cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Introduction to the Special Issue on Measurement Issues in Homicide Research

Measurement of crime and its correlates permeate virtually all of our scholarship, whether or not these concerns are explicitly acknowledged. To accurately test theories, effectively evaluate policies, and rigorously conduct research, attention must be devoted to best practices for measuring the underlying concepts and constructs of interest. Despite the importance of addressing these foundational challenges, articles and studies devoted to exploring measurement issues are not particularly glamorous and can be a bit of a tough sell. Even this special issue got bumped in favor of one addressing a timelier topic on mass murder. As articles exploring measurement topics in depth tend to appear sporadically in the literature, this special issue provides a useful forum to highlight such work in the context of homicide research. In planning this issue of Homicide Studies, we opted for an open call for papers to solicit a variety of perspectives and approaches. We also broadly defined measurement to include murder as well as risk factors and correlates of lethal violence used by researchers. By doing so, we hoped to not only identify where problems lie but also provide a context for understanding the ways these problems may affect outcomes and policy as well as avenues for addressing these limitations. The positive and considerable response to the call was inspiring. While we were unable to accept all the papers submitted, we hope that the authors continue their work in this area. We also hope that this special issue encourages other scholars to expand the body of research devoted to explicitly exploring the best practices for measurement in the context of murder, in particular, and crime, more generally. This special issue presents four articles that reflect distinct approaches to studying measurement. Homicide researchers will be familiar with the underlying topics addressed by the first two articles. One concerns the accuracy of a common source of homicide data in the United States and the other a structural correlate frequently considered in
“Government,” “Law,” and the Separation of Powers

The continued growth of administrative agencies exercising legislative and judicial (or, if one prefers, “quasi-legislative” and “quasi-judicial”) powers furnishes a constant inducement to reevaluate the separation of powers theory. In a general way, the theory is admittedly hostile to this development as involving an inordinate concentration of power in the executive. Accordingly, we are presented with the problem of whether governmental practice should be accomodated to the theory or the theory revised to fit practice.Of course the pressure of circumstance has already made a considerable impression on doctrinal exposition. Thus it is not seriously contended that the delegation of any rule-making power to administrative agencies is necessarily a delegation of legislative power within the meaning of the doctrine. Nor is it seriously contended that the right of such agencies to conduct a trial and come to a formal judgment thereupon is necessarily a delegation of judicial power—again within the meaning of the doctrine.
The increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and its implication on agricultural productivity II. Effects through CO2-induced climatic change

In a prior paper (Part I), the point was made that, assuming an unchanged climate, water use efficiency in agricultural crop production will likely be favored by the increase in CO2 concentration projected to occur within the next half century. Since climatic changeis likely to result from the CO2 concentration increase, its possible impacts on agricultural productivity must also be considered. An attempt to do so, using the Great Plains region of North America as a case study, is reported in this paper (Part II).
Peach Twig Borer: Field Evaluations of Concentrations of Pheromone and Monitoring of Populations

The alcohol component of the pheromone of Anarsia lineatella Zeller, trans -5-decen-1-ol, was most attractive at 7.5 and 10.0 mg/trap but also captured moths as low as 0.5 mg/trap. Adult males were active in the Yakima Valley of Washington from May 12 through Oct. 15 with 3 adult moth broods.
Cost-Effectiveness of Treating the Metabolic Syndrome Among the Uninsured

Context The Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is becoming increasingly common among US adults; 23.7% of the US population has MS. Obesity, hyperlipidemia, glucose intolerance or NIDDM, and hypertension are the main components of MS leading to higher risk of cardiovascular events for patients with MS, The uninsured are seldom identified and treated, and consequently rely on emergency department visits for treatment of events related to MS. This results in an expensive treatment that is borne by the society. Montgomery County in Ohio has a larger population of the uninsured (15%) compared to the state (11.2%) and national averages (14%) and an estimated 88% of the uninsured with MS in Montgomery County are aged between 40 and 64. Objective To estimate the cost-effectiveness of treating the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome among the uninsured. Population Uninsured with MS between the ages of 20 and 64. Design: The number of uninsured adults with the metabolic syndrome in Montgomery County is estimated to be 6,510. The value to the society in treating the risk factors rather than the events is determined by estimating the cost for the treatment and the effectiveness as a result of the treatment. Three health states are chosen as primary end points (stroke, myocardial infarction, and and-stage renal disease) to model the progression of MS. All costs, outcomes and probabilities of events are derived from medical literature, clinical trials, and population based studies. Costs include that of medication, doctor visits, tests, and hospitalization. Effectiveness is measured in terms of Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY). Both cost and QALY are discounted at 3% annual rate. Methodology Markov model is used to determine the progression of MS and to estimate the cost-effectiveness of this study. Treating risk factors at the onset lowers the incidence of primary end points. The cost of treating patients for their risk factors and the improvement in their quality of life is compared with the cost and effectiveness of treating an event occurring if a patient is untreated. Outcome Measure Cost per QALY is used as a primary outcome of the study. Results The cost-effectiveness ratio for intense treatment of the risk factors is $1,670.29 per QALY. The treatment of events alone resulted in $1.808.04 per QALY. The incremental cost- effectiveness ratio in favor of treating events alone was $6.407.73 per QALY gained. A sensitivity analysis performed for increasing age showed that it was more cost-effective to treat patients between the ages 40 and 64. conclusion Based on the results of the analysis, treating risk factors improves health outcomes at a very low cost-effectiveness ratio. Although treating events alone appeared to have higher QALY at a moderately higher cost, we argue that the effect of treatment causes patients to live longer, the effect of which is not captured in the model.
Effect of hemoperfusion on the pharmacokinetics of digitoxin in dogs.

Abstract To determine the pharmacokinetics of digitoxin, five dogs were given 0.15 mg/kg digitoxin intravenously. Serum digitoxin concentrations were measured by 125 l RIA. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed with a three-compartment model. The mean Vd was 0.81 ± 0.27 (S.D.) L/kg, mean t12 was 6.60 ± 1.97 hr, and mean Clt was 27 ± 11 ml/min. Another five dogs received the same amount of digitoxin and were hemoperfused at a flow of 108 ml/min for 4 hr with a 300 gm Amberlite XAD-4 column. Vd, t12, and Clt values before perfusion were 0.66 ± 0.27 L/kg, 7.09 ± 3.52 hr, and 34 ± 20 ml/min, not significantly different from the values of the first five dogs. In two dogs, digitoxin concentrations became undetectable within 15 min of starting perfusion, and 58.5 μg of digitoxin were recovered from the columns. In the remaining three dogs, the plasma clearance of digitoxin by the columns was 25 ±7 ml/min, and 233 ± 55 μg of digitoxin were recovered. Mean hemoperfusion clearance calculated from the total amount recovered was 19.7 ± 3.9 ml/ min. After perfusion there was an increase in the serum digitoxin concentration. Once the new pseudo-steady state was reached, the serum digitoxin concentration was from 5 to 44 ng/ml less than if hemoperfusion had not been done. The increase in serum digitoxin concentration after hemoperfusion occurred because the central compartment, depleted of digitoxin during hemoperfusion, was refilled from peripheral compartments. In conclusion, 4 hr of resin hemoperfusion nearly doubled the rate of removal of digitoxin from dogs, and a multicompartmental pharmacokinetic model explains the postperfusion increase in serum digitoxin concentrations.
Regional pulmonary function during experimental unilateral pneumothorax in the awake state.

This study examines changes in regional pulmonary function during unilateral pneumothorax, immediately after, and 2 hours following re-expansion in awake dogs. Respiratory rate, tidal volume, physiologic dead space, arterial blood gases, and pulmonary shunt fraction were determined at each stage. Cardiac output (thermodilution), vascular pressures, and regional ventilation and perfusion (133Xe scans) were also measured. Chest roentgenogram confirmed the presence of UP. Respiratory rate increased 124 percent (p
Neurophysiological hyperresponsivity to sensory input in autism spectrum disorders.

Atypical sensory processing is a common clinical observation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Neural hyperexcitability has been suggested as the cause for sensory hypersensitivity, a frequently reported clinical observation in ASD. We examined visual evoked responses to parametric increases in stimulus contrast in order to model neural responsivity of sensory systems in ASD. Thirteen high-functioning individuals with ASD and 12 typically developing (TD) individuals completed a steady-state visual evoked potential study. Stimuli were vertical circular gratings oscillating at 3.76 Hz at varying contrasts (5, 10, 20,…, 90 % contrast, 10 levels). The average spectral power at the stimulus oscillation frequency was calculated for each contrast level. The magnitude of evoked sensory responses increased at a significantly greater rate and resulted in disproportionately elevated activation with higher contrasts in the ASD group. Approximately 45 % of ASD participants had rates of response increases greater than any TD participant. This alteration was highly associated with parental reports of these participants’ sensory difficulties. Greater increases in visual responses over contrast manipulation suggest heightened excitability in the sensory cortex in ASD participants. Heightened neural excitability was observed in a substantial portion but not all of the ASD participants. This pattern suggests that individuals with higher excitability may constitute a neurobiologically distinct subgroup requiring individualized treatment interventions.
Induction of cold hardiness in an invasive herbivore: The case of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)

As a measure of cold hardiness, we tested the supercooling points or freezing temperatures of individual hemlock woolly adelgids ( Adelges tsugae Annand) collected from 15 locations across the north to south range of the adelgid in eastern North America at different times during two winters. Adelgids from the northern interior locations with USDA hardiness zones of 5B–6B had lower supercooling points than adelgids from more southern or more coastal locations (zones 7A and 6B), where minimum winter temperatures were higher. Supercooling points reached a minimum in February in northern but not in southern locations. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that adelgids exposed to colder temperatures (−12 °C) had lower supercooling points after 3 d and adelgids held at 10 °C had higher supercooling points than did adelgids held at 2 °C for the same period. Extending these periods to 7 d produced no further change in supercooling points. Adelgids at northern sites had much lower supercooling points in February 2015 following at least 10 d of much colder weather than adelgids from those same sites in February 2016 following much warmer weather. The induction of cold hardiness produced much year-to-year variation in cold hardiness, especially in northern sites, in addition to concurrently and previously demonstrated genetic differences in cold hardiness between northern and southern adelgid populations. Consequently, the cold temperatures required to kill hemlock woolly adelgids will vary year to year and week to week based on exposure to prior temperatures.
A Brief Examination of Previous House Price Declines

Homeowners, business leaders, and government officials are keenly interested in knowing how long the current decline in house prices will last. The length and depth of house price declines and the strength of subsequent recoveries play important roles in business cycles. Although the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) does not forecast price movements, the agency’s house price index (HPI) provides a great deal of information concerning historical price declines. This paper provides a brief examination of house price declines in the United States and focuses on select areas that have experienced sharp price declines. The depth and duration of declines have varied significantly across areas, and inflation-adjusted prices have generally taken several years to rebound to previous levels.
The association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor and G protein–coupled receptor kinase 6 (GRK6) genes with oxytocin dosing requirements and labor outcomes

Background Oxytocin is a potent uterotonic agent that is widely used for induction and augmentation of labor. Oxytocin has a narrow therapeutic index and the optimal dosing for any individual woman varies widely. Objective The objective of this study was to determine whether genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor ( OXTR ) or in the gene encoding G protein–coupled receptor kinase 6 ( GRK6 ), which regulates desensitization of the oxytocin receptor, could explain variation in oxytocin dosing and labor outcomes among women being induced near term. Study Design Pregnant women with a singleton gestation residing in Durham County, NC, were prospectively enrolled as part of the Healthy Pregnancy, Healthy Baby cohort study. Those women undergoing an induction of labor at 36 weeks or greater were genotyped for 18 haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms in OXTR and 7 haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms in GRK6 using TaqMan assays. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between maternal genotype and maximal oxytocin infusion rate, total oxytocin dose received, and duration of labor. Logistic regression was used to test for the association of maternal genotype with mode of delivery. For each outcome, backward selection techniques were utilized to control for important confounding variables and additive genetic models were used. Race/ethnicity was included in all models because of differences in allele frequencies across populations, and Bonferroni correction for multiple testing was used. Results DNA was available from 482 women undergoing induction of labor at 36 weeks or greater. Eighteen haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms within OXTR and 7 haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms within GRK6 were examined. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms in OXTR showed nominal significance with maximal infusion rate of oxytocin, and two single-nucleotide polymorphisms in OXTR were associated with total oxytocin dose received. One single-nucleotide polymorphism in OXTR and two single-nucleotide polymorphisms in GRK6 were associated with duration of labor, one of which met the multiple testing threshold ( P = .0014, rs2731664 [ GRK6 ], mean duration of labor, 17.7 hours vs 20.2 hours vs 23.5 hours for AA, AC, and CC genotypes, respectively). Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms, two in OXTR and one in GRK6 , showed nominal significance with mode of delivery. Conclusion Genetic variation in OXTR and GRK6 is associated with the amount of oxytocin required as well as the duration of labor and risk for cesarean delivery among women undergoing induction of labor near term. With further research, pharmacogenomic approaches may potentially be utilized to develop personalized treatment to improve safety and efficacy outcomes among women undergoing induction of labor.
Inhaled Pulmonary Vasodilator Therapy for Management of Right Ventricular Dysfunction after Left Ventricular Assist Device Placement and Cardiac Transplantation

Right ventricular failure (RVF) after cardiac transplant (CTX) or implantation of a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) is associated with significant postoperative morbidity and mortality. A variety of modalities have been used to treat postoperative RVF, including management of volume status, intravenous inotropes and vasodilators, and right-sided mechanical support. Inhaled vasodilator agents are a unique treatment option aimed at minimizing systemic absorption by delivering therapy directly to the pulmonary vasculature. Current LVAD and CTX guidelines endorse inhaled vasodilators for managing postoperative RVF; however, no guidance is offered regarding agent selection, dosing, or administration. A review of the current literature confirms that inhaled pulmonary vasodilator agents have been shown to decrease pulmonary artery pressure when used in the perioperative period of CF-LVAD implant or CTX. However, the literature regarding the potential impact on clinical outcomes (e.g., survival or risk of developing RVF) is lacking with these medications. Based on our assessment of the literature, we suggest that when RVF occurs in the setting of a normal pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), traditional inotropic therapy (e.g., dobutamine) should be used. Conversely, if the PVR is elevated (> 250 dynes/sec/cm5 or 3 Wood units), or the patient has other evidence of a high right ventricular afterload (i.e., a transpulmonary gradient > 12 mm Hg), then an inhaled pulmonary vasodilator would be the preferred initial pharmacologic agent. Drug selection depends largely on the institution's capacity to safely prepare and administer the medication, along with formulary considerations, such as the high costs associated with inhaled iloprost and inhaled nitric oxide.
Paving the Road to the Warfighter: Preparing to Provide Legal Support on the Battlefield

Army Field Manual (FM) 1-04 (formerly 27-100) defines “operational law” as “that body of domestic, foreign, and international law that directly affects the conduct of operations.” More precisely, it states that operational law is a practice that consists of legal services to support the command and control and sustainment functions of a military operation. Given this doctrinal charter, judge advocates (JAs), legal administrators, and paralegal specialists must be prepared to provide operational law support on the battlefield, not only understanding and applying the relevant law, but also effectively advising commanders as fully integrated members of the battle staff. The purpose of this note is to share with the operational legal community the steps that the XVIII Airborne Corps Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA) took to prepare for computer-simulated battles, called “Warfighter Exercises” (WFXs). Reprinted in significant part as an appendix to this note is the Battle Command Training Program (BCTP) Study Guide that the author, then XVIII Airborne Corps’ Chief of International and Operational Law, created in accordance with the Corps SJA’s guidance, to support the Corps OSJA BCTP preparations. This Guide proved an invaluable reference for the Corps and subordinate command OSJAs, and republishing it for a wider audience will hopefully assist other judge advocates as they prepared for the BCTP or, more importantly, for actual contingency operations. This note’s closing comments summarize salient observations on Corps OSJA WFX preparation and exercise participation.
Incorporating Redundant Systems to Capture the Kentucky Money Shot

The Kentucky Eclipse Ballooning Project began in early 2015 when students and faculty from The University of Kentucky attended the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center BalloonSat Workshop in Huntsville, Alabama. The students accelerated their preparations after the Eclipse Ballooning Project Workshop hosted in Bozeman, Montana where they built and learned systems designed by Montana Space Grant. In 2016, the students began a sequence of 10 balloon launches in preparation for the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. In the early stages of this project, University of Kentucky students set the goal to capture footage of a separate high-altitude weather balloon in front of the solar eclipse, an image dubbed “The Kentucky Money Shot.” After establishing that goal, students began working on approaches and designs to capture this picture with one overarching theme: redundancy. Every aspect of the project from the number of balloons and imaging systems to tracking systems and launch procedures were designed with redundant aspects and through collaboration among the payload, ground station, launch, and mission control teams. The short time window of eclipse totality, 2 minutes 28 seconds, motivated design iterations throughout the progressive practice launches and ground tests including launching two balloons simultaneously, streaming and storing footage of the flight from multiple cameras, and using SPOT Trackers and Iridium systems as multiple tracking approaches. All of these practices and tests led to flying the final redundant designs on August 21st, 2017 to successfully capture “The Kentucky Money Shot”.
A complete bidirectional planner

The PRODIGY system is based on bidirectional planning, which is a combination of goal-directed backward chaining with simulation of plan execution. Experiments have demonstrated that it is an efficient technique, a fair match to other successful planning systems. The question of completeness of bidirectional planning, however, has remained unanswered. We show that PRODIGY is not complete and discuss the advantages and drawbacks of its incompleteness. We then develop a complete bidirectional planner and compare it experimentally with PRODIGY. We demonstrate that the complete planner is almost as efficient as PRODIGY and solves a wider range of problems.
Calibration method for spinning fringe projection: proof-of-concept

A structured light system with spinning fringe projection has been an excitement for three-dimensional (3-D) shape measurement since high-speed phase-shifting fringe patterns can be produced by mechanical spinning slide projectors. However, two cameras are typically required for 3-D reconstruction since the calibration method of spinning fringe projection is not well documented yet. This article introduces a computational framework for the calibration of spinning fringe projection profilometry using polar coordinate representation. In this preliminary study, we emulated the ideal spinning fringe projection with a video projector that can precisely control phase shifts with minimized harmonic errors. Results show that under the ideal scenario, our calibration method can reach an accuracy of 0.10 mm with a standard deviation of 0.73 mm by measuring a spherical object with 150 mm diameter.
Low-cost, compact, and robust gas abundance sensor package

Gas Abundance Sensor Package (GASP) is a stand-alone scientific instrument that has the capability to measure the concentration of target gases based on a non-dispersive infrared sensor system along with atmospheric reference parameters. The main objective of this work is to develop a GASP system which takes advantage of available technologies and off-the-shelf components to provide a cost-effective solution for localized sampling of gas concentrations. GASP will enable scientists to study the atmosphere and will identify the conditions of the target’s planetary local environment. Moreover, due to a recent trend of miniaturization of electronic components and thermopiles detectors, a small size and robust instrument with a reduction in power consumption is developed in this work. This allows GASP to be easily integrated into a variety of small space vehicles such as CubeSats or small satellite system, especially the Micro-Reentry Capsule (MIRCA) prototype vehicle. This prototype is one of the most advanced concepts of small satellites that has the capability to survive the rapid dive into the atmosphere of a planet. In this paper, a fully-operational instrument system will be developed and tested in the laboratory environment as well as flight preparation for a field test of the instrument suite will be described.
Progressing Positive Discourse Analysis and/in Critical Discourse Studies: reconstructing resistance through progressive discourse analysis

This article argues for an increased emphasis on resistance in Critical Discourse Studies (CDS), thereby joining calls for more Positive Discourse Analysis (PDA), a branch of Critical Discourse Ana...
Human capital investment or academic marginalism? Understanding the influence of political economy on higher education in post-socialist Europe

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to examine whether the human capital theory tenets hold in Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) that transitioned from socialist regimes to a market-ba...
Acute Pain Is Associated With Chronic Opioid Use After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background and Objectives Pain scores are routinely reported in clinical practice, and we wanted to examine whether this routinely measured, patient-reported variable provides prognostic information, especially with regard to chronic opioid use, after taking preoperative and perioperative variables into account in a preoperative opioid user population. Methods In 32,874 preoperative opioid users undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty at Veterans Affairs hospitals between 2010 and 2015, we compared preoperative and perioperative characteristics in patients reporting lower versus higher acute pain (scores ≤4/10 vs >4/10 averaged over days 1–3). We calculated the propensity for lower acute pain based on all available data. After 1:1 propensity score matching, to identify similar patients differing only in acute pain, we contrasted rates of chronic significant opioid use (mean >30 mg/d in morphine equivalents) beyond postoperative month 3, discharge prescriptions, and changes in postoperative versus preoperative dose categories. Sensitivity analysis examined associations with dose escalation. Results Rates of chronic significant opioid use (21% overall) differed in patients with lower versus higher acute pain (36% vs 64% of the overall cohort). After propensity matching (total n = 20,926 patients) and adjusting for all significant factors, lower acute pain was associated with less chronic significant opioid use (rates 12% vs 16%), smaller discharge prescriptions (ie, supply Conclusions Acute pain predicts chronic opioid use. Prospective studies of efforts to reduce acute pain, in terms of long-term effects, are needed.
Studies of the Catalytically-Active Form of Hypoxanthine-Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase from Yeast

Studies of the kinetic (1) and structural (2) properties of yeast hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HG-PRTase), an enzyme first purified by Schmidt et al. (3), have been completed recently. This HG-PRTase is composed of two polypeptide subunits(26,000 m.w.), as determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis (2) and catalyzes the synthesis of either IMP or GMP through the use of an ordered Bi Bi kinetic mechanism (1). However, since electro-phoretic studies are conducted at concentrations much higher than those employed during kinetic analyses, the observed dimeric HG-PRTase, may not necessarily be the form of the enzyme responsible for catalysis. In this paper we describe results which suggest the existence of a catalytically-active monomeric HG-PRTase which functions as an enzyme-metal ion complex.
Parathyroid: Pathophysiology and Molecular Mechanisms of Disease

The parathyroid glands are small endocrine organs located in the neck adjacent to the thyroid gland. Functionally, they secrete parathyroid hormone in order to regulate circulating calcium levels. Parathyroid disease is usually organized into the physiological manifestation of hyperfunction (hyperparathyroidism) and hypofunction (hypoparathyroidism), which results in hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia, respectively. Parathyroid adenoma, hyperplasia, and carcinoma are the main causes of hyperparathyroidism. Both hyperparathyroidism and hypoparathyroidism can be sporadic or related to a familial syndrome. The genes MEN1, HRPT2, CASR, RET, CCND1, and VDR, along with others, are implicated in familial and/or sporadic parathyroid disease, and numerous animal models have been developed in order to further understand the mechanisms of disease.
Generalized stiffness matrix method for layered soils

Abstract This article provides an effective extension to the well-known Stiffness Matrix Method (SMM) for layered soils. The modified algorithm allows considering elastic media subjected to both 2.5-D and 3-D sources that are neither plane nor axisymmetric. These sources can act on –or within– viscoelastic, horizontally layered media of either finite or infinite depth. Although a direct approach in the context of a fully 3-D formulation in Cartesian coordinates in combination with a 2-D spatial Fourier transform is possible and could be used for the solution of the problem at hand, it will be shown that a substantial saving in computational effort can be achieved by formulating the evaluation of the Green's functions with the same cost as that expended for plane-strain or for axisymmetric sources, provided the material properties are either isotropic or transversely isotropic. We demonstrate herein that the flexibility functions in the frequency-wavenumber domain for the general 3-D problem can be inferred from the exact rigidity matrices for the 2-D (i.e. plane-strain) problems of SVP and SH waves, and only these need to be inverted via Gaussian reduction to obtain the requisite flexibility functions in the frequency-wavenumber domain. This strategy relates to what in the technical literature is sometimes referred to as the “inversion of the descent of dimensions”, a principle that states that the response for point loads can be inferred from the response to line loads. It allows obtaining highly effective numerical solutions to the problem at hand.
Pelvic radiotherapy in combination with radical resection of the primary tumor improves survival in patients with metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma: A national cancer database analysis (NCDB).

714Background: With recent advances in systemic therapies and increased survival of patients with metastatic rectal cancer, the role of primary tumor resection may be of increased importance and is...
Factors Associated with Student Performance in Advanced Accounting: An Empirical Study at a Commuter University

This study examines some determinants of student performance in Advanced Accounting. Of the motivation factors studied (intended grade, intention to take the CPA exam, or attend graduate school) only the first is associated with student performance. None of the three distraction factors (job hours, job type, and course load) has any negative effect on student performance. Of the four self-perceived ability factors, listening and, to some extent, reading have significant association with student performance but writing and math do not. Finally, the grade in the pre-requisite Intermediate Accounting II course has some association but overall GPA has significant association with student performance
Preparation or Provocation? Student Perceptions of Active Shooter Drills:

Several highly publicized incidents of school violence in the past two decades have highlighted the importance of school safety and crisis preparation for students, parents, and school administrato...
Anger mediates the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation in veterans

Abstract Background Theoretical models and cross-sectional empirical studies of suicide indicate that anger is a factor that may help explain the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide, but to date no longitudinal studies have examined this relationship. The current study used longitudinal data to examine whether changes in anger mediated the association between changes in PTSD symptomatology and suicidal ideation (SI). Methods Post 9/11-era veterans (N = 298) were assessed at baseline, 6-months, and 12-month time points on PTSD symptoms, anger, and SI. Analyses covaried for age, sex, and depressive symptoms. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to examine the three waves of data. Results The effect of change in PTSD symptoms on SI was reduced from B = 0.02 (p = .008) to B = −0.01 (p = .67) when change in anger was added to the model. Moreover, the indirect effect of changes in PTSD symptoms on suicidal ideation via changes in anger was significant, B = 0.02, p = .034. The model explained 31.1% of the within-person variance in SI. Limitations Focus on predicting SI rather than suicidal behavior. Sample was primarily male. Conclusions Findings suggest that the association between PTSD and SI is accounted for, in part, by anger. This study further highlights the importance of anger as a risk factor for veteran suicide. Additional research on clinical interventions to reduce anger among veterans with PTSD may be useful in reducing suicide risk.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse refers to the descent of one or more of the genital organs below their normal position. Pelvic organ prolapse may be asymptomatic or may cause a variety of symptoms including bulge, urinary, bowel, or sexual symptoms. Management of pelvic organ prolapse aims at improving quality of life and is guided by patients’ symptoms. In this chapter, we will review causes, evaluation, and management of pelvic organ prolapse.
Drugs Used in the Management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Abstract This book is intended as a guide to help the clinician determine where a visual problem is a drug-induced ocular side effect. We continually review spontaneous case reports from the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects, the World Health Organization, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the world literature. We have attempted to classify a suspected adverse event with our impression to causality (i.e. certain, probable, unlikely, conditional/unclassified). This chapter discusses drugs used in the management of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome including antiretroviral drugs.
The effect of interpolated US alone (USa) presentations on classical nictitating membrane conditioning in rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The nictitating membrane (NM) response of 36 rabbits was classically conditioned using a 1,000-Hz tone (CS) paired with circumorbital shock (US) at a 250-msec CS-US interval. Two experimental groups received additional presentations of the US given alone (USa), either 30 seconds (Group E30) or 60 seconds (Group E60) following each CS-US pairing, and their performance was compared to that of control Ss (Group C60) which never experienced USa. Presentations of USa resulted in significant and approximately equal performance decrements in both experimental groups relative to the C60 controls. However, no significant differences among the groups appeared during an extinction phase. The effects of USa presentations were discussed in terms of Papsdorf’s consolidation interpretation and Rescorla’s (1967) contingency theory of conditioning, and appeared to favor the latter view. Additional analyses led to the conclusions that (1) the increased amplitude of the NM UR on paired CS-US trials relative to USa trials can be attributed, at least in part, to the simple laws of the reflex, independent of the conditioning processper se, and (2) the partial reinforcement extinction effects previously reported by Leonard and Theios (1968) cannot be attributed solely to the presence of USa in their continuous reinforcement control Ss.
Pure adulteration: cheating on nature in the age of manufactured food: by Benjamin R. Cohen, Chicago and London, University of Chicago Press, 2019, 320 pp., ISBN 978-0-226-37792-6

How do we know that the food we buy is safe? How can we trust its contents, and how should we make decisions about what to eat? In Pure Adulteration, Benjamin Cohen, professor of engineering studie...
Diverse Hotspot Thermal Profiling Methods Detect Phosphorylation-Dependent Changes in Protein Stability

Hotspot thermal profiling (HTP) methods utilize modified-peptide level information in order to interrogate proteoform-specific stability inside of live cells. The first demonstration of HTP involved the integration of phosphopeptide enrichment into a TMT-based, single-LC separation thermal profiling workflow1. Here we present a new label-fractionate-enrich (LFE)-HTP method that involves high-pH reverse phase fractionation of TMT-labeled peptides prior to phosphopeptide enrichment, followed by peptide detection and quantitation using multi-notch LC-MS3. We find that LFE-HTP, while more resource intensive, improves the depth and precision of (phospho)proteoform coverage relative to the initial published HTP workflow. The fraction of detected phosphorylation sites that are significantly perturbed in this new dataset are consistent with those seen in our previous study, as well as those published by others, when compared head-to-head with the same analysis pipelines. Likewise, many hotspot phosphorylation sites identified in our paper are consistently reproduced by LFE-HTP as well as other modified HTP methods. The LFE-HTP dataset contains many novel hotspot phosphorylation sites that regulate the stability of diverse proteins, including phosphosites in the central glycolytic enzyme Aldolase A that are associated with monomer-to-oligomer formation, enzymatic activity and metabolic regulation in cancer cells. Our comparative analyses confirm that several variants of the HTP method can track modified proteoforms in live cells to detect and prioritize PTM-dependent changes in protein stability that may be associated with function.
The deep sea is a hot spot of fish body shape evolution

Deep-sea fishes have long captured our imagination with striking adaptations to life in the mysterious abyss, raising the possibility that this cold, dark ocean region may be a key hub for physiological and functional diversification. We explore this idea through an analysis of body shape evolution across ocean depth zones in over 3000 species of marine teleost fishes. We find that the deep ocean contains twice the body shape disparity of shallow waters, driven by elevated rates of evolution in traits associated with locomotion. Deep-sea fishes display more frequent adoption of forms suited to slow and periodic swimming, whereas shallow living species are concentrated around shapes conferring strong, sustained swimming capacity and manoeuvrability. Our results support long-standing impressions of the deep sea as an evolutionary hotspot for fish body shape evolution and highlight that factors like habitat complexity and ecological interactions are potential drivers of this adaptive diversification.
Judicial tenure on the U.S. supreme court, 1790-1868: Frustration, resignation, and expiration on the bench

After more than a decade of membership stability, the U.S. Supreme Court experienced a pair of vacancies following its 2004–2005 term. In July 2005, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her intention to retire. It is widely believed that her own health, that of her husband, and the favorable political environment influenced her decision to step down in January 2006. In the interim, Chief Justice William Rehnquist, after struggling with ill health for many months, passed away on 3 September 2005, becoming the first sitting justice to die in more than five decades.
US global military deployments, 1950–2020*:

Recent research has shown the importance of studying military deployments and their effects on a wide range of social, political, and economic outcomes. In particular, it has demonstrated how the U...
Correction: Shrader-Frechette, K.; Biondo, A.M. Health Misinformation about Toxic-Site Harm: The Case for Independent-Party Testing to Confirm Safety. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3882

Because part of the text was unintentionally omitted, the first paragraph under Section 2.2.4.3. on p. 13 was jumbled and incomplete when it was published [...].
A Drone-based System for Intelligent and Autonomous Homes

Homes are becoming more intelligent due to the growth of smart sensors and devices found in typical homes. However, most of these sensors and devices function independently from one another, limiting the amount of utility and services a truly "smart" home can provide. In this demonstration, we introduce two key ideas towards more intelligent homes. First, we explore the usage of mobile drones in the home environment. Second, we propose DIA, a system that seamlessly connects to the home environment and automatically discovers and jointly utilizes smart sensors and actuators around the home to provide services that are otherwise not possible. We demonstrate three services that DIA enables.
The Press and Race: Mississippi Journalists Confront the Movement by David R. Davies, ed. Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 2001. 302 pp

(2003). The Press and Race: Mississippi Journalists Confront the Movement by David R. Davies, ed. Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 2001. 302 pp. American Journalism: Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 110-111.
Long-term effects of food deprivation: I. Impact on pain reactivity and shock-induced hypoalgesia

Prior work has shown that the uncontrollable shock procedure used to induce learned helplessness produces a hormonally mediated opioid hypoalgesia. In addition, it sensitizes subjects to becoming hypoalgesic 24 h later upon exposure to mild "reinstating" shock. In the present study, we tested whether another manipulation that elicits a hormonally mediated opioid hypoalgesia, food deprivation, would have a similar sensitizing effect. Subjects were food deprived for 48 h, and then, 24 h after food was returned, they were exposed to mild shock. We found that previously food-deprived subjects exhibited a much stronger hypoalgesia after mild shock. In addition, they exhibited greater vocalization and struggling when shock was applied. Both effects were attenuated by the opiate antagonist naltrexone. In contrast to past results, only a weak hypoalgesia was observed in the saline-treated nondeprived subjects. Experiment 2 showed that this was due to our having tested subjects during the early portion of the light cycle.
A low-loss, impedance matched λ/4 compact T-junction power combiner

A compact, N-way power combiner is proposed for monolithic systems. The combiner accomplishes an N-way power combination on a planar substrate in just λ/4 length while simultaneously matching port impedances. This is made possible by a network of sub-λ/4 transmission line segments that combine to provide the necessary power combination and impedance and phase matching. To demonstrate this architecture, an 8-way compact combiner is fabricated at 2.4 GHz. Experimental results show a 0.08 dB insertion loss in a footprint that is only λ/8 by 3λ/8.
Chapter 11 The Glycoprotein Hormone Family: Structure and Function of the Carbohydrate Chains

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the structure and function of the carbohydrate chains of the glycoprotein hormone family. The family of glycoprotein hormones consists of lutropin (LH), follitropin (FSH), and thyrotropin (TSH) synthesized in the anterior pituitary and chorionic gonadotropin which is synthesized only in the placenta of human, primate, and equine. The hormones are heterodimers composed of two non-covalently joined α and β subunits. Both subunits are glycosylated and contain N- and, in the case of the CGβ subunit, O-linked oligosaccharides which account for 15-40% of their mass. Assembly of the common α subunit, with any of the four β subunits, results in unique properties of each hormone that are reflected in binding to hormone-specific receptors and subsequent signal transduction. Gonadotropins regulate reproductive functions; LH stimulates steroidogenesis in ovarian granulosa and theca cells, and testicular Leydig cells. One function of hCG is to maintain high progesterone production in the corpus luteum to maintain pregnancy and hCG and LH bind to the same receptor.
The Control Structure Diagram: An Overview and InitialEvaluation

A new graphical representation, the Control Structure Diagram (CSD), has been created to visualize software at both the source code and program design language (PDL) level. The primary impetus for creation of the CSD was to improve the comprehension efficiency of software and, as a result, improve reliability and reduce costs. The CSD has the potential to replace traditional prettyprinted source code. As part of the GRASP (Graphical Representations of Algorithms, Structures, and Processes) research project at Auburn University, the GRASP software engineering tool has been successfully developed. GRASP automatically generates CSDs from source code written in Ada, C, C++, Java, and VHDL. The emphasis to this point has been on the automatic generation of the CSD to support development, maintenance, reverse engineering and reengineering through the use of GRASP. GRASP has been applied successfully to numerous programs ranging in size from several hundred to several thousand lines of source code and is efficient and sufficiently flexible for use in a production setting. To demonstrate the potential benefits of the CSD and its automatic generation using GRASP, a series of empirical studies has been planned and initiated. First, as reported in this article, the perceived usefulness of the CSD was evaluated using a preference instrument based on eleven performance characteristics in which a comparison was made with other well-known graphical representations for algorithms. Statistical analysis indicated numerous significant differences with a clear preference for the CSD in seven of the eleven performance characteristics. Further empirical studies, currently being implemented, will examine the effect of the CSD and GRASP on objective measures such as comprehension efficiency and effectiveness.