cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Democratic Peace or Liberal Peace: The Debate

Globalization and Armed Conflict. Edited by Gerald Schneider, Katherine Barbieri, Nils Petter Gleditsch. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2003. 384 pp., $75.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-7425-1831-0), $32.95 paper (ISBN: 0-7425-1832-9). Over the past two decades, the “democratic peace” hypothesis—namely, that wars do not occur between democracies—has received a great deal of attention; James Ray (1995) and Steve Chan (1997) provide thorough reviews of this literature. Closely related—in fact one of the strongest candidates for an alternative explanation—is the “liberal peace” hypothesis, which posits that economic development and mutual trade are powerful inhibitors of war (see, for example, Keohane and Nye 1977; Russett and Oneal 2001). Both of these hypotheses have distinguished pedigrees in qualitative liberal political theory and can be traced to the beginnings of the nineteenth century. Both hypotheses are sufficiently simple that they have been invoked in public policy debates. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, for example, reformulated the liberal peace hypothesis in 1996 in the following terms: “Countries that both have McDonald's restaurants don't fight each other.” Both hypotheses have been used to explain the transition from the fratricidal Western Europe of the first half of the twentieth century to Europe's present status as a zone of peace. The empirical support for the two hypotheses, however, is quite different. Evidence for the democratic peace is so strong that arguments against it require methodologically esoteric appeals to alliance linkages, control variables, and expected conflict frequencies under a null hypothesis. The liberal peace, in contrast, suffers from two very conspicuous and large-scale failures: World War I and World War II. Those empirical challenges continue to the present. Friedman's “McDonald's hypothesis,” for example, lasted only three years before the United States began bombing attacks on the Serbian capital of Belgrade, a city with seven McDonald's …
Complex-pattern evoked somatosensory responses in the study of multiple sclerosis

Three approaches are described for investigation of human somatosensory evoked responses in normal subjects and in multiple sclerosis patients. To median-nerve stimulation, the cortical evoked response (SER) reveals components whose shapes and latencies may be altered as a consequence of the disease. The use of periodic trains of stimuli (SERT) demonstrates that the oscillatory response of the nervous system deteriorates with advancing disease. Finally, the use of functional power series to characterize the somatosensory modality shows that responses to temporally interactive stimuli are nonlinear, decrease with increasing rate, and degenerate in the advanced state of the disease.
Contextual Influences on Political Behavior in Cities: Toward Urban Electoral Geography

While there is now appreciable support among electoral geographers and political scientists for the idea that neighborhood context influences political behavior, there remains no consensus on the appropriate scale—i.e., the “true causally relevant” geographic extent—at which to analyze these effects. Importantly, this “uncertain geographic context problem” is not unique to electoral geography. Rather, it arises wherever researchers attempt to analyze contextual influences on individual or group behavior. This article suggests that electoral geographers might find value in the streams of urban studies literature (from outside of political science) that regularly engages in such activities. It accordingly surveys and synthesizes selected research on neighborhoods and neighborhood effects from both bodies of work, with the aim of establishing a research program in urban electoral geography. Advances in open data platforms and geographic information systems technologies are highlighted for their abilities to support empirical investigations into the proposed area of inquiry.
A Structured Approach for Rapidly Mapping Multilevel System Measures via Simulation Metamodeling

With increasing complexity of real-world systems, especially for continuously evolving scenarios, systems analysts encounter a major challenge with the modeling techniques that capture detailed system characteristics defining input-output relationships. The models become very complex and require long time of execution. In this situation, techniques to construct approximations of the simulation model by metamodeling alleviate long run times and the need for large computational resources; it also provides a means to aggregate a simulation's multiple outputs of interest and derives a single decision-making metric. The method described here leverages simulation metamodeling to map the three basic SE metrics, namely, measures of performance to measures of effectiveness to a single figure of merit. This enables using metamodels to map multilevel system measures supports rapid decision making. The results from a case study demonstrate the merit of the method. Several metamodeling techniques are compared and bootstrap error analysis and predicted residual sums of squares statistic are discussed to evaluate the standard error and error due to bias.
FORECASTING EXCHANGE RATE CHANGE BETWEEN USD AND JPY BY USING DYNAMIC ADAPTIVE NEURON- FUZZY LOGIC SYSTEM

Foreign exchange rate is a chaotic time series which is consistent with the Mackey-Glass equation. Fuzzy logic is an intelligent computational technique and has good potential in forecasting time-series data. This study uses fuzzy logic to study data of exchange rates and build a dynamic adaptive neuron-fuzzy logic forecasting model. The performance of the model built is compared with an autoregressive model by using the same data set.
Hernioplasty with bilayer polypropylene mesh: a new tension-free technique

DiVerent open-mesh techniques have been developed for inguinal hernia repair since the introduc- tion of the tension-free technique. The present study reports a new self-designed tension-free technique for hernioplasty using a bilayer polypropylene mesh. Fifty- one patients with severe transverse fascia weakness were repaired by means of a self-designed, tension-free technique using bilayer polypropylene mesh. The post- operative complications, inpatient hospitalization time, and recurrence rate were studied. Patients were mobi- lized within 6 h after surgery and no complications were found. The length of hospital stay was 2-3 days. The follow-up period ranged from 3 months to 40 months, with a mean of 20.4 months, and no recurrence was found. Our own experience showed the self-designed, tension-free technique using bilayer polypropylene mesh to be a reliable approach for inguinal hernia repair with many advantages—such as a much lower expense, simplicity, rapid return to unre- stricted activities, minor complications, and impres- sively no recurrence, a particularly superior option for those patients with severe transverse fascia weakness or large defect.
Structure-Based Mutagenesis of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 DNA Attachment Site: Effects on Integration and cDNA Synthesis

Sequences at the ends of linear retroviral cDNA important for integration define the viral DNA attachment (att) site. Whereas determinants of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase important for replication in T lymphocytes have been extensively characterized, regions of the att site important for viral spread have not been thoroughly examined. Previous transposon-mediated footprinting of preintegration complexes isolated from infected cells revealed enhanced regions of bacteriophage Mu insertion near the ends of HIV-1 cDNA, in the regions of the att sites. Here, we identified the subterminal cDNA sequences cleaved during in vitro footprinting and used this structure-based information together with results of previous work to construct and characterize 24 att site mutant viruses. We found that although subterminal cDNA sequences contributed to HIV-1 replication, the identities of these bases were not critical for integration. In contrast, the phylogenetically conserved CA dinucleotides located at the ends of HIV-1 contributed significantly to virus replication and integration. Mutants containing one intact CA end displayed delays in peak virus growth compared to the wild type. In contrast, double mutant viruses lacking both CAs were replication defective. The A of the CA appeared to be the most critical determinant of integration, because two different U5 mutant viruses containing the substitution of TG for CA partially reverted by changing the G back to A. We also identified a U5 deletion mutant in which the CA played a crucial role in reverse transcription.
Biology & Art: An Intricate Relationship

I recently read an essay on biology and art that presents the best case I've ever seen of integrating the two. Most examples of biology and art influencing each other describe what amounts to little more than a one-way street, with artists being inspired by living organisms, by biological research, or by the results of such research. It’s more difficult to find examples of scientists being assisted by artists beyond producing illustrations. The case I want to describe involves an artist who is also a biologist, and who has found his art to be essential to his research. He is Jonathan Kingdon, an authority on African mammals in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford in England. Raised in Africa, he remembers picnicking at Olduvai Gorge and spending vacations on the Serengeti plains. He trained as an artist at Oxford and then began teaching at the University of East Africa. There, Kingdon conceived the idea of studying the evolution of African mammals. Not surprisingly, he began by drawing them and, thus, by comparing the morphology of related species. He soon went on to investigate behavior, ecology, anatomy, and biogeography, but his work was always rooted in his art. Kingdon describes in detail, and with the aid of many illustrations, how he used drawing as a way to observe these mammals closely and to correlate behavior with anatomy. He argues that photography couldn’t do the job: it didn’t force him to observe but did the work of looking for him, and in an inferior way. In addition, he makes a more novel argument: that a camera doesn’t see in the way a human does and so doesn’t create the kind of image that is most familiar to the human mind. A camera processes all points of light in the …
Using truncated lectures, conceptual exercises, and manipulatives to improve learning in the neuroanatomy classroom

Functional Neuroanatomy is a course designed to help students learn the function and anatomy of the human nervous system. Historically, students have had difficulty with the spinal tract curricular...
Novel Mechanism for Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii

An EZ::TN Tnp transposon insertion in an open reading frame of unknown function (ncr) in Acinetobacter baumannii resulted in an 8-fold increase in ciprofloxacin resistance (Cipr). Transposon insertions in an ncr mutant that reduced Cipr back to wild type mapped to three genes encoding subunits of the RecCBD exonuclease. The ncr mutation increased transcription of the recCBD genes, and overexpression of the recCBD genes in a wild-type background resulted in a 4-fold increase in Cipr.
Mitotic Index Is Predictive for Survival for Canine Cutaneous Mast Cell Tumors

Mitotic index (MI) is an indirect measure of cell proliferation that has been demonstrated to be a strong predictor of outcome for several human and canine cancers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of MI as a predictor of biologic behavior and survival in dogs with cutaneous mast cell tumors (MCTs). Medical records from 148 dogs with histologically confirmed MCTs were reviewed. Information regarding tumor grade, local recurrence, metastatic disease, date of death/last follow-up, and outcome was obtained. The region of the tumor with the highest overall mitotic activity was chosen for evaluation, and the MI value was defined as the number of mitotic figures/10 high-power fields (4003, 2.7 mm 2 ). A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to compare MI with survival data. A Mann-Whitney test was used to compare MI on the basis of the development of local recurrence and metastatic disease. The MI correlated directly with tumor grade (P , .0001). The median survival time for dogs with an MI #5 was significantly longer (70 months) than for those with an MI .5 (2 months), regardless of grade (P , .001). For grade II tumors with an MI #5, the median survival time (MST) was 70 months, compared with 5 months for those with an MI . 5( P , .001). For grade III tumors with an MI #5, the MST was not reached, compared with ,2 months for those with an MI .5 (P , .001). In conclusion, MI is a strong predictor of overall survival for dogs with cutaneous MCTs and should be included as a prognostic indicator when determining therapeutic options.
In-home services for the dependent elderly. Determinants of current use and implications for future demand.

Nationally representative data are used to examine the factors affecting the service utilization patterns of disabled elderly in the community. The probability of formal service use was found to respond directly to the severity of care needs and indirectly to the availability of informal care providers. The analysis suggests that, at extreme levels of need, frail elderly and their families overcome the price and supply barriers that characterize today's home care market to secure at least some outside assistance.
Coping and anxiety in college students after the September 11th terrorist attacks

This study investigated the presence of a stress response after the September 11th terrorist attacks in a sample of indirectly affected college students living in Boston, Massachusetts. Anxiety was examined at two time intervals, approximately 2 and 4 months after the attacks. Methods of coping with the stress of the attacks (assessed using the COPE Inventory) and their impact on initial and longer-term anxiety were also examined. Results demonstrated that the majority of college students in the study were severely psychologically impacted initially by the terrorist attacks. However, this initial impact appears to decay over time for most people. Several potentially maladaptive coping strategies were found to be predictive of initial anxiety, including denial, behavioral disengagement, mental disengagement, and focus on and venting of emotions. However, only focus on and venting of emotions was found to be uniquely predictive of longer-term anxiety.
NNWSI Performance Assessment Considerations

The Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) project includes a Performance Assessment task to evaluate the containment and isolation potential for a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada. This task includes calculations of the rates and concentrations at which radionuclides might be released and transported from the repository and will predict their consequences if they enter the human environment. Among the major tasks required for these calculations will be the development of models for water flow and nuclide transport under unsaturated conditions and in fractured hard rock. The program must also quantify the uncertainties associated with the results of the calculations. The performance assessment will provide evaluations needed for making major decisions as the US Department of Energy seeks a site for a repository. An evaluation will be part of the environmental assessments prepared to accompany the potential nomination of the site. If the Yucca mountain site is selected for characterization and development as a repository, the assessments will be required for an environmental impact statement, a safety analysis report, and other documents. This program has been divided into five tasks. Collectively they will provide the performance assessments needed for the NNWSI Project. 1 figure, 1 table.
Rare‐Earth Polymorphism and Phase Equilibria in Rare‐Earth Oxide‐Water Systems

A high-water-pressure high-temperature study was conducted of the systems Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/-H/sub 2/O, Sm/sub 2/O/sub 3/-H/sub 2/O, N d/sub 2/O/sub 3/-H/sub 2/O, and La/sub 2/O/sub 3/-- H/sub 2/O. The trihydroxides La(OH)/sub 3/ , Nd(OH)a, an d this group. On the other hand, the oxyhydroxides YOOH, SmOOH, and NdOOH are isomorphous; LaOOH, if it exists, cannot be stable in the presence of water at room temperature. Pressure-temperature curves for the equilibrium between the trinydroxide, oxyhydroxide, and a new hydroxy compoud were determined for each of the three smaller ions. The reversibility of the transition between the A-, B-, and C-type rare earths was established, and new x-ray data on the B structure are listed. Ths relations between the polymorphs as a function of ionic size are changed from those given by Goldschmidt. The very marked difference in stability in air between the A- and C-type structures suggests the obvious desirability of converting rareearth oxide cermnics into the C structure with proper compositional variation and thermal treatment. (auth)
An open-system model for U-series age determinations of fossil corals

The source of excess 234U in fossil corals and its relationship to U-series age determinations has been an outstanding problem in geochronology for more than 20 years. With increasing numbers of U-series isotope measurements in corals, and significant improvements in analytical precision through mass spectrometry, it is increasingly apparent that a substantial fraction of observed isotope ratios cannot be reasonably explained by closed-system decay. Moreover, observations of a positive correlation between 234U/238U and 230Th/238U ratios in corals from the same terrace are difficult to explain. However, the decay of dissolved uranium and α-recoil mobilization of uranium daughters produce particle-reactive 234Th and 230Th, and the coupled addition of these Th isotopes could simultaneously increase coral 234U/238U and 230Th/238U. Here we present a quantitative model, based on decay-dependent redistribution of 234Th and 230Th, permitting calculation of open-system coral ages. These equations provide a general solution to the α-recoil redistribution problem, applicable to any alpha decay series. While measured isotope ratios of corals from the three youngest stratigraphically defined Barbados terraces are inconsistent with closed-system decay, they fall in broadly linear arrays agreeing with model predictions. Isotopic arrays of older Barbados corals, and corals from terraces around the world, are also consistent with model predictions suggesting the open-system model is generally applicable. Corals with extreme isotopic compositions that are impossible to produce by closed-system decay are consistent with the limited range of isotopic compositions predicted by the model at ages older than 600 ka. For corals from a single terrace, 234Th and 230Th redistribution appears to be a source of systematic conventional age error, even for corals with slightly elevated 234U. However, open-system ages are consistent, even for corals with extremely elevated 234U. For the youngest three Barbados terraces, mean open-system terrace ages are consistent with mean conventional terrace ages calculated from pristine samples. If the most accurate conventional ages are from corals with an initial 234U/238U identical to modern seawater, then the open-system model will improve the accuracy of coral U-series age determinations and dramatically increase the number of reliable ages.
Common sports injuries of the foot and ankle seen in children and adolescents

Foot and ankle problems are common in child and adolescent athletes. These problems may include congenital variants and the osteochondroses, acute and chronic bone and soft-tissue injuries, and infections. In this article, the diagnosis and treatment of these foot and ankle conditions are discussed. Language: en
Financial Reporting In Nigerian Emerging Market

The need for the internationally comparable financial statements has never been greater. The globalization of the world economy has led many investors to look to other markets for better opportunities. From their perspective, the globalization of financial markets has been synonymous with obtaining rapid access to portfolio investment opportunities anywhere in the world, including those, once considered as remote. In 1990s remote emerging markets captured the interest of investors with their promise of higher returns. Last decade Nigerian marker became one of them. Nigeria is the world's sixth largest oil producer, and with large untapped offshore oil deposits, it is expecting to increase its export capacity by 50% or more within next few years (The International Herald Tribune, January 8, 2004). According to the U.S. National Intelligence Council forecast, by 2005 Africa's share of oil import will increase from 15% up to 25%, which is very close to current proportion coming from Middle East. The degree of foreign investment in the country is relatively small so far considering the abundant natural resources. However, the legislation passed by the government is helping to improve this situation. Economic liberalization, which is a government priority, is under its way. Major corporations from the U.S. (mostly oil) have already established their interests there. Under such circumstances the research on peculiarities of Nigerian financial statements become very timely. Thus, the purpose of this paper is twofold. First is evaluate the state if Nigerian financial reporting by comparing it to the U.S. And, second is to examine how entrepreneurs and investors use Nigerian financial statements to make informed judgments by investigating the oil, retail, and manufacturing industries. The rest of the paper is organized as follows: next chapter examines the infrastructure of the emerging market in Nigeria. Chapter 2 examines main characteristics of financial reporting, chapter 3 provides the analysis of financial statements there, chapter 4 shows the effects of the peculiarities of financial rules on the decision-making, and chapter 5 contains the conclusions.
Gas-phase reactions of cyclopropenylidene with protonated alkyl amines

Vinylidene carbenes (C3H2) are of high interest to interstellar, combustion, and organic chemistry. Due to their high instability, the direct experimental investigation of their chemical reactivity has rarely been achieved. Herein, we report a first study on the reactions of cyclopropenylidene (c-C3H2) with protonated alkyl amines in the gas phase using a home-built ion trap mass spectrometer. The high gas-phase basicity (GB) of ((1)A1) c-C3H2 (calculated as 920 kJ mol(-1)) facilitates the formation of a proton-bound dimer with protonated amines as the first step in the reaction. The dimer can stay as it is or rearrange to a covalent product. The formation of the covalent complex is highly exothermic and its yield is affected by the GB of alkyl amines. The highest yield (82%) was achieved when the GB of the amine was slightly lower but comparable to that of c-C3H2. Our results demonstrate a new reaction pathway of c-C3H2, which has long been considered as a "dead end" in interstellar carbon chemistry.
An approach to developing methodologies for evaluating agroforestry systems in India

India has a long tradition of agroforestry and many different types of indigenous agroforestry systems can be found in different parts of the country. Most of these systems are, however, very location-specific, and information on them is mostly anecdotal. Therefore, their benefits have remained vastly underexploited.
Medication effects on periurethral sensation and urethral sphincter activity.

Aim The aim of this study was to characterize urethral neuromuscular function before and 2 weeks after medication therapy. Methods Premenopausal women without lower urinary tract symptoms were randomly allocated to 1 of the 6 medications for 2 weeks (pseudoephedrine ER of 120 mg, imipramine of 25 mg, cyclobenzaprine of 10 mg, tamsulosin of 0.4 mg, solifenacin of 5 mg, or placebo). At baseline and after medication, participants underwent testing: quantitative concentric needle electromyography (CNE) of the urethral sphincter using automated multimotor unit action potential software, current perception threshold (CPT) testing to measure periurethral sensation, and standard urodynamic pressure flow studies (PFS). Nonparametric tests were used to compare pre-post differences. Results Fifty-six women had baseline testing, 48 (85.7%) completed follow-up CNE, and 49 (87.5%) completed follow-up CPT and PFS testing. Demographics showed no significant differences among medication groups with respect to age (mean, 34.3; SD, 10.1), body mass index (mean, 31.8; SD, 7.5), parity (median, 1; range, 0-7), or race (14% Caucasian, 80% African American). The PFS parameters were not significantly different within medication groups. No significant pre-post changes in CNE values were noted; however, trends in amplitudes were in a direction consistent with the expected physiologic effect of the medications. With CPT testing, a trend toward increased urethral sensation at the 5-Hz stimulation level was observed after treatment with pseudoephedrine (0.15-0.09 mA at 5 Hz, P = 0.03). Conclusions In women without lower urinary tract symptoms, pseudoephedrine improved urethral sensation but not urethral neuromuscular function on CNE or PFS. Imipramine, cyclobenzaprine, tamsulosin, solifenacin, and placebo did not change urethral sensation or neuromuscular function.
Aspheric and conformal optics: The manufacturing solution for harnessing light in the 21st century

As detailed in the 1998 National Research Council report, Harnessing Light: Optical Science and Engineering for the 21st Century, the commercial and military viability of new optical product technologies (imaging, guidance, information systems, communications, etc.) depends upon further improving optical system performance and cost, which in turn requires critical advances in optics manufacturing capabilities.
Production of positive antiglobulin serum test in rabbits by intraperitoneal injection of homologous blood.

Summary(1) Three of 12 rabbits receiving intraperitoneal injections of blood immediately after removal from the heart developed a transiently positive antiglobulin serum test (Coombs test) with a reagent made by injecting rabbit serum into guinea pigs. None of the 3 developed evidence of a hemolytic anemia. (2) Rabbits receiving injections of rabbit red cell stroma which had been incubated with bacterial filtrate or emulsions of rabbit liver or kidney failed to develop positive agglutination tests with the same reagent.
Downregulation of ventricular contractile function during early ischemia is flow but not pressure dependent

The mechanism responsible for the abrupt fall in myocardial contractile function following coronary artery obstruction is unknown. The “vascular collapse theory” hypothesizes that the fall in coron...
Patterns of self-weighing behavior and weight change in a weight loss trial

Background/objectives Regular self-weighing has been associated with weight loss and maintenance in adults enrolled in a behavioral weight loss intervention; however, few studies have examined the patterns of adherence to a self-weighing protocol. The study aims were to (1) identify patterns of self-weighing behavior; and (2) examine adherence to energy intake and step goals and weight change by self-weighing patterns. Subjects/methods This was a secondary analysis of self-monitoring and assessment weight data from a 12-month behavioral weight loss intervention study. Each participant was given a scale that was Wi-Fi-enabled and transmitted the date-stamped weight data to a central server. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify distinct classes of trajectories based on the number of days participants self-weighed over 51 weeks. Results The sample (N=148) was 90.5% female, 81.1% non-Hispanic white, with a mean (s.d.) age of 51.3 (10.1) years, had completed an average of 16.4 (2.8) years of education and had mean body mass index of 34.1 (4.6) kg m(-2). Three patterns of self-weighing were identified: high/consistent (n=111, 75.0% self-weighed over 6 days per week regularly); moderate/declined (n=24, 16.2% declined from 4-5 to 2 days per week gradually); and minimal/declined (n=13, 8.8% declined from 5-6 to 0 days per week after week 33). The high/consistent group achieved greater weight loss than either the moderate/declined and minimal/declined groups at 6 months (-10.19%±5.78%, -5.45%±4.73% and -2.00%±4.58%) and 12 months (-9.90%±8.16%, -5.62%±6.28% and 0.65%±3.58%), respectively (P Conclusions This is the first study to reveal distinct temporal patterns of self-weighing behavior. The majority of participants were able to sustain a habit of daily self-weighing with regular self-weighing leading to weight loss and maintenance as well as adherence to energy intake and step goals.
THE ROLE OF OPERATIVE ARTHROSCOPY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF LESIONS ABOUT THE DISTAL ULNA

Operative arthroscopy of the wrist compliments the physical examination and radiographic imaging to improve diagnosis and treatment of lesions about the distal ulna. This article reviews the relevant anatomy, biomechanics, and classification of acute and degenerative lesions of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC). Minimally invasive diagnostic and management techniques for TFCC tears are described in detail.
Generating Diverse Image Datasets with Limited Labeling

Image datasets play a pivotal role in advancing multimedia and image analysis research. However, most of these datasets are created by extensive human effort and extremely expensive to scale up. There is high chance that we may have no instances for some required concepts in these data-sets or the available instances do not cover the diversity of real-world scenarios. In this regard, several approaches for learning from web images and refining them have been proposed, but these approaches either include significant redundant instances in the dataset or fail to guarantee a diverse enough set to train a robust classifier. In this work, we propose a semi-supervised sparse coding framework to collect a diverse set of images with minimal human effort, which can be used to both create a dataset from scratch or enrich an existing dataset with diverse examples. To evaluate our method, we constructed an image dataset with our framework, which is named as DivNet. Experiments on this dataset demonstrate that our method not only reduces manual effort, but also the created dataset has excellent accuracy, diversity and cross-dataset generalization ability.
Death related to dental treatment: a systematic review.

Objective The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with death in relation to dental care. Study Design A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. PubMed, Dental and Oral Sciences Source, Web of Science, and the Cochrane database were searched, and the references of all retrieved articles were analyzed. Studies were included if death had occurred within 90 days of the dental appointment, and if the patient's age, procedure, and information regarding cause or time of death were provided. Factors associated with death were assessed by multivariate analyses and logistic regression. Results Fifty-six publications, including retrospective studies and case reports/series that reported 148 fatalities, were analyzed. On average, 2.6 deaths were reported per year. The leading cause of deaths was anesthesia/sedation/medication–related complications (n = 70). Other causes were cardiovascular events (n = 31), infection (n = 19), airway–respiratory complications (n = 18), bleeding (n = 5), and others (n = 5). Age (P Conclusions Reports of death were rare; however, specific risk factors associated with dentistry were identified. A better understanding of these factors is important for the development of guidelines that help prevent fatalities in dentistry.
Temporal Genomic Phylogeny Reconstruction Indicates a Geospatial Transmission Path of Salmonella Cerro in the United States and a Clade-Specific Loss of Hydrogen Sulfide Production.

Salmonella Cerro has become one of the most prevalent Salmonella serotypes isolated from dairy cattle in several U.S. states. It frequently causes disease in cattle, resulting in decreased milk yield and increased economic burden for farmers. To better understand the transmission patterns and drivers of its geographic spread, we have studied the genomic similarity and microevolution of S. Cerro isolates from the northeast U.S. and Texas. We identified core genome SNPs in 57 upstate New York (NY), 2 Pennsylvania (PA), and 27 Texas S. Cerro isolates from dairy cattle, farm environments, raw milk, and one human clinical case and used them to construct a tip-dated phylogeny. S. Cerro isolates clustered in three distinct clades, including (i) clade I comprising isolates from northwest Texas (NTX), (ii) clade II comprising isolates from New York (NY), and (iii) clade III comprising isolates from NY, Pennsylvania (PA) and central Texas (CTX) in subclade IIIa, and only CTX isolates in subclade IIIb. Temporal phylogenetic analysis estimated the divergence of these three clades from the most recent common ancestor in 1980. The CTX clade IIIb was estimated to have evolved and diverged from the NY ancestor around 2004. Furthermore, gradual temporal loss of genes encoding a D-alanine transporter, involved in virulence, was observed. These genes were present in the isolates endemic to NTX clade I and were gradually lost in clades II and III. The virulence gene orgA, which is part of the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island SPI-1, was lost in a subgroup of CTX clade IIIb. All S. Cerro isolates had an additional cytosine inserted in a cytosine-rich region of the virulence gene sopA, resulting in premature termination of translation likely responsible for loss of pathogenic capacity in humans. A group of closely related NY isolates was characterized by the loss of hydrogen sulfide production due to the truncation or complete loss of phsA. Our data suggest a rapid ability of Salmonella to diverge and adapt to specific niches, and to modify virulence-related characteristics such as the ability to utilize tetrathionate as an alternative electron acceptor, which is commonly used to detect Salmonella.
SEASONAL OCCURRENCE OF SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA LARVAE ON CERTAIN HOST PLANTS IN LOUISIANA

The seasonal occurrence of fall army worm (FAW) larvae, [Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)], was monitored weekly in corn [Zea mays L.], sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.)], signalgrass [Brachiaria de...
Lower extremity compartment syndrome

Lower extremity compartment syndrome is a devastating complication if not rapidly diagnosed and properly managed. The classic symptoms of compartment syndrome can be deceiving as they occur late. Any concern for compartment syndrome based on mechanism, or the presence of pain in the affected extremity, should prompt a compartment pressure check. Both absolute compartment pressures above 30 mm Hg and a pressure differential of less than 30 mm Hg are used to make the diagnosis. The treatment goal is first to save the patient’s life and second to salvage the affected limb. Fasciotomy is the only accepted treatment of compartment syndrome and should be performed quickly after the diagnosis is made. Outcomes after fasciotomy are best when there is no delay in treatment.
Flipped Learning and Formative Assessment in an English Language Class

One challenge that teachers meet when they flip their classes involves assessment. Because the classroom becomes more interactive, teachers need to adjust how they perform formative assessment. Two changes need to be made. Integrate formative assessment into the classroom activities and use it to inform planning. One way to integrate formative assessment is with text visualization. Through text visualization, students engage the text several times. During the activity, teachers can observe and provide feedback on both the procedures and the content. This chapter describes a reading lesson using text visualization for pre-class, in-class, and after-class activities taught in a pre-college English for Academic Purposes program at a community college in the southern United States. The students come from South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa to study and for the most part are recent high school graduates in their countries. Using this lesson, the teacher gains insights into the progress students are making toward proficiency in the skills with these texts as well as guidance for planning future lessons.
Estimating Parameters in Complex Systems with Functional Outputs: A Wavelet-Based Approximate Bayesian Computation Approach

We consider a family of parameter estimation problems involving functional data. In these problems, the relationship between functional data and the underlying parameters cannot be explicitly specified using a likelihood function. These situations often occur when functional data arises from a complex system and only numerical simulations (through a simulator) can be used to describe the underlying data-generating mechanism. To estimate the unknown parameters under these scenarios, we introduce a wavelet-based approximate Bayesian computation (wABC) approach that is likelihood-free and computationally scalable to functional data measured on a dense, high-dimensional grid. The proposed approach relies on near-lossless wavelet decomposition and compression to reduce the high-correlation between measurement points and the high-dimensionality. We adopt a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm with a Metropolis-Hastings sampler to obtain posterior samples of the parameters for Bayesian inference. To avoid expensive simulations from the simulator in the approximate Bayesian computation, a Gaussian process surrogate for the simulator is introduced, and the uncertainty of the resulting sampler is controlled by calculating the expected error rate of the acceptance probability. We motivate our approach and demonstrate its performance using the foliage-echo data generated by a sonar simulation system. Our Bayesian posterior inference provides the joint posterior distribution of all underlying parameters, which is otherwise intractable using existing analytical methods.
Associations between coherent neural activity in the brain's value system during antismoking messages and reductions in smoking.

Objective Worldwide, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and illness. One common strategy for reducing the prevalence of cigarette smoking and other health risk behaviors is the use of graphic warning labels (GWLs). This has led to widespread interest from the perspective of health psychology in understanding the mechanisms of GWL effectiveness. Here we investigated differences in how the brain responds to negative, graphic warning label-inspired antismoking ads and neutral control ads, and we probed how this response related to future behavior. Method A group of smokers (N = 45) viewed GWL-inspired and control antismoking ads while undergoing fMRI, and their smoking behavior was assessed before and one month after the scan. We examined neural coherence between two regions in the brain's valuation network, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and ventral striatum (VS). Results We found that greater neural coherence in the brain's valuation network during GWL ads (relative to control ads) preceded later smoking reduction. Conclusions Our results suggest that the integration of information about message value may be key for message influence. Understanding how the brain responds to health messaging and relates to future behavior could ultimately contribute to the design of effective messaging campaigns, as well as more broadly to theories of message effects and persuasion across domains. (PsycINFO Database Record
Actividad fotocatalítica de películas de TiO2 sensibilizadas con complejos metálicos

It was done an analysis of TiO2 films sensitized with nickel and cobalt (II) metal complexes contained in ligands derived from 3.5-dimethylpyrazole. A preliminary study was carried out on the effect of the substrate cleaning protocol and the calcination temperature of unmodified TiO2 films. A modification of the films was carried out using the dip coating method, varying the solvent used in the dilution of the complexes and the time of the heat treatment after the modification. Finally, the photocatalytic activity of the modified films was evaluated by means of the degradation of methylene blue in the presence of ultraviolet radiation and visible light.
A Switched Systems Framework for Path Following With Intermittent State Feedback

In many applications, autonomous agents are tasked with operating in regions where state feedback is unavailable. Inspired by such applications, a novel switched systems-based framework is developed for uncertain nonlinear systems subjected to temporary loss of state feedback. The framework developed in this letter facilitates the use of a predictor when state estimates are not available, and the use of an observer or a reset map when feedback becomes available. Maximum and minimum dwell-time conditions are derived via a Lyapunov-based switched systems analysis to ensure stability for the overall switched system. An approach for designing a novel auxiliary trajectory is provided to guide the agent in and out of the feedback denied region while adhering to dwell-time conditions. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the performance of an example controller with an example predictor and observer or reset map using a quadcopter.
Cicero’s Concordia Ordinum: A Machiavellian Reappraisal

It is a scholarly commonplace that Machiavelli sharply diverges from the republican tradition of political thought when he says that it was precisely “due to the disunion between the plebs and the senate” that Rome became a great republic (Disc. 1.2). To Quentin Skinner, for instance, this feature of his thinking, which “astonished” Machiavelli’s contemporaries, represents a “completely heterodox stance” (Foundations of Modern Political Thought, p 181). What Machiavelli repudiates in the Discourses, Skinner concludes, “is nothing less than the Ciceronian vision of the concordia ordinum” (“Pre-humanist origins of republican ideas,” in Machiavelli and Republicanism, p 136). This paper argues that the view of Cicero’s concordia ordinum represented here is flawed, and that a proper understanding of it sheds new light on the role of internal conflict in republics as Cicero conceived them. Cicero’s concordia ordinum is not a “theory” in the sense defined by Greek philosophers like Plato. It describes not a permanent ideal state but a temporary state of affairs in general conditions of class antagonism. If we fail to grasp the role of class conflict and popular action in Cicero’s thinking, we lose sight of what may be the most important insights of Roman political thought: that politics arises as the interruption of the effects of domination by those with dignitas, who counter-claim politics as the sphere of dignitas and thus as their proper field of action, their property; and that the institution of power, whether it privileges wealth, family, custom, or any or all of these, demands counter- practices and counter-institutions capable of disrupting the settled workings of political decision-making. We miss, too, the acute awareness at the core of Cicero’s thought that class antagonism is capable of policing elite excess and chastening elite expenditure. This is why I call my reading of Cicero a “Machiavellian” reappraisal.
InsP3 and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 act in synergy to stimulate influx of extracellular Ca2+ in Xenopus oocytes

To investigate the role of D-myo-inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4,5)P4] in the regulation of Ca2+ influx, we injected inositol phosphates into Xenopus oocytes and measured Ca(2+)-gated Cl- current to assay intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). To assess Ca2+ influx, we removed extracellular Ca2+ or added the inorganic Ca2+ channel blocker Mn2+ to the extracellular bath and measured the resulting change in Cl- current. Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 did not cause Ca2+ influx when injected alone or when preceded by an injection of Ca2+. In contrast, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 stimulated Ca2+ influx when injected after the poorly metabolized inositol trisphosphate (InsP3) analogues D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphorothioate [Ins(1,4,5)P3S3] or D-myo-inositol 2,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(2,4,5)P3]. These results indicate that Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 is not sufficient to stimulate Ca2+ influx but acts in synergy with InsP3s to cause Ca2+ influx. We also studied the effect of Ca2+ influx on the immediate metabolism of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] in single oocytes. Ca2+ influx shunted the metabolism of Ins(1,4,5)P3 toward the formation of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 and away from D-myo-inositol 1,4-bisphosphate [Ins(1,4)P2]. These results suggest that there is a positive feedback regulatory mechanism in which Ca2+ influx stimulates Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 production and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 stimulates further Ca2+ influx.
Malonyl-CoA, fuel sensing, and insulin resistance

Malonyl-CoA is an allosteric inhibitor of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) I, the enzyme that controls the transfer of long-chain fatty acyl (LCFA)-CoAs into the mitochondria where they are oxi...
Perspectives of the Expert and Experienced on Challenges to Regional Adaptation for Sea Level Rise: Implications for Multisectoral Readiness and Boundary Spanning

This study focuses on adaptation to sea level rise (SLR) in the specific context of the Hampton Roads region of southeastern coastal Virginia. It analyzes the perspectives of stakeholders who are e...
Does stream water composition at Sleepers River in Vermont reflect dynamic changes in soils during recovery from acidification

Stream water pH and composition are widely used to monitor ongoing recovery from the deposition of strong anthropogenic acids in many forested headwater catchments in the northeastern US. However, stream water composition is a function of highly complex and coupled processes, flowpaths, and variations in soil and bedrock composition. Spatial heterogeneity is especially pronounced in headwater catchments with steep topography, potentially limiting stream water composition as an indicator of changes in critical zone (CZ) dynamics during system recovery. To investigate the link between catchment characteristics, landscape position, and stream water composition we used long-term data (1991-2015) from the Sleepers River Research Watershed (SRRW) in northeastern Vermont. We investigated trends with time in stream water and trends with time, depth, and landscape position (upslope, midslope, and riparian zone) in groundwater (GW) and soil solution. We further determined soil elemental composition and mineralogy on archived (1996) and modern (2017) soil samples to assess changes in composition with time. SRRW is inherently well-buffered by calcite in bedrock and till, but soils had become acidified and are now recovering from acidification. Although base cations, especially Ca, decrease progressively with time in GW, riparian soils have become more enriched in Ca, due to a mixture of lateral and vertical transfers. At the same time stream water Ca fluxes increased over the past two decades, likely due to the leaching of (transient) legacy Ca from riparian zones and increased water fluxes. The stream water response therefore reflects the dynamic changes in soil chemistry, flow routing and water inputs.