cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low Yield of Significant Findings on Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Patients with Pancreatobiliary Pain and No Objective Findings

Due to the challenging nature of the type III sphincter of the Oddi dysfunction (SOD) patient, the suspected low diagnostic yield from endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the high complication rate, and the potential for litigation it is surprising that diagnostic ERCP continues to be performed in this patient population. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of significant findings on ERCP alone in patients with disabling abdominal pain of suspected pancreatobiliary origin and no objective findings. Entry criteria of this study included: (1) ERCP with attempt at visualization of both the biliary tree and pancreatic duct, (2) suspected of having abdominal pain of pancreatobiliary origin, (3) biliary or pancreatic type III by the modified Geenen–Hogan classification, (4) never undergone sphincterotomy, (5) attempted manometry of both sphincters. A total of 265 patients met entry criteria. Significant findings were found in seven patients (2.6 %): choledococoele (1), anomalous pancreatobiliary ductal union (2), mild-moderate chronic pancreatitis (2), and pancreatic duct filling defect suspicious for IPMN (2). Potentially significant in 25 patients (9.4 %) were: equivocal chronic pancreatitis (1), incomplete (4) and complete pancreas divisum (20). SOD was diagnosed in 77.7 %. 11.3 % had undergone a previous diagnostic ERCP. ERCP in this high-risk population requires detailed informed consent, availability of SOM to increase the diagnostic yield, and skills in placing prophylactic pancreatic stents. It is our belief that patients without objective findings of pancreatobiliary disease that would explain their subjective complaints should not undergo diagnostic ERCP.
Compact and extensible optical interconnect module for a free-space optical backplane

The design of a set of optics for a free-space digital optical backplane is presented. The optical system is designed to interconnect smart pixel chips using reflective modulators flip-chip bonded to CMOS circuitry. It consists of arrays of diffractive minilenses forming a 4f system around successive polarizing beamsplitter cubes. The minilenses between the optical power supply and the modulators are transmissive and on-axis, while those for the detectors are reflective and off-axis and emulate microprisms for beamsteering. The minilenses are augmented by microlens arrays for final focusing onto the clustered modulator windows. The optical module described has low loss, is highly compact and using f/4 diffractive optics supports 515 smart pixels/cm2 for a chip size of 1 cm2, giving a connection density of 2060/cm2. Given flexibility in chip layout, this can be raised to a connection density of 4500/cm2. Detailed analysis shows that the system meets performance targets set by considering present electronic backplanes, while conforming to the fabrication limitations of diffractive optics.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Neighborhood poverty, urban residence, race/ethnicity, and asthma: Rethinking the inner-city asthma epidemic

Background Although it is thought that inner-city areas have a high burden of asthma, the prevalence of asthma in inner cities across the United States is not known. Objective We sought to estimate the prevalence of current asthma in US children living in inner-city and non–inner-city areas and to examine whether urban residence, poverty, or race/ethnicity are the main drivers of asthma disparities. Methods The National Health Interview Survey 2009-2011 was linked by census tract to data from the US Census and the National Center for Health Statistics. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for sex; age; race/ethnicity; residence in an urban, suburban, medium metro, or small metro/rural area; poverty; and birth outside the United States, with current asthma and asthma morbidity as outcome variables. Inner-city areas were defined as urban areas with 20% or more of households at below the poverty line. Results We included 23,065 children living in 5,853 census tracts. The prevalence of current asthma was 12.9% in inner-city and 10.6% in non–inner-city areas, but this difference was not significant after adjusting for race/ethnicity, region, age, and sex. In fully adjusted models black race, Puerto Rican ethnicity, and lower household income but not residence in poor or urban areas were independent risk factors for current asthma. Household poverty increased the risk of asthma among non-Hispanics and Puerto Ricans but not among other Hispanics. Associations with asthma morbidity were very similar to those with prevalent asthma. Conclusions Although the prevalence of asthma is high in some inner-city areas, this is largely explained by demographic factors and not by living in an urban neighborhood.
Irregular Coarse-Grain Data Parallelism under LPARX

LPARX is a software development tool for implementing dynamic, irregular scientific applications, such as multilevel finite difference and particle methods, on high-performance multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD) parallel architectures. It supports coarse-grain data parallelism and gives the application complete control over specifying arbitrary block decompositions. LPARX provides structural abstraction, representing data decompositions as first-class objects that can be manipulated and modified at runtime. LPARX, implemented as a C++ class library, is currently running on diverse MIMD platforms, including the Intel Paragon, Cray C-90, IBM SP2, and networks of workstations running under PVM. Software may be developed and debugged on a singe-processor workstation.
Using music therapy protocols in the treatment of premature infants: An introduction to current practices

Abstract Medical music therapy, which has developed rapidly in the last 15 years, has been effectively used with preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to current music therapy protocols for premature infants, as well as highlight research supporting the use of these procedures to address a variety of medical and developmental objectives. Protocols covered include (a) music combined with kangaroo care, (b) multimodal stimulation, (c) developmentally appropriate music listening and (d) pacifier activated lullabies (PAL). Research suggests that these procedures have been effective in addressing a wide range of medical and developmental needs. Positive outcomes include: (a) reduced length of stay, (b) stabilized oxygen saturation levels, (c) increased stimulation tolerance, (d) reduced stress-related behaviors, (e) enhanced parent–infant bonding and (f) improved parent–child interactions.
The University of Colorado Puebla Experience: A Study in Changing Attitudes and Teaching Strategies

Students participated in a 2-week intensive program in the city of Puebla, Mexico. The experience included university course work, cultural field trips, and teaching and observing in Mexican elementary schools. It also included many opportunities to interact and participate in daily life in Puebla. The study examined changes in attitudes about Mexicans and Mexican Americans as well as changes in teachers' stated beliefs about effective teaching methods. While pre/postattitude surveys did not show a shift, there were significant changes in participant perceptions of teaching strategies for Mexican American students. The results suggest that intensive short-term programs such as this one may not demonstrate improved attitudes; however, they may impact classroom strategy use, and this in turn may have a positive impact on English language learners. This multifaceted experience resulted in rather complex outcomes.
Longitudinal Changes in Access to Health Care by Immigrant Status Among Older Adults: The Importance of Health Insurance as a Mediator

Purpose: This longitudinal study examined the role of health insurance in access to health care among older immigrants. Design and Methods: Using data from the Second Longitudinal Study of Aging, the longitudinal trajectories of having a usual source of care were compared between 3 groups (all 70+ years): (a) late-life immigrants with less than 15 years of residence in the United States (“recent immigrants”; n = 133), (b) “earlier immigrants” (15 years or longer in the United States, n = 672), and (c) U.S. born (n = 8,642). A series of hierarchical generalized linear models were run to test the mediating relationship of health insurance between immigrant status and having a usual source of care. Results: Although the probabilities of having a usual source of care increased over time across all three groups, recent immigrants were less likely to have Medicare and private insurance over time; this in turn was related to lower probabilities of having a usual source of care (indirect relationship). There was no direct relationship between immigrant status and having a usual source of care. Implications: To prevent the use of more expensive forms of care in the long run, policy efforts should expand late-life immigrants’ health insurance coverage by increasing affordable health insurance options.
Achromatic waveguide input/output coupler design.

An investigation into methods for achromatizing the coupling angle characteristics of waveguide input/output couplers is described. The basic approach involves correcting the inherent angular dispersion of conventional waveguide couplers with a diffraction grating. Two configurations are analyzed in detail: a hybrid prism/grating coupler and a double grating coupler. Expressions are derived for values of the grating parameters that produce achromatic coupling. A method is also presented to predict the achromatic wavelength range and maximize it with the available degrees of freedom. For a coupling angle tolerance of 0.005°, it is found that with double grating couplers achromatic wavelength ranges of the order of 10 nm can be obtained, and that with prism/grating couplers this range can be as large as 200 nm.
Large amplitude whistlers in the magnetosphere observed with Wind-Waves

We describe the results of a statistical survey of Wind-Waves data motivated by the recent STEREO/Waves discovery of large-amplitude whistlers in the inner magnetosphere. Although Wind was primarily intended to monitor the solar wind, the spacecraft spent 47 h inside 5 R(sub E) and 431 h inside 10 R(sub E) during the 8 years (1994-2002) that it orbited the Earth. Five episodes were found when whistlers had amplitudes comparable to those of Cattell et al. (2008), i.e., electric fields of 100 m V/m or greater. The whistlers usually occurred near the plasmapause. The observations are generally consistent with the whistlers observed by STEREO. In contrast with STEREO, Wind-Waves had a search coil, so magnetic measurements are available, enabling determination of the wave vector without a model. Eleven whistler events with useable magnetic measurements were found. The wave vectors of these are distributed around the magnetic field direction with angles from 4 to 48deg. Approximations to observed electron distribution functions show a Kennel-Petschek instability which, however, does not seem to produce the observed whistlers. One Wind episode was sampled at 120,000 samples/s, and these events showed a signature that is interpreted as trapping of electrons in the electrostatic potential of an oblique whistler. Similar waveforms are found in the STEREO data. In addition to the whistler waves, large amplitude, short duration solitary waves (up to 100 mV/m), presumed to be electron holes, occur in these passes, primarily on plasma sheet field lines mapping to the auroral zone.
The Arctic’s rapidly shrinking sea ice cover: a research synthesis

The sequence of extreme September sea ice extent minima over the past decade suggests acceleration in the response of the Arctic sea ice cover to external forcing, hastening the ongoing transition towards a seasonally open Arctic Ocean. This reflects several mutually supporting processes. Because of the extensive open water in recent Septembers, ice cover in the following spring is increasingly dominated by thin, first-year ice (ice formed during the previous autumn and winter) that is vulnerable to melting out in summer. Thinner ice in spring in turn fosters a stronger summer ice-albedo feedback through earlier formation of open water areas. A thin ice cover is also more vulnerable to strong summer retreat under anomalous atmospheric forcing. Finally, general warming of the Arctic has reduced the likelihood of cold years that could bring about temporary recovery of the ice cover. Events leading to the September ice extent minima of recent years exemplify these processes.
Laparoscopic and robotic radical prostatectomy outcomes in obese and extremely obese men.

In the United States, the prevalence of obesity, defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2, has increased from 12.5% in 1980 to 32.2% in 2008, and continues to rise.1 Obesity presents a challenge in men with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) for a variety of reasons. First, obese patients may present with more aggressive cancers. Several large series have shown that higher BMI is associated with higher grade tumors and an increased risk of biochemical recurrence after RP.2,3 Second, obesity may render RP more technically challenging, thus compromising oncologic control. Several series have shown an association between BMI and an increased rate of positive surgical margins (PSM) and capsular incision4,5,6. Perhaps because of these surgical challenges, obese men undergo alternative prostate cancer management approaches such as active surveillance, external beam radiation, brachytherapy, and primary androgen deprivation more commonly than their normal-weight counterparts.7 In recent years there have been several reports describing the technical feasibility and oncologic efficacy of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and robotic radical prostatectomy (RARP) in obese men. However, many of these studies are limited by small sample size.8-13 In larger series men have been dichotomized as “normal” or “obese”, rather than being stratified by BMI category, a common feature in the smaller series as well.14,15 In concordance with national obesity prevalence trends, there is an increasing percentage of obesity among men undergoing RP at our institution, especially men with World Health Organization (WHO) Class II (BMI ≥ 35) and Class III (BMI ≥ 40) obesity. It is unknown whether their outcomes are comparable to those of thinner men. The current study investigates a large single-surgeon series of men treated with minimally-invasive RP, laparoscopic or robot-assisted, stratified by WHO BMI categories, with attention to peri-operative and oncologic outcomes among BMI groups.
To invest in the invisible: A case study of Manti Te’o's image repair strategies during the Katie Couric interview

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine Manti Te’o's image repair strategies during an interview with Katie Couric. This interview followed reports that Te’o had been involved in an elaborate hoax featuring a fake girlfriend. The interview was a worthy avenue of investigation as it was Te’o's first opportunity to publicly defend himself on camera following a week of ridicule and speculation by media outlets and the public. A deductive thematic analysis was conducted on Te’o's responses utilizing Benoit's image repair typology and other recently identified image repair strategies as a guide. Results revealed that Te’o did not deviate from previously established strategies by employing defeasibility, victimization, good intentions, stonewalling, retrospective regret, bolstering, shifting blame, and simple denial. Collectively, the employment of these tactics illustrated a timid, naive, and remorseful approach to image repair. While some of Te’o's choices were appropriate, the heavy use of stonewalling and victimization may have been ineffective in changing audience perception.
Rifampin Combination Therapy for Nonmycobacterial Infections

The increasing emergence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), has resulted in the increased use of rifampin combination therapy. The data supporting rifampin combination therapy in nonmycobacterial infections are limited by a lack of significantly controlled clinical studies. Therefore, its current use is based upon in vitro or in vivo data or retrospective case series, all with major limitations. A prominent observation from this review is that rifampin combination therapy appears to have improved treatment outcomes in cases in which there is a low organism burden, such as biofilm infections, but is less effective when effective surgery to obtain source control is not performed. The clinical data support rifampin combination therapy for the treatment of prosthetic joint infections due to methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) after extensive debridement and for the treatment of prosthetic heart valve infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci. Importantly, rifampin-vancomycin combination therapy has not shown any benefit over vancomycin monotherapy against MRSA infections either clinically or experimentally. Rifampin combination therapy with daptomycin, fusidic acid, and linezolid needs further exploration for these severe MRSA infections. Lastly, an assessment of the risk-benefits is needed before the addition of rifampin to other antimicrobials is considered to avoid drug interactions or other drug toxicities.
China Olympics and sponsor stocks

This study examined the Olympic sponsors' stocks during the China 2008 Olympics to determine the impacts of a mega event such as Olympics on stock market value and its potential long–term influences. The study adapted a theoretical framework of the Built to Last and attempted to contextually and visually describe stock value changes of sponsor companies throughout the Olympic history. Stocks trend analysis method was used to analyse the charts of stock performance to determine if there were consistent patterns among chosen visionary companies such as Coca Cola, McDonalds, General Electric and Johnson & Johnson for the 2008 summer Olympics. The results of the study revealed that the uniqueness of each Olympic in its time and space. Among many variables that influenced sponsorship and its performance the most are a host country's culture, Olympic culture and the momentum of the Olympics.
On dedekind complete o-minimal structures

For a countable complete o -minimal theory T , we introduce the notion of a sequentially complete model of T . We show that a model of T is sequentially complete if and only if ≺ for some Dedekind complete model . We also prove that if T has a Dedekind complete model of power greater than , then T has Dedekind complete models of arbitrarily large powers. Lastly, we show that a dyadic theory —namely, a theory relative to which every formula is equivalent to a Boolean combination of formulas in two variables—that has some Dedekind complete model has Dedekind complete models in arbitrarily large powers.
Oncology professionals' communication with cancer patients about complementary therapy: a survey.

Abstract Objective: To compare the communication practices of three groups of oncology professionals with regard to discussion of complementary therapies with cancer patients. Design: A mail survey was completed by a randomly selected, nationwide sample of oncology physicians, oncology nurses, and oncology social workers in the United States. Main outcome measures: Respondents indicated how often they initiated discussion of complementary therapies, their comfort level discussing this subject, and the perceived impact on the patient–professional relationship. Results: Significantly more of the social workers reported that they initiated discussion of complementary therapy compared to physicians and nurses. Physicians and social workers reported being equally comfortable with this topic and more so than nurses. More of the social workers reported believing that discussing complementary therapies can enhance the patient–professional relationship. Conclusions: Oncology social workers were more amenable to discussing complementary therapies than physicians or nurses. The impact of communication on patient outcomes is addressed.
The 5'-triphosphates of the (-) and (+) enantiomers of cis-5-fluoro-1-[2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-oxathiolane-5-yl]cytosine equally inhibit human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase.

Abstract The (-) enantiomer of cis-5-fluoro-1-[2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-oxathiolane-5-yl]cytosine is a potent inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in vitro. The 5'-triphosphates of the (-) and (+) enantiomers equally inhibited the production of full-length minus-strand DNA in an endogenous reverse transcriptase reaction, each competitively inhibited DNA synthesis, and each was used as a chain-terminating substrate.
Novel Structural Determinants on SIRPα that Mediate Binding to CD47

Signal regulatory proteins (SIRP-alpha, -beta, and -gamma) are important regulators of several innate immune functions that include leukocyte migration. Membrane distal (D1) domains of SIRPalpha and SIRPgamma, but not SIRPbeta, mediate binding to a cellular ligand termed CD47. Because the extracellular domains of all SIRPs are highly homologous, we hypothesized that some of the 16 residues unique to SIRPalpha.D1 mediate binding to CD47. By site-directed mutagenesis, we determined that SIRPalpha binding to CD47 is independent of N-glycosylation. We also identified three residues critical for CD47 binding by exchanging residues on SIRPalpha with corresponding residues from SIRPbeta. Cumulative substitutions of the critical residues into SIRPbeta resulted in de novo binding of the mutant protein to CD47. Homology modeling of SIRPalpha.D1 revealed topological relationships among critical residues and allowed the identification of critical residues common to SIRPalpha and SIRPbeta. Mapping these critical residues onto the recently reported crystal structure of SIRPalpha.D1 revealed a novel region that is required for CD47 binding and is distinct and lateral to another putative CD47 binding site described on that crystal structure. The importance of this lateral region in mediating SIRPalpha.D1 binding to CD47 was confirmed by epitope mapping analyses of anti-SIRP Abs. These observations highlight a complex nature of the ligand binding requirements for SIRPalpha that appear to be dependent on two distinct but adjacent regions on the membrane distal Ig loop. A better understanding of the structural basis of SIRPalpha/CD47 interactions may provide insights into therapeutics targeting pathologic inflammation.
Time perception and anxiety.

This paper aimed to (1) study the relationship between time perception and two levels of anxiety, (2) raise a methodological question about the measurement of time perception, and (3) measure the stability of production interval estimates. (1) 8 patients with high anxiety demonstrated greater distortions of time perception than 9 with low anxiety, (2) the choice of interval between 15 and 90 sec. was not important, and (3) the time production method is fairly stable but was affected by changes in anxiety for 5 Ss.
Subpopulations of chloroplast ribosomes change during photoregulated development of Zea mays leaves: Ribosomal proteins L2, L21, and L29

Seedlings grown in darkness, i.e., etiolated seedlings, lack chlorophyll and most other components of the photosynthetic apparatus. On illumination, the plastids become photosynthetically competent through the production of chlorophylls and proteins encoded by certain chloroplast and nuclear genes. There are two types of photosynthetic cells in leaves of the C4 plant maize: bundle sheath cells (BSC) and adjacent mesophyll cells (MC). Some proteins of the maize photosynthetic machinery are solely or preferentially localized in MC and others in BSC. A particular gene may be photoregulated up in one cell type and down in the other. Transcripts of the nuclear gene rpl29, encoding the chloroplast ribosomal protein L29, increase in abundance about 17-fold during light-induced maturation of plastids. There is about 1.5 times more L29 protein in ribosomes of greening leaves than in ribosomes of unilluminated leaves; the L29 contents of MC and BSC are about the same. However, L21 is present about equally in plastid ribosomes of unilluminated and illuminated seedlings. In contrast to both L29 and L21, the fraction of the ribosome population containing L2 is about the same in MC and BSC of etiolated leaves but, on illumination, the proportion of the ribosome population with L2 increases in BSC but not in MC. The existence of different subpopulations of plastid ribosomes—e.g., those with and without L21 and/or L29 during development—evokes interesting, but as yet unanswered, questions about the roles of different types of ribosomes in differentiation.
Preparation of 2,2-Diethyl 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyloxy)propyl Carbamate

The preparation of the 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate of 2,2-diethyl-1,3-propanediol, and the conversion of the ester to the carbamate are described.
Body size and pubertal development explain ethnic differences in structural geometry at the femur in Asian, Hispanic, and white early adolescent girls living in the U.S.

article i nfo Variation in structural geometry is present in adulthood, but when this variation arises and what influences this variation prior to adulthood remains poorly understood. Ethnicity is commonly the focus of research of skeletal integrity and appears to explain some of the variation in quantification of bone tissue. However, why ethnicity explains variation in skeletal integrity is unclear. Methods: Here we examine predictors of bone cross sectional area (CSA) and section modulus (Z), measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and the Advanced Hip Analysis (AHA) program at the narrow neck of the femur in adolescent (9-14 years) girls (n=479) living in the United States who were classified as Asian, Hispanic, or white if the subject was 75% of a given group based on parental reported ethnicity. Protocols for measuring height and weight follow standardized procedures. Total body lean mass (LM) and total body fat mass (FM) were quantified in kilograms using DXA. Total dietary and total dairy calcium intakes from the previous month were estimated by the use of an electronic semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (eFFQ). Physical activity was estimated for the previous year by a validated self-administered modifiable activity questionnaire for adolescents with energy expenditure calculated from the metabolicequivalent (MET) values from the Compendium of Physical Activities. Multiple regression models were developed to predict CSA and Z. Results: Age, time from menarche, total body lean mass (LM), total body fat mass (FM), height, total calcium, and total dairy calcium all shared a significant (pb0.05), positive relationship with CSA. Age, time from menarche, LM, FM, and height shared significant (pb0.05), positive relationships with Z. For both CSA and Z, LM was the most important covariate. Physical activity was not a significant predictor of geometry at the femoral neck (p≥0.339), even after removing LM as a covariate. After adjusting for covariates, ethnicity was not a significant predictor in regression models for CSA and Z. Conclusion: Variability in bone geometry at the narrow neck of the femur is best explained by body size and pubertal maturation. After controlling for these covariates there were no differences in bone geometry between ethnic groups.
Preferences of Varroa jacobsoni for honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) of different ages

SUMMARYVarroa jacobsoni kept on honey bees of different ages for 3–5 days were tested in simultaneous choice tests. Comparisons of attractiveness to V. jacobsoni were made between nurse bees and pollen foragers as well as between nurse bees and larvae from nearly capped brood cells. Choices were presented in petri dishes and in a Y-shaped olfactometer. All tested V. jacobsoni groups showed a clear preference for nurse bees compared to bee brood (4 groups) or a trend towards preferring nurse bees (2 groups). The preference was less pronounced in the olfactometer tests than in the petri dish tests. The simultaneous choice tests between nurse bees and pollen foragers led to very similar results with both test methods. V. jacobsoni which had been kept on nurse bees showed a clear preference for nurse bees. V. jacobsoni which had been kept on pollen foragers did not distinguish between nurse bees and pollen foragers.
Fishing for Good News

In their Report “Biomass, size, and trophic status of top predators in the Pacific Ocean” (15 Dec. 2006, p. 1773), J. Sibert et al. consider the effects of fishing on certain top predators in the Pacific Ocean. The bad news in their Report is that two large and extremely valuable tuna species
The Spanish Atlantic World in the Eighteenth Century: Adjustments and Refinements in the Reformist Agenda, 1783–1796

The period following Spain’s victory in the War of the American Revolution allowed Madrid to consolidate and to refine gains made in its reformist agenda by advancing additional administrative, fiscal, military, and commercial innovations. Underlying tensions arose from problems with finance, however, particularly owing to mushrooming military expenditures for both land forces and the armada. Although humbled and stripped of its North American colonies, Great Britain still possessed a superior navy, which posed a continuing military threat in the Atlantic world, but new thinking was in order. In confronting the challenges that faced it, Spain enjoyed capable leadership from the Conde de Floridablanca and his ally in the royal cabinet, Pedro Lopez de Lerena. Skillfully working its way through the incredibly complex issues that it faced, the Madrid government would push reform of the imperial system to its pinnacle. Bolstered by a highly productive empire, Spain once again would stand among the great powers of the western world. While the crown used the American revenues to advance Spain’s military standing, however, little was invested to develop the economic infrastructure of the metropolis or the Indies. As a result, Madrid’s successes in reorganizing its empire over the eighteenth century would ultimately fall victim to international conflict, first to the wars of the French Revolution and ultimately to two disastrous conflicts with the British beginning in 1796, which would put a definitive end to the reforming impulse in the Spanish Atlantic world.
Extracting Snow Cover Time Series Data from Open Access Web Mapping Tile Services

The probability of the presence of snow cover at a given location over time is a critical input to hydrologic simulation models in snowpack-driven watersheds. While a number of open access web mapping tile services exist for viewing images of current and historical snow cover over large regions, no equally accessible tools exist for extracting numerical time series data of snow cover probability defined at particular point locations. This article presents the design, development, and testing of a new open source script and web application for snow cover probability time series extraction from map images. The script is deployed as a web app using the Tethys framework making it accessible to novice users through a user interface. A WaterML web-API gives access to third-party applications for automation and embedding in modeling tools. The full design of the script is presented such that it can serve as a model for similar or extended tools that may be developed by others. A set of use case experiments is presented demonstrating the full functionality of the script and its limitations, and an example application for ground validation of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer snow cover dataset is discussed.
Hylomorphism: Emergent Properties without Emergentism

Hylomorphism claims that structure is a basic ontological and explanatory principle. It accounts for what things are and what they can do. The hylomorphic notion of structure provides resources for understanding the place of mind in the natural world. The activities of living things like us are not random physiological occurrences; they are physiological occurrences with a certain organization or structure. We engage in them by imposing an order on the ways our parts manifest their powers. According to the hylomorphic view I defend, thought, feeling, perception, and intentional action are structured activities of this sort. The result is a theory of mental phenomena that rejects physicalism but that is nevertheless naturalistic. It is also antireductive: it denies that psychological discourse is reducible to physical theory. Finally, it provides an unmysterious account of how mental phenomena fit within the natural world.
Justices : Entre les impossibilités et la sagesse tragique

La justice, qu’elle soit interne aux Etats, ou qu’elle s’occupe des rapports entre les Etats, qu’elle soit meme ce qui sonde la regle et ses modalites d’application, qu’elle s’occupe des problemes de legitimite ou de ceux de la technologie ou de la commercialisation, qu’elle se place comme un complement a la coutume ou un pendant a la theologie, qu’elle s’essouffle devant l’impossibilite de departager le regne de la force et du droit, qu’elle crie victoire apres la punition des genocidaires, qu’elle hesite entre verite, paix, devoir, egalite et equite, la justice—comme sentiment et comme institution—dit d’abord et avant tout le rapport des hommes a leur commune humanite qui regarde a la fois ses references fondatrices, ses bricolages sociaux quotidiens et l’avenir. Mais cette justice est tour a tour confisquee par les media et par l’argent. Ce que les media couvrent, c’est, d’une part, une reflexion comme l’a fait Marx ou Simmel sur l’argent (surtout dans ses rapports avec la justice), et d’autre part, les autres pouvoirs—politiques et mythologiques—qui president a la mise en scene de la justice. La justice convoque aussi la question de la confiance. Pourquoi faut-il encore parler de confiance en la justice, surtout en Afrique ou elle est souvent, comme ailleurs, soit sous le poids des prejuges, soit corrompue ? La confiance met au moins trois parametres necessaires a la reconsideration non cynique de la notion de promesse. Ce qui est en jeu dans le traitement que nous faisons de la justice, c’est de faire remarquer deux choses : d’abord qu’elle est, en tant qu’idee, une exigence pour lire la fragilite et la cruaute du monde, et ensuite comme institution, le moyen de sonder sa consistance.
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR DOPAMINERGIC AGONIST AND ANTAGONIST EFFECTS OF LSD

Electrophysiological studies of dopamine (DA) containing neurons in anesthetized rats indicate that LSD acts as a dopamine agonist. Following DA agonist pretreatment, LSD acts as a DA antagonist on these neurons.
Sex Differences in Cannabis Use Disorder Diagnosis Involved Hospitalizations in the United States.

Objectives The study examined sex differences in trend and clinical characteristics of cannabis use disorder (CUD) diagnosis involved hospitalizations among adult patients. Methods We analyzed hospitalization data from the 2007-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Samples for patients aged 18-64 years (N = 15,114,930). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize demographic variables and to compare the proportions of CUD diagnosis and comorbid patterns between male and female hospitalizations. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the association of sex and other demographic variables with CUD diagnosis. Results During the study period, 3.3% of male and 1.5% of female hospitalizations had any-listed CUD diagnoses, and both sexes presented an upward trend in the number, rate, and proportion of CUD diagnosis. Among hospitalizations for patients aged 18-25 years, about 1 in 10 males and 1 in 20 females included a CUD diagnosis, and this proportion decreased with age strata. Mental disorders accounted for the highest proportion of CUD involved inpatient hospitalizations, and female CUD involved hospitalizations included a higher proportion of mental disorders that required hospitalized care compared with male hospitalizations (41% vs 36%). In each sex group, younger age, black race, lower household income, large metropolitan residence, non-private insurance, substance use diagnosis, and mental disorders were associated with elevated odds of having CUD diagnosis. Conclusion The large sample of clinical hospitalization data suggest an increased trend in CUD diagnosis and sex differences in several comorbidities with CUD-involved hospital admissions. Prevention and treatment for CUD should consider sex differences in clinical comorbidities.
Hormonal Control of Reproduction in the Female: The Menstrual Cycle

Publisher Summary The ovaries serve the dual function of producing eggs and the hormones that support reproductive functions in females. This chapter describes the ovarian hormones, control of ovarian functions, physiological actions of ovarian hormones, and mechanism and regulation of female reproductive cycle. The functional unit of ovary is ovarian follicle, and the principal ovarian hormones are the steroids estradiol and progesterone and the peptide inhibin, which orchestrates the cyclic series of events that unfold in the ovary, pituitary, and the reproductive tract. Ovarian function is driven by the two pituitary gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), the secretion of which depends on stimulatory input from the hypothalamus through the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and complex inhibitory and stimulatory input from ovarian steroid and peptide hormones. At puberty estrogens promote growth and development of the oviducts, uterus, vagina, and external genitalia. Ovulation, the hallmark of ovarian activity, occurs episodically at 28-day intervals. It is the central and signature event of each ovarian cycle. It follows selection and maturation of the dominant follicle and is triggered by a massive increase in blood LH concentration. If fertilization does not occur, a new follicle must be prepared. Coordination of these events requires two-way communication between the pituitary and the ovaries, and between the ovaries and the reproductive tract.
Serenity and Inner Peace: Positive Perspectives

Review of relevant interdisciplinary literature and several recent factor analytic studies revealed that serenity and inner peace encompasses four interrelated factors or components: higher power (including spirituality and search for meaning); harmony (including acceptance/wisdom, anger management, forgiveness, self-compassion, and meditation/mindfulness); positivity (including happiness/subjective well-being, positive emotions, humor, gratitude, and positive coping); and lifestyle (including living for today, health psychology, pursuit of a simple life, appreciate nature, positive social networks, contribute to society/volunteer efforts, and servant leadership). The chapter elaborates on these four factors, describing them and providing practical considerations. In addition, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the relationship between serenity and positive mental health.
A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Technology-Based Approach for Preventing Excess Weight Gain during Pregnancy among Women with Overweight.

Objective: Overweight/obesity and excess weight gain during pregnancy are associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Few interventions have been effective in limiting gestational weight gain among women with overweight or obesity. This pilot, randomized clinical trial compared treatment as usual (TAU) to a lifestyle modification program delivered via phone for the prevention of excess gestational weight gain in women who had overweight or obesity. Methods: Participants included 41 pregnant women with a BMI >/= 25 kg/m2 (mean age=28.7+5.8 years; mean pre-gravid BMI=31.2+6.2 kg/m2; 54% black, 39% white). The intervention group (n = 20) received weekly telephone counseling sessions and used WiFi scales to monitor their weight from weeks 16 to 36 of pregnancy. We compared differences in weight and birth outcomes for the intervention versus the TAU group (n = 21). Results: The intervention and TAU groups did not differ with respect to: gestational weight gain (15.5+5.3 kg vs. 13.3+6.8 kg, respectively); proportion gaining above the 2009 IOM recommended weight range (83% vs. 70%); and weight gain from pre-pregnancy weight to 6 weeks postpartum (4.8+4.6 kg vs. 3.0+5.5 kg). Other birth and health outcomes also did not differ. Conclusions: A telemedicine intervention designed to decrease logistical burden on participants was not more successful in reducing excessive weight gain during pregnancy as compared to TAU. Future studies should examine more intensive forms of remote treatment beginning earlier in pregnancy as well as interventions promoting a healthy weight prior to pregnancy.
Use of haloperidol infusions to control delirium in critically ill adults.

Objective:To describe and discuss the use of continuous intravenous infusions of Haloperidol to treat severe delirium and agitation in 3 intensive care unit (ICU) patients.Case Summaries:Three severely agitated patients in ICU did not respond to conventional therapy with opiates, benzodiazepines, and intermittent intravenous doses of haloperidol. In each case, control was achieved rapidly after initiation and titration of a continuous haloperidol infusion. Two patients had a history of schizophrenia. No adverse effects attributable to therapy were identified.Discussion:Haloperidol is often used in the ICU for control of severe agitation, even in patients without a psychiatric history. It usually is given by bolus intravenous injection, sometimes in high doses (>5 mg), even though that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Intravenous haloperidol is generally well tolerated, but multiform ventricular tachycardia has been reported. Experience with continuous haloperidol infusions is growing, ...
State-dependent jump processes: Itô-Stratonovich interpretations, potential, and transient solutions

The abrupt changes that are ubiquitous in physical systems often are well characterized by shot noise with a state-dependent recurrence frequency and jump amplitude. For such state-dependent behavior, we derive the transition probability for both the It\^o and Stratonovich jump interpretations and subsequently use the transition probability to pose a master equation for the jump process. For exponentially distributed inputs, we present a class of transient solutions, as well as a generic steady-state solution in terms of a potential function and the Pope-Ching formula. These results allow us to describe state-dependent jumps in a double-well potential for steady-state particle dynamics, as well as transient salinity dynamics forced by state-dependent jumps. Both examples showcase a stochastic description that is more general than the limiting case of Brownian motion to which the jump process defaults in the limit of infinitely frequent and small jumps. Accordingly, our analysis may be used to explore a continuum of stochastic behavior from infrequent, large jumps to frequent, small jumps approaching a diffusion process.
Ontogeny of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 2–4% of children and has been linked to metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurocognitive morbidity. Pediatric OSA has a distinctive pathophysiology, natural history, and treatment compared to adult OSA. All cases of OSA are associated with increased upper airway resistance during sleep, resulting in intermittent partial or complete airway closure. The increased upper airway resistance results in increased respiratory effort, sleep fragmentation, and/or gas exchange abnormalities. Thus, OSA induces a sequence of hormonal disturbances, oxidative stress, inflammation, autonomic activation, and/or disruption of sleep architecture. Causes of airway narrowing include soft tissue hypertrophy such as adenotonsillar hypertrophy, craniofacial abnormalities including micrognathia and mid-facial hypoplasia, and/or neuromuscular deficits. In addition to anatomical abnormalities, the maintenance of upper airway patency is dependent upon neuromuscular activation of pharyngeal dilators, ventilatory control, and the arousal threshold. During sleep, most children with OSA are capable of reaching stable breathing patterns for long periods of time, indicating successful neuromuscular compensation. Airway muscle activity declines at sleep onset but is offset by recruitment of pharyngeal dilator muscles. Oscillations in the levels of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) produce nadirs in which there is a reduction in airway muscle activity, thus promoting obstruction during nonrapid eye movement sleep. Sudden airway opening and arousal from sleep results in a ventilatory overshoot that may worsen obstructive cycling. Diagnosing OSA in children requires knowledge of normative data related to gestation and postconceptual age for apnea, arousal, and oxygenation. Both genetic and environmental factors may influence the expression of OSA consequences, and therefore strict polysomnographic guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of OSA are not possible. Common surgical treatment options for pediatric OSA include adenotonsillectomy for enlarged soft tissues, supraglottoplasty for laryngomalacia, maxillary expansion for a constricted mandible, and mandibular distraction for micrognathia. Continuous positive airway pressure is generally reserved for children without a routine surgical therapy. Snoring alone, without scorable obstructive events or gas exchange abnormalities, may also be associated with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes. The clinical history for symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing has a poor positive predictive value for the diagnosis of OSA and therefore diagnostic polysomnographic testing as well direct airway visualization is frequently indicated.
The Belt and Road Initiative and the influence of Islamic economies

While the name ‘Silk Road’ connotes significant Chinese influence, in fact since the eighth century the old land route ran mostly through Islamic countries and areas, from present-day Xinjiang to Istanbul, and the old sea route passed through Islamic trading principalities for centuries. Modern Islamic economies, and concepts of Islamic economics, will exert considerable impact on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as OBOR) development programmes. Although a non-Muslim majority country, China has a longer, deeper and more influential history of cultural interaction with Islam than any other large country or major culture, save perhaps India and Indian culture. The new ‘West’ for China consists of countries with great variety of Islamic economies, and so I argue that China has certain unique advantages to engage with Islamic economies and utilise Islamic banking and finance. Using Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Iran as examples, this paper argues that variation across modern views of ‘Islamic ...
Effect of non-Schmid stresses on 〈a〉-type screw dislocation core structure and mobility in titanium

Abstract Density functional theory calculations of 〈a〉-type screw dislocation core structures in hcp titanium under a series of applied stresses with zero critical resolved shear stress were performed to investigate the origin of non-Schmid law slip behavior in α-titanium alloys. It was found that compression applied on the [ 1 1 ¯ 0 0 ] direction perpendicular to the Burgers vector leads to more compact pyramidally-oriented cores, while tension applied on the same axis causes an extension of these cores along the prismatic plane. Nudged elastic band calculations of the barrier to slip of the dislocations on the prismatic plane show that extension along this plane leads to reduced slip barriers. This suggests that non-Schmid stresses alter the critical resolved shear stress by inducing changes in the equilibrium core structure.