cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of the extent of the study region on GIS models of species geographic distributions and estimates of niche evolution: preliminary tests with montane rodents (genus Nephelomys) in Venezuela

Aim Various techniques model a species’ niche and potential distribution by comparing the environmental conditions of occurrence localities with those of the overall study region (via a background or pseudoabsence sample). Here, we examine how changes in the extent of the study region (ignored or under-appreciated in most studies) affect models of two rodents, Nephelomys caracolus and Nephelomys meridensis. Location North-central South America. Methods We used Maxent to model the species' potential distributions via two methods of defining the study region. In Method 1 (typical of most studies to date), we calibrated the model in a large study region that included the ranges of both species. In Method 2, we calibrated the model using a smaller study region surrounding the localities of the focal species, and then applied it to the larger region. Because the study region of Method 1 is likely to include areas of suitable conditions that are unoccupied because of dispersal limitations and/or biotic interactions, this approach is prone to overfitting to conditions found near the occupied localities. In contrast, Method 2 should avoid such problems but may require further assumptions (‘clamping’ in Maxent) to make predictions for areas with environmental conditions beyond those found in the smaller study region. For each method, we calculated several measures of geographic interpredictivity between predictions for the species (cross-species AUC, cross-species omission rate, and proportional geographic overlap). Results Compared with Method 1, Method 2 revealed a larger predicted area for each species, less concentrated around known localities (especially for N. caracolus). It also led to higher cross-species AUC values, lower cross-species omission rates and higher proportions of geographic overlap. Clamping was minimal and occurred primarily in regions unlikely to be suitable. Main conclusions Method 2 led to more realistic predictions and higher estimates of niche conservatism. Conclusions reached by many studies depend on the selection of an appropriate study region. Although detailed information regarding dispersal limitations and/or biotic interactions will typically be difficult to obtain, consideration of coarse distributional patterns, topography and vegetational zones often should permit delimitation of a much more reasonable study region than the extremely large ones currently in common use.
THE MODIFICATION OF SENTENCE STRUCTURE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SUBJECTIVE JUDGEMENTS OF CREATIVITY IN WRITING1

The present study objectively defined and manipulated some compositional variables in 10-sentence stories written by fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students, and related these operationally defined variables to subjective judgements of creativity. Points, exchangeable for candy and extra recess, were given to members of two teams contingent upon their using different adjectives, different action verbs, and different sentence beginnings. The students' use of these selected parts of speech was modified and the independent subjective ratings indicated that stories written during contingency conditions were generally rated as more creative than those written during baseline conditions. Operational definitions that specify non-repetition or variety of responses, and contingencies that require response diversity may provide a beginning basis for defining writing creativity and the conditions that maximize its occurrence.
Amplification with digital noise reduction and the perception of annoying and aversive sounds.

Hearing aid users report difficulties using their hearing aids in noisy environments. Problems include understanding speech, loudness discomfort, and annoyance with background noise. Digital noise reduction algorithms have been promoted as a method to solve speech understanding and comfort in noise problems. Research has failed to find improved speech understanding in noise. Little is known about how digital noise reduction affects noise annoyance and aversiveness. The goals of this investigation were to determine how a specific digital noise reduction system affects hearing aid users’ perception of noise annoyance and aversiveness and to compare their perceptions to those of normal-hearing listeners. Ratings of noise annoyance and of aversiveness were obtained from 49 participants with moderate sensorineural hearing loss before fitting and after 3 weeks of hearing aid use. Findings were compared to measures obtained from normal-hearing listeners. Perceived annoyance and aversiveness increased with amplification. Annoyance and aversiveness with the hearing aid approximated normal perception. The results of this investigation suggest the need for counseling patients about realistic expectations related to annoyance and aversiveness of sounds at the time of hearing aid fitting.
The impact of trajectory starting heights on the MURA trajectory source apportionment (TSA) method

Abstract Trajectory source apportionment (TSA) methods have been used in many research projects to attempt to identify the sources of pollution. Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectories (HYSPLIT) is a popular model for use in various TSA methods. One of the options in this model is to choose a starting height. Very little research is available to assist a user in making this choice. This paper evaluates starting heights of 10, 50, 100, 250, and 500 m on the accuracy of the Multi-Receptor (MURA) method using artificial sources for three different simulations. It was found that using ensembles of trajectories in the MURA method appear to average out most of the biases found from different trajectory starting heights up to the 500 m tested.
Spatial and Temporal Asymmetries in Gait Predict Split-Belt Adaptation Behavior in Stroke

Background. Step asymmetries during gait in persons after stroke can occur in temporal or spatial domains. Prior studies have shown that split-belt locomotor adaptation can temporarily mitigate these asymmetries. Objective. We investigated whether baseline gait asymmetries affected how patients adapt and store new walking patterns. Methods. Subjects with stroke and age-matched controls were studied walking at a 2:1 speed ratio on the split-belt during adaptation and assessed for retention of the learned pattern (the after-effect) with both belts at the same speed. Results. Those with stroke adapted more slowly (P < .0001), though just as much as healthy older adults. During split-belt walking, the participants with stroke adapted toward their baseline asymmetry (eg, F = 14.02, P < .01 for step symmetry), regardless of whether the subsequent after-effects improved or worsened their baseline step asymmetries. No correlation was found between baseline spatial and temporal measures of asymmetry (P = .38). Las...
Low-temperature fabrication of efficient wide-bandgap organolead trihalide perovskite solar cells

A mixed halide perovskite solar cell with a 1.72 eV bandgap is developed by incorporating Br into perovskite through a low-temperature solution process. A high efficiency of 13.1% is achieved by carefully tuning the thickness, morphology, and surface passivation of the perovskite layers. Furthermore, the fabrication techniques and conditions are compatible with future perovskite/Si tandem cell studies.
The human ecology of world systems in East Africa: the impact of the ivory trade.

The impact on human ecology of the ivory trade entailed direct and indirect effects. First, the reduction or extermination of elephant populations had direct effects on the vegetation patterns over large areas. Second, the economic activities connected with hunting, transport, and trading affected regional systems of exchange and thereby, indirectly through the political economy, settlements, patterns of resource utilization, population parameters, and specialization of production. Ethnohistorical information from the 1800s suggests how coastal goods interacted with regional systems of exchange and environmental exploitation. Although such information cannot be directly projected onto the more distant past, it can be used to establish some possible pathways through which the hunting of elephants and transportation and trade of ivory could have affected the ecology of human resource use.
Cooperative Spectrum Sensing and Detection for Cognitive Radio

One of the main requirements of cognitive radio systems is the ability to reliably detect the presence of licensed primary transmissions. Previous works on the problem of detection for cognitive radio have suggested the necessity of user cooperation in order to be able to detect at the really low signal- to-noise ratios experienced in practical situations. We consider a system of cognitive radio users who cooperate with each other in trying to detect licensed transmissions. Assuming that the cooperating nodes use identical energy detectors, we model the received signals as correlated log-normal random variables and study the problem of fusing the decisions made by the individual nodes. We design a linear-quadratic (LQ) fusion strategy based on a deflection criterion for this problem, that takes into account the correlation between the nodes. Our simulation results show that the LQ detector significantly outperforms the counting rule, which is the fusion rule that is obtained by ignoring the correlation.
Improving Urinary Continence after Radical Prostatectomy: Review of Surgical Modifications

Purpose: Urinary incontinence remains the most feared long-term complication following radical prostatectomy with potentially devastating psychosocial consequences. In recent years, several surgical techniques have been introduced during radical prostatectomy, both open and laparoscopic/robotic, in the hope of improving urinary continence outcomes. Herein, we review the various surgical modifications that have shown a benefit in minimizing post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPI). Materials and Methods: A comprehensive review of the current urologic literature was conducted to identify surgical techniques that have been correlated with improved continence following radical prostatectomy. Results: Over the years, several surgical modifications have been incorporated into radical prostatectomy in order to minimize the risk of prolonged PPI. Most techniques emphasize the importance of restoring the “normal” pelvic anatomy after removal of the prostate gland. In addition, certain patient factors such as preoperative posterior urethral length and patient age appear to have an independent prognostic value in predicting PPI. Postoperatively, bladder neck contracture remains the most consistent complication leading to PPI. Conclusions: The present findings suggest that the risk of PPI can be minimized, or even eliminated, through careful patient selection and surgical modifications during radical prostatectomy. (Korean J Urol 2009;50:935-941) 󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏
Developing the methodology to improve productivity within an integrated 200-mm fabricator

Customer satisfaction in the semiconductor business depends on the ability of manufacturers to provide on-time delivery of quality products. To meet this objective without increasing resources, fabricator productivity must be maximized. At the IBM Microelectronics Division 200-mm semiconductor fabricator in Essex Junction, Vermont, the alternate work schedule (AWS) N1 Team enhanced its productivity by giving responsibility for this key measurement to a team of three nonmanagers. This paper describes how the team increased productivity to a point equal to or better than the measurement stipulated in the fabricator's strategic operating plan. Referred to as the OF-OUT Team, the group focused on moving 14 individual departments comprising the N1 Team to a working arrangement that focused on the team as a whole rather than on the sum of its parts. This concept placed a premium on people working together as a team so that the productivity of each individual could be maximized. By adhering to this concept, the N1 Team realized a 4.7% increase in average daily operational productivity over its first six months without an increase in resources. This improvement occurred by setting one goal for the entire team, challenging the individual operators to find the procedural changes necessary to meet this goal and by bringing people together from different departments to solve problems that ordinarily would be outside their areas of control. The teamwork approach to operational productivity is used today by various departments to examine how they do business and to look for opportunities where this change in strategy can benefit both other departments and the N1 Team as a whole.
A Damage Function to Evaluate Erosion Control Economics

An erosion damage function is developed to measure on-site damage from agricultural soil loss. This method compares conventional farming and a conservation practice within a dynamic analysis treating conservation adoption year as a variable. Incremental damage from erosion, or marginal user cost, is evaluated annually and includes any cost to remedy plus lost future revenue from reduced yield. The damage function is applied to evaluate reduced tillage for wheat in the Idaho/Washington Palouse area. On shallower soils erosion damage provides conservation incentive, while on some deep soils erosion is economically rational. Properties of the damage function are explored through sensitivity analysis.
Phase Lag Infra-red Thermal Examination (PLITE); A New Non-destructive Test Process

The International Organization of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) specifies a requirement of 3 mm in diameter for the largest permissible flaw in the joint of the beryllium (Be) armor tiles and the underlying heat sink made of a copper-chrome-zirconium (CuCrZr) alloy for the first wall (FW). We investigated the sensitivity of a new non-destructive process of detecting these flaws using a method in which we mapped the phase lag of the temperatures on the surface of a sample during thermal cycling with a sinusoidally varying water temperature. A method with hot-cold water test that we had pioneered during the 1990's for the development of a water-cooled mid-plane modular limiter for Tore Supra had worked well with the high conductivity armor made of pyrolytic graphite brazed to copper tubes. The paper describes the experimental system, test samples and some experimental results.
JNK Bond Regulation: Why Do Mammalian Hearts Invest in Connexin43?

Large numbers of gap junctions interconnect working myocytes in the ventricle of adult humans.1–5⇓⇓⇓⇓ Until recently, it was assumed that the reason for the abundance of these clusters of intercellular channels was straightforward. This phenomenon was thought to be principally a matter of ensuring that action potentials were conducted efficiently from myocyte to myocyte.6–8⇓⇓ However, it has long been known that the mammalian heart is atypical with respect to that of other vertebrates in the high frequency and large size of gap junctions found between its constituent muscle cells.1–5,9,10⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓ In nonmammalian chordates ranging from the affixed sea-squirt10 to the nimble sparrow,9 spread of activation is expedited and maintained in the main pumping chamber of the heart with only a fraction of the channels that are apparently required in humans. The molecular composition of gap junction channels in the adult mammalian ventricle is also a phylogenetic oddity. By far, the most abundantly expressed subunit protein of the numerous gap junctions found in this tissue is connexin43 (Cx43),1–8,10,11⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓ a member of the connexin family of proteins that is probably all but absent from the mature cardiac muscle of other species on the vertebrate family tree.10 Thus, of the many species and classes of animal within our phylum, we mammals seem literally to be out on a limb in terms of the characteristics of the electrotonic couplings linking our ventricular muscle cells. In addition to being expressed at high levels in the mammalian ventricle, significant resources are allocated to regulation of the trafficking, assembly, sarcolemmal distribution, and turnover of Cx43. For example, over postnatal growth, Cx43 gap …
How Reliable are the Methods for Estimating Repertoire Size

Quantifying signal repertoire size is a critical first step towards understanding the evolution of signal complexity. However, counting signal types can be so complicated and time consuming when repertoire size is large, that this trait is often estimated rather than measured directly. We studied how three common methods for repertoire size quantification (i.e., simple enumeration, curve-fitting and capture-recapture analysis) are affected by sample size and presentation style using simulated repertoires of known sizes. As expected, estimation error decreased with increasing sample size and varied among presentation styles. More surprisingly, for all but one of the presentation styles studied, curve-fitting and capture-recapture analysis yielded errors of similar or greater magnitude than the errors researchers would make by simply assuming that the number of types in an incomplete sample is the true repertoire size. Our results also indicate that studies based on incomplete samples are likely to yield incorrect ranking of individuals and spurious correlations with other parameters regardless of the technique of choice. Finally, we argue that biological receivers face similar difficulties in quantifying repertoire size than human observers and we explore some of the biological implications of this hypothesis.
Progress in blood pressure control in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Hypertension occurs commonly in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and is an important factor in the progression of the disease and cardiovascular mortality. The aim of this prospective 15-year study is to report the rate of blood pressure control and the potential effect of a 10-point education program developed by our center for ADPKD patients and their physicians. The patients' blood pressure treatment was managed by their primary care physicians. Three 5-year periods were analyzed in which similar rates of hypertension in patients with ADPKD were present (63% to 68%). In the first period (1985 to 1989), the rate of blood pressure control (<140/90 mm Hg) was 38% for 216 hypertensive patients with ADPKD. From 1990 to 1994, the percentage of blood pressure control increased to 55% in 194 hypertensive patients with ADPKD (P < 0.001 versus 1985 to 1989); and the level of blood pressure control increased to 64% in 181 hypertensive patients with ADPKD during 1995 to 1999 (P < 0.001 versus 1985 to 1989). Although this percentage of blood pressure control in patients with ADPKD remains suboptimal, it compares very favorably with the 27% estimated blood pressure control in patients with essential hypertension from 1991 to 1994 in the United States.
Forcing Mechanisms of Sea Level Interannual Variability in the Bay of Bengal

A nonlinear, 4‰-layer reduced-gravity ocean model with active thermodynamics and mixed layer physics is used to investigate the causes of sea level interannual variability in the Bay of Bengal, which may contribute to flooding and cholera outbreaks in Bangladesh. Forcing by NCEP‐NCAR reanalysis fields from 1958 to 1998 yields realistic solutions in the Indian Ocean basin north of 298S. Controlled experiments elucidate the roles of the following forcing mechanisms: interannual variability of the Bay of Bengal wind, equatorial wind, river discharges into the bay, and surface buoyancy flux including precipitation minus evaporation (heat fluxes 1 P 2 E). Sea level changes in the bay result largely from wind variability, with a typical amplitude of 10 cm and occasionally 10‐25 cm at an interannual timescale. Near the eastern and northern boundaries, sea level anomalies (SLAs) are predominantly caused by equatorial wind variability, which generates coastal Kelvin waves that propagate into the bay along the eastern boundary. Near the western boundary the bay wind has a comparable influence as the equatorial wind, especially during the southwest monsoon season, owing to the counterclockwise propagation of coastal Kelvin waves forced by the large-scale alongshore wind stress in the bay. In the bay interior, SLAs are dominated by the equatorial wind forcing in the central bay, result almost equally from the equatorial and the bay wind in the southwestern bay, and are dominated by the bay wind forcing in the southwestern bay during the southwest monsoon. The westward intensification of the bay wind influence is associated with the westward propagation of Rossby waves forced by the large-scale wind curl in the interior bay. The effect of heat fluxes 1 P 2 E is generally small. Influence of interannual variability of river discharges is negligible. SLAs caused by the equatorial wind at the equator and that caused by the bay wind along the northern and western boundaries as well as in the southwestern bay are significantly correlated, reflecting the anomalous wind pattern associated with the dipole mode event in the tropical Indian Ocean. Given the dominance of equatorial wind forcing near the northern bay boundary, SLAs (or alternatively westerly wind anomalies) in the equatorial ocean may serve as a potential index for predicting Bangladesh flooding and cholera.
Digital data exchange for multi-institutional clinical trials in 3D conformal radiation therapy and prostate brachytherapy

The 3D Quality Assurance (3DQA) Center was established at the Washington University School of Medicine in 1992 to provide quality control for multi-institutional 3D conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) clinical trials being developed by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). One of the challenges this presented was how to acquire the patient image, geometric, and dosimetric data 3DCRT protocols generated. At the previous ICCR meeting we presented a standard for the submission of digital data to the 3DQA Center for review [1]. We now present changes to the standard since the previous presentation and discuss the 3DQA Center’s plan for migrating to the use of DICOM 3.0, which now includes RT objects, for digital data submission. More information can be obtained from our prior presentation [1] or from the 3DQA Center’s web page [2]. Briefly, a data exchange submission consists of a set of files. The first file in the file set is a “directory file” describing all of the other “data files”. The directory file consists of keyword and keyvalue pairs describing the data files contained in the submission.
Operational Definitions of Sexual Orientation and Estimates of Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors.

Abstract Purpose: Increasing attention to the health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations comes with requisite circumspection about measuring sexual orientation in surveys. However, operationalizing these variables also requires considerable thought. This research sought to document the consequences of different operational definitions of sexual orientation by examining variation in health risk behaviors. Methods: Using Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, we examined how operational definitions of sexual behavior and sexual identity influenced differences among three health behaviors known to disparately affect LGB populations: smoking, suicide risk, and methamphetamine use. Sexual behavior and sexual identity were also examined together to explore if they captured unique sources of variability in behavior. Results: Estimates of health disparities changed as a result of using either sexual behavior or sexual identity. Youth who reported their sexual identity as “not sure” also had in...
A phase I study of capecitabine (CAP), carboplatin (CARB), paclitaxel (TAX) and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for patients with esophageal carcinoma (EC)

14044 Background: Chemoradiotherapy is used to treat esophageal cancer with curative intent or local symptom control. A phase I study of 5-FU + CARB + TAX + EBRT showed 100% RR and 50% pCR rate. CA...
Differences in short-term complications between unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty: A propensity score matched analysis

Background: Knee arthroplasty has emerged as an effective treatment for end-stage gonarthrosis. Although total knee arthroplasty remains the gold standard, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is an appropriate alternative for select patients. We sought to use a large, heterogeneous national database to identify differences in thirty-day complication rates between unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty as well as to identify risk factors for complications. Methods: Patients in the ACS NSQIP (American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program) database who had undergone total or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty from 2005 to 2011 were identified. CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes were used to select cases of elective primary knee arthroplasty. Statistical models employing univariate and multivariate logistic regression identified risk factors associated with the thirty-day incidence of morbidity and mortality after total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Propensity score matching addressed demographic differences between the total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty cohorts. Results: A total of 29,333 patients were identified; 27,745 (94.6%) underwent total knee arthroplasty and 1588 (5.41%) underwent unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Prior to matching, the total knee arthroplasty cohort was 63.7% female and had a mean BMI of 32.8 ± 7.3 kg/m2, whereas the values for the unicompartmental cohort were 55.3% and 31.5 ± 6.5 kg/m2 (p < 0.0001). The mean ages of these cohorts were 67.2 ± 10.1 and 64.0 ± 10.7 years, respectively (p < 0.0001). A previously developed and implemented propensity score matching algorithm was used to address the demographic differences. Following matching, the total complication rate did not differ significantly between the total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty cohorts (5.29% compared with 4.16%, p = 0.35), whereas the rate of deep venous thrombosis (1.50% compared with 0.50%, p = 0.02) and the duration of hospital stay (3.4 compared with 2.2 days, p < 0.0001) were significantly higher in the total knee arthroplasty cohort. Conclusions: Comparison of total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty revealed no differences in overall short-term (thirty-day) morbidity and mortality. Although this study does not address long-term subjective outcomes or implant survival, these findings should provide helpful information for surgeons counseling patients considering total and/or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
A patient-centered pharmacy practice model

Much of the discussion in the literature regarding pharmacy practice models is related to staffing, personnel roles, and the location of hospital practice (e.g., centralized versus decentralized).[1][1],[2][2] More-comprehensive analyses have addressed basic principles of a model and the services
Identification of Non-parametric Nonlinear Systems with Low Degree Interactive Terms

Abstract In this paper, an interactive term identification approach is proposed for identification of non-parametric nonlinear systems. The idea is to make a high-dimensional nonlinear identification problem into a number of low-dimensional problems and thus to effectively combat the problem of the curse of dimensionality. Convergence results are established in the paper and numerical results support the theoretical analysis and demonstrate that the proposed approach is an attractive alternative to existing nonlinear identification methods.
Blood 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) levels after reserpine and electroshock therapy.

SummaryBlood 5-HT fell to non-detectable levels after administration of reserpine to patients during a 3 week period. Three weeks after withdrawal of the drug, 5-HT levels had risen but had not yet reached normal values. Electro-shock therapy did not alter the levels of 5-HT in the blood.
Method of Measuring Intra-Urban Population Movements

T HE city is a social structure set upon a geographic base. Its component parts are competing individuals and competing groups in various states of unstable equilibrium, continuously shifting and maintaining itself only by the unceasing rearrangement of its parts. Seen as a whole, the city is change and movement. Seen from the individual viewpoint, it is the graph upon which the vicissitudes of life are plotted. It is, then, crucial to characterize the movements within the city: to give them quantity and direction from the composite view and to give them quality and meaning from the individual view. At first glance the measurement of these continuous movements would seem a relatively easy task, and yet we have little definite information about them. Occasionally a Real Property Inventory, a full or sample census appears from which incidentally we may calculate major shifts, but generally our knowledge is inadequate. If times are normal we can project population curves, but times are rarely normal. The ration book count during the war period proved highly inaccurate. Changes in telephone subscriber lists gives a highly selective picture, cutting off lower income groups. Changes in mailing addresses are not made available to the public. Market
A Systematic Case Examination of The Optimum Performance Program in Sports in a Combat Sport Athlete

The integration of athletics into higher education enriches the experience of student-athletes, and the advantages are both immediate and lifelong. However, it is well-documented that athletes experience unique stressors, and a deficiency exists of evidence-supported programs to concurrently promote goal achievement in mental health and sport performance. Therefore, this case examination reviews efficacious implementation of The Optimum Performance Program in Sports (TOPPS) in a collegiate combat sport athlete evidencing alcohol dependence and concurrent elevations in mental health symptoms. An AB experimental design with follow-up assessments was utilized to determine the influence of intervention on the participant’s substance use, mental health, HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk behavior (i.e., unsafe sexual practices), relationships, and factors identified to interfere with sport performance. Unique to existing campus counseling programs, TOPPS incorporated significant other support to ass...
Population Ecology and Energy Relationships of Clethrionomys gapperi in a Colorado Subalpine Forest

Small mammals were live-trapped on a 12 by 12 study grid (1.2 ha) located in a subalpine forest on the eastern slope of the Colorado Front Range at an elevation of 3,120 m. The area was characterized by a continental climate, and snow covered the ground for about 7½ months of the year. Subnivean activity of Clethrionomys gapperi was monitored by use of live-traps located within trap chimneys. The population was monitored at 2-week intervals from January 1974 to September 1975. Population density of mice increased during summer, peaked in late November and then gradually declined to a low in May during spring thaw. Two periods of hardship existed for red-backed voles in the study area—the autumn freeze and spring thaw. The autumn freeze occurred before snow accumulation, which reduced survival. The spring thaw produced extensive flooding, which caused high mortality. Red-backed voles commenced breeding in late March below a continuous snow cover (150 to 200 cm deep). The breeding season lasted about 7½ months. Pregnant females caught in June produced another litter that summer. Voles concluded breeding in September and lactating females were caught in October. Winter-caught red-backed voles weighed significantly less and also showed a lower per gram metabolic rate than the larger summer mice. Winter weight loss seemed advantageous in reducing food requirements as verified by metabolic studies. Small mammals in the subalpine forest ecosystem are not simply primary consumers, their role is complex and derived from numerous “strategies” adaptive in coping with the harsh subalpine environment.
Phase II study of FOLFOX plus regorafenib (REGO) in patients with unresectable or metastatic esophagogastric (EG) cancer.

4053 Background: REGO is a VEGFR2, FGFR2 and PDGFR small-molecule inhibitor with survival benefit in metastatic colorectal cancer. We performed a phase II trial of first-line FOLFOX+REGO in metasta...
Hearthholds of mobile money in western Kenya

Kenyans use mobile money services to transfer money to friends and relatives via mobile phone text messaging. Kenya's M-Pesa is one of the most successful examples of digital money for financial inclusion. This article uses social network analysis and ethnographic information to examine ties to and through women in 12 mobile money transfer networks of kin, drawn from field data collected in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The social networks are based on reciprocal and dense ties among siblings and parents, especially mothers. Men participate equally in social networks, but as brothers and mother's brothers more often than as fathers. The matrilineal ties of mobile money circulate value within the hearthhold (Ekejiuba 2005) of women, their children, and others connected to them. Using remittances, families negotiate investments in household farming or work, education, and migration. Money sending supports the diverse economic strategies, flexible kinship ties, and mobility of hearthholds. Gifts of e-money are said to express a natural love and caring among mothers and siblings and are often private and personal. Consequently, the money circulations of the hearthhold avoid disrupting widely shared ideals of patrilineal solidarity and household autonomy.
Does Volunteering Experience Influence Advance Care Planning in Old Age

ABSTRACTAdvance care planning (ACP) increases the likelihood patients will receive end-of-life care that is congruent with their preferences and lowers stress among both patients and caregivers. Previous efforts to increase ACP have mainly focused on information provision in the very late stage of life. This study examines whether a relationship exists between volunteering and ACP, and whether this relationship is associated with social support. The sample comprises 877 individuals who were aged 55+ in 2008, and were deceased before 2010. The sample is derived from seven waves (1998–2010) of data from the Health and Retirement Study. Logistic regression results showed that overall ACP and durable power of attorney for health care (DPAHC) were both higher (OR = 1.61 and 1.71, respectively) for older adults with volunteering experience in the past 10 years than those without such experience. Available social support (relatives and friends living nearby) was not associated with the relationship between volun...
Modeling on increase of n-p-n and p-n-p current gain by hydrogen electromigration in polysilicon emitters

A unified analytical model that relates the increase of current gain to forward current stress is presented for both poly emitter n-p-n and p-n-p transistors. This model is based on electromigration of atomic hydrogen and its subsequent passivation of dangling bonds at polysilicon grain boundaries and poly/mono-silicon interface. The comparison between experiment and simulation results is also presented. >
Gendered discipline, gendered space: an ethnographic approach to gendered violence in India

Why are Indian women’s lives at fatal risk in the public sphere, when Indian democracy is inclusive in terms of gender? Addressing this question reveals a methodological and theoretical blind spot ...
Alternatives to the Electoral College

The Electoral College is under attack. Some people want to scrap the College and adopt a rule that would determine the presidency on the basis of majority vote. This paper reviews the reason for the Electoral College and presents additional options that are not often considered by those who want to abolish the Electoral College.
Uncertainty and Probability within Utilitarian Theory

Probability is a central concept in utilitarian moral theory, almost impossible to do without. I attempt to clarify the role of probability, so that we can be clear about what we are aiming for when we apply utilitarian theory to real cases. I point out the close relationship between utilitarianism and expected-utility theory, a normative standard for individual decision-making. I then argue that the distinction between “ambiguity” and risk is a matter of perception. We do not need this distinction in the theory itself. In order to make this argument I rely on the personalist theory of probability, and I try to show that, within this theory, we do not need to give up completely on the idea that a “true probability” (other than 0 or 1) exists. Finally, I discuss several examples of applied utilitarianism, emphasizing the role of probability in each example: reasonable doubt (in law), the precautionary principle in risk regulation, charity, climate change, and voting.
A scoping review of the associations between mental health and factors related to HIV acquisition and disease progression in conflict-affected populations.

The association between poor mental health and factors related to HIV acquisition and disease progression (also referred to as HIV-related factors) may be stronger among conflict-affected populations given elevated rates of mental health disorders. We conducted a scoping review of the literature to identify evidence-based associations between mental health (depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) and factors related to HIV acquisition and progression in conflict-affected populations. Five electronic databases were searched on October 10, 2014 and updated on March 7, 2017 to identify peer-reviewed publications presenting primary data from January 1, 1994 to March 7, 2017. Articles were included if: 1) depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD was assessed using a validated scale, 2) HIV or HIV-related factors were a primary focus, 3) quantitative associations between depression/anxiety/PTSD and HIV or HIV-related factors were assessed, and 4) the study population was conflict-affected and from a conflict-affected setting. Of 714 citations identified, 33 articles covering 110,818 participants were included. Most were from sub-Saharan Africa (n = 25), five were from the USA, and one each was from the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. There were 23 cross-sectional, 3 time-series, and 7 cohort studies. The search identified that mental health has been quantitatively associated with the following categories of HIV-related factors in conflict-affected populations: markers of HIV risk, HIV-related health status, sexual risk behaviors, and HIV risk exposures (i.e. sexual violence). Further, findings suggest that symptoms of poor mental health are associated with sexual risk behaviors and HIV markers, while HIV risk exposures and health status are associated with symptoms of poor mental health. Results suggest a role for greater integration and referrals across HIV and mental health programs for conflict-affected populations.
Parent and child technoference and socioemotional behavioral outcomes: A nationally representative study of 10- to 20-year-old adolescents.

Abstract Technoference has been defined as interruptions to social interactions because of technology. Previous research has examined technoference in parent-child relationships, but little research has been conducted examining the influence of technoference on parent-adolescent relationships. Previous researchers have shown that parental technoference in parent-child relationships is related to increased negative behaviors by children. The current study examined the effect of adolescents’ perceptions of their own and their parents technoference on adolescent positive and negative behaviors, including anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, prosocial behavior, and civic engagement, as mediated through adolescent perceptions of parental warmth. Teens perceptions of their parents technoference was related to increased anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, and prosocial behaviors, as mediated through parental warmth. Interestingly, adolescent technoference was not related to perceived parental warmth, but was related to increased cyberbullying, anxiety, depression, and decreased prosocial behavior and civic engagement. Implications of technoference in a parent-adolescent context are discussed.
Functionalization via Reactive Polyolefins Containing Unsaturated Groups

This chapter discusses the functionalization of polyolefin via unsaturated polyolefin, which offers a chemical route. With a proper choice of the unsaturation moiety and functionalization reaction, it is possible to prepare the desired functional polyolefin with a well-controlled molecular structure. The crucial link is the preparation of an unsaturated polymer with facile unsaturation moieties. The advance of metallocene technology provides the essential solution to empower this chemical approach. With the designed metallocene catalysts, most diene monomers can be effectively incorporated into polyolefin without causing the undesirable branching and crosslinking side reactions. Among them, divinylbenzene (DVB) is well-known to produce crosslinked polymer products in all other polymerization processes. The incorporated DVB units resemble the styrene monomer and are very facile in many reactions. The pendent styrene units can not only be converted to functional groups, but can also engage in other polymerization reactions to form graft copolymers containing a polyolefin backbone and several functional polymer side chains.
Interpretation and use of the Balanced Scorecard in Denmark: Evidence from suppliers and users of the concept

This paper examines how the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) has been interpreted and used in Denmark. Drawing on interviews with suppliers and users of the BSC, the paper shows how these different actors have interpreted and attached meaning to the BSC concept. The BSC’s 'interpretive space' and 'boundary object' characteristics lead to different interpretations and mobilizations of the concept in practice. There is a multiplicity in terms of what the concept means on both the supply side and the demand side. Two main interpretations can be identified in Danish practice: the BSC as (1) a 'performance measurement system'; and (2) as a 'strategic management system'. Interestingly, there is a mismatch between how consultants and user organizations interpret and attach meaning to the concept. While suppliers interpret and promote the BSC as a strategic management system, users appear more likely to interpret and use the concept as a performance measurement system. The paper discusses possible explanations for these differences.
Spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCED) in dogs: clinical features, innervation, and effect of topical SP, with or without IGF-1.

Purpose - To delineate the clinical features and alterations in innervation and substance P (SP) content in spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCED) in dogs and to conduct a preliminary investigation evaluating the efficacy of topical SP, with or without insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, in the treatment of this disorder. Methods - Complete ophthalmic examinations, including Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometry, were performed in 45 canine patients that had spontaneous corneal epithelial defects of at least 3 weeks' duration and with no identifiable cause. Eighteen patients had superficial keratectomies performed, and the corneal nerves were labeled immunohistochemically with antibodies against protein gene product (PGP)-9.5, SP, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Relative fiber densities were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Corneal epithelial cell and tear SP contents were determined in affected and normal dogs by an enzyme immunoassay. A preliminary open-label treatment trial of topical SP, with and without IGF-1, was conducted in 21 dogs. Results - The duration of the erosion before admittance into the study was a mean of 9.22 weeks (range, 3-52). The average patient was middle aged (mean, 9.25 +/- 1.85 years [SD]); no sex predisposition of the disease was identified. Boxers, golden retrievers, and keeshonds were overrepresented when compared with the normal hospital population. Corneal sensation was normal. Marked alterations in corneal innervation were identified in affected dogs with abnormal increased SP and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive nerve plexuses identified surrounding the periphery of the epithelial defect. The SP content of epithelial cells surrounding the defect increased, whereas the tear SP content remained unchanged. Of the canine patients treated with SP, with or without IGF-1, 70% to 75% had complete healing of the defect. Conclusions - This idiopathic spontaneous corneal disease in dogs shares clinical features with chronic epithelial defects in humans. The presence of marked alterations in peptidergic innervation and positive response to topical therapy with SP suggest that SP plays a critical role in corneal wound-healing processes.
Exact results for a quantum Hall state with broken rotational symmetry

Abstract The most robust fractional quantum Hall state in a strongly correlated two-dimensional system of electrons occurs at one-third filling factor of the lowest Landau level. This state is characterized as an isotropic quantum liquid phase of electrons and is well-described by Laughlin's wave function. The possibility of anisotropic liquid phases of electrons at various filling factors has also been considered via many-body trial wave functions that do not possess rotational symmetry. Several studies employing different approaches and computational methods have been carried out. The inherent many-body nature of a wave function with broken rotational symmetry makes it very cumbersome for analytic calculations. In this work we succeeded to calculate exactly the total energy per particle and all other relevant quantities that correspond to a quantum system of two electrons at one-third filling factor described by a wave function with broken rotational symmetry. The results obtained serve as benchmarks to gauge the accuracy of various numerical methods and simulation techniques used to study the properties of strongly correlated electronic systems of this nature.
Reduction in opioid use and postoperative pain scores after elective laparotomy with implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery protocol on a gynecologic oncology service

Objective Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols are designed to mitigate the physiologic stress response created by surgery, to decrease the time to resumption of daily activities, and to improve overall recovery. This study aims to investigate postoperative recovery outcomes following gynecologic surgery before and after implementation of an ERAS protocol. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of patients undergoing elective laparotomy at a major academic center following implementation of an ERAS protocol (11/4/2014–7/27/2016) with comparison to a historical cohort (6/23/2013–9/30/2014). The primary outcome was length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes included surgical variables, time to recovery of baseline function, opioid usage, pain scores, and complication rates. Statistical analyses were performed using Wilcoxon rank sum, Fisher’s exact, and chi squared tests. Results One hundred and thirty-three women on the ERAS protocol who underwent elective laparotomy were compared with 121 historical controls. There was no difference in length of stay between cohorts (median 4 days; P = 0.71). ERAS participants had lower intraoperative (45 vs 75 oral morphine equivalents; P Conclusions ERAS protocol implementation was associated with decreased intraoperative and postoperative opioid use and improved pain scores without significant changes in length of stay or complication rates.