cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indications and contraindications for double-bundle ACL reconstruction

Over recent years, double-bundle reconstruction has gained popularity after studies showed significant advantages of adding a second bundle with regard to outcomes and biomechanics; in particular, it resulted in less rotational instability than after reconstruction with a traditional single-bundle technique. As the focus shifted further towards the restoration of the native anatomy, both single-bundle and double-bundle ACL reconstruction were performed in an anatomical fashion and yielded similar results. To date, no consensus has developed as to whether double-bundle reconstruction is better than single-bundle reconstruction or vice versa. However, after surgeons started to individualise their surgical approach to the patient, it has been found that both the anatomical single- and double-bundle techniques have their own set of indications and contraindications. Reconstruction of the ligament should focus on restoration of the native functional and anatomical properties and should take the size, shape and orientation of the ACL into account. When indications and contraindications for the technique used are based on native anatomical characteristics, either a single-bundle or a double-bundle procedure can be performed according to the same double-bundle concept.
Machine Recognition of Mandarin Monosyllable

An analysis of the syllable structure of Mandarin Chinese has been done that leads to the design of a feasible mono‐syllable recognition system for the language. The system depends on a proper segmentation to simplify the decision process. The system utilized the distributional constraints of the segments in the language for more‐reliable results. A simple coding process for diphthongs has been proposed. The spectrum data were processed by a high‐speed speech analyzer. Formant‐tracking and decision processes were programmed into an IBM‐7094. Data from two speakers, each pronouncing 360 distinct monosyllables, have been studied in connection with evaluating the effectiveness of the system and the possibility of implementing it on a real‐time basis. The methods and results of the system and the experiments are discussed. [Work partly supported by the U. S. Office of Naval Research grant no. NONR‐495(27), and partly supported by the Department of Electrical Engineering of The Ohio State University.]
Identification of GutQ from Escherichia coli as a d-Arabinose 5-Phosphate Isomerase

The glucitol operon (gutAEBDMRQ) of Escherichia coli encodes a phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system that metabolizes the hexitol d-glucitol (sorbitol). The functions for all but the last gene, gutQ, have been previously assigned. The high sequence similarity between GutQ and KdsD, a d-arabinose 5-phosphate isomerase (API) from the 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonate (KDO)-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthetic pathway, suggested a putative activity, but its role within the context of the gut operon remained unclear. Accordingly, the enzyme was cloned, overexpressed, and characterized. Recombinant GutQ was shown to indeed be a second copy of API from the E. coli K-12 genome with biochemical properties similar to those of KdsD, catalyzing the reversible aldol-ketol isomerization between d-ribulose 5-phosphate (Ru5P) and d-arabinose 5-phosphate (A5P). Genomic disruptions of each API gene were constructed in E. coli K-12. TCM11[(ΔkdsD)] was capable of sustaining essential LPS synthesis at wild-type levels, indicating that GutQ functions as an API inside the cell. The gut operon remained inducible in TCM7[(ΔgutQ)], suggesting that GutQ is not directly involved in d-glucitol catabolism. The conditional mutant TCM15[(ΔgutQΔkdsD)] was dependent on exogenous A5P both for LPS synthesis/growth and for upregulation of the gut operon. The phenotype was suppressed by complementation in trans with a plasmid encoding a functional copy of GutQ or by increasing the amount of A5P in the medium. As there is no obvious obligatory role for GutQ in the metabolism of d-glucitol and there is no readily apparent link between d-glucitol metabolism and LPS biosynthesis, it is suggested that A5P is not only a building block for KDO biosynthesis but also may be a regulatory molecule involved in expression of the gut operon.
Configurations for File Transfer Protocol Error Protection

This note considers codes for computer file transfer protocols when only upper-case ASCII characters are used as control characters. Such a restriction may be necessary to avoid dependence on unique machine features and to promote portability. If ten control functions are needed, a number used in a typical sufficiently rich protocol, we seek a subset of ten upper-case ASCII characters with good distance properties. The control functions form themselves naturally into three groups. Recognizing that only even distances can occur, we wish to make the intragroup minimum distances as large as possible, and the number of control characters having distance 2 as small as possible. We find the optimum solution to the above problem and an assignment that attains the optimum. The codes are essentially unique.
A novel decoder for digital communication

Where digital systems are used, it is frequently desired to store bits of information, temporarily. This is often necessary when other operations such as checking, are occurring. Following temporary storage, it is then often desired to place the information in long-time storage in the form of open and closed switch contacts. The methods and equipment now used Bre expensive, bulky and complex. The apparatus which the author describes is designed to overcome all of these disadvantages. It is the object of this paper to demonstrate a method and apparatus which will do the same job as a circuit made of vacuum tubes and relays, but do the job more simply, more economically, and more compactly. He provides a functional block diagram that demonstrates the general problem of handling digital information in the manner just mentioned. The digital input signal is in binary coded form presented in serial time sequence. Each bit in the message is read into its proper position in temporary storage. At the appropriate time, a read-out signal is introduced which dumps the message into long-time storage. Here, it appears in the form of open and closed contacts. In this case a binary "1" is represented by the transfer spring picked up and a binary "0" by the transfer spring remaining down. An eight bit demonstration device is described and discussed.
RADIATION-STIMULATED DNA SYNTHESIS IN CULTURED MAMMALIAN CELLS

A type of DNA synthesis in mammalian cells that is stimulated by ultraviolet light has been studied by means of radioautography and density gradient centrifugation. The characteristics of this synthesis are: (a) it is not semiconservative; (b) it is enhanced by the presence of 5-bromodeoxyuridine in the DNA molecule; (c) the degree of stimulation is dose dependent; (d) there is less variability in the rate of incorporation of H3-thymidine during this synthesis than during normal DNA synthesis; (e) it occurs in cells that are not in the normal DNA synthesis phase (G1 and G2 cells). This kind of synthesis has been found in cultured cell lines from five different species; however, in some strains, the presence of bromouracil in the DNA is required before it can be demonstrated by radioautography.
ANTAGONISTIC MULTILEVEL SELECTION ON SIZE AND ARCHITECTURE IN VARIABLE DENSITY SETTINGS

In some ecological settings, an individual's fitness depends on both its own phenotype (individual-level selection) as well as the phenotype of the individuals with which it interacts (group-level selection). Using contextual analysis to measure multilevel selection in experimental stands of Arabidopsis thaliana, we detected significant linear selection that reversed across individual versus group levels for two composite phenotypic traits, "size" and "elongation." In both cases, selection at the individual level acted to increase values of these traits, presumably due to their positive effect on resource acquisition. Group selection favored decreased values of the same traits. Nonlinear selection was weak but significant in several cases, including stabilizing selection on developmental rate; individuals with very rapid development likely had lower than average fitness due to their reduced resource level at reproduction, while very delayed reproduction may have resulted in lower fitness if prolonged competition for resources reduced overall environmental quality and fitness of all individuals in a group. Under this scenario, stabilizing selection on individual traits is evidence of selection at the group level. Significant density-dependent selection suggests that a threshold density must be reached before group selection acts. Below this threshold, selection at the individual level affects phenotypic evolution more strongly than group selection. A second experiment measured multilevel selection in progeny stands of the original experimental plants. Multilevel selection again acted antagonistically on a composite trait that included size and elongation as well as on an architectural trait, branch production. The magnitude of individual versus group selection was relatively similar in the progeny generation, and the observed balance of individual versus group selection across densities is generally consistent with the hypotheses that multilevel selection can contribute to phenotypic evolution and to important demographic phenomena, including soft selection and the "law of constant yield."
Capital finance and ownership conversions in health care

This paper analyzes the for-profit transformation of health care, with emphasis on Internet start-ups, physician practice management firms, insurance plans, and hospitals at various stages in the industry life cycle. Venture capital, conglomerate diversification, publicly traded equity, convertible bonds, retained earnings, and taxable corporate debt come with forms of financial accountability that are distinct from those inherent in the capital sources available to nonprofit organizations. The pattern of for-profit conversions varies across health sectors, parallel with the relative advantages and disadvantages of for-profit and nonprofit capital sources in those sectors.
Variation in pediatric cervical spine computed tomography radiation dose index

Objectives The objective was to evaluate variation in the current estimated radiation dose index for pediatric cervical spine (c-spine) computed tomography (CT) examinations. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of pediatric (age younger than 19 years) c-spine CT examinations from the American College of Radiology Dose Index Registry, July 2011 through December 2014. We used the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) as the radiation dose estimate and used summary statistics to describe patient and hospital characteristics. Results There were 12,218 pediatric CT c-spine examinations performed across 296 participating hospitals. Fifty-six percent were in male patients, and 79% were in children older than 10 years. Most hospitals (55%) were community hospitals without trauma designations, and the largest proportion of examinations (41%) were performed at these hospitals. The median CTDIvol was 15 mGy (interquartile range = 9 to 23 mGy) representing a more than 2.5-fold difference between the 25th and 75th percentiles. Pediatric hospitals (both trauma and nontrauma centers) delivered the lowest CTDIvol across all age groups and showed the least amount of variability in dose. Conclusions There is significant variation in the radiation dose index for pediatric c-spine CT examinations. Pediatric hospitals practice at lower CT dose estimates than other hospitals. Individual hospitals should examine their practices in an effort to ensure standardization and optimization of CT parameters to minimize radiation exposures to pediatric patients.
Aerobic Fitness and Inhibition in Young Children: Moderating Roles of ADHD Status and Age

We examined the relation between aerobic fitness and inhibition in young children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-risk status. Participants (91 ADHD risk, 107 typically developing, Mage = 6.83, 53.5% male, 68.2% Caucasian) completed an assessment of aerobic fitness and a flanker task requiring variable amounts of inhibitory control. Aerobic fitness was positively associated with inhibition. When inhibitory control demands were largest, the relation varied as a function of ADHD-risk status such that the link between aerobic fitness and inhibition was significant only for children with ADHD risk. The relation between aerobic fitness, status, and inhibition was further moderated by age for interference control. Specifically, the positive relation between aerobic fitness and interference control was only significant for younger children with ADHD risk. A fitness-cognition link appears in young childhood that seems particularly salient for those in the earliest school years with ADHD risk. The findings extend work on typically developing children and suggest that exploring aerobic fitness interventions to address executive function impairments in children at risk for ADHD is warranted.
Binding of Some Biogenic Amines in Tissues

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the binding of some biogenic amines in tissues. Almost all aspects of the physiology, pharmacology, and biochemistry of biogenic amines can be discussed from the point of view of their binding to tissues or tissue components. A binding mechanism has been implicated or demonstrated in (1) the biosynthesis, storage, transport, and release of amines, (2) their interaction with specific receptors or enzymes to elicit a response, and (3) their inactivation by enzymes and perhaps in their inactivation by binding to tissues. Clearly, each one of these processes merits separate review, but as information on the binding of biogenic amines is diffuse and the implications are broad, an eclectic approach seemed worthwhile. Therefore, this chapter encompasses binding in its widest sense, although no attempt is made to cover the biosynthesis of the amines or the catabolic enzymes. The same cells that contain biogenic amines almost invariably contain enzymes that inactivate the amines. An indication of the presence in tissues of a mechanism for storing endogenous amines is the finding that the histamine levels of tissues correlate with the capacities of the tissues to bind endogenously formed histamine and not with their histidine decarboxylase activities.
Economic Analysis of Complex Nuclear Fuel Cycles with NE-COST

The purpose of this work is to present a new methodology and the associated computational tools developed within the U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Cycle Options Campaign to quantify the economic p...
Fundamentals of Electronics: Book 3: Active Filters and Amplifier Frequency Response

This book, Active Filters and Amplifier Frequency Response, is the third of four books of a larger work, Fundamentals of Electronics. It is comprised of three chapters that describe the frequency dependent response of electronic circuits. This book begins with an extensive tutorial on creating and using Bode Diagrams that leads to the modeling and design of active filters using operational amplifiers. The second chapter starts by focusing on bypass and coupling capacitors and, after introducing high-frequency modeling of bipolar and field-effect transistors, extensively develops the high- and low-frequency response of a variety of common electronic amplifiers. The final chapter expands the frequency-dependent discussion to feedback amplifiers, the possibility of instabilities, and remedies for good amplifier design. Fundamentals of Electronics has been designed primarily for use in an upper division course in electronics for electrical engineering students and for working professionals. Typically such a course spans a full academic year consisting of two semesters or three quarters. As such, Active Filters and Amplifier Frequency Response, and the first two books in the series, Electronic Devices and Circuit Applications, and Amplifiers: Analysis and Design, form an appropriate body of material for such a course.
Synthesis, reactivity, and resolution of a C2-symmetric, P-stereogenic benzodiphosphetane, a building block for chiral bis(phosphines).

Although the pyramidal inversion barriers in diphosphines (R2P–PR2) are similar to those in phosphines (PR3), P-stereogenic chiral diphosphines have rarely been exploited as building blocks in asym...
Reintegrating Anthropology: From Inside Out: An Introduction to Supplement 13

Both evolutionary/scientific and constructivist or humanistic approaches have brought valuable understandings to anthropology and continue to do so today. Discussions of the split(s) and possibilities of reintegration across anthropology have been valuable; however, practical reintegration will only come from a serious and open intellectual engagement with a diverse range of theoretical contexts and a direct connection to data. This volume is an attempt to provide innovative contexts for, and examples of, anthropologists reporting on their data and/or conceptualizing approaches to the data in ways that cross or straddle boundaries. While we offer niche construction theory and the extended evolutionary synthesis as common framework, the articles are not all in agreement on explanatory means and priorities. And this is a good thing. To develop an effective reintegration requires anthropologists to move away from artificial dichotomies and standing grudges and toward collaborations and a respect for theoreti...
Changes in the I/B/E/S Database and Their Effect on the Observed Properties of Analyst Forecasts

I/B/E/S is a common source of analyst forecast data, and the consistency of the data is important for both practice and academic research. We document substantial changes in the historical contents of I/B/E/S over time. We compare two versions of the I/B/E/S EPS detail file: one available in 2009 and the other available in 2015. Examining a common sample period (1993 through 2007), we find that 12 percent of the observations in the earlier version of I/B/E/S are omitted from the later version, whereas 6 percent are added to the later version as new observations that did not exist in the earlier version, and 9 percent of the observations in both versions report different forecasts of earnings. These discrepancies are systematically associated with various firm and analyst characteristics. We find that earnings forecasts in the later version are significantly more accurate, less biased, and bolder than the forecasts in the earlier version. We also find substantial differences in the firms identified as meeting or just beating analysts’ expectations of earnings. Finally, these discrepancies are less pronounced when comparing separate versions of the EPS summary file, but are more pronounced when examining individual analyst quarterly forecasts and annual cash flow forecasts.
Biochemical Methods to Assess the Coupling of Brain Energy Metabolism in Control and Disease States

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been increasingly shown as a critical process that makes certain areas of the brain more susceptible not only to neurological disease but also to aging. Quantitative histochemistry is a series of procedures for measuring select metabolites in discrete regions of the brain, as they exist in vivo. The development of this method has been useful in establishing energy imbalance following ischemia but more recently has become useful in studying those processes related to the mitochondria which make the brain more susceptible to a variety of neurological insults. The relatively inexpensive cost to assay a given brain metabolite makes this methodology useful in the interpretation of molecular and biochemical responses in terms of the condition of the tissue following a neurological insult.
Contesting orientations, self-determined motivation, and sportspersonship: Further validation of the contesting orientations scale

Abstract Objectives To examine the factorial validity of the Contesting Orientations Scale (COS) in a large sample of intercollegiate student-athletes, as well as to extend evidence of the COS’ concurrent validity by examining its relationship to autonomous and controlled motivations in sport. The ability of contesting orientations to predict sportspersonship over and above autonomous and controlled motivations was also examined. Design Cross-sectional and correlational. Methods Five hundred and forty-four intercollegiate US athletes (57.2% male) from individual and team sports completed measures of contesting orientations, autonomous and controlled motivations, and sportspersonship. Results Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the factorial validity of the COS, while correlational results supported its concurrent construct validity, with autonomous motivation associated with higher levels of partnership orientation and controlled motivation associated with higher levels of war orientation. In addition, sequential regression analyses supported the predictive utility of contesting orientations, with partnership orientation emerging as a significant positive predictor of four – and war orientation a negative predictor of three – dimensions of sportspersonship. Mediation analyses suggested that contesting orientations may partially mediate the relationship between autonomous and controlled motivations for some dimensions of sportspersonship. Conclusions The COS is a valid and reliable measure of contesting orientations. Partnership and war contesting orientations, moreover, add significantly to the prediction of sportspersonship over and above autonomous and controlled motivations. In practice, if the goal is to promote good sportspersonship, coaches and other adults involved in competitive sport should emphasize a partnership contesting orientation in addition to more autonomous forms of motivation.
Respect, Challenges, and Stress among Protestant Pastors Closing a Church: Structural and Identity Theory Perspectives

The number of American churches has been declining at a rate of about 1 to 2% per year, but this statistic hides the reality that in liberal, moderate denominations the number of churches that close is nearly three or four times the number that open. Despite this trend of decline, no one has studied how closing churches affects the pastor. What challenges does the pastor face when closing a church, and how do these challenges affect the pastor’s level of stress and well-being? The study draws on structural and identity theories to further our understanding of pastoral identity threats and ways that congregational and denominational support may ease a pastor’s burden. This research used a mail survey to explore the experiences of pastors who have experienced the closing of a church in any of five Protestant denominations (Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ). The research adds to our understanding of the context of ministry by highlighting not only the effects of clergy age and experience but also the congregational context and middle administrative body (judicatory) respect and support in the challenge and in the affirmation of pastoral identity through the process of closure and church death.
The Power of Ideology: Religion and Environmental Consciousness in Prehistoric Societies

People are defined by the environments in which they live. This article seeks to explain how environmentally-based ideologies help lead to the development of ecologically sustainable innovations. If the importance of nature is a core ideology of a society, measures will likely be taken to ensure sustainable usage of environmental resources. In times of short-term environmental instability, religious beliefs become strengthened due to successful rituals (e.g. prayers for rain coincide with the end of a period of drought). However, if poor conditions persist for long durations then faith in rituals will waver, leaving a society in a state of instability. Utilising various anthropological literature and two case studies (The Central Andes and Easter Island), the following conclusions are made: (1) ideology that emphasises human-environmental coexistence stresses the importance of the environment and leads to successful innovations that allow for humanity to thrive without doing irreversible damage to our surroundings; and (2) unpredictable and lengthy periods of negative environmental conditions can lead to the weakening of social, political, and economic constructs and their controlling ideologies.
Experimental Techniques in Microwave NDE

The objectives of this paper are to provide a historical perspective of microwave NDE and to review the associated experimental techniques by discussing them in the context of specific applications. The application examples are drawn from the published literature and the author’s own experience. The applications discussed include measurements of layer thicknesses and material parameters, detection and quantification of internal flaws inside dielectric objects, detection and quantification of surface flaws on conductors, and imaging of flaws inside material media. The discussion will seek to clarify the potential advantages and disadvantages of various microwave NDE techniques.
Educating the next generation of family caregivers through the use of dynamic case studies.

ABSTRACTBetween 2008 and 2016, students in an Introduction to Gerontology course were required to complete a dynamic case study project simulating caregiving arrangement decision making. Students were divided into groups representing typical multigenerational families and were required to determine how to develop caregiving arrangements to respond to an older family member’ s changing levels of need. The assignment concluded with students writing a final paper summarizing what they learned. This study examined the themes emerging from student group case study papers to gain an understanding of the challenges students face in understanding the dynamics of making family-based caregiving decisions. This is of particular importance as many students were seeking careers in human services and would be assisting clients in such decision-making processes, as well as involvement in decision making for their own family members. Themes that emerged from group papers and the implications related to gerontology educat...
How Research Messages Get Sidetracked by Governments

Politicians and governments have agenda, sometimes at odds with the facts associated with educational phenomena. Further, educational research is hard to do and leaves room for ambiguity in creating policy out of research, allowing newspapers, in general, and politicians, in particular, to misinterpret educational phenomena. This often leads to inappropriate policies. For example, interpretations of the results of PISA tests (The Program for International Student Assessment) are highly political, often not trustworthy, and commonly misleading. Four examples of problems with PISA interpretations by government are given: the misunderstanding of the relationship between PISA and a nation’s economic performance; the data hidden when only the mean scores of nations are reported; the meaning of variance accounted for in interpreting PISA test scores; and the conclusion that better standards for educational achievement will improve America’s performance on the PISA tests. Discussed as well is the fact that political expediency and government policy often affect such issues as the field testing of instructional programs and their assessment; the setting of goals for achievement on commonly used assessments; the overuse of simple main effects to interpret data, along with a lack of understanding of interactions; a failure to understand the effects of context on the implementation of policy; inadequate estimates of the costs associated with policy implementation; inadequate understanding of the effects of tax credits on education; an overconcern with educational outcomes and a corresponding lack of concern for educational inputs; and an overreliance on standardization.
Seeking Safety Group Therapy for Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorder and PTSD among Transgender Women Living with HIV: A Pilot Study

Transgender women living with HIV experience high rates of substance use, violence, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Seeking Safety is a manualized, present-focused, cognitive-behavioral therapy program designed to address co-occurring substance use and PTSD. Seeking Safety has evidence of efficacy in a variety of populations but had not been evaluated specifically with people living with HIV or transgender women. We pilot-tested a 12-session Seeking Safety program with a group of transgender women living with HIV who reported substance use and a history of violence. Seven transgender women living with HIV were recruited from two HIV primary care clinics in San Francisco and completed pre- and post-intervention assessments. Participants attended an average of 8 of the 12 sessions. Mean scores for all three outcome measures improved: PTSD symptom scores declined 17.5%, alcoholism screening scores declined 23.9%, and drug abuse screening scores declined 68.8%, on average. Despite the small sample, this pilot study showed Seeking Safety to be a promising intervention among transgender women living with HIV. The findings are encouraging and justify larger studies of Seeking Safety among transgender women and other people living with HIV who experience high rates of substance use and PTSD.
Relationships of sex hormone levels with leukocyte telomere length in Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander postmenopausal women.

Background Sex hormones may play important roles in sex-specific biological aging. We specifically examined the associations between circulating concentrations of sex hormones and leukocyte telomere length (TL). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1124 black, 444 Hispanic, and 289 Asian/Pacific Islander women in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Cohort. Concentrations of estradiol and testosterone were measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. TL was measured using quantitative PCR. Results Women included in the study were 50 to 79 years of age. Levels of estradiol were not significantly associated with TL in this sample of women. The associations between total and free testosterone and TL differed by race/ethnicity (P for interaction = 0.03 for total testosterone and 0.05 for free testosterone). Total and free testosterone concentrations were not associated with TL in black and Hispanic women, whereas in Asian/Pacific Islanders, their concentrations were inversely associated with TL (P-trend = 0.003 for both). These associations appeared robust in multiple subgroup analysis and multivariable models adjusted for potential confounding factors. In Asian/Pacific Islanders, doubling of serum free testosterone concentration was associated with 202 bp shorter TL (95% CI, 51 to 353 bp), and doubling of total testosterone concentration was associated with 203 bp shorter TL (95% CI, 50 to 355 bp). Conclusions Serum concentration of estradiol was not associated with leukocyte TL in this large sample of postmenopausal women. Total and free testosterone levels were inversely associated with TL in Asian/Pacific Islander women but not in black and Hispanic women, although future studies to replicate our observations are warranted particularly to address potential ethnicity-specific relations. The significant findings of the study This study elucidates the potential roles of sex hormones in biological aging, and identified that total and free testosterone levels were inversely associated with telomere length in Asian/Pacific Islander women but not in black and Hispanic women. The study adds The findings of this study suggest that Asian/Pacific Islander women may be susceptible to the potential detrimental effects of high testosterone level on biologic aging.
Special Education Staffing and Service Models in Christian Schools

Christian schools are not obligated to accept children with disabilities. However, the growing trend in Christian schools is to serve children with disabilities. Recent literature has begun to iden...
Diets of Kauai’s invasive rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri): evidence of seed predation and dispersal in a human-altered landscape

Rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) are the world’s most successful introduced parrots, and > 2000 individuals reside on Kauai, Hawaii. These birds destroy crops, but impacts to other native and non-native species are largely unknown. Our study objectives on Kauai were to determine: (1) diets of rose-ringed parakeets at five sites (n = 9–25 per site), by sex, through crop and gizzard analysis and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis, and (2) whether birds are dispersing or depredating seeds. We found 100% of birds (n = 64) were eating plant material and 80% of their diet was seed; males had more food in their crops and gizzards than did females. Corn (Zea mays) was eaten by 67% of birds and averaged 31% of mass in crops and gizzards. Invasive yellow guava (Psidium guajava) was eaten by 97% of birds and averaged 30% of their diet. Parakeets are potentially dispersing yellow guava seeds, as 66% of birds had intact guava seeds, and each bird had an average of three intact seeds. Diets differed statistically among sites. Parakeets from Lihue Airport did not have any corn, and isotopic carbon values also supported low feeding on corn by birds at Lihue Airport. No seeds of native plants were identified in rose-ringed parakeet diets. Our findings of a diverse plant diet, frequent seed predation, and potential to disperse invasive species’ seeds implies that land managers in agricultural, urban, and natural areas should be concerned with the current expansion of these invasive birds on Kauai and elsewhere.
Crowdfunding for Academic Libraries: Indiana Jones Meets Polka

Abstract Crowdfunding – or creatively presenting a case for funding to like-minded individuals – is becoming an effective development strategy for academic libraries. The crowdfunding projects described offer multiple approaches to consider, from an adventure-themed video to embracing polka music to entice donors to give. Social media, used in conjunction with the web and well-established email communication formed the basis of successful project promotion. Developing a robust communication plan ahead of campaign launch is critical for success. Thanking donors for their transformational gifts and follow up communication describing the impact of their participation six months later raises friends for the library potentially for many years to come. With proper planning, an active and enthusiastic committee and effective donor stewardship, crowdfunding campaigns will help libraries raise funds to support strategic initiatives.
Mycoplasma-Cell Culture-Virus Interactions: A Brief Review

It has been established that certain mycoplasmas can alter the activity and function of contaminated cell cultures and thereby markedly affect the results of study. Some of these effects have been reviewed elsewhere (1, 2). This presentation will briefly discuss three general aspects of mycoplasma-cell-virus interaction including: a) the cytopathic effects (CPE) produced by the myco-plasma fermenters; b) the inhibitory effect produced by the arginine utilizing mycoplasmas on lymphocyte blastformation; and c) the effects of mycoplasmas on virus propagation.
Power-Aware Architecture to Combat Intelligent Adaptive Attacks in Ad-Hoc Wireless Networks

The paper presents a novel technique to combat smart adaptive attacks in ad-hoc wireless networks where battery power and bandwidth are scarce. Nodes in ad-hoc wireless networks can assume the roles of transmitters, receivers, and/or routers in case they fall geographically between two communicating nodes. Malicious nodes deviate from the standard communications protocols to illegally maximize their share of the bandwidth and save their battery power for their own communication. When the malicious node has data packets to transmit, it increases the power of the transmitted signal to increase the throughput and reduce the delay and retransmission attempts. This behavior adversely affects the rest of the nodes that follow the standard communication protocols. When the malicious node receives a packet that is not destined to it, the malicious node forwards the packet with very low transmission power level to save power and in this case, the packet reaches the next hop without enough signal strength to be decoded correctly. In this type of sophisticated attacks, malicious nodes deal with the control packets according to the standards so it keeps itself visible inside the network in case there are packets destined to it. Our end-to-end algorithm detects and isolates those types of attackers to maintain the resiliency of the network against the malicious behavior.
Misalignment Between Societal Well-Being and Business Profit Maximization: The Case of New York Taxis Drivers’ Incentive System

Abstract Objectives of business sustainability efforts commonly include increasing consumer safety, decreasing resource consumption, and decreasing pollution. Even though there is a societal interest in attaining these goals, business and other economic agents often operate under incentive structures that run counter to these objectives. Taxi drivers operate as economic independents. Their revenue depends on their fares and tips. Moreover they choose how many hours to work, how fast to drive, and which route to take. Using New York City taxi data from 2013, we test the level of alignment between the revenue maximizing behavior of drivers versus safety, conservation and pollution-related outcomes that are valued by stakeholders. We find substantial misalignment—i.e., in order to maximize revenue, drivers take inefficient routes and they exceed the speed limit thus decreasing safety, increasing fuel consumption and increasing air pollution. Based on these empirical results, we suggest methods of aligning societal goals with those of revenue maximizing taxi drivers.
Design of an automated particle detection system for Rutherford backscattering (RBS) using LabVIEW

The purpose of this study was to construct and develop an effective and efficient automated particle detection system for Rutherford backscattering (RBS) based on LabVIEW programing for data acquis...
It's Hard Work Being No One.

No abstract available Keywords: Wild Systems Theory; embodiment; naturalism; representation; self-model; self-sustaining systems.
Indirect detection of DP for insulating paper based on methanol content in transformer oil by spectroscopic approach

In order to develop a novel detection method for the degree of polymerization (DP) of insulating papers, methanol was used as an indicator to explore the relationship between methanol concentration and DP in this paper. After extraction from oil, the methanol was oxidized and reacted with chromotropic acid to generate a purple-red compound. The spectral detection method was used to detect the concentration of methanol by absorbance, and then, the corresponding relationship between the concentration of methanol and the DP of insulating paper was established. Moreover, the detection methods based on furfural and methanol were compared. The results showed that methanol appeared during the initial aging period of the insulation paper, and the linear relationship between the methanol concentration and the DP of insulating paper was good. Compared with furfural, methanol was more sensitive to the change of DP in the early aging period, which proved that methanol could be used as a new type of indicator of insulating paper.
MSW Interns and Public Libraries: Enhancing Services through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

While the collaborative trend among professional social workers and librarians gains traction and attention, literature about the utilization of student social workers partnering with libraries is ...
Upon Entering College: First Semester Experiences of First-Generation, Rural Students from Agricultural Families

First-generation and rural college students are considered by many retention theorists and practitioners to be an at-risk population. This study examined the details of the first semester in postsecondary education from the perspective of a group of students who met the demographic criteria of being first-generation to go to college, from rural geographical areas, and from agricultural backgrounds. It focused on the first semester experience, during its occurrence, and how six students of this specific population viewed that phenomenon. A secondary objective was to determine if the understandings that issued from the research could form a foundation from which first semester retention strategies for this particular population could be configured.
Reproductive suppression and longevity in human birth cohorts.

Objectives Reproductive suppression refers to, among other phenomena, the termination of pregnancies in populations exposed to signals of death among young conspecifics. Extending the logic of reproduction suppression to humans has implications for health including that populations exposed to it should exhibit relatively great longevity. No research, however, has tested this prediction. Methods We apply time-series methods to vital statistics from Sweden for the years 1751 through 1800 to test if birth cohorts exposed in utero to reproductive suppression exhibited lifespan different from expected. We use the odds of death among Swedes age 1 to 9 years to gauge exposure. As the dependent variable, we use cohort life expectancy. Our methods ensure autocorrelation cannot spuriously induce associations nor reduce the efficiency of our estimates. Results Our findings imply that reproductive suppression increased the lifespan of 24 annual birth cohorts by at least 1.3 years over the 50-year test period, and that 12 of those cohorts exhibited increases of at least 1.7 years above expected. Conclusions The best available data in which to search for evidence of reproductive suppression in humans support the argument that populations subjected to environments dangerous for children yield birth cohorts that exhibit unexpectedly great longevity.
A Brief Exercise in Narrative Medicine for Preclinical Medical and Premedical Students: MY STORY: Exercise in Narrative Medicine for Preclinical Medical and Premedical Students

As part of a 3-week summer regional medical school campus rural immersion experience, preclinical medical and pre-medical students accompanied a rural Family Medicine residency inpatient team on bedside rounds. One theme of the summer program is the value of empathy and the importance of truly understanding what it is like to “walk a mile in the patient’s shoes.” A previously established brief narrative exercise was modified so that the learner spent an hour facilitating a hospitalized patient’s recall of their life and then produced a short summary that was edited by the patient and then provided to the team. The senior resident chose the patient for the exercise and introduced the student, who remained when the team left the bedside. The response from the patients was uniformly positive, and in an anonymous written evaluation, eight of 11 students completing the project rated it as positive, with 3 neutral, and none negative. Four gave it the highest rating possible in terms of meeting the goals of the program.
Penitentiaries, Punishment, and Military Prisons: Familiar Responses to an Extraordinary Crisis during the American Civil War, and Crossing the Deadlines: Civil War Prisons Reconsidered

Review of: "Penitentiaries, Punishment, and Military Prisons: Familiar Responses to an Extraordinary Crisis during the American Civil War," by Angela Zombek and "Crossing the Deadlines: Civil War Prisons Reconsidered," edited by Michael P. Gray.
Suspension of a Conflict in a Darkened Son

Antithetical desires displayed throughout Kierkegaard"™s authorship indicate the disjunctive assumption that the individual exists either in a state of increasing autonomy, expressed negatively as striving for freedom from divine constraint, or in a state of self-annihilating submission, expressed positively in terms of kenotic unification. Proximity to the divine thereby entails forfeiture of individuality, contrary to the explicit aim of Kierkegaard"™s authorial project, and aversion to materiality. This essay enunciates the conflict (I), traces the crescendo of loss that births the pseudonymous authorship and ends in realized longing for death (II), and approaches a more holistic vision of psycho-spiritual development (III). Keywords: Desire, Death, Psychoanalysis, SA¸ren Kierkegaard, Julia Kristeva, Sigmund Freud, St. Augustine, St. Paul.
Abstract 128: RNA-seq Based Non-Invasive Endovascular Biopsy of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations

Introduction: To-date, there is no accurate means to identify which bAVMs will bleed and treatment remains controversial. Hypothesis: We developed an endovascular biopsy (EB) technique to isolate e...
Contribution of electronic entropy to the order-disorder transition of Cu 3 Au

The authors evaluate the electronic entropy change from transport measurements across the order-disorder transition in Cu${}_{3}$Au.
Cyclooxygenase-dependent mechanisms mediate in part the anti-dilatory effects of perivascular adipose tissue in uterine arteries from pregnant rats.

Abstract Uterine perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) contributes to uterine blood flow regulation in pregnancy, at least in part, due to its effects on uterine artery reactivity. We tested the hypothesis that uterine PVAT modulates the balance between the contribution of nitric oxide synthase (NOS)- and cyclooxygenase (COX)-dependent pathways to acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation in isolated uterine arteries. Concentration-response curves to ACh (1 nM – 30 µM) were performed on uterine arteries from pregnant and non-pregnant rats. Arteries were exposed to Krebs-Henseleit solution (control) or PVAT-conditioned media (PVATmedia) in the presence of the following inhibitors: L -NAME (NOS inhibitor), indomethacin (COX inhibitor), SC560 (COX-1 inhibitor), NS398 (COX-2 inhibitor), SQ 29,548 (thromboxane receptor (TP) inhibitor). In arteries incubated with PVATmedia, the presence of indomethacin increased ACh-induced relaxation, reversing the anti-dilatory effect of PVATmedia. NOS inhibition reduced ACh-induced relaxation in uterine arteries from pregnant rats, and exposure to PVATmedia did not change this effect. Selective inhibition of COX-1 but not COX-2 suppressed relaxation responses to ACh in control arteries. The presence of PVATmedia abolished the effect of COX-1 inhibition. Incubation of uterine arteries from pregnant rats with PVATmedia increased production of thromboxane B2 (TxB2, p = 0.01) but thromboxane receptor (TP) inhibition did not affect the anti-dilatory properties of PVATmedia. In conclusion, inhibition of COX signaling suppressed the anti-dilatory effects of PVATmedia, while PVATmedia had no effect on the contribution of the NOS/NO pathway to ACh-induced relaxation in uterine arteries from pregnant rats, indicating that the anti-dilatory effects of uterine PVAT are mediated in part by COX-dependent mechanisms.
Studies of Social Media Addiction, Cult Indoctrination, and the Coronavirus Pandemic; All In Relation to the Trump Presidency

In this book chapter the author discusses the interconnections between social media addiction, cult indoctrination, and the coronavirus pandemic, all in relation to the United States presidency of Donald Trump. The relationship of the Trump presidency to each of these three phenomena: social media addiction, cult indoctrination, and the coronavirus pandemic, is initially examined separately. Subsequently the author ties things together by exploring the interconnections of these three different phenomena with each other, in the context of the Trump presidency. The author concludes with his own belief about how we can avoid the most detrimental consequences of all these interconnections. However, the author believes that the current very real and understandable human phenomenon of pandemic caution fatigue has been tremendously amplified by President Trump’s use of cult indoctrination techniques in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic devastation.