cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Redeveloping Substance Abuse Treatment for Military Personnel.

We review the prevailing evidence surrounding treatment of substance use disorder (SUD), with specific focus on alcohol, tobacco, and prescription opiates, and how it informs guidelines for treating active duty military. We survey the evidence regarding preventive screening, treatment, and relapse prevention in substance misuse as it pertains to patient-centered care of the service member. Holistic, patient-centered care with an emphasis on identifying maladaptive use or dependence prior to progression to chronic disease is now recognized as the evidenced approach to treating substance use disorders. Early patient-guided intervention with combined behavioral and pharmacologic therapies leads to better outcomes, including greater functional status, lower relapse rates, and decreased rate of psychiatric and other comorbidities. The military has prioritized a patient-centered approach to screening, assessing, and treating SUD. Recent guideline updates represent a progressive, patient-centered approach in delivering unprecedented access to care, serving as a positive example in treating what is widely accepted as one of the country’s most pressing public health concerns.
Design, development and testing an academic repository

Technological advances, established best web development practices, and modern design of the 21st century have provided students, professors, researchers, etc., quasi-effortless access to academic documents encompassed within cleaner user interface and a higher level of usability. Access to and rigorous management of research publication and products is also mandated by funding agencies. Given these characteristics, we have developed an academic repository to maintain the student projects in a typical academic department. A repository of this nature is comprised of two major components: the database and the user interface. The key focus is to provide secure access to research materials (e.g. Master's projects and the like), similar to that of a community or university library's online catalogs, while sustaining a keen eye for contemporary front-end design. In addition to providing access to documentation, this repository uses collected data to present various citation styles, assisting users with easy composition of reference pages. Through a familiar search engine paradigm, information on projects, as well as the projects themselves, are discovered and queried using keywords and will be as if performing a Google search. The repository, while focused on single academic unit, can be expended as a campus wide tool, and provides an in house, easily expandable solution to off-the shelf repository solutions.
Alternative Bearing Surfaces: Alumina Ceramic Bearings for Total Hip Arthroplasty

Osteolysis resulting from polyethylene wear debris is one of the most common causes of implant failure in young, active individuais who undergo total hip arthroplasty. Reducing wear may help extend implant life in younger, more active patients. Contemporary alumina ceramic/alumina ceramic bearing articulations are harder, are scratch resistant, and are more hydrophilic than other bearing couples. This results in reduced wear and reduction of particle load to the surrounding tissue. Therefore, bearings made of alumina ceramic may be a preferable bearing choice for younger, more active patients.
R&D comes to services. Bank of America's pathbreaking experiments.

Abstract At the heart of business today lies a dilemma: Our economy is increasingly dependent on services, yet our innovation processes remain oriented toward products. Indeed, we have well-tested, scientific methods for developing and refining manufactured goods, but many of them don't seem applicable to the world of services. In this article, Harvard Business School professor Stefan Thomke points out the challenges of applying the discipline of formal RD an experiment that doesn't work may harm customer relationships and even the brand. Given such challenges, it's no surprise that most service companies have not established rigorous, ongoing R&D processes, Thomke says. Here the author provides an in-depth look at a five-step process that Bank of America has used to create new service concepts for retail banking. The company has turned a set of its branches into, in effect, a laboratory where a corporate research team conducts service experiments with actual customers during regular business hours, compares results with those of control branches, and pinpoints attractive innovations for broader rollout. The author describes the program's workings, its successes, and the obstacles the bank faced. The effort reveals what a true R&D operation might look like inside a service business, he concludes.
Effects of creatine loading on electromyographic fatigue threshold in cycle ergometry in college-age men

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 5 days of Creatine (Cr) loading on the electromyographic fatigue threshold (EMGFT) in college-aged women. Fifteen healthy college-aged women (mean ± SD = 22.3 ± 1.7 yrs) volunteered to participate in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study and were randomly placed into either placebo (PL – 10 g of flavored dextrose powder; n = 8) or creatine (Cr – 5 g di-creatine citrate plus 10 g of flavored dextrose powder; n = 7; Creatine Edge, FSI Nutrition) loading groups. Each group ingested one packet 4 times per day (total of 20 g/day) for 5 days. Prior to and following supplementation, each subject performed a discontinuous incremental cycle ergometer test to determine their EMGFT value, using bipolar surface electrodes placed on the longitudinal axis of the right vastus lateralis. Subjects completed a total of four, 60 second work bouts (ranging from 100–350 W). The EMG amplitude was averaged over 10 second intervals and plotted over the 60 second work bout. The resulting slopes from each successive work bouts were used to calculate EMGFT. A two-way ANOVA (group [Cr vs. PL] × time [pre vs. post]) resulted in a significant (p = 0.031) interaction. Furthermore, a dependent samples t-test showed a 14.5% ± 3.5% increase in EMGFT from pre- to post-supplementation with Cr (p = 0.009), but no change for the PL treatment (- 2.2 ± 5.8%; p = 0.732). In addition, a significant increase (1.0 ± 0.34 kg; p = 0.049) in weight (kg) was observed in the Cr group but no change for PL (-0.2 kg ± 0.2 kg). These findings suggest that 5 days of Cr loading in women may be an effective strategy for delaying the onset of neuromuscular fatigue during cycle ergometry.
Approaches to Gene Therapy in the CNS: Intracerebral Grafting of Fibroblasts Genetically Modified to Secrete Nerve Growth Factor

Considerable effort in recent years has been applied towards the development of methods for the genetic modification of mammalian cells to correct disease phenotypes in vivo, an approach that has been named gene therapy (1). In an ideal gene therapy system, the new genetic information would be applied directly to the affected tissue. This direct approach has not yet been attempted, because the current methods of gene transfer are limited to replicating cells. Because of this and other technical limitations, approaches to gene therapy in animal models of human disease have relied on removing mitotic cells from the target tissue, genetically modifying them in culture, and then returning the cells to the animal. Most of these studies have used genetic transducing vectors derived from murine retroviruses to introduce foreign genes (transgenes) into target cells, because retrovirus vectors offer several advantages over other current methods of gene transfer (2): 1) infection by retrovirus vectors is extremely efficient for a broad range of cell types and species, with up to 100% of the target cells expressing the transgene; 2) the viral genomes have a relatively large capacity for foreign DNA; and 3) infection generally causes little or no genetic or metabolic damage to recipient cells. Other methods of gene transfer, which utilize biochemical or physical means to introduce transgenes into cells, suffer from serious limitations in comparison. The first methods developed involve incubating cells with DNA complexed with DEAE-dextran (3) or calcium phosphate (4). More recent methods use direct microinjection (5), electric fields (electroporation) (6), liposomes (lipofection) (7), and tungsten microprojectiles (8).
Written Testimony for the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations' Hearing on 'TARP Oversight: An Update on Warrant Repurchases and Benefits to Taxpayers'

The increased frequency of auctions versus negotiations has ensured that taxpayers are justly rewarded for their risky investments in the banking sector. Contrary to the banking lobby’s early propaganda, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) warrants have proven to be very valuable raising $6.1 billion so far. I expect the U.S. Treasury to raise a further $4.1 billion from 236 banks with warrants outstanding based on the prices at the end of the first quarter. The administration plans to give away $3.0 billion subsidy to about 580 existing TARP recipients. The U.S. Treasury wants them to participate in a so-called Small Business Lending Fund, which would cancel the taxpayers’ warrants and convert the 5 percent preferred stock into 1 percent preferred stock. The Small Business Lending Fund is TARP 2.0, but TARP 2.0 has none of the upside for taxpayers that TARP 1.0 had. We should be contracting state ownership of the banking sector not expanding it. Finally, the sale of the 27 percent stake of Citigroup common stock has moved too slowly, and the administration should consider a large underwritten sale of that stock to lock in profits and reduce taxpayers’ firm specific risk in the large bank.
Emergency department provider and facility variation in opioid prescriptions for discharged patients.

Abstract Study objective To study the variation in opioid prescribing among emergency physicians and facilities for discharged adult ED patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of ED visits from five U.S. hospitals between January and May 2014 using records from Data to Intelligence (D2i). We examined physician- and facility-level variation in opioid prescription rates for discharged ED patients. We calculated unadjusted opioid prescription rates at the physician and facility levels and used a multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression model to examine within-facility physician variation in opioid prescription adjusting for patient and situational factors including time of presentation, ED census, and physician workload. Results In 47,304 visits across five EDs, median patient age was 40 years old (IQR 28,55), and 89% had some form of insurance. There were 17,098 (36%) ED discharges with at least one opioid prescription. The unadjusted facility-level opioid prescription rate ranged from 24%–46%. Among 253 ED physicians, the adjusted opioid prescription rate varied from 22%–76%. Increased physician workload is related to decreased odds of opioid prescription at ED discharge for the lowest ( Conclusion There was substantial physician and facility variation in opioid prescription for discharged adult ED patients. Emergency physicians were less likely to prescribe opioids when their workload was lower, and this effect diminished at high workload levels. Understanding situational and other factors that explain this variation is important given the rising U.S. opioid epidemic and the need for urgent intervention.
The Defiance of Global Commitment: A Complex Social Psychology

The Brexit vote; the election of Trump; the upsurge of European nationalism; the devolution of the Arab Spring; global violence; Chinese expansionism; disruptive climate change; the riotous instabilities of the world capitalist system…While diverse in nature, these events share a common denominator: they are less a failure of policy, and more a complex social psychological reaction to globalization, the result of which presently threatens our survival on Earth. Based on a critical reading of Freud’s Civilization and its discontents, The defiance of global commitment constructs a complex social psychology of how people all over the world are addressingglobalization. Drawing on the latest advances in the cognitive, social, and complexity sciences, this timely volume presents a global model of defiance and the triangular tensions between nostalgic retreat, global aggression, and civil society, as manifested in forms ranging from nostalgic resentment and LGBTQI issues to racism and ecological aggression. Revealing how globalization and its discontents manifest the darker reaches of the human psyche and its conflicted relations with others, this insightful monograph will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, interested in fields such as globalization studies, complexity sciences and social psychology.
Complications and Accuracy of Computed Tomography-guided Transthoracic Needle Biopsy in Patients Over 80 Years of Age.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the complications and diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) in patients aged 80 years and older. MATERIALS AND METHODS Consecutive PTNB procedures performed in an academic institution between July 2009 and June 2013 were reviewed. Procedures were performed according to a standard protocol using conscious sedation and rapid on-site pathology evaluation. Patient demographics, lesion characteristics, complications, and final tissue diagnosis were reviewed. Patients below 80 years of age and over 80 years were compared using binary logistic regression. RESULTS Of 894 biopsies, 141 (16%) were performed on patients over 80 years of age. Comparison of patients over and below 80 years of age did not differ significantly with regard to lesion size and morphology (P=0.663 and 0.453, respectively), and diagnostic accuracy (P=0.268). Pneumothorax rates were 23% versus 24% (P=0.682), and chest tube insertion was required in 2% of both groups (P=0.924). Hemoptysis rates were 3% versus 2% (P=0.376). CONCLUSIONS PTNB is a safe and accurate procedure in patients aged 80 years and older. Complications and diagnostic accuracy are similar to those observed in younger patients.
Sleep and healthy decision making

Abstract Achieving adequate sleep, having a healthy diet, engaging in physical activity, avoiding excessive alcohol and avoiding smoking are key behaviors needed for maintaining health and reducing risk for chronic illness. In this chapter, we will review how sleep behaviors themselves are an area of health decision making and also can impact other health decisions. In addition to sleep, the chapter focuses on four main areas of health behaviors: diet, physical activity, alcohol and smoking. We will review leading theories about how sleep loss and circadian rhythm disruption are related to health decisions including (a) environmental factors/exposures to unhealthy influences when awake at night, (b) what is known about neurobehavioral effects of sleep loss and circadian disruption and how these alterations may affect health behaviors (e.g., increased impulsivity), (c) how changes to emotions and (d) motivation with sleep loss and circadian disruption can influence health decisions. We present a model of how these factors can promote or interfere with decisions to engage in healthy behaviors. Last, we will discuss studies that examined whether extending or improving sleep has an effect on other health behaviors. We propose that sleep itself is a health behavior with many similarities to other health behaviors and that sleep and circadian rhythms are linked through environmental, social and psychological factors to other health behaviors. Improvements to sleep and circadian alignment may also have downstream effects on other health behaviors as well.
Detection, Classification, and Localization Workshop 2011

Abstract : The goal of this project was to organize and hold the Fifth International Workshop on Detection, Classification, Localization and Density Estimation of Marine Mammals using Passive Acoustics.
The Company Regional Comprehensive Universities Desire to Keep: Choosing Institutional Membership Associations

ABSTRACTThis article presents findings from a multiple-case study examining administrator choice in and use of institutional membership associations (IMAs) among Regional Comprehensive Universities...
AMERICAN ORYCTINI: STRATEGUS VERRILLI RATCLIFFE REDISCOVERED AND DESCRIBED, AND NEW RECORDS AND COMMENTS FOR OTHER STRATEGUS AND HISPANIORYCTES (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE: DYNASTINAE)

Strategus verrilli Ratcliffe was rediscovered on Dominica and is here redescribed, and a neotype is designated. A second specimen of Strategus craigi Ratcliffe (from the Huachuca mountains in Arizona) is reported and provides a new country record for this species. A female of S. ajax (Olivier) is reported from the Bahamas. Strategus monguilloni Voirin is reaffirmed as a synonym of S. mandibularis Sternberg, and the correct identification of the female allotype of S. gracilis Endrodi is questioned. Hispanioryctes wittmeri Howden and Endrodi is reported from Haiti.
Co-occurrence of chiricahua leopard frogs (lithobates chiricahuensis) with sunfish (lepomis)

Invasive species are a major threat to the persistence of native species, particularly in systems where ephemeral aquatic habitats have been replaced by permanent water and predators, such as fish, have been introduced. Within the Altar Valley, Arizona, the invasive American bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus (formerly Rana catesbeianus), has been successfully eradicated to help recover Chiricahua leopard frogs (Lithobates chiricahuensis). However, other nonnative predators including sunfish (Lepomis) are present in some permanent water bodies. During four consecutive years (2014–2017), we detected both the federally threatened Chiricahua leopard frog and sunfish at one permanent water body in the Altar Valley. This suggests that despite the potential negative effect of predatory fish on amphibians, there may be conditions where the Chiricahua leopard frog can co-occur with this nonnative predator. A better understanding of rare situations of co-occurrence with nonnative predators may contribute to our understanding of why co-occurrence happens in some, but not all, systems and whether conservation strategies can be developed in situations where eradication of nonnative predators is infeasible.
Maternal Amino Acid Profiles to Distinguish Constitutionally Small versus Growth-Restricted Fetuses Defined by Doppler Ultrasound: A Pilot Study

Objective Fetuses measuring below the 10th percentile for gestational age may be either constitutionally small for gestational age (SGA) or have pathologic fetal growth restriction (FGR). FGR is associated with adverse outcomes; however, identification of low-risk SGA cases is difficult. We performed a pilot study evaluating maternal markers of pathologic FGR, hypothesizing there are distinct amino acid signatures that might be used for diagnosis and development of new interventions. Study Design This was a cohort study of healthy women with sonographic fetal estimated fetal weight Results Among 14 women included, five had abnormal UmA, and three had abnormal UtA Doppler results. Those with abnormal UmA showed elevated ornithine. Those with abnormal UtA had lower dimethylglycine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and 1-methylhistidine. Conclusion We found several amino acids that might identify pregnancies affected by pathologic FGR. These findings support the feasibility of future larger studies to identify maternal metabolic approaches to accurately stratify risk for small fetuses.
Utility of Patient-Specific Rod Instrumentation in Deformity Correction: Single Institution Experience.

Introduction Patient-specific instrumentation is an emerging technology with the promise of a better fit to patient anatomy. With the advent of deformity correction planning software, prefabricated rods can mitigate the need to bend rods in the operating room. Prefabricated rods allow the surgeon to provide a deformity correction closely in line with the surgical plan. Methods A retrospective chart review was completed, and all patients with Medicrea UNiD rod were included. A minimum of 3 week follow up upright 36-inch lateral radiograph was necessary for analysis. Overall 21 patients had Medicrea UNiD rods placed; four were excluded (one for cervicothoracic fusion, three for incomplete follow up). Pelvic parameters were documented from the preoperative, surgical plan, and postoperative radiographs using Surgimap (Nemaris Inc, NY). The parameters for the rods were based on the surgical plan. Paired t-tests were used to compare the preoperative, surgical plan, and postoperative pelvic parameters. Results Average lumbar lordosis, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, and sagittal vertical axis in preoperative radiographs were 35.12°, 24.82°, 28.65°, and 65.65 mm, respectively. In postoperative imaging, lumbar lordosis, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, and sagittal vertical axis were 57.00°, 18.00°, 35.71°, and 21.59 mm, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in pelvic tilt, sacral slope, lumbar lordosis, and sagittal vertical axis between the preoperative film and surgical plan (p 0.05). Conclusions Cases in which prefabricated rods were utilized demonstrated improved spinopelvic alignment. Additionally, there was no statistical difference between the surgical plan and postoperative imaging in terms of pelvic parameters. Future studies are needed to investigate the possible benefits of prefabricated rods.
Personal Crisis and Its Relationship to Organizational Crisis Leadership

Most everyone has experienced some form of crisis in their personal lives. While the magnitude of these crises may vary, it cannot be denied that we live with crisis as a fundamental experience in our lives. How we respond to these crises shapes who we are and what we become. The common thread from the Bible verses listed at the beginning of this chapter is that God is with us. No matter how dire the circumstances, God is close to each person and is there to provide comfort and hope. Personal crises that we see come from deaths, disappointment, relationships, and disasters. It is important for a leader to understand how individuals deal with personal crisis so they can better lead during an organizational crisis.
Phosphate tolerance of nitrogen-coordinated-iron-carbon (FeNC) catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction: A size-related hindrance effect

Abstract The greatest challenges facing the large – scale commercialization of the intermediate temperature phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) technology are: (i) the high cost of Pt catalyst that is required to overcome the slow kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the PAFC cathode, and (ii) deactivation of the Pt catalyst by exposure to the phosphoric acid electrolyte. Inexpensive carbon-based materials, particularly iron-nitrogen-coordinated carbon supported catalysts (FeNC), are promising cathodes for PAFCs. The higher ORR activation energy and phosphate poisoning resistance of FeNC present a clear advantage over the Pt-based commercial catalysts that are easily susceptible to deactivation after exposure to phosphate anions. While the immunity of FeNC catalysts to phosphate anion poisoning has been reported previously, this work explores the counter-intuitive and conditional nature of this poisoning resistance based on the properties of the carbon support used in the preparation of the FeNC catalyst. A combination of electrochemical measurements with characterization experiments performed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and in-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy is used to explore the phenomenon of phosphate poisoning on FeNC catalysts synthesized from two different carbon supports. Results from these studies reveal a “size-related hindrance effect” wherein the ORR active Fe centers in FeNC remain inaccessible to larger anions such as phosphate when the Fe sites are present deeper inside the pores of a carbon support with high porosity. However, FeNC catalyst is poisoned by phosphate anions when synthesized using a carbon support with low porosity. This work helps gain insights into the nature of active sites in FeNC catalysts that will be useful in designing precious-metal free ORR catalysts for intermediate temperature fuel cell technologies.
Hebbian learning with elasticity explains how a musician’s spontaneous motor tempo affects periodic synchronization

Music has a tempo (or frequency of the underlying beat) that musicians maintain throughout a performance. Musicians maintain this musical tempo on their own or paced by a metronome. Behavioral studies have found that each musician shows a spontaneous rate of movement, called spontaneous motor tempo (SMT), which can be measured when a musician spontaneously plays a simple melody. Data shows that a musician9s SMT systematically influences how actions align with the musical tempo. In this study we present a model that captures this phenomenon. To develop our model, we review the results from three musical performance settings that have been previously published: (1) solo musical performance with a pacing metronome tempo that is different from the SMT, (2) solo musical performance without a metronome at a spontaneous tempo that is faster or slower than the SMT, and (3) duet musical performance between musician pairs with matching and mismatching SMTs. In the first setting, the asynchrony between the pacing metronome and the musician9s tempo grew as a function of the difference between the metronome tempo and the musician9s SMT. In the second setting, musicians drifted away from the initial spontaneous tempo toward the SMT. And in the third setting, the absolute asynchronies between performing musicians were smaller if their SMTs matched compared to when they did not. Based on these previous observations, we hypothesize that, while musicians can perform musical actions at a tempo different from their SMT, the SMT constantly acts as a pulling force. We developed a model to test our hypothesis. The model is an oscillatory dynamical system with Hebbian and elastic tempo learning that simulates music performance. We simulate an individual9s SMT with the dynamical system9s natural frequency. Hebbian learning lets the system9s frequency adapt to match the stimulus frequency. The pulling force is simulated with an elasticity term that pulls the learned frequency toward the system9s natural frequency. We used this model to simulate the three music performance settings, replicating behavioral results. Our model also lets us make predictions of musician9s performance not yet tested. The present study offers a dynamical explanation of how an individual9s SMT affects adaptive synchronization in realistic musical performance.
Electricity Pricing aware Deep Reinforcement Learning based Intelligent HVAC Control

Recently, deep reinforcement learning (DRL) based intelligent control of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) has gained a lot of attention due to DRL's ability to optimally control HVAC for minimizing operational cost while maintaining resident's comfort. The success of such DRL-based techniques largely depends on the articulation of the problem in terms of states, actions, and reward function. Inclusion of the electricity pricing information in the problem formulation can play an important role in saving the cost of HVAC operation. However, less attention has been given in the literature on formulating well-crafted state features based on electricity pricing. In this work, we propose an approach for training the DRL model with a specific focus on feature engineering based on electricity pricing. During training, we generate random but sufficiently realistic electricity price signals so that the pre-trained DRL model is robust and adaptive to the dynamic and variable electricity prices. The validation results are encouraging and show the potential of t12%-15% savings in the one day cost of HVAC operation, proving the usefulness of including electricity pricing related features as state features.
On the Origin of White Hollywood: The Racialized Space of the U.S. Film Industry:

The scholarship on White spaces has highlighted the ways in which institutions have devoted themselves to reproducing Whiteness through intentional ideological work, and how the prevalence of such ...
H3K4 trimethylation dynamics impact diverse developmental and environmental responses in plants

The H3K4me3 histone mark in plants functions in the regulation of gene expression and transcriptional memory, and influences numerous developmental processes and stress responses. Plants execute developmental programs and respond to changing environmental conditions via adjustments in gene expression, which are modulated in part by chromatin structure dynamics. Histone modifications alter chromatin in precise ways on a global scale, having the potential to influence the expression of numerous genes. Trimethylation of lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4me3) is a prominent histone modification that is dogmatically associated with gene activity, but more recently has also been linked to gene repression. As in other eukaryotes, the distribution of H3K4me3 in plant genomes suggests it plays a central role in gene expression regulation, however the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Transcript levels of many genes related to flowering, root, and shoot development are affected by dynamic H3K4me3 levels, as are those for a number of stress-responsive and stress memory-related genes. This review examines the current understanding of how H3K4me3 functions in modulating plant responses to developmental and environmental cues.
Stable Learning-Based Tracking Control of Underactuated Balance Robots

We present a Gaussian process (GP)-based tracking control of underactuated balance robots in which an actuated subsystem is required to follow a desired trajectory, while an unactuated, unstable subsystem needs to be kept balanced. The GP models are used to capture the coupling effects between the actuated/unactuated subsystems through a constructed balance equilibrium manifold (BEM). Optimization-based algorithm is used to obtain the BEM estimation. The control design takes advantage of the structural property of the robot dynamics and is built on the GP models with a data selection algorithm. Stability analysis is given to guarantee the tracking control performance. The control design and comparison with other controllers are demonstrated through experiments on a rotary pendulum.
The voice of experience: Causal inference in phonotactic adaptation

Successfully grappling with widespread linguistic variation requires listeners to adapt to systematic variation in the environment while discarding incidental variation, based on listeners’ prior experience. We examine the role of prior experience in phonotactic learning. Talkers who differ in their language background are more likely to vary in their phonotactic grammars than talkers who share a language variety. This predicts stronger adaptation to novel phonotactics when listeners are exposed to multiple talkers from different versus shared language backgrounds. We tested this by exposing listeners to two talkers, each of whom exhibited a different phonotactic constraint, in a recognition memory task. In Experiment 1, English listeners exposed to talkers differing in language background (English versus French) showed a greater degree of adaptation relative to cases where the talkers shared a language background (English or French). Experiment 2 found similar results when English listeners were exposed to talkers from different, non-native language backgrounds (Hindi versus Hungarian), suggesting that listeners make fine-grained distinctions between different non-native language phonotactics. These results suggest that phonotactic adaptation is flexible, but constrained by the fine-grained causal inferences listeners draw from their prior experience.
Biology and Pragmatism: The Organism-Environment Bond : Trevor Pearce. Pragmatism's Evolution: Organism and Environment in American Philosophy. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2020. xiii + 365 pp.

This review essay provides an analysis of the context and content of Trevor Pearce’s Pragmatism’s Evolution. The work highlights the bond between organisms and their environments.
Corn protein has greater concentrations of digestible amino acids and energy than low-oil corn distillers dried grains with solubles when fed to pigs but does not affect the growth performance of weanling pigs

Three experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) and digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) in a new source of corn protein are greater than in corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and that corn protein may be included in diets for weanling pigs. In experiment 1, the SID of AA was determined in two sources of DDGS (DDGS-1 and DDGS-2) and in corn protein. Results indicated that SID of most AA was greater (P < 0.05) in DDGS-2 and corn protein than in DDGS-1, but corn protein contained more digestible AA than both sources of DDGS. In experiment 2, the DE and ME in corn, the two sources of DDGS, and corn protein were determined. Results demonstrated that DE (dry matter basis) in corn protein was greater (P < 0.05) than in corn, but ME (dry matter basis) was not different between corn and corn protein. However, DE and ME in corn (dry matter basis) were greater (P < 0.05) than in DDGS-1 and DDGS-2. In experiment 3, 160 weanling pigs were allotted to four treatments in phases 1 and 2 and a common diet in phase 3. Corn protein was included at 5% to 10% in phases 1 and 2 at the expense of plasma protein and enzyme-treated soybean meal. Results indicated that although differences in average daily gain and gain to feed ratio were observed in phase 1, no differences among treatments were observed for the overall experimental period. In conclusion, the concentration of digestible AA is greater in corn protein than in DDGS; DE and ME in corn protein are also greater than in DDGS; and up to 10% corn protein may be included in phase 1 and phase 2 diets for weanling pigs.
A maize leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinase mediates responses to fungal attack

A maize receptor kinase controls defense response to fungal pathogens by regulating jasmonic acid and antimicrobial phytoalexin production. Plants use a range of pattern recognition receptors to detect and respond to biotic threats. Some of these receptors contain leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domains that recognize microbial proteins or peptides. Maize (Zea mays) has 226 LRR-receptor like kinases, making it challenging to identify those important for pathogen recognition. In this study, co-expression analysis with genes for jasmonic acid and phytoalexin biosynthesis was used to identify a fungal induced-receptor like protein kinase (FI-RLPK) likely involved in the response to fungal pathogens. Loss-of-function mutants in fi-rlpk displayed enhanced susceptibility to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Cochliobolus heterostrophus and reduced accumulation of jasmonic acid and the anti-microbial phytoalexins -kauralexins and zealexins- in infected tissues. In contrast, fi-rlpk mutants displayed increased resistance to stem inoculation with the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. These data indicate that FI-RLPK is important for fungal recognition and activation of defenses, and that F. graminearum may be able to exploit FI-RLPK function to increase its virulence.
Control of nutrient concentrations in plant growth media

Most nutrient-solution cultures used by plant breeders for screening varieties contain concentrations of P and trace metals far in excess of those found in normal soil solutions. Maintenance of realistic concentrations of these elements requires either that some concentration-buffering medium similar to that found in soil be used or that solutions be replaced before significant depletion occurs, usually by use of flowing cultures. A resin-controlled system for buffering solution pH and concentrations of phosphorus and any cationic nutrients is described. This system is capable of maintaining concentrations of the controlled nutrients within narrow ranges and is relatively inexpensive.
A Review of Back Lighted Thyratron Physics and Applications

This review discusses a new device, the back-lighted thyratron. The review includes discussion of physics studies of the BLT plasma and cathode, several new applications to the development of practical plasma based devices needed to test and develop concepts for plasma based accelerators, electromagnetic sources, and related devices such as plasma lenses, and the application as a high power switch.
Representation theory and cohomology of Khovanov-Lauda-Rouquier algebras

This expository paper is based on the lectures given at the program `Modular Representation Theory of Finite and $p$-adic Groups' at the National University of Singapore. We are concerned with recent results on representation theory and cohomology of KLR algebras, with emphasis on standard module theory.
The impact of enriched environment and transplantation of murine cortical embryonic stem cells on recovery from controlled cortical contusion injury.

Purpose The effectiveness of embryonic stem cell (eSC) therapy has been explored in many models of neurological disease and several research groups have shown that eSC treatment leads to improved outcomes in pre-clinical models of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Though functional recovery occurs, few surviving eSCs appear to develop neuronal characteristics; instead the majority of the surviving eSC express glial phenotypes. Additionally, researchers have shown that enriching the post-surgical environment of the subject promotes functional recovery following TBI. The purpose of the current project was to determine if post-surgical environmental enrichment (EE) impacts the survival, migration, and integration of eSCs in a rodent model of TBI and if the presence of these cells lead to improved outcomes. Methods In the current study, the medial frontal cortex (MFC) of rats was injured using a controlled cortical impact (CCI) device. Immediately following injury the rats were placed into either EE or standard environment (SE) housing and then seven days post-injury rats received either murine cortical eSC or media. Behavioral testing consisted of the Morris water maze (MWM), Barnes Maze (BM), and Rotarod tasks (RR). Results On the MWM task, TBI/eSC/EE animals performed as well as the Sham/SE and Sham/EE groups. The TBI/eSC/SE, TBI/Media/EE, and TBI/Media/SE groups were impaired compared to the controls. By the end of training on the BM there were no differences between the Sham, TBI/Media/EE, and TBI/eSC/EE groups. On the RR task all animals placed in the EE performed equally well and significantly better than their SE housed counterparts. By the end of training on the RR task, the TBI/eSC/EE group performed as well as the sham counterparts, and though not significant they also surpassed the performance of the injured animals that received enrichment or eSC treatment alone. Conclusions Combing therapeutic strategies with enriching the post-injury environment is likely to be an important addition to determining the efficacy of pre-clinical therapies.
Addiction, Abuse, and Family Relationships

Abstract Young, poor African American women are at high risk for victimization and stigmatization through multiple avenues, including childhood sexual abuse, drug use, and incarceration. This study describes the childhood experiences of five imprisoned African American women who have extensive histories of drug addiction and criminal behavior. Through the use of personal interviews and qualitative analysis, the women's childhood experiences are explored with attention to the themes of alcohol and drug use, sexual abuse, and mother-daughter relationships. Relational theory provides a conceptual framework for the analysis. Practice and policy considerations are discussed, with an emphasis on benefiting women with histories of abuse and addiction.
Using "beautiful homework solutions" to foster classroom interdependence

This paper describes the use of "beautiful homework" (BHW) solutions in the class ENGR 323: Probabilistic Analysis of Environmental Systems. Each week a different group of students is responsible to publish on the web an extensive set of solutions to the weekly homework assignment. These solutions must demonstrate multiple approaches and include explanations using words, mathematics and graphs. Instructors that are interested in increasing student interdependence or improving students' technical communication and computing skills in any course that requires homework may find this paper useful. In an informal survey, students identified the following courses that might use beautiful homework: statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, mathematics, chemistry and mechanics and science of materials.
Sleep in children and adolescents with Angelman syndrome: association with parent sleep and stress

Background Sleep concerns are common in children with Angelman syndrome, with 20–80% of individuals having a decreased sleep need and/or abnormal sleep–wake cycles. The impact of these sleep behaviours on parental sleep and stress is not known. Method Through the use of standardised questionnaires, wrist actigraphy and polysomnography, we defined the sleep behaviours of 15 children/adolescents with Angelman syndrome and the association of the child/adolescents sleep behaviours on parental sleep behaviours and parental stress. Results Both children/adolescents and their parents exhibited over 1 h of wake time after sleep onset and fragmented sleep. Prolonged sleep latency in the child was associated with parent insomnia and daytime sleepiness. Additionally, variability in child total sleep time was associated with parental stress. Conclusions Poor sleep in children/adolescents with Angelman syndrome was associated with poor parental sleep and higher parental stress. Further work is warranted to identify the underlying causes of the poor sleep, and to relate these findings to daytime functioning, behaviour and the family unit.
Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx Emissions from a 5.9 Liter Diesel Engine Using Ethanol as a Reductant

NOx emissions from a heavy-duty diesel engine were reduced by more than 90% and 80% utilizing a full-scale ethanol-SCR system for space velocities of 21000/h and 57000/h respectively. These results were achieved for catalyst temperatures between 360 and 400°C and for C1:NOx ratios of 4-6. The SCR process appears to rapidly convert ethanol to acetaldehyde, which subsequently slipped past the catalyst at appreciable levels at a space velocity of 57000/h. Ammonia and N 2 O were produced during conversion; the concentrations of each were higher for the low space velocity condition. However, the concentration of N 2 O did not exceed 10 ppm. In contrast to other catalyst technologies, NOx reduction appeared to be enhanced by initial catalyst aging, with the presumed mechanism being sulfate accumulation within the catalyst. A concept for utilizing ethanol (distilled from an E-diesel fuel) as the SCR reductant was demonstrated.
DISPARITIES IN THE BENEFITS FROM DEMOCRATIC REFORM IN NIGERIA: A GENDER PERSPECTIVE

There is data evidence that welfare has improved post–democratic reform in Nigeria. However, the distribution or concentration of the benefits in subgroups of the population is unknown. In this paper, the question of differential welfare impacts across and within gender following democratic reform in Nigeria is explored. Two related hypotheses are investigated. First, there is no disparity in the income and returns-to-education benefits of democratic reform across genders in Nigeria. Second, there are no within-gender disparities in the impact of democratic reform on income and returns to education in Nigeria. From the results, both hypotheses are rejected. Though men and women both benefitted from democratic reforms, economically significant within- and between-gender differences exist.
Growth attenuation therapy: practice and perspectives of paediatric endocrinologists

For non-ambulatory children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities (SPCD), being lifted and transported become more challenging with increasing size. Reduction in length and overall size for select children with SPCD can be accomplished by growth attenuation therapy (GAT), which reduces linear growth by administering hormones (eg, oestrogen) that accelerate epiphyseal closure. There are no reliable data describing attitudes and practices of paediatric endocrinologists regarding GAT for children with SPCD. In collaboration with the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES), an anonymous questionnaire about GAT was emailed to PES physician members (n=1100, 92% from the USA). Responses were stripped of identifiable information. Consent was implied by responding. The study received institutional review board exemption status at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Two hundred and eighty-four PES members responded …
Reprofessionalizing Child Welfare Services: An Evaluation of a Title IVE Training Program

ObjectiveTest the effectiveness of a Title IVE training program for preparing practitioners for public child welfare employment.MethodThe sample consisted of all workers (N = 266) hired between Jun...
Optimizing Transfusion in Vascular Surgery: Is Bloodless Surgery an Option?

The prospect of surgery without blood loss is an emerging reality. Use of a blood conservation strategy is gaining increasing recognition as a sound and practical approach, especially for the majority of large blood loss surgeries. However, critical situations still occur in which transfusions are necessary or unavoidable for the short-term survival of the patient. The decision-making processes for determining when to transfuse, which blood products to give, and how much are presented here with an evaluation of the risks of transfusion and a discussion on blood conservation strategies. Modalities that may be used in such strategies include restricted phlebotomy, the implementation of restrictive transfusion triggers, acute normovolemic hemodilution, intraoperative and postoperative blood salvage, and refined operative techniques to achieve meticulous hemostasis. In addition, the proper use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents well before surgery can reduce the number of units transfused. The risks and costs of allogeneic blood transfusions underscore the need for and value of blood conservation techniques. Increasingly, hospitals are adopting blood conservation strategies as part of their routine practice. Blood conservation is a rapidly evolving field in which active research is expanding our understanding of the molecular, physiologic, and clinical aspects of hematopoiesis, circulatory response, coagulation enigmas, artificial oxygen carriers, and the impact of anemia on organ function. Ongoing research offers the possibility of replacement or elimination of allogeneic blood transfusions in a variety of clinical settings.
Exercise and decreased risk of NIDDM.

Although the pathogenesis of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is not fully understood, it is clear that at least three factors are important: a genetic predisposition to the disease;...