cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization and recovery of mercury from spent fluorescent lamps.

Fluorescent lamps rely on mercury as the source of ultraviolet radiation for the production of visible light. Partitioning of mercury among vapor phase, loose phosphor powders produced during breaking and washing steps, glass matrices, phosphor powders attached on the glass and aluminum end caps was examined from simulated laboratory lamp recycling tests for different types of spent and new fluorescent lamps. Mercury concentrations in lamp glasses taken from commercial lamp recyclers were also analyzed for comparison with the simulated results of spent and new lamps of different types. The mercury content of the glass from spent lamps was highly variable depending on the lamp type and manufacturer; the median values of the mercury concentration in glasses for spent 26- (T8) and 38-mm (T12) diameter fluorescent lamps were approximately 30 and 45 μg/g, respectively. The average mercury concentration of samples taken from recycler A was 29.6 μg/g, which was about 64% of median value measured from the spent T12 lamps. Over 94% of total mercury in lamps remained either as a component of phosphor powders attached inside the lamp or in glass matrices. New T12 lamps had a higher partitioning percentage of elemental mercury in the vapor phase (0.17%) than spent T12 lamps (0.04%), while spent lamps had higher partitioning percentages of mercury resided on end-caps and phosphor powders detached from the breaking and washing steps. The TCLP values of simulated all lamp-glasses and samples obtained from recyclers were higher than the limit of LDR standard (0.025 mg/L). After investigating acid treatment and high temperature treatment as mercury reclamation techniques, it was found that heating provided the most effective mercury capture. Although the initial mercury concentrations of individual sample were different, the mercury concentrations after 1 h exposure at 100 °C were below 4 μg/g for all samples (i.e., <1% remaining). Therefore, it is recommended that heating be used for recovering mercury from spent fluorescent lamps.
Intraspecies individuality for the metabolism of steroids.

1. A variety of regulatory factors contribute to differences in the rates of 6β-hydroxylation, 16α-hydroxylation and 21-hydroxylation of progesterone as catalysed by liver microsomes prepared from individual rabbits.2. It is likely that the 6β-hydroxylation of progesterone is catalysed primarily by cytochrome P-450 3c, an enzyme that exhibits allosteric activation by α-napthoflavone, and by a form of P-450 3b, 6β+, that is expressed in some rabbits in an autosomal dominant manner.3. The mechanism of activation for P-450 3c appears to reflect an effector mediated increase of the affinity of the enzyme for substrate as judged by substrate binding studies.4. A second form of P-450 3b, 6β-, catalyses a major portion of hepatic progesterone 16α-hydroxylation and exhibits activation by a variety of C21 steroids of which 5β-pregnane-3β,20α-diol is the most efficacious.5. P-450 1, which catalyses the 21-hydroxylation of progesterone, is expressed at 10-fold higher levels in the 21H phenotype than the 21L phenotyp...
Residual Risk Accounting: A Pilot Study

Risks such as flooding, oil spills, deaths, and unemployment continue despite numerous policies to prevent and mitigate their effects. Such policies are typically analyzed in their natural units such as jobs making comparison difficult across categories. An approach akin to a satellite national income and product account (NIPA) allows direct comparison of the relative importance and variability of these residual risks. Results are presented for an unusual geographic aggregate associated with coasts. Although this framing adds difficulties for integration into national accounts, precedents exist. The findings synthesize elements that would otherwise be separated or not reported in standard NIPA accounts. Some elements are found to be stable and large, while other elements exhibit high variability and a high level of damages potentially informing individual and policy choices. The pilot case study also suggests the value of using a more standard, national geographic area.
Effects on Development of Immature Mexican Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Development of immature Mexican corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera zeae Krysan & Smith, was investigated at 8 temperatures ranging from 15 to 33°C. Development to adult was only completed in the range from 15 to 30°C; larvae failed to complete the 3rd instar at 31.5 and 33°C. Development from hatch to adult emergence was fastest at 30°C (≈25 d), and slowest at 15°C (≈105 d). Developmental times, from hatch to adult emergence, differed for males and females, males emerged before females. A pooled thermal threshold of 10.3°C was estimated for immature development. Development from hatch to adult emergence was estimated to take 473 DD.
Self-knowledge: Philosophical Aspects

Self-knowledge refers to knowledge of one's own mental states, processes, and dispositions. Most agree it involves a capacity for understanding the representational properties of mental states and their role in shaping behavior. In developmental psychology and cognitive ethology, researchers have investigated how this capacity develops in children and to what extent non-human creatures share it. In philosophy, researchers have focused on three distinguishing features of self-knowledge that pertain to a certain class of (occurrent) mental states: (a) immediacy: self-knowledge is not based on evidence; (b) transparency: self-knowledge is unavoidable; (c) (first-person) authority: self-knowledge normally requires no justification. In reaction to a traditionally ‘Cartesian’ approach, contemporary explanations of these features fall into two broad categories, providing fertile ground for continuing debate on both substantive and methodological issues. (a) Causal-perceptualaccounts focus on the mechanics of self-knowledge, including the nature of the states we make judgements about, the nature of the states that constitute those judgments, and the nature of the connection between them. (b) Consitutive accounts focus on the larger implications of our capacity for self-knowledge, including what role it plays in specifying conditions for the possibility of our own powers and practices of agency.
Design of Algorithms for Big Data Analytics

Processing of high volume and high velocity datasets requires design of algorithms that can exploit the availability of multiple servers configured for asynchronous and simultaneous processing of smaller chunks of large datasets. The Map-Reduce paradigm provides a very effective mechanism for designing efficient algorithms for processing high volume datasets. Sometimes a simple adaptation of a sequential solution of a problem to design Map-Reduce algorithms doesn't draw the full potential of the paradigm. A completely new rethink of the solution from the perspective of the powers of Map-Reduce paradigm can provide very large gains. We present here an example to show that the simple adaptation does not perform as well as a completely new Map-Reduce compatible solution. We do this using the problem of finding all formal concepts from a binary dataset. The problem of handling very high volume data is another important problem and requires newer thinking when designing solutions. We present here an example of the design of a model learning solution from a very high volume monitoring data from a manufacturing environment.
Safety Considerations in the Medical Therapy of Ulcerative Colitis

Every day in the routine care of patients with ulcerative colitis, physicians are forced to consider the potential benefits and harms of a variety of medical therapies. There are numerous medications that have demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, each of which has the potential to also cause unintended harm. Because most adverse events are reversible with early recognition and treatment, it is important for the practicing physician to be able to recognize and appropriately manage them. This chapter will focus primarily on three categories of complications: infection, malignancy, and renal injury. In addition, we will comment briefly on the risk of mortality with medical therapy.
Peptide therapeutics for treating ocular surface infections.

Abstract Microbial pathogens—bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites—are significant causes of blindness, particularly in developing countries. For bacterial and some viral infections a number of antimicrobial drugs are available for therapy but there are fewer available for use in treating fungal and parasitic keratitis. There are also problems with current antimicrobials, such as limited efficacy and the presence of drug-resistant microbes. Thus, there is a need to develop additional drugs. Nature has given us an example of 1 potential source of new antimicrobials: antimicrobial peptides and proteins that are either present in bodily fluids and tissues constitutively or are induced upon infection. Given the nature of peptides, topical applications are the most likely use to be successful and this is ideal for treating keratitis. Such peptides would also be active against drug-resistant pathogens and might act synergistically if used in combination therapy. Hundreds of peptides with antimicrobial propert...
The construction and evaluation of Continuing Care Satisfaction Scale for premature infants' parents

Objectives: To develop and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Continuing Care Satisfaction Scale for premature infants' parents. Methods: We initially established the Continuing care satisfaction index system by literature review, qualitative research and Delphi consulting method. The content validity, construct validity, internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability of the scale were tested in 180 parents of premature infants. Results: The scale consisted of 4 factors and 21 specific items. The 4 factors were the appearance and attitude of nurses, nurses' competency of Continuing care, humanistic attainment of nurses, and overall evaluation of Continuing care. The content validity index for the scale was 0.964. Four factors were extracted using principal components extraction and totally explained 60.57% of the variance. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.910 and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.807. Conclusion: The Continuing Care Satisfaction Scale for premature infants' parents could embody the connotation of Continuing care and has good reliability and validity. The scale could be used as a effective tool for premature infants Continuing care service.
Metastatic melanoma and immunotherapy

Harnessing the immune system to attack cancer cells has represented a holy grail for greater than 100years. While prospects of tumor-selective durable immune based therapies have provided small clinical signals for many decades, recent years have demonstrated a virtual explosion in progress. Melanoma has led the field of cancers in which immunotherapy has produced major clinical inroads. The most significant and impactful immunotherapies for melanoma utilize immune checkpoint inhibition to stimulate T cell mediated tumor killing. The major targets of checkpoint blockade have thus far been CTLA4 and PD1, two key receptors for central and peripheral immune tolerance. This review discusses current understanding of how these checkpoint blockade therapeutics have led to major clinical responses in patients with advanced melanoma. It is likely that we are poised to see significantly greater anti-cancer immunotherapy efficacy, both in improving response rates and durability for melanoma, and for other less immunogenic malignancies.
Emergent Relations in the Formation of Stimulus Classes by Pigeons

A defining feature of a stimulus class is the presence of untrained (emergent) relations among its members. Three types of emergent relations that define formal stimulus equivalence are reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity. We find that pigeons can demonstrate all three types of emergent relations. Reflexivity is demonstrated by showing the transfer of identity-matching to new stimuli. Symmetry is demonstrated by showing that positive transfer results when differential food versus no food outcomes (associated with correct responding to comparison stimuli in a conditional discrimination) are substituted for conditional stimuli in a matching task. Transitivity is demonstrated when training with a simple successive hue discrimination is followed by training on a symbolic matching task involving food and no-food samples and line-orientation comparisons, and positive transfer is found when the hues are substituted for the food and no-food events. Finally, pigeons can demonstrate simultaneous evidence for symmetry and transitivity relations. For example, two samples are first associated with a common comparison in many-to-one delayed matching-to-sample. When one of those samples is then associated with a new comparison, evidence for an emergent relation between the remaining sample and the new comparison is found. Overall, the pigeon data provide strong evidence for emergent relations using procedures that result in stimulus class formation.
Contextualizing narrative identity: A consideration of assessment settings

Abstract We examined the influence features of assessment contexts exhibited on the content of the key autobiographical scenes often considered by personality psychologists. Participants ( N = 402) narrated life high points, low points, and turning points within a 2(interviewer; present, absent) × 2(response format; written, spoken) study design. Narratives were quantified for 15 linguistic (e.g., negative emotion words) and six conceptual (e.g., affective tone) variables. We noted that 93% of linguistic variables and 83% of conceptual variables differed as a function of assessment context in the form of main effects for, and/or interactions between, study variables. The narrative materials commonly assessed by personality psychologists are highly sensitive to features of the contexts in which they are assessed.
The Role of Molecular Chaperones Hsp70 And Hsp60 in Protein Folding

Protein folding is a problem of fundamental biological importance. It has been known for more than three decades that all the information required for the acqisition of the native state is contained in the linear amino acid sequence of the polypeptide chain. Proteins can fold spontaneously in vitro, at least under carefully chosen conditions, and this has led to the view that also within cells newly–synthesized polypeptides reach their native state in an essentially spontaneous reaction. Only very recently has it been realized that this is not the case. Cells contain a complex machinery of proteins, folding catalysts and molecular chaperones, which mediate folding in the cytosol as well as within subcellular compartments such as mitochondria, chloroplasts and the endoplasmic reticulum (Hartl et al., 1992). Molecular chaperones, mostly constitutively expressed stress proteins, play a preeminent role in these processes.
Ultrastructure and Biomechanics of Skeletal Muscle ECM: Implications in Tissue Regeneration

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) not only causes impaired function or a nonfunctional limb, but may also lead to limb amputation. Current treatments of VML are not able to address the functional deficiency of the damaged muscles due to a lack of effective regeneration. Tissue engineering and regenerative approaches, such as stem cell therapy and the use of scaffolds to promote skeletal muscle regeneration, prove to be a promising strategy for skeletal muscle regeneration and VML treatment. The knowledge of the biophysical properties of the skeletal muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) is thus important and benefits tissue engineering and regeneration efforts from two aspects: (1) it helps better design scaffolds that mimic the skeletal muscle ECM, and (2) skeletal muscle ECM is itself a very promising scaffold/biomaterial for muscular regeneration. In this chapter, we have reviewed the hierarchical organization, ultrastructure, and biomechanics of the skeletal muscle ECM, covering the epimysial ECM, perimysial ECM, endomysial ECM, and the basement membrane. We further reported a comparative biomechanical study between porcine native skeletal muscle and skeletal muscle ECM obtained via 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) decellularization. We found that the skeletal muscle has a nonlinear, anisotropic behavior, with the longitudinal direction being stiffer than the transverse direction. However, the skeletal muscle ECM shows an overall softening trend and a switch of anisotropic directions, i.e., the longitudinal direction turns softer and more extensible than the transverse direction. Via histological observation, we showed that the switching of anisotropy in the skeletal muscle ECM most likely results from the removal of muscle fibers, the intrinsic collagen fiber arrangement of ECM lacunae, and the possible collagen fiber network disruption due to decellularization. Uniaxial mechanical testing shows that both the skeletal muscle and skeletal muscle ECM have a nonlinear stress–strain behavior, while the decellularized skeletal muscle ECM is more extensible, with a smaller initial tensile modulus and a larger maximum tensile modulus. After reviewing our data and the previous studies, we emphasize that the compositional, structural, and mechanical properties of the skeletal muscle ECM are highly dependent on the decellularization methods being chosen. Lastly, we reviewed the most recent research and applications of skeletal muscle ECM in muscular regeneration, particularly the use of skeletal muscle ECM scaffolds as grafting materials for tissue engineering and regeneration, as well as the fabrication of skeletal muscle ECM hydrogel for injection therapy.
Deep brain stimulation of a patient with psychogenic movement disorder.

BACKGROUND The long-term safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an important issue because new applications are being investigated for a variety of disorders. Studying instances where DBS was inadvertently implanted in patients without a movement disorder may provide information about the safety of the therapy. We report the case of a patient with a psychogenic movement disorder treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS). CASE DESCRIPTION The patient presented at our clinic after 5 years of chronic DBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for presumed Parkinson's disease. A dopamine transporter (DAT) scan (DaTscan) showed normal DAT distribution in the striatum. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan showed no abnormal metabolic patterns. Further psychiatric and neurological evaluations revealed that the patient was suffering from a psychogenic movement disorder. The patient displayed no sign or symptom from the stimulation, and DBS did not lead to any benefits or side effects for this patient. CONCLUSION We argue that the absence of side effects, the normal DaTscan, and PET scan after 5 years of chronic stimulation illustrate the safety of DBS on neural tissue.
Exploring and Measuring Spectator Sport Fanaticism

Spectator sport fan behavior is vast and represents one of the society’s most universal leisure activities. While event attendance and media consumption has received a great deal of attention from researchers, there is growing understanding that sport fans interact with their favorite teams in numerous other ways. Little is known, however, of what constitutes the fanatical behavior of sport spectators. Thus, there is an opportunity to understand the impassioned actions of the sport fan population to provide marketers and media providers with a better understanding of how sport fans interact with team brands beyond direct consumption. The current study aimed to discover and develop an instrument to measure spectator sport team fanaticism. Two focus groups were utilized to uncover and generate items. Three samples and an expert review were then conducted to validate the instrument. The following four unique dimensions were uncovered and preliminarily validated: instigation, superstition, committed interacti...
Nitrite Reaction Rates with Substrates for Meat Curing in a Model System

Because one of the alternative processes for production of natural or organic cured meat products utilizes a slow release of nitrite from nitrate to achieve the cure, the reaction rates of nitrite with myoglobin and cysteine in a model system were assessed to determine if the rate of addition of nitrite has potential to alter the end products produced by curing. This is potentially important for natural and organic cured meats because the end products of nitrite reactions determine cured meat properties including color and antimicrobial protection. Results of this study showed that myoglobin is preferentially nitrosylated by nitrite before cysteine. Once maximum nitrosylation of myoglobin was achieved, then nitrite reacted with cysteine as well. These results suggest that the amount of nitrite produced may affect end products of meat curing based on the substrates used in this study, but the rate of addition of nitrite is not important. Thus, for natural and organic curing achieved by the alternate process involving nitrate, it may be more important to increase the amount of nitrite produced from nitrate rather than increasing the rate of nitrite production. However, additional studies with other substrates involved with nitrite in meat curing should be conducted.
Jaw mechanics in dolichofacial and brachyfacial phenotypes: A longitudinal cephalometric-based study.

OBJECTIVES To determine whether dolichofacial (Frankfort horizontal mandibular plane angle (FHMPA) ≥30°) vs brachyfacial (FHMPA ≤22°) phenotypes differ in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) loads and whether these differences correlate longitudinally with mandibular ramus height (Condylion-Gonion, Co-Go). SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION Lateral and posteroanterior cephalographs from ten dolichofacial and ten brachyfacial individuals made at average ages of 6 (T1), 12 (T2) and 18 (T3) years and available online (http://www.aaoflegacycollection.org/aaof_home.html) were used. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three-dimensional anatomical data were derived from cephalographs and used in numerical models to predict TMJ loads for a range of biting angles on incisors, canines and first molars. Two criteria were used to define clinically important between-group TMJ load differences: statistical significance was defined with a two-group t-test, and where differences were also ≥20%. A statistical approach called response surface analysis was used to assess correlation between TMJ loads and its predictors considered in this study. RESULTS The two phenotypes had significantly different FHMPA at all ages (P<.05). No differences in TMJ loads were found at T1. Ipsilateral and contralateral TMJ loads at T2 and T3 were significant and ≥20% larger in dolichofacial than brachyfacial phenotypes for specific biting angles (all adjusted P<.05). Regression analysis indicated age and ramus height contribute 53% of the variability in normalized values of TMJ loads. At higher ages, dolichofacial phenotypes had significantly higher TMJ loads which were correlated with shorter ramus heights compared to brachyfacial phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS Craniofacial mechanics may explain, in part, mandibular growth differences between dolichofacial and brachyfacial phenotypes.
Why Banks Panic

As we have seen, there is no single cause of a bank panic; instead there are several factors which set the stage for bank depositors to panic about a bank and withdraw savings en masse, starting a bank panic. In general, what are the principal reasons for bank panics? We can now compare the set of historical cases, which we have been studying: US bank panics of 1857, 1907, 1930–1933, and 2007–2008 and Greek Cyprus bank panic of 2013. In this comparison we will see at least five main ways in which banks set themselves up for a potential panic: (1) funding excessive leverage in speculation, (2) lack of proper banking regulation, (3) bad banking practices, (4) lack of banking integrity, and (5) corrupt banking.
Ovarian Cancer Treatment — Are We Getting Warmer?

Regional chemotherapy theoretically results in a decreased rate of systemic toxic effects and a high pharmacologic advantage in tumors that are confined to a single organ or body cavity.1 However, ...
The History and Future of Telescopes... ...400 Years from Galileo to Keck and Beyond

HUMANS ARE inquisitive and visual creatures. What we ‘see’ is probably our most important sensory input, and much of what we learn and know is expressed in visual images and expressions. Our objective understanding of our environment comes from pictures of it, including what we can see with the naked eye, what we can see with microscopes and what we can see with telescopes.
Growth outcome of the very low-birth-weight infant at one year

Significant differences in growth were apparent when the 122 infants studied were grouped according to sex and appropriateness of intrauterine growth.
Role of filler and its heterostructure on moisture sorption mechanisms in polyimide films.

Moisture sorption and diffusion exacerbate hygrothermal aging and can significantly alter the chemical and mechanical properties of polymeric-based components over time. In this study, we employ a multi-pronged multi-scale approach to model and understand moisture diffusion and sorption processes in polyimide polymers. A reactive transport model with triple-mode sorption (i.e., Henry’s, Langmuir, and pooling), experiments, and first principles atomistic computations were combined to synergistically explore representative systems of Kapton H and Kapton HN polymers. We find that the CaHPO4 processing aid used in Kapton HN increases the total moisture uptake (~0.5 wt%) relative to Kapton H. Henry’s mode is found to play a major role in moisture uptake for both materials, accounting for >90% contribution to total uptake.However, the pooling mode uptake in Kapton HN was ~5 times higher than in Kapton H. First principles thermodynamics calculations based on density functional theory predict that water molecules chemisorb (with binding energy ~17–25 kcal/mol) on CaHPO4 crystal surfaces. We identify significant anisotropy in surface binding affinity, suggesting a possible route to tune and mitigate moisture uptake in Kapton-based systems through controlled crystal growth favoring exposure of CaHPO4 (101) surfaces during manufacturing.
Nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy of stress corrosion cracking in stainless steel rods

Abstract Stainless steel containers are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) under certain stress and corrosion conditions. Nonlinear ultrasonic techniques are very sensitive to the early presence of damage, more so than linear techniques. Nonlinear Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (NRUS) is used here to measure a nonlinear shift in the resonance frequency due to a cumulative amount of SCC. Steel rods are immersed in a heated magnesium chloride solution and removed after different exposure times. NRUS measurements are conducted using the fundamental longitudinal mode of vibration. Rods exposed longer generally have a larger resonance frequency shift and are therefore more nonlinear. Thus NRUS might offer a means of detecting a cumulative SCC damage in a sample.
Robots and the return to collaborative intelligence

Ken Goldberg reflects on how four exciting sub-fields of robotics — co-robotics, human–robot interaction, deep learning and cloud robotics — accelerate a renewed trend toward robots working safely and constructively with humans.
Absence of TGFβ signaling in retinal microglia induces retinal degeneration and exacerbates choroidal neovascularization

Constitutive TGFβ signaling is important in maintaining retinal neurons and blood vessels and is a factor contributing to the risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a retinal disease involving neurodegeneration and microglial activation. How TGFβ signaling to microglia influences pathological retinal neuroinflammation is unclear. We discovered that ablation of the TGFβ receptor, TGFBR2, in retinal microglia of adult mice induced abnormal microglial numbers, distribution, morphology, and activation status, and promoted a pathological microglial gene expression profile. TGFBR2-deficient retinal microglia induced secondary gliotic changes in Muller cells, neuronal apoptosis, and decreased light-evoked retinal function reflecting abnormal synaptic transmission. While retinal vasculature was unaffected, TGFBR2-deficient microglia demonstrated exaggerated responses to laser-induced injury that was associated with increased choroidal neovascularization, a hallmark of advanced exudative AMD. These findings demonstrate that deficiencies in TGFβ-mediated microglial regulation can drive neuroinflammatory contributions to AMD-related neurodegeneration and neovascularization, highlighting TGFβ signaling as a potential therapeutic target.
Vascular endothelial growth factor in bipolar depression: A potential biomarker for diagnosis and treatment outcome prediction.

Abstract Background Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) has been implicated in the neurotrophic model of depression. We explored the potential role of VEGF in the pathophysiology of bipolar depression and potential utility as a diagnostic or outcome predictive biomarker. Methods In a double-blind study, treatment-resistant bipolar depressed patients received Escitalopram and were randomized to receive add-on Celecoxib (26 participants) or Placebo (21 participants). There were 32 healthy controls. Plasma levels of VEGF were determined at three timepoints over eight weeks. Results Bipolar patients had significantly higher VEGF levels at baseline compared to healthy controls. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the AUC is 0.67 and the VEGF cut point is 8.21. At all timepoints, patients receiving Celecoxib had comparable VEGF levels to those receiving Placebo. VEGF levels did not change significantly over time. Baseline VEGF was a poor predictor of treatment response with an AUC of 0.53. Conclusions The increased VEGF in bipolar depression agrees with similar findings in major depressive disorder. A high VEGF level tended to accurately predict bipolar disorder, with apparent differential VEGF expression. Baseline VEGF did not predict treatment response, and levels did not change with treatment. Plasma VEGF may have diagnostic utility and guide personalized treatment.
The Metacoupling Framework Informs Stream Salmonid Management and Governance

Stream salmonid fisheries are ecologically and socioeconomically important at local to global scales throughout the world. Although these fisheries are interacting systems of biota, habitats, and humans, systematic social-ecological integration across space and time is scarce. However, theoretical and methodological advancements in the study of coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) offer new insights for stream salmonid research, management, and policymaking. The metacoupling framework is a novel tool for studying and managing social-ecological linkages that occur within stream salmonid fisheries as well as between adjacent and distant fisheries (i.e., metacouplings). For instance, coldwater streams containing brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Michigan, USA, encompass metacoupled movements of water, information, fish, people, and money throughout CHANS that provide drinking water, recreational fisheries, and employment. However, groundwater withdrawal is altering stream hydrology and causing public controversy over how hydrological changes affect salmonid populations and thermal habitats. Using this complex social-ecological scenario as a case study, we describe the utility of the metacoupling framework for fisheries systems analysis and demonstrate how this approach promotes metacoupled governance—management of relationships among metacoupled systems rather than specific physical places alone—to better sustain stream salmonid fisheries locally, regionally, and globally. Overall, stream salmonid science and management can be enhanced by using the metacoupling framework to synthesize social and ecological information, characterize cross-scalar tradeoffs and feedbacks, understand stakeholder diversity, and ultimately develop metacoupling-informed policies that promote socially and ecologically desirable outcomes.
The Arctiid Archetype: A New Lepidopteran Groundplan

The nymphalid groundplan (NGP) has proven to be extraordinarily useful in the study of butterfly color patterns because it allows for the identification of homologous elements across species. It has long been thought that the NGP is broadly applicable to all Lepidoptera, implying that the characters which make-up butterfly color patterns are homologous to those found in the moths. However, this conjecture remains mostly untested. We analyzed the wing patterns of the hyper-diverse arctiid tiger moths, which are represented worldwide by approximately 11,000 species, and found that the color patterns of these animals can be parsed into a limited toolkit of homologous characters. Some of the pattern elements identified, such as the basal and central symmetry system, are present on the NGP, but their morphology is often quite different from what is seen in the butterflies. The border ocelli of the NGP appear to be absent altogether in the Arctiidae, and conversely, two distal pattern element we term the ‘van Bemmelen’ and ‘terminal’ bands are present in the color patterns of many arctiids, but are not represented on the NGP. In light of the observed differences, we derive a new theoretical groundplan based on the original NGP that we refer to as the ‘arctiid archetype.’ This model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how the wing patterns of these animals develop, and yields novel insight into their evolutionary history.
Donor Breast Milk Improves Feeding Tolerance in Infants with Critical Congenital Heart Disease

Background: Neonates with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) are prone to feeding intolerance resulting in growth failure. A standardized pre-operative inpatient feeding protocol emphasizing feeding mother’s milk and donor breast milk was implemented in 2015. All neonates admitted to Children’s of Alabama Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) were fed according to this protocol. Purpose: To compare …
Ground reaction force profiles during inclined running at iso-efficiency speeds.

Abstract While running provides an accessible form of cardiovascular stimulus, many runners report lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries. Additionally, runners who develop overuse injuries, such as tibial stress fractures, also have higher loading rates (LR) and impact forces. Purpose Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how uphill treadmill running at iso-efficient speeds (IES; a speed-incline combination having the same metabolic intensity as level running) influences impact LR, and peak vertical ground reaction forces (GRF). Methods Eleven collegiate distance runners completed 3 experimental running conditions (0%, 4%, and 8% treadmill inclination). During each running condition, the metabolic intensity was controlled by implementing an IES for each runner. Results All variables of interest were significantly reduced as treadmill incline increased (0% > 4% > 8%). Conclusion Incline running is more metabolically demanding compared to level running at the same speed. But, if speed is controlled to maintain metabolic output, runners could decrease LR and peak vertical GRF while achieving the same metabolic training stimulus as level running.
The Pediatric Examination Assessment Rubric (PEAR) toolkit: reliability study.

Background The Pediatric Examination Assessment Rubric (PEAR) toolkit consists of an examination sheet and rubric designed to assess ophthalmology residents’ performance on the pediatric eye examination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the PEAR toolkit. Methods Six ophthalmology residents (2 PGY-2, 4 PGY-3) at a single ACGME-accredited US program participated in 11 video-recorded pediatric ophthalmology patient encounters. Two pediatric ophthalmologists reviewed the videos and the residents’ examination sheets to complete a PEAR evaluation. The inter-rater reliability of the rating for each of the 12 examination skills evaluated using PEAR was determined using kappa statistics, and reliability strength was categorized based on published guidelines (≤0, poor; 0-0.20, slight; 0.21-0.40, fair; 0.41-0.60, moderate; 0.41-0.60, substantial; 0.81-1.00, almost perfect). Results Eleven video encounters were completed. Of the 12 examination skills evaluated using PEAR, 9 had kappa scores with strengths of moderate to almost perfect reliability. Two examination skills, Worth 4-Dot and alignment, showed fair reliability. A kappa score could not be calculated for stereoacuity because of the lack of variability among the evaluators’ raw scores. Conclusions In our small sample of residents from a single institution, the PEAR toolkit showed inter-rater reliability.
Future Directions in EndoHepatology

Abstract Endoscopic options for the patient with suspected or known liver disease have expanded to the point where the concept of an endoscopic “one-stop shop” can now be considered. This special edition has highlighted some of these emerging options, including EUS-guided liver biopsies, portal pressure measurements and intravascular directed therapies. The purpose of this review is to highlight future directions of “EndoHepatology” including diagnostic and therapeutic interventions that are currently in benchtop, animal or early investigative human study stages and attempt to prognosticate their role in this evolving field. They include EUS based elastography, portal venous sampling, applications of artificial intelligence, improved therapies for variceal bleeding, liver-directed chemoembolization and gene therapy; and intra-hepatic portosytemic shunt creation.
Variation in gene expression patterns across a conifer hybrid zone highlights the architecture of adaptive evolution under novel selective pressures

O_LIVariation in gene expression among natural populations are key contributors to adaptive evolution. Understanding the architecture underlying adaptive trait evolution provides insights into the adaptive potential of populations exposed to novel selective pressures. C_LIO_LIWe investigated patterns and processes driving trait differentiation under novel climatic conditions by combining common garden experiments with transcriptome-wide datasets obtained from Pinus strobiformis - Pinus flexilis hybrid zone populations. C_LIO_LIWe found strong signals of genotype-environment interactions at the individual transcript and the co-expression module level, a marked influence of drought related variables on adaptive evolution and an environment dependent influence of P. flexilis ancestry on survival. Using co-expression network connectivity as a proxy for pleiotropy we highlight that adaptive transcripts were pleiotropic across both gardens and modules with strong population differentiation exhibited lower preservation across gardens. C_LIO_LIOur work highlights the utility of integrating transcriptomics with space-for-time substitution studies to evaluate the adaptive potential of long-lived species. We conclude by suggesting that the combination of pleiotropic trait architectures and substantial genetic variation may enable long-lived forest tree species to respond to rapid shift in climatic conditions. C_LI
The Myth of Separation: America's Historical Experience with Church AndState

This article examines the historical experience of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. Throughout the colonial and constitutional periods of the United States, the classical concept of an exclusive state church dominated the American image of an establishment of religion. A state preference of one denomination over others was what was primarily thought to be an establishment of religion, as the Framers did not want to duplicate the English experience with the established Anglican church. Late eighteenth century Americans agreed that government could provide special assistance to religion in general, as long as such assistance was given without any preference among sects. Both before and after the Revolution, Americans made a conscious distinction between two types of state action: the granting of exclusive privileges to one church, and a non-exclusive assistance to all churches. Only the former was considered to be an establishment of religion. The Framers' principal concern in drafting the Establishment Clause was to ensure equality among religions, not between religion and non-religion. In modern First Amendment doctrines, the single most influential concept regarding relations between church and state is Thomas Jefferson's wall of separation metaphor. The author contends that the misapplication of Jefferson's metaphor has led the Courts to create a confusing maze of case law restricting public expressions of religious belief, exactly contrary to the Framers' intent. He asserts that to the extent that the First Amendment requires separation, it does so as a way of preventing government intrusion on personal and institutional religious autonomy. The constitutional intent behind separation was as a means of protecting religion, not the secular state.
Orthodox Christians in the Late Ottoman Empire: A Study of Communal Relations in Anatolia

Introduction 1. Local Administration 2. Local Finances and Taxation 3. Legal Corporate Status 4. Law and Justice 5. Nationality Conclusion
Cigarette smoking is associated with unhealthy patterns of food consumption, physical activity, sleep impairment, and alcohol drinking in Chinese male adults

According to a recent national survey, tobacco use is a critical public health issue in China, with more than two-thirds of Chinese males smoking. Findings in Western populations suggest that smoking may cluster with other health-risk behaviors. To explore these relationships in Chinese male adults, we utilized baseline data from the China Seven Cities Study (CSCS). Male adults (n = 12,122) were included. Smoking status was defined as never smokers, ex-smokers, current smokers, and current heavy smokers. Logistic regression was employed to investigate the association of cigarette smoking and patterns of food consumption, physical activity, and alcohol drinking. After controlling for age, socioeconomic status, and city residence, heavy smokers consumed significantly less vegetables, fruits, milk and other dairy products, spent significantly more time watching television, slept and exercised less, and got drunk or engaged in binge drinking more frequently compared to never, ex-, or current smokers (p < 0.05). Findings suggest significant associations of heavy cigarette smoking with other health-risk behaviors in Chinese male adults, underscoring the need for tobacco control interventions for Chinese males.
Primary Care Management of Alcohol Misuse

More than one in four American adults consume alcohol in quantities exceeding recommended limits. One in 12 have an alcohol use disorder marked by harmful consequences. Both types of alcohol misuse contribute to acute injury and chronic disease, making alcohol the third largest cause of preventable death in the United States. Alcohol misuse alters the management of common conditions from insomnia to anemia. Primary care providers should screen adult patients to identify the full spectrum of alcohol misuse. A range of effective treatments are available - from brief counselling interventions and mutual help groups to medications and behavioral therapies.
The Commissioned Army Officer – Committed by and to the Law

The notion of the American commissioned Army Officer as a “creature of the law” owes much to the history and tradition of other militaries. Adapting some exemplary traditions, and eschewing the less-than-exemplary ones, the Nation has fashioned an Army and a corps of commissioned Army officers with distinct legal rights and responsibilities. As a significant part of preserving and promoting that tradition of exemplary service, West Point educates, trains, and inspires future commissioned leaders of character, as they commit to the values of Duty, Honor, Country, and prepare for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army. The discussion that follows will trace some of those traditions from the British military heritage adapted and altered by the Continental Army, through present-day requirements for commissioned Army Officers to dedicate themselves to selfless service, and advancing the rule of law domestically and abroad, while scrupulously adhering to the law, moral codes, and standards of ethics.
Boundary-Layer Measurements at Supersonic Nozzle Throats

Wall static pressure measurements and boundary layer pitot pressure surveys were made near the throat of a flexible wall supersonic wind-tunnel nozzle at three settings having throat radii of curvature from 33 to 59 inches. It is found that the longitudinal static pressure gradient at the nozzle throat calculated from one-dimensional flow theory agreed with the measured wall static pressure gradient. The boundary-layer velocity profiles at the nozzle throat are presented and discussed. The boundary layers were turbulent and 0.046 to 0.107 inch thick. It is found that the boundary-layer momentum thickness at the nozzle throat calculated using the momentum-integral-equation and several approximations agrees with the values determined from the measured boundary layer profiles. Finally, it is noted that in spite of the different static pressure gradients, the boundary-layer velocity profiles for the different nozzle settings are similar, and it is shown analytically that this similarity is to be expected.
Digital Image Processing and Analysis: Human and Computer Applications with CVIPtools, 2nd Edition (Umbaugh, S.; 2011) [Book Reviews]

The author presents the book on digital image and analysis that has four sections and thirteen chapters, which is written at a junior-year or above level and used as a basis for advanced studies involving images. The first section deals with introduction and overview of digital image processes and analysis (Chapter 1), and computer imaging systems (Chapter 2). Section 2 contains digital image analysis and computer vision that includes chapters: 3 (introduction of digital image analysis); 4- image segmentation and line and edge analysis; 5- discrete transform (Fourier and other), and filtering; and 6- feature analysis and pattern classification. Section 3 covers digital image processing and human vision, and consists of chapters: 7- human vision and perception and heavily relates to the usefulness of image processing and the effects of noise reduction; 8- overview of image enhancement techniques; 9- image restoration; and 10- image compression with discussion of entropy and information. And section 4 deals with program and application development with CVIPtools (computer vision and image processing (CVIP)), and has the following chapters: 11- basic use of the CD software; 12- application development; and 13- libraries.
A Field Performance Prediction Technique for Light Truck Structural Components

A method has been developed for predicting the field performance of structural components based on prototype vehicle test procedures and results. Component designs can then be optimized by selecting prototype durability test objectives which more accurately reflect actual field usage. This procedure, which is based on fatigue damage calculations from component strain histories, has been successfully applied to non-safety related body, frame and suspension structural components of light trucks and vans.