cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of forestry practices on vegetation structure and bird community of Kibale National Park, Uganda

I examined the lingering effects of past timber management practices on the vegetation structure and bird community of Kibale National Park, Uganda. I compared four forest treatments: unlogged native forest (UL), two that were selectively logged at low (LL) and high (HL) intensities in the 1960s, and a conifer plantation (PL). Forest-dependent birds were best represented at UL. LL was similar to UL in both vegetation structure and bird community composition, although some forest-dependent bird species were missing from the former. HL had significantly less canopy closure and lower tree density than other plots as a result of the combination of extensive secondary damage and natural disturbance patterns that prevented the reclosure of the forest canopy. Thirty-one percent of the forest-dependent bird species observed during the study were not detected at HL. At PL, bird species richness and bird abundance were about a third of those observed in other plots. There were significant correlations between heterogeneity of tree distribution (horizontal heterogeneity) and abundance and species richness of birds across plots. Abundance and species richness of all, forest-dependent, and forest generalist birds were highest in plots with intermediate measures of horizontal heterogeneity, which were mostly unlogged or lightly logged. If reduced-impact logging practices are not implemented during selective logging operations in tropical forests, consequent long-term changes in vegetation structure may result in significant declines in the populations of some forest-dependent species, as was observed in Kibale National Park.
An Adaptive Reputation-based Trust Framework for Peer-to-Peer Applications

In distributed P2P environments, peers (i.e., users) often have to request the services from some unfamiliar peers (i.e., resources) that could be altruistic, selfish, or even malicious. To motivate selfish peers to cooperate and minimize the risk from malicious peers, we propose an adaptive reputation-based trust framework for peer-to-peer applications. In this framework, we define a quantifiable metric trust that is calculated from the user's own view as well as other peers' view (as references) on the reputation of a peer (resource). It can be used to quantify the trustworthiness of peers and provide a measurable and trustable way of resource scheduling/selection and access control for peer-to-peer applications. We assume economic resources compete with each other to maximize their profit and design a number of strategies, for resources to determine their price. The simulation results show that the framework supports economic resources to achieve long-term high user satisfaction, differentiates malicious nodes from normal ones and encourages the resources to provide high-quality services
Engineering design of artificial reefs

Presents information on the engineering design of artificial reefs. Topics discussed include the purposes and types of artificial reefs, structural classification, design considerations, materials for reef construction, and some recent examples of artificial reefs. The engineering design of artificial reefs requires an analysis of the stability of the reef structures, and a determination of the materials to be used to fabricate the reef units. The stability can be provided by the size and weight of the reef structures themselves, or by anchoring or mooring systems. Materials used for the construction of artificial reefs are either waste disposal materials, such as ships and concrete debris; or custom fabricated reef units, constructed of concrete, steel, composites, rocks, sand, geosynthetics, and combinations of these materials. The reef materials and shapes of the reef units, especially the surface areas and void spaces, can be custom designed to encourage population by selected marine species of plants and animals. Many countries, such as Japan, have been very active in the design, development, deployment and utilization of artificial reefs. The popularity and different beneficial uses of artificial reefs in the United States are now growing rapidly. Additional research and monitoring of these systems will assist in the development of improved designs and design criteria.
Louis Fisher on Congress and the Budget: Institutional Responsibility and Other Taboos

The serial fiscal policy and budgeting woes of the United States over the last three decades have been compounded by a bipartisan evasion of institutional responsibility by elected leaders. Long before “sequestration” and “fiscal cliffs,” Louis Fisher argued that presidents and members of the House and Senate undermined constitutional power balance and the spirit of budgeting law. A variety of ill-conceived process “reforms” further damaged the separation of powers system. As a scholar, Fisher uses an institutional lens to explore budget concepts that are rare in political science, such as capacity, accountability , and duty . And as a public intellectual, Fisher's relevance has been secured by his repeatedly broaching these scholarly and political taboos.
Indapamide: Is It The Better Diuretic for Hypertension?

See related article, pp 1041–1046 Attention must be paid to the article by Roush et al1 in this edition of Hypertension . The authors use robust statistics to compare the antihypertensive potency and adverse effects of hydrochlorothiazide versus indapamide in the 10 publications that could be identified, wherein the 2 drugs were compared head-to-head in trials lasting ≥4 weeks. Indapamide, used as 2.5 mg tablets in all but 1 trial, provided a 54% greater reduction in systolic blood pressure, that is, −5.1 mm Hg (confidence interval, −8.7 to −1.6) than seen with hydrochlorothiazide in doses from 12.5 to 50 mg/d. The relative doses were greater for hydrochlorothiazide in 5 trials and equivalent in 3 trials. The blood pressures were measured by office sphygmomanometry in all these trials but reference is given to studies using 24-hour ambulatory measurements, which showed ≥24-hour duration of diuretic and antihypertensive efficacy with the immediate formulation of indapamide and ≥32-hour duration with the sustained formulation (which was used in only one of the trials).2 Roush et al1 refer to multiple additional vasodilatory actions described in the literature in support of the greater reduction of blood pressure …
Emergence of drug-resistant cytomegalovirus in the era of valganciclovir prophylaxis: therapeutic implications and outcomes.

: Background: Valganciclovir prophylaxis is reportedly associated with a low incidence of ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus (CMV). We assessed the incidence, clinical features, and outcome of drug-resistant CMV among solid organ transplant patients who received valganciclovir prophylaxis. Methods: The medical records of all CMV D+/R− kidney, pancreas, liver, and heart recipients were screened for CMV disease, and the clinical course and outcomes of patients with drug-resistant CMV were reviewed. Results: During a four-yr-study period, a total of 225 CMV D+/R− transplant patients received valganciclovir prophylaxis for a median of 92 d. Sixty-five (29%) of the 225 patients developed delayed-onset primary CMV disease, including nine (14%) suspected to have drug-resistant virus. Four (6.2%) had confirmed UL97 or UL54 mutations. All except one patient manifested gastrointestinal tissue-invasive disease. Together with reduction in immunosuppression, intravenous foscarnet with or without CMV hyperimmunoglobulin was the most common treatment. Drug-associated nephrotoxicity was commonly observed and resulted in allograft loss in two patients. During the mean follow-up of 2.2 yr, allograft loss and mortality occurred in two of four patients with proven and in three of five patients with clinically suspected drug-resistant CMV. Conclusions: Cytomegalovirus disease because of clinically suspected or genotypically confirmed drug-resistant CMV is not uncommon in CMV D+/R− solid organ transplant patients who received valganciclovir prophylaxis. Because of its significant morbidity and mortality, an optimized strategy of CMV prevention is warranted to reduce the negative impact of drug-resistant CMV on the successful outcome of organ transplantation.
Diabetes increases brain damage caused by severe hypoglycemia

Insulin-induced severe hypoglycemia causes brain damage. The hypothesis to be tested was that diabetes portends to more extensive brain tissue damage following an episode of severe hypoglycemia. Ni...
TREK-1 K+ channels couple angiotensin II receptors to membrane depolarization and aldosterone secretion in bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells.

Bovine adrenal glomerulosa (AZG) cells were shown to express bTREK-1 background K+ channels that set the resting membrane potential and couple angiotensin II (ANG II) receptor activation to membran...
Motility of Marichromatium gracile in response to light, oxygen, and sulfide.

The motility of the purple sulfur bacterium Marichromatium gracile was investigated under different light regimes in a gradient capillary setup with opposing oxygen and sulfide gradients. The gradients were quantified with microsensors, while the behavior of swimming cells was studied by video microscopy in combination with a computerized cell tracking system. M. gracile exhibited photokinesis, photophobic responses, and phobic responses toward oxygen and sulfide. The observed migration patterns could be explained solely by the various phobic responses. In the dark, M. gracile formed an 500-m-thick band at the oxic-anoxic interface, with a sharp border toward the oxic zone always positioned at 10 MO 2. Flux calculations yielded a molar conversion ratio Stot/O2 of 2.03:1 (Stot [H2S] [HS ] [S 2 ]) for the sulfide oxidation within the band, indicating that in darkness the bacteria oxidized sulfide incompletely to sulfur stored in intracellular sulfur globules. In the light, M. gracile spread into the anoxic zone while still avoiding regions with >10 MO 2. The cells also preferred low sulfide concentrations if the oxygen was replaced by nitrogen. A light-dark transition experiment demonstrated a dynamic interaction between the chemical gradients and the cell’s metabolism. In darkness and anoxia, M. gracile lost its motility after ca. 1 h. In contrast, at oxygen concentrations of >100 M with no sulfide present the cells remained viable and motile for ca. 3 days both in light and darkness. Oxygen was respired also in the light, but respiration rates were lower than in the dark. Observed aggregation patterns are interpreted as effective protection strategies against high oxygen concentrations and might represent first stages of biofilm formation.
Gaze Behavior of Normal and High-Risk Infants during Early Interactions

Abstract This study compares the gaze behavior of normal and high-risk infants during face-to-face interactions with various social partners and social stimuli. Early interactions of term infants and preterm infants with respiratory distress were observed. The infants were filmed during interactions with their mothers, fathers, preschool-age siblings, infant peers, an infant-size Raggedy-Ann doll, and a mirror. Gaze behavior differences appeared to be a function of the varying amount of stimulation provided by the social interaction partner. Fathers were most active verbally, followed by mothers, siblings, and infant peers. The infants showed less gaze aversion with the moderately active partner (the mother) than with the minimally active partners (sibling and peer) or the excessively active partner (the father). All infants showed less gaze aversion during the doll and mirror interactions. The preterm infants gaze averted more than the term infants in all interaction situations except the mirror and doll. Their more frequent gaze aversion may relate to less developed information processing or arousal modulation abilities.
Thermodynamics of solvent interaction with the metal–organic framework MOF-5

The inclusion of solvent in metal–organic framework (MOF) materials is a highly specific form of guest–host interaction. In this work, the energetics of solvent MOF-5 interactions has been investigated by solution calorimetry in 5 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at room temperature. Solution calorimetric measurement of enthalpy of formation (ΔHf) of Zn4O(C8H4O4)3·C3H7NO (MOF-5·DMF) and Zn4O(C8H4O4)3·0.60C5H11NO (MOF-5·0.60DEF) from the dense components zinc oxide (ZnO), 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (H2BDC), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and N,N-diethylformamide (DEF) gives values of 16.69 ± 1.21 and 45.90 ± 1.46 kJ (mol Zn4O)−1, respectively. The enthalpies of interaction (ΔHint) for DMF and DEF with MOF-5 are −82.78 ± 4.84 kJ (mol DMF)−1 and −89.28 ± 3.05 kJ (mol DEF)−1, respectively. These exothermic interaction energies suggest that, at low guest loading, Lewis base solvents interact more strongly with electron accepting Zn4O clusters in the MOF than at high solvent loading. These data provide a quantitative thermodynamic basis to investigate transmetallation and solvent assisted linker exchange (SALE) methods and to synthesize new MOFs.
Healthcare and Education in the Republic of Cuba

Cuba has had many challenges to healthcare and education, particularly for its urban poor and rural citizens. The healthcare and education programs were restructured following the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959. The United States imposed an embargo on the country and ceased diplomatic relations in 1961. With the support of the Soviet Union, Cuba established programs that provide free healthcare and free education to all from preschool through university. The literacy rate in Cuba exceeds 99%. Its programs in health diplomacy and literacy promotion have worldwide recognition. With the end of the Cold War, Cuba was able to continue its programs of healthcare and education without Soviet support. In July 2015 a group of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and hearing specialists visited Cuba to gain an understanding of the Cuban health diplomacy and education systems for persons with communication disorders. This article will look at healthcare services, health diplomacy, services for the deaf,...
Regulation of cholecystokinin secretion by food, hormones, and neural pathways in the rat

Regulation of cholecystokinin (CCK) secretion was studied in conscious unrestrained rats by simultaneous duodenal perfusion with foodstuffs, intravenous infusion of hormones or neural agents, and arterial blood sampling for CCK bioassay. Duodenal infusion of casein resulted in elevation of plasma CCK from fasting level of 0.5 +/- 0.1 to 3.8 +/- 0.4 pM. Casein hydrolysate, calcium, and glucose did not elevate plasma CCK. Infusion of intact fat had a small, but nonsignificant, effect (1.4 +/- 0.4 pM), whereas infusion of oleate increased plasma CCK to 3.7 +/- 0.6 pM. Thus intact protein and fatty acids are the major dietary intestinal stimuli for CCK release in the rat. The CCK response to protein could be inhibited by somatostatin but not by peptide YY (0.2, 2, or 20 micrograms.kg-1.h-1); intravenous infusion of 1 or 10 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 somatostatin decreased casein-stimulated CCK levels to 1.5 +/- 0.2 and 0.9 +/- 0.3 pM, respectively. Stimulation of vagal discharge with 2-deoxy-D-glucose had no effect on basal or protein-stimulated plasma CCK levels; thus CCK release in the rat does not appear to be modulated by central vagal pathways. Gastrin-releasing peptide increased fasting plasma CCK levels to 1.6 +/- 0.1 pM. Administration of the cholinergic agonist bethanechol, while having no effect on fasting CCK level, inhibited protein-stimulated plasma CCK from 3.9 +/- 0.6 to 1.3 +/- 0.3 pM. Cholinergic blockade with atropine, in contrast, had no effect on basal or protein-stimulated plasma CCK. Thus CCK release is stimulated by dietary protein or fatty acid and by gastrin-releasing peptide and inhibited by somatostatin and bethanechol.
Research presented at AMTC subsequent publication in indexed journals

The authors postulated that there was a low rate of subsequent publication in indexed journals for papers and posters presented at the annual Air Medical Transport Conference. They undertook this retrospective review to confirm the hypothesis. Abstract titles and authors were obtained from the conference issues of the air medical associations' publication from 1987 to 1990. The literature was searched by first and second authors for 1987 through the first six months of 1992 using a computerized search, then cross-referenced by manual search using the title. The number of abstracts presented as a paper or poster during the four-year period totaled 311. Twelve out of those were subsequently published as full papers in indexed journals for a publication rate of 4%—significantly below that of two comparable organizations sponsoring medical-scientific meetings. The reasons for this low publication rate must be identified and corrected if air medical research is going to achieve widespread credibility.
Anderson Localization for the Almost Mathieu Equation, III. Semi-Uniform Localization, Continuity of Gaps, and Measure of the Spectrum

We show that the almost Mathieu operator, \(\), has semi-uniform (and thus dynamical) localization for λ > 15 and a.e. ω,θ. We also obtain a new estimate on gap continuity (in ω) for this operator with λ > 29 (or λ < 4/29), and use it to prove that the measure of its spectrum is equal to \(\) for λ in this range and all irrational ω's.
EFFECT OF AXIAL LOAD ON CASING THREADS CONNECTION STRESS

the paper analyzed the weakest threads joint of the casing string by the finite element method (FEM), and studied the contact pressure and the stress distribution under the API LTC axial tension and compression. the results shows that the maximum connection pressure of API LTC casing joint located in the male threads root, the contact pressure and stress of the front four threads is greater than any others. The threads gluing and yielded failure possibly occurred. It has an important significance to select the API LTC casing correctly for the deep well and large displacement well.
Small bowel intussusception: an unusual complication of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.

Abstract Modified bilateral retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is used widely in the staging and treatment of patients with nonseminomatous germ cell testis tumors. Complications are uncommon and include vascular injury, infertility and small bowel obstruction from fibrous adhesions. Small bowel intussusception following retroperitoneal lymph node dissection has not been reported previously. We report 2 cases of small bowel intussusception after retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, and discuss the etiology and possible preventive measures. (J. Urol., 142: 826–827, 1989)
Signaling Games of Election Fraud

This paper introduces a novel theoretic approach towards understanding election fraud under autocracies, by suggesting a signaling model of election fraud and testing its basic implications on unique datasets from Russian and cross-national settings. According to the theory, the heads of subnational units can send their signals about loyalty to the leader by means of fraudulently augmented turnout or incumbent's vote percentages. These signaling patterns are related to an excess of 0s and 5s in the last digit of turnout and percentage of incumbent's voter support. In return, the local agents are rewarded by the leader with the larger amounts of postelectoral fiscal transfers. Basic implications from the formal model are supported by empirical data analysis: as the proportion of 0s and 5s increases the amount of postelectoral transfers also increases, both in Russia and worldwide.
Production of Aflatoxins B and G on Solid and Broth Culture Media.

Mycelial growth and production of aflatoxins by Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL A-16,462, on whole peanuts, undelintered cottonseed, and shredded wheat was compared to growth and aflatoxin production on 10% broths of the same substrates. The greatest amount of toxins was produced on shredded wheat as a whole substrate. The least amount was produced in shredded wheat broth medium. Intermediate levels of toxin were produced on cottonseed in both types of media. More aflatoxin was produced on peanut broth than on whole peanuts. Mycelial growth on whole shredded wheat was greater than growth on the other solid media though it had the lowest amount of growth of the three broth media. Among whole substrates, growth on fuzzy cottonseed was least but mycelial growth on cottonseed broth was second of the three broth media. Growth on whole peanuts was as great as on shredded wheat; on peanut broth, it was the greatest of the three broth media. On whole substrates, the ratio of aflatoxins B:G produced was highest on sh...
162 : Regulatory T cells modulate systemic illness following acute lung injury

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are crucial in maintaining a balanced immune response with pro-inflammatory cells at homeostasis and following injury. Acute lung injury (ALI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality for critically ill patients. Recent studies point to a role of Tregs in the resolution phase of ALI. It is unknown if Tregs are important in the early stages. We hypothesized that Tregs are important in early ALI for the prevention of multi-organ dysfunction and systemic illness. Using FoxP3-DTR mice to selectively deplete Tregs, we found that Treg-depleted mice had increased mortality and organ dysfunction following lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury. This was associated with significantly elevated levels of IL-6 in the bronchoalveolar lavage, indicative of an imbalanced immune response from the lungs in the absence of Tregs. Cellular composition of the lung was altered both at homeostasis and following lung injury, with an increased resident population of alveolar macrophages and an increased infiltration of neutrophils into the lung. Tregs thus appear necessary for maintenance of homeostasis and for the generation of an appropriate response to lung injury, and for the prevention of systemic illness following LPS-induced ALI.
CARs: Synthetic Immunoreceptors for Cancer Therapy and Beyond

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are versatile synthetic receptors that provide T cells with engineered specificity. Clinical success in treating B-cell malignancies has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of CAR-T cells against cancer, and efforts are underway to expand the use of engineered T cells to the treatment of diverse medical conditions, including infections and autoimmune diseases. Here, we review current understanding of the molecular properties of CARs, how this knowledge informs the rational design and characterization of novel receptors, the successes and shortcomings of CAR-T cells in the clinic, and emerging solutions for the continued improvement of CAR-T cell therapy.
Debugging probabilistic programs

Many applications compute with estimated and uncertain data. While advances in probabilistic programming help developers build such applications, debugging them remains extremely challenging. New types of errors in probabilistic programs include 1) ignoring dependencies and correlation between random variables and in training data, 2) poorly chosen inference hyper-parameters, and 3) incorrect statistical models. A partial solution to prevent these errors in some languages forbids developers from explicitly invoking inference. While this prevents some dependence errors, it limits composition and control over inference, and does not guarantee absence of other types of errors. This paper presents the FLEXI programming model which supports constructs for invoking inference in the language and reusing the results in other statistical computations. We define a novel formalism for inference with a Decorated Bayesian Network and present a tool, DePP, that analyzes this representation to identify the above errors. We evaluate DePP on a range of prototypical examples to show how it helps developers to detect errors.
The international climate regime without American leadership

President Donald J. Trump’s decision to begin the process of US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord is bad for the global climate that our children and grandchildren will experience. It will s...
Comparative effectiveness of surgery versus antibiotics in acute appendicitis: a systematic review.

Aim: To review outcomes of surgical and antibiotic management of acute appendicitis. Methods: 11 prospective studies comparing surgical versus antibiotic management of acute appendicitis over a 21-year period were reviewed. Results: Antibiotic management is successful in most cases of uncomplicated acute appendicitis. The need for crossover in management and recurrent appendicitis were low among all studies. For those patients who ultimately required surgery, no increased complications were observed. Conclusion: The decision to use antibiotics to treat acute appendicitis should be held to the same standards of diagnostic rigor as surgical management. Antibiotics may be safely recommended in patients with high surgical risk, such as the elderly or those with multiple comorbidities.
Differences in Perceptions of Organizational Fairness Based on Job Characteristics among Police Officers

Profuse research supports that organizational work environments are linked to varying police officers’ work-related attitudes and behaviors. Yet, there remains a lack of information pertaining to how perceptions of organizational fairness may differ among police officers based on job characteristics. To help fill this void, this exploratory research examines differences in fairness perceptions based on officers’ tenure, rank, duty assignment, and department size with their perceptions of organizational fairness. To examine this relationship, an online survey of police officers (n = 1649) in a southern state in the United States that were members of a police officer association was conducted. Findings support that differences in overall fairness perceptions exist for all the aforementioned job characteristics. This study furthers our knowledge and understanding of how job characteristics (e.g., tenure, rank, duty assignment, and department size) may be associated with police officers’ work-related attitudes.
Impact of DC fault in multi-terminal DC grid on connected AC system stability

Multi-terminal dc (MTDC) grid has been considered as a promising future transmission and distribution system architecture, especially for remote renewable energy integration. However, short-circuit faults can be more detrimental to dc grids than ac grids. The lack of effective and economical dc circuit breakers and potential significant impact of dc fault on the connected ac system have become the main barrier for the dc grid application. This paper analyzes the major differences of dc grid and ac grid under short-circuit fault conditions. After that, the dc fault impact on the connected ac system is evaluated by comparing with an equivalent multi-terminal ac (MTAC) grid. Simulation results indicate that the dc fault impact on the connected ac system stability can be small if fast dc circuit breakers or full-bridge modular multi-level converters (MMCs) are employed. The impact of equivalent multiple ac faults on the connected ac system is small under the defined system scenarios.
Two-dimensional single-pixel superresolution imaging by conjugate-domain computed tomography (Conference Presentation)

Superresoltuion (SR) microscopy is a valuable tool for biological studies. While the ability to resolve features to 20 nm and below is now routine in transparent specimens, such as cell cultures and cleared specimens, many areas of biological study have not been probed with SR imaging. Further, SR microscopy has thus far been limited primarily to contrast mechanisms that rely on real energy states of a target molecule, with fluorescence being the dominant modality. We recently demonstrated that spatial-frequency modulated imaging (SPIFI) enables superresolved imaging for both multiphoton fluorescence and nonlinear coherent scattering with single-pixel detection. The technique operates by projecting a set of spatial frequencies in one dimension along a spatiotemporally modulated line-focus that illuminates the specimen. Harmonics of the spatial frequencies projected onto the specimen encode spatial information beyond the diffraction limit of the illumination light. This additional information scales with the order of the nonlinearity, but is limited to the single dimension in which the grating sequence is projected. Consequently, 2D images collected with SR SPIFI are diffraction limited in the dimension perpendicular to the line focus. In this work, we extend our technique to a two-dimensional resolution enhancement with an inverse-domain lateral computed tomography. By enabling 2D SR SPIFI while maintaining single-pixel detection, we anticipate more widespread use of this method for imaging in turbid media.
Droughts, Crisis Management and Water Rights

When searching for alternative institutional arrangements to cope with drought, it is important to realise that drought is only an exacerbation of resource issues which are often already present during normal, non-drought periods. Conflicts within and between sectors, states, and countries, which already exist, are certain to be intensified during drought.
Gender and Reproductive State Correlates of Taste Perception in Humans

It is well documented that numerous physiological and psychological processes of mammals are directly or indirectly related to circulating levels of reproductive hormones (e.g., Beach, 1947; Brobeck, Wheatland, and Stominger, 1947; Carr, Loeb, and Dissinger, 1965; Crocker, 1971; Doty, 1972; Komisaruk, Adler, and Hutchison, 1974; Pietras and Moulton, 1974). In humans, such relations are perhaps most clearly exemplified by studies undertaken during various phases of the menstrual cycle. A representative sample of variables which reportedly change systematically across these phases includes body temperature, blood pressure, respiratory efficiency, hemolysis, lymphocytosis, serum albumin, serum globulin, carbohydrate tolerance, urine volume, mucus consistency, immune reactivity, salt retention, circulating vitamin levels, depression, anxiety, and elation (see review by Southam and Gonzaga, 1965). Although a number of the studies reporting such fluctuations can be faulted on methodological grounds, the evidence for general metabolic and physiologic influences of gonadal hormones in humans is overwhelming. This evidence, along with anecdotal reports of changes in smell and taste perception during periods of heightened endocrine output, such as pregnancy, lend credence to the hypothesis that human sensory processes may be significantly affected by the level of reproductive hormones.
Polymer Nanocomposites for Infrastructure Rehabilitation

Polymer matrix composites (PMCs) are becoming increasingly important in the structural repair and rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure – from pipelines to buildings to bridges. For example, composite overwraps are used to repair corroded steel pipelines because the repair can be completed in a relatively short amount of time and the fluid transmission in the piping system can remain undisrupted while the repair is being made. Often in these applications, a primer and filler adhesive is used to fill defects in the substrate so that load can be adequately transferred to the continuous fiber composite. In this work we discuss various nano-scale reinforcements such as fumed silica, alumina, nanoclay, and carbon nanotubes as additives to this filler adhesive in order to improve mechanical properties and to tailor the thermal expansion of the composite to match the underlying substrate being repaired. The thermal expansion mismatch is especially important in applications where temperature fluctuations are present. We highlight our results from rheology, thermal expansion, and dynamic mechanical analysis testing of nanosilica/cyanate ester composites and show that the incorporation of the nano-scale fillers can result in improvement of the thermo-mechanical behavior of the composites.
AMERICAS, NORTH | Plains

The North American Great Plains has been occupied for the past 11 000 years or more by a succession of cultures that began by adapting to the semi-arid setting of this great interior grassland in the closing years of the last ice age. Early cultures hunted mammoths, giant bison, and other megafauna. Following the disappearance of megafauna the preferred game animal was bison, which reduced in size over time to its present size. Postglacial cultures developed the tipi and other regional specialties, and devised means to kill large numbers of bison. The arrival of the bow and arrow about the time of Christ, combined with incipient horticulture, led to a more settled way of life, one that culminated in late prehistoric times in large villages supported by corn, beans, and squash, and hunting. These village cultures lived surrounded by nomadic hunters that continued an ancient hunting and gathering mode of life. Introduced European diseases drastically reduced their population in historic times, and Native Americans eventually were confined to reservations.
Stereotactic body radiation therapy versus conventionally fractionated radiation therapy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Purpose To date, no published randomized trials have shown stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to offer superior outcomes to conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (CFRT) for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The largest study to date, this investigation of a contemporary national database sought to evaluate practice patterns and survival between CFRT and SBRT. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried (2004–2015) for histologically-confirmed cT1-2aN0M0 NSCLC undergoing definitive CFRT or SBRT. Multivariable logistic regression ascertained factors associated with SBRT administration. Kaplan–Meier analysis evaluated overall survival (OS) before and following propensity matching. Cox proportional hazards modeling determined variables associated with OS. Results Of 23,088 patients, 2286 (10%) patients received CFRT and 20,802 (90%) SBRT. SBRT was less often delivered in African-Americans, patients with lower incomes, urban location, greater comorbidities, at non-academic centers, in larger tumors, and squamous histology (p Conclusions The largest such study to date (comprising of over 23,000 patients), this investigation demonstrates the survival benefit to ablative radiotherapy for early-stage NSCLC. Maturation of comparative prospective trials is eagerly awaited.
Using Human-Centered Design Leadership to Improve Care of Older Adults With Disabilities

As the population of individuals with disabilities is rapidly aging, organizations face new challenges in person-centered care, especially in residential facilities where their caregivers are not family members but individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds and limited understanding of American culture. There are many organizations which offer a range of services to individuals with disabilities, including community-based residential settings where caregivers work with adults to increase independence in daily living skill development, behavior management, personal care, medication administration, and other services and activities. Complications arise when caregivers lack the knowledge, training, cultural understanding, and communication skills necessary to provide quality care. Much more skill acquisition is needed than the minimal State-required 40-hour orientation and training. This article outlines the leadership needs for specific studies that use human-centered designs to develop new trainings and work processes that are tailor-made to suit needs of caregivers and individuals for whom they care. Additionally, it discusses the need for studies that could lead to practice and policy changes needed based upon results of research to determine the levels of knowledge diverse caregivers, serving adults with disabilities, have regarding activities of daily living and the aging process.
Spatial Mapping of Local Density Variations in Two-dimensional Electron Systems Using Scanning Photoluminescence

We have developed a scanning photoluminescence technique that can directly map out the local two-dimensional electron density with a relative accuracy of ∼2.2 × 108 cm–2. The validity of this approach is confirmed by the observation of the expected density gradient in a high-quality GaAs quantum well sample that was not rotated during the molecular beam epitaxy of its spacer layer. In addition to this global variation in electron density, we observe local density fluctuations across the sample. These random density fluctuations are also seen in samples that were continuously rotated during growth, and we attribute them to residual space charges at the substrate–epitaxy interface. This is corroborated by the fact that the average magnitude of density fluctuations is increased to ∼9 × 109 cm–2 from ∼1.2 × 109 cm–2 when the buffer layer between the substrate and the quantum well is decreased by a factor of 7. Our data provide direct evidence for local density inhomogeneities even in very high-quality two-dim...
Trans-retro partial nephrectomy: A novel approach for posterior kidney tumors

Abstract Introduction The approach to surgery in Robot Assisted Partial Nephrectomy (RAPN) should be largely determined by tumor location (1) with anterior and lateral tumors approached through a transperitoneal approach and posterior tumors by a retroperitoneal approach. However, due to the unfamiliarity of the retroperitoneal approach as well as the concerns for a limited working space, most urologists are still hesitant from performing a retroperitoneal RAPN even for posterior renal tumors (2). We have developed a novel approach that combines the benefits of an increased working space of the transperitoneal RAPN with improved tumor and hilar visualization of retroperitoneal RAPN for posterior tumors. In this hybrid approach, we start transperitoneally and then transition to a retroperitoneal viewing approach. This video highlights the important steps of this surgery with an index case utilizing benefits of the da Vinci Xi (Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, California, USA) robot. Methods A total of 9 patients have undergone Trans to Retroperitoneal RAPN since June 2018. We start by positioning the patient on full flank position and flex the table to open up the space between 12th rib and iliac crest. Three 8 mm robotic ports are placed as per a standard Trans-peritoneal RAPN. 12 mm air seal port is used as the assistant port between the robotic ports 2 and 3. A fourth 8 mm robotic port is placed, after initial trans-peritoneal dissection into the retroperitoneal space, just lateral to the tip of the 12th rib. The camera is changed from arm 2 to arm 3 and arm 1 is used for medial kidney retraction with a prograsp forceps. Arms 2 and 3 house the fenestrated bipolar and the monopolar scissors respectively. Hilar clamping, tumor resection and renorrhaphy is completed from this approach. Results The total duration of the surgery was 5 h and 19 min, and a significant amount of this time was spent on mobilization of the colon and initial trans-peritoneal dissection due to the excessive perinephric fat and dissection of the second and third order renal artery and vein branches. The clamp time was 20.5 min and no drains were left. She was discharged on POD 3 without any significant complications. Margins were negative, final path revealed clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, ISUP grade 1. Conclusion The trans to retroperitoneal approach to RAPN can be an alternative approach to retroperitoneal RAPN for posterior renal tumors and can obviate the need for an open approach or even preclude a possible laparoscopic nephrectomy for those unfamiliar with the retroperitoneal approach.
First order phase transitions in the square lattice "easy-plane" J-Q model

We study the quantum phase transition between the superfluid and valence bond solid in easy-plane J-Q models on the square lattice. The Hamiltonian we study is a linear combination of two model Hamiltonians: (1) an SU(2) symmetric model, which is the well known J-Q model that does not show any direct signs of a discontinuous transition on the largest lattices and is presumed continuous and (2) an easy-plane version of the J-Q model, which shows clear evidence for a first-order transition even on rather small lattices of size $L\ensuremath{\approx}16$. A parameter $0\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\le}1$ [$\ensuremath{\lambda}=0$ being the easy-plane model and $\ensuremath{\lambda}=1$ being the SU(2) symmetric J-Q model] allows us to smoothly interpolate between these two limiting models. We use stochastic series expansion (SSE) quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) to investigate the nature of this transition as $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is varied---here we present studies for $\ensuremath{\lambda}=0,0.5,0.75,0.85,0.95$, and 1. While we find that the first-order transition weakens as $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is increased from 0 to 1, we find no evidence that the transition becomes continuous until the SU(2) symmetric point, $\ensuremath{\lambda}=1$. We thus conclude that the square-lattice superfluid-VBS transition in the two-component easy-plane model is generically first order.
Considerations in the replacement of over‐retained primary teeth with implant restorations in the esthetic zone: A case report

Objective There exist several treatment planning and clinical challenges when treating over-retained primary teeth with dental implants-especially in the esthetic zone where the existing hard and soft tissue positions are not in harmony with adjacent dentition and do not serve as reliable landmarks for implant placement and restoration. In this report, we highlight some of the key aspects for achieving predictable treatment outcomes for implant restorations replacing over-retained primary teeth in the esthetic zone. Clinical considerations This clinical report describes the treatment of a patient who presented with over-retained deciduous canines consequent to congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisors. The deciduous canines were deemed hopeless, and subsequently replaced with immediately placed implants following a computer-guided protocol. The optimal implant positions were determined through a diagnostic wax-up correcting the existing gingival discrepancies with the adjacent teeth. Existing periapical infections were addressed utilizing a vestibular approach to minimize the postoperative recession and scarring and achieve a more predictable esthetic outcome. Final restorations were fabricated with all ceramic materials for optimal esthetics. Conclusion When planning for implants to replace over-retained primary teeth, it is essential to visualize the desired contours of the final restorations and correct the level of the existing gingival discrepancies by planning the proper implant position and angulation in relation to the adjacent teeth and gingival positions. Clinical significance Careful treatment planning coupled with a guided implant workflow allows for a successful surgical and esthetic outcome for the replacement of over-retained primary teeth with implant restorations.
Understanding of Evolution Law among K–12 Public School Teachers

Despite frequent litigious interactions between science and religion, when it comes to the teaching of evolution, relatively little is known about public school teachers9 understanding of the associated legal issues. The present study expands on Moore9s (2004) survey by obtaining more information about respondents, surveying teachers from multiple states, including teachers of all grade levels, and including “I don9t know” as an option on the original survey developed by Moore. The survey was completed by 208 teachers from 42 states. Findings include a detailed portrait of teachers9 understanding of evolution-related laws and the time they devote to teaching evolution. Our results indicate that the majority of surveyed teachers devote >13 hours of instruction per class semester to evolution and teach evolution either as a unifying theme throughout the class or as a unit of instruction. The responses indicate that a majority of the teachers surveyed possess a sufficient understanding of legal issues but lack a sufficient understanding of the more nuanced aspects of evolution case law. The findings indicate the need for improved preservice and inservice instruction that addresses evolution case law, emphasizing the legal parameters that teachers should adhere to when teaching evolution.
Ava Active Speaker: An Audio-Visual Dataset for Active Speaker Detection

Active speaker detection is an important component in video analysis algorithms for applications such as speaker diarization, video re-targeting for meetings, speech enhancement, and human-robot interaction. The absence of a large, carefully labeled audio-visual active speaker dataset has limited evaluation in terms of data diversity, environments, and accuracy. In this paper, we present the AVA Active Speaker detection dataset (AVA-ActiveSpeaker) which has been publicly released to facilitate algorithm development and comparison. It contains temporally labeled face tracks in videos, where each face instance is labeled as speaking or not, and whether the speech is audible. The dataset contains about 3.65 million human labeled frames spanning 38.5 hours. We also introduce a state-of-the-art, jointly trained audio-visual model for real-time active speaker detection and compare several variants. The evaluation clearly demonstrates a significant gain due to audio-visual modeling and temporal integration over multiple frames.
Implementation and Impact of a Store-and-Forward Teledermatology Platform in an Urban Academic Safety-Net Health Care System

Background: Minority and low-income patients disproportionately experience dermatologic access challenges. Store-and-forward (SAF) teledermatology has emerged as a model of care delivery that may i...
Advanced characterization of surface-modified nanoparticles and nanofilled antibacterial dental adhesive resins.

Nanotechnology can improve the performance of dental polymers. The objective of this study was to modify the surfaces of nanoparticles with silanes and proteins, characterize nanoparticles’ agglomeration levels and interfaces between nanoparticles and the polymeric matrix. Undoped (n-TiO2), nitrogen-doped (N_TiO2) and nitrogen-fluorine co-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NF_TiO2) were synthesized and subjected to surface modification procedures in preparation for Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) characterizations. Experimental adhesives were manually synthesized by incorporating 20% (v/v) of n-TiO2, N_TiO2 or NF_TiO2 (as-synthesized or surface-modified) into OptiBond Solo Plus (OPTB). Specimens (n = 15/group; d = 6.0 mm, t = 0.5 mm) of OPTB and experimental adhesives were characterized using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), 2-D ToF-SIMS chemical imaging and SANS. SAXS results indicated that surface-modified nanoparticles displayed higher scattering intensities in a particle-size dependent manner. ToF-SIMS results demonstrated that nanoparticles’ incorporation did not adversely impact the parental polymer. 2-D ToF-SIMS chemical imaging demonstrated the distribution of Ti+ and confirmed nitrogen-doping levels. SANS results confirmed nanoparticles’ functionalization and revealed the interfaces between nanoparticles and the polymer matrix. Metaloxide nanoparticles were successfully fabricated, incorporated and covalently functionalized in a commercial dental adhesive resin, thereby supporting the utilization of nanotechnology in dentistry.