific recommendations for its use in commercial breeding practice (Hutt, 1949). Others have approached it more cautiously conceding that the scheme may have some value in family testing programs (Lerner, 1950). It is true that the proponents of the scheme allege success in application to a breeding program for resistance to lymphomatosis (Hutt and Cole, 1947), but their evidence is not based on controlled experimental comparisons. Neither has there been a theoretical evaluation of the potentialities of the multiple-shift scheme based on proper genetic models. Hence, in the absence of either a priori or a posteriori justification for adoption . . .
Ply durations in a multiple punishment schedule

A parametric experiment was performed to test how long behavioral deceleration could be maintained in one ply of a multiple punishment schedule. The results indicated that the duration of plys could be increased up to alternate days of two hour sessions before complete recovery of pre-punishment rates occurred. Functional differences between punishment programmed alone and in a multiple schedule were systematically replicated.
Reye's syndrome in the United States from 1981 through 1997.

Background Reye's syndrome is characterized by encephalopathy and fatty degeneration of the liver, usually after influenza or varicella. Beginning in 1980, warnings were issued about the use of salicylates in children with those viral infections because of the risk of Reye's syndrome. Methods To describe the pattern of Reye's syndrome in the United States, characteristics of the patients, and risk factors for poor outcomes, we analyzed national surveillance data collected from December 1980 through November 1997. The surveillance system is based on voluntary reporting with the use of a standard case-report form. Results From December 1980 through November 1997 (surveillance years 1981 through 1997), 1207 cases of Reye's syndrome were reported in patients less than 18 years of age. Among those for whom data on race and sex were available, 93 percent were white and 52 percent were girls. The number of reported cases of Reye's syndrome declined sharply after the association of Reye's syndrome with aspirin wa...
Skating by: low energetic costs of swimming in a batoid fish

ABSTRACT We quantify the oxygen consumption rates and cost of transport (COT) of a benthic batoid fish, the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea, at three swimming speeds. We report that this species has the lowest mass-adjusted swimming metabolic rate measured for any elasmobranch; however, this species incurs a much higher COT at approximately five times the lowest values recorded for some teleosts. In addition, because skates lack a propulsive caudal fin and could not sustain steady swimming beyond a relatively low optimum speed of 1.25 body lengths s−1, we propose that the locomotor efficiency of benthic rajiform fishes is limited to the descending portion of a single COT–speed relationship. This renders these species poorly suited for long-distance translocation and, therefore, especially vulnerable to regional-scale environmental disturbances.
Using Experimental and Neurological Data to Gain a Deeper Understanding of Realization Utility Theory

Starting with the premise that realization utility theory helps explain trading behavior, this study combines a carefully crafted experimental design with functional magnetic resonance imaging technology to offer a more inclusive examination of factors that affect REIT trading behavior beyond whether a REIT is simply trading up or down. We add to the nascent field of neurological real estate by finding that local gains/loss domains are more relevant than are global gain/loss considerations, financial skewness is a significant determinant of trading behavior, and that performance inside the REIT market influences how hard subjects think when performing tasks outside the market.
The Chemistry and Packaging of Chromosomes

Microscopists of the late nineteenth century observed that material in the nucleus and chromosomes stained avidly with certain dyes, and they called this material chromatin. Chromatin is a highly structured complex of DNA and various histone and nonhistone proteins, including the rather insoluble scaffold proteins. The analytical methods of molecular biology and the discovery of model systems in which to study chromosome function have greatly expanded our understanding of the structural organization of chromatin and chromosomes. (For reviews, see Alberts et al., 1994; Lewin, 1997).
Evaluation of Microbial Detection Methods and Interlaboratory Comparisons during a Peroxide-Nutrient Enhanced in situ Bioreclamation

A Borough water supply was endangered when approximately 1000 gallons of leaded gasoline leaked from an underground storage tank. After free product recovery was completed, an in situ bioreclamation program was started. Research was conducted throughout the course of the cleanup to compare various culture media and procedures for the detection of microorganisms in groundwater. This program also included an interlaboratory evaluation of microbial detection by culture techniques. The plate count data on similar media were the same for the two laboratories. An incubation period of at least 7 and preferably 14 days is necessary. The lack of correlation of ATP with other biomass indicators may reflect unknown stresses on the microbial community and not that ATP cannot be used as a biomass indicator. Finally, AODC in these samples was 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher than CFU, but was also frequently lower than the CFU on nutrient agar incubated for 14 days. Of the procedures tested here, plate counts on nutrient agar are a good indicator of the progress of an in situ bioremediation of a petroleum hydrocarbon spill.
Learning and Development of Second and Foreign Language Pragmatics as a Higher-Order Language Skill: A Brief Overview of Relevant Theories

The development of effective second and foreign (L2) language learning materials needs to be grounded in two types of theories: (a) a theory of language and language use and (b) a theory of language learning. Both are equally important, insofar as an effective learning environment requires an understanding of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are being targeted as well as an idea of how learner development progresses. Although the author and colleagues have previously provided a theoretical basis for the construct of L2 pragmatic ability, and thus a theory of language use, the current paper focuses on learner development, particularly on the theoretical orientation towards L2 pragmatic learning. Given this superordinate goal, the paper will briefly review different theoretical paradigms that have been employed in adult L2 pragmatics development research. In the first part of the paper, I will provide an overview of the cognitive, socially oriented, and emergentist perspectives used in research on L2 pragmatic development. Then, based on the different ontological perspectives, I will discuss the affordances and challenges of applying a theoretical perspective to designing L2 pragmatic learning environments, drawing upon the example of the cognitively oriented information processing theory.
Inevitable Intersections: Care, Work, and Citizenship

It has become a truism that US society is facing a “crisis of care.” But what constitutes that crisis, beyond the trend that Americans’ needs for elder care and support services for people with disabilities have surpassed and will continue to outpace the number of care workers available to provide this care? When we look at the landscape of care work, we see that poor immigrant women of color predominate in this labor that is typically underpaid and hazardous on many levels, with abuse of care workers common. Yet we also see the abuse of people with disabilities, as consumers of care services, as well as their exploitation as workers in sub-minimum wage industries. Thus, these groups share exploitative labor conditions and precarious life conditions potentially linking them in broader social justice struggles that they could wage together, or posing tensions that may obstruct such alliances. These links present a number of questions that I argue are at the heart of the true “crisis of care” in our society: (1) How are immigrant women of color and people with disabilities marginalized in society and exploited as workers under similar ideologies, policies, and structures? (2) How are these common vulnerabilities used to pit these groups against each other? (3) What potential alliances could immigrant women of color and people with disabilities engage to resist these divisions and organize for rights, protections, and entitlements from the state in the arenas of care, work, and citizenship?
p53 and RAD9, the DNA Damage Response, and Regulation of Transcription Networks

The way cells respond to DNA damage is important since inefficient repair or misrepair of lesions can have deleterious consequences, including mutation, genomic instability, neurodegenerative disorders, premature aging, cancer or death. Whether damage occurs spontaneously as a byproduct of normal metabolic processes, or after exposure to exogenous agents, cells muster a coordinated, complex DNA damage response (DDR) to mitigate potential harmful effects. A variety of activities are involved to promote cell survival, and include DNA repair, DNA damage tolerance, as well as transient cell cycle arrest to provide time for repair before entry into critical cell cycle phases, an event that could be lethal if traversal occurs while damage is present. When such damage is prolonged or not repairable, senescence, apoptosis or autophagy is induced. One major level of DDR regulation occurs via the orchestrated transcriptional control of select sets of genes encoding proteins that mediate the response. p53 is a transcription factor that transactivates specific DDR downstream genes through binding DNA consensus sequences usually in or near target gene promoter regions. The profile of p53-regulated genes activated at any given time varies, and is dependent upon type of DNA damage or stress experienced, exact composition of the consensus DNA binding sequence, presence of other DNA binding proteins, as well as cell context. RAD9 is another protein critical for the response of cells to DNA damage, and can also selectively regulate gene transcription. The limited studies addressing the role of RAD9 in transcription regulation indicate that the protein transactivates at least one of its target genes, p21/waf1/cip1, by binding to DNA sequences demonstrated to be a p53 response element. NEIL1 is also regulated by RAD9 through a similar DNA sequence, though not yet directly verified as a bonafide p53 response element. These findings suggest a novel pathway whereby p53 and RAD9 control the DDR through a shared mechanism involving an overlapping network of downstream target genes. Details and unresolved questions about how these proteins coordinate or compete to execute the DDR through transcriptional reprogramming, as well as biological implications, are discussed.
Illuminating Bacterial Electrophysiology

The revelation that bacteria undergo rapid voltage transients sparked a potential union between the fields of microbiology and electrophysiology. Voltage transients in biology are canonically studied in neuronal and cardiac contexts, where a voltage depolarization induces calcium fluctuations. Using genetically encoded voltage and calcium indicators, we sought to uncover a physiological role for voltage depolarizations in E. coli. We found bacteria are similar to electrically excitable eukaryotic cells; voltage depolarization induces calcium influx, hinting at a potential signaling mechanism. Surprisingly, we found that changing the mechanical environment can trigger calcium influx and also alters gene expression. We hypothesize that, similar to sensory neurons, E. coli mechanosensation is mediated by a voltage-gated calcium channel. Further, we hypothesize that the calcium dynamics we observe mediate the correlated gene expression changes, akin to eukaryotic cells. Understanding how bacteria utilize voltage fluctuations to enact physiological change could lead to the development of novel antibiotics, and potentially give clues as to the origins of voltage as a signal in biology.
Costs associated with Barrett’s esophagus screening in the community: an economic analysis of a prospective randomized controlled trial of sedated versus hospital unsedated versus mobile community unsedated endoscopy

Background and Aims Data on the economic impact associated with screening for Barrett's esophagus (BE) are limited. As part of a comparative effectiveness randomized trial of unsedated transnasal endoscopy (uTNE) and sedated EGD (sEGD), we assessed costs associated with BE screening. Methods Patients were randomly allocated to 3 techniques: sEGD or uTNE in a hospital setting (huTNE) versus uTNE in a mobile research van (muTNE). Patients were called 1 and 30 days after screening to assess loss of work (because of the screening procedure) and medical care sought after procedure. Direct medical costs were extracted from billing claims databases. Indirect costs (loss of work for subject and caregiver) were estimated using patient reported data. Statistical analyses including multivariable analysis accounting for comorbidities were conducted to compare costs. Results Two hundred nine patients were screened (61 sEGD, 72 huTNE, and 76 muTNE). Thirty-day direct medical costs and indirect costs were significantly higher in the sEGD than the huTNE and muTNE groups. Total costs (direct medical + indirect costs) were also significantly higher in the sEGD than in the uTNE group. The muTNE group had significantly lower costs than the huTNE group. Adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities on multivariable analysis did not change this conclusion. Conclusions Short-term direct, indirect, and total costs of screening are significantly lower with uTNE compared with sEGD. Mobile uTNE costs were lower than huTNE costs, raising the possibility of mobile screening as a novel method of screening for BE and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Spin pumping torque in antiferromagnets

A currentless, magnetic-field free mechanism for the Neel vector rotation in an antiferromagnet is proposed. An efficient torque is induced by spin pumping through charging/discharging of spin filtered electrons via a ferromagnetic layer in a spin capacitor structure consisting of the two heterogenous magnetic materials. The relatively long electron spin relaxation time in the antiferromagnet enables the electron spin polarizations to retain the exchange effective field sufficiently long to modulate the local magnetic moments and subsequently the magnetic state of the material. Precession of the sublattice magnetization is modeled based on the Neel vector formulation, theoretically demonstrating the feasibility of the physical mechanism (such as the reversal) with sub-aJ energy consumption. Its potential application to spintronic devices is also discussed.
Ultrasound Imaging Artifacts

Ultrasound is based on ideal physical beam assumptions. In clinical practice, the ultrasound beam deviates from these assumptions quite frequently, producing artifacts. Ultrasound artifacts can be seen with both B-mode gray-scale and Doppler imaging. Gray-scale artifacts are created secondary to the ultrasound beam characteristics, errors in velocity, errors in attenuation, and production of multiple echoes. Gray-scale artifacts include side-lobe, beamwidth, anisotropy, refraction, speed displacement, posterior acoustic enhancement and shadowing, posterior reverberation, ring-down, comet-tail, and mirror image artifacts. Doppler artifacts include transducer pressure, motion, blooming, mirror image, background noise, aliasing, and twinkling. If not understood, these artifacts in musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging can be mistaken for pathology. It is important to be able to identify these artifacts and to employ techniques that help avoid or minimize them.
Transforming Polybutadiene with Tetrazine Click Chemistry into Antioxidant Foams That Fluoresce with Oxidation

The extent to which oxidative degradation of macromolecules can be delayed is generally limited by the low solubility of antioxidants in most polymers. This can be surmounted by synthesizing macromolecules with covalently attached antioxidant functionalities, but these are frequently expensive. Here, we demonstrate a simple click modification of polybutadienes (PDB) with 3,6-dichloro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (DCT) that, in addition to modifying and stiffening the polymer chains, releases nitrogen gas to foam the solidifying polymers and generates dihydropyridazine groups that transform them into macromolecular antioxidants. Tetrazines react by a cycloaddition/cycloreversion reaction (Carboni–Lindsey reaction) with the C═C bonds to install 1,4-dihydropyridazine groups that increase the mass and rigidity of the butadiene macromolecules. The 1,4-dihydropyridazine group is an effective antioxidant that donates two hydrogen atoms per ring to combine with radicals and forms an aromatic pyridazine ring whose white fluo...
Erratum to: When violence becomes endemic

The article “When violence becomes endemic”, written by Leslie F. Roberts, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 03 August 2017 without open access. The original article was corrected.
Assessment of Safety and Quality Assurance of Herbal Dietary Supplements

The use of herbal products as herbal dietary supplements has been growing rapidly worldwide in recent years. To protect the health of consumers, the quality and safety of herbs and herbal products must be ensured. To date, the toxicity, genotoxicity, and tumorigenicity of many herbal products have not been fully studied. In this review, the current understanding of the quality control and safety evaluation of medicinal herbs and herbal dietary supplements is discussed.
Impact of 2012 USPSTF prostate cancer screening recommendations on prostate cancer detection and presentation at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC).

37Background: In 2012, the USPSTF gave a “D” grade to PSA-based prostate cancer screening stating “the benefits of PSA-based screening for prostate cancer do not outweigh the harms”. The impact on prostate cancer screening, detection and presentation are unknown. Methods: A retrospective cohort design encompassing the years 2010 to 2015. In screen-eligible, KPNC members (African American men ages 45-69 and all other men ages 50-69), the annual rates of PSA testing, prostate biopsy and the grade and stage of all prostate cancers at presentation were compared between the pre-guideline period, 2010/2011; and the post-guideline period, 2014/2015. Results: The rate of screening declined substantially from the pre-guideline period to the post-guideline period, from a rate of 42.7% of eligible men screened per year during 2010/2011 to a rate of 32.5% of eligible men screened per year during 2014/2015; the relative rate and 95% confidence interval (CI) was 0.762 (0.759-0.765). Comparing the same time periods, the...
Effect of Insulin Deprivation on Brain Mitochondrial ATP Production and Mitochondrial Proteome in Diabetic Mice

Accumulating evidence indicates a strong association between diabetic status and degenerative brain disease, including cognitive impairment. Here we hypothesized that although insulin is not necessary for glucose metabolism in brain, like in skeletal muscle insulin is critical for mitochondrial function in brain. We measured oxygen consumption rate (OCR), maximal ATP production rate (MAPR), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in isolated brain mitochondria of streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic mice. STZ mice deprived of insulin treatment for 96 hours (D-I), in comparison to nondiabetic mice (ND) showed a significant reduction in State 3 MAPR [1.77±0.14 vs. 2.35±0.27 (pmol/s/ug)], phosphorylation efficiency [0.42±0.04 vs. 0.54±0.07 (mol ATP produced/mol of oxygen consumed)] and respiratory control ratio [2.95±0.16 vs. 3.12±0.18] indicating reduced mitochondrial coupling efficiency during insulin deprivation. Citrate synthase and cytochrome c oxidase activities were significantly decreased in the hypothalamus of D-I compared ND. Surprisingly, no significant differences in ROS emission were detected between ND and D-I suggesting additional factors, potentially elevated ketone bodies, may protect against increased oxidative stress in the D-I brain. Proteomics analysis of the cerebrum found post-translational modification involving oxidative damage of several mitochondrial proteins that potentially cause tau phosphorylation and neurofibrillary degeneration in D-I vs. ND. In STZ mice with continued insulin treatment (D+I), state 3 OCR, MAPR, and phosphorylation efficiency were comparable to ND, demonstrating the restorative effects of insulin and euglycemia on brain mitochondrial function. We conclude that insulin deprivation and hyperglycemia significantly alter brain mitochondrial function. Insulin treatment and control of glycemia could have salutary effects on these parameters. Disclosure G. Ruegsegger: None. M. Shankarappa: None. P. Summer: None. S. Gopala: None. P. Zabielski: None. K. Klaus: None. S. Dasari: None. I.R. Lanza: None. K. Nair: None.
The sympathetic nervous system in hypertension: a potential long-term regulator of arterial pressure

UNLABELLED INCREASED SYMPATHETIC NERVE ACTIVITY IN HYPERTENSION: Two techniques (the microneurographic method for intraneural recordings of sympathetic nerve activity and radiotracer techniques for study of norepinephrine kinetics) have been used recently to obtain sophisticated insight into regional sympathetic function in humans. Persuasive evidence now indicates that young mildly hypertensive humans have increased sympathetic neural activity. LONG-TERM REGULATION OF ARTERIAL PRESSURE: Three credible mechanisms have been proposed to sustain long-term sympathetic nervous influences in hypertension: antinatriuretic and renin stimulating effects of the renal sympathetic nerves, sympathetic influences on the development of vascular membrane properties and trophic effects of the sympathetic nerves on vascular and cardiac muscle. CONCLUSION There is increasing evidence that the sympathetic nervous system may play a primary role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension and the long-term regulation of arterial pressure.
The trouble with Hooligans

This essay covers two criticisms of Brennan’s Against Democracy. The first charges that the public political ignorance findings upon which Brennan relies are not epistemically nuanced to the degree...
Genetic Variants and the Cortisol Response in Children: An Exploratory Study.

Objective:We examined genomic variation potentially associated with the cortisol stress response in children having a painful medical procedure.Design:Children 4–10 years old having a peripheral in...
Uncertainty in the Relationship Between Sagittal Alignment and Patient-Reported Outcomes.

Background Previous studies have reported correlations and precise quantitative relationships between sagittal alignment and health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) scores. These studies have not reported the extent of uncertainty in these relationships. Objective To explore the uncertainty in the overall relationships between sagittal alignment and HRQOL and in the predictions of individual patient pain and disability. Methods A retrospective analysis of all new adult patients with long-cassette radiographs and complete outcomes questionnaires presenting to the senior author from 2012 to 2014 was performed. Univariable maximum a posteriori linear regression analyses using Bayesian methods were performed. High-density probability intervals for mean regression relationships and for individual values were calculated using minimally informative prior distributions. Results A total of 134 patients satisfied inclusion criteria and were included. For Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) vs pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis (LL), the 90% high-density probability interval ranged from -0.04 to 0.23, indicating that both the magnitude and direction of the relationship were uncertain. For both ODI vs sagittal vertical axis and ODI vs LL, there was uncertainty in the magnitude of the slope. Wide regions of uncertainty were also seen for predicting individual patient scores. Conclusion We report the previously unpublished degree of uncertainty in the mean quantitative relationships between radiographic sagittal alignment and patient-reported outcomes and in individual patient outcomes scores. Based on these results, establishing treatment thresholds or predicting an individual's outcome is unreliable. Further research efforts should be focused on developing multilevel hierarchical models incorporating parameter uncertainty and heterogeneous effects.
A runoff trading system to meet watershed-level stormwater reduction goals with parcel-level green infrastructure installation

Green infrastructure (GI) has been recommended widely to reduce runoff from the built environment. However, reliance on public land for GI implementation could cause a heavy financial burden on local governments. Although economic incentives and market-based mechanisms may encourage public participation in managing stormwater by installing GI on private parcels, a runoff trading market has not been fully developed in practice. To establish a market, in part, requires a watershed-based planning framework and fully informed parcel owners in regard to tradable credits, costs, and benefits. We propose a scenario-based Stormwater Management Planning Support System for Trading Runoff Abatement Credits (SMPSS-TRAC) to facilitate the calculation and allocation of stormwater runoff abatement credits in order to assist the decision-making of GI investment. We apply SMPSS-TRAC to a watershed located in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA and develop five scenarios representing increasing use of GI. We test the scenarios under a 5-year rainfall intensity and set a cap of runoff for each scenario at a level that is equal to the runoff from an undeveloped status (1.03-inch runoff depth for the watershed). With the proposed SMPSS-TRAC, the watershed authority could encourage all parcel owners to install suitable GI or purchase credits from the market. When detention basins are needed to meet a stated goal, the watershed authority would build them on vacant lots and share costs with all parcels within the same sub-catchment. The last scenario with four types of GI installed, shows that the watershed reaches market equilibrium and generates 15,358 m3 credit surplus. SMPSS-TRAC has the potential for including multiple stakeholders' preferences and concerns in searching for preferable scenarios.
Social–ecological mapping of urban landscapes: Challenges and perspectives on ecosystem services in Mashhad, Iran

Abstract The need for a sustainable approach to landscape management is increasingly felt in urban planning necessitating the need for new tools and techniques for spatially decision making. The spatial dimensions of sustainability engage processes and interconnections between different land uses and ecosystems at different scales. Therefore, planning for sustainability requires ecological knowledge and approaches. One of the newest and most important urban ecological planning principles is supporting ecosystem processes and services in urban green areas. Green and natural spaces provide ecological services that play a key role in the sustainability of cities. Different urban spaces have diverse needs for ecological services based on their land uses and demographic conditions. In mapping ecosystem services, the first step is reviewing the needs and comparing them with the ecosystem services supply in making integrated plans. This method would be very useful especially in a context with limited data (like the case study of this research). In this paper, an ecosystem services assessment of existing green spaces is done, and socio-ecological needs of these spaces are analyzed. Classification of ecosystem services needs and supply provide comparable data to find where we need more ecosystem services; in addition, it helps planners determine the supply of current ecosystem services in specific neighborhoods. The combination of these maps solves one of the main issues of planning, such as prioritizing neighborhoods in providing green areas according to the social needs to ecosystem services. Moreover, such maps will help to develop the best planting plan to satisfy the specific needs of different neighborhood.
Centimeter-Scale and Visible Wavelength Monolayer Light-Emitting Devices

Author(s): Cho, J; Amani, M; Lien, DH; Kim, H; Yeh, M; Wang, V; Tan, C; Javey, A | Abstract: Monolayer 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have shown great promise for optoelectronic applications due to their direct bandgaps and unique physical properties. In particular, they can possess photoluminescence quantum yields (PL QY) approaching unity at the ultimate thickness limit, making their application in light-emitting devices highly promising. Here, large-area WS2 grown via chemical vapor deposition is synthesized and characterized for visible (red) light-emitting devices. Detail optical characterization of the synthesized films is performed, which show peak PL QY as high as 12%. Electrically pumped emission from the synthetic WS2 is achieved utilizing a transient-mode electroluminescence device structure, which consists of a single metal–semiconductor contact and alternating gate fields to achieve bipolar emission. Utilizing this aforementioned structure, a centimeter-scale (≈0.5 cm2) visible (640 nm) display is demonstrated, fabricated using TMDCs to showcase the potential of this material system for display applications.
Characterizing the Role of Fluorocarbon and Hydrocarbon Surfactants in Firefighting-Foam Formulations for Fire-Suppression

Fluorosurfactants used in current firefighting foams must be replaced with environmentally-friendly surfactants; however, current fluorine-free surfactants have subpar fire performance. Understanding how a surfactant affects fire performance of a foam is essential for developing new fluorine-free replacement surfactants. Surfactants can affect foam’s ability to form a barrier between a fuel-pool surface and the fire, thereby suppressing the fuel feeding the fire and extinguishing it. Fire extinction performance, fuel transport through a foam layer, foam degradation by fuel, and foam spread rate were measured for solutions containing a mixture of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon surfactants as well as the individual surfactants to understand the roles of different surfactants in a formulation. The measurements show that surfactants that reduce foam degradation and fuel transport rates through a foam covering a hot pool result in faster fire extinction. Small synergistic effects for the mixture of fluorocarbon surfactant (Cap) and a hydrocarbon surfactant (Gluc215) were found in foam degradation rate and fuel transport rate through a foam layer. The surfactant mixture had 30% longer foam lifetime and two times smaller fuel flux through a foam layer than the fluorosurfactant solution (Cap) and differed with the hydrocarbon surfactant solution (Gluc215) by more than a factor of ten. However, when a different hydrocarbon surfactant (TX100) was used in a mixture with the fluorocarbon surfactant, synergism was not observed. The small synergistic effects resulted in a small reduction in fire extinction times at high foam application rates (> 500 mL/min) at which foams can cover the pool surface quickly. At small foam application rates (< 500 mL/min), effects of foam spread rates become significant; the fluorocarbon surfactant (Cap) formed wetter foam that spread quicker and led to smaller fire extinction times than those for the surfactant mixture (Cap + Gluc215). Thus, the foam spread, foam degradation, and fuel transport rate measurements performed in the presence of a hot fuel but in the absence of a fire can explain the surfactant’s effects on fire extinction times for the six formulations. Traditionally, aqueous film formation was thought to be the key for fire suppression of AFFF rather than the foam dynamics described in this work. Additional properties such as static and dynamic surface tensions, foam bubble diameter distribution, bubble coarsening, liquid drainage from the foam, and expansion ratio were also measured in the absence of a fuel, but did not explain the trends in extinction performance among the surfactants.
Progestin-only pill use over 6 months postpartum.

Abstract Objectives To determine progestin-only pill (POP) use at 3 and 6 months postpartum among women who chose POPs at the postpartum visit. Study Design Secondary data analysis of a prospective observational study with telephone interviews at 3 and 6 months postpartum to assess contraceptive use. Results Of 440 women who attended the postpartum visit, 92 (20.9%) chose POPs. Current POP use was 44/84 (52.4%) at 3 months, 33/76 (43.4%) at 6 months, and 32/76 (42.1%) at both 3- and 6-month follow-up assessments. Conclusion About half of women who plan POP use at the postpartum visit are not using this method at 3 months after delivery. Implications About half of women with a prescription for progestin-only pills will be not using this method at 3 months postpartum; further understanding of continued sexual activity and breastfeeding may clarify pregnancy risk for those not reporting modern contraception use during the postpartum period.
“Living with the Lord Always before Them”: Considerations of Spiritual Guidance Offered by Ignatius of Loyola and Dallas Willard:

The centuries-old art of spiritual direction continues to be crafted by those who willingly serve as spiritual mentors for countless spiritual seekers who feel drawn by God's grace to engage in the...
Field euthanasia techniques for small ruminants

Goats, sheep, and camelids present unique challenges when selecting a safe, aesthetic, and environmentally responsible method of field euthanasia. Although barbiturate euthanasia products are frequently used in companion settings, access to these drugs is restricted and carcass residues limit viable disposal options. Gunshot, penetrating captive bolt, and adjunctive techniques commonly used in cattle are appropriate for use in small ruminants with modifications to reduce the risk of over-penetration and improve anatomic accuracy. While farm personnel can be trained to safely and effectively use gunshot techniques in adult sheep and goats, safe options for euthanasia of neonatal goats and lambs is severely limited by their small size. Manual blunt force trauma is an unacceptable method in these species; however, non-penetrating captive bolts devices are acceptable for stunning or euthanasia of perinatal kids and lambs. Additionally, carbon dioxide inhalation is an effective and humane technique for goat kids < 3 weeks of age. Intrathecal lidocaine injection is an acceptable method in anesthetized horses and early clinical experience suggests it may be reasonably applied by veterinarians in the field for all ages of small ruminants.
In Silico: Where Next?

Everyone agrees that we do not yet understand how brains work, neither well enough to satisfactorily explain basic functions such as memory nor to design effective interventions to restore mental health. This is one of the great scientific challenges of our era, with huge implications not only for human health but for insight into all animal life and for the development of future technologies. How should resources be invested to foster the necessary leap toward understanding? Given the pressing societal need and the very high public expectations of neuroscience, stoked by TED talks, New York Times articles, and sci fi, the pressures riding on choices of funding targets are enormous. Against this background, 2013 was a banner year for the brain: both the European Union and the United States agreed to devote unprecedented support specifically to neuroscience. The European Union funded the billion-dollar Human Brain Project (HBP; Amunts et al, 2016), whose centerpiece was a team science effort to develop neuroinformatics infrastructure and to expand the Blue Brain Project (Markram, 2006), a high-fidelity biophysically realistic computational model of brain tissue. In the United States, the BRAIN Initiative launched with an initial commitment of $100 million and the appointment of a panel of respected scientists who met over months to identify major gaps and promising directions in neuroscience (Jorgenson et al., 2015). Government agencies then formulated funding opportunities that supported individual labs or small teams to develop new technologies to record, stimulate, analyze, and interpret neural activity. These efforts stimulated brain initiatives in several other countries, including Japan, Korea, and China (Huang and Luo, 2015; Grillner et al., 2016). Almost 10 years later, it is timely to look back at some of the large-scale neuroscience efforts of the past decade and the routes they …
Outcomes of laparoscopic management of chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis.

This study was designed to determine the rates of reoperation following laparoscopic management of endometriosis, with additional aims to examine long-term fertility and quality of life outcomes. T...
Characterization of dermatological diagnoses among hospitalized patients experiencing homelessness.

While previous studies have characterized the types of dermatological disease among people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in the outpatient setting, dermatological disease among hospitalized PEH has never been evaluated. Therefore, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of hospitalized patients who received dermatology consultations at two San Francisco hospitals between March 2018 and March 2020 and compared the odds of diagnostic categories between PEH and patients with stable housing. In both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, PEH had significantly higher odds of bacterial skin infections [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.29, 95% CI 1.46-3.61], ectoparasitic disease (aOR = 9.43, 95% CI 3.79-23.47), psoriasis or seborrhoeic dermatitis (aOR = 2.50, 95% CI 1.43-4.36) and venous stasis or lymphoedema (aOR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.23-5.27) and significantly lower odds of drug reactions (aOR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.18-0.67). Overall, these findings highlight the unique dermatological challenges among hospitalized PEH and suggest potential strategies to facilitate equitable dermatology care delivery.
RAI: Rapid, Autonomous and Intelligent machine learning approach to identify fire-vulnerable bridges

Abstract Recent surveys have noted that the majority of bridges continue to serve for a prolonged period of time (+40 years) that far exceeds its intended operational lifespan. Given our limited resources to maintain and upkeep bridges, these structures become notoriously vulnerable to extreme events. Building upon the fact that bridges continue not to be specifically designed to withstand the adverse effects of fire, this study presents the development of a r apid, a utomated, and i ntelligent (RAI) approach that leverages machine learning to identify vulnerable bridges to fire hazard. This work also presents details on a comprehensive database comprising actual observations collected from 135 notable and international bridge fire incidents. This database was developed to train two machine learning techniques, deep learning and genetic algorithms, to quantify hidden patterns that govern the propensity of existing/new/historical bridges to undergo fire damage and/or fire-induced collapse via a multi-classification analysis. The proposed RAI approach also has the capability to pinpoint fire-vulnerable bridge components and to display its level of confidence in its predictions. As such, our approach can be of aid to bridge engineers and government officials (who may not be well-versed in fire design) with accuracy reaching 89.6%. This approach is implemented into a software (App) with optimized architecture and reduced computational complexity and hence is easily scalable and integratable into a user-friendly framework and handheld devices. The outcome of this study shows that the RAI approach can be deployed to arrive at an instantaneous assessment of fire vulnerable bridges.
Mapping convergence of sustainable forest management systems: Comparing three protocols and two certification schemes for ascertaining the trends in global forest governance

Abstract At the global level, two Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) systems, i.e., protocols and certification, have grown significantly in standardizing forest management practices. Protocols are driven by multi-stakeholder groups that outline a series of standardized criteria and indicators agreed upon by participating countries. On the other hand, forest certification involves market-driven multi-stakeholder standardization, assessment, and recognition of a forest management entity’s compliance with standards established by the respective certification program. In this study, we compare the trends in numbers and types of changes that have taken place over two consecutive periods (1995-2005 and 2005-2015) through case studies for three protocols (International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), Forest Europe (FE), and Montreal Process (MP)) and two certification schemes (Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)). A qualitative review of the respective systems’ institutional histories is followed by a graphical representation of the observed changes. We then compare the relative quantitative changes in the categories of criteria and indicators in the standards of the selected systems. We find that FSC may have been instrumental in other SFM systems changing the ecological types of Criteria & Indicators (C&Is) in both periods. Changes in SFI’s standards correspond to its institutional changes from a purely industry-driven system to being an independent organization. Furthermore, we find that ITTO has been more reactive in changing their C&Is as compared to MP and FE, which may have played a vital role in the standardization discourse. Nevertheless, based on our results, we argue that considering socio-economic institutional elements towards trends and developments in all the five standards is important. The selected five SFM institutions can use our findings regarding the trends in the standardization of global forest management to achieve their respective goals for ensuring the sustainability of forest resources worldwide.
The Double Public Good: A Conceptual Framework for ``Shared Experience'' Values Associated with Heritage Conservation

This paper introduces the double public good model as a representation of the simultaneous externalities that complicate decision making in the cultural heritage sphere. Social welfare is modeled as depending on both public and private benefits of households' production of individual heritage experience, which in turn depends on the stock of historic assets (a public good) and access effort (a private good). The public benefit of private experience arises from ``shared experience'' that fosters cultural identity and social understandings. The model generates marginal efficiency conditions for the amount of physical preservation, amount of access, and intensity of access. The model highlights the need for dual-level policy making in order to avoid unbalanced heritage preservation efforts that have been of some concern in the literature.
Arachidonic acid metabolites in hepatobiliary physiology and disease.

Abstract Arachidonic acid metabolites are involved in a wide spectrum of hepatobiliary physiologic functions and disease. Prostanoids alter hepatic bile flow. Prostaglandins with a C 9 ketooxygen stimulate a bicarbonate-rich choleresis and those with a C 9 hydroxyloxygen produce a chloride-rich choleresis. Prostaglandin F 2α stimulates the release of the potent choleretic glucagon and the stimulatory effect of prostaglandin F 2α on bile flow is inhibited by cyclooxygenase inhibitors, suggesting that prostaglandins play a role in the release of choleretic hormones as well as in their action. Prostanoids are involved in gallbladder contraction and water absorption. Prostaglandins produce gallbladder contraction in various species and cause gallbladder relaxation in other species. Prostaglandins also may be mediators of cholecystokinetic hormone action; however, cyclooxygenase inhibitors do not inhibit the effect of cholecystokinetic hormones in all species. Prostanoids alter the normal process of water absorption by gallbladder mucosa and induce net water secretion. The inflamed gallbladder secretes rather than absorbs fluid. The demonstration that prostaglandin E 2 inhibits gallbladder fluid absorption has led to subsequent studies that demonstrated that the secretion of fluid into the inflamed gallbladder lumen may be mediated by prostanoids. In cholecystitis, the prostanoids may mediate the distention produced by mucosal fluid secretion and the contraction of the diseased gallbladder. The inflammatory changes produced in various experimental models of cholecystitis can be prevented by cyclooxygenase inhibitors. Cyclooxygenase inhibitors decrease gallbladder prostaglandin formation and are effective in producing relief of the symptoms of gallbladder disease. In experimental cholesterol gallstone formation, prostaglandins are involved in the production of mucin, which acts as a nidus for stone formation, and cyclooxygenase inhibitors prevent the formation of experimental cholesterol gallstones. Prostaglandins have been shown to be cytoprotective in various types of experimental hepatic injury and leukotrienes have been shown to be injurious to hepatocytes and biliary tract tissues. Specific prostanoids and lipoxygenase inhibitors may be valuable in treating patients with various acute hepatic inflammatory disease processes. Continued evaluation of the role of arachidonic acid metabolites in heptobiliary physiology and disease may lead to important new therapeutic modalities.
That is not what homeless is: a school district’s journey toward serving homeless, doubled-up, and economically displaced children and youth

School districts play a key role in identifying, supporting, and educating homeless students. This qualitative case study of a school district in Northern California illustrates how district leadership serves as a bridge between federal policy and local school sites. In this case study, federal funding funneled through the state served as the incentive for the district to reeducate itself on what homelessness is. Four themes emerged concerning the role of districts in serving homeless students: (1) serving the needs of all students includes those who are homeless; (2) state and federal policy incentives can be an important aspect of reculturing a district; (3) once a district adjusts policy, it must make concerted effort to integrate and align other aspects of other district and school site functions; and, (4) once issues of access have been addressed, districts need to consider how to support the educational success of homeless students.