cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavior Genetics: What's New? What's Next?:

What’s new in behavior genetics? With widespread acceptance that nearly all behavioral variation reflects some genetic influence, current studies are investigating developmental changes in the nature and magnitude of genetic and environmental effects, the extent to which different behaviors are influenced by common genes, and different forms of gene-environment correlation and interaction. New designs, focused on assessment of unrelated children in the same households or neighborhood environments, and use of measured environmental variables within genetically informative designs, are yielding more incisive evidence of common environmental effects on behavior. What will be next? Behavior genetic techniques and analyses will be used to inform efforts to find genes altering susceptibility for disorder and dispositional genes affecting behavioral variation. The developing integration of behavioral and molecular genetics will identify genes influencing specific behavioral variation and enhance understanding of how they do so. Psychologists will play a pivotal role in communicating that understanding to the public and in facilitating consideration of the inevitable ethical issues then to be confronted.
Comparison and Evaluation of the T-Lohi MAC for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

This paper introduces T-Lohi, a new class of distributed and energy-efficient media-access protocols (MAC) for underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWSN). MAC design for UWSN faces significant challenges. For example, acoustic communication suffers from latencies five orders-of-magnitude larger than radio communication, so a naive CSMA MAC would require very long listen time resulting in low throughput and poor energy efficiency. In this paper, we first identify unique characteristics in underwater networking that may affect all MACs, such as space-time uncertainty and deafness conditions. We then develop T-Lohi employing a novel tone-based contention resolution mechanism that exploits space-time uncertainty and high latency to detect collisions and count contenders, achieving good throughput across all offered loads. T-Lohi exploits a low-power wake-up receiver to significantly reduce energy consumption. We evaluate design choices and protocol performance through extensive simulation. Finally, we compare T-Lohi against a few canonical MAC protocols. The results show that the energy cost of packet transmission is within 3-9% of optimal, and that Lohi achieves good channel utilization, within 30% utilization of the theoretical maximum. We also show that Lohi is stable and fair under both low and very high offered loads. Finally, we compare Lohi with other alternatives, including TDMA, CSMA, and ALOHA. Except for TDMA under heavy load, Lohi provides the best utilization in all cases, and it is always the most energy efficient.
Light waves at the boundary of nonlinear media

Solutions to Maxwell's equations in nonlinear dielectrics are presented which satisfy the boundary conditions at a plane interface between a linear and nonlinear medium. Harmonic waves emanate from the boundary. Generalizations of the well-known laws of reflection and refraction give the direction of the boundary harmonic waves. Their intensity and polarization conditions are described by generalizations of the Fresnel formulas. The equivalent Brewster angle for harmonic waves is derived. The various conditions for total reflection and transmission of boundary harmonics are discussed. The solution of the nonlinear plane parallel slab is presented which describes the harmonic generation in experimental situations. An integral equation formulation for wave propagation in nonlinear media is sketched. Implications of the nonlinear boundary theory for experimental systems and devices are pointed out.
Monitoring the Climate of the Old Northwest: 1820–1895

Systematic gathering of climate data in the Old Northwest began in the second decade of the 1800s, prompted by curiosity and practical concerns. Climate information was needed for agriculture and commerce, to investigate the possible relationship between weather and human diseases, and to develop a scientific understanding of storms. In addition, the climate record fueled speculation that the climate was changing and human activities associated with settlement were contributing factors. The first widespread networks of weather/climate stations in the Old Northwest were operated by the US Army Medical Department, the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, and the Smithsonian Institution. By the mid-1870s, the early climate stations and telegraph-linked weather stations became part of a new national weather service operated by the Army Signal Service (forerunner of today’s National Weather Service) whose primary aim was short-term weather forecasting. Examination of these first weather/climate observation networks reveals how instrumentation and observation techniques evolved with important implications for the study of climate change.
Historical Changes in Forest Cover and Land Ownership in a Midwestern U.S. Landscape

Abstract Environmental history in the Midwestern Corn Belt includes changes through time in landowners and their consequent effect on agricultural and uncultivated land resources. We examined these changes in Israel Township, southwestern Ohio, using archival accounts from the mid 1800s, land-cover maps compiled from 1935, 1956, and 1984 aerial images, and land-ownership records from 1912, 1940, 1968, 1974, 1983, and 1989 parcel maps. Historical records document the clearing of beech-maple forests for agriculture and show the economic contributions of forests to early settlement. Between 1935 and 1984, agricultural lands declined from 84 percent to 78 percent and forests increased from 10 percent to 19 percent. These are slight changes in comparison with the more than 90 percent of the uncultivated lands that experienced transitions among land uses. We document a decline in land-cover diversity, with losses in successional lands and most forest growth localized to lower stream valleys and Hueston Woods St...
Correlates of Alcohol Abuse/Dependence in Early-Onset Alcohol-Using Women

Early-onset alcohol use is associated with increased vulnerability to subsequent alcohol abuse and dependence. However, not all early-onset alcohol users develop alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Using a sample of young women from the United States, we identify correlates that contribute to a greater likelihood of AUDs in early-onset alcohol users. Using interview and questionnaire data on participants of the Missouri Adolescent Female Twin Study (MOAFTS), we examine whether measures from domains including sociodemographic, pubertal development, religiosity, educational achievement, adverse life events, internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, and family history and discipline were associated with development of AUDs in 1,158 women who had their first drink of alcohol prior to age 16. Early-onset drinkers were 3.6 times more likely to meet criteria for AUDs than later onset drinkers. While univariate analyses revealed that a host of correlates were associated with likelihood of AUDs in early-onset drinkers, multivariate analyses suggested that, even after accounting for a particularly early age of onset of drinking, those with a history of physical abuse, cotwin alcohol problems, conduct disorder, regular smoking, older peers, and peer substance use were considerably more likely to meet criteria for AUDs than early-onset drinkers without a lifetime history of these correlates. The progression from first drink to AUDs is complex, and while early age at first drink is a potent risk factor, other aspects of psychopathology, family history, conduct problems, and peer affiliations can exacerbate or alleviate the risk of AUDs in these young female drinkers.
Methods for measuring knowledge-transfer effectiveness in user and training documentation

Many instruments are available that measure the capacity for establishing peer-level communication skills. However, few exist that evaluate the effectiveness of knowledge transfer in the writer-reader relationship. The Learning Style Inventory (LSI), the User Empowerment Inventory (UEI) and think-aloud protocols help to assess how people acquire new knowledge and process information. The results of such measurements/observations help to determine user requirements. This paper presents a case history where LSI, UEI and think-aloud protocols were used to help improve both user and training documentation in an adverse, reactionary project environment.
An H2 Upper Bound Approach for Control of Collocated Structural Systems

This paper presents an explicit expression for an upper bound on the H2 norm for structural systems with collocated sensors and actuators. First, we consider an open-loop collocated structural system and obtain an upper bound for the H2 norm using a particular solution for the linear matrix inequality formulation of the H2 norm analysis conditions. Next, we address the problem of static output feedback controller design for such systems. By employing simple algebraic tools, we derive an explicit parametrization of controller gains which guarantee a prescribed H2 norm performance of the closed-loop system. At last, numerical examples are provided to validate the advantages of the proposed techniques. The effectiveness of the proposed bound and control design method becomes apparent, especially in very large scale structural systems where using classical methods of solving Lyapunov and Riccati equations are time-consuming or intractable.
Subgroup centrality measures

In this paper we examine natural generalizations of four widely used centrality measures to subgroups of nodes in a network. This allows for a division into local and global influence. As an example, we analyze a classic network and discuss previously hidden features made visible by these new techniques. Network-wide measures and centralization formulae are derived.
Deflagrations and detonations in thermonuclear supernovae

We study a type Ia supernova explosion using three-dimensional numerical simulations based on reactive fluid dynamics. We consider a delayed-detonation model that assumes a deflagration-to-detonation transition. In contrast with the pure deflagration model, the delayed-detonation model releases enough energy to account for a healthy explosion, and does not leave carbon, oxygen, and intermediate-mass elements in central parts of a white dwarf. This removes the key disagreement between simulations and observations, and makes a delayed detonation the mostly likely mechanism for type Ia supernovae.
The consequences of denoising marker-based metagenomic data

Background Early marker-based metagenomic studies, such as those of the human microbiome, were performed without properly accounting for the effects of noise (pyrosequencing errors, PCR single-base errors, and PCR chimeras). One popular solution to address these issues is to utilize AmpliconNoise [1]. This collection of algorithms was validated on mock community datasets in which the ‘correct’ result, such as the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), was known. However, when conducting a real study, one will not know the correct result, but still must consider how the data has been transformed by denoising. Materials and methods We applied AmpliconNoise to several real metagenomic datasets. At each stage of the pipeline, we reconstituted the reads and determined how they had been affected. The changes were quantified as substitutions, insertions, deletions and ‘3’ gap’, which is the number of bases removed from (or added to) the 3’ end of a read. We further analyzed the effects of the related denoising programs in QIIME (Denoiser [2]) and in mothur [3]. Results The preliminary filtering steps of AmpliconNoise caused most of the sequence reads to be eliminated or truncated. Following this, the algorithm PyroNoise caused changes to the reads that were inconsistent with the known spectrum of pyrosequencing errors, until one of the parameters was increased substantially. Additionally, because PyroNoise mapped reads onto longer representatives, sequences were added to the 3’ ends of reads that were often dissimilar from those that were removed by the truncations of the filtering steps. After this, SeqNoise, which was designed to remove PCR single-base errors, further clustered the reads and caused even more changes to the reads with little justification. Denoiser, which is based on an earlier version of AmpliconNoise, caused far more changes to the data. The evaluation of the changes was not as clear here, since they were not clearly delineated as to which type of errors they were correcting, but we found some of the same flawed methodology that produced much of the negative effects seen in AmpliconNoise. This was also true of the denoising programs in mothur, which were recoded directly from the AmpliconNoise algorithms. Conclusions While reducing the effects of noise in the analysis of marker-based metagenomic data is important, the algorithms of AmpliconNoise make changes to sequence reads that are inconsistent with simply removing noise. We recommend that those using AmpliconNoise be cognizant of the possible side effects and, at a minimum, consider adjusting the parameters of the algorithms accordingly.
What happens if density increases? Conservation implications of population influx into refuges

Sudden catastrophic events like fires, hurricanes, tsunamis, landslides and deforestation increase population densities in habitat fragments, as fleeing animals encroach into these refuges. Such sudden overcrowding will trigger transient fluctuations in population size in the refuges, which may expose refuge populations to an increased risk of extinction. Until recently, detailed information about the operation of density dependence in stage-structured populations, and tools for quantifying the effects of transient dynamics, have not been available, so that exploring the extinction risk of such transient fluctuations has been intractable. Here, we use such recently developed tools to show that extinction triggered by overcrowding can threaten populations in refuges. Apart from situations where density dependence acts on survival, our results indicate that short-lived species may be more at risk than longer-lived species. Because dynamics in local populations may be critical for the preservation of metapopulations and rare species, we argue that this aspect warrants further attention from conservation biologists.
Identification of a Tissue-Selective Heat Shock Response Regulatory Network

The heat shock response (HSR) is essential to survive acute proteotoxic stress and has been studied extensively in unicellular organisms and tissue culture cells, but to a lesser extent in intact metazoan animals. To identify the regulatory pathways that control the HSR in Caenorhabditis elegans, we performed a genome-wide RNAi screen and identified 59 genes corresponding to 7 positive activators required for the HSR and 52 negative regulators whose knockdown leads to constitutive activation of the HSR. These modifiers function in specific steps of gene expression, protein synthesis, protein folding, trafficking, and protein clearance, and comprise the metazoan heat shock regulatory network (HSN). Whereas the positive regulators function in all tissues of C. elegans, nearly all of the negative regulators exhibited tissue-selective effects. Knockdown of the subunits of the proteasome strongly induces HS reporter expression only in the intestine and spermatheca but not in muscle cells, while knockdown of subunits of the TRiC/CCT chaperonin induces HS reporter expression only in muscle cells. Yet, both the proteasome and TRiC/CCT chaperonin are ubiquitously expressed and are required for clearance and folding in all tissues. We propose that the HSN identifies a key subset of the proteostasis machinery that regulates the HSR according to the unique functional requirements of each tissue.
A multi-gain sliding mode based controller for the pitch angle control of a civil aircraft

A multi-gain sliding mode based controller for the pitch angle control of a civil aircraft is presented in this paper. The proposed controller is based on a novel concept of the sliding mode controllers in which multiple gains are being used to control the pitch angle of an aircraft and make it insensitive to parameter variations while reducing the chattering and guaranteeing the stability of the closed loop system. The proposed approach was implemented on a Delilah aircraft model to control the pitch angle under faulty conditions. Performance comparison between the traditional one gain SMC and the proposed multi-gains SMC are discussed.
Theorising and strategising with models: generative models of social enterprises

Social entrepreneurship research often relies on presenting narratives of organisations that integrate various actors, actions, contextual elements and outcomes without a clear perspective on why these elements were selected and what can be learned from them. This paper provides a transparent and systematic process of modelling organisations and proposes a validity triangle that adequately integrates analytical, theoretical and ontological dimensions. An illustrative case study demonstrates the choices involved in a valid modelling process. It also illustrates the steps involved in building a generative model of a social enterprise that accounts for the mechanisms that explain how the focal organisation achieves multiple strategic objectives.
Geochemistry, radiocarbon ages, and paleorecharge conditions along a transect in the central High Plains aquifer, southwestern Kansas, USA

Abstract Water samples from short-screen monitoring wells installed along a 90-km transect in southwestern Kansas were analyzed for major ions, trace elements, isotopes (H, B, C, N, O, S, Sr), and dissolved gases (He, Ne, N2, Ar, O2, CH4) to evaluate the geochemistry, radiocarbon ages, and paleorecharge conditions in the unconfined central High Plains aquifer. The primary reactions controlling water chemistry were dedolomitization, cation exchange, feldspar weathering, and O2 reduction and denitrification. Radiocarbon ages adjusted for C mass transfers ranged from 10 ka to reduce the average NO3 concentration in recent recharge to the Holocene background concentration.
29Si nuclear magnetic resonance study of URu2Si2 under pressure

Abstract We report 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of single crystals and aligned powders of URu2Si2 under pressure in the hidden order and paramagnetic phases. We find that the Knight shift decreases with applied pressure, consistent with previous measurements of the static magnetic susceptibility. Previous measurements of the spin lattice relaxation time revealed a partial suppression of the density of states below 30 K. This suppression persists under pressure, and the onset temperature is mildly enhanced.
Valency Neutron Capture in Mo 92 ( n , γ ) Mo 93

Capture $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectra from the $^{92}\mathrm{Mo}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{93}\mathrm{Mo}$ reaction were measured for neutron energies below 100 keV using the 10-m flight path at the Oak Ridge electron linear accelerator. For neutron energies less than 25 keV a total of 23 different $s$- and $p$-wave resonances were resolved. The neutron binding energy is 8067.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 1.5 keV. The partial radiation widths for the 12 highest energy $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays which populate positive-parity states below 2.5-MeV excitation were deduced and compared to the valency-model predictions of Lane and Lynn. For $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray energies less than 6.5 MeV, the average $M1$ partial radiation width is approximately equal to the average $E1$ partial radiation width. The reduced transition strengths as defined by Bartholomew for these transitions are $\overline{k}(E1)=(1.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ and $\overline{k}(M1)=(11.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. For the 7126-keV transition to the ${s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ first excited state the average reduced strength is enhanced by a factor of 5 and 2 for the $E1$ and $M1$ transitions, respectively. Nearly 30% of this enhancement for the $E1$ multipoles is attributed to the valency-model contribution while the remainder is assigned to other processes such as the giant dipole resonance and doorway-state components. The average $E2$ width for the 8067-keV ground-state $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays is approximately 10% of the average $E1$ ground-state width.
Diagnosis and Management of Alzheimer Disease

Background: Alzheimer disease afflicts millions of older Americans, with an estimated cost to society approaching $100 million annually. Family physicians will care for an increasing number of patients with Alzheimer disease as well as their caregivers and families. Methods: A comprehensive and systematic review of the literature published between 1985 and 1998 about diagnosing and treating Alzheimer disease was conducted, using “dementia,” “Alzheimer9s disease,” and “treatment” as search strategy key words. Data and information that reported significant conclusions were critically reviewed. Potentially important new data about new agents that might be of benefit when caring for patients with Alzheimer disease are discussed. Results and Conclusions: The primary goals when treating Alzheimer disease patients are enhancing autonomy and functional abilities and maintaining quality of life for patients and caregivers. In addition to diagnostic and pharmacologic treatment, primary care physicians will be called upon to provide non-pharmacologic support to assist with behavioral, social, and living environment problems faced by these patients and their families. The most common pharmacologic treatment is cholinesterase inhibition. Two cholinesterase inhibitors, tacrine and donepezil, are effective in treating cognitive and global function. Newer cholinesterase inhibitors should soon be available that might offer safety advantages as well as efficacy in treating behavioral and psychiatric symptoms related to Alzheimer disease. Other agents, including vitamin E, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, estrogen, and Ginkgo biloba , are under investigation. Nonpharmacologic measures are important components in the management of Alzheimer disease. Support groups can help to diminish behavioral problems, maintain the patient9s independence, and provide relief for caregivers and families.
Moral distress in perinatal nursing

This work focuses on an emerging concept in nursing ethics--moral distress. Unlike an ethical dilemma where one does not know the right thing to do, in contrast, moral distress occurs when one knows the right thing to do but is constrained by the institution or one's coworkers in doing it. Moral distress is a process that involves recognition that a decision is difficult to act upon; the experience of emotional distress inherent in that situation; choosing strategies; and then acting. Whistle blowing and collaborative practice models both provide strategies for moral action in moral distress situations. Less dramatic and quieter forms of moral action will also be examined. Finally, developing the strength to move from moral distress to moral action will be discussed, as well as research implications for this emerging ethical issue.
A Survey of View-dependent Real-time Rendering Method for Large 3D Terrain

View-dependent real-time rendering of large3D terrain surface has been a hot spot both at home and abroad for a long time. The classification of rendering algorithms is summarized, which includes three categories: based on regular and irregular grid, based on in-core and out-of-core and based on CPU and GPU. The present situation and key techniques about real-time large 3D terrain surface rendering are elaborated, which utilizes out-of-core algorithm as the preprocessing tactic to solve the interaction rendering problem of large amount of model data, and adopts view-dependent multi-resolution technique to simplify the scene complexity and reduce the amount of rendering data. The advantages and disadvantages of each algorithm are also pointed out. At last, the current challenging problems and the future development are summed up.
Triazolam in insomniac family practice patients

Triazolam, 0.5 mg, a benzodiazepine with hypnotic properties, was compared to secobarbital, 100 mg, and placebo in a 1-wk study conducted with 100 insomniac family practice patients. Considerable sensitivity to differential treatment effects was demonstrated for these family practice patients as well as for a research methodology that combines a crossover design, permitting preference ratings, with a between-patient design. in almost all sleep parameters, assessed with a variety of subjective techniques, triazolam and secobarbital were shown to be significantly more effective than placebo. Triazolam was consistently and often significantly indicated to be a more effective hypnotic, particularly for reducing nocturnal awakening, than secobarbital. Analysis of self-report emotional distress data revealed that present insomniac patients were slightly more emotionally symptomatic than other nonpsychiatric populations. Triazolam was followed by the greatest and secobarbital the least relief of emotional symptoms and triazolam emerged as an especially effective hypnotic for initially more depressed insomniac patients. Present findings suggest that type and degree of emotional symptomatology may affect the response of insomniac patients to hypnotics.
Identifying Medical Center Units with Disproportionate Shares of Patient Complaints

Article-at-a-Glance Background A pilot study was conducted to learn whether an academic medical center's database of patient complaints would reveal particular service units (or clinics) with disproportionate shares of patient complaints, the types of complaints patients have about those units, and the types of personnel about whom the complaints were made. Results During the seven-year (December 1991–November 1998) study period, Office of Patient Affairs staff recorded 6,419 reports containing 15,631 individual complaints. More than 40% of the reports contained a single complaint. One-third of the reports contained three or more complaints. Complaints were associated with negative perceptions of care and treatment (29%), communication (22%), billing and payment (20%), humaneness of staff (13%), access to staff (9%), and cleanliness or safety of the environment (7%). Complaints were not evenly distributed across the medical center's various units, even when the data were corrected for numbers of patient visits to clinics or bed days in the hospital. The greatest proportion of complaints were associated with physicians. Discussion Complaint-based report cards may be used in interventions in which peers share the data with unit managers and seek to learn the nature of the problems, if any, that underlie the complaints. Such interventions should influence behavioral and systems changes in some units. Summary and conclusions Further experience should indicate how different types of complaints lead to different kinds of interventions and improvements in care. Tests of the system are also currently under way in several nonacademic community medical centers.
Histological image data of limb skeletal tissue from larval and adult Ambystoma mexicanum.

The data presented in this article are related to the article entitled “Cartilage and bone cells do not participate in skeletal regeneration in Ambystoma mexicanum limbs” [1]. Here we present image data of the post-embryonic development of the forelimb skeletal tissue of Ambystoma Mexicanum. Histological staining was performed on sections from the intact limbs of young (6.5 cm) and old (25 cm) animals, and on dissected skeletal tissues (cartilage, bone, and periosteum) from these animals.
A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Intentional Self Regulation and Youth Beliefs about the Chances of Achieving Future Aspirations

Using a mixed methods approach, the connection between Intentional Self Regulation (ISR) and feelings about the chances of achieving future aspirations among 94 Scottish youth (56% female) was examined. Regression analyses demonstrated ISR, as measured by the SOC 9-item scale, was predictive of youths’ feelings about their chances of achieving future aspirations. Qualitative data collected from 26 interviews suggested the use of ISR skills among adolescents, even when those skills were not evident quantitatively. Results indicated the need to employ mixed methodologies when conducting research on ISR with young adolescents, and suggest the need for further testing and development of measures for both ISR and beliefs about the chances of achieving future aspirations . Potential programmatic implications for youth development and character education programs are also discussed. T his is a correction to the original article. For information about the changes made, please see the erratum https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2017.500 .
7 – Economic Structure and the Individual Earnings Attainment Process

Publisher Summary Economic structure retains significant direct effects on employee earnings when controls are introduced for labor force composition, class, unionization, weeks and hours worked, and social background and schooling variables. This finding demonstrates that economic structure has a significant direct effect on employee earnings. Overall, the evaluation of the company- and industry-level models of economic structure against more fully specified individual-level models of earnings attainment has produced highly similar results. The direct effects of both models are somewhat reduced by the introduction of controls. However, except for the linear component of the company-level measure of corporate size, all of the economic structure variables have statistically significant direct effects in the models with full controls. In addition, all of the signs of these effects remain constant. These findings undermine human capital explanations of earnings inequality that attempt to reduce the process of earnings attainment to individual-level characteristics. These direct effects of economic structure operate through the provision of structural resources for all workers employed in specific industries, companies, or plants, regardless of the individual characteristics of those workers.
Factors associated with short-term transitions of non-daily smokers: socio-demographic characteristics and other tobacco product use.

Aims To examine the transitions in smoking status among nondaily smokers who transitioned to daily or former smokers or remained as nondaily smokers over a 12-month period. We analyzed factors associated with these transitions, including the use of cigars and smokeless tobacco (SLT). Design Secondary data analyses using pooled data from the 2003, 2006/07 and 2010/11 Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS). Setting USA Participants Self-respondents aged 18+ who have smoked for more than 5 years and were nondaily smokers 12 months before the interview (n = 13,673 or 14.5% of current smokers). Measurements Multinomial logistic regression model to determine the correlates of nondaily-to-daily, stable nondaily, and nondaily-to-former smoking transitions among nondaily smokers at baseline. The model controlled for socio-demographic factors and the use of cigars and SLT. Findings 2.6% of adults in our sample were nondaily smokers at baseline. Among these, 69.7% remained nondaily smokers (stable nondaily smokers), 18.4% became daily smokers (nondaily-to-daily smokers), and 11.9% quit smoking (nondaily-to-former smokers) after 12 months. The nondaily-to-daily vs. stable nondaily smoking transition was less likely among those who were aged 65+ (p = 0.018), male (p < 0.001), Hispanic (p < 0.001), with income of $25,000-49,999 or ≥ $75,000, and current users of SLT (p = 0.003), but more likely among those without a college degree compared with the appropriate reference group. The nondaily-to-former vs. stable nondaily smoking transition was less likely among those aged 25+, male (p = 0.013), non-Hispanic Asian (p = 0.032), without a college degree, widowed/divorced/separated (p = 0.013) or never married (p = 0.011), and current users of cigars (p = 0.003) compared with the appropriate reference group. Conclusions While over two-thirds of nondaily smokers in the USA remain as such after 12 months, others become daily smokers or quit. The likelihood of remaining stable nondaily smokers and of transition from nondaily-to-daily and nondaily-to-former smokers is associated with socio-demographics factors and current use of cigars and smokeless tobacco.
Frequency of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Subclinical Atherosclerosis Among Young Mexican Americans

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered as the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, whose criteria are risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of NAFLD, its association with subclinical atherosclerosis, and factors that may account for this association in Mexican Americans. In a population-based cross-sectional sample drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort in Texas, carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis, was measured. Abnormal carotid ultrasound study was defined as mean cIMT >75th percentile for age and gender and/or plaque presence. NAFLD was defined as steatosis by ultrasound in the absence of other causes of liver disease. Multivariable weighted regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between NAFLD and cIMT. Mean age was 50.4 ± 1.2 years with 58.3% women. Mean body mass index was 31.0 ± 0.4 kg/m2, and 54.0% had the metabolic syndrome. NAFLD was highly prevalent (48.80%); subjects with NAFLD had greater body mass index, central obesity, fasting glucose levels, and dyslipidemia and were more likely to have the metabolic syndrome. Nearly 1/3 of subjects with NAFLD also had evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis (31.2%). After adjusting for covariates, there was an independent association between NAFLD and increased cIMT only in younger subjects <45 years (p = 0.0328). Subjects with both abnormal liver and carotid ultrasound studies tended to be obese, diabetic and have the metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, NAFLD is highly prevalent in this Mexican American cohort, with an independent association between NAFLD and subclinical atherosclerosis among younger subjects; clustering of diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome in this health disparity cohort increases the risk of both liver disease and early atherosclerosis in young adults.
A Modern Look at ‘Interstellar Clouds’

We compare past and present modes of investigation of the structure of the interstellar gas. Many aspects of the interstellar cloud model are invalid.
Corrosion Performance of Epoxy-Coated Rebar in Florida Keys Bridges

Severe corrosion of epoxy coated rebar in the substructure of 5 major marine bridges in the Florida Keys was detected after only a few years of construction. Corrosion occurred underneath the coating and was preceded by loss of adherence between the steel and the coating. Damage surveys of the bridges, which were built around 1980, were conducted from 1986 to 2000. Corrosion resulted in delaminated areas (spalls) typically about 0.3 m each. After Initial detection, damage has been steadily accumulating at a rate of approximately 0.1 spall per bridge pier (bent) per year. An initiation-propagation model for corrosion development reproduced the observed trends. The exploratory model assumes distribution of chloride diffusivity, rebar cover, chloride surface concentration, and propagation time. Interpretation of the results suggests that much of the early damage stemmed from rebar with high levels of coating distress, and that damage development depends mainly on the propagation stage of corrosion.
Missing Aspirated Impacted Denture Requiring Tracheotomy for Removal.

Introduction: Aspirated foreign bodies continue to present challenges to otorhinolaryngologists. Removal of impacted airway foreign bodies via conventional methods can at times pose difficulty. This may berelated to the location and type of foreign body, experience of the surgeon and anesthetist, and the availability of appropriate instruments. In adults, especially in edentulous patients, a swallowed denture usually gets lodged in the esophagus and entrance into the airway is uncommon. Case Report: We report a case of an uncommon foreign body (3-toothed artificial denture plate) impacted in the trachea of a 40-year-old male following an acute episode of an epileptic attack in which conventional methods of foreign body removal had failed. It was eventually removed via a direct laryngoscopy and tracheotomy technique. Conclusion: This type of impaction of a large denture in the trachea is uncommon and late presentation after aspiration is even more rare. This unusual case of a foreign body in the airway is interesting due to its rarity, mode of entry, site of impaction, variable clinical presentation, and method of removal; and hence, prompted the authors to report this case.
On using cached results to enumerate maximal k-cliques in GeneWeaver

The online biological data analytics tool GeneWeaver [1] uses a fast algorithm to directly compute k-cliques between different sets of data. By caching such results, we are able to compute k-clique faster in some cases. We derived a formula to determine whether or not to cache a result. In order to know if the cached results can be used to compute a desired k-clique, we also created a new algorithm to solve the generalized set coverage problem.
Scintigraphic detection of gastrointestinal hemorrhage: current status

This is the second in a series of four Continuing Education articles on imaging techniques. After studying this article the reader should be able to: 1) discuss why the detection of GI bleeding is clinically important; and 2) be aware of various imaging techniques and potential pitfalls.
Mental Health Diagnoses and Symptoms in Preschool and School Age Youth Presenting to Insomnia Evaluation: Prevalence and Associations with Sleep Disruption

Objective/Background: Sleep problems and emotional and behavioral difficulties are highly correlated in community samples of youth and in youth presenting to mental health treatment. However, fewer...
Crimmigration in Gangland: Race, Crime, and Removal During the Prohibition Era

In 1926, local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities in Chicago pursued a deportation drive ostensibly directed at gang members. However, the operation largely took the form of indiscriminate raids on immigrant neighborhoods of the city. Crimmigration in Gangland describes the largely forgotten 1926 deportation drive in Chicago as a means to augment the origin story for “crimmigration.” Scholars up until now have mostly contended that the convergence of criminal and immigration law occurred in the 1980s as part of the War on Drugs, with crime serving as a proxy for race for policy makers unable to openly argue for racial exclusion of Latino immigrants in the post-civil rights era. Drawing on original archival research, this article traces those roots back much further, to the Prohibition Era of Gangland Chicago, when they arose in nascent form before being supplanted by the different enforcement dynamics of the Great Depression. A close examination of the deportation drive of 1926 reveals that immigration enforcement at the time contained most of the elements that scholars today have identified when defining crimmigration: a popular preoccupation with “criminal aliens” and attribution of crime problems to them; local/federal collaboration in immigration enforcement; an increase in the criminal grounds for removal; an increase in the criminal prosecution of immigration issues; and an asymmetrical incorporation of criminal procedures into the world of immigration law. These phenomena developed for some of the same reasons that crimmigration arose in a more monolithic form in the 1980s, and indeed, paved the way for it. The 1920s, like the 1980s, came on the heels of a massive surge in immigration as well as a shift in the demographics of immigration. Yet both were also periods of relative affluence, during which anti-immigration arguments needed to take a different tenor than the protectionist arguments that prevailed during periods of economic insecurity. Like the 1980s, the 1920s also followed on the heels of a “civil rights era”: the reconstruction period following the Civil War. Arguments that implicated race were couched in scientific terms during this era of scientific racism and eugenics. Adherents of scientific racism pursued a dubious quest to statistically establish that certain racial and ethnic groups, like Sicilians, had a greater propensity for crime. This principle justified not only limited immigration quotas for Southern and Eastern Europeans, but also deportation efforts like the 1926 raids that targeted Italian Americans, whose “whiteness” was in many ways contested at the time. The 1980s War on Drugs paralleled the Prohibition Era in many ways. One was a return to the focus on crimmigration that developed during the 1920s. Crime served in the 1980s as an effective proxy for race because that linkage had been made so strongly during the earlier period.
Cyberbullying: Concepts, theories, and correlates informing evidence-based best practices for prevention

Abstract Emerging evidence has revealed that many characteristics of cyberbullying—its definition, prevalence rates, risk and protective factors, outcomes, and prevention strategies—are related and yet somewhat unique from traditional bullying. The ubiquity of technology in the lives of youth presents an opportunity for individuals to intentionally and repetitively harm others, 24 h per day, sometimes with complete anonymity, and often without consequence. This is concerning given the high rates of psychopathology associated with cybervictimization, over and above, traditional bullying. Given the current state of the field, this literature review provides a critical synthesis of the extant knowledge concerning (1) a definition of cyberbullying; (2) theories explaining cyberbullying; (3) prevalence rates; (4) a brief developmentally-focused overview of adolescents and their online use; (5) risk and protective factors; (6) negative psycho-social outcomes, over and above traditional bullying; and (7) a brief overview of prevention and intervention programming with information for key stakeholders. Implications and future directions are discussed.
A review of the effects of selective inner hair cell lesions on distortion product otoacoustic emissions, cochlear function and auditory evoked potentials.

Carboplatin, a second-generation antineoplastic drug, is much less ototoxic than cisplatin in humans and many laboratory animals. However, when a moderate dose of carboplatin is administered to chinchillas, it can selectively destroy inner hair cells (IHCs) and type-I ganglion neurons without damaging the outer hair cells (OHCs). One of the earliest signs of injury from carboplatin is damage to type I, spiral ganglion neurons. Selective destruction of IHCs has no effect on the cochlear microphonic (CM) potential and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). However, very high doses of carboplatin can destroy both OHCs and IHCs resulting in a decline in CM and DPOAE amplitude. In cases where carboplatin partially destroys the IHCs, the auditory nerve fibers that contact the residual IHCs have normal thresholds and tuning, but their spontaneous and driven discharge rates are reduced. These results suggest that OHCs are responsible for the sharp tuning and exquisite sensitivity of the cochlea. IHC loss leads to a reduction in neural input (i.e., sensory deprivation) to the central auditory system. Surprisingly, although the neural input to the central auditory system is reduced, evoked response amplitudes recorded from the auditory cortex are often enhanced. These results indicate that when the neural input to the central auditory brain is reduced, the central auditory system compensates for the reduced input by increasing its gain.
Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Atrial Fibrillation Type.

Background - Obesity is an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) and is associated with a higher AF burden. Recently, weight loss has been found to be associated with a significant r...
Quantifying cloud adjustments and the radiative forcing due to aerosol–cloud interactions in satellite observations of warm marine clouds

Abstract. Aerosol–cloud interactions and their resultant forcing remains one of the largest sources of uncertainty in future climate scenarios. The effective radiative forcing due to aerosol–cloud interactions (ERFaci) is a combination of two different effects, namely how aerosols modify cloud brightness (RFaci, intrinsic) and how cloud extent reacts to aerosol (cloud adjustments CA; extrinsic). Using satellite observations of warm clouds from the NASA A-Train constellation from 2007 to 2010 along with MERRA-2 Reanalysis and aerosol from the SPRINTARS model, we evaluate the ERFaci in warm, marine clouds and its components, the RFaci warm and CA warm , while accounting for the liquid water path and local environment. We estimate the ERFaci warm to be - 0.32 ± 0.16 Wm −2 . The RFaci warm dominates the ERFaci warm contributing 80 % ( - 0.21 ± 0.15 Wm −2 ), while the CA warm enhances this cooling by 20 % ( - 0.05 ± 0.03 Wm −2 ). Both the RFaci warm and CA warm vary in magnitude and sign regionally and can lead to opposite, negating effects under certain environmental conditions. Without considering the two terms separately and without constraining cloud–environment interactions, weak regional ERFaci warm signals may be erroneously attributed to a damped susceptibility to aerosol.
Copy numbers of 45S and 5S ribosomal DNA arrays lack meaningful correlation in humans

The ribosomal DNA genes are tandemly arrayed in most eukaryotes and exhibit vast copy number variation. There is growing interest in integrating this variation into genotype-phenotype associations. Here, we explored a possible association of rDNA copy number variation with autism spectrum disorder and found no difference between probands and unaffected siblings. However, rDNA copy number estimates from whole genome sequencing are error-prone, so we sought to use pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, a classic gold-standard method, to validate rDNA copy number genotypes. The electrophoresis approach is not readily applicable to the human 45S arrays due to their size and location on five separate chromosomes; however, it should accurately resolve copy numbers for the shorter 5S arrays that reside on a single chromosome. Previous studies reported tightly correlated, concerted copy number variation between the 45S and 5S arrays, which should enable the validation of 45S copy number estimates with CHEF-gel-verified 5S copy numbers. Here, we show that the previously reported strong concerted copy number variation is likely an artifact of variable data quality in the earlier published 1000 Genomes Project sequences. We failed to detect a meaningful correlation between 45S and 5S copy numbers in the large, high-coverage Simons Simplex Collection dataset as well as in the recent high-coverage 1000 Genomes Project sequences. Our findings illustrate the challenge of genotyping repetitive DNA regions accurately and call into question the accuracy of recently published studies of rDNA copy number variation in cancers and aging that relied on diverse publicly available resources for sequence data.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.View Full Text