cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilizing Non-Equilibrium Methods to Probe the Effects of General Anesthetics on Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Dynamics

Although anesthetics have been in use for over 150 years, the molecular mechanism behind their action is still poorly understood. Ligand-gated ion channels have been identified as the targets of these drugs, but it is unknown how anesthetics exert their effects. Previous simulations from our group have uncovered a membrane-dependent entrance mechanism, whereby the anesthetic partitions to the membrane prior to binding a transmembrane site identified in crystal structures. To probe for additional binding sites unbiasedly and corroborate the membrane-dependent entrance tunnel previously discovered, we have used the "flooding" technique where the system is flooded with multiple copies of the drug to increase the probability of observing binding events. Our simulations elucidated not only the binding region indicated in crystal structures, but also a novel second transmembrane binding site (TM2) observed consistently across all subunits. The TM2 site is directly between the crystal structure site (TM1) and the entrance tunnel elucidated in our simulations. Free energy calculations show binding to the TM2 site increases the affinity of anesthetic for the TM1 site in addition to acting as a physical barrier blocking the exit of anesthetic from the protein. Moreover, anesthetic binding to the TM1/TM2 sites induces an iris-like tilting of the M2 helix, as observed in our previous simulations, leading to constriction and dehydration of the conduction pore. Utilizing umbrella sampling, this conformational change significantly increases the barrier to conduction, prohibiting ion conduction in the dehydrated state. Lastly, measurements of non-equilibrium work show that desflurane only minimally perturbs the work required to induce constriction of the pore, while greatly increasing the work needed for the dehydrated to open state transition. This suggests that anesthetics stabilize the dehydrated state, but do not destabilize the open state.
Prolonged operative time increases infection rate in tibial plateau fractures.

Abstract Background Fractures of the tibial plateau present a treatment challenge and are susceptible to both prolonged operative times and high postoperative infection rates. For those fractures treated with open plating, we sought to identify the relationship between surgical site infection and prolonged operative time as well as to identify other surgical risk factors. Methods We performed a retrospective controlled analysis of 309 consecutive unicondylar and bicondylar tibial plateau fractures treated with open plate osteosynthesis at our institution's level I trauma centre during a recent 5-year period. We recorded operative times, injury characteristics, surgical treatment, and need for operative debridement due to infection. Operative times of infected cases were compared to uncomplicated surgical cases. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for postoperative infection. Results Mean operative time in the infection group was 2.8h vs. 2.2h in the non-infected group (p=0.005). 15 fractures (4.9%) underwent four compartment fasciotomies as part of their treatment, with a significantly higher infection rate than those not undergoing fasciotomy (26.7% vs. 6.8%, p=0.01). Open fracture grade was also significantly related to infection rate (closed fractures: 5.3%, grade 1: 14.3%, grade 2: 40%, grade 3: 50%, p p =0.36). Multivariable logistic regression analysis of the entire study group identified longer operative times (OR 1.78, p =0.013) and open fractures (OR 7.02, p Conclusions Operative times approaching 3h and open fractures are related to an increased overall risk for surgical site infection after open plating of the tibial plateau. Dual incision approaches with bicolumnar plating do not appear to expose the patient to increased risk compared to single incision approaches.
Power Optimized DSTBC Assisted DMF Relaying in Wireless Sensor Networks with Redundant Super Nodes

In conventional two-tiered Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), sensors in each cluster transmit observed data to a fusion center via an intermediate supernode. This structure is vulnerable to supernode failure. A double supernode system model with a new coding scheme is proposed to monitor a binary data source. A Distributed Joint Source Channel Code (D-JSCC) is proposed for sensors inside a cluster that provides two advantages of low complexity transmitters and scalability to a large number of sensors. In order to setup a robust communication channel from sensors to the data fusion center, Distributed Space-Time Block Coding (D-STBC) is employed at two supernodes prior to relaying that results in additional diversity gain. DeModulate and Forward (DMF) relaying mode is chosen to enable packet reformatting at the supernodes, which is not possible in widely used Amplify and Forward (AF) mode. The optimum power allocation for the two-hop multiple DMF relaying is calculated to minimize the system Bit Error Rate (BER). An upper bound is derived for the system end-to-end BER by analyzing a basic decoder operation over the system model. The simulation results validate this upper bound and also demonstrate considerable improvement in the system BER for the proposed coding scheme.
Categorizing Top Fortune Company Mission And Vision Statements Via Text Mining

Purpose - The paper seeks to categorize mission and vision statements into clusters and demonstrate how these clusters can be profiled in the context of Globalization, Innovation and Strategy Centric features for assessment of strategic alignment, positioning and direction. Based on text mining methodology, mission and vision statements of the top 772 Fortune companies were analyzed to understand: 1) How mission and vision statements can be meaningfully categorized into clusters, 2) How attributes of each cluster can be meaningfully evaluated in the context of the degree to which Globalization, Innovation and Strategy Centric Mission and Vision statements are discovered. Clustering Toolkit (CLUTO) software was used for text mining the data collected from two websites. A recursive bisection approach has been followed to reach the desired number of six clusters, which were further analyzed through Wordle software for visual representation. The study clustered the companies in the dataset into groups in which globalization, innovation, and strategy issues were dominant. The epistemological contribution of this research includes how text mining can be used to meaningfully categorize a large dataset consisting of mission and vision statements of 772 Fortune corporations, how knowledge contained in a large dataset can be managed through the use of text mining in analyzing cluster attributes, and how these clusters can be profiled in the context of Globalization, Innovation and Strategy Centric features for assessment of strategic alignment, positioning, and direction.
Balanced and Unbalanced Circulations in a Primitive Equation Simulation of a Midlatitude MCC. Part II: Analysis of Balance

Abstract A nonlinear balance condition, which permits the diagnosis of both balanced divergent and nondivergent flows, is presented. This analysis approach is applied to the results of a numerical simulation of a midlatitude mesoscale convective complex (MCC) to assess the degree of balance of these and similar convective weather systems. It is found that, to a large extent, the simulated MCC represents a highly balanced fluid system. The nondivergent component of the MCC wind field was found to be largely balanced from the time of initial convection to dissipation. Perhaps more surprisingly, the storm-induced divergent model winds are also balanced to a fair degree, though certainly less so than the nondivergent flow. Further, the balanced divergent flow makes up a significant portion of the total balanced flow in some regions of the MCC. System-scale divergence profiles of the model and balanced winds are compared and found to agree reasonably well, especially in the growth and mature stages of the MCC....
Recalls of Foods and Cosmetics Due to Microbial Contamination Reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

In the U.S., food product recalls serve as an important intervention in stemming the consumption of food products contaminated with infectious disease agents. We summarize the number and nature of foods and cosmetics recalled as a result of microbial contamination reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the period 1 October 1993 through 30 September 1998. During this period, microbial contamination of food and cosmetic products was the leading cause for recalls, accounting for a total of 1,370 recalls (36% of all products recalled). Listeria monocytogenes accounted for the greatest number of food products recalled because of microbial contamination, whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common microbe associated with recalls of cosmetic products. Dairy products, followed by seafood and pastry items, were the types of products most often associated with recalls due to microbial contamination. The FDA was the entity most often responsible for detecting microbial contamination of foods and cosmetics (33% of all such recalls), followed by state regulatory agencies (24%), and manufacturers/retailers (21%). Nineteen percent of recalls were associated with at least one reported case of illness. Salmonella was the pathogen most often implicated in reports of illness associated with these recalled products.
Anxiety and moral judgment: The shared deontological tendency of the behavioral inhibition system and the unique utilitarian tendency of trait anxiety

Abstract The present study investigated the effects of induced anxiety on moral judgment in both the switch and the footbridge dilemmas. Specifically, the study examined whether the predisposed trait and behavioral motivation dimensions of induced anxiety affected people's goodness rating of the utilitarian options. Participants (N = 160) were randomly assigned to either of the anxiety or the control conditions. Results showed consistency with the existing literature in that most people judged as morally good the utilitarian option in the switch dilemma but as morally bad the utilitarian option in the footbridge dilemma, no matter whether people were anxious or not. More important, results demonstrated that the BIS was negatively related to goodness rating in both dilemmas (i.e., a shared deontological tendency) and that trait anxiety was positively correlated to goodness rating specifically in the footbridge dilemma (i.e., the utilitarian tendency). The psychological implications of these findings were discussed from the perspective of risk or uncertainty perception.
New answers to an old problem: Social investment and coca crops in Colombia.

Abstract Background For more than 30 years, the main strategy to control illicit coca crops has been forced eradication. Despite the importance of social investment and persistent poverty in areas where illicit crops are grown, there is no empirical evidence of the effect of social expenditures on preventing and reducing the expansion of illicit crops. Methods This paper analyses how social investment in conjunction with eradication affects new coca crops. The model is tested using a dataset consisting of annual data for 440 contiguous municipalities that had coca in any year between 2001 and 2010. The analysis includes the two main techniques used to control illicit crops, manual eradication and aerial spraying. Results Aerial spraying is effective in deterring farmers from increasing the size of their new coca fields, but this effect is small. Social investment, in addition to generating social welfare, has a significant negative relationship with new coca crops, 0.09-hectare reduction in new coca crops per additional 50-cent spent in social investment (human capital and infrastructure) per inhabitant. Conclusion Social investment emerges as a complementary and effective strategy to control illicit crops.
American Publicity in Italy

The great war developed many new weapons—the submarine, the aeroplane, the long range gun, the tank, the deadly gas; but one of the most novel and deadly was the propaganda—the psychological working on the war will of the enemy. It was developed first and effectually used by the Central Powers against France, England, the United States, and with terrible results in Russia and Italy. But the Allies were not far behind, and by the close of the war had caught up with their foes and probably surpassed them. In the summer of 1918, the German press complained of the relative weakness of their propaganda, and declared the enemy's pen and propaganda were worse than his sword.After the work of the Committee on Public Information, under Mr. George Creel, had been under way for a number of months in the United States, it was deemed advisable to establish branch offices of the committee in many European countries for the purpose of explaining the war aims and preparations of our country. Such offices were established in England, France, Italy, and eventually in some thirty-two foreign countries, in charge of Mr. Will Irwin and later of Mr. Edward Lisson. For the purpose of organizing the work in Italy, the writer was sent over by the committee, arriving in Rome about March, 1918, and returning in October.
Defining primary care. Empirical analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Objectives. Efforts to contain health care costs have increased interest in defining which specialties provide primary care and in developing tools to assess the delivery of primary care services. Methods. Using data from the 1985-1991 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, the authors examined the activities of 29 physician specialty groups to determine whether the recent Institute of Medicine definition of primary care could be operationalized. Ten elements were identified that addressed comprehensiveness (first-contact care, a Herfindahl Index, previous contact for other problems, prevention, and care through the life cycle), coordination (referrals), continuity (any previous contact), and accessibility (care provided to black patients, those on Medicaid, and patients in rural areas). Results. Principal component and factor analyses suggested that each element, except care through the life cycle, contributed to the construct of primary care. Principal component analysis enabled ordering of specialties according to their "primary careness," suggesting that specialties other than family/general practice, pediatrics, and internal medicine make significant contributions to primary care. Factor analysis suggested that two factors related to process and content underlie the definition of primary care and emphasize the importance of integration of services provided. This analysis provides a basis for further empirical work to develop measures of primary care performance. Conclusions. National surveys need to be modified to provide a more comprehensive assessment of primary care in the United States.
Development of a Twisting Wing Powered by a Shape Memory Alloy Actuator

A variably twisting wing has many beneficial qualities that can improve aircraft performance for a variety of flight conditions. Beneficial variable wing twist features include a means to reduce induced drag in cruise conditions, to increase lift performance, and to increase roll control. However, the actuation hardware usually required to twist large scale wings, especially given their structural stiffness, presents a substantial limitation. Through the use of shape memory alloy (SMA) torque tubes and other associated active spars, such structural deformations can be enabled. In this work, we consider the development of a benchtop and wind tunnel testing platform for potentially assessing the response of a variety of SMA-based wing twisting concepts. Using additive manufacturing (3D printing), we have designed, built, and tested a small scale prototype. The SMA actuated twisting wing developed herein consists of a rapid prototype shell that was specifically designed using a finite element approach to maintain stiffness in bending while reducing torsional rigidity. Using LabView and a simple PID controller, we have shown that an SMA torque tube was able to drive and steadily maintain the spanwise linear twist in the wing under both benchtop and wind tunnel conditions. This prototype will allow future assessment of new control schemes, new SMA actuator materials, and new structural configurations toward the development of flight-capable self-twisting wings.
Artificial insemination of deermice (Peromyscus maniculatus) with sperm from other rodent species.

SUMMARY Deermice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were hormonally induced to ovulate and artificially inseminated with sperm of 13 other rodent species varying in taxonomic distinction from species to family level. These were compared with inter se and sham inseminated controls. Embryos were recovered at various stages from 5 h to 10 days. Hybrid embryos failed to develop fully in all crosses except those within the same species group. Closely allied interspecies group crosses produced implantation embryos, but intersubgeneric and intergeneric crosses did not develop beyond early cleavage. Interfamilial hybrid embryos could not be obtained.
Epidemiological Characteristics and Control Measures of Measles in Guangzhou City during 2002-2005

Objective To develop the control measure of measles through the analysis of measles epidemiological characteristics. Methods Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted from 2002 to 2005. Results Data from 5014 measles cases were collected through the regular reporting system of legal communicable diseases between 2002-2005 in Guangzhou. The annual incidence rate of measles in 2002,2003,2004,and 2005 was 2.16,3.58,29.10,and 22.33 per 100,000 persons,respectively. There were 16 outbreaks of measles. The five districts with a high incidence of measles were Baiyun,Panyu,Haizhu,Huadu,and Tianhe districts,accounting for 81.41% of the total cases. The incidence peaked at March to July,accounting for 74.09% of the total cases. The age groups with high incidence were under 14 years old,accounting for 69.37% of all measles cases. Most of reported measles were in the mobile population (77.26%). Only 12.98% of the subjects in this study had a definite history of measles vaccination. Conclusion There is a tendency of increasing in the incidence of measles in Guangzhou. The monitoring program of measles should also be strengthened.
(Section A: Molecular, Structural, and Cellular Biology of Drug Transporters) The Role of Organic Ion Transporters in Drug Disposition: An Update

Transporters for organic anions and organic cations in kidney, liver, intestine, brain, and placenta play essential roles in drug disposition. The cloning and characterization of these transporters have significantly advanced our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the drug disposition process. This review aims at updating the recent knowledge of general properties, structure-function relationships, and regulation mechanisms of the organic anion transporters (OATs) and the organic cation transporters (OCTs). Such information will be essential for the design and development of new drugs to maximize therapeutic efficacy and minimize drug-induced toxicity as well as unwanted drug-drug interactions.
GAMETOGENIC PROCESSES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO NORMAL AND ABNORMAL CONCEPTUS DEVELOPMENT

The relationship between gametogenesis and conceptus development has been described in relation to recent experiments concerning selected aspects of the cellular and molecular basis of differentiation of female and male gametes. Evidence suggests that a variety of hormonal and nonhormonal mechanisms or combinations thereof have evolved and control distinct stages of oocyte maturation process. Analyses of the meiotic maturation process with particular emphasis on amphibians, indicate that distinct cytoplasmic factors are produced or activated in response to a hormonal stimulus which initiates germinal vesicle breakdown and reinitiates the meiotic maturation process. Evidence suggests that certain cytoplasmic factors originate in the nucleus and (or) cytoplasm and that considerable cytoplasmic maturation proceeds in the absence of the nucleus, or as a result of nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions. Cytoplasmic factor(s) or activities affect many aspects of oocyte function and structure, including the cell membrane, chromosomes, nucleus and meiotic spindle. Ions also play a crucial role in gamete differentiation either alone or in combination with hormones or these cytoplasmic factors. The relevance of these findings to oocyte maturation and fertilization, activation and embryonic development is discussed. In many cases, similar types of biological activities exist in widely separated species and (or) are effective in widely different species. The importance of synchronization of normal gametes to the development of the embryos is discussed. It is proposed, and the evidence suggests, that hormones, ions and cytoplasmic factors play a fundamental and variable role in the differentiation and function of "fully" mature oocytes of many species including mammals. Significantly, the data suggest that a "fully" mature oocyte occurs as a result of the expression of an underlying developmental program. Variations in these substances or the processes involved in their formation or actions appear to be relevant to understanding a wide variety of developmental abnormalities as well as to assessing the normality or abnormality of in vivo or in vitro maturation and differentiation.
3-D TCAD simulation to optimize the trench termination design for higher and robust BVdss

Optimizing the edge termination design around the periphery of active area is critically important for achieving the highest and stable breakdown voltage (BVdss) for any power devices. Active cell structures can be assumed as two dimensional (2-D) in the central part of the die, however as the active cells terminate to the termination regions at the periphery of the die, 2-D and 3-D transition regions are formed at different locations of the die layout with respect to the last edge termination trench. Optimization of the 3-D termination region is imperative to ascertain equal or higher BVdss of the termination region than the active cell region. Synopsys advanced multi-dimensional TCAD device simulation tool — “Sentaurus Device Editor (SDE) [1]” is adopted for designing and optimizing the 3-D termination transition region for a higher and robust BVdss, which is validated by the experimental data.
Decarbonizing the Energy Supply May Increase Energy Demand

In order to limit human impact on the global climate, it is necessary to decarbonize the energy supply of nations by adopting clean energy sources to replace fossil fuels. However, as I show here on the basis of an analysis of cross-national time-series data for the past five decades, reducing the carbon intensity of overall energy use is associated with higher energy use, and reducing the carbon intensity of electricity production is associated with higher electricity production. These findings suggest that adding noncarbon and low-carbon energy generation capacity may be connected with processes that spur energy demand. This has important environmental implications, since alternative energy sources have serious environmental impacts of their own. The policy challenge is to ensure that clean energy sources replace rather than add to carbon-based energy.
Emerging DNA Sequencing Technologies

The DNA sequencing platforms that are currently in widespread use to perform massively parallel sequencing, which as a group are currently referred to as next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms, have enabled the genomic revolution in science and medicine. However, current NGS platforms do not represent the final stage of development of DNA sequencing technologies. A number of so-called third-generation approaches, which are already available commercially, make it possible to sequence individual DNA molecules without the need for library amplification steps. These approaches offer a number of advantages over current NGS methods including avoidance of the artifactual DNA mutations and strand biases introduced by even limited cycles of PCR; higher throughput and faster turnaround times; longer read lengths (by some platforms) that enhance de novo contig and genome assembly; higher consensus accuracy; and analysis of smaller quantities of nucleic acids which is a clear advantage in clinical settings. However, the third-generation approaches are themselves transitional to fourth-generation techniques that, while largely still in developmental phases, rely on entirely different principles of chemistry and physics to produce DNA sequence. While these fourth-generation technologies are years away from widespread clinical use, they provide a glimpse into the ever more sophisticated utilization of synthetic materials and advanced electronics that will continue to make DNA sequence analysis even faster and less costly.
Testing tolerance for lexically-specific factors in Gradient Symbolic Computation

In their keynote article, Goldrick, Putnam and Schwarz (2016) present a computational account of code-mixing. Although they review literature on the co-activation of lexical representations and cognate facilitation effects in bilingual language processing, their model remains silent on how it interfaces with lexical factors, and how lexical factors impact code-switching. One such lexical factor is cognate status, which has been found to affect code-switching, as demonstrated in corpus analyses (e.g., Broersma & De Bot, 2006) and psycholinguistic experiments (Kootstra, Van Hell & Dijkstra, 2012). For example, using the structural priming technique to examine the role of lexical factors in code-switching, Kootstra et al. asked Dutch–English bilinguals to repeat a code-switched prime sentence (starting in Dutch and ending in English) and then describe a target picture by means of a code-switched sentence (also from Dutch into English). They observed that bilinguals' tendency to switch at the same position as in the prime sentence was increased when the prime sentence and target picture contained cognates.
Data models for virtual distribution of musical scores

With the rise of portal sites for image-file download of musical scores, the electronic distribution of musical scores, an activity in progress of 15 years, has attracted increased attention. We describe several data models for score distribution and emphasize the one used in the MuseData archive of musical data (1984-). This archive (containing substantial quantities of the music of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Corelli, and Vivaldi) employs a "solar" model of supersets of musical data. From these files, score printing, sound generation, and logical information for musical analysis can be generated. The design, efficiencies, and shortcomings of this 'write-once, convert-many" system are compared with models emphasizing generic musical-data interchange, and models in which music must be re-encoded for each new application. Finally, these considerations are examined in light of social practices and economic models traditionally associated with the print publication of music in Europe and the U.S.
Social Identities and Multiple Selves in Foreign Language Education, by Rivers, D.J. & Houghton, S.A. (Eds.).

Social Identities and Multiple Selves in Foreign Language Education, edited by Damian Rivers and Stephanie Houghton, both of whom are experienced teachers and researchers working in Japan, is a res...
Microfluidic platform with spatiotemporally controlled micro-environment for studying long-term C. elegans developmental arrests

Animals' long-term survival is dependent on their ability to sense, filter and respond to their environment at multiple timescales. For example, during development, animals integrate environmental information, which can then modulate adult behavior and developmental trajectory. The neural and molecular mechanisms that underlie these changes are poorly understood. C. elegans is a powerful model organism to study such mechanisms; however, conventional plate-based culturing techniques are limited in their ability to consistently control and modulate an animal's environmental conditions. To address this need, we developed a microfluidics-based experimental platform capable of long-term culture of populations of developing C. elegans covering the L1 larval stage to adulthood, while achieving spatial consistency and temporal control of their environment. To prevent bacterial accumulation and maintain optimal flow characteristics and nutrient consistency over the operational period of over one hundred and fifty hours, several features of the microfluidic system and the peripheral equipment were optimized. By manipulating food and pheromone exposure over several days, we were able to demonstrate environmental-dependent changes to growth rate and entry to dauer, an alternative developmental state. We envision this system to be useful in studying the mechanisms underlying long timescale changes to behavior and development in response to environmental changes.
Gendering mastery: female slaveholders in the Colombian Pacific lowlands*

This article examines the lives and power exercised by female slaveholders in the frontier lowlands of the Pacific coast of Colombia during the first half of the nineteenth century. Utilizing recor...
Perinephric and Sinus Fat Invasion in Stage pT3a Tumors Managed by Partial Nephrectomy.

Abstract Introduction We evaluated the influence of perinephric fat invasion (PFI) compared with sinus fat invasion (SFI) on disease-free survival (DFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) after partial nephrectomy (PN) for stage pT3a renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials and Methods Data were recorded from the consecutive records of patients who had undergone underwent PN for cT1-T2 RCC from 2007 to 2016. Of these patients, 143 had stage pT3a with SFI or PFI found on final pathologic examination. The demographic, perioperative, and pathologic variables were reviewed. DFS and CSS analyses were performed. The factors predicting disease progression in this population were assessed. Results After a median follow-up period of 28 months (range 15-41 months), 19 patients (13.3%) had developed recurrence, including 5 local and 14 distant metastases, with 11 cancer-specific deaths (7.7%). No differences were found in DFS (5 years, 60.9% vs. 55.3%; log-rank P = .7) or CSS (5 years, 81% vs. 74.2%; log-rank P = .8) between the SFI and PFI groups. For the pT3a fat invasion population, the 2- and 5-year DFS and CSS rates were 83.6% and 58.6% and 93.6% and 78%, respectively. SFI (P = .5) and positive surgical margins (P = .1) did not predict for progression. On multivariate Cox regression, increased tumor size (hazard ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.9; P Conclusion In our series of patients with pT3a RCC after PN, SFI compared with PFI was not associated with an increased risk of progression or cancer-specific death.
The Ecological Edges of Belligerency - Toward a Global Environmental History of the First World War

This article represents an initial foray into the global environmental history of the First World War and suggests new approaches that can change our understanding of the conflict. With ravaged farmlands, charred trees, and muddy quagmires as iconic images of the First World War, scholars have generally tended to overlook the place and the role of nature. Yet only by taking the environment into account can we fully understand the trauma of war and how this conflict in particular shaped the most basic levels of human existence for years to come. Armies in the First World War were both social and biological entities, which depended on a “military ecology” of energy extraction, production, and supply. To keep soldiers and machines in action, belligerent states commandeered food and fuel throughout the biosphere, extending the war's environmental reach far beyond the western front. Examining a number of the ways that war shaped the periphery—evolving disease ecologies in colonial Africa, tin extraction in Southeast Asia, and food production in Latin America—will show that the boundaries of belligerency were vast. These three regions also illustrate the different ways in which the preparation and pursuit of war transformed societies and the natural world. Seeing what George Kennan called the twentieth century's “seminal catastrophe” from an environmental perspective illuminates the global dimensions of the First World War. The conflict accelerated environmental change that had begun in the previous century and established the patterns of military-industrial production, human victimization, and environmental exploitation that defined the twentieth century.
State Intimate Partner Violence-Related Firearm Laws and Intimate Partner Homicide Rates in the United States, 1991 to 2015.

Background To prevent intimate partner homicide (IPH), some states have adopted laws restricting firearm possession by intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders. "Possession" laws prohibit the possession of firearms by these offenders. "Relinquishment" laws prohibit firearm possession and also explicitly require offenders to surrender their firearms. Few studies have assessed the effect of these policies. Objective To study the association between state IPV-related firearm laws and IPH rates over a 25-year period (1991 to 2015). Design Panel study. Setting United States, 1991 to 2015. Participants Homicides committed by intimate partners, as identified in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports, Supplementary Homicide Reports. Measurements IPV-related firearm laws (predictor) and annual, state-specific, total, and firearm-related IPH rates (outcome). Results State laws that prohibit persons subject to IPV-related restraining orders from possessing firearms and also require them to relinquish firearms in their possession were associated with 9.7% lower total IPH rates (95% CI, 3.4% to 15.5% reduction) and 14.0% lower firearm-related IPH rates (CI, 5.1% to 22.0% reduction) than in states without these laws. Laws that did not explicitly require relinquishment of firearms were associated with a non-statistically significant 6.6% reduction in IPH rates. Limitations The model did not control for variation in implementation of the laws. Causal interpretation is limited by the observational and ecological nature of the analysis. Conclusion Our findings suggest that state laws restricting firearm possession by persons deemed to be at risk for perpetrating intimate partner abuse may save lives. Laws requiring at-risk persons to surrender firearms already in their possession were associated with lower IPH rates. Primary Funding Source Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Concomitant Management of Occult and Symptomatic Stress Urinary Incontinence

Managing stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is an important, yet challenging, aspect of robotic pelvic floor reconstruction. While many women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) have coexisting symptomatic SUI preoperatively, women without preoperative SUI may experience de novo SUI following prolapse repair. Therefore, surgeons must consider concomitantly treating symptomatic SUI at the time of prolapse repair as well as prophylactically treating occult SUI to mitigate the risk of experiencing de novo SUI. Midurethral sling placement and robotic Burch colposuspension are two minimally invasive procedures that can successfully treat SUI at the time of robotic pelvic floor repair; however, they pose additional and potentially unnecessary risks. Thus, surgeons are faced with the dilemma of deciding whether or not to perform a concomitant anti-incontinence procedure at the time of robotic pelvic floor repair. Fortunately, pivotal trials have been conducted to aid surgeons in their management choices. This chapter discusses the concomitant treatment of SUI, both symptomatic and occult, at the time of robotic pelvic floor reconstruction.
Floquet protocols of adiabatic state flips and reallocation of exceptional points

We introduce the notion of adiabatic state flip of a Floquet Hamiltonian associated with a non-Hermitian system that it is subjected to two driving schemes with clear separation of time scales. The fast (Floquet) modulation scheme is utilized to reallocate the exceptional points in the parameter space of the system and redefine the topological features of an adiabatic cyclic modulation associated with the slow driving scheme. Such topological reorganization can be used in order to control the adiabatic transport between two eigenmodes of the Floquet Hamiltonian. The proposed scheme provides a degree of reconfigurability of adiabatic state transfer which can find applications in system control in photonics and microwave domains.
Potential of saprophage Diptera to acquire culturable livestock-associated antibiotic-resistant bacteria

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance among bacteria is one of the most intractable challenges in 21st-century public health. Dipterans that associate with livestock, livestock waste products and cadavers have the potential to acquire livestock-associated antibiotic-resistant bacteria (LA-ARB) and transmit them to humans. In this study, piglet cadavers were used to attract saprophage dipterans from the environment and those dipterans were sampled for the presence of LA-ARB. In the first trial, culturable microbes resistant to both aminoglycoside and β-lactam antibiotics were found in all cadavers and masses of dipteran larvae, and in three-quarters of adult dipterans. In the second trial, over 130 culturable bacterial colonies resistant to β-lactams were isolated from the cadavers, larval and adult dipterans. Over 100 of those colonies were coliform or metabolically similar bacteria. Adult dipterans carried β-lactam resistant staphylococci, whereas those bacterial types were absent from larval dipterans and cadavers, suggesting they were picked up from elsewhere in the environment. This research indicates that LA-ARB are ubiquitous in pig farms, and dipterans have the potential to carry medically important microbes. Further research is encouraged to determine the extent to which dipterans acquire microbes from animal agriculture relative to other environments.
Implicit theories of leadership: Stability and change over two decades

Abstract Much has changed in the last 20 years, but have people's naive conceptions of leaders changed as well? Paralleling Offermann et al.'s (1994) study of the content of implicit leadership theories with new samples, the present study investigates ILT stability and change across a 20-year period. Results indicate that, as in 1994, Sensitivity, Dedication, Tyranny, Charisma, Strength, Masculinity, and Intelligence were confirmed as ILT factors. Analyses revealed a new factor, Creativity, and the rearranging of some characteristics across factors. The nine-factor, 46-item scale was confirmed with an independent sample, yielding superior fit indices to the eight-factor solution. This supports the view of ILTs as having both remarkably stable elements despite organizational and societal changes as well as contextually-sensitive elements. Open-ended characteristics had no references to females despite reference to males, as in 1994; thus, “think leader, think male” appears to persist in terms of naive conceptions of leadership.
Reconstruction among patients undergoing mastectomy: the effect of surgical deserts.

Abstract Background Surgical deserts (SDs) are defined as the geographic maldistribution of general surgeons of six or less per 100,000 population in underserved/rural counties. Disparities have been reported in breast cancer outcomes; however, the effect of SDs remains unknown. We sought to examine the effect of SDs on breast reconstruction (BR) after mastectomy and the differences between patients in both the cohorts. Methods Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database years 2007-2011, we identified International Classification of Diseases 9th edition codes for breast cancer, mastectomy, and BR in California. SDs were identified using the American College of Surgeons Health Policy Research Institute workforce atlas. Data included patient demographics and socioeconomic status, and the primary outcome was the rates of BR. Results A total of 9325 mastectomy patients, with or without BR, were identified. Of this, 12.8% patients were in SDs, whereas 87.2% patients were in nonsurgical deserts (NSDs). Overall, 35.8% of patients received BR, whereas 64.2% did not. Of the patients in SDs, only 14% received BR, whereas in NSDs, 39% received BR. On multivariate analysis, SD patients were significantly less likely to receive BR than NSD patients (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.29 [0.24-0.35]; P Conclusions Patients in SDs are significantly less likely to receive BR. This disparity may be magnified because of differences in demographics and income levels, and decreased access to reconstructive surgeons. Interventions aimed at decreasing disparities caused by SDs are needed.
Quantitation of single action potential-evoked Ca2+ signals in CA1 pyramidal neuron presynaptic terminals

Presynaptic Ca 2+ evokes exocytosis, endocytosis, and short-term synaptic plasticity. However, Ca 2+ flux and interactions at presynaptic molecular targets are difficult to determine, because imaging has limited resolution. We measured single varicosity presynaptic Ca 2+ using Ca 2+ dyes as buffers, and constructed models of Ca 2+ dispersal. Action potentials evoked Ca 2+ transients (peak amplitude, 789+/-39 nM, within 2 ms of stimulation; decay times, 119+/-10 ms) with little variation when measured with low-affinity dye. Endogenous Ca 2+ buffering capacities, action potential-evoked free [Ca 2+ ]i and total amounts entering terminals were determined using high-affinity Ca 2+ dyes to buffer Ca 2+ transients. These data constrained Monte Carlo (MCell) simulations of Ca 2+ entry, buffering, and removal. Data were well-fit with simulations of experimentally-determined Ca 2+ fluxes, buffered by simulated Calbindin28K. Simulations were consistent with clustered Ca 2+ entry followed within 2 ms by diffusion throughout the varicosity. Repetitive stimulation caused free varicosity Ca 2+ to sum. However, simulated in nanometer domains, its removal by pumps and buffering was negligible, while diffusion rates were high. Thus, Ca 2+ within tens of nanometers of entry, did not accumulate during sequential stimuli. A model of synaptotagmin1-Ca 2+ binding indicates that even with 10 μM free varicosity Ca 2+ , synaptogmin1 must be within tens of nanometers of channels to ensure occupation of all its Ca 2+ binding sites. Repetitive stimulation, which evokes short-term synaptic enhancement, does not modify probabilities of Ca 2+ fully occupying synaptotagmin1s C2 domains, suggesting that enhancement is not mediated by Ca 2+ -synaptotagmin1. We conclude that at spatio-temporal scale of fusion machines, Ca 2+ necessary for their activation is diffusion dominated.
Effects of Choleragen and Fluoride on Adenylate Cyclase

A role for adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP in the mediation of effects of a number of hormones on specific target cells has been extensively documented. There are, on the other hand, no known physiological counterparts to the effects of choleragen and of fluoride. These agents are capable of increasing adenylate cyclase activity in a variety of tissues. It may be inferred, therefore, that they act through components of the adenylate cyclase complex that are shared by many types of cells.
Clinical and Pathologic Staging of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which accounts for 3% of adult malignancies, is the most lethal of the urologic cancers. It is the third most common urologic malignancy. following prostate and bladder cancers; however, approximately 40% of patients eventually die of progression of their RCC, while the mortality rates for prostate and bladder carcinomas are closer to 20%. Traditionally, RCC has been staged according to anatomic staging systems, such as the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) system. This system takes into account tumor size and extent of local disease, nodal disease, and presence of metastases when grouping patients for both prognosis and treatment. Recent advances in understanding of the pathogenesis, molecular behavior, and progression of RCC, as well as recent investigation of clinical predictive factors, have led to suggestions of new algorithms for staging RCC patients.
Paradoxic effect of anti-CD4 therapy on lacrimal gland disease in MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr mice.

Purpose. MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr mice (MRL/lpr) spontaneously develop lacrimal gland inflammatory lesions and are a model for the human disease Sjogren's syndrome. Therapy with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to CD4 ameliorates the autoimmune renal, vasculitic, and intraocular inflammatory lesions in MRL/lpr mice. The effect of anti-CD4 mAb therapy on lacrimal gland immunopathology was evaluated. Methods. From 1 to 5 months of age, MRL/lpr mice were treated with weekly intraperitoneal injections of 2 mg anti-CD4 mAb, after which they were killed and their lacrimal glands were removed for histologic evaluation and immunocytochemistry. Control mice were administered weekly intraperitoneal injections of either saline or normal rat immunoglobulin. Results. Anti-CD4 mAb treatment produced no reduction in lacrimal gland inflammation but did change its morphology. In control mice, there were multiple sharply delineated foci of inflammatory cells in the lacrimal gland, whereas in anti-CD4 mAb-treated mice, there was a more diffuse inflammation surrounding ill-defined foci that spread throughout the gland. Immunocytochemistry revealed that in control mice, lesions were composed predominantly of CD4+ T cells, but in anti-CD4 mAb-treated mice, CD8+ T cells predominated. Conclusions. Although anti-CD4 mAb therapy of MRL/lpr mice eliminated autoimmune renal disease, autoantibody formation, and ocular inflammatory disease, it had a paradoxic effect on lacrimal gland lesions. Lacrimal gland lesions in the anti-CD4 mAb-treated mice were not decreased, but they had a different morphology and a different immunocytochemical profile. .
EAR: Exploiting Uncontrollable Ambient RF Signals in Heterogeneous Networks for Gesture Recognition

The exponentially increasing number of Internet-of-Thing (IoT) devices introduces a spectrum crisis in the shared ISM band. However, it also introduces opportunities for conducting radio frequency (RF) sensing using pervasively available signals generated by heterogeneous IoT devices. In this paper, we explore how to leverage the ambient wireless traffic that i) generated by uncontrollable IoT devices and ii sensed by ambient noise floor measurements (a widely available metric in IoT devices) for human gesture recognition. Specifically, we introduce our system EAR, which can conduct fine-grained human gesture recognition using coarse-grained measurements (i.e., noise floor) of ambient RF signals generated from uncontrollable signal sources. We conducted extensive evaluations in both residential and academic buildings. Experimental results show that although EAR uses coarse-grained noise floor measurements to sense the uncontrollable signal sources, the signal sources can be distinguished with an accuracy up to 99.76%. Moreover, EAR can recognize fine-grained human gestures with high accuracy even under extremely low traffic rate (i.e., 4%) from uncontrollable ambient signal sources.