cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cesarean delivery risk adjustment for regional interhospital comparisons.

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of adjustment for patient population mix on observed, expected, and standardized cesarean delivery rates in regional hospitals. Study Design: Multiple logistic regression was applied to a large regional perinatal database comprising 16 hospitals. Variables significantly associated with cesarean delivery were used to calculate cesarean delivery probabilities for individual patients. Probabilities were summed across hospitals to derive expected hospital cesarean delivery rates. A standardized rate for each hospital was then calculated by dividing the observed rate by the expected rate and multiplying by the regional rate. Results: The regional cesarean delivery rate was 21.9% for 6798 women. Observed hospital rates varied from 17.1% to 39.2%. Twenty-two variables were associated with cesarean delivery. Expected cesarean delivery rates ranged from 18.1% to 26.0%. Among the 5 hospitals with the lowest observed cesarean delivery rates only 2 had rates significantly lower than those of the rest of the region, and only 1 of those 2 rates remained significantly lower after adjustment. One other hospital that had an adjusted rate significantly lower than the crude rate had not appeared statistically different from the rest of the region before standardization. Among the 5 hospitals with the highest cesarean delivery rates, 4 had rates significantly higher than the rest of the region, and 3 of them had significantly higher observed rates than expected rates. Conclusions: Compared with using observed (crude) cesarean delivery rates, adjustment for differences in patient risk factor mix facilitates more accurate comparison of cesarean delivery rates among hospitals within a region. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;181:1425-31.)
Lean Mean Fighting Queens: Drag in the World of Mexican Professional Wrestling

This paper looks at the role of drag in professional wrestling in Mexico. Exoticos are professional wrestlers who adopt a flamboyantly effeminate style when they fight. One interpretation of the `meaning' of professional wrestling in Mexico is that it functions as a theater of agonistic machismo. In that context, the success of exoticos in (at least sometimes) un-manning their opponents acts as a dramatic disruption of the equation of masculinity, penetration and dominance.
Orbit Determination from Passive Range Observations

An experiment is described by which the ephemeris of a near-synchronous satellite was determined from passive range observations. The data consist of the measured times of reception at ground tracking stations of electromagnetic signals which are radiated from the satellite at regular intervals. A comparison of the ephemeris to one obtained from Doppler tracking indicates an accuracy of better than 4.9 mrad rms.
Stress and thermal expansion of β-SiC films by the vibrating-membrane method

The internal tensile stress in heteroepitaxial films of cubic (β) SiC grown on Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition at 1520–1650 K has been determined from the resonant frequencies of membrane samples formed by removal of a central circular region of the substrate. At 293 K, the stress falls in the range 250–500 MPa, and tends to be larger for samples grown at higher temperatures. The temperature dependence of the stress has been studied over the range 90–670 K and found to exhibit a reversible, mild, but convoluted variation that includes a minimum near 160 K and a maximum near 400 K. Analysis of this behavior reveals that the thermal expansion of β–SiC is remarkably close to that of Si, with an expansion curve that intersects that of Si near 80 K and 500 K. This behavior is different from that obtained from available handbook data for α–SiC, and suggests that data for α–SiC should not be relied on to estimate the overall magnitude of the thermal stress component in β–SiC films. Annealing studies carried out in the range 673–1473 K on as-prepared membranes indicate a high degree of membrane stability, with no evidence of stress relaxation. It has also been observed that annealed membranes may exhibit very low levels of mechanical damping, corresponding to Q-values in the range 106−107.
Rapid FPGA delay characterization using clock synthesis and sparse sampling

This paper introduces a set of novel techniques for rapid post-silicon characterization of FPGA timing variability. The existing built-in self-test (BIST) methods work by incrementing the clock frequency until timing failures occur within the combinational circuit-under-test (CUT). A standing challenge for industrial adoption of post-silicon device profiling by this method is the time required for the characterization process. To perform rapid and accurate delay characterization, we introduce a number of techniques to rapidly scan the CUTs while changing the clock frequency using off-chip and on-chip clock synthesis modules. We next find a compact parametric representation of the CUT timing failure probability. Using this representation, the minimum number of frequency samples is determined to accurately estimate the delay for each CUT within the 2D FPGA array. After that, we exploit the spatial correlation of the delays across the FPGA die to measure a small subset of CUT delays from an array of CUTs and recover the remaining entries with high accuracy. Our implementation and evaluations on Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGA demonstrate that the combination of the new techniques reduces the characterization timing overhead by at least three orders of magnitude while simultaneously reducing the required storage requirements.
[Mis]Placing Race in Biomedical Clinical Context: Racial Categories, Medical Research, and the Reproduction of Health Disparities

Notions of racial categories as biologically significant remain persistently salient to oppressive hegemonic ideas about race, despite scientific evidence to the contrary. Biomedical and epidemiological researchers are both professionally socialized and institutionally mandated to utilize racial categories in their research design, implementation, and interpretation processes, under the premise that doing so can facilitate the development of measures to combat racial disparities in health outcomes and care. However, when aggregate data intended to illustrate racial disparities are inappropriately extrapolated to the individualized context of biomedical clinical practice, essentialist notions of racial difference are reified. This paper integrates interdisciplinary perspectives from the fields of sociology, medicine, public health, epidemiology, evolutionary biology, and biological anthropology to explore the ideological, historical, and structural contexts through which the conflation of racial categories as indicators of group-level inequities in health outcomes and care experiences with essentialized notions of biological differences between racial groups may inform disparate care at the level of individual patient encounter in biomedical clinical practice.
Cycle control with triphasic norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol, a new oral contraceptive agent

Effective cycle control was demonstrated based on two multicenter, 2-year studies of the triphasic oral contraceptive (OC) agent containing the new progestin norgestimate. The estrogen in this OC is ethinyl estradiol. These open-label Phase III studies were conducted in the United States by 33 investigators at 33 sites who treated a total of 1,783 subjects, healthy women 17 to 38 years of age with menstrual cycle characteristics considered to be within the normal range. The norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol preparation was taken for up to 24 cycles. Follow-up information was collected 3 to 4 months post-treatment. Bleeding pattern analyses were based on 27,970 valid cycles. Normal cyclic bleeding patterns were experienced by most of the women during the study; only minimal and statistically and clinically insignificant variations in menstrual flow, dysmenorrhea, and premenstrual tension occurred. There was a low incidence of failed withdrawal bleeding in single cycles (less than 1.0% after cycle 6). There were no cases of amenorrhea, defined as two consecutive cycles of missed withdrawal flow. The incidence of breakthrough bleeding or spotting was highest during the initial treatment cycles and diminished with continued use of the formulation. The mean incidence of breakthrough bleeding was 2.36% in cycles 13 to 24. Apart from somewhat higher initial percentages among women new to oral contraception, the pattern of midcycle bleeding or spotting was similar to that of all women studied. Effective long-term cycle control was demonstrated in women who used this OC agent.
Atherosclerosis, Autoimmunity, and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Atherosclerosis can be considered a chronic inflammatory condition of the vessel wall. Fatty streaks, the earliest morphological lesions of atherosclerosis, are caused by lipids (primarily of cholesteryl esters) accumulated within the macrophages (foam cells) and smooth muscle cells in the intimal layer. These lesions progress into atherosclerotic plaques containing extracellular matrix components, smooth muscle cells, macrophages, connective tissues, lymphocytes, and a fibrous cap over a pool of extracellular lipid. The primary pathogenic event in atherosclerosis is not clear. The “response to injury hypothesis” postulates that long-term endothelial cell injury, from a variety of mechanisms, alters endothelial permeability and induces leukocyte and platelet adhesion.1 The release of mitogenic factors from platelets and leukocytes was proposed to induce the migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells from the media. The “lipid hypothesis” proposes that the retention and oxidation of LDL in the subendothelium play a central role in the atherosclerotic process.2,3 The uptake of oxidatively modified LDL by the macrophage via the scavenger receptor induces foam cell formation, but unmodified native LDL has no effect. Products of LDL oxidation, such as oxidized cholesterol, phospholipids, and isoprostanes have been detected in atherosclerotic plaques.4 Oxidized LDL has a number of pro-atherogenic effects, such as being chemotactic to monocytes and T cells, promoting inflammatory gene expression in vascular cells, and inducing the expression of the macrophage scavenger receptor. …
Fuel for the Fire: Biofuels and the Problem of Translation at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

At the 2010 negotiations of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for a decision on biofuels and bio-diversity, biofuels were portrayed as holding many different, conflicting characteristics. Using Callon's (1986) concept of translation, we find that the COP10 biofuel negotiations failed to advance beyond the first moment of translation, problematization, when actors are defined in relation to each other. We trace attempts by various actors to fix the identity of biofuels throughout the negotiations, using strategies such as rendering political issues “technical,” relying on formal text to stabilize contested identities, and restricting the sources of knowledge relied upon. We suggest that the CBD parties experiment with new strategies, taking advantage of the COP's legal flexibility and the CBD's institutional history of engaging with the political nature of scientific knowledge.
Mining Association Rules in Spatio- Temporal Data: An Analysis of Urban Socioeconomic and Land Cover Change

This research demonstrates the application of association rule mining to spatio-temporal data. Association rule mining seeks to discover associations among transactions encoded in a database. An association rule takes the form A → B where A (the antecedent) and B (the consequent) are sets of predicates. A spatio-temporal association rule occurs when there is a spatio-temporal relationship in the antecedent or consequent of the rule. As a case study, association rule mining is used to explore the spatial and temporal relationships among a set of variables that characterize socioeconomic and land cover change in the Denver, Colorado, USA region from 1970–1990. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based data pre-processing is used to integrate diverse data sets, extract spatio-temporal relationships, classify numeric data into ordinal categories, and encode spatio-temporal relationship data in tabular format for use by conventional (non-spatio-temporal) association rule mining software. Multiple level association rule mining is supported by the development of a hierarchical classification scheme (concept hierarchy) for each variable. Further research in spatiotemporal association rule mining should address issues of data integration, data classification, the representation and calculation of spatial relationships, and strategies for finding ‘interesting’ rules.
Synthesis of a monofluoro 3-alkyl-2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone: a potential anti-malarial drug

Abstract Monofluorinated 3-alkyl-2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone 4 was prepared in eight steps from commercially available 8-bromooctanoic acid ( 10 ). The key step involved l -proline-catalyzed three-component reductive alkylation (TCRA) of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone ( 5 ) with the optically active aldehyde 7 .
TEACHING A COURSE WITH ACTIVE LEARNING APPROACHES AND TRAINING OTHER TEACHERS ABOUT DEEP LEARNING STRETEGIES

This paper describes different stages of teaching a course using active learning approaches. For this study author has utilized MECH 488 Fuel Cell Science and Technology course. This paper describes the strategies for developing a student active teaching approach that relies on promising syllabus, conceptual quizzes, peer interaction, self-reflection through an after class feedback form. This paper will elaborate on the structure and effectiveness of the feedback form aiming to improving the student attention and participation in the class discussions. To promote active teaching at university campus author have started conducting workshops on deep learning strategies. Content of these workshops are based the author’s experience during active learning driven teaching.
Phenomenological Multichannel N D − 1 Analysis of π N Scattering

We investigate a multichannel $N{D}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ parametrization for the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}N$ partial-wave amplitudes. Using a two-channel, one-input-pole form of the model, we present fits to all the interesting $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}N$ partial waves up to pion laboratory kinetic energy \ensuremath{\sim}1.4 BeV. Reasonable fits are obtained for most of the partial waves. An exceptionally good fit is obtained for the ${P}_{33}$ partial wave, in which the ${{N}_{33}}^{*}$ resonance appears as a quasi-bound state with respect to the higher-mass inelastic channel. Applications of the model are discussed.
The Nature and Measurement of the Elasticity of Supply of Farm Products

By elasticity of supply is meant the extent to which supply changes with given changes in price. It has long been recognized that for most commodities there is a direct relation between changes in price and changes in supply. In fact, the whole theory of equilibrium price from the time of the classical economists down to the present has presumed such a relationship. Distinction, however, has been made by certain writers between the short-time and long-time viewpoints. When considering elasticity of supply in the short-time or market sense, it is important to differentiate between two different market situations. In both cases the supply is already produced and in existence, but in the one case the supply is already in the market place and may be considered fixed for the time being, as for a particular day or fraction thereof, while in the other case the supply is variable from day to day, "flowing" to market with greater or lesser rapidity as the price offers change. The elasticity of supply in the first case is very closely akin to elasticity of demand. They both refer to the behavior of individuals within a market. The reactions exercised between changes in price and changes in quantities demanded or supplied are presumed to come about immediately. The buyers' offers resolve themselves into a series of prices which they will be willing to pay for different quantities of the good, and the sellers' acceptances into a series of quantities they are willing to sell at varying prices. Both groups have their reservation prices and are balancing the utilities or advantages in one direction against those in another. That the reactions of the two groups are similar seems clear. Wicksteed, in fact, has gone so far as to say they are one and the same thing, in that the so-called supply schedule is in reality a demand schedule of those who possess the commodity (the sellers) "* * * for it shows the exact place
Non-Alloyed Ohmic Contacts to n-GaAs using Epitaxial Ge Layers

Alloyed ohmic contacts (i.e. Au-Ge-Ni) to n-GaAs lead to non-planar interfaces which are unsuitable for devices with shallow junctions and small dimensions. In this study, the fabrication of non-alloyed ohmic contacts (via solid state reactions) is investigated. A layered structure involving the solid phase epitaxy of Ge using a transport medium (PdGe) is shown to produce low (1 — 5 × 10∼ 6 Ω cm 2 ) and reproducible values of contact resistivity. The resultant interface is shown to be abrupt by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy.
Prediction of the percolation threshold and electrical conductivity of self-assembled antimony-doped tin oxide nanoparticles into ordered structures in PMMA/ATO nanocomposites.

Electrical percolation in nanocomposites consisting of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and antimony tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles was investigated experimentally using monosize and polydisperse polymer particles. The nanocomposites were fabricated by compression molding at 170 °C. The matrix PMMA was transformed into space filling polyhedra while the ATO nanoparticles distributed along the sharp edges of the matrix, forming a 3D interconnected network. The measured electrical resistivity showed that percolation was achieved in these materials at a very low ATO content of 0.99 wt % ATO when monosize PMMA was used, whereas 1.48 wt % ATO was needed to achieve percolation when the PMMA was polydispersed. A parametric finite element approach was chosen to model this unique microstructure-driven self-assembling percolation behavior. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to solve the effects of phase segregation between the matrix and the filler using a 2D simplified model in the frequency domain of the AC/DC module. It...
Bisphenols for the Control of Cecal Coccidiosis

Abstract INVESTIGATIONS in recent years on the control of coccidiosis in poultry have been numerous. However, at the present time only several sulfonamides and sulfur have been proven capable of preventing the disease under farm conditions. No other compounds tested have proven practical as preventives, and none have been of value after coccidiosis has bcome established in a flock. There are still disadvantages in the compounds available. The sulfonamides, such as the widely used sulfaguanidine and the recently introduced sulfaquinoxaline, have the marked drawback of high cost, whereas the toxicity of sulfur has prevented its widespread use. The purpose of this paper is to report on a new series of compounds described by Johnson, Mussell and Dietzler (1949) as having marked coccidiostatic value when used to prevent moderate coccidial infections and which as here described give significant protection against severe infection. These compounds do not have the disadvantages noted above of . . .
Extinction in a straight alley as a function of varied quality and quantity of reward sequence

Six groups of albino rats were extinguished in a straight alley after receiving two daily trials an one of the following varied quality and/or quantity of reward sequences: 1 regular pellet followed by 1 regular pellet, 1 regular pellet followed by 1 sucrose pellet, 1 sucrose pellet followed by 1 regular pellet, 1 regular pellet followed by 16 sucrose pellets, 1 sucrose pellet followed by 16 sucrose pellets, and 16 sucrose pellets followed by 1 sucrose pellet. Further evidence for an extension of the sequential hypothesis to include quality of reward was provided by showing that greater resistance to extinction results when a high-quality reward follows a low-quality reward than when the opposite sequence occurs. In addition, variations in both quantity and quality of reward produced more resistance to extinction than variations in quantity of reward alone.
Avionics Mission Cycles for Constellation

Long duration human space missions pose significant challenges to the integrated activities supporting space operations. Flight software and crew training are intricately bound together for these activities. Synchronizing the processes and underlying activities and leveraging those results within a knowledge-based framework provides an approach to improving flight software quality and crew readiness to resolve problems encountered in each phase of the mission. Improvement in both the quality of Flight Software and the Readiness of the Crew has a direct impact on mission success and the reduction of probability of failure for all classes of missions.
Measuring Structural and Electronic Effects on Keto–Enol Equilibrium in 1,3-Dicarbonyl Compounds

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an integral part of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. In addition to structure determination, NMR spectroscopy is used to analyze chemical reactions and equilibria in situ. Determination of the position of equilibria is well-suited to NMR analysis in the undergraduate laboratory as an extension of peak identification and signal integration, and the determination of keto–enol equilibrium remains a popular undergraduate laboratory experiment. Several factors affect the position of keto–enol equilibrium, defined here as Ke/k = [enol]/[keto], including structure (steric bulk, conjugation, electron-withdrawing/donating groups, resonance), temperature, and solvent. A judiciously selected set of compounds that have a common 1,3-dicarbonyl moiety with progressively changing ligands at the 1 and 3 positions is presented. This array allows students to investigate structure–function relationships that affect keto–enol equilibrium in a cumulative fashion and affo...
Sexual Orientation Discordance and Young Adult Mental Health

During the course of sexual development, many people experience dissonance between dimensions of sexual orientation, including attraction, behavior, and identity. This study assesses the relationship between sexual orientation discordance and mental health. Data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 8,915; female = 54.62 %; non-Hispanic black = 18.83 %, Hispanic = 14.91 %, other race (non-white) = 10.79 %). Multivariable linear regression evaluated the correlation between sexual orientation discordance and perceived stress and depressive symptomatology. Models were stratified by sex and sexual identity. Among self-identified heterosexual females and mostly heterosexual males, sexual orientation discordance predicted significantly increased depressive symptomatology. No other subpopulation demonstrated a significant correlation between sexual orientation discordance and depressive symptomatology or perceived stress. The association between sexual orientation discordance and depressive symptomatology suggests a link between sexuality, self-concept, and mental health.
Introduction to Sustainability, Sustainable Design, and Process Integration

The process industries are manufacturing technologies and infrastructures that use chemical and physical means to transform feedstocks (raw materials) to value-added products. Examples include the chemical, petrochemical, energy, pharmaceutical, forestry products, microelectronics, food, textile, and metal industries. The process industries have contributed much to economic growth, social development, and quality-of-life enhancement. Nonetheless, these industrial processes exert some of the most profound impacts on the ecosystem because of the significant usage of natural resources, the environmental discharges associated with the processing, and the ecological effects of the products. The objectives of conserving natural resources, preventing pollution, increasing productivity, and enhancing profitability are among the top priorities of the process industries. Process engineers and managers who are routinely charged with tasks of achieving these objective face the following primary challenges: • How to systematically evolve solutions and innovative designs
Human Invariant NKT Cells Induce IL-1β Secretion by Peripheral Blood Monocytes via a P2X7-Independent Pathway.

The cytokine IL-1β plays a central role in inflammatory responses that are initiated by microbial challenges, as well as in those that are due to endogenous processes (often called sterile inflammation). IL-1β secretion that occurs independently of microbial stimulation is typically associated with the presence of endogenous alarmins, such as extracellular ATP (an indicator of cytopathic damage). In this study, we show that IL-2–activated human invariant NKT (iNKT) cells stimulate the secretion of IL-1β protein by human peripheral blood monocytes in a manner that requires neither the presence of microbial compounds nor signaling through the extracellular ATP receptor P2X 7 . Monocyte IL-1β production was specifically induced by iNKT cells, because similarly activated polyclonal autologous T cells did not have this effect. Secretion of IL-1β protein occurred rapidly (within 3–4 h) and required cell contact between the iNKT cells and monocytes. Similar to IL-1β production induced by TLR stimulation, the iNKT-induced pathway appeared to entail a two-step process involving NF-κB signaling and IL1B gene transcription, as well as assembly of the NLRP3 inflammasome and activation of caspase-1. However, in contrast to the classical inflammasome-mediated pathway of IL-1β production, activation of monocytes via P2X 7 was dispensable for iNKT-induced IL-1β secretion, and potassium efflux was not required. Moreover, the iNKT-induced effect involved caspase-8 activity, yet it induced little monocyte death. These results suggest that IL-2–activated human iNKT cells induce monocytes to produce IL-1β through a distinctive pathway that does not require the presence of microbial danger signals or alarmins associated with cytopathic damage.
Do Patient Assessments of Hospital Quality Correlate With Kidney Transplantation Surgical Outcomes

Abstract Background Currently, transplant patients have limited metrics available to understand transplant center quality. Graft and patient survival do not capture the patient experience, and patients may use more general consumer assessments of hospital care to help select transplant centers. We evaluated whether consumer assessments of hospital quality correlate with short- and long-term kidney transplant center performance. Materials and Methods CMS uses the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) to publicly report patients' perspectives on hospital care. We merged 2012 SRTR kidney transplant (n = 200 centers), HCAHPS and American Hospital Association survey data. Center performance was determined by variation in observed-to-expected (O/E) ratios for 1-month and 1-year graft failure. We used multivariate regression to determine whether HCAHPS measures correlate with center performance, after risk-adjusting for structural characteristics and volume. Results Center-specific graft failure varied significantly (30 day O/E range: 0–4.1). At 30 days, compared to average centers, cleanliness (OR = 1.26, P = .001), patient recommendation (OR = 1.18, P = .005), and high overall ratings (OR = 1.11, P = .036) predicted high performance. Poor nursing–patient communication (OR = 0.70, P = .030), lower cleanliness (OR = 0.67, P P = .038), and no recommendation (OR = 0.68, P = .019) correlated with average/low performance. There was no significant correlation between HCAHPS measures and 1-year outcomes. Conclusions The association between hospital consumer assessments of hospital care and center performance after kidney transplantation is limited. More specific metrics oriented to capturing transplant patient perspectives may be valuable in further defining transplant quality.
Detecting the effects of physician training in self-care interviewing skills: Coding of standardized patient (SP) visit recordings versus SP post-visit ratings

Abstract Objective To compare how coder ratings of standardized patient (SP) visit recordings and SP ratings of the visits detect primary care physician (PCP) training in self-efficacy enhancing interviewing techniques (SEE IT). Methods Analyses of data from 50 PCPs who participated in a randomized controlled trial of SEE IT training, which led to increased SEE IT use during three SP visits 1–3 months post-intervention. Untrained SPs rated SEE IT use post-visit. Subsequently, three trained coders generated a consensus SEE IT rating from visit audio recordings. SPs and coders were blinded to provider study arm, and coders to SP ratings. Results SP and coder ratings were correlated (r = 0.62). In detecting the intervention effect, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.80 (95% CI 0.74–0.87) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.69–0.84) for consensus coder and SP ratings, respectively (difference 0.04, 95% CI −0.04–0.11; z = 1.04, p = 0.30). Conclusion SP ratings were not significantly different from coder ratings of SP visit recordings in detecting PCP SEE IT training. Practice implications If similar findings are observed in larger studies, it would suggest a greater role for SP ratings in detecting provider interviewing skills training, given the relative simplicity, low cost, and non-intrusiveness of the approach.
Cultural Diversity and Aging in the United States

As it ages, the United States, a particularly pluralistic society, presents additional challenges to those faced by more homogenous populations. In this entry, cultural diversity is examined in the context of these societal challenges, as the country strives to treat all of its subcultures equitably. This equity may be supported by “cultural competence,” which is culturally sensitive interactions between various subcultures. Characteristics of the various ethnicities and minorities may be represented by demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation). Culture, impacted by history and experience, determines the values and ideologies that distinguish the subcultures that create cultural diversity. However, racially motivated “segregated diversity” may exacerbate efforts toward genuine cultural diversity across society. Keywords: age; cultural diversity; pluralism; race and ethnicity; subcultures
A Consultation and Supervision Model for Developing the Forensic Psychiatric Opinion

Receiving feedback on one's work from colleagues is an essential part of clinical and forensic psychiatric practice. Often the material on which feedback is sought concerns past cases. When the material relates to current cases, particular safeguards are needed to protect important interests. This paper lists the interests that must be protected when feedback is provided through clinical consultation and supervision meetings in a forensic psychiatric training program. These are the interests of the person being evaluated, the attorneys, the people providing feedback to the evaluator, and the employers of the people providing feedback. The principles that the training program applies in determining attendance at, and participation in, these meetings are described. Finally, scenarios are presented that illustrate the application of these principles. Such application has allowed trainees and others to receive the benefits of consultation and supervision in the course of developing their opinions while protecting the interests of those involved.
Towards High-Precision and Reusable Entity Resolution Algorithms over Sparse Financial Datasets

We describe our approach to the FEIII Data Challenge, which requires matching entities across multiple financial datasets (FFIEC, SEC and LEI). By making use of a high-level language (HIL) that includes constructs for expressing both the matching logic and the policies to avoid or reduce the ambiguities among the matches, we are able to produce highly-accurate results in a sparse context, with only name and location attributes. As part of the high-level specification, we also make use of a Smart-Term Generation (STG) component, which provides us with a sophisticated subroutine for normalizing company names. The high-level specification is reusable, in the sense that the same HIL specification (modulo changing the attribute names) is uniformly applicable not only between FFIEC and SEC, but also between FFIEC and LEI, and between LEI and SEC.Our approach used only the data provided by the organizers, without analyzing any additional (external) datasets. For the task linking FFIEC records to SEC, we achieved 92.82% precision, 84.32% recall, and 88.38% F1-score. The precision and F1-score were the maximum reported across all participants, and recall was 1.3% less than the maximum 85.63%. For the task linking FFIEC records to LEI, we achieved 99.14% precision, 92.54% recall and 95.72% F1-score, with our F1-score 1.72% less than the maximum reported 97.44%. In this short paper, we provide a description of our method, together with an analysis of our results as well as possible directions for improvement.
Spontaneous Lipid Peroxidation in Rabbit Spermatozoa: A Useful Model for the Reaction of O2 Metabolites with Single Cells

Mature mammalian spermatozoa comprise a relatively homogeneous population of cells. In suspension, their motility provides a readily visualized index of cell viability. Suspensions of spermatozoa are, therefore, convenient and useful systems for studying the reactions of O2 and its partially reduced metabolites which cause cell damage. It has been known for nearly 40 years that high O2 tensions are deleterious to the motility of human sperm (McLeod, 1943). Bull and ram spermatozoa were shown to lose motility on storage at 4°C in concert with loss of phospholipid, particularly plasmalogen, suggesting that this loss was due to lipid peroxidation leading to plasma membrane damage (Jones and Mann, 1973; Mann and Lutwak-Mann, 1981). Since most mammalian sperm contain little or no catalase (Mann, 1964), O2-induced damage to spermatozoa has been attributed to H2O2 (Wales et al., 1959). Another source of O2-induced damage could be the superoxide anion O2: Menella and Jones (1980) demonstrated superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in spermatozoa from a variety of mammalian species, suggesting that O2 might be produced in these cells. But no documentation of O2 production was provided.
Sialendoscopy for Sublingual Gland Sialolithiasis.

Objectives:To present a unique series of sublingual gland sialolithiasis treated with sialendoscopy.Methods:A retrospective chart review of patients at a single tertiary care academic center undergoing sialendoscopy.Results:We present a series of 4 patients who presented with 1 episode each of sialadenitis without preceding postprandial symptoms. In each case, sialendoscopy identified the calculi embedded within the sublingual duct of Bartholin at its emptying point into Wharton’s duct. The large size of the stones did not permit endoscopic removal, and transoral excision was performed via a floor of mouth incision. All patients recovered well with resolution of preoperative symptoms.Conclusions:Sublingual gland sialolithiasis has a distinct presentation that is not associated with obstructive symptoms and may be successfully treated with a combined endoscopic and transoral approach. Sialendoscopy allows identification of the location of the sialolith to guide removal and helps identify stone fragments an...
Macrolide and fluoroquinolone mediated cardiac arrhythmias: clinical considerations and comprehensive review

While there is evidence for cardiac arrhythmias associated with macrolide and fluoroquinolone antibiotics, there is still debate among health care providers as to whether this risk of arrhythmia is overstated. A joint panel of the US Food and Drug Administration suggested that macrolide and fluoroquinolone labels need much stronger warnings regarding the possible serious adverse cardiac effects associated with these antibiotics, especially since they are so widely prescribed. And while health care providers may differ on the pertinence of the cardiac risks associated with antibiotic use, they can undoubtedly minimize the cardiac effects that are associated with these antibiotics by paying attention to the cardiac risk factors and drug history associated with the patient. Relevant studies for our review were identified from a PubMed search using keywords and combined word searches involving macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and cardiac arrhythmias. We attempted to include as many recent (>2015) articles as possible. We included case reports, randomized, controlled trials, observational studies, case-control studies, systematic reviews, and retrospective studies. Underlying cardiac issues can predispose patients to harmful cardiac side effects that can be exacerbated in the presence of antibiotics. The health care provider should rule out any risk factor associated with antibiotic-induced cardiac arrhythmia in the event that a patient does need a macrolide or fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Rigorous patient evaluation and a detailed patient history, including short and long term medication use, is the likely key to reducing any risk of cardiac arrhythmias associated with macrolides and fluoroquinolones. Clinicians should be cautious when prescribing macrolide and fluoroquinolone medications to patients with risk factors that may lead to antibiotic-induced cardiac arrhythmias, including a slow heart rate and those that are taking medications to treat arrhythmias.
Teamwork, Safety, and Non-Technical Skills

Communication and team dynamics have been widely accepted as pillars of safety in the operating room setting and beyond, yet institutions still struggle with establishing a culture of safety that promotes these skills. Team training programs, prompted conversations embedded within workflows, and cognitive aids such as checklists can enhance communication and promote these non-technical skills. In this review, we describe the importance of non-technical skills in preventing patient harm and provide an overview of team training programs and checklists as methods to enhance patient safety.
How Gender, Solitude, and Posture Influence the Stream of Consciousness

What sources contribute to our knowledge of normal, ongoing consciousness? The fine arts present numerous representations of what William James (1890/1950) termed ”the stream of thought.” James Joyce, Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, Joseph Heller, Sergei Eisenstein, and Alain Resnais are but a few who have portrayed the ever-changing constellation of memories, sense-data, anticipations, fantasies, rational thoughts, and images that constitute our moment-to-moment awareness as we go about our lives.
Communicating Radiology Test Results : Are Our Phone Calls Excessive, Just Right, or Not Enough?

Rationale and Objectives This study aimed to determine the preferences of radiology and referring provider residents regarding direct communication of radiology test results. Methods This Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant quality improvement effort was exempt from institutional review board oversight. An anonymous survey was emailed to 44 radiology residents and 364 referring resident providers who routinely provide or receive direct communication of test results at our quaternary care medical center. The survey focused on the frequency, indication, clinical utility, and methods of direct communication of radiology results. Proportions were compared to chi-square or Fisher exact test. Results The response rates were 86% (37 of 43) (radiology) and 41% (151 of 364) (referring providers). Approximately half of radiology residents (49% [18 of 37]) thought the frequency of direct verbal communication was excessive, and none (0 of 37) thought more communication was needed. In contrast, only 1.3% (2 of 151; P Conclusions Referring providers prefer direct communication of radiology results, even for non-urgent unexpected findings, whereas radiology residents prefer less direct communication and are more likely to consider radiologist-to-provider communication superfluous.
Problems on Weighted and Unweighted Composition Operators

This paper contains a collection of open problems related to composition operators and weighted composition operators acting on spaces of analytic functions, predominantly on the Hilbert Hardy space H2 over the open unit disc. Some are related to the invariant subspaces of composition operators, some to the spectra and numerical ranges of such operators, others are related to the connection of certain weighted composition on H2 and the unweighted composition operators on Hardy–Smirnov spaces, or the connection of composition operators with asymptotically Toeplitz operators. The problems raised are open to the knowledge of this author, and interesting, in his opinion.
The Relationship Between Code Smells and Traceable Patterns — Are They Measuring the Same Thing?

It is important to maintain software quality as a software system evolves. Managing code smells in source code contributes towards quality software. While metrics have been used to pinpoint code smells in source code, we present an empirical study on the correlation of code smells with class-level (micro pattern) and method-level (nano-pattern) traceable code patterns. This study explores the relationship between code smells and class-level and method-level structural code constructs. We extracted micro patterns at the class level and nano-patterns at the method level from three versions of Apache Tomcat, three versions of Apache CXF and two J2EE web applications namely PersonalBlog and Roller from Stanford SecuriBench and then compared their distributions in code smell versus noncode smell classes and methods. We found that Immutable and Sink micro patterns are more frequent in classes having code smells compared to the noncode smell classes in the applications we analyzed. On the other hand, LocalReader...
Motility and other characteristics of human sperm can be measured by computer-assisted sperm analysis of samples stained with Hoechst 33342 * †

Objective To develop methods for using a DNA-specific dye to discriminate between motile and nonmotile sperm and static particulate matter in fresh and diluted semen, using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) with the Hamilton Thorne IVOS, TOX version (Hamilton-Thorne Research, Beverly, MA). Design Donor semen was divided for treatment as fixed stained sperm (Hoechst 33342 stain; Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, MO), fresh motile and nonmotile stained sperm, and unstained control sperm. Setting Normal human volunteers in an academic research and medical environment. Patients Selected healthy student volunteers. Interventions Delivered semen to the laboratory within 1hour of collection. Main Outcome Measure Semen quality measured by CASA. Results Fixed or fresh human sperm stained with Hoechst 33342 dye should be diluted to ≤50 × 10 6 sperm/mL to count sperm accurately. Motile and nonmotile sperm were stained suitably with 5 to 10 μ g/mL of dye when diluted with a simple diluent, but the dye concentration should be increased to 40 μ g/mL when egg yolk is in the diluent. Conclusions The DNA-specific dye, Hoechst 33342, can be used to discriminate between motile and nonmotile sperm and other particulate matter when evaluated by CASA with instrumentation equipped with suitable optics.
The effect of crystal size and dispersed-solid inclusions on the activation energy for creep of ice.

Steady-state creep-rates of polycrystalline ice were investigated as a function of temperature, grain-size, and inclusion concentration through uniaxial compression in the laboratory. Samples were run at a constant load with the temperature systematically varied between about —5°C and —40°C. The presence of inclusions inhibits dynamic recrystallization and grain growth; the average crystal size produced by recrystallization is inversely proportional to the inclusion concentration. At temperatures above —8°C, creep-rate is enhanced by about a factor of two. This appears to be the result of the combined effects of recrystallization with accompanying grain growth and grain-boundary sliding. Over the temperature range —10°C to —40°C, the apparent activation energy for creep increases with increasing volume fraction of inclusions. This is apparently due to a thermally activated process which is modified by internal stresses created by the inclusions.
Maternal Caffeine Exposure on Fetal Cardiovascular Function and Growth

Caffeine is widely ingested in various beverages and foods such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and certain medications. Caffeine crosses the placenta and brain–blood barriers, and its half-life is prolonged during pregnancy. Studies have shown that caffeine affects perinatal cardiovascular (CV) function, increases the risk of spontaneous abortion, and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). We have studied the effects of maternal caffeine exposure on fetal CV function and growth using a mouse animal model, and found that maternal caffeine exposure transiently depresses fetal CV function during the primary morphogenesis period and recurrent maternal caffeine exposure induces IUGR during later development. The effect of caffeine on the developing fetus appears to be mediated by caffeine inhibition of adenosine A2A receptor. In this chapter, we discuss the adverse effect of maternal caffeine exposure on developing fetal CV function and adenosine receptor.
Modulation of Spike Repolarization in Hippocampal Neurones by Tumor-Promoting Phorbol Esters

Tumor-promoting pborbol esters (TPEs) are known to enhance synaptic transmitter release. This effect is likely to involve protein kinase C (PKC), which is directly activated by TPEs [3]. In the hippocampus, TPEs induce synaptic enhancement which resembles, and occludes, long-term potentiation (LTP) [8], and LTP has been correlated with translocation of PKC [1]. In Aplysia neurones, another protein kinase (PKA) mediates synaptic enhancement which underlies certain forms of learning [5]. The proposed mechanism in Aplysia is inhibition of a K current, leading to a broadening of the presynaptic action potential, increased Ca influx, and enhanced transmitter release [5]. I am investigating the possibility that a similar mechanism may contribute to synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus.
Dissecting Brain Networks Underlying Alcohol Binge Drinking Using a Systems Genomics Approach.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex psychiatric disorder with strong genetic and environmental risk factors. We studied the molecular perturbations underlying risky drinking behavior by measuring transcriptome changes across the neurocircuitry of addiction in a genetic mouse model of binge drinking. Sixteen generations of selective breeding for high blood alcohol levels after a binge drinking session produced global changes in brain gene expression in alcohol-naive High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) mice. Using gene expression profiles to generate circuit-level hypotheses, we developed a systems approach that integrated regulation of gene coexpression networks across multiple brain regions, neuron-specific transcriptional signatures, and knowledgebase analytics. Whole-cell, voltage-clamp recordings from nucleus accumbens shell neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area showed differential ethanol-induced plasticity in HDID-1 and control mice and provided support for one of the hypotheses. There were similarities in gene networks between HDID-1 mouse brains and postmortem brains of human alcoholics, suggesting that some gene expression patterns associated with high alcohol consumption are conserved across species. This study demonstrated the value of gene networks for data integration across biological modalities and species to study mechanisms of disease.