cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pteridophyte evolutionary biology: the electrophoretic approach

While only in its infancy, the application of electrophoretic analysis in studying the evolutionary biology of pteridophytes is proving to be of considerable value. Since the technique identifies subtle differences in protein structure, it can generate an improved picture of the genetic composition of organisms. To date electrophoresis is (1) providing us with new information about the structure of the pteridophyte genome, (2) interfacing well with laboratory studies of breeding system mechanisms to indicate that some pteridophytes are predominantly outcrossing species, and (3) generating genome-specific markers for detecting hybrids and analysing patterns of evolution. Electrophoretic data suggest that species of Bommeria are very distinct from one another and may not be congeneric. Further, enzyme characters indicate that the sexual Bommeria species have maintained a mechanism to promote outcrossing in populations, in spite of the limitations that this breeding system places on colonising ability. In Cystopteris , electrophoretic markers are of value in deciphering species relationships and origins, especially among neopolyploid taxa. The indication in Cystopteris that extant diploids are outcrossing may help to explain the complex systematic patterns that currently exist within and among its taxa. Further investigations may demonstrate that similar mechanisms are prevalent among other systematically challenging ferns and fern allies.
The generative psychology of kinship Part 2. Generating variation from universal building blocks with Optimality Theory

Optimality Theory (OT), a new approach to rules of language, can be used to analyze variation and universals in kin classification. According to the theory, rules of language take the form of ranked constraints that filter random variation; grammatical differences between languages reflect different constraint rankings. Applied to kin terminology, OT provides an elegant account of how universal schemas of sociality generate different terminologies for aunts, uncles, and cousins that merge and separate various kin types, and why many logically possible terminologies are rare or nonexistent. The theory may help to narrow gaps between cognitive–linguistic accounts of kin terminology and sociological accounts, and between domain-specific and domain-general views of cognition. A companion paper discusses principles of kin classification and the evolutionary psychology of kinship.
Pre- and Post-Eruptive Effect of Sodium Fluoride on Dental Caries in the Syrian Hamster

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUAEFFECTOS PRE- e POST-ERUPTIVE DE FLUORURO SUPER CARIE DENTAL IN LE HAMSTER SYRIAN.—Protection contra carie dental in le tertie molar del hamster esseva associate con un effecto post-eruptive plus tosto que pre-eruptive de fluoruro. Le fluoruration del aqua potabile (in un concentration de 10 partes per million) durante le periodo post-eruptive del tertie molar preveniva lesiones cariose in ille molar in omne le hamsters con rampante carie dental durante le periodo de 35 dies durante le qual iste dente esseva observate in le bucca. Quando fluoruro-per consumption in aqua, per intubation, o per injection—esseva recipite solmente durante le periodo pre-eruptive del formation del tertie molar, sever carie dental occurreva uniformemente intra 35 dies post le eruption.
EQUITY MEASUREMENT AND SCHOOL FINANCE LITIGATION

This article examines issues in the presentation of factual evidence in school finance litigation. It focuses specifically on statistical measures of dispersion which have been included in Berne and Steifel's framework for analyzing distributional equity. It identifies the methodological issues that must be recognized when these measures are used in litigation, and the properties/characteristics of individual measures that may lead courts to different determinations about “equity” in school finance.
Interactive Information Retrieval Using Clustering and Spatial Proximity

A web-based search engine responds to a user's query with a list of documents. This list can be viewed as the engine's model of the user's idea of relevance--the engine `believes' that the first document is the most likely to be relevant, the second is slightly less likely, and so on. We extend this idea to an interactive setting where the system accepts the user's feedback and adjusts its relevance model. We develop three specific models that are integrated as part of a system we call Lighthouse. The models incorporate document clustering and a spring-embedding visualization of inter-document similarity. We show that if a searcher were to use Lighthouse in ways consistent with the model, the expected effectiveness improves--i.e., the relevant documents are found more quickly in comparison to existing methods.
Formulating an anti-environmental opposition: neoconservative intellectuals during the environmental decade

Neoconservative intellectuals – men and women who, in the 1950s and 1960s identified as liberals and leftists – began to move steadily rightward in the 1970s. Transformations within the American environmental movement played a formative role in this process. In the 1960s, future neoconservatives supported environmental protection, but their perception of environmentalism as a radical movement driven by class interests and hostile to capitalism led them to enlist within the ranks of American conservatism. They fashioned an anti-environmental ideology that helped ensure lasting opposition between environmentalists and conservatives in late-twentieth and early-twenty-first century America.
Pharmacokinetic and glucodynamic comparisons of recombinant and animal‐source glucagon after IV, IM, and SC injection in healthy volunteers

The structure of the hormone glucagon is identical among humans and several species of other mammals. Equivalence of recombinant glucagon (rG) to animal-source glucagon (aG) was assessed in this two-part, open-label, randomized study. Part I was a four-way crossover intravenous dose-ranging study of rG (pH 2.8) involving 12 subjects. Part II was a six-way crossover study of 29 subjects comparing rG (diluent pH 2.0 and 2.8) with aG administered subcutaneously (sc) and intramuscularly (im). Maximum glucagon plasma concentrations (C(max)) and area under the glucagon concentration curve (AUC) were calculated. Additionally, maximum blood glucose concentrations (BG(max)), maximum absolute BG excursion (MAE), and area under the glucose concentration curve from time of dosing to return to baseline (AUC(rtb)) were calculated. The primary focus was equivalence of the formulation intended for marketing (rG pH 2.0) to aG. Administration of rG pH 2.0 through the im route demonstrated equivalence to aG for all pharmacokinetic and glucodynamic comparisons. Subcutaneous administration of rG pH 2.0 demonstrated standard bioequivalence for AUC (5.87 versus 6.63 ng x h/mL; NS) and near equivalence for C(max) (7.94 versus 9.12 ng/mL; p < 0.05). rG pH 2.0 showed glucodynamic equivalence to aG (BG(max), 136 versus 133 mg/dL; MAE, 50.0 versus 47.4 mg/dL, respectively) and statistically greater AUC(rtb) values (151 versus 126 mg x h/dL, p < 0. 05). rG and aG were equally safe and well tolerated. In conclusion, rG provides equivalent safety and efficacy to aG.
Genetic counselors' perceived responsibilities regarding reproductive issues for patients at risk for Huntington disease.

Research indicates that health care professionals’ attitudes may affect patients’ decisions regarding prenatal Huntington Disease testing, but few studies have sampled genetic counselors. In this qualitative study, genetic counselors described their experiences counseling individuals at risk for HD regarding reproductive decision-making. Five major research questions were investigated: 1) What are genetic counselor responsibilities? 2) What issues arise for patients and counselors? 3) How do counselors reconcile prenatal testing with presymptomatic testing? 4) To what extent are counselors’ initial expectations of at-risk patients’ beliefs and behaviors met? and 5) What advice would counselors offer to novice practitioners about working with this patient population? Fifteen genetic counselors experienced in counseling individuals at risk for HD participated in a semi-structured phone interview that yielded several themes. For example, participants identified their primary responsibility as information provision; less prevalent were psychosocial support and facilitating decision making. The most common ethical challenge was testing prenatally for HD which also results in presymptomatic testing of minors. Participants were divided about how directive to be in response to this ethical issue and about termination of a gene positive pregnancy.
Investigating the use of formant frequencies in listener judgments of speaker size

Abstract The formant-pattern present in a given vowel sound will be determined by the vocal-tract length (VTL) of the speaker as well as by phoneme-specific information. Although human listeners tend to associate lower formant-frequencies with larger speakers, it is unclear whether they are responding to VTL information in speech sounds, or simply responding to the formant-pattern present in the sound. In this experiment listeners were presented with pairs of synthetic vowels from the set of (/i ae ʊ/), which could differ on the basis of simulated VTL and vowel category, within-pair. Listeners were divided into groups based on the number of formants contained by stimulus vowels (2, 3, 4, and 5-formant vowel groups). For each trial, listeners were asked to indicate which vowel sounded like it had been produced by a taller speaker. Results indicate that listeners do not rely solely on VTL cues when making speaker-size judgments, and that they exhibit biases towards selecting given phonemes as taller, even when contrary to the VTL differences between the voices. Furthermore, the higher formants (up to F5) are used by listeners when making speaker-size judgments, though not in a manner consistent with VTL-based speaker-size judgments.
Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Counseling Services among Chinese International Students: Acculturation, Ethnic Identity, and English Proficiency.

The authors examined the help-seeking attitudes of 109 Chinese international students studying in the United States. Results revealed that significant relationships exist among acculturation, ethnic identity, English proficiency, and attitudes toward seeking professional counseling services. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed. Los autores examinaron las actitudes hacia la busqueda de ayuda de 109 estudiantes internacionales chinos cursando estudios en Estados Unidos. Los resultados revelaron que existen relaciones significativas entre la aculturacion, la indentidad etnica, el dominio del idioma y las actitudes hacia la busqueda de servicios profesionales de consejeria. Se discuten las limitaciones y recomendaciones para investigaciones futuras.
Clinging to the Old California: Linking Views on Immigration to Views on Reform

This paper will use the October, 2009 Field Polls special segment on constitutional reform to explore the link between nativist attitudes, demographic characteristics, and positions on constitutional change. It provides fresh, original data to test the link between nativist ideology and institutional status quo bias.
Frontier Expansion in Amazonia

In a timely look at Amazonian development, the authors focus on the effects of colonization on indigenous populations, on settlement of the Amazon region, on environmental issues of resource management and agriculture, and on prospects for equitable economic development of the frontier.
The Readability of Organizational Behavior Textbooks

The article presents the findings of a study which examined the readability of textbooks on organization behavior. Nineteen textbooks were sampled. Only the latest edition was used. Publication dat...
Strategies in the treatment of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae

The epidemiology, resistance mechanisms, susceptibility testing, treatment, prevention, and clinical importance of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) infection are discussed. PRSP is an established presence in the United States, with some geographic areas reporting decreased susceptibility in up to half of isolates. The mechanism of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in S. pneumoniae is genetic changes resulting in decreased binding of drug to the bacterial cell wall. Emerging PRSP strains have necessitated testing as a tool in selecting drugs for treating life-threatening infections. Opinions differ on how to treat these infections empirically. Non-life-threatening infections, such as otitis media, are still often treated successfully with amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium, or a third-generation cephalosporin. Currently recommended initial treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia in otherwise healthy patients requiring hospitalization consists of cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, or cefotaxime; some authors continue to emphasize injectable penicillin. Once the mainstay of empirical treatment of pneumococcal meningitis, penicillin has largely been abandoned in favor of cefotaxime or ceftriaxone. Vaccination remains an underutilized strategy in atrisk populations. The clinical importance of penicillin resistance among pneumococci is still uncertain. Changing patterns in the susceptibility of S. pneumoniae to penicillin make selection of appropriate therapy increasingly difficult. Key considerations are the site of infection and the level of resistance.
The Undervalued Work of the Home Care Aide

Copyright © 2016, Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits copy and redistribute the material just in noncommercial usages, provided the original work is properly cited.
Research on Determination of 8 Kinds of Organ-phosphorus Pesticide Residues in Chinese Herbs

Objective: To establish a method for determination of 8 kinds of organ-phosphorus pesticide residues in Chinese herbs.Method: The sample was extracted with acetonitrile and the acetonitrile extraction was concentrated.HP-17 /HP-1 double columns gas chromatograph was used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the samples,which was verified by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer.Result: Eight kinds of organ-phosphorus in the extract were well separated by this method.Linearities of the 8 kinds of organ-phosphorus pesticides were good(r=0.997 0-0.999 9) in ranges of 0.5-2.0 μg.The minimum determination limited range is 0.007-0.126 mg·kg-1.In the recovery test,the average recoveries ranged from 81.1% to 113.7%(RSD 2.4%-14.1%,n = 5) and from 86.8% to 116.0%(RSD 4.5%-11.7%,n = 5) in the levels of 0.5 mg.kg-1 and 5.0 mg·kg-1 of organ-phosphorus reference substances,respectively.Conclusion: This method was sensitive,accurate and precise and can be used as a reference for the national standard.
Analysis of epidemical characteristic of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Xinyang, 2011-2014

Objective To analyze the epidemical characteristics of sever fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome(SFTS) in Xinyang City. Methods Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the characteristics of SFTS in Xinyang, 2011-2014.Software PHGIS1.7.0 was used to draw the regional distribution map. The seasonal distribution was analyzed with time distribution curves and circular distribution methods. The timeliness of case diagnosis, report and verification for different years and different types were compared with rank sum tests. Results 2, 377 cases were reported in Xinyang during 2011-2014. 29 lab-confirmed patients died, and the mortality rate was 2.59%. There was an upward trend for the incidence(Z=11.803, P0.05). The cases were mainly distributed in the southern and eastern area. There were two incidence peaks, SFTS had central tendency in time distribution(Z=433.928, P0.05). During 2011-2014, the total epidemic peak was from 20 th April to 11 th August. The incidence rate of males(3.4796 per 100 000) was significantly smaller than that of female(6.0815 per 100 000)(Z=83.653, P0.05). The over-50 s was the high risk group. Farmers accounted for 97.67% of all cases. The timeliness of case reports and verifications were good. However,diagnosis required a longer time. Conclusion SFTS in Xinyang is mainly sporadic, with obvious regional and seasonal characteristics. There is an upward trend for the incidence. The timeliness of case reports and verifications are good. However, the timeliness of case diagnosis is poor.
Partners in Loving the Children: Roles and Relationships in Teaching and in Parenting

AbstractThe author describes how her perspectives as a teacher educator and as a parent were extended and enriched as her daughter entered school and learned to read. She highlights the importance of prioritizing love in her engagement with her child's teachers and in her professional thinking and actions as a teacher educator.
1.2 MBAR SHOCK LOADED 304 STAINLESS STEEL: RESIDUAL STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES

A unique radial shock loading design which allows specimen recovery was used to shock load 304 stainless steel. This design yields a specimen with a gradient of shock levels, up to 1.2 Mbar, a pulse duration of 1 μsec, and a strain rate of ∼106/sec. The shock response of the 304 stainless steel was characterized by microhardness, optical microscopy, and magnetically measured α′-martensite content. The residual microstructures along with the α′-martensite morphology was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. A higher volume percent α′-martensite was observed over that of the flyer plate technique. At 1.2 Mbar a maximum of 72% α′-martensite was observed. These results are compared to previously generated flyer plate shock responses of similar pulse durations at comparable pressures.
Neoplastic and Infiltrative Diseases

Several pediatric neoplasms present as nonspecific pink, red-blue, or purple-colored nodules on the skin. A benign process versus one of malignant potential can be difficult to determine clinically, making index of suspicion and histologic examination important. This chapter highlights four neoplastic conditions that may present in early childhood and uses a case-based approach to discuss the appropriate workup.
Stimulation by prostaglandin E2 of a high-affinity GTPase in the secretory granules of normal rat and human pancreatic islets.

Recent reports of a pertussis-toxin (Ptx)-sensitive inhibition of glucose-induced insulin release by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in transformed beta-cells prompted us to look for the presence of prostaglandin-regulatable GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins) on the secretory granules of normal pancreatic islets. PGE2 (but not PGF2 alpha, PGA2, PGB2 or PGD2) stimulated in a concentration-dependent manner a high-affinity GTPase activity in the secretory-granule-enriched fractions of both normal rat and human islets. Similar results were found after sucrose-density-gradient-centrifugation-based isolation of secretory granules to those after a differential-centrifugation procedure. Half-maximal stimulation occurred at 800 nM PGE2, a concentration known to inhibit both phases of glucose-induced insulin secretion from pure beta-cell lines. The GTPase stimulatory effect of PGE2 was blocked virtually totally by Ptx pretreatment; it was not due to an effect on substrate binding since no measurable effect of PGE2 on binding of guanosine 5'-[gamma-[35S]thio]triphosphate was observed in cognate fractions. Other Ptx-sensitive inhibitors of insulin secretion (such as adrenaline or clonidine) also stimulated GTPase activity, suggesting that one (or more) inhibitory exocytotic G-proteins (i.e. a putative GEi) is located on the secretory granules. These studies demonstrate, for the first time in an endocrine gland, the presence of a regulatable G-protein, strategically located on the secretory granules where it might regulate the exocytotic cascade distal to both plasma-membrane events and the generation of soluble mediators of insulin secretion.
Association Between State Medical Malpractice Environment and Postoperative Outcomes in the United States

Background The US medical malpractice system assumes that the threat of liability should deter negligence, but it is unclear whether malpractice environment affects health care quality. We sought to explore the association between state malpractice environment and postoperative complication rates. Study Design This observational study included Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries undergoing one of the following operations in 2010: colorectal, lung, esophageal, or pancreatic resection, total knee arthroplasty, craniotomy, gastric bypass, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, coronary artery bypass grafting, or cystectomy. The state-specific malpractice environment was measured by 2010 medical malpractice insurance premiums, state average award size, paid malpractice claims/100 physicians, and a composite malpractice measure. Outcomes of interest included 30-day readmission, mortality, and postoperative complications (eg sepsis, myocardial infarction [MI], pneumonia). Using Medicare administrative claims data, associations between malpractice environment and postoperative outcomes were estimated using hierarchical logistic regression models with hospital random-intercepts. Results Measures of malpractice environment did not have significant, consistent associations with postoperative outcomes. No individual tort reform law was consistently associated with improved postoperative outcomes. Higher-risk state malpractice environment, based on the composite measure, was associated with higher likelihood of sepsis (odds ratio [OR] 1.22; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.39), MI (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.23), pneumonia (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.16), acute renal failure (OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.22), deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.32), and gastrointestinal bleed (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.30). Conclusions Higher risk malpractice environments were not consistently associated with a lower likelihood of surgical postoperative complications, bringing into question the ability of malpractice lawsuits to promote health care quality.
Promoting Achievement of Level 1 Milestones for Medical Students Going into Emergency Medicine.

Author(s): Leung, Cynthia G; Thompson, Laura; McCallister, Jennifer W; Way, David P; Kman, Nicholas E
Performing artists and psychopathology

To date, there is a strong link between creativity and mental illness; however, it may be a more curvilinear pathway, with mild-to-moderate psychopathology related to creativity but not severe psychopathology. Common factors between creativity and psychopathology may coexist, including genetic roots, but that does not mean that creativity equals psychopathology. The stereotype that creative people are “mad geniuses” is endorsed by many, including the general population, mentally ill patients, as well as creative healthy artists. It could be argued that performers reside at the border between stability and instability. Embracing their talent and cultivating skills to realize their talent situates performers in arenas that often hover between madness and sanity. They must tolerate physiological and psychological tension as they give life to works that express the extremes of our humanity.
Pairwise interaction analysis of logistic regression models

An important problem in the field of bioinformaties is to identify interactive effects among profiled variables for outcome prediction. In this paper, a simple logistic regression model with pairwise interactions among a set of binary covariates is considered. Modeling the structure of the interactions by a graph, our goal is to recover the interaction graph from independently identically distributed (i.i.d.) samples of the covariates and the outcome. When viewed as a feature selection problem, a simple quantity called influence is proposed as a measure of the marginal effects of the interaction terms on the outcome. For the case when the underlying interaction graph is known to be acyclic, it is shown that a simple algorithm that is based on a maximum-weight spanning tree with respect to the plug-in estimates of the influences not only has strong theoretical performance guarantees, but can also significantly outperform generic feature selection algorithms for recovering the interaction graph from i.i.d. samples of the covariates and the outcome.
Walking like a Christian

Homologies between so-called soft infrastructures like language and hard ones like roads depend on ethnographically variable metaphors of circulation. In these homologies, speakers understand language to propel or inhibit forms of physical movement, affecting the embodied experiences of transportation or locomotion. In the case of Guhu-Samane Christians in Papua New Guinea, people focus on language as a kind of infrastructure as they grapple with postcolonial feelings of disconnection from divine powers that were once manifest in a New Testament translation. They channel this sense of disconnection into ongoing complaints about their lack of a vehicular road and the pain of walking, particularly walking like a heavily burdened woman. If a road were built into their valley, this would signal the New Testament's transformation into Christian infrastructure. [infrastructure, language, translation, gender, religious mediation, Christianity, Papua New Guinea] Long sampela hap ol i ting olsem rot bilong kar na toktok i wankain: tupela samting i helpim ol long mekim dispela kain koneksen. Na tu, ol i ting olsem ol kain konekson bilong toktok i ken kamapim koneksen bilong rot na senisim pasin bilong wokabaut. Ol Kristen manmeri long Waria veli i save tok: taim ol lain bilong SIL i tanim tok bilong Nupela Testamen i go long tok ples Guhu-Samane, dispela em i opim rot i go long heven. Tasol nau sampela lain long hap i wari olsem dispela rot i pas na God i no ken harim tok bilong ol. Ol i save tok olsem long wanem planti yia i go pinis na God i no helpim ol long wanpela rot bilong kar i go insait long Waria veli. Dispela ol lain i wok long singaut long pen bilong wokabaut long lek tasol na ol i sori long ol mama i karim draipela bilum pulap long kaikai. Sapos God i wokim rot i go insait long veli, orait dispela em i mak olsem rot bilong Nupela Testamen i stap op yet na rot bilong Kristen toktok inap long kamapim rot bilong kar. [ol rot samting, toktok, wok bilong tanim tok, pasin bilong man na pasin bilong meri, koneksen wantaim God, ol Kristen, Papua Niugini]
CMP Challenges for Advanced Technology Nodes

The CMP challenges for advanced technology nodes are discussed. Global and local uniformity challenges and their cumulative effects are presented. Uniformity improvements for advanced node integration were achieved through slurry, pad and platen optimization, innovative integration schemes, the reduction of incoming variation and the reduction of cumulative effects. We discuss reduction of typical CMP defect types. Defects resulting from simple mechanisms (foreign material, polish residues) and those resulting from chemical and physical interactions (corrosion, chemical attack, scratches, physical migration) and strategies for control are studied. Defectivity reduction measures include new post-CMP clean chemicals, new slurries and pads and reduction of incoming defectivity. Finally we discuss an observed tradeoff between good defectivity and good uniformity.
Book Summary and Directions for Future Research

Germain provides a condensed version of the information presented in the book, including the main characteristics of NPD leaders, as well as their impact on the business functions of individuals and organizations. She summarizes practical tools that employees working with NPD leaders can use to protect their work relationships, jobs, and careers. The chapter concludes by presenting several directions for future research on the topic of Narcissistic Personality Disorders and leadership.
Unbounded place meanings and embodied place identities for conservation volunteers in Scottsdale, Arizona

Abstract Following Williams' (2014) call for a more thoughtful approach to the study of place meaning, the present study employs a phenomenological research paradigm to elicit deeply personal meanings formed through conservation volunteerism. A photovoice protocol (n = 18) and life history interviews (n = 53) explore meaningful places for volunteer “stewards” in Scottsdale, Arizona's McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. Inductive thematic text analysis reveals how these volunteers form identity-expressive meanings that transcend and traverse geographic place scales. Results suggest that the concept of place identity is more than a sub-construct of place attachment, and requires further theorizing as a phenomenologically-embodied experience. Nonprofits and municipalities can learn from the organization's success in fostering an environmental steward identity as a means of community building.
The Evolution of Echocardiographic Type and Anesthetic Technique for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement at a High-Volume Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Center.

Objective Describe the change in intraoperative transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) care by examining the utilization of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) versus transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and general anesthesia (GA) versus conscious sedation (CS) over time. Design Retrospective, observational. Setting A university, single, high-volume TAVR center. Participants Patients who underwent TAVR. Interventions Retrospective data collection from the electronic medical records on TAVR patients at a single institution from March 1, 2014 to August 31, 2017. The intraoperative echocardiographic modality, anesthetic type, Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) operative mortality risk score, and date each new TAVR valve first was employed at the institution were recorded. Measurements and Main Results Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics apportioned into 6-month intervals. The Fisher exact test and chi-square test were used to test the association of anesthesia type and echocardiography over time, respectively. STS score, anesthetic type, and echocardiographic type were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Analysis showed increased use of TTE and CS, from 0% and 0% intially to 68.42% and 63.16% most recently (p Conclusion Although TAVR initially was conducted exclusively under GA with TEE, nearly two-thirds of TAVR procedures now are performed using CS and TTE at the authors’ institution. STS scores were significantly lower in patients having CS and TTE.
Tillman (Tim) James Ragan: Celebrating Four Decades of Excellent Scholarship

We always want to celebrate those who make contributions to our lives. Their many accomplishments, tireless efforts towards their callings, and selfless service to others are things that we praise them for but also acknowledge in a venue such as the Leadership Profile. Dr. Tillman James Ragan is one of such individuals who worked tirelessly and sometimes thanklessly for the betterment of those who worked with him, those who he mentored and those who would come after him. The Leadership profile would like to acknowledge an extraordinary scholar whose name and legacy will live on even as he is no longer with us. Dr. Tillman Ragan passed away on March 7th, 2010 after bravely facing multiple myeloma.
The influence of cultural practice, biology and environment on maize pollen travel

Genetically modified agricultural field crops have provided a new lens with which to view transgenic plant engineering. Production of hybrid corn (Zea mays L) depends on crosspollination between male and female inbred parents. As such, reproductive isolation of seed fields is required to ensure genetic purity of the hybrid progeny. Customer demand for improved genetic purity prompted the seed industry to examine the level of genetic purity resulting from current isolation practices. This project was a two-pronged approach: 1) A three-year study was conducted to monitor purity of hybrid seed produced in 291 fields from 24 seed companies in North America; and 2) Evaluate a particulate model to determine whether it could be used to run multiple different seed production scenarios involving meteorological, positional and biological data to evaluate these dynamic elements on the production of genetically pure seed maize. Industry practices that most consistently contributed to high levels of genetic purity were i) use of 'Good' or 'Fair' pollen parents, ii) isolation greater than 165 ft from all potential adventitious pollen sources, iii) and large (>100 ac) seed field size. The modeling study produced evidence that models may be especially valuable for evaluating multiple "what if' seed production scenarios involving adventitious pollen movement. However, the ISCST3 model is effective estimating gross extra-field pollen movement, but lacks the precision to quantify absolute extra-field pollen quantities needed to accurately estimate seed field adventitious presence. The learnings from this project advance what the seed maize industry knows regarding seed field isolation practices and provides a solid base for further investigation applying models to assessing risk of adventitious presence within seed production.
Dynamically similar control systems and a globally minimum gain control technique

The concept of dynamically similar control systems is introduced. The necessary and sufficient conditions to minimize a quadratic modal gain measure are given for dynamically similar closed-loop control systems. The globally minimum modal gain is obtained when the independent modal space control (IMSC) is used. Corollaries of the results for the control of infinite-dimensional structural distributed parameter systems (DPS) are given. Based on the results, a modal interaction parameter (MIP) is defined for all control systems. The minimum value of MIP is zero and uniquely corresponds to the IMSC. A nonzero value of MIP corresponds to all other coupled control (CC) designs and implies suboptimality relative to the IMSC design. The relative optimality of the real-space gain matrices of the IMSC and the CC designs depends on the actuator locations for the IMSC. Based on this, a real-space interaction parameter (RIP) is defined. A positive value of RIP renders IMSC optimal in its real-space gain matrix. The MIP and RIP are indications of suboptimality of a particular control technique and can be used to tune-up the control design via actuator locations. Actuator distribution criteria are suggested for both CC and IMSC designs, based on the values of MIP and RIP, respectively.
Vicarious trauma inside the academe: understanding the impact of teaching, researching and writing violence

Myriad research has found a relationship between working with potentially distressing situations and content, such as that related to child sexual abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence, and the experience of vicarious traumatization and/or compassion fatigue. While the current body of literature addresses a wide range of career fields potentially impacted by trauma, there is a dearth of research related to the potential for trauma work to impact members of the academe. Despite the fact that many higher education faculties are teaching topics related to violence, crime and death, and a subset of this group are also researching and writing on these potentially distressing topics, little attention has been paid to the emotional well-being of professors and scholars. This paper seeks to fill the gap in research related to experiences of vicarious and secondary trauma in higher education by analyzing the personal story of a faculty member working in the field of violence against women. This autoethography will highlight the potential challenges faculty members face when teaching, researching and writing about trauma. Recommendations for addressing trauma within institutions of higher education are offered, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Do we remember templates better so that we can reject distractors better

Feature Integration Theory proposed that attention shifted between target-like representations in our visual field. However, the nature of the representations that determined what was target like received less specification than the nature of the attention shifts. In recent years, visual search research has focused on the nature of the memory representations that we use to guide our shifts of attention. Sensitive measures of memory quality indicate that the template representations are remembered better than other, merely maintained, memories. Here we tested the hypothesis that we prepare for difficult search tasks by storing a higher fidelity target representation in working memory than we do when preparing for an easy search task. To test this hypothesis, we explicitly tested participants' memory of the target color they searched for (i.e., the attentional template) versus another memory that was not used to guide attention (i.e., an accessory representation) following blocks of searches with easy-to-find targets (i.e., distractors were homogeneously colored) to blocks of searches with hard-to-find targets (i.e., distractors were heterogeneously colored). Although homogeneous-distractor searches required minimal precision for distractor rejection, we found that templates were still remembered better than accessories, just like we found in a heterogeneous-distractor search. As a consequence, we suggest that stronger memories for templates likely reflects the need to decide whether new perceptual inputs match the template, and not an attempt to create a better template representation in anticipation of difficult searches.
Georgian Azeris: Victims and Beneficiaries of Territorial Nationalism

This chapter describes the plight of Georgian Azeris. This ethnic minority stands out in the three countries not only by its sheer size but also due to the dead end that the breakup of the USSR pushed them into exacerbated by the contradictions between jus soli policies in Azerbaijan and Georgia, both intra lege and de facto. Their plight describes how the politics of territorial citizenship dramatically affect the lives of large groups of people. Moreover, the strengthening of jus soli in both countries remains this minority’s major hope in the task of the normalization of their situation.
Development of a water pipe network serving as a conductive cooling system applied to dairy farms

Introduction: In desert climates, high temperatures can cause heat stress on dairy farms. Aviable alternative to this problem is to develop a network of water pipes connected to heat exchangers (HEs) that operate as a conductive cooling system. Objective: To propose a water supply system connected to a series of HEs, installed under bedding in a dairy barn freestall system, and analyze heat transfer along a large-scale water pipe network. Methodology: The EPANET water quality module was used to design the system. Temperature predictions were validated with experimental data from a network of four HE pipes installed under the bedding. A network was then designed to supply water to 1 000 HEs in order tocalculate the efficiency of the system for a real dairy farm. Results: Insulations with values of 0.095 and 0.0475 W∙m-1∙°C-1 increased the cooling capacity of water-carrying pipes by 7 and 12 %, respectively. Increasing the flow rates from 1 to 7 L∙min-1 increased the cooling capacity; however, the cooling efficiency decreased by at least 12 %. Study limitations: A validation was performed on a section of the pipe network and a simulation for the entire network. Originality:V EPANET was implemented for a mass and heat balance in a pipe network supplying water to HEs. Conclusion: The conductive cooling system is viable in areas with a desert climate and its efficiency depends on the level of thermal insulation and flow in the pipe network.
P-filters and Cohen, random, and Laver forcing

Abstract We answer questions about P-filters in the Cohen, random, and Laver forcing extensions of models of CH. In the case of the ℵ 2 -random real poset, we prove that if □ ℵ 1 also holds in the ground model, then there are P-points of ω ⁎ in the extension. The majority of the paper investigates the question of whether ω ⁎ can be covered by nowhere dense P-sets. We prove that this is not the case if ℵ 2 -Cohen reals are added to a model of CH in which □ ω 1 holds, and that it is the case in the standard Laver extension. We also answer questions formulated by P. Nyikos about interactions between ultrafilter orderings of ω ω and mod finite scales. We show they have connections to ultrafilters having non-meager P-subfilters.
Defining symptoms of malaria in India in an era of asymptomatic infections.

Malaria is a major public health problem in India. Data from surveys totaling 3031 participants at three sites revealed a high proportion of asymptomatic infections, complicating diagnosis. The aim of this study was to identify differences in complaints and symptoms between sites, and factors associated with asymptomatic Plasmodium infections. Published data from community-based cross-sectional studies conducted between 2012 and 2015 in Nadiad (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), and Rourkela (Odisha) as part of the Center for the Study of Complex Malaria in India were analysed. Complaints and symptoms were systematically recorded, and Plasmodium infections confirmed using microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the association between general symptoms and age, season, or gender, and factors associated with asymptomatic Plasmodium infections were assessed. Complaints of any illness were lowest in Chennai (17.7%), 30.6% in Rourkela and 42.7% in Nadiad. Complaints were more often reported for children; gender differences were noted in Rourkela only. In Nadiad, 7.0% of 796 participants were positive for malaria by PCR (32% Plasmodium falciparum); 78.6% had a history of fever or documented fever, 14.3% had other symptoms, and 7.1% were “truly asymptomatic”. For Chennai this was 29.2%, 4.2% and 66.7% respectively, with a malaria prevalence of 2.6% by PCR of 928 participants (29% P. falciparum). In Rourkela, with 7.7% of 1307 participants positive for malaria by PCR (82% P. falciparum), the percentages were 35.6%, 24.8% and 39.6%, respectively. In Rourkela, asymptomatic infections were associated with young age and male gender (microscopy or RDT), and with rainy season (PCR). In the same site, participants with Plasmodium vivax were more likely to be asymptomatic (11/18 or 61.1%) than persons with P. falciparum mono-infections (27/78 or 34.6%); gametocytes for P. falciparum were evenly distributed between symptomatic and asymptomatic infections (2/53 vs. 2/49, respectively). The addition of the symptoms “headache”, “aches” and “chills” to fever improved the case-definition of symptomatic malaria. There were considerable differences in complaints at the three sites in India. Malaria and asymptomatic infections differ by region, indicating that malaria elimination will require localized approaches.
The influence of local political trends on childhood vaccine completion in North Carolina.

Abstract Background In North Carolina (NC), a political swing state that permits both medical and religious exemptions to school vaccination, rapid changes in the electorate have coincided with a vigorous political debate over vaccine laws and an increase in the number of exemptions claimed from vaccine requirements. Objective We aimed to determine whether county-level changes in political affiliation, determined from publicly available voting records, were associated with changes in the rate of vaccine exemptions reported at kindergarten entry in NC. Methods We analyzed data from the 2009–2010 to the 2016–2017 school years for each of 100 NC counties. We used NC State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement data to track voter registration trends at the county level, comparing the percent of voters registered as Republican, Democrat, or other (mostly unaffiliated). Vaccination exemption rates were obtained via the NC DHHS and represented a percentage of the cohort entering kindergarten in that year. Results Statewide, the rate of religious vaccine exemptions increased from 0.68% in 2009–2010 to 1.10% in 2016–2017. On multivariable analysis including 800 county-years, a 1% increase in voters with neither Republican nor Democratic affiliation was associated with 0.04% increase in the county's vaccine exemption rate. Conclusions In NC, the increase in vaccine exemption rates was primarily associated with an increasing share of voters affiliating with neither major party. This finding suggests mistrust in social institutions, including both government and medicine, extends beyond the platforms of traditional political parties.
Protein Kinase Interactions with Regulatory and Effector Proteins

The previous chapters discussed the general structure of protein kinases and signaling networks that kinases use to transmit extracellular signals from plasma membrane receptors through the cell to cause changes in gene expression and cellular responses. This chapter will take a closer look at the interactions between protein kinases and their substrates and interacting partners. Despite the well-conserved organization of the ATP-binding and -catalytic site, kinases have quite diverse functions depending on the substrate that is phosphorylated. Some kinases may phosphorylate and regulate only a couple of substrates whereas other kinases may phosphorylate hundreds of different substrates. The mechanisms by which kinases recognize specific substrates are still being revealed. This chapter will describe some of the structural features that determine kinase recognition of specific protein substrates. Experimental evidence that specific kinases can phosphorylate dozens of substrates will lend support to the idea that complete inhibition of specific disease-related kinases, as currently done with type I–III kinase inhibitors, may also inhibit kinase functions that have beneficial effects. The theme of this and subsequent chapters is to show the structural features that determine specific protein kinase–substrate interactions and to highlight new approaches that inhibit the kinase interactions and functions that are involved in disease while preserving kinase activities that have clinical benefits.
Influence of Irrigation Regime on Growth of Select Field-grown Tree Species in a Semi-arid Climate

Over three growing seasons (2003 through 2005) we investigated stem area increase and shoot growth of fieldgrown (FG) trident maple (Acer buergeranum), hedge maple (A. campestre), autumn blaze maple (A. × freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’), shantung maple (A. truncatum), Mexican redbud (Cercis canadensis mexicana), Texas redbud (C. canadensis texensis), white Texas redbud (C. canadensis texensis ‘Alba’), Oklahoma redbud (C. canadensis texensis ‘Oklahoma’), Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum), Arizona ash (Fraxinus velutina coriacea ‘Bonita’), Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana), chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), English oak (Q. robur) trees subjected to three reference evapotranspiration (ETo) based irrigation regimes (100, 60, and 30% ETo). For maple trees, stem area increase did not differ between irrigation treatments. However, except for trident maple shoot elongation varied with irrigation level and species. Stem area did not differ between irrigation regimes for redbud trees, and shoot elongation was generally greatest for trees that received lower irrigation treatments. Depending upon species, oak stem area increase did not differ, or was greatest for trees that received greater irrigation. For each oak species, shoot elongation was influenced by irrigation level. For two of the three remaining species, stem area increase and shoot elongation differed according to irrigation volume. Despite three differing irrigation volumes, greatest growth was not always associated with increased irrigation volume. In addition, each species appears to be suited for regions with low precipitation and high pH soils.