cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative Pain Management in the Elderly Surgical Patient

Background: There has been an increase in the number of elderly patients undergoing surgery. This particular patient population have unique age related comorbidities that lead to an increase in postoperative complications involving the neurological, pulmonary, cardiac and endocrine systems. Despite advances in anesthesia and analgesia, mono-therapy with opioids continues to be the mainstay for treatment of post-op pain, which often times leads to inadequate pain control, or gastrointestinal and respiratory compromise. Regional anesthesia and multimodal analgesic regimens are promising alternatives to reduce high doses and dependence of opioids and the adverse effects that accompany. Methods: The authors searched the following databases for relevant published trials: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and PubMed. Textbooks and meeting supplements were also utilized. The authors assessed trial quality and extracted data. Conclusions: Incorporating perioperative regional techniques and multimodal drug therapy can be a very effective approach to perioperative pain management in the elderly and cognitively impaired. Regional anesthesia can often reduce postoperative neurological, pulmonary, cardiac and endocrine complications. It has not been completely proven to improve long-term morbidity, but does improve immediate post-operative pain control. Multimodal drug therapy utilizes a variety of analgesic medications (non-opioids) in order to minimize dosages and adverse effects from opioids while maximizing analgesic effect and benefit.
Double phase-conjugate mirror: convection and diffraction

Development of scattered radiation in the geometry of a double phase-conjugate mirror is investigated numerically in the framework of a two-dimensional model that accounts for both diffraction and noncollinearity of the interacting beams. The large-scale structure of the scattered beams is found to be distorted because of the convective flow of energy out of the interaction region. We show that the output characteristics of the double phase-conjugate mirror depend strongly on the level of seed radiation in the direction of the scattered beams. The seed radiation may be due to incoherent scattering of the pumping beams inside the medium or to self-broadening of the pumping beams’ spectra because of nonlinear self-interaction.
Competition of artichoke thistle (Cynara cardunculus) with native and exotic grassland species

Abstract Determining the nature of root and shoot competition can elucidate the competitive ability of an invasive species and direct management strategies. In a set of competition experiments, artichoke thistle (Cynara cardunculus), an exotic invasive perennial forb, was subjected to full or shoot competition with four species: black mustard (Brassica nigra), an exotic annual forb; ripgut grass (Bromus diandrus), an exotic annual grass; purple needle-grass (Nassella pulchra), a native perennial grass; and itself. For shoot competition, a smaller pot nested in a larger experimental pot sequestered the target plant root system. A bare ground invasion experiment, in which all plants were transplanted on the same date, and a community invasion experiment, in which competitor species were planted 1 mo before targets, were conducted. In the bare ground invasion experiment, target plant size was reduced (P ≤ 0.05) when exposed to full competition with the exotic species, but not purple needle-grass. Effects on ...
First-Order Semantics of Aggregates in Answer Set Programming Via Modified Circumscription

We provide reformulations and generalizations of both the semantics of logic programs by Faber, Leone and Pfeifer and its extension to arbitrary propositional formulas by Truszczynski. Unlike the previous definitions, our generalizations refer neither to grounding nor to fixpoints, and apply to first-order formulas containing aggregate expressions. Similar to the first-order stable model semantics by Ferraris, Lee and Lifschitz, the reformulations presented here are based on syntactic transformations that are similar to circumscription. The reformulations provide useful insights into the FLP semantics and its relationship to circumscription and the first-order stable model semantics.
Perinatal Outcomes after Short versus Prolonged Indomethacin for Tocolysis in Women with Preterm Labor.

Objective Indomethacin tocolysis is generally limited to 48 hours. Indomethacin has been administered for longer durations to prolong gestation in extreme prematurity. Our aim is to compare perinatal outcomes after a prolonged course, > 48 hours versus ≤ 48 hours in preterm labor. Methods A retrospective chart review of women admitted with preterm labor 48 hours (prolonged) and 41 (56.2%) for ≤ 48 hours (standard). Prolonged group started on indomethacin at an earlier gestational age compared with standard group (23.9 [23.1-27.3] vs. 25.7 [23.8-28.5] weeks, p = 0.03). Latency from admission until delivery was longer in the prolonged group versus the standard group (1.8 [1.1-3] vs. 0.4 [0.1-0.8] weeks, p < 0.001). Prolonged use was not associated with increased risk of the composite neonatal outcome; however, there was a trend for more necrotizing enterocolitis. Conclusion A prolonged course of indomethacin may be an option for women with preterm labor at risk of extreme prematurity; it may also be associated with higher risks of some adverse neonatal outcomes.
Applying for a certificate of need for unit dose and i.v. admixture services in a Connecticut hospital

The process of obtaining regulatory-agency review of a proposal for unit dose and i.v. admixture services is described. In a 901-bed community hospital in Connecticut, a pharmacy department proposal for instituting unit dose distribution and expanding the i.v. admixture service was supported by the hospital administration and included in hospital budget projections. A state body that regulates hospital revenues, the Commission on Hospitals and Health Care (CHHC), rejected the proposal for these changes in pharmaceutical services. The pharmacy and hospital administration subsequently petitioned the Health Systems Agency in that jurisdiction for a certificate of need (CON); the procedure required that the application also be simultaneously submitted to CHHC. Implementation of the program over a three-year period was proposed. The CON application was submitted in July 1981; it required detailed information from pharmacy, nursing services, and hospital administration. During the nine months following application for the CON, further questions were asked and five hearings were held. In April 1982, CHHC approved the program and the capital expenditures but did not approve the proposed 10% increase in drug revenue needed to support the services. The hospital ultimately committed funding for implementation of the program over three years. The net result of the application procedure was a delay in implementation of expanded pharmaceutical services.
Effect of Calculation Methods on Cement Paste and Mortar Apparent Activation Energy

Concrete hydration and strength development rates are a function of the concrete temperature, with higher temperatures leading to faster rates of reaction. The equivalent age maturity method is a commonly used method to model concrete property development under varying temperature curing conditions. The equivalent age maturity method requires the use of an activation energy value to account for the temperature sensitivity of the chemical reactions. Several experimental methods and calculation techniques are currently used to quantify the activation energy for concrete. This study compared the activation energy calculated using several different numerical methods from mortar strength, time of set, chemical shrinkage, and isothermal calorimetry paste and mortar experiments. The activation energy calculated from isothermal calorimetry experiments was found to be similar for paste and mortar. This indicates that aggregates have very little effect on the activation energy, which would permit the use of an activation energy calculated from cement paste to be used on concrete.
The Reality of International Law

Machiavelli begins his Discourses by observing that “the curious nature of men, so prompt to blame and so slow to praise, makes the discovery and introduction of any new principles and systems as dangerous almost as the exploration of unknown seas and continents.” The Political Foundations of International Law runs this hazard, as it is both a splendid pioneering venture and vulnerable to all sorts of criticism. Although it most suggestively studies the theoretical interaction of law and politics, it provides scant doctrinal support. Although it brilliantly applies systems analysis and prudently uses decision-making theory, structural functional approaches, institutional studies, and a subtle form of historicism, it flirts outrageously with the relevance of game theory to the role of law in international affairs. Although it advances its views of international jurisdiction with unprecedented sophistication, it resorts to amateurish simplification when it discusses the United Nations Charter or the major European regional organizations. In sum, Political Foundations is at once profoundly provocative and frustratingly unrealized. However, its achievements are so much greater than its defects that it warrants high praise and mild rebuke.
A Cell Line Derived from Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) Hepatoma

A permanent cell line has been established from an aflatoxin-induced hepatoma of rainbow trout. The cell line is now 17 years old and has been carried through 133 serial passages. Chromosome analysis indicates the cells are heteroploid and show a bimodal distribution with modal numbers of 54 and 60. Cells are routinely cultured at 18°C and are easily stored in liquid nitrogen.They are susceptible to both the viruses of infectious hematopoietic necrosis and infectious pancreatic necrosis. It is not known if these cells have undergone malignant transformation. However, numerous attempts to cultivate normal liver cells have failed. This culture may represent the first salmonid cell line derived from tumorous tissue.
Factors Associated with High School Students’ Delayed Acquisition of a Driver’s License: Insights from Three Northern California Schools

In recent years the number of teenagers and young adults acquiring a driver’s license has declined in many developed countries worldwide, with long-term implications for transportation planning. However, the reasons for this decline are only partially understood. Some research has focused on surveys of young drivers without licenses, but few studies have looked at the characteristics and attitudes of youth of driving age as a whole. Other studies have focused on young adults but not teenagers. This study addressed these gaps by examining the results of a survey of students at three high schools in Northern California. These results indicated that demographic factors such as race–ethnicity and parental education level, which was used as a proxy for socioeconomic status, were correlated with licensing and the age at which a license was obtained. Smartphone use, frequency of participation in after-school activities, and bicycle ownership also corresponded positively with increased licensing rates, while actu...
HIGH SPEED JOURNAL SEAL OF CONE BIT DESIGN AND FINITE ELEMENT METHOD ANALYZE

The life span of cone bits is almost directly decided by the life of bit journals,which depends in great degree on the life of their seals. To enhance the reliability of journal seal of cone bit,this paper presented the face-radial combination sealing structure,that is to say,end-face and radial seal was arranged in one bit simultaneously. The design of sealing structures were analyzed and optimized with the nonlinear finite element methods, and the new seal mate was designed. Theoretically and practically, it provided that the new seal combination structure can adapt to the developing trend of high speed cone bit in lubricating system of journal seal.
Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation Alters Electrophysiologic Substrate

Background Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is first‐line therapy for some congenital heart disease patients with right ventricular outflow tract dysfunction. The hemodynamics improvements after PPVI are well documented, but little is known about its effects on the electrophysiologic substrate. The objective of this study is to assess the short‐ and medium‐term electrophysiologic substrate changes and elucidate postprocedure arrhythmias. Methods and Results A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing PPVI from May 2010 to April 2015 was performed. A total of 106 patients underwent PPVI; most commonly these patients had tetralogy of Fallot (n=59, 55%) and pulmonary insufficiency (n=60, 57%). The median follow‐up time was 28 months (7‐63 months). Pre‐PPVI, 25 patients (24%) had documented arrhythmias: nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) (n=9, 8%), frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) (n=6, 6%), and atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF/AFL) (n=10, 9%). Post‐PPVI, arrhythmias resolved in 4 patients who had NSVT (44%) and 5 patients who had PVCs (83%). New arrhythmias were seen in 16 patients (15%): 7 NSVT, 8 PVCs, and 1 AF/AFL. There was resolution at medium‐term follow‐up in 6 (86%) patients with new‐onset NSVT and 7 (88%) patients with new‐onset PVCs. There was no difference in QRS duration pre‐PPVI, post‐PPVI, and at medium‐term follow‐up ( P =0.6). The median corrected QT lengthened immediately post‐PPVI but shortened significantly at midterm follow‐up ( P <0.01). Conclusions PPVI reduced the prevalence of NSVT. The majority of postimplant arrhythmias resolve by 6 months of follow‐up.
An Examination of the Role of Customer Attributions in Understanding Trust Loss and Recovery in Buyer-Seller Relationships

Trust is an important factor in the development and maintenance of relationships between buyers and sellers. In this paper, trust between buyers (in this case, purchasing managers) and sellers (represented by salespeople) is examined in situations where a loss of trust occurs following a delivery failure. Customer attributions play a key role in determining how trust is affected following a failure and how trust can best be restored. Hypotheses are developed and tested using a two-step design with replication and extension using actual purchasing managers. Findings and managerial implications are discussed.
Corruption and Donor Reforms: Expanding the Promises and Possibilities of the Rule of Law as an Anti-Corruption Strategy in Kenya

In this paper, I explore various anti-corruption initiatives that for part of the rule of law reforms donors have required the Kenyan government to implement. Rule of law reforms primarily aim at instituting fair or impersonal procedures that limit open ended official discretion. The goal of these rule of law reforms is in part to put in place effective mechanisms to hold public officials accountable for abuse of office. My argument is that although rule of law reforms are significant for reducing opportunities for abuse of public office, these do not necessarily guarantee or entail fair outcomes. This is because the nature of corruption in the county is in large measure a reflection of the disproportionate inequalities of wealth and power. Grand scale corruption and looting in particular take place within a fairly complex network of individuals and groups with access to enormous wealth, power and influence in both the public and private sector. Dealing with corruption as a matter of procedural fairness is insufficient in this context. Any approach to dealing with corruption requires a commitment to redressing the disproportionate access to power, wealth and influence that makes corruption possible in the first place. The Goldenberg scandal and the case of the Anti-Corruption Authority demonstrate the inadequacy of using procedural safeguards to deal with a case of grand corruption and looting.
Bayesian back propagation over 1-0 functions rather than weights

The conventional Bayesian justification of backprop is that it finds the MAP weight vector. As this paper shows, to find the MAP i-o function instead one must add a correction term to backprop. That tenn biases one towards i-o functions with small description lengths, and in particular favors (some kinds of) feature-selection, pruning, and weight-sharing.
Representational technology for learning mathematics: an investigation of teaching practices in Latino/a classrooms

This paper explores representation- and language-rich mathematics instruction in two classrooms with low-income Latino/a students. The two classroom teachers were part of a larger study investigating the use of SimCalc in middle school, and their classrooms had learning gains greater than the mean gains for the study overall. Prior analyses documented that these two teachers implemented exemplary classroom discourse practices: they engaged students in discussions with high intellectual work and showed high levels of responsiveness to student statements (Pierson, 2008). Such practices are consistent with both the research on representationally-rich mathematics environments, and instructional practices for students from non-dominant communities. We use transcript excerpts to illustrate these teachers' practices in detail. We found that these two teachers enacted some similar practices, but they also had different teaching styles, different approaches to connecting representations, and different ways of supporting mathematical discussions.
Machining-Induced Surface Damage

Structures composed of beryllium are of increasing interest in the aerospace and nuclear industries because of the high elastic stiffness, low density, reasonable strength, and unique nuclear properties of the metal. However, there exists a reluctance to use beryllium in structural. applications because of the limited ductility and low fracture toughness of the metal. For example, beryllium displays uniaxial tensile ductilities that are less than 10% and sometimes less than 5%, depending on material grade and treatment. Compounding the problem of the inherently low ductility of the metal is the layer of damage found on the surface of beryllium after machining, which can lower the tensile ductility to perhaps as low as one-tenth the ductility of a specimen that is etched to remove the surface damage. It is to this subject of machining-induced surface damage that this chapter is devoted.
Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Review.

Introduction: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. It is characterised by the triad of hyperglycemia (blood sugar >250 mg/dl), metabolic acidosis (arterial pH <7.3 and serum bicarbonate <18 mEq/L) and ketosis. Rarely these patients can present with blood glucose (BG) levels of less than 200 mg/dl, which is defined as euglycemic DKA. The possible etiology of euglycemic DKA includes the recent use of insulin, decreased caloric intake, heavy alcohol consumption, chronic liver disease and glycogen storage disorders. DKA in pregnancy has also been reported to present with euglycemia. The recent use of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors has shed light on another possible mechanism of euglycemic DKA. Clinicians may also be misled by the presence of pseudonormoglycemia. Conclusion: Euglycemic DKA thus poses a challenge to physicians, as patients presenting with normal BG levels in ketoacidosis may be overlooked, leading to a delay in appropriate management strategies. In this article, we review all the possible etiologies and the associated pathophysiology of patients presenting with euglycemic DKA. We also discuss the approach to diagnosis and management of such patients. Despite euglycemia, ketoacidosis in diabetic patients remains a medical emergency and must be treated in a quick and appropriate manner.
Genesis of Continental Crust: Evidence from Island Arcs, Granulites, and Exospheric Processes

Although the average granodioritic chemical composition of the upper crust is well established, the nature of the higher metamorphic grade (amphibolite-granulite) lower crust is less certain, and the character of the crust-mantle boundary or Moho is variable beneath different provinces. Many granulite terrains appear to represent the quartzofelspathic residues of dehydration melting with fractional loss of a silicic melt. In contrast, most granulite-eclogite xenolith suites seem to be variably contaminated (with preexisting crust) Proterozoic and younger, under- and intraplated basic magmas and associated cumulates.
AN ADAPTIVE COMPUTER-AIDED INDEPENDENT LIVING SYSTEM FOR SEVERELY HANDICAPPED

ABSTRACT This paper describes the Biomedical Engineering Department's progress in developing an adaptive microprocessor-based independent living system at Louisiana Tech University. The results from a three week clinical trial are presented and discussed.
The Female Athlete Triad: Recommendations for Management

Family physicians should be familiar with recommendations regarding the female athlete triad, because prevention and early intervention can significantly reduce morbidity from this disorder.
Decreasing trend in passive tobacco smoke exposure and association with asthma in U.S. children.

In this study, we assessed trends of serum cotinine levels over time among US children ages 3-11 years and compared the risk of asthma in groups exposed to passive tobacco smoke. We utilized National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data collected from 2003 to 2014 (n = 8064). Serum cotinine level, household smoker status, asthma status, and sociodemographic information were extracted for multiple regression analyses. The adjusted biannual change in log (cotinine) in comparison to earlier NHANES survey cycles was - 0.196 (p 0.13 ng/mL), were primarily Non-Hispanic Black (61.0%) and whose family incomes were below poverty guidelines. Overall results reveal passive smoke exposure level among children ages 3-11 in the US decreased over the study period. Nevertheless, higher exposure to passive smoke is still associated with higher odds of childhood asthma. Targeted smoking cessation interventions in clinical practices are needed to reduce tobacco smoke exposure and related asthma risk in children, particularly in low-income and minority groups.
Hepatitis A virus immunity and vaccination among at-risk persons receiving HIV medical care

Abstract United States guidelines recommend hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccination for persons living with HIV (PLWH) who are at increased risk for HAV infection, including men who have sex with men (MSM) and persons who inject drugs (PWID). However, nationally representative estimates of vaccine coverage and immunity for this population are lacking. We used medical record and interview data from the 2009–2012 cycles of the Medical Monitoring Project, a nationally representative surveillance system of PLWH receiving HIV medical care in the United States, to estimate the prevalence of HAV immunity, defined as receipt of at least one dose of vaccine or laboratory documentation of anti-HAV antibodies, among 8695 MSM and PWID. Among HAV-nonimmune PLWH, we then examined factors associated with HAV vaccination during the 12-month retrospective observation period using Rao-Scott chi-square tests. Among MSM and PWID receiving HIV medical care, 64% had evidence of HAV immunity. Among those who were nonimmune, 10% were vaccinated during the 12-month retrospective observation period. Factors associated with vaccination during follow-up included younger age (i.e., 18–29 years), self-reported black non-Hispanic race/ethnicity, having detectable HIV RNA, and having been diagnosed with HIV within the past 5 years. Over one third of MSM and PWID receiving HIV medical care during 2009–2012 cycles were not immune to HAV. This analysis suggests that a sizeable proportion of at risk MSM and PWID receiving HIV medical care do not receive HAV vaccination, which is currently recommended.
Piezoelectric v Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy: A Comparison of Morphologic Alterations

Previous studies have demonstrated acute morphologic and functional changes in kidneys following spark-gap lithotripsy. Yet, little data have been presented comparing the effects of second-generation lithotripters with the original spark-gap machines.
Thermal Response of Open-Cell Porous Materials: A Numerical Study and Model Assessment

The evaluation of effective material properties in heterogeneous materials (e.g., composites or multicomponent structures) has direct relevance to a vast number of applications, including nuclear fuel assembly, electronic packaging, municipal solid waste, and others. The work described in this paper is devoted to the numerical verification assessment of the thermal behavior of porous materials obtained from thermal modeling and simulation. Two-dimensional, steady state analyses were conducted on unit cell nano-porous media models using the finite element method (FEM). The effective thermal conductivity of the structures was examined, encompassing a range of porosity. The geometries of the models were generated based on ordered cylindrical pores in six different porosities. The dimensionless effective thermal conductivity was compared in all simulated cases. In this investigation, the method of manufactured solutions (MMS) was used to perform code verification, and the grid convergence index (GCI) is employed to estimate discretization uncertainty (solution verification). The system response quantity (SRQ) under investigation is the dimensionless effective thermal conductivity across the unit cell. Code verification concludes an approximately second order accurate solver. It was found that the introduction of porosity to the material reduces effective thermal conductivity, as anticipated. This approach can be readily generalized to study a wide variety of porous solids from nano-structured materials to geological structures.Copyright © 2018 by ASME
Jurisdiction-Specific Wrongful Conviction Rate Estimates: The North Carolina and Utah Examples

Determining an error rate for wrongful convictions remains among the most pressing problems in the criminal justice literature. In a response to my earlier article, Professor George Thomas has offered an intriguing way to make that determination—through examining innocence cases uncovered through North Carolina’s Innocence Inquiry Commission. This Reply reassesses Thomas’s North Carolina estimate rate, concluding it to be somewhat too high. This Reply then looks at another state—my home state of Utah—to find another possible jurisdictionspecific error rate. Properly calculated, the wrongful conviction rates for North Carolina and Utah support my earlier-offered suggestion of a wrongful conviction rate in this country much lower than the rates commonly suggested in other wrongful conviction literature. This Reply underscores the important point of convergence between Thomas’s estimate and my estimates: both are much lower than the conventional wisdom on the subject suggests.
Wireless Iridium Oxide-Based pH Sensing Systems

Monitoring of pH level plays an important role in various processes. Commercial devices can provide precise and reproducible readings; however the drawbacks in size as well as spatial and temporal resolution limit their use in a number of applications. In this paper, we present complete systems of pH measurement incorporated with wireless communication. The pH sensors were developed by electrodeposition onto polymer-based gold electrodes to form the iridium oxide sensing film. The wireless schemes were achieved by using an active method via Bluetooth-low-energy (BLE) communication and a passive method via load modulation-based (LM) inductive coupling. Both approaches were validated against probe calibrations for comparisons, showing promising results. Thus, our proof-of-concept systems hold promise to be applied in numerous practical scenarios, supporting research as well as process and environmental monitoring.
Sexuality in later life: A spectrum of sexual reality among older women.

This issue of the journal features a curated selection of articles related to sexuality in later life.What do we know about sexuality in the later lives of older women? Although women’s sexuality i...
Tunable Polymer Embolic Implant for Vascular Occlusion.

In this study, we have developed a tunable polymer vascular embolic implant (TPVEI) with adjustable precipitation rates allowing for personalized, controlled vascular occlusion depths. We hypothesized that reducing the water miscibility of the solvent would result in slower TPVEI precipitation, leading to distal vascular occlusion. To investigate homogeneous vascular distribution and occlusion control, the TPVEI was directly injected into the portal vein of a rat and imaged with microCT. Changing the solvent ratio of NMP/BB from 100/0 to 50/50 showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in vessel size occluded from 675 ± 20 to 170 ± 25 μm, respectively. The 60/40 (NMP/BB) formulation was able to occlude several branches throughout the whole liver, displaying a homogeneous vasculature distribution. Broadband Doppler ultrasound validated that there was complete portal vein occlusion after embolization with all materials. These findings suggest that adjusting the solvent polarity allows embolization control and...
Estimation of an Equilibrium Model With Externalities: Post-Disaster Neighborhood Rebuilding

We study the optimal design of subsidies in an equilibrium setting, where the decisions of individual recipients impose externalities on one another. We apply the model to the case of post‐Katrina rebuilding in New Orleans under the Louisiana Road Home rebuilding grant program (RH). We estimate the structural model via indirect inference, exploiting a discontinuity in the formula for determining the size of grants, which helps isolate the causal effect of neighbors' rebuilding on one's own rebuilding choices. We find that the additional rebuilding induced by RH generated positive externalities equivalent to $4950 to each inframarginal household whose rebuilding choice was not affected by the program. Counterfactual policy experiments find that optimal subsidy policies bias grant offers against relocation, with an inverse‐U‐shaped relationship between the degree of bias and the severity of damages from the disaster.
Access to Effective Teachers and Economic and Racial Disparities in Opportunities to Learn.

ABSTRACTThis paper provides detailed description of students’ access to one critical educational resource, teachers that effectively promote learning. Using large-scale administrative data from Nor...
Constitutionalism, Liberalism, and Political Entrepreneurship

I criticize contractarian approaches to political economy that assume the insularity of constitutions from ordinary political exchange. Using tools from market process economics, I outline a theory of the political-entrepreneurial process as applied to constitutions. This theory can help us understand many aspects of real-world constitutional politics, such as the frequent divergence of de facto constitutions from their de jure specification. I also discuss how my proposed framework can help advance classically liberal political economy, with special reference to the conditions that allow societies to develop and retain liberal constitutions.
Discourse, Diplomacy and Disintegration at the Round Table Conference

This chapter zeroes in on a landmark event, the Round Table Conference (RTC) of March 1965, which was the first diplomatic platform dedicated to the “Southern Problem”. This unprecedented international gathering placed the exiled Southern political rebels and the state and its supporters in the same frame. The chapter reveals how both sets of actors used the RTC platform, and ultimately, how a variety of factors led to the Sudanese government’s diplomatic victory.
IMPROVEMENT IN PATIENT CENTERED OUTCOMES FOLLOWING MITRAL VALVE SURGERY FOR SEVERE ISCHEMIC MITRAL REGURGITATION

Beyond survival, patients care about quality of life (QOL) after surgery. Understanding factors associated with better QOL in severe ischemic mitral regurgitation (SIMR) patients at 1 year following mitral valve (MV) surgery may help inform patient decisions and expectations. QOL was assessed using
Examining Factors Associated With Facebook Use Among Sheltered Homeless in Hawai'i

Facebook has great potential to improve the lives of socially vulnerable populations such as homeless individuals. Yet little research has examined factors associated with Facebook use among homeless individuals. To address this research gap, we conduct a quantitative survey among 148 homeless individuals in Hawai'i to examine how Facebook use (vs. nonuse) is associated with demographic characteristics, social capital levels, cell phone use, and instrumental uses of the Internet. Results showed that homeless Facebook users are more likely to be younger and female as compared with nonusers. Homeless Facebook users also exhibited significantly higher levels of bonding social capital than did nonusers. Also, homeless Facebook users were more likely than nonusers to use the Internet to search for jobs. Finally, Facebook users were significantly more likely to have their own cell phones, access the Internet from their cell phones, and be heavier cell phone users than Facebook nonusers. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Characterization of exosome release and extracellular vesicle-associated miRNAs for human bronchial epithelial cells irradiated with high charge and energy ions

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that mediate transport of nucleic acids, proteins, and other molecules. Prior work has implicated exosomes in the transmission of radiation nontargeted effects. Here we investigate the ability of energetic heavy ions, representative of species found in galactic cosmic rays, to stimulate exosome release from human bronchial epithelial cells in vitro. Immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC3-KT F25F) were irradiated with 1.0 Gy of high linear energy transfer (LET) 48-Ti, 28-Si, or 16-O ions, or with 10 Gy of low-LET reference γ-rays, and extracellular vesicles were collected from conditioned media. Preparations were characterized by single particle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and immunoblotting for the exosomal marker, TSG101. Irradiation with high-LET ions, but not γ-rays, stimulated exosome release by about 3-fold, relative to mock-irradiated controls. The exosome-enriched vesicle preparations contained pro-inflammatory damage-associated molecular patterns, including HSP70 and calreticulin. Additionally, miRNA profiling was performed for vesicular RNAs using NanoString technology. The miRNA profile was skewed toward a small number of species that have previously been shown to be involved in cancer initiation and progression, including miR-1246, miR-1290, miR-23a, and miR-205. Additionally, a set of 24 miRNAs was defined as modestly over-represented in preparations from HZE ion-irradiated versus other cells. Gene set enrichment analysis based on the over-represented miRNAs showed highly significant association with nonsmall cell lung and other cancers.
African Women Farmers in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, 1875–1930: State Policies and Spiritual Vulnerabilities

As whites consolidated political control over South Africa in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the economies of rural African families transformed. Redding investigates how, with the exodus of men as migrant labourers to the gold mines, African women became entrepreneurial market farmers in the Eastern Cape region. However, Redding contends, the colonial state’s legal restrictions on women’s property rights drained women’s economic resources and redefined them as dependents of men and ‘subsistence’ farmers. In tandem, accusations of witchcraft against women, often from relations or neighbours, increased as women exercised more power over familial resources. The cumulative impact of legal restrictions and witchcraft accusations threatened African women’s status and their opportunities to engage in entrepreneurial market farming by the late 1920s.
“They are just a danger”: Racialized ideologies in Northern Italy and the Philippines

There has been much discussion of the proliferation of racialized narratives both offline and online and its role in the current electoral successes of far-right movements across the globe. We extend this conversation by analyzing narrative practices from two contexts where far-right parties and figures enjoy popular support: Italy and the Philippines. In both cases, we show how narratives that pivot on race constitute stancetaking practices that align with far-right agendas. In the Northern Italian case, racialized stances emerge in storytelling events, through which participants (co)construct extracomunitari, or ‘migrants from outside the European Union’, as “other” and “a danger” to the Italian nation. In the case of Filipino YouTube users, President Duterte’s supporters subvert racialized tropes through anti-imperial narratives in ways that attempt to delegitimize human rights criticisms of the drug war. We show how, in and through narrative practices, speech participants justify exclusionary and eliminationist politics in far-right contexts.
Evaluation of two commercially-available Salmonella vaccines on Salmonella in the peripheral lymph nodes of experimentally-infected cattle.

Background:Salmonella is a common inhabitant of the ruminant gastrointestinal tract, where it often resides asymptomatically and may be shed into the feces. More recently it was discovered that Sal...
Nanoparticle circuits inside elastomers for flexible electronics: High conductivity under cyclic deformation

Abstract Creating electrical circuits inside elastomers is of significant interest for flexible electronics and robotics. Maintaining high conductivity under repeated mechanical deformation depends on circuit geometry, substrate engineering, and circuit material properties. Currently, the circuit material either allows high mechanical deformation but low conductivity or has low as-fabricated conductivity that undergoes significant irreversible change under mechanical deformation. We show, for the first time, that this tradeoff can be broken by mixing dissimilar shape nanoparticles for rapid intense pulsed light sintering after elastomeric encapsulation. This creates an additional avenue to achieve parity between conventional electronics and elastomer-encapsulated flexible electronics.
Can CP Be Less Than CV

Can CP be less than CV ? This is a fundamental question in physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, and mechanical engineering. This question hangs in the minds of many students, instructors, and researchers. The first instinct is to answer "Yes, for water between 0 and 4 °C" if one knows that water expands as temperature decreases in this temperature range. The same question is asked in several Physical Chemistry and Physics textbooks. Students are supposed to answer that water contracts when heated at below 4 °C in an isobaric process. Because work is done to the contracting water, less heat is required to increase the water temperature in an isobaric process than in an isochoric process. Therefore, CP is less than CV . However, this answer is fundamentally flawed because it assumes, implicitly and incorrectly, that the internal energy change of water depends solely on its temperature change. Neglecting the variation of the internal energy with volume (internal pressure) will invalidate the Clausius inequality and violate the second law of thermodynamics. Once the internal pressure is properly taken into account, it becomes clear that CP cannot be less than CV for any substance at any temperature regardless of the sign of the thermal expansion coefficient of the substance.
Centering Queer Latinx/a/o Experiences and Knowledge: Guidelines for using Jotería Studies in Higher Education Qualitative Research

The landscape of higher education research and practice on Queers of Color (QoC) is increasingly offering possibilities of research paradigms and frameworks that best articulate and capture the unique experiences of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. And, as research on queer Latinx/a/o people in higher education increases, researchers and scholars need to utilize frameworks that attend to this community. Notably, Joteria Studies is a framework that centers the material realities of queer Latinx/a/o people (Hames-Garcia, 2014). Joteria Studies as a research paradigm shifts the possibilities to intentionally speak to the experiences of the queer Latinx/a/o community. Therefore, the purpose of this manuscript is to offer guidelines for qualitative researchers to use Joteria Studies to study topics of higher education. Consequently, using these guidelines assist in examining the ways in which queer Latinx/a/o people are structurally marginalized in ways that speak to the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.
Racial Disparity in the Development of Seizure as a Delayed Complication of Subdural Hematoma (P2.9-078)

Objective: Using administrative claims data from a statewide population, we tested the hypothesis that black race is associated with seizures after subdural hematoma (SDH). Background: Seizures are a well-known complication of SDH, occurring in an estimated 43% of patients. Black patients have been found to have increased risk for post-traumatic epilepsy and status epilepticus during SDH admission, but these associations remain poorly understood. Design/Methods: Using claims data on all discharges from emergency departments (ED) and acute care hospitals in California, we identified adult (age>18) patients admitted between 2005 and 2011 with first time SDH. Patients without longitudinal identifiers and non-California residents were excluded. We used validated diagnosis codes to identify a primary outcome of ED or hospital revisit for seizure. We then used Cox regression for survival analysis to identify demographic and medical risk factors for seizure revisit. Results: We identified 34,383 survivors of SDH (mean age 71.4 [SD 16.4], female sex 14,157 [41.5%]). 3,883 (11.3%) patients had revisit for seizure during the study period. Black patients (n=1,931 [5.9%]) had significantly increased risk of seizure following hospitalization for SDH (HR 1.42, CI 1.28–1.59, p Conclusions: We found an association between black race and a heightened risk of seizure after SDH. Disclosure: Dr. Brown has received research support from American Heart Association. Dr. King has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kuohn has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kamel has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Roivant Sciences, Medtronic, BMS, and Roche Diagnostics Corporation. Dr. Kamel has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for JAMA Neurology. Dr. Kamel has received research support from NIH/NINDS. Dr. Gilmore has nothing to disclose. Dr. Frontera has nothing to disclose. Dr. Falcone has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sheth has received royalty, license fees, or contractual rights payments from Alva Health. Dr. Sheth has received research support from Biogen, Novartis, Bard, and Hyperfine.
Independent Parameter Control in Multivariable Systems

This paper presents new results for a theory of eigenvalue modification through feedback gain vector parameter variation. A basis for the gain vector space is developed using large-scale perturbations of the eigenvalues such that movement of the gain vector along a direction in this space affects the position of only one real eigenvalue, or of a complex conjugate pair of eigenvalues. It is shown that this basis can be also used to directly compute the incremental sensitivities of the eigenvalues to the individual gain vector elements. Numerical examples are included to illustrate these theoretical concepts.
The Legal Implications of Carbon Capture and Storage Under the Sea

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington College of Law Journals & Law Reviews at Digital Commons @ AmericanUniversity Washington College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sustainable Development Law & Policy by an authorized administrator ofDigital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. For more information, please contact amytaylor@wcl.american.edu.
Effect of roasted or raw peanut kernels on lactation performance and milk composition of swine.

A lactation trial involving 105 sows was conducted to determine the effect of 12% roasted or raw, ground, whole, shelled peanuts on sow weight change during lactation, feed intake, piglet and litter weight gain, milk composition, and days to return to postweaning estrus. The trial was conducted using three sow groups during two farrowing seasons, summer (July to September) and winter (December to February). Diets were based on corn plus soybean meal. Diets contained either 5% animal fat or equivalent added fat from 12% roasted or raw, ground, shelled peanuts. The replacement of animal fat by roasted or raw peanuts had no effect (P greater than .20) on sow weight change, average daily feed intake during lactation or days to estrus postweaning, or on piglet weight gain or survival. Milk composition (percentage fat and protein) was not altered (P greater than .20) by source of fat in the summer; however, in the winter, sows fed roasted peanuts had higher (P less than .05) milk fat and protein percentage at 3 d postfarrowing than other treatment groups. At d 7, sows fed 12% roasted or raw peanuts had higher (P less than .05) milk protein than sows fed 5% animal fat. Sows farrowing in the summer had greater (P less than .01) weight loss and consumed less (P less than .05) feed during lactation than sows farrowing in the winter. Sows farrowed in the summer had larger (P less than .05) litters at birth and 14 d postfarrowing and greater (P less than .10) piglet and litter weight gain postfarrowing than those farrowed in the winter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Chapter 63 Dislocations and high-temperature plastic deformation of superalloy single crystals

Publisher Summary Nickel-base superalloys remain unsurpassed by any other system for their ability to tolerate substantial stresses at temperatures up to 90% of melting. This is possible because of the high volume fraction of ordered precipitates that are highly resistant to shearing. A wide variety of deformation phenomena occur in these constrained two-phase systems, and many aspects of the deformation are unique to the two-phase materials, and not directly related to deformation mechanisms in their single-phase ordered or disordered counterparts. The compositions of the γ and γ' phases, precipitate shape and misfit and mechanisms of precipitate shearing have permitted continued improvements in the properties of superalloy single crystals. However, a number of aspects of monotonic and cyclic deformation in these materials are not well understood in terms of dislocation mechanisms. Because future systems that replace superalloys in applications, such as the aircraft engine, will undoubtedly possess many of the same deformation characteristics of these two-phase systems.
Homeless children: A neglected population.

Characteristics of homeless children were assessed in interviews with 82 homeless families, including 156 children, living in 14 Massachusetts family shelters. Developmental delays, severe depression and anxiety, and learning difficulties were common among the children. Based on the use of research screening instruments, about half the children were found in need of psychiatric referral and evaluation.