cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Environmental Factors and Infection in Total Joint Replacement Surgery

Intraoperative bacterial contamination of the surgical wound is a major source of postoperative prosthetic joint infection. In order to reduce intraoperative bacterial contamination of the wound and surgical site infections, several strategies have been developed, tested, and implemented. These strategies include those which address specific operating room variables (operating room ventilation), surgical factors (draping materials, irrigation, wound closure, etc.), patient factors, and factors controlled by the surgical team (hand cleansing, use of face masks, etc.). This chapter will discuss the different causes of bacterial contamination in the operating room, the approaches to reduce them, and their effect in diminishing the rates of infection. The collective use of the factors discussed in the chapter will result in a substantial reduction in the rate of acute postoperative infection.
Measuring nanoscale friction at graphene step edges

Although graphene is well known for super-lubricity on its basal plane, friction at its step edge is not well understood and contradictory friction behaviors have been reported. In this study, friction of mono-layer thick graphene step edges was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) with a Si tip in dry nitrogen atmosphere. It is found that, when the tip slides over a ‘buried’ graphene step edge, there is a resistive force during the step-up motion and an assistive force during the step-down motion due to the topographic height change. The magnitude of these two forces is small and the same in both step-up and step-down motions. As for the ‘exposed’ graphene step edge, friction increases in magnitude and exhibits more complicated behaviors. During the step-down motion of the tip over the exposed step edge, both resistive and assistive components can be detected in the lateral force signal of AFM if the scan resolution is sufficiently high. The resistive component is attributed to chemical interactions between the functional groups at the tip and step-edge surfaces, and the assistive component is due to the topographic effect, same as the case of buried step edge. If a blunt tip is used, the distinct effects of these two components become more prominent. In the step-up scan direction, the blunt tip appears to have two separate topographic effects elastic deformation of the contact region at the bottom of the tip due to the substrate height change at the step edge and tilting of the tip while the vertical position of the cantilever (the end of the tip) ascends from the lower terrace to the upper terrace. The high-resolution measurement of friction behaviors at graphene step edges will further enrich understanding of interfacial friction behaviors on graphene-covered surfaces.
Acute changes in the retina and central retinal artery with methamphetamine.

Abstract Methamphetamine (METH), an addictive stimulant of neurotransmitters, is associated with cardiovascular and neurological diseases. METH-induced ophthalmic complications are also present but have been insufficiently investigated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the retinal effects of METH. C57BL/6 mice were administrated progressively increasing doses of METH (0–6 mg/kg) by repetitive intraperitoneal injections for 5 days (4 times per day). Retinal degeneration was examined by morphological changes and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Norepinephrine levels were measured by ELISA, protein expression levels were determined by immunoblot and immunostaining, and gelatinase activity was examined by zymography. The thickness of the retina and the number of nuclei in the inner and outer nuclear layers were decreased by METH. Retinal cell death and astrocyte activation by METH treatment were confirmed by TUNEL assay and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression, respectively. Increased tumor necrosis factor-α protein in the retina and elevated norepinephrine levels in plasma were found in METH-treated mice. Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) protein expression level was decreased in the retina and central retinal artery (CRA) by METH treatment, along with the endothelial proteoglycans glypican-1 and syndecan-1. Moreover, a regulator of the extracellular matrix, matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14) in the retina, and MMP-2 and MMP-9 in plasma, were increased by METH treatment. In conclusion, METH administration is involved in retinal degeneration with a vascular loss of PECAM-1 and the glycocalyx in the CRA and retina, and an increase of MMPs.
Dying With Dementia: Caregiver Observations of Their Family Members’ Physical Decline and Behavioral or Psychological Changes During Their Last Days:

Family caregivers of older persons with dementia have significant challenges across many domains. These reported problems encountered over their caregiving time are for many reasons, but what makes...
Bench-to-bedside translation of interleukin-15 for immunotherapy: principles and challenges.

Since its discovery 25 years ago by our group and Grabstein et al. [1–3], interleukin-15 (IL-15) has attracted much attention in terms of its biological activities, mechanism of action and therapeutic modulations under various physiological and pathological conditions. In particular, the stimulatory effects of IL-15 on the proliferation and effector functions of natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells make it a promising component for immunotherapy in the treatment of malignancies and infectious diseases [4,5]. Here, we present a brief summary on the biological principles of how IL-15 exerts immunostimulatory effects on cells, the clinical investigations on IL-15-based therapeutic agents, and the challenges for safe and efficacious delivery of IL-15 in patients.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis and Its Effects on Somatosensory-Evoked Potentials: A Pretrial Study of a New, U.S. Food and Drug Administration-Approved Device.

Background Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has emerged as a viable alternative for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Electrical stimulation of the peroneal nerve using NMES may potentially interfere with somatosensory-evoked potential (SSEP) acquisition. This feasibility study evaluates a NMES device and its effect on SSEP acquisition as an initial step in a randomized clinical trial to assess NMES for intraoperative venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Methods Healthy volunteers underwent SSEP testing during NMES in an outpatient setting. Concurrently, SSEP recordings of the posterior tibial nerve with stimulation at each ankle were obtained in 3 conditions: sham, NMES in place but inactive; ipsi, NMES active on leg ipsilateral to SSEP acquisition; and contra, NMES active on the leg contralateral to SSEP acquisition. Nonparametric statistical methods, including repeated measures, were used for data analysis. Results Stimulation intensities on the left, right, and bilaterally did not differ (P ≥ 0.20). Strong positive correlations were noted between the ipsilateral geko stimulus pulse width and ipsilateral SSEP stimulation intensities (left: rs = 0.866, P = 0.001; right: rs = 0.877, P = 0.001). Women required significantly greater pulse width settings than men (P = 0.01). Finally, visual inspection of waveforms, as used during dynamic IONM, did not show any significant variations of P37 cortical waveforms during NMES. Conclusions As a preliminary step to testing NMES intraoperatively for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, interference with SSEP acquisition was investigated in the outpatient laboratory setting. Within a small sample of healthy volunteers, no significant changes were seen in P37 cortical latencies to suggest interference between the NMES device and SSEP waveforms.
Two new species of the genus Anillinus Casey (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Anillini) from the southern United States

Two new species of blind ground beetles are described from the southern United States. One species, Anillinus relictus sp. nov. (type locality: E of Oneonta, Blount County, Alabama), based on the structure of male genitalia, is similar to Texan Anillinus, in particular to the endogean A. sinuatus Jeannel. The second species, A. felicianus sp. nov. (type locality: 4 mi SW Jackson, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana), is superficially similar to the endogean A. sinuaticollis Jeannel from Roane County, Tennessee, and represents the first record of the genus for the state of Louisiana. All species are illustrated with digital images of habitus, body parts, and male and female genitalia. Biogeographical and evolutionary implications of the new findings are discussed.
Bipedal Gait Costs: a new case study of mathematical explanation in science

In this paper I present a case study of mathematical explanation in science that is new to the philosophical literature, and that arises in the context of estimating the energetic costs of running in bipedal animals. I refer to this as the Bipedal Gait Costs explanation (BGC). I argue that it is important for examples of applied mathematics to be driven not just by philosophical and mathematical concerns but also by scientific concerns. After a detailed presentation of the BGC case study, I discuss ways in which it is different from standard examples of MES. One distinctive aspect of BGC is that substantive mathematics occurs at two different levels. I argue for a distinction to be drawn between the mathematical modeling that occurs at one level, which is non-explanatory, and the mathematical theorem which is applied to results gleaned from these models, which is explanatory. I conclude by drawing some connections with broader indispensability-based arguments for platonism in the philosophy of mathematics.
Stress and Resilience Among Professional Counselors During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

This study used a national sample of professional counselors (N = 161) providing services during the COVID‐19 pandemic to examine the extent to which perceived stress, coping response, resilience, and posttraumatic stress predict burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. The results of a multiple regression analysis indicated that resilience had a strong positive relationship with compassion fatigue and a strong negative relationship with burnout. Perceived stress was also strongly positively related to burnout. Implications and strategies for counselors to mitigate the effects of perceived stress during the COVID‐19 pandemic by engaging in self‐care practices and cultivating resilience are provided.
Path planning and evaluation in IVHS databases

An IVHS (Intelligent Vehicle Highway System) navigation system obtains information from road sensors, city maps and event schedules, and generates information for drivers. We address two aspects of navigation in IVHS: finding a path and evaluating a given path. Finding a path between a starting point and the destination is based on heuristic search procedures. Evaluation of a given path is modeled as a path query. We use a new access method, called MoBiLe File[18], for efficient map storage and access. We propose a hierarchical path planning algorithm which is capable of finding optimal paths while avoiding obstacles. We contribute obstacle avoidance heuristics for faster computation of paths between two points.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin reduces ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice

Proinflammatory cytokines are primary mediators of bone loss in estrogen deficiency. This study determined whether alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), a multifunctional protein with proteinase inhibitor and anti-inflammatory activities, mitigates bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency. Mice were either sham-operated or ovariectomized and injected with either AAT or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Ovariectomy resulted in decreased wet uterus weight, significant bone loss, increased serum leptin concentrations, and higher body weight compared to sham. AAT injection increased tibial trabecular bone volume/total volume and trabecular thickness compared to PBS injection in ovariectomized mice. Ovariectomized mice with AAT treatment had higher uterus weight, lower serum osteocalcin levels, fewer bone marrow tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive osteoclasts, and less expression of calcitonin receptor in bone than that in PBS-injected mice. These data demonstrate that AAT mitigates ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice possibly through inhibiting osteoclast activity and bone resorption.
A dialysis patient with apparent air in the biliary tree.

A 74-year-old patient with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis presented with 3 days of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. He was afebrile and physical examination revealed both epigastric and right upper quadrant tenderness without a positiveMurphy’s sign. Initial laboratory values were significant for slightly elevated levels of serum amylase (254 U ⁄ l) and lipase (2.5 U ⁄dl) and a white blood cell count of 4.2 · 1000 ⁄cu mm. A right upper quadrant ultrasound revealed sludge in the gallbladder.No stoneswere evident in the biliary tree. However, based on the presence of echogenic foci and acoustic shadowing, concern for pneumobilia (Fig. 1) was raised by the radiologist. A surgical consultant recommended further evaluation of the patient with computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen (Fig. 2).
Case Report: Unusual Tibia Intramedullary Osteoid Osteoma in a Two-Year-Old

In this report, we discuss a case of a 30-month-old male presenting with a painful limp. Plain radiographic studies gave a preliminary diagnosis of a Brodie abscess. Further studies, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were more consistent with that of an osteoid osteoma located within the tibial medullary canal, which is a rare location. The patient had an excisional biopsy. The final pathologic diagnosis confirmed intramedullary osteoid osteoma.
“From a certain angle”: Ecothriller Reading and Science Fiction Reading The Swarm and The Rapture

Read as apocalyptic ecothrillers, Frank Schatzing’s The Swarm and Liz Jensen’s The Rapture do not offer much in the way of critical reflection on the ecocatastrophes they stage. The Swarm’s focus on the feat of confronting the violent efforts of a superintelligent, deep-sea species to protect its ocean habitat against continued human exploitation and The Rapture’s focus on the feat of locating on time the psychically-predicted disaster zone of an impending undersea calamity overshadow their more than occasional spotlighting of, for example, the dangers of methane hydrate mining. Science fiction, however, requires readers to be attentive to those narrative moments when incongruities between the known world and the extrapolated world of the text emerge with critical, not just plot-supporting, purpose. Fundamental to the reading and interpretation of science fiction is the reader’s awareness of the genre’s extrapolative practice, which connects the now with the imagined then and therefore instigates critical thinking about present human practices. Read as extrapolative science fiction, The Swarm and The Rapture gain merit as ecopolitical works, for “science fiction reading” mobilizes the latent ecopolitics of ecothrillers, ecopolitics that “ecothriller reading” would otherwise diminish or fail to notice. Resumen Considerados ecothrillers apocalipticos, The Swarm de Frank Schatzing y The Rapture de Liz Jensen no ofrecen mucha reflexion critica sobre las eco-catastrofes que presentan. The Swarm se centra en los violentos esfuerzos de una especie superinteligente que habita las profundidades para proteger su habitat marino frente a la continua explotacion humana. Por su parte, al centrarse The Rapture en la hazana de ubicar en el tiempo la zona catastrofica de un desastre submarino inminente que ha sido predicho psicologicamente, se eclipsan las mas que ocasionales referencias a, por ejemplo, los peligros de la mineria de hidrato de metano. La ciencia ficcion, sin embargo, requiere que los lectores esten atentos a esos momentos narrativos en los que las incongruencias entre el mundo conocido y el mundo extrapolado del texto surjan con objetivo critico, y no solo para respaldar el argumento. Es fundamental para la lectura y la interpretacion de la ciencia ficcion la conciencia por parte del lector de la practica extrapolativa del genero, que conecta el ahora con el entonces imaginado, incitando asi a reflexionar criticamente sobre el comportamiento humano en la actualidad. Considerados ciencia ficcion extrapolativa, The Swarm y The Rapture ganan merito como obras eco-politicas, porque "la lectura de ciencia ficcion" moviliza la eco-politica latente de los eco-thrillers – eco-politica que en "la lectura de eco-thrillers" de otra forma pasaria desapercibida.
Immigrants and the Right to Petition

Today in the United States, millions of undocumented persons are working long hours for illegally low pay, in workplaces that violate health and safety codes, for employers who defy labor and antidiscrimination laws. Many more fall victim to criminal activity, forced into involuntary servitude and subjected to physical abuse. Yet these immigrants often do not report their harsh conditions and cruel treatment for fear that they will attract the attention of immigration officials and be deported. Law enforcement policies that deter noncitizens from reporting crimes are surely unwise, undermining public safety and health and entrenching undocumented immigrants in a caste hierarchy. In this Article, Professor Michael Wishnie argues that those policies may be unconstitutional as well – violating noncitizens’ First Amendment right to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The Article begins with the Supreme Court’s 1990 suggestion that noncitizens are not among “the people” whose rights the Framers intended to safeguard in the First and Fourth Amendments. To confront the Court’s reasoning on its own historical terms, Professor Wishnie examines the rich history of petitioning by noncitizens from early English tradition through the early nineteenth century, illustrating that the Founders did not intend to exclude noncitizens from “the people” whose rights would be established. Professor Wishnie then develops a theory of “extraordinary speech” to protect noncitizen petitioning and demonstrates how such a theory coheres with related doctrines of court access, unconstitutional conditions, and equal protection. Applying the theory, he concludes that some policies discouraging immigrant communications to law enforcement officials are so burdensome as to violate the First Amendment.
Indentured Servitude in the 17th Century English Atlantic: A Brief Survey of the Literature

This article surveys the literature on indentured servitude in the 17th century English Atlantic. It gives special attention to the recent challenge that Christopher Tomlins' celebrated book, Freedom Bound: Law, Labor, and Civic Identity in English Colonization, 1580–1865 (2010) has presented to widely accepted interpretations of unfree labor in colonial America. Within this context, the review canvasses three major themes in servant scholarship: servant migration, the laws of servitude, and servitude's relationship to slavery. A discussion of the scholarship that takes an Atlantic perspective on servitude within the wider history of colonization and colonial law reveals several problems with Tomlins' exclusive focus on North America. Tomlins could also have radically strengthened his already illuminating view of servant law as a foundation of slavery by engaging with work on how the “custom of the country” in colonial law related to both the involuntary dimensions of servant migration and the term-bound chattel status that colonial courts imposed on indentured servants. Despite these limitations and the problems associated with his proto-nationalist framework, the review concludes that Freedom Bound has vastly improved the extant literature on the relationship between the servitude and the ideological, discursive, and labor histories of English colonization.
A secure and privacy-preserving targeted ad-system

Thanks to its low product-promotion cost and its efficiency, targeted online advertising has become very popular. Unfortunately, being profile-based, online advertising methods violate consumers' privacy, which has engendered resistance to the ads. However, protecting privacy through anonymity seems to encourage click-fraud. In this paper, we define consumer's privacy and present a privacy-preserving, targeted ad system (PPOAd) which is resistant towards click fraud. Our scheme is structured to provide financial incentives to all entities involved.
Estimated glomerular filtration rate changes in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors

BACKGROUND Chronic use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may lead to previously unrecognized adverse events. This study evaluated the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in chronic-phase (CP) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients treated with imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib. METHODS Four hundred sixty-eight newly diagnosed CP CML patients treated with TKIs were analyzed. The molecular and cytogenetic response data, creatinine, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were followed from the start of therapy to the last follow-up (median, 52 months). GFR was estimated with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. RESULTS Nineteen patients (4%) had TKI-associated AKI. Imatinib was associated with a higher incidence of AKI in comparison with dasatinib and nilotinib (P = .014). Fifty-eight patients (14%) developed CKD while they were receiving a TKI; 49 of these patients (84%) did so while they were being treated with imatinib (P < .001). Besides imatinib, age, a history of hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were also associated with the development of CKD. In patients with no CKD at the baseline, imatinib was shown to reduce GFR over time. Interestingly, imatinib did not cause a significant decline in the GFRs of patients with a history of CKD. Imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib increased the mean GFR after 3 months of treatment, and nilotinib led with the most significant increase (P < .001). AKI or CKD had no significant impact on overall cytogenetic and molecular response rates or survival. CONCLUSIONS The administration of TKIs may be safe in the setting of CKD in CP CML patients, but close monitoring is still warranted. Cancer 2015;121:3894–3904. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Sources and Sinks of Phosphorus for a Perturbed Stream and the Effects of Mineral Deposits1

Effler, Steven W., Anthony R. Prestigiacomo, David A. Matthews, and Feng Peng, 2012. Sources and Sinks of Phosphorus for a Perturbed Stream and the Effects of Mineral Deposits. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(2): 321-335. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00617.x Abstract: Patterns of concentrations and loading rates of multiple forms of phosphorus (P) are resolved and analyzed along Ninemile Creek, New York, a stream perturbed by a domestic waste discharge and residual effects of a closed industry. This analysis is based on biweekly monitoring of total, dissolved, and soluble reactive P (SRP) for 19 months at four sites that bracket each of these effects, and 15 years of biweekly measurements at the two sites that bound industrial deposits. The minerogenic particle populations of the stream and the surficial sediments along the reach with extensive CaCO3 and clay mineral deposits are characterized with an individual particle analysis technique. Mass balance analyses depict: (1) increasing nonpoint inputs of particulate and dissolved organic P along the stream length; (2) input of P from a domestic waste facility, almost entirely in the form of SRP; and (3) a compensating downstream loss of SRP over the reach with the extensive industrial deposits of CaCO3. The downstream sink process for SRP is attributed to sorption processes with minerogenic deposits. The domestic waste-based source and the compensating industrial waste-based sink are noteworthy fluxes relative to other prevailing loads received by downstream Onondaga Lake, for which a major rehabilitation program targeting cultural eutrophication is underway. The P source/sink conditions of this stream are considered in the context of this rehabilitation program.
Linear-complexity direct finite element solver for irregular meshes and matrices without mesh

In this paper, we develop a linear-complexity direct finite element solver to handle problems discretized into irregular meshes, and further to problems without mesh information. The new capabilities are validated by the simulation of an industry large-scale package structure with a highly irregular mesh and examples that have only matrices without mesh information. We also report simulation results of an IBM full package, where the resulting frequency-domain finite-element matrix of over 22.8488 million unknowns is directly factorized and solved in approximately 16 hours on a single core running at 3 GHz.
Tectonics and composition of Venus

The uncompressed density of Venus is a few percent less than the Earth. The high upper mantle temperature of Venus deepens the eclogite stability field and inserts a partial melt field. A thick basaltic crust is therefore likely. The anomalous density of Venus relative to the progression from Mercury to Mars may therefore have a tectonic rather than a cosmo-chemical explanation. There may be no need to invoke differences in composition or oxidization state.
Hull inspection and confined area search capabilities of REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle

The REMUS-100 Hull and Harbor vehicle is being developed by the Ocean Systems Laboratory (OSL) at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, under Office of Naval Research (ONR) funding. The purpose of the vehicle is autonomous search and survey in close confines, such as harbors, finger piers and ship or submarine hulls. Initial tests of the system confirmed the unique suitability of this vehicle to this mission. Second generation developments leverage the strengths of the first generation engineering and continue to make the vehicle more autonomous, more productive and easier to apply to the specific restrictions of rapid, confined area search and survey.
Does substituting home care for institutional care lead to a reduction in Medicaid expenditures

In 1981 Congress introduced Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers in an attempt to contain Medicaid long-term care expenditures. This paper analyzes the efficacy of the waiver program. To date, little is known about its impact on cost containment. Using state-level Medicaid data on expenditures and the number of individuals participating in HCBS waivers between 1992 and 2000, this study estimates the impact of HCBS waivers on total Medicaid expenditures as well as on Medicaid institutional, home health and pharmaceutical expenditures. A fixed effects model is used to analyze Medicaid expenditures using variation in the size of HCBS waiver programs across states and over time. The results, robust across multiple specifications, show increases rather than decreases in total Medicaid spending as well as increases in the other Medicaid spending categories analyzed. This implies that there is no evidence of substitution from institutional care to the HCBS waiver program or that cost-shifting is occurring. In fact, the large magnitude of the estimated spending increases suggests the waivers may induce more people to enter the Medicaid program.
Identifying buying influences for a professional service: Implications for marketing efforts

Abstract This study analyzes the structure of a buying center for a professional service—CPA services. The results suggest CPA buying centers are similar in size and in the number of levels of corporate hierachy and functional areas involved to buying centers for other industrial services. Various buying firm characteristics (size, amount of audit fee, presence of an audit committee) were associated with differences in CPA buying center structure. The relationship of the results to prior industrial marketing research and their implications for marketing CPA services are discussed.
Effect of a new monocarboxylic acid antibiotic, A204, on the monovalent cation permeability of rat liver mitochondria.

Abstract A newly isolated polyether monocarboxylic acid antibiotic, A204, is reported here to affect the translocation of monovalent cations across mitochondrial membrane. At 1 μM, A204 caused a complete inhibition of glutamate oxidation in valinomycin or monazomycin-treated rat liver mitochondria in a K + medium. The antibiotic has the following ion specificity: K + = Rb + >Na + = Cs + >Li + . Pyridine nucleotides in intact mitochondria became oxidized upon addition of A204; however, A204 did not affect respiration supported by succinate oxidation. It also causes the leakage of K + , transient release of H + , and decrease of mitochondrial volume. The monovalent cation-dependent hydrolysis of ATP in valinomycin- or monazomycin-treated mitochondria was first activated and then inhibited at concentrations of A204 above 2 μM. The inhibitory effect of A204 on adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) is also ion dependent, but it is equally supported by Na + , K + and Rb + . We can therefore classify A204 as a new ionophore with properties shared by its predecessors, monensin, nigericin and dianemycin, which induce ion permeability in biological membranes.
Weak Solutions to a Parabolic Problem Modeling Axially Symmetrical Thermoelastic Contact

Abstract We consider a nonlinear parabolic problem that models the axially symmetric, quasistatic, mechanical behavior of a homogeneous hollow cylinder that may come into contact with a rigid obstacle. The problem has a nonlinear and nonlocal boundary condition that contains a pressure-dependent heat exchange coefficient. We model this coefficient both as a single-valued continuous function and as a measurable selection from a maximal monotone graph. In both instances we prove existence, regularity, and periodicity assertions for weak formulations of the problem, under the assumption that the thermal expansion coefficient is small.
Graphical Display of Means

Abstract A graphical procedure for the display of treatment means that enables one to determine the statistical significance of the observed differences is presented. It is shown that the widely used least significant difference and honestly significant difference statistics can be used to construct plots in which any two means whose uncertainty intervals do not overlap are significantly different at the assigned probability level. It is argued that these plots, because of their straightforward decision rules, are more effective than those that show the observed means with standard errors or confidence limits. Several examples of the proposed displays are included to illustrate the procedure.
Two applications of metal cyanide square grid monolayers: studies of evolving magnetic properties in layered films and templating Prussian blue family thin films

Two applications of previously described square grid network monolayers prepared at the air/water interface are explored. The monolayer networks are single layers of Prussian blue like mixed-metal cyanide networks that are formed via the interface-directed condensation of amphiphilic pentacyanometallate complex and subphase metal ions. In the first application, the monolayers are deposited onto solid supports and the magnetic properties of the networks are evaluated, as the transferred films evolve from a monolayer to a bilayer to multilayers. In the second application, the network monolayers are used to derivatize a surface, providing a seed layer for the subsequent deposition of solid-state metal cyanide molecule-based magnets. Improved surface wetting results in continuous, transparent magnetic films.
Gestational diabetes mellitus: Taking it to heart

Globally, cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for 1/3 of all deaths to women. While much research identifies the increased risk in CVD associated with pre-diabetes measurements, there is growing interest in the role of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)-a condition of glucose intolerance diagnosed during pregnancy-as a potential CVD risk factor. This article reviews existing evidence supporting this association, particularly regarding GDM and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, atherogenic dyslipedmia, and CVD events. Finally, it discusses the research and clinical ramifications of identifying GDM as a CVD risk factor, highlighting the need for more rigorous research on this topic.
The role of CO2 in the chemical modification of deep continental crust

Abstract Compositional differences between granulite facies rocks and equivalent amphibolite facies rocks and the observation of CO2-rich fluid inclusions in granulites, have led to the suggestion that CO2 must play a role in modifying the composition of deep continental crust. How CO2 effects this change has remained unclear. Using the thermodynamic properties of aqueous ions in a fluid of evolving CO 2 H 2 O ratio, it is possible to model the incongruent dissolution of feldspars under conditions appropriate for granulite facies metamorphism. The results demonstrate that dissolution will be strongly enhanced at high CO 2 H 2 O ratios, with ion solubilities being Na+ >K+ ⪢ Ca++. This enhancement is compatible with the reported compositional contrasts between granulite and amphibolite facies rock, but requires large fluid volumes. To test the dissolution model, a detailed field and petrologic study was conducted in a well exposed granulite facies terrane in West Greenland. Strong correlation between fluid composition and bulk rock chemistry can be documented; CO2-rich regions contain rocks which consistently have low a Na 2 O a CaO ratios, while H2O-rich regions consistently have high a Na 2 O a CaO ratios. Magnetite rims on sulfide grains are ubiquitous in high ƒ Co 2 regions and are absent in high ƒ H 2 O regions, and they provide evidence that CO2 was introduced into the region. These correlations and observations are predictable from the properties of the dissolution process. These considerations, along with observations regarding graphite petrogenesis, provide strong arguments that the total fluid volume interacting with the rock during metamorphism was very large, in some cases equaling or exceeding total rock volume. Such large fluid volumes can lead to significant compositional modification of the crust, and will mask the original protolith chemistry. Such processes should lead to Ca- and Al-enriched, Na-, K-, S- and Si-depleted residues in the deep crust.
Des dames chrétiennes. La spiritualité des catholiques québécoises au XIXe siècle

Cet article sur la spiritualite feminine au XIXe siecle examine successivement les sources d'origine clericale et les ecrits intimes laisses par les femmes. Les premieres revelent une « feminisation » de la piete, se manifestant notamment par le renouvellement de la devotion mariale et par le culte de la Sainte-Famille, ainsi qu'une insistance grandissante sur les devoirs des filles, des meres et des epouses. Les seconds, composes de lettres et de six journaux personnels, denotent une grande adhesion de leurs auteures aux enseignements de l'Eglise. Dans leurs reflexions sur les retraites spirituelles, sur les prieres, sur la confession et sur la communion, ces femmes font echo aux propos des pretres. Leurs doutes et leurs remises en question s'accompagnent de remords et de culpabilite.
Correlation of clinical and in vitro erythropoietic responses to androgens in renal failure

Correlation of clinical and in vitro erythropoietic responses to androgens in renal failure. To assess in vitro erythropoietic cultures as a tool to discriminate between patients whose anemia improves with and those whose anemia fails to improve with androgens, bone marrows of 24 anemic patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis in hormonedepleted plasma clots were cultured. While erythroid colony proliferation in the presence and absence of androgens by cells of seven patients with good clinical outcomes who were initially studied was similar to that of normal donors, it was reduced (P 4 cells at optimal erythropoietin concentrations, and less than a 25% enhancement in colony growth by androgens were observed in only those cultures derived from clinical nonresponder marrows. Using these criteria, nine often prospectively classified patients (five clinical responders and four nonresponders) were identified correctly. Correlation des reponses erythropoietiques cliniques et in vitro aux androgenes dans l'insuffisance renale. Afin de determiner si les cultures erythropoietiques in vitro sont un outil permettant de discriminer entre les patients dont l'anemie s'ameliore et ceux dont l'anemie ne s'ameliore pas avec les androgenes, nous avons cultive des moelles osseuses de 24 malades anemiques en hemodialyse periodique avec du plasma deplete en hormone. Alors que la proliferation des colonies erythroides en l'absence ou en presence d'androgenes a partir des cellules de sept malades ayant une bonne evolution clinique etaient identiques a celle de donneurs normaux, elle etait reduite (P 4 cellules a des concentrations optimales d'erythropoietines, et moins de 25% de stimulation de la croissance des colonies par les androgenes etaient observes uniquement dans les cultures provenant de moelle de non repondeurs cliniques. En utilisant ces criteres, neuf de dix malades prospectivement classes (cinq repondeurs cliniques et quatre non repondeurs) ont ete correctement identifies.
Factors influencing red wolf–coyote hybridization in eastern North Carolina, USA

Abstract Understanding the mechanisms that govern interspecific hybridization is vital to mitigating its impacts on endangered species. Research suggests that behavioral mechanisms such as mate choice and social disruption can regulate the rate at which hybridizing species interbreed. We investigated hybridization events between endangered red wolves ( Canis rufus ) and coyotes ( Canis latrans ) in eastern North Carolina to evaluate potential factors that may promote hybridization between these species. Specifically, we examined spatial location, breeding experience, breeder origin (captive vs wild), breeder ancestry (pure vs hybrid), and past history of the animal. There were over four times (126 vs 30) as many red wolf litters as hybrid litters over a 13 year time period. Over half of the hybridization events followed the disruption of a stable breeding pair of red wolves due to mortality of one or both breeders. Of these 69% were due to anthropogenic causes, primarily gunshot mortality prior to the red wolf breeding season. Both male and female red wolves interbred with coyotes, although a majority (90%) of the events we observed involved females. Wolves that produced hybrid litters tended to be young, first-time breeders with slightly higher levels of coyote ancestry. Only 16% of the hybrid litters were produced in the inner core of the red wolf recovery area. Our results suggest that disruption of stable breeding pairs of red wolves facilitates hybridization, jeopardizing future recovery of the red wolf. They also indicate the importance of behavioral forces, especially social stability, in regulating hybridization.
A self-healing particulate composite reinforced with strain hardened short shape memory polymer fibers

Abstract A particulate composite dispersed with thermoplastic particles and strain hardened short shape memory polymer fibers was prepared to evaluate its ability to repeatedly heal wide-opened cracks per the two-step close-then-heal (CTH) self-healing scheme. A two-step coating approach was used to enhance the shape fixity and workability of the cold-drawn programmed short polyurethane fibers. The relationship between recovery-stress and recovery-strain was experimentally determined by partially constrained shape recovery test. Notched beam specimens were prepared and fracture-healing was conducted up to five cycles. It is found that the composite was able to heal the wide-opened crack repeatedly with considerable healing efficiency. It is also found that the healing efficiency increases as the fiber length increases, but in a reduced increasing rate. The recovery stress-recovery strain of the strain hardened shape memory polymer fiber behaves nonlinearly. The coated fiber is more effective than the uncoated fiber in closing wide-opened cracks when the recovery strain is within a certain range.
Intra-industry trade between the united states and the major latin american countries: Measurement and implications for free trade in the Americas

This paper presents estimates for the level of intra-industry trade in the 1991 bilateral commerce between the United States and Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. As theory predicts, intra-industry trade is positively correlated with income and with foreign investment in this study. Furthermore, Mexico and the United States present high levels of intra-industry trade, whereas the other Latin American countries analyzed have relatively low levels. The paper concludes that Mexico should experience much less difficulty in adjusting to free trade with the United States than the other countries. The low levels of intra-in-dustry trade between the United States and the other Latin American nations signal that increased trade between these areas would bring about significant dislocation of resources and high adjustment costs.
Optical Configuration of Amino-acids in Pre-Cambrian Fig Tree Chert

Optically active amino-acids have been found in a sample of PreCambrian Fig Tree chert at least three thousand million years old.
Isotope effects and the nature of enantioselectivity in the shi epoxidation. The importance of asynchronicity.

The epoxidation of β-methylstyrene catalyzed by the Shi fructose-derived ketone is studied using experimental kinetic isotope effects and DFT calculations. The observation of a large β olefinic 13C isotope effect and small α carbon isotope effect is indicative of an asynchronous transition state with more advanced formation of the C−O bond to the β olefinic carbon. By varying the catalyst conformation and alkene orientation, diverse transition structure geometries were located calculationally, and the lowest-energy structure leads to an accurate prediction of the isotope effects. Given this support for the accuracy of the calculations employed, the nature of enantioselectivity in this and related epoxidations is considered. The lowest-energy transition structures are generally those in which the differential formation of the incipient C−O bonds, the “asynchronicity,” resembles that of an unhindered model, and the imposition of greater or less asynchronicity leads to higher barriers. In reactions of cis-di...
Confucianism and Contemporary Chinese Politics

This article examines the relevance of Confucianism to contemporary Chinese politics. While some dismiss Confucianism as irrelevant or even harmful, others emphasize its positive and enduring influence. The study begins by reviewing debates on the relevance of Confucianism, a discussion that has never stopped since China’s entry into the modern world system. After some of the weaknesses of previous debates have been identified, an assessment is made of aspects of Confucianism, followed by a brief prediction of a continuing but limited influence for Confucianism in China.
Pricing currency options with scheduled and unscheduled announcement effects on volatility

It is well documented that exchange rate volatility is time-varying and that it can be affected by scheduled events such as money supply announcements and unscheduled ones such as spot market interventions and interest rate changes. This study provides a European event model (E model) for currency call options that explicitly addresses the volatility effects of these two classes of events. Managers who are concerned with hedging in an environment of changing volatility may find the E model useful. The E and modified Black-Scholes (MBS) models have similar average errors in predicting option price changes across event windows and do better than a naive no-change prediction. The E model tends to reduce the underpricing of convex, short-term out-of-the-money options and the mispricing of most classes of convex options.
Three-dimensional digital mapping of the optic nerve head cupping in glaucoma

Visualization of the optic nerve head cupping is clinically achieved by stereoscopic viewing of a fundus image pair of the suspected eye. A novel algorithm for three-dimensional digital surface representation of the optic nerve head, using fusion of stereo depth map with a linearly stretched intensity image of a stereo fundus image pair, is presented. Prior to depth map acquisition, a number of preprocessing tasks including feature extraction, registration by cepstral analysis, and correction for intensity variations are performed. The depth map is obtained by using a coarse to fine strategy for obtaining disparities between corresponding areas. The required matching techniques to obtain the translational differences in every step, uses cepstral analysis and correlation-like scanning technique in the spatial domain for the finest details. The quantitative and precise representation of the optic nerve head surface topography following this algorithm is not computationally intensive and should provide more useful information than just qualitative stereoscopic viewing of the fundus as one of the diagnostic criteria for diagnosis of glaucoma.
Alterations in the blood fatty acids in single and combined deficiencies of essential fatty acids and vitamin B6 in monkeys

Abstract A study of the fatty acid patterns of plasma and erythrocytes of control monkeys and of monkeys subjected to individual and combined deficiencies of essential fatty acids and vitamin B 6 was carried out with the use of gas chromatography. Essential fatty acid deprivation alone or combined with vitamin B 6 deficiency led to marked increases in the monounsaturated fatty acids, palmitoleic and oleic, in both plasma and erythrocytes. In general, the levels of stearate, linoleate, and arachidonate of both plasma and erythrocytes were significantly decreased under the same conditions. Study of an uncharacterized peak, which first appeared on the erythrocyte chromatogram after 4 months of essential fatty acid deprivation and increased progressively for several months thereafter, has been identified as eicosatrienoate. The fatty acid patterns in the plasma and erythrocytes of vitamin B 6 -deficient monkeys were essentially the same as those of control monkeys, thus offering no support for a role of vitamin B 6 in polyunsaturated fatty acid interconversions.