cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nut selection by captive blue jays : Importance of availability and implications for seed dispersal

We assessed dietary preference of 14 captive Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) for different food types under different conditions of availability. In four separate feeding trials, we provisioned jays with the following: Trial 1, two nuts each of white oak (Quercus alba), pin oak (Q. palustris), black oak (Q. velutina), northern red oak (Q. rubra), and shagbark hickory (Carya ovata); Trial 2, two small and two large red oak acorns; Trial 3, two germinating and two nongerminating white oak acorns; and Trial 4, one large red oak acorn, one large white oak acorn, and one shagbark hickory nut. We used discrete choice models to describe selection under conditions of changing choice sets. Blue Jays displayed a clear preference for pin oak and strong avoidance of red oak acorns when alternative foods were available. White oak and black oak acorns were selected intermediately. Shagbark hickory nuts were never used. Correlation coefficients suggested that preference was inversely related to seed size and the proportion of seed consisting of hard seed coat. In the absence of alternative food items, small red oak acorns were readily taken, whereas large red oak acorns were mostly avoided but still used by some birds. These results highlight the importance of considering food availability when making conclusions about preference, and lend support to the hypothesis that Blue Jays can be important dispersers of even less-preferred oak species. We discuss the potential as well as the limitations for Blue Jays to act as seed dispersers, with respect to postglacial range expansion of fagaceous tree species, and in the context of present-day dispersal in regions where forests are highly fragmented.
Finite element analysis to simulate the effect of impact rollers for estimating the influence depth of soil compaction

The use of impact rollers has increased for many decades due to its diverse advantages. However, the current lack of theoretical verification and research-based technical guidelines that can effectively describe the effect of impact rollers is probably the greatest deficiency in our ability to accurately predict the benefits of deep compaction provided by impact compaction rollers. The 3-D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was conducted using LS-DYNA to simulate the depth of influence for various impact rollers. Results indicated that the width of the contact area between the drum and the soil primarily controls the depth of compaction. The softer the soil is, the deeper the roller sinks in the soil. Also, the wider the contact area is, the deeper the compaction depth is. Thereby, the depth of compaction is highly dependent upon the stiffness of the soil. It was found that the surface pressure controls the degree of compaction and the surface pressure of the impact rollers is higher than that of the cylindrical rollers due to the dynamic effect. However, the distribution of the pressure is significantly variable for the impact rollers than the cylindrical rollers. It was concluded that the impact rollers seem to have more potential for use in final compaction of thicker layers.
Wound classification in pediatric surgical procedures: Measured and found wanting

Abstract Purpose Surgical wound classification has emerged as a measure of surgical quality of care, but scant data exist in the era of minimally invasive procedures, especially in children. The aim of this study is to examine the surgical site infection (SSI) rate by wound classification during common pediatric surgical procedures. Methods A retrospective analysis of the 2013 Pediatric–National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (Peds-NSQIP) dataset was conducted. Patients undergoing pyloromyotomy, cholecystectomy, ostomy reversal, and appendectomy were included. Wound classification, SSI rate, reoperation, and readmission were analyzed. Results A total of 10,424 records were included. Pyloromyotomy, a clean case, had a 0.7% SSI rate, while ostomy reversal, a clean contaminated case, had an SSI in 6.9% of cases. Appendectomy for nonperforated acute appendicitis and laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholecystitis, both contaminated cases, had SSI rates of 2.1% and 40% for dirty cases. Reoperations and readmission rates ranged from Conclusion Current wound classifications systems do not reflect surgical risk in children and remain questionable tools for benchmarking surgical care in children. Role of readmissions and reoperations as quality of care indices needs further investigation.
High-temperature, forced-air quarantine treatment for Papayas infested with tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: tephritidae)

A high-temperature forced-air (HTFA) disinfestation treatment using four temperature stages was developed to disinfest Hawaii-grown papaya, Carica papaya L. cv. Solo, of the egg and larval stages of Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann); melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett; and oriental fruit fly, D. dorsalis Hendel. The fourstage treatment forced 43 ± 1, 45 ± 1, 46.5 ± 1, and 49 ± 0.5°C hot air over the papaya surfaces until the fruit center temperatures at the end of each temperature stage reached 41 ± 1.5,44 ± 1,46.5 ± 0.75, and 47.2°C, respectively. Each of the first three temperature stages required about 2 h to heat the fruit to the corresponding fruit center temperatures; the last temperature stage required <1 h to raise the fruit center temperatures to 47.2°C. Relative humidity of 40-60% during treatment prevented fruit damage. When the fruit center temperatures reached 47.2°C, the papayas were immediately hydrocooled until the fruit center temperatures were ≤30°C. Phytotoxicity tests showed that the HTFA treatment was not detrimental to fruit quality. Survival tests with the HTFA treatment until final fruit center temperatures were 43.2, 45.2, or 46.2°C showed little or no survival between 46.2 and 47.2°C for C. capitata , and between 45.2 and 46.2°C for D. cucurbitae and D. dorsalis. D. cucurbitae was more susceptible to the HTFA treatment than C. capitata or D. dorsalis . Survival tests also showed that either first or third instars were more susceptible to the HTFA treatment than eggs for all three fruit fly species.
Occurrence of SV40 Neoplastic and Antigenic Information in Vaccine Strains of Adenovirus Type 3.

SummaryAdenovirus type 3 strain JF was propagated in its early passage history in rhesus monkey kidney cell cultures. Upon discovery of infectious SV40 in the adenovirus, further passages were carried out in African green monkey kidney cell cultures in the presence of SV40 antiserum. Following this procedure, two separate passage lines of the adenovirus were free of detectable infectious SV40, but vaccine seeds prepared from these lines (JF-1 and JF-2) induced in hamsters tumors which contained CF antigens identical to those found in tumors induced by SV40. These tumors, in turn, elicited serum antibodies that fixed complement with SV40 tumor and T antigens. In addition, both lots of adenovirus 3 strain JF induced the formation in human embryo kidney cells of SV40 antigen which was detected by the immuno-fluorescent technique. The induction of fluo-rescent-stainable SV40 T antigen in tissue culture was prevented by treatment of the virus with adenovirus type 3 neutralizing antiserum but not by treatment w...
From Fences to Hyperboxes and Back Again

(1991). From Fences to Hyperboxes and Back Again. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 64, No. 5, pp. 340-342.
COMMUNAL CARE AND KIDNAPPING OF YOUNG BY PARENTAL CICHLIDS.

The evolution of seemingly "non-Darwinian" forms of cooperative behavior, altruism, and communal care of young is a subject that has long been of interest to biologists. Darwin himself was the first to explain this relatively "friendly" behavior in terms of kin selection. In a section of his manuscript written before "Origin of Species," Instincts of Neuter Social Insects, he argues, "that natural selection might act on the parents and continuously preserve those which produced more and more aberrant offspring, having any structure or instinct advantageous to the community" (Stauffer, 1975). Most of the arguments proposed for the evolution of social cooperation in birds, mammals, and the social insects have relied heavily on kinship theory (Hamilton, 19,64). Brown (1972, 1974) has used this theory to explain apparently altruistic behavior in jays that care for young not their own. Trivers and Hare (1976) do the same in attempting to derive a general theory on the evolution of social insects. No studies, however, have examined the existence of social cooperation in fishes. Wilson (1975, p. 438) claims that, "But for some reason, possibly lack of intelligence, they [lower vertebrates] have not evolved cooperative nursery groups of the kind that constitute the building blocks of mammalian societies. For other reasons possibly the lack of haplodiploid sex determination or the presence of the right ecological imperatives, they have not become altruistic enough to generate insectlike societies." This view is not entirely correct. Some species of the fish family Cichlidae
Detection Results of Legionella Pneumophila in Cooling Water of Central Air Conditioning Ventilation Systems in Public Places

[Objective] To estimate the levels of Legionella pneumophila pollution in cooling water of central air conditioning ventilation systems in public places in Taizhou City. [Methods] According to the Health standards of the central air conditioning ventilation systems in public places(2006 edition), special surveys on Legionella pneumophila pollution in cooling water of central air conditioning ventilation systems in public places were conducted in August and September from 2009 to 2011. [Results] A total of 22 public places were investigated, including 9 shopping malls(shops) and 13 hotels. Of the 41 cooling towers, the detection rate of Legionella pneumophila was 48.78%(20/41). The detection rates were 62.50%(10/16), 15.39%(2/13), and 66.67%(8/12), respectively, for 2009, 2010, and 2011, and were 13.33%(2/15) and 69.23%(18/26) respectively for the malls(shops) and the hotels. The detection rate of Legionella pneumophila in the 127 cooling water samples was 43.31%(55/127), 60.00%(24/40), 15.56%(7/45), and 57.14%(24/42) respectively for the consecutive three years, and 19.51%(8/41) and 54.65%(47/86) respectively for the malls(shops) and the hotels. [Conclusion] The cooling water of central air conditioning ventilation systems in public places is seriously polluted with Legionella pneumophila, and may pose potential threats to those who have worked in this environment for a long-term period. Therefore, the prevention and control of Legionella pneumophila pollution in cooling water of central air conditioning ventilation systems in public places should be strengthened by regular cleaning and disinfection.
EFFECT OF SEVERE PLASTIC DEFORMATION ON THE STRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BULK NANOCRYSTALLINE METALS

Severe plastic deformation techniques including high-pressure torsion and equal channel angular pressing have been widely used to refine coarse-grained materials to produce nanocrystalline and ultrafine-grained materials, or manipulate the microstructure of nanocystalline materials for superior mechanical properties. This paper overviews severe plastic deformation induced structural and mechanical property evolutions on bulk nanocrystalline metals, mainly in a nanocrystalline Ni-20%Fe(mass fraction) alloy with a face-centred cubic(fcc) structure processed by high-pressure torsion to different strain values. The structural evolution and mechanical property evolution at different strain values were studied. Comprehensive characterizations on structural evolution during deformation indicate that:(1) grain growth occurred via grain rotation, and is accompanied with changes in dislocation density and twin density;(2) there is a significant grain size effect on deformation induced twinning and de-twinning. There exists an optimum grain size range for the formation of deformation twins. Outside of this grain size range the de- twinning process will dominate to annihilate existing twins;(3) different types of dislocation- twin boundary(TB) interactions occurred during deformation. Dislocation density plays an important role in dislocationTB interactions. In a twinned grain with a low dislocation density, a dislocation may react with a TB to fully or partially penetrate the TB or to be absorbed by the TB via different dislocation reactions. In a twinned grain with a high dislocation density, dislocations tangle with each other and are pinned at the TBs, leading to the accumulation of dislocations at the TBs and raising the local strain energy. In order to release the stress concentration, stacking faults and secondary twins formed by partial dislocation emissions from the other side of the TB;(4) atom probe tomography investigation reveals that C and S atoms, which are the major impurities in the Ni-Fe alloy and segregated at grain boundaries(GBs) of the as-deposited material, migrated from disappearing GBs to the remaining GBs during high-pressure torsion. Investigation on structure-hardness relationship of the Ni-Fe alloy reveals that: strain hardening and strain softening occurred at different deformation stages. Dislocation density evolution plays a major role in the hardness evolution, while other structural evolutions, including twin density and grain size evolutions, play minor roles in the hardness evolution.
Broadband Chirped InAs Quantum-Dot Superluminescent Light-Emitting Diodes With In x Al 1-x As Strain-Reducing Layers

In this paper, broadband InAs quantum-dot (QD) superluminescent light-emitting diodes (SLEDs) are grown by molecular beam epitaxy, fabricated, and then characterized. In order to achieve broadband and uniform emission spectra, the active regions contain a combination of chirped InAs QDs with different InxAl1-xAs strain-reducing layers (SRLs). It has been shown that the InxAl1-xAs SRLs can effectively enlarge the QD emission energy separation between the ground and the excited states. In this paper, QDs with increased energy separation are utilized to enable a broadband QD ensemble by adding additional QD layers with the ground state emission wavelength tuned to fill the gap in emission. In addition, we employed a short postgrowth annealing process of 30 s to further even out the emission spectra. Characterizations of the emission spectra of the as-grown QDs and fabricated QD SLEDs are performed by room-temperature photoluminescence and electroluminescence under continuous-wave (c-w) operation, respectively. In the SLED devices, a broad and uniform spectrum with a linewidth of 100 nm at 3 dB is realized at an injection current level of 100 mA, and no significant spectrum dip is observed in the entire injection current window ranging from 50 $\mu\text{A}$ to 100 mA.
Federal District Judge Gender and Reversals

Choi, Gulati, Holman and Posner ask, "Do women make better judges?" Their results, as they summarize them, are not informative. They merely cannot reject the possibility of an absence of a relationship between gender and the particular measures they examine. This paper, focusing on reversals of federal district court judges, provides information more directly relevant to answering the question they posed, albeit not as to women as a whole but rather as among the limited set of men and women who are confirmed as judges. There is a consistent pattern of lower likelihood of reversal in summary statistics, overall and within each subsample of judges appointed by the three represented Presidents. The same pattern is found in the estimations, including a hierarchical linear model with random effects, which show women with statistically significant lower odds of reversal of between 6.6% to 8.9%. The only exception is the subset of opinions not having been assigned a primary case type by Westlaw. These include appellate dispositions presenting procedural matters, as well as perfunctory dispositions.
School-Age Test Proficiency and Special Education After Congenital Heart Disease Surgery in Infancy

Objective To evaluate test proficiency and the receipt of special education services in school-age children who had undergone surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) at age Study design Data from Arkansas-born children who underwent surgery for CHD at Arkansas Children's Hospital at age Results A total of 362 of 458 (79%) children who underwent surgery for CHD were matched to the Arkansas Department of Education database, 285 of whom had grade 3 and/or 4 achievement tests scores. Fewer students with CHD achieved proficiency in literacy and mathematics ( P P P P Conclusion Children with CHD had poorer academic achievement and were more likely to receive special education services than all state students. Results from this study support the need for neurodevelopmental evaluations as standard practice in children with CHD.
Conventional Values of Water

This chapter addresses tangible values of water. Here we see that even by conventional microeconomic standards, valuing water is a complex matter. In order to set the stage for a discussion of water marketing, we introduce the terminology that we will use throughout the book, and we briefly address the idea of commodification. After that, we begin the challenging discourse about value. We look at the literature regarding both conventional and non-conventional values of water, and we place these in the context ofpolicy learning. Finally, we examine specific ways in which water managers place value on water in a market system, and we include various branches of economics that allow broader views on the topic.
Liability and informed consent in the context of shared decision making

The idea of shared decision making (SDM) is gaining traction within emergency medicine, although concerns about potential legal consequences of its use may be slowing its adoption. We describe the similarities and differences between informed consent (IC) requirements and SDM, highlighting their different purposes, scope, and implementation. We also illustrate several areas in which SDM may affect clinicians' liability risks and suggest that while SDM is likely to reduce net liability risks, it may increase providers' liability risks in certain situations or with select patients. Overall, engaging in SDM should be understood as clearly distinct from the process of obtaining IC and could reduce clinicians' risk of liability when applied carefully and thoughtfully.
Improving Temporal Relation Extraction with Training Instance Augmentation

Temporal relation extraction is important for understanding the ordering of events in narrative text. We describe a method for increasing the number of high-quality training instances available to a temporal relation extraction task, with an adaptation to different annotation styles in the clinical domain by taking advantage of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS). This method notably improves clinical temporal relation extraction, works beyond featurizing or duplicating the same information, can generalize between-argument signals in a more effective and robust fashion. We also report a new state-of-the-art result, which is a two point improvement over the best Clinical TempEval 2016 system.
Solutions to systems of nonlinear equations via genetic algorithm

Solving systems of nonlinear equations is perhaps the most difficult problem in all of numerical computation. In this paper, a hybrid scheme is presented in which a genetic algorithm is used to locate efficient initial guesses which are supplied to a Newton method for solving a system of nonlinear equations. The hybrid scheme is tested on a specific example that is representative of this class of problems - one of determining the coefficients used in Gauss-Legendre numerical integration.
Ultra-sensitive PT-symmetric coupled cavities

We present a new class of ultra-sensitive PT-symmetric photonic molecules based on higher-order exceptional points. Methods to realize such sensitive structures are explored in InGaAsP arrangements by appropriately controlling the perturbations in the system.
Absent Performances: Distant Fieldwork on Social Movement Theater of Algeria and India

This chapter addresses the social movement theater produced by Abdelkader Alloula, the playwright and actor regarded as having revitalized the Algerian theater through the adaptation of local and popular forms. In a context where there is little record of the open-air theater practices that Alloula developed in the 1960s and 1970s and then carried onto Algeria’s main stages, this chapter asks how forms of comparative fieldwork, or “distant fieldwork,” might be used to imagine the social dynamics of Alloula’s innovative technique. Drawing on fieldwork focused on the open-air political theater production of the North Indian group the Jana Natya Manch (People’s Theatre Group), I read Alloula’s play El-Adjouad (The Generous Ones) to uncover traces of its history as political, open-air performance.
TGF-β-target genes are differentially regulated in corneal epithelial cells and fibroblasts.

Purpose Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) activates the canonical Smad pathway, which includes the Smad family of proteins and SARA (Smad Anchor for Receptor Activation) and other less understood pathways, including one involving p38MAPK. The goal of the current research was to determine if corneal epithelial cells and fibroblasts used the classical or alternative TGF-β-signaling pathways. To examine this question, we made use of Trx-SARA, which inhibits native SARA, thus blocking the Smad pathway. Methods A human corneal epithelial cell line (HCE-TJ), and stromal fibroblasts (HCF) were infected with retroviruses (RTV) containing either Trx-SARA or Trx-GA (a control plasmid). The effect of Trx-SARA on thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) expression in both cell types, p15ink4b expression in HCE-TJ, and cellular fibronectin (cFN) expression in HCF was determined. In addition, the effect of p38MAPK inhibitor on TSP-1 and p15ink4b were examined. Results In HCE-TJ with TGF-β1, TSP-1-protein levels increased and peaked at 24 hours. Trx-SARA reduced TSP-1 expression in HCE-TJ, but had no effect on p15ink4b. With HCF, Trx-SARA failed to reduce TSP-1 expression; however, cFN expression decreased and proliferation was inhibited. By blocking the p38MAPK pathway, TSP-1 expression was reduced in HCF and p15ink4b expression was decreased in HCE-TJ. Conclusions Surprisingly, TSP-1 was regulated through the Smad pathway in HCE-TJ and the p38MAPK pathway in HCF. The p38MAPK pathway also induced p15ink4b in HCE-TJ. Our results indicate that not all TGF-β-target proteins require the Smad pathway, and it may be possible to block certain TGF-β-target proteins without blocking the expression of all the TGF-β-target proteins.
The Ideology of U.S. Agriculture: How Are Integrated Management Approaches Envisioned?

ABSTRACTThe ease and affordability of the herbicide glyphosate and the development of glyphosate tolerant crops has encouraged a simplified weed management system in the U.S. However, the overuse of this technological package in recent years has led to an explosion in the number of herbicide resistant weeds and a decrease in the effectiveness of glyphosate. In addition to this bio-chemical problem, many growers appear to be stuck within a farming ideology that focuses on a reduction in time/labor, an increase in profitability and a vision of ever-increasing efficiencies of scale. This may prevent them from conceptualizing and implementing solutions that fall outside of a simple herbicide application plan. The objective of this paper is to begin describing the current ideology of industrial corn and soybean farmers in the United States, as well as how this ideology contributes to farmers’ resistance to complex weed management strategies.
Cranial Imaging Before Lumbar Puncture in Adults With Community-Acquired Meningitis: Clinical Utility and Adherence to the Infectious Diseases Society of America Guidelines

Background. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines delineate criteria for the use of computed tomography (CT) scan of the head before lumbar puncture (LP) in adults with community-acquired meningitis (CAM). There are limited data to document adherence to these guidelines and assess the clinical utility of brain imaging. Methods. This was a retrospective analysis from January 2005 to January 2010 in Houston, Texas. Results. Among 614 adults with CAM, 407 patients (66.3%) did not have an indication for a head CT scan and 207 (33.7%) did. Patients with a CT scan indication were older, had more comorbidities, were sicker, and had more urgent treatable etiologies and adverse clinical outcomes (P < .001). A CT scan was ordered before the LP in 549 patients (89%). Overall, clinicians did not adhere to clinical guidelines in 368 of 614 (60%) subjects. A CT of the head was ordered when not indicated in 355 of 549 patients (64%), and not done when indicated in 13 of 207 patients (0.6%). CT of the head revealed intracranial abnormalities in 35 of 193 patients (18.1%) with an indication for brain imaging, compared with only 2 of 356 (0.05%) with no indication (P < .05). Major intracranial findings were seen in only 15 of 549 (2.7%) patients, all with an indication for brain imaging. Furthermore, only 8 patients had abnormalities that affected clinical management. Conclusions. Most clinicians do not adhere to IDSA guidelines, delaying diagnostic LP and increasing costs. Usefulness of head CT in patients with CAM without an indication for imaging is limited and has no impact in clinical management.
Psychological and emotional concomitants of infertility diagnosis in women with diminished ovarian reserve or anatomical cause of infertility.

Objective To examine the magnitude and predictors of emotional reactions to an infertility diagnosis in two groups of women: those with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), and those clinically diagnosed with an anatomical cause of infertility (ACI). Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Academic and private fertility clinics. Patient(s) Women diagnosed with DOR (n = 51) and women diagnosed with ACI (n = 51). Intervention(s) Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure(s) Fertility Problem Inventory (infertility distress), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Health Orientation Scale (emotional reactions to receiving a diagnosis). Result(s) Women with DOR had statistically significantly higher infertility distress scores than women with ACI and higher scores on subscales assessing distress from social concerns, sexual concerns, and a need for parenthood. In both groups, higher self-esteem was associated with lower infertility distress. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that for women with DOR and those with ACI lower infertility distress but not self-esteem predicted a more positive emotional reaction toward receiving a fertility diagnosis. Conclusion(s) Women diagnosed with DOR have greater infertility distress but similar self-esteem and emotional reactions to their diagnosis compared with women who have an anatomical cause of infertility. These results suggest that for both groups distress surrounding infertility itself may influence the way women respond to learning the cause of their infertility.
EI Approaches to Treating Anxiety in Adolescents

This chapter explores the use of existential-integrative (EI) techniques in the treatment of adolescents experiencing anxiety. It begins with an overview of the clinical description, incidence, and prevalence of anxiety disorders in adolescents, followed by a description of the etiology of these disorders. The author then reviews established treatment approaches as well as specific EI techniques that one could apply to the treatment of anxiety. Also included is a conceptualization of anxiety from an EI framework. The chapter closes with a composite case example from the author’s own practice.
Impact of surgical intensive care unit interdisciplinary rounds on interprofessional collaboration and quality of care: Mixed qualitative-quantitative study.

Abstract Background Interprofessional collaboration is a key requirement for safe and effective care delivery in the critical care setting. To promote collaboration between care providers, intensive care unit interdisciplinary rounds have been introduced by multiple institutions and subsequent subjective improvements in interprofessional collaboration have been reported. However, only limited data are currently available regarding the impact of these rounds on objective patient care outcomes. Objectives The study had two main goals: (i) to evaluate the impact of introducing an interdisciplinary rounding format that formalised the participation of nurses in rounds on the effectiveness of interprofessional collaboration, specifically between nurses and physicians; and (ii) to evaluate a possible impact of adopting these rounds on measurable patient care outcomes. Methods General surgery rounds were introduced in our 32-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit. The impact of the rounds on the quality of collaboration was measured using anonymous web-based surveys of nurses and surgeons. Rates of falls and self-extubations (adverse events) were compared during five month pre- and post-intervention periods (August 2014–Jun 2015). Results Both nurses and physicians reported subjective improvement in collaboration following the introduction of interdisciplinary rounds. Additionally, a decline in both rates of falls and self-extubations was observed in the post-intervention period; however, due to the rarity of these events, neither trend reached statistical significance. Conclusions Interdisciplinary rounds provide an attractive model for improving interprofessional collaboration in critical care. Our findings add support to the growing evidence that interdisciplinary rounds improve collaboration and have a positive impact on the quality of patient care delivery.
Network Analysis of U.S. Hurricanes

Abstract Hurricanes affecting the United States are examined with methods of network analysis. Network analysis is used in a variety of fields to study relational data, but has yet to be employed to study hurricane climatology. The present work is expository introducing network analysis and showing one way it can be applied to understand regional hurricane activity. The network links coastal locations (termed “nodes”) with particular hurricanes (termed “links”). The topology of the network is examined using local and global measures. Results show that certain regions of the coast (like the state of Louisiana) have high occurrence rates, but not necessarily high values of connectivity. Regions with the highest values of connectivity include southwest Florida, northwest Florida, and North Carolina. Virginia, which has a relatively low occurrence rate, is centrally located in the network having a relatively high value of betweenness. Six conditional networks are constructed based on years of below and above average values of important climate variables. Significant differences in the connectivity of the network are noted between phases of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation.
METABOLOMICS PROFILING OF LEFT VENTRICULAR DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN WOMEN WITH, OR AT RISK FOR HIV INFECTION: THE WOMEN'S INTERAGENCY HIV STUDY

People living with HIV infection have an increased risk of heart failure independent from their risk of coronary disease. In the era of antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV infection has been associated with a high prevalence of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, as well as increased patchy
Conceptualizing the Roles of Founder Personality Traits in Startups' Construction of Brand Identity

Founder personality traits (FPT's in short) play unique roles in a start-up organization's brand identity construction (BIC in short) and hence merit more research attention (Miller 2015). Here, st...
Six-Legged Colonists: The Establishment and Distribution of Non-Native Beetles in Boston Harbor Islands NRA

Abstract Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area lies in a busy, urban harbor that has been receiving immigrants, both vertebrate and invertebrate, since the 17th century. As part of an All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory conducted in the park from 2005 to 2011, we documented the abundance and distribution of native and non-native beetles across 15 islands and peninsulas in Boston Harbor. We hypothesized that proportions of non-native species on the islands would be high relative to the nearby mainland (Rhode Island) and other more isolated coastal islands in Massachusetts. We also compared distribution patterns between native and non-native species and tested the predictive value of island size and isolation for determining species richness on individual islands. Focusing on 6 beetle families, we documented 105 non-native beetles out of a total of 442 species. The proportion of non-native species was 2–3 times higher in Boston Harbor Islands than in Rhode Island for all 6 beetle families, as well as f...
Introduction to Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy has had a tremendous impact on the mental health field within the past decade as a result of its demonstrated effectiveness in understanding and treating the broad ranges of emotional and behavioral disorders (DeRubeis, Hollon, Evans, & Bemis, 1982; Dobson, in press; Epstein, 1982; Foreyt & Rathjen, 1979; Freeman, Simon, Beutler, & Arkowitz, 1989; Hollon & Beck, 1986; Holroyd & Andrasik, 1982; Jacobson, 1984), including medical disorders (Freeman & Greenwood, 1987; Hibbert, Gordon, Egelko, & Langer, 1986; Horan, Hackett, Buchanan, Stone, & Demchik-Stone, 1977; Kendall & Hollon, 1979; Weisman & Worden, 1979), the control of obesity and eating disorders (Clark & Bemis, 1982; Dunkel & Garlos, 1978), and group therapy for depression (Yost, Beutler, Corbishley, & Allender, 1986). Most recently, cognitive therapy has been applied to resolving marital discord (Beck, 1988; Dattilio, 1989; Dattilio and Padesky, 1990; Epstein, 1982; Margolis & Weiss, 1978); family problems (Epstein, Schlesinger, & Dryden, 1988; Dattillio, in press); and personality disorders (Beck, Freeman, & Associates, 1990; Young, 1990).
Computed tomographic appearance of epidural empyema in a dog

The computed tomographic (CT) appearance of epidural empyema in a 5.5-month-old, intact male boxer dog is described. Epidural empyema was diagnosed by means of CT, surgery, and bacterial culture. The imaging and pathogenesis of epidural abscesses and the pitfalls of differentiating caudal fossa lesions from severe cranial cervical lesions are discussed.
Meaning and Noema

Although the concept of the noema was explicitly introduced in the Ideen, it is, in Eugen Fink’s terminology, more an operative concept of Husserlian phenomenology than a thematic concept (Fink, 59f.): it quickly became a working concept which was used rather than thematized for itself. A complicating factor is the fact that the background in Husserl’s thought for the concept of the noema is rather mixed. As Ludwig Landgrebe has noted, although the concept of the noema is introduced “in the context of the analysis of sense perception and perceptual judgments as assertions concerning the results of perception” (Landgrebe, 122), it is perceptual judgment that is the model for the concept. The concepts of the matter and the quality of an act, developed in the Logical Investigations, are now introduced as the sense and thetic character of the noema. Landgrebe even goes so far as to claim that “The legitimate locus of the use of the concepts ‘noema’ and ‘noesis’ is thus the theory of predicative judgments. Noema is the ‘that about which’ of assertion...” (ibid., 123).
Two-dimensional study of transverse stresses in axially loaded sections: Technical note describes a photoelastic study of transverse tensile stresses in rectangular sections due to uniformly distributed axial loads and compares it to applicable mathematical solutions

This study is basically experimental in nature, utilizing the photoelastic technique to obtain stresses due to single, uniformly distributed, axial compressive loads of various widths. Existing literature on the subject provides a comparison of these experimental results with those obtained from applicable mathematical analyses.
Current Understandings and Directions for Future Research

This chapter summarizes the findings and discussion focused on ACL risk factors, screening, and injury prevention from the 2015 ACL Research Retreat. Risk factors include neuromuscular, anatomical, structural, genetic, and hormonal. For each risk factor, the current understandings, key unknowns, and directions for future research are described. In addition, risk factor screening and injury prevention are discussed in a similar manner. A consensus statement was devised that reflects the most recent advances in this field.
Rapidly Reprocessable Cross-Linked Polyhydroxyurethanes Based on Disulfide Exchange

Polymer networks that are cross-linked by dynamic covalent bonds often sacrifice the robust mechanical properties of traditional thermosets in exchange for rapid and efficient reprocessability. Pol...
Colonial toxicities in a recursive mode

It is a privilege and pleasure to engage the close readings and thoughtful queries of the five commentators who contributed to this forum on Duress. They provide an opportunity to reflect on – and ...
Smc3 is required for mouse embryonic and adult hematopoiesis

SMC3 encodes a subunit of the cohesin complex that has canonical roles in regulating sister chromatids segregation during mitosis and meiosis. Recurrent heterozygous mutations in SMC3 have been reported in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other myeloid malignancies. In this study, we investigated whether the missense mutations in SMC3 might have dominant-negative effects or phenocopy loss-of-function effects by comparing the consequences of Smc3-deficient and -haploinsufficient mouse models. We found that homozygous deletion of Smc3 during embryogenesis or in adult mice led to hematopoietic failure, suggesting that SMC3 missense mutations are unlikely to be associated with simple dominant-negative phenotypes. In contrast, haploinsufficiency was tolerated during embryonic and adult hematopoiesis. Under steady-state conditions, Smc3 haploinsufficiency did not alter colony forming in methylcellulose, only modestly decreased mature myeloid cell populations, and led to limited expression changes and chromatin alteration in Lin–cKit+ bone marrow cells. However, following transplantation, engraftment, and subsequent deletion, we observed a hematopoietic competitive disadvantage across myeloid and lymphoid lineages and within the stem/progenitor compartments. This disadvantage was not affected by hematopoietic stresses, but was partially abrogated by concurrent Dnmt3a haploinsufficiency, suggesting that antecedent mutations may be required to optimize the leukemogenic potential of Smc3 mutations.
Supporting Out‐of‐School Time Staff in Low Resource Communities: A Professional Development Approach

Federally funded out-of-school time (OST) programs provide academic support, enrichment, and safety for students and families in low-resource communities. However, programs struggle to meet these aims, in part because of the lack of program structure and limited training and support for staff. This observational case study documents the training and technical assistance (TA) delivered to OST frontline staff and program leadership to implement Positive Behavior in Out-of-School Time (Positive BOOST), an adaptation of positive behavior interventions and supports conducted in multiple settings. Findings across three programs indicate that varied levels of TA (i.e., business as usual, performance feedback, coaching) are associated with different levels of staff- and program-level implementation. Taken together with previous research, these findings suggest that targeted investment in developing the skills of OST staff and improving program-wide outcomes is critical for supporting youth in low-resource communities.
Precipitation of insulinotropin in the presence of protamine: effect of phenol and zinc on the isophane ratio and the insulinotropin concentration in the supernatant.

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to determine the minimum quantity of protamine required for the completion of insulinotropin precipitation under different precipitation conditions. Methods. The experiments involved combining insulinotropin with varying concentrations of protamine in pH 7.2 phosphate buffered saline and analyzing the concentrations of both proteins in the supernatant. Isophane ratio (the protamine/insulinotropin molar ratio that results in a minimum total protein concentration in the supernatant) was determined for different precipitation conditions. Results. When neutral solutions of insulinotropin (pI 5.3) and protamine (pI 13.8) were combined, precipitation did not occur. However, in the presence of phenol and/or zinc, insulinotropin co-precipitated with protamine. In the presence of phenol, the isophane ratio and the insulinotropin concentration in the supernatant were determined to be 0.08 and 0.18 mg/ml, respectively. In the presence of zinc, the isophane ratio increased with zinc concentration, apparently from the precipitation of protamine in the presence of zinc. The isophane ratio and the insulinotropin concentration in the supernatant were 0.13 and 0.13 mg/ml, respectively, when the zinc/insulinotropin molar ratio was one. In the presence of phenol and zinc with the zinc/ insulinotropin molar ratio of 1.0, the isophane ratio and the insulinotropin concentration in the supernatant were 0.11 and 1 µg/ml, respectively. Conclusions. A method to determine the isophane ratio of protamine/insulinotropin precipitation was developed to determine the minimum quantity of protamine required for the completion of insulinotropin precipitation under different precipitation conditions. A synergistic effect between phenol and zinc on the precipitation of insulinotropin in the presence of protamine was found.
Physician leadership and health information exchange: literature review.

Background Notwithstanding two decades of health information exchange (HIE) failures across the country, the US government has incorporated HIE into Meaningful Use Stage 2, which, in turn, has sparked renewed physicians’ interest in HIE. Objective The purpose of this paper was to conduct a literature review to understand how physician leadership might have assisted in supporting organisations in achieving HIE collaboration. Method The authors conducted a review of the literature about HIE and physician challenges from 2009 to present to identify peer-reviewed publications which might apply. Reviewers abstracted each publication for predetermined issues related to physician leadership. Themes were identified based on the literature findings. Results The literature review demonstrated four important themes (physician leader characteristics) that can assist in bridging the gap and creating collaboration in an HIE. The themes found in this study were: trust among physicians, promote involvement and buy-in, infuse value proposition and competition. Conclusion This paper contributes to the healthcare literature by conducting a literature review of the existing literature of surrounding HIE implementation and physician leaders. Specifically, we sought to gain insight into the change process and how physician leaders have demonstrated an impact on the process. This research is the first of its kind to synthesise leadership issues related to HIE and specifically explore the role of physician leader impact on HIE.
Creative procrastinators: Mapping a complex terrain

Abstract Employing forgetting fixation theory, we distinguish between passive and active procrastinators by examining their impacts on creativity along with the moderating roles of emotional stability and conscientiousness. Across two independent studies with students (Study 1) and the general public (Study 2), we found different effects on self-reported versus expert-rated task creativity. Passive procrastination had a negative relationship with self-reported creativity but a positive relationship with expert-rated creativity. The four dimensions of active procrastination had mixed effects on creativity. The effects of a person's ability to meet deadlines – a facet of active procrastination – on both creativity measures were further enhanced by conscientiousness. Emotional stability weakened the positive effect of another facet of active procrastination, preference for pressure, on expert-rated creativity. By delineating the differential relationship of two types of procrastination with creativity, this study highlights the importance of refining a model of purposeful delay in creativity.
Review: I'm Not Like Everybody Else: Biopolitics, Neoliberalism, and American Popular Music by Jeffrey T. Nealon

Jeffrey T. Nealon, I'm Not Like Everybody Else: Biopolitics, Neoliberalism, and American Popular Music . Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 2018. 130 pp. A few years ago, a friend introduced me to William Onyeabor's infectiously feel-good early synth-funk song, “Fantastic Man.”
Chapter 39 – Natural Killer Cell Deficiency

Natural killer (NK) cells are vital components of human immunity. While their function can be impaired in many primary immune deficiency diseases, in rare patients the defect in NK cells represents the major immune abnormality. These individuals have NK cell deficiency (NKD), and generally suffer from unusual consequences of herpesviral or papilloma virus infections. There are presently two types of NKD: that caused by NK cells being absent from peripheral blood, and that caused by NK cell functions being defective despite NK cells being present in peripheral blood. The former is known as classical NKD (CNKD) and the latter as functional NKD (FNKD). There are presently two known genes that, when mutated, can cause CNKD (GATA2 and MCM4), and one that causes FNKD (CD16). In this chapter, NK cells are introduced and NKD is defined and reviewed.