cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying women veterans with unhealthy alcohol use using gender-tailored screening.

Background and objectives To assess the impact of gender-tailored alcohol screening criteria. Methods Among N = 1,349 women, we calculated the proportion screening positive for unhealthy alcohol use with non-tailored versus gender-tailored criteria (a gender-tailored binge-drinking item, lower screen-positive threshold, or both). Results Three percent more women screened positive with a modified binge-drinking question, most reporting risky drinking. Fifteen percent more women screened positive with a lower threshold; most did not report risky drinking. Discussion and conclusions Gender-tailored binge-drinking questions may improve detection of women's unhealthy alcohol use. Scientific significance These results can inform future efforts to improve alcohol screening for women. (Am J Addict 2018;27:97-100).
Particle Deposition Mechanisms, Predictions, Determinations and Correlations of Filter Coefficient/Collector Efficiency

Three major problems of deep bed filtration are discussed. First, the physics involved in particle deposition is examined by considering the various mechanisms governing the transport of particles for a suspension flowing through a porous medium to the medium pore surface and the interaction between contacting particles and pore surface leading to adhesion. Second, we discuss the various procedures which may be used to obtain the filter coefficient/collector efficiency from experimental data including the effect of deposition. Finally, correlations of the filter coefficient/collection efficiency developed in the past are presented systematically for use in design calculations.
Outcomes of Bariatric Surgery in the Elderly

The Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee recently concluded that evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of bariatric surgery in the general adult population. However, more information is needed on the role of bariatric surgery in the elderly. The aim of this study was to examine the outcome of bariatric surgery in the elderly performed at academic centers. Using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision diagnosis and procedure codes, we obtained data from the University HealthSystem Consortium Clinical Data Base for all elderly (>60 years) and nonelderly (19-60 years) patients who underwent bariatric surgery for the treatment of morbid obesity between 1999 and 2005. Outcome measures, including patient characteristics, length of stay, 30-day readmission, morbidity, and observed and expected (risk-adjusted) mortality, were compared between groups. Bariatric surgery in the elderly represents 2.7 per cent (n = 1,339) of all bariatric operations being performed at academic centers. Of the 99 University HealthSystem Consortium centers performing bariatric surgery, 78 centers (79%) perform bariatric surgery in the elderly. Compared with nonelderly patients, elderly patients who underwent bariatric surgery had more comorbidities, longer lengths of stay (4.9 days vs 3.8 days, P < 0.01), more overall complications (18.9% vs 10.9%, P < 0.01), pulmonary complications (4.3% vs 2.3%, P < 0.01), hemorrhagic complications (2.5% vs 1.5%, P < 0.01), and wound complications (1.7% vs 1.0%). The in-hospital mortality rate was also higher in the elderly group (0.7% vs 0.3%, P = 0.03). When risk adjusted, the observed-to-expected mortality ratio for the elderly group was 0.9. In a subset of elderly patients with a pre-existing cardiac condition (n = 236), the in-hospital mortality was 4.7 per cent. Bariatric surgery in the elderly represents only a small fraction of the number of bariatric operations performed at academic centers. Although the morbidity and mortality is higher in the elderly, bariatric surgery in the elderly is considered as safe as other gastrointestinal procedures because the observed mortality is better than the expected (risk-adjusted) mortality.
Accurately Predicting the Location of Code Fragments in Programming Video Tutorials Using Deep Learning

Background: Video programming tutorials are becoming a popular resource for developers looking for quick answers to a specific programming problem or trying to learn a programming topic in more depth. Since the most important source of information for developers in many such videos is source code, it is important to be able to accurately extract this code from the screen, such that developers can easily integrate it into their programs. Aims: Our main goal is to facilitate the accurate and noise-free extraction of code appearing in programming video tutorials. In particular, in this paper we aim to accurately predict the location of source code in video frames. This will allow for the dramatic reduction of noise when using extraction techniques such as Optical Character Recognition, which could otherwise extract a large amount of irrelevant text (e.g., text found in menu items, package hierarchy, etc.). Method: We propose an approach using a deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to predict the bounding box of fully-visible code sections in video frames. To evaluate our approach, we collected a set of 150 Java programming tutorials, having more than 82K frames in total. A sample of 4,000 frames from these videos were then manually annotated with the code bounding box location and used as the ground truth in an experiment evaluating our approach. Results: The results of the evaluation show that our approach is able to successfully predict the code bounding box in a given frame with 92% accuracy. Conclusions: Our CNN-based approach is able to accurately predict the location of source code within the frames of programming video tutorials.
Increasing compliance of safe medication administration in pediatric anesthesia by use of a standardized checklist

Background Medication errors pose a significant risk perioperatively. In the perioperative environment, common medication administration processes are not typically performed. Given the common administration of potentially harmful medications and the potential for medication errors, patient risk is substantial. Specifically, intravenous acetaminophen has been used more frequently in the perioperative period which yielded an increase in medication administration errors reported. Aims This project was initiated by Cincinnati Children's Hospital after an increase in perioperative acetaminophen dosing errors was reported. After mapping the administration process of perioperative acetaminophen, we sought to reduce medication errors by the use of a safety checklist. Acetaminophen was used as a surrogate for other perioperative medications in this quality improvement project. Methods Use of a failure mode effects analysis assisted the team in understanding the failures of the process of safe medication administration. Subsequently, key drivers of this process were designed to include accurate understanding and documentation of medication history, consistent communication between perioperative caregivers, and an efficient checklist process. A multidisciplinary team conducted a series of tests to modify key drivers. Data were collected by utilizing data from a paper checklist, prior to the electronic medical record change that was prompted by this study. A total of 633 checklists and electronic medical records were analyzed during a 6-month period; data were analyzed using control charts and statistical process control methods. Results/analysis The percentage of compliance with the safe administration checklist for acetaminophen in the preoperative period increased to 97%. Use of the paper checklist likely prompted the appropriate increase in compliance with safe administration. Additionally, provider-specific feedback produced a significant increase in compliance with the use of the checklist. Conclusion Application of quality improvement methods, specifically a safety checklist, were utilized to improve the safe administration of acetaminophen during the perioperative period. Increasing reliability of accurate delivery and administration of medication to patients are crucial in optimizing patient safety. Use of a medication safety checklist may be beneficial in reducing potential administration errors, specifically for high-risk medications.
Space Security Trilemma in South Asia

The peculiar nature of bilateral relations between the United States and China in space is the triggering point of a space security trilemma in South Asia. The spill-over effect of a misperception-...
Maize YABBY genes drooping leaf1 and drooping leaf2 regulate floret development and floral meristem determinacy

Floral morphology is shaped by factors that modulate floral meristem activity and size, and the identity, number and arrangement of the lateral organs they form. We report here that the maize CRABS CLAW co-orthologs drooping leaf1 (drl1) and drl2 are required for development of ear and tassel florets. Pistillate florets of drl1 ears are sterile with unfused carpels that fail to enclose an expanded nucellus-like structure. Staminate florets of drl1 tassels have extra stamens and fertile anthers. Natural variation and transposon alleles of drl2 enhance drl1 mutant phenotypes by reducing floral meristem (FM) determinacy. The drl paralogs are co-expressed in lateral floral primordia, but not within the FM. drl expression together with the more indeterminate mutant FMs suggest that the drl genes regulate FM activity and impose meristem determinacy non-cell-autonomously from differentiating cells in lateral floral organs. We used gene regulatory network inference, genetic interaction and expression analyses to suggest that DRL1 and ZAG1 target each other and a common set of downstream genes that function during floret development, thus defining a regulatory module that fine-tunes floret patterning and FM determinacy.
Concurrent Engineering in the Design of Protective Clothing: Interfacing with Equipment Design

Most protective clothing is designed for use with existing equipment. Sometimes for economic reasons or because of immediate needs, design of protective apparel and associated equipment must take place simultaneously. An example of such a project is described, and a model for a concurrent design process proposed. The project consisted of development of a totally encapsulating chemical protective suit. Suit design was carried out concurrently with design of air supply systems and microclimatic conditioning equipment. Two factors that made this project possible were a system of centralized communication that maintained contact between the various designers, and the implementation of a zone approach to the design of the suit. Each zone was independently supported on the body using a system of bands, straps, and tethers. This allowed design development using a series of partial prototypes of different zones, each appropriate to the current level of development of the associated equipment and each operating relatively independently of the whole. Design work on the suit could therefore continue at the same time as design work on other equipment.
Balancing Rights and responsibilities: Human Rights Jurisprudence on Regulating the Content of Speech

The right to freedom of expression is one of the essential attributes of a democratic society, linked to transparency in government, public participation in decision-making, and each person’s individual self-determination. This paper analyzes the key provisions of human rights instruments that concern the right to freedom of expression. The paper also evaluates the scope of freedom of expression rights by considering U.N. studies and reports and the jurisprudence of human rights bodies. The paper concludes that the law cannot fully resolve the tensions between the free exercise of expression and the protection of other’s rights, but the legal guarantees and limitations contained in human rights instruments are necessary to impose restraints that individuals are unwilling to impose on themselves.
Keeping the Goal in Sight: Testing the Influence of Narrowed Visual Attention on Physical Activity:

Rates of physical inactivity continue to rise in the United States. With this work, we tested the efficacy of a strategy affecting the scope of visual attention designed to promote walking as a form of exercise. Specifically, we examined the influence of narrowed attention on the frequency (Studies 1a, 1b, and 3) and efficiency (Studies 2 and 4) of physical activity in general (Studies 1 and 2) and within exercise bouts measured across multiple days (Studies 3 and 4). We provide convergent evidence by investigating both individual differences in (Studies 1 and 2) and experimentally manipulated patterns of visual attention orienting (Studies 3 and 4). We discuss implications of attentional strategies for self-regulation and fitness.
Fertility Myths and Community College Drop Outs for Black Community College Students.

Few studies examine the association between community college students’ risky sexual behavior, unplanned pregnancy, and the subsequent withdrawal from school. Further, students’ nonchalant attitudes and lacking access to health care and information about contraceptive use may exacerbate the problem. Hence, comprehensive sexuality education can assist black community college students to make sound contraceptive decisions and to avoid unplanned consequences. Given the lack of empirical research on the connection between unplanned pregnancy and student retention for black community college students, this content analysis using Krippendorf’s procedures (1980) develops themes from 100 articles and reports on sex education, relationship status, social norms, and contraceptive use. The resulting analysis using social ignorance theory (Ungar, 2008) shows that nonchalant attitudes regarding sexual practices and social norms influence risky sexual behavior for black community college students, which can be associated with unplanned pregnancy and eventually withdrawing from school.
Positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers for prostate cancer imaging

Imaging plays an increasing role in prostate cancer diagnosis and staging. Accurate staging of prostate cancer is required for optimal treatment planning. In detecting extraprostatic cancer and sites of early recurrence, traditional imaging methods (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, radionuclide bone scan) have suboptimal performance. This leaves a gap between known disease recurrence as indicated by rising prostate-specific antigen and the ability to localize the recurrence on imaging. Novel positron emission tomography (PET) agents including radiolabeled choline, fluciclovine (18F-FACBC), and agents targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen are being developed and tested to increase diagnostic performance of non-invasive prostate cancer localization. When combined with CT or MRI, these tracers offer a combination of functional information and anatomic localization that is superior to conventional imaging methods. These PET radiotracers have varying mechanisms and excretion patterns affecting their pharmacokinetics and diagnostic performance, which will be reviewed in this article.
Chemistry and Reactivity of Tannins in Vitis spp.: A Review

Tannins are a group of polyphenols found in fruits, leaves, trees, etc., well known in the leather industry and in apples, persimmons and grapes, because of their capacity to interact with other polyphenols or other components either from the food product or from saliva. Prior to being able to interact with other compounds, tannins have to be extracted from the food matrix, which depends on their chemistry, as well as the chemical structure of other components, such as cell wall material and proteins. Vitis vinifera grapes are commonly grown around the world and are used in winemaking, providing good quality wines with different levels of tannins responsible for the final wine's astringency. Many studies have focused on tannins extractability and retention with cell wall material, and the reactivity of tannins with proteins in Vitis vinifera grapes and wine, but there are very few reports for other Vitis species. However, depending on the environmental characteristics of certain regions, Vitis hybrid grapes are grown and used to produce wines more and more. This review focuses on the comparison of the chemistry of tannins, and their reactivity with other macromolecules in Vitis species.
Adjoint QCD_2 in Large N

We consider a dimensional reduction of 3+1 dimensional SU(N) Yang-Mills theory coupled to adjoint fermions to obtain a class of 1+1 dimensional gauge theories. We derive the quantized light-cone Hamiltonian in the light-cone gauge A^+ = 0$ and large-N limit, then solve for the masses, wavefunctions and of the color singlet boson and fermion boundstates. We find that the theory has many exact massless state that are similar to the t'Hooft pion.
Scalable variational Monte Carlo with graph neural ansatz

Deep neural networks have been shown as a potentially powerful ansatz in variational Monte Carlo for solving quantum many-body problems. We propose two improvements in this direction. The first is graph neural ansatz (GNA), which is a variational wavefunction universal to arbitrary geometry. GNA results in accurate ground-state energies on 2D Kagome lattices, triangular lattices, and randomly connected graphs. Secondly, we design a distributed workflow on multiple accelerators to scale up the computation. We compute Kagome lattices with sizes up to 432 sites on 128 TPU cores. The parameter sharing nature of the GNA also leads to transferability across different system sizes and geometries.
Click-evoked auditory brainstem responses and autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analytic investigation of disorder specificity.

Background Click-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR) alterations are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the specificity of these findings to the disorder is unclear. We therefore performed a meta-analysis on ABRs and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a neurodevelopmental disorder that shares some etiologic and symptom overlap with ASD. Methods Seven papers compared ABR latency components (I, III, V, I-III, III-V, and I-V) between participants with and without ADHD. We used random-effects regression to generate component-specific estimates (Hedges's g) that adjusted for study sample sizes and the number of studies contributing to each estimate. We compared these estimates to our recently published meta-analysis of ABRs and ASD. Results All ADHD studies employed cross-sectional designs. ADHD was associated with longer latencies for waves III and V (g = 0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.3, 1.0 and g = 0.6, 95% CI 0.3, 0.9) and waves I-III and I-V (g = 0.7, 95% CI 0.2, 1.3 and g = 0.6, 95% CI 0.3, 1.0). Effect sizes from the ASD and ADHD meta-analyses did not differ from each other. Conclusions Similar patterns of ABR alterations are observed in ADHD and ASD. However, studies rarely screen for middle ear dysfunction or hearing loss and rely upon cross-sectional designs. Addressing these issues will inform the viability of ABRs as a prognostic and/or etiologic biomarker for these disorders. Impact Click-evoked ABR alterations are associated with ASD, but the specificity of these findings to the disorder is unclear. We therefore performed a meta-analysis of the association between ABRs and ADHD, a disorder that shares some etiologic and symptom overlap with ASD. ADHD was associated with longer ABR latencies for several components. These components are identical to those implicated in ASD. Effect sizes were similar in magnitude across disorders. The viability of ABRs as prognostic and/or etiologic biomarkers for neurodevelopmental risk requires addressing limitations in the literature (e.g., cross-sectional data, non-standardized ABR protocols, minimal characterization of symptom heterogeneity).
Automated Accessory Rigs for Layered 2D Character Illustrations

Mix-and-match character creation tools enable users to quickly produce 2D character illustrations by combining various predefined accessories, like clothes and hairstyles, which are represented as separate, interchangeable artwork layers. However, these accessory layers are often designed to fit only the default body artwork, so users cannot modify the body without manually updating all the accessory layers as well. To address this issue, we present a method that captures and preserves important relationships between artwork layers so that the predefined accessories adapt with the character’s body. We encode these relationships with four types of constraints that handle common interactions between layers: (1) occlusion, (2) attachment at a point, (3) coincident boundaries, and (4) overlapping regions. A rig is a set of constraints that allow a motion or deformation specified on the body to transfer to the accessory layers. We present an automated algorithm for generating such a rig for each accessory layer, but also allow users to select which constraints to apply to specific accessories. We demonstrate how our system supports a variety of modifications to body shape and pose using artwork from mix-and-match data sets.
Pinniped Hearing in Complex Acoustic Environments

Abstract : Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses) are amphibious marine mammals that are susceptible to coastal anthropogenic noise. The long-term goals of this effort are to improve understanding of (1) the sound detection capabilities of several pinniped species, and (2) the effects of noise exposure on the sound detection capabilities of these species. The laboratory and field studies associated with this research will reveal certain aspects of how amphibious mammals receive, perceive, and recognize acoustic information in background noise and will contribute broadly to current knowledge of marine mammal bioacoustics. Improve understanding of hearing in pinnipeds by extending psychoacoustic profiles of sound reception obtained from simplified auditory processing tasks to those describing performance under increasingly complex acoustic conditions. Relate laboratory measurements to concurrent field studies of communication in fluctuating natural noise backgrounds. Strengthen predictive models that describe how signal structure and noise environments interact to constrain auditory performance, and develop weighting functions that can be used for species-typical acoustic risk assessments.
Relating capillary pressure to interfacial areas

[1] Experiments were performed on transparent two-dimensional microfluidic porous systems to investigate the relationships among capillary pressure and the interfacial areas per volume between two fluid phases and one solid phase. Capillary pressures were calculated from the observed interfacial curvature of the wetting-nonwetting interface, and these correlated closely to externally measured values of applied pressure. For each applied pressure, the system established mechanical equilibrium characterized by stationary interfaces, uniform curvatures across the model, and random surface normals. To study the relationships among capillary pressure and the interfacial areas, we compare the curvature-based capillary pressure with the differential change in interfacial areas per volume as a function of wetting-phase saturation. The differential pressure contributions calculated from the experimental measurements are found to be nearly independent of the measured capillary pressure. These results suggest that other contributions to the capillary pressure must be significant when imbibition and drainage processes result in saturation gradients.
Blood product use in trauma resuscitation: plasma deficit versus plasma ratio as predictors of mortality in trauma (CME).

Introduction Resuscitation of rapidly bleeding trauma patients with units of packed red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma given in a 1:1 ratio has been associated with improved outcome. However, demonstration of a benefit is confounded by survivor bias, and past work from our group has been unable to demonstrate a benefit.
GeSn mid-IR materials and devices for 3D photonic integration

We present direct gap, pseudo-single-crystal GeSn on amorphous dielectric layers and flexible substrates for MIR active integrated photonics. The high transient gain and the strain engineering via flexible substrate deformation indicate promising device applications.
Chemical studies of structural features in staphylococcal nuclease-T'.

Abstract Synthetically and chemically modified forms of staphylococcal nuclease-T', the noncovalent complex of the polypeptide fragments nuclease-T-(6–48) (containing residues 6 through 48 of staphylococcal nuclease) and nuclease-T-(49–149) (containing residues 49 through 149 of nuclease), were prepared and characterized. Analogue forms of synthetic-(6–47) (the synthetic fragment corresponding to nuclease residues 6 through 47) were prepared by the solid phase method with variations from the normal sequence at residues lysine 9, glutamic acid 10, proline 11, alanine 12, threonine 13, leucine 14, isoleucine 15, isoleucine 18, and tyrosine 27. In addition, [3-nitro-l-tyrosyl 27]-nuclease-T-(6–48) and [3-amino-l-tyrosyl 27]-nuclease-T-(6–48) were obtained, respectively, by tetranitromethane treatment of nuclease-T-(6–48) and by subsequent reduction of the nitrated product. All of the above fragment derivatives were studied for the ability to associate with nuclease-T-(49–149) to generate enzymic activity. The results have allowed a description of the functions of the residues studied in nuclease-T'. This information has been interpreted further based on the present knowledge of the staphylococcal nuclease crystal structure (Arnone, A., Bier, C. J., Cotton, F. A., Hazen, E. E., Jr., Richardson, D. C., Richardson, J. S., AND Yonath, A. (1971) J. Biol. Chem. 246, 2302) and therein extended to predictions for intact nuclease as well. The studies reported indicate that the NH2-terminal residues 9 through 13 participate in several critical main chain and side chain hydrogen bonds, with loss of residues 6 through 13 causing complete destabilization of the nuclease-T' complex. Tyrosine 27 helps to stabilize nuclease-T' structure, probably by hydrophobic interactions as well as by side chain hydrogen bonding, whereas the nonpolar side chains of isoleucine 15 and isoleucine 18 are important for nuclease-T' fragment association and stabilization of the active site region of the complex, respectively. The results are consistent with the view that nuclease and nuclease-T' have similar detailed structural features in the regions studied.
Examining the shareholder wealth effects of announcements of newly created CIO positions

While information technology (IT) has been transforming the business landscape for a long time now, it is only recently that empirical evidence demonstrating the positive impact of IT on firm performance has begun to accumulate. The strategic importance of a firm's IT capabilities is prompting an increasing number of companies to appoint chief information officers (CIOs) to effectively manage these assets. Such moves are reflective of changes in top management thinking and policy regarding the role of IT and firms' approaches to IT governance. This paper uses the event study methodology to examine market reactions to announcements of new CIO positions. Findings strongly support the notion that, for firms competing in industries undergoing IT-driven transformation, announcements of newly created CIO positions do indeed provoke positive reactions from the marketplace.
Explosive Bodies and Bounded States

The bodies produced by the violent practice of suicide bombing are a source of horror and disgust. They are, in feminist psychoanalyst Julia Kristeva's concept, abject: that which defies borders and is expelled to create the self. As ‘abject bodies’, suicide bombers' bodies frustrate attempts at calculation and rational control of security risks, and, in their mutilated flesh, expose as unstable the idea of the body as a whole with clearly defined boundaries between inside and outside. Female suicide bombers, whose bodies are already considered ‘abject’, produce a politics of the body that exceeds narratives of victimhood, and whose very monstrosity symbolically threatens the foundations of the nation-state. Attempts at constructing subjects out of the mutilated bodily remains of victims and perpetrators of suicide bombings are key practices in the production of the state and gendered subjects. The practice of suicide bombing and efforts to recover and resignify bodies reveals how power molds and constitu...
A framework for speech activity detection using adaptive auditory receptive fields

One of the hallmarks of sound processing in the brain is the ability of the nervous system to adapt to changing behavioral demands and surrounding soundscapes. It can dynamically shift sensory and cognitive resources to focus on relevant sounds. Neurophysiological studies indicate that this ability is supported by adaptively retuning the shapes of cortical spectro-temporal receptive fields (STRFs) to enhance features of target sounds while suppressing those of task-irrelevant distractors. Because an important component of human communication is the ability of a listener to dynamically track speech in noisy environments, the solution obtained by auditory neurophysiology implies a useful adaptation strategy for speech activity detection (SAD). SAD is an important first step in a number of automated speech processing systems, and performance is often reduced in highly noisy environments. In this paper, we describe how task-driven adaptation is induced in an ensemble of neurophysiological STRFs, and show how speech-adapted STRFs reorient themselves to enhance spectro-temporal modulations of speech while suppressing those associated with a variety of nonspeech sounds. We then show how an adapted ensemble of STRFs can better detect speech in unseen noisy environments compared to an unadapted ensemble and a noise-robust baseline. Finally, we use a stimulus reconstruction task to demonstrate how the adapted STRF ensemble better captures the spectro-temporal modulations of attended speech in clean and noisy conditions. Our results suggest that a biologically plausible adaptation framework can be applied to speech processing systems to dynamically adapt feature representations for improving noise robustness.
Slow to fast alterations in skeletal muscle fibers caused by clenbuterol, a beta 2-receptor agonist

Chronic treatment of rats with clenbuterol, a beta 2-receptor agonist (8–12 wk), caused hypertrophy of histochemically identified fast- but not slow-twitch fibers within the soleus, while the mean areas of both fiber types were increased in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL). In contrast, treatment with the beta 2-receptor antagonist, butoxamine, reduced fast-twitch fiber size in both muscles. In the solei and to a lesser extent in the EDLs, the ratio of the number of fast- to slow-twitch fibers was increased by clenbuterol, while the opposite was observed with butoxamine. The muscle fiber hypertrophy observed in the EDL was accompanied by parallel increases in maximal tetanic tension and muscle cross-sectional area, while in the solei, progressive increases in rates of force development and relaxation toward values typical of fast-twitch muscles were also observed. Our results suggest a role of beta 2-receptors in regulating muscle fiber type composition as well as growth.
Endoscopic ovariectomy of exotic mammals using a three-port approach.

Laparoscopic ovariectomy has been advocated as the preferred sterilization method for dogs for some time. The same arguments and benefits can be extended for many zoologic mammals, including carnivores, suids, primates, lagomorphs, and large rodents. This article summarizes the benefits, equipment options, surgical technique, recovery, and complications associated with this sterilization procedure.
Reaction Kinetics of PO2Cl-, PO2Cl2-, POCl2-, and POCl3- with O2 and O3 from 163 to 400 K

Rate constants and product ion branching fractions for the gas-phase reactions of O2 and O3 with the anions (a) PO2Cl-, (b) POCl3-, (c) POCl2-, and (d) PO2Cl2- were measured in a selected-ion flow ...
Time-domain response of Parity-Time symmetric structures: Causality, stabilitv and bandwidth considerations

Parity-Time (PT) symmetry has been recently introduced in quantum mechanics as a condition allowing non-Hemiitian systems to support real eigenvalues, and as a result to be physically permissible. Although PT symmetry in quantum mechanics is still under dispute, it has attracted significant attention in classical electromagnetic and acoustical systems, where it is manifested by spatially balanced amounts of loss and gain, and leads to unique phenomena, such as unidirectional invisibility, laser-absorber modes, and negative refraction. To date, most of the studies on PT symmetric systems have focused on their steady-state time-harmonic response. However, since such systems are active, they are potentially unstable, and investigation of their time-domain properties is crucial in order to determine whether such systems are physically possible.
TWO VIEWS OF THE CITY AS A SOURCE OF SPACE-TIME TRENDS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE DECLINE OF HUMAN FERTILITY

The relationship between the spread of economic development and the spread in the decline of human fertility within a regional setting is examined. A two-equation recursive model is developed by means of Casetti's expansion method. The model is evaluated using county data for Oklahoma over the period 1940-1972. Two alternative indicators of economic development are used in the model , the proportion of the labor force employed in agriculture and per capita retail sales, to capture the effects of changes in production and consumption upon fertility. The results indicate that changes in agricultural employment have neither diffused nor become more polarized, but that retail sales became more polarized with respect to major urban centers during the period. The decline in fertility resulted largely from changes in economic development, which was a polarizing influence on the former. There was also, however, an independent spread effect upon the decline of fertility, giving rise to a situation in which major u...
Labor use and landlord control: sharecropping and household structure in fifteenth-century Tuscany.

This study examined the relationship between sharecropping and household structure in 15th century Tuscany. It is demonstrated that the same form of property right (sharecropping) can lead to different demographic outcomes. Property rights to agricultural yield may not determine tenants household structure. The effect of the tenure form is mediated by other social factors. Landlords may use their power to choose large extended families in order to increase yields or to change production processes. Landlords support of large families is exemplified in practices in 18th and 19th century northern and central Italy while landlords in 15th century Tuscany used management techniques. Historical evidence suggests that household extension was less widespread in the 15th century. Landlords gave loans for capital improvements and consolidated land into larger farms. Landlords competed for tenants who were mobile and scarce. Rents were lower; risk was shared and more favorable to tenants. Evidence is provided from two parishes with asymmetrical sharecropping (San Piero a Sieve and Santa Maria a Spugnole) and personal correspondence from one typical landlord. There were fewer extended households than in the rest of rural Tuscany. Leases were negotiated each year. The letters suggest that the landlord moved the tenants between farms to match existing family and domestic situations. Landlords reorganized and recombined existing farms into different individual plots. A lower proportion of extended families is attributed to less power over tenants a dynamic process of landholding change and a recent strategy of sharecropping.
On the fermi approximation in thermal neutron scattering

Abstract The Fermi approximation and all higher order corrections are derived for the cross section for thermal neutron scattering from aggregates of atoms. The first order correction is shown to reduce to the result obtained by Lippmann and Schwinger in the special case that the scatterer is a single bound proton. The magnitude of the correction is estimated for an arbitrary number of scattering atoms, and it is shown to be approximately proportional to the inverse of the separation between atoms.
Effects of electrolyte agitation on the performance of lead-acid traction batteries at various temperatures

Abstract A detailed study of electrolyte concentration gradients within a commercial lead—acid battery showed that performance could be improved by disturbing the stratification which builds up during discharge—charge cycles. A simple, low-cost pumping device, which operates on pulsed air, without any moving parts was developed. A 96 V lead—acid traction battery was modified and tested at various temperatures. The performances of agitated and unagitated batteries are compared.
Sperm Banking for Adolescents With Cancer

Recent advances in diagnostic and therapeutic methods in pediatric oncology have led to greater survival rates in children with malignancies. However, major long-term complications can occur that limit the quality of survival, infertility being one of them. Chemotherapy, radiation treatment, surgery, and combinations of these treatments have been implicated in causing infertility, with males being especially sensitive to therapy. Cryopreservation of semen, or sperm banking, is an easy, widely available means to preserve fertility for adolescent and young adult males with cancer. In this article, the pertinent literature is reviewed, and a sperm-banking program is described. Recommendations are offered for institutions attempting to develop a successful program, and the nurse's role in education and facilitation is discussed.
Trends in the Ambulatory Management of Headache: Analysis of NAMCS and NHAMCS Data 1999–2010

Background Headache is a frequent complaint and among the most common reasons for visiting a physician.
Molecular analysis of a novel Drosophila diacylglycerol kinase, DGKϵ

Abstract Diacylglycerol kinase plays a central role in the metabolism of diacylglycerol by converting diacylglycerol into phosphatidic acid thus initiating resynthesis of phosphatidylinositols. Diacylglycerol is a known second messenger reversibly activating protein kinase C. In addition, diacylglycerol is a potential precursor for polyunsaturated fatty acids. We describe the identification and molecular analysis of a novel type III Drosophila diacylglycerol kinase isoform, DGKϵ. Drosophila DGKϵ is mapped to the cytological position 49C1-3. DGKϵ mRNA is 1.9 kb in length and is broadly distributed throughout development in different cells, primordia and organs, including testes. In embryogenesis, the transcripts are enriched in the cells, which are in S-phase or undergoing endoreplication. Comparison of the Drosophila DGKϵ with the human homologue revealed that the first zinc finger-like motif is specific for the type III isoform. Although the testis-specific diacylglycerol kinase activity is dependent upon the dose of DGKϵ gene, the deletion of DGKϵ does not modulate the total cellular diacylglycerol level. In spite of a proposed key role of diacylglycerol kinase in termination of the diacylglycerol signal, overexpression of a DGKϵ transgene in flies under the control of a yeast upstream activating sequence promoter does not disrupt normal development in Drosophila .
Soviet military art: Challenges and change in the 1990s

(1991). Soviet military art: Challenges and change in the 1990s. The Journal of Soviet Military Studies: Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 547-593.
Permanent Sensorineural Deafness in a Patient with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Secondary to Intracranial Hemorrhage

A 52-year-old male presented with tinnitus and fullness in left ear for one day. Workup revealed a white blood cell count of 685 × 103/μL with marked increase in granulocyte series and myeloid precursors on peripheral smear. The initial impression was chronic myelogenous leukemia with hyperleukocytosis, and patient was started on hydration, hydroxyurea, and allopurinol. Patient tolerated bone marrow biopsy well but continued to bleed excessively from the biopsy site. Results confirmed Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (chronic phase). On day three of hospitalization, patient developed sudden slurred speech along with shaking movements involving extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple hemorrhages throughout the brain. Hydroxyurea was continued until insurance coverage for nilotinib was getting approved. On day nine of hospitalization, patient developed sudden bilateral sensorineural deafness. Repeat magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple new hemorrhages throughout the brain. Computer tomography of the temporal bones showed inflammatory changes in right and left mastoid cells. Nilotinib was started on day eleven of hospitalization. Patient's white blood cell count continued to decrease, but there was no improvement in hearing. Four months later, patient was treated with bilateral transmastoid cochlear implants. This case highlights permanent deafness as a hemorrhagic complication secondary to chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Nonperturbative Quantization of Phantom and Ghost Theories:. Relating Definite and Indefinite Representations

We investigate the nonperturbative quantization of phantom and ghost degrees of freedom by relating their representations in definite and indefinite inner product spaces. For a large class of potentials, we argue that the same physical information can be extracted from either representation. We provide a definition of the path integral for these theories, even in cases where the integrand may be exponentially unbounded, thereby removing some previous obstacles to their nonperturbative study. We apply our results to the study of ghost fields of Pauli–Villars and Lee–Wick type, and we show in the context of a toy model how to derive, from an exact nonperturbative path integral calculation, previously ad hoc prescriptions for Feynman diagram contour integrals in the presence of complex energies. We point out that the pole prescriptions obtained in ghost theories are opposite to what would have been expected if one had added conventional i∊ convergence factors in the path integral.
Tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 down-regulate receptors for substance P in human astrocytoma cells.

Abstract This study examined the influence of cytokines on substance P (SP) receptors (NK1 subtype) in the human astrocytoma cell line UC11. Following trypsinization and passage, the density of SP receptors in these cells was rather low but gradually increased several fold over the course of a few days in culture. Frequent replacement of the growth medium enhanced the density of receptors even more, suggesting that growth factors in the culture medium may determine the levels of receptor. Exposure of the cells to sub-nanomolar concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) or interleukin-1β (IL1β), but not interleukin-2 or interleukin-6, decreased the density of SP receptors. This was accompanied by a decrease in the ability of SP to stimulate inositolphosphate formation. The ability of histamine to activate inositolphosphate formation was not influenced by the cytokines. The decrease in SP receptor density was readily reversible on washout of the cytokines. The EC50 for TNFα was approximately 0.5 ng/ml, the EC50 for IL1β was approximately 0.1 ng/ml. Radioligand binding studies with [125I]TNFα indicated the presence of a low density of high affinity binding sites for this ligand: Kd = 2.5 ± 0.6ng/ml, Bmax = 14.8 ± 2.7fmol bound/mg protein (assuming trimeric form of ligand bound). The most likely explanation for the cytokine effect is an inhibition of the synthesis of new receptors.
Analysis of a controversy in stuttering

Behaviorists interested in stuttering disagree over how to interpret a number of studies in which stuttering behaviors have been punished. One interpretation can be found in the publications of Brutten and Shoemaker, 1967 , Brutten and Shoemaker, 1970 and Webster, 1966 , Webster, 1968 , another in the publications of Martin and Siegel, 1966 , Martin and Siegel, 1969 , Quist and Martin (1967) , Siegel and Martin, 1965a , Siegel and Martin, 1965b , Siegel and Martin, 1966 , Siegel and Martin, 1967 , Brookshire (1969) , Brookshire and Martin (1967), and Eveslage and Brookshire (1969) . It is the purpose of this paper to describe the issues of this controversy and relate them to the growing body of information about stuttering.
The renal tubulointerstitium in diabetes mellitus

Renal injury in diabetes mellitus is an important clinical as well as biological problem. Approximately 30% of patients with type I or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [1] and 5 to 10% of patients with type II or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [2] will develop chronic renal insufficiency requiring treatment in an end-stage renal disease program. The mechanism of this injury, the underlying cause, and the nature of progressive renal insufficiency are unclear. In general, it has been proposed that diabetes is predominantly a glomerular disease as there is a progressive increase in urinary albumin excretion from 15 to 30 µg/min up to nephrotic range proteinuria over 5 to 12 years, followed by hypertension and decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) after a mean duration of 17 years of diabetes in the segment of patients at risk. The pathologic lesion of diffuse glomerular sclerosis or nodular intercapillary glomerular sclerosis is typically seen in biopsies from patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy [3, 4]. Moreover, Mauer and colleagues [5] and Osterby and Gunderson [6] have shown that there is a close correlation between the expansion of the glomerular mesangium and the declining filtration surface area, as well as the declining GFR in affected patients. These results support the view of diabetic nephropathy as a primary glomerular and perhaps primary mesangial disorder. However, a number of contradictory observations suggest a potentially important role for alterations in non-glomerular structures which reside within the renal interstitium in the development of renal insufficiency in patients with diabetes mellitus. The following discussion will review the evidence for a role of altered structure and function of the renal tubulointerstitium in diabetes, and propose the hypotheses that altered tubular transport and metabolic activity contributes to proteinuria and altered renal hemodynamics in diabetes, and that interstitial fibrosis plays an important role in the ultimate expression of renal insufficiency in diabetic nephropathy. We will discuss several potential mechanisms for these functional and structural changes and suggest a central pathogenetic role for hyperglycemia per se in the induction of these abnormalities.
Equine basal cell tumors: 6 cases (1985-1999)

Basal cell tumors are rare benign tumors in horses. Over a 15-year period, 6 horses were diagnosed with basal cell tumors. The tumors were well-circumscribed. freely moveable, firm, raised papules, nodules, or masses that ranged from 0.6 to 5 cm in diameter. Five of the 6 tumors were ulcerated. Based on gross appearance, the tumors were diagnosed as sarcoids, and 1 was diagnosed as a melanoma. The range of age of affected horses was 6-26 years. The tumors were identified clinically 1 week to 3 years before excision. In 4 horses for which information was available, complete surgical excision was curative with no recurrence 4 months to 2 years after removal.