cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Male and Female Raters' Stereotyping of Male and Female Physiques

College males and females attributed a variety of personality traits to male and female endomorphs, mesomorphs, and ectomorphs. The data provided strong support for research conducted over the past three decades which shows that individuals possess highly favorable stereotypes of mesomorphs and highly negative stereotypes of endomorphs. However, whereas most of the early research found that individuals have generally negative stereotypes of ectomorphs, they were seen instead in generally favorable terms by subjects in this study. Finally, subjects did make several distinctions between male and female physiques when attributing traits, suggesting the importance of including assessments of both male and female physiques in future body stereotyping research.
Multiple topographically organized projections connect the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus to the ventral division of the medial geniculate nucleus in the gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus

The ventral division of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGv) receives almost all of its ascending input from the ipsilateral central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CNIC). In a previous study (Cant and Benson [2006] J. Comp. Neurol. 495:511-528), we made injections of biotinylated dextran amine into the CNIC of the gerbil and demonstrated that it can be divided into two parts. One part (zone 1) receives almost all of its ascending input from the cochlear nuclei, the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus, and the main nuclei of the superior olivary complex; the other part (zone 2) receives inputs from the cochlear nuclei and nuclei of the lateral lemniscus but few or no inputs from the main olivary nuclei. Here we show that these two parts of the CNIC project differentially to the MGv. Axons labeled anterogradely by injections in zone 1 project throughout the rostral two-thirds of the MGv, whereas axons from zone 2 project to the caudal third of the MGv. Throughout much of their extent, the terminal fields do not appear to overlap, although both parts of the CNIC project to medial and dorsal parts of the MGv, and there may be overlap in the most ventral part as well. The results indicate that two parallel pathways arising in the CNIC remain largely separate in the medial geniculate nucleus of the gerbil. It seems most likely that the neurons in the two terminal zones in the MGv perform different functions in audition.
HOW SALESPERSONS' USE OF A POWER BASE CAN AFFECT CUSTOMERS' SATISFACTION IN A SOCIAL SYSTEM: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION

Summary.-The effects of salespersons' use of a power base on customers' satisfaction was investigated. Data were coUected from 178 intermediary customers in a marketing channel. A maximum likelihood, ordered logit estimation was conducted to detect the relationship between customers' satisfaction and the salesperson's use of a particular power base. Contrary to previous power studies, the salespersons' application of a referent power base played the largest role in ensuring customers' satisfaction, followed by reward, expert, and legitimate power. The salespersons' use of a coercive power base had an inverse effect on customers' satisfaction. The uses of social power bases and their effects have received substantial attention in the behavioral and social science literature recently. Dahl (1957) defines power as a relationship between people wherein actor A is trying to get actor B to do something he would not ordinarily do. Emerson (1962) and Buhler (1988) define power as the potential for influence. A significant amount of research helps to understand the effects of the various sources of power (Lusch & Ross, 1985; Yukl & Falbe, 1990; Yukl & Tracey, 1992). However, all of the research efforts in marketing discipline focused on manufacturers, intermediaries, and, lately, customers as the primary sources of power. The few studies in which a firm's salesperson has been explicitly considered as an additional power source to that firm have produced conflicting results (Busch & Wilson, 1976; Zemanek & Hardin, 1993). This research assumes that the manufacturer's salespeople are much more than "boundary personnel." Salespeople represent their companies to customers and to society. Impressions made by these salespeople on their customers form the customers' opinions about the firm and its products. The public does not ordinarily judge a company by its production facilities or office workers but by its salespeople. Therefore, the salesperson's use of a particular power base could be an important, yet unrecognized, determinant of customers' satisfaction. The purpose of this research was to examine which power bases used by a firm's salespeople are related to higher customers' satisfaction. In the first section is a brief discussion of the various types of social power available to the salesperson. The next section provides the
GPS-Free Localization Schemes for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Compared to other localization algorithms, the SemiDefinite Programming (SDP) approach has proved to deliver accurate results even in noisy backgrounds. In this paper, we propose a novel design for underwater localization systems using SemiDefinite Programming. The objective is to provide marine scientists with a cost-effective efficient way in conducting relevant research. Two designs, fixed-position and magnified-range, are proposed. Both schemes have shown a high accuracy and an outstanding performance according to simulation results. Future research directions are discussed at the end of this paper.
Kant’s Sexual Contract

Kant's views on sex and marriage deserve the renewed attention of political scientists for three reasons. First, Kant's theory of marriage was shaped by his engagement with Rousseau's political thought and especially his Social Contract—a key if unappreciated side of his engagement with Rousseau. Second, Kant's application of Rousseau's political theory to marriage suggests an egalitarian view of marriage's nature and function that helpfully illuminates marriage's role in a liberal society of free and equal persons. Third, in appropriating Rousseau's egalitarianism for his theory of marriage, Kant transfers his foundational concern with equality from the public to the private sphere: a move that suggests liberal political institutions require more than mere commitment to procedural neutrality for their perpetuation but require also a commitment to equality best cultivated by certain types of private associations and personal relationships.
Ammonia oxidation, denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in two US Great Basin hot springs with abundant ammonia-oxidizing archaea.

thermophilus narG revealed sediment populations of 1.3-1.7 ¥ 10 6 copies g -1 sediment. These data indicate a highly active nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) in these springs and suggest that ammonia oxidation may be a major source of energy fuelling primary production.
From Sodomy to Sympathy: LDS Elites’ Discursive Construction of Homosexuality Over Time

In this article, we examine how leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) discursively constructed homosexuality over the last 50 years. Based on textual analysis of LDS talks, magazines, and other publications, we analyze how LDS elites, responding to shifting historical, cultural, and religious interpretations of sexualities, discursively constructed homosexuality as problematic for (1) society from the 1950s to the 1990s, (2) the family from the 1970s to present, and (3) divinely inspired gender roles from the 1980s to present. Further, we show how LDS elites softened their rhetoric in the 1990s, and in so doing, established a new discursive construction of homosexuality as an ailment requiring sympathetic treatment. Throughout our analysis, we also examine how LDS elites accomplished such discursive work in response to shifting societal and religious attitudes concerning sexual minorities. In conclusion, we draw out implications for understanding how religious elites discursively construct sexual norms, the reciprocal relationship between sexual and religious discourse and advocacy, and the importance of examining how dominant religious discourses change over time.
Cooperative effects in a dense Rydberg gas

This paper discusses the possibility of using a dense Rydberg gas to study cooperative effects in the millimetre wave regime. Compared to a rotational transition, Rydberg–Rydberg transitions have enormous electric dipole transition moments and polarisabilities, which are sensitive to external and self-induced electric fields. In a dense Rydberg gas, a large group of molecules can share an electric field, and absorb and radiate cooperatively. A semiclassical calculation describes several significant cooperative effects in the time-domain and frequency-domain in two-level systems and Λ-type three-level systems.
Imagining a Liberal Education: Critically Examining the Learning Process Through Simulation

Transformative pedagogy and a learning-centered paradigm are at the heart of a liberal education. In this article, the authors present a case study detailing a simulation they created in an interdisciplinary course in one university’s core curriculum. Although the simulation and the larger course appeared to have engaged the students, after years of socialization to be passive receptacles of information, they seemed to find it difficult to break out of the traditional classroom experience; indeed, they had difficulty even imagining alternative forms of learning. Such resistance suggests the need for more innovative and transformative learning experiences as central components of today’s liberal education. The sharing of ideas and practices to strengthen oppositional teaching cultures is suggested to mitigate the cost of engaging in transformative pedagogy.
Spondylocostal dysostosis associated with anal and urogenital anomalies in a Mennonite sibship

Spondylocostal dysostosis, anal atresia, and urogenital anomalies were observed in two male infants of a consanguineous Mennonite couple. A careful review of previously reported syndromes of severe vertebral abnormalities and/or imperforate anus suggests that our patients have a previously undescribed recessive disorder that should be included in the differential diagnosis of rib and vertebral anomaly syndromes.
Impact of statin use on heart failure mortality

Abstract Background There is conflicting data regarding the mortality benefit of statins in patients with heart failure. The objectives of our study were to determine whether statin therapy is associated with decreased all-cause mortality and to assess the effect of incremental duration of therapy. Methods We studied 10,510 consecutive patients from the Veterans Affairs health system with a diagnosis of heart failure from January 2002 through December 2006. Mean follow‐up was 2.66years. Statin use and duration of therapy were identified. Veterans were classified into four groups based on duration of statin use during the study period (none, 1–25%, 26–75% and >75% use of statins). Logistic regression was performed to identify the association between incident statin use and all-cause mortality following a diagnosis of heart failure. The Kaplan–Meier method was employed to assess for differences in survival time between the four statin use classifications. Results Statin use was significantly associated with decreased all-cause mortality following a diagnosis of heart failure after controlling for age, gender, concurrent medications and comorbid diagnoses [χ 3 2 (N=10,510)=1077.82, p Conclusion Veterans who were not exposed to statin therapy at any time during the study period were 1.56 times more likely to suffer all–cause mortality.
FRACTURES OF THE TIBIA IN ADULTS

The results of the operative and non-operative treatment of fractures of the tibial shaft in adults over a period of ten years have been compared. The concrete basis for the evolution of a surgical perspective under the conditions existing and under a continuity of organizational guidance has been studied. Based upon the analysis of the cases considered, the operative treatment of compound or simple fractures of the tibia in adults, gives a surer course and better results than do the non-operative methods.
Suspected twin-twin transfusion syndrome: how often is the diagnosis correct and referral timely?

Objectives The purpose of this study was to describe a single center's experience with referrals suspected to have twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Methods A retrospective review was performed for patients with suspected twin-twin transfusion syndrome referred to a fetal treatment center between November 1, 2006, and June 1, 2010. Data were collected regarding diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Results Of the 324 patients referred for twin-twin transfusion syndrome, the diagnosis was confirmed in 249 (77%): Quintero stage I in 28 (11%), stage II in 50 (20%), stage III in 150 (60%), stage IV in 15 (6%), and stage V in 6 (2%). Ten patients presented too late for any intervention, including 6 cases of stage V disease with either single- or dual-twin death and 4 patients who imminently delivered. Of the 249 confirmed cases, 200 (84%) patients elected to undergo laser photocoagulation. The average gestational age ± SD for referral evaluation for laser-treated cases was 20.9 ± 5.7 weeks (median, 20.5 weeks). The other 75 patients who were referred for suspected twin-twin transfusion syndrome had a diagnosis of either a discordant amniotic fluid volume that did not meet the criteria for Quintero stage I twin-twin transfusion syndrome (56%) or selective intrauterine growth restriction (44%). Conclusions Our data suggest that patients with confirmed twin-twin transfusion syndrome are referred with advanced stages of disease (69% stages III-V), with 59% of referrals made after 20 weeks' gestation. Such a referral pattern calls into question the current frequency of sonographic surveillance used by many obstetricians. Revisions of current practice guidelines emphasizing the importance of more frequent examinations in monochorionic twin gestations beginning at 16 weeks' gestation should be considered.
High Lattice Thermal Conductivity Solids

The lattice thermal conductivity κ of various classes of crystalline solids is reviewed, with emphasis on materials with κ > 0.5Wcm−1K−1. A simple model for the magnitude of the lattice thermal conductivity at temperatures near the Debye temperature is presented and compared to experimental data on rocksalt, zincblende, diamond, and wurtzite structure compounds, graphite, silicon nitride and related materials, and icosahedral boron compounds. The thermal conductivity of wide-band-gap Group IV and Group III-V semiconductors is discussed, and the enhancement of lattice thermal conductivity by isotopic enrichment is considered.
Rx for Stock Liquidity

Stock liquidity is a frequent consideration for primary or secondary issuance, stock splits, share repurchases and special dividends. However, there has been very little literature or rigorous guidance around what constitutes liquidity, its impact, and potential remedies. * How To Measure Stock Liquidity * The 'Liquidity Discount' * Policy Implications of Illiquidity * How To Improve Liquidity * Equity Issuance Among Illiquid Stocks * Stock Split Study
Unfolding the electronic structure of Ca 10 (Fe 1-x Pt x As )10 (Pt n As 8 )

The iron platinum arsenides ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{10}({\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Pt}}_{x}\mathrm{As}{)}_{10}({\mathrm{Pt}}_{n}{\mathrm{As}}_{8})$ are the first Fe-based superconductors with metallic spacer layers. Furthermore they display a large variation in their critical temperatures depending on the amount of Pt in their spacer layers: $(n=3,4)$. To gain more insight into the role of the spacer layer the electronic structures of the iron platinum arsenides are represented in the momentum space of the underlying Fe sublattice using a first-principles unfolding method. We find that ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{10}(\mathrm{Fe}\mathrm{As}{)}_{10}({\mathrm{Pt}}_{4}{\mathrm{As}}_{8})$, contrary to ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{10}(\mathrm{Fe}\mathrm{As}{)}_{10}({\mathrm{Pt}}_{3}{\mathrm{As}}_{8})$, shows a net electron doping and a non-negligible interlayer coupling. Both effects could account for the difference in the critical temperatures.
Effects of pacifier and taste on swallowing, esophageal motility, transit, and respiratory rhythm in human neonates.

Background Pacifier use is widely prevalent globally despite hygienic concerns and uncertain mechanistic effects on swallowing or airway safety. Aims: The effects of pacifier and taste interventions on pharyngo-esophageal motility, bolus transit, and respiratory rhythms were investigated by determining the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), esophageal body, esophagogastric junction (EGJ) motor patterns and deglutition apnea, respiratory rhythm disturbances, and esophageal bolus clearance. Methods Fifteen infants (six males; median gestation 31 weeks and birth weight 1.4 kg) underwent high-resolution impedance manometry at 43 (41–44) weeks postmenstrual age. Manometric, respiratory, and impedance characteristics of spontaneous swallows, pacifier-associated dry swallowing and taste (pacifier dipped in 3% sucrose)-associated swallowing were analyzed. Linear mixed and generalized estimating equation models were used. Data are presented as mean ± SEM, %, or median (IQR). Key Results Pharyngo-esophageal motility, respiratory, and impedance characteristics of 209 swallows were analyzed (85 spontaneous swallows, 63 pacifier- swallows, 61 taste- swallows). Basal UES and EGJ pressures decreased upon pacifier (p < 0.05) and taste interventions (p < 0.05); however, esophageal motility, respiratory rhythm, and impedance transit characteristics were similar with both interventions. Conclusions & Inferences Oral stimulus with pacifier or taste interventions decreases UES and EGJ basal pressure, but has no effects on pharyngo-esophageal motility, airway interactions, or esophageal bolus transit. A decrease in central parasympathetic-cholinergic excitatory drive is likely responsible for the basal effects.
Heat Transfer Characteristics of Conventional and High Efficiency IC Engines Using External or Internal Exhaust Gas Dilution

The use of exhaust gases as a diluent for IC engine mixtures has been shown to be advantageous for lower emissions for certain operating conditions. These exhaust gases may be introduced via an external circuit (perhaps including cooling), or they may be retained (internal) in the cylinder by the use of certain valve timings. Three (3) types of dilution processes were examined in this work: external EGR, negative valve overlap, and delayed exhaust valve closing. The first process is based on external dilution, and the last two processes are based on internal dilution. Thermodynamic evaluations for an automotive engine were completed for a constant load (bmep = 900 kPa) and constant speed (2000 rpm). The thermal efficiencies decreased for all three dilution processes in similar fashion as the burned gas fraction increased. This was shown to be a result of increasing heat losses for increasing burned gas fraction. The calculations showed that even though the gas temperatures decrease with the use of exhaust gas dilution, the cylinder heat transfer actually increases. This was shown for six different heat transfer correlations typically used for these calculations. This is a result of the dependences of the convective heat transfer on cylinder gas pressure and temperature. For the cases examined, cylinder pressures increased and cylinder temperatures decreased as the dilution level increases. In all cases examined, the net result was an increase of the convective heat transfer coefficient which dominated the decrease of temperatures.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
On Murre's conjectures for blow-ups: a constructive approach

We show, by an explicit construction of the relevant Chow-Kunneth projectors, that if X is the quotient of a smooth projective variety by a finite group action and Y is obtained from X by blowing up a finite set of points, then (under appropriate hypotheses) each of Murre’s conjectures holds for Y if and only if it holds for X. The novelty of our approach is that, finite dimensionality of the corresponding motives is never used or needed and that our construction explicitly provides the ChowKunneth projectors for X in terms of the Chow-Kunneth projectors for Y and vice-versa. This is applied to two classes of examples: one where the group action is trivial and the other to Kummer manifolds over algebraically closed fields of characteristic different from 2, which are obtained by blowing up the corresponding Kummer varieties along the 2-torsion points. In particular, our results imply that the Kummer manifolds satisfy part of Murre’s vanishing conjecture (B) in all dimensions and the full vanishing conjecture in dimensions 3 and 4.
Early Clinical Experiences for Second-Year Student Pharmacists at an Academic Medical Center.

Objective. To examine student outcomes associated with the Student Medication and Reconciliation Team (SMART) program, which was designed to provide second-year student pharmacists at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy direct patient care experience at UNC Medical Center.Design. Twenty-two second-year student pharmacists were randomly selected from volunteers, given program training, and scheduled for three 5-hour evening shifts in 2013-2014. Pre/post surveys and reflection statements were collected from 19 students. Data were analyzed with a mixed methods approach.Assessment. Survey results revealed an increase in student self-efficacy (p<0.05) and positive perceptions of SMART. Qualitative findings suggest the program provided opportunities for students to develop strategies for practice, promoted an appreciation for the various roles pharmacists play in health care, and fostered an appreciation for the complexity of real-world practice.Conclusion. Early clinical experien...
Occupational upper-extremity-related disability: demographic, physical, and psychosocial factors.

Occupational upper-extremity disorders have been associated with prolonged pain and work disability. Using the U.S. Army Physical Disability Agency database, the present case-control studies (n = 434 and n = 342) investigated the contribution of demographic, physical, occupational psychosocial, and individual psychosocial factors to work disability in soldiers with upper-extremity disorders. Age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.11), rank (private E-2: OR = 3.79; private first class: OR = 4.39; specialist or corporal: OR = 2.17), ethnic group (white: OR = 1.54), and occupational stress ("often": OR = 2.46) were found to predict disability. The results highlight the importance of occupational stress as a predictor of disability and the potential utility of addressing this factor in the development of empirically based disability prevention strategies. This investigation also emphasizes the need for research that delineates the biobehavioral mechanisms linking occupational stress to prolonged symptoms and subsequent work disability. Language: en
Ethnic Disparities in the Onset and Progression of Functional Limitations Among Israeli Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Socioeconomic and Health-Related Pathways

OBJECTIVE To examine whether socioeconomic and health-related factors explain ethnic disparities in the onset and progression of functional limitations among middle-aged and older Israeli adults. METHOD We used data from Waves I-III of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe in Israel. Logistic and multinomial regression models were estimated to examine the association between ethnicity and transitions in functional status (onset versus progression) from respondents' baseline interview (Wave I or II) to their follow-up interview (Wave II or III). RESULTS Compared to veteran Jews, Arabs and Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union were more likely to experience an onset of functional limitations. Arabs were also more likely to experience worsening functional limitations by follow-up. Education and health-related factors attenuated some of the ethnic disparities in onset and progression of functional limitations. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest the importance of moving beyond traditional indicators of socioeconomic status and health-related pathways to fully understand the underlying factors that predict ethnic disparities in the onset and progression of functional limitations in Israel.
Epidemiological characteristics and related influencing factors on Japanese encephalitis in Hainan Province

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics and the influencing factors of Japanese encephalitis (Abbreviated JE) at different periods in Hainan province, and to provide evidence for JE control strategies. Methods Data on JE had been collected since 1952 and related incidence, mortality, fatality rates of JE and the rate of JE vaccination were calculated for four periods: the natural epidemic period (1952-1978), period for inactivated JE vaccine promotion (1979-1986), national immunization program period (1987-1990) and the promotion of live-attenuated JE vaccine period (1991-2007). History on the immunity of JE and data from the monitoring programs on cases and insect vectors were also analyzed. Results The average annual incidence in natural epidemic period was 7.12/100 000, which was also the highest among the 4 periods with the mortality rate as 0.89/100 000. The average annual incidence was 0.11/100 000 which was the lowest while the mortality rate was 0.01/100 000 in the period when live-attenuated JE vaccination was under promotion. Since the establishment of JE surveillance system was set up in Hainan province in 2002, the specimen collection rate of JE reported suspected cases had reached 92.8%, while the incidence of confirmed JE cases fluctuated between 0.05/100 000 and 0.2/100 000. Of the confirmed cases, 86% did not have clear history of JE vaccination. The annual average protective rate reached 95.69% in 2004-2007. The density of insect vectors was high in Hainan province. The infection rate of JE in host animal swine, kept rising from April to October, and in some surveillance points, the rate reached 99.3%. The density of insect vector plotted in trans-curve with the infection of host animals. Conclusion The application of live-attenuated JE vaccine was found to have had significant protective effect on JE in susceptible children. It helped reducing the incidence and controlling the epidemics of JE. It appears feasible to include live-attenuated JE vaccine into the expanded immunization program. Key words: Japanese encephalitis; Epidemiological characteristics; Influencing factors
The surgical treatment of male transsexuals.

The precise role of sex reassignment surgery in the treatment of transsexuals is still unproved. The promising subjective reports of patients who have received such operations and the consistently unsuccessful results of all alternative nonsurgical methods of treating the transsexual are strong arguments for careful, continued study of the surgical approach.
Communicable disease control in England; recommendations from an American

The problems associated with the Wakefield salmonella and the Stafford Legionnaires' disease outbreaks and the recommendations of the Acheson Committee formed in response led to the creation of the position of Consultant in Communicable Disease Control (CCDC) within the District Health Authorities. The reality of the position as implemented differs from that envisaged by the Acheson Committee and has resulted in ambiguities about the role of the CsCDC, the source of their support, and the range of their responsibilities. This paper, by an American invited to review the position, outlines the history of the position, the current status of CsCDC, and the barriers to effective performance of the position. It ends with a series of recommendations for improving disease control within England by solidifying the position, establishing its role in disease control within the National Health Service and recommending an educational/training pathway to attract and prepare physicians for the position.
Options Engineering with Applications

This chapter discusses traditional option strategies from the financial engineering perspective and provides market-based examples. It moves on to discuss exotic options. It is concerned with portfolios and positions that are taken with a precise gain–loss profile in mind. The players consciously take risks in the hope of benefiting or protecting themselves from an expected movement in a certain risk factor. Most investor behavior is of this kind. Investors buy a stock with a higher (systematic) risk, in anticipation of higher returns. A high-yield bond carries a higher default probability, which the bond holder is willing to bear. For all the different instruments, there are one or more risk factors that influence the gains and losses of the position taken. The investor weighs the risks due to potentially adverse movements in these factors against the gains that will result, if these factors behave in the way the investor expects. Some of the hedging activity can be interpreted in a similar way. This chapter deals with techniques and strategies that use options in doing this.
Language policy in Japanese ethnic churches in Canada and the legitimization of church member identities

This paper is aimed at understanding the language policy of Japanese ethnic churches and the legitimization of church member identities in the midst of dominant languages in Canada. While church members often construct Japanese ethnic Christian churches with ‘grassroots’ language policies that seem to legitimize their Japanese language and cultural identities and practices, their membership to their churches and their Christian faith often leads them to experiencing legitimization as Christians in solidarity with other Christians in the world (Takamizawa in Torch Trinity J 4(4):34–45, 2001). Using theoretical descriptions of language planning and policy, I discuss the scholarship of ethnic church studies, kokusaika and nihonjinron discourses, and groupism as described in frame theory (Nakane in Japanese society. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 1970), as a framework to contextualize church member experiences and perceptions in the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels of language policy of Japanese ethnic churches in Canada. I use Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough in Analysing discourse: textual analysis for social research. Routledge, London, 2003) to analyze relevant language policies and interview texts that reveal the perceptions of Japanese ethnic Christian church members from three churches in Western Canada.
Spatiotemporal soil and saprolite moisture dynamics across a semi-arid woody plant gradient

Abstract Woody plant cover has increased 10-fold over the last 140+ years in many parts of the semi-arid western USA. Woody plant cover can alter the timing and amount of plant available moisture in the soil and saprolite. To assess spatiotemporal subsurface moisture dynamics over two water years in a snow-dominated western juniper stand we compared moisture dynamics horizontally across a discontinuous canopy, and vertically in soil and saprolite. We monitored soil moisture at 15 and 60 cm and conducted periodic electromagnetic induction and electrical resistivity tomography surveys aimed at sensing moisture changes within the root zone and saprolite. Timing of soil moisture dry down at 15 cm was very similar between canopy patches and interspace. Conversely, dry down at 60 cm occurred 22 days earlier in the interspace than under canopy patches. After rainfall, interspaces with more shrubs showed greater increases in soil moisture than interspaces with few shrubs. For the few rainfall events that were large enough to increase soil moisture at 60 cm, increases in moisture occurred almost exclusively below the canopy. Soil water holding capacity from 0 to 150 cm was a primary driver of areas that were associated with the greatest change in distributed electrical conductivity - an indicator of changes in soil moisture - across the growing season. Vegetation was also correlated with a greater seasonal change in electrical conductivity at these depths. The seasonal change in resistivity suggested moisture extraction by juniper well into the saprolite, as deep as 12 m below the surface. This change in deep subsurface resistivity primarily occurred below medium and large juniper trees. This study suggests how tree roots are both increasing infiltration below their canopy while also extracting moisture at depths of upwards of 12 m. Information from this study can help improve our understanding of juniper resilience to drought and the hydrologic impacts of semi-arid land cover change.
Definition of Laboratory Animal Environmental Conditions

The health and well-being of animals have generated much interest in recent years, particularly in association with animals used in teaching and research. Consequently, guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals have been established (33). Animal welfare has also been the subject of both federal legislation (2, 3) and regulation (4).
Intrauterine Exposure to Maternal Diabetes and Childhood Obesity

The hypothesis of fetal over-nutrition or fuel-mediated teratogenesis proposed in the 1950s by Pedersen postulates that intrauterine exposure to hyperglycemia causes permanent changes in the fetus of a woman with diabetes in pregnancy, leading to malformations, macrosomia, and an increased risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life. More recent data confirm that exposure to diabetes in utero has effects on offspring body size that are distinct from, or act in concert with, genetic susceptibility to obesity and the postnatal environment. There is also evidence that exposure to maternal diabetes represents the extreme of a distribution of altered maternal fuels to which the fetus is exposed in pregnancies complicated by obesity. If maternal obesity during pregnancy drives fuel-mediated teratogenesis, the public health consequences are enormous. Efforts that reduce obesity in women of reproductive age and prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy may not only decrease the risk of gestational diabetes in the mother, but will likely also reduce the risk of excess fetal growth, future obesity, and type 2 diabetes in the offspring.
Vulnus sclopetarium (gunshot wound)

Fading from the vernacular, the Latin phrase vulnus sclopetarium is a quaint, mystifying, and fascinating term that is translated as gunshot wound. There is a fulminating paucity of published information regarding the meaning of this term and the etymology. Trauma surgeons, military surgeons, and scholars of the medical aspects of the civil war may be familiar with the term. Vulnus is easily deciphered from ancient Latin as wound, whereas the origin of sclopetarium proves more difficult to discern. No guns were present in ancient Rome because guns were not invented until around the 13th century; hence, no Latin word for them existed. Thus, sclopetarium is classified as neo-Latin, and deconstruction of the word reveals that sclopeta means gun, but that destination was arrived at via a convoluted path. The suffix -arium implies a place. Remarriage of the two parts suggests that the gun is an instrument of injury, which is typically incurred on a battlefield. An alternative explanation may be that -arium may also refer to the anatomical location of the wound.
Anatomically Guided Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

In recent years, radio-frequency catheter ablation has emerged as an effective treatment option for patients with paroxysmal and chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). Based on advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of AF, catheter ablation has evolved primarily into two general approaches: (1) ablation strategies that create a predetermined set of lesions usually at or around specific anatomical landmarks (anatomically guided ablation) and (2) ablation strategies that attempt to identify and eliminate specific mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate AF (tailored ablation). A tailored ablation strategy also has been combined with anatomically guided ablation. In this chapter, anatomically guided ablation is discussed.
Cancer of the Rectum and Anus

Combined abdominoperineal resection is the standard operation for a cancer of the rectum that is palpable by rectal examination or, if the lesion is deemed to be curable, for a cancer located so near the peritoneal floor that a margin of 5 cm cannot be obtained below it. 7,13,15,18,21,24 It also has been used for extremely large villous adenomas, even if they are benign, and as a portion of the operation of total proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis or familial polyposis. The classification and prognosis of rectal cancer has been discussed in Chapter 6.1,8,9
Transformation of Somatic Embryos of Fruit Trees and Grapevine

The major objectives of most fruit improvement programmes include breeding for desirable growth habit, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors, and high quality and extended shelf life of fruits. Incorporation of genes that govern these economic attributes in the popular fruit cultivars is difficult through conventional breeding and takes years to achieve. Therefore, improvement of elite fruit cultivars through direct gene transfer without gross shuffling of the genome is an economically viable strategy to improve fruit trees and vines within a relatively short period. Genes from any organism can now be transferred and expressed in fruit crops, but the efficiency of transformation, integration and expression of foreign genes and regeneration of transgenic plants from transformed cells are still unpredictable (Owens, 1995; Birch, 1997). Both transformation and regeneration are less efficient in fruit trees and vines than in many herbaceous crops (Scorza, 1991; Schuerman and Dandekar, 1993). Agrobacterium and the biolistic gun are two methods used to transform plant cells. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation has been successfully used in apple, pear, citrus and mango, while the biolistic gun is preferred for papaya. Both Agrobacterium and biolistic gun are used for grape transformation. Adventitious shoot morphogenesis and somatic embryogenesis are the two pathways of plant regeneration in cultured plant cells. Transgenic plants of apples and pears are regenerated by transforming adventitious shoots in leaf cultures (Schuerman and Dandekar, 1993; Mourgues et al., 1996; Scorza et al., 1998), whereas transgenic grapes, mangoes and papayas are produced from transformed somatic embryos (see reviews by Gray, 1995; Litz et al., 1995; Oliviera et al., 1996; Srinivasan and Scorza, 1997). Transgenic citrus plants are produced from adventitious shoots of internode sections of seedlings (Moore et al., 1992; Cervera et al., 1998).
THE MAIZE EMBP-1 ORTHOLOGUE DIFFERENTIALLY REGULATES OPAQUE2-DEPENDENT GENE EXPRESSION IN YEAST AND CULTURED MAIZE ENDOSPERM CELLS

In addition to the bZIP protein Opaque2 (O2), there are other maize endosperm nuclear proteins that recognize the O2 box in 22 kDa zein gene promoters. In an effort to understand the effect of these factors on 22 kDa zein expression, we have cloned one of these and identified it as the putative maize (Zea mays L.) orthologue of the wheat bZIP protein EmBP-1 (mEmBP-1). The mEmBP-1 protein exhibits 52% sequence identity and 68% similarity with the wheat protein and recognizes a similar spectrum of DNA sequences, albeit with slightly altered specificity. The mEmBP-1 gene exists as duplicate loci in maize on chromosomes 7S (mEmBP-1a) and 2L (mEmBP-1b). The mEmBP-1 genes are expressed in endosperm, embryo, immature ears, tassel, roots, and seedling shoots at low levels. Although mEmBP-1 binds to the O2 box from the 22 kDa zein gene promoter as a homodimer, it is unable to heterodimerize with O2. The mEmBP-1 protein can activate transcription from a truncated promoter containing a pentamer of the O2 site in yeast cells; however, it inhibited regulated transcription of a 22 kDa zein promoter in a transient expression assay using cultured maize endosperm cells.
The Evolution of HIV Prevention Interventions and Chronic Disease Management

With the advent of antiretroviral medications, AIDS has transformed from a fatal to a chronic illness. Meanwhile, HIV prevention interventions throughout the world have varied tremendously in both the theories that guide them and the contexts in which they are delivered. Consequently, this chapter (1) selectively reviews approaches to preventing HIV infection and (2) discusses issues surrounding chronic disease management of HIV. It includes key perspectives, such as patient- versus disease-centered approaches and reviews behavior-change theories and models that have been applied to HIV/AIDS along with considerations of diffusion, gender, and power. Among biomedical interventions, it includes antiretroviral prevention, male circumcision, microbicides, and vaccines. It then goes on to discuss the integration of behavioral and biomedical interventions in treatment and to consider treatment as prevention. Among challenges to prevention, the chapter includes adherence to interventions, sexually transmitted coinfections, and risk compensation. Amidst discussion of chronic disease management of AIDS, the chapter includes quality of life, comorbid conditions such as substance use disorders and depression, and stigma. Turning to a global perspective, the chapter examines prevention efforts in the United States, Western and Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. An emerging challenge is the dissemination of “high impact” approaches that use combinations of effective interventions including antiretroviral treatment for viral load suppression among those at early points in the HIV care continuum. These offer the possibility of a turning point for both HIV-positive and at-risk populations.
Cell growth dilutes the cell cycle inhibitor Rb to trigger cell division

Cell size is fundamental to function in different cell types across the human body because it sets the scale of organelle structures, biosynthesis, and surface transport. Tiny erythrocytes squeeze through capillaries to transport oxygen, while the million-fold larger oocyte divides without growth to form the ~100 cell pre-implantation embryo. Despite the vast size range across cell types, cells of a given type are typically uniform in size likely because cells are able to accurately couple cell growth to division. While some genes whose disruption in mammalian cells affects cell size have been identified, the molecular mechanisms through which cell growth drives cell division have remained elusive. Here, we show that cell growth acts to dilute the cell cycle inhibitor Rb to drive cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase in human cells. In contrast, other G1/S regulators remained at nearly constant concentration. RB is transcriptionally regulated so that Rb protein is synthesized mostly during S and G2 phases, and remains stable throughout the cell cycle. The amount of Rb synthesized and partitioned to daughter cells is independent of cell size, ensuring all cells at birth inherit a similar size-independent amount of Rb protein. RB overexpression increased cell size in tissue culture and a mouse cancer model, while RB deletion decreased cell size and removed the inverse correlation between cell size at birth and the duration of G1 phase. Thus, Rb-dilution by cell growth in G1 provides a cell autonomous molecular mechanism for cell size homeostasis.
Dynamic systems and neural networks: modeling in physiology and medicine.

This chapter introduces dynamic systems neural networks for modeling in physiology and medicine. The chapter emphasizes the importance of modeling to understand the implications and limitations of dimensionality, nonlinearity. The level of difficulty involved is quite high for nonlinear systems, and relatively trivial for linear systems. The goal of dimensional considerations should be the characterization of the system at hand, the identification of the most appropriate modeling approach, and attempts at the reduction of the dimensionality. The chapter concentrates on a geometric definition of differential equations and on actual reduction of a dimensionality. In addition, the chapter discusses the historical aspects of neural networks. The use of statistical techniques should be reserved for problems with a very large number of variables. However, for the more common physiologically realistic situations a combination of dynamical system techniques and neural network processing can yield powerful, useful, and elegant results.
Prospective Evaluation of Radiculitis following Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Use for Transforaminal Interbody Arthrodesis in Spine Surgery

Study design Prospective observational cohort study. Purpose This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with regard to postoperative radiculitis. Overview of literature Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) is being used increasingly as an alternative to iliac crest autograft in spinal arthrodesis. Recently, the use of BMP in TLIF has been examined, but concerns exist that the placement of BMP close to the nerve roots may cause postoperative radiculitis. Furthermore, prospective studies regarding the use of BMP in TLIF are lacking. Methods This prospective study included 77 patients. The use of BMP-2 was determined individually, and demographic and operative characteristics were recorded. Leg pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain and the Sciatica Bothersome Index (SBI) with several secondary outcome measures. The outcome data were collected at each follow-up visit. Results Among the 77 patients, 29 were administered with BMP. Postoperative leg pain significantly improved according to VAS leg and SBI scores for the entire cohort, and no clinically significant differences were observed between the BMP and control groups. The VAS back, Oswestry Disability Index, and Short-Form 36 scores also significantly improved. A significantly increased 6-month fusion rate was noted in the BMP group (82.8% vs. 55.3%), but no significant differences in fusion rate were observed at the 12- and 24-month follow-up. Heterotopic ossification was observed in seven patients: six patients and one patient in the BMP and control groups, respectively (20.7% vs. 2.1%). However, no clinical effect was observed. Conclusions In this prospective observational trial, the use of BMP in TLIF did not lead to significant postoperative radiculitis, as measured by VAS leg and SBI scores. Back pain and other functional outcome scores also improved, and no differences existed between the BMP and control groups. The careful use of BMP in TLIF appears to be both safe and effective.
Assessing in vitro efficacy of certain fungicides to control Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in peanut

AbstractThe fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is responsible for Sclerotinia blight in several crops around the world, including peanut. This study was conducted under laboratory conditions ...
Lyme carditis presenting as atrial fibrillation

The incidence of Lyme disease in the USA is 8 per 100 000 cases and 95% of those occur in the Northeastern region. Cardiac involvement occurs in only 1% of untreated patients. We describe the case of a 46-year-old man who presented with chest pressure, dyspnoea, palpitations and syncope. He presented initially with atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, a rare manifestation of Lyme carditis. In another hospital presentation, he had varying degrees of atrioventricular block including Mobitz I second-degree heart block. After appropriate antibiotic treatment, he made a full recovery and his ECG normalised. The authors aim to urge physicians treating patients in endemic areas to consider Lyme carditis in the workup for patients with atrial fibrillation and unexplained heart block, as the associated atrioventricular nodal complications may be fatal.