cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Natural History of Renal Vein Thrombosis: Incidence of Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism and Survival.

Abstract Renal vein thrombosis (RVT), although uncommon, is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Neither the etiology nor the natural history of RVT has been adequately described in a large case series. Objective : To determine whether incident RVT is associated with an increased likelihood of recurrent local and systemic venous thromboembolic disease. Methods : Cases were identified by reviewing the Diagnostic Index for all patients with RVT at our institution between 1981 and 2000. Results : The study group consisted of 240 patients (34% women) with a mean age 55± 19 years. The diagnosis of RVT was made by CT (35%), Duplex Ultrasound (35%), MRI±gadolinium (10%) and either at surgery or autopsy in the remainder. The underlying etiology was deemed to be malignancy in 65% of cases. Of these, renal cell carcinoma (74%) and Wilms tumor (3%) made up the majority. Nephrotic syndrome primarily membranous glomerulonephritis was the second most common underlying etiology (23%). Of those tested, a definable thrombophilia was found in only 13 cases including lupus anticoagulant/antiphospholipid antibody (n=4); deficiencies of protein C or S, (n=2 each); heparin induced thrombocytopenia (n=2); antithrombin deficiency, dysfibrinogenemia and hyperhomocysteinemia (n=1 each). Eighty-one patients (34%) were treated with warfarin. Over a mean follow up of 3 years, the rate of recurrence of venous thrombosis at any site was 5%. The mortality rate over this time period was 49%. Conclusion : RVT represents a distinct clinical entity relative to venous thromboembolism of the lower extremity. The observed low rate of recurrence may be explained by the high mortality rate owing to a high percentage of renal malignancy. RVT should prompt an evaluation for an underlying renal malignancy.
Synaptic Specializations Support Frequency-Independent Purkinje Cell Output from the Cerebellar Cortex

The output of the cerebellar cortex is conveyed to the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) by Purkinje cells (PCs). Here, we characterize the properties of the PC-DCN synapse in juvenile and adult mice and find that prolonged high-frequency stimulation leads to steady-state responses that become increasingly frequency independent within the physiological firing range of PCs in older animals, resulting in a linear relationship between charge transfer and activation frequency. We used a low-affinity antagonist to show that GABAA-receptor saturation occurs at this synapse but does not underlie frequency-invariant transmission. We propose that PC-DCN synapses have two components of release: one prominent early in trains and another specialized to maintain transmission during prolonged activation. Short-term facilitation offsets partial vesicle depletion to produce frequency-independent transmission.
Pathogenesis of ceftriaxone-associated biliary sludge: In vitro studies of calcium-ceftriaxone binding and solubility

Ceftriaxone, a semisynthetic third-generation cephalosporin, has recently been associated with biliary sludge formation. Analysis of the biliary concretions induced by this agent shows a calcium salt of ceftriaxone. The present in vitro studies were undertaken to provide insight into the pathogenesis of ceftriaxone-associated biliary sludge formation by evaluating possible interactions that may exist between calcium, bile salts, and ceftriaxone. Ceftriaxone possessed high calcium-binding affinity. The formation constant for the calcium ceftriaxone salt at 37 degrees C was about 157.3 L/mol; stoichiometry of the salt was 1:1, i.e., calcium ceftriaxone. The calcium-binding property of ceftriaxone was observed to be additive to that of taurocholate in mixed taurocholate-ceftriaxone solutions. Although the solubility product constant for calcium ceftriaxone was only 1.62 x 10(-6) mol/L2, marked metastability was observed; neither visible nor microscopic precipitates developed until the [Ca2+] x [ceftriaxone] ion product exceeded the solubility product constant by a factor of 10.4. Metastability of the calcium ceftriaxone salt was also observed in human gallbladder bile in vitro. Estimates of human biliary calcium ceftriaxone solubility in vivo were than calculated from previously-reported values for biliary [Ca2+], [ceftriaxone], and from the solubility product constant as defined in this study. Calculated saturation indices for calcium-ceftriaxone in human bile generally increased (corresponding to a decrease in solubility) with increasing ceftriaxone dose. At doses less than or equal to 1 g, saturation index was well within the metastable range of this calcium-salt. However, at doses greater than or equal to 2 g, the saturation index surpassed the metastable limit. Under these conditions, precipitation of ceftriaxone could occur. It was concluded that the development of ceftriaxone-induced biliary sludge is a solubility problem that occurs in patients receiving high-dose treatment (greater than or equal to 2 g). This study proposes that the risk of developing ceftriaxone-associated biliary "pseudolithiasis" increases with increasing ceftriaxone dose and in patients with impaired gallbladder emptying.
Comparative experimental taphonomy of eight marine arthropods indicates distinct differences in preservation potential

Global biodiversity patterns in deep time can only be understood fully when the relative preservation potential of each clade is known. The relative preservation potential of marine arthropod clades, a diverse and ecologically important component of modern and past ecosystems, is poorly known. We tackled this issue by carrying out a 205-day long comprehensive, comparative, taphonomic experiment in a laboratory by scoring up to ten taphonomic characters for multiple specimens of seven crustacean and one chelicerate species (two true crabs, one shrimp, one lobster, one hermit crab, one stomatopod, one barnacle and one horseshoe crab). Although the results are preliminary because we used a single experimental setup and algal growth partially hampered observations, some parts of hermit crabs, stomatopods, swimming crabs and barnacles decayed slowly relative to other parts, implying differential preservation potentials within species, largely consistent with the fossil record of these groups. An inferred parasitic isopod, manifested by a bopyriform swelling within a hermit crab carapace, decayed relatively fast. We found limited variation in the decay rate between conspecifics, and we did not observe size-related trends in decay rate. Conversely, substantial differences in the decay rate between species were seen after c. 50 days, with shrimps and stomatopods decaying fastest, suggesting a relatively low preservation potential, whereas the lobster, calico crabs, horseshoe crabs and barnacles showed relatively slow decay rates, suggesting a higher preservation potential. These results are supported by two modern and fossil record-based preservation potential metrics that are significantly correlated to decay rate ranks. Furthermore, we speculate that stemward slippage may not be ubiquitous in marine arthropods. Our results imply that diversity studies of true crabs, lobsters, horseshoe crabs and barnacles are more likely to yield patterns that are closer to their true biodiversity patterns than those for stomatopods, shrimps and hermit crabs.
Is shade for horses a comfort resource or a minimum requirement

Shade or shelter as protection from extremes of weather is required for horses at agricultural research and teaching facilities and is recommended or required by many states, professional organizations, and industry groups. The focus of this paper is the recent research on the responses of horses to hot, sunny weather, which has begun to provide scientific evidence that characterizes how and when shade is used and any benefits shade confers on horses. These behavioral and physiological findings support provision of shade as a resource for thermal comfort and the expression of normal behavior that should be included as a standard of best care practices for healthy adult horses living in the environmental conditions reviewed, rather than an absolute minimum care requirement. Additional research is required for horses living under other environmental conditions, for very young or old horses, horses in very poor body condition, or those with compromised health to determine if their responses to hot, sunny weather differ from those presented here.
Ineffective Masculinity: Intersection of Masculinity and Nationhood in Portraits of Cuban Men from Time and Newsweek 1959–2010

Advancing literature on Cuban–American relations through an analysis grounded in hegemonic and relational, or “subordinate” masculinities, this work explores representations of Cuban male leaders i...
Cost Efficient Problem-Solving Techniques for Small Businesses:

The basic premise upon which the Production/Operations Management discipline is built is that organizations desire to manage a set of limited resources such that certain inputs are transformed into...
Challenges and Preparedness of SDN-based Firewalls

Software-Defined Network (SDN) is a novel architecture created to address the issues of traditional and vertically integrated networks. To increase cost-effectiveness and enable logical control, SDN provides high programmability and centralized view of the network through separation of network traffic delivery (the "data plane") from network configuration (the "control plane"). SDN controllers and related protocols are rapidly evolving to address the demands for scaling in complex enterprise networks. Because of the evolution of modern SDN technologies, production networks employing SDN are prone to several security vulnerabilities. The rate at which SDN frameworks are evolving continues to overtake attempts to address their security issues.According to our study, existing defense mechanisms, particularly SDN-based firewalls, face new and SDN-specific challenges in successfully enforcing security policies in the underlying network. In this paper, we identify problems associated with SDN-based firewalls, such as ambiguous flow path calculations and poor scalability in large networks. We survey existing SDN-based firewall designs and their shortcomings in protecting a dynamically scaling network like a data center. We extend our study by evaluating one such SDN-specific security solution called FlowGuard, and identifying new attack vectors and vulnerabilities. We also present corresponding threat detection techniques and respective mitigation strategies.
Independent and relative effects of stress, depressive symptoms, and affect on college students' daily health behaviors.

Stress and depressive symptoms are associated with maladaptive health behavior practices such as unhealthy eating, sedentary behavior, insufficient sleep, and substance use. The relative and interactive effects of stress and depressive symptoms on health behavior practices are less well understood. The present study examined these processes in a daily diary study of 127 college students. Results from hierarchical generalized linear models indicated that depressive symptoms, and chronic and daily stress, but not acute stressful life events, were significantly associated with a composite score of daily maladaptive health behavior engagement (depressive symptoms b = .01, SE= .00, p < .01; chronic stress, b = .03, SE= .01, p < .01; daily stress, b = .01, SE= .01, p = .02); unexpectedly, the effect of stress on health behaviors was not moderated by depressive symptoms. Additionally, results demonstrated that the effect of depressive symptoms on health behaviors was mediated by fluctuations in daily negative affect. These results bear implications for intervention during a crucial period in the development of mental and physical health.
Enlargement of glass and plastic shells to 2 mm in diameter by redropping through a short heated tower

Large glass shells (≥ 1200 μm diameter) made by the traditional very high temperature (1650°C) long drop tower are usually wrinkled. We have found that these shells soften at relatively low temperatures. We have enlarged these shells by filling them with a few atmospheres of helium and dropping them down a very short (few feet long) tower heated to 900 to 1100°C. The helium acts as a blowing agent as the shell goes through the heated zone and causes the shells to grow larger. We have been able to smooth out large wrinkled shells by this process, as well. Glass shells as large as 2 mm in diameter and less than 6 μm out-of-round that do not have any obvious wrinkles have been made. In addition, the same process can be applied to both poly-alpha-methylstyrene (PAMS) and glow discharge polymer (GDP) shells at lower tower temperatures. Roundness of the enlarged shells is very much dependent on the wall thickness uniformity of the initial mandrels.
Crop prices and the demand for titled land: Evidence from Uganda

Abstract I investigate how agricultural prices affect demand for titled land, using panel data on Ugandan farmers, and a price index that weighs international crop prices by the structure of land use at the sub-county level. Higher prices increase farmers' share of titled land. I also present evidence of a positive impact of prices on agricultural incomes. The effect of prices on land tenure is stronger when farmers have access to roads and markets, when they have undertaken investment on the land, and when households fear land grabbing.
Nationalism and Europeanization in LGBT Rights and Politics: A Comparative Study of Croatia and Serbia:

LGBT rights have come to be seen as allied with the idea of “Europe” and a European identity, particularly in the process of European Union enlargement to the East. Scholars have examined the ways ...
Extensions of Classical Multidimensional Scaling via Variable Reduction

Classical multidimensional scaling constructs a configuration of points that minimizes a certain measure of discrepancy between the configuration’s interpoint distance matrix and a fixed dissimilarity matrix. Recent extensions have replaced the fixed dissimilarity matrix with a closed and convex set of dissimilarity matrices. These formulations replace fixed dissimilarities with optimization variables (disparities) that are permitted to vary subject to application-specific constraints. For example, simple bound constraints are suitable for distance matrix completion problems (Trosset, 2000) and for inferring molecular conformation from information about interatomic distances (Trosset, 1998b); whereas order constraints are suitable for nonmetric multidimensional scaling (Trosset, 1998a). This paper describes the computational theory that provides a common foundation for these formulations.
The rate of fusion for stand-alone anterior lumbar interbody fusion: a systematic review

Abstract Background Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) has been used for treatment of a variety of spinal conditions including degenerative disc disorders and low-grade spondylolisthesis. Expected fusion rate of stand-alone ALIF constructs is currently unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the fusion rate for ALIF without supplemental posterior fusion or instrumentation (stand-alone ALIF). Methods We queried the MEDLINE, COCHRANE, and EMBASE databases for all literature related to spine fusion rates using a stand-alone ALIF procedure with a publication cutoff date of July 19, 2018. Supplementary combinations of search terms included spine, fusion, fixation, rate(s), and arthrodesis. ALIF surgery was considered stand-alone when not paired with supplemental posterior fusion or posterior spinal instrumentation. Nonhuman and non-English publications were excluded. Cohort fusion rate differences were calculated using Student t test with significance assigned if p value was less than .05. Results Title and abstract level review required assessing 840 unique publications. Across the 55 studies that met the inclusion criteria of this systematic review, 5,517 patients and 6,303 vertebral levels were fused. The overall weighted average patient fusion rate following stand-alone ALIF was 88.2% (range: 16.6%–100%). In the 31 studies with at least 50 subjects, the weighted average fusion rate following stand-alone ALIF was 88.6% (range: 57.5%–99.0%). Use of anterior fixation plate devices yielded a fusion rate of 94.2%. Newer zero-profile interbody implants had a fusion rate of 89.2%. Fusion rates were lower in studies with 50% or more subjects having positive smoking and worker's compensation status, however these results were found to be statistically insignificant (p>.05). Fusion rate for subjects in the eight rhBMP-2 study groups was 94.4% (n=889) compared with 84.8% (n=3,102) in 38 study groups without rhBMP-2 used. Conclusions Based on the available data, stand-alone ALIF procedures yield high fusion rates overall. Fusion failure and pseudoarthrosis rates are higher in study populations involving a high percentage of smokers or positive workers compensation status. Allograft utilization does not significantly improve fusion rate when compared with autograft in stand-alone ALIF constructs.
Estimation of Key Comorbidities for Osteoarthritis Progression Based on the EMR-Claims Dataset

Currently, some serious comorbidity-impacted chronic diseases have high incidence among older people in the U.S. Due to the incompleteness of the related clinical data, it is difficult to refine these diseases' staging and quantitatively assess risk effects of comorbidities on symptom progressions. Here, we used both electronic medical records (EMRs) and claims data to obtain a comprehensive data source in this paper. We adopted osteoarthritis (OA) as a demonstrated major disease. The key comorbidities and their risks for various OA stage-related progressions were estimated. We utilized the linked EMR-claims dataset of OA from 2007 to 2014. The EMR data provided pain scores and laboratory data, while claims data provided costs as a proxy for disease severity. Although both datasets contained diagnoses, procedures, and medications, the linked dataset included more distinct codes. We established a prototype to combine our developed relational dependency network (RDN) approach with Cox proportional models to extract and estimate key comorbidities' impacts on OA progression. We identified the key OA stage-related comorbidities. Our studies indicate that the combination of the EMR with claims data is a useful strategy for obtaining more accurate medical data sources from patients. The analyses of the impact of clinical factors on OA staging clarify the associations between key covariates and OA progression. These approaches can be generalized to summarize the impact of comorbidities on the development of various chronic diseases.
Concentration inequalities in spaces of random configurations with positive Ricci curvatures

In this paper, we prove an Azuma-Hoeffding-type inequality in several classical models of random configurations, including the Erdős-Renyi random graph models $G(n,p)$ and $G(n,M)$, the random $d$-out(in)-regular directed graphs, and the space of random permutations. The main idea is using Ollivier's work on the Ricci curvature of Markov chairs on metric spaces. Here we give a cleaner form of such concentration inequality in graphs. Namely, we show that for any Lipschitz function $f$ on any graph (equipped with an ergodic random walk and thus an invariant distribution $\nu$) with Ricci curvature at least $\kappa>0$, we have \[\nu \left( |f-E_{\nu}f| \geq t \right) \leq 2\exp\left( -\frac{t^2\kappa}{7} \right).\]
Kidney Transplantation in a Patient with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Secondary to Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

Successful solid organ transplantation is a result of good communication between the laboratories and physician The technology continues to advance, sometimes at a pace that transcends the interpretation and implementation of the results We shall continue to educate ourselves, to better understand what is going on and to provide the best care possible for our patients
Outcomes Educating Nursing Students Using an Evolving, Simulated Case Scenario

Abstract Background With patients becoming more complex and presenting with multiple comorbid diagnoses, exposing students to multidimensional care situations in a controlled, simulated environment is one way to better prepare nursing students to enter clinical practice. The National League for Nursing Advancing Care Excellence for Veterans (ACE.V) developed an unfolding case study of a pregnant veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder to train nursing students in a simulation laboratory. Method This is a descriptive evaluation of safety, communication, assessment, and educational intervention skills of 253 undergraduate nursing students undergoing training using the ACE.V in three simulated environments: in a short-stay mental health care unit, at home, and in an obstetrical unit. Results Across the four skill sets, students were most likely to achieve the communication skills. Students' skills improved as the case evolved through the three time-sequenced care environments. Conclusion The use of a simulated, evolving case scenario was an effective method of exposing nursing students to complex patient care.
Radiocarbon in Dinosaur Fossils: Compatibility with an Age of Millions of Years

The recent discovery of radiocarbon in dinosaur bones at first seems incompatible with an age of millions of years, due to the short half-life of radiocarbon. However, evidence from isotopes other than radiocarbon shows that dinosaur fossils are indeed millions of years old. Fossil bone incorporates new radiocarbon by means of recrystallization and, in some cases, bacterial activity and uranium decay. Because of this, bone mineral – fossil or otherwise – is a material that cannot yield an accurate radiocarbon date except under extraordinary circumstances. Mesozoic bone consistently yields a falsely young radiocarbon “date” of a few thousand to a few tens of thousands of years, despite the fact that it is millions of years old. Science educators need to be aware of the details of these phenomena, to be able to advise students whose acceptance of biological evolution has been challenged by young-Earth creationist arguments that are based on radiocarbon in dinosaur fossils.
Utilization of a cardio-oncology clinic: A single center experience.

e19192Background: Many systemic anti-cancer therapies (chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation) have known cardiac toxicities. The field of cardio-oncology aims to optimize the cardiac health of ...
Technologies, Ethics and Journalism’s Relationship with the Public

Drones can provide a bird’s eye view of breaking news and events that can be streamed live or used in edited news coverage. Past research has focused on the training and ethics of journalists and drone operators. Little attention, however, has been given to audiences and their acceptance and perception of ethics. We suggest that audiences who are open to personal technology use will perceive news media using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as more ethical in an extension of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. In a survey (N = 548) of adults living in the United States, we explore the correlates between trust, technology, privacy, and the use of UAVs. Results suggest all three are positively correlated with openness toward drone journalism. We find the audience has preferences for the types of news stories that should be covered using drones. Participants indicated they welcome drone journalism when covering traffic and investigative stories, but not celebrities and politicians. The findings have implications for newsrooms, suggesting transparency and outreach to educate people on the technology could help build trust. Further, the results suggest that Diffusion of Innovation theory can be applied when mediated through news media.
Clients of VA-Housed Legal Clinics: Legal and Psychosocial Needs When Seeking Services and Two Months Later

Veterans often need civil legal services, yet little is known about veterans' use and consequences of these services. This study examined veterans seeking legal services at VA-housed legal clinics. Baseline data from 61 clients of two VA-housed legal clinics were used to identify clients' legal needs and psychosocial characteristics. Data collected from 49 (80%) of the same clients two months later were used to address clients' improvement and satisfaction after receiving legal services. At baseline, clients reported a mean of 6.0 (SD = 4.2) legal needs, with the most common being help obtaining VA benefits (87%). Clients represented a vulnerable population in that most had an extensive criminal history (e.g., had been arrested, charged, and incarcerated) and multiple health care needs (had a chronic medical condition, had recently received treatment in an emergency department, and had received psychological treatment due to significant psychological symptoms). At follow-up, clients reported a mean of 4.4 (SD = 3.8) legal needs. Tests to identify changes between baseline and follow-up on legal needs, housing arrangement, psychological symptoms, and substance use yielded few significant results. Most participants did not receive additional help with their legal matters after the baseline appointment. At follow-up, clients reported that few of their legal needs were met but also that they were mostly satisfied with the legal services they received. Findings suggest that because clients may need more intensive legal intervention of longer duration to resolve their legal needs and achieve better housing and health status, VA-housed legal clinics require greater resources and expansion.
Re)posicionando o feminismo islâmico

This article considers the trajectory of Islamic feminism over its first two decades, when it moves from the national level to a global discourse and transnational/national collective activism. It sees some achievementsin the arena of legal reform as in the lifting of restrictions on women's access to certain professions in Muslim countries. Keywords: Islamic feminism; legal reforms; social transformation.
Designing a Centralized Distribution System for Omni-Channel Retailing

We study the optimal supply chain design for a dual-channel retailer that operates a physical and a web-based store, and traditionally, managed each one separately. However, with increased pressures from customers and decreased profits due to marked down leftover inventories in each channel, the retailer considers integrating the supply chain operations of both channels. In contrast to the existing literature, we focus on the firm's choice on the best omni-channel strategies considering demand segmentation, cost structure, and more importantly, the execution ability of the firm. We formulate our problem as a two-stage stochastic programming model and use first-order optimality conditions to study the optimal inventory replenishment decisions. Based on different omni-channel strategy decisions, we explore four supply chain design options. We identify the optimal inventory replenishment policy under each option and explicitly describe the optimality conditions on cost and demand under perfect and imperfect demand information. When the demand information is imperfect, the demand fulfillment decisions can be characterized as nested protection-level policies. First, we show that omni-channel strategies are not necessarily profitable under all settings as imposed by the market conditions. Second, we demonstrate that when the company can allocate its inventory perfectly, running omni-channel strategies may help serve not only the web-based customers but also in-store customers better. Finally, we demonstrate that, in the worst case, the imperfect demand information may result in losing all of the claimed inventory pooling benefits when running omni-channel strategies.
Patterns of cutaneous immune‐related adverse events in adults and children with advanced sarcoma: A retrospective cohort study

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved survival for multiple malignancies in adults and children.1,2 However, their benefits are tempered by a range of serious immune-related adverse events (irAEs). 1,2 Among these, cutaneous irAEs (cirAEs) represent one of the most common subtypes, impacting approximately one-third of adult patients receiving ICIs.1,3 The patterns and significance of cirAEs in children remain unclear, largely because these reactions have not been evaluated in detail.
Endoscopic Microvascular Decompression for Vagoglossopharyngeal Neuralgia.

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GN) is a nerve compression syndrome that presents with episodes of unilateral sharp, stabbing pain in the distribution of the ninth cranial nerve. This syndrome may present with cardiac and autonomic manifestations - a condition termed vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia (VGPN). Most cases of VGPN arise from neurovascular insult at the cerebellopontine angle. Conservative treatment for VGPN includes antiepileptic medications. Surgical treatments include trigeminal tractotomy-nucleotomy, Gamma Knife® stereotactic radiosurgery, radiofrequency thermocoagulation, rhizotomy, and, as shown in this paper, endoscopic microvascular decompression (E-MVD). In this article, we present two cases. Case 1 demonstrates a 53-year-old male with right-sided GN symptoms that began to experience syncopal episodes 10-years after the initial presentation. Case 2 presents a 61-year-old female with a history of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and the malignant vasovagal syndrome that became associated with painful, shooting left anterior neck spasms consistent with GN. Both patients underwent E-MVD, leading to complete relief of neuralgia and cardiac symptoms. Our outcomes support previously published reports of successful treatment of VGPN using microvascular decompression (MVD) and describe a purely endoscopic surgical technique. MVD is the preferred treatment option for VGPN with evident neurovascular insult.
Peanut butter as an alternative dose delivery method to prevent strain-dependent orogastric gavage-induced stress in mouse teratogenicity studies

Abstract Introduction Animal-based studies are essential for assessing toxicity to environmental pollutants, especially when the potential targets are specific developmental time points, teratogenic, or multi-organ systems that cannot be modeled in vitro. Orogastric gavage is a widely used technique for exposure because of its increased accuracy of dose administration over free feeding. However, repeated use of this method has been reported to cause physiological stress on the exposed animals that could interfere with interpretation of results. Previous studies have shown that genetic background also contributes to the level of stress and can affect individual response. Methods To evaluate the impact of stress on repeated orogastric gavage, we exposed C67BL/6J and 129S1/SvImJ inbred mouse strains to 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a potent xenobiotic that has been extensively studied in vivo. Pregnant females were dosed for ten days after mating using orogastric gavage with olive oil as vehicle or through diet using peanut butter as vehicle. Serum corticosterone levels, body weight, and reproduction endpoints were measured to evaluate levels of stress induced by the dosing technique. Results The levels of stress caused by orogastric gavage was strongly dependent on strain background and on the phenotypic endpoint. Orogastric gavage-induced stress was more detrimental in 129S1/SvlmJ pregnant female mice than in C57BL/6J. Conclusion These results show that administration of xenobiotics via controlled diet can improve the reproducibility and rigor of exposure studies requiring orogastric delivery.
The Potential Benefits of Employee Ownership Funds in the United States

A crucial decision for large corporations is how profits created by corporate activity should be distributed among different corporate stakeholders. This article posits that public policy should recognize employees as key contributors to corporate value-creation. One approach is to require the creation of Employee Ownership Funds (EOFs), mandatory employee equity ownership trusts established at large corporations, which would pay employees dividends and establish a collective employee voice in corporate governance. The EOFs may reduce economic inequality while improving firm performance and macroeconomic stability. This article provides an original estimate of employee dividends, illustrating the potential of Employee Ownership Funds. Based on historic dividend payments and employee counts in public 10-K filings, I find that, if EOFs held twenty percent of outstanding equity, the average employee dividend across this sample would be $2,622 per year, while the median is $1,760. This indicates that employee dividends can be a small but meaningful form of redressing wealth inequality for the low-wage workforce, though it should emphatically not be seen as a replacement for fair wages.
PRP for Scarring and Striae

Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) preparations are increasingly used as adjuncts to medical and cosmetic dermatologic applications. Their benefits stem from their ability to deliver high concentrated potent growth factors to target tissue and stimulate matrix remodeling, angiogenesis, and resolution of inflammation, to name a few of their functions. Recently the use of PRP has been evaluated for improving the appearance of challenging conditions such as scarring and striae distensae. While the improvement of scars/striae has been documented with strategies such as lasers, microneedling, topicals, and subcision, they are associated with incomplete resolution and long recovery times. In this respect, PRP offers an appealing treatment strategy that can work synergistically with other strategies to accelerate wound healing and maximize matrix remodeling. In this chapter we describe the challenges associated the current landscape of scar/striae treatment and illuminate the role PRP has been documented to have in this field. Review of the literature reveals that PRP can improve the quality of atrophic acne scars in particular and surgical scars but not keloid scars. Moreover, used in similar fashion as that for treating scars, it can be beneficial in the management of striae distensae. Overall, PRP is a promising adjunct in scar management, but in the authors opinion further research with long-term follow-up is needed to delineate the value of this modality in different subtypes of scars.
Difficulties Comparatively Testing Total Loanable Funds and Endogenous Loanable Funds Only in the Same Model

This chapter is a technical chapter explaining why, because of high multicollinearity, it is difficult to test total loanable funds and only endogenous loanable funds for comparison purposes in the same model.
Steering White-Collar Enforcement

This response to Miriam Baer’s article, Sorting Out White-Collar Crime, 97 Tex. L. Rev. 226 (2018) argues that Baer's central claim—that Congress ought to statutorily distinguish lower-level federal fraud offenses—raises a broader question: How should federal criminal justice institutions acknowledge and respond to a latent feature of federal fraud enforcement, namely, the divergence between the lofty aspirations of federal fraud statutes and the relatively lowly offense conduct so often prosecuted under them? This dynamic—what elsewhere I’ve described as a divide between the ambition and fruition of federal criminal law—is transsubstantive, affecting many categories of federal prosecutions. Viewed in this context, the problem Baer identifies is rooted not so much in statutes as in the way statutes are leveraged. There are risks of aligning federal fraud statutes with federal fraud enforcement; a better approach would look to congressional and executive branch overseers to help align federal criminal enforcement with penal statutes’ aims.
Substance use disorders among older populations: What role do race and ethnicity play in treatment and completion?

Abstract Research that explores the role of substance use treatment among older individuals is scarce. This paper offers a historical investigation of admissions and discharges for treatment episodes over the past two decades across race, ethnicity, gender, and age. Our results suggest that although older individuals are not typically associated with risky behavior, they are increasingly seeking treatment for substance use disorders. We find that substance use treatment admissions for people aged 50 and older have persistently increased over our sample period. Our findings also indicate that, on average, Black (relative to white) admissions across all ages are less likely to complete treatment and more likely to have their treatment terminated by a treatment facility. We also find some evidence that Hispanic admissions are relatively less likely to complete treatment across all age groups. Hispanics over 50 years old are also more likely to terminate treatment. Interestingly, among younger individuals in the most recent years of our sample, the disparity between minority completion rates has improved. Lastly, we find that males (relative to females) are more likely to complete a substance use treatment program but no more likely to have their treatment terminated by a substance use treatment facility.
How can we fully realize the potential of mathematical and biological models to reintegrate biology

Both mathematical models and biological model systems stand as tractable representations of complex biological systems or behaviors. They facilitate research and provide insights, and they can describe general rules. Models that represent biological processes or formalize general hypotheses are essential to any broad understanding. Mathematical or biological models necessarily omit details of the natural systems and thus may ultimately be "incorrect" representations. A key challenge is that tractability requires relatively simple models but simplification can result in models that are incorrect in their qualitative, broad implications if the abstracted details matter. Our paper discusses this tension, and how we can improve our inferences from models. We advocate for further efforts dedicated to model development, improvement, and acceptance by the scientific community, all of which may necessitate a more explicit discussion of the purpose and power of models. We argue that models should play a central role in reintegrating biology as a way to test our integrated understanding of how molecules, cells, organs, organisms, populations, and ecosystems function.
The Marlboro men don't cry: Understanding the gendered perceptions of people seeking mental health care.

Men are reluctant to seek help for depression. This is an important public health concern, and it has been largely attributed to the stigma attached to men who seek help. The present studies aim to understand the nature of such stigma. Specifically, are men who seek help for mental distress perceived to be less masculine and/or more feminine? Our findings suggest that symptomology, the diagnostic label, and targets' reaction to the symptoms jointly shape the gendered perceptions of help-seeking. In four experiments (N = 1118), participants read descriptions of targets with varying psychological or physical symptoms and provided masculinity and femininity ratings of the targets. People seeking help for internalizing symptoms (e.g., depressed moods) are perceived to be less masculine and more feminine than those seeking help for physical symptoms, yet the reverse pattern was found for people seeking help for externalizing symptoms (e.g., angry outbursts). In addition, the knowledge of a depression diagnosis decreased masculinity ratings and increased femininity ratings of male targets with physical symptoms (but not those with psychological symptoms), suggesting the power of labeling in shaping perceptions. Importantly, seeking help affects how men are perceived above and beyond symptomology: Men who downplay physical symptoms are perceived to be more masculine; whereas those who seek help for psychological symptoms are perceived to be more feminine. The association between help-seeking and masculinity ideologies shapes person perception, particularly because help-seeking violates norms of masculinity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
A Comparative Analysis of Adult Sex Ratios in Polygynous and Monogamous Mammal Populations

An inverse density-dependent relationship between abundance and adult sex ratio (ASR, males:female) occurs in some populations of polygynous mammals due to life history differences between the sexes. Male fecundity and survival is dictated by attempts to obtain as many copulations as possible, whereas female fecundity and survival is dictated by resource acquisition. Therefore, females usually acquire forage before males as a result of interspecific scramble competition, particularly when forage becomes more limited at K carrying capacity. This leads to the passive displacement of males in a given area. The common belief is that most monogamous mammal populations exhibit balanced adult sex ratios. The coupling of sexually mature males and females in a population result in this pattern for this mating system. Present literature focuses on primary or secondary sex ratios in mammals or on ASR patterns within individual species. Our goal was to test if expected ASR patterns would be visible across numerous species in both mating systems. We hypothesized we would see an inverse relationship between abundance and ASR across polygynous populations, and no relationship between abundance and ASR across monogamous populations. We extracted time series population data from published literature for 43 populations of 15 different mammal species. Results from our analysis of a linear mixed-effects model were consistent with our hypothesis for polygynous populations, as we found a significant inverse relationship between abundance and ASR. However, our analysis also revealed a significant inverse relationship between abundance and ASR in monogamous populations that was not consistent with our hypothesis. Our findings provide quantitative support for a theoretical model explaining the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms driving a density-dependent relationship between abundance and ASR in polygynous mammals. An investigation into monogamous mammals is needed to assess why some species with this mating system display a density-dependent response in ASR as well.
Irrelevant Internalities, Irrelevant Externalities, and Irrelevant Anxieties

Due to the high transaction cost that would be necessary for large numbers of people to negotiate with each other, even those who are sanguine about private markets become reserved when externalities affect large populations. The distinction between private and societal interest is well understood for pecuniary externalities, but neglect of Buchanan and Stubblebine's article Externality has left the same distinction widely unrecognized for non-pecuniary ones. If only a few parties on either side experience a relevant externality within Buchanan and Stubblebine's relevant/irrelevant distinction, private interactions can appropriately internalize costs and benefits across the entire population. Regardless of the perceptiveness of legal and cultural institutions in placing entitlements, and regardless of the level of transaction cost among the universe of the affected, a surprising number of externalities will readily fix themselves. The desirability of corrective intervention is much too easily conceded.
Universal Criminal Jurisdiction: Law and Practice in Sierra Leone

Universal jurisdiction is one of international law’s core concepts. Its value as a juridical weapon has been recently demonstrated by the historic achievement of the West African State of Sierra Leone in the prosecution and conviction by the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone of Charles Taylor (former President of Liberia), the first former Head of State to be prosecuted and convicted by an international war crimes tribunal since the Nuremberg trials of the Nazi leaders. This chapter explores the nature, scope, and dimensions of the existing law on the subject in Sierra Leone from the perspective of the incorporation and application of the concept within the municipal law system of the country.
An anionic material at the advancing front of blood cells entering the bone marrow circulation

The selective entry of mature blood cells into the peripheral circulation of the bone marrow is a transcellular process. The mature blood cells penetrate the cytoplasm of the endothelial cells lining the myeloid sinuses and form a migration pore in the cell body of the lining cell, which closes after the blood cell reaches the intravascular space. The changes at the surfaces of the cells involved in this selective transcellular process were studied by means of the cationic cell surface markers colloidal iron (CI) and polycationic (high isoelectric point) ferritin (PCF). The anionic cell surface charges resulting from the presence of sialated glycoproteins remain, as shown by the application of these markers at low pH (1.8), evenly distributed at the cell surfaces of both the blood cell and the sinus lining cell. However, there is at the advancing margin of the diapedesing blood cells a marked accumulation of a nonsialated anionic material binding PCF at high pH (7.2). This material first accumulates extravascularly beneath the endothelium at an area of the blood cell surface near the site of the migration pore formation, remains at the cell surface during the initial phases of transcellular passage and disappears, either through shedding in the vascular lumen or through redistribution on the cell surface, when the cell reaches the intravascular space. This anionic material, which is neuraminidase resistant and has a pKa higher than sialic acid, is a characteristic concommitant in the selective transcellular blood cell passage in bone marrow.
Risk analysis methodology designed for small and medium enterprises

The aim of this paper is to present risk analysis procedures successfully applied by several Czech small and medium enterprises. The paper presents in detail the individual steps we use in risk analysis of small and medium enterprises in the Czech Republic. Suggested method to risk analysis is based on the modification of the FRAP methodology and the BITS recommendation. Modifications of both methodologies are described in detail. We propose modified risk analysis methodology which is quick and hence less demanding on resources. The methodology has proven itself in a number of cases when we performed risk analysis at small and medium enterprises.
QoS protocols for end-to-end delay guarantee of instantaneous jobs on computer networks

QoS (Quality of Service) guarantee is highly desirable for many service-oriented computer and network applications on the Internet. This paper focuses on the timeliness aspect of QoS, especially the end-to-end delay guarantee. Resource reSerVation Protocol (RSVP) has been proposed based on the Integrated Service (InteServ) model to provide the QoS guarantee through bandwidth reservation that is applicable to jobs with continuous data flows over a period of time, such as those for tele-conferencing, voice over IP, video and audio streaming applications. There are other applications such as emails generating one-time, instantaneous jobs that cannot be characterized by the flow rate and peak rate for bandwidth reservation. Hence, RSVP is not applicable to instantaneous jobs. This paper presents QoS protocols, called Instantaneous RSVP (I-RSVP) and Stable Instantaneous Resource reSerVation Protocol (SI-RSVP), which are developed for providing the end-to-end delay guarantee of instantaneous jobs. The performance of I-RSVP and SI-RSVP are tested and compared with that of the best effort service model using both small and large scale network simulations.