cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IMPACT OF INSECT POLLINATOR GROUP AND FLORAL DISPLAY SIZE ON OUTCROSSING RATE

Despite the strong influence of pollination ecology on the evolution of selfing, we have little information on how distinct groups of insect pollinators influence outcrossing rate. However, differences in behavior between pollinator groups could easily influence how each group affects outcrossing rate. We examined the influence of distinct insect pollinator groups on outcrossing rate in the rocky mountain columbine, Aquilegia coerulea. The impact of population size, plant density, size of floral display, and herkogamy (spatial separation between anthers and stigmas) on outcrossing rate was also considered as these variables were previously found to affect outcrossing rate in some plant species. We quantified correlations between all independent variables and used simple and two-factor regressions to determine direct and indirect impact of each independent variable on outcrossing rate. Outcrossing rate increased significantly with hawkmoth abundance but not with the abundance of any of the other groups of floral visitors, which included bumblebees, solitary bees, syrphid flies, and muscidae. Outcrossing rate was also significantly affected by floral display size and together, hawkmoth abundance and floral display size explained 87% of the variation in outcrossing rate. None of the other independent variables directly affected the outcrossing rate. This is the first report of a significant impact of pollinator type on outcrossing rate. Hawkmoths did not visit fewer flowers per plant relative to other pollinator groups but preferred visiting female-phase flowers first on a plant. Both the behavior of pollinators and floral display size affected outcrossing rate via their impact on the level of geitonogamous (among flower) selfing. Given that geitonogamous selfing is never advantageous, the variation in outcrossing rate and maintenance of mixed mating systems in populations of A. coerulea may not require an adaptive explanation.
PATTERN FORMATION IN A PARAMETRICALLY-EXCITED P.D.E.

We investigate the dynamics of the parametrically-excited P.D.E. ∂ 2 u ∂t 2 c 2 ∂ 2 u ∂x 2 + ∂ 2 u ∂y 2 + eβ ∂u ∂t +(δ+ eγ cost) u = eαu
Sexuality in Long-Term Care

In the USA alone, more than two million older adults live in nursing homes and assisted- living facilities, and their numbers are only expected to increase. Acknowledging the sexuality of older adults in institutional settings is essential, although the issues surrounding the expression of sexuality in institutional settings are often complex. An overarching theme regarding sexuality within an institutional context is that of stigma and discrimination, in which older residents are assumed to be asexual. In contrast, the majority of nursing home residents who responded to a recent survey report that sexuality is at least moderately important in their lives. A consistent challenge in long-term care is the need to protect individual residents’ rights to privacy and sexual expression with the duty to protect residents from harm. For example, many LGBT elders fear discrimination if their sexual orientation is revealed. Case examples are used to illustrate commonly encountered issues in long-term care related to sexuality including room sharing, masturbation, dating, pornography, and the impact of disabilities such as stroke and dementia. Newly released APA guidelines regarding the assessment of cognitively impaired residents’ sexual consent capacity are highlighted. Recommendations for the management of clearly inappropriate resident behavior (e.g., abuse of non-consenting or non-competent residents or visitors; masturbation in public areas; and inappropriate sexual comments and behavior toward staff) also are offered. Additional topics include the examination of benchmark programs and policies (e.g., the U.S. Nursing Home Bill of Rights) that may lead to a more ethical balance of residents’ rights to privacy and sexual expression, with the rights and safety of other residents and staff.
Some recent existential appeals to mathematical experience

Some recent work by philosophers of mathematics has been aimed at showing that our knowledge of the existence of at least some mathematical objects and/or sets can be epistemically grounded by appealing to perceptual experience. The sensory capacity that they refer to in doing so is the ability to perceive numbers, mathematical properties and/or sets. The chief defense of this view as it applies to the perception of sets is found in Penelope Maddy’s Realism in Mathematics, but a number of other philosophers have made similar, if more simple, appeals of this sort. For example, Jaegwon Kim (1981, 1982), John Bigelow (1988, 1990), and John Bigelow and Robert Pargetter (1990) have all defended such views. The main critical issue that will be raised here concerns the coherence of the notions of set perception and mathematical perception, and whether appeals to such perceptual faculties can really provide any justification for or explanationof belief in the existence of sets, mathematical properties and/or numbers.
Abstract 17044: Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Are Safe Prior to Kidney Transplantation

Introduction: Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for eligible patients with end-stage renal disease. Perioperative cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are major determinants of surgical outcomes. A subset of this cohort may undergo coronary revascularization prior to transplant. The safety of preoperative PCI and DAPT has not previously been reported. Methods: All patients who underwent kidney transplantat between 2008 and 2013 at the University of California Davis Medical Center were retrospectively identified. Patients who received coronary angiography with (PCI) and without (no-PCI) PCI prior to transplant were identified. Baseline demographics, angiographic findings, PCI characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes were analyzed. Results: We identified 1312 patients who underwent kidney transplant during the study period. Sixty-three patients underwent pre-transplant coronary angiography with 22% (n=14) receiving PCI. The average number of days from angiography to KT was 6 (range 0-60). Baseline demographics and patient characteristics are described in Table 1. Table 2 depicts procedural, operative, and in-hospital outcomes. In the PCI cohort, 86% (n=12) received intervention to de-novo vs 14% (n=2) to in-stent restenosis lesions. In the PCI cohort, 71% (n=10) received drug-eluting stents while the remaining 29% (n=4) received bare metal stents. All patients who received PCI underwent transplant while on DAPT. There was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss, transfusion requirement, or need for hemodialysis postoperatively in PCI vs no-PCI patients. There were no cases of acute stent thrombosis or perioperative MI. Conclusions: In this ongoing analysis, PCI and DAPT prior to kidney transplantation did not adversely affect intraoperative or in-hospital outcomes. Updated results will be reported including perioperative (1 month) and long-term (1 year) rates of bleeding, MACE, and graft outcomes. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
G197(P) Hepatic Haemangioma and Conjugated Hyperbilirubinemia – a Case Report

Background Infantile hepatic haemangioma, the most common benign vascular tumour of the liver in childhood, presents within the first months of life. 80% present in infancy and nearly half have associated cutaneous hemangiomas. Other extrahepatic lesions may also be present including pulmonary and cerebral haemangiomata. Subjects and Methods A term neonate presented with respiratory distress, unstable blood sugars and was small for gestational age. She was referred to a liver unit for management of hepatic haemangioma. Results We describe a neonate who presented with hepatic haemangioma, cardiac failure and conjugated hyperbilirubinemia which was due to hypopituitarism. This combination of clinical disease has not previously been reported. The diagnosis of hypopituitarism was considered because the infant had low blood sugars with prolonged conjugated jaundice during the initial assessment and treatment. Although jaundice is associated with large hepatic haemangiomata it is generally unconjugated unless there is a degree of biliary obstruction associated with the size of the haemangioma. Following diagnosis of hypopituitarism, commencement of replacement therapy with hydrocortisone and thyroxine resulted in resolution of symptoms and stabilisation of her condition. Conclusion This is an unusual presentation of hypopituitarism, and could have been overlooked in view of the other pathology present with adverse consequences for her future health and development.
INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF AN ETUDE AFTER THREE METHODS OF PRACTICE

For 80 fifth-grade students three practice conditions (mental, mental with physical simulation, and physical with singing) produced significant mean differences in instrumental performance of an etude. No significant differences were found for traditional, physical practice.
Theory of Defects in Condensed Phases of Langmuir Monolayers

Recent fluorescence-microscopy experiments have observed two types of defects-star defects and striped textures-in the liquid-condensed phases of Langmuir monolayers. These defects can be understood through a continuum elastic theory. This theory predicts both splay stripes, which are driven by the asymmetry between molecular heads and tails, and bend stripes, which are driven by a spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry in the monolayer. These predictions are compared with experimental observations.
Assimilation by Apterous Adult Myzus persicae Maintained on a Synthetic Diet

The weights of individual adult apterous Myzus persicae (Sulzer), allowed to feed on a 20% sucrose solution or on a complex diet, were recorded daily, as were the number of larvae and total weight of the larvae deposited by each aphid. By adding to the weight of each adult aphid the weight of all the larvae it had deposited, a daily “cumulative weight” value was obtained. Ignoring slight variations in weight occurring during the first day of the experiment, on the diet, the mean cumulative weight increased during the test period (6 days), whereas the mean adult weight remained constant; on 20% sucrose the mean cumulative weight remained constant, whereas mean adult weight declined. Evidently assimilation occurred on the diet but not on sucrose during a period when larviposition on both treatments was in progress.
Using nonlinear testing procedures to specify the right hand side of an aggregate production function containing financial variables in the period 1967–2011

Abstract Starting with Sinai and Stokes (1972) , a number of papers that followed included various measures of the financial sector (real balances) in an aggregate production function. Sinai and Stokes (1972) and many, but not all, of the studies used the Christensen & Jorgenson (1969) , Christensen & Jorgenson (1970) data on output, labor and capital for the period 1929–1967. While generalized least squares, GLS, was used to remove serial correlation, Fisher (1974) and others, including Sinai and Stokes (1972) , were concerned about increasing returns to scale that were observed, even in the cases where the financial variable was omitted from the model. Stokes (2013) chose the four original datasets (annual data 1929–1967, nonfinancial quarterly data 1953:1 to 1977:3, annual data 1930–1978 and annual data 1959–1985) and used various nonlinear estimation techniques to test whether the estimated increasing returns might be due to an inappropriate functional forms rather than variable mismeasurement. In that paper, the finding of significant nonlinearities suggested that the choice of functional form might indeed be the cause of increasing returns. For a proper test of the source of the problem, however, other data and periods need to be investigated to rule out the possibility that data mismeasurement might have given a false indication of nonlinearity. If the estimated increasing returns could be removed and nonlinearity was not detected in models with alternative data, that finding would be consistent with the hypothesis that the original research was marred by data mismeasurement rather than function misspecification. The current paper uses a new annual dataset 1967–2011 and experiments with Divisia real monetary aggregates, in contrast to work which used the original real financial variables which were based on the usual simple sum M2 data. In addition an improved labor variable using hours was found to be superior, with the result that increasing returns is removed and no measured nonlinearity remains.
Malignant Paraganglioma: A Case Diagnosed by Fine-Needle Aspiration

The prevalence of malignant paragangliomas is approximately 10% and is defined by the presence of metastases. Differential diagnosis includes hepatic tumors, alveolar soft part sarcoma, melanoma, glomus tumors, vascular neoplasms, and primary or metastatic carcinomas with endocrine or nonendocrine phenotype. Increasingly, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is being used to evaluate primary and potential metastatic lesions. We describe a recent case …
FlowCal: A User-Friendly, Open Source Software Tool for Automatically Converting Flow Cytometry Data from Arbitrary to Calibrated Units

Flow cytometry is widely used to measure gene expression and other molecular biological processes with single cell resolution via fluorescent probes. Flow cytometers output data in arbitrary units (a.u.) that vary with the probe, instrument, and settings. Arbitrary units can be converted to the calibrated unit molecules of equivalent fluorophore (MEF) using commercially available calibration particles. However, there is no convenient, nonproprietary tool available to perform this calibration. Consequently, most researchers report data in a.u., limiting interpretation. Here, we report a software tool named FlowCal to overcome current limitations. FlowCal can be run using an intuitive Microsoft Excel interface, or customizable Python scripts. The software accepts Flow Cytometry Standard (FCS) files as inputs and is compatible with different calibration particles, fluorescent probes, and cell types. Additionally, FlowCal automatically gates data, calculates common statistics, and produces publication quality...
Revised Classification of Posterior Fossa Cysts and Cystlike Malformations Based on the Results of Multiplanar MR Imaging

MR and clinical data on 31 patients with posterior fossa CSF collections were analyzed. A clear separation of these patients into classical categories was not possible because of new information obtained from the MR images. We present a new classification of these disorders. The Dandy-Walker malformation, Dandy-Walker variant, and mega-cisterna magna seem to represent a continuum of developmental anomalies of the posterior fossa. A possible embryologic basis for this continuum is suggested. Discrete posterior fossa CSF collections that are clearly separate from the fourth ventricle and vallecula are classified as posterior fossa cysts. Posterior fossa CSF collections that communicate with the fourth ventricle and are associated with cerebellar atrophy are classified as prominent cisterna magna. Both the Dandy-Walker complex and posterior fossa cysts can cause enlargement of the posterior fossa and scalloping of the inner table of the occipital bone. The Dandy-Walker complex presents with seizures, developmental delay, and enlarging head size; it requires CSF diversion when associated with hydrocephalus. Posterior fossa cysts present with symptoms of a posterior fossa mass; they generally require surgical resection. Prominent cisterna magna is a result of degenerative disorders and requires no surgical therapy. This new classification facilitates both diagnosis and therapy of these disorders. MR revealed that disorders previously referred to as the Dandy-Walker malformation, the Dandy-Walker variant, and the mega-cisterna magna actually are not separate entities, but appear to represent steps on a continuum of developmental anomalies of the posterior fossa. Because of this, we suggest a new term, the Dandy-Walker complex, be used to describe this continuum.
A Study of the Immune Evolutionary Algorithm-based Self-tuning PID Control of Superheated Steam Temperature

In accordance with biological immune-system characteristics the authors have come up with a method of self-tuning PID controller parameters on the basis of an immune evolutionary algorithm. The immune evolutionary algorithm has introduced memory cells and features diversity and an anti-body concentration regulation mechanism, ensuring a rapid and stable convergence to attain an overall optimal point. A simulation of the superheated steam temperature control system has demonstrated the validity of the recommended algorithm.
Experience in physiology teaching with CAI

With the use of computer in each domain, CAI is necessary to take place of the traditional teaching methods. However, the CAI teaching is in the early stage of explore and development, it exists some shortcoming. As a teacher, we must master the skills of making courseware to make active and interesting courseware, and to increase the teaching qualities in the using of CAI.
Adam Smith's Humean Attitude About Science; Illustrated by the History of Astronomy

In this paper I examine connections between Smith and Hume’s thought evidenced by Smith’s posthumously published essay, “History of Astronomy” (HA). I argue that Smith's outlook in HA is deeply influenced by Hume's naturalism, understood as the mind’s pragmatic acceptance of and operation within an unverifiable frame of belief formation. I suggest that Smith demonstrates and develops his Humean outlook in HA in three stages: (1) He begins the essay by recognizing the mind's unavoidable sentimental operation within a frame of natural belief formation, a frame characterized by the presuppositions of external existence and causal relations. (2) He recognizes the relatively frail philosophical underpinnings of such belief formation and accordingly expresses a skeptical attitude towards final interpretations. (3) He rhetorically demonstrates the pervasiveness of belief in spite of its weak philosophical underpinning by sliding himself into a seeming assent to the finality of Newtonian Copernicanism at the end of the essay, consciously contradicting his initial skeptical commitments. My interpretation of Smith has implications for understanding the essentially non-foundational nature of his philosophical program.
Concomitant Behavioral and PFC Neuronal Activity Recorded Following Dose-Response Protocol of MPD in Adult Male Rats.

The use of methylphenidate (MPD), a commonly prescribed drug to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has steadily increased over the past 25 years. This trend has been accompanied by more MPD abuse by ordinary individuals for its cognitive enhancing effects. Therefore, understanding the effects of MPD on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a brain area involved in higher cortical processing such as executive function, language, planning, and attention regulation, is of particular importance. The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of acute and chronic dose-response characteristics following MPD exposure on both the PFC neuronal population and behavioral activity in freely behaving animals implanted previously with permanent electrodes within the PFC. Four groups of animals were used: saline (control), 0.6, 2.5, and 10.0mg/kg MPD. It was observed that the same dose of either 0.6, 2.5, or 10.0mg/kg repetitive (chronic) MPD exposure elicited behavioral sensitization in some animals and behavioral tolerance in others, and that the majority of PFC units recorded from animals expressing behavioral sensitization to chronic MPD exposure responded to MPD by increasing their neuronal firing rate, whereas the majority of PFC neurons recorded from animals expressing behavioral tolerance in response to chronic MPD responded by decreasing their neuronal firing rate. This data suggests that in animals that display behavioral sensitization, chronic MPD exposure causes an increase in the number of post-synaptic D1 dopamine receptors leading to an increase in behavioral and neuronal firing rate, while in animals that display behavioral tolerance, chronic MPD exposure causes an increase in the number of post-synaptic D2 dopamine receptors leading to a decrease in behavioral and neuronal firing rate. This dichotomy needs to be further investigated.
Feeling for Meaning: The making and understanding of Image Theatre

ABSTRACTUsing iconic images created by students in Belfast and Sarajevo of their respective cities, this paper will explore how emerging ideas in the field of cognitive science (e.g. Gallagher, S. 2005. How the Body Shapes the Mind. Oxford: Clarendon Press) can help explain the making and understanding of Augusto Boal’s ‘Image Theatre’. There has been growing interest in the intersection between performance and cognitive science (McConachie, B., and H. E. Hart, eds. 2006. Performance and Cognition: Theatre Studies after the Cognitive Turn. Routledge), particularly in terms of kinaesthetic empathy (Reynolds, D., and M. Reason, eds. 2012. Kinaesthetic Empathy in Creative and Cultural Practices. Intellect), which can enhance our understanding of the embodied practices associated with Augusto Boal’s Image Theatre. This paper will analyse the ambiguities inherent in stage images of contested cities to explore how these may reveal unconscious insights into the image-makers’ perception of their home environments...
Overview of Neuroimaging of Stroke

Stroke, ischemic or hemorrhagic, may impart devastating or debilitating impacts on the clinical outcomes of patients around the world. Technological advances have facilitated the development of neuroimaging modalities that are now widely available, accurate, and easy to interpret during the acute phase of stroke, to predict the evolution of its natural course and importantly, drive therapeutic decision making regarding various interventions. Imaging in the context of acute stroke supplements the clinical examination to localize the ischemic lesion, illustrate key pathophysiological mechanisms, and guide the therapeutic management by clinicians. This chapter on neuroimaging of stroke provides an overview on the use of neuroimaging modalities with a practical goal to disclose stroke etiology, mechanism, and prognosis.
Stealth Democracy Revisited: Reconsidering Preferences for Less Visible Government:

Understanding public preferences for governing processes is an understudied area of research. In this paper, I evaluate a set of critical assumptions relating to process preferences that the litera...
Master Protocols to Study Multiple Therapies, Multiple Diseases, or Both

This review considers master protocols, which involve the study of one or more interventions in multiple diseases or of a single disease with multiple interventions.
Joint access point deployment and assignment in mmWave networks with stochastic user orientation

Millimeter wave (mmWave) communication is a promising solution for providing high capacity wireless access to regions with high traffic demands. The main challenge of mmWave communications is the availability of directional line of sight links between access points and mobile devices which stochastically change due to high attenuation in mmWave propagation and severe blockage of mmWave links with obstacles such as human bodies. In this paper, a novel framework for optimizing the deployment of mmW access points, while being cognizant of the mobile devices orientation, is proposed. In the studied model, the locations of potential access points and users are assumed as predefined parameters while the orientation of the users is changing stochastically. To minimize the number of access points while satisfying the line of sight coverage of mobile devices, first, a joint access point placement and mobile device assignment problem is proposed, assuming that the orientation of each user is deterministically known. This formulation is then extended to the case in which the orientation of the user is stochastic. Finally, the proposed deterministic and stochastic joint access point placement and mobile device assignment schemes are evaluated under various system parameters. Simulation results demonstrate the advantage of the proposed stochastic scheme to the deterministic scheme, in terms of reducing the load on access points. Moreover, on average, the proposed stochastic scheme can increase the probability of user satisfaction up to 24% for 0.95 requested coverage probability compared to the deterministic case.
Constructing Subsidiarity, Consolidating Hegemony: Political Economy and Agro-Ecological Processes in Ghanaian Forestry

Despite proliferating claims that Ghanaian forestry is collaborative and community-based, most powers over forestry remain concentrated in an unrepresentative and unaccountable centralized forestry administration. In ways that presage current negotiations over the principle of subsidiarity, various regimes in Ghana throughout the twentieth century have, when challenged, misconstrued agro-ecological processes in order to justify centralized and violent control that, although conducted in the name of the public good, allowed forest resources to be appropriated by select state agents, traditional authorities, and domestic and international firms. Recommendations are given to help pry the concept of subsidiarity away from abuse by hegemonic elites: participatory empirical studies of forest agroecologies and management, and inclusive processes of formulating and interpreting policies and laws.
The Sequential and Distributional Structure of Conflict Interactions as a Function of Attributions Concerning the Locus of Responsibility and Stability of Conflicts

This study examines the sequential and distributional structure of discussions involving college roommates. Subjects were videotaped discussing a series of conflict issues that typically occur amon...
Sacred Mountains of Buddhism and Shintoism and Whaling Culture in the Kansai-Kinki Regions

This chapter visits Kumano, in the southern part of the Kansai-Kinki Region (central-western Honshū, which includes Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara), where Japanese classical whaling is said to have originated. The monument made there in 1671 is the oldest existing monument for whales in Japan. Field research highlights internationally known Taiji, which was the center of the Kishū Classical Whaling Base, one of the four major Japanese classical whaling bases. The region is also famous for the “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range,” registered as UNESCO World Heritage Site. This chapter analyzes how local indigenous beliefs have affected the whaling culture in Taiji.
Chemotherapy of Manic-Depressive Disorder

The term “affective disorders” is used for a group of mental illnesses with a primary disturbance of affect, and comprising those behavior disorders characterized principally by increased or decreased activity and thought, expressive of a predominating mood of depression or elation.
ATRIAL SEPTAL DEFECT DEVICE RELATED INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS IN A 20 WEEK PREGNANT FEMALE

Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) closure device related infective endocarditis a year after implantation in a pregnant woman. 29 year old 20 week pregnant female s/p ASD closure a year ago for primary stroke prevention, presented with fever, and myalgias. She underwent dental cleanings while on
The invention of nature: Alexander von Humboldt and the new world

Alexander von Humboldt is currently enjoying a renaissance in the English-speaking world, thanks in no small part to Andrea Wulf, a historian and writer who was born in India, spent her childhood i...
Dynamics of Aspen Roots Colonization by Pseudomonads Reveals Strain-Specific and Mycorrhizal-Specific Patterns of Biofilm Formation.

Rhizosphere-associated Pseudomonas fluorescens are known plant growth promoting (PGP) and mycorrhizal helper bacteria (MHB) of many plants and ectomycorrhizal fungi. We investigated the spatial and temporal dynamics of colonization of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal Aspen seedlings roots by the P. fluorescens strains SBW25, WH6, Pf0-1 and the P. protegens strain Pf-5. Seedlings were grown in laboratory vertical plates systems, inoculated with a fluorescently labeled Pseudomonas strain, and root colonization was monitored over a period of five weeks. We observed unexpected diversity of bacterial assemblies on seedling roots that changed over time and were strongly affected by root mycorrhization. P. fluorescens SBW25 and WH6 stains developed highly structured biofilms with internal void spaces forming channels. On mycorrhizal roots bacteria appeared encased in a mucilaginous substance in which they aligned side by side in parallel arrangements. The different phenotypic classes of bacterial assemblies observed for the four Pseudomonas strains were summarized in a single model describing transitions between phenotypic classes. Our findings also reveal that bacterial assembly phenotypes are driven by interactions with mucilaginous materials present at roots.
Abortion, Religion, and the Accusation of Establishment: A Critique of Justice Stevens’ Opinions in Thornburgh, Webster, and Casey

It is commonplace to characterize legal arguments in favor of protecting the human embryo or fetus as "inherently religious" such that laws embodying this point of view constitute an establishment of religion in violation of the First Amendment. The practical effect of this argumentative strategy is to foreclose substantive debate on the issue of the legal status of the unborn – to preclude from consideration an entire point of view and so win an argument without ever really having one.This claim has a long pedigree, tracing back to the founding of NARAL and Lawrence Lader's "Catholic strategy." Its most prominent spokesperson, however, has been Justice Stevens, who set forth the claim in his opinions in Thornburgh, Webster, and Casey. Surprisingly, a close, critical reading of these texts is almost entirely absent from the scholarly literature – an absence that this article seeks to remedy.The article demonstrates that Stevens simply takes for granted the central claim upon which the conclusion of establishment turns – the religious character of pro-life legislation. He then employs this assumption rhetorically in order to dismiss a point of view he never squarely confronts.Furthermore, Stevens' characterization of religious establishment is so broad that it would render any attempt to define who is a human being worthy of legal protection (including Stevens' own) unconstitutional. The article also shows that Stevens' cryptic invocation of the "endorsement" test fails, and that he covertly repudiates the principle of McGowan v. Maryland.The point of the article is not to show that powerful arguments cannot be made on behalf of the abortion license, or even that some argument cannot be constructed to show that pro-life legislation is religious. Rather, the point is to show that a genuine argument must be made to that end, and not a mere accusation.
Hausdorff dimension of sets arising in number theory

The sets considered here have their roots in arithmetic, but the theoretical tools introduced to compute their Hausdorff dimensions should have broader interest and application. In particular, the relation of the Hausdorff dimension to the spectral radius of the subdivision operator provides a means of eliminating ad hoc estimates, thereby sharpening the calculations. The use of monotonicity to allow inequalities of functions to be tested by finite numerical calculations does not seem to have a place in the numerical analysis arsenal. It bears further study. The "spectral analysis" given by equation (4) illustrate a self-duality which seems to be present also for the circle-packing example. This is likely to be an important structure.
Membrane Alterations Following Interferon Treatment

Interferon treatment appears to induce a number of changes in the plasma membrane of uninfected cells. Interferon treatment altered the surface exposure of gangliosides of both Ly and KB cell membranes. The differences were found in the amount and pattern of incorporation of tritium after galactose oxidase treatment. In AKR,C−(AKR-2B) mouse cells, not only was there an apparent increase in the number of intramembranous particles in reponse to treatment with interferon but also the kinetics of the increase followed that of the establishment of the antiviral activity. The buoyant density of plasma membrane was also found to be significantly increased in interferon-treated cells. Moloney murine leukemia virus produced in interferon-treated mouse thymus and bone marrow cells had a high particle to infectivity ration. This virus contained a prominent glycoprotein with a molecular weight of about 85,000. This large glycoprotein was only a very minor component of Moloney leukemia virus produced in control TB cells and might be an uncleaved precursor to gp 69–71.
Pediatric intramedullary spinal cord tumors: Special considerations

Intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs) of the pediatric population are rare and comprise thirty-five percent of intraspinal neoplasms. Low-grade astrocytomas predominate; ependymomas increase in frequency with ascending age and become the most frequent IMSCT in adults. Gangliogliomas are very rare in adults but comprise nearly thirty percent of tumors in children under three years of age. The cervical spine is the region of the spine most affected. Pain is the most common presenting symptom with weakness, gait deterioration, torticollis also frequently reported. Hydrocephalus occurs with greater frequency than in adult patients and often requires a shunt. Motor and sensory evoked potential monitoring is routinely utilized. Osteoplastic laminotomy is performed to forestall the development of progressive spinal deformity. Gross total resection is feasible in most ependymomas and results in surgical cure. Astrocytomas are infiltrating neoplasms and gross total resection is occasionally possible only in the pediatric population. However, the role of radical resection of low-grade fibrillary astrocytomas of the spinal cord in children has not been definitively demonstrated in the literature. Outcome for low-grade astrocytomas is better in children than adults, but not as favorable as that for ependymomas. Malignant tumors have dismal outcomes and surgery in these patients serves only to provide a diagnosis.
Vegetation change in created emergent wetlands (1988–1996) in Connecticut (USA)

Changes in hydrology, water quality and vegetation were evaluated in four palustrine emergent wetland pairs, each including created and reference sites. Located along interstate highways, they were initially sampled in 1988 (Confer and Niering, 1992) and again in 1996. Overall, created sites showed significant decreases in open water and water depth between 1989 and 1996 compared to more stable conditions in reference sites. Total nitrogen was generally higher in created sites compared to reference sites, as was specific conductivity, with chloride levels exceeding 800 mg/L, apparently related to road salt. Emergent plant cover increased from 30 to 39% at three created sites, and decreased at a fourth, whereas reference sites remained relatively stable. Wetland species richness also increased from 31 to 39 species at created sites and 35 to 42 species at reference wetlands between the surveys. By 1996 there was an increase in invasive species, particularly Phragmites australis (common reed) and Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife). Phragmites increased from <1 to 15% at created sites, while Lythrum increased at one reference site from <1 to 16%. Typha latifolia (common cattail), dominant in the created wetlands in 1988, decreased from 16 to 5% while Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail) increased from 2 to 10%. At two created sites experiencing increased sedimentation, Phragmites is now dominant or co-dominant with Typha spp., whereas Carex stricta (tussock sedge) and T. latifolia continue to dominate at reference sites. At the one created, permanent flow-through-hydrology wetland, a three-fold decrease in T. latifolia and an eight-fold increase in Phragmites cover have occurred, the latter correlated with sedimentation from road culverts. Increases in alien or invasive species such as Phragmites and Lythrum can serve as indicators of wetland disturbance. Although these created wetlands provide the services of sediment retention, flood storage, and wildlife habitat, a greater range of wetland functions should be possible by constructing two-tiered systems that remove excess sediments and nutrients upstream of the wetland designed to compensate for wetland loss.
Rapid Regression of Prenatally Identified Intrapericardial Giant Rhabdomyomas with Sirolimus.

Cardiac rhabdomyomas are a common etiology of fetal cardiac tumors and are often associated with tuberous sclerosis. Usually these tumors are benign, small, and located within the ventricular free wall or septum. They typically regress spontaneously with no hemodynamic effect. Here we report an unusual case of prenatally identified intrapericardial giant rhabdomyomas that rapidly regressed postnatally with the use of a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor.
Investigation of the effect of the electrode distance on the impedance void meter performance in the two-phase flow measurement

Abstract Experimental study on the effect of electrode distance on the performance of impedance void meter is presented. The study includes multiple approaches. In the numerical simulation approach, based on the mathematical similarity between electric and temperature fields, the electric fields with different electrode distances are simulated using ANSYS Fluent to generate temperature fields. In the experimental study, an adiabatic air-water experiment is performed to compare two impedance meters with different electrode distances. The test conditions cover the flow regimes from bubbly flow to annular flow. Gamma densitometer and multi-single sensor conductivity probe are utilized for the void fraction comparison. The effect of the electrode distance on the flow regime identification using the artificial neural network is investigated, the signals of the different impedance meters are applied as the inputs for the artificial neural network. It is found that impedance meter with a properly large electrode distance has better performance in void fraction measurement, especially at high superficial velocity.
Optimized Facial Emotion Recognition Technique for Assessing User Experience

This paper presents a novel optimization technique in image processing for emotion recognition based on facial expression. The method combines two pre-processing filters (pre-filters), i.e., brightness and contract filter and edge extraction filter, with Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based learning and Support Vector Machine (SVM) for emotion classification. Instead of using an arbitrarily selected set of parameters used for the pre-filters, the presented algorithm automatically tunes the parameters by analyzing learning outcomes from CNN and selecting the parameter set which produces the best result. This method was evaluated for accuracy and efficiency. The result showed 98.19% emotion recognition accuracy using CNN with 3,500 epochs for given 3,589 face images. With demonstrated efficiency and accuracy, this method shows great potential for embedded human computer applications, in particular for assessing user experience and preference in games and media.
Anticoagulation Therapy in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis is Associated With an Increased Risk of Variceal Hemorrhage

Abstract Objective The belief that cirrhotic patients are "auto-anticoagulated" often results in anticoagulation therapy being withheld in these patients. We aimed to understand patterns of use of anticoagulation and to determine the risk of bleeding complications in cirrhotic patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 320 cirrhotic patients treated with anticoagulation therapy from July 15, 2014 to January 30, 2018. We performed bivariate and multivariate analyses to identify risk factors for clinically relevant bleeding. We conducted a separate analysis using propensity score matching to compare bleeding rates of a noncirrhotic cohort group on anticoagulation to anticoagulated patients with cirrhosis. Results Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (47%) was the most common cause of cirrhosis, and 49% were classified as Child-Pugh class B, a mean model for end-stage liver disease score of 14 and Charlson comorbidity index of 7. Anticoagulation was initiated for atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter in 56% of patients; warfarin was used in 57% of patients and concomitant use of antiplatelet therapy in 25%. Bleeding occurred in 18%, with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (53%) being the most common source. In the propensity-matched cohort, bleeding rates were higher in cirrhotics than in control patients who were matched for baseline characteristics. In multivariate analysis of the cirrhotic patients, the presence of esophageal varices was associated with higher odds of clinically relevant bleeding. Conclusion Anticoagulated cirrhotic patients who have esophageal varices are at an increased risk of bleeding. We recommend that patients with cirrhosis and esophageal varices who require anticoagulation have their varices managed carefully prior to initiation of anticoagulation.
Excitatory pathway engaging glutamate, calcineurin, and NFAT upregulates IL-4 in ischemic neurons to polarize microglia:

Excitotoxicity and microglia/macrophage over-activation are the important pathogenic steps in brain damage caused by ischemic stroke. Recent studies from our group suggest that the neurons in ische...
Underlying mechanisms and ecological context of variation in exploratory behavior of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile

Uncovering how and why animals explore their environment is fundamental for understanding population dynamics, the spread of invasive species, species interactions, etc. In social animals, individuals within a group can vary in their exploratory behavior, and the behavioral composition of the group can determine its collective success. Workers of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) exhibit individual variation in exploratory behavior, which affects the colony's collective nest selection behavior. Here, we examine the mechanisms underlying this behavioral variation in exploratory behavior and determine its implications for the ecology of this species. We first establish that individual variation in exploratory behavior is repeatable and consistent across situations. We then show a relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of genes that have been previously linked with other behaviors in social insects. Specifically, we found a negative relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of the foraging (Lhfor) gene. Finally, we determine how colonies allocate exploratory individuals in natural conditions. We found that ants from inside the nest are the least exploratory individuals, whereas workers on newly formed foraging trails are the most exploratory individuals. Furthermore, we found temporal differences throughout the year: in early-mid spring, when new resources emerge, workers are more exploratory than at the end of winter, potentially allowing the colony to find and exploit new resources. These findings reveal the importance of individual variation in behavior for the ecology of social animals.
Carcass Composition and Mammary Development Responses to Photoperiod and Plane of Nutrition in Holstein Heifers

Twenty prepubertal heifers (averaging 155 kg body weight) were assigned to one of four treatment groups in an experiment of 2 X 2 factorial design. The main effects were photoperiods of 8 h light:16 h dark (8L:16D) vs 16L:8D, and LOW vs HIGH plane of nutrition. Heifers on the LOW plane of nutrition were fed to achieve a growth rate of approximately .7 kg/d; daily feed intake was restricted with no orts and was identical in both groups of heifers subjected to either 8 or 16 h of light daily. Heifers on the HIGH plane of nutrition were fed ad libitum to achieve a growth rate greater than 1 kg/d. All heifers were slaughtered during the luteal phase of an estrous cycle at an average body weight of 337, 334, 360 and 349 kg for 8L:16D-LOW plane, 16L:8D-LOW plane, 8L:16D-HIGH plane and 16L:8D-HIGH plane groups, respectively. Average time on treatment was 233, 236, 206 and 181 d and average estimated carcass weight gain was .39, .40, .55 and .61 kg/d, respectively. Within LOW or HIGH planes of nutrition, photoperiod did not affect live body weight gains. A photoperiod of 16L:8D, compared with 8L:16D, increased protein content in the 9-10-11th rib section of heifers on HIGH nutrition (16.2 vs 14.6%), but not in heifers fed the LOW plane of nutrition (15.5 vs 16.1%). However, within 8L:16D groups, HIGH plane reduced rib section protein content as compared with LOW plane of nutrition (14.6 vs 16.1%); there was no difference observed within 16L:8D groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Preoperative versus intraoperative diagnosis of hiatal hernia in bariatric population.

Abstract Background Hiatal hernia is frequently encountered intraoperatively during bariatric surgery. There is scarce research pertaining to the diagnostic accuracy of a preoperative diagnostic modality in comparison to intraoperative diagnosis, along with patient characteristics and related factors contributing to hiatal hernia. Objective To identify the prevalence and associations of hiatal hernia in the bariatric patient population, we compared the diagnostic accuracy of upper gastrointestinal series and esophagogastroduodenoscopy with the intraoperative findings across various patient characteristics. Setting Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, Teaching Hospital, New York, USA. Methods Retrospective study of patients from 2015 to 2018 who met National Institutes of Health criteria for bariatric surgery. Results There were 1094 patients included (135 males, 959 females), with an age range of 18 to 74 years. The diagnostic accuracy was determined by a sensitivity of 64.71% (95% confidence interval [CI] .55–.70), specificity of 74.38% (95% CI .71–.70), positive predictive value of 29.86% (95% CI .24–.30), negative predictive value of 92.59% (95%CI .89–90), likelihood ratio of 2.526, and P value 60 years (P Conclusion The prevalence of hiatal hernia is 18.92%. There is strong association between hiatal hernia and age and ethnicity and no association based on sex and body mass index. The diagnostic accuracy of upper gastrointestinal series is very low compared with that of esophagogastroduodenoscopy for hiatal hernia. Preoperative diagnosis of hiatal hernia in the bariatric population is not required based on our study. Not only does it lessen the economic burden, patient wait time, and discomfort of an additional study, but preoperative diagnosis does not change, alter, or aid in the intraoperative management of hiatal hernia considering the suboptimal accuracy of preoperative diagnostics, thus deeming them unwarranted.